knowing what to do

In Donald Norman's chapter "Knowing What to Do" from his book The Design of Everyday Things, the author describes the significance of designing devices and machines in a way that effectively shows the relevant parts visible, provides a good display to communicate what those parts do, and gives the user feedback through an immediate effect following each action. For some of the objects that Norman describes, it seems like the only trouble would be deciphering how to use the item after the first time, it would not matter how confusing it might be. For example, the author discussed cabinet doors sometimes being tricky to open, but unless this is a highly frequented cabinet door by many new people, I think the aesthetic design may be more important the functionality, assuming the owner remembers how to use it after the first time. Other more highly trafficked things like office doors, however, demand intelligent design to make them easy to use. If electronic devices like high-def TVs, Tivo, and new car stereos were easy to design (which I am sure is not the case), then I am sure they would be much easier to use. 

fun?

Tom Bissell's article "The Grammar of Fun" goes into great detail about the world of Epic Games. Perhaps it is because, personally, I am not a fan of video games and cannot take this form of entertainment -- especially first person shooting games or first person role-playing-games -- seriously. However, I appreciate how Bissell created an engaging piece by incorporating historical information, bits of Cliff Bleszinski's personal life, the difference between retro games such as Super Mario and newer games like Gears of Wars, and juicy details about Gears 2. Though not a gamer myself, I can see after reading Bissell's article that it takes an expertise of the gaming culture as well as games to report on this genre of technological entertainment. 

Product Review: Five Ultimate Hydro Shorts vs. Patagonia Field Shorts

A brief comparison of Five Ultimate Hydro Shorts versus Patagonia Field Shorts, both articles of clothing made for ultimate frisbee:

                                                         Five Ultimate                                                              Patagonia

              Cost                                         $20.00                                                                          $25.00

     Material                    88% polyester, 12% elastane                                   100% recycled polyester

         Colors                      22 choices including plaid                                  3 choices - black, white, gray

      Comfort                     Extremely soft; lightweight                          Breathable; extremely lightweight

       Pockets                                      One, MP3                                                                        None

Durability                                        Not very                                                Durable; comes with guarantee

     Weather                         Gets very heavy in rain                                          Completely waterproof

www.fiveultimate.com                                                              http://www.patagonia.com/


Many would argue that ultimate frisbee is not a real sport. Many do not even know the extent to which the ultimate frisbee society has developed, both in North America and around the world. Though on occasion it is a little embarrassing for me to admit being a part of this enormous, somewhat underground, often misunderstood, and increasingly popular culture, I cannot deny the growth of the ultimate frisbee world nor how much I enjoy playing. One of the clear manifestations of this sport’s expansion is the emergence of clothing lines established in the past several years designed specifically for ultimate players. There are now several companies that exclusively sell ultimate apparel such as Five Ultimate, VC Ultimate, and Gaia. Competing with these companies are outdoor and sports stores who have developed a line of sportswear specifically for ultimate frisbee, including Patagonia and Underarmour. Being a part of this cultural, social, and athletic network necessarily causes me to consider such decisions like what types of uniforms to buy. One of the key decisions includes shorts, which are vital to one’s performance.

I will be comparing shorts made by Five Ultimate and Patagonia, two of the powerhouses in sponsoring and clothing hundreds of teams across the nation. Five Ultimate prides itself on being the merchandiser of the Worlds competition along with other huge tournaments such as Nationals for the college and club divisions. Patagonia, on the other hand, sponsors many elite teams in North America, particularly within the college and club divisions. Both of these companies are known for producing high quality shorts. In reviewing both of these products as a prospective consumer, I am judging the quality of each product based on their functionality and accessibility, including the cost, material, color choices, comfort, and functionality.

The material of the shorts from Five Ultimate and Patagonia differ greatly. The Hydro Shorts made by Five Ultimate are 88% polyester and 12% elastane, giving them a lightweight, extremely stretchy, and comfortable feel. Five Ultimate offers 22 colors and patterns, including wacky ones like plaid. They have the most give I have ever seen in a pair of athletic shorts, and by the feel of them, I am confident that they give completely unhindered mobility. Patagonia’s Field Shorts are made from 100% recycled polyester, giving them a breathable and extremely lightweight feel. They are much lighter than the shorts made by Five Ultimate, and the breathability of the material easily wicks sweat and keeps the range of mobility high, though not quite as high as that of the Five Ultimate shorts. Patagonia offers their shorts in white, black, and gray. Though the Patagonia shorts are much lighter than the Five Ultimate shorts, the Five ultimate shorts are much softer and more comfortable.

