Down Is The New Up

one minute

2008-10-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

it's been a while, hasn't it? what can i say...i've been busy?! anyway, i've been having lots of thoughts in my mind lately, to which of course you'd question, when have I ever been out of thoughts. i think i've got everything wrong and now i have to reprogram my way of thinking. or maybe it's just me evolving. will never find out but for now i believe i have a change in the way i think. no i'm not conforming with pop culture, i remain a non-conforminst and leftist. i cannot really explain what it is but i do know that something's different. god this is becoming a rant blog. well so be it, i shall rant as i want. so fucking sue me if you want to, not that you'd be stupid enough to waste the money or dumb enough to say anything about it. cheers lots for allowing me to waste a minute of your life as you read this.

BrokeBack indeed.

2008-07-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

My poor back has broken! Finally done with web design. Odd to say that my ability to sell has saved me from flunking this subject. Well, i guess in this case, saved by the "mouth" is a rather appropriate term. Nevertheless, this is something I have to say now. I had no interest whatsoever in what I did. Seri Malaysia might not have been as bad as doing some water filter but still, I had zero interest in it. Being me, the thick-headed bastard that I am, I never ever excel in what I dislike. I can crawl my way through but I will not excel in it. What can I say? I'm a person driven by passion. Life means nothing with no passion. If I really had a choice (which we don't in real life), I would rather revamp Guinness/Epiphone/Gallery Petronas website. It's something I believe in, Art, music and of course, Stout!! I lurve zee' Stout! God I can't remember the last time I had a nice, cold pint of Guinness in good ol' fashion British pub.
I am excited about one thing. Desig[nerd]s. I see potential in it. We had our first meeting earlier, although I was mostly working at the time on Audition CS3, I heard what they were discussing about. Frankly, I think it's too in the box. I mean there is more than enough design websites out there that look like a 'blog'. In fact, most of them don't even need a domain name to start a blog. But then again, I'm not project manager so be it. Desig[nerd]s could be THE portal for indie designers and aspiring designers everywhere. To just target students is undermining the capability of the web. We're taught WEB2.0 for a reason. To let the users decide for themselves what is best, what they want and how they want it. To be able to create not just a site giving information freely available everywhere else, but the ultimate goal should be the birth of a portal with community of designers aiming to promote good design. Just getiing traffic is not good enough, we have to anaylse the data and know who's reading us. Who comes and goes and who comes back. With that information, we can learn to improve our site and target specific needs. (God I do sound like I'm fucking pitching a project). I believe in desig[nerd]s, I hope that Chen can see what this domain is capable of doing and what desig[nerd]s is capable of becoming. Enough portfolio sites that are just saying 'hello this is me, hire me pls' or design blogs that go 'look, this is interesting'. It should be shouting 'here we are, you're loser if you don't hire us' or 'whatever you think design is, it's not until you've checked this design out!'. That will be the only thing that would make desig[nerd]s stand out. That would be the concept. the big idea. Saying that 'We are IT and if you're not apart of it, you are behind us'. God, I'm pitching to the web am i not?! I'd be pulling strings now if I was behind the wheel. Get some mates that work in the IT industry to chip in and some mates back in jpn to collaborate.Desig[nerd]s are it, everything else is shit! Damn, we're the revolution that's been slowly cooking since day one. That's desig[nerd]s should be doing! Sure it has to start somewhere, so a blog would do for now. True, a step is a step regardless of how big or small it is. I hope that my peers realise the potential of desig[nerd]s and how it can possibly change the trend of sites promoting student work/good design.
Grac tells me that every one needs a starting point before they leave the nest and be truly great. If this is my starting point then so be it. I don't expect my peers to understand why certain projects are so important to me and why I'm hardly bothered by others. I've decided to do One Flag by myself, I see very little interest in it from the rest so I'm going on this alone. I believe in it. Maybe my ideas are too radical and I'm some kind of a hippie/rebel incarnate, but as long as I find purpose in what I believe, it will be enough to sustain me long enough for me to go on until the deed is done. Even if it breaks my back. I've always believed that some partnerships last forever. They do when they think alike. So until that partner in art/design/belief (besides the Goddess) comes along, these ideals I have in my mind will have to wait. I don't know why I do what I do. I hate commercialism, yet I seem to be good at it. Well, let's see if Advance Web can prove me wrong. So it's a bloody campaign. Well you know what, fuck it. Show me what you've got, and maybe I'll give you a run for your money. Campaigns are not easy. However, as long as you know your enemy well enough to know to hit where it hurts (or in this case, encoI durage them to buy and consume), half the battle is won! Call me silly but I think somewhere inside my mind, a campaign has already begun. Not to sell and to consume, but it's slowly brewing into something I dare not even mention. Bryan, Rin and David...this is where i need you guys.

