Failures! Check out the Hands Free Fail.
http://failblog.org/
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
John and Chip
Chip Kidd, a Penn State graduate, began his career working in the art department of Knopf in 1986. He is a book cover designer who has published over 1500 book jackets. He has designed for HarperCollins, Penguin, Scribner, and more. He believes that, "Whether or not we know it, we all judge a book by its cover. Its role is to communicate not only what the book is about, but who will enjoy reading it. There is a subliminal language of images and typography that speaks directly to the subconscious mind of the potential book buyer." These words and his innovative designs make him a celebrated artist, known as “the world’s greatest book-jacket designer” and someone who we can learn a great deal from when it comes to creative book design.
Index: the color red and sharp object suggest danger.
Index: the running ink on this page suggests water but is contrasted by the title "Dry."
John Gall was born in 1963. He attended Rutgers University. He has worked for Vintage and Anchor Books. Gall uses a “simple but elegant use of typography” and “plays with the perceptions of the viewer.” His use of different medium, like collage and photography, give him a unique style in which he can “convey the essence of the book in a unique and surprising way that maybe pushes the design envelope a bit.” We can learn how to incorporate our own style into a set of rules to develop a fine finished product.
Index: the torn pages suggest frustration or anger. However, a pragmatic individual would not tear out the pages of a book.
Index: the color red and sharp object suggest danger.
Index: the running ink on this page suggests water but is contrasted by the title "Dry."
John Gall was born in 1963. He attended Rutgers University. He has worked for Vintage and Anchor Books. Gall uses a “simple but elegant use of typography” and “plays with the perceptions of the viewer.” His use of different medium, like collage and photography, give him a unique style in which he can “convey the essence of the book in a unique and surprising way that maybe pushes the design envelope a bit.” We can learn how to incorporate our own style into a set of rules to develop a fine finished product.
Index: the torn pages suggest frustration or anger. However, a pragmatic individual would not tear out the pages of a book.
1/27 Graphics Reading II
I found the paragraph that states "a logo should not literally describe the clients business; a logo is an identifier. Many clients would like their logo to describe every aspect of their company. It is problematic, however, and may lead to restraining identity. The logo is a signpost that identifies the company and reflects its attitudes and values" to be extremely helpful with the current project. I was having trouble being too focused on what each program does exactly and trying to incorporate that into a logo, rather than simplifying everything we do into an logo that can be understood by anyone.
I really liked how the comic explains why humans are so interested in comic books. I never really thought about how we can see ourselves in a cartoon character, something that has so little features, but it is true. Because of the lack of identity, we can create our own. Just like we could see birds, fish, and dogs in anything after our visual concepts symbols, we can see the human in hundreds of objects, for we focus on ourselves every day.
I really liked how the comic explains why humans are so interested in comic books. I never really thought about how we can see ourselves in a cartoon character, something that has so little features, but it is true. Because of the lack of identity, we can create our own. Just like we could see birds, fish, and dogs in anything after our visual concepts symbols, we can see the human in hundreds of objects, for we focus on ourselves every day.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Type 1/21
Definitions:
Series: “a group or a number of related or similar things, events, etc., arranged or occurring in temporal, spatial, or other order or succession; sequence.”
Sequence: “the following of one thing after another; succession.”
“a continuous or connected series”
Sign: “any object, action, event, pattern, etc., that conveys a meaning.” Coughing 3 times during a test could be a sign for answer C.
Waiving suggests someone saying "Hello."
Index: the cause and effect relationship of how a viewer sees a sign and what it represents to them. An alarm clock sounding tells listeners it is time to awake.
Smoke tells viewers there is fire.
Symbol: “something used for or regarded as representing something else; a material object representing something, often something immaterial; emblem, token, or sign.” Kissing a cross necklace can be a symbol of religion.
The Swastika can represent Hitler.
What makes a good book cover?
-An effective book cover manages to catch human’s eye and convey the idea behind the book on one single page.
-Designers need to design the cover in a unique, creative and striking way.
-From just a glance, the overall feel of the book should come out.
This is successful because the simple placement of the chairs becomes a symbol of attraction. The placement in an empty room also allows the viewer to focus on that element alone.
This cover looks like the designer made an accident that worked out. The body is made up of two charcoal lines and eraser bits.
