InDesign file - Take One

Here's a rough draft of what I have in mind for my section in the book. The intro/blurt is just filler text (ignore the Latin) cause I'm not totally sure what exactly to write yet about my project... But yeah, ten pages = some photos, some stickers, some random pattern to help show what I did and what it all turned out like. (Select to view it as a book in the bottom left corner)

CP_Earth_roughdraft

Final Draft of Icons

These are the final drafts of the icons I cut. Some I altered to make them easier to prep and others got some minor alterations...

Nighttime Activities

Yesterday, Joseph and I installed most of our vinyl stickers on campus. Here are some pictures from my point and shoot camera to show our process and end result... Enjoy!

Rough Draft of Vinylllll

Here's a collection of icons I made to illustrate facts about fact and decomposition facts. I have a couple variations of each icon, but posted my favorite so far...

Captain Planet

After meeting again in groups yesterday, our little subgroup of the tool group came to a final number of four people and a central theme... Captain Planet. We are going to be dedicating ourselves to each of the planeteer's causes to promote awareness.

Wind - Brad

Water - Libby

Earth - Kimberly

Fire and Heart - Joseph

Since the deadline is coming up quickly and we want to

have enough time to put a book together, send it to Lulu

and get it back in time to present... We made a tentative

schedule to keep ourselves on track for the next couple

weeks.

Thursday (10/12) - Bring 2/3 rough drafts of idea(s)

Tuesday (10/17) - Final drafts, ready to go up

Thursday (10/19) - Install and document

Tuesday (10/24) - Rough draft of InDesign layout, get ready to submit

I'm also adding a youtube video to jog some memories about the TV show from our childhood... haha.

Ideas/Sketches for Project Two

Here are my ideas and sketches that I came up with before we meet again with our groups on Tuesday...






For the first idea, I am looking to use the tools to create an output and in the latter two ideas, I am interested in the concept and how I can push the tools to create a different and innovative output to represent awareness.

idea number one
I am really interested in learning more about the laser cutter, since I have never used it and/or haven't applied it to anything related in my projects. I would want to explore cutting acrylic, cardboard and thick paper. I want to find a way to use the laser cutter to cut an object, then use the vinyl cutter to somehow decorate them with words/ideas/images. I think that by combining the two tools, that I could get a cool product that is more than just one dimensional.

I would want to create a series. A few ideas I had was to create a way to etch/cut into the material with the laser cutter and finding ways to manipulate natural light coming through the window, or creating coasters for a coffee table that all had one word etched into them and so that they all together could form different versions of sentences (sort of like the fridge word magnets),

idea number two
I am intrigued in centering the idea and focus of my second project towards finding an interesting way to promote awareness about a certain topic. The most apparent idea to me that I'm interested in finding out more about is energy (how to converse, awareness of usage, renewable sources - solar, wind, wave energy facts, etc)

I think that this would be an interesting topic because it is something that everyone is constantly consuming. I would like to promote awareness across the University to students and faculty in ways that are very apparent - like placing vinyl stickers near light switches about how much it costs per hour to light a certain classroom, researching facts how natural lighting helps conserve energy on windows, explore how the solar panels on Lillis help to converse both energy used for light and heat, etc, etc.

I would very much like to explore how to use the vinyl cutter in more interesting ways by finding ways to represent facts and images by playing with the positive and negative space.

Some other ideas are: water conversation, habit destruction, depleting rain forests, comparing research of alcohol/drug use or exercise vs. performance in schoolwork

idea number three
After talking with everyone interested in exploring the tools we have available to us, I pointed out that I was interested in maybe doing a project focusing on creating awareness (since I was bummed that the awareness group got vetoed early on). As we continued talking, both Brad and Joseph were interested in continuing on the idea of their last projects about awareness and Libby was interested in working in a group. All four of us decided that working together on creating awareness on a larger scale rather than one person with one idea and one way of thinking is appealing. I am very interested in working within a close group because I enjoy getting a second opinion and a fresh set of eyes to look at my ideas, as well as having someone to bounce ideas off of.

As a group, we would could either pick one topic and all explore ways of representing awareness in our own different interpretations and creating a large movement across campus and/or Eugene. The second way to approach the group concept would be to all pick different topics and all finding ways to work together to cleverly promote awareness.

I would still want to explore my energy research, but could also use one of the other topics that is listed above under Idea #2.

The thing that would bring us all together on this project is documenting everything we put up in public into a book. We would have the book chronicle all our work in the public environment in a professional representation. We would each have our own chapter within the awareness book that we would have to show for ourselves and as well as have each others work.

I am most excited about the last idea. I would really like to involve myself in something beyond my own personal sphere and work with other students within the class. I think that everyone has really valuable ideas and talents that I could learn and enjoy working with on this final project.

DIY Presentation (.pdf)

ARTD 410 DIY

Update: 11/3/09 - FINISHED

I finished up my DIY project Sunday afternoon... I feel so relieved that everything in my kitchen is organized and staying that way! Here are some pictures of the final product that I'll be including in my Keynote presentation today...

Vinyl

As I was cutting vinyl titles to go on the steel board today... I found a solution to sort of deal with my frustration about not having things put back in the right place. I'm gonna "tag" my kitchen cabinets and fridge. I used a graffiti font and made name tags that I'm gonna adhere to the edge of shelves, inside drawers and in the fridge... I hope that my roommates find it humorous too. I know their styles and they won't mind the "graffiti". The smaller font (0.5") is for the cabinets and the larger (0.75") is for the fridge and misc.

