I set up this picture with a basket, and inside the basket are a bunny lollipop, easter eggs, flowers, and a jar of jam....the basket is about 1.5 inch long! I then photoshopped the pictures in different tones.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Happy Colorful Easter!
I set up this picture with a basket, and inside the basket are a bunny lollipop, easter eggs, flowers, and a jar of jam....the basket is about 1.5 inch long! I then photoshopped the pictures in different tones.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Proper Packaging Design Can Improve More Than Your Bottom Line
The story below talks about packaging design and relating it to the author's own life. The story is inspiring, and it helps me in doing my thesis because I will be focusing on packaging design, way-finding, and editorial design for my three thesis proposals.
Ron had a unique way of making boxes fit his custom-made marble sinks: He used a box knife.
Granted, it wasn’t the most efficient means of forming the folds over his precious cargo, but it served the purpose and, for Ron’s crew, it was good enough.
When I walked in his shop it was obvious Ron had a booming business. It was also obvious his current box supplier was lacking in creative design skills; hence the box knife.
And so, with Ron’s permission, we loaded a sink or two in the car and headed back to our design room in Seymour, Indiana. Our team of design experts whittled away — not with a razor-encased contraption, but with a high-priced, computer-driven cutting board.
The end result amazed Ron. The new box formed perfectly over his various products. It was stronger and cheaper to boot. What’s more, we added cut-out handles to accommodate Ron’s crew which included a few gals who toted the hefty boxes once they were filled with sinks. One handle on the side; one on the end — made perfectly to fit the arm spans of the Ron’s workers.
A common feat
It’s typical. Guys like Ron know that packaging is an important aspect of their business. But, alas, they’re serviced by box salesmen who know more about closing a deal than designing boxes.
That where I come in.
I earn my keep by showing manufacturing companies how to save money by improving their packaging.
A company in Columbus, Indiana — my home turf — was shipping its goods in plain brown boxes; the same boxes that displayed their products on store shelves.
The purchasing agent was encouraged to test white boxes (the color is actually clay, but looks white to shoppers) to see if sales improved. Scepticism was, of course, expected. Clay boxes are, after all, more expensive than the normal brown fare. But once the test was run, and furniture displayed in clay boxes out-paced identical product in brown boxes, the buyers saw the light. Gone were the brown boxes. They were replaced with the more expensive clay-colored boxes. The reason? The substantially increased furniture sales more than paid for the higher-priced new packaging.
Lone Ranger of boxes
When I was a kid I imagined myself being the Lone Ranger. One feat at a time I would save the day then ride off in the sunset with my faithful companion, Tonto.
Turns out that box selling differs little from the Lone Ranger, except I drive a car and not a horse, and my partner is a box designer, not a faithful Indian companion.
The scourge of the packaging industry isn’t the black-hatted villain from the old westerns. Rather, the problem lies in less-then-competent design. A few subtle changes in box design can save money in labor while earning money by presenting a positive product display.
At Boxes.me our goal is to save our clients more than cold cash. We strive to remove the aggravation of working with poorly-crafted containers, shallow designs and, yes, box knives. Our goal is to improve the entire packaging process. Sometimes we save our clients by providing them less expensive boxes. More often we target their bottom line with workable solutions that can only be delivered by a top-notch design team.
“Packaging Desing: Proper Packaging Design Can Improve More Than Your Bottom Line,” Stock Images and Stock Photography Resource, 2009, Maxlin Stock Images Corporation. 3 Apr 2010
http://blog.royaltyfree-stockphoto.com/?p=1455.
Ron had a unique way of making boxes fit his custom-made marble sinks: He used a box knife.
Granted, it wasn’t the most efficient means of forming the folds over his precious cargo, but it served the purpose and, for Ron’s crew, it was good enough.
When I walked in his shop it was obvious Ron had a booming business. It was also obvious his current box supplier was lacking in creative design skills; hence the box knife.
And so, with Ron’s permission, we loaded a sink or two in the car and headed back to our design room in Seymour, Indiana. Our team of design experts whittled away — not with a razor-encased contraption, but with a high-priced, computer-driven cutting board.
The end result amazed Ron. The new box formed perfectly over his various products. It was stronger and cheaper to boot. What’s more, we added cut-out handles to accommodate Ron’s crew which included a few gals who toted the hefty boxes once they were filled with sinks. One handle on the side; one on the end — made perfectly to fit the arm spans of the Ron’s workers.
A common feat
It’s typical. Guys like Ron know that packaging is an important aspect of their business. But, alas, they’re serviced by box salesmen who know more about closing a deal than designing boxes.
That where I come in.
I earn my keep by showing manufacturing companies how to save money by improving their packaging.
A company in Columbus, Indiana — my home turf — was shipping its goods in plain brown boxes; the same boxes that displayed their products on store shelves.
The purchasing agent was encouraged to test white boxes (the color is actually clay, but looks white to shoppers) to see if sales improved. Scepticism was, of course, expected. Clay boxes are, after all, more expensive than the normal brown fare. But once the test was run, and furniture displayed in clay boxes out-paced identical product in brown boxes, the buyers saw the light. Gone were the brown boxes. They were replaced with the more expensive clay-colored boxes. The reason? The substantially increased furniture sales more than paid for the higher-priced new packaging.
