Representation

In response to the flickr photo contest, I find it fascinating this time in history we are living. It seems each day there is some sort of new digital technique, site, or way of representing or sharing our information to all. Yea I know this is what the internet is but it seems that especially lately ( in the past two years or so) things have really been changing. When I think back on the beginnings of the internet and email it seems so ancient. Anyway, the photo project sounds really interesting. I too would like to learn more about photography. After talking in class the other night with a few It really made me think about how much I enjoyed photograhy years ago. I just sort of got away from it. I would like to spend more time with it in the near future.

Posted by James Felgate at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The social photography sharing site, Flickr, is hosting an event that we should all be a part of! Check it out, chronical your life in pictures, on May 5, 2007, and you might be published in a book! :) http://www.flickr.com/groups/24flickr/

Posted by Ange Tank at 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was paging through a recent Wired magazine. There is an article about the Heroes of 2007. One of the heroes (or group of) is listed as cartographers. They mapped the brain of a mouse. Did you know that a mouse brain is 90% the same as humans'? The idea of this medical research being intertwining with cartography is beautiful. I wonder what a large flat classic fold-up map of a mouse brain would look like? I realize the map is probably not in that format, but the word cartography has certain associations for me that suggest certain classic map styles...

Posted by Laura Kamin Lyndgaard at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In case anyone is interested, I've started blogging the process of this journal activity to see where it might lead me (in theory and in actuality). I am photographing the books as they come to me and as they leave, as well as geotagging them in flickr so you can see the locations of the drop offs and pickups. Anyway, the site is http://embracetheprocesses.blogspot.com/ if you want to take a look. Laura, thanks for the inspiration -- you said something in class that got me thinking about this system.

Posted by Ange Tank at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

I was listening to "The World" last night on NPR, and heard a great interview of a graphic designer named Christina Paoli who recently wrote a book called "Mexican Blackletter." It addressed somewhat what Amanda brought up about type. . . some frustration with over-use of the computer and not enough hand-rendering. It's also a complaint I've had about not only type but design in general- jumping right onto the computer to design without first sketching or thinking about design.We can easily find/use Mexican Blackletter in perfectly rendered form from a font house, but where did it originally come from? It seems to be something we see more and more of in the U.S. in the form of tattoos, signage and on car windows as more people coming here from Mexico proudly display evidence of their heritage. But not every Mexican American with a blackletter tattoo is downloading this font.

Blackletter- also known as Gothic miniscule originated in Europe near the end of the 12th century. We see variations of it in European religious art dating from that period. Apparently, according to Paoli, Jakob Kronberger, the most important printer in Seville, Spain in the 1500s helped establish the first printing press on the American continent in Mexico in 1538. In 1544, the first printed book in America was published: "Doctrina Breve," by Fray Juan de Zumarraga, which was set in Rotunda blackletter- movable type. Blackletter has been subtly reshaped by indigenous influences in Mexico over the years. If you travel to Mexico you see blackletter used in signage everywhere from little taquerias to doctors' offices. Why is this typeface so popular in Mexico? For the people Paoli interviewed- people who are not trained graphic designers- words like, "tradition," "religion," and, "historical" kept coming up. This leads me to think about the type choices we make as graphic designers. What does Times Roman say for instance? Or Helvetica?

This interview also brought up a specific area of interest for me; the influences of printmaking on design and vice/versa, as well as how people in 3rd world countries like Mexico use design elements to convey meaning- without the use of a computer. Most of the shopkeepers, graffiti artists, tattoo artists and everyday people in Mexico do not use computers to create signage or art. They hand draw their letters. It's a visual treat walking through a Mexican market for someone like me who loves color and the quirkiness of hand drawn signage- and it's everywhere- on buses, in restaurants, murals, jewelry stores. . . you can't miss it.

The interview can be heard if you go to www.theworld.org. It's obviously something that gets me going. . . I ordered the book!

Posted by Julie Streitz at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I agree with the online year book being a sad state of affairs. Let's think of the traditions that will be lost as well as the creativity in signing a friend or acquaintances year book. The handwriting will be lost, the personalization of remembering how a friend signed it. Will someone be able to sign another's online yearbook upside down. Wasn't it a special gift to save a certain page for your BFF (Best Friend Forever) to sign. Or are the future generations just going to sign in abbreviations that no one will remember in 15 years.

I don't know about you guys, but I still use my yearbook as a resource of looking up people to put a face to the name. For example if I meet someone new and they say "Do you know so and so from Stillwater?" I can go home and look them up. It helps because I am really bad with names.

Posted by Cynthia Harrison at 8:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I agree with the online year book being a sad state of affairs. Let's think of the traditions that will be lost as well as the creativity in signing a friend or acquaintances year book. The handwriting will be lost, the personalization of remembering how a friend signed it. Will someone be able to sign another's online yearbook upside down. Wasn't it a special gift to save a certain page for your BFF (Best Friend Forever) to sign. Or are the future generations just going to sign in abbreviations that no one will remember in 15 years.

I don't know about you guys, but I still use my yearbook as a resource of looking up people to put a face to the name. For example if I meet someone new and they say "Do you know so and so from Stillwater?" I can go home and look them up. It helps because I am really bad with names.

