design waffle

Keeping up with the Jones

2010-09-14T18:58:00.002-04:00

I kept putting off for so long but I finally broke down a bought an iPhone. It was only a matter of time.....before I got one.

Only a matter of time.......

2010-09-14T18:51:00.004-04:00

Saw thsi on Coroflot a few weeks back and wanted to forward it to everyone out there.

Over the years my mom has kept her various typewriters she has had at work. I'm glad I kept them casue they'll come in handy pretty soon.

Well hello there....

2010-09-14T18:42:00.002-04:00

Well it's been ahwile since I last wrote something. I've been hella busy since my last post.

Lets see I got engaged, moved, and became a lead designer at GM. My world has been turned upside for the better. If some of you have read in the past my life was in total chaos and turn upside down. Couldn't land any work and the atomsphere here in the Detorit was completley grim. And look what happens a year later a complete 180.

Thanks to all who have supported me in the past your thoughts and positive energy has difently led me through the rough patches.

Thanx!!

Finally

2010-04-25T23:16:00.003-04:00

Last year I saw the trailer to 'It Might Get Loud' but for some reason I just got around to seeing it this weekend. It was totally worth the wait. Three generations of guitar players discussing playing and what inspires them. If you are a big music fan of any genre of music I would highly suggest renting this one and turning up the volume too. Towards the end there is a great jam session which will blow your mind.

Pixelated

2010-04-13T22:28:00.000-04:00

Gotta love After Effects..

How to Make it in America

2010-04-07T21:59:00.004-04:00

If you have been reading my past few blogs you're aware that I have been working out of town and staying in a hotels. One of the great perks in staying in them is free HBO and house cleaning. So as I drive down Sunday nights I'm able to catch this new show on HBO called 'How to Make it in America'. Great show and awesoem soundtrack. Check it out if you can. The best part is that after every episode they list the soungs played on that episode. iTunes here I come....

howtomakeitinamerica

Bubble Car

2010-03-29T22:07:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite designers, Ross Lovegrove recently presented his concept of the bubble car in London. The concept is based around free movement and utilizing it's stationary position as a street lamp. Maybe not the best eye pleasing design but the concept does make sense.

Enjoy.

Upgrade Time

2010-03-28T17:35:00.007-04:00

I'm selling my DELL Precision T3500 I bought back in Dec. of 09. I bought it for $1200 directly from Dell and now practically giving it away. I'm moving and need to get a laptop. The computer is still under the manufactures warranty and in great condition. Below are the specs for the machine. This Dell has an upgraded graphics card (NVIDIA Quadro FX 580) for CAD work, specifically used for Auto Desk. I will also throw in a copy of Sketch Book Pro from Auto Desk which is already loaded on the machine and will come with the original CD as well. I still have the original box it was delivered in and will repack for shipment/ delivery.

I am willing to negotiate on this.

Great computer at a great price!!

- Dual Core Processor W3503 2.40GHz,4M,L2, 4.8GT/s,Dell Precision T3500
- 4GB, DDR3 non-ECC SDRAM Memory1066MHz, 2X2GB Dell Precision T3500
- Dell, USB, Quiet KYBD, No Hot Keys, PWS, Black
- 512MB PCIe x16 NVIDIA Quadro FX 580 Dual Monitor DVI + 2DP Dell Precision TX500
- 250GB SATA 3.0Gb/s with NCQ and 8MB DataBurst Cache, Dell Precision TX500
- C1 All SATA Hard Drives Non- RAID for 1or 2 Hard Drive, Dell Precision T3500
- Windows 7 Pro 64bit Downgrade to XP Pro 64bit, SP2, Media, Fixed Precision,English
- Windows 7 Downgrade RLOB
- Dell USB 2 Button Optical Mouse,Precision T3500
- Mini-Tower Chassis Configuration, Dell Precision T340
- 16X DVD+/-RW Data Only Dell Precision TX500
- Cyberlink Power DVD 8.3,with Media, Dell Relationship LOB
- Roxio Creator Dell Edition 10.3, Media, Dell RLOB
- Power Cord,125V,2M,C13,Dell Precision
- Integrated Intel chipset SATA 3.0Gb/s controller,Dell Precision T3500 and T5500
- Basic Support: Next Business Day Parts and Labor Onsite Response 2 Year Extended
- Basic Support: Next Business Day Parts and Labor Onsite Response Initial Year
- Dell Hardware Limited Warranty Plus Onsite Service Extended Year(s)
- Dell Hardware Limited Warranty Plus Onsite Service Initial Year

DELL

Sad Goodbye

2010-03-28T17:20:00.003-04:00

Less than two month ago I accepted a position with Navistar in Fort Wayne, In. But in recent weeks I have accepted a new position as a Senior Creative Designer at GM. This new role focuses on obtaining my career objectives as a interactive designer. I will miss my new friends back in Fort Wayne and hope for all the best with them.

