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Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Project1: Phase One: Definitions and Book Covers
Series: A grouping of related things. The series shares a common trait and may have a sequential order.Sequence: An ordered list of somethingSign: A sign is a stimulus pattern that has meaning. It is a representation of something, and is studied through semiotics. Signs are shown through icons, indices, and symbols. A sign can mean something other than itself. Signs are formed and shaped through the society that creates them. Symbols, icons, and indices make up signs, and therefore a sign could be a photograph, or any image intended to represent something.Index: Is defined by a sensory feature that correlates or implies something. Intelligent beings have a greater ability to understand and point out indices. For example, the smell of smoke implies fire. Symbol: Words that get their meaning from mental association with other symbols and correlation with environmental patterns. They are easily removable from their context, and are closely associated with a large set of other words. A symbol has no logical meaning between it and the object; they have a convention based relationship. For example, an icon of a house on your computer screen brings you back to your "home page".
What makes a successful book jacket?
When first looking through blogs of people critiquing book jackets I was not sure what I was looking for and how I could distinguish I good book jacket about a book that I have no idea what its about. Then I realized I'm over-thinking the assignment the and that the point of a book jacket is to draw the attention of the person walking through Borders deciding between which book to read next. Today I was looking through Borders, and the books that caught my eye were simple, yet had very interesting imagery. On the other hand, after reading Chip Kidd's interview, I see that my favorite designs may not be something that sells the most. Ohhh the dilemma of a designer I guess...
Anyways, successful book covers are not overly
literal. Clever imagery that relates to the title draws my attention as well such as this cover: 
A good book cover is also effective, and memorable. It should give a sense, mood, or feel of the book. 
The the books I will be redesigning are:
Killing Yourself to Live, by Chuck KlostermanOn the Road, by Jack Kerouac Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, by Tom Wolfe
The three books are all very different, but share the common trait of self discovery while being on the road. They all explore pop-culture of their time while being on the road and moving throughout the country.
Chuck Klosterman is an American pop-culture journalist, and is also a rock critic. Killing Yourself to Live is Chuck Klosterman's personal account of road trip he took all across the country researching pop-culture, and famous dead musicians. Throughout this journey he finds out a lot about himself and why he thinks many musicians such as Kurt Cobain are more influential after they are dead. Chuck Klosterman is a rock critic and constantly refers to 60's, 70's, and 80's pop culture.
Jack Kerouac and his book On the Road started the movement of the Beat Generation. It portrays the exciting and fast paced underground culture of America in the 1950's. The story follows the main character Sal Paradise and his lifestyle as a struggling writer. Sal and his friend Dean Moriatry go all across America and into Mexico living life, experiencing new things, all with the care-free beatnik attitude that starts after Kerouac's influence.
Tom Wolfe is a journalist who studied and wrote his book, Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test about a man and fellow writer Ken Kesey who also wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Ken Kesey also started a new generation and group of followers called the "Merry Pranksters". This group and generation constantly experimented with LSD, and this book documents Ken Kesey's adventures with the drug. He performed something he called acid test, and the book takes place, also on the road, while Kesey is exploring the country with others and experimenting with the drug. Jack Kerouac also happens to be in this book.
Word List:carefree, exciting, adventurous, relaxed, laid-back, curious, retro, psychedelic, happy, intense, philosophical, witty, mesmerizing, thoughtful, chaotic, interesting, round, dynamic, smooth, lonely, sad, bright, distorted, organic, dirty, sad, higher, open, deep, unique, sunny, musical, crowded, distant, twisted, vivid, colorful, timeless, cultural, American, tangible, epic, larger-than-life, experimental, irresponsible, selfish, crazy, natural, indulgent, intoxicating, thrilling, scary, emotional, risky, care-less, sexual.
