Pic of the Week | Week 4

My parents giving their blessings and word of advice before she departed, haha!

This day.. I was dreading for this particular day. Why? Its the day where I had to send my sister off to pursue one of her many dreams in life; flying. [Well, equivocally speaking of course!] I think I was actually finding for ways to distract myself having to accept the fact that she'll be leaving. Of course being me.. I did not express much to her when she left. I kept questioning, "Oh no.. who am I always going to report to now!? Who am I going to have those late night talks with if not her? & even when I get annoyed sometimes, when she squeezes next to me just so she could sleep alongside me [Well, she's scared of the dark honestly], I am definitely going to miss that most.Gosh.. Anyways to start off, we are have that sisterly love/hate relationship going on. We fight all the time [No kidding!] even for the littlest things, sometimes even out of nothing! But of course, they're just those silly and random fights that we have occasionally. No matter, we'll always forgive each other within the minute and still look out for the good & bad too. Be it about guys, friends, parents etc.

 I like to think that we're each others reminder, to root for the greatest goods of life & to always stay grounded especially with family. I am not going to lie, she is like a copy of me.. like a twin. We talk alike, walk alike, look alike most would say.. I wasn't ready to not have her around as much as we use to. Although, I didn't want her to know how sad yet incredibly happy I am for her journey. I would not want her to worry or hold her back from anything ever, though I know she knows that I'll always wish her every happiness & blessings in life. This is definitely not the end of us sister sisters!

Brainstorming Pt.2

This weeks topic was a continuation on "Brainstorming". However, we begin the first half of the lesson doing presentation of the group assignment given. Each groups were given a topic that started as "101 ways to.." per say. Well, my team was assigned with 101 ways to cross roads. Well, we kept it simple for which each of us had to brainstorm for the least of 25 ideas and write/draw it then on paper. Mr Ezzam expected us to think outside of the box, most impractical yet still creative.

I realised there were many of us had really interesting topics, I'm not going to lie. I really liked the group that had to come up with ways to use an umbrella and also kill a cockroach! They had really funny yet crazily possible ideas that I would like to see it happen in real life,haha! I think with the help of brainstorming,  this activity really taught us how to expand our thinking and come out of familiarity.Afterwards, our lecturer gave us another topic to brainstorm on as a group. We had to give more than just a general answer. 

What is actually our role as a designer/artist?
Besides the fact that I went blank for most of the given time.. This was definitely a tough one! Not many knew what was the answer, or they just thought otherwise. Well, as a group, it was interesting to experience how my teammates view their future as.. Especially knowing what matters to them when it comes to their passion for art. 

Honestly, most of our "guestamation" were not in depth. It was to the point and simple.
 For example, conveying a message. This takes effect to most graphic designers. Normally it is seen as to how we can raise/promote awareness or spread news through our visual work. Be it, in posters, advertisements etc. Also in a sense to create trend with use of fashion design, or even beautify nature through interior design. Undeniably, there are many roles of a designer. ANY designer. Yes, we still do earn money, we still try to live life in a different perspective and enjoy the world but that does not limit only to designers having to experience all of that. The real question here is, with whatever we ought to do in life as part of a career, especially in the design industry,
 How can we affect such change to the world?
How do we conserve what we have left and still be able to succeed? 
How do we make the good out of it without having to waste it all in the end? 
Now, THAT'S a thinker. Am I right? 
Damn... and I am still in search for my answer and purpose to it. I think most of us are. 

Later then, we were told to meet outside Lim Hai Tak Gallery onto our next class activity.

Are we gonna visit the museum? Explore the corners of the school? 

What could it be this time? 

Remembering the times we played TAG as an assignment, this definitely got to be huge as well.
I just got a hunch about it! And so, we were instructed to lie down on the floor in front of the gallery. [Pic shown above. Exactly!]
 Lie down. Be quiet. Write down our thoughts and basically just do nothing.

Okay, so I thought well, this is no biggie.. I got this!
There I was lying down sideways, flat on the ground. All these thoughts starts to come to mind.
"OH GOSH ANTS!" "My butt! I know its irrelevant but..  ugh!"
"ROCKS. I see tiny rocks!" "My hair! There is an ant in my hair! I can feel it!"
At that point, I just took a deep breath and just laughed to myself. I was too focused. I was zooming to details in such a rush, which led me feeling flustered, uneasy & uncomfortable. Exactly the feelings I was trying to avoid. But nooo... it happened anyways.
I continued to write though, as I settled down.. I got pretty calm and felt weirdly at ease. Despite being on the rocky ground, the silence made me reminisce a time when I was traveling. I looked into the blue sky and could just hear the wind and feel such weather, as though I was somewhere on a holiday. I could hear little echoes of passerby's chatting & laughing away. I felt small and tiny that my presence was pretty much insignificant to anyone surrounding me. Maybe this is what it feels like, sometimes when we draft away from chaos. As I turned and face upwards to the ceiling, it felt like everything was so opposite and out of perspective. In a good way though, haha! It is not everyday that I just lie down staring blankly and talk to myself.  As simple as it may seem, this is a perfect example of ways we could imply when we design in future. We have to constantly be sensitive. Look at all perspective, even those out of the norm, good or bad. It can take effect for us either way where we will evolve.

