Blogger’s Quest(ionnaire): Designer and Illustrator Valerie Jar of Fancy Frills

The Blogger’s Quest(ionnaire) is a Design Feast Initiative. In contrast to the Designer’s Quest(ionnaire), the focus here is on those engaged in the blog medium—why they do it and what tools they use. This seventh installment features designer and illustrator Valerie Jar who runs Fancy Frills, a blog that catalogs “semi-daily doses of inspiration, including things related to design, photography, products, fashion, and more.” Her sustained web-based publishing experience may help your entrance into the blogosphere or further inform your current work in it:

Why did you create a Website of regular entries?
It sort of just happened suddenly. I wasn’t planning on it at all. Being in the design industry, I research for projects and come across so many cool things online, that I wanted a place to keep track of it all. And I figured that if I like these things, maybe someone else would as well.

What Web-based solution did you select and why?
I use Blogger. It’s easy to use and free.

What is your definition of a good blog and what are three good blogs that you frequently visit?
I like blogs that keep me coming back. I have a selection of blogs that I go to frequently that are full of visual, creative things that influence me. Right now I am liking Mint, Design Work Life, and Beast Pieces.

How do you create content for your blog?
Everything featured on my blog are things I come across randomly on the internet, in real life, or that other readers have submitted to me. It’s basically full of eye candy. I’m kind of picky about what I post though. If it’s something I find neat or inspiring, I will post it. If not, I won’t.

How do you stay organized and motivated
to contribute to your blog?
I have a list of potential subjects to post about and it’s growing every day. I place these potential topics under sub-categories like paper, design/illustration, products, fashion... and then just pick and choose something under a subcategory that I haven’t blogged about for a while. I get motivated to post because it seems like almost every day I come across something I love and want to share.

For those aspiring to make a Website composed 
of regular thoughts and/or images, what is your advice?
Be passionate about what you do. If you love what you’re writing about, it makes updating it so much easier and even fun. You’ll look forward to posting more often.

What is your quest in blogging?
I want readers to visit and go away feeling inspired. I love learning about other artists in the field and finding new products or local shops/businesses, and then letting my readers in on it. Right now, my blog isn’t all that popular, but even knowing that I have some regular readers is one of the nicest things. Even if no one visited, I’d still keep my blog just to catalog all of the wonderful things I have stumbled upon.

• • •

Photograph courtesy of Valerie Jar.

• • •

Read more of the Design Feast series Blogger’s Quest(ionnaire).

---

Please consider supporting Design Feast
If you liked this lovingly-made interview, show your appreciation by helping to support my labor of love—Design Feast, which proudly includes this blog. Learn more.

Designer’s Quest(ionnaire): Creative Consultant Alex Koplin

The Designer’s Quest(ionnaire) is a Design Feast initiative that describes and captures a designer’s perspective in a succinct format. After catching sight of Alex Koplin’s witty diagrammatic “Are You Happy?” poster, I was led to his blog and shop H34DUP which showcases more of his portfolio spanning a lot of disciplines, particularly music. Koplin also works in Design & Marketing Strategy at Moodgadget, an associate of record label and art company Ghostly International. Read his insightful take on design and designing.

Previous Designer’s Quest(ionnaire): Community Activist Designer Justin Kemerling

Large View, Large City: Tezuka Architects’ Big Window House

In connection with a previous posting about Architect Andre Berman’s design of a private writing studio and library, I discovered this building, called the Big Window House, which also features access to a panoramic view:





Designed by Takaharu and Yui Tezuka of Tezuka Architects, the building is evidence of the team’s credo to strive for emotional and physical comfort in the architectural experience. According to Takaharu, “What we’re expounding is very simple: To be in a space where people can feel the breeze, the sunlight, the changing of the seasons, where they can forge and nourish relationships with one another. That shouldn’t be so complicated, should it?”

In contrast to the view of an open field and wilderness from within Berman’s writing studio, the Big Window House opens to a park and an urban composition. I recall mentioning to a friend that I mostly saw a parking lot through the window of where I used to live. To which he replied, “At least you have a view.” He was absolutely correct. Having a view is precious. Better than opacity.

Related: Tezuka Architects’ slideshow of their Big Window House

Design and the Play Instinct: Lessons from Toymakers

While design is a serious academic study and professional practice, its goal is often to simply amuse and delight. That was apparent at this year’s Toy Fair in New York City, which included some 7,000 new entrants. Over the course of four days, more than 20,000 attendees saw a spread of 100,000 products covering 350,000 square feet of exhibit space. That’s a lot of playthings—in this case, seriously designed playthings. A few statements from some exhibitors helped explain how they design products and services for people:

“This is all about the out-of-the-box experience.”
Said Michael McNally, Senior Brand Relations Manager for LEGO Systems, Inc. The way something designed subsequently gets packaged, unveiled and ultimately perceived and used by its audience is a big part of the solution itself.

Danny Wen of Iridesco, a maker of web applications, expressed this about the unboxing experience: “When it comes to web apps, the equivalent of the physical un-boxing is the first-time user experience. Despite the lack of physical packaging when it comes to web apps, we still need to pay attention to a positive experience in the virtual un-boxing. In the web app world, there is no ‘ah-ha’ moment that comes with holding the product in hand, so we focus on the immediate user interaction.”