Carefree: free from anxiety or responsibilityAdventurous: willing to take risks or to try out new methods, ideas, or experiences Philosophical: of or relating to the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge,reality, and existenceChaotic: in a state of complete confusion and disorderVivid: producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mindRelaxed: make or become less tense or anxiousMusical: very much influenced by musical cultureCultural: of or relating to the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a society Timeless: lasting, enduring, classic,ageless, permanent, perennial, abiding, unfailing, unchanging,Experimental: based on untested ideas or techniques and not yet established or finalized
Tone: Non-Fiction, Journal, Historical
To Suggest:
to suggest curiosityto suggest experimentationto suggest starting a new life styleto suggest visiting new placesto suggest driving on a long distant roadto suggest New York City to suggest a countercultureto suggest a 1950's barto suggest influential musicto suggest youth movementsto suggest sex drugs and rock and roll
"What is the feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? —it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-by. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies." -On the Road
"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life" -On the Road
"It was sad to see his tall figure receding in the dark as we drove away, just like the other figures in New York and New Orleans: they stand uncertainly underneath immense skies, and everything about them is drowned. Where go? What do? What for?—sleep. But this foolish gang was bending onward" -On the Road
"If you label it this then it can't be that... see with your ears and hear with your eyes, put your good where it will do the most" -Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
"Art and love are the same thing: It’s the process of seeing yourself in things that are not you." -Killing Yourself to Live
"There are two ways to look at life. Actually, that’s not accurate; I suppose there are thousands of ways to look at life. But I tend to dwell on two of them. The first view is that nothing stays the same and that nothing is inherently connected, and that the only driving force in anyone’s life is entropy. The second is that everything pretty much stays the same (more or less) and that everything is completely connected, even if we don’t realize it." -Chuck Klosterman
"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars"-Jack Kerouac
"Your either on the bus or off the bus" -Ken Kesey
"I think therefore I am" -Descartes
"When you've seen beyond yourself, then you might find, peace of mind is waiting there" -George Harrison
David is a 24 year old graduate student in New York City. He is a photography student, and enjoys other artistic hobbies. He appreciates New York for its art and music scene. David loves music and plays acoustic and electric guitar. David hates corporate American and name brands. He shops mostly at thrift shops. His clothes are trendy, and he often wears hats. He can be lazy at times and loves just sitting around smoking marijuana and listening to music. David loves learning about new things, and often looses track of time just sitting at his computer googling information he is curious about. He enjoys reading and is interested in the 1960's, 70's, and 80's, as most young people do for the music that came out of those eras. David is sarcastic and loves a good challenge. His best friend is a literature major, and often recommends books David should read that are either classics, or that would match David's expanding curiosities.
CONCEPT STATEMENTS:
1. Philosophically Vivid, or Philosophically Adventurous- this one is more literal2. "Your either on the bus or off the bus" 3. Twistedly Free4. "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." -Robert Louis Stevenson"Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe." -Anatole France
It is human nature to have the urge to travel. Most people are curious to see sites they have never seen before. What a better way to do so in America than to take a road trip? Since cars were invented, road trips have become a part of our culture in seeing the country. Through road trips and exploration, one will have many new experiences and learn more about themselves and about others they are traveling with.
FONT STUDY:
Sequence: A
n ordered list of something
Sign: A sign is a stimulus pattern that has meaning. It is a representation of something, and is studied through semio
tics. Signs are shown through icons, indices, and symbols.
A sign can mean something other than itself. Signs are formed and shaped through the society that creates them.
Symbols, icons, and indices make up signs, and therefore a sign could be a photograph, or any image inten
ded to represent something.
Index: Is defined by a sensory feature that correlates or implies something. Intelligent beings have a greater ability to understand and point out indices. For example, the smell of smoke implies fire.
Symbol: Words that get their meaning from mental association with other symbols and correlation with environmental patterns. They are easily removable from their context, and are closely associated with a large set of other words. A symbol has no logical meaning between it and the object; they have a convention based relationship. For e
xample, an icon of a house on your computer screen brings you back to your "home page".
What makes a successful book jacket?
When first looking through blo
gs of people critiquing book jackets I was not sure what I was looking for and how I could distinguish I good book jacket about a book that I have no idea what its about. Then I realized I'm over-thinking the assignment the and that the point of a book jacket is to draw the attention of the person walking through Borders deciding between which book to read next. Today I was looking through Borders, and the books that caught my eye were simple, yet had very interesting imagery. On the other hand, after reading Chip Kidd's interview, I see that my favorite designs may not be something that sells the most. Ohhh the dilemma of a designer I guess...
Anyways, successful book covers are not overly
literal. Clever imagery that relates to the title draws
my attention as well such as this cover:
A good book cover is also effective, and memorable. It should give a sense, mood, or feel of the book.
The the books I will be redesigning are:
Killing Yourself to Live, by Chuck Klosterman
On the Road, by Jack Kerouac
Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, by Tom Wolfe
The three books are all very different, but share the common trait of self discovery while being on the road. They all explore pop-culture of their time while being on the road and moving throughout the country.
Chuck Klosterman is an American pop-culture journalist, and is also a rock critic. Killing Yourself to Live is Chuck Klosterman's personal account of road trip he took all across the country researching pop-culture, and famous dead musicians. Throughout this journey he finds out a lot about himself and why he thinks many musicians such as Kurt Cobain are more influential after they are dead. Chuck Klosterman is a rock critic and constantly refers to 60's, 70's, and 80's pop culture.
Jack Kerouac and his book On the Road started the movement of the Beat Generation. It portrays the exciting and fast paced underground culture of America in the 1950's. The story follows the main character Sal Paradise and his lifestyle as a struggling writer. Sal and his friend Dean Moriatry go all across America and into Mexico living life, experiencing new things, all with the care-free beatnik attitude that starts after Kerouac's influence.
Tom Wolfe is a journalist who studied and wrote his book, Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test about a man and fellow writer Ken Kesey who also wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Ken Kesey also started a new generation and group of followers called the "Merry Pranksters". This group and generation constantly experimented with LSD, and this book documents Ken Kesey's adventures with the drug. He performed something he called acid test, and the book takes place, also on the road, while Kesey is exploring the country with others and experimenting with the drug. Jack Kerouac also happens to be in this book.
