Degree Proj.--> Food Photography

Photographs of food I took for the beginning of my cookbook prototyping

Food for Thought

"Does working in a creative field zap you, or make you more likely to pick up a paintbrush or camera?"

Plagued at many times with being burnt out creatively, this post from The Pitch Design Union hit the nail on the head.

The bottom line? We have to learn to manage both...creating art outside of work fuels the creativity at work.

Spatial Ex.--> The Museum of Anthropology at UBC

The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, designed by Arthur C. Erickson 1971

"The Museum, located on a very impressive campus site overlooking the Strait of Georgia and the North Shore Mountains, has both academic and public functions. Among its unique features is the visible storage of all artifacts. This eliminates the need to rotate collections from public display to private storage. It also recreates several Indian villages around a pond on the Museum site including vegetation consistent with their original locale.
The focal point of the Museum is the high ceiling Great Hall housing massive totem poles. Large glass windows, towering up to forty feet in height, provide an unobstructed view and enable the totem poles to be seen in daylight against a natural exterior setting. The rest of the galleries house collections of Indian art and other tribal art. An experimental gallery is provided for travelling and student exhibits and for display experiments."

quoted from arthur erickson.com

Spatial Ex.--> The Graham House

The Graham House, designed by Arthur C. Erickson in 1962. Located in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

"The site for the house was a rock cliff dropping forty feet from the arrival level down a sheer cliff to a rock bench over the sea. The solution to this difficult site was the creation of a multi-storey house descending the slope in levels.
The formal idea of the piling up of hovering beams was the basis of the composition. These enclose the major living areas, which step down the embankment for four storeys from the carport to the bluff over the sea below. Each area opens onto a roof terrace over the living quarters below, so that there is maximum access to sunlight and view. Because of the ruggedness of the site, the outside living areas are confined almost entirely to the roof areas of the house itself.
A texture difference is achieved between the walls and box beams by using flat siding on the beams and a deep board and batten on the walls. The house is treated with a simple oil finish and the only other materials used in conjunction with the wood are used brick and a Welsh quarry tile."

quoted from arthur erickson.com

Degree Proj.--> Experiment Planning

If I were to design an interactive experience for learning about this information, people would be more apt to pay attention due to their exposure to this type of media.

If I make an information graphic, the complexity of nutrition and the comparable costs of food will be clearly stated.

If I make an informational card, people will take it and stick it on the fridge at home.

If I design a grocery bag with this information on it, people will be forced to interact with it every time they go to the grocery store.

If I design a reusable grocery bag, people will be constantly reminded about these issues when they use the bag (rather than being able to throw the paper bag away.)

If I design a "food planner" it will make it easier for people to have a clear idea of what "whole foods" they are going to buy at the grocery store and how much they cost (vs. buying the processed version?).

Degree Proj.--> Dream Job Thoughts, Ideas etc...

I've been thinking a lot about this topic over the course of the last semester up until now, and most likely it will continue to penetrate my thoughts in the coming months. What I have thought about is all of the subjects/activities I am interested in and inspire me, and how to incorporate all of them, or many of them into my dream job. Here are just a few of those interests: design, art history, anthropology, ecology, the outdoors, music, the southwest, and I could go on...but based on those, dream job possibilities:

-work at a museum doing in-house design for exhibitions, etc.

-design ski graphics

-" packaging, etc for an outdoor clothing company such as REI, Columbia, The North Face

- masters degree in art and ecology

That's all for now, but there may be more later.

Degree Proj.--> Project Question

Question I proposed in the Creative Brief:

How can graphic design help college students learn about sustainable food practices and incorporate them into their lifestyle?


Question Nik and I came up with in the brainstorm:

How can multi-media design encourage college students to eat seasonal, local foods through understanding the subsequent financial and health benefits.


::revised::

How can information design and interactivity encourage college students to eat seasonal, local foods through understanding the subsequent financial and health benefits.


::revised again::

How can information design, incorporated into various mediums, encourage college students to eat seasonal, local foods through understanding the subsequent financial and health benefits.