We start out the fall with students posting their observations of trends and interesting developments in digital culture. What have you noticed?
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Digital Art + Culture 
One thing that I have noticed in recent digital culture are those digital picture frames. When they first came out, there were only a couple different kinds. Now, when you go into a store and go back to their photo department, there is a whole shelf dedicated to those frames. Some are on the cheaper side, but you can also find nicer ones for a larger price. I personally don’t like them. I don’t own one, but I know a couple people that do. I like to print pictures, put them in a frame, and hang them on the wall. With digital frames, the viewer doesn’t really have the time to look at the picture and fully take in what they are seeing. The viewer may only see what is in the foreground but may ignore what is in the background. It is a quick glance and off to the next picture. Art shouldn’t be rushed; you should have to time to observe and enjoy it. I have attached a link listing the top ten digital picture frames comparing what each of them do or do not offer:
http://digital-photo-frame-review.toptenreviews.com/
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Science Fiction movies and shows have been influencing actual science and culture a ton lately. The touch pad and tablet idea were first seen in shows like Star Trek and movies like Minority Report. Online Advertisements are now personalized based your history which was seen first on film. Someone even created a crude lightsaber and our phones can scan our blood for diseases (also from Star Trek: tricorder).
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What I’ve noticed as a trend in graphic design and design in general is the popularity of handmade type and a more illustrated, less digital feel to the design. This trend really interests me because I am very into typography and attracted to what other people find appealing, which seems to mean experimental and out of the ordinary typefaces. This movement towards the less digital and more hands on graphic design is something intriguing to me, I am very into handmade and using illustration in my own work. I started noticing this trend particularly in packaging, but also in designers online portfolios.
http://thedesignfiles.net/2010/12/hand-drawn-design-with-handmade-romance-packaging/
http://wlt.typography.netdna-cdn.com//data/images/2011/08/moana2.jpg
http://wlt.typography.netdna-cdn.com//data/images/2011/07/384b57a175f59e56c48ca8f92f52f4a0.jpg
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/08/11/beautiful-hand-drawn-typography/
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Kayla Budreau
Mixed Media
9/12/11
I am an aspiring Art Education major, so I have to say that the digital arts are changing rapidly in our world, but also in our education. I come from a little high school where we had the most basic art classes. As I graduated and moved onto college, I have started to see a shift in the arts. My school has started to drop the classic drawing, painting and ceramic, and started to enroll students in video photography, and photography. I see that fine arts are starting to be taken over by the digital arts. I am a huge fan of the digital arts, my only concern is that we are losing our knowledge of the basic fundamentals of arts that help us create beautiful digital art.
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One thing that I have noticed more in the digital arts is online scrap booking. Its a really easy way to have scrap books made, free of materials, in a much shorter time, and done all at once. I have never done one, because I still lean towards the old school scrap booking process. I have done some research on different websites that you can create them on and it is a lot more advanced than I had ever imagined. A few websites I found to be very interesting were, http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks.html?partner=google&campaign=search_scrapbooks&gclid=CMOt6IvmlqsCFUQCQAodFBkaxQ and http://inkubook.com/LearnMore/?gclid=CK-Wo4bolqsCFUEUKgodkRGlww.
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I have notice that film photography has become popular again in the digital art world. Most people I have noticed using film are younger people. This is because I think film photography is a trend to some people, but there are some photographers that have always preferred film. I think that photographers prefer film, because there is a lot more skill involved, and to a photographer a film photo has more authenticity, since you do not know what you photo will look like until you developed it. Film photography has become a trend also, because it is retro and more simple since there is no need for computers and memory cards in film.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/why-we-love-film.htm
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmCnBLVXZhw&feature=related
time: 13:20
Recently I’ve watched the film Exit Through the Gift Shop, a film about street art. While I was watching, I noticed that digital arts are used more in street art than I normally imagined; I figured street art was all spray-painted, but I found that is not true! Some artists, such as Sheppard (whom the video talks about) use digital art to make the composition. One would print out the composition on paper and paste it on walls/buildings using a technique called “wheat pasting”. The paste itself is a simple mixture of vegetables starches and water, similar to papier-mâché paste.
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I’ve noticed recently in digital culture that certain ad campaigns have used gigantic wall projections on the sides of buildings and other large surfaces. It takes the concept of the billboard and pushes the idea.
