DESIGN IS DANGEROUS

Consuming water from a water bottle is something part of the norm around the world. However, lately, that has been changing with the designs of the steel/aluminum containers.
Bottle Water is the type of design that is constantly used by many Americans. It is actually more expensive creating the plastic water bottle than the water contained in the bottle. Not only is the water bottle create a hole in your wallet, but it also affects your health. However, I am not just talking about water bottles, but all types of plastic bottles, including the baby bottles children drink from everyday. Why is it dangerous? The chemicals can potential harm you. Plastic bottles tend to be marked with recycling codes in order to distinguish them apart. The Plastics #1, #3, #6 and #7 are among the varieties that are not recommended to be used for certain items. However, scientists say #2, #4 and #5 tend to be safer among the other plastics.
 "The last category of plastic is number seven. Number seven means the plastic used is either a combination of two or more of the previously mentioned plastics, or that the plastic used does not fit into any of the previously mentioned plastic categories." mentions EHOW.com This plastic can be good or bad, depending on its specific qualities. In example, Polycarbonate is used in many containers and is considered highly dangerous, while biodegradable bio-based plastics are considered to be the "good" plastics. Both of these are number seven plastics. It is usually common for the bottle to be marked with the number seven. In addition to the health problems, plastic bottles depend on cheap labor. I think we would rather prefer not to help cheap labor, right?
 

Credits: google images, thisplastic & this bottle

COLOR TRANSFORMS

If you asked someone to imagine the color red, they will most likely imagine a different color from you as stated from Josef Albers' Interaction of Color. Even if we all have seen the same COCA-COLA red sign, our own vision of the COCA-COLA sign would be different from the next person to me imagines.

When it comes to digital photography or black and white film, color of course plays a big role. Whether you're trying to bring more contrast into the photo, or get rid of a certain image, it all requires the usage of color.

Albers' state that in photography, the dark image tends to come out darker. While printing out a photo in the dark room, there are three main colors available in order to mess around (or change) the contrast. Those colors are YELLOW, MAGENTA, and CYAN. However, only Yellow and Magenta tend to be

usage. Those two tend to be the typical colors to create a great contrast between black and white in a photo.

Color plays a big part on staging your photography. If the picture is too black, it can either dramatized a photo (or ruin it).

The colors green, blue, and mauves are the introverted colors. Those colors can often give a different feel of reds and yellows in your pictures. However, colors like yellows, reds,oranges, and pinks can portray and energetic or lively picture. If you would like to have an example of this, imagine fruits such as cantalope. Apples, or bananas.

Credits: Josef Albers "Interaction of Color", This, Google Images 

Chairs - ( Design in Society)

If you have lived in the UC Davis dorms, you have probably come across the desk chairs that are either wooden, small sized, with the fabric on the seating area (the are where your bottom is be “resting”) or if you live in the newer dorms in Wall, Campell, Potter or Kearney-Laben, you will most likely have the plastic rolling chairs. Is there really a difference among those two types of chairs? Some of the biggest complaints in the dorms has been about the chairs. Yes, the chairs. Although just having a chair to seat in should be enough, it really isn't. The bad thing about the wooden chairs is that its smaller and its up to a certain height. Unlike with a rolling chair, you are able to raise its height or lower it. Furthermore, there are not handles on the wooden chair. With the rolling chair, you are able to get move the arm handles out of the way or have them if you wish you rest your arms. The biggest negative for the wooden chair is probably the seat that has fabric as a comforter. Although having fabric can probably make your bottom feel more comfortable, it can make the back of your thighs uncomfortable if your skin is sensitive. Since the rolling chairs have passed down from freshmen to freshmen every year, it has collected dust and of course it has been overuse by many people, therefore making it unclean. At least with the plastic rolling chairs, one is available to avoid discomfort and able to move free in their room. Yet, the wooden chair does has its own pro; it can also serve as a ladder while the rolling chair can kill you if you are not very careful.

Credit: Google Images

Nippon Cinema.com (Design as a Conversation)

Nippon Cinema.com is a website that I recently found out about. Being a self proclaimed lover of Japanese cinema, I was intrigued when I first found the website. It was like finding a candy island. Despite being amazed by the information I found throughout the website, I couldn't help and notice later on that the website reminded me of a blog. Maybe the designers of the website did this on purpose? Maybe.

The design of the website has the information regarding news on Japanese cinema on the left side, while it has “other” information regarding news from Japanese cinema on twitter. While twitter is on above, the “like” for Nipponcinema.com on Facebook is below it. What makes the website remind me of a blog style is that simplicity of the website. Also, each article has the “comments” section below it. Though I know that websites that feature articles feature a “comments” section below every article (once you click on the full story), this website has the comments sections appear on every article straight ahead.

