Internship_07

It's been a while since my last update! 

My internship has been fun so far...still too quiet, but my iPod helps!

I've done another box since my last update - a combination of fabric and leather! but I'm also working on another box for one series of two old books! it might sounds boring to you - box after another box - but it really helped my craft skills to grow!

I admit it, there were days when I never want to wake up early and go to work, but I always remember the Nescafe they serve...it motivates me to jump out of the bed! 

Gotta go write down a letter to make a change! 

Internship_DaySix

Starting time 8.15 A.M

Today's Objectives- Complete Box #2

Today's Outcome- 75% Box completed

Today's Comment- Need to be more careful with the craft again, I asked the guy if I could re-do another good box and keep this one as a practice box.

Internship_DayFive

Starting time:8.15

Objectives for today: start building another box for a smaller book size this time (18.5x28x4cm)

Book goes back to 1875

Enjoy the photographs

I still need to soften the edges for tommorow!

Internship_DayFour

Starting time: 8.15 A.M

Today's Objectives:

Complete the box for the book - size (53x38.5x3 cm)

Today's Outcome:

Very first built box

Thoughts:

Craft is so and so according to my supervisor- I need to take more care next time.

The leather is kind of hard to pull, and when it comes to cleaning the edges, I end up cutting the leather piece instead :(

Note: summer school starts today (printmaking at VCUQ)

Internship_DayThree

Starting time: 8.20 A.M

Today's Objectives:

Build a box for a book - book size (53x38.5x3 cm)

Today's Outcome:

Box 50% completed

Thoughts:

.I had my iPod today with me and that helped in boosting productivity!

.Had the chance to cut actual wood! :D that made me proud. BUT, that also made .my hand look dry and disgusting, but it's okay- (yad batani sympotoms as fa6oom R says)

.great experience so far- yet too quiet, I miss the loud people at my uni!

.ah the weekend, how I miss my sleeping habits.

Thoughts about the reading assignment:

Very chemistry and physics related! o_O (kinetic energy? stress, strain? elasticity?)

Reading to be continued this weekend inshallah!

Pictures show process of building a box- enjoy!

Internship_DayTwo

Starting time: 8.15 A.M

Lab coat - check

Ruler - check

Utility Knife - check

Rest of materials available at the workshop.

Today's Objectives:

1-See examples of handmade book covers and imitate them.

2-Read and translate the handout given to gain a bigger knowledge in book binding, boxing and packaging

3-Have at lease one model done completely by hand with no help AT ALL!

Today's Outcome:

I just realized the mistakes I've done back in VCUQ when I had to do a book cover for my portfolio. I've learned how to do it clean and well crafted.

Got more comfortable cleaning the edges of a leather piece for a book cover.

Got more comfortable using the different tools of the basic book binding..

Today's Thoughts (very productive)

Back pains make me proud and reminds me of the good old days of freshmen year when everything was done by hand. Oh how I miss it!

Very craft oriented which is eaxactly what I'm looking for.

Finally, another place that allows you to be an OCD (just like in VCUQ)- every millimeter counts and every time you apply white glue counts. 

Very very quite...MUST get iPod next time + update iPod list

LOVES the nescafe they serve, so very tasty.

Detail pictures and steps are available, feel free to ask me anytime! :D

Photos:

Bottom - workshop

Top - final product of the day. :D

Internship_DayOne

Starting time, 7:45

Learning objectives:
1-Basic materials/tools of book binding + packaging.
2-Fixing/rebuilding an old book,. This includes fixing the spine, cover, binding..etc all by hands!

Activities:
-Tour around the library + getting to know the place
.Observing book and package samples
.Watched several video clips of how to fix/rebuild/clean an old book without losing its original essence
.Discussion about book binding, basic materials and tools.

