How’s Your Commute?
If you commute to school or work how long does it take you to arrive at your destination?

If your commute is typical your daily round trip time is approximately 46 minutes according to a Gallop Poll conducted in 2007.

Michelin North America wonders what sort of traffic congestion will face us in the year 2046.

What sorts of cars will the commuter of the future use? How will these vehicles impact the environment and adapt to the needs of the commuter? Will the education you received at graphic design college help you design the vehicles of the future?

If you are a graphic designer, illustrator or artist who is interested in this scenario you may be the next winner in the Michelin Challenge Design Contest 2012.

What This Contest Is About
Michelin wants to see design ideas for vehicles of the future. Specifically, Michelin states:

“For the Michelin Challenge Design 2012, participants are challenged to design a personal, ground-based vehicle that can transport between 2 and 10 people at a time.

Designers will choose Cairo, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, or Shanghai and design a vehicle to meet anticipated needs for that city in 2046.

“Michelin offers a challenge to designers around the world, individuals and small and large companies, to enthusiastically create, bring forward and display, significant design work that would normally not have an opportunity to be shown at a major auto show.”

Now you can utilize all you’ve learned at graphic design school or engineering school to enter your best shot. You may send in 2D renderings or 3D concept models to scale or full sized form. Sketches, engineering drawings and computer generated graphics are also acceptable.

Judging and Prizes
Your entry will be judged according to:

* Relevance to the theme
* Concept originality
* Design value and quality
* Developmental potential
* Design display potential

The winners of this contest will have their entries eligible for display on the official contest site and various Michelin Challenge Design events and public displays.

Contest Links and Other Information
To be eligible for this contest you must preregister by March 4, 2011. The contest deadline is June 3, 2011. Any questions about this contest should be directed to design [at] emcpr.com. There is no entry fee for this competition.

Official Contest Site
Contest Rules and Guidelines
Contest Overview
Frequently Asked Questions
Preregistration Guidelines
Preregistration Form

Look and Learn
It’s hard to imagine what the designers of the following websites were thinking when they created them. Perhaps they were DIYs (do it yourselfers) seeking to save on costs or were unaware about the condition of their websites.

Regardless of the reasons the final results may make you groan, laugh or cry. But one positive thing can be said of all of them; they demonstrate what not to do when designing a website.

Hold on to your hats; here are our picks for Website Design Goofs and Gaffes.
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Professional Image: Gaffe
If you visit one of the websites representing an Ivy League school such as Princeton, Harvard or Yale your expectations would be, at the very least, something that was professionally designed.

But in the case of the Yale School of Arts, something has gone awry. The website states:

“All School of Art grad students, faculty, staff, and alums have the ability to change most of this site’s content (with some exceptions); and to add new content and pages.”

We’ll leave it up to your imagination to come up with the sarcastic statements connected to the above quote. (http://art.yale.edu/)

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Political Website: Goof
It doesn’t really matter if you support Meg Whitman for election to the post of governor of California in 2010 or not because this former CEO of eBay seems to have missed the boat on approving this web design.  The webpage is cluttered, busy, and a little hard on the eyes. (http://www.megwhitman.com/ as of Oct 2010)

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Website Help: Goof on Purpose
This website is called “The World’s Worst Website” but it’s actually not—we’ve seen much worse.

What this website does is to graphically demonstrate what not to do when designing a website. It gives tips and advice to web and graphic designers on how to avoid common mistakes. (http://www.angelfire.com/super/badwebs/)

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Graphic Design Schools and Web Design
If you are presently a web designer or someone who wants to receive the proper career training for web design, consider a graphic design college for your education.

You can gain a wealth of knowledge about web design techniques, programming and other essentials that can help you to expand or strengthen your web design skills. Check with your local graphic design school for information about its curriculum.

Next Time…
Some say that the road to success is a narrow one. The next time we meet we’ll present websites that have lost their way regarding proper design.

Until next time, keep on designing!

Enter for Fame, Not Fortune
KUCI-89.9FM is a non-profit public radio station broadcasting from the college campus of U.C. Irvine in Southern California. The is run by the student volunteers and members of the Orange County community.

KUCI is asking for designs from artistic individuals or graphic artists for a radio station  t-shirt or  program guide cover.

You may enter in one or both categories. The winners will be announced on the air and will also receive free copies of the final products.

What the Contest is About
According to the sponsors regarding the artwork for program guides:

“We print four Program Guides each year where we list that quarter’s schedule of radio shows plus articles and other writing. We love to have the front cover be something an up and coming artist creates.”

As far as t-shirts design requests KUCI says:

“We have a long history of printing t-shirts for the station and are proud to continue the tradition with your help. They will be screen-printed in a small quantity and given to people who donate to the station.”

Contest Guidelines
This contest is open to anyone in the world and there is no entry fee for entrants.

If you are submitting a t-shirt design for KUCI:
* The design must be black graphics on a white background only. No ….additional colors.
* The design should only be created for the front of the t-shirt.
* Maximum size of the graphic is 8.5 x 11.0 inches in height.

If you are submitting an entry for the program guide:
* Enter any graphic, design, or illustration that will fit in an area of 5.5 ….inches wide and 8.5 inches tall.
* The graphic should be printable in gray-scale only. No additional ….colors.

Important Links and Deadline Date
The deadline for submitting entries is November 5, 2010. You may submit more than one entry.

Contest Website
KUCI Mission Statement
History of KUCI
Gallery of Past Winning Entries
Radio Station Logos (Use is optional)

Email all entries to designcontest [at] kuci.org.

>Color My World
Have you used flamboyant color schemes in any of your past projects? Do you like bold and shimmering colors in your designs?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you are a prime candidate for Pantone’s Mind-Blowing Color Competition.

