Final Project

After about 4 hours of uploading!!!! Here it is...

Creativit-e 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvVMYzkbEPg

Tangible Design - Graduate Thesis Exhibition Grand Opening, Nov. 13

Hazar Nevzat Bayindir, a graduate student of CSULA who had his Graduate Thesis Exhibition in the Fine Arts Gallery at CSULA from November 13 through the 27th. The exhibition consisted of several different ways of using materials such as raw meat, water, clothing, furniture, and other everyday objects and re-uses them to create something else very common to us. Here is the work that i was the most intrigued by:

The first image is the letter N, created by a pile of clothing. The second and third are the letters E. The first made up of books in a bookcase, the second is a picture of arranged furniture that has been turned 90 degrees clockwise. The last image is of the letter D made up of items from a kitchen, spices, canned foods, etc. All together it spells the work NEED. This piece is open to many ways of perceiving it. At first I saw it as the bare essentials to what we need, but then I began to think that most of the stuff I saw is stuff that I do not need, nor even want. Then I began to put myself in the mind of the designer. I then thought maybe each letter is separate in interpretation, not necessary to the sum. The N to me is the need to take care of your personal hygiene (the need to pick up and do dirty laundry); the first E is the need to be educated, or the need to want to be educated, or even appear to be so; the second E is the need for comfort, and the fact that the image is sideways shows the difficulty to become comfortable; the D is for the need for nourishment, but the items chosen are not so much healthy or natural/organic options.

The Design Process - Karl Aspelund

Stage 1 - Inspiration

Inspiration as stated in the book, is derived from the Latin word "inspirare", which means to breath into; because they believed that all creations were the result of gods breathing life into them. It's the beginning of the creative process. In this chapter/stage, the author details different methods and practices to look for inspiration, how become inspired by many different things and ways, for example some may have to sit alone and listen to music, others go for a drive, etc, to be able to become inspired and generate creative ideas to apply to their work. For me, there is no conscientious approach other than the awareness of deadlines. I don't just wait until the last minut for everything...but, with my important projects, I pay special attention to the amount of time necessary to generate ideas as to how I want to achieve my design/project. So as for inspiration, I guess it would have to be that I am normally happy with myself/life, and the acceptance that I am not happy if I don't do the simple everyday things that make me happy (being with my kids, working/getting payed, school, having personal time with friends, relaxing after a satisfactory day of work). If I am discontent with my life, then I have no driving force to accomplish anything. I find my inspiration in simply living day to day, with the knowledge that I have the need to stay happy by balancing the several different obligations that I have chosen to fulfill with those things that make me happy.

Stage 2 - Identification

Constraints: They key constraints in any design, from my limited personal experience, are " determined by the needs or desires of the end user, designer, or fabricator." Again, from my experience at work (being present and observing the design and manufacturing process of our products with customers, who typically are the middle-man to the end user), the end user has the final say in what the final design will be, but they also are typically the starting point to where the constraints begin accumulating. They typically have a general idea of what they want and they also typically explicitly convey the ideas to us so that we can help them out as best as possible. Then, the technical part comes in, how the product needs to be manufactured; did the end user specify what type of materials, color, or any other technical specifications they are either required to meet, or that they may personally specify. Once that is achieved, the price is then calculated and marked up for profit, and then the total cost of the project is relayed to the end user. If it is too high, we then work with them to see where we can save them money by changing the design. There are countless other constraints, but these are the most common and reoccurring. As stated in this book, many people, municipalities, companies, etc, are requiring and desiring products that are environmentally friendly, so many of our new projects are working with other lighting techonology companies (L.E.D. and Plasma technologies) to develop products that meet the industries new and growing demand.

