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Week 15: Journal Post

After taking this class I see the future of design becoming the driving aspect of success in every business, product, and technology.  As the world around us continues to evolve technologically, the more human expectations crave more interactive and hyperreal experience with their products. This idea isn’t limited to consumer products alone, but includes architectural and environmental spaces that obtain technologies that assist daily activities humans takes part in. The world will become more efficient, effective and fast paced because of these inventions and will require less effort from human interaction to accomplish tasks. This is where I begin to fear the strength of technological advancements because they have the potential to take over jobs, duties, and processes humans once were expected to complete themselves.

Will the invention of robots cause a potential negative shift in job opportunities?  There have been many studies and developmental expansions on industrial robots and their functional abilities.  Human robots are able to interact with people as they understand and respond with facial expressions, body language, and behaviors that allow for a bond to be made. These robots are incredibly smart and are able to complete a task without the fear of human error at a quicker pace.  There are positive aspects included in the development of human robots, as they are made to complete missions humans aren’t physically capable of doing.  An example of this would be the creation of mobile robots that are developed for search and rescue missions along with medical procedures (https://www.robotics.org/blog-article.cfm/The-Industrial-Robots-of-Tomorrow-Under-Development-Today/133).

These robots are made to manipulate and grip objects, allowing for their ability to drive vehicles but what if cars were developed to drive themselves?    The future is expected to have self-driving cars to avoid the mistakes humans make while driving that result in accidents. This also poses a question of if human driving jobs such as taxi and truck drivers, will be taken completely over by the machine.  These developments will have the safety and security that humans were never able to ensure which is a positive step forward into the future. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/the-future-of-self-driving-cars/

I was specifically interested in the future advancements of lighting and air quality as climate change rapidly shifts due to human life. Julian Melchiorri expects the tiny organic marine microorganisms found in algae to save the quality of lighting and air as they are able to produce up to 80% of the world’s oxygen. Melchiorri created a beautifully colored chandelier housing a functional marine algae environment.  It uses LED lights that cast light into environment to stimulate photosynthesis in the algae which releases clean oxygen into the atmosphere.

https://www.bustle.com/p/7-examples-of-green-design-that-prove-the-future-will-be-sustainable-af-3218020

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Week 14: Journal Post

I would like to start a discussion about how the role of an artist/designer has the potential to change the world. It begins with the act of design thinking, which can take place under any field of work.  It is a system of inspired team members that observe,  use human centered thinking, and technological processes to understand what people want and need in their lives.  This system helps designers to navigate the success of design systems, discovering what needs to change in order to reach dramatic new forms of value. Experimentation is a significant part of this process and through design thinking, one is able to innovate solutions that generate better ideas.  In the real world, we are surrounded by people who come from different backgrounds and fields of study and because of this diversity in thought and knowledge, we have the chance to explore ideas we may have never considered before.  The cross-disciplinary forms of collaboration allow the mind to create a different combination of thought to reach a solution.  

As an artist,  I am confident in my capabilities of making something visually pleasing.  It was not until this year that I found myself wanting to explore projects that could have a positive effect on the world around me.  How would I be able to implement the artistic knowledge and background that I have, and be able to apply it to projects that require a level of expertise in subjects that I have little to no background in? Learning about the importance of cross-disciplinary forms of collaboration has lead me to find more interest and drive to step into the role of a citizen designer.  A citizen designer benefits the world at large instead of focusing solely on a confined visual project.  I am now aware of how important artists voices are within society and am able to use my design skills to approach governmental, political, and environmental topics through visual representation. 

