Category Archives: WINTER 2017

Blog list for New Media Students!

I stumbled upon this site looking for a blog relative to our class assignment, and after spending some time checking it out I realized it could be insightful to others. It exhibits a list of 100 different blog pages that vary from academics, new media art, new media culture and business blogs, technology, and gaming. Although this list was published in August of 2009, I visited several links and they are still up and running and very useful, with the exception that some are “not found” or just very out dated, I found the list to be valuable.

The Initial page displays a numerous collection of links for different online schools, and other links for jobs, and various articles. The only part that interested me is the list of blogs. One in particular, #23 on the list “Moving from me to we” takes you to the page for Kare Anderson. Anderson’s TED talk on The Web of Humanity: Becoming an Opportunity Maker has attracted over 1.3 million views, and the context of information can be considered useful to students in the media industry with great tips on communication.

Another link from this list Art21 Magazine provides a space for insightful writing on current contemporary art and artists. I found this page to be very well placed and nicely put together. Below are just a few of the columns presented.

Get right to it by clicking this link: Art21 Magazine “About”

This was my favorite find because it hosts a variety of media interests and holds archives of some very amazing past publications, writings, photographs, videography, and much more. Enjoy!

By: Sarah Andrews

#post { title:blog-search;}

(yes yes I know that isn’t real CSS, I was being clever okay!)

Simple clean design, but can you spot the advert?

Confession time: I am kind of a dork. Exhibit A: I love CSS. The number of things you can do with what boils down to fairly simple code is fascinating to me. With maybe 30 or 40 words you can completely change the look of a site, from some basic text with little formatting to a visually appealing website.

Which leads me to CSS-Tricks, almost every time I sit down to work on a webpage I think how can I do this crazy design I have in my head and CSS-Tricks has some really great resources for making your vision a reality. Both in depth tutorials and quick references guides (for example the most recent post detailing 50 interesting properties and values) mean that no matter whether you are trying to learn something completely new or just need to brush up on something you haven’t used in a while they have you covered. Its not all dry book learning, interspersed with the CSS how-to are other articles related to web design and the internet so there is always something interesting to read, such as names that break websites. If you are just on the hunt for how to get that one piece of code to do what you want and the boss is breathing down your neck their snippets section provides a really handy collection of code snippets covering multiple languages and platforms. If you are at all interest in building websites bookmark this page you’ll thank me later.

As you would expect with a blog on web design concepts the site is really well produced, its clean and the articles are easy to read with nothing crowding the page and detracting from the content. There are some nice design features but nothing that is too distracting to the reader. The interface is easy to navigate though there there are some ads snuck in there that are hard to distinguish from the actual articles.

So, to you, my fellow dorks if you are looking to learn CSS, read some interesting articles about web design or just have a giggle at some of the idiosyncrasies of the virtual world I say you could do worse then checking out CSS-Tricks.

by: Fiona Harlan

Scavenger Funt

1. I like to call this one “Trashy Blur.” Taken at the gear checkout counter in building 17.

2. The lighting in this room made for some fun shade changes. Taken in the studio with the “Blue Cyc Wall” in building 17.

3. Some cute colored key rings with Fran posing in the background. Taken in the Center for Student Engagement in the Center Building.

4. This photo makes me think of the volcano from Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams. Taken in the main art gallery.

5. I actually ended up putting $5 into the Art-O-Mat, and I got a lovely pair of earrings. Unfortunately, I have virgin earlobes, so if anyone wants a pair of earrings?

6. Guess where this photo was taken! This photo was taken at the reference counter in the library.

7. Look at my lil footsies there. I love those guys. When I’m feeling down and on the ground, they always know just how to support me. Taken outside of the Health & Wellness building.

9. Loneliness is so tacky; isn’t it? Taken in the Media Creation Lab.

10. Black canvas. Taken outside Judy Gate’s office.

11. How speckle-tacular! Taken in the indie lab in building 17.

12. Here’s a wall. Lovely. Taken in building 1.

13. I actually sprayed water all over a concrete wall to talk this picture. Wet AND functional! Taken behind building 5.

Helpful Places around Lane…

By: Nieman T. Adams-Jackson

Great tool for anyone interested in freelancing!

