1. Wallflower Mashup 1
2. Wallflower Mashup 2
3. Wallflower Mashup 3

I’m interested in learning more about use of transparency and opacity with overlapping patterns to create new patterns, part of the process employed here.

Additionally, something else to work on (which I’ve already been incorporating into my work) is overlapping transparent images in a website. so as content moves or browser windows expand, the image presentation will adjust seamlessly and dynamically.

Side Effect:
I’m not recommending this, but if you stare at these images, they work like Magic-Eye images, except minus the cool 3d image of a landscape or something; just a stange trick to play on your eyes.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the similarities between music and graphic/web design (both part of my personal duality list) and the modern methods for creating each.

First a little background on my abilities and interest.
Creating music (not just listening to it) was something I came to, primarily through my work in audio production and editing. I started off more as a sound geek who loved listening to music but thought it was crazy the way audio can effect our senses.

The software I would use and continue to use is primarily grid based (I like me some hip-hop beats), meaning when I zoom into an audio track, I can snap edits or additional sounds to a grid and know it will be consistent throughout the track. I have come to find this a very helpful tool in my continual development as a musician and music producer.

As for design, I developed my skills using similar digital tools like Photoshop and Illustrator, though I rarely used the grid options, especially in my early design tool development, I would occasionally lay down a box grid (like graph paper, but digital) to make pasterns and use it as a reference for larger pieces. I later developed an understanding of typographic grids, which have been used since the the early half of last century and are great for understanding type’s relation to the page and other type.

While it is important for our brains to find patterns to ease the navigation of life, both these tools, useful as they are, are not dogma; they are still just tools. The dynamic nature of a song is what keeps people’s interest, not the fact that the strings, kick and bassline all start on a downbeat, and the variation in a visual design is what keeps us reading, not the fact that everything is left aligned or separated by 1/4″ padding.

I’m not trying to be an advocate for jarring music and display, but the elements that do the unexpected in a field of complacency, can have the right impact on their viewer/listener, if done right. I have found some of the best music I’ve created is from using the vibrating string of an old guitar rather than a gridded and snapped structure, and with design, my favorite pieces are the ones that utilize natural textures, rather than synthetic patterns; variety is the spice of life.

Finally, while both using grids and not using grids have their place, it is important not to go too far in either direction; grids have the ability to become a crutch, while a free form pattern can be confusing and distracting, but with any skill, the more you practice and see what works, the better judgment you develop for future creation, and ultimately, any dynamic variation will be better achieved without grids.

(Side note; I still use graph paper )

Recently, in promotion of the upcoming UI14, UIE sent out some podcasts from last year’s conference, and Berkun’s was one of them.

Basically, Berkun talks about the need for designers to fail, where by failing we learn from our mistakes and know how to address similar scenarios in the future.

Without saying much more, I figgure I will let Berkun do the the talking

You can also follow along with the slides he used to present though they are not synced to the audio (so it’s really just one big guessing game )

Anyway, I saw this morning Woot posted in their blog, the Marvel/Disney crossovers they would like to see. My favorite being

Bambi’s Mother vs. Uncle Ben: “With great power comes great responsibility” – or, “If you’d just been a better kid, I’d still be alive.” The neuroses of tomorrow begin here!

I guess on the upside, Disney will do whatever makes them the most money, so hopefully all the “fanboys” of former years now own software companies or fortune 500s, and can afford to make an impact on the market.

(props to Emily for the image)

I woke up this morning to Bailey telling me that Ted Kennedy had passed away, and while I was not surprised, I felt sad and relieved; his battle with brain cancer was a tough one and to be battling no more is a blessing.

The following track has been in production for over a year, but in the past few months we really started hustling on it, and this morning when I got to my desk, I finally recorded my verse and finished the track.

I don’t want to claim Capital Culture as a tribute to Ted, but the parallels are uncanny, and while it speaks to larger social issues, it is without a doubt a nod to all he has accomplished.

So here you go
Streetfrog Presents: Capital Culture

(you can download it here)

Featured on this track: Double O’Dub, Tim “Reggie” Brown and Rich LeBranti

Funk Aid for Africa is a very well done compilation of Funk, House and World music, with proceeds from the album going to NextAid, “a Los Angeles based nonprofit organization committed to developing and implementing innovative sustainable solutions to the challenges facing African children.”

You can preview and buy the album digitally or you can get one shipped from funkaid.com. The record was produced by Dubspot Records

I’ve been listening non-stop since I got it, it’s really great, and a great cause too.
Let everyone know what you think

(props to Adam and Uhuru Afrika)

“On a side note: Gonzalez also has the prettiest Web site in the field”
     -The Phoenix

I built and continue to manage and develop the the site, but one of Tomás’s other friends handled the branding and layout; I think he has done an incredible job on it

Don’t forget to vote for Tomás in the primary

I think it’s a very creative way of using the small format of a Molskine journal. I’m very impressed.

See more of Michael Murdock’s work on his Behance portfolio.