Isaac Mizrahi: Fashion and Creativity | Ted

Ah! I loved the energy in this talk by Isaac Mizrahi on Ted! Finally, something that was far less "boring and draggy" than the previous one. Isaac had a more uplifting and energetic spirit. On a serious note, I like how he emphasised that creative thinking is not usually linear or point-blank. Not direct.  Even when he is a fashion designer, he books everything and showed us how and where we can get inspiration from & even at times, randomly. He mentioned that, it's not those moments where he just glare into space and.. BAM! Sparked an idea into mind immediately.. We got to work for it instead sometimes. What he projected felt like an insight into his mind when he's designing. He is both unorthodox and interesting at the same time. He goes out and around, observes neighbourhood, and pursues inspiration. Once he even took the liberty to stalk someone because his shoes were nice. And this is coming from a designer! I loved it when he proved a point that he knew at times that he can be not good enough at everything and that was perfectly fine because he knew at least he was not bored with his capability to explore. He taught a very important lesson to never hold back on past mistakes & not let fear of failure hold us back in things which we find interesting.. that, inspiration can come from anything and anywhere.

Tom Faddell : The first secret of designing is.. noticing | TED

This weeks' talk by Tony Fadell on Ted, personally I found it rather draggy; partly there were too many pauses throughout the video. However, I still thought that some points were pretty enlightening and inspiring. Tony generally talked about how us designers especially, approach invisible problems be it through product design or in everyday things. How we sometimes do or not take full notice of these littlest details of the problem and actually take that advantage to our own surroundings as a solution. Which he then referred this as, "Habituation". 

Normally as humans, we depend on how things are or happen because of this habitual thinking that we innate in our mindset. We are so used to doing things as to how it is, how it should be.. that we kind of neglect opportunities! I'd like to think habituation has to has its limit sometimes. I think this has to  depend on our own will power and control. When our brain habituate certain things, sometimes a little too much of noticing everything.. things can look not on perspective. Its like we're too close focusing into problem-fixing, that we end up not resolving anything.

 In his years working at Apple, he sees and tries to fix things and mistakes that can be potentially at stake or obvious to most customers [e.g charging batteries]. Personally, I think it's all about evolution and what growth is. We ought to think for the past, the future & the present.. but, we can't predict for whats to come. What we're preparing for now as designers, may not solve anything then..

 Although, what we can do is to constantly look broader. 
Take that extra step back before anything else, tweak or change the steps before the problem. Maybe even remove everything and stitch them back together differently.

Secondly, is to constantly look closer.
Put focus into tiny details, now I know sometimes it may not seem as right but only to an extent. Yes, see the bigger picture but what about the ones that we don't see. Those details take effect on problem solving as well. Like how Tony mentioned, we ought to ask "Is it important? Or is that how it has always been done?" Maybe there's a way to get rid of those or improvise.

Lastly, to constantly think younger.
Take to heart having young people on our workspace or people with young minds. Their perspective on things are, in a good way, contagious. They cause everyone to think lighter, younger. Yes, it is very literal! Think way back like a kid. Before habits took over us, and blocked us out from thinking clearly. Feel and look for that frustration and see those details.. to always remain as beginners. For there's many more opportunities to potentially happen then when we fight habituation.

Pic of Week | Week 3

Picture above was taken on an island in Redang, Malaysia during the National Day break.

This picture just pretty much sums up my week in one take.. It's perfectly depicted at such timing and place.This week has been sort of like a roller-coaster ride & everything just did not seem to fall into place. There were assignments that already started to pile up, datelines to meet, I was not having it with the start of my sleepless nights and even with how disorganised I was with time.. Time for school, friends or family. I felt messy. I felt out of place. 

Having not to be in a school longer than I had, and having all that free time, did not prepare me with all that is to come once I came to NAFA. The pressure, the fear, the eagerness, the anxiousness of it all was getting to me overwhelmingly. Although, I keep reminding myself, that it sure is gonna be worthwhile. It will pay off if I stick to it. Prove to myself beyond that I could achieve . Even when it takes more than expected. Just like the picture, having the storm and clouds come over us and hide the sun away. Don't fear, we have to weather it out and know there's always calm after the rain is done.