Good Luck guys you will truly be missed.

So in traditional DesignWaffle fashion i'm going from this

to this.

Top Dogg

2010-02-22T21:17:00.005-05:00

As I was getting ready for work this morning I read this article in USA Today. I would love the opportunity to re-design the hot dog. This article has Industrial Design all over it. This would be a great subject matter for an ID studio class.

HOT DOG

Only a matter of time...

2010-02-17T20:37:00.002-05:00

g-speak overview 1828121108 from john underkoffler on Vimeo.

Something New

2010-02-17T20:32:00.002-05:00

Since I've started this blog over a year ago I've posted a lot of ideas, concepts, and products that have finally come through to reality. I want to start a new format called 'Only a Matter of Time'. This blog or posting will showcase what I see as the future now. As technology grows at such a violent rate ideas and concepts are popping up everywhere and I want this new forum to showcase that.

Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum- American Classics

2010-02-16T23:13:00.003-05:00

I writing from my hotel room in Fort Wayne, Indiana on the eve of my first day back to work.

A few weeks back I interviewed with Navistar down here and on the way back from the interview I stopped off at the Auburn Cord Duesenburg Museum. Over the years I heard great things about it and had to jump at the opportunity to see it while I was down here. And let me tell you it was totally worth it. I'm not going to go into specifics but for a car guy or design guy, or girl it is defiantly a place to check out if you're in or around the area or want to plan a day tip.

It's an impeccable collection of Auburn's, Cord's, and Duesenburg's. These pieces of art were in concord condition. Some of these have been at Pebble Beach and Meadow Brook. Most of the Duesenburgs had leather wrapped leaf spring, I mean come on leather wrapped! Amazing. In the back they had a private collection of a 1964 Ferrari 340, 65 289 Shelby Cobra, and my personal favorite a 1965 Jaguar E Type all originals and in mint condition.

I didn't bring my camera so I took a few off line to give you an idea of what to expect. It is amazing to see the quality these coach builders put into these automobiles. In my personal opinion it blows the European cars form the era completely out of the water. Try and make it someday you won't be dissapointed.

Heavy Metal

2010-02-16T02:35:00.001-05:00

It's about time

2010-02-15T01:36:00.006-05:00

I've referenced many chronograph watches while I was design many of my cluster at Ford. During that time I became fascianbated in collectign these timepieces. Below are a list of my favs and soem that I do onw. See if you can name them? Enjoy!

Bought this Tisot after I started at Ford in '04

Recieved this Stark watch for Christmas this year

Only a matter of time...

2010-02-14T22:55:00.002-05:00

New Audi DNA

2010-02-14T00:13:00.003-05:00

I'm a big Audi fan and I follow the brand very closely. I've own one now for about 7 years now. Over the past few years I have not been impressed on what they have been doing with the front ends, especially with the grills.

I saw the new A1 and took an immediate liking to it. I had no idea why at first but after taking a closer look I saw that they finally took a better approach with the grill itself.

With the A1(the one in red) the designers put a chamfer to the outer top corners to make a more dramatic and distinctive trapezoidal shape instead of rounding the corners off. I feel this shows a more progressive look for the brand. The question now is will this follow through to other model release.....?

What do you guys think?

Oh Oh....

2010-02-05T15:12:00.006-05:00

When we were developing Ford's SHMI cluster, and this goes back to when I was working at Ford I was always asking to the question. Has NHTSA seen or approved any of this? What I'm talking about is the new in-car technology MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch from Ford Motor Company. These new technology's were to be Ford's big step into the world of SHMI components for in the car.

The issue today is that Roy LaHood, U.S. Transportation Secretary is concerned that all these new in-car technology's are too much for drivers. Well it looks like he is a little concerned. Click on the links to see what he has to say about this.

