design

“Endurance is essential” – Flat 70’s fight to support Black visual artists [Brewer]

On 04/27/2021, in art, creativity, design, digital photography, graphics, photography, society, sociology, by Daniel Christian

“Endurance is essential” – Flat 70’s fight to support Black visual artists — from itsnicethat.com by Jenny Brewer
Siblings Anthony and Senam Badu founded the non-profit after they lost their home to the regeneration of the Aylesbury Estate, wanting to support and save space for its community.

A New Angle is an editorial series that aims to give a platform to creative industry changemakers who make it their mission to disrupt the status quo. Each week we’ll chat to a person or team doing important work in the sector, making it a fairer place, championing vital causes, supporting underrepresented groups and tackling pertinent issues facing creatives everywhere.

This week we hear from siblings Senam and Anthony Badu, who in February 2020 saw their Aylesbury Estate home demolished and, that very same month, set up non-profit arts organisation Flat 70. They saved the door number from the flat and attached it to the front of their new arts space, symbolic of a phoenix rising from the ashes, and a constant reminder of their mission to support and save their community from being repeatedly “devalued, erased or co-opted”.

How to Learn Animation At Home: Beginner’s Guide to Online Courses, Software and Resources — from graphicmama.com by Al Boicheva

Excerpt:

On the bright side of the current reality, it’s the perfect time to be productive and learn new skills. Why not trying to learn animation? If this is something you’ve always been interested in and would like to try, it’s not necessary to do it the traditional way and study it at a university. In fact, you can do it online in the comfort of your home.

So, what are the options to become a self-taught animation designer? Let’s walk through the process together.

NJ High School Adds New Recording Studio to Learning Spaces — from spaces4learning.com by Matt Jones

Excerpt:

A career and technical high school in New Jersey has added new professional recording gear to one of its teaching spaces. County Prep High School, part of Hudson County Schools of Technology, added hardware from Solid State Logic (SSL), a UK-based company that manufactures analog and digital audio consoles for music and audio production. Students in the music and audio technology program learn how to write their own songs and produce their own music. The senior project involves putting a label together and releasing songs.

The new studio at County Prep High School features professional equipment from Solid State Logic.
Source: Solid State Logic

Also see:

Addendum on 4/1/21:

Control Room 42 ushers in the future of broadcasting — from derivative.ca
Excerpt:
Control Room 42 (CR42) a project from RTBF, public broadcaster for the French speaking part of Belgium, gives broadcasting’s traditionally hardware-based control room a radical makeover enabled by TouchDesigner in ways its designer Hugo Ortiz thought impossible a few years ago. Recipient of The European Broadcasting Union’s Technology and Innovation Award 2020, this new software-based control room prototype that also integrates Artisto for audio and Smode for real-time graphics brings game-changing innovation to the broadcasting industry.

“Even with a steep price tag and lengthy turnarounds, big brands don’t seem to mind waiting for these hyperrealistic murals”

On 03/11/2021, in art, business, corporate / business world, creativity, design, graphics, by Daniel Christian

Even with a steep price tag and lengthy turnarounds, big brands don't seem to mind waiting for these hyperrealistic murals pic.twitter.com/7WAhaYzgQR

— Business Insider (@BusinessInsider) March 10, 2021

Specialties In Instructional Design and What They Do — from teamedforlearning.com
Specialties in instructional design can help both job seekers and hiring managers find the right fit for digital learning courses and programs.

Excerpt:

An instructional designer is anyone who designs and develops digital learning experiences. That may sound straightforward, but within that vague job title nest dozens of specialties. Even more confusingly, instructional designers may also be called learning designers or learning architects. Their work often overlaps with that of instructional technologists and content creators. Specialties in instructional design help both teammates and hiring managers to navigate this evolving position.

Untangling the complexities of the instructional design role can help both job seekers and hiring managers find the right fit. Identifying a specialty can help professionals carve out their own niche in the instructional design ecosystem. Greater clarity around what instructional designers actually do can help team leaders find the right instructional designer for their project.

Putting Your Best Self Forward: 6 Keys For Filming Quality Videos — from er.educause.edu by Jered Borup
The difference between a video that students watch and one that is ignored often comes down to a few, easily addressed factors.

Excerpt:

Key #1: Convey Your Voice—Is the audio clear, or is there background noise or reverberations in the room that distract from your message?
Key #2: Find the Light—Are you well lit with a light source in front of you, or are you backlit and/or have shadows on your face?
Key #3: Frame and Maintain Eye Contact—Are you about at arm’s length and eye level with the camera, or are you looking down or up at the camera?
Key #4: Stage—Do you have personal and/or interesting things in the background, or are you recording in front of a blank wall?
Key #5: Be Prepared and Natural—Are you speaking naturally in a way that conveys your interest in the topic, or do you sound somewhat robotic and/or scattered?
Key #6: Keep it Short—Is the video under six minutes?

