i dream in CAD....
May 2012
21 posts
“It was a whirlwind of fresh new ideas and concepts two weeks ago as the Hospitality Design Expo (Las Vegas), the American Institute of Architects Convention (Washington D.C.), WantedDesign and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (both in New York City) went off without a hitch…”
—The May 2012 Tradeshow Circuit Wrap-Up - from Interiors & Sources - read the full article including some of their “top picks” here
“a social business harnesses fundamental tendencies in human behavior via emerging technology to improve strategic and tactical outcomes”
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-Social Business By Design - Forbes about the new book Social Business By Design which “is the definitive management book on how to rethink the modern organization in the social media era.”
How to Make a Statement with your Images by "Stylizing" →
furnishly.com
Part 2 - From the Furnishly Blog
In the first post of this series we reviewed the 2 main types of photo editing applications and discussed a couple of great options to enhance your images. Click here to see our previous post.
In this post, we will talk about some tools available to STYLIZE your photos.
The applications covered in this series were chosen because they are FREE TO USE, are AVAILABLE ON MULTIPLE DEVICE TYPES (i.e. both iOS and Android and sometimes the Web), and generally are known for their EASE OF USE .
Characteristics of “Stylizing” Applications:
- Provide opportunities to apply special effects, filters, frames, text, graphics, etc., to your photos
- These apps provide tools to make your photos unique and give them a sense of personality or style.
The example “stylizing” apps covered in this post include Instagram and Pixlr-o-matic
→ Why would you want to stylize your images?Example reasons people choose to “stylize” their images include:
- creating a statement or vibe
- to tell a “story”
- to bring about a sense of nostalgia or an era
- to camouflage imperfections in an imaginative way
- and even purely to make their images unique and more artistic
Example Furniture Image “As-Is”
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Photo Stylizing Applications
For those of you familiar with Instagram, the app became popular due to both its ability to stylize images in a retro fashion (think old Polaroids) as well as the community built around those using the photo application. Originally developed only for iOS (the iPhone), the app was released on April 3, 2012 for Android. About a week later, Facebook purchased Instagram for a whopping $1billion.
Some of the key features of Instagram include a set of 17 pre-set filter effects (each with a lighter or darker setting) and the quick ability to share to multiple social media outlets including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.
You can take images directly with the app to allow for proper sizing and immediate access to the filters or you can select to edit a photo existing in your gallery. Another feature of the app is the characteristic “square” photo shape (like the old Polaroids). This allows for a a more consistent look, however, one drawback is if you are using a photo not taken through the app, it will be cropped into a square shape, possibly cutting off elements in a wider image.
As this application is currently only available via mobile device, it supports more “spontaneous snapshots” and maintains a more consistent look through the limited number of effects and photo shape.
Application Screenshots:
Instagram Android App Screenshot from Google Play
Instagram iOS app screenshot - showing a sharing screen
Furniture Example Image:
Example Image with Instagram with “Nashville” filter applied
Another fantastic application to stylize your images by applying “vintage retro effects” isPixlr-o-matic. Developed by Autodesk, Pixlr-o-matic is available on the Web, onFacebook, as an Chrome web app and for your iOS or Android mobile device.
Pixlr-o-matic has quite a few effects and a number of ways you can combine them. They are separated into 3 categories – film effects, lighting effects, and frames. Numerous film effects are available such as “Vintage”, “Unicolor”, and “Creative.” There are many lighting effects such as”Vignettes”, “Flames”, “Leaks” and even “Tie-Dye.” The Frame options are also plentiful with “Film”, “Grunge”, and “Torn Paper”, to name a few.
Similar to Instagram, you can shoot photos on your mobile device directly in the application, or you can choose images from your gallery to modify. With the flexibility to use on a number of devices, and the number of effect combinations, the possible combinations to create your own “style” appear limitless.
Application Screenshots:
Pixlr-o-matic Initial Screenshot (Android)
iOS application screenshot - showing sample “film effects”
Furniture Example Image:
Pixlr-o-matic Furniture Image (filter- Anne, lighting- Morning, frame- Tiny)
So who would use these types of apps for their images?We came across a furnishings store – Hip and Humble Home out of Red Bank, New Jersey – who likes to post images taken with Instagram on their Tumblr blog (http://hipandhumblehome.tumblr.com/). A few example images are shown below.
The effect of their use of Instagram to stylize these photos helps to set a tone for their whole collection.
Image Link
Image Link
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So how about you?
What are your favorite tips and tricks for editing or stylizing your photos?
Send us you ideas and image samples and we may feature them in a subsequent post!
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This entry was posted in Furnishly, Interior Design, Tech Community.