Work Cited

Stephen J. Eskilson, Graphic Design: A New History , 2nd edition, Yale University Press, ISBN 9780300172607

Tim Brown, Design Thinking, Harvard Business Review, June 2008

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Week 13: Journal Post

As we educate ourselves further into the world of New Media, we begin to realize the importance of design in both the technological and aesthetic aspects.  The overall success of digital media is assumed to be found in the technology behind everything but what makes that technology worth integrating into a digital design if the visual aesthetics fail to appeal an audience?  Technology has been a crucial aspect in the creation of new media features such as television, film, and radio.   As society continues to evolve, the demand for digital media grows rapidly, as humans have become entirely consumed by the technological  features of digital technology.  Everything in our lives is beginning to rely on technology as it transforms the human experience in forms of entertainment, communication, education, and advertisement.  With the increasing technological abilities available to the public, the expectation for a more interactive experience is more prevalent than ever before.  As stated in the book, “Many viewers today expect to have a rich, highly interactive, and most importantly entertaining experience if they are going to commit time to a given website” (Eskilson, p. 397).  A contemporary example of this would be the interaction I have with the American Eagle Outfitters website as I purchase clothing online.  As I shop for a pair of jeans, I am now able to virtually view a model displaying the fit of the jean in a GIF as opposed to the advertisement of them being shown through a stagnant image.  Through this interactive media and digital aesthetic, I am more able to gather what the jean looks like in person as I shop over the internet.   The expectation of what I am purchasing as validated, giving me more of a reason to purchase the pair of jeans without needing to physically shop at the store.  I have noticed an increasing change in the websites graphics and photography style as a means to display their clothing. On their home page, they have displayed images which are photographed in more vintage setting and aesthetic to support the thematic style for the clothing line.  These large images that are graphically organized with bold, modern boarders are overlaid with overlaying graphics, giving the shopper an easier way to navigate through the website.  With each image is text that explains the article of clothing that is stylistically advertised, followed up with two dialog boxes that would lead you to the section of this specific style of clothing or to lead you to the entire selection of styles available for that article of clothing.  Digital aesthetics hold an immense amount of power in the world of digital branding and allows designers to put forth their own creative and playful ideas.  

https://www.ae.com/women/web/s-cms/womens?cm=sUS-cUSD&navdetail=mega:womens

Stephen J. Eskilson, Graphic Design: A New History , 2nd edition, Yale University Press, ISBN 9780300172607

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Week 12: Journal Post

There are a number of fields that have an impact on interactive design.  The greatest impact on interactive design is seen in web design, graphic design, and motion graphics which have directly transformed marketing and advertisement virally.  Web design began incorporating motion and interactivity as new softwares were released to support such memory consuming graphics.  Websites began using animation in order to advertise and create interaction between a viewer and the site itself.  This created a rich and a highly entertaining experiences for website visitors and encouraged them to explore further.  As the technologies of motion graphics were mastered, text and images were now able to move digitally and change in form, color, and composition (Eskilson, p. 397).  Graphic designers used Adobe After Effects to layer and combine their raw source design materials such as, photos, videos, hand drawings, and or music clips, into one work of art with the programs editing processes. The integration of graphic designers and web designer has made it possible for industries to campaign creatively on the internet which has directly impacted the success of television and film. The interactive and stylistically created elements of motion graphics seen in video game design, allow a visitor to participate with the manipulation of their own involvement. Similar to video game styles, television networks, and music video’s, motion graphics include digital aesthetics that are informed by animated imagery (Eskilson, p. 408).  I am intrigued by the elements involved in the making of music videos and learned how important the animation techniques of motion graphics paired with music, live video, and title styles are in creating a narrated experience to complement the overall meaning.  As humans are more interactive with media, they become more interactive with each other and the constantly shifting technological world around them. This visual shared experience attracts viewers in part for their visual aesthetic, ultimately convincing a viewer to pay attention to their voice.  This begins the endless sharing opportunities available to enhance communication all over the world with one click of a button. 

