The Gay Arguement, Visualized

(click the image to see the entire thing)

Found this diagram on GOOD's website. It reminded me a lot of those quizzes in Seventeen magazine where one answer leads to another (or those 'create your own chapter books') While I think it is a beautiful diagram, it saddens me that there is no clear solution. Then again, I don't feel like all the arguments are even legitimate. However some are pretty funny, "I'm not a bigot: I hate the sin, but love the sinner" and "I'm not gay but I still need a catagory of humans I can look down upon" sad, but true.

Gay is the new Black

So I need a little help. Below are three versions of a poster slogan for gay rights. My aim is to compare gay rights to civil rights movements in a way to motivate my generation to realize that just because they may not be effected directly--we're talking about equality here.

Version 1

The original sketch as it was done before we scanned it into Illustrator and made it digital. I like this one because the flourish on the "y" has a lot of 'breathing' room and therefore is accented.
If I kept this one I would align the lower case "w" in new with the stroke of the "k" in black so that they were part of the same imaginary line. I also moved the squirl on the "G" up above the "BLACK" so it didn't look like I was dotting part of the "L" as an "i".

Version 2

This one highlights the "G" in gay.I don't really like the "L" or the "CK"'s placement over the flourishes...what do you think? I want it to feel like gay is rising up out of black, however here it looks like black is on top of Gay. I do like that "gay" is more balanced on the work "BLACK" though.

Version 3

This is the same as version 2 except it has cutouts where the two words "gay" and "BLACK" overlap. I really like this one but am worried about legibility. To me it feels like "gay" is blurring out Black, as if it is a thing of the past, and Gay is taking it's black in terms of importance. Is it illegible? or is it worth doing to draw viewers in? Remember this will be on a 8.5x11 poster. I'll post layouts later...

Comments would be appreciated. Let me know what you think.

Project H

This past weekend I attended the Dwell on Design conference at the LA convention center. After being blown away by all the inventive home design products (solar panels that look like climbing ivy, recycled plastic bottle chandeliers, and repurposed wine bottle spoons...), I happened to walk into a talk by Emily Pilloton, founder and director of Project H. Their mission is to support, create and deliver life-improving humanitarian product design solutions.

Learning Landscapes tire playgound teaches math

I immediately took a seat to listen to the last bit of her talk. Project H has several chapters in different cities throughout the world. They are working on a repurposed tire playground that teaches math that can be made anywhere. I loved how interactive this idea was. It gets students moving, teachers get direct feedback on how well students understand a concept and it can grow with the students as they learn more advanced concepts (even algebra!).

'double function products' such as this tote bag/hammock were made by the LA chapter of Project H

The chapter in LA works with the Downtown Women's Center to provide skills and products to help homeless women. They invented a tote bag that can become a hammock, a hoodie that has storage compartments and other products. They are actually made and sold at the center by these women.

My work on display!

Exciting news! I got a piece of my work from last fall into UCLA Extension's The 2009 "It's Your Show" .

The unveiling is on Friday June 26th 6:30-9 pm, at UCLA Extension’s 1010 Westwood Center Gallery if you're around, please stop by. :)


According to their website, special recognition will be given by a jury of Los Angeles artists to projects displaying excellence in specific elements of art and design.

Otherwise, it will be up until July 16th.

Anti-Traffic

Today I worked on my video for the opposite of traffic--free, flow, movement, constant speed, and peacefulness. Here it is. See the original "traffic" video in the previous post.

Anti-Traffic
(12 seconds)
After Effects & Illustrator

Next: combining the two into one video

Traffic Video

Here it is ladies and gents!

An example of my work from my Motion Design class at Art Center this term. It's one of three movies in a series. I was recently inspired by GOOD magazine's latest issue on transportation (and the lack of it) in LA. So my issue is LA transportation: looking at the present: traffic and the future: not traffic. The next video will be anti-traffic (think serenity and flow) and the final one is the issue at large (a combination of the two forces). This video has been good therapy for the hours of life I have sat in traffic down here in la la land. Enjoy!

Traffic
(9 seconds)
After Effects & Illustrator

Ironically on the way home from the downtown LA library, where I was working on this project, we saw a 5 car pile up...cross your fingers I'm not next!

This video was made using After Effects and is my hard work so please do not steal. :) Contact me if you want to know more.

Product Design Before & Afters

So what's the most boring thing in the world? Wheat bread packaging might be one of them. But not anymore! Check out Silver Hill Bakery's redesign on the dieline.com (scroll almost to the bottom of the page to find it) Just a little taste of how design is everywhere. Plus it gives me hope that I will have a steady job when all of my training is 'over'. (see their article on Recession Proofing Packaging)

On a slightly different note I also came across a new design resource while browsing the web. (I'm beginning to realize the web is HUGE! I haven't even tapped into the design resources avaliable) The site, design:related, is, as the name suggests, for anything related to design. You can post your work in a virtual portfolio as you post pictures to facebook or flicker. Plus it has job postings (!-wish I was more qualified), news in design, inspiration and highlights. What really struck me is how high quality the work is. Most of it you'll probably recognize from just being a consumer. I encourage browsing...lots of book and editorial design. mmmm yummmy!

Microsoft's iPod + Did you know?

Two great videos for you to check out:

1. A great parody addresses the question, what if Microsoft sold the iPod, what would their product's boxy look like?



2. This video is about the exponential growth of available information in our society and what might happen in the future.

L!BRARY

For anyone who likes books, education and/or design, this is amazing.

http://pentagram.com/en/new/2009/03/murals-for-the-library-initiat.php#more


Pentagram, one of the best US design firms, and the Robin Hood Foundation, an initiative to build new school libraries in elementary schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City, put their forces together for good. After nine years, what started as a project that included signage, way finding (maps, directional signs ect), and branding, turned even more creative when they noticed the unused space above the bookshelves in these high ceiling rooms. Obviously it's out of reach for students, so books aren't stored there, but it doesn't mean it should be left alone. The answer are these wonderful murals, quotes, and installations to spark imagination and encourage reading.

Instillation based on Lewis Carrol's Jaberwocky.
Pentagram & Robin Hood Foundation

"As P.S. 47 librarian Joanne Davis told the Times, 'A lot of students here have never been in a school library or even a public library.” Robin Hood executive director David Salzman observes that each school library impacts “5 percent of a school’s real estate but 100 percent of its students.'"

Library PS287
Pentagram & Robin Hood Foundation

Our Home Gallery

So this weekend my boyfriend, D, got a bad cold, or as he would called "death flu". This was also the weekend I decided to put my foot down, print some pictures out, and put some frames up over our couch. It should be noted that these frames were purchased in January from the Burbank IKEA. While D did do all of the printing from his 'Jesus printer' I did all the measuring, alignments and actual, how do you say, man work. Now Derek, feeling much better today, wants to find a low-end, on the cheap, renter's Home and Garden to post our work to. My answer, the Jacqueline Stark blog. Enjoy

Before:
our plain, sad, white renter's walls


The floor plan, literally:


Derek decided to document my hard work...at this point the apartment is sweltering hot because Derek insists he cannot be cold while he has a fever and the oven is heating up as I multi-task between hammering and cooking.

After:
Ta-da!!


Victory dinner. Note the little ottoman cubes, a recent pick up from Target, are fantastic versatile players--extra seating, tables tops (when you turn over the cushions) and storage.


And this morning, I decided to also put our other IKEA purchases in their place on the wall and off of the floor. Here is the bamboo wall hanging that has been gathering dust on our floor. Now it's in its rightful place behind D's huge TV.



PS our new vacuum was delayed until the 3rd...life is quite exciting here.

Have a creative day.