This designer tied his concept into all aspects of the cover, even the interior flaps. He successfully incorporated his name, title, and bar code into the cover, making it part of the design rather than an addition.
This simple title draws viewers in to look closer. The one pin on the left side triggers viewers to understand that the word obsession is made out of individual pin points.
The rings around the cyborg, when read with the title, allow the viewer to see it as a halo.
3 Books
1. Facebook for Dummies. By Carolyn Abram and Leah Pearlman. Non-Fiction
2. MySpace for Dummies. By Ryan Hupfer, Mitch Maxson, and Rayan Williams. Non-Fiction
3. Internet Privacy for Dummies. By John R. Levine, Ray Everett-Church, and Gregg Stebben. Non-Fiction.
About the Author and Blurb
1. Facebook for Dummies:
Carolyn Abram- One of the first Facebook users on the west coast, Carolyn took her English degree from Stanford University (class of 2006), and decided the best career move was to get paid to be on Facebook all day long. On the Product Team since 2006, Carolyn has managed voice, language, and tone for Facebook, while contributing as an author and manager of the Facebook Company Blog. Originally from Ardsley, NY, Carolyn currently resides in Palo Alto. She boasts the highest ratio of mess to desk at the officer. Her hobbies include hiking, writing, enjoying sunshine, mocking her friends, and Ultimate Frisbee.
Leah Pearlman-graduated with a degree in Computer Science from Brown University, where she first signed up for Facebook to find out the name of a boy in a class. Typical. She spent two years at Microsoft learning the product management ropes 9seriously, there are ropes0 before becoming a Product Manager for Facebook. Since joining, she has worked on a wide rang of projects including messaging and the Inbox, News Feed, Pages, and Ads. At the office, Leah’s des is always clean, except sometimes when its not, and instead of a chair, she sits on a n inflatable ball—she has only fallen twice while people were watching. Her hobbies include snowboarding (though she feels pretentious every time she says it), writing (see previous parenthetical comment), and also playing ultimate Frisbee.
Blurb-Whether you want to connect with friends already on Facebook or be the first on your block to join, this is the book you need. Written by a pair of Facebook insiders, Facebook for Dummies show s how to create a profile, communicate with friends, play with Facebook applications, and explore the unique ways Facebook can improve you business.
2. Internet Privacy for Dummies:
John R. Levine was a member of a computer club in high school -- before high school students, or even high schools, had computers. He met Theodor H. Nelson, author of Computer Lib and inventor of hypertext, who reminded us that computers should not be taken seriously and that everyone can and should understand and use computers.
John wrote his first program on an IBM 1130 (a computer roughly as powerful as your typical modern digital wristwatch, only harder to use) in 1967. He became an official system administrator of a networked computer at Yale in 1975. He started working part-time, for a computer company, of course, in 1977, and has been in and out of the computer and network biz ever since. Since he’s been on the Internet for a long time, he started getting spammed early and often, leading to his joining the board of the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email and starting the Network Abuse Clearhouse.
He got his company put on Usenet early enough that it appears in a 1982 Byte magazine article, which included a map of Usenet sites. He used to spend most of his time writing software, but now he mostly writes books (including UNIX For Dummies and The Internet for Dummies) because it's more fun and he can do so at home in the tiny village of Trumansburg, N.Y. He also does some lecturing and consulting, and is the municipal water and sewer commissioner. ("Mess with me, pal, and you'll never flush again.") B.A. and a Ph.D in Computer Science from Yale University, but please don't hold that against him.
Ray Everett-Church- published his first article about computers—and about the mischief a person could cause with them—in a community newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, back in 1983. Nobody has been able to shut him up since.
In 1999, Ray became the world’s first corporate chief privacy officer, creating the position at the Internet advertising company AllAdvantage.com. He has spent much of his career since then evangelizing to the global business community about the importance of respecting consumer privacy. Now more than half the Fortune 100 firms have a senior-level privacy executive, many of whom Ray helped to train at the dozen or more training seminars, conferences, and lectures he gives every year.
After receiving a degree from George Mason University and spending several years working as a political campaign consultant, Ray settled into the respectable profession of lobbying 0the local used-car dealership wasn’t hiring). But even as he walked the halls of Capitol Hill in the mid 1990s, technology was always on this mid: using a self-taught technical expertise, he built online lobbying and issue advocacy networks for two trade associations in Washington, D.C. Ray supported himself through law school by working as a consultant for an upstart online service named America Online, helping it to devise some of the world’s first anti-spam policies. Even before receiving his Juris Doctor in 1997 from George Washington University’s National Law Center, Ray began making his mark on the field of Internet privacy when he was asked to testify before the Federal Trade Commission at one of its first public workshops on the issue of Junk e-mail and online marketing.