Posted by Cynthia Harrison at 8:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hey everybody: if you could take a picture of my book when it gets to you (however you want to take a photo) I would really appreciate it! Digital files would be great (send them my way at atank@umn.edu) or if you want to turn in a real print to me sometime, that would work too! If you can't do it, don't worry. But if you can, I would love to have a photo!

Posted by Ange Tank at 12:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have to say, and you probably all saw... I was freaking out about the project(s) last night. It is so easy to feel pressured and lost in projects. I guess I could say I am a control freak, and it is so hard to let go. After talking with Kristin last night (thank you) I just decided to give up/give in. Last night, Kristin asked me if I was an artist. I went to art school. I love creating work. I love being creative. I finished my senior project. I never really thought I was an artist. I guess in this same way I do the work or an accountant 40 hours a week, but I don't call myself one. It is scarry to think that I am not owning what I am doing, or am too afraid to own it. I think I have just been mezmorized and too confused to be a participant in... well... my life. I feel like... "Incessantly--signs call out, to try to grab you, programmed general consensus signals determine where and when you walk, the intersecting spheres of psychic perceptive space of others in too close proximity creates confusion and imbalance." -Viola. I do what I think I need to do to eventually participate... but I am one big distraction, and all I do is anticipate the participating. This book project, first: made me want to cry, but then: made me want to burst with creativety. I havn't done something without being worried about the result in a long time. The first project: although I loved it, was more of another step for me, towards the goal. It is refreshing (and even a little scarry) to participate in something where the assignment is about the process, and not the end result. I am actually really glad we are doing this now... because ever since highschool, I have created things to fill an assignemnt, or goal, or duty, always awaiting the end result. Now, we can all bask in the glow of the experience.

Posted by Jenny Parker at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Hey All!

About my book....It is called "Living Type" and the idea is to create type manually (without the use of a computer) in hopes of making our work more "human." I've included a quote on the front cover that will better explain the idea. I just wanted to add to the explanation I gave last night: Creating the type does not necessarily mean gluing material/objects on the page. Creating type without the use of a computer could be as simple as using crayons to write the letters. The Neenah paper that I used has an interesting texture to it that could lend itself to some interesting outcomes when drawn or colored on. And again, I am not limiting what your text will be. You can use a word, a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph. You can play off of eachother's entries or create a new idea - it's an open book!

~Amanda

Posted by Amanda Stombaugh at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I must say that I am very excited that everyone has jumped on board for this final project. I'd like to send out a thank you to Julie for telling us about the "1001 Journals" which inspired our new idea. If anyone would like me to email the class mailing list to you, please email me at stom0027@umn.edu. I, for one, like to have most things available through my email account so that I can access them from anywhere. This could be useful for this final project since it is going to be very "high speed."

Posted by Amanda Stombaugh at 8:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was reading my new June 2007 issue of HOW and came across an article: "Ideas at Hand." In it, they took the HOW logo, gave it different personalities, and then attempted to represent it somehow without the use of a computer. They used fabric to create the letters H-O-W, they used bubble wrap dipped in paint, they used mustard and yarn... In the article they quote Akiem Helming: "Going manual should have a reason, an idea. Type is not only a vehicle for letter information anymore but information itself; an object. As you read the letters, you see the material, you experience the surrounding, you see the construction, the way it's built. If you work manually, your work will also get more human."

The latter half of that quote really caught my attention. It is in many ways the opposite of what I was referring to in my blog "The Day the Yearbook Died." In that blog I spoke of how so many schools are now turning to online yearbooks and how I thought that was sad because online representation makes me feel so much more removed. This idea of manually creating type and abandoning the computer could bring design back to life. It is one simple way that we can hold on to the natural tangible aspect of design and that makes me happy. :)

Posted by Amanda Stombaugh at 11:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Book recommendation: "Caffeine for the Creative Mind - 250 Exercises to Wake up Your Brain" by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield. HOW Books published this little 5" x 7" book last year. It has some unique and interesting creative exercises for you to try when you are stuck in a rut.

Posted by Amanda Stombaugh at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In Jane Fulton Suri's book "Thoughtless Acts? Observations on Intuitive Design" she offers approaches to developing a practice of observation that can contribute to your design process. Jane is IDEO's chief creative director. I thought that some of these approaches were very inspiring, and so I share them with you:

1) Seek inspiration from everyday interactions. Look for ad hoc ways we behave in real life. Examples: warming hands on a mug of coffee, using a dish towel to protect the keyboard.

2) Disrupt the normal flow. Develop a discipline of witnessing ordinary things by going out in the world. Examples: using the mouth to hold things, hooking an umbrella on an arm.

3) Document behavior and focus on action. Use a camera and notebook to observe a variety of related situations in natural settings.

4) Seek out extreme situations. Pursue experiences beyond what you know or live in every day in order to see anew.

5) Invite curiosity. Ask "naive" questions that reach beyond automatic assumptions. Examples: How "thoughtless" is this behavior? What motivates this?

