Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Design thoughts

Recently, found some good design critic blogs about Hong Kong. Very nice. I'm glad that my thoughts and opinions are not alone - there are HKers in other parts of the world are thinking the same way! (Probably because we've seen more living outside of HK...lol)

Well I kind of giving my blog a halt. I'd rather look at these people's blogs and contribute by commenting. Guess it's easier for me this way for now.

If you want to speak to me more directly though. I have FACEBOOK and MSN. Just ask me.

I'll be more than happy to share with you all on the same horizon =)

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

What kind of Villian are you?

http://www.thesuperheroquiz.com/villain/

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Urbana continued... worship

I've searching a lot on worship song lyrics for this year's Urbana. I don't know if it's just me but, how come it's so difficult find?... Not even any blogs post them up?? I truly love not just the technicality of the worship team, led by worship director Daryl Black, Edwin Santiago, Betsy Ezell, Joshua Koh, Achlai Ernest and many others; not to mention Bill Henderson (drums), and Melissa Vallejo (percussion). They are just so gifted it's amazing! Praise God that through them was this year's worship was made successful and touched hearts.

One song I just found, called You Alone are God, is listed below. Check out the Urbana webcasts here to look at the video(s) and listen to the audio(s), or even download as mp3's.

You Alone are God
...Stand in your presence, this very hour
Before your goodness, and all your glory
Wonder and power
So let every nation sing
You're father of everything
My Creator and King
There's none like you

You alone are worthy
You alone are righteous
You alone are holy
You alone are God

Monday, January 8, 2007

Poetic sharing...from Pyros

Just want to help voicing it out to people like you... she's my sister in Christ, who's also helping in Pyros the magazine. You can get it for free if you visit Ambassadors for Christ in Canada (AFC) bookstore in Toronto. If you don't know where it is, ask me!

Seeking
- Martine Lee aka Rhyme

See all these problems I’m juggling?
You know, I’m seriously struggling...
I’m not interested in preaching
Or rules or teachings.
I need someone to love me,
To accept me as I am.
Can you tell me what truth is?
Can you show me what love is?
I seek for meaning—
A Reason for why I’m here.
Because deep inside me,
I feel torn... empty.
Where can I be filled?
I yearn so much to be free.
When you told me your story
Of God’s awesome love,
Doubts clouded my mind.
But now, I’m starting to find
That after all,
Jesus loves me, for me.

Saturday, January 6, 2007

Who becomes a graphic designer - from AIGA Career Guide

Who becomes a designer?

There are probably as many kinds of designers as there are kinds of design, so how do you know whether a career in design might be right for you? First, you might take a look at the clusters of characteristics often shared by designers and see if you find yourself reflected there. Begin with the three most common traits designers share: interest in the visual world, curiosity about communication in all its forms and creativity.

Designers tend to be skilled “lookers.” They take in the world both visually and conceptually. They scrutinize color and texture, they look at relationships between things and they find the repetition and rhythm in what they see. Conceptually, designers look at an idea from all sides, searching for an approach with a twist—one that goes beyond the ordinary. These habits of the eye and mind feed their creativity. For designers, the world of objects and ideas becomes an immense playground from which they emerge with fresh ideas and images.

I am an information architect. Architect in my definition doesn’t mean style but a kind of rigor in thinking. Information means understanding—and my only passion is to make things that interest me understandable. -Richard Saul Wurman

My early studio exposure to a design studio made me aware of the design profession as an opportunity to apply analytical abilities to an interest in the fine arts. Graduate design programs made it possible for me to delve more deeply into the aspects of design I found personally interesting. Since then, the nature of the design profession, which constantly draws the designer into a wide range of subjects and problems, has continued to interest me in each new project. It’s been this opportunity to satisfy personal interests while earning a living that has made design my long-term career choice. -Won Chung

I need to make things that connect in a meaningful, useful, evocative way to others, and I like to indulge in the sensuousness of the material world. I learned that I could use design not only to reach into myself and express my own feelings, but also to reach out to others with images and words that are well researched and thought out, condensed and transformed into a communication that could involve everyday folks in our shared public environment. -Sheila Levrant de Bretteville

