Entries categorized "Design"
Multi-Colored Record Keeping
Armchair notepads. 13x19cm, 50 sheets, red dotted grid at 1cm increments. Printed by Kip Thomas, hand-bound by Henry&Co. The inscription by Nate Steiner reads, "On behalf and because of your need to communicate not mentally, not verbally, but through/for/because of the physical pencil or pen on paper. This is the paper. Armchair™ 2009, 13×18cm. See more photos here and here
links for 2009-08-31
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The Buyers Guide for Kids and Parents- brainchild of Dan Benjamin
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a roundup/guide to web video
Answers to the questions you have about my bike
I've been riding a Giant Freedom DX for about 5 months now. Here are some common questions I get while out riding.
Why's that front hub so big? There's an electric motor in it. A rechargeable lithium ion battery on the back provides pedal assist.
Isn't that like cheating? Yes, probably. I really just want to ride and this gets me out there more.
Do you have to pedal? Yes. It is decidedly a bicycle and rides like one. There's no throttle like an electric mo-ped. It is most like those moving sidewalks at the airport, you just go farther faster. As you pedal extra torque naturally matches your work. You can also ride without the battery, and that is a great thing too.
Continue reading "Answers to the questions you have about my bike" »
NOT•A•CLOCK at ArtHouse June 26, 2009
I'm showing a collection of NOT•A•CLOCKs at ArtHouse in Castleberry Hill. The project is something I've been working on for a year now, and have gotten contributions from a wide array of artists. I'm excited to have these on public display. To have a look by appointment, you can contact ArtHouse directly or me.
NOT•A•CLOCK is a light display for 35mm slides. It doesn't care that you have an iPhone or an RSS feed. It lights up, it's delightfully analog.
I’ve invited artists to use the display as a canvas for their own work. Each has contributed images from their personal collection for display in a NOT·A·CLOCK. I’ve converted their images to slides and made two sets of NOT·A·CLOCKs. One is for the artist, the other is to show in galleries. My goal is to sell these works to collectors so I can produce more.
Artists who have contributed to the project include:
Marc Kremers - London, www.tex-server.org, www.thedigitalclub.net
David Horvitz - NYC, www.davidhorvitz.com, www.asdfmakes.com
Jason Drakeford - Atlanta, www.jasondrakeford.com
Wade Thompson - NYC, www.sonandsons.com
Jason Scott Kofke - Atlanta, www.jasonkofke.com
Mike Plymale - Atlanta, www.mikeplaymal.com
Justin Van Hoy - Los Angeles, www.thedutchpress.com
Drew Dominey - Atlanta, www.adultswim.com
See some of the work at notaclock.com
MA09 / Design is Human / Event & Home Tour / May 12-17
MA is Modern Atlanta. 2009's modern home tour and week of design events is being held May 12-17. This year also includes some film screenings including Koolhaas Houselife and Gary Hustwit's Objectified. The launch event this year will be held at the new White Provision building in West Midtown. Check the full schedule of nightly events is found on the MA website. Hope to see you there!
CHIRP for spring
Grab the latest CHIRP mix here: http://chirp.byrdhouse.com
Covert art by Drew Dominey.
Slapping the Cowboy
We just launched a new site celebrating the yellow-clad hero of pressure treated pine: YellaFella, Yellawood's ambassador of quality building products. Be sure to check out the "Fight the Bad Guy" part if you're having a tough week and need someone to take it out on. YellaFella launched his first series of commercials about his Adventures in Rotwood. We produced the website over a few short months, working with actors, musicians, cowboys, animators and the 3d effects gurus- The Westside Collective. I helped with art direction and the flash. Aaron did the front-end design work. Check out YellaFella.com
CHIRP Fall 2008
This season's CHIRP mix is out. The cover art is done by the talented Mick Bailey. Get the Chirp Fall edition now.
Fashion Statement
I'm contributing work to Fashion Statement, an upcoming exhibition at Mary Stanley Studio in Castleberry Hill, Atlanta. Using Polaroid’s new portable technology my subject is the fashion choices of the people I see every day, my Armchair coworkers. Making a daily capture over the length of the show, October 2-24, I'll will be adding a new 2×3″ print each day. The final piece will be the culmination of the show duration. Join us during the Castleberry Hill Art Stroll on Oct 24th, 6-10pm. Mary Stanley Studio is on 211 Peters St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30313. Google Map it. Tel. 404.892.3211.
100 Dots
Working on a lecture series poster celebrating 100 years of Architecture at Georgia Tech. See the finished poster here.
