I wonder if it's just a matter of time before we see Viktor & Rolf adopting this for one of their spectacular shows if the 2002/03 Bluescreen Fall/Winter collection was anything to go by.
"Digital Skin"
We've seen loads of projection mapping on buildings and even cars. Faces are no less fascinating a canvas as this ad for Samsung Portugal shows.
Look. Look again.
A couple of years back when I first came across Jens Wunderling's At Second Glance, I was fascinated by the idea of being able to 'hide' visual messages within a light source.
at second glance from sport4minus on Vimeo
The Rainbow Machine from Amanda Hass on Vimeo
at second glance from sport4minus on Vimeo
So it really was just a matter of time before something like The Rainbow Machine emerged. Et voila, a new form of light-painting! Only instead of having to shake your head at the lights ala Jens, you simply remained still and let long exposure photography capture the magic.
The Rainbow Machine from Amanda Hass on Vimeo
What remote? Use the wand.
In case you haven't quite got Brendan Dawe's nifty skills in 'programming' Play-Doh, here's another excuse to replace your remote control with a universal one. By universal, I do mean a wand. Fans of Harry Potter would love this – personally, I'd just like to wave one in someone's face while the nearby TV/DVD/(insert preferred infra-red electronic device here) heeds my beckoning.
The clever Kymera wand can learn 13 different codes and there's even a practice mode which, let's be frank here, is terribly crucial before you actually try to impress your guests. Or try to hide the remote control from your housemates.
Love it when tech is invisible.
The clever Kymera wand can learn 13 different codes and there's even a practice mode which, let's be frank here, is terribly crucial before you actually try to impress your guests. Or try to hide the remote control from your housemates.
Love it when tech is invisible.
No remote, no problem
I started taking note of Brendan Dawe's work after seeing him give a talk once upon a few years ago. The man should have his own stand-up routine, never mind the delightful interactive projects he keeps churning out.
If you ever wanted to control a video with Play-Doh, well, now you know you can.
Got to be a classic
So after a (less than planned) hiatus, I thought I might start blogging again about digital projects that inspire me. While I've compiled several of these before in a previous post within a Prezi, it has occurred to me that this doesn't make for easy reading. Promise I'll get new stuff in once I do justice to the recap I'm about to get started with.
In honour of winter's grasp, R/GA's Tattoo Santa has got to be featured first. Produced back in 2007, it's now a permanent classic in my books. Watch Santa get inked as you type. Go on, you know you wanna!
Passionate about paper (and postcards)
My MA classmates might probably think of me more as a digital fiend than someone who's obsessed with paper, but anyone who remembers me from my foundation days will testify that I indeed have a thing for the latter, from textured pieces to graphic-led wrapping paper and delicate Japanese rice versions. For as long as I can remember, I do also seem to have the habit of collecting postcards; first, from travels (my dad, then my own), and then to more interesting forms which play with die-cuts or interesting materials and so forth.
Researching ideas for my interactive postcard campaign has therefore led me on to very inspiring finds and it's really hard to stop looking! Here are a few of my favourites so far:
This sundial business card was created for an antique watch collector.
Postcarden: A greeting card that lets the recipient grow his/her own cress!
Bosch lawnmower calendar: Each day, the recipient gets to tear off from specially cut papers that mimic a wild lawn – leaving a perfectly mowed lawn at the end of the year.
Researching ideas for my interactive postcard campaign has therefore led me on to very inspiring finds and it's really hard to stop looking! Here are a few of my favourites so far:
This sundial business card was created for an antique watch collector.
Postcarden: A greeting card that lets the recipient grow his/her own cress!
Bosch lawnmower calendar: Each day, the recipient gets to tear off from specially cut papers that mimic a wild lawn – leaving a perfectly mowed lawn at the end of the year.
Eyeball.ing – refining the brand identity
Testing the various logos with a sample of the target audience has led to eyeball emerging as the forerunner, but of course I'm not simply letting it rest there.
A few dozen tweaks later, I've got these to show as fruits of my labour. From testing how the logo looks with the addition of an 'eye', to the thickness and kerning of the typeface, and on to developing the elements that would eventually form the accompanying graphics, these will then be incorporated in the interface design of the iPhone app.