(p.s - eugene, thanks for the shellshock experience. probably the closest thing to a war I've ever experienced. go watch brokeback mountain, it might change your perception on folks with a broken back. nothing is as it seems. seeing may not lead to believing, believing may not lead to the truth. decide for youself. )

形状

2008-07-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

This is my photography submission. Camera and tripod over
mouse and wacom...ANY given day. I love my mac, I really do...
but I love my camera more. This is the first set, I have more.
Been told to work on my flow.Honestly, I don't see the big deal
but if Meng says it's important, who am I to argue with her.
I am going to revive my photoblog.Maybe the web/flash
knowledge will do me some good afterall.

Art Rant

2008-07-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a while. Life has not been tough but assignments are. This blog is fast becoming my rant blog rather than my assignment blog. If you really must know, I think everything I've done so far is crap. Why is it crap? Because it was nothing more than just work with no soul and less passion. I'd give up my mouse and wacom for a camera and tripod on any given day. It makes me want to travel even more. I'm so looking forward to August as the missus will be heading down south to Singapore and later up north to Vietnam. I'm planning to compile all my photographs and hopefully revive my old photoblog, maybe even get a site set up. Truth be told, I'm no designer. Never felt like one. Rather be an artist and fuck the rest of them. Call me pretentious, call me a snob maybe even something worse; I make no apologies for what I think and how I feel. Maybe I have an artist complex; but art and literature will always be an important part of my life.

Web Design II

2008-06-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

This is it...please spare me no details and mistakes. I'd rather get them wrong in advance.

Much ado about the future...

2008-06-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

After an interesting web design class last Thursday (courtesy of Chong/Joanne), I've been pondering about the future of Multimedia industry in Malaysia. No doubt the industry is growing and is probably has world class standards. Nevertheless, I often find it very bleak and disheartening. I don't see how this industry is going to continue growing when all that ever really happens at the beginning of every industry is a few ppl making their million and just peg out in retirement. Production houses start out trying to be different, when they realise that Malaysians don't like 'different' they switch back the industry 'standard'. Designers don't get paid enough, and mostly overworked while their bosses flaunt their new 'toy' car of the month somewhere on the Heritage Row. It sounds like a stereotypical view of the situation and many may deny this but you know that for every design house that does NOT practice this 'stereotype' there are five more out there somewhere which does. It may the reason why many experienced designers resolve to teaching as being able to do what they love and get paid equally for the amount of work they do. Am not trying to make an assumption, more of a guess. It's always about who has the most brilliant flash site or who has more kung fu in motion graphics. Make no mistake, I love motion graphics...I think it rocks the most; compared to Web, Animation and Flash(sorry Hazmer). However I've always been drawn to one area which has fuck all to do with multimedia except the putting-it-all-together-in-a-Mac part, it's album covers. Creating visuals for CD sleeves, putting visuals to music is just incredible. I've always been a sucker for album covers, probably the real reason why I actually go broke every month buying CDs. It's not always about the music, it's almost always about the excitement of unwrapping an album just to take out the sleeve and go through it inch by inch. Reading everything from lyrics to 'thank you's ; and of course browsing through whatever visuals one may find in it. It would be the ideal brief for me, making new album covers for all my favourite bands and some new ones. I find it exciting to try and listen to a piece of music and get a visual or an image in my head that represents that music. I used to illustrate how all the Radiohead albums would look like if Stanley Donwood wasn't into album covers. Of course I could always just dream. I have yet to put them into digital form as they are all just rough(and I mean very rough) sketches. I'd be fucked to be stuck in a long-hour desk job slaving away under a 'Cina-Beng' boss who probably isn't even properly qualified in the first place. If I were to be slaving, I'd rather slave under someone who has passion in what they do; not in how much authority they have over their employees. Beggars can't be choosers you cry, you're damn right. I'm not choosing; just wishful thinking. I would be stupid to think that just because one gets a job, it's something worth being grateful for. NO. Why should I be grateful to be in a position where I dread my work and be sleep deprived so that my boss gets the fucking credit. I don't know what the future holds, but one thing I know; it does NOT involve doing something against my ethical opinions. And I stand by that.

