Project Seven

The last one! I can't believe it. This is a magazine spread, written, design, and photographed by Yours Truly. My article was written about nerd hobbies and how there is a little nerd in all of us. This project was so much work (read: regular 4:00am bedtimes), but also a ton of fun to create. Thanks for following along this semester and have a very happy holiday season! I certainly intend to.

On Blogging

As this semester draws to a close, I'm thinking about the future of this blog. Will I continue posting bits and pieces of things that inspire my design spirit? Will I morph it into something fresh and new? Or will I let it die, like so many blogs before it?

I don't know what will become of CMYKunz, but I do know that I've gained a great respect for professional bloggers. It's not easy posting content regularly, much less amazing content. Ideally, a blog is so beautifully curated that readers will flock, but that's not always the case. Making a living from blogging is a tall order, but there are many who are successful.

If you're thinking, now or ever, of blogging as a profession, here is a terrific list of what makes a blog good, via 42 Folders.

1. Good blogs have a voice. Who wrote this? What is their name? What can I figure out about who they are that they have never overtly told me? 
2. Good blogs reflect focused obsessions. People start real blogs because they think about something a lot. Maybe even five things. But, their brain so overflows with curiosity about a family of topics that they can't stop reading and writing about it.
3. Good blogs are the product of "Attention times Interest." A blog shows me where someone's attention tends to go. Then, on some level, they encourage me to follow the evolution of their interest through a day or a year. There's a story here. Ethical "via" links make it easy for me to follow their specific trail of attention, then join them for a walk made out of words.
4. Good blog posts are made of paragraphs. Blog posts are written, not defecated. They show some level of craft, thinking, and continuity beyond the word count mandated by the Owner of Your Plantation.
5. Good "non-post" blogs have style and curation. Some of the best blogs use unusual formats, employ only photos and video, or utilize the list format to artistic effect.
6. Good blogs are weird. Blogs make fart noises and occasionally vex readers with the degree to which the blogger's obsession will inevitably diverge from the reader's. If this isn't happening every few weeks, the blogger is either bored, half-assing, or taking new medication.
7. Good blogs make you want to start your own blog. At some point, everyone wants to kill the Buddha and make their own obsessions the focus. This is good. It means you care.
8. Good blogs try. A good blog is written by a blogger who thinks longer, works harder, and obsesses more. Ultimately, a good blogger tries. That's why "good" is getting rare.
9. Good blogs know when to break their own rules.

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Gift Wrap This

I have very few talents, but one of them is wrapping presents. Call me boastful, but my wrapping skills can make even the gift of a banana peel look good. Actually, gift wrapping masks the fact that I'm not a terrific gift giver. In the spirit of the holidays, here are some drool-worthy packages. P.S. I DARE you to search Pinterest for wrapping ideas.

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Inspiration Stations Part 2

"Things that make me go hmmm." - C&C Music Factory

1) Letterpress:

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2) Jamie Beck's Blog, specifically her Lifestyle section

3) Table top photography

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4) Young House Love, The Book, 243 DIY ideas for the home (visit the blog here) 

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5) Animal print tops

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6) Marc Johns, the artist

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Project Five

This was by far the hardest assignment for me. I would estimate that I spent 40 hours or so working on this. The assignment was to create an iPhone app, my choice. I designed an app called "Ask Fancy" for busy women who want to stay trendy. A user can ask "Fancy," a savvy database, if a certain article of clothing is in style, read up on the current trends, and see a selection of daily looks from across the web.

My first draft was rough to say the least. I learned really quickly that navigation is key. Though this took me essentially back to the drawing board, I was really happy with my revision. Thinking 100% about user experience, I added universal navigation, clear pathways, and multiple avenues. I rethought and cleaned up the overall design. My biggest "ah-ha" moment came when I was able to eliminate four entire wireframes by simply thinking strategically and using a sort button.

As Tyra Banks would say, here's my best shot:

The greeting cards have all been sent...

I don't always send out holiday cards. Sometimes I make them and they never get printed. Other times, I pick up a really fancy pack of cards from the dollar store and slap my name on them. This year, I haven't even had a free second to think about anything other than words, images, and Words and Images.

