Free Images Online

Free image sites. While MorgueFile.com is a well-known site for free high-resolution photos that is perhaps the best known there are a few other sites that are worth checking out. A couple of other sites are Stockvault.net and FreeFoto.com. FreeFoto.com seemed at a glance to have the greatest number of regulations regarding the photo ownership. I put the three photo sites through a quick test asking them all for images of a “nightclub.” In the test MorgueFile.com returned the most results that I would consider relevant to the request, Stockvault.net returned slightly fewer images (some of which what I would consider a greater degree of relevancy, and FreeFoto.com which ironically makes the boast of having the largest collection anywhere of free photos had zero search results. Stockvault.net had good results, but some when clicked on were redirected to pick up the photo out of sight. Due to Stockvault.net’s redirect and fewer results coupled with FreeFoto.com’s total lack of a search result my snap decision would be that MorgueFile.com is still king. There are some things out there worth taking a look at.

Intuos Tablets

Intuos tablets by Wacom are great and I recommend them to anyone interested in New Media or even traditional art. Wacom has three lines of digital drawing tablets, but having only used an Intuos it is the only one that I feel comfortable in reviewing. While there have been a few generational models of the Intuos tablets the current is the Intuos 4, with the resolution and pen pressure sensitivity roughly doubling every generation. The price for the small Intuos 4 (4*6) is about $200 and the next size up is about $430. With the thousands of levels of pressure sensitivity and per inch resolution on even the previous model I was able to find a perfectly adequate Intuos 3 for a little over $100 with some searching. The feel of the tablet is great write out of the box and the driver is a breeze to install. The movement of a pen is so much more natural than a mouse. Even though I just got the tablet and have only played on it for a total of about 15 minutes I was able to draw decently and navigate it in Photoshop. I have posted that sketch here.

Rethinking the bad website.

Changes to the Bad

If something is considered bad then maybe it deserves some rethinking. This is a retool of the NBS (National Broadcasting Society) website. I highlighted the logo as the main point of the sight and made it a pivot point for the two existing borders to make the line feel more like a joint with movement and not half a picture frame.

I moved the balance further to the left by adding weight to the logo and darkening the left border for the necessity of creating greater contrast between the links. I offset the shift in balance by adding lettering to the right, above the header, shifting the slogan to the right in the header, and shifting the text blocks further to the right, adding weight to the right and negative space to the left.

The links, logo, and main text all receive a boost in contrast. Shapes (other than the logo) and information all remained basically static to the original as I wanted it to convey the same original intent.

The hierarch had slight changes made. The address and contact info was brought from the very last thing on the page to the very first. Under the main heading, I reversed the order to put the organization’s description before the mission statement. I left out some of the text bodies, not due to choice, but omitted simply because no adjustments were further made in the text to the original.

Although the original had unity for the most part in both color and font, I made changes in both areas. The color blue used in multiple shades is hard to read and has the feel of out of date 90’s PC apps. I took it mostly to a grey scale with pops of color for a more graphic look.

I used various fonts, but kept them unified with the commonality of strong, straight forward lettering. Most importantly, the font in the group’s slogan was adjusted so it didn’t have such an identity crisis with itself and the font, a straight clean design font was used for the characterization of the words “future” and “electronic media”. So half it’s phrase and history weren’t left out, I used the periods in the slogan “the future of electronic media… since 1943” as a point to change fonts to an older looking style that was still clean. Bolding the font “since 1943” also further helped to differentiate the clashing phrases that suggest future and distant past is a medium that wasn’t even invented at the time of the society’s inception.

Bad Website Design: A Case Study

This bad design is the NBS honor society website. I choose this site because the class TA brought in folders for this organization which I thought looked terrible, forcing me to ask the question what their website must look like.

Line

The lines are very grid like, cold with no creativity. The site seems more like a spreadsheet than a website.

Balance

The site is balance to itself, but not the page, as the link size is expanded it doesn’t adjust to the changes. The main way it tries to balance is by use of a colored left side border to offset the centered text that runs to the right.