Word List:
carefree, exciting, adventurous, relaxed, laid-back, curious, retro, psychedelic, happy, intense, philosophical, witty, mesmerizing, thoughtful, chaotic, interesting, round, dynamic, smooth, lonely, sad, bright, distorted, organic, dirty, sad, higher, open, deep, unique, sunny, musical, crowded, distant, twisted, vivid, colorful, timeless, cultural, American, tangible, epic, larger-than-life, experimental, irresponsible, selfish, crazy, natural, ind
ulgent, intoxicating, thrilling, scary, emotional, risky, care-less, sexual.
Carefree: free from anxiety or responsibility
Adventurous: willing to take risks or to try out new methods, ideas, or experiences
Philosophical: of or relating to the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge,reality, and existence
Chaotic: in a state of complete confusion and disorder
Vivid: producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind
Relaxed: make or become less tense or anxious
Musical: very much influenced by musical culture
Cultural: of or relating to the ideas, customs, and socia
l behavior of a society
Timeless: lasting, enduring, classic,ageless, permanent, perennial, abiding, unfailing, unchanging,
Experimental: based on untested ideas or techniques and not yet established or finalized
Tone: Non-Fiction, Journal, Historical
To Suggest:
to suggest curiosity
to suggest experimentation
to suggest starting a new life style
to suggest visiting new places
to suggest driving on a long distant road
to suggest New York City
to suggest a counterculture
to suggest a 1950's bar
to suggest influential music
to suggest youth movements
to suggest sex drugs and rock and roll
"What is the feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? —it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-by. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies." -On the Road
"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life" -On the Road
"It was sad to see his tall figure receding in the dark as we drove away, just like the other figures in New York and New Orleans: they stand uncertainly underneath immense skies, and everything about them is drowned. Where go? What do? What for?—sl
eep. But this foolish gang was bending onward"
-On the Road
"If you label it this then it can't be that... see with your ears and hear with your eyes, put your good where it will do the most" -Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
"Art and love are the same thing: It’s the process of seeing yourself in things that are not you."
-Killing Yourself to Live
"There are two ways to look at life. Actually, that’s not accurate; I suppose there are thousands of ways to look at life. But I tend to dwell on two of them. The first view is that nothing stays the same and that nothing is inherently connected, and that the only driving force in anyone’s life is entropy. The second is that everything pretty much stays the same (more or less) and that everything is completely connected, even if we don’t realize it." -Chuck Klosterman
"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars"
-Jack Kerouac
"Your either on the bus or off the bus" -Ken Kesey
"I think therefore I am" -Descartes
"When you've seen beyond yourself, then you might find, peace of mind is waiting there" -George Harrison
David is a 24 year old graduate student in New York City.
He is a photography student, and enjoys other artistic hobbies. He appreciates New York for its art and music scene. David loves music and plays acoustic and electric guitar. David hates corporate American and name brands. He shops mostly at thrift shops. His clothes are trendy, and he often wears hats. He can be lazy at times and loves just sitting around smoking marijuana and listening to music. David loves learning about new things, and often looses track of time just sitting at his computer googling information he is curious about. He enjoys reading and is interested in the 1960's, 70's, and 80's, as most young people do for the music that came out of those eras. David is sarcastic and loves a good challenge. His best friend is a literature major, and often recommends books David should read that are either classics, or that would match David's expanding curiosities.
CONCEPT STATEMENTS:
1. Philosophically Vivid, or Philosophically Adventurous- this one is more literal
2. "Your either on the bus or off the bus"
3. Twistedly Free
4. "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." -Robert Louis Stevenson
"Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe." -Anatole FranceIt is human nature to have the urge to travel. Most people are curious to see sites they have never seen before. What a better way to do so in America tha
n to take a road trip? Since cars were invented, road trips have become a part of our culture in seeing the country. Through road trips and exploration, one will have many new experiences and learn more about themselves and about others they are traveling with.
FONT STUDY:
Journal#1 Writing for Visual Thinkers, The Writers Toolbox
Notes on reading:
FIRST TYPE 2 ENTRY!
FIRST TYPE 2 ENTRY!
My first thoughts from reading this article was that most of this information seems like common sense to me. I still do think this, but by the end of the article, I realized that I need to write more. I'm pretty self-conscious of my writing, and always think I can avoid it because I am in a visual thinking major. After finishing the article, I realized my writing is only going to become worse the more I avoid writing. While I would much rather express myself visually that with words, I feel practicing writing more can help me with visual work. This article also showed me how to intertwine written and visual brainstorming.
The exercises I practiced after the reading were also very beneficial and gave me a few new ideas. I definitely came up with some new visuals after doing the exercises, such as the image or feeling you get when driving with windows down, hanging your arm or hand out the car window on a nice day.
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