Weekly Post 5

First look at Windows 7's User Interface

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081028-first-look-at-windows-7.html

Windows 7, the successor of Windows Vista, is supposed to be something that is out of the ordinary from what we have seen so far from Windows. Windows 7 changes the way people use computers. The main new tool that everyone will be excited about is the new taskbar. Instead of having text descriptions when you open the taskbar, big icons will appear. Another big difference is the desktop. The desktop is where all the gadgets live. Windows 7 doesnt not have a sidebar like Windows Vista. Instead, gadgets can simply be put onto the desktop. As a result, there is less space taken on the desktop than having a big sidebar. There are many other differences and very cool new tools including the "Jump Lists" and the new Internet Explorer.

Weekly Post 4

The New Apple Macbook

http://www.apple.com/macbook/design.html

This article explains how well designed and engineered the Macbook was. It is a fabulous innovation and is different to any other type of notebook, since it is made out of one piece of aluminum instead of many different parts. As a result, the laptop is thinner and lighter than any other. Everything about this Macbook is revolutionary. This is why this new Macbook has introduced a new era in engineering and technology to mankind. The overall design of the Macbook is just a masterpiece. In addition, it saves battery life, is environmentally friendly by using LED display, which conserves a lot more energy than any other kind of lighting. In conclusion, I truly believe that this new Apple Macbook is the next generation of notebooks.

Cool Photoshop Application

The Warp Tool

The warp tool distorts the picture and completely transforms the way the picture looks. To get to the warp tool, you go to Edit > Transform > Warp. After you click Warp, a grid will appear and you can click and drag any point of the grid and it will distort the picture. 

Notes on Video

The counter culture movement of the 1960’s overwhelms the modern movement before. Rise of flower power movement. No more straight and clean lines in fonts. The movement of hand drawn fonts (the result of the counter culture movement). This was the response from Helvetica. Post-modernous font creation results in the design of the environment. In the 70’s it was out of control. In the 80’s people were affected by the post-modernism ‘disease’.

Subjective perspective – post-modernism approach to design.

Modernism

·         Functionalism

·         Utilitarianism

·          Objectivist

·          Simple

·          Clean

Post Modernism

·          Subjectivist

·         Free form

·         Chaotic

·         Complicated

Now is the time of the Retro Modernism (Post post modernism). It is the return of modernism. 

Examples of Fonts in the Environment

Notes on Fonts

Helvetica is used for:

1.   corporate names

2.   logos

3.   informative signs

Helvetica is used in the McDonalds, IBM, Fendi and many other famous brand.

Helvetica is:

·      easy on the eyes.

·      Simple

·      Sans serif

·      Perfect spacing

 

Helvetica is modernous font which represents modern movement.

Helvetica is ubiquitous and is used too much. Therefore it is not cool since it is too simple and is nor perfect.  

Helvetica is used for corporations and is therefore corporative and is institutional. Therefore it is a negative quality of this font.

Creating a Font

To create a font, you have to start creating letters with a straight line and a curve (i.e a ‘h’). Then you start creating an ‘o’ and then a ‘p’. Once you have letters, you can build words with them. This is a very important step in creating a font.

Horizontal slicing off of terminals.

Car brands use Helvetica in their logo. (Toyota, BMW, Jeep, Kawasaki, Saab)

They are authoritarian, bureaucratic, and oppressive, they can be more accessible, transparent and accountable.  Font gives a corporation a corporative tone. Using Helvetica, it makes the corporation looks more accessible.

A real typeface needs rhythm and contrast. Helvetica has neither rhythm nor contrast.

Helvetica needs a lot of space around it. All the letters look the same.

Typeface is a part of branding. When choosing a typeface, you are branding. Branding is projecting of qualities.