Update: 10/25/09

The hardest part about this assignment is the fact that I am not just attempting to transform my personal space, but rather a shared space. As much as I am driving this project, it is not about me. I want to instill some sort of sense of organization, placement and cleanliness within my roommates. After being in Washington all weekend, I came home this afternoon to a mess. Food and beer cans all over the counters, dishes in the sink, flies circling...? This project has become, in my mind, somewhat bigger than just reconstructing personal space. I think I may need to encompass some behavior issue solutions to these boys. The connection between the smell and uncleanliness doesn't register with them. I don't necessary believe that went I move out in December that everything I attempt to reorganize or employ will be upheld unless I do a better job than I am doing at explaining the reasoning behind why I feel it would be beneficial for them to buy into a system of organization and cleaning.

So far some things I want to accomplish this week:

- Cutting the vinyl to make those stickers for the steel board.

- Sitting down with my roommates to talk to them about what they want to see work better and if any sort of system should be designed to assign chores/roles (it is a little childish, but it could make a difference by delegating responsibility among us)

- Putting together all the photos and documentation in an easy to read and understand form... yet to be determined. I was think either a pamphlet or making it fun and look like a comic strip.

Update: 10/22/09 Progress

What I accomplished this afternoon:

After a trip to Home Depot, I came back with .5" magnetic tape, a thin steel board and magnets. It was awesome, everything I needed I was in one aisle.

My first hurdle was cleaning out the funk in the fridge before anything else.

Success!

Next, I worked on creating the knife wall. The magnetic strip wasn't the strongest. So I devised a way to accommodate all knife's height. I like the way that the lines created a mug-shot type line-up.

Lastly, I laid out the steel board and got an idea to design some fun organizational vinyl stickers for it... rather than the normal straight text.

I want to cut these out in vinyl next week to mount on the steel board to create three section where notes can be attached with magnets...

Reconstructing Personal Space: Update

Here are some of things I am setting out to accomplish tomorrow:

1. Starting with reorganizing items within the kitchen... the dirty work

- Condensing larger, clunkier items to use less space. More commonly used items in the front, less in the back.

- Consolidating common items... plates, bowls, glasses... to be stacked into the depths of the cabinets.

o Glassware should be by the sink

o Dinnerware should be put in a similar position so dishes can be put away easily

o Pots/pans and spices should be close to the stove/oven

o Food should be fit into the remaining spot and be convenient

2. Go to Home Depot

- Get self-adhesive magnetic strip (2) to attach knifes to east wall or above the stove

- The guys definitely like the idea of having their best knifes on display and easy to access

- Use the second strip to create a place to put up memos/keys/photos

3. Go to craft store

- Look for a canister to decore to hold all of the common kitchen utensils

- Get a metal sheet to tack to the south wall for magnetics and memos

Additional things to accomplish:

- Design something to cut in vinyl to adhere to the metal sheet and canister to make it unique and personalized

- Divise a storage system for the hall closet... materials, cost and what to do with a vaccum that has no where else to go

Design Proposals

Below are three of my design proposals for tackling organizing a crazy, messy kitchen. These are just some solution to the problem, and I plan on probably encompassing most of my ideas into the reorganizational process - but mainly focusing on one.

Solution#1

Solution#2

Solution#3

Cold Remedy...?

Results: This morning I woke up actually feeling a little less stuffy. It'd be cool if it was slight result of the garlic tea, in addition to healthy sleep. Only time will tell...

DIY Assignment

After trying to get over a cold for almost a week, I decided to search at-home cold remedies to see if they would give me the extra kick to finally ditch the sniffle and cough. I immediately skipped right over all the ones that required cayenne pepper (if you've ever had cayenne pepper in food, you know it's strong... but in a drink, way too strong). I finally found this simple "Garlic Tea" recipe to boost your immune system and decided to try it out.

• 
• Step 1: Peel 3-4 cloves of garlic, and chop/crush
• 
  
• Step 2: Crush the garlic into glass, and simmer in 2 cups of water for about 10 minutes
• 
  
• Step 3: Strain the water, and discard the excess garlic

• Step 4: Add a teaspoon of honey and fresh lemon juice

Step 5: Enjoy

The reality: It tastes exactly what you think garlic, lemon and honey would taste like - disgusting! I had to bribe my sick roommate Cameron to spilt the drink with me by getting him a grape soda chaser to follow after each sip. I'm not too sure the benefits (of hopefully waking up tomorrow sans cold) will outweigh the cons (a gross after-taste that will not go away). To be determined...

Really?

Is this for real? The British are breeding $1,100, litter box trained miniature pigs. Anything is possible.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Mind Map

Here's my personal mind map exploring my lifestyle, topics, randomness and touching on my groups theme of "restructuring personal space".

Colourrr. The series of 6 panels is titled "Roy G. Biv". The sculpture below... complete chaos. These really have nothing to do reconstructing personal space... they are just fun... I want. +++ www.ryanmcginness.com.

Ink Calender

I've been enticed by Oscar Diaz's "Ink Calender" ever since I stumbled across it on NY Time's ArtistADay a few months ago. It basically uses it chromatographic principles to pull the ink from the bottle, cleverly labeled by month. Diaz designed each month's hue to be based on a temperature scale. Rich colors in the fall, darker colors in the winter, natural colors in the spring, and bright colors in the summer. Gradually, the ink spreads across the paper, dying each number as it goes... in theory to count the dates as they pass. I think it's an interesting demonstration of the concept of passing time. It's a starting point as I start to think more about reconstructing personal space... as well as our use of time.