3/30/11

typefour. experimental type. questions.

  1. How could it be interactive?
  2. How could it be in motion constantly without being excessively distracting?
  3. How could motion add a new, and crucial layer of information to the typeface?
  4. What if combined letters worked dependently of each other when forming a word?
  5. How could motion directly relate to the form? or vice-versa?
  6. What if the motion letter was based off of a static font already in existence? How could motion add to the letterform without being arbitrary?
  7. How could sound work with motion?
  8. How could animated type function on a website?
  9. How could motion add a new or different layer of understanding to the letterform?
  10. ?

typefour. type overview.

Technologies like the iphone and ipad are enrapturing everyone these days. There is this trend with new and upcoming ideas, pushing the technologies, and giving us new products. This trend has always been around, but this latest set of new products in the realm of technology opens up a vast amount of room for design to flourish in. These new platforms allow us to play with interactivity and motion and push its capabilities. This trend, to some extent, has the ability to feel a bit ahead of its time. All of this directly correlates with what I want to focus on for this project, which is an animated typeface.

So the trend I’m working with is more of a trend with technology, but I want to use that trend to directly influence what I do. The project would be digitally made for the computer, web, smartphone, tablet, and the like. This idea is important because it is ahead of its time in the sense that no one has really experimented with this concept to its full potential I don’t feel. But, someone has to start it, so why not take a crack at it?

The core question of this direction that I can think of right now is, “What can a typeface be?” A typeface, even on screen, is a static form that has a set shape. There are millions of videos out there of kinetic typography, but that is still a static typeface that is given an animated build onto the screen, it’s final shape is still a static shape. What I want to do is push away from this idea of the static and moving solely into the idea of motion. How can a typeface exist solely in motion, and never exist in static form? Unless it is in the same vein as Mo’s project last year where only a portion of the letterform is ever on the screen at any one moment, it doesn’t really seem like there can be. If someone wants to take a screen capture of the typeface they can, but they would completely lose the core idea of the typeface. The mission I want to set out on is this idea of creating something that truly can only exist in motion. To create a typeface that has a layer of information that you completely lose without the motion, having the motion be critical for understanding the typeface fully.

3/2/11

ux. possible campaign research.

DIY: SAFETY
  1. why is this issue pertinent and timely?
    • Safety is always an issue being discussed. Safety codes being updated constantly. These codes are having to be updated regularly as people hurt themselves and they are required to create stricter guidelines.
  2. what are its causes?
    • Inexperience of the process. Many of these people do not know the correct way to build things or make things. There is the risk of them hurting themselves because of this amateur aspect. 
  3. what are detrimental effects to individuals? to greater society?
    • Not having the correct safety at even the basic level can ultimately cause death if whatever is happening goes horribly wrong enough.  However there is the possibility that they could get hurt in different ways. Greater society there is the possibility that if the project is large enough and something goes too wrong that it could possibly  hurt people majorly. There is also the idea of when people hurt themselves, there is the possibility of laws being more strict and other things in regard to being safe.
  4. what are preventative measures?
    • informing them of the correct way to do things. Helping show the safety procedures for things.
  5. how does this issue relate to your sub-culture?
    • DIYers make everything with their hands and yet they all have a level of amateur with what they do. Safety is always
  6. what organizations have a vested interest in this issue?
    • OSHA, National Safety Council
  7. what organizations have a vested interest in your sub-culture?
    • Ace Hardware, the home depot
  8. what public service campaigns have previously addressed this issue?

DIY: VOLUNTEERING TIME & ABILITY
    1. why is this issue pertinent and timely?
      • Volunteering has always been something of importance throughout the United States. Volunteering is about helping other people through giving up their time usually spent doing other activities and instead using that time to help others.
    2. what are its causes?
      • People needing help with things they don’t know how to do or simply needing help. The less fortunate who struggle to get by with what they have. People who have skills that others don’t and giving their time to teach others their skills.
    3. what are detrimental effects to individuals? to greater society?
      • Without volunteering, many people would go without many things, especially the less fortunate. Things like volunteer fire-fighter services, volunteering at homeless shelters, or even organizations like Habitat for Humanity wouldnt be able to exist or run without the help of people volunteering their time.
    4. what are preventative measures?
      • Informing people about the positive effects of volunteering and what it does for other people. Talking about the ways it brings the community and people closer together, and then also talking about the effects on the community that would happen if volunteering stopped.
    5. how does this issue relate to your sub-culture?
      • DIYers are about sharing their talents and abilities with other people. They want to share their skills with other people so more people are knowledgable of being self-sustainable to an extent.
    6. what organizations have a vested interest in this issue?
      • Habitat for Humanity, Volunteers of America, 
    7. what organizations have a vested interest in your sub-culture?
      • The home depot, ace hardware
    8. what public service campaigns have previously addressed this issue?
    TRAIL ENTHUSIASTS: BE PREPARED
      1. why is this issue pertinent and timely?
        • Being and staying healthy is definitely important for the jones generation. They are getting older and can’t do as much as when they were younger but they still need to keep their health in mind. Stretching, having water, putting on sun screen, and other things like that are pertinent to them staying as healthy as possible.
      2. what are its causes?
        • Getting hurt on the trail, pulling something, or even possibly breaking something. Not keeping hydrated and having the possibility of fainting or heat exhaustion.
      3. what are detrimental effects to individuals? to greater society?
        • On the person there’s the possibilities of them getting hurt and in a situation that could be life threatening. As for the greater society, this affects everyone. Everyone needs to stay healthy through stretching and other activities before doing anything physically straining.
      4. what are preventative measures?
        • Informing people of what they need to do before heading out to hike. Letting them know of some helpful things to take with them, and even tips on stretching and other things to make sure they’re physically ready to walk for hours on end.
      5. how does this issue relate to your sub-culture?
        • All hikers need to do this before they go out to hike. Getting physically ready before going out and being physical. 
      6. what organizations have a vested interest in this issue?
        • US Army, American Cancer Society
      7. what organizations have a vested interest in your sub-culture?
        • National geographic, the north face, the outdoor channel
      8. what public service campaigns have previously addressed this issue?