genia

New York

2011-07-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

Spring Painting Lessons.

2011-07-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

It's strange how some things just come to memory randomly and completely out of the blue.
One summer I was taking a class at an artist studio, located at his country house not far from Moscow. It was a couple of boys and me and we had to take the train to get there. Each time we'd bring our sandwiches and something sweet to eat while drinking tea. We'd all meet up on the train station, take the train, hop on another one and finally arrive on a small countryside station that had a path leading to the village. The walk was not more than ten minutes, but it always seemed like an adventure. Maybe a part of that had to do with the fact that I was 16 and the boys were older, so it always felt special. We'd walk the quiet street, talk and finally arrive at the house. It was old and rickety, and had a special smell only very old houses have. There the artist would meet us and we'd all have tea together. It was spring outside and the peonies just start blossoming, the weather was soft and warm and you could hear distant sounds of neighbors, but mostly just birds and quiet. I realized that I've only "heard" that silence twice in my life: when I was little vacationing at a small country house with my parents and that year at the painting studio. You don't get that in many places, especially not in a big city.

After drinking tea that became almost like a ceremony, we'd all start painting. The house and its surroundings had an abundance of still life objects. There were all kinds of vases, dried flowers, fake (and real) fruit, statuettes, etc. We'd sit down on the old stools, put on aprons already dirty on the front from someone else's work and paint. We'd sit there for hours, occasionally interrupted by our instructor's critique or a friendly chatter. I honestly don't remember what I was thinking about during those quiet hours, but those were probably the quickest hours I spent working up to this day.

We'd have tea breaks and a long lunch, spent talking and laughing. In the evening, around 6 or 7, we'd pack our things and go back. I remember those walks like they happened yesterday. A soft, unpaved country road, familiar houses, private horse stables and the rays of the setting sun. There was this rare, almost tangible feeling in the air that was completely overwhelming. I think it was a feeling of being very young, carefree and happy. I know it sounds cliche, especially because I'm not old enough to be reminiscing about youth, but I don't think the essence of those walks can ever be achieved again. Even if the same people were put in the same geographic location at the same time today, we'd all feel and act different. We've all changed, grown up and had completely different experiences. That spring, however, and those painting lessons are the one point in time where our lives met each other and "walked" together for a moment. That point is when we all felt the same way and a point that we won't ever be able to get back to.

Some thoughts on 9/11

2011-06-30T10:51:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking about 9/11 a lot lately. Maybe it's because I'm old enough to fully understand what it was. In 2001 I was only 12 years old and although I knew that something terrible was happening, it was something distant. I was in Moscow at the time and because of the time difference, morning in NY was evening in Moscow. I remember coming home from school, getting dinner with mom and waiting for my dad to come home from work. That evening, dad literally ran into the apartment with what I can only describe as horror displayed on his face. We turned on the TV and there it was: something straight out of a horror movie with unrealistic special effects. That sight of the twin towers with gaping holes in them on fire is something I don't think anyone living that day will forget. Another sight that is permanently embedded in my mind was the clip of some palestinians celebrating 9/11. Those shots alongside Manhattan bring the worst chills through my spine.

Now 10 years later the tragedy somehow got closer. Living in this country and making it my own gave me a better understanding of the full scope of the tragedy that happened that day. I found many sites telling stories of the lucky survivors, but also sites that told the stories of the people who never made it out of the World Trade Center. This particular NY Times article Accounts from the North Tower I am sure brings tears to any person who reads it. Stories like these need to be known and read by everyone living in the US. They make you realize just how strong any country that was able to survive this is. One person responsible for 3,000 deaths of innocent people and the lives of everyone who was affected.

This brings me to something that happened in the days after Bin Laden's death. Some people, including myself, were proud of the people who were able to rid the world of a monster responsible for 9/11. Loved ones of the victims and just regular people were finally able to get some kind of closure. I personally think that Bin Laden did not deserve a bullet to his head, he would justly have to experience death 3,000 times the way those innocent people did and I still don't think that would be enough. Am I a bad person for being happy that Bin Laden was found and killed? The world now doesn't have the one person who decided to kill thousands of people to prove something.

While some people were on Ground Zero celebrating, facebook and other social media displayed a quote that was of a completely different nature. ‎"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." The quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. has a pretty obvious message: do not be happy about anyone's death, even if he or she murdered thousands of people. I obviously don't agree with this message in relation to 9/11, but what is more important, the message was misquoted. Here's an excerpt from an article in Washington Post: "Only, as too many things are now a days, the quote is only half accurate. We sought solace in misattribution. The first sentence of the quote, as Megan McArdle found at the Atlantic, does not seem to have been said by Martin Luther King Jr. (The rest of it — “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate:only love can do that.” — is King’s writing.) When people started hearing it wasn’t King, some switched the attribution to Mark Twain. It doesn’t look like Twain said it either." The first part that seemed relevant to Bin Laden is not even by Martin Luther King Jr.! Regardless of who came up with the quote ( although I think that spreading something that is not from a valid source is stupidity) the whole quote phenomenon bothers me. Who are these people to judge how we're supposed to feel towards Bin Laden. Most of the people who posted the quote did not have a loved one trapped in a burning building hight above the ground with not way to escape. They did not get phone calls from their relatives saying it is hot in the building and the final "I love you". I believe that the only people who can publicly cite quotes about forgiveness of the enemy are those who were directly affected by him. If you are, like me, lucky enough to never have had a tragedy like that in your life - great, but don't go judging people who felt that they finally got some kind of justice.

I might sound like I'm just overly angry, but i've never been too quick to judge anyone. If someone thinks the mentioned quote is appropriate for Bin Laden's death, that's their right, but they should also keep in mind that citing it everywhere on your facebook and twitter can be offensive to someone.

This year on the 10th anniversary a memorial will be opened. The concept of 3,000 trees and two large square pools with cascading water and victims' names on the perimeters is beautiful. A memorial like this is a reminder of that day and the fact that no day should be taken for granted.

On Stalkers and Weirdos

2011-06-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

Going to the gym is not just a great mind/body experience, but a place to see some simple patterns in human relationships. You see all kinds of characters there like Mr. Perfect Body who tries to capture as many looks of admiration as possible or Miss Teen Diligence who is trying to look hot for her prom date. There are always those chubby, lonely-looking guys over 30 that are looking for ways to fill free time, but feel bad about just wasting it on the couch and choose the gym. At the gym (and everywhere), my motto is that I'll be friendly to you until you do me wrong. I don't care if you're a jock, a lonely bachelor or a crazy old lady. I try to be nice.

Some time ago I exchanged a few polite words with a chunky bachelor character on the elliptical next to mine and soon forgot about that. A couple of days ago I saw the guy again and thought the right thing to do was to politely smile in recognition. That's when I realized that there are still so many things about the American culture I do not understand. The guy took this friendly expression as my interest in him and claimed me as a modest damsel that needs to be pursued. He kept getting on equipment close to mine, not working out but pretending to do so and following my every gesture. I decide to go to the water fountain and there he is, sitting right next to it; I go on the treadmill, he gets on the one next to it. You get the idea: borderline stalker.

I think interest is flattering, given that the person can read positive and negative signals. If I smile at you, it does not necessarily mean I like you, it just means I'm polite. Then again I'm starting to think that there are some cultural things I don't understand and smiling at guys automatically sends a " b**** in heat" message. Maybe what most girls do is just ignore everyone unless they're interested. That's sad. I'm all about going to the gym where I can see a lot of people and socialize, but the general rule should be that you must avoid invading other people's personal space and making them uncomfortable. Having a weird silent guy follow you around a gym and letting hm stare at you seems pretty harmless, but it leads to bigger problems. What if the guy follows you outside or tracks your car? You never know what exactly is going in another person's head and you can't tell how they're going to react. A sad-looking bachelor can be just what he is, but he might as well be a serial killer.

