Who has an industrial espresso machine in their office? Who has teas I couldn’t pronounce just over top of that espresso machine? Who has black glass along the wall that you draw on with white magic markers? It’s none other than only the best internship ever: Derooted Design Agency. In fact, interning almost seems like an understatement for what I did and learned at Derooted; I truly felt like part of the team.

Being an undergrad student it s... Read more..]]> Who has an industrial espresso machine in their office? Who has teas I couldn’t pronounce just over top of that espresso machine? Who has black glass along the wall that you draw on with white magic markers? It’s none other than only the best internship ever: Derooted Design Agency. In fact, interning almost seems like an understatement for what I did and learned at Derooted; I truly felt like part of the team.

Being an undergrad student it seems that interning is a given with almost all programs. Mandatory or not, interning is said to be the best way to meet people in industry and gain experience. I hear this again and again. However, having done several internships in the past I’m sure I’m not the only one to say that many intern positions don’t hold up their end of the bargain in the sense that what the intern does isn’t in fact ‘experience,’ it’s simply invisible; it’s ‘invisrience’. Granted, these invisible things are unavoidable and need to be done, but when these things become your only obligation YOU start to feel invisible.

So having said that, my favorite part of being at Derooted was that my designs were taken seriously. They weren’t roughs that a client would never see. What I made, was exactly what was presented. Derooted let me make my stupid mistakes and deal with them, most of which I did because I was nervous, I swear! To me, that’s experience: it’s real, it’s never perfect, and it’s always visible as can be. Simon didn’t let anything go unnoticed so he could bring up every flaw and make me face it, explain it, and fix it. And honestly, no matter how humiliating I’m really glad he did! It’s what let me know that what I did really mattered.

On top of that I got to see the industry for what it is, hard work, tight deadlines, meetings outside in the park (weather permitting), dealing with clients, wine after 4pm on Fridays, etc. In short, the good, the bad, and the in between. Being with Derooted was fun, insightful, and truly a great VISIBLE interning experience. Thanks guys!

-Irina Zabelina

I recently rediscovered the beautiful work of Canadian graphic artist Marian Bantjes.

She spent many years as a graphic designer, then decided to follow her own style and shifted into the realm of art. Her work still maintains strong typographic and design elements, but is very personal. The designs she creates are different from what we usually see in modern art and design. Rather than being simple and easy to understand, Bantjes creates ambiguous, intricate, and ornamental work.

Part of... Read more..]]> I recently rediscovered the beautiful work of Canadian graphic artist Marian Bantjes.

She spent many years as a graphic designer, then decided to follow her own style and shifted into the realm of art. Her work still maintains strong typographic and design elements, but is very personal. The designs she creates are different from what we usually see in modern art and design. Rather than being simple and easy to understand, Bantjes creates ambiguous, intricate, and ornamental work.

Part of what bothers me about some modern artists is the feeling that “anyone could have created this”, a sentiment that is shared by many casual viewers of art. I have a hard time appreciating a piece that has little labour put into it. While an art critic can theorize on the deep meaning in a work like that, I feel like I need something more from art—a sense of amazement and appreciation for the process and hard work that went into producing the artwork. That’s part of what I like about Bantjes’ work: her talent and skill are evident, her detailed work is amazing, and the results are works of art.

- Anna

Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Mosaic Vineyard Church has made a decision to stand out with their religious outspokenness, and a redesigned logo. A church “compelled by love to reconcile all people of God”, this is a facility that takes pleasure in serving a multicultural community. Designer, Adam Ladd of Ladd Design Communications, explains:

