Print's not dead

And i really hope it never dies. As the "web" gets easier and easier to access, printed advertising and well, anything printed for that matter has to compete against its internet counterpart. Magazines, books, records, fliers the list goes on. Its not that i dislike the web, everything looks great on screen especially the wider range of colors and ability to have moving elements. Its an extremely useful tool but you cant handle it and feel the texture of the ink and the paper. On screen you can imitate it but thats all it is. Artificial.

This will probably be an ongoing post...

Dreamweaver can be a nightmare

Its been a long time since ive had design ideas i my head but couldnt translate them into the computer. Its a frustrating feeling but fortunately, a familiar one. I remember battling the pen tool in illustrator, and again in photoshop. I remember not knowing why the line would curve the opposite direction i wanted it to but what i remember most is when the concept finally clicked and it became second nature. This feeling has returned. Having never used Dreamweaver, i find myself with ideas too complex for my skill level. I look at the blank artboard(?) wondering where to start. Wondering how to execute these ideas. You would think Adobe would lay out the interface similar to the way they did photoshop, illustrator, and indesign to make it easier to work across programs. But alas, they didnt and im sure they have their reasons. At least i know this feeling will pass like it has many times before.

On the topic of Robots

This isn't a new video but amazing nonetheless. The way it keeps itself from falling after being kicked makes my heart sink. I even cringe as if he were kicking a dog... a real dog. Its as though i forget for a split second that this is a machine that runs on a battery rather than a beating heart. I shouldnt feel sorry for this poor animal(?)... robot, but somehow, i can't help it.

Getting Organized

I’m not a messy person. That being said, I’ve never had the best organizational skills. In elementary school, my desk overflowed with old assignments and it was no different in middle school or high school. Papers were shoved into my backpack with little regard or thought as to how I might find them later. This went on for years causing stress that no doubt could have been easily avoided. The trend was broken however, when i got my first computer. Organization had never been easier and I attribute this to the fact that everything about the computer is visual. Everything, all my files, photos, and drawings were laid out in front of me begging to be grouped into folders; named, dated, neatly placed folders, which were then backed up onto an external hard drive. My desktop was spotless with the exception of one folder titled “Jerry”. From there, I ran with it. I couldn’t have a clean computer on a cluttered desk and a cluttered desk in an unkempt room and so forth. For the first time in my life, I actually enjoyed cleaning. My newfound appreciation for organization was for the most part, brought forth by the digital world and transferred seamlessly into the real world.

Garmin

The idea that there are a group of satellites in space that are able to pinpoint a location all the way down on earth within a few feet is amazing and slightly scary. Handheld GPS units have been available to the general public for years and I recently I got my first GPS unit in the form of a cycling computer. It not only tracks my route but it also tracks my speed, distance traveled, elevation change, and more. What it really is though; is an overpriced gadget. As decadent as it may be, my Garmin computer has in many ways, changed the way I think about riding my bike. It’s almost as though im never riding alone now because im always trying to outrun or keep up with this little computer. It is a constant motivator pushing me to ride harder, faster, further.