Aesthetics…It’s Kinda Important

I always knew design was important especially when it came to web and media, however I never considered myself much of a designer. I always took the backseat when it came to that area of a project, and instead I focused on the programming and functionality. However, after studying visual aesthetics this semester and learning different concepts, techniques and styles, I have a lot more confidence in my abilities, and a much better understanding of what is expected in an interface by the audience.

I think the most impactful skill I have learned this semester is understanding how a user interprets what you design, and how to make an interface, design, or video; simple, to the point, and concise while still being visually appealing and unique. When I work on a project and design now, I think of ideas, then try to break it down to its most simple state. Once I create the most simple elements, layout and design I can, I then work my way back and add unique elements, designs, colors etc. until it become a piece that is still staying true to it’s most simple form, but is visually appealing and unique. The fact that we were exposed to so many different types of design, concepts and ideas will also have a positive effect on the pieces I create now, and in the future.  I have a better understanding of different styles of art as well as different designs such as typography, video production and even a little bit of storytelling.

Now that media is becoming more and more visual as well as interactive based, it is important to have a solid foundation in design before the development phase begins.  As a programmer and developer, I understand the feeling of having a great idea and knowing exactly what you want it to do and how you want it to function, but you have no idea how to design it and layout the piece.  Because it is this major hill you cannot get over, the product usually never get’s completed.  I ave learned through my years of school and work that if the product is not visually pleasing and easy to understand, then the entire project means nothing to the audience.  The user wants to be able to work with a product easily and for the learning curve to be very small. If the design is too extreme, and difficult to understand, the user will eventually give up, leave the site and never return. The more we understand about visual design and how a user interprets design, the better we will be as designers, developers and programmers at creating the best products for the audience.

For me personally, I believe I had a solid foundation in understanding how a user sees a website specifically and the best way to present information without it becoming overwhelming. When it came to working on big, interactive projects, I usually became lost in the shuffle. I now understand what ‘visually appealing’ really means and how to organize my content in a way that others can easily understand and enjoy. I am more confident in the products I create, and I’m willing to think outside of the box a little more, rather than having every piece look the exact same way.

If I have learned anything it is that and eye for design is not something you are necessarily born with….given some people are…I am not one of them though. For me, I hope to keep pursuing design the same way I have approached most of the production problems I have faced; to stick with it, practice, keep working and challenge myself to get better and better at design.

Hope You’re Good At K.I.S.S.-ing

One of the phrases used pretty often in the computer world, is K.I.S.S….translation…Keep It Simple Stupid! When it comes to designing a user interface..or almost anything for that matter…these four simple words are usually thrown out the window, along with even the best designers common knowledge. It is safe to say that when it comes to technology in general, Apple is way ahead of the game. Not only are their products clean with sleek lines and a unique look, but their interfaces across all platforms are easy to use, understand and give the user what they need right away without any chaos and confusion.

I think the Edward Tufte Video: iPhone Interace Design said it best when he said, “Clutter and overload are not attributes in design..they are failures of design. If the information is in chaos, don’t start throwing out more information…instead fix the design.” The user interfaces Apple produces with their products, are simple, to the point, sophisticated and classic. Unlike some interfaces where you are constantly needing to search for the most simple thing, the iPhone interface places all of your applications on a simple slider, making it easy for the user to slide back and forth to find what application they are looking for. The user can also organize their applications into folders such as ‘social media’, ‘games’, ‘school’ etc. that way there are not pages upon pages of applications on the users phone, they would only need to find a folder, then the application within each folder.

With the increase in mobile application development, there are several applications out there today that are simply, bad. However, with the applications developed by Apple, the user can see a simple theme and continuity between the information presented and the manner in which it is displayed. During the video, when a simple weather application was shown along side a more robust and information heavy application, I was immediately turned off by the busy application because there was too much information being shown at once and I did not know where to look. By displaying the most important information first, such as temperature and weather conditions, the user is receiving the information they want as quickly as possible, with the option to view additional information such as maps if they would like.

