Techmode Blog 1.2
The ramblings of awesome
Some food for thought
Mar 3rd
Twitter hit me with a couple interesting articles
Rule #4: Stop comparing
There is always someone better than you. Always. But remember: That person’s first few websites sucked. Not only did they suck, they might have been the worst website ever created. So why are you trying so hard to have the best website ever in one shot? You won’t get better unless you start making your own sites.
That rule hit me right in the gut. The second article is just as true and much more amusing entitled
No one cares about your website
Those of us in the web design and development fields have a total crush on ourselves. As I was called the other day, we are divas. Our design senses are keen and superior. Our development skills witty and crafty. But there’s one huge problem to this love affair.
No one cares.
As they often say content is king, and I have often been guilty of the design over content bug though I try to get over it now by posting often and making minimal changes to a theme I currently like. If you have any other interesting articles hit the comments.
Techmode Identity ???
Mar 1st
I’ve been quietly working on a logo and overall identity for Techmode and I’ve chosen a final theme if not actual logo check, chickity, check check it out, this is not the final concept for sure but it is most likely what I polish and build on for the end product.
- Future Techmode Logo?
While I’m not a typophile persay, as any designer I do have my favorite type and with that in mind I used Playbill, a font I’m very fond of invented in the 1930s. I made some adjustments and will be making more as I continue to work on it. Off the top of my head I can see a problem in the O being so isolated because of the serif on the M and D.
On top of that we have the Techmode Robot, who is as yet unnamed, thanks to some brain storming and thought mapping I came across this concept and plan to stick with it. Thanks to the serif of the T, I can keep just the robot head making it very simple but still giving him something of a body and not just a floating robot head. What has really been killing me though is wheter to give him a personally of any sort, and if so how to go about that without being very cliche. Thoughts and suggestions are always welcome in the form of comments or hit me on twitter 
Grinding
Mar 1st
In the fighting game world the concept of grinding is common, another way of saying spending time in training mode practicing. So I hit up a tutorial that I liked the look up for some photoshop grinding. Following a short tutorial to make a 3D glossy box which enforced some basic tool usage especially the transform tools. Here are a couple results, tell me what you think.
My first result, following the exact instructions
Techmode robot the mascot/logo that is still in development, I took out and added some steps mostly following the tutorial from memory.
Those are my results in playing around, try it out for yourselves and share your own results.
Source: Tutorial9
Color Theory for Designers
Feb 23rd
I was reading an interesting article on Smashing Magizine’s website and thought I would share it with everyone. It talks about the use and meaning of colors in web design.
Source: Smashing Magazine
Wu Massacre Album Art
Feb 18th
Click for full size
Illustration: Chris Bachalo; Art Direction & Graphic Design: Alex Haldi
The artwork for the long awaited Method Man, Ghostface Killah ,and Raekwon The Chef Wu Tang album. For those that don’t know about the Wu Tang Clan they are deep into comic book culture so this right up their alley. I myself love it and can’t wait to grab a copy to keep on my shelf.
Via: Nah Right
Stephen Colbert and David Ross talk olympic art.
Feb 18th
Stephen Colbert sits down with David Ross and discusses Olympic art’s downfall since becoming a corporate entity.
I personally don’t have a true opinion on this, if it looks good it looks good to me, however I see his point where the Olympic art shown don’t really represent the Olympics anymore but seems to be more a big promotion for whatever city they happen to be in.
what are your thoughts?
Perez-Fox on the London identity | Logo Design Love
Feb 16th
Catching up on some back reading with Logo Design Love, since I missed a bit while my laptop was down. Wanted to share this article with you, as I find the identity to be very well done and a enforcement on my attempts to simplify my own designs.
And so it is decided, The Greater London Authority has confirmed that Saffron Brand Consultants has won the Brand for London tender to create a visual identity for the capital.
Saffron principal Ian Stephens says that the London marque’s launch will not come ‘much later’ than the GLA’s original deadline of next month.
Hot on the heels of the announcement, New York-based brand developer Prescott Perez-Fox published his own pitch.
Perez-Fox said, “One of the main criticisms for the whole [tendering] effort was the fact that only a handful of design firms were allowed to bid in the first place. You could almost name them before the competition started. City officials determined a minimum standard of size, billings, compliance, insurance, health & safety, and other criteria which immediately ruled out so many of the very talented 3-person agencies in the UK. (For example, how many design firms have a policy of community outreach for LGBT people, or have calculated their carbon footprint accurately?)
London Logos
How can you not love it?
Check out the article on both Perez-Fox and Logo Design Love
EVO2K10 Stick Art Prototype
Feb 16th
While entitled prototype I think this will be the final product, I just need to do a few test prints to make sure the text spacing looks good in person. The art is based on the new challenger screen from Melty Blood Actress Again the fighting game that won players choice for final game at the Evolution fighting game tournament in Vegas this July.
Possible final version of Evo2k10 art for my stick
Images are Copyright Ecole/Type-Moon, and Evo2k
F1 Visual Identity
Feb 15th
While browsing Logo of The Day, I came across a logo that struck me made by a student, linked to it was a complete visual identity. The logo itself is awesome but when taken in with the complete identity including envelopes, postcards, business cards, cd cases, covers, and even interior design it became even awesomer (yes awesomer). Check out a few of the images then hit the source link to see the entire identity.
F1 Logo
F1 Disc label and cover
F1 Store Design
Source : Tanya Kozlova’s Behance Portfolio
Back up and running
Feb 14th
New laptop adapter has arrived, regular posting will resume tomorrow in the mean time Happy Valentines Day
Ninjas "R" Us
Rushdown Cafe
Logo Design Love
Nubby Twiglet
Omega Red