Ray now works as the chief privacy officer and senor consultant for the international privacy consulting firm ePrivacy Group. He lives a stone’s throw form Silicon Valley in always-lovely northern California, with his very patient partner, Justin, and two rather strange looking cats. You can learn more about Ray at www.everett.or.
Although you probably wouldn’t recognize Gregg Stebben’s face, you have surely heard his voice because he is interviewed almost every day by ratio stations all over the country about the Internet, Internet privacy, and lots of other interesting stuff. Privately, he confides to friends that he has been heard by millions of radio listeners nationwide as a veteran of more than 1500 live ratio interviews since 1998. He also knows his way around a television studio, and he has been seen on CNN, “Entertainment Tonight,” the Learning Channel, The Discovery Channel, and many regional television newscasts. Motormouth that he is, he is a proud member of the National Speakers Association.
If Gregg isn’t on the radio talking about the Internet, he’s probably on the air talking about all kinds of “men’s stuff” as the spokesman for Men’s Health magazine, where he has been a contributing editor for eight years. His writing has also appeared in magazines like Bon Appetit, Esquire, and TV Guide. He is the author of nine other books on a variety of seemingly unrelated topics ranting from physics to cowboy wisdom and lore.
In his spare time, Gregg enjoys hiking and backpacking and running with his wife, Jody. He describes his ideal weekend as a series of exhausting athletic endeavors by day followed by substantial quantities of pepperoni pizza and mint chocolate chip ice cream by night. You can find out more about Gregg at www.radioguru.com.
Blurb-Your personal Information should be just that—personal. This friendly guide shows you how to avoid privacy problems online, with easy-go-follow advice on securing your PC connection, conducting safe transactions, stopping the “e-mail trail,” and protecting yourself and your family against viruses, hackers, worms, and other cyberpests.
3. Myspace for Dummies:
Ryan Hupfer, a self-proclaimed ‘computer nerd’, has been consuming, producing, and learning all things Web since his first introduction to dial-up. With a rare mix of being both a social butterfly and a tech geek, he has always strived to find ways to utilize technology in a way that connects people and calls them to action. He is a strong believer in the ability to fulfill and extend the human need to connect with others online and is always looking at ways to leverage emerging technologies to benefit people’s lives. By the time he hit his college years, Ryan was deep into the world of computer programming; all while being a bartender at one of Indianapolis’ most popular dance clubs.
In early 2004 Ryan’s odd mix of being both a technology expert and socialite came together when he created his first online social community, www. HupsHoopty.com, which was based on his recent purchase of a brown 1992 GMC full-size custom van. This online community became an unlikely stepping stone and a door for opportunity in Ryan’s life and eventually led him to landing his current dream job at Indianapolis-based new media/communications company, MediaSauce (www.mediasauce.com).
In December of 2005, Ryan and Mitch Maxson, both MediaSauce employees, along with Ryan’s roommate, a film crew, and two bus drivers, traveled across the United States in a 50-foot tour bus for two weeks in search of their Top 8 MySpace friends –– whom they had never met. The tour, called “Hup ‘n Dub’s Top 8 Tour,” was created in an effort to better understand why millions of people were so attracted to the new online social phenomenon. Since the tour, Ryan has been constantly keeping up with all things Web 2.0 and he is extremely inspired and intrigued by the ways that the online world is now flipping the media world upside down. Speaking of media, Ryan was also ‘discovered’ by a local NBC Indianapolis news station, WTHR (www.wthr.com), when they watched a video podcast that MediaSauce created around the 2006 Final Four, called IndyPods (indypods.mediasauce.com). With his hands in both the traditional and new media world, there’s no telling where Ryan will end up next. You can keep up with him on his MySpace page at www.MySpace.com/hupdaddy.