A few dozen tweaks later, I've got these to show as fruits of my labour. From testing how the logo looks with the addition of an 'eye', to the thickness and kerning of the typeface, and on to developing the elements that would eventually form the accompanying graphics, these will then be incorporated in the interface design of the iPhone app.
A beginner's attempt at mapping an app
I tried sketching these out on an A4 piece of paper, I really tried.
Even after reading through resources such on Interactive Sketching and How to Create an iPhone App, I was still stumbling along. Then I recalled how someone once said that if you're stuck sketching out an idea, try a different tool to draw it with, and voila!
Using post-it notes this way also enabled me to think a lot clearer and feel less apprehensive about thinking what each page needed. This is how the different parts sit:
• links
• pages
• actions (for user)
• functions
So now I've figured out how the iPhone app would work, it's on to visualising it!
Testing, testing... seek, inquisitor and eyeball
As the first few results come trickling in, here's a snapshot of what's been noted so far. Each participant was given a set of postcards – one logo per postcard, and a brief explanation on the service being offered (ie. alternative London events/venues).
They were then asked the following:
1. What are your first impressions of this logo? (Please describe in 3 words.)
2. How does the logo make you feel? (Again, please describe in 3 words.)
3. How well do you think this logo relates to the service?
The answers were then detailed on the back of the card, and at the end of the test, the participant was asked to state their preferred logo. The comments made a really interesting read, but I'm not going to detail every one of them here – it's more fun to read it in the original handwriting! ;)
Alter-egos
While trying to flesh out the personalities of the seek, inquisitor and eyeball, I realised words just weren't jumping out at me in the beginning. To get into a better frame of mind, I tried visualising them as having their own calling cards instead – which oddly (maybe not) did help!
I also wanted to experiment how the logo would lend themselves to simply being graphics, and out popped 4 designs for the shortlisted logos, complete with 5 characteristics for each detailed behind. Cue, photos!
I also wanted to experiment how the logo would lend themselves to simply being graphics, and out popped 4 designs for the shortlisted logos, complete with 5 characteristics for each detailed behind. Cue, photos!
The FMP – logo development - Round 2
From pen/pencil-to-paper beginnings, the shortlist of 3 names for my final major project have now made it to the Indesign/Illustrator drawing board.
My preferred versions for each name have been enlarged and placed in the bottom right corner of each jpeg. With a bit more tinkering where needed, these will then be tested with a sample of the target audience of 25-40 year olds – that might just be you!
(Don't shy away from expressing pre-testing opinions now...)
My preferred versions for each name have been enlarged and placed in the bottom right corner of each jpeg. With a bit more tinkering where needed, these will then be tested with a sample of the target audience of 25-40 year olds – that might just be you!
(Don't shy away from expressing pre-testing opinions now...)
Pencilled in
Following on from the shortlist, here are some initial logo sketches for seek, inquisitor and eyeball. At this stage, I think the first two names lend themselves rather easily to the creation of logotypes, while I find myself gravitating towards more of a symbol-led logo for eyeball.
More development ensues!
Making the shortlist
How should one go about conjuring a name for a service that deals with alternative London?
Branching out from themes like secret, break, alternative, time, movement, and area (it's very tempting to want to continue this exercise indefinitely), I decided to shortlist three to proceed with – chosen to convey the notion of discovering or focusing:
• eyeball
• seek
• inquisitor
Coming up next... logo development for the shortlist!
Presenting...The official brief
Brief
To promote a service that showcases 'alternative' London events/venues offering eccentric, off-beat experiences in the city
Challenge
• to create a visually rich user experience
• to create paper-based interaction
Insight
London's vibrant culture offers abundant opportunities to experience the unexpected, exciting and unusual.
• Not many people know where or how to start looking for such experiences however.
• There is a certain thrill that accompanies a new discovery followed by an eagerness to share it with friends.
The big idea
Central to the theme of this service is the ability to discover new encounters, and I'd like to capture this in the spirit of an amateur sleuth investigating promising leads on a mission. I'm also interested in utilising different channels of delivery within the campaign.