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One thing that I have noticed while observing the recent digital art is that advertisements are starting to use typography in a more simple way. I was looking through a magazine and I came across a diet coke ad where the diet coke logo was enlarged and place so you could barely see it on the page but yet everyone would know that it was still the diet coke logo. I feel like more advertising companies are starting to do this so that it came make their ads more simple but still get the point across that they want. I personally enjoy the way advertisements are starting to do that. They get the point across but in a simpler way. http://scrapsofmygeeklife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/diet_coke_commercial_ad.jpg
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I’ve found that recent trends have been going away from the extravagant designs that were popular not all that long ago. As my example, I’m using something that I randomly found on stumbleupon.com, it’s just a collection of 100 really simple, but effective logos. I personally enjoy keeping my own designs simple so I find that this trend works well for me. Because many companies focus on keeping things simple for their companies, their logos can be a good representation of their mission. A company’s image starts with their visual image, which is a logo in most cases. So I find that the simple logo is always best, most successful companies already have them – Apple, Microsoft, McDonald’s, etc. Memorable and simple.
http://www.pingable.org/100-amazing-and-simple-logo-designs/
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The trend I noticed in digital culture is the trend towards 3-D. 3D movies, 3D video games, 3D phones, even 3D televisions. It seems to be a rapidly growing trend for the last couple of years. I personally find it to be annoying. I prefer to watch movies and choose where to let my eyes see. You find interesting subtleties this way. However, when you watch 3D, you’re restricted by having to where the 3D glasses in the movies and also, your eyes are directed where to look with 3D. I haven’t met many people that are a fan of 3D things. And I do in fact, have some friends who can’t even watch anything in 3D because they get sick.
http://www.3dtvguide.org/3d-tv-without-glasses.html
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Something that I have noticed recently in digital culture is the use mobile billboards. I’m sure we have all see vehicles with decals on the sides promoting businesses and organizations, but these go way beyond a simple decal. These billboards are generally large trucks that drive around with just the purpose of advertising for companies using scrolling messages, backlit advertisements, clear glass displays, and some trucks are even equipped to use sound to enhance the message. Although the concept seems simple, I find it to be very interesting because of how versatile the mobile billboards are, as well as how effective they are compared to other outdoor advertisements. I think that these mobile billboards are very cutting edge, not to mention entertaining, and that we have only seen the beginning of this new kind of advertising.
http://www.trafficdisplays.com/scrolling_mobile_billboards.php
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As a graphic design major, I have noticed that the “handmade look” has been on the rise. The fact that we can now use Bamboo/ Wacom tablets to create handmade looking designs allows a designer to give the impression that he/ she spent numerous time creating. With technology, we have the ability to do things more quickly, where as back in the 1900’s, design was done by taking paper clippings and piecing them together, or handwriting the type. Vintage design is back in but with a modern digital twist. This allows people to show more of their individualistic talents whether it be drawing, painting, etc. and incorporating them digitally. I find that this is a great way to show more individual talent as a designer, and that people really respond to work that looks interesting, unique, and time-oriented.
http://www.misprintedtype.com/v4/
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One thing that I have observed in digital culture is returning to retro/vintage designs. There are many products that are bringing back old retro designs. General Mills cereal boxes are one example I have seen. New cereal boxes are being printed with the same designs that were used years ago. Pepsi is another product that I have seen returning to retro/vintage designs. Pepsi products are now displaying the “throwback” design on their products. Overall, I think the vintage style is coming back to modern culture. You can see it in clothing, decor, and photography. I think that eventually this trend of bringing back retro/vintage design will weave it’s way even farther into digital culture.
General Mills: http://www.brandfreak.com/2010/02/general-mills-again-resurrects-vintage-packaging-for-five-cereals.html
Pepsi: http://www.bevreview.com/2009/11/27/pepsi-throwback-mountain-dew-throwback-december-2009-relaunch-designs/
Vintage photobooths comeback: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20110310-33591.html
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I am a photography and digital arts major so I pay attention to a lot of photography. I have noticed that recently a lot of photographers are using past photography or other things from the past to influence the photos they take. One example that I enjoyed a lot was a photographer, Irina Werning, who took old pictures of people and recreated them almost identically but with the person being much older.