We have progressed far enough as a society for women to ask men out and ignore pursuit, but most people still think that a man chasing a woman is very romantic. It can be if the feelings are mutual, but unfortunately disinterest is often seen as "playing hard to get", which is not just annoying, but dangerous. It's not romantic to stare at anyone (girl or guy) without planning to exchange one word with him and it definitely NOT romantic to do anything that makes other people uncomfortable. They say it doesn't hurt to look, but sometimes it does not end with that.

A night of music.

2011-05-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty fortunate to be surrounded by creative people for a significant part of my life. Fist it was art classes where you always wanted to be good at what you do, then it was art school where you learn soon enough that you have to be good because the art/design industry is very competitive and at times brutal. Spending time with talented people made me notice that the most successful works seem to be those that people enjoy doing. Many designers, myself included, get their inspiration from constantly noticing things around them and constantly seeking new visuals around them. I also know designers with a deep understanding and appreciation of music, whose love for sound and melody make their design work dynamic and in many ways musical. I'm a little jealous of that because even though I can appreciate good song with a genuine attitude and thought through lyrics, I don't have an almost innate understanding of rhythm, melody and musical instruments. At least not the kind I'd like to have.

Yesterday I went to a small performance by a local band called Loss Leader. One of my former classmates and a former typography instructor are two of the members, the other two are also local designers I've heard a lot about in school. Last night they were playing what I would like to call strong, meaty rock 'n roll. I absolutely loved the music, but the thing that struck me the most was how much those guys were enjoying what they were doing. It seemed like pure fun for them and that whole attitude transferred to the audience. I'm usually the girl that pays attention to songs for the first half of the show and then gets caught up in her own world in the second. They played maybe 5-7 songs, but I enjoyed every single one and really didn't want them to stop. I don't know if that's an effect of live music or I was simply in the right mood.

The band that played after them was radically different. They played kind of depressing rock and seemed to care about their appearance far less than I consider appropriate. I'm just being mean, but I did not enjoy that band at all. Those guys definitely liked their music and enjoyed themselves as much as Loss Leader did, but their excitement was strangely confined to their own little group. I can't speak for everyone else, but I felt like I was just surveying a band practice in someone's basement. That band did not interact with the audience at all. All I can say is: boring.

Looking back at last night, I'm starting to realize that good music is like good design: it inspires the audience, provokes it and stays memorable. That is not to say that good musicians and designers do everything to please the public. You obviously enjoy what you create, but you also know how to make people see that. Maybe I don't have a great sense of rhythm, but I feel like I can definitely tell a good performance from a mediocre one.

End of the world? Not really.

2011-05-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was supposed to be the end of the world, predicted by some lunatic in California. Bluffs like that come up once every few years, but this one seemed to get a huge response. Looking at my Facebook newsfeed yesterday made me think just how little people have to do and care about if 80% of their statuses and conversations were about the rapture. I know that most of the stuff posted was meant to be a joke, and I agree that there is something humorous in the whole idea. I mean how many people actually believe that people will be lifted up into the sky? When, however, by the end of the day all I could see in the social media was pictures of post-rapture looting and articles about that modern-day Nostradamus I've had enough.
I remember five years ago, the summer when I was just graduating from high school some movie about a devil child created a pretty successful campaign. The movie was coming out on June 6, 2006 which made it 06.06.06, the devil's number. It so happened that it was storming that night in Moscow and a few of my classmates, not without the help of alcohol, were genuinely terrified. Of course all the kids went to see the movie that I heard was not even good. It seems that there have been many end-of-the-world predictions ever since I can remember. Someone predicted a world-wide nuclear war in 2000 and something else in 2002. We're all still here so why on earth are there still people who go crazy about something a most likely high senile old man came up with?

Learning.

2011-05-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of celebrating my birthday as a kid was having a party for me and my friends that I did not have to worry about organizing. I had a few of those and even thought most of them were fun, over time my birthday celebration memories snowballed into a general feeling of content and happiness. The one birthday that does stand out, does so for an unexpected reason. I think I was turning seven, still in the age where everyone is your friend and you're happy with everyone who shows up. My mom always went through great lenghts to make the celebration fun for everyone involved: easy contests and games that were always rewarded by little souvenirs like keychains, school supplies, etc.

No parent in the world, unless they're Supermoms or have too much time on their hands can plan so that every gift is unique. After one of the games, later in the afternoon, my friend Tony and I ended up with the same toy: a plastic mechanic turtle that paddles through the water if you twist a little key on its side. The flippers spin and the turtle moves. The toys were the same with one little difference: mine accidentally had one flipper stuck and would not float. There I was, standing in the middle of the room, trying desperately to make that flipper move. You'd think it was not a big deal, considering that it's a plastic toy that I'd probably forget in a day. After a few fruitless attempts, little me decided that she should have only the best, came up to the little boy and exchanged the turtles without explaining anything. It wasn't and still isn't anything that I do on a daily basis (or ever) and I've never been told or felt like I have a spoiled only child syndrome. Maybe that day being my birthday made me see things differently.

No little detail seems to go past my mom. After noticing that there is something "fishy" about me trading a toy for another one that looks exactly the same, she came up to me and figured everything out. Not that it's that complicated to get a confession out of a shy seven-year-old. After that I remember shamefacedly going up the boy, giving him back his toy and explaining why I exchanged it in the first place. I don't think I felt more ashamed in my life. I knew the boy was so nice that he'd never say anything even if he'd noticed. That made the feeling of guilt even worse. There was also something my mom told me that I will never forget. Knowing how much I loved animals and specifically turtles (I had a real one) she said: "Think about that poor turtle. Do you think she's not as good as all the others just because she's not the same as the other one? How do you think she feels that you don't want her?" I know it sounds a little strange that my mom referred to a piece of plastic as a breathing thing with consciousness, but I loved my toys and it was a good way to get through to me.

It was not the presents I got or who was at my birthday that I remember. That memory made me think of how the biggest life lessons you get are not the ones you think you will remember, but the ones that hide in the back of your head and pop out years later. An easy lesson I got from that unpleasant moment was to be honest, but I also started to grasp the importance of tolerance and compassion. Everything my mom said can be applied to a person, animal, living being. Maybe if my little stunt went unnoticed and I got away with a functioning plastic toy, I'd think differently about handicapped people and animals. There's a big chance I'd be less accepting of people who don't look, act or think like me. Unfortunately, I don't have that turtle anymore, but who knew that a piece of plastic can make such a difference.

A year later.

2011-05-17T16:44:00.001-07:00

Around this time a year ago I graduated from college. It was strange, fun, exciting. I'm finally done with all-nighters and classes! What am I going to do with all this newfound time on my hands? What if I don't find a job?
I remember a short time before my graduation I attended a party with a few people who graduated a year earlier. Most of them did not have a full-time job and were saying that it was their choice: freelance and occasional projects give you a lot more freedom, both personal and professional. One comment that stuck with me was: "You're not going to die if you won't have a 9-5 job". That came from a fine arts graduate who had little to no chance of getting that job. That evening I confirmed to myself that I do not want to be in the same situation a year from then or ever. I know that the current economic situation with its high unemployment rates, lack of job openings and thousands of people coming out of schools every year is not exactly a job seeker's paradise and some people can't find a job no matter how hard they try. I don't have an issue with that, but I'm deeply disturbed with people who don't move a finger to make a living and get sarcastic about those who do.

Now, a year after graduation is a time when many of us question themselves about what they've achieved that year. It's a wake-up call to see new graduates in their tasseled hats and cheerful faces. Have my expectations of the near future proved themselves? I was one of the lucky ones who got a job soon after graduation, had some fun freelance projects on the side and learned things I have not known before. I can't say that there wasn't a second this past year during which I wished I was still in school or was a "free-roaming" artist, but in the end I did not waste my time. A year after I'm a designer with almost a year of professional experience and better knowledge of the industry.