Stephen J. Eskilson, Graphic Design: A New History , 2nd edition, Yale University Press, ISBN 9780300172607

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Week 11: Journal Post

A Citizen Designer is someone who pursues an expanded role for the design profession in order to benefit the world at large.  Instead of focusing solely on confined commercial work, narrowing the perimeters of position that a designer has, the designer has the ability to have a sub focus of confronting problems within contemporary society.  This role of a citizen designer is incredibly necessary for the world that we live in today.  As William Morris expressed during the Industrial Age, high quality design can serve as a beneficial source of reformation during times of crisis within a society (Eskilson, p. 425).  Before beginning this semester, I had been struggling with the idea that my Graphic Design degree would be lead my career path to be nothing more than making something look visually pleasing, unsatisfied with the lack of impact it would have on the world.  I craved something more than making “pretty” art and as I entered into the Contemporary Issues in Art course in the Fall, I was proven wrong about the ability that designers have on addressing governmental, political, and environmental topics through visual representation.  I have been inspired by the ways art saves lives and feel a deeply rooted obligation to use my artistic talents as a voice to make the world a better place.  In order to make an impact, I feel it is important to create connections with individuals who are skilled in other areas of education, creation, and thinking in order to reach an ideas full potential.  

These collaborative projects are put out into the public, encouraging a wider audience to enter into the work in hopes of sparking a conversation of change among the many members of society.   An example of this kind of work is seen in Olafur Eliasson’s, “Ice Watch” project, where he places a circle of ice chunks collected from Greenland in the center of Paris. In order to bring attention to the severe melting of the Glaciers in Greenland, Eliasson used his imagination to expose a major issue due to climate change. His goal of the project wasn't to overwhelm the populous of Paris with ecological data that was difficult to understand, but rather, to put pieces of the melting ice within the public in hopes of starting a much bigger conversation.  In real time, the people in Paris are exposed to the ice melting to better understand the urgency of climate change, no longer able to ignore the rapid speed of its diminishing (Cynthia Zarin, p. 2).  Climate change is a very broad topic to tackle, but to see something first hand and experience the emotion it evokes within, is the first step to understanding the urgency of action needed to be taken.  Through art and design, Eliasson was able to approach a environmental issue in a way that was visually pleasing while also informing the public. 

Cynthia Zarin, “The Artist Who Is Bringing Icebergs to Paris”, The New Yorker, December 5, 2015 

Stephen J. Eskilson, Graphic Design: A New History , 2nd edition, Yale University Press, ISBN 9780300172607

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Week 10: Journal Post

I found many ideas within the typographic reading intriguing, especially relating to the progressive transition of typeface styles over time and how type designers carried on ideas of their successors into their refined forms. I was interested in the evolution of showing words or phrases with emphasis.  Rubrication, “refers to the process whereby words and phrases are highlighted with different colored inks that either underline the text or are used for the letters themselves” (Eskilson, p. 15).  When thinking about and vaguely relating the universal principles of design to this idea of coloring words or phrases of emphasis, I thought about all the individuals who may read with limitations of colorblindness and was inspired by the later replacement of this emphasis of color with italics and or small capital letterforms. There were many typefaces within the reading that I am familiar with and use within my work, unaware of their origin and the processes required to perfect legible type, all while maintaining a unique and pleasing style. There was the creation of the Gutenberg Bible, the Mainz Psalter, and the Nuremberg Chronicle, which all set the standard for type styles to come, educating the design world on developmental techniques in the creation of typographic letterforms, books and material of paper within, and the technological advancements of printing. “Printing was the core technological achievement that made possible the advent of an era of increased scholarship during the Renaissance” (Eskilson, p. 17). The mechanization and technology of printing replaced years of handwritten work done by scribes in hopes of releasing copies of their books, and now offered the production of books by the thousands only in a matter of months.  I definitely take for granted the technological tools available to us as designers today and admire the craft once endured by scribes, articulating individual strokes of a letterform precisely by hand.  

Stephen J. Eskilson, Graphic Design: A New History , 2nd edition, Yale University Press, ISBN 9780300172607.