Yesterday's Future, Today
A visit to the Kennedy Space Center in photos.
Today is Your Day Off
Hello Kev, it's June 15th, 2008. It's an otherwise normal Sunday aside from being your very first Father's Day. I'll admit that as I write this (reflecting as one does on such hallmark occasions), I'm astonished most by the fact that I've even made the time to write you. Other musings and pursuits have been on the front burner. I just want you to know a few things:
You now have a baby girl with Florrie, a fine woman who has held your hand for some six years now. She's walking in Candler Park today with your daughter Annabelle, Mom and Gigi. Though she was concerned with the burden of walking to the car with a stroller and a mammoth dog in tow, she didnt even quip when you intentionally did not volunteer to assist like you normally do in these instances. It's as if she's whispering, "be self-indulged today hon," by not saying anything at all.
And so you write and work on a summer CHIRP mix and think about how Annabelle is fast approaching three months. She's smiling, speaking mumblecore and getting fat thighs, and oh gawd do you love that.
There are several mini projects in various stages of development to mention.
You've started wrangling Flickr images tagged with "friedchicken" and/or "waffles." It's simply called Fried Chicken and Waffles. Your next step is to arrange this gallery into a limited edition hardback celebrating... well, you guessed it.
There's a 35mm E6 slide light casing you're working on too, inspired by Grayson's Slide Lamp. It's your first time experimenting with laser cut acrylic.
The Monster Quest motion-sensing wilderness camera you got is still in test-mode. One day you hope to attach it to a fence and make a photography series on people picking up after their dogs. (Like I said, it's still in test-mode.)
Oh and that oil painting of Gigi for Annabelle's room; it's on its way. She is one stately explorer of the Alaskan tundra, just like you all dreamed. Do compare the image vs the painting:
You're working at Armchair, and you love it.
OK the call just came. The ride is here to go to for brunch.
Talk soon,
Kevin
Chirp T-shirt
Threadless Select is a line of tees where an artist is invited to design a shirt. My favorite red headed giant, Justin Van Hoy has modified the CHIRP cover art he did last summer so it's ready to wear. Get it at Threadless
Design is Human - May 6-11
I'm proud to announce the MA08: Design Is Human event in Atlanta May 6-11, 2008.
MA is the result of the vision and efforts of Bernard McCoy and Elayne DeLeo to unify the greater Atlanta design community through modern home tours and events throughout the city. I have been fortunate to have been involved on the branding-concept-strategy-design side of things. It’s been a team affair of armchairs, pc students and design friends.
Join us, explore some of those homes you've had your eye on during the Modern Atlanta Home Tour. Other highlight events include the wine tasting at Poliform SWITCH, the Belgium Design & Fashion Event for Darfur, and the Launch Party at Mason Murer Gallery.
Ticket prices vary. Many events are free. More information is available at the MA web site.
CHIRP Spring Mix
Here's a new CHIRP mixtape for you to grab. Gabriel did the cover art.
Towels and Cans of La Croix
“Towels and Cans of La Croix” For sale, by artist. Alternate view here. This is from the installation series self-indulgently entitled, "Things I gather in the floorboard of my car"
Happy Holidays
Here's some video fun for the holiday season. Have your holiday checklist handy?
McCormick Tribune Campus Center
This is by Rem Koolhaas OMA at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. The school is Mies van der Rohe's old stomping grounds. See the Full Gallery here.
CHIRP in the summer
Justin Van Hoy did the cover art for this month's CHIRP. Get the summer mix here.
Cops on Bikes
We made a music video for Thriller 2's "Cops on Bikes." See it here
Briefbox / Boomcase
Larry Luk at Epidemik Coalition helped me create this briefbox. He screen printed me's illustration of an eighties blaster on an old briefcase I likes to carry rounds. Photos by John.
Commander Chameleon
We just got a new site up for the Athens band Commander Chameleon. The band is made up of a handful of good friends from our formative years. They have a new album out, free mp3's you can grab from the site. Be sure to turn on the sound when you visit the new Commander Chameleon website.
HeadOn: Apply Directly To The Forehead
This commercial for Head On is, well, absolutely mesmerizing. Head On is an ointment you evidently apply directly to your forehead. For what, I can't exactly say. Do listen with sound. I guarantee you won't forget how to apply it.
UPDATE:
Read more info on Slate
Put It Together
We at Lightroom recently had an idea about designing our new business cards so that they require the recipient's interaction to activate the card's information. The idea was that at first it appears blank, then, by holding to the light, the info that is printed on the interior of the card is revealed.
