Fidgety Fingers: art

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MAKES A BEAUTIFUL BUBBLE RING

THE GRID : AN INTUITIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN WEB DESIGN

I was thinking about the AI in this new way of web designing last night and I thought it is a very conducive package. The internet is a fairly new thing if you think about it, and with all the new e-commerce and mobile apps growing rampantly, the internet web templates have changed a few times already. And in the past year, we see that websites have changed again due to the rise of mobile surfing. I guess this more intuitive web interface would not solve the problem, but it will definitely be the next best solution before some genius figures out how to make our lives more dependent on the worldwide web with more devices and gadgets.

40 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE

MAPPING NOMAC : THE DIY LOGO

I was fiddling the other day in between my travels, just sketching and doing my handicrafts. I thought of my friend Swee who started her handicraft business, Swiedebie from scratch in The Netherlands. It was a tough start with no income for a couple of years. It was a lot of creation and recycling materials, upcycling in a way, and then braving the weather at art and craft fairs in the country to try to establish her brand of plushies and handmade wonder. I cringed at the thought of spending on materials when you are struggling with income and the whole notion of profiting to feed yourself is a faraway idea.

I started to think of how one could easily produce their own logo by hand and yet having it look more or less professionally duplicated. Sure there are rubber stamps, potato cuts and stencils. But these methods do not allow one to scale it easily. What if the only tools I have are the trusty old scissors and pencil? Here is the challenge: how can I simplify the process?

I thought of Macca Lee who embarked on his 7-month trip around Europe. How he could use his web name 'Mapping Nomac' all around the world like those who became worldwide memes by dancing or posing all around the globe.

I started toying with the idea of paper crafting and played with different folds and cuts. The accordion fold seemed like a simplified fold in this case, making it almost creating each letter in a 'factory line'. Not all names could be applied to this method. Nomac is short enough and all the letters have almost symmetrical forms. You will see what I mean in the next few pictures. Swiedebie would not be a good name to try on this simple duplication.

All you need is paper, a pen or pencil, a pair of scissors and something round for a more precise curve to be drawn.

This is the final logo of Mapping Nomac. It is black just as a default. It could well take on anything one can get hold of. Be it maps, used leaflets, magazine spread, menus, tickets...etc.

Just finish off with 'Mapping' in handwriting for that personal touch.

WORLD PRESS PHOTOGRAPHY AT RAFFLES HOTEL SINGAPORE

I went to the World Press Photography exhibition today, amidst errands. It is held at the Raffles Hotel and it is free for all. I have recently stumbled upon the movie '1000 Goodnights' with Juliette Binoche which centres around a conflict photojournalist. It made me appreciate this exhibition much more. It is very moving and it definitely opens our eyes, or at least mine, to the many issues around the world. Our world is not just my world.

Amongst the many photographs, this one captured my attention the most. At a glance, it seemed normal, at a glance that is. At the corner of my eye, I saw a man hugging a woman, which could mean affection and what not and so forth. But then on second look, my eyes teared up.

This was another photo that caught my attention. Minus the colour, these albino Indians look just like any other westerners. We are all one people. Perhaps colour is present to teach us all that it actually doesn't matter at all.

WORLD PRESS PHOTO EXHIBITIONThe annual World Press Photo exhibition is the best known of World Press Photo's activities and is a highlight in the organization's calendar.Every year following the World Press Photo Contest, the winning images go on tour. In April, the exhibition is officially opened in Amsterdam and can be seen at venues around the globe until March of the next year. The tour program takes in approximately 100 cities in 45 countries and is still expanding.The exhibition is a showcase for creativity in photojournalism and a platform for developments in the profession, part of World Press Photo's aim of encouraging and stimulating the work of press photographers around the world. The show also attracts a broader public and, because of the wide-ranging focus of the contest, forms an eyewitness record of world events from the previous year.

HOW TO BE CREATIVE : SWITCHING BETWEEN FOCUSED AND DIFFUSE THINKING

I work in the creative industry, and this is an industry which is very used and abused because a lot of people do not understand what it takes to have inspirations to be creative. Whenever people interview me, I always tell them that I do not believe in my team working late. If we have to work late, I can safely say that it isn't me being inefficient. I am probably one of the efficient people around and I always give more than what is expected. So, if we have to work late, which other departments are then being inefficient? Should this be creative department who suffers the late nights and long hours then? I beg to differ. The creative department is the brains and the life line of all creative agencies and extra care needs to be taken.

I always ask my designers to go home when it is time. There is no point staying late to earn brownie points or to keep trying when you are stuck in a creative rut. Go home, or go out, see new things, enjoy yourself and come back to me tomorrow refreshed. If you are stuck, I am not going to tolerate it if you continue to dug a deeper rut. And there is much truth about this in the Coursera Learn how to learn module.

When we do not give our brains the time to detox in the form of sleeping or the diffuse section of our brains to digest and subconsciously figure out the information and ideas absorbed during the focused mode, we will be going nowhere and the foundations of those thoughts will be weak.

