Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

I am always excited for Thanksgiving not only because we get to gather with family, but for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I was unable to watch the whole thing, but I did catch some old favorites and an unexpected guest which was Takashi Murakami. His float design were of his most popular characters Kaikai and Kiki. It was really cool and unexpected to see Takashi partake in the parade because we learned about it in class not too long ago. Even though I said we had learned about Takashi, I had not quite remembered why we learned about him, so I looked up a little bit of his background to see why Housefield thought he was so important to learn about. And apparently Takashi is credited with starting “Superflat.” After reading his biography I can see how Takashi evolved from his college years to the artist that he is today. He studied traditional Japanese art, but then “became disillusioned with Nihonga, and became fixated on otaku culture, which he felt was more representative of modern day Japanese life.”

HGTV Special 30 Holiday Decorating Hits and Misses

 On Friday the 26th, I was watching on of my favorite networks HGTV, and they ran a very fun and informative special on Holiday Decorating. Throughout the episode they mentioned a lot of key terms that we have learned in class and from our readings. Here are a few "Hits" and "Misses" for Holiday Decorating.

1. Hit: Using nature as a source for inspiration and as a source for decoration
One of the easiest suggestions that HGTV made for Holiday Decorating was to look around your yard and look in the grocery store for natural elements that could be incorporated into decorating. A simple idea they suggested was using a hurricane jar and filling it with water and cranberries and a few green foliage plants along with a floating candle to add warmth, color, and depth.

2. Miss: Decorating too trendy
Spending too much money on trendy decorating items is a miss, because trendy items only last for a little bit. And it is then harder to bring them back again year after year, because decorations should be an investment so that you do not have to buy everything new every year.

3. Hit: Using a punch of color that is Red, White, or Green
According to HGTV, people are often scared to venture away from these colors because they are seen as the official holiday season colors. And they are very nice for the holidays, but other bright punches of color can be used as well. Like teal and orange(complementary colors), pinks and violets(cool colors), or just white (monochromatic), all of these varying color combinations can make a festive theme for holiday decorating 

4. Miss: Forgetting little nooks and crannies in home 
This one is an easy one for everyone to overlook because sometimes you feel like you might over due on the holiday decorating, but it adds more interest to a room when special areas such as the fire place are given attention. Being that it is a focal point and should be treated as such.

These were just a few of the Holiday Decorating hits and misses that I used to show how several design terms were used that we have been learning about in class.

TheCoolHunter.net

I just found this website and I think its the coolest thing ever. I was browsing online for some inspirational Aalvar Alto library photos, when I stumbled across this website filled with some of the craziest architecture designs I have ever seen. I came across from photo after photo of unique inspirational and classic architecture. 

It made me think about my own personal taste of architectural design, and if prompted if I would be able create different styles and not just my own? I always knew that I had a special place in my heart for architecture, but this helped me reaffirm my desire and rekindle the light for my motivation to pursue a career in architecture.

On the site I saw really modern and edgy designs that normally wouldn’t be considered as functional, but nonetheless attention grabbers the regular bystander. This site doesn’t just have architecture; it carries fashion, music, lifestyle, art, kids, gadgets, etc. Just as is the field of design, a broad spectrum of disciplines.

A lot of the designs make you think and wonder, “What sort of creative process did the architects go through in order to get their final product?” There is an amazing list of just a few of some of the worlds most unique designs. One of my favorites and reason for stumbling upon this site, is of a staircase that was done by Frank Gehry, The Art Gallery of Ontario. Simply put it is exquisite and of pure imagination.The staircase wraps itself along the existing building, lending itself to be formed with the help of the building. Unique details include an underlit rail that is only visible from within. The  design looks flawless and clean, yet modest and honest. Honest in the sense of the building materials that were used to build it, in a natural wood tone with visible grain marks.

I wanted to share this site because I accidentally stumbled across it while trying to find inspirational pictures, and I found it. I know that inspiration is sometimes hard to come by when you are in need of a great a great idea. Its part of the creative process that we all undergo. Its a critical one at that, without it we are stuck. 

SF MOMA- Exposed, Voyeurism, Surveillance, and the Camera since 1870

The exhibition at the SFMOMA I visited this past weekend was called Exposed, Voyeurism, Surveillance, and the Camera since 1870. I had tagged along with my friend to see the exhibit not really knowing what to expect. I partially knew what voyeurism meant, but after the exhibit I feel like I had a much better understanding of it. The dictionary definition is; a person who gains sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity, a person who enjoys seeing the pain or distress of others.

It was a really different experience to walk through this exhibit; it was sometimes awkward and weird. I come from a very conservative Catholic family where the sex is never talked about, let alone pleasure. And although I have been attending college for a few years now, it feels weird to actually let go of my conservativeness in public, and allow myself to be curious and question the photographs they had on display. The first thing we saw was a video of a woman undressing herself in front of the mirror, and it kept replaying with these loud gunshot noises. At first of course I was hesitant to see because there was nudity, but my curiosity finally took over me. But it did not last long before I started to feel uncomfortable. I was unable to view the name of the person who took the video, but from what I could tell it was made around the 70’s. It definitely related to the theme of voyeurism because there were so many people crowding and trying to see what was going on in there. I don’t think that anybody became publicly aroused but there was still that curiosity that led folks in there.