Contrast

Contrast is the main area that the site really fails. While the lettering in the text’s main bodies is overly stark, the links running down the left side border have so little contrast with the border itself that they become almost non-functioning, not to mention that it is blue on blue, a color that older people would have trouble distinguishing.

Shape

There are almost no shapes on the site, the geometric lines and texts are the entire substance.

Information

As to be expected of the spreadsheet like layout, the page does convey the necessary information. Although, what is needed to be conveyed, is occasionally not done so in the best possible way. The header that was at the top is redundant mentioning that it is a website. Directly under the header the mission statement is for some reason put before the description of the company.

Hierarchy

The website is mostly well sectioned into hierarchies, but again, the lack of contrast between the links and border is noticeable as it makes the links feel as if they are even less than a side note.

Harmony/Unity

One thing this site does do is hold a feel of unity. The same three colors permeate the page, and the same dry font is used throughout, except on the header where the group’s slogan “the future of electronic media…. since 1943” sits almost as an oxymoron. The strangeness of the NHS slogan is compounded by the overly scrolling and the antique looking font.

Ben Hulse Design Website

Line

The line is geometric with organic added in edges, with a softly curve font.

Balance

The balance is good with the perfect rectangle that has color offsetting balance to the right, offset by the heavier name lettering on the upper left, similarly the smaller lighter lettering of the portfolio links in the upper right and the years in the bottom right are balanced by the site links in the bottom left. The image to window stays balanced and center no matter how the window is expanded.

Contrast

The white lettering is in contrast to the grey background. The stroke on the name Ben Hulse is thicker than the rest of the lettering. Even the word “design” that is in the title causes contrast, and therefore the name to stick. In the right of the picture itself, the color is in stark contrast to the grayscale in the rest of the image, as is the man’s legs in the picture’s left. The man’s shoes are in contrast to the image even though they are in the same color scale. The shoes are contrasted by the starkness of the pure black that is found almost nowhere else on the image, and the tightness of the checks even though it is echoed throughout the rest of the image with the tiles.

Shape

The images prevalent shape is a rectangle. The outer rectangle is echoed with the rectangular shapes in the image, and the tiles in the image.

Information

The site clearly but in a subdued way states that this is a designer that des: print, web, photography, makes apparel, and video.

Hierarchy

Since the designer’s name has the larges and boldest font, it is clear what he wants to convey the most. The striking image speaks passively about his work. Smaller are the links to hip types of work, allowing you to select and find out more after the image itself has sold you on it.

Harmony/Unity

The colors all work perfectly in sync with each other. The clean and clear fonts compliment the Spartan page and contrast well with the picture’s geometry. The subdued lettering that makes little pretension pairs perfectly with the clean text-less image as if everything should speak for itself. Everything fits with the page.

http://www.benhulse.com/

The Pilot Precise V5/7 Rolling Ball Pen

The Pilot Precise V5/7 Rolling Ball Pen has always been one of my favorite writing instruments. V5 and V7 designations are the designations for “fine” or “extra fine” both models have a good weight in the stroke and flow smoothly. There are seven available colors and the pen actually holds patented components. One of the best things about the pen is that it is widely found in most stores unlike most other decent pens. The pen uses water based ink which is in a visible reservoir that allows you to see the amount that is left. It is a great pen that is easy to find and well priced. As a long time user of this writing instrument I recommend it.

Here is a little bit about the company that makes the products as listed on their website (http://www.pilotpen.us/about/corpfacts/);

“Corporate Facts 
Pilot Corporation of America prides itself on being a leading manufacturer and marketer of quality writing instruments in the United States. Our sales continue to grow year after year because of the quality of our products, and the innovation of our Research and Development teams. Our spirit of innovation has always focused on serving consumer's writing needs.Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in the United States and Japan operate under strict quality control standards, ensuring the superior quality of all Pilot products. Dr. Grip, G2, Precise V5/V7 and EasyTouch are among our top selling brands.In addition to the American subsidiary, the parent company has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Brazil and Russia.Quick Facts about Pilot Pen Corporation of America 
Pilot Pen is the third largest writing instrument company in the United States. Established in the U.S. in 1970, Pilot is the fastest-growing writing instrument company in the country. The parent company, Pilot Corporation in Tokyo, was founded in 1918. It is the oldest and largest writing instrument manufacturer in Japan.”

