On a side note, it looks like Nolan might be a future trekkie…

"Live Long and Prosper"

Once we settled on the format of a tri-fold cd style booklet, I liked the idea of having some simple illustrations looking at each other on opposite sides of the wedding info. The bride had to look a bit glamorous, of course, but the groom looking across at her like he’s completely captivated and content really adds some dimension and “trueness” to it. What’s going on in his head as he watches her, hair frolicking in the wind? Putting some interesting and fun shapes behind them helped to give a bit more depth and personality, and add some directional pull towards the middle–almost like there were pieces of self breaking off and coming together to become one.

The cover has some more classic elements with a line that Sara gave me to include somewhere on the invite. I love the funkiness of paisleyish patterns–it’s a classic but it’s got so much character to it… The way it twists and writhes around, it has this alive, growing, festive feel that really felt right. And of course, the kitty Mini-Wheats had to be included somewhere, like on the save the date. He’s hinted at on the rsvp card behind the headline.

A funny side note… One of the words was “jedi”. This might have been the one word that didn’t get represented as much as I’d have hoped, but it wasn’t for lack of effort. A different concept had this illustration for Nate instead, but we decided it looked a little too sleazy for an invite. Bummer, he really loves that hat!

I walked into the room and was immediate struck by the enormity and completeness of the exhibit condensed into one space. At first I wondered why it wasn’t spaced out into several rooms, but the effect was exactly what I think they’d envisioned. It wasn’t about any particular individual piece, but about the idea as a whole (though I did have some favorites). Presenting the pieces all together allowed me to jump from piece to piece and notice the similarities between them. So many different styles were used, from illustration, photography, drawing, typographical – yet none of them felt out of place.

From the Tate Modern website:

The ideals and illusions of the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union are reflected in this display of street posters.

“Ten Days that Shook the World” was how the American journalist John Reed described the 1917 October Revolution. The disasters of the First World War had led to the collapse of the Tsar’s autocracy. Promising peace and the re-distribution of land, Lenin’s Bolshevik Party seized power. Supported by militant soldiers, workers and peasants, they declared the world’s first Communist state.

To win support for their ideas, the Bolsheviks took control of the printing presses. Despite a shortage of supplies and equipment, they rapidly produced newspapers, leaflets and posters. This proliferation of colourful propaganda posters transformed towns and cities, creating a street art available to all. The continual renewal of images, as well as multiple copies pasted up together, reinforced the fundamental messages of communal power and solidarity. Lenin and the Bolshevik leaders were portrayed as heroically unifying, while their enemies in the Civil War were reviled.

After Stalin became leader in 1927, the propaganda machine promoted the collectivisation of land and the drive for industrialisation, oblivious to the terrible hardships caused by these policies. Stalin’s benevolent image was everywhere, but it barely masked the terror of the show-trials and executions that blighted the 1930s. The revolutionary fervour conveyed through the early posters now enforced a repressive dictatorship.

The ideas and illusions conveyed in these posters were far from reality. However, the posters themselves became part of the texture of everyday life in the Soviet Union, and reflect the officially approved history as it was experienced by its citizens.

The posters featured the color red prominently, reinforcing the influence and power of “The Red Army”.

As a form of street art, these posters were designed to engage everyday citizens with powerful imagery and cultivate a certain perception of political leaders. The last decade or so has seen a resurgence of this style both for political propaganda and general art inspiration. What makes this form of art so powerful (if done correctly) is that you are influenced by it regardless of whether you know its purpose. It has both a psychological effect from repetition and consistency, and it transforms people and ideas into icons. Grassroots movements love icons, as they give supporters something visual and memorable to identify with. And there’s no denying that designers and artists love icons. Political propaganda is a communication artform, there’s no reason it needs to be crappy. In fact, there’s myriad reasons why it should be thoughtfully considered.

If you happen to be in London in the near future, be sure to stop by the Tate Modern. It won’t disappoint.