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WEEK 8: JOURNAL POST

8. Keurig Coffee Machine: 

The Keurig was made as a beverage brewing system that can be used in homes or commercially — It is designed for the production of mass consumer products

It allows for a single served beverage from a K cup (such as coffee, hot chocolate, or tea) and serves the drink in an efficient manner. 

It is aesthetically pleasing and takes up very little space 

The temperature of the water in the machine can be adjusted by the user and comes with three drinking size options for serving 

There is little maintenance with cleaning the machine and can easily be refilled with water as its compartment detaches from the machine.  

9. Portable Desk Surface 

A mass produced portable desk surface used for holding a laptop or writing 

It allows for the user to sit wherever they desire when working due to its portable feature and has a handle at the top to use while carrying 

It is easy to store and comes in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes

This particular portable desk has a cushioned bottom that sits on the users lap.  It is enclosed in fabric that is synched by 3 buttons in the middle of the desk.

The top of the desk has two compartments for pens, pencils, or other small electronics 

10. Coffee Bar with Sliding barn doors 

- This allows for a more accessible cabinet without having to open doors outward into the living space

- The doors are engineered to slide apart covering the side compartments of the cabinet and can slide together to cover the middle shelves 

- The cabinet is stylistically designed to mirror a rustic barn but is painted in neutral colors with a distressed finish which is popular right now 

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Journal: Week 7 – Two Key Principles of Universal Design 

1.) Principle # 4: Perceptible Information— The Design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities 

4a. Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information.

4b. Provide adequate contrast between essential information and its surroundings.

4c. Maximize "legibility" of essential information.

4d. Differentiate elements in ways that can be described (i.e., make it easy to give instructions or directions).

4e. Provide compatibility with a variety of techniques or devices used by people with sensory limitations.

Examples: 

1.  Closed captioning on TV shows 

2. The Visual  and informational communication of signs

3. Redundant cueing of communication on Milwaukee buses (voice communications, signs, and color visuals)

4. Instructions for Command Strips: Using graphics, images, and examples to help visual learning — The hierarchal organization of Information laid out on a page

2.) Principle # 3: Simple and Intuitive Use— Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.

3a. Eliminate unnecessary complexity.

3b. Be consistent with user expectations and intuition.

3c. Accommodate a wide range of literacy and language skills.

3d. Arrange information consistent with its importance. 

3e. Provide effective prompting and feedback

Examples

5. The iPhone layout is user friendly as most of the icons are color coded and have pictures as reference 

6.  Clorox Wipes packaging— using color pictures and diagrams to visually explain the instructions and what they wipes can be used for.  The package has dual language explanation and is arranged with consistent importance of the information throughout 

7. The Towing Sign: Eliminates unnecessary complexity with its simple san serif type and single color

8. Eye washing Station Sign: provides information in a consistent way with its importance and accommodates a range of literacy and language skills 

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Week 6: Architecture 

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Week 5: Journal Post

 1. POSTER: This first examples is a poster that was created by Nicholas Lampert in October of 2018.  This poster was created as a means of communication in areas such as environment, climate, feminism, gender, labor, migration, and racial justice. This poster was designed with what appears to be an asymmetrical layout, which Jan Tschichold used in order to create better hierarchy in the content for more efficient communication (Eskilson, 233-234).Swiss design and Typography paved the way for grid layouts and the use of the Golden section for maintaining mathematical proportions and consistency within a type design.  Like Jan Tschichold, Lampert’s font uses a range of weights and sizes.  This graphically designed poster involves personal expression through the style of font chosen but similar to the minimalistic ideas of the Bauhaus group, lacks unnecessary ornamentation and or decoration.  It’s sans serif typeface is bold, simple, and clearly communicates the information at hand (Eskilson, 230).

