Photo by: Toomas Järvet http://www.stuudio.net/toomas

Photo by: Gary Cowles http://www.garycowles.com

Photo by: screwcity http://www.sxc.hu/profile/screwcity

“What is Creative Mondays?

Monday’s are always a drag. The start of a new week, you have to go back to that routine of going to bed early/get up early. If (like me) you have to commute then you prepare for that long journey into work and that long journey back for the first time after a nice two day break.

So to kick off those lousy Mondays, I’m going to get my creative mind flowing in a positive way. Creative Mondays. A chance for me to show off something unfinished or finished that I’ve been working on throughout the previous week.”

This week was all about down-time. I have had about ten days off and as much as I tried I wanted to stay away from to many hours in front of the computer. That didn’t work, so I created something that I’d like to use to inspire others (and myself) to be more creative this year! I used the stock photo site http://www.sxc.hu/to gather some images and a pretty sweet ‘swirls’ brush that was designed by Mel Rodicq.

Happy first Monday in 2012!

Monday’s are always a drag. The start of a new week, you have to go back to that routine of going to bed early/get up early. If (like me) you have to commute then you prepare for that long journey into work and that long journey back for the first time after a nice two day break.

So to kick off those lousy Mondays, I’m going to introduce something to get my creative mind flowing in a positive way. Creative Mondays. A chance for me to show off something unfinished or finished that I’ve been working on throughout the previous week.

I’m kicking off with this piece that I call ‘A Good Song’. From other designers that I talk to, music can be a huge inspiration and this phrase popped into my head as I was listening to some classic tunes last week.

Dribbble:

Dribbble is a great site for designers and developers that want to share work in progress (WIP) screenshots of their latest projects.

Anyone can become a member and explore the work of the site but to contribute you have to be ‘drafted’ by existing members. Dribbble states that this is to sharpen the focus on sharing interesting work while enabling the support and scaling of the site.

I can see great potential in Dribbble as most of the people I follow on the site are friends from other networks enabling me to see the kind of work they are currently doing. It’s also an interesting approach to give viewers a screenshot of what’s going on and not the full piece thereby showing off a community at work rather than just showcasing final projects.

Forrst:

Forrst is similar to Dribbble in the way that it’s a community site made up of designers and developers but purely focuses on the discussion of a piece of work.

Users are encouraged to post links, snaps, code or simply ask a question to try and draw comments or critiques from others within the same field.

Joining Forrst is also an invite only process but some work can be viewed by those not registered. I’ve only just started using Forrst but in that short time I’ve really come to appreciate the discussions and ideas bouncing back and forth. You will be surprised at how inspiring discussing yours and others work really is.

Behance:

I think Behance is perhaps the most well-known out of the design/developer networks currently online and it certainly feels like one of the most professional out there.

Essentially it’s an online portfolio for creative professionals across a variety of industries enabling users to showcase their work through other partner sites and industry-specific served sites.

The site is popular within the industry as it is used by creative companies and recruiters to find talent to hire.

To sign up you must request an invitation describing your creative work. Once accepted it’s simply a case of uploading your portfolio, sharing your work and connecting with others within the same field. There’s also a jobs section and a place for recruiters to post job vacancies.

It’s clear social media networks are here to stay as we all need a means to communicate with each other but what we’re seeing are niche groups that enable users to focus their discussion.

There’s a whole host of other networks out there including the big names but I think the important thing to do if you’re a designer or a developer trying to further your knowledge and engage with others is that you get into that discussion. Create work, share with others and discuss and you’ll be surprised about how much you learn and improve.

Saw Duncan Jones’ Source Code a while back and quite enjoyed the film (big fan of his first film Moon). He brings an intelligence to popular science fiction stories without having to go over the top and while there’s plenty of special effects in his films they’re not always dictating what happens next.

I was inspired by the various posters created by others and wanted to attempt a version myself. A lot of the other versions were very detailed so I wanted to create a minimalistic ‘teaser style’ poster for the film that would draw the viewer in but not give any information away. Immediately the visual of the train tracks stuck in my mind with both being parallel to each other and one abruptly ending.

I really enjoyed creating this style of work and it helps clear the clutter in my brain with a simplistic design once in a while!

Here is a poster design I had been thinking about doing for a while. A few weeks ago, an episode of the very popular ‘Wonders of the Universe‘ was on BBC2. The episode was called ‘Stardust’ and in it Professor Brian Cox discussed what we are made of and more specifically where we came from.

Amazingly, the answer comes from the death of a sun.

As Professor Cox says,
Our ingredients were cooked in the hearts of ancient suns, thrown out into the universe in their deaths and eventually brought back together to form our solar system by the relentless pull of gravity.

The elements we hold most precious were forged at the moment of these magnificent stellar deaths.

Each week the television show usually pops up on Twitter’s trending list and there are always some great comments that people leave after either being inspired or intrigued by what they’ve just seen. The one you see on the poster design (from @robleen on Twitter) inspired me the most and it beautifully captured the message of the show.

The version that you see here is pretty much as I envisioned it. I’ve been meaning to get back into creating for myself recently so I wanted to start on an idea that was fresh in my mind. I have to add that the work of James White (Signalnoise) was a huge inspiration to me on this poster. I also have to thank Robyn Clark for the awesome Twitter quote!

I’ll be trying to get a proof printed off soon in hopes that I can get a printed run going and sell a few of these to anyone who’s interested!

It’s been a very clever campaign so far, great soundtracks with a nice sense of freedom and this advert looks to continue that trend.

Also wanted to post a couple of the other Visa adverts from this campaign.