Brainstorming Pt.1

This weeks' module is all about brainstorming. Now I know, I was not present for this class but it is still worth a shot giving my take on the weeks' topic. Plus, it is part of my assignment anyways!So what is brainstorming? Hm.. To me, brainstorming is like applied imagination. Generating new ideas that has no limits or rules.  We create these ideas with an informal approach on solving problems in ways that are different and can sometimes be crazy to some. Now, brainstorming can take place either individually or within a group. The thing with us, sometimes we question.. 
Is brainstorming really necessary? And to what extent do we apply this technique?
 Personally, I'd like to think that it is. Not only can we apply this 'technique' in creating a products, services, we can also apply them to develop our personal lives. It helps us to think of the problem at a different angle because one, they're more effortless than we think. Having to be in an art industry, its crucial that we adopt this habit of brainstorming when we work. Because then, we understand the need of fluency and flexibility, also collaboration.

Group assignment to brainstorm 101 ways to cross roads

Brainstorming gives us this free and open environment where it encourages everyone to participate because its when we highly avoid the need to judge ones idea, to criticise or even to reward them. Because having to analyse, limits our creativity. This way, we can open up possibilities we never thought of having and spark even more ideas and creative solutions. It benefits us a lot with team bonding providing it being a positive & rewarding environment. 
However, this does not mean as an individual, we cannot brainstorm. We still can. We could however create and explore on our own at our own pace and on simple problems instead of those that are complex. If we do, we would not be able to go in depth with idea thinking and have a wider experience for others to draw on. 

TED | Steven Johnson : Where do good ideas come from?

 Knowing that we had to do a video review this week, I already know I'm down for it!
Personally, I have always enjoyed TED videos and this was definitely a good one again for me.I went ahead watching the talk by Steven Johnson on video, basically giving historical recounts about idea sharing, how 'an idea is a network'.Given examples way back when some of us weren't even born yet. He started by showing a picture of a coffeehouse built in 1650 in Oxford named Grand Café. It was never about the spread of its coffee or the British culture but rather he emphasised on the coffeehouses architecture that was crucial to development and its space. To him, it meant more than that.  To him, it is not just some place where people chat over coffee. It was a space where people get together with different background, different fields of expertise and share. 

As he quoted, "where ideas could have sex." 
Many would start questioning hm, now, what did he meant by this?
The concept is similar.
 What these spaces hold for people was that its like a conjugal bed -- where ideas can get together.

For the longest time, he wondered where in the world good ideas come from. What is the kind of environmental -- what is the space for/of creativity? Like the coffeehouse, he went onto this quest looking at media environment, even to biological environments like coral reefs and rainforests, just to find a shared pattern within these spaces showing recurring behaviours that we can learn from and apply to our own lives/organisations/environments to make it more creative and innovative. No one can disagree that some metaphors steer us towards a certain concept of 'idea-creation' that have those "eureka!" moments, those lightbulb moments. But Steven preferred to think otherwise, that ideas and people are not only the kind that are notoriously unreliable and self-report. 

But rather, people and ideas are a network. 

We as artists especially,take ideas from others, others that we are inspired by, others that we happen to run into in coffeehouses and what not..and sum  these little random hunches up together into new forms and amazingly create something new. Looking at one idea more than it can be shown as how it is. A distinct example Steven gave was about the launch of Sputnik and how it affected the birth of GPS today. To add, this was all stitched up with unplanned emergents and hunches made by a bunch of curious colleagues that developed a side passion for. Gosh.. to analyse it all everything was technically unintentional! For that, it led to new directions that no creator would expect if it was build right and of course, in good space. We have to start filling good chaos in the workspace and not constrain ourselves with what we think we can only do than not. 

"Pic of Week"

Personally, I think this picture is the highlight of my week. Cliché as it's gonna sound, family is everything to me. My father works offshore, and so it is tad difficult for us to always see him around at home. Hari Raya is normally spent with loved ones traditionally asking for forgiveness, dining in the scrumptious treats together, wearing colour coordinating outfits as a family and catching up with other relatives. It has been awhile since we last celebrated as a whole family and thankfully this year, he was able to make it!

Of course! We took our chances and so went visiting during the weekends. We went all round house-hopping from east to west of Singapore. It may sound simple and quite uneventful for some but it really meant a lot for us especially not having to spend quality time as we can. I think sometimes as years passed, I get too caught up with life and tend to take advantage of time and people instead of reminding oneself to stay grounded because life is too damn short even when we don't feel like it is. Even in the happiest/saddest moments, everything could be too late and then there's regret. Probably the last feeling I would want to face before losing a loved one. That being said, family really is everything. 