Detroit News
Autoblog

Scale Models

2010-02-02T12:58:00.003-05:00

As I stated in my previous post I'm a big fan of people who are talented with their hands and the attention to detail they give. I came across this FLICKER account from my Audi Club that consists of some amazing scale model photography. Enjoy!

SCALE MODELS

Hand Lay Process

2010-02-01T17:48:00.004-05:00

I am always in awe of craftsmanship especially when it comes to shoes. I came across this video on another blog and thought it would be great to re-post. Enjoy.

1YEAR - 5MONTHS - 27DAYS - 12HOURS - 15MINUTES

2010-01-27T18:42:00.003-05:00

Well I'll be going from working on these

to working on this

That's right I'm back on the work force. I've accepted an offer at Navistar to become one off their new designer at their design studio in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I'm excited about the move and anticipating what I';ll be working on over there. I'll keep everyone updated on what's happening in Fort Wayne.

Finally..

2010-01-07T16:38:00.006-05:00

Well the time has finally come that I can show some work. When I was at Ford I worked on Ford's new SHMI components. These new products were to be Ford's big jump into the electronic age. With the introduction of SYNC a few years back MyFordTouch is a piece of driver connect technology like SYNC, only much more advanced. In fact, you can think of MyFord as SYNC 2.0. Or, you could, if not for the fact that there already is a SYNC 2.0. Regardless, in-car technology can do myriad of things these days, and Ford thinks it's found a way to group and display all of a vehicle's functionality in a logical, intuitive and useful way. Sadly, Ford is internally calling this "simplexity," as in making the complex simple.

Below are a few blogs talking about the latest technology and I'll post some pics of my work on this as well.

Great job FORD!!

AUTOBLOG
LEFTLANE NEWS
AUTOMOBILE
PC WORLD
HUFFINGTON POST
TWITTER

The Decade That Was

2010-01-05T00:38:00.004-05:00

The other night I closed out 2009 and the decade on a good note, with my friends surrounding me and a few drinks in my belly. This past decade has brought tragedy, growth, disappointment and excitement into my life all of which has helped me become who I am today.

Over this past decade I have lived through our generations version of Pearl Harbor. I watched on TV that morning a new reality in our lives. I don't think I will ever be able to go back to the way it was. I walked across a stage to accept my college degree, a feat that at one time in my life I don't think I was sever going to be able to do. But after a few years of hard work and perseverance I fulfilled that dream. I joined corporate America becoming a designer at Ford Motor Company. I saw the hardships of belonging to a corporate giant seeing many friends come and go and being the victim of corporate re-structuring as well and I saw a black man become our 44ht president.

I've appreciated how precess life really is and what are the more important things in life too, like friends and family. They are the ones that will always be your constant in these decades to come no matter what comes across your plate.

So here's to 2010 and beyond. May you bring it on.......

Christmas Eve Mass

2009-12-28T13:04:00.003-05:00

During my senior year at CCS I took a class called, 'History of Detroit Churches'. A great and fascinating class about the history and architecture of Detroit's local churches. We went to about 12 in that semester and over the holidays I decided to go to one of them. Sweetest Heart of Mary in Detroit is located on Russell by the Eastern Market. That area back in the day had a large concentration of Polish immigrants and in 1893 a church was born.

The inside is spectacular. Few words can truly describe the interior. The work that went in to it is really remarkable. Below are a few pics and a video of the inside as well. For you movie fans out there in 'Scarecrow', starring Gene Hackman and Al Pacino the church scene was filmed there. Enjoy.

Sound Design

2009-12-18T22:07:00.002-05:00

Sound Design has always fascinated me. I’m a big fan of Glitch, Minimal and any thing that sounds broken. Audio really adds a new level to motion graphics and even the most boring tutorials. Pushing the soundFX requires a great ear and the patience to detail the noise out. Like many, I know what I like, but don’t know how to get there.

The broadcast spot
vimeo.com/7555514

The :60 Director’s Cut can be seen here…
echolab.tv/UACG.html

website…
echolab.tv

Trust

2009-12-17T00:58:00.002-05:00

I came across this video of Chris Bangle explaiming what trust is from a design perspective. Very interesting and very true at the same time.