There was also a photograph by Richard Avedon of Andy Warhol’s scars on his torso, it really captivated my interest because I wanted to know what had happened. The scars looked surreal and I couldn’t believe what I saw. After visiting the museum I looked up to see what had happened to Andy Warhol and apparently it had been an attempted assassination and he had barely survived. They said that even afterwards he never really recovered because if he exerted himself he would start bleeding.

Like previously mentioned this exhibition was a very different experience, I would not feel comfortable seeing it with my parents. I feel like they would think I was a heathen, and they would disown me. Well maybe not that far, but still there was definitely some R-Rated content in there. I feel like in order to of had been prepared for this exhibit I would have had to read some background on the topic, or researched what the exhibit was featuring. Because there were some photographs I did not understand why they where there, and I want to know what the curator had in mind. If it was to have the shock and awe factor? Because they definitely shocked me. 

Ergonomic Studies

The couch has become an essential part of one’s home. That is where one gathers with friends and family to partake in each other’s company. It is also a largely where the same family and friends gather to watch television. It is a domestic staple that everybody has. From the hand me downs that college students own, to the larger fancier and cushier sofas better off families own. The couch is a staple because it fits the five areas of ergonomics. Which would include Safety, Comfort, Ease of Use, Performance (productivity), and Aesthetics.

Safety with a couch is very important. I remember as a child we would get stuck in the recliner and we would try to climb off of it, but it would get stuck and lean forward. Sometimes part of our effort would cease because we would get fingers stuff in the reclining hardware. And it would not be until that we got an adult to help us out, that we finally escaped the chair. Now they have become a lot easier to handle where not a lot of effort is required to recline and un-recline.

Comfort is a must in regards to a sofa couch, because you need it to be inviting and welcoming. There is never a bigger letdown than when you sit down on a beautiful couch and it fails the comfort test. Comfort is nearly at the top of the ergonomic areas for a couch because it is the make or break it factor when you are in the process of acquiring a sofa.

Ease of use is important in terms of a couch because everybody and anybody should be able to sit, pull out a bed, or recline. It would become a hassle if you always had people over and they never knew how to operate your sofa because it was too complicated for them to use. A good sofa should be self-explanatory because it is a staple in the everyday environment.

Performance is also one of the top two reasons that can either make or break your sofa dreams. If a sofa couch looks like it’s going to be high maintenance, then it probably will be. This factor is highly considered among families with young children, because children of course will be children and are prone to be messy and have accidents. So practicality in the selection of performance is important when considering who the users will be and for what purpose.

Aesthetics is the fun area to consider after all the real decisions of ergonomics have been made. Aesthetics are the color, texture, fabric, etc that one can consider if having the privilege to have a wide selection to choose from.

All in all the design of a couch is practically solely reliant on all of the ergonomic areas of study. You have to take into consideration the Safety, Comfort, Ease of Use, Performance (productivity), and Aesthetics in order to make a good decision.

Mass-Produced

The video game industry is a huge market for designers to be working in. It is constantly evolving, as all design does, and its changed from just a recreational hobby, to a lifestyle for some. I am not claiming to be an expert in this field, but I have been witness to how the video game console has grown over the years. As an object of design the first Nintendo console was very bland and bulky compared to the more highly designed consoles such as the PS3. From basic observation we are able to assert a certain degree of that products capabilities from the shape, form, and figure that we see. We are able to analyze that the PS3 is of great value, not only because of the price tag, but also from the materials and finishes that the product possesses. We can derive from its grand state of design that that product performs above par, and possesses a lot of important programs and capabilities. The design is made to appeal to the buyer as a newest and latest product that we must have. Most of the times that is what gears product design, and sometimes they slip in solutions to some product flaws. Although I think that even over the years they still have not figured out how to prevent over heating in gaming consoles, which would be very beneficial when you have intense gamers who take gaming very seriously.

The Evolution of Toy design

Carolina Herrera Bride Barbie Doll

Toys have always held a special place in my heart, because even as an adult I still play with toys. Children and adults find great enjoyment in them. As children we played with GI Jo's to Barbie dolls and Lego's, and as adults we get into this "collectible" toy genre where you cant open the toy and you keep it for its value. But every which way toys have evolved greatly from the simple wooden blocks, and classic Barbie dolls, and the green army soldiers.

Toys have grown with our society's cultural norms. For example, Barbie dolls used to only come in the white Caucasian version, but now because we have grown more to accept that we are a multicultural society they have made newer colored versions of Barbie to appeal to the multicultural society today. Although they have yet to come out with a Barbie that has more realistic body proportions, in my opinion that design is long overdue. In terms of other toys such as hot wheels, they have evolved from a simple metal frame and wheels to more advanced mechanical toys. They now have hot wheels that operate with batteries and spin around the track for a more realistic racing playtime. Overall toys have changed with the times in accordance to norms and to maintain interest in the younger generations.