A lot has changed since graduation. I have a less romantic approach to the job search, I have a better understanding of what happens when you get an opportunity that seems too good to be true. This past year taught me about (professional) friendships as well. I'm now a firm believer that you can tell a true friend not by the amount of care you get when you are at the lowest in your life (a good person will gladly express concern) but from their long-term reaction to your success. We're all human and it's oh so difficult to be happy for someone when you yourself are not.

What would I tell myself a year ago if I had the experience that I have now? First of all, I'd say "Be prepared". Be prepared not in an interview kind of way, but in terms of failures and achievements. Even if you're lucky and your job search lasts only two months and not two year, you'll encounter rejection and approaches that differ from your own. I'm idealistic enough to think that if I was a recruiter, I'd do my best to not leave one single applicant without a line of response, even a generic one. Turns out 80% of the places you apply to don't have the same approach. Many companies don't think they need to formally reject you even after two interviews. You still can't get discouraged. When I was applying for jobs last year one art director kindly told me that in order to succeed and get a job in this economic environment I should be prepared to send out hundreds of letters even if it'll becomes so tedious I'd want to quit. I still think it's the best job search advice I've gotten so far.

I'd also tell myself that even though I have to believe in myself and expect the very best, there will be disappointments. In school we were taught to think that with the education we got we are very competitive and will be eventually hired. We were told that we should aim for the highest job positions at firms with big names. Truth is, not everyone thinks that if you're a Kansas City Art Institute design graduate you are automatically great. In fact, not everyone knows what on earth KCAI is. As a recent grad your really need to learn to wade through some professionals' ignorance and/or preconceived notions about whatt a junior designer is capable of. You have to know what you're worth, where you want to end up and what you want to do as a designer.

One last thing that I'd tell my just graduated self is to shut up about your career success until you know it's actually a success. With facebook, twitter, email and whatnot it's so tempting to scream at the top of your lungs that you are finally employed and fantastic. Job statuses on facebook are a lot like relationship statuses: it's exciting to post one at the beginning, but painful to take it down in the end. That's why I made a rule not to post either one no matter how happy I am on the inside. Tell a friend, parent, dog, but save yourself the embarrassment of letting all your 1,000 facebook friends know everything about you. Having said that, I should say it's just a rule I go by and by no means a universal one.

A year after graduation I'm pretty happy. I definitely would not tell anyone they'll die if they won't find a 9-5 job after graduation, but I'd strongly advise them to do everything they can to get one. Like I said, I don't think I wasted a minute of my time last year and I hope I will waste even less this next year to come. This case is probably one of the few times where I don't care to see where I will be in a year. Whatever happens, happens.

Whatever happened to Style?

2011-05-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

I cannot get enough of the Chrysler "Style" Commercial. It's shot so well and everything just fits: music, motion and words. Now that's a commercial that sells. Check it out here.

"Whatever happened to style? Where has the glamour gone? Wasn't too long ago, America had it. Looking and feeling like a million bucks was practically our birthright. We did not race from A to B, we cruised. Going for a drive was a big deal and when we arrived, we arrived in style..." Amen.

(Stuffed) animals, flowers and cards.

2011-05-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

I heard that Mother's day was initially a holiday created by greeting card companies. Maybe so, but it's a nice tradition to honor the one person we've known from our very first second of existence. I wish this holiday would be about not just moms but women in general. Either way I'm happy to see the social media burst with congratulations to moms, childhood pictures and respect.

P.S. It seems like it's becoming a tradition to take pictures of my cat next to flowers or smelling them.

Mmm Mmm Kale.

2011-05-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

Today I made a salad that I heard about at my former schoolmate Callie's cooking class. Callie has her own blog Rawxy (Raw Foxy Living) and has a lot of great recipes. The kale salad is very easy to make and it has a unique, fresh taste to it. Great spring pick. You can see the recipe below. Check it out!

Massaged Pumpkin Seed Kale Salad

1 head of kale (trimmed, washed)
1 bunch parsley and cilantro (chopped)
1 sml or 1/2 lrg avocado
1 Tbsp pumpkin seed oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
sea salt to taste
handful of pumpkin seeds
raw parmesan
corn, tomatoes (optional)

In a large bowl, combine kale, herbs, avocado, pumpkin oil, lemon juice and sea salt. Massage vigorously for 5+ minutes until tender. Top with pumpkin seeds and raw parmesan.

Tweet, tweet.

2011-04-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

I started a Twitter yesterday and I think I got the hand of it this time. You can follow/see me here. I think twitter can be useful to stay in touch with what's trendy, smart and cool. We'll see how that will go!

Fabric of Our Lives.

2011-04-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

I love commercials that show the product, but are more of a narrative rather than an annoying "buy me! buy me!" feat. I saw the Cotton: Fabric of Our Lives commercial with Zooey Deschannel today and it stood out with it's trendy, but light atmosphere. One might say it's a little too indie, but it's trendy and Zooey looks good in most things retro. You can also download the song for free here.

Grandma.

2011-04-22T10:32:00.001-07:00

It's still wet and gloomy outside, so I decided to post something from the archive. There are places that you know you'll never go back to again, sometimes by will, sometimes by chance, but my grandma's apartment in the Moscow suburbs is one of them. My grandma passed away almost three years ago and I have visited her old apartment only once since then. It's a strange feeling to visit someone's home after they haven't lived there for a while. It has all the same furniture, same books, same square footage, but at the same time everything is missing. I don't want to get all hippie here, but it seems that every person has an essence about them that they take with them wherever they go. When the person is gone no matter how similar you keep the place to when he or she was alive, that essence is gone. There are a few things in that apartment that remind me of the past: a bookshelf that was a tall apartment building in my imagination when I was little, strange dangly light switches, one of which was red, and many other things. A couple of days ago I remembered how I would have daytime naps when I was a kid and fall asleep under an orange blanket to the murmur of my mom's and grandma's voices in the other room. I'd look at the sun shining through the curtain in the room and feel safe, happy and sleepy.

Almost Parallel.

2011-04-21T19:40:00.001-07:00

Today we decided to brush up on some parallel parking, cones and stuff. It was fun and a little bit like a game. Gloomy day, though, glooooomy.

Snapshot.

2011-04-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

I took this picture a while ago when I was trying out the (Canon apha 290) camera I currently use. I think the statement it makes is interesting, even though it's unintentional.

Full Blossom.

2011-04-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

Once again with the risk of looking cheesy ( can I just accept I'm cheesy), I'll post some pictures from today's walk in the local park. I didn't expect to see so many flowers I have not seen before. Everything is coming to life and smells like a newly-mowed lawn. Mmm-mm.

Stuck to the glass.

2011-04-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

This dusty-looking butterfly (or whatever on earth that is) was sitting on the net outside the balcony window. No significant meaning, just a contrasting shot that describes the mood that day really well.

Someone's Trash.

2011-04-16T19:20:00.001-07:00

Spring is here and it means it's the season for spring cleaning and garage sales. There was one particularly big one in a local school that had a variety of literally everything. A lot of useless weird things, but some treasures. I got a vinyl of Christmas carols because of the illustration, a shirt and a skirt and a couple of books. My favorite one is a 1951's book of home improvement and decorating. It even has a full-color color wheel for reference and some explanation on "modern" decoration. Success!

The Olden Days.

2011-04-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today I stumbled upon multiple CDs with old pictures on them. I saw pictures of times that seem to be so distant and yet so near. It's funny how you remember each exact moment in the picture: first snow, wearing a new jacket, first critique. There were pictures of people I've been close to at some point in life and don't stay in touch with. I found pictures of friends from only four years ago, but it seems like they changed incredibly. What surprised me was how many snapshots of myself I found. Not the staged, "I want to look pretty" kind, but very candid ones with teenage zits, smudged make-up and such. I also found pictures that would mean nothing to anyone in the world except myself like the ones where I have my hair straightened or new make-up. It was strange how much a quick shot of yourself remind you of the times when you were possibly less confident and maybe a bit naive, but when it was still a part of the person you are now.