Executive Summary

2008-06-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

Seri Malaysia Hotels is well known for its strategic locations and also its
reasonable rates. They have not only have resorts near beaches but also hotels
near the city and in main tourist attraction areas.Their main target audience
is non other than local Malaysians travellers with family as their main focus.
However, their current website is doing them very little justice and it may
appear to many as nothing more than a budget hotel.Although the website does
get an update from time to time, the job is done very poorly with no hierachy
at all. No only is the colour scheme of the website poorly conceived, the pages
load at a snail's pace as the website seems to reload the entire page instead
of only the important updates.

The proposal is to give Seri Malaysia not only a facelift but to rebrand it
and set its target to another group of potential clients; namely foreign tourists.
Currently there may already be a small number of tourists that choose to stay
in Seri Malaysia. If they were to expand just a little bit more and include
many foreign budget travellers, not only would it increase activity within the
vicinity of the hotel but also increase tourism.

In order to accommodate this goal, the site must be revamped into something
modern but also 'Malaysian' so tourists will be able to experience Malaysian
hospitality. This would also encourage many of our local tourists who have yet
to experience it themselves. Also in addition to that, the site should also
feature an online reservation option for users interested as it will accessible
not only to local users but more importantly, foreign users.

Websites with Good Typography

2008-06-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

This is something rather difficult to find. Nevertheless, managed to get some after going through literally hundreds of sites. Here are my choices.

The History Boys.

I find this website to be simple and straight-forward. The font and size was suitable, plus the colour was not too outstanding. It was comfortable to read and the colour scheme blended well. A fully flash website, the navigation was a breeze although the audio can be a bit overwhelming.

This Is England.

The next website is also a film official site. The colour scheme is bright as it follows the colour of the Union Jack and it gives one a sense of nationalism. Fonts are suitable to the mood of the site and easy to read. Navigation is simple and more options for user to control the audio. Only downside is the long loading time.

My Summer Of Love.

I'm wow'ed by the website. The combination of sketch illustrations and photos gave this website an edge above others. The colour scheme was well balanced and the fonts blend in nicely. The navigation is simple and well planned and the columns well arranged. My favourite site so far.

RedNoise.

This is a website of a graphic design company. There is minimal typo but as far as good design is concerned, this website is the perfect example of a minimalist approach. Everything is done well and well considered. White coloured fonts are not the most common but in this case, it is a good example.

Design Can Change.

This is yet another good example of how a website can be simple and sleek. The hierarchy is clearly stated and very user-friendly. Good visuals and simple navigation; it gives the right impact on its users and gets the message across.

Competitor Web Analysis

2008-05-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

Here is my analysis of my competitors for Seri Malaysia Hotels. I recently found out that Seri Malaysia is STILL a budget hotel despite what I've read in certain travel magazines online. However, I think I can make good use of its 'budget' fame and upgrade them to at least a three star status. So what I'm analysing now are potential competitors and how Seri Malaysia can launch themselves into the game with their advantages.

First competitor I'm analysing is Swiss-Inn. It's been known to be a backpackers' luxury hotel because of it's location in Chinatown and the facilities it offers compared to all the surrounding guesthouses and backpackers lounges. Its main target audience is of course backpackers but it is only applicable within Chinatown, because Swiss Inn does have another branch in Sungai Petani, Kedah and this is mainly targeted towards tourists foreign and local comprising of families. The main advantage on it has besides being a part of Swiss Garden International Hotels, is that it offers a wide range of facilities and is strategically located. The price range is well within three star rates and both branches also offer seminar/banquet packages at a reasonable price. However, Swiss Inn may have some difficulties with the lack of space as Chinatown can be a very crowded area and it may be easily mistaken as a motel instead. It does not look exclusive enough and may need to stand out more. The website is fairly simple and straightforward. Online reservation section is up and running well and I like that it includes a visual calender as it is helpful. Corporate branding is not distinctive enough as usage of corporate colours are limited. However the logo of the company is widely seen throughout the site.