Mitch Maxson spent two years with a small, traditional marketing firm before leaving to co-create his first interactive development firm (Transgres) after graduating from Purdue University. After two years of sustained growth, Transgres joined MediaSauce to pursue a shared vision of broadband-based integrated communications. Today, as a partner and Creative Director, Mitch has helped grow MediaSauce from 8 employees to more than 50 in just two years. As a constant proponent of “what comes next” and the emergence of audience-centric messaging and broadband connectivity, Mitch’s focus is on understanding individuals and inspiring new ways for them to interact with their world.
Ryan Williams is a multimedia designer, author, and bassist based in Indianapolis, Indiana. He’s shared the stage and studio with everybody and everything from Grammy award-winning hip-hop artists to a full band of bagpipes and drums. He received his master’s degree in music technology from the Indiana University School of Music in 2003. He’s the author of Windows XP Digital Music For Dummies and Teach Yourself Visually Bass Guitar, both published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. He has also written several articles and tutorials on music and music technology for several publications and Web sites. He is a frequent panelist on digital music and home studios at music conferences around the nation.
Blurb- MySpace is the place to connect with friends online and this book helps you make the most of it. Here’s how to customize you profile so it stands out ina crowd, create or join groups, send event invites, share photos, steer clear of bad guys, and even show off you talents or get your band discovered!
Word List
1. Informative
2. Helpful
3. Non-fiction
4. Clear
5. Researched
6. Exciting
7. Lively
8. List
9. Organized
10. Playful
11. Attention grabbing
12. Contemporary
13. Sarcastic
14. Educational
15. Current
16. Technology
17. Young
18. Bright
19. Smooth
20. Easy-to-read
21. Teasing
22. Fun
23. Instructive
24. Simple
25. Fluent
26. Easy
27. Uncluttered
28. Minimal
29. Clean
30. Elemental
31. Explored
32. Order
33. Structure
34. Up front
35. Systematic
36. Important
37. Emphasized
38. Basic
39. Creative
40. Diverse
41. Hilarious
42. Represent viewers
43. Witty
44. Straight forward
45. Bold
46. Guide
47. User friendly
48. Interesting
49. Functional
50. Upbeat
Definitions
1. Informative-to provide useful or interesting information
2. Clear- easy to perceive, understand, interpret. Leaving no doubt or confusion. Obvious or ambiguous.
3. Playful-fond of games or amusement. Lighthearted. Intended for amusement rather than seriously. Giving or expressing pleasure and amusement.
4. Educational-or or relating to the provision of education. Intended or serving to educate or enlighten.
5. Bright- having a vivid color. Vivid or bold. Intelligent and quick witted. Appearance of cheerful liveliness.
6. Simple- easily understood or done, presenting no difficulty. Plain, basic, or uncomplicated in form, nature, or design. Without much decoration or ornamentation used to emphasize the fundamental and straight forward nature of something.
7. Structure- the arrangement or relations between the parts or elements of something complex. Constructed of several parts. Construct/arrange according to plan. Give a patter/organize.
8. Witty- showing or characterized by quick and inventive verbal humor.
9. Bold- show an ability to take risks. Confident and courageous. Have a strong or vivid appearance.
10. Functional- having a special activity, purpose, or task. Relating to the way in which something works or operates. Designed to be practical and useful.
Tone
1. How-To
2. Informative
3. Comical
4. Non-fiction
To Suggest List
1. To suggest that using the Internet can be easy
2. To suggest that Internet applications are fun with safety precautions
3. To suggest that the Internet can serve as a form of communication
4. To suggest a playful environment
5. To suggest a complex network
6. To Suggest a want to learn
7. To suggest the everyday/familiar
8. To suggest a new technology
Quotes
1. “The useful and the beautiful are never separated.” (672)
2. “The improvement of the understanding is for two ends; first, our own increase of knowledge; second only, to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others.”
3. “Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great. Emerson.” (593)
4. “A page digested is better than a volume hurriedly read.” –Macaulay (524)
5. “Looks are more expressive and reliable than words; they have a language which all understand, and language itself is to be interpreted by the look as well as tone with which it is uttered.” - Tryon Edwards (350)
6. “Foolish Assumptions-In this book, we make the following assumptions:
a. You’re at least 13 years of age
b. You have some access to the internet and an email address
c. There are people in you life with whom you communicate
d. You can read the language in which this sentence is printed”
(Facebook for Dummies, 2)
7. “If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.” - Albert Einstein
8. “Humor is also a way of saying something serious.” - T. S. Eliot
9. “When I took office, only high energy physicists had ever heard of what is called the Worldwide Web.... Now even my cat has its own page.” - Bill Clinton
10. “This is why I loved technology: if you used it right, it could give you power and privacy.” - Cory Doctorow
Series: “a group or a number of related or similar things, events, etc., arranged or occurring in temporal, spatial, or other order or succession; sequence.”