Obama posters (1 & 2) by Shepard Fairey

At the beginning of April we had the privilege of taking our first vacation overseas. We’ve been wanting to go abroad for a long time and the perfect opportunity finally presented itself to make it happen. Our friends were temporarily living in Aberystwyth, Wales which allowed us to stay with them for a portion of the trip. We chose the UK because it was a relatively easy entry into the world of travel and there’s plenty to see in a small area. Naturally, I was excited because it’s somewhere I’ve never been and I didn’t know what to expect – All I knew was there would be some amazing architecture and probably a lot of wide open spaces with grazing animals… and plenty of new inspiration. There’s something about taking a picture of something you’ve never seen before. You don’t have to try to capture it in a new way, you can just focus on taking the photo in the best way possible for the subject. For the first time in a long time, I decided to only shoot JPEG so I wouldn’t have to worry about the massive file sizes of RAW and constantly switching cards. I planned on doing plenty of bracketing for HDR’s inside cathedrals and many panoramas.

While the weather was generally nice (often not the case), late in the afternoon a mist would descend upon the land and give it a dull muted haze. I’m so often drawn to bright colorful things that it was nice to be reminded how beautiful and simple things can be when not you don’t have color to distract or enhance the scene.

One of my favorite photos from the trip, for it’s sheer simplicity

What I was pleasantly surprised to discover was that the UK was full of interesting compositional opportunities. Maybe I’m just becoming more sensitive to those kind of artistic elements due to my focus on them as of late, but the architecture and structures really created prominent leading lines and divisions of color and form that I wasn’t used to seeing. It allowed me to focus on simplicity and a sort of purity that I’d been craving.

I love the blue stripe, the 2 windows, the grid paneling, the white bird vs blue sky

I definitely got a chance to shoot HDR’s inside the York Minster, which was one of my favorite locations to shoot of the trip. Such beautiful architecture  made for some really detailed shots with gorgeous lighting. By combining bracketed shots, it brought out a lot of the detail that might normally be hidden in shadow or blown out by the bright windows. I even tried shooting “vertical panoramas” since the ceilings were so high and those came out rather interesting.

Inside the Minster’s quire, 3×3 shot hdr+panorama

All in all, I definitely caught the travelling bug and I can’t wait to keep exploring. There’s so many cultures, so many people, so much to see out there and I can’t wait to capture it all in memorable ways.

[view the full album on my flickr page]

While browsing my netflix queue of standup comedy earlier this week, I got to thinking about how a comedian’s and a web designer’s job are similar on many different levels. Not only are both “artists” within a creative field, but they both require a certain level of communication finesse. It’s from these communication elements that parallels can really be drawn.

The Audience

Comedians are acutely aware of the audience to which they’re communicating. They have one job to do – entertain the group. It doesn’t matter if a routine has the funniest and most innovative humor in the world if the audience doesn’t appreciate it. It’s in a comic’s best interest to taylor their routine to specific venues and to constantly be adjusting it on the fly based on the audience’s reactions. Likewise, web designers must know their audience from the very beginning of a project. Who will be viewing or using this site? What do they appreciate and need the most? Delivering the best and most effective result requires researching your audience and communicating with them on their level. Plan for adjustments along the way to keep the site focused on what’s working with the audience, and eliminiate what isn’t working.

The Setup

The Comedy and Humor Blog has a perfect description of this element:

“This is the beginning of the joke. This is where you gain the audience’s trust. It’s just something that the punchline has to breathe off of. You couldn’t just walk onstage and say punchlines. The audience would think you were crazy. For some people, the least number of words you can get in your set-up, the better. If you can take your set-up and whittle it down by three words and still get the same or better response, you should do it. Sure, it means the joke will take up less time, but it will also allow for a quicker route to the punchline, which will set up a quicker response. The whole problem is that people, if the set-up is too long, may forget what you’re talking about before you get to the punchline. And that’s not good for comedy. However, the set-up is definitely relevant and it needs to be there for every joke.”

This relates to web design in so many ways. For example, take a website where the goal is to promote and sell a product. A person won’t simply buy the product because you tell them it’s the best solution for their needs. Earning a customer’s trust will go a long way towards making them feel comfortable about a purchase. The site should answer their questions and allow them to make the decision on their own. Logical content presented in a clever way will keep them engaged and hold their attention. Furthermore, concise content will get them to that decision faster. Eliminate distractions and simplify. People have limited attention spans and if they have to wait through your overly long setup in order to reach the punchline, you’re likely to lose a conversion.