The second competitor also comes from a well known established chain of hotels. Hotel Capitol is located in within the Golden Triangle but is still regarded as a three star hotel. It is perhaps the most exclusive looking of the lot and most convenient in terms of transport. The main target audience are foreign tourists that are looking for a short trip of a few days within the capital city and business travellers. Advantages include a very good location in the heart of KL with everything within walking distance. Offering not only good service but also good restaurants and a great view. Disadvantages may just be the price as it may be a bit too pricy for a three star hotel. The website is nicely done and the exclusiveness of the hotel is reflected well through the website itself. On top of offering the user the option to reserve a booking online, the contact page has all the information needed to get a booking with a dial. It has information on all of the hotels under the parent company Federal Hotels International.

The last but not least of our list is a newcomer, Tune Hotels. For those of us who are familiar with AirAsia, you will be delighted (or not) to know that Tune Hotels is the other half of it. Only recently having opened two branches, KL and Kota Kinabalu, Tune Hotels is planning to sweep over its rivals and is set on appearing on top. Its main target audiences are both local and foreign tourists and in my opinion, backpackers. More so than business travellers. Its advantages are low prices for 5 star services or so it claims. Its ultimate advantage includes allowing the guests to choose what to pay for and what NOT to pay for. This includes deciding NOT to use the toilet rolls (for example) and guests will not be charged for it, also the option to choose a fan room for the option of a lower price. Which is of course unheard of previously for hotels. Disadvantage; non-standardized rates for rooms which could prove to be frustrating. Tune Hotels are front runners for online booking to get the best rates, therefore it can be disappointing to know that you paid more than your neighbour just by a short of a few minutes or hours. The website is a bit too commercial for me, in fact it looked almost exactly like AirAsia's site. The corporate colour is seen everywhere; its navigations and banner s soaked with it. Otherwise, fairly informative and simple site to navigate.

Corporate Website Analysis

2008-05-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

This assignment is late (as usual). Only received information that I needed to do the analysis earlier this afternoon. I have no idea what I'll be doing for corporate but I assume it's the last piece of shite corporation left. Hence, for this analysis I will do what I like and it is always about music. In this case, musical instruments mainly the electric guitar. I did some analysis on three different brands of guitar makers and here are the findings.

First website I'm going to review is Epiphone. For those of you who do not know, Epiphone is the sister company of Gibson Guitars. Anyway, the website is mainly aimed at promoting it's products as well as informing customers constantly with news and releases.The design for the website is simple and straight forward. The main display contains links when the product on display is clicked. It will result in a pop up window displaying information about the product. The main navigation is located on the bottom of the site. The products navigation menu is located on the right side. The products navigation resembles a drop down menu but strictly html based. There are also some GIF banners(link) below the products collection, these are mainly to promote its artist range and special releases. Clicking the banners will result in new window bringing the user to a micro site promoting the a certain range/product. In the example below, it is the Slash signature series. The micro site is completely flash based in contrast to its parent site. I find the site easy to navigate and it loads really quick. Although I'm not too impressed that the main info is stuck onto the top left of my browser window, nevertheless this is a simple design and may come off as boring.

The next site I'm reviewing is ESP Guitars. The main page's grid system is well managed with the main navigation menu located at the top of the page. Below the navigation bar, is a flash application running different pictures at random; each leading the user to the designated page as it is clicked. Below this flash app is three separate columns each presenting the latest product, featured artist and latest news. The left side has small banners that will open a pop up window leading to a micro site. As one proceeds to the products page, the columns are replaced by rows with tables fitted in with pictures of artists and their signature guitars. Another row below the aritst series reveals all other ranges and series available in a similar table system. As an item is clicked, it will display the guitar on the right column as it's specifications are displayed on the left column. Note that there are also bread crumbs on just above the displayed product for users to find their way easily. I personally prefer this layout to the previous one as this looked well organised and the information well managed.

The last site I'm reviewing is none other than Fender. This is probably the most famous brand because of its reputation and popularity with many well known guitarists. At first glance, the site looks pretty impressive with its background image changing with every new page visited. The main navigation menu is also located on top of the site and below it is a flash application constantly rotating between different apps. The site has a good combination of flash and html applications. As user proceeds to the products page, it brings out a separate navigation menu below the main one, providing users the option to switch between types of guitars and other accessories. Once a type of product is chosen, user is given further options on the left column as it displays the series and ranges available. I like the fact that Fender also provides users with a search bar, allowing the user more convenience to get straight to what they want. The guitar models are displayed on the right column with all of its specifications. I think this site can be a little over the top but the navigations were the easiest and most user friendly. Especially if you know what you're looking for.