Sometimes, during the development phase, designers under estimate the user. We think, because someone is not tech savy, they will never be able to understand how an application works, or how understand a certain interface. Because of this theory, designers usually throw everything they have at someone thinking, that by doing this, the user will not have to search for anything. However, we are quickly learning that it is just the opposite. Speaking from a personal view, I rarely have to help my parents understand their iPhone or iPad…but I can usually expect a weekly call about the WiFi going out or they don’t understand how something works on their PC. When you throw a ton of information at the user all at once, they become overwhelmed and do not understand where to look, what information to process first, or where to go next. The designers who can understand and master this skill quickly will be the ones to succeed down the road as mobile technologies, or technologies in general, keep evolving and becoming more popular. By keeping interfaces clean and simple, every user can understand it and be more confident when using the device.

Maybe The Packaging Does Matter

Remember growing up, and you would get a present, or if you had a zit on your face..your parents usually fed you the same line, “It’s what’s on the inside that matters.” Well yes this is true..but maybe it doesn’t apply to everything….maybe this doesn’t apply to movies or television. The title sequence has to be just as catching and moving as the entire film. As one designer put it, “It has to work perfectly with the film! I’m a guitarist, so I like to look at it like a solo break — I get my short time in the spotlight but I have to use it to make the song better. If I play sloppy, that makes it worse. If I play too fast and show off, it might get interesting but it is inappropriate.”

I have always been a movie buff….I have always been that person who has to see the previews at the movies, and has to stay through all the credits playing at the end. Just a few weeks ago I went to the movies twice in one day with my best friend, to see the exact same movie…not just because we were a little bored, but because we loved the movie and had to see it ASAP. After watching a few of the sequences, I wanted to watch all of them an analyze all of them…but what really pulled at me was the Forest Gump opening. As I am sure it is of thousands of other people, this has to be one of my favorite movies for so many reasons. I have seen this opening sequence several times but I wanted to watch it again, even though I knew what to expect; a simple floating feather, going through the air and eventually landing at Forest Gump’s feet.  What got me was when I read bellow the video, and the quote by Tom Hanks saying, “Our destiny is only defined by how we deal with the chance elements to our life. That is the embodiment of the feather; here is this thing that can land anywhere, and it lands at your feet.” I never thought of it that way and that so much meaning and insight to the story I was about to watch could come from a tiny feather.  Sally Fields described it as, “Part of the picture is about fate. The feather blows in the wind and touches down here or there. Was it planned or was it per chance?” Watching how the title sequence was created also made me realize how much time and effort goes into creating a scene that most people will forget by the time the movie is over. 

After realizing how much insight and detail was in one simple scene that I have seen thirty different times, I wondered what else am I missing and how much thought really goes into every sequence. I read the processes for ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and ‘Up In The Air’ and was amazed at where the process starts, and then how it ends.  With ‘Up In The Air‘ the process started with the pictures and was suppose to be turned into paintings due to budget, however through a series of fortunate events they eventually had access to live footage shot from an airplane. After developing several storyboards and drawing inspiration from items such as 60’s postcards, they ended on the final title sequence.

In ‘Sherlock Holmes’ the title sequence was based off the idea that the movie showed a classic character in a new edgy way.  This is how the idea of mixing old with new came about. By taking movie clips and editing them to include an ink and paper effect, not only are you giving the audience a quick recap of the amazing movie they just saw, but you are doing it in a creative, cleaver and eye-catching way.

Really quick, I also watched to touch on the opening sequence of ‘Sherlock Holmes’. The opening consist of titles being displayed as bricks in a cobblestone road. To me this sequence has always been very true to life and realistic. But to find out the entire thing is fake and simply made with 3D animation both broke my heart and blew my mind!

Music also plays a major roll in creating a great title sequence. It creates an emotion preparing you for the film.  Just listening to the music in the opening of Forrest Gump makes you feel warm and fuzzy and reminds you of going home, while the music in Sherlock Holmes gets you excited and ‘pumped up’ and reminds you of what the film included.  The ‘Up In The Air’ title sequence does a great job timing each movement and sequence to the beat of the music, which makes you feel more involved and connected to what is happening on screen rather than simply sitting and watching names being displayed.

I could go on and on about this topic. So much thought, time, creativity, collaboration and process goes into creating a title sequence that will probably only be seen once during the film for a minute or less.  When done properly, these sequences establish emotion, insight and prepares the audience for what is to come.

Once Again..We Do Not Know It All

It’s amazing what you can learn if you take the time to sit and listen. I think often, especially as iMedia students, we get stuck in our little vacuums and forget about the outside world, the inspiration that can come just from talking to someone or by simply taking a walk to clear our minds. I will be the first to admit that I lock myself up in editing suits way to much and forget that asking for help, or an idea, or inspiration is often an option.  Watching a few of the Documentaries on Design from Lynda.com re-inspired me to look to other people, and other things for inspiration, rather than just living in a nutshell.

