My workspace

Welcome to my desk?

It's usually a cluttered, ironic mess of organizational materials (agendas, post-its, rulers, oh my!) but it's looking pretty good this week. 

The necessities: six different rulers, tracing paper, books, pineapples, and coffee. 

The real necessity: the computer! It's brand new (like yesterday, brand new) and I'm really excited about it. Borrowing the boyfriend's super intense red backlit keyboard until mine comes in. 

The matriarch, YaYa, hangs out with me along with a souvenir from San Antonio, an Anthropologie candle I got on sale because the label is printed backwards (who doesn't love a good anomaly?) and a Birchbox designed by the Rifle Paper Company.

This is my elephant from Cambodia (souvenir brought back by a family friend)- it's super gaudy and weird but I love it. It hangs from the corner of a very large Hungarian flag in my room.

Also a little gaudy but loved nonetheless. Perched on a cork board set up very similar to my timeline, with photos of friends and family, kind notes, and keepsakes from coffeeshops and traveling. 

An ad from Mohawk, a camera from the 70's, and a metallic cat because why not?

Block of Type (Home Par

Self Portrait & Timeline in 3 parts

This self portrait was really challenging in terms of deciding how to present myself, but ultimately I'm really pleased with how the final product turned out! It's difficult to put yourself in front of the lens when you're used to being on the other side.

 I actually enjoyed working on the timeline more because it allowed my to lay things out with an almost anatomical mindset. I chose to include a few times that impacted me artistically- first time sewing with my grandma Ruby Nell, my three days stranded in NYC with my sister when I was 16 (I did get to go to the MoMA though!)- as well as personal momentos- a photo of my family in Nashville, a photobooth printout with my boyfriend, Krisztian, and my Prefect pin from Harry Potter world this past summer. I included a few tchotchkes that reside on my desk- my pineapple salt shaker, a cat I painted metallic purple, and a paper weight that came from my Papa Pinky's office. I feel like it encapsulates pretty well a few of the things I hold dear and a fraction of the events that have made me who I am.

What I collect:

I come from a large, disjointed family. I have had the pleasure of knowing three great-grandparents, eight grandparents (divorce might be hereditary), and four parents. Odd numbers, but I assure you, they're correct.

It seems like what I'm trying to say is: I collect grandparents. (Oh, you have some to spare? Send them  my way!) I do not. That would be impractical.

What I am trying to say is that they were all collectors too. My Papa Pinkie (gone before I arrived) had an extensive collection of stamps and liquor labels that has become my mother's; Yaya collected jewelry and marvelous furniture; Ruby Nell collected postcards and spoons; Judy collects thimbles and lighters; Steve collected pigs, basset hounds, and Marlboros by the dozen; Barbara and Bob collected Hummels (ceramic figurines); Jerry collects cars; Larry collects wives; Becky collected grandchildren, as she was always the first to volunteer to take us on vacation or watch us for the weekend. 

So basically, I'm genetically bound to be a hoarder. 

I have involuntarily begun to collect mugs. As soon as you become known as a coffee drinker, everybody buys you a mug for Christmas. My two favorites are my "Hello Dali" mug that I bought in South Beach that crosses Hello Kitty with Salvador Dali. The other is a white and red polka-dot mug with a giant "B" on it that my sister gave me for Christmas. They were out of "M" mugs. 

I also collect cameras. I have a polaroid that I bought myself with Christmas money when I was about eleven, a Canon film SLR that I cannot operate, a Fujifilm digital camera (kind of the hybrid btw. a DSLR and a compact digital camera) and a Kodak Ektasound 140 that belonged to my Papa Pinkie... so if anyone has any Super 8 film lying around, I'm your girl. 

I have a lot of candles too, but I can never remember to light them. Does that count ?

Influences & Inspiration

For inspiration, my go-to is always designspiration.net. It's a great resource to explore virtually all facets of design and form collections (similar to pinterest, but with less recipes, make up tutorials, and D.I.Y. crafts).

The grocery store is also a prime locale for design work.

 



P.s. yes, that is my freezer. Steve's cold brewed cinnamon coffee. Try it.


I'm typically most inspired after working with others; after class, I come home with renewed enthusiasm for projects. I think I work best alone, but being around others to discuss ideas is beneficial for me. Sometimes I listen to music, but a lot of times I listen to comedy. Aziz Ansari, the late Mitch Hedberg, and Demetri Martin are favorites.

What is Graphic Design? In a really abstract way (stay with me here), graphic design really is everything. It's the magazines we skim at the check-out line, the branding on our headphones, laptops, and tablets, and the packaging of our favorite products (is Steve's really that good, or is it just the packaging? We may never know. Just in: we know. It's that good.) It's billboards and commercials, the membership magazine from the museum we once belonged to, our doctor's business cards, everything.


Contemporary designs that inspire me:

I'm not even sure if this counts, but ban.do is awesome. They make agendas and all sorts of paper products, gifts, real tchotchke-like stuff. Half of it is probably useless but it makes me smile.

I also really love this series Sinem Erkas has been doing:

and Snask: 

Swedish Creative Agency Snask is Sweet, Filthy, and Full of Life

 Courtesy: 

http://eyeondesign.aiga.org/swedish-creative-agency-snask-are-sweet-filthy-and-full-of-life/

Good & Bad Design (BFA Program Week TWO complete! Hurray!)

Whoa. Good and bad design? I can't help but question, who am I to say what qualifies good and bad design? I'm barely ankle deep in this, but hey, Ira Glass says I have good taste. 

I guess I feel like the qualifying factor for design would be it's ability to communicate. When everything is said and done, that is really what design is trying to do. 

Designs I feel do communicate:

©Pelá - Brazilian Festival

I LOVE this poster series. How Brazilian is this?

 Despite not being able to read the information due to language barriers, it definitely communicates to me.

 It squeals with the chaos and vibrancy that identifies Brazil. 

 "Osmosis" from "Domestic Reliquary" by Daniel W. Coburn

I think that the alteration in this image speaks profound truths in anyone that has been a small child in a public pool. The sense of uneasiness  transmits to the audience, and I love the way you can't entirely tell if the child is screaming, yawning, or about to smile. 

I really enjoy the composition of this magazine cover. The logo fits into the sky and just barely touches the tips of the mountains, and the text turned on its side adds some visual interest for me. There's a weirdness about the photo that interests me also- the sun is shining and the water looks calm, which sounds like the recipe for a perfect beach day, but the man's face is concealed by the wave except for his mouth, which is underwater. Is he relaxing or sinking? I like that the photo isn't straightforward and makes me ask questions.

http://whereisthecool.com/post/31079471125

Bad:

http://kotaku.com/the-rip-off-controvesy-over-the-tokyo-olympics-logo-1720796383

Tokyo Olympics Logo Controversy

Even without the considerations of plagiarism, I am not fond of the Tokyo Olympics logo. I feel like it fails to communicate the unity, celebration, and action that the olympic games represent. That being said, the very very similar logo for the theatre does a better job of conveying the classic atmosphere I would expect in a theatre. 

Courtesy of the bakery's website.

This logo fails to meet its potential. I feel like the type choice doesn't mesh well with the illustrations, and I think so much more personality could be incorporated. Not a terrible logo, but definitely not something I'd consider good. 

The Joker Typographic Posters by Felipe Collazo on Behance

The type screams Nascar, not the joker. There's a misplaced speed and the structure of the type adds nothing to the phrase. It feels out of place and confusing.