Customise Magazine by Thao Lai

Customise is a magazine that wants you to think it’s a coaster, leave your drinks on it, eat off it, even use it as a hat if you want. Versatility and ingenuity are our goals.We’re not a suit and tie operation, we are a shirt and jeans kind of operation with the occasional hoodie. We love what we do, and everything else. Design is not just a job, it’s a way of life, and that’s what we believe. What’s new, what’s in and what’s out, what’s innovative and what’s out right crazy but awesome at the same time, that’s what we’re about.

have

entertaining,

collaborated

educational

create and

inspirational online space for aspiring designers. We are design’s future. We encourage the climb towards the greatest of heights; to read, to laugh, to learn. To customise; to make the world your own. No matter which discipline of design you are interested in, there is something here that will spark your intellectual or creative interest. Soak it up, and enjoy.

i heart my... a sneak peak at the prized possessions of the customise team words Kaylee Leonard

paintbrush: I stole it from school. I keep it hidden under my table so it never goes missing. When I was back in high school I sometimes painted in my spare time. It’s lasted an incredibly long time, no frizzle, the hairs aren’t falling out and the bristles aren’t bound together by paint. In typical student style, I once pulled an all nighter where I didn’t even get tired, I believe that Whether it is cool crap, fun crap, it was because of the paintbrush, dust-collecting crap, collectable so I’ve kept it. I take care of my crap, silly crap or sentimental paintbrush. (Peter A) crap; our parents hate it, but we love it- and we want to share mini coke can: It’s less than it with you. So, the young and half the size of a normal can of highly talented students behind coca-cola can. I got it from Tokyo, Customise magazine take a break Japan and it’s still full, never been from their work to introduce their opened, and I intend to keep it most treasured possessions from that way. It holds memories from the depths of their bedrooms my trip to Japan, and I keep it on to you. As noted, some are display on my bookshelf for all my outrageous, some useful, some visitors to admire. (Ivan) tools used to aid their creativity regardless, take a looksee... There’s something really amazing about people who are absolutely smitten, infatuated and head over heels in love with what they do. We are design students. We love eating, leaving things to the last minute, being silly on the weekends, skipping lectures, creating, competing and collecting crap.

home grown Italian poster: Yeah, I stole it- off a wall in an alleyway! I was staying just along from the Grand Canal in Venice, and for days had been admiring posters promoting a classical music festival. When I noticed there was only one left, naturally that little voice in my head told me to take it! So, I asked my friend to act as a lookout and tore it down as quickly as I could, ripping it in the process, but that’s what I like about it! The poster now calls the wardrobe door in my room, home, along with all the other junk I collected in Europe. (Tegan)

perfect stubby holder. One New Years Eve, a few mates and I took about 4 more Hulk-fist-stubby holders on a house boat on the Hawksbury River. It lives on the top of my dresser, and I praise it everyday. (Stephen) camera: I keep my beloved camera in my room, in my car or in any generally handy spot that enables me to pick it up and use it when I see something worth capturing. I bought it brand new from a camera shop that does camera repairs for the company I work for. It’s important to me because it’s a tool I need to express my creativity and get my work done, and because I prefer to take shots on film rather than store them digitally. It has captured many funny photos that trigger amazing memories and stories. (Thao)

big green hand: I bought my Incredible Hulk ‘fist-glove’ from an op-shop. Being a designer, I was inspired to customise my Hulk fist to suit another role rather than a giant plastic mitten! At home, I hacked at the fist with a scalpel, cutting a hole in it that love cuffs: They were a present I could fit my beer in- it is now on Valentines Day, can’t remember the ‘party-popular’ and amazingly who gave them to me obviously

one of the two girls I’ve used them with, but which one? I keep them hanging in my room by my lamp as an ornamental piece. I’ve simply kept them because I hate throwing things away... and maybe for future use. (Dane) mighty boosh: I am completely and utterly obsessed with ebay and English comedian Noel Fielding (the Mighty Boosh), so I thought I’d ebay to find him! I decided to purchase an autographed photo of him, it was only $50 and came with a certificate of authenticity. I keep my darling positioned on a shelf so I can see him from every angle of my bedroom. (Shannon)

pencils, rubbers and markers. Originally a Winnie The Pooh pencil wallet from my childhood, I realised the design of the wallet could come to great use. I cut off the childish cover, re-stitched the elastic loops to the cardboard casing, scrawled my name on it, added some masking tape for decoration and covered it in clear contact to protect it. If I’m in my room, so is the pencil case- it goes everywhere with me. (Matt)

magic wand: I’ve always been a Harry Potter fan, so my friend got me a Hogwarts wand for my birthday. I’m not a creep who obsessed over the characters in the series, I am simply intrigued pencil case: It is a zip up folder by the fantasy within the story. with elastic slots for my pens, (Angelique)

death of contact. the ridiculous plethora of communication & its implications words Tegan Emmerson

The phone rings... voicemail. Better get in touch. Quick, send an sms, in case they don’t check their voicemail; and better try their blackberry too. Send an email... and write on their facebook wall in case they don’t check their email... and call them back later. Modern communication is way out of hand. We possess an impossibly erratic need to always be in reach, in touch, available; in case a piece of news comes about that we couldn’t possibly go a day without knowing. It’s a ridiculous hunt for knowledge that has turned so backwards on itself that we are possibly less in touch with each other than our parents, and even their parents. Ten or fifteen years ago, we barely knew what a mobile phone was. It was a chunky, heavy brick of a thing, only necessary

for businessmen or wealthy rampant socialites. Today, it is not uncommon, although frightfully sickening, to see an excited preteen chatting to her ‘girlfriends’ on her mobile about the latest Bratz doll. We came from sporadic home visits, call backs, and decent face to face communication - to a world of emoticons, on screen catch ups, and constant attention bagging interaction. Face to face has morphed into facebook. As Australia Post celebrates two hundred years of delivering letters to the increasing population of Australians less and less are sent every day. With email being free, easily accessed, and everyone seeming to be busier and more stressed as the years go by, hand written letters are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

When it is so much easier to zip off a generic thank you sms at twenty five cents a pop, the days of the hand written note or typed, even are long gone.

at work, sending numerous useless emails containing photos of cats with humerous captions, or just spending hours every night updating your uber cool blog about your oh-so-hard life On the flip side, how is this influx at seventeen that perhaps four or of new technology and these five people read occasionally. various communication options assisting us in industry? Designers Why do we have this incessant are utilising these tools quite need to be seen, to be accepted, to effectively as more and more are be noticed, to latch on to a course being implemented. From interior of communication and never let designers and wedding planners go? You may never ever need to sending MMS’s to their clients to talk to many of the people you fashion designers using Twitter to are technically and electronically notify followers (such a tragically ‘in contact’ with, but just in case, sad term) and fans of current you have them there like some trends, or up and coming launches sort of safety net if all of your real or events. As a professional these life friends for some reason days, appearing as though you are fade into oblivion. up to date, and technologically literate, rather than traditionally If we are at this stage now, inclined could be the difference where the contact with a good between securing a client or not. percentage of the people we know has been reduced to an Although these online and screen occasional sms or witty photo based ways of communicating are comment, where on earth will we dubbed as being ‘easier’, it seems be in the future? It only took the that people these days, especially invention and introduction of a young techno-ites, put much more few particular social networking time and effort into them. Whether sites to throw us into this crazy browsing facebook photo albums cyber life which replaced part of

our real lives, in that networking is now literally done on a network. While it is true that we still have our friends, and our real social connections, but with so much electrical competition for our attention, how long can they last? The next time someone tells you to hold on, or just ignores you; to talk to their piece of plastic, or communicate with a bunch of microchips & you’re left standing there like a loser who’d be more appreciated as a blackberry - poke them. Facebook would.

from man to machine. robot eating zombies are just around the corner! words Felicia Setiono

Ever wondered what it would be like to venture just outside your home, clad in a massive suit that has a strong resemblance to Optimus Prime? Well if you haven’t, take a moment now to imagine such an adventure... ... You can do whatever you please! Alternate realities have always been fun to explore, especially when they induce such a great sense of fear, power and euphoria, and in turn inject such a strong dose of adrenalin throughout your body. A means by which such a quest can be experienced is through the world of console or computer gaming, whereby pixels serve as more than just miniscule dots on a screen. Instead, they’re given the unimaginable task of transforming into doorways that lead to alternate universe.