ID Magazine 1954-2010

2009-12-15T15:59:00.002-05:00

I just read today on Corr77 that ID magazine is going away due to lack of readers and print advertising. I was totally and shocked but was not surprised at the same time.

It seems in this digital age we would rather just turn to the internet for our reading pleasure. When I was at CCS everyone in the ID studio couldn't wait for the new issue to arrive, I even remember having to re-order more than 12 issues because it would fly out so fast. But apparently those days are gone, at least numbered.

Here is Detroit two well known papers, the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press are going to reduce readership by canceling Sunday papers and reducing the sizer of the print itself. More and more readers are going online for news killing the print market.

I will say that I miss some publications let's just hope they don't cancel the Internet some day.....

frame by frame, sketch by sketch

2009-11-29T23:40:00.001-05:00

Came across this vid. Thought I pass it along.

ASTRO STUDIOS

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T00:05:00.002-05:00

Cranbrook

2009-11-24T18:05:00.007-05:00

Many that live in the Detroit area are unaware of what is in their back yard. An institute where being creative and pushing yourself out side of your comfort zone. This place is called Cranbrook.

Cranbrook Academy of Art, known as the cradle of American modernism, continues to have a significant impact on the world of art, architecture, and design completely disproportionate to its size. Outstanding artists, architects and designers – the Saarinens, Ray and Charles Eames, Florence Knoll, Jack Lenor Larsen, Donald Lipski, Duane Hanson and Hani Rashid, to name only a few - have been a part of Cranbrook’s community of artists. Lasting friendships formed at the Academy lead to future professional collaboration. Our alumni have an international influence through their individual artistic practices and teaching professions.

Cranbrook Academy of Art is part of the 315-acre Cranbrook Educational Community, described as “one of the most enchanted architectural settings in America.” The community was founded by George Gough Booth, a Detroit newspaper baron and philanthropist, and Eliel Saarinen, the Finnish architect who occupies a major position in the history of modern American design and architecture. Both were inspired by the vision of the Arts and Crafts movement, which began in England in the mid-nineteenth century and soon spread to the United States. The Arts and Crafts movement appealed to George Booth aesthetically and morally. He hoped its influence would banish tasteless, mass-produced goods from American homes. He believed that craftsmanship would result in superior products and provide the foundation for an ethically responsible life. Cranbrook would come to support those ideals and satisfy the desire of its founders to achieve something of lasting value and significance.

In 1904, George Gough and Ellen Scripps Booth bought the property that would become Cranbrook, and spent their first years at Cranbrook landscaping the property and constructing their family home designed by Albert Kahn. With their estate established, they began the buildings for public use. The Greek Theater was built in 1915, Christ Church Cranbrook was completed in 1928, plans for boys and girls schools were begun and foremost in their minds, plans were made for an art academy based on their visit to the American Academy in Rome. At the suggestion of his son Henry, George Booth approached Eliel Saarinen, a visiting professor in architectural design at the University of Michigan, with his idea for an art academy. Ultimately Booth invited Saarinen to move to Cranbrook from Finland to oversee the architectural and landscape development of the campus. The Cranbrook School for Boys was completed in 1928, Brookside School Cranbrook in 1929, and Kingswood School (for girls) in 1931.

Informal art education began at the Academy in the late 1920s, in studios built for the artists and crafts people working with Saarinen. The Academy of Art was officially sanctioned in 1932 with Saarinen installed as president. He continued to design new buildings for the campus with Academy student apprentices. The original Cranbrook Institute of Science building was completed in 1937 and the Academy art museum and library in 1942. The campus is a National Historic Landmark, considered the most complete example of Saarinen’s genius. It is an architectural and horticultural treasure where Academy students live and work today, inspired to write their own history in an environment of beauty and innovation.

Recent additions to the Cranbrook Educational Community campus uphold the international standard of excellence set by Saarinen. Spanish architect Rafael Moneo designed the New Studios Building addition to the Academy and Art Museum that opened in Fall 2002. Other new buildings at Cranbrook built in the 1990s include the Stephen Holl designed addition to Cranbrook Institute of Science, the Todd Williams and Billie Tsien designed Natatorium at Cranbrook School, and the Peter Rose designed addition to Brookside School.