Thoughts:
.Very quiet place all I hear is the footsteps of some workers and the air condition + the video I'm watching now.
.Nescafe tastes really good.
.Unbelievable book collection, very inspiring.
.It feels weird to work in a place where you have no idea who is who! :S

.It's freezing! brrr

Mistakes:
Left the volume up without noticing...someone came and told me to keep quiet...how embarrassing! :/

Observation photos:

LifeStories01

Hello there
Haven't updated my blog since forever!
summer started already, but I've been running here and there to get some paper work done for the summer courses I'm taking at VCUQ and VCU Richmond! I've been also busy looking around for an internship...and luckily, I have found one! :D really excited!
I made a promise to myself to blog my internship work...because it will be one of a kind! more craft oriented this time...which is what I REALLY need right now!
anyways enough with the school/work talk...
I've been to Enriques concert yesterday, NOT A BIG FAN...but I enjoyed it! :D I hope they get to bring Coldplay or Radiohead for my next year's graduation!
enjoy the photographs:

I've been experimenting with layout!

and these are my final decision! :D (I have a final decision finally!)

note: each life style has a master page!

concept: Menial jobs make big difference

my idea was to show a sequence of images of what those five different life styles go through everyday...I also treated each spread as a screen...so it wouldn't be static images and text only!

so each spread will continue the next spread > the idea of active jobs, movements...of those lifestyles!

I hope that makes sense to you -_-

here's how my final decision layout >

haven't updated for ages :( I've never been THAT lost in the whole history of me being at VCUQ :P...but it's okay, I'm trying to keep up! "just stay positive" as fatoom alremaihi says! :D

so today we went to AlDoha printing press...

we saw the whole process of printing a book, poster, bussiness cards ... etc

printing main stages:

pre-press (color proof..etc)

printing (films, plates...etc)

post-press (binding, stitching, uv, lamination...etc)

pictures are NOT in order!!!

from left: mold of an envelope (folding and cutting)>uv exposed to sensitive plate to transfer artwork from film to plate>film transfered to plate> guy showing us how the 70x100mm sheet works when printing>pre-press, color proofing.

Project2_TypeWorkshop

We were in DESPERATE need for a type workshop! so Pornprapha decided to give us a basic typography workshop.
We were asked to replace simple shapes (square, line and dots) with type, without losing the essence of the shape. We had to conceder negative, positive space, composition, layout...etc

Project2_Catalogue_Process

Okay so...based on the lifestyles I have, I decided to have a theme or a concept for my catalogue. So I started figuring out the form of the catalogue based on my concept, that is, an informative catalogue of the different lifestyles in a factory.
My form is basically a one piece poster that folds into a catalogue.
I have built my grid based on the form itself >>
NOTE: form is pinned on the pin board behind my desk if you're interested! ;P
The next step was to build a grid for each unite of the folds that works as a one piece fold by itself and that works as a whole.
so composition by itself and a composition that works as a whole.
AND THEN...I chose a typeface for the title, captions discriptions...etc, basically created a system that is based on my concept
AGAIN...system sheet is pinned on the wall behind my desk if you're interested.

WEDNESDAY'S CLASS UPDATE (11.03.09): Start all over again...PAY ATTENTION TO HOW you organize your items, the images style. PAY ATTENTION to the system. WHERE THINGS go exactly! FORM CAN COME NEXT, it's more important for US to concentrate on organizing the information or the system.

NEXT STEP:
Start over again...build up my grid for a spread, have a size...build the whole system again. MONDAY MUST: have ONE LIFESTYLE COMPLETED COMPLETLY!!! as if you're handing it in.

Project2_Catalogue_MiniResearch

This is a series of ads that I found when Pornprapha asked us to do some visual research of different catalogues.
Pre-Icograda research ;)

This is just a simple research I did of how the basic catalogue layouts works. (where do the page numbers, information and images go) and how the user understands the information!

NOTE: If you want to see these ads in details come by our studio, it's pinned behind my desk directly!

Project2_Catalogue_JustAThought

Like most of you, I have started brainstorming each life style and I kind of have a concept for all five styles. The problem is, I get so lost in the details...to me a catalgue is all about details...! size, materials, colors, function...etc! I'm a person who loves adding all kind of details, but do I really need to include all that? what are the things that I should include? What do my audience need to know exactly? 

I have been looking through real catalogues and most of them have NO details. It's always about how it looks and the price...to me, this isn't enough! I need to know more! 

UPCOMING PROCESS: list down what I REALLY want to include according to the concept that I have > build a layout for the catalogue > figure out the format of the catalogue according to the concept.