But last year, oh dear me, LAST YEAR, I nailed it. #tootingmyownhorn

Let's take a walk down memory lane, shall we? 
The inspiration for the card came from a print of that infamous quote from A Christmas Story that I saw on Etsy: "Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window."

I knew I wanted something simple that incorporated quotes from holiday movies that my husband I love. I used typographic design and some traditional colors. The back of the card had a couple super-cheesy pictures of my husband and I. Because what's a Christmas card without a super-cheesy picture?
Finally, I managed to convince my elf, I mean, husband to put his calligraphy skills to good use...while I fanned myself and ate bon-bons. *Sigh* Those were the glory days. Maybe next year....

Inspiration Stations

When I feel my creative juices running dry, I find inspiration by peeking around the portfolios of a few of my favorite graphic designers. Just looking at all they are able to create, invigorates me and helps me push myself to try harder and be better. 

Just a few, in no particular order:

1. Melanie Burk of Fifth and Hazel

2. Jessica Jones of Jessica Jones Design

3. Mike and Alma Loveland of Ollibird

4. Christine Hughes from Darling

I'm not terrible crafty, but sometimes participating in another creative area like DIY awesomeness is just what the doctor ordered to replenish those juices. So I'll turn to:

1. You are my fave

2. Say Yes to Hoboken

3. Oh Happy Day!

4. How About Orange

3D Design

Looking ahead, our package design will soon be due! For my design, I decided to create my own box. I designed a template by finding an existing package that met my needs (in this case, a Kleenex box), unfolding the box, measuring, and then creating a flat template in Illustrator. It was much easier than I imaged it to be, especially because I worked of an existing package and because I made a mini. Be no afraid of 3D designs!

I have since found several resources that I thought I'd share here, in case you ever have a need and can't find an existing form to use as your guide.

1. Free Packaging Templates

2. Even more Free Packaging Templates from Vecteezy

(Sidebar: if you don't know about Vecteezy and his sister, Brusheezy, run right over there and say hello)

3. ArcaMagica, where you can get templates for a small fee

4. Paper Crafts Magazine has a bunch that you might find useful

 Now go forth and design fearless 3D packages.

More LoTR research

My husband has taken a keen interest in my nerd hobbies article (which, by the way, has changed fairly significantly since I posted it last week). I've never seen him so excited about anything I've undertaken before. We, of course, had to watch the movies, he put me in touch with friends of his who shared his same nerdy interests, and then today, he sent me the following website.

Yes, my friends, that's an entire website dedicated to statistics from The Lord of the Rings. And it turns out, Tolkien sorta hated women. Only 19% of the population of Middle Earth was women. Look at how femininity is nearly non-existent among the Dwarf population.

The website is called LOTRProject.com. Putting aside my amazement that someone has the time to compile this information, design a website for it, and maintain it, the site is actually very well-done, the statistics section being the most well designed, in my opinion. On the site, a visitor can check out the timeline, view the family trees, and, of course, learn the statistics that make LoTR what it is.

Want even more Middle Earth? Check out the app!

Project Seven Roughie

The word "rough draft" was made for my project seven copy. But even the Bible started somewhere. I'd love to hear your feedback!

So, I Married A Nerd 

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes your husband telling you he’s a closet J.R.R. Tolkien junkie. 

I married young. I can admit that now. I was 20 and my husband, Adam, was 22. I wouldn’t change anything, but I would ask more questions, like, “Are you freaky about germs?” and, “Are you so far left you’re almost socialist?” and the biggie, “Do you speak Elvish, can you draw a map of Middle Earth blindfolded, and do you have a filing cabinet full of Tolkien’s papers?” You see, Adam is a tall, dark, and handsome attorney by day and a tall, dark, and handsome Tolkien nerd by night.

My apologies. I misspoke. He’s a “Tolkien scholar.” There is a notable difference in Tolkien “nerds” and Tolkien “scholars.” Tolkien nerds are typically 14-year-old boys with acne and braces who have the hots for Liv Tyler. They'll grow out of their obsession as soon as their acne clears up.

