1) http://www.wataruyoshida.adaagallery.com/
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
BLOG 3-warfield
1) http://www.wataruyoshida.adaagallery.com/
Torp Blog 3 post
• Edeline Bernal (under motion graphics on the ADAA site): film
• Lego.com: toys for building
• Un Monstre A Paris: A film
What is the demographic for this site (male/female, age, income, etc)?
• Bernal: artistic types that might appreciate sentimentality
• Lego: children mostly, but also adults that are again sentimental
• UMAP: anyone that appreciates animation, design or artistic quality
What creative approach are the advertisers taking to connect the audience to the product featured?
• Bernal: lots of flashes, pictures that are sometimes sequential and somewhat jarred
• Lego: animated lego characters on the home page
• UMAP: pretty background imagery that sways to the movement of the mouse, and buttons that also react to the mouse movement
How are they telling the product story?
• Bernal: through photographic images that follow each other somewhat in theme
• Lego: animating images of Lego figures, perhaps to show the imagination of the one that might be playing with the figures
• UMAP: Awesome. Motion graphics again, though these have an aesthetic style to it
How does the user interact with the site?
• Bernal: You watch a short video of one of her pieces and get extraordinarily annoyed with Adobe’s stalker drop bar
• Lego: scrolling over some of the images causes them to wave interactively
• UMAP: Takes FOREVER to load but almost everything has some effect to it
What role does image and illustration play in the narrative communicated in the site?
• Bernal: little to no role on ADAA’s part. The page the video was set in was kind of bland.
• Lego: Huge role. Images were the driving force in helping people determine how to get to what they wanted.
• UMAP: some role. Mostly the images were used to please the eye rather than show which button did what
How were the client’s needs merged with content and design sensibility?
• Bernal: barebones, but I suppose they put in what was necessary. Simplistic
• Lego: they needed to show what they sell, and they definitely got an efficient way to do it.
• UMAP: It’s really purdy, though the wait time to actually watch the film and the lack of language sensitivity could be better.
Why is the site memorable? Why?
• Bernal: the style of the flashes were very memory-oriented, and the video just struck me as interesting.
• Lego: the interactions that come from scrolling over things are different on almost every button. If you go to the products page, all the lego figures move in a way that makes sense for them to move when scrolled over, like Darth Maul’s lightsaber lighting up or the ninja man lifting his staff.
• UMAP: the overall look of the art of the site is enjoyable and the interface is entertaining to navigate through.
Why do you consider the site well designed?
• Bernal: Though the interface is terrible it at least gets the point across, and in that sense it is successful.
• Lego: It’s entertaining and fun, everything a toy manufacturer should be
• UMAP: I was vastly impressed with how everything worked, though I’m concerned about how long it takes to load.
Blog #3 Tony Dotson
What is the product/service/event being communicated?
The product is the song from Arcade Fire with one of the most amazing interactive elements I have ever seen.
What is the demographic for this site (male/female, age, income, etc)?
The demographic for this site would be Indie Rock listeners, hipsters who like the band Arcade Fire.
What creative approach are the advertisers taking to connect the audience to the product featured?
This is a fabulous approach in that the user puts in their childhood address (or any address) and the video links to the music and images of that neighborhood flash through different pop up screens to give you the feeling that the actor in the video is running through your neighborhood. It is neat that it evokes old memories of the area and is graphically awesome in how they show these images within the video.
How are they telling the product story?
They are promoting their music in a way that is interactive and could become viral because of the element. I watched it twice with two different addresses and will surely tell at least ten people about how cool it is.
How does the user interact with the site?
The user puts an address into the site before the video starts and the site pulls images from the site while the video is playing.
What role does image and illustration play in the narrative communicated in the site?
Imagery is very important within the video as the video portrays the song and the images of your address are flashed in as well.
How were the client’s needs merged with content and design sensibility?
The clients needs merged extremely well with the design as you are brought together with the song with images of your past.
Why is the site memorable? Why?
The site is extremely memorable for it’s interactive element and that it is just plain cool. A very neat element.
Why do you consider the site well designed?
I consider the site well designed for the interactive element and the way that this element pops up on the screen. I like how the thought of where the pop ups are placed allows for this type of movement on the screen. Your eyes move all over the place and it really draws you in as you start to realize that you recognize the images from your address.
http://the-planet-zero.com/
What is the product/service/event being communicated?
Nissan dwarf, electric vehicles which do not emit harmful gases
What is the demographic for this site (male/female, age, income, etc)?
The demographic for this site are environmentally conscious individuals who would like to cut their gas bill.
What creative approach are the advertisers taking to connect the audience to the product featured?
This is an extremely creative website that almost hides what it is advertising. It almost goes overboard with the creative approach. After even going through all of the creative approach I still did not know what the product was until I clicked on the bottom right text that says “About this web site” It almost feels as if they are trying to force the brand and characters so that they are readily recognizable.
How are they telling the product story?
The underlying product story is that the world would be a better place if everyone would drive an electric vehicle that produced no harmful emissions.
How does the user interact with the site?
