Arts + Cultu​re

What's skyrocketing this summer? Outdoor trips, shopping sprees, visits to pool or water-parks to name a few :)  But if you go outdoors, take a trip to say a Sculture park, an Art gallery or a museum and you'll be pleasantly surprised at seeing how amazed you or your loved ones (do take them along :)) can be!

Some FREE (or discounted) museums passes can be accessed here or here.

'Give me a museum and I'll fill it.'~Pablo Picasso

[Photo Courtesy - Target]

Principles of Design...

Ever wondered whether your artistic creation - a handicraft, an origami masterpiece or a consumer product is a cut above the rest or not? Consider yourself lucky if you manage to extract candid feedback for your creations from friends, strangers & fellow art admirers!  Alternatively, you may check whether these great pointers apply to your creation :)

'Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.' ~Steve Jobs

[Image Courtesy - Labnol]

Amar Chitra Katha - Revisited

While going through nice design tips during morning reading routine, I stumbled upon BUSRIDE's work for ACK (Amar Chitra Katha) Media. Here are some of the elements of their work with ACK Media that amazed me to the core:

Forward Focus: The inventive retail delivery stands seem to bring focus of the viewer on media (books, comic digests) as against the stand or space around.

Efficient Packing: Newly designed smaller shelves seem to pack comic books quite efficiently. Restocking these stands is also quite an easy task.

Visual Thinking: In addition to displaying a strong visual language (easily identifiable by young adults), the vivid colored posters and in-store advertising serve to stimulate store visitors and enhance impulse sales.

Critical Thinking: The innovative add-ons (games on website, Tinkle comic digests, Audiobooks etc.) foster critical thinking in young adults and promote enquiry, reasoning and debate.

In short, BUSRIDE's products provide a unique mechanism to display, sell and restock the book stands in ACK stores and make shopping a memorable experience both for buyer as well as seller. So when you stop by ACK store to grab your fav comic (Akbar-Birbal, Jataka Tales, Chanakya, Rana Pratap etc.), spend a few moments and record your impressions about your store visit. Do check out BUSRIDE's other awe-inspiring projects here & some invaluable design tips here.

'Everything is designed. Few things are designed well'~Brian Reed

[Image Courtesy - ACK-Media]

Which is better - Tea or Coffee ?

Infographic says it all :)

[Image Courtesy Policy Expert]

Hot Wheels :)

 Read about the remarkable new ad for Hot Wheels this morning. This vertical loop placed strategically in a free way in Bogota, Colombia is certainly engaging to the eye of onlookers. Try answering questions such as

• Have you seen this before?
• Would I mention this to my friends?
• How much time was spent thinking about it? and ultimately,
• What is the key message or goal here?

and you'll understand what makes this ad (by O&M) & brand Hotwheels so unique!

To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail.~Giorgio Armani

[Image Courtesy Ads of World]

Data Visualization :)

Came across this remarkable graphic while browsing this morning. 

Following are the attributes that make Visual Communication  an extremely effective tool:

• Simplicity: Information is conveyed with easy-to-decipher simple images instead of pages of written or typed text.
• Relationships: Correlation & Trends are easily evident in visuals.
• New Insights: When one looks at compressed & reorganized information, new connections & insights pop-up every now & then.
• Decision Making: Spectacular images (magnified maps, engineering drawings, Venn Diagrams) helps the viewer comprehend data & make decisions real quick.

Check out this excellent interactive on printmaking (thanks Julia!) by MoMA - http://tinyurl.com/lqxaox. And if printmaking sparks your curiosity, do stop by Danforth Museum of Art this weekend - we've an ongoing (and much talked about) exhibit on Boston Printmakers :)

'Graphics is the visual means of resolving logical problems.'~Bertin

[Image Courtesy - iA Inc]

Squiggles & Wiggles

Some illustrations from 'Squiggles & Wiggles' workshop @ Danforth Museum of Art. The idea was to draw lines that are organic, fluid, smooth and continuous (~rivers, clouds, plants shoots etc).

"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary."~Pablo Picasso

[Image Courtesy - CG & SG]

Resolutions...

CG & SG

   >>  Create More (Draw, Sketch & Design) & Consume Less.

   >>  Read - A, B & C regularly.

   >>  Visit even more museums :)

   >>  Hope that both CG & SG stay symbiotically :D

          Good design is a lot like clear thinking made visual.~Edward Tufte

Season of Slumber :)

Onset of WINTER Season evokes varied reponses in people. For some it is time to take a break and settle into extended slumber, for some it is time to equip oneself with warm, comfy & stylish winter clothing, for some it is time to stack up rich foods, for some it is time to start working on New Year resolutions and so on.

Winter reminds us of the cyclical nature of lives where one experiences both sunny & cold moments year after year. As the temperature plummets, air turns dry and crisp and days darker, we naturally gravitate towards warmth cozy environment.

Here at Danforth Museum of Art, we strongly believe that the beauty and significance of wintertime deserves to be acknowledged & appreciated! We thus gather today evening to commeorate this crucial time of the year. Join us for an evening of insightful conversations with artists, light refreshments & brand new exhibits to spark your creative spirits yet again :)

Danforth Winter Exhibit

"You come to nature with all her theories, and she knocks them all flat."~Renoir  

Free Museum Day

If you wish to seek some inspiration, stimulate your mind or come up with some cool ideas, plan a trip to a nearby museum this weekend. 25-Sep-2010 is National Smithsonian Museum Day & more than 1300 museums across the US welcome people into their premises for FREE! Oh and before heading out to your favorite museum check out following pointers:

• Print your FREE ticket here
• Some interesting tips to make the most of your visit are here
• Probe museum docents with plenty of questions & most importantly have a blast :)

Have an educational weekend ahead :D

 Give me a museum and I'll fill it.~Pablo Picasso

[Image Courtesy - Smithsonian]