I am often burdened with the cumbersome task of trying to explain the difference between an artist and a designer: or perhaps more specifically, the difference between art and design.  As articulate as I would like to believe myself to be, I have yet to draw a definitive line between the two.  I don’t believe the case to be that my analysis has failed to render a clear definition for each, rather that the definition for the latter is not one that postulates a disambiguation that removes it from the former. In fact the two, at least as concepts, are inseparab... Read more..]]> I am often burdened with the cumbersome task of trying to explain the difference between an artist and a designer: or perhaps more specifically, the difference between art and design.  As articulate as I would like to believe myself to be, I have yet to draw a definitive line between the two.  I don’t believe the case to be that my analysis has failed to render a clear definition for each, rather that the definition for the latter is not one that postulates a disambiguation that removes it from the former. In fact the two, at least as concepts, are inseparable: it is akin to removing orange juice from an orange. Yes, one can remove (or extract to be more precise) orange juice from an orange, but one cannot remove orange from orange juice, so to speak.  Namely, design is an inherent part of art, a component that despite being one that can be isolated, will always evoke the whole.

Up until quite recently, the term used to describe a person whose profession involves creating visual interpretations (tangible or intangible), which are intended to solve a client’s inability to generate revenue, was graphic artist. I am not quite sure about the history of this terms evolution, but am certain that at some point, it’s transition to graphic designer was at least in part due to a consensus among  “artists” to want to be removed from the association to the very commercial and consumerist culture they were so ardulently opposed to.  I am also almost certain that designers where only too relieved to be disassociated with the preconceptions associated with being labeled an artists.  The fact is however, that in creating a work of art, an artist must pay very close attention to it’s design, and in order for a designer to succeed in exceeding said client’s expectations, he must strip it of it’s art.  This may sound cynical, but it may be better illuminated by referring to what I believe to be the most concise definition of the term art I have ever come across: a German poet and playwright named Bertolt Brecht once said that “art is not a mirror held up to society, but a hammer with which to shape it”.  Art, as a discipline, exists to redefine universal truths, and to challenge at all times the conventions that stagnate progress.  A designer cannot afford to employ this methodology.  A designer’s aim is to solve a practical problem, using language and form: he cannot attempt to redefine the world around him to eliminate the problem; it is inherent in his approach to attack the issue post hoc.

I received my BFA from The Ontario College of Art & Design: a university which has struggled with clearly identifying the difference between the two, and which has suffered in purporting a solid identity (evident in the fact that it has had 3 different names in the last 15 years).  OCAD University (as it is now known) offers two undergraduate degrees: BFA and BDes.  The two faculties divide the student body, which adds to the confusion.  Design cannot stand alone, and neither can art for that matter; the two are in a constant state of inter-connectivity.  When OCAD U students are asked to choose a major, essentially they are being asked to be defined as either an artist or as a designer.  I happen to believe that this is erroneous, but I found a way around it, as I always do —the good designer that I am—  I did my minor in Communications Design.  So yes I am a classically trained artist, poised to challenge the rigid parameters of reality.  I am also a designer, aware of the tactile world my ancestors worked so busily to create, and trying to find ways to build upon that foundation.  What’s the difference between art and design?  My best answer is: I don’t know.

- Ruben

Roller Derby is coming for you, from every corner of this fine globe. Blood and Thunder —the world’s premier roller derby magazine— is bringing the first ever Roller Derby World Cup to Toronto this December.

December 2nd to 4th will see 12 teams rolling in to compete for world roller derby domination. England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Finland, Sweden, France, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Argentina and of course lucky number team 13— Canada, jamming, blocking and hitting their way to the title bout. Bei... Read more..]]> Roller Derby is coming for you, from every corner of this fine globe. Blood and Thunder —the world’s premier roller derby magazine— is bringing the first ever Roller Derby World Cup to Toronto this December.

December 2nd to 4th will see 12 teams rolling in to compete for world roller derby domination. England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Finland, Sweden, France, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Argentina and of course lucky number team 13— Canada, jamming, blocking and hitting their way to the title bout. Being on hand to see some of this country’s elite already, this promises to be one heck of a weekend.