Now this may sound extremely The Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) complicated. That’s because it is. systems within games have become more complex, and in From the days of Pong to tune with the real time action as MMORPGs (for those unfamiliar players wiz through levels. with such ridiculous jargon: Massively-Multiplayer Online For example, in Left For Dead Role Playing Games) such as the AI, who has been identified World of Warcraft – a game that as ‘The Director’ consists of has devoured hundreds of poor a complex set of algorithms, souls – gaming has revolutionised focusing on procedural content itself to its very limits. Or has it? generation, which enables The Director to generate an endless Many have argued that the amount of content which players industry has become repetitious, can consume. In short: small whereby Gaming Designers are algorithm equals exceptional finding it more and more difficult amount of gaming awesomeness. to create something original. But then, games such as Left for The reason The Director has been Dead and Grand Theft Auto IV highly applauded within gaming are released and order is then communities, is the ability it restored on a once chaotic planet; has to gauge a player’s gaming gamers across the globe unite at experience, then to alter the the chance to blow off some steam game accordingly. and a couple of zombie-fied heads along the way.

So, if you found yourself with four other people, stranded in the middle of L.A, wandering around the city with shotguns as hordes upon hordes of zombies come running towards you wanting to kill you, with zero ammunition left … well let’s just say the outcome doesn’t look so swell. The guys from the Discovery Channel show, Prototype This! On top of that, The Director will are in the process of making a think that you’re far too n00b at giant spherical hamster wheel for the game, so instead it will ease humans. Now, now, don’t freak out up the deadly hoard of zombies it’s not some insane experiment; it the next time around, just to make really does have a purpose. it that much easier for you. They wish to create a game, where The integration of real life aspects players will only need to wear a into virtual gaming societies is headpiece in order to delve into very prominent in some gaming the virtual society, the purpose devices, such as the Nintendo of the wheel is to give players Wii which enables you to create endless space to roam, Oh and a virtual form of yourself, so they don’t walk, and fall over or digital avatar within the things of course. game, called mii’s. With the way things are In some games available, such progressing this blurring of as boxing, when real life players societies will continue to worsen, punch with their right hand, so do to a point where one may not even their mii’s within the game. be able to distinguish the real from

“one may not even be able to distinguish the real from the virtual”

the virtual due to the development of new technologies, which are capable to run better graphics and project greater views of the alternate universe. One day you’ll wake up, you’ll look outside your window, only to be greeted by Autobot Jazz, waving his robotic arms and asking you to come and join him. So naturally, you run off and prepare yourself to be clad as Optimus Prime, looking forward to another funfilled adventure…

car design. we want to ride a pimped world words Aiza Hakik

After a hard day’s work, I took a beer from the fridge and held a cigarette in my eager hand. I made my way towards my bedroom for a lazy night. I sat on my bed and lit the cigarette. My eyes wondered towards my collection of Auto salon magazines. Took a swig of my beer and started flipping through the pages.

be a certain conversation with a group of car enthusiasts? Or maybe something deeper that is part of our world, our lifestyles, and our individual selves. Could one of the main influences of car design be shaped by our culture? And what is the result of this? So I finished my beer and the second cigarette and conked out on the bed. The next day I went off to the As I drank, smoked and practically library to start my brain engine. drooled over the glossy pictures of some of the most sought after What I found interesting in the cars today I wondered, thought books I brought home was the and tried to picture their creators. marriage between cars and the I tried to make my way into the American culture. It was really minds of some of the people that fascinating to see how it all begun are responsible for pimpin’ one of and also to see some of the aspects the world’s most designed objects. of how it has changed a country The car. of isolated communities to a single entity. This got me thinking, I wondered whether a particular colour or Beginning with Henry Ford’s object of nature was part of a car Model T, a vehicle mass-produced designer’s influence. Or could it in great quantities and sold to

the average wage-earning adult, the car helped create the middle class and develop consumerism immensely. The Model T in 1908 was a durable lightweight make and had a 16-inch ground clearance, making it easy to drive on unpaved roads. It sold for less than a thousand bucks. Not only could the average family afford one, but also in a time where most people did not travel that far beyond their community in their entire lives, the Model T meant long-distance travel as well as freedom. As cars clogged the roadways suitable for horses not motor vehicles, state and federal governments launched road paving campaigns. The first cross-country highway opened in 1913, originating at Times Square in New York and ending in San Francisco.

This highway, and others that followed, created a mobile society and changed the fabric of the American family. People moved with ease, reuniting with families or dropping out of society. From this you can see how much a country can change its lifestyle to make way for a simple yet extremely significant object.

Many prominent manufacturers like Honda integrated this concept and have revealed its concept car for the upcoming Camry Prius. Another car model that has been around for a while now is the Smart car. It is very inspiring seeing them driving around our Sydney streets as it has provided the option to do well for our world.

So in a nutshell … what I learnt was that a culture can be inspired to create a world that would in effect be convenient. A culture can choose what they want or don’t. Culture, time and people seem to be the main influences on car design whether it is regarding the size, shape or colour. Geez looking back I can see how that has

On the other hand, loud monstrous machines are still in the making such as the new 370Z by Nissan Motors. The enthusiasts of our generation and many past still long for that rush of excitement you get from a high-powered vehicle. So in effect what is conveyed by the car designs produced by motor groups today is that our society is

“could one of the main influences of car design be shaped by our culture?” worked out, but is it a good thing? Probably not. I mean we are now a fatter and lazier generation but hey, this article is about car design so I shouldn’t get into the bad and the ugly.

either confused, indecisive or may just want a bit of everything. So my starting philosophy of societies influencing car design does seem like it makes sense now. Looking back over the years up until today you can really see the changes. So right now I’m sitting in my We want … we have. bedroom once again, with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in So I will now conk out on my bed the other yet this time I have a again with another thought ... The really good sense of where car current 2009 recession … argh! design initiated. Wish I were a fly on the wall. But what about the current times? Up until 2008 our society turned some-what green. As a culture we are quite conscious about environmental factors that could bring about harm to our land, our wildlife as well as more importantly our children. This bought about the concept of the hybrid car.

selling Jesus. how do you advertise the son of god?

words Stephen Rigney

Few images can be considered more widely recognisable than that of the water-changing, resurrecting son of a virgin, Jesus Christ.

would have looked very different from those around him, an alien in his own land. Surely if he looked so different the Bible would have mentioned it.

In the western world we are shown a ruggedly handsome, longhaired, white robed, pale eyed, lean, tall and muscular super-Jesus. But just how accurate is this depiction of the so called “Son of God”?

On the contrary, in the book of Matthew, in the garden of Gethsemane Judas had to indicate to the guards who Jesus was as he couldn’t be distinguished from his disciples. The prophet Isaiah states: ‘He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him,’ further confirming his physical mediocrity.

The average man in Jesus’ time was 5 foot 3 inches tall and weighed just 50 kilograms, about the average size of a slim 14 year old girl today. Jesus lived in a poor neighbourhood, in an area that was hammered by heat, wind and sand. He worked with his adopted father, Joseph as a carpenter and was most likely a sinewy peasant, tough as a nail and just as appealing. If Jesus looked like the images that depict him today he

What about Jesus’ long hair.? The apostle Paul, in Corinthians 11:14 wrote, ‘if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him.’ Probably not the kind of thing a disciple would write if his Lord had long hair.

So why is our modern day depiction of Jesus so flawed? Why would we accept such an unlikely image?

Christianity, besides being a religion, a way of life, and a set of beliefs, is also a brand. A product that requires money to run. Any good product needs The answer lies in the world of good marketing. design, and more specifically in the world of advertising. We, Christianity needed an image that as human beings are inherently was appropriate for it’s target scared and unsure of our place market Jesus, is that image, in the universe. We look to that familiar face. Like Ronald religion to answer questions McDonald or the Colonel for KFC, about life, death and all the in Jesus is a logo for Christianity.