Wind of Change.

2011-04-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

There are random pictures that always find their way into other sets that seem to go well together. This one was with my baby pictures. A year before I was born my parents (on the right) went to Paris and spent time with their friend Vincent (guy in a T-shirt with a graphic). I'm not sure who the lady in the picture is, but apparently the two guys were American and the whole group turned out pretty international. Vincent's shirt says "Perestroyka", dad's holding a bottle of vodka and wearing a fur hat. Looks like all the components of a good time.

HOW?

2011-04-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

Picked up the most recent issue of How magazine yesterday. The awards issue has some amazing work worth checking out. Here's a little peak into what's inside.

Cat on a leash.

2011-04-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided the weather was too good to pass up. Just few images of how great this time of year is.

Tenderness.

2011-04-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

I'm not a fan of contemporary Russian music, but once in a while something great comes out. This particular music video for the band Machete is shot brilliantly. It's kind of a mix of amateur and professional and they did great showing the emotion. The song is called "Tenderness" and is kind of a mix of poetry and song. It's not the most breathtaking song I've ever heard, but it's a video that definitely conveys the mood and what the song is saying. Check it out here!

It's Always Sunny...

2011-04-11T10:42:00.001-07:00

I love warm summer days when it's sunny and lazy out. It's not summer yet, but the feeling is there. It's not extremely hot, but just warm enough. I feel like it should be a lazy day on the balcony with fruit or something like that. Maybe one day, when I have a better balcony/view.

Candy apple friend.

2011-04-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

When I was getting my car I did not know it was going to be candy apple red. Turned out it was and it's perfect. The color is right between being too bright and just perfect. I know Toyota had many problems last year, but I did not have better car service better anywhere other than Toyota. I'm sure eventually it will be the car brand people remember from these days. Maybe even with a little nostalgia. My car's not perfect and has a big, nasty scratch on the front bumper. Totally my fault, no blame can be put on anyone. I've often been thinking "Hey, maybe I should invest and fix that ugly detail!". I'm sure I will one day, but for now it's making my Corolla unique. It's like a scar that reminds me of the days when I did not know my four-wheel friend so well.

Pitter-Patter in the spring.

2011-04-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

I love spring showers. It's not a very safe season in Missouri, but it's always fun to be inside and look out onto the rain and wind. Yesterday it was not only raining, but hailing too. Pretty big hail from what I could see. "Boom, boom, boom" on the roof. Let's hope my car did not get scratched!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2011-04-08T16:46:00.001-07:00

After about 10,000 tries and ten minutes of chasing the cat, we got a portrait where everyone looks good and in place! Happy Birthday!

Mad Men-cool.

2011-04-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

I've been Mad Men-crazy for months now. I know the show's kind of trendy in the design world, but hey, it's a damn good show! Some say nothing happens in it, but I can't argue more. I love that it's mainly based on character development than action. Things happen, just not in a typical "boom! boom! you're shot!" kind of way. The whole series is beautifully shot and smart, witty and has an amazing atmosphere.

(images via featuresblog and ing)

I also found a great Interior Design article about Mad Men sets. Here is a selection of a few images from it.

Casa.

2011-04-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

I sometimes wonder when an apartment or house stop being just a place and become a home. When you live all your life somewhere, you don't have a choice: it's your home because it's where you come back to every day and where you sleep. Later in life it becomes harder to tell where (space-wise) you feel at home. Is it a place you can look like crap in, both physically and mentally, and be ok with it or is it a place where everything is to your liking? Or is it something else?

I remember that when we first moved into this apartment in Kansas City it did not feel like home at all. Maybe it had to with mostly bare walls or furniture I did not pick myself, but it was what it was: a nice apartment with everything you need. Over time things accumulated, posters and other things got up on the walls and even though now it's not my dream home, I warmed up to it. Maybe it's all the memories this place houses or maybe even the tree outside that had all kinds of visitors over the years. I know that one thing I'll surely miss when I move is that tree, the woodpecker, the squirrel with a dark nose, even an occasional raccoon. I've been reminded of Allie from the Wizard of Oz since I moved to Kansas City from Russia. It's weird but I'm kind of jealous of how Allie. She got to keep her house when lifted off the ground, travelled and than safely landed while coming to an astounding realization that "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore. I think if Genie granted me that wish, I'd take the apartment and the tree and move it far far away from stormy, sandy Kansas.

I decided to post some pictures I took this winter before Christmas just so I always have a reminder.

Rain Rain.

2011-04-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

I don't care if I might seem like a cat lady when I post this, but I love the colors. It's the first real daytime rainfall of the season and it smelled like rain. It's also a first open umbrella for Emma as well. Fun fact: one of Emma's favorite toys is the Pink stuffed dog. It's not very soft and I'm guessing super fun to bite and wrestle.
I heard open umbrellas in houses are not a good sign, but I've been doing that ever since I can remember and it did not make me superstitious. How else are you going to dry a wet umbrella?

Local Artists: Atilla.

2011-04-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

People interested in music and even music snobs are not that rare of an occurance in art school. There are those, however, that do their thing passionately but modestly and once you hear about what they achieved, you think "Whoa, he/she deserves that!" One of the kids from my college graduating class, Sean Minor, was making his own music for years and even performs locally as Atilla. He just recorded his first album in his home studio and wants to get the word out. I'm usually skeptical about such things, but Strata: Type 1 one is recorded in very high quality and even has a nice logo! I don't know much about rap, but I can say that every song on the album is unique and is worth your attention. Atilla has a Facebook page and the album can be downloaded right here! I hope Sean's music gets into the right hands (or better ears) and he gets all the exposure he deserves.

Frilly Prom.

2011-04-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Mmmm. Looks like the spring is finally here with all the flowers, smells and leaves. Leaves not so much, but I'm sure they're on their way. I love how streets instantly glam up with the arrival of those white blossoms everywhere. This street in Westport is so cheery and frilly in the sun it looks like a girl waiting for her date to pick her up for prom. Add a little warm weather to the picture and the successful arrival/pickup of the long-awaited Mad Men and yours truly is a happy girl!

Complete relaxation.

2011-04-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

Lazy Sunday for the cat. I've never had a cat before and it's fun to discover every day what that animal is like. Who hangs out on their back like that?

Delicious Vintage.

2011-04-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

There are movies that have great great stills that you just want to look at over and over again, movies that are able to create more than just a story, but an essence that defines it. I've heard a lot about the Virgin Suicides, but never had a chance to see it. The movie's dark, strange and, some might say, unrealistic. The whole movie is a collection of great shots and retro feel everyone is so crazy about these days, except it really is deliciously vintage. I could not resist and share some stills here, but there are so many more on this site. Check them out!

Peace and a little bit of Russia.

2011-04-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

I love those first days of spring when it finally stops being bone-chilling and everything gets warm and kind of quiet. A car or two passes by with music blasting and then it's back to people talking, dogs barking and all that in this calm and peaceful quiet that disappears around the first day of school in the fall. Today was perfect for exploration, so we headed to the Shawnee Mission park that has a huge lake that attracts families, cyclists, crazy old people, you name it. Beautiful place to bring make barbecue while enjoying the weather, water and friends. I guess today was a great day for fishing and there was a little community of old Russian men fishing. The guy in the picture caught a huge one and the look on his face was clearly out of the "I rock!" category. It was fun for me in seeing these old guys and hearing the language I heard growing up (you don't hear that much Russian here in Missouri). Their old voices reminded me of the times when I was a little kid hanging out with family and the older folks telling stories in their distinct old-man voices. Funny how a few old Russian guys fishing can remind you of things that used to and will never be.

USPS gets slower in the spring.

2011-04-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

Today finally (FINALLY!) felt like spring. It was warm and nice, but the best part was the sunset. The sky was beautiful all day, but as the sun lit the fluffy clouds from the bottom everything started to look right off a painting. I'm excited for warmer days and my seasons of Mad Men coming in the mail. Yes, that was a hint towards USPS.