Website Layout

2008-03-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

After so many different thoughts, doing and redoing, thinking and rethinking...my layout is finally born! Behold, world...I giveth thee, the summerlounge main page!!

OK, so it's not that big a deal...but at least I've got something solid to proceed on. Also just bought a really nice set of bar equipments. It's not exactly cheap but a bargain for the amount of items I'm getting. It's the full monty...(actually minus the stirrer and glassware) but nevertheless, all your base are belong to us!! *Hint: if you do not know what the phrase meant, be sure to google it up and try gaming for a change.*

Cheers,
Chris.

La Blogotheque

2008-03-16T02:20:00.000-07:00

This is a random post about something I love and I'd like to share it. This site is a French blogsite called 'La Blogotheque' and is the brainchild of Vincent Moon. If you don't know who Vincent Moon is well, to be honest I'm not too sure myself but what he came up with in a blog is ingenious. This blog is about him as a video/production director shooting bands (indie and well known) in the most bizarre and interesting places one can think of. It is what he calls 'A Take Away Show'. Bands play live wherever they are placed and Mr Moon, shoots it on set as the band is performing as well. The location ranges from live street performances to wine cellars and even rooftops. These videos are a few of my favourites. Locations are odd but I love it so do enjoy it.

Cheer,
Chris.

Navigation Analysis

2008-03-16T00:30:00.000-07:00

First off, this is such a belated post. Don't mean to screw up but I guess life goes on for the rest of us who are under-inspired. I'm going to analyse a two of my favourite sites. First one is a production company called Nexus Productions.

I love the loading page. It's a small animation of different coloured bars moving up and down, which reminds me of Guitar Hero that we get in game centers where we have to follow the colours and beat of the music.

It's simple and interesting really. Minimalism with a touch of colour. I don't know why but I seem happy to visit this site again and again just to watch the loading process.Call me nuts if you must. This is how the main page looks like once the loading process is over and done with. The navigation is simple and straight forward. The different coloured bold lines make up the navigation bar, just by a hovering of your mouse cursor will result in the types bouncing about(did I mention I was happy to visit this site?) The first thing we see are the rollcall of directors that work for the production company.I have taken a screenshot of how the individual directors portfolio site looks like.

Users can of course browse through the works of all the directors and many of the works are brilliant! The page being displayed at the bottom is under the 'who we are' option. The brilliant part of this page is how the the two horizontal line in green will scroll left/right according to how one's mouse cursor moves. A slight contrast to how the rest of the site's navigation and transition has been mostly vertical, the horizontal scrolling provides a tiny surprise.

It's a joy to visit this site, plus I love a lot of the works posted on directors portfolio's. It's really simple and creative, am now tempted to paint my room in different muted colours.

The second site I'm going to review about is the website of one of my favourite bands. You might have seen the previous grd system review I did on this band, it is none other than Arcade Fire.

This is the starting page that allows the user to navigate to numerous other sites that are associated with the band including fansites, merchandise and ticket sales. You would also notice that the Neon Bible website is also listed in it as it was probably more popular that the band website.

This is what the user sees after having clicked at the band site option. It's interesting form of navigation as the world rotates at the click of a name listed or even the left and right buttons. The user's mouse cursor plays an important role as many of the interactions require mouse activity including click,drag and even hovering movements. On the lower portion of the site is an icon with a title of each individual band member's own little blog/page. Not only are the icons different but the interaction area also rotates and changes according to the user's choice.Navigation is simple although it does take a little bit of time to locate certain buttons, it's fairly easy to navigate around.