Sequence: “the following of one thing after another; succession.”
“a continuous or connected series”
Sign: “any object, action, event, pattern, etc., that conveys a meaning.” Coughing 3 times during a test could be a sign for answer C.
Waiving suggests someone saying "Hello."Index: the cause and effect relationship of how a viewer sees a sign and what it represents to them. An alarm clock sounding tells listeners it is time to awake.
Smoke tells viewers there is fire.Symbol: “something used for or regarded as representing something else; a material object representing something, often something immaterial; emblem, token, or sign.” Kissing a cross necklace can be a symbol of religion.
The Swastika can represent Hitler.What makes a good book cover?
-An effective book cover manages to catch human’s eye and convey the idea behind the book on one single page.
-Designers need to design the cover in a unique, creative and striking way.
-From just a glance, the overall feel of the book should come out.
This is successful because the simple placement of the chairs becomes a symbol of attraction. The placement in an empty room also allows the viewer to focus on that element alone.
This cover looks like the designer made an accident that worked out. The body is made up of two charcoal lines and eraser bits.
This designer tied his concept into all aspects of the cover, even the interior flaps. He successfully incorporated his name, title, and bar code into the cover, making it part of the design rather than an addition.
This simple title draws viewers in to look closer. The one pin on the left side triggers viewers to understand that the word obsession is made out of individual pin points. The rings around the cyborg, when read with the title, allow the viewer to see it as a halo. 3 Books
1. Facebook for Dummies. By Carolyn Abram and Leah Pearlman. Non-Fiction
2. MySpace for Dummies. By Ryan Hupfer, Mitch Maxson, and Rayan Williams. Non-Fiction
3. Internet Privacy for Dummies. By John R. Levine, Ray Everett-Church, and Gregg Stebben. Non-Fiction.
About the Author and Blurb
1. Facebook for Dummies:
Carolyn Abram- One of the first Facebook users on the west coast, Carolyn took her English degree from Stanford University (class of 2006), and decided the best career move was to get paid to be on Facebook all day long. On the Product Team since 2006, Carolyn has managed voice, language, and tone for Facebook, while contributing as an author and manager of the Facebook Company Blog. Originally from Ardsley, NY, Carolyn currently resides in Palo Alto. She boasts the highest ratio of mess to desk at the officer. Her hobbies include hiking, writing, enjoying sunshine, mocking her friends, and Ultimate Frisbee.
Leah Pearlman-graduated with a degree in Computer Science from Brown University, where she first signed up for Facebook to find out the name of a boy in a class. Typical. She spent two years at Microsoft learning the product management ropes 9seriously, there are ropes0 before becoming a Product Manager for Facebook. Since joining, she has worked on a wide rang of projects including messaging and the Inbox, News Feed, Pages, and Ads. At the office, Leah’s des is always clean, except sometimes when its not, and instead of a chair, she sits on a n inflatable ball—she has only fallen twice while people were watching. Her hobbies include snowboarding (though she feels pretentious every time she says it), writing (see previous parenthetical comment), and also playing ultimate Frisbee.
Blurb-Whether you want to connect with friends already on Facebook or be the first on your block to join, this is the book you need. Written by a pair of Facebook insiders, Facebook for Dummies show s how to create a profile, communicate with friends, play with Facebook applications, and explore the unique ways Facebook can improve you business.
2. Internet Privacy for Dummies:
John R. Levine was a member of a computer club in high school -- before high school students, or even high schools, had computers. He met Theodor H. Nelson, author of Computer Lib and inventor of hypertext, who reminded us that computers should not be taken seriously and that everyone can and should understand and use computers.
John wrote his first program on an IBM 1130 (a computer roughly as powerful as your typical modern digital wristwatch, only harder to use) in 1967. He became an official system administrator of a networked computer at Yale in 1975. He started working part-time, for a computer company, of course, in 1977, and has been in and out of the computer and network biz ever since. Since he’s been on the Internet for a long time, he started getting spammed early and often, leading to his joining the board of the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email and starting the Network Abuse Clearhouse.