http://irinawerning.com/back-to-the-fut/back-to-the-future?refid=0
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What I have recently noticed about digital media is that commercials are now becoming more animated. I don’t understand the hype about animated commercials because I feel like I’m watching a movie instead of an advertisement. The commercials feel less relatable and it seems as though certain companies think they are creating a new way to grab a consumers attention, but instead they are making their commercials look cheap and blah. The technique of rotoscoping animation in commercials is being used by many insurance companies today. Rotoscoping is a technique in which animators trace over live film movement, frame by frame. So there are real people involved, but they become “cartoons” with the use of technology. I have provided two examples of rotoscoping, one being of a Charles Schwab commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj2oqI8w1gA
and the other being a student’s animation project:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTeBeW6vR1Y&feature=related
I find the student’s project to be more inventive and it draws me in. In the Charles Schwab commercial I pay more attention to the details in the animation than the actual script of the commercial and I find myself at a loss to what the actual commercial is trying to advertise.
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One of the topics I told the class about this passed Wednesday was a photography project in which the artist split the face and symmetrically photographed each side separately. They then flipped each photograph so that we could see what someone’s face would look like if it was perfectly symmetrical (for both sides). I thought this was a fantastic idea. I never realized just how different each side is! I can tell for my own face, but the idea of everyone’s face being so different never crossed my mind.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1367633/Perfect-symmetry-How-look-sides-face-identical.html
http://www.echoism.org/
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Something I have been noticing more than anything else is how easy it is to customize clothing. No longer do you have to worry about walking into someone wearing the same outfit as you. Not only can you choose the colors you like, but you can also personalize it by putting your own pictures on your clothes. Shoes with any picture or design you choose! In 5 minutes you can make your own shoes and they will be on your front door in 5-7 business days. I think it’s just so cool how you can put your own personality on everything you wear.
http://www.zazzle.com/custom/shoes
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http://www.printeresting.org/
http://www.artinamericamagazine.com/
http://artforum.com/
One of the things I have noticed in recent digital culture is the use of blogging and websites for as replacements for art magazines or other methods. Artists using these to post up new art from around the world, new technologies in the art field, and even uploading their own portfolios. Even current art magazines like Artform and Art In America are pushing their sites more and more. I enjoy this a lot because most of these sites are free and don’t exclude those who cannot afford the printed articles. It also makes it more immediate to reach the audience seeing as though one can really use these blogs and websites to upload what their seeing and hearing any time they want with a lot of ease and less economic strain.
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My example of digital design that I’ve noticed has been in movies. Most recently, I’ve admired the Spielberg/Abrams throwback release, Super 8. Aside from the cinematography being spot on, the color processing was done in a way that really gave a great mood to the entire film. Repetition of this color palette was also a great help in unifying the film as well. Something else seemingly minute that really did it for me was the continued use of a blue lens flare throughout the movie’s entirety. I can’t even explain it; it’s just something new, and quite simply a cool and memorable effect, which is harder and harder to come by with the increased use of digital means for film processing. This clip gives a nice taste of all of the above:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpzUCA5i6zY
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Something that I noticed recently in has to do with the lettering in web comics. A lot of the comic artists are starting to use different fonts for their dialogue instead of using the traditional default comic book font. Some artists are even hand lettering all of their dialogue. Using the different lettering really adds to the overall feel of the web comics. Some good examples of using different fonts are the web comics Curio http://curio.smackjeeves.com/comics/1223502/chapter-one-cover/ , Hanna is Not a Boy’s Name http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=839 , and The Next Adventure http://thenextadventure.francescaillustrates.com/archives/1
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Something that I have noticed recently in digital culture is the use mobile billboards. I’m sure we have all see vehicles with decals on the sides promoting businesses and organizations, but these go way beyond a simple decal. These billboards are generally large trucks that drive around with just the purpose of advertising for companies using scrolling messages, backlit advertisements, clear glass displays, and some trucks are even equipped to use sound to enhance the message. Although the concept seems simple, I find it to be very interesting because of how versatile the mobile billboards are, as well as how effective they are compared to other outdoor advertisements. I think that these mobile billboards are very cutting edge, not to mention entertaining, and that we have only seen the beginning of this new kind of advertising.
http://www.trafficdisplays.com/scrolling_mobile_billboards.php
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One interesting tend that I came across in one of my art magazines is the use of maps as art material. Artist such as Luis Dourado, Catrin Morgan, Tofu, Heidi Neilson, and Jenny Odell find maps as much more then items used to bring order to chaos. Maps have many meanings such as they bring a desire for the unknown, Sense of belonging, they help us make sense of who we are, where we came from and were we want to go, they are also a common language between artists. Artists collage maps together to express their curiosities.
