Four James in the house! How does it feel like when ‘James’ is called and four turned around in response. Pretty awesome! That happened to one of my new class today at Swinburne University of Technology. The new teaching semester has just started and I had first two classes today. Both of them are pretty radical. They are group research project and individual research project. Both involving external clients, publication design, story telling. One involves fables and other involves science.

I am particular excited about the latter as we are going to working with the kids in Uganda. The project is to design publications and animations to explain science. Each kid is asked to post a question. Students in Swinburne Faulty of Design will explain these questions in a form of printed publication and animation. This is a video from the school named Kasese Humanist Primary School.

Class in Kasese Humanist Primary School

Here is a summary of what was discussed in today’s individual research class:

Where can you find publication design?
• Newspaper, magazines, books, flyers, online pdfs, ebooks

Elements of publication design
• Line
• Shape
• Colour
• Interactive
• Imaginary
• Type

Principles of publication design
• Hierarchy
• Space, proximity
• Unity, variety
• Textures, patterns
• Balance, coherent, symmetrical, asymmetrical
• Size, scale

Good read about more in-depth elements and principles of graphic design:

http://www.malfalfa.com/Malfalfa/malfalfa/iweb/Graphic_Design_Tech_files/Magazine%20Layout%20elements%20principles%20.pdf

I started teaching in Swinburne University of Technology as a sessional lecturer this year. The subject basically revolves using Unity3d which is a tool for video game development. This is an example of a simple shooting game example shown in class.

We have to do a illustration/painting for my workplace some time back. Since it is a multimedia design department (with the writers and  business people participating as well), we have got some pretty nice artworks. As for myself, I decided to use marker and drew an illustration of a lady with intricate details in her hair and this is how it looks like. It is currently hanging in my office. Have to take a snapshot of it on the wall next time.

This is the 2nd time Melbourne Open House (MOH) is being held. It is basically an event where Melbourne opens 32 of its unique architectural buildings to public and it is also a photography competition. To take part in the competition, you can only submit the photos taken on that particular day which is 19th July 2009. Jackie and I went around to take some pictures on that day and saw some really awesome architecture buildings.

The winners of this competition is out and one of my photos was listed as one of the highly commended photographs. Yay! Although I wasn’t one of the top 5 winners of the competitions but I’m really happy being listed. You can find it at MOH website when you scroll to the bottom. Here is the photo.

And here are the rest of the photos that I took on that day. First is a series of shots at Shrine of Remembrances:

The statues at Shrine of Rememberances

Shrine of Remembrances at sunset. Jackie and I were waiting there for the moment to take this shot. I like the colour of the sky.

Shrine of Remembrance at night

These are from Melbourne Town Hall.

T&G Interior

T&G Interior

Went to Nicholas building with a few of my friends last Thursday (27/08/09) to Nicholas Building OPEN STUDIOS. It is celebrating its fifth year and is also a part of a festival of public events. Nicholas building is designed by Architect: Harry Norris and was completed in 1926 with Chicago influences.

I was intrigued by its a manually-operated lift system and it being one of the Melbourne’s Art and Craft cultures. However, I didn’t get a chance to use the manual lift because I think we went in the late evening and the attendant has already left. Sigh… But nevertheless, there is quite a diverse group of graphic designers, fashion designers, jewelers, painters and artists there, displaying and selling their masterpieces.

Lift System with manual and automatic functions

Lift Interior (automatic)

I find the staircase interesting and people walking on it a nice subject to shoot. The old feel of the building interior gives lots of character to the atmosphere.

My friends

Jewelery designer Dan McGill

I was told that this is the mold that he used to melt the metal and mold it into shape.

A shot of his creations that are not yet polished. He is obviously into airplanes, sparrows and shells.

This is a work place of another jewelery designer named Kane.

Nice hand-painted book covers!

This is a shot from another shop that makes leather shoes and this is the sewing machine.