Ideally, this would result in interactive postcards that would reveal hidden messages, enticing recipients to learn more about the service. The augmented reality application similarly reveals the (previously unexpected) events/venues in London locations to users via their mobiles. Online, users will have the option to add on their own 'alternative networks' to either share with the public or simply with their own friends.
Primary target audience
25-40 year old Londoners tired of the same haunts and looking for something new/novel.
Communication channels
Integrated campaign
• series of postcards that need to be 'decoded' (can be re-posted to friends to share)
• mobile/web application utilising augmented reality with the option to customise networks (simultaneously generating alternative maps of London)
To promote a service that showcases 'alternative' London events/venues offering eccentric, off-beat experiences in the city
Challenge
• to create a visually rich user experience
• to create paper-based interaction
Insight
London's vibrant culture offers abundant opportunities to experience the unexpected, exciting and unusual.
• Not many people know where or how to start looking for such experiences however.
• There is a certain thrill that accompanies a new discovery followed by an eagerness to share it with friends.
The big idea
Central to the theme of this service is the ability to discover new encounters, and I'd like to capture this in the spirit of an amateur sleuth investigating promising leads on a mission. I'm also interested in utilising different channels of delivery within the campaign.
Ideally, this would result in interactive postcards that would reveal hidden messages, enticing recipients to learn more about the service. The augmented reality application similarly reveals the (previously unexpected) events/venues in London locations to users via their mobiles. Online, users will have the option to add on their own 'alternative networks' to either share with the public or simply with their own friends.
Primary target audience
25-40 year old Londoners tired of the same haunts and looking for something new/novel.
Communication channels
Integrated campaign
• series of postcards that need to be 'decoded' (can be re-posted to friends to share)
• mobile/web application utilising augmented reality with the option to customise networks (simultaneously generating alternative maps of London)
The Beginning of the End...
... starting the Final Major Project
I'll be looking out for events like Telectroscope (2008) – "the secret tunnel that runs deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean" connecting New York and London and Down the Rabbit Hole (2008), a multi-arts event inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
A number of mindmaps and tutorials on, I've finally made it official – I'm basing the subject of my major project on 'alternative' London. With a focus on the quirky, wacky, or mildly curious (with a generous dollop of the surreal where I can find it), the aim will be to unfold the story of lesser-known events or sites in the city.
I'll be looking out for events like Telectroscope (2008) – "the secret tunnel that runs deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean" connecting New York and London and Down the Rabbit Hole (2008), a multi-arts event inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
While I'm diving into research and have yet to give the project its definitive name, the working title shall be The London Inquisitor. This week, it's off to the Sandpit at the ICA and an evening at the Enchanted Palace (Kensington Palace). Meanwhile, do flood me with suggestions!
Our Skin Never Forgets
Our Skin Never Forgets
I absolutely love this concept using post-it notes in such an unexpected context! Commissioned by the Swiss Cancer Foundation in a campaign against skin cancer, it's definitely an attention-grabbing execution.
Summing up sustainable design
I tend to think about sustainable design as a sphere (not simply because that's the shape of our planet!) in the sense that its implementation and effects are felt within a multi-directional loop. It's a construct that goes beyond the physical material (ecological), resonating in economic and social realms as well.
Be it in industrial design, architecture, fashion, engineering or graphic design, sustainable design is viewed as the way forward. It's about what we use and how we use things, and far from having to give up an entire lifestyle, I feel it's more about being as efficient as we can. It's about being more responsible and aware of the repercussions of our actions, without having to live like hermits. It's also about coming to terms with a different way of thinking.
The School of Visual Concepts, Seattle, together with AIGA Seattle, have come up with 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth, and some of the tips that stood out for me were:
#94. Try not to bleed
Bleeding requires printing on oversized stock with more ink, which all gets trimmed off and discarded as waste. So it's worth considering smaller sizes that fit within standard sheet sizes.
#64. Develop packaging with multiple uses
Instead of designating used packaging for recycling, how can we design it to be reused for another purpose beyond merely containing a product?