I took the time to watch all three recommended documentaries, Rick Morris, Harry Marks,  Troika. Each designer, especially Harry Marks and the Troika group, talked about the importance of collaboration on projects and looking to others for inspiration.  Actually I think Marks said it best when he said, “It’s a terrible mistake not to collaborate, because the work can only get better…and it is a terrible mistake to not recognize your collaborators..nobody does this along…you can…but the end results won’t be as good as a solid collaboration.” It’s true! Just how we ask others to proofread our papers to make sure we do not have any mistakes, we should be looking to others to proof our design work, tell us what works and what doesn’t, and give us ideas for what we could do differently or incorporate.

Harry Marks

Marks also said, “Working with someone makes you [as a designer] better”. Often I find myself inspired by my classmates work, or someone taking a different perspective on a project then me.  I think, when we are paired off for group projects, our first reaction is annoyed and frustrated because we now know we are going to have to alter our schedules and our daily routines in order to work with someone else’s schedule. But once we start working together, start hashing out the details and finding our storyline, or our concept, or whatever it is we are doing…we learn a lot more than we ever anticipated. Just working on our previous PSA project taught me a lot about video production and editing that I never knew before. By constantly pushing ourselves to work with others who think outside of our comfort zone, and by just simply collaborating, we are able to become better designers and developers ourselves.

Keeping inspiration close by was something I found very obvious, but also something most of us rarely do. We have our styles, we have what we like and don’t like, and that is what we surround ourselves with. But after watching the documentary with Rick Morris I found myself questioning this. Morris is a motion graphic designer, one of the best and the business. With a glance inside of his house we would assume he has multiple personalities because the style is so eclectic. But when you think about it..it makes sense.  One of my favorite quotes he said was, “I mean if I surround myself with art, it’s because that’s what I’m keen on, that’s

Morris in his home

what I’m curious about, that’s what I’m forever interested in, and it’s the same way a singer would surround themselves with music, I suppose.”  I couldn’t have said it better myself! If we surround ourselves with the same things, and the same style, and the same people, we will constantly produce the same results, nothing will change. By having several different styles in him home, Morris can constantly be re-inspired even when working at his house. Morris also stressed the simple idea of brainstorming, writing, drawing and taking pictures with our phones. It is true that we cannot assume our first idea is the right idea. I loved his thoughts on brainstorming. How he sits and writes and draws until one things sticks out to him, which then causes him to brainstorm on that idea or image and continue until he has his piece that he wants to create.

There was one other suggestion Morris touches on that I found so true, and yet something we always put last. In this industry, everything is contantly changing, it is almost impossible to keep up.  During Morris’s interview he touched on this, but said, “Use the slow time to catch up on work that is on the back burner and learn new things and challenge yourself.”  Easier said than done. I often find myself becoming inspired at the most random times of the day, usually it is when I am the most swamped with school work. When we don’t have school work, the last thing we want to do is practice more things for school. But in a program like iMedia, we are having so many things thrown at us so fast..we have to take the time to self-teach and learn as much as we can in our free time. It’s tough, especially when we have so much school work going on, or just want a night out to relax. But I do think it is important to set goals for ourselves outside of class in order to push ourselves and learn more. In talking to one classmate at the beginning of the semester, he told me he tries to produce one short video a week, just to test new techniques and keep up on his video skills. I thought this was odd, but inspirational as well. I started trying to test new pieces of code I found, Photoshop tutorials and After Effects pieces just to learn as much as I can. We have played around with fire writing which is the perfect combination of relaxing and practicing new techniques. I already have a list of things I want to try to accomplish while at home over the holidays.

All of that being said, we cannot assume we know it all, we cannot assume we are the best at what we do and there is nothing more to learn. We cannot assume that what we make is right and what others make is wrong.  This industry is constantly growing, changing, evolving and becoming something most people never assumed it would be.  By collaborating, being inspired and working to absorb as much information as possible, we become the best designers we can be.

Learning Design From Designers…Genius!