“Jesus is an advertisement, a personification of the Christian faith” betweens, flocking to someone He sells the product, the lifestyle, who gives us a simple solution. and the bumper stickers, filling Religion offers us answers to collection plates across the world. intangible questions. Jesus is an advertisement, Mankind has been paying for a personification of the religion forever. From Aztec Christian faith. The Jesus image priests sacrificing humans to encapsulates the intangible. placate their gods, to 100,000 A handsome, comforting face to so called ‘pilgrims’ paying the justify the existence of an entire Catholic Church to camp out on a belief system. racetrack in Sydney at ‘Popestock’ (World Youth Day 2008).

music and designers. music, bringing designers to life... be ready to be inspired

words Megan Sander

Those tight leathered black pants, a denim jacket and boots that just inspire and fit the part, those mini high waisted skirts and skinny jeans, high heeled shoes. Clogs and that typical black dress... Music and design… who could have known that all of this interrelates, and that it is actually design that brings music to life. Without music what would really enhance who you are, and what type of designer you are? It is music that makes you an individual and stand out from the crowd. Music inspires you as a person, what you wear, and what kind of designer you are, but there are many more numerous ways that it defines you.

As a designer you watch and listen to the things around you, which finally triggers an idea in your head. It is a great feeling isn’t it, getting that instant spark of an idea. But as a typical university student I don’t know about you, but I love to sit in my room, either lounging around on my bed or sitting at my desk, listening to music, which is 99% of the time what inspires me to start one of my designs or photographic works. You would find that most designers do get their source of material from sound tracks that they love to listen to. As music is something that you listen to on a daily basis, it is understandable that it reflects in your design works.

Let’s take fashion design as an example. Each fashion designer has their own way of thinking and what inspires them individually. But isn’t it interesting that most fashion designers are not only inspired by their surroundings but by music also. Let’s go back to the sixties, can you tell how much fashion has changed so much over this time? As you do look back you can see that it has changed dramatically, but yet so has music. As a result of this then, it is quite obvious that as music changes over time, so do the designers, and in this case fashion. Bands like The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Nirvana and The Bad Seeds, all have their own sense of style and fashion.

“music is something that you listen to on a daily basis, it is understandable that it reflects in your design works” The Rolling Stones were the first major rock group to let go of the “uniform” image, they wore whatever the hell they wanted. It didn’t matter to them what other rock bands wore. They had their own kind of clad street image, which was their own. Their personalities shone through what they wore, setting an example for the fashion industry and the fashion trends that were about to be set.

Then you move on to the surfy music like the Beach Boys that brought the casual clothing, board shorts and t-shirts, but also the hippie stage which everyone likes to remember as the funky stage of music… Moving even further then to the eighties and nineties the grunge look was in for bands like Nirvana, but now for this type of rock music the influence is more towards the ‘emo’ look, changing it from the leather pants and jacket to gothic styles such as studded belts and vintage styled clothing.

designs to the type of music that they listen to. It is crazy to think that music controls a large portion of designers.

Whatever your discipline of design is, music is an important factor in anyone’s creativity, some think it’s invisible and really not there... But my interpretation of it is that it is definitely true. And well hey if you don’t believe me take a look at fashion designer Ben Pollitt and his fashion designs, or even Miles Donovan’s illustration works. Who both take music as a major inspiration in So as you can see fashion has their works. changed over the years as a result of the music evolving. It is design that brings music This influences fashion to life visually, so what designers differently also, they do you think? express themselves in their

genus genius. How many more big cats are there? words Matt Koo

Let’s be upfront about the massive elephant in the room. As design kids, we live, breathe and dream of Macs.

After a while, the same two questions continued to pop up everywhere, why use feline predators?

What’s not to love? Steve Jobs, Demi-God to some, has blessed us with sexy super machines that make our worlds go round, and how. However, for all of Apple’s innovations and successful marketing campaigns, one thing has always puzzled me.

And what happens after they run out of names? In the quest to find the answers, I have googled, I have wiki-ed and I have forumaged, sadly, to no avail. My search however, was not a complete waste of time. Where I lacked in finding anything remotely substantial, I did however make up in finding humorous and surprisingly perceptive theories. After scanning through countless forums and devotee sites, with most claiming to know the ‘truth behind’, two theories in particular held my attention.

It might be because I am a dog person, as opposed to a cat lover, but what is the deal with the cat names used to distinguish the Mac OSX lineage? I recall the first time I heard the unique names given to the Mac operating systems and thought it appropriate that they be seen as a collective or ‘pride’, if you will. Theory number one. Mac OSX features characteristics that are not unlike the creatures by which

they are named. They are fast, Tarzan and specialist taxidermists, strong, efficient. there are only three possibilities. They are bred to not only survive, but also thrive and dominate. They are the leaders in their respective environments and possess intuition, finesse, raw power and elegance. Theory number two. Steve Job’s mother is a crazy old cat woman (yes, the one often portrayed in films as the owner of 12 dozen cats). The reason why the operating systems are so called, is because of his crippling guilt as son, and as a result, names his history making innovations according to the his mother’s wishes (this undeniably being the most farfetched of all the theories).

Firstly we have the Ocelot. Until a fortnight ago, I thought an Ocelot was a fish. Obviously not a household name, so naturally Ocelot is out. Next is the Cougar. Although very appropriate, due to certain connotations coined by God knows who, OSX Cougar would prove non-beneficial unless Apple decides to switch their target market and promote ‘experience’. Finally, we have the Lion. If you play the stakes, I would put my money on the king of the jungle, as it most definitely is

“I have googled, I have wiki-ed and I have forum-aged, sadly to no avail.” As for the next feline to take the throne, in this instance, logic, rather than guesswork, is all that is needed. There are over thirty species of cat belonging to the Felidae genus. Of these thirty odd cats, eight have already been employed, (Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar, Lynx, Panther, Tiger, Leopard and most recently, Snow Leopard),with the remainder mostly comprising of smaller sized domestic or feral cats. Of the few remaining still, minus the ones that are only known to

part of the cat family and is not potentially offensive nor harmful to the general public. However, as a die-hard Napoleon Dynamite fan, I’m putting my money on ‘Liger’ as the next release. Strength. New breed. Synergy. There’s something there.

clean, sharp & style. bringing new aspects of sexiness and slickness words Marie Phu

Once what was a famous graphic element of the past has now been revived today. Not only has it kept the characteristics of cleanness and sharpness, it also refreshed itself by bringing new aspects of sexiness and slickness. Have you ever wondered what vector art is and how it all started?

resolution. Printing or enlarging the scale of bitmap graphic will produce grainy, jaggy, or blurry results. To make it simpler to understand, bitmap graphics are unsuitable for scaling, or transparent backgrounds.

Bitmap editors are mainly suitable for retouching, photo processing, Vector art is the integration photorealistic illustrations, and of clipart; clipart graphics is a photo collage. segment of how design had begun, it refers to pre-made images Vector art on the other hand, is used to illustrate any medium. made up of geometric modelling Throughout the years, clipart has to describe an image. These grown and divided itself into two are known as a series of points, different design formats known as lines, curves, and polygons. It’s bitmap and of course the infamous a way to build up an image with vector art. tiny geometrical pieces to form a whole. Since the image is made How can you tell the difference up of geometric data instead of between the two? Easy, ‘B’ from fixed pixels, the image can be bitmap is also known as ‘B’ for scaled to any size while retaining blurry. Bitmap graphics are made the resolution. In other words, up of pixels which hold a fixed the image can be printed at the

highest resolution or can be scaled to a larger scale while keeping it as clear and crisp as its original counterpart. The term vector editor is used for those who use vectors in their designs, and are much superior in graphic design, page layout, typography, logos, sharp-edged artistic illustrations, diagramming and flowcharting. What you need to know about vector art is the different categories within this movement. They are mostly known as pure vector, vector dominant hybrid and vector style. The pure vector category will not contain any raster images; it is the purest vector form as you can get by the way it vectorsfrom the bottom,

Most of the works under this category may appear to look like a true vector but contain raster images. The graphics have been made in Adobe Photoshop, a raster editing program which also holds vector support. A designer may have used a vector brush made for Adobe Photoshop to create their vector style image, but it will still result in some blurriness. To make it easier to remember, it is a ‘cheating’ way to design vector work which still looks like vector artwork. What’s so surprising about the vector art of today compared to the olden days, is that now we can make vectors look similar

“we don’t acknowledge the whole picture as a beauty until we finish” working its way to the top. As for the vector dominant hybrid category, it’s a very board area and is most commonly used for commercial design. It is for designers or an artist who combines vector elements, type, raster embellishments and photo textures together into one design.

to a nearly photo-like quality illustration. Most designers who have achieved photo-like vectorised images at its peak have done so by designing their works in Adobe Illustrator using the pen tool and the gradient mesh. You can learn more about this tool by visiting this website, it is a simple tutorial using the gradient The last category which most of mesh tool. you will all be in or are already familiar with is the vector style; h t t p : / / w w w . l e a r n i t 2 . c o m / it is more common than the pure tutorial%20015/ vector category.