FREELANCE TO WIN

https://freelancetowin.com/

When I first got into web design, I was so excited to do more projects, that I immediately tried to get clients to pay me for a site, even though I only made around two at the time haha.

So I researched all over the internet how I could find people around the world to pay me to do their site, all over the computer.

I came across a lot of tools, but the one that really helped the most with actionable advice was Freelance to win.

Whether you’re a video editor, a photographer, a web designer, a copywriter, a blog writer, or whatever creative work you can deliver, this tool shows you how to work with people and PROFESSIONALLY offer your services.

The only drawback I can think of, is that you should probably have some sort of portfolio in a specific area, so if you’re still unsure of what area you’re interested in pursuing, then this may not help. That’s why early on I didn’t get any responses to any of my proposals, which makes sense because I still didn’t build a large enough of a portfolio.

However, if you have an area that you’ve done work for yourself, and you’re looking to expand your projects (and get paid then this could be a great resource.

He offers a $600 course, but that’s a little out of my budget. So I just used all his case studies, posts on how to frame proposals, and a lot more all for free.

A lot of people try and charge you for the free advice he offers, so even if you’re still searching for what type of work you want to do, Freelance to Win can really motivate you with success stories, and show you how to talk to people professionally and convincingly which is something you may need in the future.

Yvonne Mazzotta Interview

I currently work as a Lab Assistant in the Media Arts Department. Cierra McGee is one of my amazing supervisors who got me connected with a editor and designer named Yvonne Mazzotta for this interview.

Cierra knows Yvonne through interning at Enjoy Magazine as a college student. Since that time, Cierra still works as a feelance designer and contributes editorial designs on a per-issue basis each month for the magazine. She recommended I speak with Yvonne because she has many years of experience in the media industry, small business ownership, and graphic design.

After her recommendation, I emailed Yvonne. She generously agreed and gave me some wonderful information about her and the company, as well as inspirational advice. Not only that, she provided a couple of lovely designs from the magazine to share with the class.

Anyways, here’s how the interview went:
What can you tell me about yourself and your company?
“I am a wife and a mom of three boys (4 including my husband), a nineteen year old college student and fourteen year old twins. I love going to my sons soccer and basketball games and I love beautiful captivating design. Our company stems from a real need in our community. We started out as a marketing agency then added the Enjoy Northern California Lifestyle publication. We launched our magazine in 2008 when our community was in a housing deficit. We all came from a large hair care manufacturer who had sold to a Japanese corporation. We wanted to sink ourselves into our community and bring them together with positive stories and beautiful photography.”

What does your daily workflow look like?

“It changes all the time and we all wear many hats. I email advertisers for the upcoming issue. I also design and create branding campaigns. I also design events for one of our local Hospitals and work with a local producer of events at the Redding Civic Auditorium. I do allot of research on trends to make sure our advertisers stay current and are sending the right message.”
How did you get involved with Enjoy Magazine?

“We were all working for KMS haircare in Redding and they sold the company. We started a marketing company and continued to work on the KMS account. We developed the magazine because my Mother in Law was in a lifestyle publication and she sent it to us. My husband said, we should really have something like this in Redding. “
What inspired you to be apart of the design industry? “ I was a fashion designer and graphic designer when I graduated from college. I love all things design from fashion to architecture. Font choice is my favorite. I love research and finding out how things are done. I believe design takes some real ingenuity and I love the process.”

What advice would you give for aspiring graphic designers?

“Do as much work as you can to build your portfolio. Like any skill, you get better as you work more. Get out and meet people, share your work on social media, go to events… people want to work with who they know.”
How does someone prepare for the creative/design field?

“College, internships and creating a great social media presence to share your work.”

What is your favorite thing about working at Enjoy magazine?
“I work with and get to meet inspiring people all the time. I get to make beautiful things that make people happy, everyday!“
We found so many local producers or beautiful craftsmanship and agricultural producers that we opened a local retail shop called “Enjoy the Store” and now we have 2 additional locations.We have another enjoy magazine in Visalia California along with a store. We also have Movies in the Park where we show movies for free every friday night in different park locations.

I appreciate the time Yvonne took the time to do this. I learned a lot about connections with people and presence online.

Lastly, I think you all might enjoy taking a look at some of the other work Yvonne and Enjoy magazine does. Here’s their website: http://www.enjoymagazine.net/