My personal experiences there range from picnics on lazy summer Sunday afternoons to seeing the laser light shows when I was in high school. I have visited the campus and museums many times over the years and every time I visit I discover something new. I am glad that we have an institution like this in our back yard and I hope that it will be cherished from years to come in the future.

CRANBROOK

Google WAVE

2009-11-20T13:38:00.002-05:00

Last night as I was surfing around the internets..i came across a blog about Google's latest toy, WAVE. Google WAVE is is equal parts conversation and document. People can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps. A wave is shared. Any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. Then playback lets anyone rewind the wave to see who said what and when. A wave is live. With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in real-time.

I was quite impressed at what it is capable of. They are pretty much in the final stages of releasing this but what I found very interesting is that they are allowing the public to write code for this. This enables the public to view, re-design, and evaluate the product before launch. This allows Google to make any changes or modifications before launch.

I'm not the most computer savoy person in the world, especially when it comes to writing code or html. But i can see for the guru this is must be heaven for them. Being able to write what they want and send it in to be evaluated and possibly used.

One feature I do like is the editing of email and context. You are able to reply to specific parts of an email rather than applying to the whole document. Another one is the ability to update other sites through WAVE without having to open new windows on the desktop, especially with their maps.

Below are two videos explaining WAVE in a more in depth fashion. One is an 1.5 video on the product @ I-O 2009 and the other is a short overview.

Enjoy!

Avedon @ the DIA

2009-11-15T15:49:00.002-05:00

Recently I visited the DIA to see the Avedon exhibit. This exhibition is a comprehensive study of Richard Avedon's (1923-2004) fashion photographs that includes a selection of over 200 images representing his stylistic evolution over a period of 50 years. Both iconic and lesser-known photographic prints, as well as never-before-seen material including contact sheets, magazine layouts, personal ephemera and archival material are included. All photographs are from the Avedon estate, and many are vintage prints.

Avedon began his career at the end of World War II in New York City. Influenced by photo reportage and the innovative eye of Harper's Bazaar art director Alexy Brodovitch, Avedon revolutionized editorial fashion work for magazines in the post-World War II era. At the young age of 23, his work was fresh and created to rejuvenate the Paris fashion market after the war.

As his career developed in the 1950s and 1960s, Avedon captured the independent lifestyle and spirit of the times in women's clothing of the period. In addition to his fashion work with celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Barbara Streisand, Avedon was one of the first high-profile photographers to work with African American and multi-racial models including Detroit-native Donyale Luna and the Eurasian model China Machado.

Avedon continued to dominate the photography world until his death in 2004. Works from the 1990s include his collaborations with famous models on the fashion scene including Kate Moss and Stephanie Seymour.

Below are a few of my favorites from the show.

Out with the old...

2009-11-14T22:46:00.006-05:00

Well after 1o plus years with my G4 Power PC it's time for a little upgrade. I found out that Autodesk is offering laid off designer a full year subscription to Alias so with a little research I ended up getting a Dell T3500. I know I know how can I get a PC. I grew up with a MAC use one all through school and at home. At Ford we used Dell workstations and I can say I was never disappointed. If anything goes wrong I'll let you all know.

123 Sesame Street

2009-11-04T22:36:00.003-05:00

Great article from CNN about Sesame Streets 40th Anniversary.
LINK

Good Read

2009-11-02T22:45:00.000-05:00

Core 77: Four Fields of Industrial Design

Social Software: YIKES!

2009-11-02T20:52:00.001-05:00

Human-centered approaches to industrial and interaction design have long focused on studying human behavior to create informed and appropriate designs. A social interaction designer must consider not only people, environment, and existing tools, but also the unseen elements of the system such as social relationships, power dynamics, and cultural rules.

The Witching Hour

2009-11-01T22:00:00.012-05:00

Another year another Halloween. This year seemed to be a little rougher than usual. We stated off at a party in Groose Pointe and ended back in Ferndale for last call at our local watering hole. Some great costumes this year in our group but mine was a last minute put together, oh well. All in good fun. We'll see what we come up with next year.

A roll of toilet paper soaked in keroseane and lit inside a pumpkin. Great effect for the kids!!

Captain and Teneil

WHEEL...OF...FORTUNE.!.!..!..!!

Is that the orbitz guy?

The ladies kicking it up a notch with a little Tesla!

Nothing goes good with shots at 1:45......