Who does the arm belong to?

2011-03-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

Looks like this is going to be a second day of memories for me, but this one is more of a purely aesthetic memories type of day. In this picture the man on the left is my grandpa with a coworker or maybe just a random acquaintance. What is the most confusing for me in this picture is how it was made and/or if it was just one of those accidental "trow-away" pieces of film. We can think that the darker tree and field are reflections on glass, but what are the fade out trees in the background? I'm guessing the railings are a part of a different picture, but whose arm is it then? Who was behind the camera? I love pictures like this one that make you wonder and guess. There's no real way to find out because my grandpa passed away many years ago and the second person is probably not alive either.

What on earth is personal space?

2011-03-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

I read in many places and experienced myself that the US is a non-touch nation. If you're in an elevator, you stand as far from the other person as you possibly can and if you walk by someone too close at the grocery store you say, "excuse me". Each time I go to Moscow for a visit I'm amazed with how different everything is. It seems like that "bubble" almost doesn’t exist in that culture. When you're taking the subway during rush hour, people literally rub against you. They're not some sick perverts, but people who are limited to a small space and were not raised to think that the person next to you has his own "bubble". I believe that the oblivion of someone's personal space comes from childhood. As kids in Russia we were often surrounded by things and acts that we though were routine and normal, but if you look at them from a different perspective, awkward and disturbing.

The example that comes to mind is a humiliating medical test the girls got in 7th grade. The school nurse showed up at whatever class we were in and asked all the girls to come with her. In her office that was really just a small room with a bench, desk, chair and drawer, we were all told to come up to her one by one and take off our shirts. She'd measure each girl's chest and say "70 cm" or whatever the number was and ask if we got our periods. Coming up to a strange lady and taking your shirt off was weird, but not as embarrassing as waiting for her to tell you the measurements you'll be labeled with. If she says "next" you're normal and developing, as you should. I was one of the lucky "normal" ones, but I remember the unfortunate girl that came up to the nurse, took her shirt off and got: “I’ll have to call your mother and suggest a doctor that will figure out why your breasts are not developing normally". Poor girl was flat up to 9th grade and I'm sure she'd give anything to not get giggles about something she can't even control.

My point to the story is that after you take off your shirt involuntarily in front of fifteen of your classmates, you don't really have personal space anymore. I don't remember getting one single class in school that would tell me that I should respect other people's space or be uncomfortable with people getting into mine. My parents were the ones that told me those things, but none of that learning came from what is supposed to be the main source of education. I wish I could say that the breast measuring exam was the only medical procedure that the school nurse did not do in private, but there were multiple other ones, like flu shots in you rear end when you had to pull down your pants in front of the same fifteen girls. Add boys hitting puberty that are waiting for their shots behind door, daring each other to rush in and take a peek and you'll imagine the full experience.

I'm not trying to complain or say how bad my childhood was (it wasn't). It's interesting for me to try and figure out why such a little thing as personal space can be so different in two different countries. Luckily I'm not one of those people who rub against others on the train or talk inches away from your face. I'm also lucky I don't have insecurities about my body image or undressing in front of others. I got lucky, but I can't help but think if the slow-developing girl ever got over that embarrassing moment.

Woody The Woodpecker.

2011-03-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

A little while back I bought a bird feeder so that my cat could watch birds. Now I realized that the feeder is a bigger entertainment for me than the cat. There's a small woodpecker that flies in for breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner. It's tiny and fits almost completely behind the bird feeder. You can see nothing in this picture but the tip of the tail, but hopefully there will be better pictures soon.

It also kind of cleared up today, but then got back to winter.

Snow vs. Flowers

2011-03-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

It snowed all today. I mean really snowed. My widget shows 34F and cloudy right now. Is this really almost April? I don't want to complain, but I think we've had enough of winter this year. There were some nice moments, like shoveling the car out in the evening sun and seeing a new type of friendliness around that you'll never see when it's warm and nice outside. Seriously, though, enough of this weather. I'm ready for warm air and sun to come back. In the short time we had that this month I was able to take this picture of a building on the Plaza with a blooming tree next to it. I love local trees that bloom even before they sprout leaves. Well there you go, the one and hopefully the only cheesy picture from this spring.

T20 to Twitter.

2011-03-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Twitter told me I'm not clever enough because my sentences are too long. An online interface insulted me the first time I tried using it! That got me thinking a lot about how much technology changed in just a short time of my life. Not even that, really, a short time since I went to middle school. I remember getting my first cell phone Ericsson T20 in 7th grade and feeling like the coolest kid on the block. The thing had a tiny display, microscopic buttons and a flip cover that seemed like it was going to fall off after use #20. It was still something people wanted to see, use and interact with. Now anywhere you go all you can see are phones with touch-screen displays and Twitter this and Twitter that. You can inform the world about whatever popped into your head while sitting on the toilet or on top of the Empire State Building. I wish I could go back in time, come up to the 7th grade Genia and give her an iPhone during school and say: "Tweet whatever you want for the world to see." All I'd need is to see the look on her face clearly stating: "What the heck is that and what on earth are you talking about?!"

Red, Yellow, Blue.

2011-03-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

I love good packaging for mass-produced consumer products. I noticed that Target often has really nice office accessories that go beyond what I call a "hip dorm room". If it fits in a dorm room - sweet, but color-coding an entire room down to your writing materials in one color is a little OCD. I might be wrong.

I found this journal set yesterday when I was trying to get something that is compact, well-designed and convenient for taking notes and storing information. I've been desperately trying to make the habit of writing things down stick, so lets hope this time it works. I love that the little books have a box/folder to fit them (no mess!) and are actually multi-purpose. One has a square grid, one has lines and one is blank. It also helps that the colors are my exact color palette. Here's the link to the store called russel+hazel that creates that line for Target. Some of the stuff on the site is a little "dorm-y" for my taste, but it's all well-designed and clean. Hurray for good design in people's daily lives!

Second Day of Spring

2011-03-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today's the second day of spring and it's great to see people happier and all excited about spring cleaning. The weather is literally a breath of fresh air after the horrible winter and I can't wait for everything to turn green again!

Lost in Missouri.

2011-03-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today as I was walking my cat in the park (yeah, I got a couple of weird looks), she lead me towards a tree I did not find very remarkable. As we were exploring the tree, something fell with a metallic "cling!" and scared the life out of the poor animal. When I looked, it ended up being a sing, labeling the tree: "Sugar Maple". The sugar maple is the symbol of the state of New York and also found its way into the Canadian flag. How did it end up in Missouri? You can also find it in southern Missouri, but it looks like this tree is a little accidental visitor in Loose Park, Kansas City. I've been thinking a lot about my future and where I want to live. I think the tree gave me a little suggestion today, but who knows what that could mean. The sign bthw, is important in a purely symbolic/weird way. The leading between the two line is... well, all you can say is you can drive a truck through it.

Black Swan.

2011-03-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

When it comes to wine, my choice often depends on the design of the label. There's something refreshing about liquor that has a decent package design and attention to detail. If it ends up being good wine - good, if not, at least I did not feel weird looking at it. This particular bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon was pretty good. I don't consider myself an expert in wine, but I enjoyed it. The label is pretty simple too, even though I'd change a thing or two in it. The reason I noticed the bottle in the first place was the black on black label, stylized illustration and a sans-serif name. It was also quite nice to see the red cap that was both a great accent a clever imitation of screw-on cap.

River Market and Westside.

2011-03-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

There are two places in Kansas City that are especially pleasant in the spring: River Market and Westside. River Market has a chill, "everything's fine" attitude and I can imagine it being very relaxing to open up the windows in a loft and sip a glass of wine or hot tea.

What I find the most interesting in Westside are the houses. They're mostly tiny and old and seem like something completely out of place surrounded by highways and industrial-looking downtown of Kansas City. What's even more appealing in the neighborhood is Westside Local, a great little restaurant that uses local vendors to produce their amazing meals.