Interested in learning about the tools behind the vector graphics? Well as you know, Adobe Illustrator is the main program for vectoring. The gradient mesh tool in this program creates gradients; it gives you an illusion of detailed vectors. By using this powerful tool and mastering it, you’ll be able to generate your vectors as a realistic photo-like image.

After reading all this, what is so great about vectoring? Why is it the here and now design? The answer is as simple as how the vector looks, with its smooth lines and its cleanliness, sharp feel and not to mention the slickness of it. The vector takes amounts of time and patience to create such an exquisite graphic, when designing the image we cannot see its true magnificence until the end The tool is a technique which of the vector. offers a little more than just shapes to the image, providing Which makes it so unique and a bit more detail towards your different, just like a puzzle; we vector. It makes the whole a lot don’t acknowledge the whole more fluid with its transitions and picture as a beauty until we finish by being made up of gradients; it piecing the puzzle piece by piece will seem as if it has more detail till the end. It creates a rewarding than it actually does. feeling of your own work, something in which you have built The most common mistake, in from scratch. So stay in your room which people have all stumble and get hooked to your computer across with vectoring, is that and start vectoring, a pure vector using vector brushes is not real piece that is. vector art. This point is referred to the vector style category, the Here are some tutorials and vector big difference can be deduced sites to get you started: from the definition of vector, and brushing has nothing to w w w . v e c t o r . t u t s p l u s . c o m / do with it. category/tutorials/ Another mistake which can be pointed out is that vectoring an object isn’t enough to bring out your design. As vectors are flat in colour and details, we must touch up the design with effects or meshing the one vector object with serval vector objects together to create a large piece of design. This is the secret in bringing out your vector designs and bringing a little life into the pieces of vector design.

w w w. b i t t b o x . c o m / i l l u s t r a t o r / complex-circular-designtechniques/ www.aiburn.com/article/draw_ your_self_portrait

chasing dreams. the future of designers words Peter Agorto

“When I started out with design, I just did what made sense to me. I would see, hear, feel things, and from there just try to interpret it. Criticism was normal but I didn’t care. I became so self indulgent in my works. So basically, if you didn’t like it, you could f**k off. But don’t worry, that’s not me anymore.” The wise words of a young graphic designer. Mark Anthony Tito began drawing at the age 11. Japanese comics were his passion, and his goal; to one day illustrate Japanese comics for a living. At age 12 he had already completed his first comic. He became quite famous around the schoolyard and was recognized as the little boy with big talent.

and reading it from start to finish. I know what you’re thinking, but hey, someone has to start somewhere. Every designer has to start somewhere. There always has to be a beginning. His response was that art and design were his passion. If there was a calling in his life, that was it. He was determined to make it with his talents and every night honed his skills to perfect his style. It wasn’t easy, as all designers know, it can often be headaches and stress, but the end picture always pays off.

Business and work started slow for Tito. It was expected, as Tito had no formal training or previous experience, everything was self-taught. This meant that his exposure as a graphic designer In terms of graphic design, Tito was very minimal. Freelance was began from the very bottom, the only option at the time. It was a buying the manual for photoshop hard time and mentioned that being

“the years of working hard, gutting it out, sleepless nights, emptied coffe cups, have definitely paid off.” a freelance graphic artist definitely had its problems and drawbacks. There was an inability to deliver volume of work, I was solely responsible for the outcome, there were no perks or benefits, I was always isolated and the most important, there was always a distraction. He did however learn a lot from this experience. As a graphic designer he became very independent and he learnt to take control. Today, at 26, Tito holds a steady job with a steady income working as a junior designer for a local design agency. He is involved with almost every aspect of graphic design,

ranging from corporate branding and identity, to packaging and website design. The years of working hard, gutting it out, sleepless nights, emptied coffee cups, have definitely paid off. As a graphic designer, Tito is slowly but surely making a name for himself. His work has already extended overseas, where he has been part of two major print advertisement campaigns in the Philippines. His basic message to you young designers “Of course nothing in life comes easy, but if you work hard, stay motivated and keep fresh, you will always succeed.”

ani-volution. animation more than just cartoons words Phil Russell

Animation has been around for thousands of years, being one of the most creative outlets in which to express pretty much any idea, concept or story.

think, you feel like a god! Although it can be a difficult skill to learn, it’s one that is definitely worth it. As the digital age has taken over, many of those old and wise techniques have been left behind. They took much longer, required a much larger budget and use a huge amount of man power compared to that of a digital studio. As what used to take hundreds of animators and artists to create a single animated movie now can all be done on a single computer, by one artist.

Animation has continually improved in method and technique, coming a long way from the very early periods of sequential cave drawings and Egyptian hieroglyphics to this fascinating digital age where anything can be brought to life. And that’s just it. Through this illusion of movement where a series of still images are strung together to visually express the The film director, Ari Folman, anything to the hearts desire, produced the feature length anything is possible. animated film, Waltz with Bashir, entirely out of Flash. He turned Sure it can be some tedious, long to animation simply because this hard work at times but in the end, medium is able to express and when your very own character is visualise every detail and concept suddenly able to walk, talk and he wanted with his story, and

he did this with nothing but a convey stronger and more team of six animators, and a very effective ideas to your concepts. small budget. Your love for drawing can reinvent and bring all those comic book Compare that to a traditional characters you’ve created over the animated film like Snow White years to life. The world of animation and the Seven Dwarfs which opens up endless possibilities to harboured a crew of over 60 artists your work. and directors. Collaborating with other And of course the internet has professional authors in a studio created a massive industry for lets you experience different digital produce and animation styles and helps you progress is one of the hottest thing your own style as well as learning clients want in their websites. new methods. They want to be brought to life. There are thousands of websites Freelancing animation is one dedicated to sharing digital art that’ll keep you up to the early from photography and Photoshop hours of the night, not because of artworks to animated cartoons a deadline you have to meet, but and interactive games. All this because you usually become too

“It’s more a way of life than just work.” is accessible to almost anyone in the world, 24/7, allowing your very own office or bedroom to be your studio.

entranced in your own little world that you’ve created. You just have to finish that run cycle you’ve been perfecting for hours, or that intense battle scene that lets you I’m sure as a kid you loved yell out sound effects as you draw watching your favourite cartoons each frame. in the morning. For new designers, animation can be a very helpful Maybe that’s just some animators, skill that can broaden your range but I know it’s one of the greatest of projects, where almost every feelings when a client is excited skill in graphic design can be about their very own logo or applied to animation. You could mascot, suddenly acting and be a passionate typographer and moving on screen. It’s more a way through timing and movement, of life than just work.

come back kids. ray ban wayfarers

words Dane Tozer

I’m pretty sure if you’re a retro cool cat electro tune bangin teen, or even a suited city slicker you would already be familiar with Ray Ban Wayfarers.

late forties and fifties, designer Raymond Stegeman used a new plastic design marketed towards aviators and pilots which saw the new plastic molding technology combine a distinctive trapezoidal frame and strong masculine arms. This design became a mid-century classic amongst frame design giants at the time.