He got his company put on Usenet early enough that it appears in a 1982 Byte magazine article, which included a map of Usenet sites. He used to spend most of his time writing software, but now he mostly writes books (including UNIX For Dummies and The Internet for Dummies) because it's more fun and he can do so at home in the tiny village of Trumansburg, N.Y. He also does some lecturing and consulting, and is the municipal water and sewer commissioner. ("Mess with me, pal, and you'll never flush again.") B.A. and a Ph.D in Computer Science from Yale University, but please don't hold that against him.
Ray Everett-Church- published his first article about computers—and about the mischief a person could cause with them—in a community newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, back in 1983. Nobody has been able to shut him up since.
In 1999, Ray became the world’s first corporate chief privacy officer, creating the position at the Internet advertising company AllAdvantage.com. He has spent much of his career since then evangelizing to the global business community about the importance of respecting consumer privacy. Now more than half the Fortune 100 firms have a senior-level privacy executive, many of whom Ray helped to train at the dozen or more training seminars, conferences, and lectures he gives every year.
After receiving a degree from George Mason University and spending several years working as a political campaign consultant, Ray settled into the respectable profession of lobbying 0the local used-car dealership wasn’t hiring). But even as he walked the halls of Capitol Hill in the mid 1990s, technology was always on this mid: using a self-taught technical expertise, he built online lobbying and issue advocacy networks for two trade associations in Washington, D.C. Ray supported himself through law school by working as a consultant for an upstart online service named America Online, helping it to devise some of the world’s first anti-spam policies. Even before receiving his Juris Doctor in 1997 from George Washington University’s National Law Center, Ray began making his mark on the field of Internet privacy when he was asked to testify before the Federal Trade Commission at one of its first public workshops on the issue of Junk e-mail and online marketing.
Ray now works as the chief privacy officer and senor consultant for the international privacy consulting firm ePrivacy Group. He lives a stone’s throw form Silicon Valley in always-lovely northern California, with his very patient partner, Justin, and two rather strange looking cats. You can learn more about Ray at www.everett.or.
Although you probably wouldn’t recognize Gregg Stebben’s face, you have surely heard his voice because he is interviewed almost every day by ratio stations all over the country about the Internet, Internet privacy, and lots of other interesting stuff. Privately, he confides to friends that he has been heard by millions of radio listeners nationwide as a veteran of more than 1500 live ratio interviews since 1998. He also knows his way around a television studio, and he has been seen on CNN, “Entertainment Tonight,” the Learning Channel, The Discovery Channel, and many regional television newscasts. Motormouth that he is, he is a proud member of the National Speakers Association.
If Gregg isn’t on the radio talking about the Internet, he’s probably on the air talking about all kinds of “men’s stuff” as the spokesman for Men’s Health magazine, where he has been a contributing editor for eight years. His writing has also appeared in magazines like Bon Appetit, Esquire, and TV Guide. He is the author of nine other books on a variety of seemingly unrelated topics ranting from physics to cowboy wisdom and lore.
In his spare time, Gregg enjoys hiking and backpacking and running with his wife, Jody. He describes his ideal weekend as a series of exhausting athletic endeavors by day followed by substantial quantities of pepperoni pizza and mint chocolate chip ice cream by night. You can find out more about Gregg at www.radioguru.com.
Blurb-Your personal Information should be just that—personal. This friendly guide shows you how to avoid privacy problems online, with easy-go-follow advice on securing your PC connection, conducting safe transactions, stopping the “e-mail trail,” and protecting yourself and your family against viruses, hackers, worms, and other cyberpests.
3. Myspace for Dummies:
Ryan Hupfer, a self-proclaimed ‘computer nerd’, has been consuming, producing, and learning all things Web since his first introduction to dial-up. With a rare mix of being both a social butterfly and a tech geek, he has always strived to find ways to utilize technology in a way that connects people and calls them to action. He is a strong believer in the ability to fulfill and extend the human need to connect with others online and is always looking at ways to leverage emerging technologies to benefit people’s lives. By the time he hit his college years, Ryan was deep into the world of computer programming; all while being a bartender at one of Indianapolis’ most popular dance clubs.