Something from the past.

2011-03-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

Above are a few images that I've taken during the past half a year or so. Some of them I chose because of the color, some because of the emotional component, but they're all memorable to me in one way or another.

The Return.

2011-03-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Oh, dear old blog. It really does feel like coming back to an old friend.

I've started this blog back in 2007 for school and updated it weekly if not daily for the rest of my education in KCAI. Did I always post because I wanted to? No. Were there times when I dreaded putting up another process image at 3 am? Yes. I do think, however, that being so consistent about updating my blog allowed me to develop a passion for documentation and the display of my research.

I started a different blog shortly after graduation that I religiously updated more than twice a day for about three months. I used it mainly for inspiration and the design/art I found online. It was a good practice in writing and expressing why exactly I liked something, but something was lacking in that experience. Maybe it was the fact that for the past three years I got used to blogging about my own work and becoming a critic of someone else's work was entertaining, but not very fulfilling.

I tried fixing that issue by posting interesting pictures from my own life, but Tumblr that supported my blog ended up a little limiting for those purposes. I could not figure out a way to post multiple images in one post in a way that would display them all one after another instead of a slideshow.

So here I'm back on my good old blog. I'm planning to use it a lot more often again. I'll try to post things that I'll find interesting or inspiring, as well as images or stories from my own life. Hopefully this "hobby" will stick.

Cheers!

1000 awesome things.

2010-04-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

This website is great. I can agree with about 97% of all this.

DP: More iterations.

2010-04-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

DP: Almost there

2010-04-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

DP: Illustrations.

2010-04-09T06:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some illustrations for my degree project. The red ones are illustrating the "holiday section" while the green ones are a part of "dining".

DP: Packaging.

2010-03-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

DP: Working on the identity.

2010-03-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

PP: Website coming up!

2010-03-11T21:49:00.000-08:00

DP: Midterm Summation.

2010-03-11T21:30:00.000-08:00

Things I did up to this point:

1. Surveyed people and got an interview.
The results that I got from the written survey:
-Most people have not received guides for adjusting to this country.
-Most people had difficulties adjusting to the culture.
-Most people had an overall positive experience of staying in the US.
-The majority of people could not understand complex "professional" language.

Facebook survey. I surveyed people about the sounds things make in their language.
-There are a lot of similarities in phonetic representations of sounds even if the countries are on different continents.
-Some sounds are "translated" in various languages, while some are very difficult to find because their representation depends on individual people.

The results I got from the interview:
- My design needs to be more interactive.
-The language needs to be more simple.
- New words/everyday phrases are good.

2. Determined my icon direction. Phonetic icons are universal and can be helpful for people from different countries.
3. Narrowed down the focus. I will now focus on three main sections that will have a more refined design.
4. The name of my overall system is going to be "How to make the US your home."
5. Found a balance between cutesy design and harsh modernism.
6. Decided that my project can be customized according to the user's needs.

What I have to do next:
1. Refine my design and create an overall identity.
2. Resolve the separate parts/modules issue.
3. Test my designs on people.

SE: Kansas City Auto Show.

2010-03-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

The KC Auto Show had all three components: poetic, practical and persuasive. One of the poetic parts was definitely my friend Jessica's mural because of its content and the connotations it brings. It seemed to allow viewers to use their imagination a lot more than other poetic pieces, which makes them interact with the piece longer.

The projection at the 100 years Dealer's Association party was definitely practical because it told you what the party was about and gave you information about when the Association was founded. The auto show also had various pamphlets and stands that told you what you are about to buy and how much it costs. They were also persuasive because each car dealer/brand wanted you to think that they are the best in the auto show.

The most persuasive component of the show, in my opinion, was the freedom to get into any car you like and pretend like you own it. Since cars are the main focus of the auto show, being able to see whether or not you like its features is a key element. Of course you can't take a $300.000 on a little test drive around town, but for many people the interior is a deciding aspect.
There were other persuasive elements such as models giving you bags with a logo on it, men talking about the features etc. A Ford robot attracted a huge crowd by pointing fingers at you, telling you to come up to him and then waving you goodbye.

A red Toyota bag was not a part of the Auto show identity and did not persuade me to buy a Toyota (maybe because I have one), but it tells me what I can do to reuse("Donate your old computer!), reduce ("Go paperless!") and recycle (paper, glass, cardboard). Since it can be carried around and gives information about what Toyota is trying to be about it is also practical. The bag being red probably has something to do with persuasion.

DP: Family Spread.

2010-03-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

DP: Naming.

2010-03-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

Other name ideas (some are goofy):
1, 2, 3...
Get ready!
Helping Hand.
Mon Ami.
Culture Buddy.
Americano.

PP: AIGA Behance portfolio.

2010-02-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

Recently uploaded my work to the AIGA jobs website. Check it out here!

PP: Business card and resume.

2010-02-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

SE: Barricade.

2010-02-25T19:56:00.000-08:00

This is model of a hypothetical barricade for the Bank of China tower in Hong Kong. A few concepts found its way into the final design. The architect's (I.M. Pei) tried to reference bamboo sticks in the overall look of the building. Bamboo is a symbol of growth and renovation. The design of the barricade incorporates the geometric shapes of the building and such colors as green, yellow and orange. These colors connote growth and renewal and support this idea.The triangles "grow" directly from the ground making the entire structure look more organic. The second idea is transparency. The bank of China is a complex system that needs to be clear and transparent. I took this term literally. The triangles are layered to create an illusion. The shapes also connote stock charts. The third idea is to facilitate user interaction with the barricade by creating tunnels that both add dimension to the structure and make the user see something different.
The type is layered on different triangles but forms one line. I used a sans serif to support the idea of modernism that was a big influence on the building's architect.

PP: Own Identity first draft.

2010-02-23T19:44:00.001-08:00

DP: MOnday PDF IV.

2010-02-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

DP: Process PDF edited.

2010-02-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

DP: Schedule revised.

2010-02-16T18:36:00.000-08:00

Old photos.

2010-02-16T18:28:00.000-08:00

I found some more photos made with 35mm film. I love the colors.

DP: Monday PDF III.

2010-02-14T21:23:00.000-08:00

Professional Practice: 3 surprising things about design.

2010-02-11T20:39:00.001-08:00

1. Designers who specialize in advertising often replace agencies b/c they are knowledgeable in such disciplines as marketing and PR.
2. Publishing design offers good pay. Approx. $5,000/month is not too bad in the beginning!
3.Approximately half the greeting cards sold each year are done by freelancers. Wow!

DP: Schedule.

2010-02-08T10:40:00.000-08:00

Some people who move to a new country know the language, some don't, but there is not a single brochure anywhere that will somehow prepare them. There is almost nothing to guide people who just recently moved to a new country. The only way people can learn about things is through trial and error. Most people want to learn about their new country and be accepted, but don’t know where they can find the information. It is especially difficult in the early stages of immigration when new relationships have not formed yet.
The information that people can access is scattered and often times not helpful. Since new immigrants are often very vulnerable and trusting, they easily become victims of scams and do things that can get them in trouble. I want my project help prevent innocent people from suffering for their lack of awareness. My project is intended to be a helpful friend that is always there to advise you.
After trying out some of the ideas that came to mind during my experiments, I found a solution that would combine all of my experiments so far. My first experiment was a book and I think that it allows space for a comfortable read, which is essential to the learning process. My next experiments, however, were interesting terms of their compact nature. The cards allowed the user to carry useful information wherever and whenever they need it.
My final solution is to make format key to my interactivity. There will be a book(s) with various chapters in it, describing certain aspects of life. There will also be detachable modules that will be made pocketsize, that could be used separately from the book. Those modules will include a simple fold and business card sized elements that will carry crucial information. While the book will give detailed information about the subject (information you can study at home to be knowledgeable about the thing you are studying), the fold will give information that will come handy when you’re in a difficult situation and the cards will give a single quick tip like a warning.
The combination of all three will allow the user to be comfortable in all situations.
Schedule:

DP: Monday PDF II.

