Thursday 28 October 2010

BEE Range

Just an example of how something so simple as colouring can transform products into a range. The black and yellow stripes are added to the simplest of everyday objects and I love how something so simple can bring the weirdest and sparsest object into unison. 

This is a good example of how to bring separate products into a range and will come in good use for when designing my own products. 






Wednesday 27 October 2010

Singledom - Existing Ideas

'Say It' T-Shirts' - say what you mean on your shirt for the ease of not having to tell EVERYONE to back off.

The fonts and designs of these products are pretty bad, however the under laying message is very relevant for my project. 










Voodoo Dolls - bring them pain without them knowing the cause.




















The above voodoo dolls are such a good and quirky idea however there is quite a lot of information put onto a tiny doll so thy look quite cluttered, maybe these dolls below would work better. With a little information on it is more appealing to look at.








Love/Hate Hearts - could they be personalised?














Body Hair - Men are known to hate hairy women.








Love decorations - cake and cream make everything better.




Thursday 14 October 2010

Ways To Scare Men Away


1) Those Three Little Words - I Love You - Whip them out about 5 minutes into his lame chat up line routine and he is sure to be making a quick exit.
2) Cracking Knuckles cracking open a beer bottle with your teeth, saying the names of everyone in the room with a belch and many other manly mannerisms.
3) Going Bridal - "oh you would make the perfect husband"
 4) Please be the father of my children!
5) My Ex was a Psycho/My Ex was the Greatest. Men hate competition.
6) High pitched/loud annoying voices.
7) Gold digger, at least be sly about it!
8) High maintenance - get then to apply your fake tan for you.
9) Aggressive, men want to protect you not see you punching the guy who just slapped your arse.
11) Flirt with everyone,  like stated above, men don't like competition they just get mad and jealous. 

Ways To Make Yourself Feel Gorgeous Without A Mans Input

Spritz yourself with a scent that you love to excite your senses


Treat yourself to a new hair cut, pedicure and manicure.


Keep smiling.

Things People Miss When They Are Not In A Relationship

Cuddles


Affection


Having someone there when ever you need


Someone to share Orange Wednesday's with


Having someone there that you can be really comfortable around


Having someone to text pointless things to

Type - Paragraphs

First of all we did a quick recap of last week, looking at hierarchy and how we read text...



This has been achieved by changing the font weight, positioning and size.


When advertising an event you need to know:
what it is 
where it is 
when it is and 
how much

You need to work out the hierarchy so the audience will read the advertisement right.

Paragraphs 

Copying text over into a given space.

You need to change the text size and leading to make it fit.



             



Change the size of the text and you need to change the leading to fit to the text box. Which is easiest and most pleasant to read though?..




The second column from the left is the most visually appealing and easy to read. The two right columns leading to too far spaced making the writing harder to read. 


12pt type has an automatic 14pt leading... set solid.
so
24pt type has an automatic 28pt leading.

Without para breaks and without indents text is harder to read. If the last line of a paragraph goes to the end of the line you can't tell there is a new paragraph starting on the next line because it looks like it is just the start of a new sentence. 

Three characters is the normal amount of indent at the start of a paragraph because three characters is the minimum amount of characters at the end of a sentence, so it is easier on the eye. 




You should NEVER indent AND para break!

Trying to make the text look as nice as possible I have increased the leading, added line spaces, change the weight of the font. Adding smooth transitions between texts makes it look more interesting whilst keeping it simple and easy to read.

Text should also be between 8pt and 10pt in a long paragraph.




Women Celebrating Singledom

How To Enjoy Being Single


Being single can regularly be seen as a negative, however there are many positives and perks of being independent.


For starters if you are single there are many ways of hunting down your next catch. Dating websites have become a 21st century phenomena, simply typing in 'dating websites' onto google brings up almost 9 Million different results. 






So it is clear that is a popular subject. People can go onto these websites for a number of reasons however :

  • Love
  • The Chase
  • Flirting
  • Soul Mate
  • Life Companion
  • You are not limited to your friend circle or work mates, a world of single people are waiting for you.
  • You can chat from the ease of your own home online. No need for getting dolled up, you can sit cosy in your pajamas.
  • You are in a comfortable environment where you can find out about the person before you talk to them and know what everybody wants from their online experience.