NOTICE: sketches and catalogue research images will be uploaded to the blog this sunday! my home scanner is from the stone age! -_-~

PROCESS UPDATE (2:00 PM), is it possible to concentrate on one thing from each life style but have it in details? I think I need to find a common thing between all five life styles and connect that with my found concept...! hmm!

Project2_Catalogue_Sketches/a

Chosen lifestyles after analyzing the flickr group photos:
1-Truck Driver
2-Secretary (Office user)
3-Athlete
4-Housewife
5-Adventurer

Sketches:
Done in details, focusing in color, size, material, function, size, priority and importance.

NOTE: these are only screen shots, for details...come by our studio class, it's pinned on the wall!

Design Event Article.

Sunday's design event at VCUQ was mentioned in the Gulf-Times:

Fa6oom...you're in that article too! :D click here

Project2_Catalogue_ThumbnailFlickrUpload

All hundred photos are uploaded to my flickr and to our flickr group.
NOTICE: all uploaded images are in .jpeg NOT .tiff due to the limited space flickr provides.
All orginal images will be available in our classroom's mac by next sunday!

enjoy the rest of the weekend (;

Project2_Catalogue_MyThumbnail

thumbnail sheet will be distributed to you this sunday! if you don't get a copy please let me know or come by my little corner!

I can't upload all of my pictures to flickr, I used all of the space already. I will have them on our classroom's mac just as Reem suggested. I might resize them and make them a bit smaller for my flickr account.

Have a great weekend!

Project2_Catalogue_GroupWorkshop

First we decided that all of our images are related to people in general. So our main category was people. From there, we divided it into four main categories, which are=house, technology, clothing and food. Our criteria for these categories was that they are the essentials for living. 

Categories in details:

1-House

-Bathroom:

Tissues

Toothbrush

-Lights

-Furniture

Couches

-Kitchen

Mugs

Dustbins

-Facade

-Doors

-Office

Stationary

Boxes

Pens/Pencils

2-Food

-Sweets

-Italian

3-Clothing

-Shirts

-Shoes

-Uniforms

-Accessories

Jewelry

Watches

Glasses

Handbags

4-Technology

-Transportation

Cars

Car keys

Accessories

Trucks

One Bicycle

- Phones

-IPods

-Laptops

Project2_Catalogue_InClassNotes/a

In-Class notes:

-Experimentation leads to final products
-Subtle differences make a difference
-IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS, what make each different (brand, function, size, color...etc)
-Have a category (cars) and a subcategory (sports car) and maybe you can have a sub-sub category of that!

Next Class goals:-Create diversity.
-Analyze.
-Image Quality (reshoot some photographs if not satisfied, or replace)
-COMPLETE and organized.
One last note: PAY ATTENTION to INDIVIDUALITY and LIFESTYLES.

Project2_Catalogue_ProjectBrief

04.02.09_wednesday

Project.02_Brief

Duration_five to four weeks

end product is = catalogue (DO NOT THINK OF THE LAYOUT, SIZE and THE FINAL PRODUCT yet_this will be developed as you do your research)

People have different lifestyles and different needs-clothes, food, transportation...etc, our mission as designers is to observe all that by taking as many photographs as we can of what we see around us. We should also think of the possibilities and the choices that are offered and seen around us.

Mission: take photographs of 10 different categories_five are provided by the instructors and the other five is up to your imagination_go as crazy and wild as you can.

ARTIFACTS:

01.clothes

02.cars

03.food

04.furniture

05.phones

06.your choice

07.your choice

08.your choice

09.your choice

10. your choice

tips: think of VRIETY, think of CHOICES, think of OPTIONS, think of AUDIENCE, you will develop a concept as soon as you observe and collect the things around you.

DO NOT take pictures of people or things that are easy for you to reach (your friends, your car...etc) be as open as you can.

when printing the photographs: make sure it's 300 dpi, CMYK and .tiff format.

have fun and good luck to you all.

due this monday_images cut of each category 8cm x 8cm at 8.00 am exactly, NO DELAYS!

Project1_Calendar_Final

Critique 02.02.09

-don't be stuck with a straight grid.

- it's overwhelming

- a little too tiny

-play around with the size, make it a poster size or something that can be hanged on the wall and kept as a memory (which i did before, but turned out to be gigantic)

-not re-doing my work. but I will keep in mind these comments for the upcoming projects!