I’m currently working on a project that is to be launched in 2012 and it’s quite meaningful to my career. It’s indeed a website, but there’s so much to it…so much representation that needs to be effectively portrayed. It’s not going to be an easy task, but it should be one of the more fun projects of the year. So where do I start? I’ve come up with concepts, I’ve come up with wireframes, I’m just about ready to begin designing.

Is it odd that I start with designing the Twitter page first? I’ve never done this before. However, I did in fact start with the Twitter page for this project. I’ve spent more time on the concept for this page than I have on full websites in the past. It’s important to represent the ability to communicate with others in the most appealing way. 2012 is sure to be yet another year of social media growth. And though Facebook is already massive, I feel Facebook is for friends you never should have been friends with, and Twitter is for friends you should have been friends with all along. I honestly feel Twitter is potentially more powerful than Facebook.

For an agency, an identity, a service, Twitter could potentially be among the top methods used to draw attraction, work, and money. It only makes sense to then pay extra attention to the detail put into a Twitter page. In 2012, I am going to spend more time on the pages that are quickly becoming over saturated; on the designs and iconography that has become universal; on the methods in which we communicate both digitally and physically. And I’m starting by attempting to make a killer Twitter presence on my first big project of the year.

Here are a few shots of design that have inspired me in the process…the first shot is an element I’ve completed that is to be the foundation for the rest of the Twitter space in my current project. They’re some of the many faces of the Twitter bird.

I’ve come across a recent interface, designed by Dominik Wasienko, that has got me really excited. Not necessarily because I think the design is good, bad, effective, progressive, or otherwise. Rather, I’ve found it fascinating that this design has made me cringe, and also made me jump in joy.

Fenix Music, which seems to be an interactive design interface across various platforms, presents itself as an uber vibrant piece of work. It’s primary elements, such as its navigation, are not hard to understand, but are masked by complexity that is born straight from the visual aesthetic surrounding them. The colors are bright and contrasting. Various elements are jagged in shape, and others perfectly round. The particular detail in areas such as (what seems to be) a calendar are structured in a familiar sense, yet embedded in visual choices that aren’t often associated with a calendar.

Around each corner of this design, I find myself not immediately understanding exactly what is going on. But it doesn’t take long to not only understand it, but completely get it – get what’s going on and how it pertains to the overall whole of the project. This forces me to consistently explore the project, raising the level of intrigue just enough that I keep wanting more without becoming frustrated. I suppose it’s the clash of wanting immediate and complete understanding of purpose, versus the reality that I have to take the time to figure things out before truly realizing its intention, that makes this piece so interesting to me. It’s reminded me that it’s worth taking a moment to really pay attention – pay attention to the power of design.

It’s been just about a year since I started talking about redesigning Four Fifths Design. After two design concepts finished and then scratched, I stepped back to reassess the state of this blog. I wondered whether the stress of designing for myself was worth the effort. I definitely continue to draw readers. I definitely continue to find inspiring work to provide insight on. I see no reason not to continue with the idea of redesigning. But I, as a professional, realized I needed to make a face for myself first. I don’t have a portfolio online as of right now – at least one that’s up to date. Nor do I have a hub for people to access in order to contact me or follow me.

The New Blog…Err Site!

With that said I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I began, and have since finished designing a personal website. It’s going to include information on myself, my portfolio, and of course, this blog. I’m integrating Four Fifths Design into the site. It only made sense. But this time around, I haven’t procrastinated. In fact, the design of the site has been done for some time now and is in a development queue. It’s set launch date is January 1, 2012 (approximate).

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

So what’s going to change? Well, the concept remains the same: to provide inspiring work to my readers in order to get their imagination going, as well as introduce them to new names and faces in the design community. There will, however, be additions. Expect to see a lot more written articles. I’ve personally began writing a lot more of my own, marrying my thoughts with my work and keeping track of the processes in written form. I’ve also started writing for Inspired Magazine. Now that I’ve become heavily involved in web design (more so than a year ago), I’d like to share with my readers a more intimate look into my working life in order to hopefully help those following in my path.

Until Then…

For now, I’ll leave you first with a sneak peak at some shots from the new site design, particularly the blog portion of the site. I’ll also add some shots of my current works in progress…Want to see more? Head on over to Dribbble to see what I’ve been involved in recently. Or you can simply click on any of the images.

Neografik, the Australian design agency, are the fellows behind the branding new visual identity of Neublok. They created everything including the logo, stationery, and website. One of the more interesting parts to the project is the type treatment. It’s apparent that it is inspired heavily by Helvetica Neue and Akzidenz Grotesk.

From one of my new favorite infographic designers comes the Infomotor redesign project. Infomotor is a start-up company specializing in transforming complex information into clear communication. Martin Oberhauser is an amazing infographic artist. So this project seems to be ‘a match made in heaven.’ Oberhauser took the brand and established a new minimalist and significant portrayal that engages audiences by making the leap from static to dynamic, and modern looking expression.

The works of Ortografika stem from an ambitious team of creatives out of Poland. They’re members of the Stowarzyszenie Twórców Grafiki Użytkowej, Creators of Used Graphics Association, which unites the best designers and studios from all over Poland. Their many distinctions and exhibition invitations speak for the quality of work they continue to produce.

For those who don’t know, & SMITH is a small, independent design studio who creates work that encompasses identity, branding, print, web…well, just about everything. You may remembering having seen their work featured before as I was caught up in how quaint and crafty their pieces were. Over the past year, they’ve produced several new pieces that continue the tradition of intimacy and attention to detail in the various mediums ranging from packaging to web.

For those unfamiliar, JaHallo is a small, seven person, creative studio possessing a wealth of knowledge and skill in design. The majority of their work deals with creating unique, and often corporate, identities on and off the internet. In this case, they’ve created a new look for JP Huse. This identity was created completely based on a geometric concept inspired by the houses JP Huse builds themselves. A modern website complete with all related print collateral was also provided. The work, including the website, is very clean, using only minimal color and organized in an understandable fashion.

To celebrate the festivities for the Year of Chopin, a few designers have collaborated to create awesome promotional material including various print collateral and an amazing website. The print materials are quite clean and do their job well, but the website is where my interest is. The site design is pretty amazing considering it’s simply to advertise an event. It reflects the modern feeling of the print material but incorporates fluid interactivity and well balanced components to make for a great, brief user experience. Check it out here.