In only a few weeks, the most amazing movie will be hitting theaters everywhere. Yes, ladies and gentleman, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be in full force November 19th. Since I was eleven years old I have lived and breathed the Harry Potter series. J.K Rowling is the most amazing and talented writer I know of, and her ability to capture my attention through her vivid imagery is breathtaking and she has inspired me to share my own creativity with the world. She was able to communicate to me through the medium of her writing, and later on through film. The media we use may seem limited, but the limitless comes from the mind. She may have written an outstanding story, but she gave me the ability to finish the story in my head, as I envisioned the characters, places, and events while I was reading. Harry Potter has been transformed into an iconic figure that has an immense amount of power. I am truly captivated by this character that Rowling has created. I am very excited to watch the final chapter of the Harry Potter series because I will be able to watch my thoughts turn into realities. It will be an engaging experience that I will cherish for a very long time. An experience that has inspired me to be able to produce such an extraordinary film myself. One day I hope to bring someone’s dreams into a reality through the art of design.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Design Makes the World Go Round
Image Source: http://tribaltruth.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/toms.shoes_.jpg
“In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.” http://www.toms.com/our-movement/
Is design most important as an element of commerce, or are there other ways to conceive designs role? Well design has played a major role for the makers of TOMS shoes. TOMS are not only sweeping the nation, but the globe as they set out to provide children and families with footwear to protect them from soil-based diseases. They are a symbol of unity and communicate a message to consumers that giving back is important and much needed. The mission of a designer is to engage your audience, and TOMS has created a company that forces consumers to think before they purchase. From Nike to Adidas, shoes are an example of an industrial design that we take for granted everyday. TOMS are so brilliant and simple that they have convinced shoe goers everywhere to not only contribute to helping people around the world, but to look chic and comfortable doing it. These shoes come packaged in a drawstring bag, with an added piece of material that the shoes are made from. The aesthetic design is both efficient and reliable. Different textures, patterns, colors, sparkles, shapes, and sizes are offered. These shoes have such an energetic pattern and rhythm about them. The tactile qualities and repetitive nature of this shoe creates unity within variety, and something that has much more meaning that just footwear. TOMS has taken shoes away from a mainstream production that is constantly trying to out do the other, to something so effortless that they have captured the heart and soul of consumers everywhere. With an added bonus, for every pair of shoes that you buy, TOMS donates a pair to a child in need. Who knew design could play such a factor in changing lives around the world.
Objectified
I recently watched a film called OBJETIFIED in class, and I was shocked by how much Gary Hustwit’s 2009 documentary opened my eyes to the stories behind the objects that completely consume me. I have never really stopped to think about their story or the detail that is embedded in everything that is around me; my coffee cup, my laundry basket, computer, lamp, remotes etc. This film brought to my attention what I have taken for granted in the toothbrush I use every mourning, or the hairbrush I use. Everything has been designed to fit my needs, and good design is innovative, useful, consistent in every detail, and ironically has as little design as possible. Design is a search for form, and the form that hits the shelves needs to make my life easier. This is what keeps consumers coming back for more, and what makes new products so desirable. For example, Apple has designed such innovative and aesthetic products that we have become almost dependent upon them. However, Apple’s design makes me believe that this is how an IPod was always supposed to be. I am convinced that my laptop shouldn’t operate any other way because they have found such harmony within design. It is because of this film that I cannot help but gaze upon the objects in my room and ponder their story, their process into production. How they came to be, and I cannot help but reflect upon how much I truly rely on the little things in life; the objects that surround me and assist me through my daily life.
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