2d pieces of old maps
http://www.lisadent.com/ArtistWorks/Matthew/MatthewShowcase.html#
Objects made from maps
http://www.susanstockwell.co.uk/medium.php?category=dress;map;paper&image_id=2005_2.jpg
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One thing that has interested me in current digital art is user submitted clothing. Not only is this a great way to find cool design for shirts, but it also gives artist a chance to get their work produced. Websites such as http://www.threadless.com/ and http://www.designbyhumans.com/ are good examples of this.
Another thing I’ve found interesting is digital installations for concerts. New technologies have made amazing performances such as
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWai4UZ0OqI
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Hello my name is Logan West and I am a Junior here at UMD. This Summer I was given the opportunity to Study Abroad for 1 Month in Berlin, Germany. While I was there I picked up on some things in the Design world that I found to be quite interesting. The first thing that I noticed was this giant billboards. They were making the most of these construction sites, and taking advantage of these blank canvases. One billboard that I found very interesting was the one for ESPRIT. Very minimal with text, and it let the imagery do the talking. It was the same approach they usually take to a magazine ad, but blown up. This was not the only place that I found they took advantage of. In Berlin there is a shopping centre called Ka De We. (Kah Day Vay). It is a very high-end shopping center, a lot like Nordstrom’s on steroids. Probably the easiest way to picture it. Anyway there was a high end art store that put its advertisement right above the doors of Ka De We. I found to be extremely smart, because it is the last thing you remember before walking in. I was not able to use my own pictures, so I apologize that what I have posted is not exactly what you are going to see. However you will get the general ideas.
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Kadewe&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&biw=1280&bih=629&tbm=isch&tbnid=UQAN1suE3TVLZM:&imgrefurl=http://www.tunliweb.no/SM/alb_berlin.htm&docid=sWKYQuDb0I0YdM&w=1280&h=955&ei=fKZwToW-CsqitgewiPnnCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=511&vpy=323&dur=730&hovh=194&hovw=260&tx=169&ty=156&page=6&tbnh=119&tbnw=159&start=91&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:91
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=large+billboard+%2B+construction&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1280&bih=629&tbm=isch&tbnid=RGSB9D5SfvyEPM:&imgrefurl=http://banbillboardblight.org/%3Fp%3D884&docid=elsY4Kr76L0h_M&w=592&h=355&ei=M6dwTo3TPNG9tgfyueCACg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=588&page=4&tbnh=124&tbnw=181&start=57&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:57&tx=67&ty=89
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What I have noticed in recent trends is the use of less typography on graphic tees and more typography in films. An example of a movie would be Scott Pilgrim. An example of graphic tees will be in the link below. When I first started back in 07 as a graphic designer type was a huge thing in design. People were making type the main focus of the design and then having simple yet very intricate lines in the background. Today I find that more and more people are trying to push past the words and show you what they are talking about so you have to look at it a second time to get the message across.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57saocQSQDo
http://shirt.woot.com/reckoning
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An inspiring few pieces of cinematography and incredibly great graphics for one person to be doing the art themselves. Freddie Wong is the man behind the videos, while he might not be alone in creating them, he does the majority of the legwork with the special effects. These effects he has created are something that seems better than what some professional studios have made. I enjoy these a slight more than one should, seeing as most of Wong’s videos are tailored to video game humor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKogQf9ooR8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAtZ57BpZCg
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I am an aspiring Art Education Major with an emphasis in photography and painting. As I go along with my studies, I have found that artists are taking a new turn with painting. Artists are no longer painting on the “typical canvas.” I have been noticing a great deal lately that artists are combining painting and fashion into the digital world. By this I mean that artists are painting clothing and designs onto the human body and taking high-fashion photos of these models. I feel that this new idea is really interesting and slowly replacing the modeling industry. As we all know, the majority of modeling is displaying clothes that fashion designers make, but with this new idea, people are both grasping the art of the naked body and the designs that are being put on the body by painters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbuangTs9o8
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recently noticed trends here are some in graphic design and especially logos, were seeing a very minimalist approach to it and the use of negative spaces and clever plays on words. on the link i posted it shows a ton of great made up logos yet so good! also modern product packaging is becoming very artistic and unique.