Delivery

Delivery of the message can be nearly as important as the message itself. Some comedians are spectacular at delivering their jokes – they tell interesting stories that connect with and entertain their listeners all the while leading up to the punchline. Their uniqueness of delivery gives them identity as well and defines their style of comedy (think Demetri Martin, Mitch Hedberg, Dave Chappelle). It immerses the audience in the experience so that they’re pleasantly surprised when the punchline is dropped on them. Even if the punchline is a bit weak, a strong delivery will help give it credibility. The audience feels like they should laugh because they’ve been entertained up until that point. A smart audience may feel betrayed by this, so the punchline should at least be as good as the delivery.

A user’s desired actions on a website should be supported by a strong delivery. Engaging, educational content presented in the right format will help the user feel like they are receiving something in return for the time they’re spending. Even if they leave the site, they’re more likely to return later because they remember the positive, useful experience. Whether it’s deciding between flash/html, mobile site/mobile app, or testimonial videos/case studies, the right means of delivering messages and presenting content should be used to enhance (or at least, not detract from) the experience. This creates credibility and shows that you know how to make good decisions regarding your users.

The Punchline

A joke is not a joke without a punchline. It’s what gives the joke a conclusion and draws the biggest response from the audience, releasing the built-up tension from the set-up. All the other elements of the joke exist to support the punchline. Various techniques exist for making the punchline as impactful as possible, such as careful placement of wording and the language used. A punchline also gives a certain joke an identity – it’s what you really remember when you’re trying to repeat the joke to someone else later on. You can improvise the set-up, even make up your own as it makes sense, but the punchline will always stay the same.

Not every website has as distinct of a “punchline” as others. Obviously, the punchline of a sales site is to present you with the option to buy the product. It’s strong and inviting, and your natural inclination will be to say yes (laugh) if the setup and delivery were of quality. But really, every site should have a goal in mind for it’s users. Whether it’s getting them to read more articles, download a sample of something, or learn about what your company’s capabilities, that goal is the punchline and it’s what you want to achieve most effectively. All the elements of your site should exist to support your most important goals first. Conversely, a site without a clear goal is simply a waste of time – it’s like sitting through a joke with no end or purpose.

Conclusion

People in creative fields really are very similar to one another. We can all learn from and apply each other’s most effective communication techniques. From this, new insight is generated and fresh styles and methods of communication are born.

I’ve been playing around with off-camera lighting here and there. Since lighting is such a huge component of a good photo, it’s nice when you’re able to control it to achieve a certain look. When I had to chance to shoot Cale, I was all prepared to try using a couple flashes set up indoors with a simple backdrop – a very simple home studio setup consisting of a speedlite and 2 optically triggered flash bulbs (which don’t refresh very fast).

After setting up and snapping some photos, I became painfully aware that this setup wasn’t working. It wasn’t because the lights weren’t working together correctly, or that the setup was incorrect… But simply the fact that I was trying to take pictures of a 1-year old having fun in a relatively small area. He just wanted to crawl and explore and play! He’d dart across the floor and the lighting balance would be thrown off. I’d snap a pic and be waiting for the flash to recycle, and then I would miss the next shot. I suppose if I had a little’n of my own I would have thought of this beforehand. Live and learn I guess.

After 15 minutes or so, I decided this setup wasn’t working and to go the much simpler and more mobile route of fast lens + available light. I love using natural lighting anyway and try to incorporate it whenever I can. It makes it a lot easier to shoot wide open as well and get the nice shallow depth of field I love. Cale’s parents just so happened to have a nice huge tall window with some gorgeous sunlight streaming through. Since the sunlight was so bright, I placed a large white sheet opposite the sun as a reflector to even out the exposure on his face. This is one of my favorite lighting setups – it’s so simple and effective to shoot with the sun behind your subject and use a reflector as fill light. A flash can also be used effectively, but a large reflector will give you nice soft shadows, much like a huge softbox would.

In short, I love how the photos of Cale turned out, particularly with the window lighting. I predict he’ll be quite the bookworm when he gets older. Once he got his hands on a book he sat intently, his little fingers poking and prodding the thick pages as he slowly flipped them.