Salvatore Dali practiced his diffuse thinking in the form of his dreams. He would sit on an armchair holding a bunch of keys and fall asleep to dream. He would then be woken up when he drops the keys onto a plate, thereby making noise to wake himself up to quickly note down his ideas and visions.

Focused thinking is what we develop when we are learning from textbooks for example. Diffuse thinking of a more relax and creative state of mind. It is exercising, it is pause, it is walking, it is relaxing, enjoying music, whatever it is. In this state of running around and moving creates new neurons in our adult brains (even) that helps us to process the focused thinking and be better thinkers.

Using the analogy of pinball machines, focused mode has tighter bumper that keep thoughts concentrated and diffuse mode have looser bumpers that aid in more broad-ranging thinking.

Focused: Familiarity (textbook)

Diffuse: Broad-range, dealing with new things, creativity

AS A SUMMARY OF THE 1st MODULE OF LEARN HOW TO LEARN WITH COURSERA

To activate the diffuse mode, sleep or go for a walk, just relax. The trick is to focus and then relax to let things settle and process.
It always takes time to build a foundation.
Patterning procrastination is important in practicing focused and diffuse mode. Practice to make permanence is important in dealing with more abstract topics.
Long term memory is a huge trustworthy storage unlike working memory which is like a blackboard (erasable). If you work your working memory repetitively, it can become long term memory.
Never cramp all learnings in one day. The mind and neutrons need time to build a solid foundation.
Exercise is valuable in improving our memory and ability to learn so that we can build new neutrons in our brains.

LE LABO GERANIUM 30

We have always love Le Labo's packaging. It is so simple and so grunge at the same time. The way they have chosen to shoot their product is also so no frill, yet giving it a very high end feel. Funny enough we have not had the chance to test any of their products yet.

This is from their emailer:

Le Labo Fragrances decided to contribute to Opening Ceremony's partnership with Thierry Boutemy by creating a very limited edition fragrance (100 bottles only) for the event.

Geranium 30, developed with French perfumer Barnabé Fillion, is a haphazard-seeming but impossibly artful bouquet of flowers (geranium, jasmin...) which, in a way, is Boutemy's own floral installation style in a bottle.

"Impossibly artful" because of the dangerous balance between the flowers and the spices (baie rose, poivre long...) which brings to the one who wears Geranium 30 the permanent feeling of walking in a perfectly arranged mad, wild garden... Enjoy the wildness...

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MARKETING, PUBLIC RELATIONS, ADVERTISING AND BRANDING

Zoe found this for a Wednesday laugh. It is very amusing indeed. Makes me wonder what a designer would 'say'.

THE OPTICAL ILLUSION QUIZ : HOW EASILY ARE YOU FOOLED?

LORD BYRON'S SORROW IS KNOWLEDGE

Lord Byron, 1788–1824, was an English poet and a leading figure in the Romantice movement. One of the greatest British poets.

THE FUN GOTH COLOURING IN BOOK

Seems like we are into a lot of laughters recently. All the better to go with stress. We want this colouring book for stress.

'WICH CROSS SECTION SANDWICHES

I stumbled upon the branding for 'Wich whilst researching branding for cafes. The logo for 'wich is not what impressed me. It is the photography. Being Asian, I am not a sandwich fan. It is just not food per se in my culture. It is rather sad to be eating a sandwich. It is something on-the-go or for eating in front of the computer working. There is much more joy in a bowl of soupy noodles.

Anyway, I never thought of how to showcase sandwiches or wraps. And 'Wich has done it beautifully by showing the cross sections. What a clever idea. Of course I want to know what is in my sandwich or baguette. 'Wich has made sandwiches sexy for me in this case.

LE LABO VALENTINE EMAILER

We received this from Le Labo Fragrances yesterday. It is just the type of humour for us. We love the quirkiness of Le Labo. We have been on their mailing list for a while now but have not actually tried their fragrances yet. We love their branding and messaging. Their packaging is also nicely done up. Check them out here: http://www.lelabofragrances.com/

NICE GOOGLE DOODLE FOR DIAN FOSSEY

Dian Fossey's birthday marked by Google doodle:

American zoologist played by Sigourney Weaver in the film Gorillas in the Mist would have been 82 on Thursday

Dian Fossey sits with mountain gorillas in the Virunga mountains in Rwanda in 1982. Photograph: Associated Press

Dian Fossey, the American zoologist who was murdered in Rwanda in 1985 after a long battle to protect mountain gorillas, has been celebrated in a Google doodle.

Fossey, who would have been 82 on Thursday, was born in San Francisco on January 1932 and educated at the University of California.

The doodle features the African mountains and gorillas that featured strongly in her life. Fossey studied mountain gorillas for 18 years and her work and experience contributed to her 1983 book Gorillas in the Mist. The book was made into a film with Sigourney Weaver taking the role of Fossey.

Fossey was inspired to study in Africa by Louis and Mary Leakey. While studying the gorillas, she had a constant battle with poachers, many of whom she helped jail. Some of the gorillas she studied, in particular Digit in 1978, died in trying to protect their relatives from poachers.

Fossey was murdered in her cabin in a mountain reserve in Rwanda; the case remains open.