6) Reveal what is intuitive. Be conscious of subconscious, spontaneous reactions. Examples: pulling a door to open it instead of pushing it, walking in step with others.

7) Uncover the emotional experience. Connect to feelings to determine responses we intend to elicit through design or communication. Examples: the ways people stand in lines or create personal space on park benches.

8) Tune into cultural patterns. Find meaning and themes in various situations. Examples: the ways people conform in an elevator, convey messages or dispose of litter.

9) Tap resources. Inform the experience with input from clients, experts and the experienced.

10) Seek flexible and enduring solutions. Not everything requires a makeover. Sometimes simple is best.

-Jane Fulton Suri

Posted by Amanda Stombaugh at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was reading my March/April issue of PRINT and ran across an article titled "The Day the Yearbook Died." It talked about how so many high schools across the nation are now creating online yearbooks rather than paper ones. I find this to be sad in a way. I for one feel further removed from something that I cannot grasp and can only see on a computer screen. Our world is being represented online so much more now, and unfortunately, if you are not able to adjust to this then you will inevitably be left in the dust. It's just like when the world began emailing rather than communicating by paper. I have friends who ONLY communicate through email and MySpace messages. Sadly enough, someone who didn't use email or messaging would probably never hear from them. The world is always becoming more technologically advanced, and as it does we see more and more electronic representation.

Posted by Amanda Stombaugh at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Something related to mapping in a not so obvious way- I was at Barnes & Noble last night and found a great book called. "1001 Journals." It's a project started by someone in San Francisco that involved his sending 1000 blank journals out into the world to see what would come back to him. They started out in SF; given to friends, left in public places or mailed to random people with instructions to take a page- or 2 and do whatever to them visually. There was a way to track some of them electronically as well- not exactly sure how, but some of them were literally mapped on their journey. The book is based on compilations from various journals that he got back or that were scanned and sent to him. There are amazing pages and pages of visuals, and stories. It's just so cool to imagine these blank journals traveling all over the planet by way of people who don't know each other, and they all end up relating back to each other. There is a web site- of course: www.1001journals.com that explains what the project is about and how anyone can get involved.
There are three types of journals:
1) Traveling- This is a journal that is sent by mail to a list of people who sign up.
2) Location- A journal that stays at one public location, such as a cafe, shop, or bookstore. It should be open to everyone, but they’ll have to visit the location.
3) Personal- Your own personal journal that you post to the site to share (you must scan the journal).
There are some interactive things too. . . very inspirational- at the very least for me to get more into journaling. What a small place this world is.

Posted by Julie Streitz at 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I've been roaming around Christopher Baker's website and different links. Very cool stuff. Thanks for posting Christopher. Check out his site: http://christopherbaker.net
Hope I got that right.

Posted by Julie Streitz at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

http://www.waag.org/project/realtime

This map has been created by the actual movement of actual people. They solicited many many volunteers to wear GPS devices who then walked around Amsterdam. As they continued to travel, the map and city become more defined. This map does a great job of showing movement and time because it defined by both.

Posted by Carrie Fathman at 8:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I loved the project on time travel in London. It reminded me of a project last year where I did a much more toned down version of this sort of analysis. We were working on a redesign of Lake Sarita on the St Paul Campus. I proposed that the lake be integrated into agricultural sciences curriculum. In order to prove the ease of connection between the ag buildings on campus and the lake, I measured the amount of time it takes to walk between each ag related building and the lake (it's really more of a wetland). Showing that it only takes 8 minutes to walk to the lake from most of the ag buildings helped me build my argument for using the lake as an educational tool.

Time is money. Time is stress. Maybe we can try to make it stand still in this third project.... so we can all take a breather. Maybe like Evie Garland on that show in the late '80s and '90s (was it called out of this world?) we could clap our hands and make time stand still. Or like Ray Bradbury and his several essays and books that relate to time travel, we could actually travel in time to relax. If I were to create a time machine, it would be for relaxation, not manipuation of the past. If we developed a time machine, we could sell vacations to people, like in Total Recall. Maybe Total Recall had it right- virtual travel is easier than time travel. Maybe it is impossible to travel in time without messing things up. I realize this doesn't relate to mapping time and movement, but maybe it does. Just in the way that maps manipulate the physical understanding and even realities of our world, couldn't a time based map manipulate how we experience time in space?

Posted by Carrie Fathman at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Now that we're onto our 3rd project, I was interested in finding something on mapping time, so I googled it and found a blog posted by a student in London who was assigned a project to redesign the Underground. He based his redesign on time. It's really interesting to read about his process, and he's posted several images of his project from the beginning to the end- the different stages he went through. It's a great site for those of us (all of us!) who are trying to figure out how time and movement can be mapped. Check it out: http://www.oskarlin.com/2005/11/29/time-travel

Posted by Julie Streitz at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I believe it was Carrie who mentioned this student's work (Christopher Baker) earlier in regards to his Urban Echo text messaging installation, but yesterday at "Emerging Digerati" at the Weisman, he presented his work on his "My Map," an interactive piece that maps his past 60,000 emails over the last 10 or so years. It's super cool ;)

http://hybrids.cla.umn.edu/projects/mymap

Posted by Ange Tank at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)