Initial Indesign Book Layout

Originally uploaded by tyson.andrew

For our final project before the winter break our last revised our essays about the extraordinary attributes of ordinary products and imported them into an Indesign Document. The purpose of the project is to develop our layout skills using Indesign. This is a great idea considering we’ll need these skill when developing our thesis next year.

CO2 Emissions

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For this weeks eco-vis assignment we were tasked with Challenge 2: Eco Vis focuses on the creations of an eco-visualization based on at least one set of ecological impact data.

For my topic i chose to focus on the world’s major car makers and their CO2 emissions. According to the Euro Federation of Transport some car makers are well on their way to the 2012 goal of 130g of CO2 per kilometer. Other car makers are going in the opposite direction with their CO2 levels increasing from 2005 to 2006.

ENVICONS

Originally uploaded by tyson.andrew

During last class our professor informed us of a contest to apply what we’ve learned in class so far. The Contest was to design an Eco Icon and is described below:

Eco-Vis Challenge 1 is to create one or more information graphics that could be used to make visible environmental or ecological concerns. Thematically, these are icons that engage the politics of information and the persuasion of graphics.

The icons could be used for various purposes. For example, the final form for your icon could be a banner for web sites, stickers to place on objects or buildings, drawings for stenciling on the streets or a tag that could be “shopdropped” in stores. You can invent one or a collection of icons. Be creative in conceiving the icon and its use!

Possible themes

Greenhouse gases
Global warming
Water
Oil (production, consumption, cost)
Coal
Transportation
Waste
Recycling
Food (organic, fast food, GMO’s)
Nuclear Energy and Waste
Alternative Energy
Natural Disasters
Weather
Migration
Extinction (species, natural resources, languages)
Policy
Politics
Voting (election, candidates)
Packaging and Manufacturing
Shipping (trucks and boats)

My Icons deal with Environmental, Political, and Socio-economic factors in the emerging world. Global warming in particular is throwing fuel on the fire of global conflict. These icons address the violent changes in both climate and society. The cause and the effect.

dutch1

Originally uploaded by tyson.andrew

For this weeks assignment we gathered 20 images that relate to our network from last week. I choose photos that surround my main theme of old bike. I also included examples of bike that were the polar opposite of simple, reliable bikes.

Today we are starting an icon project to design an icon to raise awareness about environmental issues.

More to come…

oldbike

Originally uploaded by tyson.andrew

The attached image is a project we did last class. We chose an ordinary everyday object and brainstormed all the different aspects around it. I chose my old bike as my everyday object and free associated topics around my bike.

The next step in the process is to select images that correspond to the words related to my bike.

Andrew Tyson
Prof. Angie Waller
Information Design Studio
24 Oct 2007
Article Response Paper

