Aman Anderson, American Graphic Designer http://amananderson.com An American graphic designer, who specializes in corporate brands and minimalism. Wed, 22 May 2013 22:36:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Meet some of my #Fav #Tweeps http://amananderson.com/journal/meet-some-of-my-favorite-tweeps http://amananderson.com/journal/meet-some-of-my-favorite-tweeps#comments Tue, 03 Jul 2012 22:12:27 +0000 Aman Anderson http://amananderson.com/?p=1696 Over the years I’ve met some really cool people on twitter that have either inspired, influenced, pushed, enlightened, and helped me in my career as a designer. Some of them you may know, like @BarackObama, @LanceArmstrong, and @ChrissieSmiles. But there is another group of people that I would like you to meet that brighten the corners where they tweet. Some of them are designers, athletes, writers, and environmental superheroes. Forgive me if your name isn’t on this list! Of course there are so many of you I would love to list! So here is a condensed list.


#Designers

The first group I want mention are designers. Some of them have designed a website, app or ad that you use or see everyday.

#Athletes

Since I’m a triathlete, I try to keep stay in touch with #tweeps that keep me on my toes with tips, tricks, and encouraging words.

#Writers

Some writers that really make waves on the net!

#EnvironmentalSuperheroes

Environmental superheroes that don’t take no for an answer!

]]> http://amananderson.com/journal/meet-some-of-my-favorite-tweeps/feed 0 Andrew Zuckerman: On Creativity http://amananderson.com/journal/andrew-zuckerman-on-creativity http://amananderson.com/journal/andrew-zuckerman-on-creativity#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2012 20:07:50 +0000 Aman Anderson http://amananderson.com/?p=1660

On Creativity is a lovely series of short, informal interviews with designers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, animators, educators, and others. In the above video On Creativity talks with filmmaker and photographer Andrew Zuckerman as he discusses the nature of creativity, the creative process and the importance of not knowing.

“Being the person that always knows and always has an answer, doesn’t leave a lot of room for learning. And for people to have the energy to teach yourself. The more I work, the closer I get to not knowing and to understanding that what matters is the responses not the pre-determined idea.”

- Andrew Zuckerman


His talk on creativity impresses me greatly. He explains how creativity is a transformation from one thing to another as washing dishes. Any sort of transformation is apart of creativity. He further details how creativity has become a “coveted club” of exclusiveness that has become judged by visual artist, which he further explains is terrible. He says, “The less we think about the delineation between creative and non-creative people, the better our world will be.” – Andrew Zuckerman

(via The Daily Heller)

]]> http://amananderson.com/journal/andrew-zuckerman-on-creativity/feed 1 Introducing the Guardian iPad edition http://amananderson.com/journal/introducing-the-guardian-ipad-edition http://amananderson.com/journal/introducing-the-guardian-ipad-edition#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:10:14 +0000 Aman Anderson http://amananderson.com/?p=1366 The Guardian has released there new iPad app which has done exceptionally well, looking at the ratings on iTunes. Currently sitting at 4.5 out of 5 stars, it really does hold it’s ground in the digital publishing market. I have tried and experienced many digital journals on the iPad, not limited too Huffington Post, New York Times, Washington Post, and others. And it seems to me that they struggle with trying to reproduce the newspaper on the iPad, when really they can’t stop there.

The experience from these different news paper publishers is beyond amazing, some ranging back hundreds of years. But now that the iPad is here, some knowledge can be pulled from news paper and journals, but one must think more critically about how to revolutionize the way we read and process digital publications. It’s not a newspaper.

“To me it was always about how to capture the essence of the print experience and translate that into forms and behaviours that felt right on the iPad.”

- Mark Porter, Former creative director of the Guardian

The app is very intelligent. Unlike the iPhone and Android apps, which are built on feeds from the website, the Guardian iPad app actually recycles the already-formatted newspaper pages.

