Information in Motion

Here's another example of information graphics combined with motion created in an informative yet entertaining manner. I would like to explore its use in physical environments and see if there is a way to incorporate this idea of information and motion in a retail setting that would help manage customer flows and increase volume of sales in the process as well.

Expressive Type

I would really like to explore the effects to typography in public spaces. Is there a way for the type to somehow affect the behaviour in a particular environment? Can typography dictate behaviour? Can it be the dominant force that suggests what public behaviour should be in a particular environment, can it be influential enough to stop people in their tracks and make them adjust their behaviour to meet the requirements of what the type in a particular space suggests? Would people break out of their roles to subject themselves to the design of a typeface?

By taking influences from environmental design and how that discipline uses space, and combining it with graphic principles I feel there can be a way to make typography the dominating factor that controls behaviour.

Creating Narratives

What this clip does is create a narrative between the audience and the subject matter through elements that are infographic in nature, as well as typographic all brought together with motion graphics. Now such methods have been employed many times by different campaigns and infographic videos that explore social issues. That's become a sort of common theme when it comes to creating informative videos that seem visually appealing. But what I'm interested in is introducing one more element to this mix. Clips like these are a great combination of sound, video and type, this one in particular as it leaves you questioning things at the end, but what sort of emotional connection does it develop with it's audience? I feel that's something really worth investigating as to means of combining all these elements to create informative visuals that appealing and able to create a connection through feelings and emotions.

Splinter: 3D Type

Splinter. I've been quite inspired with typography, especially expressive type. This is one of my recent projects where I created a three dimensional typeface using board that was cut up in triangular pieces and then glued to create letter forms. This would be something I would consider for thesis whereabouts I would want to attempt to emulate some for of expression with type, but not to sure how that would work. Currently I'm in the process of forming the outline for how to create 3d type out of plants. In fact, that's a thought, type that grows. For my thesis, creating a set of typefaces that grow to create letter forms. These would be photographed throughout their life's stage from beginning to end and have a video montage of this process made. I like that!

Here's a link to the completed 3d type. LINK

Audi Sinfonie

This is simply brilliant. It's almost a form of story telling through the combination of audio and video by bringing together elements of live action video, digitally synthesised music combined with a live symphonic orchestra. By bringing together all these elements, it creates a unique experience that takes you on a visual joy ride through the production process of Audi to the final thrill of driving out on the open high way. This is interesting because it's something I would like my thesis to include, minus the live orchestra, unless I could get Toronto symphony to collaborate with me. But instead the bringing together of different elements and forming a sort of narrative. That's what I want to explore with graphic design and create some form of audio visual hybrid.

Waste Culture

The notion of waste culture presented by Ikea through Spike Jonze

In Process

Process work is awesome! I love looking at how things start out, design in their raw form, the initial thoughts going through before the conception and inevitable refinement of the final concept. Especially when that process involves type. Here's a look at one of my recent processes involving the creation of my 3-D typeface.

The Power of Motion Graphics

Nokta . from Onur Senturk on Vimeo.

The real reason I considered graphic design as a profession was simply spurred from the notion of wanting to create special effects incorporate with type, photography and illustration, combined so create meaning. This profession is called Motion Graphics and really, if you come to think of it is the future of graphic design. A better way to put it would be, it's the next level. Finding of communicating your intended message through as many mediums incorporate through different means. Truly something I would want to sink my teeth into. This is a taste of the power of motion graphics.

Tron Legacy

Tron when it first came out was a breakthrough in graphic capabilities. It was something new, never dreamt possible, and now, comes the release of the new Tron movie. Tron Legacy. Looks just beautiful. Very inspring work I must admit. I feel this will be the next escapist movie, right after the Matrix, though nothing beats the aura it was able to create. Very inspiring stuff!

CineFlex- Nowegian Sunrise

Cineflex - Norwegian sunrise from Leif Johan Holand on Vimeo.

Cineflex, these guys do a lot of cinematography capturing landscapes and nature. Truly inspiring work, especially this one in particular. The music and the scenes are just perfect. These things I dream about.

Faux Science & Bullshit

We’ve come to an age where less is more and the quicker you get your information, the better. Now this can in someway lead to us, as designers, wanting to seem more credible, hence, adopting science as our means of communicating our ideas and intentions. However, in the process of doing so, according to Jessica Helfand, we end up creating a sense of “Faux Science” From a designer’s point of view, making design connect with science would actually make sense. Design IS a form of science. It’s about, talking from a graphic designer’s point of view, an attempt at making visual connections with ideas and trains of thought. So does art to a certain degree, but it’s main function is to tell you how it’s artist feels- in which case, by looking at it you make your own meaning form what you see. But science, having achieved such a stable ground on being logical and sound, gives gain credibility because of its history and achievements over the centuries. As for design, well, by using scientific words and associations, it just ends up sounding like bullshit!

Wikipedia Prevails

One of the articles from Reading 3 talks about the proliferation of Wikipedia and how its rival Britanica battle it out against each other for "logical truths". The idea of battle in the case of Wikipedia is another case seeing as how they've had to adopt policing strategies to prevent vandals from deleting and twisting information for their own amusement, at the sake of a larger audience. Now the problem here is can Wikipedia be trusted? Well can it? Speaking on a personal level, I for one start most my of research from there itself, where it serves as a great source for references and a means of getting started. Also, from a student's point of view, having a free easy to access website loaded with information is a much better, and dare I say convenient option, as opposed to Britanica which has to be paid for if to get the "whole truth". In an ever changing digitised world, with the open source revolution on the rise, Wikipedia's gaining and has gained more ground than Britanica has. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I used it myself. There was once a saying that if enough people believe something to be true, then it must, and if you put Wikipedia in the same context, then surely there must be some truth to its content- especially considering the special efforts taken to keep it "clean".

Scholars will always have their arguments over the correctness and reliability of Wikipeida. And if you think about it, yes, there are issues with that platform. However, if you take into consideration a broader public space, and mass culture, Wikipedia holds more ground only because of one simple reason, it's more convenient.