In early 2004 Ryan’s odd mix of being both a technology expert and socialite came together when he created his first online social community, www. HupsHoopty.com, which was based on his recent purchase of a brown 1992 GMC full-size custom van. This online community became an unlikely stepping stone and a door for opportunity in Ryan’s life and eventually led him to landing his current dream job at Indianapolis-based new media/communications company, MediaSauce (www.mediasauce.com).
In December of 2005, Ryan and Mitch Maxson, both MediaSauce employees, along with Ryan’s roommate, a film crew, and two bus drivers, traveled across the United States in a 50-foot tour bus for two weeks in search of their Top 8 MySpace friends –– whom they had never met. The tour, called “Hup ‘n Dub’s Top 8 Tour,” was created in an effort to better understand why millions of people were so attracted to the new online social phenomenon. Since the tour, Ryan has been constantly keeping up with all things Web 2.0 and he is extremely inspired and intrigued by the ways that the online world is now flipping the media world upside down. Speaking of media, Ryan was also ‘discovered’ by a local NBC Indianapolis news station, WTHR (www.wthr.com), when they watched a video podcast that MediaSauce created around the 2006 Final Four, called IndyPods (indypods.mediasauce.com). With his hands in both the traditional and new media world, there’s no telling where Ryan will end up next. You can keep up with him on his MySpace page at www.MySpace.com/hupdaddy.
Mitch Maxson spent two years with a small, traditional marketing firm before leaving to co-create his first interactive development firm (Transgres) after graduating from Purdue University. After two years of sustained growth, Transgres joined MediaSauce to pursue a shared vision of broadband-based integrated communications. Today, as a partner and Creative Director, Mitch has helped grow MediaSauce from 8 employees to more than 50 in just two years. As a constant proponent of “what comes next” and the emergence of audience-centric messaging and broadband connectivity, Mitch’s focus is on understanding individuals and inspiring new ways for them to interact with their world.
Ryan Williams is a multimedia designer, author, and bassist based in Indianapolis, Indiana. He’s shared the stage and studio with everybody and everything from Grammy award-winning hip-hop artists to a full band of bagpipes and drums. He received his master’s degree in music technology from the Indiana University School of Music in 2003. He’s the author of Windows XP Digital Music For Dummies and Teach Yourself Visually Bass Guitar, both published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. He has also written several articles and tutorials on music and music technology for several publications and Web sites. He is a frequent panelist on digital music and home studios at music conferences around the nation.
Blurb- MySpace is the place to connect with friends online and this book helps you make the most of it. Here’s how to customize you profile so it stands out ina crowd, create or join groups, send event invites, share photos, steer clear of bad guys, and even show off you talents or get your band discovered!
Word List
1. Informative
2. Helpful
3. Non-fiction
4. Clear
5. Researched
6. Exciting
7. Lively
8. List
9. Organized
10. Playful
11. Attention grabbing
12. Contemporary
13. Sarcastic
14. Educational
15. Current
16. Technology
17. Young
18. Bright
19. Smooth
20. Easy-to-read
21. Teasing
22. Fun
23. Instructive
24. Simple
25. Fluent
26. Easy
27. Uncluttered
28. Minimal
29. Clean
30. Elemental
31. Explored
32. Order
33. Structure
34. Up front
35. Systematic
36. Important
37. Emphasized
38. Basic
39. Creative
40. Diverse
41. Hilarious
42. Represent viewers
43. Witty
44. Straight forward
45. Bold
46. Guide
47. User friendly
48. Interesting
49. Functional
50. Upbeat
Definitions
1. Informative-to provide useful or interesting information
2. Clear- easy to perceive, understand, interpret. Leaving no doubt or confusion. Obvious or ambiguous.
3. Playful-fond of games or amusement. Lighthearted. Intended for amusement rather than seriously. Giving or expressing pleasure and amusement.
4. Educational-or or relating to the provision of education. Intended or serving to educate or enlighten.
5. Bright- having a vivid color. Vivid or bold. Intelligent and quick witted. Appearance of cheerful liveliness.
6. Simple- easily understood or done, presenting no difficulty. Plain, basic, or uncomplicated in form, nature, or design. Without much decoration or ornamentation used to emphasize the fundamental and straight forward nature of something.
7. Structure- the arrangement or relations between the parts or elements of something complex. Constructed of several parts. Construct/arrange according to plan. Give a patter/organize.
