Olivet University Art & Design Blog

Designing a Universal Language is 'Tough'

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:07:50 -0400

Olivet University’s College of Art and Design (OCAD) students are tasked with developing an identity and communications system as part of their final projects. The info graphics involved within the project involves the balanced use of icons, logos, typography, color, and composition. Each was created newly for existing organizations to promote its brand and innovatively communicate visually.

Some examples included students redesigning a bus route map for the San Francisco Muni transportation system. Another involved a map for visitors to Yosemite National Park. Every project presented its challenges as students may only use icons and signs to ensure visitors know how to reach their desired location using very limited text.

”The biggest challenge for was figuring out how to communicate it well and not just making the map look pretty or cool,” said design student Jorge Cruz. ”It’s very tempting to just wanting to make the project look visually attractive but not communicate in the proper manner. Making things universally understood across all languages is tough.”

The students from the Identity course are expected to present the project during finals week with some selected for OCAD’s quarterly exhibition show.

Source: http://www.olivetuniversity.edu/news/articles/2013/03/19/786/olivet-university-designing-a-universal-language-is-&-039;tough&-039;.html

Transforming Culture in the Workplace

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:54:00 -0400

This latest article features how top tech companies are discovering ways to transform their company work culture. Yahoo was an example as a company falling behind and catching up. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer decided to transform Yahoo’s culture by ending full time work from home arrangements. The story also examines Google’s campus and comparing it to a campus where employees play volleyball and soccer accompanied by free food within their cafeteria.

“Why? Because when you put them back-to-back, people walk down between the chairs, they bump into each other — it’s actually called a ‘Google bump’ — and you go, ‘Hey!’ and you sit down and talk,” says SF State University consultant John Sullivan.

The layout of the workplace was all by design and earned Google the award of “best place to work” from Fortune magazine. The story continues to look at another company Facebook. Facebook also sets up its company culture to be more free and encourages employees to converse with one another. Yahoo is looking to maintain its talents through food and perks in order to energetic its new company culture. You can check out more details from the article link below.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/03/13/174195695/serendipitous-interaction-key-to-tech-firms-workplace-design

Studio Hinrichs Tour

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:10:34 -0400

Studio Hinrichs Tour:

Olivet University Design students toured Studio Hinrichs, which is one of the top five influential Bay Area design studios.

Studio Hinrichs engages in all types of design projects, including corporate communications, brand identity, promotion, publishing (books and magazines), packaging, interactive and environmental systems.

Olivet University Art Students to Exhibit at Annual Show

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:44:37 -0400

Olivet University Art Students to Exhibit at Annual Show:

Art students from Olivet University’s Design College will have the opportunity to showcase work in this year’s Christ Centered Art, CCA, show hosted at the Trinity Baptist Church in Livermore, CA. MORE

DESIGN IS HISTORY

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:13:00 -0500

DESIGN IS HISTORY:

As a designer it is important to understand where design came from, how it developed, and who shaped its evolution. The more exposure you have to past, current and future design trends, styles and designers, the larger your problem-solving toolkit. The larger your toolkit, the more effective of a designer you can be.

www.designishistory.com

'Book' Covering the Creative Process

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:07:17 -0500

'Book' Covering the Creative Process:

As part of the Graphic Design 2 Concept course, students explore the process of experimentation and creation as they engage in the creative process that involves planning, exploration, and building.

designcube: Alphabet Library

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:44:04 -0400

designcube:

Alphabet Library

unconsumption: French design team corinne muller and piotr...

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:43:03 -0400

unconsumption:

French design team corinne muller and piotr oleszkowicz of best before have been creating baskets of different forms from recycled paper using macramé. To create the fibers, the duo hand-roll the paper into long pieces of twine. The strands are then knotted in order to achieve the shapes.

(via recycled paper macrame by corinne muller and piotr oleszkowicz)

unconsumption: Lighting made from cassettes. Here’s another...

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:12:03 -0400

unconsumption:

Lighting made from cassettes. Here’s another example. And we’ve of course featured many other cassette-centric projects, browse them here.

(via Tape Lamp | Design Milk)

ruineshumaines: Madi

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:53:17 -0400

ruineshumaines:

Madi

designcube: BTV Branch Innsbruck by Rainer Köberl

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:51:20 -0400

designcube:

BTV Branch Innsbruck by Rainer Köberl

martinekenblog: Grass Page Markers

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:50:05 -0400

martinekenblog:

Grass Page Markers

designcloud: “Deconstructing the Houses” by Michael Jantzen

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:49:02 -0400

designcloud:

“Deconstructing the Houses” by Michael Jantzen

Photo

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:47:42 -0400

visualgraphic: Daniel Reed Identity

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:54:40 -0400

visualgraphic:

Daniel Reed Identity

Anne Vieux’s work is abstract and bold, referencing the way our...

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:41:35 -0400

Anne Vieux’s work is abstract and bold, referencing the way our digital culture increasingly blurs and distorts information. This identity illuminates those interests: piecing, cropping, and skewing basic aspects of the collateral to harken back to the nature of the paintings.

visualgraphic: Spiff

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 12:56:23 -0400

visualgraphic:

Spiff

visualgraphic: ‘Wich

Sat, 25 Aug 2012 13:02:36 -0400

visualgraphic:

‘Wich

visualgraphic: Rogues Gallery Branding

Sat, 25 Aug 2012 12:07:41 -0400

visualgraphic:

Rogues Gallery Branding

visualgraphic: Sveti Luka Branding

Sat, 25 Aug 2012 12:06:56 -0400

visualgraphic:

Sveti Luka Branding