Though web apps are the focus here, striving for an appealing experience before and at the point of engagement is a welcome reminder.



“People treat toys like they treat food.”
This was according to Robert Thungamen, founder of Green Toys. His sentiment reflects the increasing sensitivity to what literally makes a product. The appearance and presentation—the visual composition—matters as much as the raw materials, be they wood, cement or pixels. This is evident in the Tea Set (above) by Green Toys. It’s made out of recycled plastic (from milk jugs) and other environmentally friendly materials.

“People are looking for toys that they played with
when they were a child.”
Said by Ray Dallavecchia of Poof-Slinky Toys, maker of the classic Slinky, the power of memory is never to be under- or overestimated. A memorable product or service is always the goal, from “pre-sales” to “point of purchase” to “maintenance.” A design’s lifespan depends on a performance that’s memorable in a meaningful and positive way.

“People want basic toys.”
Reported by NPR, this was another theme at the fair. It’s not a new one, but it’s magnified in bad economic times. What do the previous mentions of Lego and the Slinky have in common? They’re simple. Simplicity can be both attractive and profitable. The topic of design reflecting its time is an ongoing debate: Complex times equal complex products; or complex times counter complex products. Being uncomplicated is a very strong desire, then and especially now.

The crafting of toys provides re-lessons for designers, of all ages.

Related:

• Essay Design and the Play Instinct (1965) by Paul Rand
• Gunther Kilsheimer, designer of the iconic Toys ‘R’ Us logo, passed away on August 8, 2009.

Designer’s Quest(ionnaire): Community Activist Designer Justin Kemerling

The Designer’s Quest(ionnaire) is a Design Feast initiative that describes and captures a designer’s perspective in a succinct format. Established in 2004, The Match Factory “was designed to be a place for creative expression. A place for people to share their passions, opinions and projects, and to exist in a space together where they can learn from each other and grow in exciting new directions.” One of The Match Factory’s affiliated projects is Power To The Poster, “a graphic design democracy project” that addresses the issues of our time. The link between these two projects of design activism is Justin Kemerling who pursues the role of “community activist designer.” His thinking about design strives toward the goal of common good and positive social change. Read more about his insightful take on design and designing.

Previous Designer’s Quest(ionnaire): Designer and Singer Jussi Gamache

A Recent Design Lecture, An Opportunity to Doing It Better

I recently lectured to a class at Harrington College of Design. The class dealt with “Design Issues” and was taught by Alma Hoffmann. I was referred to her by a mutual colleague, Jeffrey Jensen, who happens to also be a fan of Design Feast. After my poor presentation to a “Design Ecology” class at the Art Institute of Chicago, I had no inclination to do the “lecture thing.” But when the opportunity came to present to Alma’s class, it was a strong hint to reconcile my bloated overpass to the “Design Ecology” students.

Before, I aimed for broad coverage of topics, resulting in a thin lecture and diluted focus. This time, I strived for a compact set of topics that were essentially tips. Tips on being and staying creative; some about being and staying professional. Graphic designer Frank Chimero said, “Tips are easy. And shallow.” Frank’s absolutely right. This was why personal experience backed up each of my tips. The sole hierarchy dictating these tips was when I wrote them. Tips can drip a lot. They were kept to a handful such as these:

• Honesty is the best policy.
• Not engaging the web is stupid.
• Defending your thinking is hard.
• Referrals rule.
• The cool people are those who build an audience
  and care about them.
• Good designers write.
• Honoring your spouse, parents and loved ones is more important than anything.

The format of tips enables a presentation. It proved to be in an ice-breaker in what to share in a lecture. Making them sound enlightened was an easy temptation. I gave into it, resisted, then backed out and honed in on ones that were worded in a straightforward way.

To supplement my presentation, I brought along one of my rare design books for show-and-tell. It never hurts to bring in presentation-props. In this case, the prop was Bauhaus teacher Herbert Bayer’s “World Geo-Graphic Atlas” published in 1956. The book’s wealth of information-design demonstration mesmerized the audience. Like the Q&A following the lecture, the object provided another Q&A in itself.

Afterwards, I solicited feedback directly from the audience. One student replied: “Personally I thought you did a great job. Thorough reinforcement of the concepts and practices you presented.” Alma expressed, “It was WONDERFUL!!!”

The only gripe dealt with my pace of delivering the presentation: “…you pushed right through your 10 tip title screens, was trying to keep notes and some of them just flashed before I could get them down.” Slowing down is hard once one gets into starting the presentation and talking it through. I’ll try to treat transitions as pauses in the next opportunity to speak to an audience who proved captivated this time.

Speaking of the audience, Alma’s class consisted of only two students. I assumed that there would be more. But I’m glad that this assumption was debunked. No matter the size of the audience, whether the members consist of two or two thousand, each deserves the presenter’s complete attention. One’s lecture, including the Q&As and props, is only a success when the audience is a success.

---

Please consider supporting Design Feast
If you liked this lovingly-made write-up, show your appreciation by helping to support my labor of love—Design Feast, which proudly includes this blog. Learn more.