Portfolio
Wolfbot underway.
This project is tons of fun. Yummy asked me to sketch up a mech wolf from space, and how could I refuse? I’m also throwing down some of his various chew toys and other props. Eventually he’ll be a 3D animated on-screen “desktop toy.” Rad. I’ll be growing this post.
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Pirate Story
As I wrote yesterday, the Pirates Online website now has Desktop Galleon available for download (PC only). I thought it would be fun to show some of the process that led to the final imagery. Read on!
Desktop Galleon realeased!
I just checked Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean website (piratesonline.com) and found that Desktop Galleon is finally available for public download! I did the pirate map image (as well as the table and props) from scratch, all of the illustration, the Desktop Galleon logo, and most of the icons and GUI in the game. Very fun project, and so cool to do work for Disney!! Click here to see the full map.
I think the biggest challenge of doing on-screen design is the lack of consistency from monitor to monitor. The colors looked great to me on a well-calibrated monitor, but on an average PC they’re pretty dark, and on an average Mac they’re pretty pale. Ah, color!
“Smart Select” spotted in the wild.
It’s available at FirestormTools.com. Frustrating design process and mediocre results overall, but still some fun and innovative work. Small of a task as it was, I especially enjoyed doing all my own graphics for the Smart Select feature. All in all a huge learning experience. Special challenges involved reconciling a family resemblance with other drills while allowing SS feature to stand-out, using existing components such as the chuck, dealing with nine variants of the tool in two brands, and the last-minute brand-change that destroyed the whole design intent. As I said… a learning experience!
YummyWorks: hybrid design
When I started working with Gio over at Yummy Media, I knew from the get-go that we were on the same page about where Yummy needed to be visually, and how I could help them get there. Over the course of the projects we’ve worked on together, the emphasis has been on more than simple candy-graphics for a toy site: the emphasis has been on creating a strategic partnership. The most interesting part isn’t the fun work that’s come out of it so far, but the idea of an industrial designer working with a programming firm to design products for distribution and use in the digital world. I call it “hybrid design,” because we’re trying to bridge the void between industrial design and interactive video graphics.
Thesis 2005: Kitchenware
My senior thesis explored the idea of a kitchen for the modern nomadic single. All-in-one kit includes plates, cups, flatware, bowls, canopener, cutting board with built-in knife, microwaveable sponge, and a portable drainer with strainer, cheese grater, and can be washed in the dishwasher. Highlights include microwave recipes printed directly onto every piece (appropriate to the item), dummy-proof warnings and kitchen maintinence tips (e.g. “Microwave weekly to sanitize” screened onto sponge”), self-draining stackable designs for sanitary drying while stacked, and insulated bases to protect surfaces (and hands) from hot contents.