In order to achieve the desired effect, we duplexed 2 sheets of paper together into one. The card's information was printed in reverse on a piece of 70lb text. This was glued to a thicker cover stock paper so that the ink was sandwhiched in between the two. The combined sheets together created a paper thickness close to a 130 lb. cover; a nice heavy weight for a business card. As illustrated,
The logo on the exterior was printed only in a spot varnish. It gives a reflective sheen in direct light. The small instructional diagram was added for panache.
Take Home Gifts
A stack of jewelry boxes we designed as a take home gift for Mark Edge's website launch party.
Form.01
The image above is from the poster we worked on for Form.01, an event being held at Function in Decatur November 12th. Find more info here.
Home Improvement: Storefront
It's amazing what you learn by engaging in small home-improvement projects. We recently enclosed a back room in our home with commercial storefront. White laminated glass fills the door and the lower panel, allowing natural light to permeate the space while still maintaining an element of privacy. (Channelling architecture schooling, that previous sentence was essentially composed for me.)
The Install.
Storefront is generally sold at a single price, including materials, construction and installation. We opted for white laminate glass over its frosted cousin. White lam differs mainly in construction. It contains a white film sandwiched between two opposing panes of glass. Frosted glass is single-paned and finished on one side. The downside of the frosted version is that oils and smudges become very difficult to clean.
Here's a wider view of the surrounding space. Before and After.
This shows a view from inside looking out, showing how the white laminated glass obstructs view, but allows light in.
Concluding with what we learned:
1) You should always check pricing with multiple glass providers, no matter how small the job. We saved some 700 dollars by shopping around.
2) You should always seek the input and guidance of someone with building experience before embarking. (Thanks Bill!)
3) It takes 6 months to contemplate a building project, and only 2 days to execute.
Happy store-fronting!
Goodbye Grady Homes
Grady Homes, a well-known public housing project in inner-city Atlanta will soon be flattened. These sort of low income developments are considered governmental failures by the new urbanist camp (and many others). They will cite examples they've memorized from the pages of Jane Jacobs's bible, why sustainability is not only about embracing green building techniques. And maybe they're right.
Still, I must say walking the area last week, I liked it despite its shortcomings. Plentiful green spaces, old trees, community centers; the elements of failing modernism elicited a sweet romanticism. Granted, the place was desolate.
I'm thinking its mixed-use replacement should be named after a bar drink like "The Manhattan" or at least something refreshing like "Grady Springs."
Sustainable Sound
Our most recent field trip was across town to the West End's Northyards.
Wade from EAI gave us a short tour of an empty space adjacent to their
own office space. The concrete surfaces made for an incredible natural sustain. Have a look and listen.
Creative Types Need Apply
[poster announcement for The Lightroom Fellowship]
We at Lightroom are looking for a summer intern (we'd prefer to call you a collaborator). Take a moment and cruise on over to our site for more information and the official application.
The Cycle Theory
[Dre from The Cycle Theory]
We at Lightroom have been working on a new short film called "The Cycle Theory." It's a delightful tale of a man that has perfected a method for guaranteeing constant female companionship. Check out The Cycle Theory trailer.
An Afternoon in Decatur
We took photos of some typefaces from Decatur landmark buildings and businesses. Then we knit them like a quilt. The result we entrered into the Decatur Arts Festival poster competition. Have a look.
UPDATE: Check out the One Letter Pool on Flickr
JPG
JPG Magazine's first issue came out today. I really like what Derek and Heather are doing. In their own words:
JPG Magazine is for people who love imagemaking without attitude. It's about the kind of photography you get when you love the moment more than the camera. It's for photographers who, like us, have found themselves online, sharing their work, and would like to see that work in print.
I compulsively checked to see if my copy had arrived yesterday. Today I am camped out in a lawn chair here by the mailbox.
UPDATE: JPG magazine on Flickr.
Brand Building
Quick, can you guess?
For Sale
One gorgeous four bedroom home located in Atlanta's Lake Claire neighborhood. The house is designed by architect Carlos Tardio, and is currently owned by musician Shawn Mullins. It's one of Atlanta's finer modern gems if you ask me. You should get it. I'll wave to you everyday on my way to the studio.
A Bright New Lightroom
Ladies and gentlmen, designers and rockstars, we humbly present to you, the fabulous new face of Lightroom.