Motor City Mini Rally

2009-11-01T21:48:00.008-05:00

Here are some pics of the Motor City Rally a few weeks back. Detroit Auto Art supplied the graphics for this ervent. The Rally started in Birch Run and went up 75 all the way to the UP. Great time and alot of fun. Enjoy the pics more to come.

Urban Rail

2009-10-14T00:40:00.001-04:00

The Park

THE MAD MEN OF MID-CENTURY MODERN DESIGN

2009-10-12T23:28:00.003-04:00

Playboy Article

The Power Of Time Off

2009-10-09T11:59:00.004-04:00

Every seven years, designer Stefan Sagmeister closes his New York studio for a yearlong sabbatical to rejuvenate and refresh their creative outlook. He explains the often overlooked value of time off and shows the innovative projects inspired by his time in Bali.

TED page

Detroit Town Hall: Brainstorming Secession

2009-10-07T22:35:00.000-04:00

I'd like to send out a invitation to all the Designers Accord members in the Detroit area to meet up to discuss organizing a town hall event in Detroit and come up with some ideas for a topic. Detroit has some of the best industrial designers in the country and would like to bring them all together to do a little brainstorming and drink a few pints. I would also like to extend this invitation to our educational members, architects, and graphic designers in the area as well.

I'm shooting for Tuesday October 20th at 6:30pm in Royal Oak at the royal oak brewery

I believe having this town hall will bring the design community in the Detroit area closer to sustainable design solutions whether it be automotive, consumer related or how our design institutions teach sustainable design to our younger designers.

If you have any specific questions please contact me. Hope to see you there.

Thanx,
John

Is Industrial Design Dying?

2009-09-28T18:56:00.008-04:00

I read Jon Kolko's blog on his return from the IDSA National Conference in Miami last week and was amazed at his entry. His comment about how ID (industrial design) is dying is quite interesting.

He states that with the development of new materials, process, and manufacturing that we, designers are becoming more and more a secondary part of the development process.

"The complexity associated with new material introductions and advances has such deep tacit knowledge, and such strong connections to fundamental issues of chemistry, that it can't continue to be "owned" by designers - it needs to be managed and coordinated by scientists".

I haven't had to deal with this personally, but I agree. Since I have left school , there has been a tremendous advancement in materials . I remember when Cologate introduced their multi-component/ multi-colour toothbrushes back in '98. That was a huge step in in our field. We are now able to achieve multi-color designs in one injection. I can only imagine what s going to happen in the next 20 years.

Enjoy the article after the jump.

ARTICLE

Red Dust-Sydney

2009-09-23T17:34:00.003-04:00

I came this blog entry on Core77 and thought I'd pass it on. Apparently there is a dust storm covering most of Sydney. Most of these pics are amazing. It almost looks like scenes form an upcoming movie. Enjoy!!

FLICKR

FLICKR2

Virtual Reality Sketching

2009-09-15T16:20:00.004-04:00

When I saw this I was blown away. A program that allows you to draw in a 3D space.... i still can't get over this. I remember when I was at CCS and talking to my professors about technology like this but nothing existed at the time, but now that technology is a reality.

Check it out and believe for yourself. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
LINK

"We like to see the smile and reassurance"

2009-09-13T14:04:00.013-04:00

My girlfriend is a dental hygienist and visits inner city schools in Detroit to provide preventative dental services. They are required to wear masks, gloves, and eye protection to avoid contamination.

For many of the children it is thier first dental visit. Michelle has mentioned that a lot of the children are scared because they are not able to see the hygienists entire face . The masks cover up all of their facial expressions preventing the hygienists from using smiles to reassure that everything is going to be OK.

I came across this ARTICLE which brings back that human interaction.

A Moment of Silence

2009-09-11T10:02:00.002-04:00

Our thoughts and prayers here at DesignWaffle go out to the ones who lost their lives during the attacks on Sept. 11th 2001.

"Panic Room" Credit Sequence

2009-09-09T11:48:00.000-04:00

I've always been fascinated with this opening credit sequence and wanted to share it. "Panic Room" opens with a sumptuous credit sequence so captivating that you're drawn into the movie before a single word is spoken. Fincher, like Hitchcock and Polanski, understands implicitly the importance of every split second of film to register a particular condition in an audience's communal mind. Giant white marquee lettering suspends at odd angles over various live action Manhattan locations to the sound of a clock softly ticking. As the letters float in the air they are placed on planes that give you an room effect with out the literal use of walls. There's retro ambiance that drips with majestic Neo-Gothic portent and shrewdly references movies like "Rear Window" and "Wait Until Dark."