2. BALENCIAGA LOGO: This example found in The Wall Street Journal Magazine highlighting Women’s Fashion in March of 2018 explores themes that mirror the development of American graphic design during the 1930’s.  The Balenciaga lettering style is similar to Cipe Pineles’ logo design for Seventeen Magazine.  In contrast to Mehemed Agha, who was Art Director for the German Vanity Fair and constantly shifted the size of logo to fit the issues image, Pineles created a logo that was standardized.  The Seventeen logo was made with lowercase, condensed, and italic lettering that spanned across the entire length of the cover.  This ad for Balenciaga uses its standardized lettering, creating brand name that is consistent and recognizable.  Its simple, capitalized, san serif typeface spans across the entire image but lays in the foreground of the photograph unlike the the Seventeen logo which is in the background.  Both of these logos are bold, big, and capture the attention of the viewers in tandem with the styled fashion photography that accompanies it (Eskilson, 247-249).

3. MOON THEORY: The cover of the book, Moon Theory, by Robert M. Drake, appears similarly to Dadaist elements of chaos.  There is a mixing of type styles, scale, but also holds somewhat of a rational structure (Eskilson, 184). The mixture of typefaces, illustrations, and geometric forms enhances an energetic form in the chaotic composition to express a need for change as seen in the ideas of the Futurist.  Its bright yellow background is directly in contrast with the heavy black and white lettering and illustrations and gives the book cover individual personality.  This opposes the ideas of Theo Van Doesburg who designed a font to remove any sign of individual personality.  This severe approach wasn't easy to maintain because it is human nature to create something personal (Eskilson,180).

Work Cited: 

 Stephen J. Eskilson, Graphic Design: A New History , 2nd edition, Yale University Press, ISBN 9780300172607.

https://justseeds.org/graphic/vote-nov-6th-2018-blue-poster-version/

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WEEK 4: FOUND OBJECTS

Everyday, indoor artificial lighting is used in order to help us see more clearly and function effectively.  What I have been observing this week is the many ways in which we are able to incorporate elements of lighting into our homes, offices, schools, etc, as a means of illuminating certain parts of a room, adding aesthetic to an interior design, or as a way to draw attention to an object.  I began to question what design solutions were involved in the creation of a lamp and after researching, I better understood the reasoning behind lamp styles and their purposeful functions.  My approach to purchasing a lamp was always geared toward the shape of the shade, the decorative elements designed within them, and how it would look in tangent with the decor theme of a room.  What attracts buyers to a specific style of lamp usually relates to the shape, color, and brightness of  its given light output.  The ways light output can be affected by the design or a lamp is the position of the light source in the room and its height, and the way the shade is designed to deflect and aim the light source (Lamps USA).  The two light sources I spent most of my time observing was my night stand lamp and my desk lamp.  These both emit light in such different ways because of how they were designed to function and look for a specific area.  My night stand lamp emits diffused lighting due to its empire shade.  This maximizes the distance in which the light  spreads and is increased by the narrow opening on top of the shade.  This diffused, warm lighting also comes from the fabric of the shade, setting a comfortable and calm mood throughout the room.  Its base is elaborately decorative and compliments the plain night stand its on with all its curving silver detail. In contrast, the modern, matte-black desk lamp emits its light in a very different way because of its design.  This desk lamp uses task lighting as it is designed to provide a certain amount of light exactly where the task is being done (Lightology, 2019).  It has a harsh direct beam of light that typically faces downward on a desktop.  The head of the desk lamp can be adjusted and aimed in different directions by the hinged joint, connecting it to the base of the lamp.  The lamp itself isn't in the way of the light it gives as the nightstand lamp base is fully illuminated by its own light

