Thinking in Picture

What font says 'Change'?

Cap'n Marrrrk — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:22:00 +0000

TYPOGRAPHY CAN subtly or boldly define a company, product, or person. Whether it is Best Buy's big, bold, screaming signs or the sweet, elegant script on a wine label, the type talks to us, the reader. The logos of the presidential candidates are no exception.

Visualization Programming Languages, Software, and Toolkits by Max Kiesler

Cap'n Marrrrk — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 23:06:00 +0000

If you've seen websites such as, Digg Big Spy, We Feel Fine, or Gapminder. and you're a web surfer you are probably amazed. If however, you're a web designer or programmer you may be wondering how to accomplish these dramatic visualizations. Below you'll find a list of visualization software, toolkits and programming languages to get you started. Please use the comments section of this post to let the community know of any useful resources I've left out. Most of the descriptions below are taken from the developers of the example. Thanks, Max. "

Veddy Interesting

Cap'n Marrrrk — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:03:00 +0000

Hi Mark,

thanks for posting my "icon-language" website..

So - maybe you are also interested in my new as-if-book: www.icon-message.com

It's a language with amimated icons, small enough to fit into the MSN Messenger.

The good news: This Messenger it's also possible to type woman+ and get the icon, to type happy+ and get the icon ... and so on.

The bad news: Not a single mobile, or e-mail client has (as far as I know) similar features.

Best regards
Jochen

As a matter of fact...I am indeed interested. Thanks for contacting me Jochen.

Shutting Down For Now

Cap'n Marrrrk — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 20:32:00 +0000

If anyone has swung by and has an interest in reading my content. Thanks. I just recently got a job as a Web Designer and I'm very busy these days. So I work all day, come home and work on learning more design, drawing and Visual Communication. So I don't have time to post.

2007 Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge

Cap'n Marrrrk — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:40:00 +0000

In the journal's 28 September 2007 issue, Science, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, is pleased to present the winners and honorable mentions in the fifth annual Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge. The articles linked on this page describe the accomplishments of the creative and gifted scientists, artists, and others who put the winning entries together, as well as an online slide presentation that showcases the competition's winners and honorable mentions. In addition, in a segment of the Science Podcast, one of the competition's judges talks about what goes into a winning scientific image. All material is freely available for all site visitors.

via Slashdot

Check out the animation for Nicotine in the bloodstream. Its very cool. Also of interest: Physics Education Technology at CU Boulder

Going to the Sidebar: Graphicology Blog

Cap'n Marrrrk — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:53:00 +0000

Graphicology Blog - Graphicology

Graphicology is the continuing education of a mulitdisciplinary designer. Here, you'll find resources, inspiration, current events and material that challenges what it means to be a strategic & creative communicator in today's world. Art directors, graphic designers, engineers, photographers, typographers, writers, producers, cinematographers and others are encouraged to comment and check in regularly.

Ear Doodle

Cap'n Marrrrk — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 03:25:00 +0000

I doodled this ear today from a picture I found on line. This is my first successful hatch shading.

Super Secret Spy

Cap'n Marrrrk — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 03:19:00 +0000

I worked with Matt Kindt Artist and Writer of Super Secret Spy. He's deep in the tedious grind of button making along with myself this week. He said the hand I drew (below) looks pretty good. Cool!

This looks like a pretty neat book, and the I like the illustration, so I'm going to pop down to the local comic shop and pick up a copy. If you want, you can read it on-line, but as you can imagine, Matt would be happy if you bought it.

School Work

Cap'n Marrrrk — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 12:53:00 +0000

The posts have been slim as of late because I've been busy working to upgrade my skills. These are the 3 books I'm working from. Each one accesses a different part of my creative brain. Keys to Drawing, helps me improve my eye and my basic hand- eye coodination. Rapid Viz is more directed to imagination, play and mind-hand coodination. Design Basic Index is a full-on lesson book designed to get me thinking about Composition, Concepts and Components to good layout and design.

All these books have exercises to work through, and while I've been in the graphic field for a long time, I am approaching these books with The Beginner's Mind, and am already learning quite a bit.