“When we look at the pages of a printed newspaper we take in a range of stories at once. Some are big, some small; some are obviously more important than others. The decisions about space, position and treatment are the product of the experience and values of the editors, and when you buy a printed newspaper you’re not just buying the words and pictures, you’re also buying those values and judgments.”

- Mark Porter, Former creative director of the Guardian

Guardian developed a script within the app that analyses InDesign files from the printed paper and pulls from various parameters like page number, physical area and position that a story occupies, headline size, and image size to assign a value to the story. The content is then automatically rebuilt according to those values in a new InDesign template for the app. Pretty Amazing isn’t it?

You should download it: Guardian iPad Edition for iPad

]]> http://amananderson.com/journal/introducing-the-guardian-ipad-edition/feed 0 More Responsible and Sustainable Design http://amananderson.com/journal/more-responsible-and-sustainable-design http://amananderson.com/journal/more-responsible-and-sustainable-design#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:09:03 +0000 Aman Anderson http://amananderson.com/?p=1263

For some reason I am desiring to be more creative but yet responsible. A lot of styles I have accumulated over the past 3 years have had emphasis on creativity, which is good. But I really see now a necessity to learn a new way or to help create a new sustainable and responsible approach to design.

Sometimes I read about the stories of those older and have passed that influence me like Paul Rand, Dieter Rams, Wim Crouwel, Donald Norman and others and wonder how they were able to produce such amazing, practical time-less pieces that still cause creative professionals as me to marvel even today.

I feel as if I desire to take everything I do seriously looking at the work those before me have done. I always wondered what differentiated their creative minds apart from my mind, and how I can create something that can in some way change or help the world as their designs did.

I see my work in some way as being responsible to humanity. I see responsible design as something that can impact peoples lives for good, and help them to leave feeling that the design fits them, for each unique person.

]]> http://amananderson.com/journal/more-responsible-and-sustainable-design/feed 1 Objectified: Stephen Fry & Jonathan Ives on Design http://amananderson.com/journal/stephen-fry-jonathan-ives-on-design http://amananderson.com/journal/stephen-fry-jonathan-ives-on-design#comments Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:31:20 +0000 Aman Anderson http://amananderson.com/?p=1091

Objectified is a feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the designers who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability.

“When we are presented with an object that is complex, it can be intimidating. It certainly can give you the sense that you don’t understand it. Clarity and simplicity are critically important for a person to be able to understand the product and enjoy using it.”

- Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple Inc, 2010

Through vérité footage and in-depth conversations, the film documents the creative processes of some of the world’s most influential product designers, and looks at how the things they make impact our lives. What can we learn about who we are, and who we want to be, from the objects with which we surround ourselves?

Read director Gary Hustwit’s post about the film. Objectified is the second part of a three-film “design trilogy” by Gary Hustwit, details on the third film will be released soon.

Objectified had its world premiere at the SxSW Film Festival in March 2009, and is currently screening at film festivals, cinemas, and special events worldwide. The film is available on iTunes to rent or purchase. Join their mailing list or subscribe to their RSS feed to stay informed of new announcements.

]]> http://amananderson.com/journal/stephen-fry-jonathan-ives-on-design/feed 0 Functional Aspects of Photography / http://amananderson.com/journal/functional-aspects-of-photography http://amananderson.com/journal/functional-aspects-of-photography#comments Mon, 21 Feb 2011 01:35:12 +0000 Aman Anderson http://amananderson.com/?p=1045 I and my buddy Dean had the opportunity to do the photography and web site design for a luxury home builder that is very accomplished in his work. We were on the grounds in Seebring, FL for L. Steve Service Luxury Home Builder website.

I must say that the photos came out very nice. They were very dramatic and professional. The second home had the most dramatic in-house lighting resulting in some of our photos coming out under-exposed. We did not use flash, since we wanted to maintain the natural lighting of the home as possible. Our camera bodies of choice were a Nikon D90 equipped for VR recordings, and a Fujinon S2pro. Our lenses were a 50mm, 24mm, and a 10.5mm Nikkor. It took nearly a day to shoot, and boy were we tired.