Breaking the Rules | Break a Routine

Artistically speaking, to break the rule, theres a need to know the rule first. Am I right? 

Living in an open society, specifically in Singapore, rules and guidelines are not at all peculiar to us. This weeks’ module was all about “Breaking the Rules”. Breaking the Rules can relate in so many aspects of art but normally, it is about how one design can really be ground-breaking. To what extent though do we go about doing so? I think what most of us are rather confused with is the contrast between rules & instructions. They might have about just the same concept but, rules are meant to be followed. Rules are commands that are bind to that subject. A simple example would be “No smoking in public malls.” However, rules comes with a negative consequence if we don’t abide by it. Now, what are instructions? Instructions lean towards guidelines that are preferably recommended. In art, we are constantly expected for artists’ to break the rules. There’s always a purpose to it when we do so. Breaking the Rule automatically imposes a mantra on me,“ I need to be hungry! I need to achieve what I want!” However, there are ways going about breaking the rule.

 I think there is a difference when it come off as being rude & provocative versus being hungry wanting to break it. Firstly, we can’t just claim to be unique and different as we break the rules.. we gotta know exactly what we’re doing. Millions of people break the rules everyday, but just didn’t know it. 

Personally, I think it is all about self-growth. Great compositions don’t just happen by accident of course we have to note that without research, no proper content.. it’s just plain stupidity. It takes planning about going around the rule and bending it instead. There’s always a problem but what if I don't have a problem? Easy, create it. Ok, thats a little odd, but it makes sense right? Get rid of assumptions. With problem understanding, not only we have to restort the problem with our art but we get to define our works clearer.We would be more aware not only within ourselves and art but also of others. Other cultures,backgrounds, people and emotions. That way, even if I know it can still be risky, challenging.. instead, we can use them in a way that it enhances our design to be even more ground-breaking. 

Go all out or no one will doubt our intent.

Break a Routine

Fast Sketch of the Journey & Place

This was actually our first challenge/task that was given by our lecturer. Why? Well, he felt that we're all too used and familiar with our way of living and that we just don't bother to try do things differently. Especially being an art student, we are expected to discover more than we can. It didn't necessarily meant change the routine drastically but start small. Read the classic per say. Be lost and more observant, we never know where it might lead us. Good or bad, it is part of collecting experiences. I went ahead doing the task, actually on our way to have lunch. I am not really a person that knows much about the city street in Singapore, so of course to me, everything was somewhat new. We took a different route and ended up in a neighbourhood area in the middle of CBD [Central Business District] where I've never been to.They had temples in walking distance,floral shops along the street and mobile ice cream man all over. It was random yet the feeling was familiar. I think it is needed to break a routine, so we can break that familiarity with the surroundings. If not, we will not be willing to face change. Change affects creativity, therefore,which affects how we can evolve.

S.A.M Exhibiton | Take Me Places

Despite not being able to attend the opening of Project Dreamcatchers - Take Me Places, 

nothing stopped me from visiting the exhibition the very next day. Pushing aside that I am an art student, even as a being.. the exhibition really left me speechless with admiration. And no, I am not just saying this for the sake of it but, it felt genuinely relatable and like a wake-up call. No, I don't live/suffer from chronic illness but, I do have relatives that have to go through living it in their childhood. At that point, I could never really understand or felt an inch of their hardship.What do they actually feel? How is life like for them? 

Well, I can kind of say that after my visit, it gave me a clearer perspective of their everyday tribulations they've faced. I've realised that we people trouble over the littlest things and it becomes a habit till we forgot about the bigger picture of life. Some of us, our life story accentuate positivity + happiness, while some with sadness + dissension. I realise how fortunate we are and how life is really so fragile that we don't put it to care. 

These works that have been displayed.. it.. it really is an acknowledgement given to them based on their strengths instead of their weaknesses and, how we choose to view it does affect their curated depiction of their daily struggles. My personal favourite has got to be the Ticking Time Bomb [Life Withing Transcends the Ticking Time Bomb] - made out of pill foils and medication/hospitalisation bills formed as a huge bomb that could approximately fit 2 or 3 people in. Go figure. 

There were flower installations surrounding the bomb which signifies the happier environment and  It stood out to me because it was straight-forward. The ticking time bomb constitutes on how life has a duration. Everyone will die. But we never know exactly when. To these patients, most are given that answer. Imagine both the fear and gratitude they feel given another chance to live again yet we take it for granted. 

