My menus for OMGWTF. The layout is pretty much set, but I'm still working on the text.
Appetizers
Entrees
Deserts
Drinks
I wish I knew the code to make pdf graphical previews.
-edit - Lots of typos. I'll have to fix these eventually.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
YouTube - 2mag MIX 1 - Magnetic Stirrer Demo
How awesome would it be to use this to mix drinks at a bar. Full pitcher of margaritas with no noisy blender.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Bioluminescent Algae
I saw a glass wall/tank/tube system that glowed using bioluminescent bacteria or algae, but I can't find the site again. So I guess I'll be researching how to make it work for what I need it for.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
OMG WTF Concept Statement and Logo/Signage drafts
This is my potential concept statement for my Interior Design restaurant project this semester. I think I did a pretty good job forming the basis for understanding nerdery, but please share your opinions. Below the statement is a couple of rough drafts for the signage/branding.
Too often the nerd is uncomfortable in the typical night club atmosphere, I want to create a space where nerds and geeks feel at home. I will derive the style of the interior from common cultural interests of the geek, including math, sciences, literature, science fiction, and other pop culture. Cuisine will feature upscale versions of home made meals and comfort foods.
The distinction between nerds and geeks is precise, and often misidentified. Nerds are generally regarded as socially inept people who compensate for their lack of social grace with a heightened intellect or fondness for academic pursuits. Geeks on the other hand are specialists who focus their nerd energy on certain specific areas. A nerd may be interested in Math, Science, History, or Literature, while geek will take one of those categories and find an obsession within, such as Civil war history or pyrochemistry. Nerdery and Geekery often overlap, but not always. Its perfectly normal for a geek to obsess over Star wars while being uninterested in any real area of science. Likewise, a nerd may never find a specific area to focus on, and will therefore never become a geek.
One of the defining characteristic of a nerd and/or geek is the lack of social comfort. This is actually a stereotype that is only half correct. A typical nerd or geek will not seem interested in social interaction unless others of his kind are present. This anti-social stereotype gained credence due to the fact that nerds and geeks were a relative minority in most societies, and therefore seemed awkward without others like them around. However, with the shift in global economic influences from labor to information services, the population of the nerd has risen to its highest level in history. The result is meta-population with its own culture that transcends ethnic, racial, and religious social constraints. And where once nerd interests were considered irrelevant, they're becoming an important part of mainstream culture, and should be respected as such.
OMGWTF is the next logical step in the progression of the nerdification of the world. As the nerd population rises and nerd culture becomes mainstream, traditional venues of entertainment and leisure will profit by adapting to this new cultural norm.
Too often the nerd is uncomfortable in the typical night club atmosphere, I want to create a space where nerds and geeks feel at home. I will derive the style of the interior from common cultural interests of the geek, including math, sciences, literature, science fiction, and other pop culture. Cuisine will feature upscale versions of home made meals and comfort foods.
The distinction between nerds and geeks is precise, and often misidentified. Nerds are generally regarded as socially inept people who compensate for their lack of social grace with a heightened intellect or fondness for academic pursuits. Geeks on the other hand are specialists who focus their nerd energy on certain specific areas. A nerd may be interested in Math, Science, History, or Literature, while geek will take one of those categories and find an obsession within, such as Civil war history or pyrochemistry. Nerdery and Geekery often overlap, but not always. Its perfectly normal for a geek to obsess over Star wars while being uninterested in any real area of science. Likewise, a nerd may never find a specific area to focus on, and will therefore never become a geek.
One of the defining characteristic of a nerd and/or geek is the lack of social comfort. This is actually a stereotype that is only half correct. A typical nerd or geek will not seem interested in social interaction unless others of his kind are present. This anti-social stereotype gained credence due to the fact that nerds and geeks were a relative minority in most societies, and therefore seemed awkward without others like them around. However, with the shift in global economic influences from labor to information services, the population of the nerd has risen to its highest level in history. The result is meta-population with its own culture that transcends ethnic, racial, and religious social constraints. And where once nerd interests were considered irrelevant, they're becoming an important part of mainstream culture, and should be respected as such.
OMGWTF is the next logical step in the progression of the nerdification of the world. As the nerd population rises and nerd culture becomes mainstream, traditional venues of entertainment and leisure will profit by adapting to this new cultural norm.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
OMG WTF Concept Imagry
Our next assignment was to create some 4"x11" digital collages of reference imagery that we're going to use as inspiration for the project. My first concept revolved around Alcohol, but I couldn't develop it very far. My second idea was a Moroccan themed restaurant, but I was mostly into that because I had just watched Casablanca, and I really couldn't get excited about the concept in general. So as I was wandering around the ID classrooms I saw a couple of RAM chips I hung on the wall as a reminder to fix a couple of the computers, and I was struck with inspiration. I'm going to make a nerd friendly nightclub/restaurant/entertainment venue. Score.
"Cultural" Imagery
Other Imagery
Text options
"Cultural" Imagery
Other Imagery
Text optionsTuesday, January 27, 2009
ID5 Restaurant Project
This is my last semester as an undergrad at SDSU. In addition to some graphic design classes, I'm in my final Interior Design course. Our only project is the creation of a restaurant w/ a second floor for a nightclub type setup.
Our first assignment for this project was to go out and research higher quality restaurants and nightclubs by going to them and having a good time. I was a moron, and left my ID at home, so I couldn't get in when our little ID crew went out on Friday night. But on Sunday Hector, Tiffany, and I went to Sevilla and Osetra, both downtown.