The fact the NipponCinema.com has the style of a blog makes it look more personal than professional. However, that is what makes the website more accessible and easier to use and look at.

Credits: Nippon Cinema.com

Sony Vaio VGN-NS330J ( 5 Areas of Ergonomics Research)

Laptop hunting is what the incoming college freshmen does right before he or she decides to attend his first year of college away from home. I happened to be one of those students the year before . Although a desktop is something that I would much prefer, a laptop is the most convenient item that the college student can have.

Since I was did not have the money to afford a Mac Book Pro laptop, I decided to go ahead and buy a SONY VIAO. Unlike the other PC laptops that I have seen (including HP Pavillion, Dell, Toshiba) the SONY VAIO is flat. When I look at other PC's, they are rather bulky. I must admit that I was looking for a laptop that was a bit similar to the Mac Book Pro that I wasn't able to afford. The texture of the SONY VIAO is completely different when compared to almost, if not all laptops. The texture is smooth, but it has very small type of dash all across the outer layout of the laptop. I think that very feature makes the laptop light weight. In general, not all laptops are lightweight, but this laptop.Therefore, there is not safety hazard for this laptop. The college student won't die from carrying this laptop weighs six point five pounds, making it accessible for the college student to carry t to class/lecture.

The keyboard feature of the SONY VAIO is one of the best features about the laptop. The keys are black. However, they keys are flat and its easy to flow when typing up a paper. One of the things that I find a bit disturbing is the keypad of the SONY VAIO. Its not centered. I do not know if is is not supposed to be actually centered, but I think it should have been place a little bit more to the right side in order to have the key pad a bit more centered.

Because the laptop is flat, the keyboards are smooth, and the design of the laptop is tolerable, it is a laptop that is easy to use. Since it is a PC, the laptop is prone to viruses. It doesn't matter how much you use it or how you use it, there is a chance that you might get a virus. Because of this very reason, you will have to buy an anti virus program.

The SONY VAIO might not be the so loved Mac Book Pro that many college students want (but that some cannot not afford), but it is definitely a laptop that one can come to love. For the people that really wanted a Mac Book Pro, this laptop can be considered the imitation of the Mac Book Pro. But for the PC lovers, this is the “IT” laptop. I know that I grew to love this laptop, and I defend its honor from the overly popular and overly expensive MacBook Pros. However, the preference of a laptop is up to the eye of the beholder. Whether you like a laptop for its design or its functions, it does not really matter. Any laptop can be considered a “must have” item.

Credits: Google

WORD and IMAGE Pt. II – Foreign Films

WORD and IMAGE Pt. II – Foreign Films

A film does not necessarily require the usage of text. Why? Because sound is already used. However, this changes when film is in a language that we do not understand. There is a typical typography that is often used in international films. Unfortunately, I am not with familiar on what the exact style of font was used, but if you're a lover of international cinema, the same font appears over and over in most films. There is a difference in the type of font utilized. The typical font used is in white bold, and similar to a "Times New Roman" style. The other type of font that I have seen appear is bright, bold (bolder than the typical white), and yellow.

Why is this subject an importance? Because it can leave an impression on the audience.

Although international films are not viewed by everyone, it is definitely viewed by many people.

Translation of a language plays a big part in international films. What would the case be if the subtitles at the bottom claimed that that the character was mad, when he or she wasn't actually mad? Some words in another language can not be exactly translated to the English language, thus an exact translation can be made up for the lack of its translation.

Although a translated film is not exactly like a comic book, it some way it is. Like a comic strip, mostly every film strip will have a word and image in the same frame.

Credits: Google

CD COVERS/PACKAGE

Although in this era people do not buy CD's as much as they used to like in past decades, CD covers still play a critical part on a artist's impression on the public. Designers are limited on what type of package the CD should come in. It can vary in paperback, which is what I consider the old vinyl style from the 1980's and earlier. Except that it is in a smaller form. Or they can chose to take the current hard plastic cover. And of course, there is a paperback form that is not like a vinyl. It can either have three or two parts. One of the cd's I purchased a while ago was from a band called MGMT. All of the albums have been created in a vinyl type of form. Unfortunately, I do not like it. But of course, I still buy it because I want to support the band and a complain of the cd material should not stop me from buying it, right?

And then there is the image on the cd. Some bands prefer to be on the cover on the album, and a picture is utilized. Or an image is created specifically for the album. MGMT utilized a picture of themselves rather than a created image for the first album the album cover on the left. But they went ahead with a created image on the right.

Thinking of the texture and value of a CD cover doesn't necessarily seem of any importance, but it is a topic that I have discussed with my friends. What is you preference when it comes to a cd package?

Credits: Google

WORD and IMAGE Pt.1

About an hour ago I went to Trader Joe's with some of my residents. One of the things that I happen to buy (basically the only thing that I didn't consider so expensive from the whole store) was their KETTLE CORN.