The art direction for this site is brilliant. It blends the ornamental design with the typeface really well. Although at first glance the site looks a little dull, with the amount of interactions waiting to be discovered, it balances the site well.

new idea

2008-03-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about it for some time. I got a new idea built from a similar concept (after all the feedback I got from Jo and SK), to hell with vector. Too much work, too little time. So here is what I'm proposing. Index.html will start of with the front of the house, welcome/intro and the floor plan as main navigation button. As users click on where they aim to go the tabs will bring them to a different section of the house, thus exploring the place as if one was really attending a summer party. I figured it would fit in well with the concept of a DIY guide to home summer parties. Where am I going to get these crazy pics? LOL I came across this luxury mansion up for rent in Kona, Hawaii. It's like everyone's dream beach house with all high res pics of every square inch of the house and pool. Don't know how else to explain it but have sketches and all the pics with the website as well. This really is a wicked mansion...I don't want to live there for good but I certainly would like to stay a week or two. :)

Here's the link:- http://www.lakohouse.com/highe.html

Cheers.

MarthaSteward VS Delight

2008-02-25T13:06:00.000-08:00

At first glance, one can barely tell the difference of both sides.They both either hired the same designer/company
to design their sites or did it from a 'do-it-yourself-website' book. Reason being, these designs are clearly a template
of some kind. Main banner on top equipped with navigation bars and also links in different categories on the right
hand side. Later a flash picture/movie/slide and different updates with pictures carefully tucked below the main
slide.

Next, a click on the navigation bar brings us to a new different setting (on MarthaSteward's website) whereas
Delight.com remains the same as their main page. MarthaSteward.com immediately introduces a slightly
different approach of layout of the site to its users with the previously right side navigation link shifted to the
left side.

As the users continue to 'dig' into the site, one would discover that Delight.com is actually like a virtual shop/mall
with lots of different items and merchandise for sale, whereas MartheStewart.com resembles a information site
for home makers and curious users alike. Not only does it come with an online shopping option, but it also has
information on radio and television programmes hosted by Martha Stewart, providing clips and also schedules
for people who follow her programme.

I personally prefer MarthaStewart.com because of it's informative site and also providing users a variety of media
such as photo galleries and video galleries as well. I may not like being a home maker but this does do for some
interesting reading and good food to the curious mind.

NetDriver VS DeviantArt

2008-02-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

At first glance, it is pretty obvious that both websites are different. When on visits DeviantArt, the first thing
most users would see is a fabulous display of different artworks by random or featured artists. Whereas for
NetDriver.Net, users are greeted with a big banner on the top and more types than artworks. Both sites have
their navigations on top but areas for displays are cropped for NetDriver.net whereas DeviantArt's display
space expands according to the users display resolution.

As we move onto, we discover that DeviantArt is more of a portfolio site for different artists and creative
individuals to put up their artwork on display on the internet and if possible, sell them on DeviantArt site itself.
NetDriver is more of a blog styled site, requiring users to scroll down and browse articles and different featured
artists. This is because most of the information displayed are displayed according to date and the latest updates
are featured at the top of the site. Gallery browsing for both sites are similar.

Personally, I prefer NetDriver. Net due to its easy navigation and themes that are updated frequently.

r.i.p

2008-02-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

died.

Resting...NOT!

2008-02-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

The end is almost upon us...

TOA will be the death of me.

Red.

Black Days

2008-01-25T22:35:00.000-08:00

What a week! I've never been more stressed this year, of course I have been forewarned that matters will only go downward from now on. Tons of work (courtesy of TOA) and loads of mind boggling-skull crunching flash assignments to catch up with and the best part is...I'm so tempted to just walk out on it. Well, I was contemplating but the Goddess and my mom whipped me back into perspective so here I am in front of the Mac.Surely my hands have never hesitated to turn the Mac on in the past, now I find reasons NOT to turn it on without assignments starring at my face. OK, so you now know how Red tried to run away from her Mac. Nevertheless, I've been good in doing research though. I love research, I can spend hours doing it and feeling two percent smarter than I did before doing so. Many hours spent video googling looking for documentaries on history, politics, social matters, art, literature and music. If you ever need to spend time on the internet watching something, try GoogleVideo, it will help you find the rarest and most interesting video documentaries (and I mean documentaries because most of them can be over an hour long) ever, about anything. If I were to every work in a team, I will never loathe the research part. I'd plunge into the post!

Anyway...just wanted to rant a wee bit. Can't help it really...just felt like it. And for those of you who have enjoyed Arcade Fire's Neon Bible interactive site, you'd be delighted to know that they've released another. It's not as interactive but still interesting (from my humble point of view) and I even have a screen shot. So click on the Black Mirror and you'll see why. Here's a BIG peek of the site.

Cheers,
Red.