“When looking at the art of photography one must remember that it is not just a photo. It is a functional piece that is living. Maybe not physically, but at each stage in human development, one picks up more information from the same photo that has been looked upon for years.”

Here is why photography matters. Photography brings that which was hidden to the eyes of many. Things that someone may never have seen before. You might not have even took the time to find the right composition and lighting when taking the photo, but people like it for the content and creativity. What may not seem creative to you is creative to someone else. It all goes back to the function of art. Creative professionals all realize that art is not only a creative expression, it is a functional element that changes peoples lives. The effects that a photo has upon the mind is hard to measure without the help of fMRI technology, and sometimes that does not pick up everything.

There are many things that a photo contains that can have an effect upon the mind of another. Color, composition, content, balance, elements, arrangement, aesthetic, lighting, shadows, gradients, and the list goes on. It conveys information. It can be silly or sad. A photo can be dramatic or simple. A photographer cannot underestimate his photos, for they do not know what is going on in the minds of another. Now a photographer can spend his time making the most stellar photo knowing the elements it has, and he may be able to predict the effects it has upon someone. When looking at the art of photography one must remember that it is not just a photo, it is a functional piece that is living. Maybe not physically, but at each stage in human development, one picks up more information from the same photo that has been looked upon for years. We as photographers need to challenge ourselves to make sure that we remember the functional aspect of our photos, and remember that it’s more than a photo.

]]> http://amananderson.com/journal/functional-aspects-of-photography/feed 0 Domestic Violence – Latest “One Phone Call” Painting / http://amananderson.com/journal/latest-one-phone-call-painting http://amananderson.com/journal/latest-one-phone-call-painting#comments Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:20:47 +0000 Aman Anderson http://amananderson.com/?p=727 October is abuse awareness month. It is meant to bring an awareness to domestic violence. This painting illustrates the struggle it takes to make the call to “911″. It is a very emotional painting, and I pray that it can be of inspiration to those suffering from domestic violence.

“One Phone Call” by Digital Artist, Aman Anderson

Written by Franklin Morris
Monday, September 13, 2010 at 8:46am

I’m very thankful that a digital artist named Aman Anderson has created more awareness to a daily, weekly, or monthly occurence that is often left unspoken.

Domestic violence is a real issue that needs to be spoken against! As I shared the mindset of an abusive man in my Ladies Beware series, he thrives on women who don’t know their self-worth and who are willing to put up with the constant abuse.

But when that woman understands her value as it is in Christ Jesus, that man will be afraid to touch her because she can make one phone call to get a restraining order and etc. from the police.
I looking forward to writing more about domestic violence for my upcoming ebook called “Ladies Beware: How to Successfully Maintain a Young, Christian Woman in an Abusive Relationship.”

Right now, I’m studying about Saul and Abuse in preparation for my first ebook.

]]> http://amananderson.com/journal/latest-one-phone-call-painting/feed 1 My Commonly Used Shortcuts in InDesign / http://amananderson.com/journal/keyboard-shortcuts-and-indesign http://amananderson.com/journal/keyboard-shortcuts-and-indesign#comments Thu, 23 Sep 2010 05:27:09 +0000 Aman Anderson http://amananderson.com/?p=699 I have collected a bunch of keyboard shortcuts over the years and sometimes it is very hard trying to remember them all when you don’t use a program for a while. But I have tried to store shortcuts in my brain from the following programs: InDesign, Photoshop, Bridge, Komodo, Safari, Firefox, Mac OSX, Illustrator, Apple Logic, and other creative programs. I’ll be honest and say that it really speeds up production to memorize the shortcuts from all the creative applications. It’s like playing a video game with the keyboard. There are more that I can list, but it would take up the whole website, lol! For a whole list click here.