Work Cited: 

https://www.lampsusa.com/blogs/how-to-and-tips/lamps-how-to-choose-floor-lamps-table-lamps-lamp-shades

https://www.lightology.com/index.php?module=how_to&sub=desk_task_lighting

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Week 3: History of Design 

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Week 2: Design Thinking

After reading this article written by Tim Brown, my perception of what design really is changed drastically.  Design is much more than generating new ideas that fuel a creative vision for products.  Design can be defined as, “Creating something that solves a problem for an end user,” but as these creations come to fruition, the development processes require an immense amount of time, experimentation, communication, and collaboration with a wide range of critical thinkers and designers.  Design is a system of inspired teams that use human-centered design thinking, and processes that require technology and prototyping.  In my eyes, innovation is the heart of the success when it comes to design thinking.  It is, “powered by a thorough understanding, through direct observation, of what people want and need in their lives and what they like or disliking about the way particular products are made, packaged, marketed, sold, and supported.”  The success of a design is then found in the changes made to increase customer value and market opportunity.  Today, design is no longer solely about the attractiveness of a tangible product or packaging created by a designer, rather about implementing the considerations of users’ needs and preferences that lead to, “dramatic new forms of value” (Brown, p. 86).  

It never occurred to me that design thinking could be applied to non-tangible objects.  Throughout my childhood, I spent a considerable amount of time at appointments tending to mental, emotional, and physical health problems. This reading had multiple examples of how the use of design thinking helped to change areas in systems of care for the overall satisfaction of the patients and effectiveness of the employees at the company.  What I found extremely interesting was the consideration of a large health care provider.  Kaiser Permanente wanted to improve the overall quality of the patients’ and medical practitioners’ experiences— Design thinking techniques were taught to nurses, doctors, and administrators as a means to inspire  practitioners to contribute new ideas to enhance the success of their company.  The importance of collaboration in design thinking and innovation is prevalent throughout this article.  The Kaiser team began working with the IDEO group that included a, “strategist, an organizational-development specialist, a technology expert, a process designer, a union representative, and designers from IDEO” (Brown, pg. 86).  These reengineering projects for the nursing staff at four Kaiser hospitals are perfect examples of how innovation is not only a tool used in the creation product design, but rather how immensely it can affect the value of the holistic design approach.  This project required a significant amount of time spent observing, experimenting, and coming up with possible solutions using prototypes to generate useful feedback to evolve ideas.  Through design thinking, the Kaiser hospital was able to not only enhance the patients experience, but positively improved the nursing staffs job satisfaction and productivity.  

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Week 1: About Me

My name is Olivia Calmes and I am a fifth year student in college and am currently in my second year here at UWM to receive a degree in Graphic Design with an emphasis in photography.  My passion for design began at a young age.  As soon as I was able to pick up a pencil, I began drawing anything and everything that spoke to me.  At the age of nine, I started sketching my own collection of fashion designs and continued to create many outfit designs up until high school.  There was a constant craving for creativity within everything I involved myself in and as I grew older, my love for art and design only grew.  For my first year of college, I attended Columbia College in Chicago to study fashion design.  Unfortunately, sewing machines and I didn't get along very well.  I loved being surrounded in an environment of diverse creatives, but returned home to pursue my interest in studying early childhood psychology and teaching.  

While attending UW-Fox Valley, I was hired at a curriculum based daycare to teach early childhood education. I fell completely in love with the ways I was able to touch the lives of so many little ones and how I was able to implement my creativity into the classroom and my teaching techniques. Over those next two and a half years, I found myself researching graphic and industrial design.  I felt like the magic and beauty of creating was no longer a to priority and was hard to make time for.  In January of 2017, my self-taught photography journey began.  For hours, I would get lost in tutorials and articles that taught me how to use a camera and editing software.  My love for photography and ambition to learn more about the profession led me to the Peck School of the Arts.  What inspires my drive for the creation of art and design, is the unique voice and visions I am able to share with the world.  As an artist, my work is inspired by my personal experiences of struggle, healing, love, and growth.  I have learned more about myself and the world around me through years of creative expression and I hope  to use the tools taught in this course to not only create visually pleasing art, but to implement design strategies and solutions to these artistic creations in order to make a real difference in the world.