TSA

Posted on by kirkmackenziemorrison

The “TSA” or “the strange attractor” is a site that encourages everyone to post there creative and different work that may not be accepted or recognized on other sites. Everything from the mundane to the surreal are accepted on this submission site and encouraged. Ranges of work usually fall into basic graphic design work, or picture composition. The site is a bit more geared towards image composition rather than motion graphics, this allows for anyone with a pen or Photoshop to submit work on this site. The really cool feature that has just been launched is called seedlings, it’s a start up section specifically created for students and graduating graphic designers that are just starting out and need some publicity. Since the site is mainly runs on submissions from new designers, it was only logical for the site to give back to its users. This feature makes me very happy for the future of graphic design, as it allows for fresh artist to join the ever growing pool of talented artists and get his or her foot in the door. Seedlings also allows for the advertisement of universities from all over. I think that in the future people is going to start to see that more and more university institutions are going to offer graphic design degrees and may even spawn new degrees in schools that would help students join the new media career path.

The TSA also has an online store where they can help the artist sell their work. Although it is down at the moment, I’m pretty sure they allow for artists and buyer to connect and distribute their work on their network. This allows for a whole new amount of work and creativity to be released to society. That way you’ll start seeing new art work in people’s homes that don’t have a famous artist behind it, but a young talented graphic designer.

http://thestrangeattractor.net/?p=10371

Motionographer

Posted on by kirkmackenziemorrison

Motionographer is a website that allows users to have access to a plethora of design reference sites. The site also allows for the artist to submit his or her work and others to discuss recent projects that have been released on the internet. Apart from the sites amazing amount of work that gets posted, the resource section is quite amazing for an up and coming graphic / Motion graphic artist. The tutorials are mostly geared towards after effects and the adobe creative suite and 3d rendering software. This allows for an artist to teach himself very complex video fx and compositional video techniques. As someone who had to teach themselves to use the multitude of programs, that I currently use today on a regular basis, this website would have definitely helped me when I was developing my own. The most useful sites I found where Digital tutors.com and video co-pilot. Both offer a large amount of detailed tutorials that will allow you to take your fx skills to the next level. Everything from basic fx to chroma keying and 3d rendering, these two sites have it all in an easily understandable and accessible format (videos).

Seeing as the next year of new media we are going to be building upon our basics skills we have developed so far. I will definitely be going back a checking out these references on Motionographer for future projects and compositions. Motionographer also has a job finder for graphic design, motion graphics and 3d rendering jobs all over the world. Although I don’t see myself moving to America or London anytime soon, there is also some work at home options. This way you can become an acclaimed graphic artist from the comfort of our own home, without having to pick up and move to a new place for work. I would definitely recommend Motionographer the next time I’m doing some fx work in after effects and would encourage others to check it out as well; you never know what you might learn.

http://motionographer.com/

http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/

http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/index.php

Graphic design criticism as a spectator sport – Design Response

Posted on by kirkmackenziemorrison

At first glance I can see what Michael Bierut was trying to communicate. Designers and people are different in many ways. Most people like what other people like and negate individuality for what someone else has or likes. Bandwagon mentality sets in for the consumer and makes him very opposed to change and new ideas and things; this is unless of course the consumer sees a large initial reaction for a product or company. Most designers want to test the tried and true and branch out to something new and unheard of. Although this mentality easily clashes with the consumer mentality and as Bierut points out that these design choices usually end in mass backlash and public outcry. Although even after you spend all this time and come up with something that speaks to the public and conveys the company’s motives, you still have to get an approval from the company or client that you are working for. They might not like it, they might and maybe they are just not ready. Bierut points this out in the article and I agree that sometimes the logo isn’t up to the people or the designer, but the person who signs the cheque.

Even after you convince the client to sign the cheque, you have to deal with the public’s opinion of the design and whether or not they are supporters of it. Bierut says that many people see a new design and proclaim that they could have done better and that their kids could have as well. I can attest to the fact that I myself have engaged in the spectator sport of graphic design criticism. Many times I have looked at a logo or even art work and gave my own opinion on its likeability and skill level. I find myself ripping apart a logo or design more than I have been praising them. It’s a bad habit since I am in a field of study that requires many hours and work to exceed and even have your work exhibited in a logo or design. I think change is good and something that we need to embrace as a society and starting with designs and logos is not a bad place to start. Hopefully company executives start hiring more creative people to be there design liaisons so that more of them will continue to become the mediators of cheque writers and the general public’s design views. It’s not going to be easy but at least the future will look modern and new.

Graphic design criticism as a spectator sport – Michael Bierut