It's 70 Degrees Underneath Kansas City

This past Saturday (Feb 5th) I helped out a film student with one of his shoots. It involved wearing all black (which I do most of the time already), looking semi tired or dead , and going down under to the caves where the temperature was so naturally warmer than up above. I got some free soda, a water, a couple twinkies and even those oatmeal cream pie thingy's. It was a good time. Anyway, just wanted to share some shots of what it looks like down there.

SPATIAL: Nelson Atkins Audio Experience Extravaganza

SPATIAL: Elevation thinking

Horizontal Wall Installation

This is an example of how the horizontal wall installation might function. The other idea is to have it grow from one end, similar to our piloti/facade idea on the lower floor. There's a standard window size, but if you extend the window horizontally not only would you get a different view, but you would obtain more natural light and more of the outdoors.

Elevation view

Above is an attempt at what this wall's elevation view might look like with the movable wall installation. Below would be examples of other window styles and other structures who exhibit this horizontal window point that Corbusier suggests.

Identity

Tom and I discussed the identity some more today. We took a look at my exponents and discussed that although it was a great idea at the time I created it, anything to the 5th power is not 5, so we picked up on another string and followed it to this idea of bits and parts coming together to form this structure. In a way, Corbusier takes all of these parts (walls, pilotis, etc) and because of the way the structure is built, it allows for easy customizable options depending on the function of each room.

SPATIAL: Identity

As I began brainstorming about the identity and brand of this exhibition, I started with a series of words that I thought would have helped define and embody the whole event, attributes if you will. Below are some ideas and thoughts that I had, along with a nice progression of ideas flowing through each type exploration. You'll notice a couple different names, some exponents, and even some substitution.
{Modern | Stream-line | Straight | Thin | No-points |Facade | Levels | Equal | Support}

Helvetica Neue

Futura

I rounded the edges to get rid of the sharp angles.

Orator Std

Rockwell

SPATIAL: Update

MY INITIAL CONCEPT

Within the first round of concepting, Tom and I worked separately in trying to devise a unique, interesting, and even persuasive way to exhibit Le Corbusier's five points towards a new architecture essay. As I was analyzing the essay, pictures were popping into my head. They were interpretations and images of what I though the space should look like.
The idea I had was to view the space as a linear narrative. Exhibit goers would enter the Block Space and make their way to section 1 or point 1. I went through the essay and chose out words that I thought best described or strengthened that point, and from these words we would create a space that showcased them. For example, the first room is about the support and had words like support, foundation, equal and flat roof.

So my idea in the first room was to fill it with support columns, all spaced equally with supporting information on the columns or on the walls. There might be different forms that supports might take or even different materials they might take within the room also.

In the second room there would be a suspending garden hanging above the two-floor open space. Sean suggested that I use something clear like Plexiglas to illustrate Corbusier's ideal plant drainage system with the sand.

I would also like to smooth out the corners. The smooth curves throughout the building was something that really appealed to me. This idea of no forced angle upon the resident inside was nice. There was also a suggestion to use these smooth corners as a way of guiding the viewers throughout the exhibit. It's a softer, more friendly edge that says "Hey, now go this way" and not a sharp angle corner supported with the f-bomb.

On the first floor in the 2nd room, vegetation would be everywhere. A nice calming feel with nature.

I also had the idea of personifying and characterizing these five points. Using the same word based list I used in the previous concept, I would use to to develop these "people" who exhibit these characteristics. (Supportive/Good Foundation/Equal or Fair, etc).


TOM & I COLLABORATE
SECOND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

Based on some feedback from class on Monday, Tom and I met up and did a little brainstorming together to get our concept for the space down. We decided that instead of the linear based narrative of each point within its own room separated, we decided that we wanted Corbusier's flow freely from one space to the next, all supporting each other.

So for the first point of course are the supports illustrated using the pilotis. In the first space, there are a couple pilotis that will be movable/slide-able really. They will be attached to something (a ceiling or a sheet illustrating a ceiling) and this is going to allow exhibit goers to extend the facade, communicating to them it can change.

These little brown squares of paper are appropriate scale people.

We will have arc shaped movable walls.