I like the way words look, the way ideas can become things. I like the social, activist, practical and aesthetic aspect of design. -Laurie Haycock Makela

When I was a child I was obsessed with drawing. At the age of six, when I was confined to a bed for a year as a result of a childhood illness, I found that the only things that kept me busy were building cities out of clay and drawing. Obviously, the urge toward form-making was an important part of my makeup. -Milton Glaser

As a reflection of their creativity, designers often have an abundance of curiosity. They ask questions, delight in playing the devil’s advocate and are often reluctant to accept someone else’s habits or customs. Some say they are “off-center”—more self-directed than they are controlled by society or others. Designers also have intellectual curiosity: they want to understand how communication works, and they are not timid about trying out their ideas on their family and friends. They are interested in the visual interpretation of abstract ideas. They draw, they read, they experiment, they make things. They explore culture by participating in it, not only by doing things but also by observing the creative work of others, including attending concerts, seeing films, or just paying attention to life as it goes by. They soak up sensory experience and ideas.

Making things is second nature for designers. Somehow thinking something or saying something just isn’t enough. Designers sense intuitively that the process of making something real engages the mind in a different and powerful way: forms and colors change; new ideas emerge. They like projects with definite beginnings, middles and endings because these kinds of projects are tied to development and achievements. Generally, designers dislike routine or maintenance activities. Starting something new and unknown challenges them.

Designers are attracted to things that perform a definite function—things that are useful and beautiful. They are interested in improving everyday life rather than creating art for museums. To designers, the limitations of design and communication are seen as challenges rather than as straightjackets.

As you have seen, there really is no exact, ideal, universal designer type. General characteristics—including creativity, openness to new ideas and a desire to explore the visual world—are more important than specific traits or qualities. Coming from a variety of backgrounds, from all ethnic groups and from locations as diverse as New York City, Great Plains States, Kansas and Tokyo, Japan, designers are different and seek to refine that difference as they appreciate the differences of others.

I became a graphic designer because my best skill, drawing, did not exercise the rest of my mind. -Colin Forbes

When I was growing up, I wanted to be an artist and an actress. This desire lasted until my second year of college, when I became attracted to design. I took my junior year at design school with the ideas of returning to my former college—but I never went back. My destiny was design. -Deborah Sussman


Graphic Design: A Career Guide and Education Directory
Edited by Sharon Helmer Poggenpohl
Copyright 1993
The American Institute of Graphic Arts

Friday, January 5, 2007

The Normal New Year passed, now what?...

As I've heard, the attacks have been fierce.

First, the uncertainty feeling about 'false hope' in finding good jobs. Then the thoughts about financial security from myself and from closed ones. There were also various temptations, to be honest, and I believe I already fell into it. The devil really gives its best shot at me. Then tonight there was some fighting with my girl. I was the one who was at fault. Thinking back these few days, it's been shameful to be very honest.

Again all these were 'warned' or mentioned beforehand when I was still in Urbana. Father! Forgive me for having such a rebellious mind and always allow the devil for a foothold. I need to remember there's nothing that can separate me from God's love and nothing will overshadow Jesus' blood for me. I need to acknowledge that.

Other than the intense spiritual battles (I'm sure it's going on in all the Urbana attendants), I replied to the people who supported me and told me they would pray for me. It gives me such joy seeing all these bros and sis remembering me and Bee on the trip. And just want to thank God again that he did provide enough financial support for me... it's like any other time and testimonies I've seen, enough as we targeted with faith. Lord the Provider we are talkin' about!!

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

My New Year started 5 days ago

Little did I know, my new year actually started not on January 1, 2007, but on December 27, 2006.

It was my first time going to Urbana. It's a Christian conference by InterVarsity US and Canada, and only available every 3 years... it has time for worship, Bible studies, plenary sessions, mission exhibition visits, and so on.

To be short, it's one of a life-time experience to me. It also "forced" my new year resolution to kick start from when the conference starts. I'll explain in more details in the next blog, because I just came back from it and I'm totally exhausted now!...