But that’s not my husband. Adam is part of a group that didn’t grow out of it. Tolkien scholars aren’t swayed by Hollywood's semi-recent interest in The Lord of the Rings. This gang consists of intellectuals, typically between the ages of 25 and 45, who have taken on an academic study of their hero, J.R.R. Tolkien. They were baptized into the Church of Tolkien long before Peter Jackson entered the waters and they'll remain faithful members long after the December 14th release of The Hobbit. And for the record, Liv Tyler will always be Arwen to them.

I learned about Adam’s preoccupation with Middle Earth after we were married. Though I didn’t stumble upon him booking tickets to the Tolkien Convention, I was nonetheless surprised. Not long after we were married, I was in a college class with a classmate who named his daughter “Galadriel,” the name of the beautiful and powerful Elvish queen. I rushed home to share with my new husband my horror at this carelessly christened name. He shrugged and said he thought it was kind of pretty. I should have known then.

It took five weekends of The Lord of the Rings marathons, three birthday gifts of various Tolkien box sets, and a heated confession that he’d be proud to have a child named “Galadriel” before I understood who I really married. There are certainly worse obsessions that a person could disclose, like shrunken skull collections, for example. But when he produced a filing box brimming with copies of Tolkien’s academic essays, scholarly writings, and personal manuscripts I wondered how such a well-adapted member of society would have such a…nerdy passion.

Come to find out, Adam had taken classes on Tolkien in school, learned to speak the Elvish language, and even attempted the creation of his own mythological world. At first, I laughed. Then, I grimaced. Next, I tolerated. And finally, I began to understand.

Adam became interested in fantasy novels and stories at a very young age. He always loved wizards, magic, dragons, and quests. While I was reading The Baby-sitters Club as a fifth-grader, he found a copy of Norse and Greek mythology. In high school, he was introduced to the musical stylings of Led Zeppelin, the lead guitarist of which, Jimmy Page, was enormously influenced by Tolkien. All of a sudden two worlds collided for him and he started picking out allusions to Tolkien characters and myths in their music.

Sometime during adolescence, Adam found old copies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings stashed away in a bookcase in his parent’s basement. Adam says that Tolkien’s writings felt like the mythology novels he had loved as a kid. But this time the stories felt more intricate, more detailed, written by someone who had a very thorough understanding of words and ideas.

The game changed again when, at the urging of a college English professor, Adam read The Silmarillion, Tolkien’s masterpiece of the history of Middle-Earth, Tolkien’s fantasy world. The Silmarillion is where fantasy meets mythology, but it is written in tight, cohesive, adult language. It was very intricately woven and nearly impossible to understand without a decoder ring.

As an English major and a neurotic, Adam started studying Tolkien, not just reading him. Instead of simply curling up with a good book, Adam got his hands on Tolkien’s notes and wrote papers on Tolkien’s characters in literary theory classes. The invented Elvish language Tolkien used to color his writings – for names of characters, places, and things – was an added bonus for my word-obsessed husband. And, for the last six years, the obsession hasn’t stopped.

Now, I am the very image of a girl about town. I read what Oprah recommends. I sometimes get pop-culture confused with current events. I once mocked The Fellowship of the Ring for being longer than Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman’s marriage (six days). I’m even a graphic designer; the coolest career a person can have. But here I am. Married to a Tolkien nerd, I mean, scholar.

I believe that my confusion stemmed from stereotypes: how could this suave, successful, and sophisticated man be consumed with a hobby traditionally reserved for teenage mouth-breathers? In my misguided perception, nerds wore greasy superhero T-shirts. They had snorting laughs and facial ticks. They didn’t date, they couldn’t converse, and they certainly weren’t MY husband.

Come to find out, my husband and I are not an anomaly.

