Twitter Bootstrap

Bootstrap is a really cool responsive framework I've started using at work for a rebrand of our website. Anyone looking to develop a professional website that works on multiple devises, quickly and with minimal effort should absolutely check it out. It allows you to throw together a responsive grid in a matter of minutes, then gives tons of great options for really polished looking typography.

National Cathedral (more inspiration)

I visited the National Cathedral in DC over the break. I'd highly recommend it if you have a minute to go, its stunningly beautiful. They built the switch from romanesque architecture to gothic into the building and the stained glass is so incredibly vibrant and detailed. It's also the final resting place of the master stone carver that worked on the cathedral, as well as Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan.

Inspiration

I'm in the process of moving to DC. My search includes studio apartments in various neighborhoods of NW. In order to battle my current state of sticker-shock and sadness over how small 500 square feet is, I've been looking at beautifully designed, small interior spaces for inspiration.

Hilarious "Feed back" Posters

You HAVE GOT to take a look at these posters.

All of them are based on the ridiculous feedback these designers have received from clients over the years.

Seriously funny, and I'll bet almost everyone can relate to some of these. My personal favorites are "Make the logo bigger" and "The copy seems to be in Latin, but could be French or Italian".

Local Bingo

Here are some local bingo spots, in case anyone is interested! 

It's amazing how many people LOVE bingo. 

BINGO WORLD

bingoworld.com

4901 Belle Grove Road, Baltimore, MD

"The best hall I been to around here. Nice staff. You only have to spend what you want. Can be a cheap night of fun but I've also seen some people spend some money. Also saw a somebody win 10 grand on a game so they give away some serious money to.”

PATAPSCO BINGO 

patapsco-bingo.com 

3321 Annapolis Road, Baltimore, MD

Patapsco Plaza Shopping Center

FULLERTON MANOR BINGO

7560 Belair Road, Baltimore, MD

"The Bingo Hall is nice and the food is good but they need to bring back smoking."

Bingo "Dabbers"

Did you know there are special markers for your Bingo cards?
These crazy, fat markers are designed in special ergonomic shapes so they are comfortable to hold. The top of the marker is a wide circle to fully encompass the number that was called in one "Dab". You can also purchase ink re-fills for your Dabbers. They are very affordable, only 75 cents to a few dollars a piece depending on the brand.

Project 7

BINGO:

(A second variation of this might be write a spot light on Maryland Bingo. Some friends of mine have joked about visiting Bingo World. I could get some quotes and pictures and mix in some of the content ideas from below. This could be a fun feature in any local magazine.)

A history of the game: The origins are pretty interesting. It descended from the Italian National Lottery, there was a variation in Jacksonville, Georgia called Beano and then immediately following in New York Bingo was born. This section could also include a general synopsis of the rules.

Social aspects: Who plays and why? talisman (TROLLS!). How often do they go? How much money do you stand to win?

Glossary of Terms: Breaking the bubble, Jumping the Gun, Crying Numbers...

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bingo_(U.S.)#Terminology
http://www.strangelife.com/bingodoc/bingohist.html
http://www.bingotips.eu/articles/139276/Why-do-people-play-bingo

PROFESSIONAL POKER:

Synopsis of game: General rules, odds of winning, history, culture, dynamics.

Bios of top poker players: How they ended up where they are. Formal training, family history, educational background, earnings.

Casinos: When the first one opened and how they are expanding across the country.

Resources: 
http://www.blindbetpoker.com/poker-player-profiles.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Poker_Tour

Free iPhone interface elements

This is a very well produced, layered photoshop file FILLED with just about any iPhone interface element you could possibly need. I highly recommend!

CAUTION: This story contains four-letter words

I don't have children, but this book CRACKS me up. My friend Ricky had his first child not too long ago and said it described exactly how he felt some nights. Here's a link to Samuel L. Jackson reading it for Audible. He talks for a few minutes about why he wanted to record the book... what he says is a bit strange- but if you can get through that, I'd be very surprised if you didn't chuckle throughout the recording!

