Posts Tagged with ‘Technology’

And here's what we got:

9Rules Broke the Rules

May 26

So I’m making this post while blatantly aware that some of my readers will probably have no Idea what I’m talking about. If you’re one of those people, just nod your head and pretend to listen.

Setting up the scene

A while back I came across a little website called 9rules. As it turned out 9rules was very much similar to Digg.com, Design Float, Mixx, and so on. It was a social hub where ideas were exchanged, participation was rewarded, and all was well. Somewhat of an opportunist, I took advantage of 9rules and their content submission to help my site gain some popularity (I’m sure I gained nothing from it) by submitting my design-related posts to their ever-flowing river of content.

I admit that this is a bit dubious in nature, but it is a white hat way to get your name out there, and that’s something I’m still working on doing. Hate me if you want, but that’s what I used it for. I regret that a little in retrospect, because they had a good community, and I chose to throw my stories into the pile instead of participating and making it better.

The lamenting has a point, so stick with me.

My thoughts on Ubuntu

Feb 25

I’ve never really used a Linux system before. I used Redhat in college for a semester, but considering I almost failed that class, it is safe to say that my knowledge of the free OS(es) is limited. Ubuntu was brought to my attention by my friend and technological superior, Bart. Intrigued by this user-friendly OS I decided to give it a whirl.

Respect the Process, Damnit

Feb 14

I went to college.

Shocking, I know. I did though, and on the lovely diploma that I earned and gently stuffed in a drawer somewhere it says that I am both a computer programmer and a systems analyst. What that means is not only am I (supposedly) competent at coding solutions, I am also (apparently) competent at looking at a system and figuring out how things should work.

I always chuckled in my Analysis classes. “Come on, this is all common sense!” I would proclaim. I took what the teacher said for a grain of salt and left it at that.

Obligatory Macworld Post

Jan 18

Yeah, I’m aware that everyone and their mother has probably talked about this by now (it has been at least 24 hours; a lifetime on the internet) but like every other tech nerd on the planet, I half-feinted work as the live feeds came rolling, or in many cases crashing, in.

I could talk about everything that happened, but that would be retarded. This is my overview and so I’m going to talk about the things that interested me the most.

Designapalooza – Part Six

Jan 16

This is the sixth part in an ongoing series of articles that depicts my process to becoming a graphic designer. I will reiterate that this is not a sure-fire guide on how to become one, but merely my process which I am sharing to the general public.

More learning

This is a continuation from the fifth portion, because had i combined them the article would never be read through fully. They’re long people, I can’t help that. Well yes I can, but I refuse to censor myself. Here I will continue to explain to the best of my ability questions that I had asked way back in the first part of this series. Let’s continue.

Designapalooza – Part Five

Dec 19

This is the fifth part in an ongoing series of articles that depicts my process to becoming a graphic designer. I will reiterate that this is not a sure-fire guide on how to become one, but merely my process which I am sharing to the general public.

Don’t Freak out.

Now for the section that makes or breaks a would-be designer. Realizing that you know nothing about design. Everyone hits this when they start, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Have you ever shown someone some of your work and when asked why you did what you did, you responded with something like “because it looks cool”? Believe it or not, this is not a valid explanation for artwork. Well okay, sometimes it is but most of the time, this is the stamp of an amateur, or someone who knows how to use a program.

Let me stress now that knowing how to use a program in no way dictates your understanding of design.

StartupCamp Toronto: Thoughts

Dec 10

Recently Bart and I went to StartupCamp Toronto, a venue for new Canadian startups to demo what they’re strut their snazzy new 2.0 projects, and seek input (if they want) on what they’re trying to accomplish. Five companies demoed their wares, the highlights amongst them being Defensio, CakeMail, and Investmate. It was really interesting to see how different companies set about accomplishing their dreams. I wish I could post pictures I took, or give you a blow by blow of what went down, but I didn’t have any of the tools to do so with me. I will note that it took place about 200 metres from Corus Entertainment at No Regrets (which is as sexy a lounge as I’ve ever been in). The entire event was put together by the great folks at StartupNorth

Designapalooza – Part Four

Dec 03

This is the fourth part in an ongoing series of articles that depicts my process to becoming a graphic designer. I will reiterate that this is not a sure-fire guide on how to become one, but merely my process which I am sharing to the general public.

Mess around.

In this section I’m going to be fairly resource-heavy, and hope that it helps some people out. When I say ‘Mess around’ what I mean is literally get your hands on some of the tools you know you’ll be using, and go to town. If you don’t know what tools you are going to be using, do some research. Check out those schools I talked about previously, and find out what software they’re going to be using. Dig around a little to see what others in the field tend to use. Since I’m trying to get into graphic design, I know that my primary tools will most likely consist of the Adobe family, though I will also give an honourable mention to 3Ds Max, Maya, and ArtRage 2 (if you want to have some really impressive paint effects).

Designapalooza – Part Three

Nov 26

This is the third part in an ongoing series of articles that depicts my process to becoming a graphic designer. I will reiterate that this is not a sure-fire guide on how to become one, but merely my process which I am sharing to the general public.

Self-education in the workplace

I admit this part is properly inaccurately named, since it really bleeds into other posts that I will be making in the future. Therefore I shall clarify: this article relates to actions you can take to get yourself educated while you wait for your school of choice to accept you, job-wise.

Designapalooza – Part Two

Nov 23

This is the second part in an ongoing series of articles that depicts my process to becoming a graphic designer. I will reiterate that this is not a sure-fire guide on how to become one, but merely my process which I am sharing to the general public.

Choosing a school

As stated, this is a difficult section to write because a lot of this comes down to the personal feelings of the person.. I’ll do my best, but in the end it is obviously up to you. Having said that, I will pass on my own thoughts on the subject, as they have been fresh in my head for a while now.