How do things I value reveal my personal story?

    Many things in life are taken for granted. I think life is quite simple, and it is important to enjoy the things/people that make you happy.
    Starbucks' green tea is not only delicious, but it's a tradition. Every Thursday morning my mom and I go to Starbucks together. It's a time for us to talk and enjoy a yummy drink. I will always have those memories when I drink green tea! It makes me feel very cleansed, especially when I am feeling sick. Starbucks' green tea reminds me of a warm and friendly environment.
    I was very excited to have my first car. To me, it represents freedom, but it comes along with many responsibilities. One thing I have learned is to make sure you always know how much gas you have in your car! It's a good way for me to show that I can take care of my belongings, and now I don't have to drive my parents crazy with getting rides everywhere! I named my car Tim and we have become best friends. Having a car makes me feel old-in a good way. In April I will recieve my full, unrestricted license and I can't wait!
   These things are materialistic. They aren't the only things important to me either. Life offers many valuable things, you just have to be on the look out for them. Some you see everyday and don't even realize it. Abbie Murray made my poster in InDesign. I love how the pictures fit together, and the mix of the two fonts in the headline looks so good together! The black gave it a nice change from the typical white background.

Adobe Illustrator Web Design Examples

Two Toasters

http://twotoasters.com
Two Toasters is a company that designs and develops apps. I love their web site! It's built with simple elements. They used gradients, transparency effects, lines, dashed lines, and arrows. The part of the site that draws you in is a slideshow of examples of Two Toasters' work. The layout is constant in each slide, but each slide is unique because the colors and images change. This web design is clean cut and simple, which is why it works.

Dean Oakley

http://deanoakley.com
Dean Oakley is a web designer and developer. I love his unique web site! The main focus of the page is a graphic created in Adobe Illustrator that really catches your eye. The graphic runs the horizontal length of the page. It is a stingy earth setting with cactus and other plants, as well as several birds. Oakley uses a green-tinted/muted color palate. The most interesting thing about his graphic is that when you make the internet window smaller, the graphic condenses and the website changes from a horizontal-dominant site to a vertical-dominate site! These little unique and simple element really make you interested in his work, and make the site very accessible.

Using Adobe Illustrator for Web Design

Begin in Adobe Illustrator by working in RGB mode. Create a new layer and lock an image of a blank web page created in Adobe Photoshop. Adjust the settings so that you are working in units of pixels, and adjust the keyboard increment to .5 pixels. By working with these settings, it will allow you to create a sharper looking image or web design layout!

The design process if faster due to the fact that you are able to maneuver between layers just by clicking on the different objects. Any reoccurring elements can easily be saved into the symbols panel.

                                             

Using Adobe Illustrator for web design is ideal because of the ability to change the layout without a lot of effort. It also comes in handy for simpler graphics.

Create elements to use throughout your project. Simply by saving them as a symbol, you will not have the hassle of recreating them every time.

Add a variety of visual effects such as textures, 3D effects, glows, rounded corners, etc. to spice up your page. By using this program, you can be sure that your graphics will turn out vectored and clear. Adobe Illustrator is simple, effective, and time efficient.

Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art is currently carrying Dylan Mortimer’s Illuminate Exhibition. This is a very unique gallery on the second floor. The idea behind Mortimer’s Illuminate consists of a series of artworks that are called “halos”, where anyone who chooses to stand under the design will cause the piece to illuminate, or light up. The structures are made up of many twinkling lights that are triggered by a motion sensor. What makes Mortimer’s work so unique is the ability for people to have direct interaction with the artwork. His underlying message behind his work- “who earns a halo? How do you get a halo? Who are the ones who decide?” – as well as the idea of people standing under a flat structure almost makes them feel as if they are a part of a painting. Mortimer’s exhibit at the Nerman will close on February 23, 2014.