One of the rooms in the upstairs is going to house the rooftop garden.

While the other room upstairs (larger room) is going to be where the horizontal windows will be exhibited. We will have some sort of mechanism that will allow the three windows that are preexisting transform into one long horizontal window. We will also illustrate this through different elements of light.

The movable walls also coexist in this space.

Pro Practice: Bio & Resume

BIO
I am a friend, a brother and an uncle, a likable guy, a coffee enthusiast, somewhat of a hoarder, and with six ethnic backgrounds I am sometimes even called a mutt, but wait just a minute, I am even a graphic designer. I am am the type of person who appreciates the modnar (that's random spelled backwards). After relocating to the Kansas City Art Institute in 2009 from Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, Colorado, I have emerged into an experienced and enthusiastic designer. I desire to combine my passion for illustration with my passion for design. My interests pertain to branding development, social change and advocacy, hand generated typography, book and magazine design, and even motion work.

RESUME

DP: A beginning

Currently, my process book for my degree project is 8"x10", vertical. When my process book is finished at the end of this 13 week period, I plan to use blurb.com to produce it. The layout right now allows for personal comments and thoughts in the small caption area, a nice wide body paragraph allowing for deep explanation of the project and critiques (set in Futura, a font appropriate for technological subject matters), a header (set in Trade Gothic), a subhead (set in Orator - a nice "techy" contrast font, and spot for the date, some folios, and a grid structure for any accompanying photos.

Experiments and Solutions

MOTION PIECE/ANIMATION
I would really like to fine tune my skill set in the area of motion. I am entertaining the idea of learning/working with After Effects to create a piece that highlights the functionality of the technology.

POSTERS/INFORMATION DESIGN/INFOGRAPHICS
I want to create some sweet informational posters and possibly infographics. Seeming as how this project has the potential to be very technical due to the subject matter, I think some nice organized beautiful informational posters would be great, even as a quick reference.

IDENTITY
Maybe I could create an identity for a company/person/blog/website/online community that allows people to share and collaborate their innovative solutions. These solutions could be a different use for a type of technology or just a new innovative design that impacts people.

QUESTIONNAIRE
In three words, describe technology.
How much of your life is filled with technology?
Do you think some of these areas/technological artifacts could be improved?

My life in the long run

My professor at my previous college once told me, "Lance, you're more than just coffee." I have worked for Starbucks for more than four years now, and it's really been tough to let go. This "job" has turned out to be a constant giving machine. It helped me get out of my shell (if you think I'm a quiet person now, you should have seen me before), it gave me coffee a free pound of coffee every week that I never drank, it helped me network to get my first ever internship with a small graphic design firm, it gave me an opportunity to illustrate chalkboards, it gave me furniture for my apartment, and the list just goes on. It's been hard to give up something that has turned out to be so rewarding. For a couple of years now, I have been saying that I wouldn't mind designing somehow within Starbucks, and it's still true. I wouldn't be totally against it. Plus, there are travel opportunities that come with it, and I would love that just as much.

Being a little more realistic I guess, I would like to stay local for a couple of years and work for a design agency, firm, house, boutique. I can see myself working for a couple of different places, though I'm not entirely sure I would be a good fit. I like the idea of working for Hallmark or Barkley, and though VML and Liquid 9 are more interactive/web based, I can see myself gaining a lot of experience and practice from either of those places. I'm not sure. I do know, I am not opposed to moving. The more of this world I can see, the better, and if graphic design is the way I will get to do it, ideal! I'm also liking the idea of doing more advocacy work. The Rosedale project was just the tip of the berg, but it was really great helping a community in need. I will need to research a little more into firms that do advocacy work.

CMYK Magazine

So I decided to enter. The uploading process was not user friendly and kind of wonky, but I got it done. Check it out.

2011 STARBUCKS LOGO

You hear correctly....



Taking away the type and leading with a mark.

Starbucks is about to enter the new year with a modified minimalistic approach to the old logo. How do you feel about this? I'm not sure how I feel about it just yet. In a way I like it and agree that the old one looked a little dated, but in another way I'm afraid the public won't respond as well with the change.




Check out the A Look at the Future of Starbucks video.
Images by Starbucks.com