The Patagonia shorts do not have a pocket, and the Five Ultimate shorts have an inner MP3 pocket. The concept of having pockets in ultimate shorts is never debated; pockets are never included in frisbee shorts so as to eliminate the possibility of catching – and thus breaking – fingers while playing. Five Ultimate attempts to combat not having pockets with a wallet sized pocket that is concealed inside the waistline. However, the awkward side location of the pocket and the size does not make the pocket all that functional.

The one other aspect of frisbee shorts that is important to consider when comparing the products is durability and resilience in weather conditions. Considering the bipolar and often nasty weather that hits the Pacific Northwest during the fall and spring frisbee seasons, it is especially important for me to choose a product that will hold up in the rain. Five Ultimate shorts gets considerably heavy in the rain, while Patagonia shorts are completely waterproof. Not only is the water repellence advantageous for keeping the shorts from getting heavy and hindering speed, but gear that is waterproof keeps you dry and much warmer. Once Five Ultimate shorts get wet, they do not dry easily at all. Especially after four or five games in one day, once your shorts get wet, the shorts’ quality of water repellence will determine how cold you feel, how much weight you feel like you are carrying, and how much they get in the way, all elements that affect your performance.

The durability of the Five Ultimate shorts seems to be significantly less than the Patagonia shorts. It seems as though the stitches unravel easily, and several runs through the washer will eat them. The softness of the material does not seem to decline with time and wear, but the threads do seem to come undone easily. The shorts made by Patagonia, on the other hand, being made of 100% recycled polyester, appear much more durable as they are designed to resist abrasion. Having visited the washing machine several times, the quality of the Patagonia has not diminished in the least. All Patagonia gear also comes with an “Ironclad Guarantee” that guarantees satisfaction and performance. It seems like, in the long run, Patagonia shorts will easily trump the Five Ultimate shorts.

The price of athletic shorts usually range from $20 to $30, and that does not change for ultimate frisbee. Five Ultimate’s shorts are a base rate of $20 before screen printing, and Patagonia’s shorts are normally $35, but I paid $25 through a team order. Considering the difference in price for me was only $5, I am considering the discrepancy less than significant. Even if the Patagonia shorts are $15 more than the Five Ultimate shorts, it seems like the weatherproof, durable, and lightweight Patagonia shorts are more worth it. For a rain-plagued location, I would recommend Patagonia’s Field Shorts over Five Ultimate’s Hydro Shorts, but for an inexpensive, extremely comfortable pair of shorts in a dry location, Five Shorts would be the way to go.

everybody's reading it

Ken Auletta explains in his article “Critical Mass: Everyone Listens to Walter Mossberg” how Mossberg’s column in the Wall Street Journal has, over the years, earned him the esteemed reputation he now holds as a technology reviewer. His expertise and consistency of his writing has created a trusted and powerful influence in the world of consumers. It seems as though Mossberg knows how to work the market by doing exactly that—writing for the consumer and the experience of the product rather than for the product itself. I am willing to bet that it is difficult to develop a foothold in the technological world as it changes so fast, so writing and reviewing it must require a proficiency and familiarity with technology that puts you at an advantage much further than simply good writing would take you. As Mossberg says, “The good part about writing about technology is that you never run out of ideas, because it’s changing so fast. The bad part is that it’s changing so fast that there’s a million new products and ideas every day and every week.”

Tacoma Museum of Glass, October 10, 2010

The Tacoma Museum of Glass is currently featuring several exhibitions that make the trip downtown well worth it. The exhibitions at the Museum of Glass include Masters of Studio Glass: Richard Craig Meitner, on view until June 19, 2011; Birds by Toikka, on view until January 10, 2011; Kids Design Glass, on view until October 31, 2011; Fertile Ground: Recent Masterworks from the Visiting Artist Residency Program, on view until October 16, 2010; and the ongoing Made at the Museum which features visiting artists’ work during their residencies. Even before you step foot into the glass dome of the Museum of Glass, the outdoor exhibits engage and prepare you for nothing short of a marvelous look into the world of contemporary glass art.