It is also very desirable that you can chose who you would like to meet and engage with. Filling out simple forms about yourself and your ideal match help to filter out people who you are not interested in making the whole process a lot quicker and easier. 

Because this way of finding your perfect match has become so popular a lot of money has gone into advertising on TV.






However, being single is not all about trying to find a new partner, because what is the point in celebrating being single when you are trying not to be single... right? 


Men aint all that!


taken from lonely.ie

One memory that stuck out for me with an ex - boyfriend was after a hard day at work, I finally get home, kick off my shoes and happily greet my boyfriend and discuss our day. But when it's my turn to do the talking, I find myself conversing with a nodding blob that is tuned into the television or computer and tuned out of everything else around him.

A stray missile could hit the apartment and he would be frozen in time with his eyeballs glued to the screen. Although not all men do this, there are many out there who do, which in my opinion is strange. Then there is the toilet seat debate, as I finally get ready for bed, and tiredly trudge to the bathroom one last time, we women expect to find an accommodating seat, but we usually find nothing but a cold, ceramic rim decorated with speckled yellow stains! Cheers! But TV hypnosis and the forgotten toilet seat are but a minute part of the annoying things that men do. By popular demand, I have listed eight common things men do to completely send most sane women Barney! Take note, and please do your best to steer clear of such mistakes.
Your sound affects and smells: You burp, you fart, and you spit, the king of all bodily functions. You fire snot rockets for Gods' sake! These habits are unwelcome, plain and simple. If women walked around all day hawking up phlegm while belching and leaving behind a few SBD (silent-but-deadly) intestinal gasses, you would be grossed out too. Go to the washroom. Keep your private little habits to yourself.
Adjustment of the privates: I'm talking about those precious parts of yours that you just can't seem to keep away from. They won't go anywhere. Don't worry. And if you have to scratch, be discreet. Women aren't immune to the occasional itch either, but you don't see us reaching up under our skirts for a quick fix. Again, use the washroom. (I can see it in the papers now... "Men being fired because of increased bathroom breaks").
Selective Listening: What's with the selective hearing? Is there something in your brain that acts like a filter, and only grabs your attention when an interesting keyword comes up i.e. food, sex or anything that has to do with you? Or is it just a lack of interest in what we have to say? I know women can be chatty, emotional creatures, and have the tendency about this or that. But men just have this ability to pick and choose what they hear in a conversation. Even if men aren't all that interested in what women say, they should at least not be so blatantly disinterested! We always listening to men going on about teams being regulated etc don't we? Or maybe we need to start every conversation with men as 'threesome', will you clean up after yourself.
The tuning out process: I must admit I'm jealous of men's capability to tune out from their current environment. Where do you all go exactly? I am quite curious to know because I'd love to go there sometime. You all look so content and focused, like nothing else seems to matter. Women, on the other hand, can't help but have at least ten things going through their minds at all times. It's frustrating that you can simply wander off to some day dream and not have a care in the world. But until women master that skill, we will only be content once men start paying attention to what we have to say.
Leaving a trail: Whether it is taking a shower, preparing a meal or just working on a project., men have this tendency to leave a long line of items behind them wherever they go. From clothes leading to the bathroom when you're about to have a shower, to dishes, pots and pans to "help out" with dinner, women can always tell where you are and what you've been doing. Is it to facilitate finding your way back? Maybe you're taking certain fairy tales a little too far?
You are unobservant, plainly stated: It's funny how many of these "habits" seem to overlap and coincide isn't it or a women being a little hard on you? Not noticing our new haircut or dress is one thing, but men need to see past themselves and pay more attention to the women and their lives. You think to yourself who cares if there's a new picture up on the wall or she's wearing a new scent, right? All in all it's not that important in the grand scheme of things. But it's these little details that make life fun and exciting. So open yourself up to the insignificant things. It may be quite a substantial investment in the foreseeable future.
Man Flu syndrome: It seems that most guys tend to turn into complete babies when they get sick. They whine, they complain, and nothing is ever "right." Women don't mind taking care of you, but instead of whining, why don't you try appreciating what they are doing for you?
The wandering eye: There are certain men who have the magic lazy eye, and casually glance at other women just long enough so that their girlfriends don't catch them. Then there are other guys, the ones who carelessly whistle or holler at women walking down the street. But there is a large majority of men, try to be tactful in eyeballing, but just can't seem to pull it off. They are goggled-eyed just like a cartoon character and are extremely noticeable. Reevaluate your body language tactics. Quit freezing in your actions to look us up and down, and stop walking into people because of your rubberneck. Learn the fine art of discretion!
Finally, I would like to highlight women are quirky too, don't get me wrong it's two way street. I could have gone on and on about women's annoying habits too. But instead I would like to hear a men's insight on it? Maybe we can develop a mutual respect on the opposite sex's way of life? Work in harmony together, right? Nevertheless, both sexes would do well to stop annoying each other once the honeymoon phase dies down. Wait, what's that I smell? Oh, come on guys...