User Interface Design

Here's another great article from smashing magazine. This one is filled with things to consider when designing a mobile ap! Best practices, conventions and technical limitations. All good things to know for Project 6.

Interesting article

In case you've never heard of it, smashing magazine is an excellent resource for the latest and greatest in web development. This article in particular gives a lot of helpful tips for designing and developing an iphone application. It goes much farther into depth than we need to for this class, but I thought the information on exporting graphics was pretty useful.

Good luck!

New Apple Products!

Have you guys seen the new apple products?
I can't believe how incredible the new iMacs look, but I'm most excited by the iPad mini.

I've always felt like the iPad was a bit too big and heavy. I had problems controlling the device because the hand I was using to hold it up would stray too far onto the screen causing interference while browsing. Apple actually solved that problem without even decreasing the size! The new devices can detect when a stray finger is resting on the screen– How cool is that?!

The new tablets will also have a cell phone functionality- which I find very funny. Cell phones got smaller and smaller, and now they're growing again!

Favorites: Cut the Rope and Nike+

I've always thought Cut the Rope graphics were completely charming. I love that little monster.

I also really like Nike+. Its incredibly easy to use and highly functional. Unfortunately, it doesn't make me enjoy running any more.

Balsamiq Mock-up

This is another amazing tool. Balsamiq Mock-up has a catalog of icons and interface elements ready to drop on to the device of your choice. You can export your interface designs in various formats for presentation if need be.

Definitely try this if you're new to application/web design.

Lucidchart

Hi everyone,
Lucidchart is a nice tool for process flows I've used in the past. Give it a shot!

Call to Action: Wounded Warrior

The Wounded Warrior Project works to raise public awareness and funds for wounded service members, help wounded service members aid each other, and provide direct programs and services for injured service men and women.

Their call to action includes opportunities for donation, sponsored products, fitness events and hiring opportunities for employers interested in offering employment to Wounded Warriors.

In supporting their call to action, they explain how advancements in medical care, battle techniques and body armor have increased the survival rates of soldiers. They state, for every solider who died in two of the major operations following 911, 7 were wounded. Over 48,000 have been physically wounded and another 400,000 live with combat-related stress, major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders.

Texture!

Textures are my favorite thing to incorporate into a layout (for print or for web). Adding a subtle texture to a background rather than a solid color makes your design look more thoughtful and professional in a matter of seconds. Usually, I'll save my chosen texture as a grayscale .tif so that I can change the color in indesign and create an overlay with whatever opacity/effect looks best.

I found this cool site with free textures if you're interesting in trying it out!

Process: Beginner's Guide to Patchwork Quilting

I wanted to share some images of my process since I failed to upload them in the correct spot for the critique... I'm excited to print and fold this for the last time. It's amazing how easy it sounds to write out instructions and how difficult it actually is! I'd love any last-minute feedback if anyone has the time.

Show & Tell: Favorite Words

stupefy
spatula
conundrum
tactile
umbrella
parabola
niche

Project 1 Phase 4

I thought I would share the revised version of Project 1 since you guys were kind enough to give me some feedback. I think the writing is quite a bit better, hopefully our instructors agree. I also made a few small design tweaks to reflect those changes.

I have a terrible cold...

and I would LOVE if any of you were willing to critique my comp for assignment 1 via blogspot. 

I created a bit of a National Geographic/National Geographic Traveler hybrid-design. The dimensions and the positioning of the elements on the page is very much like National Geographic and the type styles are inspired by Traveler. I chose the feature image because I liked that it was candid and it looked as though the farmer pictured was really working. The two additional items are a short bio on the farmer and a recommended blend. 

Thanks in advance for any comments, suggestions or feedback! 

Concept

I've always enjoyed the branding of Honest Tea.

Here's their mission statement: 
Honest Tea seeks to create and promote great-tasting, truly healthy, organic beverages. We strive to grow our business with the same honesty and integrity we use to craft our products, with sustainability and great taste for all. 

While this concept might seem obvious, I enjoy the simplicity of it. The first time I saw the packaging I thought– MAN! I wish I had come up with that. It's also one of the better bottled teas, honestly!

