Quick Update

Howdy Ho Dear Bloggers,

I've been working hard and not updating my blog enough.

I'm working on a new blog that will hopefully reinvigorate my blogging.

For now, I'll leave you with two tasty samples of my portfolio pictures.




Go to Yahoo

Big stuff in the works...

Will post soon :).

Glad to Be Back

HOWDY. Sorry it's been so long but I've been without an internet connection for quite a while. It's good to be back.

My friend Jayson and I are living together. We scored a beautiful apartment. I'll upload a video soon.

For now, I was sent this by Paul Vanderberg tonight. One surprise after another.

See more funny videos and Entertainment Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Design vs. Innovation

AFTER READING an inspiring article by Michael Bierut, I came across this quote left by a commenter.

Design, stripped to its essence, can be defined as the human capacity to make our environment in ways without precedent in nature, to serve our needs, and give us meaning in our lives.

Design, by this definition, could include graphic design and architecture, but also business planning, parenting, and just about anything else imagineable. It's about intentionally crafting and shaping something for a reason.

John Heskett
Toothpicks and Logos

More Metal Fabrication: Vertical Band Saw Lamp

FINISHED FABRICATING THIS LAMP for Pratt Institute's vertical band saw the other day. I was inspired by the smoke stacks on old steamboats.

I made two tools that allowed me to turn the triangles I cut into the lamp shade back to give them their unique shape. After I turned back the triangles, I masked the shade off and cut this starburst shape into it.

Right when I thought I was finished, Adam made me cut a second piece which he formed to cover the rest of the bulb.

Needless to say, the bandsaw has been PIMPED.

The Best Metal Texture

HERE'S MORE EVIDENCE to support Ross' Life Theory 36, "The more diverse your life, the richer it will be." I'm referring to how every part of your life influences the other parts. Inspiration comes from the strangest of places. I'm learning about graphic design from the metal shop. How wacky is that?

Pratt Institute's own Adam Apostolos (my boss) has been working on a clock that is based around an old table saw blade. Last year one of the ID majors' senior projects consisted of designing his own pair of scissors. He had them cut out of these saw blades using a laser cutter. While his scissors turned out great, Adam was more interested in the scrap left over. I don't blame him.

I had to share this with you, not because of Adam's crazy clock idea, but because of what happened to the saw blade after it was heated to 1600ºF. Once I saw this blade I immediately took it to the labs (probably not ok) and scanned it at 1200 DPI. I've uploaded these images to Flickr but I still had to scale them down. None the less, here are two of the coolest metal textures that I've ever seen (and I work in a metal shop).

Feel free to use them. Larger sizes are on Flickr. If you want the 30MB versions where you can zoom in so much it's like an alien landscape, email me.

Destruction of a Childhood Icon

WHEN I WAS YOUNG I watched a lot of TV -- a total screen head. Inside my little melon, I had it all planned out. I got out of school and watched Full House and then switched to Family Matters, then to the Discovery channel or UPN for Star Trek. I loved every electron filled second.

Out of all of the networks, Nickelodeon was my favorite. I could always rely on that orange splat for a brain melting dose of slime. Angry Beavers, Rocko's Modern Life, the Adventures of Pete and Pete, Hey Dude, Salute Your Shorts, and Hey Arnold were the ultimate.

I'm sure many of you share the same nostalgia for Nick that I do. Hence, when I found out that Nickelodeon will be changing its logo I got curious. Once I found out what they are changing their logo to, I got upset.

This new logo sucks for a handful of reasons, other than it doesn't represent the network at all, looks like an orange bar, and there's no splat. What a shame. Let's start a riot. Who's in?

If you want to know more, I suggest you read all about it. Thanks again Fast Company!

Prattonia 2010

I'VE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY, preparing for an upcoming presentation for Prattonia 2010, Pratt Institute's student produced yearbook. It's all rather exciting. I'll post when we finish something worth looking at or when I hear back after the presentation.

Branding the Legalization of Marijuana

I COULD HAVE SWORN I posted recommending Fast Company's email newsletter. To my surprise, looking back through my posts, I see that I have not. Thusly, if you are interested in design, I highly recommend you sign up for their newsletter, NOW! Although I signed up for every one of their newsletters, I'm beginning to find them overwhelming.
While reading one of their newsletters last night, I bumped into this article "Imagine Pot Was Legal. How Would You Brand It?" Though I don't feel like my blog the appropriate place to discuss my feelings on the matter, these brands are definitely worth checking out.

Metal Shop Fire Safety Stencil

WORKING IN THE METAL SHOP has been rather inspiring. It is a test bed, a free environment open to a multitude of creative possibilities. I couldn't imagine working at a desk all summer long.

I've been working on this project for a while now and I thought it was due time that I share with ya'll.

This stencil is spray painted on the floor beneath every fire extinguisher in the shop to keep students from blocking the fire extinguishers with their work. I drew and then hand cut the entire stencil, no computer needed. It's great to get away from it every now and then.

I used a black hammertone paint for the drop shadow with a florescent orange on top in order to get people's attention. Adam's obsessions with drop shadow have taken root in me. As much as I hate to admit it, this drop shadow has a lot of energy.

The fire department and physical plant were both impressed. I really enjoyed working with a stencil because they're fairly easy to make and offer great repeatability. I plan on making more stencils in the future. Watch out!