The roots of the stylish and elegantly designed Ray-Ban Wayfarer began way back in 1952 when the sunglasses market consisted primarily of metal framed eyewear. Everybody knows how popular the Wayfarers became especially The radical new shape of the Ray after being worn by the likes of Bans broke into the market and Kim Novak, Marilyn Monroe and were a popular set of frames for Audrey Hepburn. everybody from famous movie stars to the average hip, metro, It seemed the success of the retro maniac looking to stylise wayfarers were due not only to themselves with the geek but chic the new modern design but also looking design. had a lot to do with the fact that big movie stars were wearing So why was the new design so them which meant everyone in popular amongst so many big the world would now need to get giants in the industry? Breaking their hands on a set of the shades. away from the cultural fads of the

But just like any big movement or fashion icon it had to go out of style at some stage didn’t it!? They hit a decline in sales around the seventies and the hype was starting to wear off. Maybe it was a marketing misfire or the design just didn’t seem chic and stylish anymore; but the Wayfarers were on the verge of discontinuation as the sales dropped down to below 18,000 by 1980. The love was not lost though as they skyrocketed back into the loop of world popularity again after Ray Ban signed a lucrative deal in 1982 with Unique Product Placement of Burbank, California. Wasn’t this just the smartest idea ever, as they would be placing the

“Ray Ban Wayfarers have evolved as a fashion accessory by taking their vintage style sunglasses and changing the colour and design to match current trends” wayfarers in front of millions of easily influenced young people at the time to try and boost the sales once again. Tom Cruise sporting the frames in the 1983 movie “Risky Business” marked the beginning of the come back phenomenon. We can safely say that the campaign worked, as the same chic style sunglasses of the fifties and sixties were now the retro style at the top of fashion by the mid eighties. Being hailed one of the most enduring fashion icons of the twentieth century is no small feat. However, sometimes even this doesn’t last forever. Once again in the 1990s the frames again

became unpopular. The Wayfarers were now competing against new “wrap around” frames which had become the new style. The Wayfarers had lost steam and the 1950s revival that had boosted the glasses’ popularity was long gone. Any aspiring designer should know that as times change, so too does design and what was once modern, will often need to be updated or…reinvented! Ray Ban Wayfarers were facing this exact problem. They needed to be reinvented, redesigned and remarketed.

With the success of the Wayfarers long lasting still, in 2008 saw Ray Ban release a line of “colourized” wayfarers.

These frames now come in many colours including camouflage, pink, navy blue and turquoise. We see here an example of the designers taking their vintage style sunglasses and changing the colour and design to match the current trends of today. This could be the reason why they are considered the most successful sunglasses ever made and with a design mentality that all designers So what did they come up with? should aspire to like this, they will In 2001, the Ray Ban team dug continue to be at the forefront of deep to come up with a significant world fashion for years to come. redesign. This would see the masculine frames made smaller Today it’s almost impossible and less angular, and saw a to miss a pair of Wayfarer material change from acetate to a inspired sunglasses either lighter injected plastic. This was a on your favourite paparazzi lifesaving design for the Ray Ban dodging celebrity or the nearest Wayfarer as they were now more retro loving fashionista. With suited to the style of today. contemporary twists and endless colours the reinvented Wayfarer The marketing strategy used has once again redeemed itself to boost the popularity of the as a must have accessory of the Wayfarers was a much different past few seasons. From high end approach to the ones used from the to low, the legendary accessory fifties to the nineties. Alongside has inspired renditions from Marc the return to the sunglasses Jacobs to Urban Outfitters. original, rebellious design, was an edgy advertising campaign I think it’s time you owned a pair of which was radically different to shades that has such an illustrated previous campaigns. High profile place in both history books PR events were also on the menu and pop culture…that is if you and the use of new mediums like don’t already…. Myspace, which I am confident to say ALL our readers did use, to For further information visit: connect with their consumers. www.ray-ban.com

a slice of life. looking into the culture of today words Tracy Tan

As soon as you buy a new computer, mobile phone, car or any other type of technological gimmick, it’s already rapidly becoming out of date and in as little as several months or a year, wham…it’s been replaced by a ‘new and improved’ one out in the market. Check out the iPod Shuffle for instance. The second generation iPod Shuffle was already in the category of MP3 players available in the market that just can’t get any smaller. But apple has just released the third generation iPod Shuffle that has gone even more minimal, even more compact and has even more storage space than its predecessor.

as designers, builders, marketers will have to keep up with it to survive. The modern ‘technological age’ in which we now live in has evolved rapidly since the Industrial Revolution. At the time, there was mass production and mass consumption of products which were made possible by the development of new technologies, the introduction of large factories and new patterns of urban living. Today, manufacturers who previously focused on those massproduced, ergonomic, neutral consumer goods aiming to satisfy an unknown majority, now attack separate target markets. Now why is that you may ask?

That being said, it’s pretty obvious that modern society is The ‘Generation Z’ of today are continually changing and that we, extremely active consumers.

Highly connected with technology and the World Wide Web, they either have their eyes glued to mobile phones or ears stuffed with MP3s. This new younger generation of consumers attach a greater importance to the individual concept which is seen from the emphasis companies today are placing on interactive marketing, customised products and innovative design. This differentiation of consumer groups means that products aimed at a general market alone no longer guarantees success. We are far more influenced by the culture around us than we’d like to believe. We like to think we are individuals, but let’s face it – human

services thanks to globalisation and new technology. But if you think about it, our essential needs don’t really change greatly, and the products which fulfil those needs don’t really change either – we simply continue to improve on a certain design for our so called ‘convenience’ or aesthetic appearance. So what are the differences between now and then? Well, most electronic appliances we have now were simply done with hand tools and manual labour, which would require more time and effort. Electricity wasn’t as available, and the fridge would’ve been a block of ice. But in

“human nature tends to gravitate towards what is seen as normal.” nature tends to gravitate towards what is seen as ‘normal,’ accepted and so called ‘fashionable’ in society. It is extremely difficult to have an unbiased opinion about your own culture when you are immersed in it yourself.

all of these things, the differences are only seen in how they work and essentially, they all do the same thing. The only product categories we have now that really does something different to what was around 100 years ago are the computers and mobile phones of Howevever, in my perspective, the recent information revolution. individualism, choice and human rights are absolutely bedrock in This new technology has changed Western Culture. The fact is that society, and similarly the way that today, we live in a global empire of we, as designers work. Design consumption and individualism. has become a social process and communicating and exchanging In the same way Emperor Caesar information today is easier than it was worshipped as an entity and has ever been. provided security and peace, so we have been inducted into Western Designers will need to be aware consumerism and individualism. of these changes as social and From childhood we’ve been cultural mediators, and will need educated and bombarded with to be continually learning and advertisements telling us to be adapting as society evolves at a good little consumers of goods and furious pace.

pins & needles. a look into the crazy world of body piercing words Shannon Simon

Piercings in mainstream western society used to be mostly restricted to earlobes. This is no longer the case. These days, people have turned to more radical, out- there positioning of facial and body piercings. Nose, eyebrow, lip, tongue, nipples, navel- pretty much any part of the human anatomy can be pierced and such facial and body piercings are becoming more and more popular, particularly among members of the Y generation. Standard piercings like these are a radical way for a person to redesign their body, without being too radical. These piercings can be as permanent or temporary as the person wants them to be, as they are easy to remove if desired. They help to make a statement and forge an identity for the person obtaining the piercing- they can be used to shock, intimidate

or to make the more attractive.

person

feel

Surface piercings and dermal anchors are, in a way, one step up from the more ‘normal’ piercings in the face and body. Surface piercings involve the piercing of a flat surface of skin, allowing a piercing to be located pretty much anywhere on the body. Dermal anchors are where a small ‘anchor’ is inserted underneath the skin with only a single point of the jewellery visible above the surface. These piercings are beginning to gain popularity as they are a more outrageous method of body modification than standard piercings. Dermal anchors in particular are more permanent than piercings and can only be removed by a professional.