Amazon.com: Keys to Drawing: Books: Bert Dodson

Amazon.com: Rapid Viz, Third Edition: A New Method for the Rapid Visualitzation of Ideas: Books: Kurt Hanks,Larry Belliston

Amazon.com: Design Basics Index (Index Series): Books: Jim Krause

Intresting/Fun Visualization

Cap'n Marrrrk — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 22:48:00 +0000

A Key to Creativity

Cap'n Marrrrk — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:32:00 +0000

Click to enlarge

The Short of it:

The desire to effect change on any medium, plus the belief in the opportunity for positive reception of your ideas unlocks the gate for for a powerful torrent of new, and creative ideas.

The Long of it:
This is the story of B. and Me. B's initial has been changed so he can no way be connected to the story I'm going to tell. B. was, when I met him, a ward of the State under the care of the Missouri State Mental Heath Department, and was living in foster care with 3 other boys. B had been signed up to participate in VivaVox - Imagine Arts Mentoring Program, a non-profit I was working for last year.

The main goal of VivaVox is to give arts training to kids in order to allow them to develop their creative voice, and to channel their destructive behaviors into creative ones. There are drawing workshops, music, dance and poetry classes of which B, participated before finally going into personal mentoring with the poetry/rap instructor. B. happened to actually be the best visual artist of the group, with a desire to draw, but I digress.

Due to political infighting, B and 10 other kids were unceremoniously yanked from the program by their caretakers in early May; 6 weeks before the end of the program cycle and the big artistic showcase/graduation ceremony. That was it for B. and Viva Vox.

This past weekend I ran into B. and his brother down in "The Loop", St. Louis' hip street of shops and restaurants. I asked B. how he was doing, "Fine." He asked me if I had talked to Larry (Viva Vox President) recently, I said no, and he went on to tell me that he he had contacted Larry with a bunch of ideas for Viva Vox. I asked him what sorts of ideas he'd been having, and he told me few which blew me away. Very deep thinking for a 16 year old kid who has spent many years shuffled from home to home, institution to institution. There was a palpable energy and enthusiasm to his words, an urgency to be heard.

Of the hundreds of kids I met through Viva Vox over the years, B. is one of maybe 5 kids to actually use this program to find his creative voice. It so happened that B. was moved from his house to an "orphanage" where Viva Vox was running some programming, and he actively sought out Larry to present his ideas.

When B. was telling me his ideas, I was struck by the parallel to my own recent story: After a creative turnover at the agency I was working for, I was out of a job. I went to work for Viva Vox with whom I've had a long relationship. After six months of hard work some job leads were dangled before me which tempted me to quit Viva Vox and follow up on them. They turned out to be vaporous, and I ended up going into Creative Temp Services.

While searching leads I found a company in a sector which really appealed to me. It's what led me to this whole "Thinking in Pictures", Visual Communication. Learning to Draw thing in which has ensnared my imagination, and caused a dynamic creative outpouring I haven't had in years.

Why are B. and myself so currently creative?

I believe what it comes down to is that in a world where it's easy to become lost as an individual; if you believe someone is going to listen to your ideas, to take your thoughts (pictures, art) seriously, then this creates a key to unlock the floodgates of your imagination, which will in turn feedback on itself and create even more ideas.

Of course where the ideas go from there are completely up to the you. Chances are a lot of those clever ideas are going to fall by the wayside, some will be listened to, some will be adapted etc. I think what is important is not the ideas themselves, those can be generated almost Willy Nilly (don't forget to capture them), but the belief in the Opportunity. That if you want want to keep generating ideas, then you have to believe that someone is receive them and present feedback, otherwise you stagnate. From there it's less a matter of finding the Opportunity like myself, than creating and seizing the Opportunity like B.

A Very Swanky Typography Overview

Cap'n Marrrrk — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 01:23:00 +0000

via Todd Roeth is an Assistant Professor, Graphic Design. School of Fine Art.

