Thesis topics & interests

Design related Interests:
- packaging design
- label / tag system to an entire product theme
- Visual identity / branding
- interactive/ website/ animation
- information design

Other interests:
- Astronomy
- Origami
- Fashion
- 2d / 3d animation
- psychology
- wild life & nature / natural environments

Reading #5: "Why Can't designers think" - Michael Bierut

Points

-As structures of the world's communicators, designers partake in many friends of interest as the clients we have
- American DEsign programs fall into 2 broad categories:
Process schools & Portfolio schools

- process schools - "swiss-style", favor a form-driven problem solving approach; largely thrive as reaction against perceived "slickness" of portfolio schools

- Portfolio schools - aim to provide students with polished "books" that will get them good jobs upon graduation.

- the problem-solving mode is conceptual with a bias for appealing, memorable, populist imagery.

What's wrong with graphic Design education?

- Both process schools and portfolio schools have something in common - What's valued is the waygraphic design looks, not what it means.

- educators must find a way to expose their students to a meaningful range of culture, or graduates will continue to speak in languages that only their classmates understand

- designers will end up talking to themselves

This articles title caught my eye. I somewhat agree with what's said about 2 different types of design schools. and i feel that it is true here in OCAD, we are only taught with aesthetics related to design, to back the aesthetics with other interests, as design students i feel that we do not know enough in depth in other fields of study. However design is all reflected upon other fields of knowledge that we may never get to learn at school. Instead we need to discover them on own time outside. It would be ideal if OCAD can offer more courses than just design, so that we are able to expand our knowledge in general and broaden our interests. I do somewhat agree that design aesthetics is just what's appealing on the surface to general public, we are studying this "shallow" knowledge or get get in many interests to apply it to the real world.

Toronto Street Fashion

I am always interested in street fashion, recently I did a self-directed zine project on Fashion for expressive type class.

Here are some pictures i took of people and their fashion on Queen st. West during a Wednesday morning and a Saturday afternoon. I was looking at how different times of the day and different times of the week effects the way people dress on the street.


Wednesday morning street fashion:



Melanie
Profession: Digital Sales
Fashion choice: Preppy, Office lady, depends on
the day!




Pat
Profession: Store salesperson
Fashion choice: Old school punk




Jard
Profession: Store salesperson
Fashion choice: Prep-school drop-out




Angela
Profession: Store manager
Fashion choice: Comfortable, casual




Jon
Profession: Photography student
Fashion choice: Lazy, going to school




Denzel
Profession: Graphic & Web design
Fashion choice: Abstract, think outside of the
box, non-brand names




Haley
Profession: Barista
Fashion choice: Work clothes, funky




Suban & Shanaq
Profession: Student
Fashion choice: Unique




Ricky Kruger
Profession: Artist
Fashion choice: Acryctic, varies



Marisa
Profession: Club promoter
Fashion choice: Fashionable, go with what’s in.

Saturday evening street fashion:

Jesse LaFleur
Profession: Web design, marketing
Fashion choice: Neo-Victorian, Stream-punk




Cat & Kensi
Profession: High school students
Fashion choice: J-Rock, Gothic Lolita inspired / Beatle & 60s retro




Gloria & Celeste
Profession: School Administration & Health care
Fashion choice: Warm coat, stylish,
and dress for the occasion / Boots!




Ari
Profession: Runs music festival / collage student
Fashion choice: Urban Camouflage, Harold Boyard, Self-knitted scarf with personal accessory



Anna
Profession: Student
Fashion Choice: Feminine, pick-up what’s in the morning




Toy, Curtis, Stephen, Dylan, and David
high school students/ skater



Hwagyeong
Profession: Make up artist
Fashion choice: Pretty-style


It seems that people are more expressive and creative of their inner interests on a Saturday. While on a weekday morning people choses their fashion more randomly, it is either what's quickly thrown-on in the morning or required for work, depends on their destination of the day.

ACID TEST: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification

ACID TEST: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification from EARTHNATIVE on Vimeo.

ACID TEST: This groundbreaking NRDC documentary explores the startling phenomenon of ocean acidification, which may soon challenge marine life on a scale not seen for tens of millions of years. Featuring Sigourney Weaver.

Directed by: Tristan Bayer & Daniel Hinerfeld
Produced by: Erin Kiley & Daniel Hinerfeld
Associated Produced by: Lisa Whiteman, Lisa Suitoni, Tristan Bayer
Edited by: Christopher S. Johnson
Director of Photography: Tristan Bayer
Underwater Cinematography: Howard and Michele Hall
Aerial Cinematography: Nel Boshoff
Music by: Andy Troy, Peter DiStefano and Kevin Haskins
Animations by: Jake Maymudes


Produced for the Natural Resources Defense Council. NRDC.org