Dermal anchors and surface piercings can be arranged to form designs or patterns on the skin, and can even be used to create the illusion of clothing. Some piercees choose to get rows of these piercings on their backs and, once they have healed, thread ribbons through them to create the illusion of a corset. This is a very interesting way of using piercings to redesign the body. Even more rare than dermal anchors and surface piercings are jewellery implants. This is a procedure where a piece of jewellery is actually inserted underneath the skin with no exit point and the skin is stitched up afterwards. The jewellery is

refuse to do it for someone who they believe will want to get it removed eventually. Piercings can even be used as a form of performance art. Suspension is the name given to the art of actually being suspended by hooks through a series of piercings, usually in the chest and back. One man in the USA calls himself ‘Mr Tetanus’. He has an achilles piercing. This is a piercing which, much like jewellery implants, many professionals simply will not do. It involves a bar being inserted through the ankle between the ankle bone and achilles tendon. Mr Tetanus has his achilles piercing

“piercings can even be used as a form of performance art.” visible underneath the skin. This is a fairly extreme form of body modification- in a way, the skin is transformed into a sculptural artwork with ridges and spheres underneath the surface. Some people simply get implants on their hands or arms, for instance to create the illusion of a spine running up their arm.

stretched and stages performances for shocked audiences where he is suspended by this piercing. So, while not everybody opts for such extreme ways of drawing attention to themselves, body and facial piercings are an effective, powerful and, in most cases, temporary form of body modification.

Others choose to essentially reconstruct their faces by getting jewellery implants on their cheeks, chins, even the top of their heads. The result is an odd, unnatural, and even alien appearance.

It is a unique, popular and effective way of redesigning your body and identity, and will probably remain popular for some time to come.

While it is possible for jewellery implants to be removed, it is a more tricky procedure than the removal of dermal anchors, and many professionals who perform the insertion of implants

adobe bridge. the name is bridge, adobe bridge. words Thao Lai

Be organised, be neat, clean up your bloody mess!!! Sounds like your mum is telling you off again for living like a slob, and having your room look like a dump... and not the good kind of dump like your mate’s shithouse apartment below a bowling alley (although very convenient if you love bowling), but the really crap kind...like the city tip.. Even though you might want to rip off your ears and just roll over in bed again for an extra 4 hours of sleep... you have to get this notion of organisation into your thick ungrateful head. No matter how good you think you are at finding things in your ‘organised’ piles, someday, sometime, something is going to go missing and you’ll have to get the army in to find it. Fortunately for you, the lazy bastard... there is a simple and easy

solution to your problems, and this one isn’t mentioned on any 2am infomercials. Adobe Bridge is a program that makes your life as simple as can be. Every book, magazine, tutorial and scribbled notepad that features design in any aspect will have a section on the organisation of digital media and files.

It is an essential part of being a good designer, copywriter, illustrator, photographer or whatever you want to be. The best rule of thumb is to “get organised”. Having a clean and clear workspace is essential to ward off the gremlins... or was the copping the sack... never the less be scared of both, because when the shit hits the fan and everything is a complete mess, mummy won’t be Most of the time it is the most boring there to pull you out. part of the book because it just drones on and on... and on... and As most of you will learn during on... (like a broken record... or cd your studies and placement in the for you young whipper snappers... workforce, adobe programs are an industry standard and with this I don’t think anyone owns a working you will learn how to draw, place, turntable anymore) but this section render, sample, clone and especially is the most important part of the know how to make a perfect cup of book as it sets you up to have a good coffee for all those late nights ahead. management system, where you can always go back and find an original With every program there are file that has either been lost or different file extensions and with damaged in your latest ‘adventure’. many programs you will usually deal with a multitude of files ranging

from .pdf (adobe portable document file) files to .indd files (adobe indesign file). So what happens when you have a billion files and no way to see which one is which? Welcome to Bridge.

functions that maintain workflow in a clear and easily manageable format. Everything in bridge is drag and drop, a very user-friendly interface, it’s so good that now it is even quick linked its way into every adobe program so that you can just Adobe bridge can preview, organise click straight into bridge. and sort all adobe files and all adobe related files into sections according New features like stacks that to how you work. Most Macs and allow you to group like files into PCs cannot preview adobe files as a... catagories, this can keep your they usually contain different layers workspace clear and uncluttered, or graphics that require a specific whilst still maintaining separate rendering process that only adobe files. Stacks work by grouping the provide, bridge acts like, well... files, this simply collapses them into a bridge between your computers a stack, and then to retrieve them capabilities and adobe, as simply click the stack and it expands well as a bridge between the to reveal your files. Other features whole adobe suite. like; task-based workspaces allow you to switch between different

“powerful, easy-to-use media manager, letting you easily organize, browse and view creative assets.” Previewing files is a handy tool, but that is not the best feature of bridge... far from it... Bridge has always been a great tool to overview a project, it’s like a box that keeps everything from falling apart.. It’s like the digital version of tool shed. You will learn that keeping everything in one place is a good thing, you have a place for your projects, your resources, your drafts, ect.

workspaces depending on what you wish to achieve, collections allows you to group different files from different locations without physically moving them to create a package that can be called upon from the collections window at any point in time from any workspace.

If you would like to find out more about adobe bridge and get help on any features and explanations of all Currently the latest version of bridge the functions of bridge go to: is CS4 (Adobe Creative Suite 4) and http://www.adobe.com/ it comes with a multitude of simple designcenter/bridge

superior characters. body language in character design words John Ip

Many computer games involve the use of characters. The careful design of these characters is a powerful way to strengthen the gaming experience. This area has been more or less neglected in computer games research. Nowadays, designers have far more options for range and subtlety in character movement with better animation tools and more powerful platforms. Although character animators do focus a great deal of attention on the body language of individual characters, there is still little consideration of how characters move in relation to one another. Bodies reveal a wealth of information about people and their relationships. This article examines some of the social messages bodies convey,

providing an understanding of how to use body language to create superior character designs for computer games. Learning about human movement and its place in social relations is not an easy task. It is difficult to translate insights about impressions of personality or social connection into quantifiable and testable predictions. The fact that most people are barely, if at all, aware of the incredible impact of bodies in social interaction, does not help this situation.

and are therefore an important part of crafting truly engaging game characters that feel lifelike and that evoke social & emotional reactions from players. And now, we delve into the ever-evolving area of social psychology to find out more about body language for character design.

One way we can begin considering how bodies work in social interactions is through the concept of Interpersonal Distance & Touch, that is to consider what proximity (how close people are together when they interact) says Ask the average person if they about relationship. think body language plays a big part in their assessment of others, Something as simple as how and they are likely to say no, even close people stand together when research results show that has a profound effect on what they are sensing and making they are communicating about decisions based upon body cues. their relationship. Edward Hall, Body cues have a pervasive a well known anthropologist, influence on social relationships made observations of four zones

of interpersonal space in U.S. a hug), and Intimacy (Touch that social contexts. expresses sexual interest and/or emotional connection). Firstly there is Public distance (Standing more than 12 feet apart). This concept of Interpersonal At this distance, it is easy to see Distance and Touch can be seen in everyone’s full body. Typically, Sony entertainment’s game ICO, people will slightly exaggerate released in 2001. their expressions and movements so that they are easy to interpret. In ICO, the player-character finds a trapped princess very early on Secondly, there is Social distance in the game. From this moment (Standing 4 to 12 feet apart). This forward, the player takes care is the zone that most people hover of her. The princess (Yorda) is within at parties. The closer they not really able to defend herself stand within this range, the better and is not as agile as the playerthey probably know one another. character. She must be led by Following this is Personal distance the hand to ensure that she (Standing 18 inches to 4 feet tags along, and she needs help apart). At this distance, it is easy over obstacles. to read subtle facial expressions.

relationships and to enhance emotional reactions to what is going on. If a player is being mentored by a character, why not have that character give the player’s character a friendly pat on the shoulder? If a player is closer to one character and not friendly with another, show this in how close they stand when they talk and how their bodies orient toward one another. Emotion also communicates who people are as social individuals what they will be like to interact with and what to expect from them. Excitement, anger, and surprised afraid (all flexible, fluent, and quick motions). Sulkiness, surprised–interested,

““Many players of the game ico have remarked upon the emotions created by yorda’s dependence upon them.” This is the distance that people use for more private conversations. Finally, there is Intimate distance (Less than 18 inches apart). This allows the people to easily touch and even to smell one another.

When the player battles the shadows that threaten her, she will stay close by (within social distance). Many players of this game have remarked upon the emotions created by Yorda’s dependence upon them. This dependence is expressed almost entirely through body language. By keeping the two characters close, and by using touch as part of game play, the designers build a powerful connection between the player and Yorda.

