Processing

This past quarter I had to take Digital Studio 2, for most this is just web design, but since it is about interaction I decided to step up and see what I could do. I taught myself Processing. It is an open-source programming language developed by Casey Reas and Ben Fry (as graduate students) at MIT. I used a book they published through MIT to teach myself and the end result was (in accordance with the class) a website located here My Adventures In Processing.

It was to say the least a learning experience, I knew little of even html when I began and learned how to program from the ground up, needless to say when I got half way through the book and it then said "now we will learn the easy way, object-oriented programming" I said, "what the fuck! there is an easier way and you bastards had me run in circles to make stuff work the hard way!" which is in the end all well and good because now I understand more of what I am looking at. Take a look and tell me what you think. I am now working on programs that will work in turn with my master thesis :)

What The F#@K?

This “Power League of Printing” video was produced by the Printing Industries of America to attract young people to the trade.

Awesome Video and Song

Illustration

I am Graphic Design graduate student, but it helps to get out of the department. This quarter I'm over in the Illustration department burning one of my electives in a class entitled "Illustration Concepts & Compostions" (I already used 2 electives taking Type Design classes last year that resulted in me winning the Monotype Scholarship).

This first piece was an exercise in color interpreting as we choose the phrase "Fish on a Leash."
I'm big into penguins and decided for some reason to forego fish for whales. It turned into what I now call "Moby and Captain Ahabguin."


The next is my current work in progress for an illustration for a Guinness World Record. I originally began with the world's fastest speaker, since I wanted to do something difficult to illustrate and not something under "World's Biggest..." or "World's Smallest..." I fought with my originally idea up until a day ago and changed it to something I had spotted a week ago in the Guinness World Record book. The World's Deadliest Cheese.


It's called Casu Marzu, google it, it's pretty gross.

Xmas

Since I was away for the holidays and came back straight into grad classes I figure I would take this opportunity to share a few treasures from the xmas. First what I gave out from my exhaustive "Santa's Workshop" enterprise. I began last year by trying to make all my gifts by hand and did so as well this year.

First up is the "Ping: The Drinking" mini-bar mirror I made for my "brother from a different mother" Ping.


Next is the "Bar Sweet Bar" bar mirror I made for Rob. (Sweet custom letter).


And lastly is the grand finale. A 14 in. Geisha softie I created for my girlfriend.

WOLVERINE!

My 48-Hour T-Shirt

The second 48-Hour T-shirt is now available. That’s the design, above: Two colors on a brown American Apparel 4.3-ounce fine cotton athletic fit T.
A summary of the research inspiring the design, below, is also available in PDF form, here.

A psychological study offers an interesting lesson in “false consensus.”
The research involved dividing into two groups; members of each were asked to read an essay about Rasputin, and then asked to evaluate their feelings about him. One group was given an essay that noted Rasputin’s correct birthday. The other was given the identical essay, but the date of his birthday was changed — to be the same day as that of the reader.

The latter (same birthday) group evaluated Rasputin notably more favorably than the control group did.
Mark R. Leary cites this research in The Curse of The Self, noting that if our opinions can be affected by such a “minor, egocentric matter,” it should be no surprise that “factors even more intimately related to our views of ourselves also influence our judgments of other people.”

So: Perhaps if you wear this T-shirt, you will make a good impression.
Design by Greg Eckler (www.theviciouscircus.com), MFA student in the graphic design department of Savannah College of Art and Design.

The T-shirt “I Show How You Feel” is available until 10 a.m. (Eastern) Wednesday, for $18 plus shipping. (We DO NOT guarantee delivery by Xmas. I think there’s a good chance you could get it by then, but we can’t promise. Please read the details related to delivery timing and other matters, here.) Order below

The aim of The 48-Hour T-shirt Project is to prod consumers to think more about our own behavior, about how we can be manipulated, and about how we manipulate ourselves. Yes, doing this by way of products may be seen as either ironic, clever, or hypocritical. That’s (part of) the point.

You can order the shirt here

Eddie Izzard + LEGO Star Wars = Win

48-Hour T-Shirt #1

The first 48-Hour T-Shirt is now available. That’s the design, above: Three colors (metalic silver ink, black, flourescent green) on a gray American Apparel 4.3-ounce fine cotton athletic fit T. A summary of the research inspiring the design, below, is also available in PDF form, here.

This phrase was quoted in a recent paper by scholars researching the subject of mimicry and its role in the day-to-day marketplace.

One study, for instance, found that a waitress received larger tips when she “mimicked” customers by repeating orders verbatim, than when she paraphrased their orders. According to the researchers, being subtly mimicked “creates feelings of rapport, affiliation, and closeness toward the mimicker.”

The research was summarized in the April 2008 issue of The Journal of Consumer Research, in an article titled “Of Chameleons and Consumption,” which noted that prior studies suggested “that mimicry serves as an important communication tool, communicating to the person being mimicked that ‘I show how you feel.’” This newer research specifically explored “the effect of mimicry on consumption,” and how it might be used in, for instance, sales techniques.

Design by Derek Black, MFA candidate in the graphic design department of Savannah College of Art and Design (www.redneckillustrator.com).

PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW! While you still have time!

4 Months In The Making

So what have I been up to? A little of this and a little of that. I finished finals last week with all As, passed my 45-hour review, and have been working on my thesis (working title: Play and the Discovery of New Ideas). So I'm doing well. But my current venture is a bit out of left field and at the same time perfectly me.

Four months ago I was contacted by a gentleman by the name of Rob Walker who wanted me to be part of an experiment of sorts. Rob is the author of Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy And Who We Are



and is the New York Times Magazine "Consumed" columnist.

The project is called The 48-Hour T-Shirt (link for the pdf flyer), it is designed to prod consumers to think more about their own behavior, about how their are manipulated, and about how they manipulate themselves. (He does state that doing this by way of selling products is ironic and part of the point).

3 statements where created based on research Rob had done (found) the first is inspired by research regarding mimicry and the shirt is "I Show How You Feel." The design of this shirt is done by my friend and fellow Graphic Design MFA student Derek Black. The second is "We Have The Same Birthday," based on research relating to false consensus and designed by yours truly. The last is a fake placebo"Veladone-Rx, It's Worth The Extra Money. Really." based on research of placebos and pricing of drugs and designed by Advertising Design MFA student, Angie Smith.

The kicker is each shirt is released for the first 3 mondays in December and is ONLY for sale for the first 48-hours, after which it will not be made available again. Only the artist are making money in this venture [so show some love :) ], Rob is doing this as research for a future book that will include the three of us and this experiment. I've seen the work but can't tell you about it other than I think all of them are awesome (and mine is actually really cute). The shirts will sell through the Murketing.com site

It has already shown up in the online magazine Core77 (note: the days were listed wrong here).

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!