Changing the world

dfasano — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:07:56 +0000

It is known as a fact that laughing is good for you. How good is it you ask? In a recent study by cardiologists at University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore they found that Laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help protect you against a heart attack. The website of the Institute of Alternative Medicines and Research has an interesting writing about laughter.” Laughter is said to be addictive. Given its several health benefits, that is desirable. Firstly it gives a sense of well being because of release of endorphins and neuropeptides. By ensuring the inhalation of more oxygen, the lifeline of the system, it makes people feel better. It also decreases stress, leading to a reduced stiffness of muscles – muscle relaxation easing headaches, body aches and other muscular problems.As blood vessels get dilated, blood pressure falls by 10-20 mm mercury after 10 minutes of laughter – very useful for patients suffering from hypertension. With levels of antibodies and natural killer cells going up with laughter, it also improves the immunity – evident from thousands of laughter club members who have decreased incidences of cough and cold.Laughter also has innumerable other benefits. It proves a potent anti-stress factor, decreases asthmatic attacks, increases stamina, relives arthritic pain, ensures good sleep and elevates mood. Since the serotonin levels go up after laughter, it is an effective antidote for depression too. Haasya Yoga is a method of group laughter that is based on yogic techniques.”I dunno about you but I find this really interesting. So what does this have to do with my website that is going to change the world? I want to create a site that lets people upload jokes, funny pictures, stories, videos, anything funny. This website will give people a chance to have a good laugh and feel better. Nothing feels better than a good laugh.

Web Design/Digital Craft

dfasano — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:25:08 +0000

Within this article they talk a lot about how on-line use will be increasing in the future. They talk about how more and more people will be using the Internet to dowload music, play games, and check stocks. This is easy to believe since that starting with my generation computers have played a big part of my life. We grew up with computers and we usually understand them easiler than our parents or older people. At this rate and pattern every generation after ours the use of computers will become more and more popular. Soon everyone will know how to run a computer and will be able to manage thier lives. In the article they also talk about how technology has also been improving making it even easier to work a computer. It wouldn’t take to long for someone to understand how the computer works and how to run different programs. For example my mother just started to use email to communicate with friends and workers a few years ago. Back then she needed help on how to do what. Now though she can communicate easily with everyone over e-mail. Apple has made a way for you to talk to each other through a camera on your computer. This has been around for sometime but Apple makes it easy with a carmera already installed in the computer. This makes it easier or people to get into relastionships without even meeting each other. Before if someone wanted to show themselfes to everyone else over the web they would need to make thier own web site. Even though these sites like facebook and Myspace are not at the same level as a professional web site they still are impressive. These are good steps though for people to take in learning more about web design which is an important skill to have. Anthony Dunne points out, “It’s import to think beyond a particlar type of technology- even if that technology is as important as the Web. We don’t know what the world will be like ten or twenty years from now- but we do know it will be different. So don’t think that just because you’ve posted a few pages you can rest on your laurels. “ With the article Digital Craft ( An interview wtih Tsia Carson and Doug Lloyd) Doug talks about how they go about designing a web site layout. He says “Whatever the project, we want to make things be what they are, whether a logo, an editorial treatment, or an interactive experience. Our approach to designing a Web site is no different than any other medium.” This makes sense to me becasue a layout for a web site is not that much different than say designing a poster. You need to layout where you want what and also what colors will work best. You have to take the same steps in designing as you would for a different project. Also there is a big difference between a good site and a bad one. In the interview Doug and Tsia were asked about if there were a set of certian principles that they follow with a web site dealing with craft. Doug answers the question saying. ” Though our web site about craft, SuperNatuale.com, we’ve tried to pry open the term craf. give it a broader application, ad blur some boundaries. We use th etem as a lens to view the world thorough. To look at things from the perspetive of making rather than consuming, whih seems to be the fous of most media, from blogs to magazines, these day.” He also talks about how they make hand on descisions and take a lot of time doing reaserch and planing. This in my opinion is a big part of designing. Wheather you designing a magazine layout to a web site you need to do some reaserch about what your designing and also some planning about where you plan on putting what where. Tsia answer the question by saying ” I’m not sure I know what craft means either. I guess I consider myself a culture maker. So I take a similar approach regardless of medium (art,craft, design), and this allows me to approach a wide variety of projects in a similar way- web sites, lamp shades, gardens, children. ” I agree with the way she approaches the medium no matter what it is though I get a little lost when she says children. Im not quite sure where she was going with that expect that maybe she thinks that it is almost and art at how children grow up and envole to the surroundings? I duno I am lost there. Though later in the interview she talks about how people will read a message in differnet ways. She says ” Different audiences extract different meanings based on their context and lived experience. Therefore, we try and create something that can be read clearly on one level wihtin a certain zone of meaning Then, if we’re lucky we lay in some nuances that the exemplary reader will notice and that will enrich the communication. ” With this way she can have a little more control over what poeple will think when they read or see the layout. I know from experience that a message is easliy taken a diffenret way than you ment the reader to have. An example of this would be with if someone was designing a layout for a poetry meeting. If the layout is really busy and loud people may think that the layout would be advertising for a band playing. It is easy for someone to mistake the message between the colors and layout. Though also on the other side with these situation is that you can use the color and layout to your advantage to make sure that that audiance with view a certain message. If you can do this then you have a good understanding with how design works. My favorite part of the article was when the two were asked “How does working with other materials inform or inspire your digital work? This was an interesting queiton because in life people do not reaslize but they deal a lot with design wheather it is choosing what they plan on wearing for the day to doing landscaping arond your house. Doug talks about how he would like to make this backyard more diverise that just the forest it is now. He says in doing this he is reasearching on how to design an ecosystem to his liking. He says ” What fasitantes me is that I get to play with living systems. You’re never exactly sure where the system may go, and as a designer my role is to “seed” the future, and guide its direction.” He then talks about how this directly relates his interests of designing with an interactive system. I find landscaping another form of design just like Doug. I am sure though there are some people out there that feel different about this. The article wraps up by the two designers being asked what advice they would give students that plan on starting their careers in design. This question came in handy for me because soon I will be in this position. I was not surprised when they said that they look for someone with strong technology skills.

Designin’ fo sho

dfasano — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:20:10 +0000

What is design to you?