2010-02-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

DP: Experiments part II.

2010-02-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

DP: Monday PDF I.

2010-02-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

DP: Experiments documentation.

2010-02-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

For today's class I tried a few different things for my immigration kit. I mainly experimented with format and kept in mind the comment about making it more "discreet" so that the immigrant feels comfortable. My first idea was a greeting card. I often catch myself using cards i get for special occasions as bookmarks. Playing off that idea, I created a set of cards asking the person out for dinner or making some kind of comment about what is inside. Inside you get information about a place where you can dine. For example, "welcome! here you can eat fast" refers to fast food or "you're hot. trendy bar tonight?" says it in the name. The idea is that the immigrant can pretend like he found an old greeting card in a book he happened to bring with him/her and not seem like he/she is foreign. I experimented with the same idea by looking at different formats (square cards with info on the back, business cards with basic facts and little booklets for pocket-size information). I also created a mailer/poster that goes along with this system and explains what it is about. It also combines all the information in the cards in one place.
Another experiment I tried was a traditional book format with clear and simple organization of information. You can see all my experiments below:

Spatial Experience (SE): Buildings I like.

2010-01-29T11:22:00.000-08:00

I am currently looking for a building I can make a model of. I now realize i am attracted to simplicity and angularity combined with natural materials like wood or twine. I also think the location of the building is extremely important. The lighting plays a big part of the general appeal of the building. Ever since I was a kid I was attracted to small confined spaces bordering with big areas that seem to be full of freedom. Below are a few examples of the styles I like.

DP: Experiments.

2010-01-27T11:38:00.000-08:00

Agenda:
by monday create a grid system for an indesign file.

More will be added:

-try out modules ( for examle: how to buy a car)
-bigger sections (for examle: a booklet for transoirtatuib.)
-connected sections (legal systems, careers and jobs, bills and utilities, banking and finances in one "booklet")
-flexible grid for multi-lingual schemes
-glossary
-color-coding
-"welcome poster" that is part of that kit
-poster with history
-poster with a fun fact
-newsletter?
-french fold that somehow connects to other french folds
-a poster for each section with detachable (perforated) edges
-book?

Dream Job.

2010-01-26T09:03:00.000-08:00

I see a dream job as a place and type of work you are happy to go to every day. I know this is a little bit out there in the fantasy land because reality gets in the way and you might not get what you want when you want it. A perfect job for me is the kind that keeps me excited no matter how challenging it is. For my first job I want a place that would let me grow and accept that I am still learning, but will push towards becoming a better designer. The last thing I want is a job where I know everything and all I have to do is show up at 9am and look at the clock for the rest of the day. My dream job is also the kind that has good management and a good team. I think both of those are essential to a good experience for an employee.
I am pretty sure that my dream job does not involve coding or web development. I am fascinated by the tactile nature of print and the possibilities of making it more sustainable while attractive and interactive. My idea of "interactive" print is something that serves as a means of communicating a message and does it in a way that is creating an interesting experience for the user. I see myself working at a place that is heavily based on research and documentation and founds its design decisions on carefully studied results. It is not to say I want to be purely a researcher, but I want my work to have meaning.
I am interested in publication design, book design, print media that compiles information and organizes it in a clear manner. I think I am falling in love with typography and grids, so I would imagine those to be a big part of what I do. I am very interested in user experience and their interaction with the artifact, so packaging can be something I can do one day. Since I also enjoy creating systems that have a consistent theme and feel to them, I see branding in my future as well. I don't think brands are evil monsters that are out to get us. I know great branding agencies that design socially-conscious smart brands. Working in the brand industry would allow me to explore various media and become more informed about the everyday influence of brands.
Some say that any job is an experience, even if it is not exactly what you envisioned for yourself. Hopefully I will get a job that will have at least some of the important aspects that I mentioned.

DP: Degree question.

2010-01-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I talked about our degree projects and in a shared effort came up with the following question. It sums up my degree project thesis:

How can an identity system aid new immigrants in solving daily issues that challenge a successful integration into the American culture?

(sorry it's a run-on question, but it's ok for the summary purposes)

REVISION:
How can a design system based on accessible information educate immigrants about solving daily issues that challenge a successful integration into the American culture?

The question we came up with for Ryan's thesis is:
How can a design system aid riders with quality custom board graphics?

2010-01-25T11:55:00.000-08:00

Old photos.

2010-01-24T18:50:00.000-08:00

I found the most amazing 35mm film photographs from the 80s taken by dad when my parents and grandma went to the North of Russia where my mom's side of the family came from. I just scanned the pictures last week. Check them out!

English Posters Exhibition

2010-01-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

You can see more posters in my Flickr account.

Rigas Balsam packaging

2010-01-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

After looking around the house here in Moscow, I was pleasantly surprised by this label design for a traditional Latvian liquor. A balsam is a mildly alcoholic drink you pour in your coffee or tea to add a unique taste. I love the label. It's so complex and yet the designer was able to achieve harmony and not overdo it. Nice!

IBM Smarter World Advertisement.

2009-12-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

I came across this ad in the New York JFK airport. The pictures are not the best quality, but they show enough. As I found out from the article Smarter Planet on the cyberseraphic.com, the series is meant to show IBM's vision of the future with technology making the world smarter and more eco-friendly.
I noticed the type right away, mainly because it wasn't the standard Helvetica and the series was bright and simple. The icons are pretty clear and bright enough to draw your attention. Even though the type on the bottom is a bit repetitive, the posters seem to work well as a sequence and could probably work separately. I think it's funny that I caught a lot of questioning glances when I was taking pictures of this.

Back in Moscow.

2009-12-26T08:41:00.001-08:00

Every time I go to Moscow, I notice that everything on Blogger automatically becomes set in Cyrillic. It's nice that the interface notices where I am and changes accordingly. The option to change the language is handy too.

Andy Warhol at the Union Station

2009-12-23T11:10:00.001-08:00

Went to see Andy Warhol at the Union Station in Kansas City yesterday. I've been to a Warhol exhibition in Moscow last year and was prepared to see similar works in this one. Marilyn Monroe, Campbell cans and other textbook works. The soup cans and one portrait of Marilyn were there, but I was pleasantly surprised to see other works that are little bit less "pop" in a sense that you don't always see them every time someone says "Warhol". It's a pretty small exhibition with a good selection of prints. The works featured are the Flowers, Endangered Species, Ten Jews of the Twentieth Century, Muhammad Ali, still lives, portraits of Mickey Mouse and Uncle Sam, as well as many others. You can see the exhibit page here.

REV(isions): Ziba label/brand.

2009-12-22T09:40:00.000-08:00

I revized the new Ziba label and logo, as well as the typefaces used. Back in the spring the big issue was the similarity between Ziba and the Retro Modern type con. The new typefaces of the logo is Adventure Subtitles. It looks hip and modern like my audience. The combination of rounded and straight edges paired with the fluidity of ITC Century Bold Condensed carries connotes milk for young and modern people. The labels now feature my own photography instead of the found work I used in the previous version. The logo is punched out from the colored bar to be the same, but also varied, depending on the background. I added little icons to show the flavor of the milk without cluttering up the image. The lid and the bottom of the bottle are now utilized for recycling information. The idea of a duplex printed label is still there, but to make it applicable to any guest artist, the back of the label now gives you an inspirational quote, rather than additional text on the artwork itself.
I was thinking of putting information about the artist on the back of the label, but I realized that since most of the milk is consumed in the morning, my audience could be more interested in getting a short message rather than a long paragraph about someone they might not even care about.
I made some changes in the brandbook as well, mostly by replacing Century Gothic and New Caledonia with Museo and ITC Century. I love Museo! Pictures or layouts will be posted soon.

DIG: Bully-free Me.

