Dictionary definition: Adjective Not present in a place, at an occasion, or as part of something.
2. Someone not paying attention to what is being said or done
Personal definition: Having no presence in a location, missing in action from something, not being a part of an event or memory.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Understanding Comics
As a character designer I was already aware ahead of time of some of the concepts that the Understanding comics book was trying to address. I already knew that in order for a character to be successful the audience needs to be able to identify with the character in some way, by putting themselves in the characters shoes it lets them imagine that they are the character.
Immersion and relation are the perfect ways to make a character successful, if there is nothing for the viewer to relate to then they are more likely to ignore the character and what the character is trying to display or say. Humans are indeed selfish creatures, we fight over land and try to communicate our ideals just so we can make our egos seem bigger than they are. That is why human characters or characters with human emotions are much more successful.
We project ourselves into these blank slates so that we can live our fantasies through them. I wholeheartedly agree with the book, successful design plays off of this as well. A product that the consumer is able to see themselves using is more likely to sell than a product that is foreign to the consumer. We are more likely to go with what we are comfortable with and what we can see ourselves using than something that could be of unknown origins.
That is another issue when it comes to character design, because we fear the unknown characters that do not play to a trope or a stereotype makes it harder for the person to relate to. That is why I try to avoid the tropes, I know humans are selfish, I believe if I can create something that goes AGAINST what others want it will make it a much more refreshing experience for those who are willing to experiment. I am about experimentation, about making the regular public mad. I am not here to serve your desires, I am here to provide something for everyone not just you.
Immersion and relation are the perfect ways to make a character successful, if there is nothing for the viewer to relate to then they are more likely to ignore the character and what the character is trying to display or say. Humans are indeed selfish creatures, we fight over land and try to communicate our ideals just so we can make our egos seem bigger than they are. That is why human characters or characters with human emotions are much more successful.
We project ourselves into these blank slates so that we can live our fantasies through them. I wholeheartedly agree with the book, successful design plays off of this as well. A product that the consumer is able to see themselves using is more likely to sell than a product that is foreign to the consumer. We are more likely to go with what we are comfortable with and what we can see ourselves using than something that could be of unknown origins.
That is another issue when it comes to character design, because we fear the unknown characters that do not play to a trope or a stereotype makes it harder for the person to relate to. That is why I try to avoid the tropes, I know humans are selfish, I believe if I can create something that goes AGAINST what others want it will make it a much more refreshing experience for those who are willing to experiment. I am about experimentation, about making the regular public mad. I am not here to serve your desires, I am here to provide something for everyone not just you.
Writers Toolbox
The main aim of the writers toolbox is to show that brainstorming and writing down ideas with words and images at the same time can stimulate the brain. It claims to help organize a designers thoughts and to make the creative process easier if it is written down in a concept map that can be connected to more than one possibility.
From a personal perspective the concept map idea wasn't adopted by me until right when this group project started. We were required to choose an object and to write down ideas that could be implemented into making it better without the use of pictures. It took a lot of negotiation and thoughtfulness but we were able to pull it off by the use of verbs and actions that describe the object.
For me when I create characters I do not focus on writing down the characters name and writing a concept map. Though I do have a similar method when it comes to the creative process. I tend to implement writing by thinking of a characters personality and their likes and dislikes and sometimes even their personal history. These character bios that I write are documents that I can refer to when I design the concept art.
The writers toolbox basically says that writing is a massive helper when it comes to creating something either visually or just with words. Writing helps you brainstorm and it helps you develop the concept further than with just images alone. Though I work most with drawings, writing does massively improve the characters I create and the drawings I make that much is for certain.
From a personal perspective the concept map idea wasn't adopted by me until right when this group project started. We were required to choose an object and to write down ideas that could be implemented into making it better without the use of pictures. It took a lot of negotiation and thoughtfulness but we were able to pull it off by the use of verbs and actions that describe the object.
For me when I create characters I do not focus on writing down the characters name and writing a concept map. Though I do have a similar method when it comes to the creative process. I tend to implement writing by thinking of a characters personality and their likes and dislikes and sometimes even their personal history. These character bios that I write are documents that I can refer to when I design the concept art.
The writers toolbox basically says that writing is a massive helper when it comes to creating something either visually or just with words. Writing helps you brainstorm and it helps you develop the concept further than with just images alone. Though I work most with drawings, writing does massively improve the characters I create and the drawings I make that much is for certain.
Written response to IDEO
Watching the IDEO company design video was actually really fascinating, as a child my original perception of the designing department included the typical cubicles and blueprints. But as a child I actually dreaded going into this department, not being able to draw and design what I desire but rather having to follow the rules and regulations of someone above me bothered me to a degree.
I have always perceived good design as being useful and enjoyable, but in my mind when I was younger I always thought that by conforming to what others want you are removing what makes the job enjoyable to you in the first place. I was reluctant to show that I could draw because I didn't want to be stuck inside a cubicle for the rest of my life.
In IDEO while being in a cubicle and following the bosses rules is part of the job, its not the only thing that every designing company has to offer. Collaboration with your group and exchanging ideas makes the process of creating easier, working with others towards a similar goal can be quite enjoyable on its own merit.
While not every designing company will have the freedom and prosperity that the people at IDEO do it makes the perception of working in groups a little easier to bear. And trust me, I usually prefer to work alone so when I heard we had to work in groups to redesign an object I was originally horrified. But after stepping back and trying to work it through my head I come to realize the collaborating with others is not so bad. Sure we don't have the same freedom or resources as the people at IDEO do. But maybe if we adopt the same attitude of being positive and valuing each others ideas it makes the entire thing a little bit easier to adjust to. And in my case it worked wonders.
I have always perceived good design as being useful and enjoyable, but in my mind when I was younger I always thought that by conforming to what others want you are removing what makes the job enjoyable to you in the first place. I was reluctant to show that I could draw because I didn't want to be stuck inside a cubicle for the rest of my life.
In IDEO while being in a cubicle and following the bosses rules is part of the job, its not the only thing that every designing company has to offer. Collaboration with your group and exchanging ideas makes the process of creating easier, working with others towards a similar goal can be quite enjoyable on its own merit.
While not every designing company will have the freedom and prosperity that the people at IDEO do it makes the perception of working in groups a little easier to bear. And trust me, I usually prefer to work alone so when I heard we had to work in groups to redesign an object I was originally horrified. But after stepping back and trying to work it through my head I come to realize the collaborating with others is not so bad. Sure we don't have the same freedom or resources as the people at IDEO do. But maybe if we adopt the same attitude of being positive and valuing each others ideas it makes the entire thing a little bit easier to adjust to. And in my case it worked wonders.
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