I’ve done a skate with a few Rollergettes and my word are derby girls badass athletes. The amount of strategic and physical skill of these players is truly astonishing. These ladies go through grueling training sessions just to put their bodies on the line jam-in and jam-out. It’s not just about rad names, alter-egos and fishnets, it’s an insane amount of work to own that track on a country topping level.

I think part of my attraction to this amazing sport are the alter-egos. When else in life do you get to come up with a punk name for your other personality without being institutionalized? Honestly just getting to come up with my own derby name was a reason for me to learn to skate. The process itself started in my copywriting class last year as a creative exercise and has helped my writing experiences since. Although I’m set on Anne Bulance (say it fast), I still love having creative moniker sessions to see if I can blow my own mind with something better, though I doubt it.

Seeing as you won’t have anything more important than cheering on your country’s finest roller derby damsels on December 2nd to 4th, follow these instructions. Get your tickets, donate to Team Canada, and get your merch. Get creative with some “I (heart) Brim Stone/ Hell on Keller/ Georgia W Tush/ Lil Mama” signs, then just count on down the days until Toronto is hit with a world of hurt.

See you all trackside!

-Jenn Keenan a.k.a. Anne Bulance

Are we over-hyping our concern for plastics and pollutants that by far outlives us? It’s not as if it has any direct impact that we should worry about. Noooo need to worry.

I think a part of all of us living now has been desensitized to pollution. The fact that so much of it has already been translated to mass media is yesterday’s news. We’ve all seen images of landfill again and again; pipes of smoke filling the air with black soot; acid rain causing forest to die and wither. So the list goes on. But it all se... Read more..]]> Are we over-hyping our concern for plastics and pollutants that by far outlives us? It’s not as if it has any direct impact that we should worry about. Noooo need to worry.

I think a part of all of us living now has been desensitized to pollution. The fact that so much of it has already been translated to mass media is yesterday’s news. We’ve all seen images of landfill again and again; pipes of smoke filling the air with black soot; acid rain causing forest to die and wither. So the list goes on. But it all seems so distant and alien to us, and not at all a part of who we are and how we live. Those are rather the immediate and visible effects of pollution decades past. What we have on top of that now is the slow and chronic effects of invisible toxins that enter our bodies on a regular basis.

I must admit I’ve been under the influence and persuasion of co-authors Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie with their book Slow Death by Rubber Duck[y]. The authors have influenced my perceptions about the everyday object. Take your synthetic plastic bags, plastic microwave containers, plastic table sets, water bottles, baby bottles, bins, shower curtains, you name it, all of which are taking over every corner of our lives. Harmless? Yes, to the naked eye. Under the microscopic lens however, these scientists telltale a chemical known as Bisphenol-A which can be easily increased within the short span of days to triple and quadruple within your body. What it correlates to are signs of prostate deformity in early childhood, prostrate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. A piece of the puzzle just fell into place as to why there’s such an increase in cancer cases. Chemicals and molecules like Bisphenol-A are easy to accumulate in the body, easy to pass to the next generation, but highly persistent.

What doctors and practiced physicians do for us are ends to an already existing problem, what we can do to reduce if not eliminate the sources of these problems begin at the initial stage of design and production. Rather than preach to an audience on what a mess we’ve made to the environment and to ourselves, designers, engineers, and thinkers of our community are proposing affordable solutions that will rid us some of these toxic soup bubbling within our bodies.

Simply detoxing yourself by eating organic foods isn’t enough, because chemically treated materials such as wrappings, packing can leach chemicals into your body fairly easily. Alternative substitutes are beneficial on several levels if we all made an effort:

Natural fiber products such as wool, cotton, hemp, and recycled polyester are naturally resistant to flames. Though on the pricier ends of commercial shelves, they can eliminate some paranoia about clothing or fabric deliberately catching fire from high temperatures. If by chance it does catch on fire, they are resistant to rapid spread of the flame. And since these materials has a high durability and is time tested from an ecological standpoint, that you buy can last much longer than synthetically made, disposable materials.