The BOX

2008-01-22T23:41:00.000-08:00

So far, the term has yet to show its claws; then again I'm feeling it scratching down me back. Anyway, here's an update so far of what's been going on. Typo is a go, just need a title design (which I'm fabricating from actual khmer alphabets) and have to start on my interface which was also approved. All I need now is a nice big book on flash and actionscript, so I can get the motion going. Seriously though, I'm trying not to panic on the flash side but can I help it, really? Next thing is of course, web design. OK..got my moodboard and art direction going just need more variety for my interface. Too safe, as usual, funny thing is I didn't think I was in a box to start off with. Then again, what do I know about boxes except the fact that I've been spending my days and nights in one (a.k.a my room). So I really need to get this one approved so I 'd better in the next few days. Next on the list, is my BIG IDEA. I've got two so far, so I still need another three. Sketches? Ain't even near that yet. Well, I'm off to somewhere later to think about it. Being stuck in my room isn't going to help but I guess I need a computer. So might ask my dad if I can get his. :P *Note to self: I NEED A LAPMAC.* Last but not the least, my watermelon seed website ; and the 'walk' . I have loads of crazy ideas for this one. Don't see the box there...LOL. Will post up soonish...I hate blogs really...but in a good way. It keeps me in check, but I loathe it every time I don't update it. Anyways, will see how it goes. Happy Thaipusam to all...

red.

RE:Update on 'If I were'

2008-01-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

Updates! Updates! After a two hour brainstorm session with the rest of the group outside the library earlier today, we've finally managed to redo everyone's ideas and redeveloped each others stories and ideas. It was a brain racking ordeal but am very pleased with the result. That goes without saying...of course towards the end of it, everyone was tired. So we've some how developed a rough system on how we'd go about doing it next time. So...here are the updates on the story and how I've finally up with a concept. It'd totally different from what I had in mind before but I'm up for change and in search of stuffs for my moodboard.

RE:Story

Story hasn't changed in general but just a few minor details reaffirmed here and there. The group of elite soldiers has officially been renamed either 'Black Noise'. It is the opposite of White Noise, which is a combination of every frequency; Black Noise is out to silence them and create an underground movement that will flaw the plans of Securico to take full control of the world. Instead of destroying radio stations, 'Black Noise' will now hijack Securico controlled radio antennas and broadcast stations, intercepting transmission whilst releasing Black Noise's own broadcast on hijacked frequencies. The concept on the website before this was rather wishy washy. But after a few thoughts and feedbacks, the website would be a Captain/Leader's personal log on missions and objectives rather than a recruitment site. It will list down all successful and incomplete missions, location of specific targets and a communication ground for all soldiers of Black Noise. Will soon release moodboard pictures as soon as I can think more about it...

So giveth thy opinions on storyline change and whether or not 'Black Noise' is a suitable name. Cheers in advance!

Red.

If I were a... 'Soldier'

2008-01-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

The year is 2130 AD, the world has gone to hell and hell has frozen over. It had been almost a century since
World War III started and ended, peace treaties were signed and once again the world was at peace. Not only
were people living a common life, they were also slowly being controlled by a common government. No longer
were there countries and nationalities, even music was standardized and everyone listened to the same crap.
There were no more need for people to protect themselves. The Securico Forces (Policing Force) are well
equipped and trained, plus there hasn't been a major crime in the last 6 decades. That is of course until I came
along. I am the head of a group of rebel soldiers named 'Black Reckoners'. Our mission is to eliminate all
radio stations and record companies producing 'standardized music' which appears to be brainwashing common
people into giving the government more power. We operate under strict surveillance by Securico who has been
secretly planning to crush our tact forces. The type of music we eliminate ranges from Pop to Hip-Hop to Techno
because these are the only genres approved by the government. We also secretly transmit radio frequencies to
many of our fellow listeners illegally to be able to communicate to other rebel soldiers from around the globe.

It's a wee bit silly I know, but too much radio listening has done enough damage to my mind
and my sanity and basically I've had enough! So thanks and thanks again.

Red.

Website Analysis

2008-01-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

So here goes the web analysis. It was a pain in the arse to do because the connection was so
damn slow and I had to wait so long for the pages to load. Still the first website is a interactive
music page by the band, Arcade Fire.