The contest sponsors, Pantone and Behance state:

“Color is one of the strongest elements of design. Color attracts the eye and can influence emotions, moods and judgment. The right color choices can help communicate a message and greatly increase a design’s chance of success.

“Behance and Pantone invite you to participate in our “Mind-Blowing Color Competition,” which recognizes creative minds that push the boundaries of color in their work.”

What the Contest is About
This contest sponsors want entries from artists, designers or illustrators that demonstrate the effective use of “mind-blowing color.” Your work will be judged according to:

* How well the colors are used in the piece
* How the colors positively impact the overall design
* How well the colors communicate the primary message of the design

Entries will also be judged on how successful the bold use of colors are in making the overall design more effective and appealing. Innovative color combinations will be a definite positive.

Prizes
Behance and Pantone are providing the following awards to the winners:

Grand Prize
Pantone Studio Plus - Design & Play Package

* Pantone PLUS Reference Library (14-piece set)
* Fashion+Home Color Specifier
* Fashion+Home Guide
* Color Cue 2.1
* ColorMunki Design
* Color: Message & Meanings
* Set of 6 Pantone Mugs
* Set of Pantone Notebooks
* Weekend Stay at Pantone Hotel in Brussels (Hotel Only. (No Traveling ….Expenses)

1st Place
Pantone To Go Package

* Pantone Essential with Effects
* Pantone Solid Chips Coated & Uncoated
* HueyPRO
* Pantone Notebook

2nd Place Prizes (Five Total)
Pantone PLUS Essentials Kit

* Pantone Essentials

Links and More Contest Info
There is a limit of only one contest submission per entrant. The deadline for this contest is October 13, 2010. There is no entry fee for this contest. All entrants must register with the Behance Network to participate in this competition.

The following links provide additional contest information:

Behance Network Membership Application
Contest Site and Rules
Project Gallery

Who Needs Website Design Training?
The first answer that comes to most people’s minds is usually “computer programmers.”

But if you are a graphic designer and want to make yourself more valuable to your firm or are in the process of looking for a graphic design position, having website design skills may be the difference between qualifying or not qualifying for the job you want.

According to the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010-2011 Edition):

“Employment is expected to grow about as fast as average. Keen competition for jobs is expected; individuals with Web site design and animation experience will have the best opportunities.”

The Future Is Now
Although graphic designers have been traditionally associated with print media, the job description has expanded and often includes the duties of providing graphics for websites and website design layouts.

Does your graphic design college offer website design courses? If so, make sure you take advantage of them.

As a graphic designer in order to stay competitive you must keep up with the latest graphic design trends and techniques.

With the emergence of the Internet as an important source of information and commerce for increasing numbers of people, website design is a very important skill set that employers seek in potential hires.

Graphic Design Schools and Community Colleges
Working professionals have busy schedules and are sometimes limited to the amount of time available for outside interests and pursuits–let alone continued education.

However, community colleges offer various certificate programs and associate’s degrees in website design and graphic design that can bring you up to speed on the latest technologies and design fields.  Night classes or weekend classes are often available.

Graphic design colleges present two-year and four-year degrees. Some offer online distance learning options in order to accommodate those who need the most flexibility in class scheduling.

Balance is Crucial
There are website designers who have mastered the coding (programming) of websites but lack an artistic eye to design one properly. Conversely there are graphic designers who excel in design but are at a loss in website design basics.

Whether you are a web designer seeking to increase your artistic side or a graphic designer seeking to improve your skills in the art of web layout, taking courses to improve your proficiency as a designer can be very beneficial.

For More Information on Graphic Design Schools
There is a wealth of free information on the Internet regarding website and graphic design courses. Click on the “schools” section here on Graphic Design Basics for helpful leads.

Using Perspective as a Design Tool
Students of graphic design colleges learn to enhance or bring their graphics to life by using perspective.

Or in other words, making foreground objects bigger than distant objects that eventually end in a vanishing point.

Although this technique may seem rather pedestrian, it is a relatively recent discovery and was only developed after the 1300s.

3D Pavement Art: A New Perspective
Street art has been around for many years.

But the recent development of elaborate 3D pavement drawings has garnered a new interest in art for some. It is enjoyed and admired by many and in some cases, used as a vehicle for corporate advertising.

The specific method for this art is called anamorphic.

The art form seems unremarkable when viewed from various points, but if viewed from one particular angle, the image takes on an eerily three dimensional realism.

Inspiration from Street Artists
The impact of 3D pavement art is hard to gauge, but if reactions by passersby from around the world are any indication of its influence, we probably can safely say that these art displays are not only entertaining, but have inspired artists and graphic designers to improve their skills.

The Masters
There are several world renowned 3-D pavement artists who have influenced the look and direction of this art form.

Some of these artists have formal training from graphic design schools or colleges while others are self-taught. But regardless of where they received their education in art, it is evident that they are truly masters of what they do.

What you are about to view is art that was drawn on pavement. Click on each image for a full-sized look.

Edgar Mueller
Born on July 10, 1968 in Straelen, Germany, Mueller had an early interest in art as a young child and was intrigued by the many paintings of rural scenes of his town.

He has an extensive education in communication design but was most influenced by the 3-D street art of Kurt Wenner and Julian Beever.

In 1998 he was honored with the title of Master Street Painter, awarded at the Grazie Festival, the world’s largest street art festival. This title has been given to only a handful of artists.
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For more of Edgar Mueller’s work, go to his official website metanamorph.com.

Next Time…
We hope you liked Mr. Mueller’s artwork. Next time we meet we’ll display Julian Beever’s fantastic images. They are an inspiration to many artists and art admirers.

Until next time, keep on designing!