This article is part of a series about incorporating asynchronous video into educational activities:

Unbounded by Time: Understanding How Asynchronous Video Can Be Critical to Learning Success
Putting Your Best Self Forward: 6 Keys For Filming Quality Videos
Teacher, Are You There? Being “Present” in Online Learning
Let’s Discuss Discussions: Using Asynchronous Video to Improve Online Discussions
Improving Problem-Based Learning with Asynchronous Video
Back to Feedback Basics Using Video Recordings
The Handoff: Transitioning from Synchronous to Asynchronous Teaching

[For those involved with learning spaces] Hiperwall Introduces Cost-Effective ‘Essentials’ Video Wall Hardware & Software Packages

On 02/25/2021, in A/V -- audio/visual, analytics, art, attention, biology, business, chemistry, collaboration, colleges, communications, community colleges, computer science, content aggregration, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, data mining, design, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, education technology, engagement / engaging students, engineering, experimentation, graphics, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning hubs & pods, learning spaces, liberal arts, media/film, mirroring and/or multiple devices, multimedia, online media, photography, platforms, presentations, smart classrooms, smart/connected TV, storytelling, teaching & learning, technology (general), telelegal, telemedicine / telehealth / virtual health, television, tools, training / L&D, United States, universities, vendors, vision/possibilities, visualizing information, web-based collaboration, webinars, by Daniel Christian

Hiperwall Introduces Cost-Effective ‘Essentials’ Video Wall Hardware and Software Packages — from hiperwall.com with thanks to Michael Farino for this resource
Hiperwall Essentials video wall bundles eliminate barriers to entry for organizations wanting enhanced collaboration, clearer communication, and the ability to make informed real-time decisions

Excerpt:

February 24, 2021 – IRVINE, Calif., – Hiperwall Inc., an industry-leader in commercialized, IP-based visualization technology, today introduces ‘Hiperwall Essentials,’ two all-inclusive video wall hardware and software bundles that get users started with a full-featured, control-room grade video wall powered by Hiperwall for just $9,995.

Most major decisions made in the public and private sectors are driven by vast amounts of data. Due to the volume of data sources, data complexity, and different analytics tools, video walls have become the perfect canvas for decision-makers to put all of this data together clearly to arrive at an informed decision faster and more confidently.

At a price point that effectively removes barriers to implementation for small to medium businesses, small government agencies, and local law enforcement, Hiperwall Essentials serves as a great baseline for integrating video wall technology into any organization. As dependence on the video wall grows, Hiperwall’s modular platform makes scaling the video wall footprint and capabilities seamless and cost-effective.

Below are some example settings:

For those interested in video walls, this is worth checking out. These pictures are example settings.

Never Going Back: What Online Teaching in the Times of COVID Can Add to Our Teaching Toolkits – Elisabeth Sandberg — from cft.vanderbilt.edu with thanks to Beckie Supiano at the Chronicle for this resource

Excerpt:

Teaching online has not been all challenges for Sandberg. From this period of teaching, she has gathered a set of experiences that, she expects, will benefit her in an in-person setting, too. For one thing, Sandberg has explored new ways of optimizing the element of time in students’ learning. Realizing that even the most entertaining presenters become soon-to-bore lecturers in online settings, she became more attentive to keeping her prerecorded video lectures brief and dividing them into pieces interwoven with online activities. The Explain Everything app (a collaborative virtual whiteboard platform with multi-media features) has been helpful for annotating these short pieces of recorded lectures. Sandberg’s renewed attention to student attention has also made her more mindful of things she assigns out of class, and what these might represent in terms of student efforts. “I learned over the summer,” she said, referring to the CFT’s Online Course Design Institute, “how to be more cognizant of how much time the things that I consider easy work really take the students. And that was really a revealing piece that I will carry with me when we return to in person.”

From DSC:
I agree…the teaching toolboxes have expanded. In the future, teachers, professors, trainers, (and now parents) will have a wider selection of options/tools/pedagogies to select from.

Whats in your teaching toolbox?

DC: Two amazing items re: architecture! I don’t know how they build/engineer these things!

On 02/16/2021, in architecture, Canada, design, engineering, mathematics, by Daniel Christian

Frank Gehry reveals latest design for supertall skyscraper in Toronto — from dezeen.com by India Block

Excerpt:

Frank Gehry has released visuals of a pair of twisting shiny skyscrapers, one of which will be over 300 metres, for King Street West in Toronto.

Currently named the Gehry Project, the plan is to build a 289-metre-high supertall and a 262-metre-high skyscraper at the intersection King Street West and Ed Mirvish Way.

Also see:

Richard Rogers balances his final building over Provence vineyard — from dezeen.com

40 Spectacular Sights of Nature You Should Know, Vol. 1 [Young]

On 02/16/2021, in creativity, Daniel S. Christian, design, faith, geography / geology, global / globalization, by Daniel Christian

40 Spectacular Sights of Nature You Should Know, Vol. 1 — from hongkiat.com by Nancy Young

From DSC:
I realize that I’m biased here…but I say, “Glory to God!” when I see these pictures. He’s an awesome designer and creator. Only He can “paint a canvas” like this.