All of the short essays assigned for this weeks reading describe the
not-so-ordinary attributes of everyday objects. Each in-depth
examination brought new meaning to the common perceptions we hold true
with soap, plastic, and desks.
The first essay explains the contrasts between chlorinated fluids
(Clorox) and soap-powders and detergents such as (Persil or Omo). The
author compares chlorinated fluids to a blind fire in that if used
improperly they could destroy what it’s been sent to save. Powders
and detergents, on the contrary, are more subtle by separating the
dirt from clothing without the potential of harm. Going into more
detail the author then explains how Omo cleans both deep and foamy.
This will appeal both to the practical working man and the luxury
seeking lady. The foamy description is particularly keen by masking
the very principal function of detergent whose main duty is to scrub
the dirt out. This is quite the opposite of the light and airy
essence of foam.
In the second essay the author dives deep into the wonderful world of
Plastics. He begins with a brief description of the strange world of
alchemy and industrial chemistry that has combined to produce
plastics. The vision of the heaps of raw crystals being fed into one
end of a great machine on a conveyer belt where at the other end exits
some finished gizmo under the robotic eyes of the machine attendant.
Its very name ‘plastic’ connotes constant flux and movement. No other
material has such versatility and low cost. A pile of plastic pellets
could be made into a fly swatter, vase, or running shoes. The
infinite possibilities boggles the mind. Unfortunately, plastics do
suffer drawbacks. The author explains that because of the low cost of
production and its ubiquity plastics are relegated to the lowest
common denominator of materials. It neither has the hardness of metal
nor the luxury of fine woods. Plastic are the great fraud imitating
all of the great players from gold, to walnut, to fur, to rubies.
Precious or not scientist and designers will think of more ways to use
plastics as the work horse of new ideas for we are living in the age
of plastics.
The final essay describes another object everyone has a very intimate
relationship with. I am utilizing one at this very instant i type
this response paper. Without my trusty desk I would have long given
up writing this paper. After sitting from one awkward position to
another with my heated up laptop burning my thighs i would have packed
up and waited until I was able to find a desk to complete my work.
The author points out a number of examples of desks and how these
desks effect the users that work at them.
All of this talk about ordinary things got me thinking about things I
use each day. Things so common at first glance but very complex when
you look closer. One such object I use each day but take for granted
is my WW1 era Birmingham style bicycle I use to get around NYC. In
London I rode a very smart Bianchi track bike. Lightweight, stylish,
thin, and fast much like the bikes used by the bike couriers you see
zipping around the city each day. I decided to sell my Bianchi in
London as to avoid the headache of packing it and getting it on and
off the plane with the rest of my luggage. I sold the bike for more
than what I paid for it so I was happy for that but upon returning to
NYC I was in desperate need of some sort of conveyance. As a
stop-loss I went out and bought an old junker of a bike made around
1915. It was the opposite of what I was used to. Heavy, slow,
ungainly, and cumbersome I cursed myself for buying it. I felt I
should have waited and saved my money until I could buy another sporty
track bike. Making matters worse I dropped the bike off at the bike
shop to have a wire basket installed on the front. When I picked the
bike up I was shocked to see a super-oversized basket that was far
more than I needed. What a mistake! As punishment I told myself that
I would ride the bike as penance until I could afford something
better. Day after day I rode the bike to school and work. Before
long I began to find the advantages of the bike. It was slower but in
a good way. Unlike the track bike I could ride in a comfortable
position with my back straight instead of being hunched over the front
bars of my other bike. The grossly oversized front basket turned out
to be the perfect size for ferrying my school supplies to and from
class. On my old bike I always had to sling my bag on my back which
was very uncomfortable. Another positive to having a junker is I can
lock it outside without anyone molesting it. If you own a nice bike
you must bring it indoors every night. My junker is totally ignored
by thieves. It is the chameleon of bikes blending perfectly into the
background. Before long I was so contented with my new junker bike I
now have no urge to get a new bike. It just goes to show that when
you look a little closer you can always find a little extraordinary in
the ordinary.

Facebook Network Revision

Originally uploaded by tyson.andrew

This is my revised Facebook Network diagram. I plotted each person and institution on a graph that told both their political affiliation and the degree to which they were politically active. Due to the wide differences between my friends there was a wide difference in positions on the graph.

facebook1_small

Originally uploaded by tyson.andrew

This was my first Facbook Network with me in the center.  All of the places i’ve worked surround me.  If you start at the 9 o’clock position and travel clockwise it follows a timeline from 2000 to 2007.  The friends i have from those places (school, or work) are positioned near them.  

I was instructed to add more variables to the network and take myself out of the center.

SOHO Mall

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For our Oct 17th class we went over our revised design maps. Last week my map only contained furniture design locations in soho. After further review i thought it would be interesting to explore other aspects of the area. i decided to not limit myself to store fronts but explore other people, places, and things common to soho. Last sunday i took an afternoon trip to the neighborhood and plotted down interesting places, stores, people, and objects i found along the way.

I will post a link to the full sized map shortly.

designmap_small

Originally uploaded by tyson.andrew

For my first map i decided to plot all of my favorite Soho furniture stores. I used maps of NYC from google maps as reference and placed about 10 stores on a 10 block section of Soho. The result was a rather bland representation that somewhat mimicked a map you’d see at a local shopping center or mall. I was told to add more points of interest and expand my view for next class.