Mr. Roeth has also provided overviews for his other courses, of which I fully plan to investigate. At his on-line suggestion , I've already aquired a copy of: Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller Brockmann and when I finish that I plan to read: Making and Breaking the Grid: A Graphic Design Layout by Timothy Samara.

Infography: welcome to the sidebar

Cap'n Marrrrk — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 01:06:00 +0000

infography: "Infography: n. 1. The emerging art and science focused on the visual explanation of complex or potentially confusing information. 2. A group blog for practitioners of infography around the world, dedicated to sharing work, sharing ideas and keeping in touch."

Via-Gabriel who I met at Communication Nation

Logo Design Trends 2007

Cap'n Marrrrk — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:47:00 +0000

"Everyone wants to set the curve when it comes to style. No one wants to design out of a book of trends, but nevertheless, they emerge. Take a peek at the following 11 logo design trends that we think will define the look of 2007.

The first design is the speech bubble, and there is a counter argument: Die Speech Bubble Logo, Die. found at xBlog: The visual thinking weblog

Digg, but for Design

Cap'n Marrrrk — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 21:30:00 +0000

Design Float

Jonathan Yuen (2006)

Cap'n Marrrrk — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 20:14:00 +0000

A wicked cool design portfolio site. Quick loading flash, intuitive interface. Good Artwork. Go.

Creativity Spark From Masters Of Graphic Design | Design Showcase

Cap'n Marrrrk — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 21:52:00 +0000

Creative thinking is an essential part of design workflow. Whatever sketch you are working on, at some point you find yourself in the situation where you simply need some fresh ideas to find your path around the creativity block. Going away may help. Listening to the music may help. But particularly the works of the famous graphic artists may help. In fact, studying them very closely, you can not only explore new ideas, but also learn the smallest details - they form the profound foundation of every masterpiece.

In this post we’d like to present you an ultimate breakthrough for your creativity blocks; over the last weeks we’ve been searching for the most popular graphic designers, illustrators and artists around the world. We’ve selected some of their works to give you an idea what style they have and what details of modern design you can expect and learn from them.

So what do we have as result? Over 100 breathtaking illustrations from some of the best contemporary graphic designers, illustrators and artists; besides you’ll also find references to further (mostly unknown) sources for inspiration you can use on a daily basis.

via Smashing Magazine

Interesting Things About Color

Cap'n Marrrrk — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 19:41:00 +0000

Hybrid Logo

Cap'n Marrrrk — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 12:39:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I saw this logo as part of Chevy's new environmental marketing stance. It was among several other logos that made no visual sense to me and I had to turn to the next page to figure out what they were. I'll post more on those later).

The thing that first struck me about this logo is the Silver X, and I didn't know the whole logo was supposed to be the letter H. After the X I saw the arrows and thought that someone was stealing a page from the FEDEX playbook.

Here are too important notes to remember: It's much easier to bash a logo than to come up with one. The logo you see is not always the best one presented by the designer, but the one chosen by the client. A designer may come up with dozens of ideas, and big companies will often solicit several companies for ideas. Then the client will use bits and pieces from each logo until they find what they are looking for.

So you've got green, you have tire shaped patches and arrows signifying motion. But as you can see, it really only works when placed with the rest of the body copy.

I think it works as a good header, but poorly as a stand-alone logo.

You can find a HUGE collection of specific car logos at
Cartype.com

Some words from "Old School"

Cap'n Marrrrk — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:12:00 +0000

I'm currently freelancing at an Ad Agency and I had a discussion with a Senior Creative Director about layout and design.

The following monologue was something like this: "There is too much shitty design out there. The problem is no body wants to learn because they know everything already. They go to "Portfolio Factories" and they develop a style, and they come in here and look at their book. This is a menu, this is an ad for oil change, this is letter head. If they have enough different kinds of pieces, they all look they same even though they are all used for different customers and markets. Why? Because they have developed a style, but haven't learned the fundamentals of design. Design is a science: placement, balance, color and typography will always work, but todays New School is about breaking boundaries for the sake of breaking them, and it's sloppy and bad. I can tell at a glance whether that ad was done by a new school or an old school person.