I think we take it for granite, how much of an influence design has on our daily lives. Everything we do, interact with, live in, and use just to accomplish a daily task has had the influence of a designer to some extent. Just sitting in my apartment I can see that design was used to create this building, and create the layout of each room, it was used to create the furniture I bought or utensils in my kitchen, it was used to create the pattern on my bed spread or the whiteboard hanging on my refrigerator. Every element, from the most complicated to the most simplistic has had the influence of a designer in one way or another. This assignment, Thirty Conversations on Design, allowed me to gain insight as to how other designers think, process, are inspired and view the world around them.

I think in order to be a good designer you have to be willing to think outside of the box, to take a risk and be willing to see something from another point of view. If we always stayed in our little bubbles there would be no new designs or ideas, every product would look the same and every problem would be solved the exact same way. I loved when Emily Pilloton said the childhood ‘thing’ that influenced her design skills the most wasn’t even a thing but rather a fictional character; MacGyver.  Emily spoke about how MacGyver was constantly building something from nothing…but not just something..something amazing. I personally have only seen a few shows of MacGyver, but it is inspiring to watch someone take something as simple as a paper clip and supposedly transform it into something amazing. Although, a lot of the devices are impossible to create the way MacGyver did, it shows that you have to be willing to take a risk and think of obstacles in a different way in order to over come them and have something new and exciting.

I was really surprised to see Tony Hawk as a featured designer…and to be talking about a product that wasn’t even his, Apple Computers. Although I fought it forever, you can’t ignore the fact that Apple is the leading company in terms of design. I can remember being in elementary school and the computer lab getting the big bulky colored Apple computers and thinking they were the coolest things, and then when the slimmer all white computers replaced them they were even cooler.  Apple has been the first to take technology design to the next level not only with computers, but with phones, the iPod and iTouch, the iPad and other devices and accessories to go along with them. It now seems that every other technology company is trying to just keep up.  Apple designs are chic and unique, easy to use and incorporate into our daily lives, and something we are proud to show off and work with.  A computer is something we use almost every day so  you want it to be nice to look at as well as nice to use.

Believe it or not I love hearing from other designers, artists programmers and the accelerated professionals in this field…I would actually prefer to hear the negative rather than the positive. Watching these videos gave me an inside look at how accelerated designers process, think and work in order to create something great. Studying what they find interesting and applying their design thoughts and processes to my work can only allow for improvement and better designs.

When Pixar Works With M. Night Shyamalan

If the creators at Pixar were ever to collaborate with M. Night Shyamalan I imagine the final product would be something like this. The studioAKA short films mix digital animation, with odd, scary settings as well as extremely left of center characters in order to create a completely different world. Although these films are short and sweet, I found myself attached to them, and wanting to watch them over and over again because I was worried I missed something….like the point of them.

Compared to last weeks assignment there is no true beginning and end, no backstory or character investment, no true purpose.  Although the clips were entertaining and amusing I had no idea what the backstory was and purpose.  I was able to understand what was happening in each story and what each character was doing at different times, but I could not follow the purpose.  Why is there a blind character walking around a demented hallway? Why is there a pizza being delivered to a prison type of building? Why is there a religious type character knocking on a torture chamber room?

I enjoyed the fact that these characters were not your typical actors. They were an extreme mix between robot, radio, television and human beings.  Each character had some type of personality that could be seen through how they moved or what they were wearing, however no characters ever spoke.  This added an entertainment value to each piece and forced me to pay attention to what was happening more.  After watching each film a few times I was able to pick up on different movements and props that added to the story and allowed me to understand certain reactions a little better.

I have to comment on the technique used to make these short films because although the storyline is tricky to follow, I really enjoyed the use of animation and color. Although they are not technically scary films, the animations do a great job of giving a “scary” effect through lighting and perspective.  I enjoyed that the film makers not only relied on one perspective but were constantly changing angles and points a view in order to add depth to the film. I also enjoyed that all the films were in black and white and no color was included.  I do not think that if color was involved this films would hold as much meaning, or be taken seriously.  The colors would have probably made the films come across as cheesy and silly rather than scary and dramatic.

Overall I really enjoyed watching these short films. Although I struggled with following a concreate storyline and purpose, the techniques and creativity used in these films was defiantly unique and sparked the audiences curiosity from the start.

Short Films: The Art of Telling A Great Story In 8 Minutes or Less

I was in love with this assignment!! I really enjoy indi films and indi inspired films so once I started watching one short film I had to watch them all.  To create a storyline and collect every bit of information, then pack it into only a few minutes of film sounds like an insane task!  But the way the storyline unfolds, the way each shot is presented and the flow of the story keeps the audience interested and delivers a profound and direct message to the audience.