Stage 3 - Conceptualization

While the author touched on multiple topics in this section, such as the applying of analogies, metaphors, similies, and intuitive thinking as ways of helping you to thoroughly understand parts of the process  so that you can easily and effectively convey them to others. But the most influential part of the section is Brainstorming. I agree with the author in saying that brainstorming is the beginning of your inspiration. This truly is the moment where the ideas start to come in, whether it is merely thoughts in your head (a mental note) or an actual brainstorming session, with pen and paper in hand. Personally, I think of ideas in my head and take mental note of the ones that stick out the most (typically only the ones I remember) and then I discuss them amongst a select few of my friends and relatives. From there I then put the ideas on paper, where then the process begins. I feel it is important for me to talk to these people so that they help me filter out the bad ideas, but also they give their opinion on what they do like, which then allows me to either generate or improve ideas. These people typically never have anything to do with my work/projects at all, they are a few people who's opinions I value for all aspects of my life. The author showed several different methods and ways to brainstorm, and it is very important for designers to find one(s) that work for them, because for a good design to be made, all the crap needs to be filtered out, as well as always taking into consideration all the constraints, both inherent and imposed, so that a successful design is achieved. Which goes into the authors other point, the success of being able to effectively present your concept/idea(s). It's like making a sale, you have to know all about it and be enthusiastic as to why everyone else should feel the same as you. Visuals ALWAYS help in convincing/making the sale.

Stage 4 - Exploration/Refinement

This stage is about sketching to see what the limits are, both least and most. But not just sketching, but also the necessity and the impact it has on the final design, and with your (my) practices/habits as an artist/designer. Putting down on paper what the least you can do to meet the requirements and the most you can imagine is possible per the requirements so that you can explore as much as possible in between to find the best compromise of the two extremes. The easiest way for me to explain the vital role it plays in my learning and creative processes is in the example of learning math, specifically word problems as child. I was always so used to just numbers, but when the math problem turns into a little paragraph and the answer needs to be a number I just could not believe that it was possible. But you learn that by drawing out images of what the word problem is talking about, rendering words into a graphics so that they become understandable. In brainstorming my ideas/designs, I sometimes forget or do not understand what I put on paper when it is a whole page of only words. Other times, they will be sketches/drawings of things with little words and it is WAY easier for me to begin remembering what I was thinking when I drew those images. 

It is important to sketch a lot on one concept/idea so that I can develop a well thought out and explored concept. But I also agree with the author in his stating the importance of discussing what you have explored with others so that they can give you feedback that sparks further exploration. Then I can go back and tweak my concept to what I feel will be more successful.

Stage 5 - Definition/Modeling

In this section, the author discusses the stage in which the process of design moves from the learning and free exploring, and into the more technical and precise phase necessary to create something close to perfection. Everything going into a particular design has already been accounted for, brainstorm, sketching, etc. have all been done and its time to take it to the next level of refinement. At this point, you can envision how you want your design to look, so the next step is to create a model. Depending on what the design is, the medium used to create the model may vary, but it must be created in a way that it will convey intentions of your end-design. This step allows for you, and the end user, to physically see and be able to discuss how the outcome can be improved to meet the desired design. Although it may be very easy to become content with the outcome of the model and settle with the design as is, the better and more successful designs are those that are improved upon after analyzing the model.

Also in this section the author briefly touches on the subject of re-inspiring yourself. He comments that at this point in the creative process, one might become burnt out from the work, or from the thought of the work that is ahead of them. The process just took a drastic turn. It went from the free, almost non-structured process of generating ideas of all sorts, to the step where the decisions in design have to become concisely thought out. The ideas have to be put into action and the model is made to re-evaluate the design and improve upon it.




Stage 6 - Communication
In this stage it is imperative that the designer establishes a selling point for their audience, to decide for them that they need what you are presenting vs. giving them something that they should want. First off, the designer/presenter must know who the audience is so that they can prepare to present to their expectations, in addition to the setting and your appearance for the presentation. You have to prepare for the setting and try to use your surroundings to make yourself appear to be more comfortable, and inevitably more sure of yourself and your presentation. It is important to appeal to the audience so that they stay engaged in the presentation. The most effective way to retain the attention of the audience is to speak and present accordant to the audience in front of you, such as speaking in front of professors vs speaking in front of grammar school children. In addition to being aware and catering to your audience, you must always remain consistant with your ideas, words, etc. during the presentation to convey a definite concept/design/product. Organization is key to this, and being well prepared for the presentation will allow for the presenter to be effectively convincing to the audience. If you were to go in front of any audience semi-unprepared, uttering "uhh's", and , "umm's" in between every other word shows unprofessionalism and unpreparedness. Practice, practice, practice. Without practicing the presentation, there is no way of gauging how you will act when presenting for the first time. You have to work out the awkwardness and find ways that you will be comfortable selling your design.