Different types of touch also contribute to how people perceive relationships. These include Function (Touch as part of a task, such as a doctor’s examination or a coach clarifying a movement), Social ritual (Rituals such as handshakes or cheek kisses), Friendship building (Touches that Consider using touch and show care and liking for another, interpersonal distance to help such as a pat on the shoulder or players understand character

pride, satisfaction (all direct, light, bound, and sustained motions). Sadness, being in love (sustained, fluent, light, and direct motions). There is no absolute strategy for analysing motion as it expresses emotion, mood, or more enduring personality traits. Thinking about a character’s likely emotions in a social encounter, and about the character’s overall personality and build and how these will impact motion, will help take full advantage of the character’s body as a social instrument.

evolution of sneakers . where the hell they came from and where the hell they’re going words Ivan Almelor

This article explores the evolution of sneaker, from their humble beginnings in the sporting arena as far back as the first quarter of last century up until being one of the most exciting and fast‐changing phenomena in fashion today.

“sneakers” originated. Its first use was when an advertiser referred to them as this because the soles were so ultra quiet that they didn’t make any noise on any surface. 1917 arrives, the shoe was called the All Star and it was made by Converse. If you played basketball at this time it would be the only shoe you ever played in. Later on the shoe became known as the Chuck Taylor after the famed player. It is now a necessity in today’s youth market but not only is it not limited to them but they can also be seen worn by any age.

It’s the 1800s and the birth of industry. One of the latest technologies of this time was rubber, not only a flexible, floppy thing but also weather proof once vulcanised. The high production of rubber material meant that it being harnessed within a shoe was only a matter of time. Sneakers during this era were called plimsolls and were simply a plain rubber shoe. 1931 was the decade that Europe contributed to the sneaker The massive tyre juggernaut we scene. Adi and Rudolph Dassler know as “Goodyear” was back then developed the name “Adidas”. nothing more than an ordinary Their shoe specialisation was the rubber shoe company with their sport tennis. They developed one brand Keds. Around this time of the first rubber shoes to be too was where the actual name worn for this sport. Not long after,

Rudolph Dassler worked with it comes to skate shoes. Known Puma to develop the “Puma” brand for their comfort and practicality for football. their popularity surpassed their original intended audience and 1950 was the decade when wearing stemmed even into 1985, a rookie sneakers with jeans became more Michael Jordan hits the basketball acceptable. Designers of the date scene and a struggling Nike go out closer to the birth of sneakers felt on a limb to sign up this soon to that they had no place in the world be superstar. of casual clothing. Wearing white shoes with jeans was a big no, no. Jordan’s first reaction to the red and you were left with the only and black of Air Jordan 1s was “I choice of wearing dark coloured can’t wear those, they’re the Devil’s leather shoes. It became the colours”. His reluctance to sign preferred footwear of teenagers up left the Nike representatives after a photo of James Dean wearing uneasy. But it soon became one of his jeans and white sneakers was the best decisions of his life. marketed. This sneaker wearing act was a sign of rebellion. The Air Jordan shoe line rocketed to success over the decades and 1968, a little shoe brand called spawned not only shoes but also Blue Ribbon Sports was developed apparel and sporting accessories as by two guys, Phil Knight and well as breaking away from Nike to Bill Bowerman. The name soon become its own brand name.

“I can’t wear those, they’re the Devil’s colours.” changed to “Nike” after the Greek Goddess of Victory. Three years later a graphic design student sells them a little tick logo (now known as the swoosh symbol) for about $50. One of the revolutionary ideas that Nike brought into the sneaker game was cushioning, cushioning of the air kind.

Today, Sneakers aren’t just for sport. They are a way of life. We don’t want people telling us what we can or can’t wear and when we can and can’t wear it. We want to represent ourselves with what we wear and there is no stopping it.

Clinging onto the old school ways is still cool, but I think its clear that 1970, a skate shoe brand is born, times, especially that of the sneaker Vans. As with the development game are in fact changing. of the skate culture comes the development of a skate shoe. Vans is arguably “the $%#t” when

green is the new black! global warming: world crisis or fashion fad? words Angelique Hering

It’s a typical day for a typical Generation Y’er as I browse around my local shopping centre on my day off from uni. As I’m about to leave Sportsgirl, a little something catches my eye.

Even if you haven’t seen Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, chances are you would’ve heard of it and you know something of its content. As I stared at this tote bag, I could not help but feel this seemingly harmless and catchy little phrase Don’t get too excited; it’s a tote bag. was undermining the seriousness What caught my eye was not that of Global Warming. this bag was, in fact, made from organic cotton and so totally eco- Now you could say I’m just being friendly. Nor was it the bargain cynical… maybe I am. It’s just a price (just $5!). It was the message little fun, right? blazed shamelessly across the front in capital letters: “GREEN Right. It’s just a little fun… but IS THE NEW BLACK! KEEP at the expense of an important OUR PLANET COOL BY message? Should we really allow LOOKING HOT!” Wow, really? fashion to turn Global Warming into a trend? We need to realise Now, I’m no expert when it comes what happens to fashion trends. to global warming, but you’d have They get old. It happened to to have been living under a rock myspace, it happened to cord to not know about its increasing jeans, it’s happening to Madonna, presence which has manifested and it (thankfully) happened to itself in our social consciousness the eighties. since the early Noughties.

“diesel is a ripe example of brands manipulating the climate issue to increase spending in their consumers” If Global Warming has indeed become a ‘fad’, then there is no reason why its significance won’t fade from our minds in the future.

see shallow Anti-Global Warming messages on t-shirts (no matter how cool they look) or similar apparel. You could mistake the climate crisis as just You see, Global Warming is kind of another brand. a big deal these days. If it continues at its current rate, we will have Brands and the media have always some serious repercussions in manipulated events in order to the future. The shocking truth? sell. The paparazzi manipulate In 25 years, experts predict that celebrites to sell their images, 300000 people will die of global- gossip mags manipulate these warming related deaths per year. images to sell their magazines, and The flow of ice from Greenland a certain clothing store released has already more than doubled a new t-shirt (Save the Whales!), over the last decade and during complete with a cute little whale a summer fifty years from cartoon, during the campaign now, we could be looking at an against Japanese Whaling in 2008. ice-free Arctic Ocean. Clothing Brand Diesel is a ripe These facts are scary, and they’re example of manipulating the real. It’s different when we realise climate issue to increase spending the effects of global warming are in their consumers. They even happening now, than when we went so far as to have their

own “Diesel Global Warming Campaign” in 2007. In one advertisement, a couple decked out in Diesel gear are stranded on a beach. Why are they stranded? The polar caps have melted, and Mt Rushmore in the background is nearly swallowed up by water. But that doesn’t matter, because the couple look perfectly content coating each other in sunblock. In the corner reads the declaration “Global Warming Ready.”

like Global Warming, no matter how much we are bombarded with propaganda. We owe our planet at least that much. As I sit back and contemplate the above paragraph, I can’t help but think… so we can do anything about it? No, not really. But hey, maybe I’m just being cynical again. It seems highly doubtful that such a huge issue as Climate Change will simply be swept under the rug when we’ve heard enough of it. It’s been deemed a global crisis after all, surely it won’t be dropped as quickly as any ordinary fad. Maybe I’m just overreacting?

What is the message? The Global Warming issue has been altered to appeal to the consumer. This is just one example, yet we see it time and time again. The potential seems to be endless, but when is enough, enough? Whatever. I bought the tote bag. Green is the new black, after all! We, as consumers, have a responsibility to ensure we do not allow ourselves to become detached from mainstream issues

types. what does your type say? words Lauren Chew

What do you want to be? An illustrator? Photographer? Maybe an interactive designer? Apart from the natural skills and interest you have in image and style, there’s one aspect you should quickly become accustomed with; typography. Some of you may already be aware of its importance in every project you work on. But for those who aren’t, start to consider type; the fontface you use, the size, the placing, and don’t forget the kerning!