Two of my favorite short films in the series are “Bridge” and “Blow Up”.  Both of these films came across as very natural and realistic situations.  For the most part, it is two people having a conversation, covering several topics and bantering back and forth.  At some point in the short film there is a slight conflict that comes about such as a disagreement on a topic or a joke gone bad.  However, the characters move past it and continue with the goal and/or storyline. Often the story travels into different topics, like in “Blow Up” when the male character starts telling a story about his father.  Although the story doesn’t directly relate the what is happening, you still cannot help but become caught up in what he is saying.  When I first saw this, it came across as a similar situation that could occur in iMedia. You are working on a project with other people, and suddenly your project ideas and brainstorms lead into other personal stories that you begin to draw from.  I think the natural topics of conversation made the scenes even more realistic.

I really enjoyed how the films were shot also.  I am not very familiar with cinematography so I’m sorry if I say something wrong.  The majority of the shots in the films were a little shaky as if taken with a hand held camera.  To me this added to the experience because it was as if you were standing right next to the people having the conversation.  You became a part of the story in a sense.  I also liked the fact that the shots were not simply of someones face but rather certain body parts, props in the storyline or other components.  By steering the audiences attention to another component rather than simply focusing on the face, allows them to become more immersed in the story and have a better understanding of what is happening.

I also appreciated the fact that the actors seemed like everyday people.  The film makers did not cast the most beautiful or handsome people they could find. They have flaws but this is what makes them come across as everyday people; someone I could meet while walking across campus or out at a bar.  They also came across as very natural and real on film.  I think this added to the quality of the scenes coming across as a natural situation as well.

To create a short film almost seems like an impossible challenge, but when approached and conducted in the correct manner, you are left with a great piece of film.

Information Visualization: Pretty Pictures vs. Understanding The Message

Watching the documentary on information visualization obviously overwhelmed me so much that I completely forgot to write this blog post on it! I guess I needed some time to absorb what was happening…maybe!

The information we receive today is full of numbers, statistics, factors, ideas and more. Not only do we view data at a national level, but people want to be able to view it at a state, county and city level as well.  Many want to be able to see information that applies directly to them but also browse information for others.  With that being said, how do we create info graphics that allow the user to learn all of these aspects of information without the data taking over the page and becoming unrecognizable?

It was mentioned several times throughout the documentary that today’s trends in infographics do not necessarily circle around the idea of presenting data in an easy to digest manner.  Instead, designers work to create visually appealing graphics and designs out of the data, however these images are essentially impossible to understand.  If you look at some of the “out there” infographics they are eye-catching and spark your curiosity, however they appear to be more of an abstract piece of art you would hang in your living room rather than a form of information.  Now, as a self proclaimed nerd I would love to have something like this in my house one day, but to others this way of visualization is impossible to read.  This is the wall infographic designers face: take complex, detailed information and make it easy to understand.

A Complex Infographic

There are several forms of information visualization. Not only can you create a static info graphic, but there are interactive graphics that can be placed on websites for the audience to play with in order to learn more.  More recent trends include incorporating video and Adobe After Effects to create a motion infographic that are both informative and entertaining.  Either way, one of the first things a designer should do before they start the design process is analyze the data they are trying to communicate.  Create concepts for how you want to show the data whether it be a map, a graph, pictures or another form of info visualization.  Designers also need to create a narrative to go with the graphic.  Whether it is extra text that leads the audience in order to understand the information being presented, or content which supports the information being presented, there needs to be a narrative.  Just like with almost every concept we have discussed in this class, you need to make decisions to support your work, don’t just make a decision to make a decision.  If your information needs some text content in order for it to be understandable and more informative, then add it in order to improve your information.