The Chihuly Bridge of Glass invites visitors walking from downtown Tacoma into the area where Museum of Glass resides. The glass bridge is an interactive and welcoming work that cleverly combines the urban city in its functionality with the Puget Sound in its aesthetic appeal. The bright colors, vivid patterns, and luminescent forms surrounding the walkway create a kaleidoscope on which one can happily feast the eyes.

Similarly, the Water Forest by artist Howard Ben Tré, like the glass bridge, beautifully integrates the urbanity of Tacoma with the natural surroundings of the Sound: the vertical skyscraper-like tubes and the water cycling through the structures create an inviting and interactive piece. Water Forest opens the museum and one of the many spectacles bidding the visitor to come and walk through the waterfalling trees.

Finally, artist Martin Blank’s Fluent Steps welcomes the visitor as it spans all 210 feet of the Main Plaza. Fluent Steps is a remarkable work as it demonstrates the properties of water, with some of the glass sculptures towering over the visitor. The forms explore the movement, variability, transparency, and captivation of water, powerfully standing as a symbol of Tacoman weather and environment.

The Museum of Glass also puts on plays, lectures, activities, demonstrations, and other events on a weekly basis. On October 10, Walter Lieberman provided an interesting and visual lecture on the distinction between studio glass and production glass as well as highlighted the role of Oiva Toikka–whose work is showing at the museum—in the Studio Glass movement.

Each gallery displays unique sets of art that all focus and develop on a set of similar techniques, themes, and ideas. Among these themes are meditation, inspiration, mother nature, political, realism and abstraction, and imagination. They serve as the seed from which, or perhaps a banner before which, art is created.

Meditation.

Meditation cultivated from thought-provoking and complex art forms, insisting one’s intellectual application and a necessary emotional connection to the composition, which can only be done through marinating in the piece.

Richard Craig Meitner’s works in Masters of Studio Glass: Richard Craig Meitner are a study of a variety of forms, levels of transparency, colors, and mediums. Works meddle with complex figures like chain links, human faces, and vases that deceptively appear warped with iridescent blues and greens shaping the curves. One of Meitner’s series is For Everything There Is a Season, named after the passage in Ecclesiastes. In this series of sculptures, Richard Craig Meitner explores forms representing each season. Each piece in the series features a glass figure on a mosaic block. The diversity in medium interleaved among the glass including paint, metal, and paper distinguish Meitner’s work as well.

Inspiration.

Inspiration, from age-old icons to everyday objects, births the inception of a thought, an idea, a design that evolves into a masterpiece encapsulating artistry, talent, and purpose.

It goes without saying that many of the artists gathered inspiration from similar sources, such as nature, human anatomy, or material objects. One interesting piece is Gabe Feenan’s Ode to the Colonel, which features a red and white striped lamp shade atop what resembles a chicken drumstick as the base.

Mother nature.

Appreciation, admiration, pleasure, muse. Mother nature as stimulation for art.

Birds by Toikka paid a fine tribute in displaying a vast range of birds through a showcase of delicate and exquisite birds of all types. Numerous pieces in the Made at the Museum exhibit drew on inspiration from nature; several multifaceted and multilayered pieces play with light refraction, reflection, dispersion, illumination, and shadows. A couple model trees or plants, the wilderness, animals, or wildlife.

Political.

Speaking to the affairs of the state, the government, the world outside but defining art.

Many of the artistic pieces entered the political realm in their messages, particularly in Masters of Studio Glass: Richard Craig Meitner. One particularly distinctive work is an untitled piece by Patrick Martin: a glass-blown pair of flip-flop sandals with thin metal straps. Interleaved in the glass in each of the soles of the flip-flops is a photo of George W. Bush, poking fun at the former president. Several other pieces in the set also play with satire.

Realism and abstraction.

Representations of reality, and impressions of experience; abstractions of truth and articulation of sensations. Portrayal of the real versus expressing the intangible.