The bag that contains TRADER JOE's KETTLE CORN is a peachy white with light pink stripes. And of course, the title of KETTLE CORN is on the first half on the bag with big font while there is a sentence below the title that says “With the perfect balance of sweet and salty”. But that's not the best thing about the KETTLE CORN bag. Below the quote mentioned above, is a picture. The picture contains a theme of late 1800's through early 1900's fashion. All of the characters in the picture are dressed from fashion of that era. 

However, the one character that catches your attention is the man with the TRADER JOE's KETTLE CORN bag on each of his hands. And it happens to be right below the words “ Perfect balanced between sweet and salty”. Yet, the kettle corn bags in the man's hands are not in perfect balance. The man is dressed in a style of a person that might be part of a circus act. What does this imply? Should we have TRADER JOE'S KETTLE CORN because it gives an old fashioned vibe? The other characters in the picture are children. The children looked amazed by the man with the kettle corn bags. And of course, so do I.

Credits: Google

Winter Fashion - Coats

It is officially (well almost there) winter season! The best thing about winter is simply the fashion. Once it is the start of summer season, I cannot wait for the heat to leave and for the cold to come.

It takes a while for the Davis summer heat to leave, but during the bi polar weather, UC Davis students take advantage of the few bits of cold that appears here and there and wear their coats with pride.

On Saturday, I actually went shopping to the Sacramento mall in search for "the coat". What was the coat I was looking for? I first I was looking for a black coat, and later on it became the search of a "black raincoat". Yet, I ended up purchasing just simply a black coat from Forever 21.

Although I was also trying to look for a coat that can actually provide me warthm, be comfortable, and block the rain when it rained; I chose a coat based on its design. Its the fashion the counts sometimes over the comfortable level that it may have in the end. The coat that I purchased wasn't the coat that I actually wanted, but it was decent enough to be worn with most of my clothing items. I am actually hoping I can find a trench coat, rather than just a regular coat, but who knows when that will happen. Maybe when I go to Japan one day?



Weather you chose to wear a coat for comfort or to be fashionable, or both, it doesn't really matter. Coats are an integral part of winter fashion, and it is the "it" clothing item that makes Winter season, well  Winter season of course.

Sandals - A Mass Production

For Californians, flips flops or sandals are common place. Even when it is in Winter temperatures at UC Davis, you might still see someone wearing Rainbow Sandals.

Sandals is some of the earlier form of shoes. Or dare I say it, it can also probably be the actual first form of shoes. One can think that the Ancient Greeks wore the shoes, but usage of sandals can probably be traced EVEN earlier than that. It can be traced all the way to the Ice Age , or 10,000 years ago!
As I am writing up this blog, I am actually wearing my flip flops. However, the sandals that I am wearing right now are only meant to be inside than outside. I have another pair of sandals that I only use to wear outside rather than the inside. Both of these pairs of sandals look very different. Though the design is the same, the quality, the texture, and the color of the sandals are not alike at all. And of course, I also have my “fashionable” sandal that I wear in order to make my whole outfit look nice or at least decent.

My pair of sandals that are meant to be used inside my dorm room, is black with a pink "thong". And my "fashionable" looking sandal has has a thin white strap.

Like the description of my sandals mentioned before, sandals come in a variety of sizes and colors. There are sandals that are exclusively for men and for women only. There are the fashionable sandals and the exercise sandals are well; and they truly are different from each other. I know that I definitely won't be caught wearing a fancy looking sandal to a walk-a-thon around the beach lines.

The reason why sandals are so important is because everyone and their mothers wear them. A world without sandals, would be truly a weird world indeed. We need to be able to let our toes feel the sun and breath oxygen once in a while, right?

For more info and credits: Sandal History!

Objectified

Almost everything is designed, one way or another. Every decision has been made even before the product is about to me made.
See the film trailer here!

Although I did not had the chance to finish the film, "Objectified", what I saw so far impressed me a great deal. Some of the designers from the film were mentioning how by hearing someone's wife complain about the potato peeler, they actually went ahead and designed a potato peeler that is good enough for a person with arthritis to use.

Design isn't just about fashion, but also, and importantly so, everyday objects as well. Even the laptop that I am using has been designed...and of course I bought my laptop in the first place because I felt in love with the silver SONY VAIO design.

 The design has to stimulate people's mind and soul. Even the designers themselves, are actually the audience themselves.

According to the film, there are three phases:

1. Formal relation
2. Symbolism and the content that you are dealing with
3. The design has to be seen more than the bigger picture. It can be more than just an object. An example to this is the design of the Dirt Devil. It is also a product that can be both utilized and and look beautiful like an art piece.



As Henry Ford says, "Every object tells a story"...you just have to know how to read it.\\

Google: Images, Youtube