ipod

The ipod has become the essential item, along with the mobile phone, to have for the 21st century it wasn't the first mp3 player but it was the best and it transformed the way we listen to music on the move. It enabled us to have access to thousands of songs all at one time which was revolutionary. I think the way it was designed was key to its success it looked so much cooler than everything else when it was launched back in 2001, not an immediate success but to this date 220,000,000 have been sold. Apple are constantly reinventing the ipod so it gets better and better another reason for its massive success. The ipod has become an essential like a kettle or toaster people feel like they need one which i find fascinating how it goes from a want to need.

London 2012 logo

Still a topic of controversy to this day, the London 2012 logo has been widely talked about in the media since it was revealed mostly with negative reviews. The main issue I think people had with it was the monumental cost involved and the disappointing result in many people's eyes. I myself find the design quite awkward and unclear and not really indicative of London as it is quite a classic city. The design is quite garish and although the vibrant colours do suggest youth and modernity i think combined with the sharp structure of the numbers it looks tacky. I find the topic of the logo interesting to see all the different views however in my opinion it doesn't do london justice.

Minako Abe

This artist was brought to my attention on everyone.com, which in itself is an inspirational website for the sheer amount of exciting work available to view on there. The work is almost painting by numbers and is very clean and fresh with lots of very vibrant colour, the images are generated on a computer then put on canvas which i think works well and is quite innovative and different. The main reason I like her paintings are because of the way they play with your perceptions one way you look the painting looks like its extending away from you then the other is zooming straight into you. The images almost look like they're moving and its hard to focus on the overall paintings without being drawn into a certain section which I really like as its something i haven't seen before. If i could change them at all I Would make them slightly looser and not so constrained as they look like they could burst off the canvas.

BMW Tech skins

Cars are my passion and are an area i would really like to get involved in in the future, if something new and innovative is being created I became engaged with it. BMW is creating a new kind of malleable skin for their cars so that every part of the body and interior is adjustable not only is this fantastic for what the car is now capable of from a design perspective it looks unbelievable. There is no more welding or gaps in the bodywork everything is totally smooth and completely malleable which means the body can change shape but also adjust to different speeds and weather conditions. If this tech skins technology becomes uniform cars will become works of art rather than functioning machines, the original shape they've created in the advert is stunning.

Art on the underground

I noticed these interesting designs when I was in London last week and thought I'd blog about them i noticed that one of my fellow bloggers also found it interesting so i guess we have similar tastes. I think Art on the underground as an idea is fantastic it brightens up a fairly dark miserable underground environment with creative and aesthetically pleasing designs. The artwork is wide ranging and spreading through the tube so no matter what route you take to work you will see something that makes your commute more bearable. The artwork has also been introduced to the pamphlets and maps which most tourists will use which I think gives an impression of a creative London. I really like the way the underground is almost becoming it's own gallery showcasing different artists, my favourite is the tube map that Richard Long created using ancient philosophical Chinese meaning of the word 'earth' its really simplistic but very interesting.

Superlambanana

The superlambanana is become integrated into Liverpool society and people associate Liverpool with it which i think is fantastic that a sculpture so different and odd has had such a big impact. Originally created by Japanese artist Taro Chiezo the superlambanana was revealed in conjunction with the Tate Liverpool and has historical foundations with the city in that both sheep and bananas were very common cargo's into the maritime city. I think the way they have been combined is clever as individually you can still tell that it is a sheep and a banana but they still work together. I like how different,random and cool it seems to combine a sheep and a banana as a sculpture and on such a big scale. People starting to make their own individual mark now by customising their own superlambananas with different patterns and colours which I think is a sign of how engaged the local community is with the sculpture.

Color Graphics : The power of color in Graphic design

I came across this book a few months ago when writing a topic review and thought concept of colour manipulating people's perceptions was really interesting and thought it would be a good topic for dissertation. The book explains how the different colours effect the mind and which colours evoke which emotions, in a way the topic is quite psychological however it has a definite and important relationship to Graphic Design. The graphic designer himself has a large amount of power and can change the way people feel through his work which I find really interesting and hopefully other people will too.