LOGO PROGRESSION

here's a logo i've been working on for a local business here in portland.  this shows a progression of a concept to a refined finished product.

ACADEMIA

the other night, for no apparent reason, i decided to convert my thesis to an online form.  take a look at:

http://organiclounge.wordpress.com

there you will find far more information than you probably care to read but there are some pretty good illustrations to accompany the readings.  that is all.

EGGS SPEARMINT

on june 29th we (jackson barlow, josh mccafferty and myself) hit record while dabbling in musical experimentry. here's what it sounded like to be there:

http://soundcloud.com/dwickham/collab-w-j-mccafferty-june-29-2010

CRASH

first things first... my knee hurts and kir's neck hurts. i think both may be related to our motorcycle crash yesterday. but, can i really call it a crash? i guess it was more of a wreck. but wrecks usually mean that there is substantial destruction and there was only very minor destruction. anyway, enough with semantics. the bike went to its side while we were moving. whats' the word for that?

i still don't fully know what happened, but the back tire slid out around a turn and before i knew it i was in a panic, pulling my leg from under the hot engine and seeing if kir was alright. after assessing damage, we were both a little shaken but completely fine. i lifted the bike from the ground to stop the gas from spilling out of the carburetors. kir handed me the broken off mirror and i stuffed it in my pocket. i started it up, which it did easily, and then turned it around to face the proper direction for traffic. we got back on and drove the few miles home.

luckily, it was a cold day which meant that we were both bundled well. neither one of us received any scrapes or tears to our clothing save for a small scuff on my ankle. the damage to the bike was minimal. i'll need a new mirror and a new exhaust on the right side. i'll have to bend the brake pedal lever back to its proper position. it got mashed up into the engine.

as far as i can tell, the factors that led up to this incident must have been one, some, or all of the following.

1. the cold weather. though no ice was observed, i'd guess the temperature was high 30s or low-to-mid 40s
2. a rear tire that in hindsight should be replaced
3. the fact that i had just inflated the rear tire with very cold compressed air which theoretically may have overcooled the rubber causing it to be harder and less "grippy"
4. a wet spot that kir thinks we may have hit, although i don't remember seeing said wet spot
5. possible gravel that tends to accumulate in turns especially during winter

the bottom line is that it really scared me because kir was with me and i'd hate myself if i caused any serious harm to her. i also have no real idea what i could have done differently to avoid the situation. i will probably end up buying much higher grade tires for the bike in hopes that a similar incident never plays out again.

i'm thankful for the fact that it could have been far, far worse. we both got away with just some soreness and thank goodness we were both wearing helmets (which we always do) and that surrounding traffic didn't come into play. it was scary but honestly i've been banged up far worse from bicycle wrecks.

i'm going to take this as a cue to do some work on the bike this winter and get back on it in the spring with a new respect and increased sense of caution.

ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHICS

MOCK UP....

i decided it'd be a good idea to have something tangible to really see the form of the five degree lounge so i built this little mock up out of card stock. it's always a good idea to build a simple model and it wasn't difficult in this case at all. this is at 1/12th scale.

5 DEGREE LOUNGE

i've really been wanting a nice lounge chair lately. the ideal would be just to go out and fliff 3k on the eames lounge chair but since i just found out i'm in the red that probably isn't really a viable option. so, i decided to start designing a cheap alternative. i plan on building a prototype using the cheapest 1" x 6" lumber i can get at home depot. i'm betting i can rough the whole thing out for under 30.00.

i spent a few hours today sketching ideas, and then into CAD. a few more refinements made it complete enough to throw into 3DS MAX for modelling of the geometry. once i cut a five degree jig, i should be able to cut all of the pieces using just a table saw (which luckily i have access to). for now i'll call this the 5 degree lounge. i plan to add some arm rests as well but wanted to make sure the ergonomics are correct before i get too involved in the details. i can't wait to sit in it! i'll let you all know when i'm ready to start taking orders. :)