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I’m not the most up to date with technology. I don’t watch TV, am rarely on the internet (only to watch Netflix), and I’m never on my phone, so I don’t pay much attention to the Digital Culture. One thing I do do when I’m on my computer is use Stumble Upon. It allows me to look at a lot of new art. especially photographs and also brings me to links for electronic, do it yourself, music sites.
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Something that I have noticed recently is an advancement in technology called the 3d-printer. With this device you are able to scan a 3d object or create a 3d object digitally and print a 3d replica. The printer is even able to create moving and colored parts, all as one piece. How it works is sheets of powder are laid out one on top of the other and a binder is used to pull and keep the object together. This technology is not only beneficial for the art world in terms of creating sculpture and installations but also for creating prototypes for new products and could even go as far as creating actual usable objects for everyday life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZboxMsSz5Aw
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The thing that I am most noticing in advertising is the push for simplicity. Whether it’s with shapes, solid colors, or just the name. For example, the Pepsi can. Before, there were different designs that were elaborate and big. Now, the advertising dept. simplified the Pepsi can with the color, logo, and name.
http://www.infobarrel.com/media/image/305.jpg
http://www.brooklyntobacco.com/wp-content/uploads/products_img/pepsi-can.jpeg
I’ve been seeing this a lot for products being advertised. As we discussed in class, this is just a phase that the marketing industry is going through. Once buyers get bored with the simplified look, the style for advertising is sure to turn more elaborate. Here are some other examples of advertising for products have changed.
http://images.free-extras.com/pics/n/nike-701.jpg
http://www.riskmanagementmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/NikeLogo.gif
http://kerrywebster.com/wp-uploads/starbucks-logos-on-cups.jpg
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I am interested in the way that technology, being the innovative source it is, continues to push more and more customers into buying phones and devices that are the “new” standard. I can imagine that there is a iPhone 6, 7, 8, 9, etc. . . in the workings to be released at some future date. We as consumers should fight for the right to new and cutting edge technology that serves us better. Corning, a glass company is trying to assist in this continuing trend towards smaller and slimmer smart phones. I am interested in Corning for the way they present their interpretation of the iPhone. They have a glass product that enables a more clean design while limiting the design of the rest of the phone. They also show other surfaces being able to pick up the device’s program and run it on for say a counter top. This Corning company will hopefully continue to push the boundaries of what consumers consider to be “technologic.”
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What I have noticed in the art world lately is a push towards a more green/sustainable advertising. Companies are trying to let their customers know that they cannot only sell their product but they can do it on an ‘earth-friendly’ level. It’s interesting to me that this is finally catching on because this has been an issue since around the 70’s. The idea of sustainability seems to be a secondhand aspect of advertising today, everyone wanting the stamp that says either they do their best to use recycled materials in their product, or simply that what they use to produce their product isn’t hurting the earth.
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The trend I noticed in digital culture is the trend towards 3-D. 3D movies, 3D video games, 3D phones, even 3D televisions. It seems to be a rapidly growing trend for the last couple of years. I personally find it to be annoying. I prefer to watch movies and choose where to let my eyes see. You find interesting subtleties this way. However, when you watch 3D, you’re restricted by having to where the 3D glasses in the movies and also, your eyes are directed where to look with 3D. I haven’t met many people that are a fan of 3D things. And I do in fact, have some friends who can’t even watch anything in 3D because they get sick
http://www.3dtvguide.org/3d-tv-without-glasses.html
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Recently i have noticed the advancement in software in terms of ease of use. These days more and more people are able to create there own art, although mainly from templates, a damper is slowly being put on skills that take most people years to master and making it a mostly automated process. I think its good that more poeple are able to create, but also threatening that it is being made so easy to the point where designers may be out of jobs in the future.
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http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/gold-lion-interactive-coke-vending-machine/
The thing I thought was new and upcoming technology was the video/interactive vending machines. I know that there is a new one on campus by the library and I have been seeing more and more around town. The interactive machines will open doors for designers since its very easy to change the content of the video and the interactive design on the machines. I believe that these will take off and other things such as red box, food, and other convenience machines will see how it can it can draw in more customers into buying products
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