My Commonly used shortcuts in InDesign:
option+page down or page up – To go from spread to spread
command+option+0 – To show whole spread
command+0 – Zoom out to single page
Z – Zoom Tool

V – Selection tool
A – Direct selection tool
command+- or = – Zoom in or out
command+shift+page up – Go to cover or first page
command+j – Go to specific page number
command+option+shift+y – Overprint Preview or High-res preview
command+option+shift+r – Redefine style
command+shift+a – Deselect object or text (can also use ESC)
command+option+shift+y – Overprint Preview
command+shift+] or [ - Move object to front or back
command+] or [ – Move object up or down one layer
command+z – Undo
command+shift+z – Redo
spacebar+click and drag – Pan view
option+click and drag – Pan view with text selected
command+click – Click object behind an object
option+left or right key – Kern text or de-kern
option+double click – Open file in editing program. i.e. Photoshop or Illustrator

Concerning Adobe. It would be a lot easier if they made the shortcuts match. But I guess since they aquired programs at differnet times we have gotten so used to certain shortcuts form certian applications. Sometimes I wish the pen tool in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator all worked the same. Funny huh, it’s all the same tool. But this video was a test of the new ScreenFlow software im demo’ing. I have been using iShowU since last year, but I really wanted a zooming feature which ScreenFlow has. Check out the video! And be sure to check out ScreenFlow by clicking here.

]]> http://amananderson.com/journal/keyboard-shortcuts-and-indesign/feed 0 CS5 Imagery – From Freedom to Experience / http://amananderson.com/journal/cs5-imagery-from-freedom-to-experience http://amananderson.com/journal/cs5-imagery-from-freedom-to-experience#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 03:51:19 +0000 Aman Anderson http://amananderson.com/?p=610

By Steve Tolleson
In my previous post, I wrote about how our studio arrived at the CS5 imagery by deconstructing the letterforms of the Adobe products. Here’s an “inside look” into the actual creative process.

We face a few interesting challenges with each Creative Suite release. We need to provide a strong conceptual system for the 14 – 20 piece product line and have it be fresh every time. We also need to give a voice to the individual brand identity of each component. The individual brand identities of the components must stand on their own, while also working harmoniously in the context of the larger system.

Our labs allow for experimentation in audio, video, photography and animation. They are set up for discovery, incubation and results – and many of our favorite ideas are germinated in these labs.

After the concept for the system was formed, we ran it through our creative lab in order to give it life. Our labs allow for experimentation in audio, video, photography and animation. They are set up for discovery, incubation and results – and many of our favorite ideas are germinated in these labs.

One of our designers on the east coast worked in a studio with a projector, a Canon 5D Mark II digital camera and a whole range of raw materials – plexiglass, foam core, paper, fabric and gels. From these, she built sets and projected the letterforms onto them. The shooting and capturing was very organic; there were thousands of shots and each one was unique.

The raw shots were sent to our San Francisco office, where the team would weigh in with feedback, make refinements and then incorporate them into the layouts for Adobe to review. The final direction was approved out of this process.

The experimental atmosphere of the lab allowed for enough play and variation to really find the balance between the component identities and the larger system. We value the freedom of discovery and feel that it makes our work that much stronger.

Find Steve Tolleson, of Tolleson Design, at www.tolleson.com. See more articles from Steve Tolleson on INSPIRE Magazine.

]]> http://amananderson.com/journal/cs5-imagery-from-freedom-to-experience/feed 0 CS5 Experience: Thinking Inside and Outside the Box / http://amananderson.com/journal/cs5-experience-thinking-inside-and-outside-the-box http://amananderson.com/journal/cs5-experience-thinking-inside-and-outside-the-box#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 03:27:12 +0000 Aman Anderson http://amananderson.com/?p=604

Adobe Senior Experience Designer, Shawn Cheris and Michael Gough, Vice President, Product Experience along with Steve Tolleson and Jamie Calderon of Tolleson Design, share a behind the scenes look at what went into CS5 – from the packaging to the desktop to the considered experiences of the UI.

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