Bookmark the permalink.
LIVE MOD. BE MOD. RE MOD. →
remodgallery.com
1. MORE IS MORE.
2. OUR SOFAS WILL GET YOU LAID.
3. IF YOUR MOM HAD IT - WE WANT IT. ….more…
Love it!
I came across this new gallery shop “dedicated to the buying and selling of Mid-Century Modern, Danish and Hollywood Regency furniture, lighting and accessories.”
There store is located in Philadelphia (38 S 3rd St) - so if you are in Philly be sure to check them out or see their inventory on their website.
Just wish they were here in Chicago!
What Homeowners Plan to Spend (2012 to 2014) →
houzz.com
A Survey by Houzz ->
HEADS UP DESIGNERS!! ->
The survey by HOUZZ found that while 45 percent of households at upper income levels ($150,000 per year or more) are choosing to hire an architect, an interior designer, a general contractor or another remodeling or decorating professional to complete a project in its entirety, an equal number of them are combining professional help and DIY efforts…
Mama Shelter Marseilles Philippe Starck Hotel →
casasugar.com
PHILIPPE STARCK’S WACKY AND COOL DESIGN FOR MAMA SHELTER MARSEILLES
Mama Shelter Marseilles follows Mama Shelter Paris as the second hotel in the Mama Shelter brand designed by Philippe Starck. Starck, the Trigano family (who were cofounders of Club Med), and French philosopher Cyril Aouizerate worked together to launch the Mama Shelter brand, and the hotel’s decor reflects the diversity of this collaboration.
Fun Design!!
My Top 5 Apps Recommended for any Designer
or anyone else who is tech savvy and likes to be “with it” and organized!!
I hope this inspires you to check these out so you too can see what I think is so great about them!
Fast Company recently released an infographic which validates that I am not the only designer who appreciates some of these!
- Evernote - a program for clipping important notes, images, sharing files, writing reminders, and more (I use this every day to stay organized and keep important things “backed up”)
- Dropbox - application for sharing files in the “cloud” to access anywhere with an internet connection - plus it has apps for your mobile devices!
- Pinterest - social photo and video bookmarking site (get inspired!)
- ISSUU - web online digital publishing app (great for portfolios, e-books, online magazines, etc)
- Google Drive (previously GoogleDocs) - this allows you to save, store, edit, view, and share a number of different document types. You get 5 GB of Free space and great plug-ins like Autocad WS!
Did I miss any of your favorites? Let me know!
Furnishly, the local furniture exchange
Furnishly, the local furniture exchange, is the first ever consumer marketplace dedicated exclusively to the sale of second-hand furniture. They incorporate geographic search, item segmentation, and social functionality and are geographically focused on presently on Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. Check ‘em out!
Also check out Furnishlyst which curates Craigslist postings for cities such as Austin to Dallas to Chicago to Washington DC and lots of cities in between!
All businesses, no matter what they make or sell, should recognize the power and financial value of good design...
Design-oriented organizations invest in thinking this stuff through. They put design at the heart of their company to guide innovation and to continually improve products, service and marketing.
* They recognize that a great design leads to differentiation, customer loyalty and higher profits.*
~excerpt from Welcome to the Era of Design - Forbes
1871 Emerges as New Hub for Entrepreneurs →
1871.com
Opened last week, 1871, a co-working space for digital entrepreneurs, is located on the 12th floor of the Merchandise Mart. “This place is going to provide a lot of possibilities for people to interact, for sparks to occur, for juxtapositions of people and ideas that wouldn’t have otherwise met…”
-Looking forward to checking this out!
“A Vogue editor once said that “no house is complete without the animating presence of a pet”…”
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In this case, Julie Carlson has taken it a step further: her Abyssinian has also inspired the color palette of her living/dining room. Would You Pick Your Home’s Color Palette Based on Your Cat?
“We no longer live in a world where young people are looking for job security and a pension…but rather [they are] governing their careers and guiding their future by the lessons learned from some of Silicon Valley’s most successful entrepreneurs and innovators…”
—From “Think of yourself as a start-up company” - http://www.vancouversun.com/touch/technology/story.html?id=6377978
Fast Company's 2012 Innovation by Design Awards →
fastcodesign.com
The Innovation By Design Awards offers entrants an unmatched opportunity to reach entrepreneurs and executives looking to find fresh talent.
There are 9 categories, including one for students, plus a “Best in Show.” Entries will be judged on their “business impact, beauty, originality, functionality, social impact, and depth of user insight.”
Finalists and winners will appear in print and on the web at Fast Company’s Co.Design.
Read more details and enter on their site - http://www.fastcodesign.com/section/innovation-by-design