Hmmm makes me feel slightly sick really. If this is what men bring to the table then maybe the feminism attitude should be adapted for this project. 

Ways to enjoy your singledom
You have your ME time back, enjoy it!
You can go out with the girlies and not feel guilty for leaving him at home
You can put your make-up on just 'because you want to' without him questioning you why.
You have so much freedom now, you can do what you want when you want.
You can catch up with friends that you may have lost contact with due to spending so much time with your ex.
Enjoying spontaneity. 


You don't have to groom yourself 24/7 now. You are a free woman, a free spirit... enjoy nature.

So taking the attitude that women don't need men yet all they seem to think about is food, sex and themselves we need a way to repel them...

BBC News - Safe Dating For Singletons

The UK's singletons could soon be using a telephone service to log where, when and who they go on dates with.


The system, known as datesense, could help to prevent women disappearing or being attacked on blind dates. Daters log their details and check-in afterwards. If they cannot be traced in 72 hours the police are notified.
Dating agency Viva-City.com developed the system after a survey suggested a third of women do not tell anyone where they are going on a first date.


More than 1,000 people were questioned in the survey and over half said they would consider going on a blind date.
But one-in-three women and 50% of men said they would not tell even their closest friends where they were going.
Most women said this is because they want to be independent, but many said they would feel embarrassed.
Viva-City consulted the Metropolitan Police and personal safety charity the Suzy Lamplugh Trust while establishing the service.





New risks


William McMullan, founder of Viva-City, said: "The safety of our registered users on a first date is something we take very seriously.

"We have developed datesense with the assistance of the Metropolitan Police and in addition we feature safety tips and advice on the site."
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust believes the rising popularity of internet dating and a willingness to meet with strangers brings new risks.
Lizzie Lyell, spokeswoman for the trust, warned that personal safety has to be a priority.
She said: "A lot of personal safety precautions are common sense, but sadly common sense is not always common practice, and too many people go through life thinking 'it'll never happen to me'.
"If you are going on a date with someone, especially if you have never met them before, then it is really important to think about the risks and what you can do to reduce them."

BBC News Statistics

New statistics have turned the image of single people living on their own as women like Bridget Jones on its head.


There are now more single men in their thirties than women, according to researchers at Edinburgh University.


Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the number of men choosing to remain single and live alone has reached record levels.


Between the ages of 25 and 44, men have been found to be twice as likely as women to live by themselves.
The lifestyle of the reluctant female singleton was shown in Helen Fielding's best-seller Bridget Jones's Diary and its sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.


But in the real world there are more than 1.65 million men aged between 30 and 39 who are single in the UK - up more by than 50,000 from last year. Compared to 1.27 million women in the same age range, making "Brad Jones" the new Bridget.
Overall men below retirement age are five per cent more likely to live alone.
Singletons - male or female - are said to drink more than married people because they socialise more.
They work longer hours because they have no partner to make time for, and they often end up skipping meals like breakfast and eating unhealthy meals on the go.
They also have to cope with more worries, the survey suggests, because they do not have an emotional confidante with whom to share their problems.


The statistics were the initial findings of a study into solo living as a growing social trend at the university's Centre for Research on Families and Relationships.


The rise of the single household has escalated in the last decade, with the percentage of single households trebling since the 1970s and doubling again since the mid-80s.
Adam Smith, who undertook the research with Professor Lynn Jamieson and Dr Fran Wasoff, said: "Solo living affects city populations in particular where single professionals often choose to settle and take advantage of a metropolitan lifestyle.
"What we regard as 'the norm' is changing and this has implications for families, relationships, as well as working and housing arrangements."