2009-12-17T17:21:00.000-08:00

The Design Ignites Change competition is in full swing. Check out the competition's page here. You can see my project on it's DIC page.

Wooo! Holidays!

2009-12-14T09:03:00.000-08:00

IL: Kansas City Light Rail.

2009-12-14T09:02:00.000-08:00

This illustration is not presenting an opinion about the light rail. Is it good? Is it bad? You decide. The light shines on the train that is moving away from the dark city. I wanted it to be simple and clear, but still colorful and semi-realistic.

DS: Brandbook.

2009-12-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

Selected spreads from the Asperand Brandbook.

MX: Process combined.

2009-11-29T21:00:00.001-08:00

Click on the links below to get to respective posts.
Brainstorming
3D models
Three directions
Refinements for final direction (sketches)
1
2
Screen grabs of the final
Readings:
1
2
3
4

MX: Website

2009-11-29T20:56:00.000-08:00

You can see my website HERE. The detail pictures are not opening up (I apologize), but they come up in place of the main image.

The website is playing off a gallery metaphor, guiding the viewer through a virtual space that resembles a physical gallery wall with works separated in clusters based on the media. The contact information and descriptions are displayed on the main page for two reason. First of all, it literally resembles the gallery show description. It also saves clicks for a user that is in a hurry and does not want to spend time looking for the info. The resume is a simple PDF download and the blog takes you to the process blog with more detailed descriptions.
The frame that the image shows up in allows for multiple image sizes and gives reasonable space for the project description and additional thumbnails. Overall, the website is meant to be simple and easy to navigate to save time and not cause frustration.

MX: Three directions.

2009-11-29T20:37:00.001-08:00

The Gallery idea. Here I am using the metaphor of a physical space that displays artwork. The works are organized in clusters according to the category they match. By clicking on the work you can see the work bigger.

Here I am organizing the work in terms of the physical size of the artwork. By using the scroll with a "+" and "-" the user can see works from small to big.

This idea shows the works organized by categories. Each time you click on the category on the right, you get a representative image and by using the arrow you can see more details and works.

MX: Reading response #4 (page 103-115)

2009-11-22T15:40:00.000-08:00

The first thing that made me think in the Fourth reading was this: "... the viewing subject, who now exists in two spaces: the familiar physical space of her real body and the virtual space of an image within the screen" (p. 104) How many people take pictures when they visit a new place or see friends they haven't seen for a long time? That moment does not exist anymore, but it is captured on your screen that has the uploaded image. With the WWW people can access information that embodies a specific space or moment of the physical space and partake in the experience. This could only become possible with the development of digital photography that lets you see what happened on the other side of the world in less then ten minutes after it happened.

Digital photography, however, leaves no surprises. We take a snapshot, look at the LCD display and voila! or image is ready. You don't even have to print it out: it is more detailed on the screen. This type of photography is good for people who merely want to take a picture and don't have to add depth to the image. The paragraph about the tented camera and the early processes of printing and developing images makes was educational and helpful. Patience and surprise that were two essential components of photography. Preparations for it were difficult and slow and you could never guess what the image would look like. That carries a huge appeal to me. How can this be introduced into or design projects, both printed and digital? This is a big question for me because of my interest in print media that has so much potential for discovery and surprise.

The beginning of the paragraph about personalized cinema (p.107) says that classical film made a connection with each viewer and positioned him inside its virtual world. I think that good photography can do the same thing, sometimes better. When watching a film we are accepting the reality of the character or the director that depicted their perception of the world. When looking at photography, a still image with a specific moment depicted on a sheet of paper, we make the image our own. We see what WE want to see for as long as we want to see it. Because of photography's static nature, we can be fully absorbed in it. How many times have you looked at an image for a minute, just to realize you've spent half an hour looking? I see photography inviting the viewer to look and think and the moving image to view and then think. Baudry sees the immobility of the spectator seen in photography an essential condition of cinematic pleasure (p. 109). It is a little bit disturbing that this reading crosses out everything good about the older technology in order to "promote" the newer one. Nobody in the reading says that the moving image is better that photography, but the bias is still there. This is the aspect of this reading I do not enjoy.

The part where the reading discusses Visual Reality is touching upon some interesting points. The viewer was attached to the computer like a mouse while offered physical "freedom" of digital interaction. Even thought the modern-day iPhones and other technology like that are not literally VR, it transports us from our real physical reality to whatever we choose to see. It may not offer us a literal absorption in virtuality, but it gives us freedom to participate in the reality we choose on-the-go.
Overall, the reading gave pretty good insight in how much technology developed and advanced and made me think of the advantages and disadvantages of the older media.

VA: Design Ignites Change Competition page.

2009-11-22T15:33:00.000-08:00

You can see my page at the Design Ignites Change website.

VA: FInal outcome.

2009-11-21T21:34:00.000-08:00

Images for the Bully-free Me profile page.

MX: Reading response #3 (page 94-103)

2009-11-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

When I read the first paragraph of the reading, especially the phrase "it's a society of the screen" I immediately thought about how fast we adjust to new screen based-technology. I happened to witness a college student being introduced to a new touch-screen equipment at the gym. It was never there before and it took her less then three minutes to set it up and get things going. Such task would be a nightmare for older generations. The screen became our language and is easy for us to understand. But what about those who lived all their lives in the world where screens or "large TVs" were a futuristic idea from Farenheit 451?

I think that in our web-based designs we should always strive for innovation and progress, but we should not leave those people behind. There should be a way for people to take a traditional route. Maybe it is not as prominent as it used to be 10-15 years ago, when the buttons were boxy and the home page was always labeled as "home", but it should make some sense to older people. It's good when a website can be navigated by an 80-year-old grandma and an art director of a high-end motion studio. I thought that the comparison of a screen to a Renaissance painting was pretty interesting. The screen is not so new after all.

The reading describes the screen as a "window into another space". Moving images on the screen are not shocking to us anymore, but first film screenings made the ladies faint and men run in horror. Back then the window was so hyper-real that people could not wrap their mind around it. The reading says that the screen is aggressive, it is meant to force the viewer to filter out the outside real world and fully focus on the presented picture. The reading says that the computer screen does not fully keep our attention because we can view multiple windows at once and "zap" through them. It's true in some cases, but we can only focus on one image at a time. Even if we have ten windows open, we focus on one, or two if we're comparing something. If whatever we're looking at is relevant to our task at hand or interests us in some way, we get fully absorbed by it. So how is it different from watching tv or a movie? Yes, the image may often be still in a computer screen and thus more easily "paused", but the concept is the same.

"Now she is fully situated within this other space", says the reading. The mention of VR surrounding a person once again reminds me of Farenheit 451. Here's a quote that talks about Montag's impression of the room with three huge screens:"And it was indeed remarkable. Something had happened. Even though the people in the walls of the room had barely moved, and nothing had really been settled, you had the impression that someone had turned on a washing-machine or sucked you up in a gigantic vacuum. You drowned in music and pure cacophony."

The comparison of a radar screen to an audio record was quite interesting. The whole section about photography vs. real time imagery was quite enlightening. It made me think of technology that is not as distanced from us as the military surveillance. Look at Skype for instance. All you need is two cameras and internet connection Voila!, two people can talk across continents and time zones. The screen literally becomes a window into another world. Two separate physical spaces become connected. It is still an image (it becomes non-transparent and obvious when the connection fails and the video quality becomes extremely pixellated), but it's a real time image. Compared to the days when you would send your picture to someone in an envelope along side a hand-written cursive note, Skype and similar technology are incredible!

The constant progress of technology and the presence of the screen makes the line between the physical world and the screen thinner and thinner. It is not a bad or a good thing, it's our reality. Hopefully, this progress will not make our world the horror so described so well in Bradbury's work.

DS: Stationary.

2009-11-18T18:13:00.000-08:00

Below is the stationary for the @ identity.

IL: Book cover. Where the Wild Things Are.

2009-11-16T08:01:00.001-08:00