Stage 7 - Production
The last stage of the design process. As the designer of the end-result, you are the father/mother of the baby. So instead of finishing and polishing off a design to send it over to production, you must engage in the production process to ensure that your baby grows up to be a successful, contributing member of society. As the leader of the team working to create this "end-result" you must appreciate all team members for their role in the process because without them, well, there would be a lot more work for you! But also, you would be missing out on the knowledge and experience from other individuals who have experience in using other mediums other than your accustomed to; which in many cases results in the expansion of ones own breadth of knowledge and understanding of numerous aspects and fields of design and production. These individuals can offer feedback on your design which in future projects you can create higher quality work after learning about specific materials from people who have experience in using materials you are unfamiliar with. However, in most cases feedback is negative. All the same, negative feedback is the best kind for it allows the designer to take in what others think needs improvement, where you can then use this feedback to create better work in the future. And in some cases, the negative feedback can create a complete stop to your process and force you to start from scratch, again, this can be seen as a benefit for you now are seeking to create a true success resulting from failure.


The author then goes into the different types of prototyping and then making the final decision to execute the design. Prototyping is essential so that you and others get a three-dimensional look of how the outcome of the design will appear. The first type is Concept Prototyping which is a representational model of the concept/idea so that you and others can get a quick/rough visual of how it will appear physically so that you may begin fine-tuning the physical design. The next is Throwaway, which is a model that is meant to physically test the design, or a part of it, such as a moving part or any other functional aspect of the design, so that you may tackle the functionality part before moving on to other parts of the design. The third is Evolutionary Prototyping which is a exploration model where you try out different options, interchange things, and learn about the design so that you have experience physically exploring other options. The prototyping is the stepping stone for the final decision making of the final product. All the testing and exploring are all the necessary steps carefully taken so that the designer, along with the production team, are together making an absolute decision to create the final product.

The author also mentions to document the project for record keeping. This allows for the upkeep of a portfolio and for reference for future projects.

Last Day of Class

Since this is my last class blog, I'm going to go all out.

It was the shortest class session this entire quarter. Jimmy spoke briefly on the design classes that we shared with him and the rest of the class that we would be taking next quarter. It was also sort of a pep-talk to motivate us to be engaged in our studies and the artwork we are creating. To me, it makes a lot of sense. I need to start devoting more time to my artwork. I have so much going on right now, and it looks like I am going to have a hard time juggling more than a handful of obligations until the middle of Spring Quarter. Thats when my term as the president of my organization ends, plus I will have recently finished a MASSIVE, continual, several month-long project at work that began a couple weeks ago, and last but definitely not least my favorite season will be kicking in, Summer.

Regardless, the talk Jimmy gave us yesterday was helpful in that I am reminded of a saying my private pilot instructor told me, "stay on the ball, the ball is your best friend" (because one of the instruments on the dash in the cockpit of an airplane (in my case, Cessna 172) is something that looks similar to a bubble level, when making turns in an airplane, obviously there is a proper/crucial technique to doing it. The "Turn/Slip Coordinator" is the bubble that indicates whether you are executing the technique properly or not, or "staying on th ball" or not). So, stay on the ball and you'll get home alive!

Cockpit

Turn/Slip Coordinator

Class 11/29

We watched the film "Beautiful Losers" which was VERY engaging. The film was about a group of artists whose paths crossed as they were venturing in their artistic careers. This group of artists clicked, continued to have fun and work together, and eventually/unintentionally made it BIG as professional artists. The film shows each artist and their upbringing, how each of them got started as artists and then leading to the meeting of the group of artists at a studio in New York. They partied, drank, exhibited their work, and genuinely enjoyed/fed off each other's character/personality as artists and friends.