 A closer look of the bomb on in video

As I looked into each work, I stumbled upon another favourite of mine. It was actually an audio box covered with tracing paper stamped along with a silhouette of the wheel-chaired patient. Nevertheless, I was surprised when a girl came up to me and we started conversing about it. It took me quite awhile to notice the resemblance between her and the work and I finally got the picture. The girl was actually her! She explained to me, 

"If you look at the problem just by the eyes, you won't understand. Sometimes, it takes more than just sight to understand things." 

It hit me really hard when she said that, and so I took a step closer to give it a listen.

 Overall, I did not regret taking time to pay a visit because honestly, this was the first time that I've ever really went at my own pace to try and understand interpreting my own perspective of other works. I think when any work that relates in the theory of ones needs e.g. physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem and self actualisation reflects upon the artist themselves as a person. 

Breaking the Rules | Graphic Design

Before we consider breaking the rules, obviously it is important to know them first, right?
 Looking into the prospects of Graphic Design, what would actually happen 

if we disregard certain fundamentals needed? 

Well, it is all up to our intuition for visual taste that would allow us to think outside the box and be ground-breaking. Sometimes, a good design is one that is not based on just abiding principles or rules. Here are 5 examples on how designers employ "Breaking the Rules" onto their work. 

1. David Carson 

 Event Poster

https://m2.behance.net/rendition/pm/1424449/disp/190058725da0aa7cd05a18008c7abcff.jpg

                                                                   Event Poster

http://2012.22dg.com/wp-content/uploads/Poster-David-Carson-680x961.jpg

Magazine Covers

David Carson is a graphic designer best known as an art director for the magazine Ray Gun. Upon researching through his past works, I was immediately intrigued specifically with his use of experimental typography. He employed much of the disorganised layout to his works, which to me sets apart from others because he disregarded the grid system that are typically applied for graphic design. It is not those typical page layout style that we'd see in most magazines nowadays. He ignores the evenly spaced vertical and horizontal lines and instead, overlapping texts, images and etc. His works are true examples on how sometimes designs can be ground-breaking by breaking the rules or pushing boundaries because it can actually help widen and fuel our creativity.

2.Milton Glaser 

Poster

http://www.gwarlingo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Dylan-by-Milton-Glaser-372x550.jpg

Poster

https://omgsandie.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/milton_glaser1.jpg

What fascinated me in the works of the legendary designer, Milton Glaser were actually his edgy use of colours. Typically in graphic design, our colour palettes are limited to only using one or two complementary colours. Now we know that colours can not only be used to decorate the page layout but also to emphasise importance. Likewise in Milton Glaser's poster works, the fact that he created a mix of discordant colours and did not follow the traditional rules which was then made into a successfully ground-breaking and now-famous poster even when Bob Dylan himself rejected that renowned poster design of him.

3.Becca Clason 

Food Typography
http://payload365.cargocollective.com/1/3/113674/9600379/i-dont-carrot-all-lettering-final_800.jpg
-

Food Typography

http://blog.creativeaction.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/chewy-caramel-becca-clason-2_800-580x356.jpg

http://www.fubiz.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Food-Typography-by-Becca-Clason-2.jpg

Aside from the standard use of digital photoshop and typography, Becca Clason did out of her own creativity using hand-lettering typography based on food, salads or seeds. I found her works to be really unique, fun and yes, ground-breaking. It is interestingly different because it displays a personal touch to each work she makes showing her attention to detail and aesthetics of her gourmet messages using real food instead.

4.Stefan Sagmeister

Body Work Poster

http://toworkorplay.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BackToBasics_9.jpg

Stefan Sagmeister is a graphic designer who invariably has a slightly different eye to his works.Even for his other eye-catching designs including the legendary Lou Reed and Rolling Stones, I can tell how much he gives soul to each work he does. Specifically, he did a radical poster advertising for an AIGA event by carving the salient onto his torso. I find that he went beyond his thinking which made the design way intense and distilled. Even though with digital use, it made a point that human body can also be our medium for art as it is familiar to us. 

5. Wood-Type Poster

Poster

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/e2/e5/92/e2e592c74f0a5acf1cfdf9ae7374059c.jpg

Poster

http://blog.onpaperwings.com/uploaded_images/woodtype-735869.jpg

Graphic design typically limits us from using numerous fonts. It is even better to use no more than two actually. When we over use it, it tends to diminish the overall piece of the design. However, it is not impossible to ignore this "rule" and still create an appealing design out of it. Particularly these wood-type posters, I feel that each font interacted with each other well and stood out. Nowadays, it is easier seen that more designers reference these classics in their work despite "breaking the rules".