Interesting Root System.

I’ve googled dozens of images, and I came across a few I felt I might be able to draw some inspiration from. Both of the stumps in these pictures have very unique bases. The root system in the real tree stump is very curved and twisted, really giving it an appealing look.The rootlegs for the stump face aren’t quite as appealing, but if executed properly, a similar looking design could make for a better base. I’ve been really struggling in Rhino, so it helps to see images that really help you visualize the possibility of an idea. That may be just the thing I need to help me over this learning curve.

Weird ... but potential base idea?

I may or may not have just blacked out. Either that, or I was closing my eyes like a little girl. I’m actually quite a sissy when it comes to scary movies, and this site only confirmed that. The concept is awesome. The execution is jaw dropping.

Very pleasant image from Hotel626.

The code used must have been groundbreaking. I couldn’t figure out why they would ever want my webcam and mic setup, but I quickly found that out when my singing voice apparently wasn’t up to par. The baby wasn’t happy. Consequently, neither was I.

I saw it was sponsored by Doritos, and I wondered why (seeing as how it really has nothing to do with those delicious chips). I found that they released this site last year to promote the bringing of two intense chip flavors back from the dead during Halloween. I can’t necessarily say that this site worked up my appetite, but it certainly did keep my attention, and furthermore, it pushed me to find out what the site stood for … which was most likely their ultimate goal. All in all … a very effective way of advertising, and I don’t think it could have been carried out any better.

Props to Doritos. Thanks for the inspiration. Just goes to show you how limitless the possibilities are in Flash.

The bark texture is amazing.

They’re strong. They’re tall. They’re everything you want expect a Bishop to resemble.

I toyed with this idea, researching pictures of Redwood trees. The trunk is undoubtedly the tree’s most admirable attribute. If effectively executed, the massive trunk size and bark texture could look incorporated into a chess piece.

Tree from "Lord of the Rings"

While researching pictures, I came across quite possibly the most influential imagery thus far. The trees in the Lord of the Rings movie were so perfectly crafted, and they really captivate the attributes I’d want in a Redwood Bishop chess piece. If I could bring together the qualities from both the tree pictures and the Lord of the Rings characters, I really feel like I could create a highly effective abstract bishop. Never in a million years did I think I’d be drawing inspiration from “Lord of the Rings.” Funny how things turn out.

That's a nice stack of tires.

Coincidentally, I recently saw the disney movie “Cars,” and I thought of the tire shop right away. I actually put the movie in again, and found a few of the scenes with the shop in it. I was particularly drawn to the stack of tires in front of the place, and I’m incorporating that concept into my design layout.

I also found a bunch of pictures of old garages, and am in the process of finding a garage image that perfectly suits the aesthetic I’m going for.

"Oldschool" garage.

Nature-ish?

For example, this particular chess board is obviously all one style, but I immediately thought of our nature side of the board when I saw this design. It’s not much, and there’s not even much more to talk about. It’s simply a unique way to handle a chess board design. The pieces are themed as well, though it’s hard to make them out. I think if we had a chessboard with two differently designed sides clashing in the middle, it would really help convey our idea of “nature vs industry” in a more visual way.

Side View

Splash Page Design Attempt #1

While I know I’m constantly learning and improving my abilities, it’s not always so obvious at moments, especially during frustrating times. Conversely, I had the opposite epiphany recently with my web design abilities. Web II has really pushed me to go above and beyond, and I’m seeing that in my work now more than ever.

Splash Page Design Attempt #2

Just recently, with the ABC site, I noticed huge self improvement. I like that we do the projects in steps. The multiple critiques really open up my eyes every time to areas I can work on … and then I take that realization with me as I try to revamp my projects. Each time I thought I had a decent layout, it was shot down. With that said, each time I’d come back with a new layout, it was twice as good as the prior. Now, I couldn’t be happier with the final product, and I couldn’t be more excited for the amount of experience I obtained just through this simple project. So for this particular entry, my inspiration is my own improvement.

Splash Page Final Product

3D Chessboard

As I was looking for sources of inspiration, I came across a chessboard design that didn’t focus on the pieces … but instead, focused on the board itself. It’s a 3D chessboard. This caught my eye immediately, and while it doesn’t deal with the aesthetics of the pieces, it really opened up my eyes to the possibilities. We’ve been talking and talking about how our pieces should look, and not once have we dropped the idea of altering the appearance of our chessboard. Granted, we may have restrictions in terms of the size and shape of our chessboard, given the circumstances, but this acts as a source of inspiration showing me that we can really run with our ideas. I just think a 3D chessboard is such a cool idea. I’ve never seen one before, and I’ve never even imagined a chessboard in any form other than 2D.

If we incorporated the aesthetics of our chess pieces with a cohesive chessboard design, we could easily make a chessboard set that could potentially exceed all of our expectations.

Recently, I was searching for penguin images for my “ABC’s of Penguins” website, and I came across a logo that I thought was quite masterful.

Coincidentally, it turned out to be a logo for Penguin,  software that works in correlation with Rhino and AutoCAD; two programs that we’re dealing with in Digital Literacy. With that said, this logo is awesome. It’s simple. The font is perfect. The image is clean-cut. However, it’s the drop shadow that sells the whole logo. Without it, the logo would lack the depth that really draws my eye.

Though simple, logos like these really motivate me to push forward with graphic design.

Clever, eh?

Just as usual, Google comes off with another creative header design. With the concept of the site being a search engine, you wouldn’t expect it to look super, but Google always manages to design its name in such creative ways, really giving everyone a more welcoming feeling as they open up the page. Granted, everyone once in a while they rock out with the traditional, but more times than not, they provide some pretty enjoyable images.

With that said, I’ll admit … I Google everything.

It's like a rainbow of magic.

Ever since Apple’s technological advances stepped up, so did their marketing campaign, and it’s been all uphill for them since. I’d like to say a large part of their success is their technology, but I truly believe their clean & simple ad campaigns are what truly projects the simplicity of a mac to the customer. Everything about Apple is clean-cut, and straight forward? So, I really can’t imagine a better way Apple could market their products. They’re so ahead of the game in every aspect. Windows launches a $200 million dollar ad campaign for their subpar product. Apple launches ads that probably don’t cost them more than a couple thousand each. Who’s the smarter company? That fact alone would make me question Microsoft’s credibility. Looking forward to many years of watching Apple dominate the market.