The user has a wide variety of interactive options. The whole site seems to be interactive and also links to Flip book which allows users to create their own videos and post them for other people to view using the characters from the website.
What role does image and illustration play in the narrative communicated in the site?
The image and illustrations continue to communicate the Zero Emission lifestyle.
How were the client’s needs merged with content and design sensibility?
The clients needs were merged with the content thoughtfully in that it gets their core values across without being obtrusive. Had I known that this was a site for a vehicle I would have spent a quarter of the time within the site. It seems to promote a better way of living in a cool interactive way instead of forcing it’s product down your throat.
Why is the site memorable? Why?
This site is memorable in that it is extremely interactive and ingenious in how they draw the viewer in. It is visually appealing and amazing that they can do all of this on the web.
Why do you consider the site well designed?
I consider this site well designed in that it is visually appealing, it is interactive and allows the viewer to dig deeper and deeper and do all sorts of different creative things. I believe that there is so much content out there that if more things were interactive then the chance of viewers staying on a site is much greater. I believe that sites will have to try harder in the future to get the masses to actually go to and recommend sites to friends.
http://www.thefwa.com/shortlist/desperados-fuego
What is the product/service/event being communicated?
Desperados Fuego Tequila Drink
What is the demographic for this site (male/female, age, income, etc)?
I believe the demographic for this site is male from the drinking age of 21 to 35 of the Spanish descent.
What creative approach are the advertisers taking to connect the audience to the product featured?
This is a very creative site in that it is very interactive. I found the gallery most interesting in that you can view different labels and rotate them 360 degrees. They also put some gimmicky elements in like using the bottle opener to open the bottle and wiping off the sweat from the bottle with your “hand/mouse”.
How are they telling the product story?
The product is a spicy tequila drink and they are emphasizing this visually as the bottle is coming out of molten lava.
How does the user interact with the site?
The user interacts with the site through various buttons/links and with various “games” within the site.
The user interacts with the site through
The user is able to interact with the site using their mouse and also webcam.
What role does image and illustration play in the narrative communicated in the site?
The site is heavy with illustration and images and shows the product in a way to emphasize that it is hot and refreshing.
How were the client’s needs merged with content and design sensibility?
The client is promoting a new product and the interactive elements keep the viewer on each page longer to view the product and key links are set up so that the user is more apt to continue to view the pages on the site to get more information or just to see what other interactive elements there might be.
Why is the site memorable? Why?
The site is memorable in that it has a lot of interactive elements and some very neat design elements.
Why do you consider the site well designed?
I find the site well designed in that it is visually stimulating. It has a few very neat interactive elements. I really like the label element that lets you view the product 360 degrees to view different label options. My only problem with this site is that it was only in Spanish but I understand that this product is probably not in the United States.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Blog Number Three - Wing
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Blog 2 part 1
http://www2.wspa.com/lifestyles/2011/jun/10/smartphone-app-helps-you-go-green-ar-1956021/
http://thesmartphoneappreview.com/2011/06/17/eco-mania-iphone-review/
http://www.sfd.org.uk/Latest/Details/recycle_app
One thinks of smartphones, and the association of environmental friendliness does not spring to mind. People most often keep their phones for only a few short years (and that is being generous) and then blithely toss them into municipal landfill waste where toxic chemicals and heavy metals leak out into the soil, while the plastic components float around (literally if it finds its way to the ocean) in the ecosystem for another few million years. However, within the millions of apps that can be downloaded for just a dollar or less, it was inevitable that some would start to emerge that have green utilities.
A few simple searches reveal, as can be seen in the preceding links, many useful smartphone apps that can actually help lighten the environmental footprint humans are scourging into the planet. For instance, one app can monitor your driving habits, and let you know what habits you make in your regular commuting that might be modified to help with gasoline consumption: things like braking and accelerating too hard or too often or driving at speeds that are less optimal for mpg's. Another app developed by Nestle helps people recycle by scanning the barcodes on packaging and identifying how it can be properly sorted thereby eliminating waste. Another app even makes recycling sorting into a mini-game that can be good for rectifying the general ignorance the populace possesses in its ability to sort broad spectrum recycling.
Also, most smart phones now possess kindle-type functions built in, or with an e-reader app that may be downloaded as well. In the e-book paperless revolution, hope exists to reduce the millions of acres of forest ripped down every year for the paper industry. Other apps are sure to exist. Android and iPhone users need only download and they can immediately give themselves a self-satisfied feeling that they are helping our species out of the horrific plight we're in rather than the usual distraction-by-gadgetry based deference-is-bliss policy they are more accustomed to living by. The big question is, will they actually use them, or will they just sit on their phone...like so many unread e-books...just to make them look good?
Monday, September 26, 2011
Design for good
Friday, September 16, 2011
Post 2
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Blog Post (2) -
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Blog post #2
The first commercial cigarette was sold in 1865. By 1944 cigarette production was up to $300 billion a year. In 1964 the Surgeon General of the U.S. found out that cigarettes cause lung cancer and other related disease. Only a year later Congress passed the Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act which enforced every commercial cigarette package to have a warning label informing the health risks from smoking cigarettes.
