Beauty in chaos

"Design is about people creating solutions that help or improve the lives of other people-often in profound ways, but often in ways that are quite small and unnoticed."  (pg. 195 [E-book edition)

Image from here 

This quote says everything that needs to be said about this image.  This picture was taken the day of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup in Vancouver, Canada after the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins.

I became a fan of the Canucks during the Fall 2010 semester of my undergrad studies when one of my semester long projects was to advertise an area (with a magazine article, brochure, etc.) we picked out of a hat.  I picked Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada.  My area was the only one outside of the county.  In order to learn the culture without going to Canada, I started to watch a Canadian channel I get with cable almost exclusively (even to the point of picking up the accent).  What I learned from the almost 24-7 watching of CKWS, was that Canadians are very nice and friendly people.  Even their advertisements seemed like the people wanted to be your friend. 

Jump to a few weeks ago.  Vancouver loses the Stanley Cup in the last game at home.  Although hockey is a major part of the culture of our neighbors up north, I would be the last person to say that there would be riots afterward.  But within all the chaos, there was a couple in the middle of a street kissing each other.  Others were showing negativity and hatred, while these two people went (almost) unnoticed to the rioters.

I would not be surprised if this image became the "updated" version of the "Kiss in Time Square" picture.  It resembles the same ideals to me.  Both saw such negativity and hatred in where they were (war or the riots) and both decided to bring joy and love into their life.  Moments that lasted only seconds, captured in time, to share the message of peace and love.

Image found here

The Misleading Beer Mug

“The Japanese Perception of Beauty is largely based on space, especially space as it is found in nature”  (Koegel, 2010).

At an Applebee's outing with my brother and cousin to celebrate my cousin and I's graduation from our respective colleges, the design of my beer "mug" became a topic for discussion.  My cousin received a degree in Business, with an emphasis in marketing, and I graduated with a degree in Communication and Information Design, with an emphasis in graphic design.  It is not uncommon for us to banter back and forth about design or marketing strategies.

Never getting a “tall” draft before, it was quite a surprise when the big glass sat in front of me.  My first reaction was “wow, this is a huge glass.”  But on further observation of the glass, it is not as big as it seems.  The glass tapers in and has a lot of space at the bottom of solid glass.  As a result, there is not as much beer as someone assumes.  This is obviously a trick to get extra money for “more” beer for the company.

Although misleading, I love the shape of the glass.  As the quote states above, the beauty comes from the perception of space around the glass “as it is found in nature.”  The design makes it sturdy and easily graspable (which is good when having a few beers).  It almost looks sophisticated, meaning that you are not just having this drink at some random “hole in the wall.”   It is also not too classy of a look that it does not feel right for the venue.  Besides tricking you into thinking that the glass holds more beer, I find it still a well-designed item for its purpose. 

Koegel, Timothy J. The Exceptional Presenter Goes Virtual. [Kindle E-Book Edition] Austin, TX: Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2010.