Ironically enough, my new sneakers led me to further explore Nike’s web site, where I was surprised to find videos of the industrial designers who work at Nike. The videos are really interesting because they go into the background behind the shoe, calling attention to the unique design elements that make these shoes truly unique.
Nike Zoom KD III: Leo Chang Discusses the Nike Zoom KD III
Nike Zoom Kobe VI: Eric Avar Discusses the Nike Zoom Kobe VI (The Black Mamba)
What is interesting is that these designs are all based upon a single rectangle in three dimensions. The simplicity of the model allows for a greater focus in composition, palette exploration and image refinement. I am very pleased with how these ultimately turned out and very encouraged for further work in this space.
Check out the entire collection on Ink.
I have always been fascinated with large scale settings such as these. This is perhaps why I have always been fascinated with cities such as Tokyo and other large metropolitan centers. The design and complexity of these areas is nothing short of staggering.
To create a digital matte painting of such a space takes considerable effort and planning. To start an initial exploration process, I created several renderings which I call the “City of Gold.” You can see the entire collection here.
“A composer can have all the talent of a Mozart and a passionate desire to succeed, but if he believes he cannot compose music, he will come to nothing. He will not try hard enough. He will give up too soon when the elusive right melody takes too long to materialize. Success requires persistence, the ability to not give up in the face of failure. I believe that optimistic explanatory style is the key to persistence.”
He then goes on to list the three characteristics that determine success:
Of course, this framework is missing the “X” factor; an encapsulation of circumstances and random events that can positively or negatively influence one’s “success” at any given point in time. Independent of this, I’ve found the framework useful enough to incorporate into Immersion:
While the Immersion concept began nearly one year ago, the “mental” underpinnings became clear only recently – and ultimately through Seligman’s unique insight.
(*) – In the spirit of building/maintaining self-esteem, it has been said that one does not strive to be successful – she/he already is successful. However, I believe the framework described above is valid regardless of one’s position.
As you can see here, I’m leaning towards a vertically-oriented cockpit and am exploring the use of various power / transmission mechanisms. (Click on the images below to enlarge)
(Click on the above image to enlarge)
Given this type of experiment, I am not going to spend a lot of time developing a creative brief because my goal at this point is pure creative focus, and less so on adherence to a specific need (fabricated or otherwise).
This journey will start with some exploratory sketches using traditional media (pencil, markers, etc.) and will ultimately conclude with a final 3D rendering using Modo and Photoshop. While I’ve done several designs and models, these efforts have been separate and distinct – thus, I think it’s going to be a challenge (at least right now) to incorporate both into one project, particularly within such a short duration.
The benefits of this challenge are many. Two that immediately come to mind include the following:
If this experiment proves successful, it’s entirely possible you’ll see other seven day challenges appear on the horizon throughout the year.
For example, here is an example of a partial framework from 2007 (Plane 6 – “Foundation”):
(Click on the image to enlarge)
While I listed electronics and software development within this framework, I didn’t end up spending a lot of time in these specific areas. And that’s where the evolution of an operating framework becomes relevant; where are you focusing your energy? And if you aren’t spending your time in certain areas, is this necessarily a problem?
In the Immersion (Plane 10) framework shown below, there is now a clear separation of what I’ve focused on in the past and what I ultimately need to focus on in the future. This is a radical shift given that I’ve typically had to justify and take on multiple, parallel tracks that had little relationship to one another – other than the fact that one path was for survival, and the other more aspirational. By logically separating these skills from the “core”, they will eventually become dormant and by default, the skills that I want to develop will have developed due to this increased focus (i.e. a self-fulfilling prophecy).
(Click on the image to enlarge)
Layered above these “dormant” skills are multiple layers of activity – all leading to a radically advanced portfolio along with an increased level of interaction weighted more heavily in the real-world than in the digital realm. What’s truly important here is that this increased interaction ultimately stems from a broader range of experiences. Not surprisingly, this has a dual purpose; the greater one’s experiences, the greater one’s ability to learn, identify challenges and design solutions to those challenges. Experiences represent a designer’s playground.
Finally, one concept that perhaps serves as the basis for this framework is John Maeda’s concept of “post digital”:
[Post Digital] is a term that I created as a way to acknowledge a distinction between those that are passed their fascination with computers, and are now driven by the ideas instead of the technology. […] the “post digital” generation refers to the growing few that have already been digital, and are now more interested in Being Human.
Ultimately, this is exactly what Immersion is all about – I’m less interested in the technology for technology’s sake. Rather I am interested in using technology to increase idea generation to make people’s lives better.