The film then shifted to their success as an group of artists, travelling to Japan and getting paid shit-tons of money to make art and have fun/promote their work. Then, the film began to show the artists' shift to more professional work, i.e. work for Pepsi and Volkswagen, of which they retained their true artistic integrity, whereas many adapt to what the corporations want.

What is artistic integrity? I define artistic integrity as what an artist teaches themselves, their personal style and tendencies as artists; all of which are the result of artists' inspiration's to become and remain artists. Where they came from and how they got to where they are at. The underlying theme of the film; from nowhere to somewhere, having nothing to having it all.

Class 11/24

This class session was very interesting because we all presented our homework assignment; we were instructed to generate ideas as to how the Graphic Design/Visual Communication could promote and recruit students to study GD/VC. There were a few very good ideas that are very possible and that would be very fun for current GD/VC students. The idea I had, which was also very similar to a few other classmates, is still my favorite and in my opinion it is one of the most possible of the presented ideas. My idea was to request table space in the main walkway by the Bookstore and have a student work exhibition, but we wouldn't be tabling like the rest of the organizations on the walkway. The actual table will not be the focus of the exhibition, it will contain vital materials (pamphlets, flyers, etc.), however the student work (digital and print) will be the center of attention at the exhibition. We would do this the first week of school, definitely Fall quarter to promote the option to both new and current students, but also we can do it for Spring quarter if we would like to promote to current students. Using GAUGE as the organization putting on the exhibition, we can request from CSI (Center for Student Involvement), the table space (2 spaces), electricity (extension cords), and food permit (to give out free candies, snacks, etc.). We can bring out easels to display the student work and computer monitors to present digital media (possibly slideshows/videos). There are multiple other ideas that can go into this event, these are just the options of this particular type of event that I came up with...

Class 11/22

Biggest part of the class session was the breakdown of the class into pairs and one group of three. We were instructed to pull a few random objects out of our pockets and bags, place them on our desk, and between each team we were to create a story based upon the items in front of us. My partner and I discussed what we needed in the story, beginning and end. Being that we didnt have a lot of time to prepare, we just went with that and began figuring out what our story was going to be about. We felt that a realistic story would be more interesting so we went with that. In the end, Jimmy thought our story was no good. But he also felt the same way about all the other stories so we didnt feel bad. We learned that creating a good story is very difficult, and that it takes a lot to make one that is captivating and successful in attracting the audience.

Class 11/17

so we watched a pbs documentary on dreams, what are dreams... Also for hw we were supposed to dream! Well I had the most F'd up dream ever. Im one of the type of people that never remembers their dreams, but this dream had me waking up with my heart racing. in my dream an old childhood friend called me while I was driving, I recenlty got a ticket for talking and driving so I hesitated to answer in the dream. I did answer and just as I begin to speak I can see a kid falling out of a suv behind me, watching him tumble and getting ran over, very explicitly. Nasty ass shit!

sorry that I had to share that but I feel its relevant because I think that since I was challenged to dream I was able to remember. I'll be honest, I didnt remember the others because I fell asleep intoxicated (heavily buzzed and/or drunk :/). However... I have a whole week of catching up on dreams, I am going to try dreaming about my final project. I already know the concept im going to use so hopefully some interesting things occur in my sleep

Class 11/10

Im this class session we spent most of the time working together in a group to solve the problem Jimmy put up on the board, which was to figure out as a group numbers 8-10 in Binary. He put up for us numbers 1-7 and we were to as a group solve the problem. As we had come to what seemed as a logical solution, there were still skeptics in the group. We then discussed other possible solutions and the group chose one different, one that I felt was incorrect. In the end I was alone with my answer, while the rest of the group was split between 100% certain and uncertain but willing to go along with the group. Here are my answers, 8 = 1000, 9 = 1011, 10 = 1110.

In trying to convince my peers, I failed because of the lack o-f the ability to explain my reasoning. It was extremely difficult to find the right words as I was put on the spot without any time to prepare. Would I had time to prepare my reasoning I might have had a better chance of convincing others, but instead I even began to feel unsure of my answer while discussing the two possible solutions on the board.

Overall, I feel it was a fun and effective exercise becuase it allowed for everyone to think critcally and get involved in making a group decision.