The purpose of the website was purely to promote their single 'Neon Bible' of their second
album 'The Neon Bible'. Not only could the visitors listen to the single but it keeps the user
interested by allowing the mouse to trigger actions as it rolls over the hands of the singer. It
seems that users are free to roll over and click as they please which encourages a high level of
interactivity. The grid system used is pretty simple and most of the attention are gathered
towards the centre of the site as such below.

The second website analysis is about another band called Editors.

The reason why I chose this website as my second option for analysis is because the grids used
are common amongst many band websites. Although to some it may be a rather boring layout
but I think works very well for users. Reason behind this is due to the nature of the users that
come and visit band websites in general look for systematic grids so that whatever information
they seek about the band is easily accessible. I would say that it may not be very creative but
this combination works for this website.

The third website is a favourite of mine. It's a spinoff from the original Uniqlo Store. This is
called the Uniqlo UT.

The Uniqlo UT website is mainly used to display the variety of T-shirts that Uniqlo has in their
special UT range. The website features a numerous models/customers buying and modelling
their purchase at the UT shop in Ginza (shopping district). The grid system used is once again
fairly straight forward and the main aim of this website is to display all their products in an
orderly manner and I think this grid system has managed to achieve its purpose. Not only does
this website has an archive of all its previous range of photos, it is also user friendly and easy
to navigate oneself about even if one does not understand the language.

Power Out!

2008-01-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

So I have been told that the fonts are too small and the width is too wide! OK, I will try my best to 'suit' your comments but until I figure out 'what the fuck' is going on, you will have to bear with me. So Digital Media II was fun! I meant it was funny, cause we had a pretty cool lecturer. I have NO IDEA why we have four different tutors, apart from two repeat students who look like they came from the wrong side of 'Halloween Town'. You know who you are , so I shall spare the names for everyone's sake. Nevertheless, if you thought xHTML was torturing...ActionScript officially kills! To be fair, I've actually taken HTML and C+ programming during my first year inShobi Gakuen. God, how time just flies by. I can't believe it's been almost a year and a half since I left Tokyo. Oh how I love the freedom it brings and loathe the loneliness it harbours when I was there. Yes, I have a love hate relationship with Tokyo. Anyway, back to the current topic at hand – xHTML and ActionScript. So help me god if I should fail these two subjects! Meaning this should either be easy or downright frustrating for me, have been told that there are similarities and differences depending on the execution method. So we shall see how it goes and hopefully I will be able to perform as good as I was before, if not better!

Another item worth noting...the 'Goddess' has reestablished her internet connection!! Praise be the gods of the Digital World! Rekindling has never been this much exciting! *Laughs* Still, it went well and we had fun going through each other's iTunes playlist. Geeks, we are . As a matter of fact, I'm dead proud to be geeky. We rule the world, the rest are too busy trying to keep up! All you 'non-geeky' people beware, you shall be run over!

"What's the plan?
Is it a dream? Is it a lie?
I think I'll let you decide.
Just light a candle for the kids,
Jesus Christ don't keep it hid!
Cause nothin's hid, from us kids!
You ain't foolin' nobody with the lights out!

And the power's out in the heart of man,
Take it from your heart put in your hand.
And there's something wrong in the heart of man,
You take it from your heart and put it in your hand!"

- Arcade Fire -

Cheers,
Red

Ladies & Gentlemen

2008-01-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

Just in case you didn't know, this is my 7th blog to date. Reasons behind this blogging frenzy is due to my inability to focus on one blog at a time, yes my attention span is somewhat quite short. However I have remained with my photoblog all this while, for that I celebrate the minor victory. I've received a many odd looks as to my blog address, if you must know, I was inspired by Radiohead and this was the result. The title fits me, as my other half noted, am aiming to contradict stereotyping and labels. Nevertheless, this will be a blog for arty farty ranting, blabbering of ideas and various critiques on art/music/literature as I come across more stuff. Of course, for posting of assignments for Web Design I. Be warned that I spare neither gory details nor have mercy for bad taste, call me an elitist if you want, that is just the way I function best. The comment button and cbox are provided should you disagree with what I say, I welcome a little collision of ideas and opinions. However I see no need to thrust insults and venoms across the cyberspace, so if we disagree, then you must agree to 'disagree' with me as we are entitled to our own opinions. The point is not to force them through but to get them heard.

Cheers,
Red.

GEN:esis

2008-01-08T10:24:00.001-08:00

down is the new up