Archive for September, 2009
Bad Signage
Signs are an essential visual communication tool that help us navigate through our daily lives. Being in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, you can’t help but to be bombarded with signs everywhere you go. However, most people seldom stop to consider why some signs are better or worse than others. The assignment this week was to find signs around the city that do a poor job communicating their intended message. There are many types of signs, but for this assignment I decided to focus on store signs. Store signs are more visually complex and ofen try to have meaning beyond the written text. I started looking for bad signage in the upper west side, though had little success since the area is rather gentrified and most stores were large brand names. eg. Pottery Barn, Victoria Secret, Best Buy, etc. I then walked through the mid-town area where there are many more small businesses. Needless to say, I found some bad signs. Below are some examples of bad signs I found and my recommendations on how the signs could be improved.
Why this sign is bad?
- Sign doesn’t really make sense when you read it, “A Relax Me”
- It looks like some thought was put into the logo design, but it does not have a clear message
- There are 3 types of fonts.
How can we make it better?
- Have it be in proper English
- If you gonna have logo, try to tie in better.
Why this sign is bad?
- Why is ‘L’ and the ‘N’ separate ???
- Letter alignment is all over the place
- Color palette is dull
- Design behind the big ‘B’ is strange
How can we make it better?
- Don’t separate the ‘L’ and the ‘N’
- Make use of the grid in the lettering
- Have the sign be a little more dynamic
Why this sign is bad?
- Awful colors and design, looks like a kid’s art school project
- Using 3 or more fonts
How can we make it better?
- No need to put the word “Wine” on the wine bottle
- Pick more dynamic colors
- Keep the sign festive, since this is the intended direction, just don’t be gaudy
- Use a decorative font for the store name, use a simple plain font for everything else
I really enjoyed this short story. It touches on many themes used in both old and new science fiction. The theme that seems to come up again and again is that in mankind’s attempt to attain perfection, we screw something up along the way. Think of all the movies where overuse of technology creates a dystopia. Logan’s Run, The Terminator, and The Matrix to name a few.
In this story, the main characters are Vashti and her son Kuno. Vashti is an older women who is content with her existence and conforms to the norms of society, while Kuno believes that their existence is a mere illusion put on by “The Machine”. The Machine is the omnipresent technological force that sees and controls all. Kuno decides to break free from the machine as he believes their is more to living outside of the world he has always known.
What’s really impressive about this story is that it was written in 1909, and it foretells of technology ranging from teleconferencing to information on-demand. If you wish to dive deeper and try to interpret the many ideas in this story, you’ll get different conclusions depending on who you ask. Though what’s certain is that there is some E.M. Forster in most present day technology.
Analoging the Arduino
For this lab I used 2 sensors to light up 2 sets of LEDs. The force sensor controls the green LEDs and the flex sensor controls the red LEDs. The number of LEDs that light up is dependent on how much force or how much bend you apply to the relevant sensor.
Fantasy Device – Magical LED Slippers
Wherever you are in the world, if you are wearing these slippers and click your heals together 3 times while chanting “There’s no place like ITP”, “There’s no place like ITP”, “There’s no place like ITP”, you would be transported back to 721 Broadway, 4th Fl. Slippers would be adorned with LEDs to give it that ITP flair.
Design Analysis – Ebay.com
For class, I was asked to select a website and analyze its success in terms of grid, colors, layout, typography, consistency and usability. I selected Ebay.com. Ebay is the largest and most well known online auction website. It is a silicon valley juggernaut employing over 15,000 people and generates billions in revenue a year. What’s also interesting about Ebay is that its service is vital in supporting “other” businesses all over the world. Many companies use its services to connect to buyers. This makes Ebay more susceptible to criticism as it is used by many people who have a stake in the design and usability of the site. I will discuss Ebay’s visual elements in class.
Leap Frog
A short we created during class.
Barking with My Dog
I’ve tried everything to get my dog to stop barking excessively, but nothing seems to work. I then decided to try using some sensor tech to solve the problem. The device you see strapped to my dog’s neck is an anti-bark collar. When she barks, a sensor detects the sound and releases a citronella spray that is “supposed” to train her not to bark. However, my dog seems to be immune from the spray, which is bad news for my neighbors and my nerves.
Finger Switches
As an exercise to get acquainted with the Arduino micro-controller, I created an apparatus that lets a person use their fingers to send digital signals to the Arduino by tapping on a metal plate. Metal contacts attached to the fingers (index, middle, ring) when touched with a metal plate will light the corresponding LED. When all 3 fingers close the switch, the larger LED turns on. This concept can be extended further by using the finger switches to open a combination lock. The correct finger combination must be pressed down in the correct sequence in order to open the lock. One of 3 small LEDs will light when a finger combination is correct. The larger LED will light once all 3 combinations are entered in the proper sequence.
Sensing When Nature Calls
Sensors are all around us, helping in ways and places we least expect. Here, a motion sensor provides a more sanitary way to flush the toilet in public restrooms. The way these sensors work is that a person first “arms” the sensor when they are in front of the toilet or urinal. Only when the person is done and walks away does the toilet actually flush. A cleaver 20th century add-on to something very very old.
