Cool cool cool cool COOL!
Most. Creative. Homepage. Ever. It makes me want to cry a little..
In case the picture doesn’t link you: Johnson Banks
“let there be shimmer, it will always make you smile!”
j*
Oh Adobe, Bless your soul..
This week has been a little bit of a nightmare for me.
Battling this stupid lung infection AND learning web design.. horrible.
All I have to say is Thank God for Adobe TV. You have saved me many horrid hours of trial and error, and provided me with some tips I would have otherwise not acquired. If you haven’t checked any of them out, please do. There are links right from the home panels when I open any CS4 program, and I am SO thankful they exist.
The videos are extremely simple, easy-to-follow, and not exhaustingly long like some online tutorials.
With my double monitor setup, I have had this browser open on one screen, and dreamweaver open on the other for the greater part of the last 5 days. I never imagined web development to be so hectic. It is just a different system that I am extremely unfamiliar with but it makes me, dare I say, excited, to take on the challenge. I am starting to understand the theory and structure required for pages to appear how I want them to online, however my trouble arrives when I try to troubleshoot. I can’t seem to find out where the error is occurring, because everything is masked behind a code. I guess this will just take more practice! Any tips??
(This other site: thesitewizard.com, has a few more tips, but it is very text-heavy)
I am sure I’m not the only one suffering through this new endeavour.. hopefully this will be the topic for several posts so I can grab as much help as possible.
“let there be shimmer, it will always make you smile!”
j*
PS. I guess I forgot to change my blog time back an hour.
HELP me!
Does anyone know how I can create splashes and swirls of water?
I’m thinking I may want to use Maya/Photoshop combo..
Inspiration photo:
I want to make water on my personal blog design.
“let there be shimmer, it will always make you smile”
j*
On the note of CG..
One of the very first design sites I came across was Platinum FMD back in first year. They are a studio in Brazil, specializing in computer generated images, but also have some awesome illustrations.
Their compelling images inspired me to be more digital-savvy. I am nowhere near their level of expertise, but I’m trying!
Some of my favourites:
On the note of that last one..
“let there be shimmer, it will always make you smile!”
j*
If I had more spare time…
… I would spend it designing awesome packaging like this:
Her name is Elizabeth Linde. She is awesome.
“let there be shimmer, it will always make you smile!”
j*
HUB
HUB Strategy: just another amazing design firm that has fun “documentary” films about random office stories, really cool media projects, and hilarious commercials!
PLEASE WATCH: The Microsoft apps commercial, and the SlingBox media commercials. They are hilarious!
I found this site because they were noted on the Lovely Package for their awesome Green Genius concept and packaging:
A word of warning: the Hub site is 100% flash, and sometimes it is difficult to select the company you’d like to view. Bear with it, it is worth the slight “over scroll.”
Enjoy!
“Let there be shimmer, it will always make you smile!”
j*
A look into the CG world
I would like to bring to your attention the fabulous world of Computer Generated Imaging (CG or CGI). This type of imaging is becoming more common throughout different types of media because it is fresh, crisp, and provides the viewer an extremely detailed and clean final image. This is most apparent when looking at models of cars. The majority that are CG are NOT photographs, thus allowing for the designer to not be limited to frame, size, or resolution. The opportunities are limitless when designing in 3D modelling and animation software, and once a model is complete, it can be used “forever.”
I bring you… Seventh Street Studio. A charged and dynamic firm, set in Birmingham, Michigan, whose work is impeccable, intriguing and eye-catching! Their work is so interesting, especially for those of us who are taking a love to Maya. One of the more compelling things on the site is the “SimpleCG” tab. ALL of these pieces of work are completely digital.. EVEN THE PEOPLE!! The work is so intricate and detailed.. must have taken them eons! Check out this example:
What is even more impressive, is the detail shot of her eyes/brow (look at the PORES!!):
Needless to say, their portfolio is full of pieces that are very well-fashioned. This next photo is an honorable mention just for you Joe! (it also reminds me of Chelsea’s memories poster and Michael Lundy for some reason)…
They also have an “Image design” section where they take photography and integrate it with digital imaging, or some other elements (illustration, etc.). They provide SUCH inspiration, it is just as scary as it is exciting to see that work like this is being completed.
Their full site can be located here: http://www.seventhstreetstudio.com
Hopefully you can spend the amount of time required to take it all in!
“Let there be shimmer, it will always make you smile!”
j*
Look.. and then look closer!
This blog is devoted to.. photoshop, well, disasters!
Some really funny stuff.
Have a look, it kept me entertained for hours. lol
“Let there be shimmer, It will always make you smile!”
j*
Mucca
Their name is Mucca, they are from NYC and they are by far one of the most impressive companies I have encountered on my blog-viewing-adventure.
I love almost every one of their projects.. Their designs are so elaborate and fantastic: I’m assuming they only do work for clients with big budgets.
Their techniques are amazing, my favourite is the wood-burned logo for EN restaurant. The entire identity for this company was designed with a classic approach, providing an edgy, rough texture, enforcing the “natural” aspect of this company. The embossing on their business card is especially impressive.
Aside from their wonderfully-showcased design work, there is also a “case studies” tab that provides in more detail a synopsis on their designs for some companies. This is interesting, I love reading about how designers chose what they did, and more importantly why, and what it represents for the company. Design is so much more than just visual!
Speaking of visual identities, their most impressive work (I think) has been done for Brooklyn Fare. I was introduced to this website in class when it was used as an example of fantastic interface design, and randomly came across the design team behind it. The idea is fresh and fun, the etiquette of the company is communicated to me clearly and I haven’t even been there! I just came back from NY, but if I went again I would definitely check it out.
To conclude, this site has some big-name clients and some big ideas for them. They provide work that is nothing short of perfect, and unlike some design companies, their work is very clearly tailored to their clients’ needs, rather than providing a consistency with style pegged to their own company. (For example, the work from BRANCH that I previously blogged about is very consistent among all of their clients, establishing a set “style” or “brand” of design work for their name) I guess what I’m ultimately trying to say is.. Mucca leaves the element of question out there.. their ideas are so far from one another, you wouldn’t be able to peg a certain project to their name.
Everyone loves a good mystery. Nice work, Mucca!
More samples of their work:
Alot of their work has won awards! Most definitely check out their work for Country, their store design for Matta, and their work for book designs in Harper Collins. (Their website is built in flash, so I can’t provide you a direct URL to these projects!)
“Let there be shimmer, It will always make you smile”
j*
Website design innovation
Ok, well, not quite an “innovation” per se.. Moreso something so incredibly simple, yet powerful that caught my eye..
I was surfing blogs (again) and discovered a post about Branch, a quaint graphic design studio in London. I was drawn to their work because of their fearless ability to use huge type! (And they do so incredibly effectively)
Anyway, my point is, when I clicked on their site link, and selected “Click Here to Enter,” it opened in full screen mode.. Something I have never experienced before. It struck me by surprise on how all of my attention was immediately directed to them and them only, an extremely difficult thing to achieve online these days.
Kudos. Check it out:
http://www.thelondonbranch.com/branch.html
“Let there be shimmer, It will always make you smile”
j*