Designers Accord Town Hall-Chicago

2009-09-05T22:52:00.005-04:00

A few weeks back I went Gravity Tank's Chicago Studio for a Designer Accord Town Hall. The Town Hall was based around the subject 'elephants in the room' The hope was to learn from each other about the challenges, hurdles and questions that come up when engaging in sustainable efforts, either for clients or internally at companies. There were about 70 designers, advertisers, marketers, and educators from the Chicago area attending with two designers from the D, myself and Ryan from Ford. I guess this was to be the first Midwest DA Town Hall.

Take a look at the link below to see more.
CHICAGO

"'Charlie Rose'" by Samuel Beckett"

2009-09-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

This is great!!

Finally a Chinesse iPhone

2009-09-02T14:46:00.001-04:00

Saw the original post on Core77, which promted me to check out the blog posted by Jan Chipchase . It's official the Chinese have produced a knock-off of the Apple iPhone. decribes "the fakes" being produced out of China as a cheaper version to appeal to the masses. The price tag of "the fakes" make them more tangible. For the knock-off consumer, it's all about the image and not the functionality or content.

I will admit that I am one of those people. I love watches but can't afford the steep prices an IWC, Bretling's, or a Bell & Ross. A few years ago I purchased a knock-off Bell and Ross from an Asia website. Looks great, worked great ,but was a little bit smaller than the original version.

I understand why people buy products for the name or image and not the quality. It's the whole" keeping up with the Joneses". You've got to one up your neighbor and friends to show them you've made it or have some taste. Now I've got taste but I just don't have the cash to fund that taste....

ARTICLE

Thank you

2009-09-02T03:23:00.003-04:00

During your career you meet some extraordinary people. Ones that inspire you to be better at what you do and some that guide you as you mature within your field. Earl Lucas is that somebody for me. While I was at Ford Earl helped me become the designer that I am today and it's great to know that there are people still out there who are not just looking out for themselves but help and mature younger designers. Thanks Earl!

Earl is the Exterior Design Manager for the new Ford Taurus. Earl has been getting allot of press lately with the recent launch of the Taurus. Here are a few articles, one article from our Alma Mater CCS about Earl's success with the TAURUS and as designer.

CCS
DETROIT NEWS
HOUR

How far is too far...

2009-08-30T20:37:00.000-04:00

Great article by our friends over at designdropletsdotcom. A very interesting problem but a very simple solutiuon. Enjoy.

http://designdroplets.com/articles/how-far-is-too-far/

they said what...

2009-08-30T00:05:00.000-04:00

found some quotes from a few designers and innovative people I admire.

Thomas Edison-
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.

Charles Eames-
Recognizing the need is the primary condition for design

Frank Loyd Wright-
A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines.

Henry Ford-
Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe-
True education is concerned not only with practical goals but also with values. Our aims assure us of our material life, our values make possible our spiritual life.

Dalai Lama-
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

“And the last shall be first”

2009-08-27T23:21:00.000-04:00

Those are the words engraved on a cigarette box John F. Kennedy gave to his younger brother Ted Kennedy in 1961. Looking back now there was a lot of truth to that quote.
Due to the fact that my father is a former New Englander, the Kennedy’s were popular in our household. My father taught me lessons about overcoming life’s obstacles. I think Ted had a few hurdles of his own. With the untimely passing of his three older brothers, Ted took it upon himself to carry on the vision of creating an equal and fair society.
Yes, Ted Kennedy made a few mistakes in his lifetime, but I believe in the end his work for the poor, sick, and underprivileged has proven to his greatest legacy.
He will be missed.

Dream Cruise '09

2009-08-18T14:37:00.000-04:00

Here in the D there's an event every year in August called the Woodward Dream Crusie. It started back in '94 as a tribute to Woodward Ave., but today it has turned into the world's largest one-day event in the world. This year seemed to be a little smaller than normal but was still a good time. If you love cars you'll love coming to this. Enjoy the pics!!