Wednesday 13 October 2010

Adobe InDesign

When creating a new document... selecting the page size, remember the page measurements chosen will be the size when of the stock it has been trimmed. 


Don't create an A4 page and then put a 12x12cm square in the middle as the shape that you want to cut out of the page.


Columns, margins, bleed and slug will assist in the layout of the document. They help to guide your design whilst on screen; once printed out they will not be visible.


Bleed margin should always be applied to help stop inaccuracies being noticed when the document is trimmed. Bleed is how far the image will go over the edge of the page, if when the document is trimmed it is slightly inaccurate the bleed will allow this to happen without a white edge of the unprinted paper to show. The standard amount of bleed is 3mm. 


Facing pages allow you to view two pages at the same time. For example when making a book facing pages will help to see opposite pages.






Press 'w' on the keyboard to show and hide guides (preview)
Everything you make has to be contained within a frame. Once you have a frame you can apply colour, text or image.




You apply colour using the swatches panel. With a choice to colour the inside or add a edge colour.
When adding text you can chose the same as above but also have the option to fill and stroke the text.



To add a new CMYK swatch colour chose from the drop down menu on the swatch tab. Chose the colour you want and click add; the colour will them appear on the swatch palette and is available and saved to use.




To change the tint percentage of colour select the object and go into the colour tab...
                                      

                                        


You can also create a new spot swatch colour by using the new colour swatch menu found under the swatches menu. Pantone referencing numbers are available.





To save a swatch chose from the drop down menu on the swatches tab.

To add spot colour to a black and white image select the image and click a swatch colour...



                                    

Conciderations of Photoshop and Illustrator files to import into InDesign...
Photoshop:
Resolution - 300dpi
Colour mode - CMYK, greyscale, duotone, monotone
File format - PSD, TIFF (never copy and paste)
Actual size - If you stretch an image in InDesign it will lose quality, if you shrink it, you will be working with and unnecessarily large file.
Illustrator
CMYK
File format - .ai or select artwork and copy and paste into InDesign
Illustrator artwork is vector so it doesn't need to be rescaled because it has infinite sizing.
When placing an image from Photoshop to InDesign the image is not embedded into the document is it just linked between the programmes. Hovering over the image icon on InDesign will show you where the image is being stored and uploaded from, therefore the Photoshop image file needs to be available in a file when working in InDesign. If the file is not present then the preview will still show the image however when it prints out it will be very low quality.
If you change the location of the image the image will still show on the page, however on the image tab there will be a red question mark to alert you of the problem. If you double click on the image on the tab you can then manually find the image in your files to resolve the problem. 
Like images you also will need to save your fonts to be sure that they are available when printing.


5 Colour Printing


                                                     


Colour Separations 
This helps to show and confirm how many colour will be needed for the said print job.




Then go into VIEW...SEPARATIONS... and select the colour layers to show which/ how many colours will be used. The eye shows which layers are visible. Here the spot colour layer is highlighted.



When printing make sure the size of the paper is correct. Put the image in the centre of the page so that if there is any bleed there is a margin for it to be printed. If there is bleed you should always print with crop marks.

To print each colour out separately go into PRINT...OUTPUT...COLOUR...SEPARATIONS. Then you can select which colour you wish to print.





When colour overlay they 'knock' the other one out. This means that where the colours overlay only one colour will be printed (the one which is on top) because the inks are slightly transparent you would be able to see through the top colour creating a blend of the two. Black is never knocked out because it is such an opaque colour it will print on top of any other colour.

If you go into WINDOW...OUTPUT...ATTRIBUTES... you can then chose if you want to over print the colours.

If you chose to overprint colours the amount of ink will be increased. If there is too much ink going on the page the stock may start to get too wet and disintegrate.



                                         


View the overprint preview to show how it will print.





You can then see the Ink Limit on the Separations Preview to see what percentage of ink will be printed... in this case it is 300%





When printing alignment can be slightly out...







Then you can see the white space behind where the colour has been 'knocked out'. To prevent this we add a stroke. The lightest colour is used as a stroke. This allows for an extra bit of tolerance when printing.

The stroke will be like so...



Then view the Overprint Stroke in Attributes by first highlighting the text...



Then if the two colours dis-align then there is room for unnoticeable error.