Lone Ranger of boxes
When I was a kid I imagined myself being the Lone Ranger. One feat at a time I would save the day then ride off in the sunset with my faithful companion, Tonto.
Turns out that box selling differs little from the Lone Ranger, except I drive a car and not a horse, and my partner is a box designer, not a faithful Indian companion.
The scourge of the packaging industry isn’t the black-hatted villain from the old westerns. Rather, the problem lies in less-then-competent design. A few subtle changes in box design can save money in labor while earning money by presenting a positive product display.
At Boxes.me our goal is to save our clients more than cold cash. We strive to remove the aggravation of working with poorly-crafted containers, shallow designs and, yes, box knives. Our goal is to improve the entire packaging process. Sometimes we save our clients by providing them less expensive boxes. More often we target their bottom line with workable solutions that can only be delivered by a top-notch design team.
“Packaging Desing: Proper Packaging Design Can Improve More Than Your Bottom Line,” Stock Images and Stock Photography Resource, 2009, Maxlin Stock Images Corporation. 3 Apr 2010
http://blog.royaltyfree-stockphoto.com/?p=1455.
Graphic Design Cookbook
My friend borrowed me this book called "Graphic Design Cookbook" and basically it provides a collection of layouts. Rather than sorting through dozens of graphic design books to get ideas, this book has sections for every aspect of page layout placement including: page numbers, paragraph placement, titles, and much more. Overall, this book gives inspirations to anybody, specifically to graphic design students.
Friday, April 2, 2010
REVISED ideas for thesis proposal
1. How architectures make to the look and livability of our city
2. The positive effects of Bikeway design and way-finding signage
3. Lack of good way finding signage in the city on most surface routes
4. The definition between graphic design and illustration. What are the differences?
5. How to improve Toronto's transportation system with way-finding systems?
6. The need of information graphics. Why do we need information graphics?
7. Is food design important to human? Why do food need to be designed?
8. The importance of packaging design. Does packaging design make people's lives easier?
9. The relationship between graphic design and advertising.
10. Why is advertising significant in New York? Compare it with Canada.
11. Japan's graphic design industry.
12. The difference between Western graphic design and graphic design in Asian countries.
13. Is Canada's graphic design industry going downhill?
14. How does technology benefit graphic design?
15. The influence of modern design to our city.
16. Do the look of architecture relate to its interior design?
17. What are the aesthetics of interior design?
18. Do graphic design help benefit our daily lives?
19. Is web design important to us? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
20. Furniture design: form follows function or form goes first?
21. The concept of "less is more" in graphic design?
22. The role of graphic design and advertising used in war as propaganda.
23. The influences that affect designing for an international market.
24. The use, effects and value of colour in branding. What are the subliminal effects of colour and colour manipulation of corporate brands?
25. The influence of Andy Warhol in Pop Art.
26. How color symbolism matter in graphic design. How much of a role do color meanings play in graphic design color choices?
2. The positive effects of Bikeway design and way-finding signage
3. Lack of good way finding signage in the city on most surface routes
4. The definition between graphic design and illustration. What are the differences?
5. How to improve Toronto's transportation system with way-finding systems?
6. The need of information graphics. Why do we need information graphics?
7. Is food design important to human? Why do food need to be designed?
8. The importance of packaging design. Does packaging design make people's lives easier?
9. The relationship between graphic design and advertising.
10. Why is advertising significant in New York? Compare it with Canada.
11. Japan's graphic design industry.
12. The difference between Western graphic design and graphic design in Asian countries.
13. Is Canada's graphic design industry going downhill?
14. How does technology benefit graphic design?
15. The influence of modern design to our city.
16. Do the look of architecture relate to its interior design?
17. What are the aesthetics of interior design?
18. Do graphic design help benefit our daily lives?
19. Is web design important to us? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
20. Furniture design: form follows function or form goes first?
21. The concept of "less is more" in graphic design?
22. The role of graphic design and advertising used in war as propaganda.
23. The influences that affect designing for an international market.
24. The use, effects and value of colour in branding. What are the subliminal effects of colour and colour manipulation of corporate brands?
25. The influence of Andy Warhol in Pop Art.
26. How color symbolism matter in graphic design. How much of a role do color meanings play in graphic design color choices?
Princess Tea Party
Miniature toys that belong to me...collecting miniatures is one my interests now because I can take photos with them and practice my photography skills. The cake is about 1.5 inch long.
I entered a photo contest: White Elegance
This is the photo that I've entered in a miniature photo contest. The title is "White Elegance". We were asked to take a photo of our miniatures in only one color and I chose to do white.
The winner will get a prize of a very rare piece of furniture (miniature) by a company called Re-ment, it's a famous miniature company in Japan.
Here is the link to view all the contest entries, and I'm #15: http://rementfanclub.com/
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Putting some night cream on...
I took pictures of my toys (miniatures and a doll originated in Japan called "Licca").
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