- Jason

Flickr was a site that I’d always heard about, sort of tried but never really used. I’d upload a few ‘test’ pieces, found that it connected well to my social media and mobile devices but really had no great use for it. I then stumbled upon the Thingaweek group.

Thingaweek which is now running into its 34th week (join the fun now!) is inspired by an annual photographic event in Cardiff, UK called the Photomarathon:

A Photomarathon is a photograph competition with a twist: You receive a 12 picture film. Over 12 hours you have to take pictures on 12 given topics. It’s not your physical condition, but your sense of improvisation, fun and creativity that is stressed throughout the Photomarathon.

Thingaweek was created by a few members that took part in the Photomarathon using a similar concept and started a group on Flickr of which there are currently over 140 members. The rules are fairly simple:

One theme. One week. One photo. (Repeat)

There are a few other details that should be followed as in no digital manipulation and a deadline of midnight on a Sunday each week but other than that it’s wherever your imagination can lead you!

What brings this all together for me and what makes Flickr such an ideal platform is the community that has been created and the work that is inspired by that same group of people. The strength comes from the group itself as it boasts photographers of all skills; anyone is invited to join in no matter how much practice you’ve had behind a camera. The task set each week creates a challenge to be creative, it keeps your mind working and in my case breaks me away from my usual work within the design field. The photographs that come through each week are always inspiring, always come with discussion and always vary. A range of ideas and concepts come through that not only inspire but provide the other members with new and exciting ways to look at a particular theme.

My own Thingaweek collection

I feel obliged to get my next shot up for the week and to also see what others have contributed. I enjoy discussing the photographs and always appreciate any feedback that I receive (good or bad) about my work. If you’re the type that strive for awards then Thingaweek also gives out ‘Badges‘ to those photographs that really inspire. Anyone can create a badge and are encouraged to do so to show recognition for a great shot.

A few Thingaweek Badges

It’s an environment that’s built to grow. Foomandoonian (the ring leader as I’d like to dub him) has been at the forefront when it comes to getting Thingaweek running like a well-oiled machine. Twitter enables the group to stay connected instantly while users are invited to contribute ideas for upcoming themes using Flickr’s discussion posts. A tumblelog has also been setup creating a live feed and countdown of all things ‘thingaweek’ and even an arranged meet-up is planned for the near future.

Join in the fun and get you’re next Thingaweek submitted today!

If you’re still a little curious as to what its all about I’ve decided to include some of my favorite shots over the last 30 weeks:

Flipped – By Thiefree

#thingaweek 25 – Word Art – By pjmowbs

Windy Woo – By Kathryn Parker

Gabalfa / A48 – mark.stevenson1983

Park Leaf – By Foomandoonian

Fly big can! Fly! – By Renato Pequito

And one of my shots that I had the most fun trying to figure out without completely embarrassing myself!

A Tragic Discovery- By Jason W Stanley

- Jason

Star Wars never gets old for me as I grew up watching all the originals many many times and a new advertising campaign by adidas is making sure that Star Wars will be around for a while longer with a new collection of shoes and apparel completely inspired by the films. The advert is brilliantly made and with the obvious inclusion of many of adidas’ celebrity stars it brings a contemporary feel to the Star Wars image. An awesome remixed song to boot!

Also posted up a selected few items that I’d have on my wishlist:

adidas X-Wing

adidas Luke

adida atat

adidas saga

The pieces begin to hit all adidas Originals stores and other select retailers in January 2010 while a closer look into the lineup will soon be made available.

A common strategy (especially with television advertising) can be aggressive with your promotion. Car insurance adverts and claims adverts tend to do these the most with intrusive memorable phrases or songs that will stick in your head for the rest of the day. This spreads word of mouth and if its ‘catchy’ enough it may become viral. An advertising dream for the internet age!

I apologise for this by the way.

Another style that I believe can be far more rewarding is the interactive advertising campaign. One that involves the public and forces them into direct contact with a brand. Usually it can be a very simple idea engaging the viewers curiosity.

A few examples can be shown here:

Pedigree using a touchscreen method of interaction.

Realisation that you

Another way of involving the person indirectly through advertising. This advert in particular has become a viral success.

Coca-Cola have started a new campaign in France to advertise their new ‘grip bottle’. Info from Direct Daily:

Let people know about how the new Coca-Cola Grip Bottle has a better grip for holding. Posters printed on Velcro were placed in bus shelters in Paris to make people interact with the grip. People literally hooked to the campaign.

Click to view larger image

I love how it captures the attention of the people at the bus stop. It forces the user to get involved with the advert but in an interestingly unique manner.

Have you seen any interesting ‘interactive’ advertising and how did it get you involved?

- Jason

For me, when I stumbled upon this image I was taken back to when I was younger, looking at images of the planets and our solar system, thinking about how far our galaxy reaches and what other life forms (if any) also exist. I’ve always had a fascination with space and the statistics that we were taught about growing up. How far each planet is, how big each planet is in relation the list goes on.

This image taken from the National Geographic website fascinates me in the same way that I was as a child. I love looking at the detail, following the lines and working out each destination of every mission.

To see the hi-res image click here.

More details from National Geographic:

The first attempts to reach Mars (1960) and Venus (1961) failed, yet triumph followed quickly. Of nearly 200 solar, lunar, and interplanetary missions depicted on this map, most have been Earth’s closet neighbours. As rocketry, navigation, and imaging have become ever more capable and reliable, the planets and many of their moons have been examined in detail. The New Horizons mission to Pluto is under way, as is the MESSENGER mission to Mercury. Others not yet launched, perhaps not yet dreamed, await.

- Jason