It has been a little longer then I would like since my last post I just recently came back from a short vacation in San Antonio. On every trip I take I like to take my camera along. Funny thing is I never end up taking many pictures. I actually thought about this more during this trip because of a few comments I have heard people make in regards to Graphic Designers. I can’t recall who said this but it was at a design conference I had gone to,”Graphic designers take pictures of everything, we collect them in a digital piggy bank of sorts to be pulled out when ever we need inspiration”. However, I feel this is not me at all…I rarely take pictures at all. I was a little troubled by this…how could I be a good designer if I don’t do one of the things good designers are “supposed to” do?

So once again as I am packing my bags to go on this trip I look at the camera and remember this quote. I tell myself, “this time it will be different.” In goes the camera and off we go to San Antonio. After checking into the hotel and getting settled we went for a walk along the riverwalk. I picked up my camera and off I go to take as many pictures as I could. Things started off well but quickly began to tapper off as I lost interest. That night we watched a show that featured music and dancing from many of the cultures that helped shape San Antonio. There was amazing guitar player and beautiful dancers well into the evening. I sat there for probably the first half of the show messing with the camera looking for “good shots” tweaking the camera settings and so on. The whole experience was some what hollow and mechanical. Then my wife said to me, “why don’t you just put the camera down and enjoy the show”.  The rest of the evening was great and I didn’t touch the camera again for the rest of our trip.

So does this make me a bad designer? I don’t think so. I find inspiration in everyday life from the amazing to the mondane. Part of the reason the rest of my trip was so great was I was LIVING IN THE MOMENT. It didn’t matter if the lighting was right or if I could have only snapped the photo a second or two sooner. I was free to take it all in. Not just what was on my little 2 inch camera screen but everything. The sites, the sounds, and smells all became more apparent and I appreciated them that much more. Sure, I saw plenty of picture worthy things but I didn’t have the need to capture them because experiencing them far surpassed that. I think my next trip I might leave the camera at home all together.

Maybe it’s because I am getting old and don’t understand some of the new popular social networking sites but I have to say that I really didn’t get twitter when it first came out. Sure, I could see the usefulness for instant marketing and communication but most posts I was reading seemed fairly self important in nature. “So and so is eating here”, “going for a bike ride”. I mean…does anyone really care what the average person is doing at every stinking moment of the day. I quickly started to sour on twitter all together.

That all changed with the recent news coming from Iran. I have been reading in amazement as tweets continue to come in describing what would have otherwise been the silenced voice of a people demanding freedom. I never thought of twitter as an element of social change but it’s importance is now solidified in my mind. It reminds me how important it is for a society to have some sort of forum for uncensored self expression.

A couple of  years ago I purchased the book Design of Dissent by Milton Glaser. Seeing this “twitter revolution” reminded me of the concepts from that book. It dawned on me that the usefulness of twitter is that it serves as the purpose of posters, flyers, graffiti, and the like. It’s the public forum of the digital age. Only instead of just a few people who happen to see a poster or flyer…literally the entire world can get a message in no time. If only a few messages get out of these censored states they can spread like wild fire. Very exciting stuff.

A few months back I came across www.ecomagination.com.  I have to say that I love the interactivity of the site and the potential for this kind of technology. However, I think it is a little odd that I have to print a piece of paper out to experience the site. Especially, since the site is promoting “green” technology. What is interesting is the potential to use this sort of site in connection with already printed pieces. For instance, packaging could have the printed portion added into the design with no additional environmental impact. Imagine shopping and then pulling out your cellphone and using the cam to scan an item then have full interactive information about that product presented to you. Or information graphics at say…a mall. You scan the icon in front of the store you are at and are presented with and interactive map of the mall. I believe the iphone has an app for scanning bar codes already. Maybe you go to a concert or sporting event and an image is printed on the ticket that when viewed with a web cam pulls up a fun interactive game. I know the whole thing seems a little over the top…I mean why not just log onto the internet and look something up the old fashioned way? I believe we will see more and more of this technology utilized because people are excited to experience the digital world in a more tactile, intuitive, and interactive way.

Over the past year I have been asked by a few people, what is the significance of the fox? The answer is both simple and complex. The simple answer is my last name can be translated into fox. It was this translation that originally gave me the idea to use a fox for my identity.  The complex answer is much more interesting. After considering a fox for my identity I started doing research into the significance of the fox in folk tales and mythology from different cultures. This research only solidified my interest in using the fox as a symbol.

It was fascinating to make the  connection between my philosophy as a designer and the symbolism of the fox. Overwhelmingly, cultural consensus on fox animal symbolism deals with: strategy, quick-thinking, adaptability, cleverness, and wisdom. In China, fox animal symbolism revolved around the afterlife. Lore has it that a fox sighting was thought to be a signal from the spirits of the deceased. Fox animal symbolism takes a turn of intelligence in the Celtic realm, as the Celts believed the fox to be a guide, and was honored for its wisdom. The Celts understood the fox knows the woods intimately, and they would rely upon the fox as their guide in the spirit world. In Japan, the fox was considered one of the rain spirits, and a messenger of Inari the rice god. Here the fox also symbolizes longevity and protection from evil.

Other generalized fox symbolic meanings deal with: focus, determination, and right-action. It is noteworthy to observe the fox while it is on the hunt. We see its entire body is pointed like an arrow – straight and tightly aimed. This is a symbolic message for us to set a determined, and powerfully focused mindset in order to “hit the target” of our desires. The red in the fox is representative of a solar emblem. As a solar emblem the fox animal symbolism deals with: passion, desire, intensity, and expression. The fox encourages us to think outside of the box and use our intelligence in different, creative ways. The fox also brings us a message to try to approach our circumstances differently that we normally would. Be aware of some of our habits, and try a different angle of action. The fox is also a reminder that we must utilize all of our resources (seen and unseen) in order to accomplish our goals. Sometimes this means calling upon some unorthodox methods.

It should be obvious from this summary that fox animal symbolism goes far beyond what we may see on the surface. The fox is a very intriguing animal and for this, I felt it would be the perfect symbol to represent me as a designer.

Thanks for visiting my new site, I am sure you have noticed a ton of changes and new features. A few months ago I decided it was time to drastically change the way my website functioned. The old site was unique but it was a pain when it came to updating content since it was entirely made in flash. I originally was just going to add a blog to that existing site but after researching wordpress thought I would take a stab at using it as a CMS. I wanted something simple and easy to update that had room to grow, with new added features. I think the new site will be more friendly for everyone to use and the search engine optimization is greatly improved.

The biggest addition to the site is the blog function. I don’t really have a strict format in mind so some posts may seem fairly random but in general most posts will relate to projects I am working on or other design related topics. I am going to try my best to update on a regular basis so please check back to see what is new. Also, if you have any suggestions to improve the site I would love to hear them…just send me an email. Thanks again for visiting and I hope you enjoy the site.