My childhood friend, Diane is married to a Star Wars nerd. She wins “Wife of the Year” for allowing her husband Steve to fill an entire room in their basement to the brim with Star Wars memorabilia, including a talking Yoda, a Darth Vader helmet, a dancing Jar Jar Binks, and a two-foot-tall R2-D2 that responds to voice commands and moves around like a robotic vacuum. Steve, a talented tax accountant, has even perfected the wookiee roar. According to Diane, she knew about Steve’s hobby when they were dating, but she recalls realizing the magnitude of his preoccupation on a vacation to Las Vegas. “I remember one night when I went to a George Strait concert with my sister [during our trip.] When [my sister and I] got back, Steve was more excited about the Mace Windu and Count Dooku action figures he had bought on eBay than I was about the concert!”

My neighbor Brooke didn’t know that her husband Will was crazy about fantasy fiction. She knew he enjoyed reading when they dated, but after seven years of marriage she now says that if he’s not conversing, he’s reading. Will’s job as an attorney for the government is stressful, so for him, mythological novels are his escape. I asked Brooke if she had taken an interest in any of his reading material. She’s not a repeat offender, but she has given it a shot. She says, “He gets passionate about a certain series and it makes him happy when I read them too.”

“Nerdy” hobbies aren’t exclusively for men. My colleague Inger is as much of a Trekkie as anyone. For her, loving Star Trek was hereditary. She recalls her father’s extensive assembly of Star Trek paraphernalia. “He had the complete series: Deep Space, Enterprise, Voyager, all of it!” Holiday parties and family gatherings were peppered with episodes, games, stories, and analogies. Inger’s father passed away when she was a teenager and she inherited his collection. Her husband Gustavo says, “When we got married and moved into a 900-square-foot house, I was shocked at all the boxes and boxes of Star Trek stuff! But it just reminds her of her father and their relationship.”

Marvel comic books, Japanese anime, World of Warcraft. The list of hobby nerds and the spouses who married them goes on and on. It would seem that every one has a little geekiness in their back pocket. This led me to wonder if perhaps what was traditionally dorky is now in vogue.

Take, for instance, Modern Family’s Phily Dunphy, the coolest dad I know. He’s attractive, athletic, and wildly consumed by technology, specifically Apple products. When the iPad came out on his birthday, Phil exclaimed, “It’s like Steve Jobs and God got together to say, “We love you Phil.”

"Ben Wyatt from Parks and Recreation is both sexy and one of the biggest nerds on television. He is passionate about everything from the fantasy novel-turned-television-show Game of Thrones, to superheroes. In one episode, when given the opportunity to “treat himself” to a day of shopping, Ben buys a full-body Batman suit and spends the day wearing it.

Then there’s Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother and his pals Marshall Ericksen and Barney Stinson, who see the world through Star Wars colored glasses. Ted tells his friends, “I just met the perfect woman. She’s funny, she’s beautiful, she loves ‘Star Wars’…” Marshall cuts him off with, “Woah woah woah, what’s her take on Ewoks?”

And finally, the infamous pair from NBC’s Community, Troy Barnes and Abed Nadar who take their gaming craze too far when their roommate Annie is forced to sleep in the living room because the spare bedroom is used as a virtual play room called “The Dreamatorium.”

“Nerdism” is now becoming mainstream. Closet hobbies are now dinner topics. What once set nerds apart- Stephen King, Dungeons & Dragons, science fiction- are now loveable quirks. I have come to appreciate Adam’s dedication to Tolkien. I even enjoy a movie trilogy marathon once a year. As my husband said when I booked my ticket to the Photoshop World Convention last Spring, we’re all nerds about something.

Project Four

I did a lot of advertising in my undergraduate program, so project four was fun for me.

We had to choose a worthy cause and create a campaign consisting of a magazine ad, a postcard, and poster. We needed a big idea to shape our campaign as well as imagery, headlines, copy, and branding. The main image and headline of each piece had to be different and one piece was required to have a "significant" amount of body copy.

I chose Kaboom!, a non-profit, DC-based organization that seeks to provide every child in America a safe place to play. They rally communities to build their own playgrounds, they encourage citizens to maintain existing units, and they do a lot of good.

Play is important for a child's well-being so I used imagination as my foundation. I turned images of playgrounds into something a child would imagine with simple sketches. I also used restructured cliches for my headlines.

I'm happy with the finished project and ready to tackle the next one: an iPhone app!