Regarding Your Design Process
I thought it might be helpful to share a discussion I've had in recent days with designers out there that have plenty of resources for the nuts and bolts of web design, but might have trouble finding resources on process.
The following is an interview conducted by Kelly Norton, a student at MIT's Media Lab. For a "Media Studies" class taught by Henry Jenkins, he was given the assignment to interview a media producer about the assumptions that shape his/her design decisions.
Update:
Kelly has posted his report from the interview. You might be interested in hearing his thoughts.What are the various forms of media that you have used throughout your career? How do they interplay in your work? Are some forms subordinate to others?
I've worked in/with film, video, photography, painting, music, web design, collage, chemistry, architecture, fine art, graphic design, print making, and I am a decent chef too. I have found myself to be visual and spatial mostly. I currently sit most comfortably with photography, film, and interactive design. I say currently because that may shift, or has had a history of shifting. Photography comes the easiest, but I really enjoy problem solving, so interactive design is quite engaging.
Are there any styles, theories or schools of thought to which you feel a particular allegiance?
I would first like to give a shout out to capitalism.
I have a small commitment to design methodology which I suspect comes a little from working in architectural design, where the problem space is very large due to the amount of constraints and concerns you're dealing with. Methodology helps add stickiness to all those things.
I like that design disciplines cross-pollinate one another. How you approach design concerns in one medium can inform how you handle similar concerns in another medium. That's why it is very important for me to gain experience in a very wide range of things. Some might think it leads to being a jack of all trades. I have a subtle confidence that it will lead to a greater understanding of different creative disciplines. What you do with that, I just don't know yet. My relationship on a personal level with various mediums is cyclic. I'll return to pick up photography after working in architecture for some time with a new perspective and insight that makes my photography better.
The Design Process
To simplify this exercise, let us focus on a particular project of yours. Preferably one that was created using a process that you feel is representative of your approach. Give a brief description of the project. What were the primary goals for the project?
The project was to design a company identity for a furniture designer, and then execute the brand over multiple marketing fronts including business cards, stationery, brochures, photography, larger format posters for ICFF and a website featuring their collection. The designer had seven furniture designs that he wanted to market, in addition to promoting his custom design services.
What distinct properties of each of the forms of media used allow you to meet your goals?
Marketing mostly. The thickness of the business cards and quality of printing speak to the quality of the furniture. We worked with local printer Thomas and Bohannon, who did an excellent job on their cards. Photographs of the pieces communicate warmth to the viewer. They also show the work from many perspectives. The website allows people to interact with the brand, read about the company, explore its products. We did some animations that showed how some of the furniture worked (1 , 2 , look above "available finishes"). We fashioned the brochures like billboard messaging – quick reads that leapfrog you to the website. My brother Aaron developed a color palette that was full of energy and vitality.
What was your target audience and what kinds of constraints did it impose?
The target audience was interior designers, retailers, architects, and individuals who subscribe to Dwell, Design Within Reach, and Metropolis. Because we could identify with this market base personally, I think it made it easier on us. Designing for one's own tastes is second nature. Because we knew interior designers and architects would need to spec out furniture to their clients, the information tear-sheets on the website for each piece needed to be very detailed, with dimensions and available finishes.
What other considerations were central to the development of the design?
The brand colors had to shift seamlessly through four-color processing, offset printing, and digital display. That was a big concern. We spent a lot of time studying how light played upon various swatches of color, and playing with monitor display settings.
The primary aim of the website was to get visitors to the furniture display pages. We wanted the homepage to imitate a design magazine and feature a random piece of furniture each time one visits. Sort of like a cover design that enticed readers to look inside. It was determined that the target audience also had children, so we thought that the images we used should mirror their lifestyle (1, 2). I thought it was smart to show people interacting with the furniture pieces. I think this added a realness to the furniture - as if they were not only attractive and well-crafted pieces, but very functional, everyday objects for your home. This was at the heart of what the Soorikians wanted to create through their work. We used the Soorikians’ kids as our models, which gave great results.
Matt Soorikian had a love for Blue Note album covers. We did a lot of research in this arena. I think it inspired the primary colors and large, bold type for the logo identity. We explored type selections, color, and image in 3 separate explorations, then began to bring various combinations together. With feedback and review, we further developed the brand logo and mark. Then we executed it in various media. In it’s most simple form, the process would look like this: explore > brand < execute brand.