#63. Start with the need, not the end result
"What else could you do to accomplish the client’s objectives without necessarily going with paper or energy-based solutions?"
Beyond following guidelines, sustainable design can be truly inspiring in its outcome, and I couldn't resist sharing these!
Be it in industrial design, architecture, fashion, engineering or graphic design, sustainable design is viewed as the way forward. It's about what we use and how we use things, and far from having to give up an entire lifestyle, I feel it's more about being as efficient as we can. It's about being more responsible and aware of the repercussions of our actions, without having to live like hermits. It's also about coming to terms with a different way of thinking.
The School of Visual Concepts, Seattle, together with AIGA Seattle, have come up with 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth, and some of the tips that stood out for me were:
#94. Try not to bleed
Bleeding requires printing on oversized stock with more ink, which all gets trimmed off and discarded as waste. So it's worth considering smaller sizes that fit within standard sheet sizes.
#64. Develop packaging with multiple uses
Instead of designating used packaging for recycling, how can we design it to be reused for another purpose beyond merely containing a product?
#63. Start with the need, not the end result
"What else could you do to accomplish the client’s objectives without necessarily going with paper or energy-based solutions?"
Beyond following guidelines, sustainable design can be truly inspiring in its outcome, and I couldn't resist sharing these!
London-based Curb, provide achingly cool advertising solutions, as their work attests. They've developed sea tagging (top image), using sea water to create visuals – the salinity means that the images evaporate at a considerably slower rate than normal water, and clean advertising, using custom made equipment that lifts dirt from surfaces to create messages. And there's a whole lot more, ranging from bioluminescence to moss art and solar art.
In the field of architecture, EcoARK in Taiwan, certainly embraces the concept of recycling wholeheartedly with its construction from a mind-blowing 1.5 million PET bottles. At three stories high, it features an amphitheatre, an exhibition hall and even a screen of falling water that is collected when it rains to be then used as air conditioning.
Smaller in scale, but big in impact, is Puma's commendable effort in reducing its shoe packaging by proposing the use of a recycled PET bag (recyclable too) with a single sheet of cardboard. If implemented, Puma stands to save 8,500 tonnes of paper, a million litres of water and a million litres of fuel, reduce paper needs by 65% and annual carbon emissions by 10 tonnes! This forms part of their efforts to develop a 360 Sustainability Program called PUMAVision – puma.safe, puma.peace and puma.creative, which will no doubt be interesting to follow.
It's a mad, ad world
Ad men, Mad Men, advertisement, advertorial, commercial.
While advertising is often portrayed as an evil entity unleashing torrents of the next gleaming thing for innocent consumers to get hooked onto in its bid to empty pockets and profit that big corporation, I struggle to be completely sold by that concept.
A necessary evil, perhaps.
As it happens, I believe that the role of advertising is primarily to sell a product, be it goods and/or services, or to raise levels of awareness. I rather like the uplifting definition by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) as well – "Advertising... informs, entertains and promotes healthy competition". Now that, I reckon, could be a healthy way to view it.
If we think of advertisers as potential suitors courting a valuable interest (yes, that's you and me, folks), maybe we'd remember that our role here as the prized consumer is one that gets to make the choices. Having options (and plenty of it) can't be all bad.
Ultimately, advertising needs to keep to the path of the straight and narrow when it comes to ethics. Generally, adverts must not mislead and overpromise, or offend. There are more specific codes in relation to children, alcohol, gambling, motoring and health and financial products, with an overall emphasis of responsibility. In the UK, the latest round of advertising codes are set to come into effect on 1 September 2010.
There has been much debate on advertising for beauty products of late, with a greater call for honesty given the industry's notorious reputation in manipulating images to represent 'natural' beauty, which is being blamed for unhealthy obsessions with weight and appearances in society. To this end, it is reassuring to note that Cheryl Cole's hair extensions and various other models' eyelash extensions have been mentioned in shampoo and mascara adverts respectively, to avoid being misleading.