8. Witty- showing or characterized by quick and inventive verbal humor.
9. Bold- show an ability to take risks. Confident and courageous. Have a strong or vivid appearance.
10. Functional- having a special activity, purpose, or task. Relating to the way in which something works or operates. Designed to be practical and useful.
Tone
1. How-To
2. Informative
3. Comical
4. Non-fiction
To Suggest List
1. To suggest that using the Internet can be easy
2. To suggest that Internet applications are fun with safety precautions
3. To suggest that the Internet can serve as a form of communication
4. To suggest a playful environment
5. To suggest a complex network
6. To Suggest a want to learn
7. To suggest the everyday/familiar
8. To suggest a new technology
Quotes
1. “The useful and the beautiful are never separated.” (672)
2. “The improvement of the understanding is for two ends; first, our own increase of knowledge; second only, to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others.”
3. “Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great. Emerson.” (593)
4. “A page digested is better than a volume hurriedly read.” –Macaulay (524)
5. “Looks are more expressive and reliable than words; they have a language which all understand, and language itself is to be interpreted by the look as well as tone with which it is uttered.” - Tryon Edwards (350)
6. “Foolish Assumptions-In this book, we make the following assumptions:
a. You’re at least 13 years of age
b. You have some access to the internet and an email address
c. There are people in you life with whom you communicate
d. You can read the language in which this sentence is printed”
(Facebook for Dummies, 2)
7. “If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.” - Albert Einstein
8. “Humor is also a way of saying something serious.” - T. S. Eliot
9. “When I took office, only high energy physicists had ever heard of what is called the Worldwide Web.... Now even my cat has its own page.” - Bill Clinton
10. “This is why I loved technology: if you used it right, it could give you power and privacy.” - Cory Doctorow
Monday, January 19, 2009
Reading Reaction
It is interesting to think that something as simple as an apple can have so many meanings due to the translations through the sender, intention, message, transmission, noise, receiver, and destination.
In the reading, it mentions that we must know the link between the signifier and what is being signified (the used the example of smoke means fire). In order to send this message do you have to do a prior round of semiotics?
In the reading, it mentions that we must know the link between the signifier and what is being signified (the used the example of smoke means fire). In order to send this message do you have to do a prior round of semiotics?
Type 1/26
Chip Kidd, a Penn State graduate, began his career working in the art department of Knopf in 1986. He is a book cover designer who has published over 1500 book jackets. He has designed for HarperCollins, Penguin, Scribner, and more. He believes that, "Whether or not we know it, we all judge a book by its cover. Its role is to communicate not only what the book is about, but who will enjoy reading it. There is a subliminal language of images and typography that speaks directly to the subconscious mind of the potential book buyer." These words and his innovative designs make him a celebrated artist, known as “the world’s greatest book-jacket designer” and someone who we can learn a great deal from when it comes to creative book design.
John Gall was born in 1963. He attended Rutgers University. He has worked for Vintage and Anchor Books. Gall uses a “simple but elegant use of typography” and “plays with the perceptions of the viewer.” His use of different medium, like collage and photography, give him a unique style in which he can “convey the essence of the book in a unique and surprising way that maybe pushes the design envelope a bit.” We can learn how to incorporate our own style into a set of rules to develop a fine finished product.
Successful Book Covers:
Index Examples:
St. Cyborg’s: the rings around the cyborg, when read with the title, allow the viewer to see them as a halo and make the connection to religion.
Against Happiness: the arrangement of words into an arch can be seen as a frown after reading the title and color choice.
The Man in the High Castle: the Swastikas replace the stars and tell readers that this book is about America verses Nazi Germany.
John Gall was born in 1963. He attended Rutgers University. He has worked for Vintage and Anchor Books. Gall uses a “simple but elegant use of typography” and “plays with the perceptions of the viewer.” His use of different medium, like collage and photography, give him a unique style in which he can “convey the essence of the book in a unique and surprising way that maybe pushes the design envelope a bit.” We can learn how to incorporate our own style into a set of rules to develop a fine finished product.
Successful Book Covers:
Index Examples:
St. Cyborg’s: the rings around the cyborg, when read with the title, allow the viewer to see them as a halo and make the connection to religion.
Against Happiness: the arrangement of words into an arch can be seen as a frown after reading the title and color choice.
The Man in the High Castle: the Swastikas replace the stars and tell readers that this book is about America verses Nazi Germany.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)