Ocular Influxes Imminent.

Joe Langham // Viscom blog #OcularInfluxes 

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L6 London trip (Part 3) - Left James Brierley’s group and caught the tube from Shoreditch to Notting Hill. I then linked up with Prof Andrew Kulman’s group and went on a guided tour of Pentagram’s global HQ!

Received some nice gifts from Pentagram for my travels! 

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L6 London trip (Part 2) - KIN-Design visit - Small team of award winning multidisciplinary creatives. They’d recently moved into this new studio... I was impressed they retained/were re-building their ‘workshop’ area on the other side of the studio! Nice to see digital hasn’t fully taken over in agency working life...

Hands-on prototyping is a key part of getting a message across (think client conversation piece).

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L6 London trip (Part 1) - Disembarking the coach, walking towards KIN-Design (chapel street, Shoreditch)...

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Having made my text block week’s ago, I decided to make a hardcover for my RVJ (Reflective Visual Journal). This was made purely with recycled materials, double-sided tape and PVA glue...

This is the first time I’ve casebound before so some measurements were inevitably out!

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Following Seb Lester on Instagram!

“Birthday card for my good friend Dave. Dave is so old I’ve written it in hieroglyphics. Happy Birthday Dave, you’re welcome.”

I think it’s great when designers use humour/wit in their work...

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L6 London Trip - 9th November 2015

Next week, I’m part of a university expedition to London, where I’ll be visiting a number of design agencies! These will include Kin-design (1st above) and Moving Brands (2nd above).

Looking forward to getting an insight into how top agencies function and what they require from applicants...

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CREATIVE REVIEW - OCT 2015 (Home Issue)

Flicking through last month’s issue of CR and came across some interesting layout styles. 3/4 length photography mixed with a block of text (Constructed realities spread) works well!

'Open Architecture’ - Interesting article on trying to solve the ever-growing housing crisis in the UK. Alastair Parvin is the brainchild of the WikiHouse ... An open source housing building system. It encourages designers to use their skills/talents to create new housing constructs from the base package. This could potentially solve the housing crisis?

‘Tree of Codes’ - Using image/text overload doesn’t work for me! The spread just looks too crowded. Cropping of the images looks very professional...

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“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional” - Murakami explains exactly how a runner he once met held a mantra, taught to him by his older brother to combat the stress/strain of marathon running. I find this particularly relatable towards ‘pacing’ my own time, ‘quickening the speed’ of my work, and ensuring ‘quality end product’ in my design work!

Over the weekend, I’ve been physically/mentally focusing myself for this month’s grueling, self-inflicted ‘MOVE’ challenge in aid of the Movember Foundation. After completing day 1 today, I’m more pumped and motivated than ever! I’m using my aptitude for running to implement significant, positive changes in my life.

From a personal point of view, I don’t have a mantra persay. When I run, my mind is trained on averaging for example 6:55 minute milage (min/mi). If I happen to begin struggling, I tend to recite a few lines from songs I’ve recently listened to (in my head) or even something I’ve been told (from years gone by) that I can relate to or that triggers a positive reaction. It can even be something as silly as looking forward to lunch after a race in the morning!

What I’m trying to get across is that running is helping me combat the stress of everyday life and I’m seeing gradual improvements every day. It’s also helping me tackle design problems with a fresh impetus/perspective when I get down to work, something I used to struggle with adapting (tunnel vision?). 

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Exploring new books in the library and came across this interesting opinion piece article by Paul Belford entitled “Unspoilt by Progress”. 

He argues that, in the UK, creative departments are getting lazy and cheapening the quality of their work in comparison with generations past.

He singled out a particular piece of poster work; “Simply Years Behind” blurts out the advert for Banks’s beer by John Knight and Lyndon Mallett of ‘TBWA’ (1982). Whether this was chosen for it’s subliminally suggestive title remains to be seen! The precision of handmade type just shows what Is possible when creatives put their mind to it...?

Belford then explains “This kind of work is rare because it’s very different to do and very expensive”... 

I feel he has a very valid and logical point. On the flipside, quality should always be the most important aspect. Surely, for example, cheapening my own work would not only reflect badly on me as a designer but insult those who genuinely work their ass off consistently and produce incredible work??

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One cannot build life from refrigerators, politics, credit statements and crossword puzzles. That is impossible. Nor can one exist for any length of time without poetry, without colour, without love.

Antoine De Saint-Exupery

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True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.

Antoine De Saint-Exupery

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This #Movember, I’m planning to mix my passion for running and design in aid of Movember Foundation... This will be raising awareness/funds for poor mental health. 

Not only will I be *attempting* to grow a silly ginger ‘stache, I’ll be running every single day for the whole of November. 30 days. 30 runs. I’ll be pushing myself mentally/physically further than I’ve ever done before! (Technically, it’ll be 31 days, 31 runs as I do Parkrun every Sat and 1st Nov falls on a Sunday this year!!).

(Above) - I made a quick facebook cover photo (850 x 316) to advertise my web presence (Movember donation page). This is merely the start... I will be dedicating a significant portion of my time (come November) into maintaining/documenting every single run I do, as it happens and visually translating each individual run (sights/sounds/smells etc...), potentially into a piece of graphic art... I’m not limiting myself to a defined outcome just yet as this could evolve into something truly unique!!

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Never-Before-Seen Images Reveal How The Fukushima Exclusion Zone Was Swallowed By Nature

Polish photographer Arkadiusz Podniesinski travelled to the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster last month to see the location with his own eyes. When he obtained permits to enter the roughly 20km (12.5 mile) Exclusion Zone, he was confronted with a scene similar to one from a post apocalyptic film. Podniesinski previously photographed the area around the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Incredible photos from Fukushima’s exclusion zone!

“Nuclear energy is the energy of a bright future”

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There is nothing more ruthless than compassion.

An interesting take on compassion!

“In reality, it’s misguided niceness that promotes cruelty”... “doing the right thing for ourselves and others” - 

Dispelling misconceptions of ‘niceness’ for taking a position of strength in our lives, e.g. saying “No more!” to exploitation, disrespect and cruelty...

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The most important ability that a designer can bring to his work is the ability to recognise, isolate, define and solve problems.

Victor Papanek (1992). Design for the real world: Human Ecology and Social Change. 2nd ed. Frome and London: Butler & Tanner Ltd. p151.

[unwrapping]

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Handy guide to Tumblr sizes... Helps to simulate a correct fit when applying own designs to your tumblr blog!

Courtesy of: http://unwrapping.tumblr.com/post/75873529443/dashboard-image-sizes

[graphicdesignblg]

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Always looking to improve my technical skills... big fan of this ‘glitch’ effect!