Design Cultures Blog

"The market for false limbs is perhaps one that doesn't attract designers quite as much as it should. Fake arms and legs suffer from something called the"uncanny valley" in that the more realistic they become, the more uncomfortable they are for people to look at. It's bad enough being short of one arm or leg, but to have people engaged in conversation with you and then suddenly realise you've got a fake limb... that's what the uncanny valley is all about.

This area of design seems to be the preserve of engineers and medics. Maybe it's time for, say, jewellery designers to get in on the act?

Anyway Norwegian industrial design student Hans Alexander Huseklepp has come up with a new take which seems to avoid the valley by being up-front about its "falseness".

And what's more, it's got a digital watch built in to the wrist."

Found at:http://design-cultures.blogspot.com/2009/02/prosthetics-avoid-uncanny-valley.html

good websites

Further to my previous post on unappealing websites, here are some sites I quite enjoy.

What I look for in a website is an easy navigation system encased in a minimalist structure. Sites that regularly update tend to keep my curiosity attentive, setting a lasting intrigue that will have me revisiting the source. Pictures are essential for my visual nature but there is a fine line between too few and too many. My eye prefers snippets of information as opposed to full articles.

Farewell Books - a simple design with simple navigation.

Alexander Binder - simple layout and navigation. Soothing colour scheme. I enjoy the display as it’s busy but not cluttered. Links set at the top of the page make facebook, email, and his C.V quickly accessible.

Gustav Gustafsson - beautifully stripped back site with dates on the left, and a scroll bar on the bottom. It makes for pleasant viewing.

Poster Design

Part of the academic structure behind this blog requires me to create a poster to promote my work. Below are journal notes detailing my efforts to design a poster from initial concepts through to the posters final design. Ive also included additional images and videos documenting the posters development.



studying large poster formats

journal note detailing poster design

first attempt at poster design

journal note detailing poster design

journal note detailing poster design

 

poster design

 

poster design

final A4 poster design, all thats left is to remove the white boarder and experiment with larger formats

final A4 poster design, all thats left is to remove the white boarder and experiment with larger formats



Zines

A continued study of zine culture has influenced the design process of my art book. Below are videos from Fourteen-Nineteen, which are great as they allow you to view layouts of zines without having to purchase them. Other sites like Self Publish, Be Happy also provide insight into zine layouts by photographing the interior of the books they feature on their site. In addition I’ve also listed zine sites I regularly visit.


Emily Burtner - Untitled from Fourteen-Nineteen on Vimeo.


DSCF6540 from Fourteen-Nineteen on Vimeo.

Cafe Royal Books
Fourteen-Nineteen
JSBJ
kaugummi books
Pogo Books
Self Publish, Be Happy

Shepherds Falkiners and Papier Design

I’ve found Shepherds to be an excellent source for book binding materials, from threads and papers, through to boning tools and other related hardware. Their "How to make Books" blog houses a very useful video, taken from their "Handmade Books" DVD, which is available from their online store. Alongside their online presence and London based store, Shepherds also runs short courses in book binding. It’s a definite must see for anyone interested in making their own publications.

Shepherds Falkiners store : http://store.falkiners.com/store/

Shepherds How to make Books blog : http://making-books.blogspot.com/

Ive also found these inspiring videos from Peter Baumgartner, a German book binder whose tutorials cover a multitude of binding techniques. The full English versions are available to buy through www.papierdesign.de



Found at: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-a-book-part-two



Found at: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-a-book-part-three

Here is an overview version of the tutorial in German



Found at: http://www.papierdesign.de/videos/videos-deutsch/buchbinden.html



Found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9WL3C9rItg

sculpting the inevitable part two

The design is almost complete. I have a strong cover suitable to the content. It frustrates me that progress is slow, the task a constant battle of trial and error. Will the Canford Snow White complete the look? Print quality must be the staple, everything else is secondary. The book consumes me.

Below are images and notes documenting the design process in hand with noted whims and additional research. My mind skips from one to the other, always looking for the next project. Also present is a list of local book binders that I've been encouraged to approach as they may be able to offer advice on materials, or even create a final piece beyond my own ability. Though I am sceptical of the costs entailed, the book is the key and a professional finish is desirable. If I am unable to sculpt it myself I may pursue these avenues.

I've been encouraged to approach local book binders

Design for book cover

Design for book cover

Do not wait for your ship to come in - swim out to it

The ground keeps shifting beneath our feet. The air thick with good intention keeps the discourse tethered on a positive wave. It’s an exciting time. With no place to house our exhibition* the horizon has changed and we now scurry around in a new light, seeking new opportunities. I believe everything is possible.

Yesterday the group decided upon a name for the exhibition: this is what it is. I’ve been throwing ideas around in photoshop to aid our promotional campaign. Although nothing is certain and these ideas may be superseded, their importance is to contribute toward our motivation.

As a design having the name split into two different colours implies diversity, whist retaining a cohesive whole enforces themes of structure and support. The grey text against a white backdrop holds a neutral simplicity, a crisp freshness, adhering to a no nonsense sensibility. Having the "this is" text just visible is a deliberate ploy attempting to provoke further interest from a viewer as they observe the design. I am considering darkening the "this is" text slightly to allow a more obvious reading and I will post further additions to the design here on the blog. These designs are in no way final pieces and are fully open to debate. 

*news of our group exhibition and any promotional material designed or attributed to it will also feature in this blog, as part of our outcome criteria is that we design a poster for our exhibition. We are currently looking for a venue to help showcase our work, designing promotional material and considering sponsorship to fund the exhibition.

sculpting the inevitable

I am chasing my own tail testing competing paper stocks, pastel against parchment, watercolour against card, 150gsm against 240gsm. The vision is to showcase the final work in a self published book but finding the right paper is difficult. The success of the book dictates a keen eye to match content with colour and texture with mood. Daler & Rowney produce the perfect papers for the task with their Canford Snow White & Coffee. The paper can be found at Fred Aldous http://www.fredaldous.co.uk/shop-online/canford-paper-a4.htm for a fairly competitive price.

The book is the final product of a project not yet complete. I have previous images to allow the process to begin though these will not be used in the final piece. The idea is to remove the hurdle of trial and error that so eagerly consumes a book maker’s time, so that more energy can be focused on the books content.