Even though everyone knows cigarettes are bad for you they still smoke, a lot. There are many companies selling products that promote people to quit smoking but when people start businesses they have one thing in mind, making money. So these quit-smoking products aren't always effective and say what they're going to do. Besides, smoking is something a person has to do on his/her own. Since products aren't very effective, the only thing left is encouragement. The State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership wanted to do just that. By hiring Cactus ad agency they created a campaign called "The Cigarette is Dead". By using a long coffin-like nail in the name, they began to advertise the message throughout the city by using sidewalk chalk, huge murals on buildings, print ads, online ads, and videos. By the simple slogan, “The cigarette is dead” and repetitively using the nail as the campaign logo, the campaign encourages people to stop smoking. Along with the message, they include the website, “quitdoingit.com” to provide further information to people.
I found this campaign to be effective on society. Personally, I used to smoke cigarettes, and still do from time to time. But whenever I saw “The Cigarette is Dead” ad, I became discouraged by what I was doing. For me, I didn’t want to think of what cigarettes were doing to my body. I’m sure that is true for a lot of smokers. But when seeing the same ads over and over, it made me question why I would do such harm to my body.
Here is a link to Cactus' site for the campaign. I'm sure you'll recognize a few...
http://www.sharpideas.com/#/9.0
PSD-Exercise 3
An example of the image you are trying to make is below (Your text may look different):
Here are the channels and layers pallets of the completed images:
Step 1
- Download and unzip the file boy.tif to your desktop.
- Open the image “tireSwing.psd” that you saved from exercise II and save it as "last name"_exercise_3.
- Make a selection from the layer that contains the hay bales. Remember that you can select aall the pixels in a layer by holding down the command-key and clicking on the icon of the layer.
- Copy the layer to the clipboard - Com- C. Leave the file open with the selection active.
- Create a new document, Com. N. It will be the size of the copied layer.
- Paste the layer into the new document. Do not flatten.
- Save your new document as “duo.psd”.
Step 2
- Change the mode of “duo.psd” to grayscale
- Change the mode of “duo.psd” to duotone.
- Create a tri-tone. Remember to manipulate the placement and amount of ink though the curves and look at the results in the color-distribution scale on the bottom to check your color outcomes.
- Save the document
Step 3
- Select the entire (CMD-A) duo-toned layer in “duo.psd” and copy it into memmory (CMD-C).
- Paste into (Edit>Pasted Special>Paste Into) the selection that is still active in "last name"_exercise_3". If you selection is no longer active reselect the layer.
- Using adjustment layers and a layer mask, adjust the duo tone layer's opacity, hue and saturation, color balance, curves, levels etc. until you are happy with the results.
Step 4
- Using the text tool, write the following:
The medium is the message.The Machine turned nature into an art formCenters Everywhere, margins nowhere
- Play with the possibilities of the text (pt. size, color, dynamic, direction, font, etc.). To to make it as interesting, captivating and expressive as possible. Be creative.
- Save the image.
Step 5
- We want the go-cart to blend more into the background so we need to reselect it with a feathered selection.
- Open "last name"_exercise_3". Trash the layer that contains the go-cart
- Open your original “goCart.psd”.
- Select the channel or path that contains the go-cart (hold the command key and click the icon of the path or channel you used in Ex 2.
- Feather your selection by 3-10 pixels (Select>Modify>Feather)
- Copy your the gocart into memory and paste it into your "last name"_exercise_3" document. If not happy, try different feather settings and redo this step.
- Save your document.
Step 6
- Open “boy.tif”.
- Using whatever selection method you are most comfortable with, select the boy and his shadow from the image.
- Copy and Paste him into the "last name"_exercise_3" Document so that he stand just in front of the wall.
- Save your document.
Step 7
- We want the boy to stand behind the wall so we are going to create a layer mask.
- Using the Marquee tool select the area from the top of the wall to the top of the boy
- Click on the “add mask” icon on the bottom of the layers pallet
- In the Channels Pallet click on “layer mask” and refine you selection as you would a Quick-Mask.
- Save your document.
Step 8
- In the channels pallet, create a new channel.
- Take the gradient tool and create a gradient that goes from white to black - left to right
- In “select” in the menu bar go to load selection and load you new channel - or command-click the channel directly.
- Click on the RGB composite of the channels pallet.
- Using the gradient selection you now have, manipulate your duo-one layer with adjustment layers that have the gradient as the layer mask.
- Using the same technique as above manipulate the hills in the back and the foreground.
Step 9
When you have completed the project turn in your work by placing your folder into SmartClass < Exercises< Exercise 3 turn-in
Some of the Modules that you will need to watch to learn how to complete this exercise are:
Duo-Tones
Duo-TonesSmart Objects
Using Smart Objects prt 1Using Smart Objects prt 2
Cutting and Posting
Paste Into, Outside and in PlaceSelections
Color RangeRGB Channels as a Means of Selection
Adding and Subtracting Selections
Feathering a Selection
Masks
How to Create a Clipping MaskRefining a Mask
Using a Gradient in a Mask