In all of the exhibits, the tension between realism and abstraction is manifested in the juxtaposition between imitations of reality and mere impressions of it in the glass figures. From forms that resembled human faces to contemporary pieces that are indistinguishable and modernist, the artist repeatedly drives towards characterizing and expressing particular feelings or ideas. Benjamin Cobb’s Visceral Stomach holds iridescent blues in a long, smooth, curved figure that conveys an abstract interpretation of this complex organ.

Imagination.

Idea. Dream. Create. Design. Believe. Vision. Invent.

The Fertile Ground exhibit presents enchanted and fantastical worlds embodied in bold color combinations and distinct glass forms. Even the children’s artworks from which the Kid’s Design studios’ pieces are derived embody the struggle to express the ideas and sensations in their wildest dreams. The Kids Design Glass was by far my favorite exhibit because of the clear freedom and completely uninhibited expression at the root of each kid’s drawing, the artists in residency used the drawings as the blueprints for the bold glass forms now on display in the gallery.

Tacoma’s Museum of Glass provides nothing less than the remarkable reputation it carries throughout Tacoma. Prepare to be amazed, engaged, and challenged.

copywriting, city arts

The article "How to Make Money Writing for the Web" by Matthew Stibbe provided basic advice on how to write well, from what types of things to read to what sorts of things to research to the differences between print and online writing. His writing style was straightforward and casual, making it quite easy to read. His tips are practical and it seems like he thoroughly covered all the possible questions one might have about web copywriting. Some stood out to me: 
   - "The short cut to really good writing [is]... good interviews with smart people translated into readable prose."
  - "The secret of making reasonable money at writing is to find a niche and become an expert."
  - Writing for the web is free of jargon and long words.
  - "Spend more time marketing yourself to the right people to get work at the right prices."
Stibbe probably knows what he's talking about.

Emily White's article "The Dumbing Down" from Eastside City Arts Magazine reveal how the art critics from Seattle Times are slowly losing their jobs from the 112-year-old newspaper. Not being an art critic myself but having read art reviews, I think those who have "a gift for putting visual experience into language" are few and far between. It only makes sense that as budgets get cut, the arts the first to go. It is really quite unfortunate for a paper like Seattle Times to see their arts critics disappear; the city of Seattle is a cultural, musical, and artistic hub on the west coast. For job vacancies left by critics like Sheila Farr, who has had a longstanding history residing in and reviewing the works in one particular city, it doesn't seem likely that the Times can and will replace them. "Critics come to know the town just as reporters get to know their beats: they find their sources, their deep throats. As Tori Ellison phrased it, they learn how to 'unearth' truths about the scene -- digging into the underground instead of running over its surfaces." This statement in White's article makes it all the more tragic knowing that the arts in Seattle may not receive the reviews, and thus the attention, they deserve.

newsflash

In his article "To Save Themselves, US Newspapers Put Readers to Work," Jeff Howe indicates the rise in popularity of newspapers to increase  reader involvement. This seems to me like an ingenious plan as it not only engages readers in giving them a voice in the process but it also gives them responsibility. In the same way that people love taking surveys, it seems like "putting readers to work" would only encourage yet further readership. At least on a local level, it would create further community and feelings of pride and citizenship as well.

The article "Goodbye to Newspapers?" by Russell Baker speaks to the problems of management and ownership plaguing the world of journalism. Considering I know little about the upper level management of newspapers, I found Baker's explication of the intricacies of journalism and ownership detailed and insightful. Baker raised an interesting point about the increasing disconnect between the press and the public, which addresses the question of a journalist's role. Because the world is becoming more and more dependent on technology and quicker ways of getting information, the journalist may simply be another biased voice in the chorus of opinions attempting to portray the truth of current events.

In James Surowiecki's article "News You Can Lose," the author describes newspapers as a "once great business eclipsed by a new technology" -- that technology being the internet, of course. It seems like while on the one hand, there is a sentimental and comfortable satisfaction involved in picking up a local paper to accompany my cup of coffee in the morning, there is also an unbelievably attractive draw to the convenience and ease with which I can read about all of the world's happenings through Google News. In this constantly developing world that never ceases to cater to Americans' beck and call, everything needs to be running at the same pace, so it makes sense that newspapers are struggling. I think, though, that there is hope for local papers because they represent community in a physical compilation of stories and images that the internet cannot quite replicate; I'm hoping the nostalgia of a time where you read about your neighbors will keep the local newspapers around for awhile.