Information visualization is a growing trend, however complex maps and interactive pieces cannot be created at the drop of a hat. Many online news sources have settled on creating simple templates that can be used for many different areas of information visualization. The foundational idea behind templates is ‘build one thing that can be used multiple times’.  The designer simply needs to import that data and possibly tweek a few pieces of code in order to create the final product.  Although the initial template may take several weeks to create, once it is completed it can be reused and reformatted in several different ways in order to convey information to the audience.  There are also several different types of programs and codes online that developers can use to create their own infographic.  To hire a information graphic designer does cost a lot of money and as said earlier, time is of the essence in many of these situations.  With online programs and code, developers can create infographic based on their personal data easily.  There is a bit of a learning curve to this style as well, but when implemented properly they can create unique information visualizations.  One example

Twitter Information Visualization

that I never realized was form of information visualization is the use of graphics to communicate ‘trending topics’ on social media such as Twitter.  Each celebrity as a ‘bubble’ and based on the amount of Twitter traffic referencing them determines how large the ‘bubble’ becomes.  I have always seen these graphics on entertainment websites, but never took into consideration the programming and science that goes into it.  These templates becoming more and more popular and although at times they are difficult to read, they convey a simple message about who is trending when.

At the end of the day, the best approach to information visualization is to organize, understand and display the information you are trying communicate in the best logical way. While some information graphics can be visually interesting and appealing, they are impossible to understand.  Organization and simplicity is key in order to create the best graphic for the audience. Finding the balance between visually appealing and visually understanding the data can be difficult, but when executed properly it can hold great meaning to the audience.

Stuff..Stuff..Stuff..More Stuff..The Right Stuff?

The Story of Stuff is a campaign targeted at educating the public about where our “stuff” comes from and how industries such as bottled water companies and cosmetics are negatively effecting our personal health as well as the environment and those who produce the products in factories.  While the videos on the website www.storyofstuff.org were informative and easy to understand, I couldn’t help but wonder how believable they were to others in the public.

The informational videos use a series of images, similar to an info graphic, to display different ideas such as poisoning the public, industries becoming rich and harming the environment. The speaker, Annie Leonard, narrates the entire video while the images play in the background. These images were created to make the ideas easier to understand, rather than listening to a lecture from the speaker. While the images are entertaining, eye catching and do make the story easy to follow they come across as “cheap” or like the speaker is aiming for a younger crowd due to the fact that they are simple stick figures and not realistic “live” images.

While the speaker makes some very good points as well, I questioned the truth to what she was saying. There were several numbers and statistics thrown out during each video all pertaining to how we are over consuming and polluting the environment, etc. However, she never supported her facts with where the statistics came from or the other information as well.  It makes me wonder if what she is saying is true, or if she is “scaring” the public into her mind set.

Keeping these two facts in mind, as designers we should take into account the message and how it is presented. Who is the ideal audience? What do they like? How do I attract them and keep their attention? How do I make my message believable in order to create change?  These are all things Annie Leonard should be taking into consideration.  As a consumer, I feel although the illustrations helped me follow the story, they seemed child-like and not for my audience. I would use more realistic images and video rather than simple drawings. I also find it hard to believe what she is saying, so I would back it up with where the statistics came from.

We Can Only Create What We Know

I never realized how comfortable I was at my old job back home until I was thrown into a new environment. To work in Web Services in a higher education setting you need to have not only an understanding of design and technology but also understand the school, the product, the message. Earlier this semester I joined up with a few other classmates to work on the Elon Lacrosse Club Website. In one of our first meetings I couldn’t help but feel a little lost and out of place. I had no idea why I felt a type of anxiety just from being in a meeting.  Then I realized, I had no idea what the foundation of Elon University was, what the message was, what the history of the school was and more. I always knew that one factor of design was knowing your client and product, but it was in that moment I realized how important that role is when building a product.  We can only create what we know…therefore researching and understanding our product, the client and the message is the most important part of beginning any project.

Many of the designers who spoke in the videos from this week talk about the purpose of meaning behind the content. It isn’t necessarily the content itself, but how the content is presented. Ask any artist or designer and they will tell you their main goal is to emotionally effect people whether it be through a message or specific meaning; they want their work to resinate with others. They do not create content just to create content, or change a font or color for the sake of doing it. Every decision has a reason or a thought process behind it. In order to do this artists have to have a deep understanding of that message or meaning. Many people may not realize it, but research plays a major role in the life of a designer. When I am working on a new project, the first thing I do is ‘Google it’ and see what others are doing in the same area. From there I then pick and choose what I like and piece things together to make something new that gets my specific message across.  By having a solid foundation artists are able to create more meaningful works of art.

Everyone wants to create meaningful works. They want to influence, change someones mind, make an impression.  By establishing a solid foundation artists are able to make better aesthetics decisions in order to create these pieces.

As one artist said it best, “At the end of the day the only thing that is important is that [the art] is emotionally engaging to people”.