Digital Candy on Photoshop by Melissa Clifton

Melissaclifton.com is a small site set up by Melissa Anne Clifton a New Zealand Graphic Artist. This particular tutorial shows a simple 6-step process to making a digital swirled peppermint using Adobe Photoshop. The tutorial is designed for beginner to intermediate level Photoshop users. This tutorial is straight forward, simple, and easy to follow. Actual toolbar screenshots are utilized to show how to operate in the program. The instructions are complete to the level where even save points are described. Above is the finished version. The tutorial is great for the shear simplicity and ease of use, the site’s only downfall is its visual presentation with the rather old style layout, low resolution, and poor color scheme all of which don’t really reflect the knowledge contained by its author.

The Green Mill is located at 4802 N. Broadway Ave. in Chicago Illinois. I love it as a bar and place in and of itself, but the original attraction to the place was sparked by the classic bar sign in the front of the bar itself. I love saloon signs from the era as they harken back to a rugged time, bringing nostalgia to those who never even witnessed the era. The lights dazzle in a way that hint to excitement and a seedy sense of class. This bar was once associated with Al Capone and has been visited by Frank Sinatra. I lived down the street from this bar for some time and on a random Thursday entered to witness and unannounced free set by Harry Conick Jr. If it wasn't for the great classic feel of this icon bar, which is in no small part supported by the classic sign above the entryway, people would not still keep this place relevant over one hundred years after its inception.

Grand Theft Auto 4

Although already somewhat old in the scheme of the fast-paced environment that is digital storytelling Grand Theft Auto 4 (released in 2nd quarter of 2008) to me is still a definitive example of digital storytelling. I can still remember the first time I played the title how it seemed fresh, vibrant, and incredibly detailed. The depth is huge with side missions, radio stations to suit almost any taste, and fake television that can just be watched. All of these elements are joking impersonations of their real life counterparts, which add interest that is relatable while at the same time reinvigorated. Personally I am a fan of the nonlinear sandbox style game play that can be found in GTA4 and sadly there are still at this point not that many open play titles, while a few handfuls can be named it is still a small proportion of the market.

Interactivity is great in GTA4, you are in complete control of the character. If you want to bowl, play darts, shoot pool just do it. If you want to play any one of several styles of online play with people all over the globe, it is easy as making a selection on the character's cell phone. The IA in the game allows a decent level of interaction with all the characters in the game itself from friendly characters and the police to the drivers of random cars and people on the street. Some abilities in the game are even based on your relations with characters in the game.
Hypermedia is something that is not largely presented in the game and is one of the only things that I could see some improvement in, not to say the game is terrible at it. The depth of this skewed look at life even goes to the point of having its own version of the Internet. While the games comical look at the Internet in and of itself has a surprising amount of detail given the consoles ability to web browse the sites or at least an area of the interpretation should be able to connect directly to the web. The game does come close in this with some actual links and urls found in the game actually correlate to actual sites when taken online, the crutch being that you are not going online through the game. The presentation and story build up on all of the game’s web based advertisement is great. The linking for multiplayer online is seamless.
Immersion is something that that this game doesn’t lack. From the story to the free range of choices the detailed world is yours. Immersion to me is huge in a movie, something about not having to interact and be able to put deep focus on watching the story unfold with a video game it is nearly opposite the control is given to me, so I want free ranged control. The sandbox play of GTA4 is so far removed from the strict path and non-cerebral thrills of a rail shooter. While the borders of GTA’s world and detail can be found, you actually have to look for it or at least nit pick to such a degree that you are going to be happy with nothing that is presently available. Natural Motion’s Euphoria engine integrates AI, physics, and biomechanics into the game making the people and environment of the game intuitive and adaptive. The game is transportive and helped raise the bar, at least for me, of what a great game requires.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_IV

http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/