My first impression of Sevilla was that it would be a great place if I felt like hiding in a dark corner and drinking alone. It had an overall feeling of being run-down, but in the same kind of way your of favorite dive bar. We were greeted by a woman who was very excited to tell us about the tapas, and convinced us to eat on the bar side, not the restaurant side. Speaking of which, the first thing I noticed was the distinct separation between the bar and restaurant. Even to the point where the bar had a bouncer and the restaurant had a hostess/greeter. The bar hugged the north wall, with high tables and chairs in same the general area. The lighting was overwhelmingly red. I had a hard time distinguishing color in the bar because of the abundance of one color. It could just be that I'm old and my vision sucks. The sound of the place was a little intense. Loud music and lots of hard surfaces made me a little uncomfortable, as I don't like shouting to talk to the people I'm with, but it played well with the general theme of the place. The tables were minimally adorned, due to their minuscule size, and the tall, hard chairs were uncomfortable to sit at for longer than a few drinks. I couldn't see the kitchen from where I was sitting, and the music drowned out any kitchen noise if there was any. My favorite part of Sevilla was the service, and the pride the employees had in their food and drinks. I would probably turn down the music and change the lighting if I were to redesign it.
Our second spot, Confidential, is closed on Sundays, so we went to Osetra, a place I knew about from working with Finley Designs while they were considering a redesign job there. Walking into Osetra, I immediately felt comfortable and welcome. The greeter at the door showed us in without any hesitation, and even joked with us about our lack of reservations. The first thing that jumped out at me was the large bar, two stories high, with color changing pulsating lights. It was obviously placed as a main feature of the restaurant, front and center, and with good reason. The core of the tower directly behind the bar was filled with wine bottles. Sadly the “wine angels”, harnessed women tasked with retrieving the wine bottles from the upper levels, were not on duty the night we went. The lighting was sufficient and warm. General lighting was recessed in the ceiling, with accent pendants hanging over the bar and some tables and sconces for accent lighting upstairs. Overall the acoustics were pleasant. I couldn't hear any of the other patron's conversation, and the music was soft enough for me to have a conversation with my companions. The table presentation was simple and small, an orchid floating in a water dish, and the normal tableware. The furniture was very soft and comfortable. The bar height chairs are not a favorite of mine for dining, but for the time it took to drink my cognac, I was comfortable. From my seat I could see the kitchen doors, but they were unobtrusive, and there was no noise from them, so that I didn't realize it was the kitchen doors until someone carried food out. Aside from the fine selection of alcohol, my favorite feature of Osetra's design was the color changing wine bottle wall. I think that I would definitely add more lounge or booth seating. After visiting Osetra I looked at their website, and it advertises a lounge atmosphere on the west side of the main floor, but when we were there it was just table seating.
I think this outing, as well as the failed attempt on Friday, have given me a jump off point for the concept of this project.
Our first assignment for this project was to go out and research higher quality restaurants and nightclubs by going to them and having a good time. I was a moron, and left my ID at home, so I couldn't get in when our little ID crew went out on Friday night. But on Sunday Hector, Tiffany, and I went to Sevilla and Osetra, both downtown.
My first impression of Sevilla was that it would be a great place if I felt like hiding in a dark corner and drinking alone. It had an overall feeling of being run-down, but in the same kind of way your of favorite dive bar. We were greeted by a woman who was very excited to tell us about the tapas, and convinced us to eat on the bar side, not the restaurant side. Speaking of which, the first thing I noticed was the distinct separation between the bar and restaurant. Even to the point where the bar had a bouncer and the restaurant had a hostess/greeter. The bar hugged the north wall, with high tables and chairs in same the general area. The lighting was overwhelmingly red. I had a hard time distinguishing color in the bar because of the abundance of one color. It could just be that I'm old and my vision sucks. The sound of the place was a little intense. Loud music and lots of hard surfaces made me a little uncomfortable, as I don't like shouting to talk to the people I'm with, but it played well with the general theme of the place. The tables were minimally adorned, due to their minuscule size, and the tall, hard chairs were uncomfortable to sit at for longer than a few drinks. I couldn't see the kitchen from where I was sitting, and the music drowned out any kitchen noise if there was any. My favorite part of Sevilla was the service, and the pride the employees had in their food and drinks. I would probably turn down the music and change the lighting if I were to redesign it.
Our second spot, Confidential, is closed on Sundays, so we went to Osetra, a place I knew about from working with Finley Designs while they were considering a redesign job there. Walking into Osetra, I immediately felt comfortable and welcome. The greeter at the door showed us in without any hesitation, and even joked with us about our lack of reservations. The first thing that jumped out at me was the large bar, two stories high, with color changing pulsating lights. It was obviously placed as a main feature of the restaurant, front and center, and with good reason. The core of the tower directly behind the bar was filled with wine bottles. Sadly the “wine angels”, harnessed women tasked with retrieving the wine bottles from the upper levels, were not on duty the night we went. The lighting was sufficient and warm. General lighting was recessed in the ceiling, with accent pendants hanging over the bar and some tables and sconces for accent lighting upstairs. Overall the acoustics were pleasant. I couldn't hear any of the other patron's conversation, and the music was soft enough for me to have a conversation with my companions. The table presentation was simple and small, an orchid floating in a water dish, and the normal tableware. The furniture was very soft and comfortable. The bar height chairs are not a favorite of mine for dining, but for the time it took to drink my cognac, I was comfortable. From my seat I could see the kitchen doors, but they were unobtrusive, and there was no noise from them, so that I didn't realize it was the kitchen doors until someone carried food out. Aside from the fine selection of alcohol, my favorite feature of Osetra's design was the color changing wine bottle wall. I think that I would definitely add more lounge or booth seating. After visiting Osetra I looked at their website, and it advertises a lounge atmosphere on the west side of the main floor, but when we were there it was just table seating.
I think this outing, as well as the failed attempt on Friday, have given me a jump off point for the concept of this project.
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