I think that a particular style is sign that the artist has found a comfortable niche, but from there refuses to grow and and will stagnate.

Advertising is different from Fine Art. You do need an eye for aesthetic detail, but you aren't trying to capture the essence of a subject. You are trying to make your client happy, and for that you need to take yourself out of the equation, throw personal style away and have the ability do many different kinds of styles, whatever it takes to get the job done.

I was thinking to myself, maybe they should have monthly meetings where the old guys teach the new guys, and the suits the basic principles of design as refreshers. They can have beer and snacks.

Art, Design, and Visual Thinking On line Textbook

Cap'n Marrrrk — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 13:14:00 +0000

Art, Design, and Visual Thinking
By Charlotte Jirousek from Cornell University

The first section of this course is concerned with understanding the basic concepts of design; How to analyze and talk about visual material. These fundamental components are known as the principles and elements of design. The approach we are going to take has a strong cultural bias. However, since European and American design is the base from which we are operating here, it is in this culture we will begin. We will eventually look at other cultural approaches to aesthetics and design.

In this section, first we will define some basic terminology essential to the understanding of visual language. We will then look at the elements of design, or the components which form the structure of a work. Finally, we will consider the design principles, the concepts used to organize the structural elements. The principles and elements of design are the basic building blocks of visual composition, and in order to understand how visual images carry meaning, we need to understand this basic vocabulary of visual language.

Visual Resume

Cap'n Marrrrk — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 22:20:00 +0000

This morning I created an updated resume in Mindomo and when I had finished I was thinking to myself, "Where have I seen this before?" and I went diving back to my dusty, dusty archives.

13 years ago, I had been deeply into Visual Communication, but unguided. I created a non-linear resume to shop around to the agencies. It was pooh-poohed at the time because it didn't make any sense to anyone who wasn't me. Click my photo for the enlargement. I had iconed each section with the appropriate icon, so the eye could determine what each section was represented, and I drew lines connecting the different islands in a meaningful fashion. Education to Art School to Production Art, School to Teaching Jobs etc. Now years later, I've done nearly the same thing, but this time there is the added dimension of time and visual motion.

click the minus sign in the image below to scale it down. or just click the link. Mark Plattner Resume

After a long hiatus of living and working, I find myself drawn back to Visual Communication and pleased that the tools have been created to allow me express my what I had attempted to do so long ago

The Intro

Cap'n Marrrrk — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:15:00 +0000

I've been a Graphic Production Artist for 12 years after I dropped out of Design School due to lack of money. Since then I've become a Graphic Problem Solver, which means I can do pretty much anything to help get the job out the door except for the actual design. I'm sure I could do it, but I lack self confidence. Let's face it, there is no shortage of crappy design out there, and I don't want to add to the noise.

Sooooooo, I decided to throw myself into the deep end of the design pool and teach myself the principles of good design. And I decided to start a new blog instead of cluttering up my personal one with links to design sites and such. So I started Visualization Station. Cue the party noisemaker.

Below is a link dump of the prior posts from my personal site. I also plan to keep running visual maps at Mindomo - Web-based mind mapping software of the interesting links connections to this site: Visualization Station Mind Map, my own personal journey into design, and a different sort of resume. Cue the noisemaker again.

International Icon Tarot

Cap'n Marrrrk — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 20:22:00 +0000

I had seen this a few years ago but had forgotten about it until I saw a low res repro posted at a used bookstore yesterday. Since I am still thinking about story telling using the International Icons (that odd event story I'm still waiting to tell), and the artistic use and design will really influence how I design and illustrate my own story.

Fantastic work by Needmore Designs

Free Edumacation With Which To Wrinkle Yer Brain

Cap'n Marrrrk — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 20:21:00 +0000

I was looking around for a mind mapping application for a collaborative project that is trying to get off the ground and I found Mindomo with which people can post public maps they have constructed. Thanks to Lady Gray who took the time to lay out some resources. Just roll over the little globes for pop-up links.