Something very interesting I just found on tumblr...

(all images via tyleroakley.tumblr.com)

Scrolling through my tumblr dashboard this evening, I came across these images in a photo set that someone posted. Obviously I thought of my digital media class. It's really interesting to see all this data regarding the ties between colour and culture, colour and branding, colour and science. There are also a couple little facts in here too; most notably, I knew blue was a popular "favourite colour," but I had no idea it was that popular! It makes so much sense now, though, looking at how many logos are primarily blue and what that colour represents. All of this reinforces for me just how detailed advertisers get in their research. Incredible.

"Let's Talk iPhone": Apple's Influence on Digital Media

This morning, Apple Inc. announced that it will hold a press event at its headquarters on October 4th at 10AM Pacific Time regarding its iconic iPhone device. Speculated to be the launch date of the next-generation iPhone model, an invitation was released to the media with the tagline, "Let's talk iPhone," as seen below. And that's exactly what I want to do.

Arguably more than any electronic device in recent history, the iPhone has revolutionized the cellular phone market in ways unimaginable just a few short years ago. Even in the mid-2000s, it would have been unheard of for portable gaming, a GPS system, an mp3 player, an internet browser, and more to all be standard equipment on a cellular phone-- but here we are. As the iPhone has forced the evolution of modern technology, so the device itself has evolved; greater hard drive capacity, higher pixel density for a sharper screen resolution, improvements to its camera & video recording with each model, and better app organization are only some of the ways in which the iPhone has improved since its 2007 debut. Apple has single-handedly made such features the industry standard, and with the iPhone 5 seemingly around the corner, it appears the company plans on dramatically changing the face of the smartphone landscape once again.

But what does all this have to do with digital media? Marshall McLuhan famously envisioned a "global village", wherein the whole planet would be connected instantly through media. McLuhan was certainly ahead of his time with this vision, but the iPhone has made the concept of the global village a very, very real thing; in fact, it has taken the idea of a global village to the next level. Sure, mp3 players, cell phones, e-mail, and GPS systems have existed for quite some time, but the iPhone puts all of these features together on one incredibly easy-to-use device. In fact, the iPhone's touchscreen interface has been heralded for its simple and effective design which truly enforces ease of use. It literally puts the entire world at its user's fingertips, bringing to reality McLuhan's vision in a way I'm not even sure he could have imagined. It has made digital media an integral part of 21st century life. 

Critics may lambast the iPhone as nothing but a fashion statement, a toy, even a false idol. While there is absolutely some truth to these claims, and I'm not trying to paint the iPhone as the Jesus Christ of technology, its influence on modern culture should not be denied or belittled. What would 2011 be like without the iPhone? How would the smartphone industry, or the cell phone industry in general, be like if the iPhone never came to be? What would the digital media landscape look like? These questions are incredibly difficult to answer, which proves at least one thing: the iPhone has changed the world as we know it. And on October 4th, it seems Apple wants to do it again.

CRAP!

C: Contrast

This image, the logo for the popular sitcom Modern Family, works well as an example of contrast for a number of reasons. First, the fonts in the logo contrast one another; the word "modern" employs a more simple font, whereas the word "family" is written in a Times New Roman-esque type, typically considered old-fashioned. Also, where the first word is written in black, the second is accentuated by a brighter orange; while they are not exactly complimentary colours, they are clearly differentiated. Clearly, an effort was made so that the words "modern" and "family" would appear very distinct when placed side by side, which is why this image effectively exemplifies contrast.

R: Repetition

In this image, repetition is used to convey the old-fashioned Western theme of the poster. Used to promote a Toy Story-themed attraction at Walt Disney World, the same font style is used in the phrase "Classic arcade fun- bank on it!" as well as "Always exciting, never boar-ing!" This font repetition is used in other parts of the poster as well. This serves to unify the poster in order to unquestionably get the Western theme across to the target audience.

A: Alignment

This use of alignment is effective because the beginning of each line is on the same side of the disc cover, making for easy reading. The viewer can read the song title and artist on the left side, look further down on the left to notice the parental advisory warning, and subsequently look at the picture of the artist. In this way, the image also falls under the proximity category; it serves to organize the space on the image well, everything in the image appears to fall into its own category and the image does not appear cluttered, yet almost all the space is used up.

P: Proximity

This poster, promoting Ryerson's 2011 Week of Welcome, is an excellent example of proximity. Related items, in this case the events happening during the week, are grouped based on the day on which they occur. These groups are easily identifiable because each day is a different colour. Because each day is separated into its own row, it is also an example of alignment, and the colour scheme is also somewhat repetitive as well; white and yellow are used repeatedly to make the text stand out.

The benefits of the CRAP system are limitless, as seen in the above images. The system serves as a guideline to ensuring an effective piece of work which will create a connection with its viewer. However, one slight issue I have with the system is that it kind of limits creativity; yes, the examples above are still highly creative and unique in their respective designs, but there really are no rules to creativity; sometimes, something just looks good because it does. You could say it has a visual x-factor, that indescribable something that makes it visually appealing. I do recognize, however, that such cases are highly uncommon and that the CRAP system does serve a very useful purpose, with countless examples surrounding us everywhere.

Digital Media Lecture Reaction - The Digital Footprint

Prior to today's lecture, I was fairly knowledgeable on the concept of a "digital footprint." I understood that everything I do online is viewable by anyone who wants to see it, be it family, friends, future employers, or complete creeps strangers. Accordingly, I knew that I had to be a responsible user; even the most insignificant, spur-of-the-moment online post could one day come back to haunt me if I wasn't careful. Having been on Twitter since early 2009, and Facebook since 2006, I learned fairly quickly that privacy settings are an internet user's best friend.
Personally, I don't have a problem sharing my life through social media. In fact, social media makes sharing my life and interests all the more entertaining. Anyone who knows me is fully aware of my obsessions, such as:
-The Toy Story movies

-Oprah

-and humorous YouTube phenomena.

The things I discuss on the internet aren't offensive or likely to come back and haunt me one day, so I don't go to great lengths to censor myself aside from trying to be respectful. Basically, I've got nothing to hide. However, I realize that there are people unlike me, who prefer to guard their lives entirely. Unfortunately, that's just not possible anymore without missing out on a pivotal part of the 21st century online experience.
My personal policy in maintaining an online presence works well in terms of being able to participate in the digital realm to the fullest. Like I said, I'm very active on Facebook and Twitter, in addition to Tumblr and a couple of online communities. I'm a very open person, so my online presence should reflect that openness, shouldn't it? I realize that this causes my digital footprint to be more significant than others, but I don't think that's a bad thing - as long as you're careful.

Viva Las Vegas...

Digital Media Lecture Reaction

This morning, I sat in the first two lectures of my university career. The first focused on audio production while the latter, which I will be discussing, was centered around digital media. Before this morning, my understanding of the term "digital media" was related to the online or digital world. In my mind, examples of digital media included internet-based news services, blogs, and electronic devices such as smartphones.

However, having absorbed today's lecture, my definition of the term has shifted slightly. Now, I understand that digital media is broader than I had assumed, and can include things like animation and motion graphics. I didn't think as much about the technology behind digital media before today, so it's safe to say my mind has been enriched.

Being a first-year student in Radio and Television Arts, I can see that digital media is of extreme importance and relevance to the program - which would explain why it is a compulsory course. Content that was formerly exclusive to radio and/or television is now obtainable digitally - whether by legal means or not - so these industries have had to shift in order to combat this change and remain profitable. In turn, the industries themselves have become more digitally-based, which is why a class about digital media is so vital to RTA students like myself.