Learning from the Living [Class] Room: Adobe — via Behance — is already doing several pieces of this vision.

On 02/15/2021, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, active learning, Africa, animation, Asia, Australia, Bring your own device (BYOD), Canada, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, collaboration, colleges, communications, communities of practice, community colleges, content aggregration, content development, content repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, cost of getting a degree, creativity, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, design, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, education, education technology, engagement / engaging students, Europe, experimentation, future, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, India, informal learning, innovation, instructional design, interaction design, interactivity, interface design, IT in HE, K-12 related, languages and translation, learner profiles, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods, learning preferences, liberal arts, lifelong learning, love of learning, maker movement, marketplaces, media/film, microlearning, more choice more control, multimedia, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, new media literacies, online learning, online media, passions, photography, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, reinvent, remote teaching and learning, second screen apps, simulations, smart/connected TV, social learning / networks, social media, STEAM-related, streams of content, tablets, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, tools, training / L&D, transmedia, UK, United States, universities, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors, vision/possibilities, visualizing information, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Talk about streams of content! Whew!

I received an email from Adobe that was entitled, “This week on Adobe Live: Graphic Design.” (I subscribe to their Adobe Creative Cloud.) Inside the email, I saw and clicked on the following:

Below are some of the screenshots I took of this incredible service! Wow!

From DSC:
So Abobe — via Behance — is already doing several pieces of the “Learning from the Living [Class] Room” vision. I knew of Behance…but I didn’t realize the magnitude of what they’ve been working on and what they’re currently delivering. Very sharp indeed!

Churches are doing this as well — one device has the presenter/preacher on it (such as a larger “TV”), while a second device is used to communicate with each other in real-time.

Clever Typography Designs That Make You Think [Falcon]

On 02/06/2021, in art, communications, creativity, design, graphics, by Daniel Christian

Clever Typography Designs That Make You Think — from hongkiat.com by Alvaris Falcon

MOOC Enrollment Explodes in 2020 — from campustechnology.com by Dian Schaffhauser

Excerpt:

According to a new report by Class Central, a company that tracks massive open online courses, of all learners who have registered for MOOCs throughout their history, a third did so last year. Coursera, the largest MOOC operator, added nearly four times the number of new registered users, exploding from 8 million in 2019 to 31 million in 2020 — a rise of 387 percent. Dhawal Shah, founder of Class Central, estimated that Coursera’s total number of users is currently 76 million.

Whereas topics in technology, business and career development dominated pre-COVID-19, during the pandemic learners focused on wider interests: Art and design, self-improvement, the humanities, communication skills, health & medicine and foreign languages surfaced in the top 10 subjects.

Also see:

Exciting new tools for [web] designers, January 2021 [Cousins]

On 01/19/2021, in A/V -- audio/visual, animation, creativity, design, digital storytelling, graphics, IT in HE, social media, tools, usability, vendors, visualizing information, web design and production, by Daniel Christian

Exciting new tools for designers, January 2021 — from by Carrie Cousins

Excerpt:

The new year is often packed with resolutions. Make the most of those goals and resolve to design better, faster, and more efficiently with some of these new tools and resources.

Here’s what new for designers this month.

Video Project Collaboration During a Pandemic – Is It Possible? [Balboa]

On 12/28/2020, in Asia, collaboration, design, digital audio, digital learning, digital video, global / globalization, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

Video Project Collaboration During a Pandemic – Is It Possible? — from global-edtech.com by Angelito F. Balboa

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

After this experience, I came to understand the power that green screen technology can have for my students. I also realized that people could produce videos with others no matter how geographically separated. At the beginning of the project they could only collaborate by planning the video project or by editing it but now, with green screen, everything can be achieved, including filming people who are not physically together.

I am planning to bring this concept to another level by conducting an intercultural video project collaboration where my students will produce video projects with students from other countries to open-up discussion about global issues such as hunger, climate change and my favorite, world peace.

Also see:

Pushing the boundaries in remote and Virtual Production — from provideocoalition.com by Jose Antunes

Learning Ecosystems

“Endurance is essential” – Flat 70’s fight to support Black visual artists [Brewer]

“Even with a steep price tag and lengthy turnarounds, big brands don’t seem to mind waiting for these hyperrealistic murals”

Putting Your Best Self Forward: 6 Keys For Filming Quality Videos [Borup]

Never Going Back: What Online Teaching in the Times of COVID Can Add to Our Teaching Toolkits [Sandberg]

DC: Two amazing items re: architecture! I don’t know how they build/engineer these things!

40 Spectacular Sights of Nature You Should Know, Vol. 1 [Young]

Clever Typography Designs That Make You Think [Falcon]

MOOC Enrollment Explodes in 2020 [Schaffhauser]

Video Project Collaboration During a Pandemic – Is It Possible? [Balboa]

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