maaheen.malik

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuBMXS6vU3o

Hudson - Against the Grain

The video is a collaboration with film maker/animator/VJ Dropbear, which uses the always-stunning mode of animation: stop-motion, and a neglected writing utensil: the pencil, to get across the meaning of the song. The graphics are entirely based on the lyrics of the song. There are several metophors in the video and the whole concept is pretty amazing. I saw this video couple of years back and I was super impressed with it. I love how the tiny pencil goes against the other pencils in order to relate to the name of the song, "against the grain." A lot of thought has been put into this great video! 

In the video, "Allergy to Originality" two men have a conversation about originality in today's time. One man asks why there is no originality left in the world and the other man explains to him that appropriation has existed for a long time and nothing has ever been original. 

I completely agree with the man who says that nothing is ever original. Every single thing that you see has existed before in some form. All the art, music, and literature etc has some appropriation. A person can not just create something without any ideas, and all the ideas come from the things that are around us. Every day you are exposed to different things that you see, hear, and feel.

As a designer myself, I use appropriation in my work all the time. All the ideas are mine but to create something, one needs some inspiration, and you get that by looking at the things (art/design) around you. The designer just has to find a way to own the design or idea he uses in his work. 

Patrick Jude Ilagan is a graphic designer/photographer from Manila. He posted this article called, "The Graphic Designer's Gift Guide" on the blog: You The Designer. I thought it was pretty interesting as I have many friends who are in the design field and I'm always thinking of something interesting to give them on their birthdays. I would also love to buy some of the things he mentioned for myself, or even have someone gift them to me one day! 

The first thing he mentions on the list is moleskin. And as soon as I read it, i thought of Professor Tom! I think it's a must-have for every design student. Plus, Henri Matisse and Vicent van Gogh even used it for their sketches!

The second thing that caught my eye on the list was the app pillows. I think they are so cool! I would love to have these. I think it's a perfect gift for design students, especially those who hardly get any sleep during the semester (like me lol)

The third gift idea I liked was a pantone swatch book. It's another must have for every designer. I have been wanting this for ages now but too broke to buy it for myself. But one day hopefully! 

Another really interesting thing I liked was this cute little cleaner called Henry the desktop hoover. How freaking adorable is this? It's great for a designer's desk. I am so buying this!

Lastly, I want to mention these Star Wars Stormtrooper MIMOBOT USB flash drives. OMG. I love these! All you Star Wars fanatics, you all need these. My birthday is coming up very soon and these are definitely going to be on my birthday wish list haha. 

I like how the poster leads the viewer staright to the back as soon as you look at the poster. Also the text in the upper left corner balances the cable car in the lower right corner. Even though the poster is divided in the middle, the asymmetry of the buildings and cars on either side makes it more appealing.

The foreground, the middleground, and the background are all clearly visible, making the poster very sophisticated. The dark shade of the tree makes it look very realistic, as the sun is facing towards it. I like the idea of placing an object/person in the foreground and I might use that for my poster.

I love how everything is in the centre and kind of in a circle, except the road and the railroad which goes beyond the poster. The road/railroad leads the viewer into the poster. I also like the use of different shades of green and yellow for the poster, with the hint of reds. 

This poster is a little bit on the abstract side but not so abstract that you lose everything. The color selection is very appropriate for the city. I somehow really like how everything is so tight on the left side and eventually becomes lose towards the right side. Also, the very faint background adds depth to the poster, making it more interesting.