Like chrome.....

On a sunny day it's great to see these classics with all the reflections on the surface and chrome.

Detroit Auto Art

2009-08-11T21:45:00.000-04:00

Well I just launched Detroit Auto Art.com!! Please stop by to check out our latest designs. DAA is a site dedicated to the auto enthusiast. The site captures the POP art side of auto design with current and retro auto's.

Please contact us directly at detroitautoart@hotmail.com for quotes on custom designs including:
- Garage Wall Murals
- Helmet Decals
- Home and Office Artwork
- Custom Vinyl Stickers

We’ll be out in force this weekend at the Woodward Dream Cruise promoting DAA. I’ll be the one handing out a ton of flyers and free samples….

http://www.detroitautoart.com/

Objectified

2009-08-03T13:15:00.000-04:00

Came across this trailer for the movie 'Objectified'. Pretty cool. Can't wait to see the whole film.

From the same director who produced Helvetica, Objectified is a feature-length documentary about our relationship to manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. It's a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It's about industrial designers, the people who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It's about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability.

POP Art

2009-07-29T13:03:00.000-04:00

Trying out something new last night with Illustrator’s CS2 LIVE TRACE tool. A few weeks back I was at Kinko's getting some brochures down for a wedding and the gal at the counter told me about this new tool. I never knew of it before but this is awesome!! I've tried to produce this sasem effect through Photoshop but it's not vector based and takes too long but with LIVE TRACE it's Bing, Bam, Boom.

Try it:
-CREATE a new doc
-OPEN a pic (JPG, BITMAP, TIFF, etc...)
-SELECT the pic
-THEN at the top you will see at the header the LIVE TRACE options
-NOW have fun!!

If my directions are not good enough go to the help section in Illustrator and they'll lead ya through it.

Salt Flat Show Down

2009-07-28T12:08:00.000-04:00

My good friend Bregt Ectors is attempting to break the land speed record for a Ginetta G4 next month at 121.779 mph in Utah. I met Bregt while I was at Ford and our interest and passion for racing developed while we were teammates together on AutoOnion, our karting team. It’s great to see that automobile designers still have that itch in them to try and attempt dreams like this.

I’ve attached a link to his sight where he has uploaded a few pics and his story about this event. If any of you are out there or are planning to go out to Utah make sure you give Bregt a thumbs up and wish him good luck. Good Luck Bregt!!!

www.122mph.com

wha happened....

2009-07-28T11:46:00.000-04:00

I'm back! It's been a few months since my last post things have been a little hectic over here. Well I never got to the Auto Show to do a report but next year will defiantly have one for ya. I will truly say that it has been a rough year. As some of you might know I was laid off from Ford in July of 08’ and have been trying to get back in the job market ever since. And let me tell you it sucks!! There is such an oversaturation of talent out there that even with experience it’s pretty hard to land something. It’s been a very daunting task this past year, from recreating myself, re-doing my portfolio for the second time, and ultimately finding who I am. That I think is going to be the greatest result of this time, is finding who you really are and who you want to become as a person and as an artisian.

COMING SOON....

2009-01-21T14:23:00.000-05:00

A trip to the 2009 NAIAS
Technology, cars, and the enviorment

The iKnife

2009-01-21T14:01:00.000-05:00

Is it me or is the iPhone cumbersome? I mean it's got everything, but it just seems too bulky for my taste. Plus with the screen being as large as it is I’ve heard from other users that if you drop you’re screwed, even with the protective case. It seems that phones are becoming too big for their own use. With users wanting more the phone obviously will become larger but when will that trend come full circle and go back to the phones of the early 90’s?

TED- Ross Lovegrove: The power and beauty of organic design

2009-01-10T15:07:00.000-05:00

I saw this video a few years ago. It really struck a cord with me and I would like to share it with everyone. Ross's love and passion for design is a mindset that I share as well.
Enjoy.

Great Article

2009-01-10T00:55:00.001-05:00

http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/desi.2006.22.3.4?cookieSet=1

Well Hello there...

2009-01-09T03:45:00.000-05:00

Well I just created my new blog, design waffle. My blog will consist of many issues, comments, and observations about design. I am an Industrail Designer with over 6 years in the industry and have finally found a medium to express my opinions about design, design interaction, the enviorment, and manybe politics.....