I like your ideas about touching a lot of domains not to necessarily become a player in each domain, but to inform your work regardless of medium. Let me ask you a few follow up questions on that specificially. Can you give me some specific examples from your work where models and/or concepts from one domain were employed in another? Obviously, there is no need to constrain this to the Soorikian project.
I have 4 examples..
One initial concept for a studio for a client of ours that does film titles, was based on the layering of materials of various transparencies. This was derived from the tools they use to produce their own work: software that "layers" motion graphics, film and soundtrack on top of each other.
In an architecture studio class, I used the metaphor of the chrysalis as the guiding concept in a project
involving renovating Blood and Fire Ministries, a non-profit org that provides shelter, community and spiritual awakening to Atlanta's inner city poor. This "change" metaphor was used to generate forms. During my studies I collected science textbook graphics of the metamorphic process. The concept of change/the chrysalis was used again when I produced a series of flyers for an Atlanta promotion company. Each flyer focused on the change they were trying to create within the dj scene. I used much of the graphics I collected from my first exploration during the architecture project, in the visual flyers.
Lightroom studio, designed by my partner Bill Carpenter has a large window that acts as a framing device for the neighboring building (photography) and on the opposite wall is a window which frames the event of the train passing (film).
In designing the Square Feet Studio's color palette, we examined the colors found in the materials of adaptive reuse building projects. Brick, old timbers, copper patina, tar. Aaron named each color after the material that inspire it.
One of the things I find interesting is that your concept of work, tends to stand apart from media entirely. Do you think there are some comon, core elements at the core of each medium? What things come to mind?
Hmmm. I'll answer this one by saying yes, I believe there are core elements. I think each medium is made unique by the combination and arrangement of constraints and concerns within each medium's "problem space". Some concerns overlap like electrons between neighboring atoms. For instance composition is in play in both photography and graphic design and architecture.
In the Soorikian project, you mentioned that the color palette was constrained by four-color process. This seems a case where one medium constrains the others involved. In your work, how common are these cross-medium constraints? Do you have other examples?
Great question. I can't think of another example.
Audience
In general, how do you determine target audience? In the case of the Soorikian project, it seemed as if you had a good idea from its onset. Was there any process to attempt to re-define or expand the audience? In projects where the audience is not as clear, what methods or strategies do you use to determine your audience?We have a questionnaire we give our clients that deals with their business/personal goals, target market, etc. We composed some of the questions while others were derived from books we've read. We primarily rely on the client to communicate their audience/market to us. We are a small, young shop at the moment. I hope to provide more thorough marketing strategies for our clients in the future that would include audience and market analysis, but we are not there yet.
Identity
One of the things that never occurred to me is how design of identity often stives to setup an aesthetic link between the audience and the entity the design artifact represents.I even like how an identity system can relate to other logos in form, color and type, to evoke an alliance to the values already found in another brand. I like how graphic design can be self-referential like that.
In architecture, the structure communicates its use and typically apeals to an audience who understands and appreciates that particular use. In the case of Soorikian, Matt's love for Blue Note album covers is reflected in the design which is logically related to the aesthetics that goes into their furniture. I have always tended to think more in terms of only appealing to a select target audience, but it seems as if you are hinting at a process where the designer is bridging client (for lack of a better word) and audience more than just working along side the client to present something to an audience. Is that a fair deduction on my part? What corrections would you make in that statement?
Yes, bridging is a good word. You make it sound so appealing. It's about communicating in the end.
Another example: We recently helped develop a name and identity system for a friend of ours who is a php programmer, who also loves racing bmws and porsches. His audience was creative directors needing a back-end mercenary. He was essentially a ghost in the machine. The name was simple, "Brand New Engine". It fit well with his economic function, lifestyle, and was easy to tell people over the phone without having to spell it (one of his pet peeves).
It depends on the client though. Much of the time we use a collaborative process. Sometime we just act as a catalyst by bringing clarity to their existing vision and identity.
Other times we produce a product, and the client goes okay that's perfect, thanks. As if we output design like a baker makes muffins. Which I guess is what we do.
Collecting the Art of Mr. Jeffreys
There's a folder on my laptop labeled "hiccups". It's reserved for those instances where images, for whatever reason, get corrupted, transformed, or otherwise digitally mangled without my intervention. Each time it occurs, I point to Mr. Jeffreys and smile with an bit of encouraging pride. Sometimes it's inspiring. At other times it's irritating, but overall I like the creativity. So much so, I take screen shots to capture each moment. Above is Mr Jeffreys' latest work. You can see the file whose icon was reworked on the bottom right. One day I hope to make a gallery show of it all.