Now..was my answer to the problem correct?

I dont know! hahahahahahaha! I'll check and then post it up right here.

Class 11/8

Biggest thing,i got out of this class was the creative briefs, mainly being able to see some real profesional ones. It gives me more stuff to practice for my work and trying to get more work. This allows me, well, all of us designers, to present ourselves professionally. I know its not really that big of a deal being that these practices are relatively common, but its an eyeopener for me, kind of exciting because I see it as a new tool for my toolbox. as a matter of fact, im going to start using a creative brief for all my projects, school and work (more paper! $$$). I am confident that this will force me to create higher quality work. How can it not? Making a CB calls for a precise direction in the creation process, which theoretically should result in a concisely thought out and executed creation. You feel me?
Anyway.... Im about leave this one other class and on to the next one, ive got to write some quick stiff down and put my things away. I'm out

Class 11/4

The one thing that I would like to pick out from this class was the Eames video we saw at the end where the camera zoomed out a large multiple of 10 meters every ten seconds until we were extremely far away from even our own galaxy, then right back to earth and zoomed into a mans hand, into his molecular structure. Then the movie ended! I was waiting for something to happen, maybe an explanation as to what the point of the movie was. As our homework assignment, we are to create a Creative Brief. As if we are the ones about to create this movie, and I need to generate ideas, plan, and a purpose for this movie.

It will be very interesting to see what the rest of my classmates have to present because of the innumerable possibilities that can be created from such an open-ended movie.

Class 10/27

Game day.... I didn't know what to expect, so I figured I'd bring one of my favorite games from when I was very young, Chutes n Ladders. I was bummed to see I wasnt the only person with the game, whatever. I played LIFE first.
, I chose college instead of work and was forced to get a loan! hahahaha, college sucks. It ended up being funny because all the other players h as d hella kids, houses, good paying jobs...i was an artist making barely any money, got fired, became a summer teacher, h as d no kids or a house and I still won the game...hahahahaha, again life sucks!

In monopoly, I had a couple properties that I maximizes with houses and a hotel, while the others were going crazy buying all kinds of shit. I ended up taking someone out of the game who went broke getting all kinds of stuff. I came up on all her stuff and became the leading player.

Moral of the story, greed doesnt pay. In both games played I was the weakest player and ended coming up big! Keep life simple and you have better odds of bad stuff NOT happening to you.

Class 10/25

So... Even though this morning I was HELLA tired from midterms and other things that I had for today and this week...Todays class was hella interesting, chiefly because of the two TED talks we saw; the first speaker was John Maeda, the second was Scott McCloud.

The first was fun to watch because of Johns take on simplicity and complexity in our lives. After seeing and listening to his speech, I think he is a more simple person than he claims to be. Yes, he does have numerous titles, as he had stated, and have lots of things on his plate with work and his family, but his outlook is that of an exceedingly simple person individual. Most people with so much things going on in life tend to be FAR more stressed and less happy than someone as excited, animated, and enthusiastic about their lives as John Maeda. But, that's just how I perceived him to be in watching him speak about the experiences of simplicity and complexity in our every day lives.

The second speaker, Scott McCloud offered a very different experience. He he spoke a mile a minute, and everything that came out of his mouth was impactful because he images on the backdrop that changed not only as fast as he spoke but also they all were a part of his speech in support as a visual aid to everything he said. However, as a result of him speaking so damn fast, I was left with one lasting impression, which is that of the story about the scorpion riding the frogs back across the water, where the scorpion ends up stinging the frog, both dying, and when they are about to die the frog asks why only to hear, "because it's my nature". I thought, "daaaamn, that's like me" without getting specific, hearing that made me realize that if I don't act upon this realization that my habits, or "nature", are just going to end up keeping me down. Time for change.