Moral of this story? Be prepared. Prepare yourself mentally beforehand by envisioning how your shoot will go and whether you’re using the right approach to capture your subject effectively. Bring the right gear and don’t let preconceived ideas get in the way of getting a great photo in that moment. Be prepared to adapt if something unexpected happens, and adapt as soon as you recognize you’re not going to get what you need in the current situation. Shooting in the moment can require some quick thinking, but it’s fun and you’ll get better and more authentic shots.

Cool Infographics blog has a nice article about this trend that’s picked up over the last year or two. I’m impressed by the variety of different infographic styles that people have come up with, and some even contain humorous bits about the individual’s life history. It’s definitely refreshing to have influential life milestones woven into the employment timeline, as it provides additional context for career development and helps mitigate some of the stuffiness that can plague a formal resume. Especially in a creative field, influences and job compatibility can come from any number of outside sources, and work experience isn’t necessary indicative of a good potential hire. This style of resume provides the opportunity to integrate relevant life experiences and training in a way that would seem out of place in a normal format.

Michael Anderson’s infographic resume is one of the original concepts, and has influenced many subsequent unsuccessful attempts to duplicate the style

I have to admit, however, that I’m a bit disappointed at most of the efforts I’ve seen so far. Many only serve to complicate the information they present, trying to cram a certain type of data into a less-than-ideal representation. That’s ok if you’re simply using the graphic as accompaniment to a standard resume, but if you’re trying to do something new, it needs to be a step forward in communication, not a step backward. Think long and hard about what data you really want to present, and then think about the best and simplest way to communicate that information visually.

I like the way this graphic serves to enhance the more traditional presentation above it. The top information is very digestible, while the timeline below gives that information additional context. Colors are used well, and the 3d timeline adds just the right amount of eye candy.

Some of the problem lies in the fact that many try to cram too much information into one graphic, leading to a large cluster#$@% of information. Different colors, lines, and captions are scattered everywhere, and it’s really hard to distinguish the relationships between these datasets. I’d rather see them as individual graphs, labeled with distinct comparisons and relationships that the designer wants to make sure I understand. The appropriate type of graph should be used to convey the associated information most effectively.

I’m not a fan of the “subway map” style resumes. The format doesn’t effectively communicate any chronological or quantifiable information, and the angled text makes reading very difficult.

A simple search on flickr brings up a lot of examples of what people have done. Check them out, and pay attention to whether or not the graphic is actually effective at communicating the applicant’s important information. Do you look at it and know where to start? Are you led through the graphic in a logical way? Is the information being presented actually enhanced by the graphic, or would it be better served as a simple traditional resume? Could the information be separated out into smaller graphics to improve comprehension?

He’s one of the only arists I know that use Corel Painter for a majority of work, which just goes to show that Photoshop isn’t the only player in the game. I tried using Corel Painter awhile back and it just seemed quite a bit less polished and intuitive than I was used to. Granted, it caters to a bit different audience. He also uses Zbrush for 3d figures and manipulation. One of his signature techniques seems to be taking a shape/pattern/image of some sort and creating a brush out of it, which is then painted and manipulated into flowing strokes and wrapped textures.

Conceptually, it kind of reminds me of a photo mosaic. If you zoom in really close, you’ll see a whole lot of attention to detail that is interesting in itself – nearly every object in the piece is covered with painted textures of geometric shapes or flowing lines or some other detail. But the main image only really becomes apparent when you step back and view it as a whole. I’d love to have a massive detailed print of his covering a wall of my office – so much detail to explore.

Another interesting aspect of Jones’ work is the live music and live performance components. He creates entire pieces live in front of audiences using a tablet strapped around his body. It’s very fascinating to watch – you get to see exactly how he works and the process he uses, though how he achieves the final result is still magic. Music and art have always gone hand in hand, and we’re seeing more and more of the two being presented live simultaneously. You might catch him performing live art at a dj set, or melting faces as part of Phadroid, a combination of live painting and dance that aims to create a “physical and visual audio state of synaesthesia”. The visuals are very stimulating, and will no doubt continue to get even better and more absorbing the medium matures.

See more of Jones’ work at his portfolio.

All images © Andrew Jones.