The Secret Law of Page Harmony

I've been working with one of the Graduate Associates in my office on a publication she''s been asked to layout. After one of our chats, she shared this really cool animation with me stressing the importance of grids in page layout.

In 13th century France, an architect named Villard de Honnecourt used the same methods for developing structures in laying out the pages of his workshop record book.

You can learn more about this particular grid method here.

National Geographic Traveler

I decided to share some screen grabs from National Geographic Traveler. It's a beautiful publication– I would love to see National Geographic implement some of the styles Traveler uses. It features a really nice mix of serif and sans-serif typefaces and utilizes the photography in a much more thoughtful way. I'm excited to combine the elements from National Geographic and Traveler into my layouts for project 1. 

Show & Tell: Process

Food Writing and Photography

I chose this letter from the editor in Cooking Light as my example of good food writing because I liked the image it created in my mind of chefs and staff members sitting around a table critiquing recipes. I particularly like this sentence, "Opinions vary, and we talk and talk."— It seems to break the rules in a way Constance Hale would appreciate.

I selected these two photos as examples of beautiful food photography for completely different reasons. I love the geometry of the lattice work on the top of the pie and think it was really smart to center the dessert in on the page, in a rectangular dish. The only think disrupting the geometry of the composition is the portion missing. Even the spoon is positioned in a straight line.

The photo below is all organic shapes and asymmetry. The plates bleed of the edges of the page, the fork and knife are offset. Even the food is positioned on the plate at an angle.

Project 1: Phase 1.5

As soon as I read the description for Assignment 1, I knew I would seek out an ingredient linked to an exotic place, a social issue or a health benefit. For my publication, I've chosen National Geographic.
I like the dimensions of the magazine and the opportunities it gives me in terms of photography.

IDEA 1:

Ingredient: Coffee

Audience: International Coffee-drinkers/buyers

Purpose: Increase awareness of the benefits of fair trade coffee. Fair trade coffee is purchased at a higher price, from growers with better working conditions. Points of interest could include a general picture of conditions on a coffee farm, typical number of hours worked, wages earned, a description of workers home-lives. Cost of coffee vs. the cost of production/farming.

Possible interesting ways to accomplish this: 
- How much a cup of coffee does for you, how little it does for farmers?
- Compare the average cost of a cup of coffee to the hourly wages of coffee farmers.
- Some comparison of the environments we typically enjoy a cup of coffee in vs. the conditions of a coffee farm.
- Guilt-free coffee, added joy in knowing you've purchased from a responsible grower.

Additional Items: Profile of a coffee farmer and statistics on worldwide coffee consumption- maybe a graph or chart.

Links/Sources:
http://www.fairtradeusa.org/products-partners/coffee?gclid=CJ3lm7y_s7ICFYhM4AodLH8A3w
http://www.globalexchange.org/fairtrade/coffee/cooperatives
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade_coffee#Popularity
http://www.thenation.com/article/169515/brawl-over-fair-trade-coffee#

ADDITIONAL IDEAS (coffee variations): 

1. Discuss health benefits and risks associated with coffee and choose a medical publication (it's more likely that benefits outweigh risks.)

2. Target leading coffee industries rather than individual consumers and discuss how corporations could benefit from buying from fair trade growers- is it worth it?

The velvety-smooth bisque's unctuous mouthfeel is lobster-tastic with its toothsome tidbits. To. Die. For.

I came across this article while searching the web for some good examples of food writing: Stick a Fork in ‘Em: Which Food-Writing Clichés Should We Toss Out Forever?

I thought it was pretty amusing, so I've decided to open my blog with some helpful hints for our first writing assignment, courtesy of Alan Systma at Grub Street. Check it out! Personally, I was thrilled to see "epic" made the list.  I certainly hope I never encounter a meal as painful as reading The Odyssey in 7th grade.

In addition to the article, Grub Street hosted a little competition allowing followers to tweet the most obnoxious food writing sentence they could come up with. My favorite of the three winners is featured as the title of this post.

I'll close now with Dilbert. He shows us why we should avoid speaking in cliche food-terms.