It doesn’t have to be bound to a horizontal line in that default ‘times new roman’, or set to black on white. It’s all about experimentation, finding what looks good, what’s in, what’s going to make an impression. Self expression is what your job is going to be all about, no matter which medium you achieve this through. Let your text say more than what is typed. How can you go about doing this? A great first step that will give you an advantage later in your course of study is mastering Adobe Illustrator. You’re probably all familiar with or atleast used once in a while Adobe Photoshop.

I know, another thing to think about when compiling your work, just when you thought you were done. But how about this for an idea: using that type as an image. What do I mean? Type isn’t just Well, if Photoshop is for images, static. Type itself is creative, Illustrator is for text. I know when and communicative. I first opened Illustrator, I just stared at it, wondering how the

text I typed here was any different to what I could do in Photoshop. The answer lies in Illustrator’s unique ability to manipulate text. This isn’t an Illustrator tutorial so I won’t get too detailed, but using Illustrator can work in vectors, as opposed to Photoshop’s bitmapped pixels. Vectors are mathematical paths, written into your file, which constructs each line and detail. So in this way your file will never become blurry, no matter what size you scale to, and your file is completely editable. Example, if you open an Illustrator file, you can always edit the

“create something both beautiful and textually communicative” paths, as they are literally little points between each line that you can click, drag, delete, or create at will. Okay, so why am I rambling on about vectors? Apart from being a vector fangirl, vectors work amazingly well with type. By using vectors and Illustrator for type, apart from the scaling benefits, you can fully customise your type. Think about it. You can change the look of an existing typeface. You can even draw a new typeface! Colours, line thickness, sizes, styles. All of these are limitless possibilities, and by manipulating these you can create something both graphically beautiful and textually communicative.

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fight for your future. insert coins, press start, choose your path words Peter Hoang

Perhaps you may or may not remember the good ole’ days of playing Street Fighter at the arcades or on console but I certainly do. Street Fighter was a classic 2D platform fighting game where players would fight it off using a selectable range of characters, each unique in their own way. However, despite the great game play the aesthetics and graphics weren’t as great.

With the current release of Street Fighter IV (4) on the arcades and consoles, it introduces much more to the ordinary Street Fighter.

This game incorporates all that we expect from today’s graphics and more! It is so visually stunning that every time I see it, it makes me cringe from shear excitement. Due to months of work on the game’s graphics, art and design, the quality of work shows throughout Years later Street Fighter III whilst playing. (3) hit off in the arcades and consoles in 1999. In comparison Even with the simplest ideas there with Street Fighter II lots of are noticeable aspects that will noticeable graphical changes make the players purely amazed. were addedinto this game. The A great example are the facial creators moved onto a much more expressions the character makes complex graphical engine than just before they are about to get its predecessor. The graphics had smashed by a super move or even substantially changed and from an animated background that first glance, it would seem like a reflects what is happening on the game that has been released only fighting stage. 5 years ago.

Yoshinori Ono, the head design producer for Street Fighter IV, stated that the original plan was to keep to the old styles of Street Fighter I and II which meant reintroducing the same playable characters. However, he also mentioned that since the world of technology is rapidly changing, the game had to seem as though it had advanced rather than keeping the original 2D style. It is still considered a 2D fighter but enhanced with 3D backgrounds that give off that feel of playing on 3D arena.

Being a game designer yourself though is no easy task. Simply having an idea and concept of a game will not instantly mean that your creation will turn into an interactive game that will sell millions. If you are seriously looking for a career in this area of field there are a few things that are required of you.

Firstly, a degree in anything that’s relevant to entertainment, computers or design. Not only do you need a bachelor’s degree in one of those areas, but an overall understanding of the world Obviously when developing a that surrounds you and your game such as Street fighter, many personal experience. design aspects are considered to create a game that would suit

“[Street Fighter IV] incorporates all that we expect from today’s graphics and more!” the Street Fighter style. These included re/designing characters, designing the right battle arena and/or even the interface and feel the user gets whilst attempting to play the game. In reality there would have been hundreds of drawn up concepts of just one character or stage. Daigo Ikeno, the art director and character designer for Capcom mentioned that when developing Ryu/Ken Masters his challenge was to redesign them to keep the original style from the first game but reinventing them so they look fresh. The same process goes with the other characters in the game that have been reintroduced. To Daigo however, his only restriction was to keep to the original style so inputting his personal style to the character designs was not an option.

For the fighting genre in particular, you must have a good understanding of physics and maths. Understanding these two elements are crucial to the fighting genre because you must know things like how many frames one or multiple actions will take or understand that what goes up must come down. If you are troubled with whether or not you want to be a part of this industry, in most cases it’s best to go for it. To be pro-active in whatever that interests you will benefit you in the long term and build upon your future career in game design. The best options for information and guides on this type of industry would be to ask for advice and tips on forums, bulletins and/or chat-rooms. Ask your questions thoroughly and concisely, as great communication is what is also needed to become a game designer.

Obviously, when attempting to design a game, your design will not start out immediately looking like Street Fighter 4. Years and years of work are put into the development of these games.

is your doodle dying? is our generation too good to use old school pen and paper? words Suja Samivel

Ever picked up a pen and paper whilst on the phone and absent mindedly doodled? Or how about in a lecture, when the monotonous voice of the lecturer is just making no sense at all? I’m sure every single one of us (designers and others) has doodled something in their lifetime.

ideas out of your brain and into some sort of tangible form. Ok, I admit, even this article I started writing straight onto the computer, but I didn’t know where it was heading and I had no idea what I was going to write about! But I figured it would come as I wrote and I can fix it up at the end of the article and there’s always the ‘delete’ button. But as I wrote I found it hard to come up with ideas, I was lost.

So let me pose this question: why is it so hard to pick up a pen and paper to derive and brainstorm preliminary ideas before going straight onto the computer? What happened to those days? So I decided to pull out the old trusty pen and paper. The design process is a complicated Before moving into any one. It’s one of those things that software program such as the changes from person to person, adobe suite, it is very helpful each person has a different style, to create some simple sketches something different they do to of the layout of a piece. That way keep them inspired to keep them you have some idea of direction going, whether it be music or without spending too much time plastering the wall with images. on design and when working with But all of them involve getting clients you can really make sure

you are heading in the direction the odd “this is shit”. But then they are wanting. those ideas would lead to other ideas and it keeps going till you The absent-minded scrawl or get about 5 or 6 ideas! scribble, usually happens in some unexpected place, such as My process from here goes: you the margin of a book, you know get to chose 3 to work on and when you’re busy with some maybe mix in elements of the other activity, such as a lecture. others and in the end, once you The word itself really came into hit the computer you know exactly everyday vocabulary because of what you’re doing and you end up its use in the film Mr. Deeds Goes finishing it a lot faster! So what to Town (1936), but the actual about those times when you pick practice of doodling is much up a pen and paper and nothing older. Doodles have been found spews out of your brain? Well in medieval manuscripts, as well pick up a magazine, flick through as in the notebooks of Leonardo a book; Make a mood board with da Vinci and on the margins of colours and pictures. Maybe even manuscripts written by Fyodor go through those old doodles! Dostoyevsky. These are great Maybe something there will revolutionaries, if they can doodle, inspire you! why can’t we? It’s difficult to explain the power Is pen and paper a dying form? of putting pen to paper but I and why does using one seem so primitive? I think it’s because there’s simplicity to it; you don’t need electricity, you don’t need to pull your laptop out you don’t need the latest creative suite update! In a time where you can get internet on you phone at almost DSL speeds making the world so much smaller and the written word is found a quote by John Vernon deemed ‘unprofessional’ I think Lord, an artist, that sums up our generation has a syndrome… doodling for me. “Drawing are about form and space, about we’re too good for it! lightness and darkness. They I know many designers now start involve the measurement and the straight on the Mac possibly to selection of things, observed or save time and starting straight on imagined. Drawings have a lot to a Mac means you can digitally save do with trying to make sense of your steps as you go, but honestly the world as we know it, and what I found that pen and paper is so we have seen, thought about, or fast! I mean you don’t have to remembered. They are thoughts produce beautiful drawings, ok and proposals turned into vision.” maybe you can, but mine look So next time you have an idea more like doodles on a telephone draw it out to see if it works. Just pad. They consist of words, lines, don’t let your doodle die! scribbles, stick people, grids and

“they are thoughts and proposals turned into vision”