Class 10/20

Todays class was funny as hell. We all presented our image and 10 headlines, which everyone seemed to hit right on the mark. But the best part of todays class was the whole body language discussion and exercise; we all went up in front of the class to say three things unique about ourselves, with one of the three being a lie. the audience was to judge the individual on their body language and attempt to guess which statement was a lie. I always find it very interesting how intimidating it is to speak in front of a crowd, even for myself. I typically do fine with public speaking, I dont really get nervous and i have the opportunity to practice it often. I thought i was decent because i have been told so by many people, however i was unaware of some of the things i do with my hands while i speak. In my defense, i feel that i have done it many times and i feel comfortable up there, therefore i move and act as i do when i am speaking casually with friends, family, etc., at least that is how i FEEL. Big difference from what is really going on.

As for gauging others' body language, the speaker's movements, facial expression, and hand gestures are exceedingly impactful toward the audience's level of attention, thus the speaker must be practiced in their public speaking skills to have an effective speech. But this doesnt just apply to giving speeches. as Jimmy explained to us, it is an important part of a designers career for us to be able to demonstrate and effectively explain to people our designs and the backstory to go with them.

I hope that we have more opportunities to practice this in the setting Jimmy has created for us, one that is purposely designed to scrutinize our skills in effort to perfect them.

Class 10/18

so...im a little behind on this blog, mainly because i am not used to this type of stuff and find it hard to get myself to sit down at the computer and write things down.

Anyway, this past monday in class was fun because we sat in a circle and went over our homework assignment, which was to have an image with 10 headlines that change the meaning of the image. Mine sucked. But after going around the room and hearing that most of my classmates were on the same page as me, with a few exceptions, i felt better about myself. He then asked us to repeat the assignment with a new picture and 10 better headlines, which was great! it gave me, and the rest of us all the chance to improve upon ourselves and complete the task correctly. Usually, an instructor will just tell you your wrong then assign some new work. I really like how Jimmy allows us to move at our pace so that we are able to create higher quality work, which is great practice for all aspects in life.

Class 10/6

When we met for class last Wednesday, 10/6, we watched a video of a speech given by Sir Ken Robinson of which standardized testing was one of the few topics that really stuck out to me. 

Something that sets me apart from the majority of other undergraduate students is that I have a family, not just like I live with my mom and dad; I have my own house, kids, dog,  full-time job, hella bills, and basically a jam packed lifestyle. School is my side gig and the last item in my list of important tasks.

Now how does this apply to standardized testing???? Well, my older boy is in preschool but the teacher is recommending that we put him in Kindergarten starting in Spring. The elementary school where we want to send him as an entrance exam for Kindergarten, which is not so much out of the ordinary. We had the discusion with his teacher and the preschool director about our son and his options for the beginning of next year last Tuesday evening, then the following day in class I watch this video with Sir Robinson speaking on standardized testing. Hit close to home.

I am for it, particularly because it was beneficial to me growing up. Although there are many factors going into a student taking a test where the outcome may be affected by countless external factors, the student will still be able to perform and complete a vast majority of the exam. Consequently, the instructors can focus the attention to the areas in the students academics where he/she struggled the most in the exam. Ultimately leading to the potential future successes in high school and college/university.

However, thats just my personal opinion derived from my experiences growing up in Alhambra, CA

Class 10/4

Yesterdays Concept Development class was pretty chill. It was interesting to look at the pictorial stories my classmates drew as to how they ended up in Cal State LA.

The Mind Mapping was cool as shit. I'm planning a trip to San Francisco next weekend, 10/14-17 with someone who has never been there. I'm not an expert on the place but, Cali is my home state and I've been all over this place more than once; Frisco being one of my favorite places in Cali, the mind mapping/brainstorming assignment was hella clutch. With just 20 minutes to make it happen I wasn't able to get into as much as I had liked. Fortunately, Jimmy (the professor) gave us the same assignment for homework and is allowing us to re-do the mind map we did in class. I always lag on my stuff so I probably wont hit it up until later tonight, but, I am actually looking forward to doing it.

Until next time players...

E. Garcia

First Day

Whats good....first day on this, first time blogging, first day of class.

Art 220 at CSULA looks like its going to be very interesting. I am anticipating to see what it is going to be about and am glad to have a teacher as animated as Jimmy Moss. It is still too early to have a feel for how it is going to be so, I'll get back at it real soon.

E. Garcia