Because these materials have biological properties that does not need to by synthetically mimicked, the production of these materials would require less energy. In here, the reduce from the three Rs model is definition at its best.

In the reuse department, organic materials such as bio-polymer have much the versatility compared to its man-made cousins in synthetics. These organically compounded materials can be molded into purpose-driven products to better suit  the need of the market. And unlike conventional artificial materials, under the prolonged exposure and oxidation process, it will again return to the environment as minerals for topsoil.

We can potentially create and repurpose any left over organic product in the main time to suit our needs. There is much in the creative aspect to explore the shape, composition and natural properties of natural materials. To end things on a positive note, some inspirational packaging from Japan and Thailand gives us some insight as to the possibilities of human imagination that are aesthetically and biologically beautiful.

by: Mary Zhao
http://derooted.com

It’s been about a month already since I started internship at derooted. In t... Read more..]]>

Wacom Intuos3 6”x8”

It’s been about a month already since I started internship at derooted. In this month there was this one time I forgot to bring my pen tablet. Working with the trackpad on MacBook irritated me all day. (Although I love MacBook’s multi fingers trackpad feature) Whether you’re professional graphic designer or someone who just love doing something arty on your computer, a pen tablet is the best tool to make your life much easier.

When I first got my pen tablet, I wasn’t interested in graphic design or computer-related illustrations. I did a lot of analog drawings on paper. I didn’t find any use for the tablet. I remember when I first tested out the tablet from pure boredom, I realized how easy it was to use with computer games because I scored much higher with the pen tablet than the mouse (especially the kind of shooting game that require you to aim and shoot at target).

Now as a graphic design student, my pen tablet is a necessary tool when I work on projects. I think to me, the advantages of the tablet can be summarized into three distinct points:

1. First, the pen tablet is especially helpful when you do precise photo retouching and illustrations. Once you get use to drawing in pen, drawing without it is like the drawing with your non-dominant hand, your feet, or with a pen in your mouth. I feel handicapped without out it right by me when I work. It also gets less tired after I work due to the natural way you hold a pen as opposed to a mouse while you work.
2. Using pen tablet saves a lot more time and its more efficient ways. I work much faster with the tablet. Absolute positioning feature of the pen tablet gives me a 1:1 representation of the screen to that tablets so I can move the cursor to anywhere on the screen instantly and this is much faster than moving and dragging my mouse on my desk. I dislike the mouse in my school lab because their wire is super short that I need to lift up and reposition the mouse every time I try to move. But the tablet solves this problem since I can reach anywhere on the screen within the size of the tablet. In this case I think the size of the tablet and the screen is important. I’m using Wacom Intuos3 6”x8”Pen Tablet with my 17inch MacBook Pro. I love this size since this is not too big to carry around and not too small for using with either mouse or pen. According to my friend who is using 9”x12”tablet with 17inch MacBook Pro, using the bigger tablet in Final Cut is a pain in the rear since it’s not precise enough to anchor the frames. Bigger is not necessarily better unless you want to do illustrations without zoom in to details always. I prefer using my smaller tablet to minimize my arm motion so I can save a lot more time.
3. The best thing about doing illustration on any computer using the pen tablet is that there is always an option where I can erase, rewrite and fix as much as I want without damaging my original copy. However, the only disadvantage of the pen tablet is that, because I can rewrite as much as I want, I can’t stop keep retouching same file. Even if I am satisfied with the illustration that I do, I may feel inclined to reedit, and so the editing process never ends.

Now there are a lot more variations in pen tablet. There are Bluetooth variations which will add to the portability of the tablets and will extend the range of usages and application of the devices too. The wireless device provides you complete freedom in controlling the screen from afar. There is also LED Backlight Monitor with Pen Tablet Technology which allows you to work directly on the screen with natural hand-eye coordination. If you don’t have pen tablet yet, why not? The pen tablet is definitely the tool that will make your life much easier.

By: Ayaka Sano
http://derooted.com