Good advertising to me, is about meeting consumers' needs in a way that is entertaining and leaves them wanting more. As a creative, generating a good piece of advertising is all about the big idea. A good big idea is one that grabs attention. A great one leaves a lasting impression. As a consumer, a good advert is one which allows me to develop a sense of affinity for the brand. I might not rush out and get my hands on the item advertised, but I'm more likely to consider it as an option if and when I might need something similar in future.
Bad advertising is one which is patronising. Consumers are way more sophisticated than what some advertisers would like to believe (marketing departments, are you listening?). Poor execution, cliche ideas, awful stereotypes – one has to wonder how they got approved.
While advertising is often portrayed as an evil entity unleashing torrents of the next gleaming thing for innocent consumers to get hooked onto in its bid to empty pockets and profit that big corporation, I struggle to be completely sold by that concept.
A necessary evil, perhaps.
As it happens, I believe that the role of advertising is primarily to sell a product, be it goods and/or services, or to raise levels of awareness. I rather like the uplifting definition by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) as well – "Advertising... informs, entertains and promotes healthy competition". Now that, I reckon, could be a healthy way to view it.
If we think of advertisers as potential suitors courting a valuable interest (yes, that's you and me, folks), maybe we'd remember that our role here as the prized consumer is one that gets to make the choices. Having options (and plenty of it) can't be all bad.
Ultimately, advertising needs to keep to the path of the straight and narrow when it comes to ethics. Generally, adverts must not mislead and overpromise, or offend. There are more specific codes in relation to children, alcohol, gambling, motoring and health and financial products, with an overall emphasis of responsibility. In the UK, the latest round of advertising codes are set to come into effect on 1 September 2010.
There has been much debate on advertising for beauty products of late, with a greater call for honesty given the industry's notorious reputation in manipulating images to represent 'natural' beauty, which is being blamed for unhealthy obsessions with weight and appearances in society. To this end, it is reassuring to note that Cheryl Cole's hair extensions and various other models' eyelash extensions have been mentioned in shampoo and mascara adverts respectively, to avoid being misleading.
Good advertising to me, is about meeting consumers' needs in a way that is entertaining and leaves them wanting more. As a creative, generating a good piece of advertising is all about the big idea. A good big idea is one that grabs attention. A great one leaves a lasting impression. As a consumer, a good advert is one which allows me to develop a sense of affinity for the brand. I might not rush out and get my hands on the item advertised, but I'm more likely to consider it as an option if and when I might need something similar in future.
Bad advertising is one which is patronising. Consumers are way more sophisticated than what some advertisers would like to believe (marketing departments, are you listening?). Poor execution, cliche ideas, awful stereotypes – one has to wonder how they got approved.
Meanwhile, let's end this entry with some firm favourites of mine.
“Test your handling skills. Get into a Mini today.”Guerrilla ad into the men’s bathrooms of all Mini retailers across Canada. The copy challenged to test handling skills both in the urinal and in a Mini test drive.
All wrapped up in packaging
How often do we think about packaging design, beyond the ooooh-that's-niiiiiiiiiiice facade?
Apart from fulfilling the basic functions of housing a product and administering its contents, perhaps one of its most important roles while being simultaneously overlooked, is its use in differentiating products. As the Design Council puts it, how would you be able to choose one shampoo from another without its packaging?
In terms of aesthetics, the prevalent trend for contemporary packaging design seems to be more pared down and minimalistic, for eg. Selfridges, with clear, strong typefaces and block colours being the predominant look, and where possible, revealing the product as well – a style which seems to mark a return to a more functional form of design.
The combination of simple yet striking illustrations is also a popular trend (see references below), although who can resist witty solutions to packaging? I really like the singular thought behind Scanwood wooden kitchen utensils and the concept for Hanger Tea.
'Green packaging' though, is likely to be the benchmark for the future of packaging design, given the spotlight on sustainability, with issues such as excessive packaging impacting the environment and the recyclability of the materials used. Additionally, the Design Council points out that palette maximisation in transporting goods needs to be considered – the amount of air that is shipped needs to be minimised while maximising the number of products per pallet, besides having packaging that is able to last throughout the life cycle of the product.