Enjoy these image results from our own experiemental findings.

DALL-E

One of the most well-known AI image generator tools is DALL-E, developed by OpenAI. DALL-E uses a neural network to generate images from textual descriptions. For example, a user can input a phrase like “an armchair in the shape of an avocado” and DALL-E will generate an image of an armchair that resembles an avocado. This tool is incredibly versatile and can be used to generate outrageous images of almost anything you can imagine.

Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion is another AI image generator tool that has gained popularity among designers. This tool uses a technique called generative adversarial networks (GANs) to generate images. GANs consist of two neural networks that are trained to compete against each other. One network generates images, while the other tries to identify whether the images are real or fake. Over time, the generator network becomes better at creating realistic images that can be used in design applications.

Midjourney

Another popular AI image generator tool is Midjourney, which allows designers to create highly stylised realistic 3D models of objects and scenes. The tool uses a combination of AI and computer graphics techniques to generate images that look like photographs. Midjourney is particularly useful for product designers, as it allows them to visualize what a product will look like before it is manufactured. Here at Envisage, Midjourney is our personal favourite.

How AI can assist graphic & website design

So, how can these AI image generator tools help graphic and web designers? Firstly, they can save designers a lot of time and effort. Instead of having to create every image from scratch, designers can use these tools to generate new images quickly and easily. This can help designers to be more productive and to focus on other important aspects of their work.

Secondly, these tools can help designers to create more original and creative designs. With AI image generator tools, designers can generate images that they may never have thought of on their own. This can help them to explore new design ideas and to push the boundaries of what is possible.

Finally, AI image generator tools can help designers to improve the quality of their work. By generating high-quality images, these tools can help designers to create designs that are more visually appealing and engaging. This can be particularly useful for web designers, as it can help to increase user engagement and drive conversions.

An exciting development in the world of design

While DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion are all AI image generator tools, they each have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. DALL-E is particularly useful for generating images from textual descriptions, while Midjourney is great for creating realistic 3D models. Stable Diffusion, on the other hand, is particularly good at generating images that look like photographs.

In conclusion, AI image generator tools are an exciting development in the world of design. They can save designers time and effort, help them to create more original and creative designs, and improve the quality of their work. Whether you are a graphic designer, web designer, or artist, these tools can help you to explore new design ideas and to push the boundaries of what is possible.

If you’d like to see AI art generation applied to your commercial art project, do contact us for further information.

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Enter WeCrashed. A 2022 Apple TV miniseries that perfectly captured the drama and heartbreak of the WeWork phenomenon. Like the most most excellent Super Pumped (The Battle For Uber) story, at Envisage Design we absolutely love a good origin tale. If it’s a tech statup story, all the better. There are lessons here people.

Let’s put the learnings of the WeWork debacle aside and instead focus on what makes this TV show so timely and so brilliant. Read why We Like WeCrashed so very much below.

Why is WeCrashed so good?

1. The WeCrashed hero characters are portrayed as honest and emotionally flawed human beings.
2. Thanks to indepth backstories, we really get to know what makes Adam and Rebekah Neumann tick.
3. Personal insecurities, modern societal weakness and financial loopholes are highlighted.
4. Blind entrepreneurial vision can sometimes be just that. Blind.
5. Modern day slavery exists. WeCrashed examines the plight of startup employee trauma.
6. Drugs in the startup workplace. A frank study thereof. Say no more.
7. Oh, the soundtrack absolutely kicks! Listen below and enjoy.

Our sincere wish is that you learn the warnings about tech startup culture from watching WeCrashed (and Super Pumped Showtime Original). Our hope is that as talented creatives we offer services in an ethically sustainable and economically real manner. Don’t fall for the hype. Be real. Be responsible.

Now, let’s get to work…

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In 2020, New Zealand was one on the most desirable places to be after it ‘crushed the curve’ and eradicated the COVID-19 virus.

How did phenomenal achievement occur? Well, an indisputable fact is that a team of 5 million (the population of NZ) on a couple of isolated islands at the bottom of the world followed the rules. Kiwis are pretty good at doing what they’re told. So, what aided their incredible effort? Good graphic design, that’s what.

Read on to learn how graphic design saved NZ from COVID-19.

Speed

When COVID unleashed itself upon an unprepared world, the trick was for humanity to act fast. Mass communication is something us humans have gotten down to a fine art, so that’s good.

However, our modern predisposition for endless meetings and second-guessing is second to none. Enter quick and dirty graphic design that shoots from the hip. Often, the very first ideas are the best. That’s survival mechanism kicking in. Great graphic design is purely intuitive. It’s quick!

NZs COVID-19 communications logo is nothing flash. It did not need to be. A simple logo device and supporting design elements was all that was required to be deployed at speed.

• Act fast. Survival

Simplicity

Clour combo yellow and black. Seem familiar? That is because black on yellow is one of the most high impact colour combos recognisable to the human eye. When we are moving at speed we need colour combinations that capture our attention quickly. That’s why yellow and black appears on permanent warning road safety signs throughout New Zealand.

Diagonal stripes. In other words; long, narrow bands  differing in colour. Why? Because it is an authoritative meme. Think police cars and caution ‘do not enter’ tape. Contrasting colour arrangement is mother natures way of saying ‘caution – beware!’

NZ communications response to COVID relied heavily on the use of icons. Iconography is the use of visual symbols to aid interpretation. Why use icons? Because humans live in a busy and visually noisy world. Increasingly, icons represent common message themes that do not require lengthy explanation. 

• Intuitive design. Identification

Technique

The NZ COVID-19 logo is highly adaptable with thanks to the following built-in design techniques: 

Colour:

White works on back. Black works on white. Black works on Yellow. These combinations are useful in various COVID-19 comms design applications.

Icons:

Visual symbols that identify with the highest amount of people possible. Iconography is used to bridge language and cultural barriers. The NZ COVID icons are of equal visual weight, meaning no single icon draws undue attention to itself. 

Font: 

The NZ COVID-19 logo font reads well in both upper and lowercase. Also, the font comes in various weights, which allows for effective use in various situations like headlines, subheadings and body copy. The soft-curve aspect to the font has a friendly and approachable feel.

Ratio:

The NZ COVID-19 logo is modular. The width by heigh ratio of the isolated logo is perfect; not too tall and not too wide. This ratio means easy placement in various communication situations. Also, the supporting yellow stripes can be tiled for use over various background shapes. 

• Die? Adapt!

Consistency

This leads to the most important communications design component; consistency. 

Many, many countries completely failed to have an easily-identifiable and consistent message. The disasterous result of this was a muddled message and confusing public instructions. People died.

Undoubtably, many people have seen and recognise NZs successful COVID-19 messaging. From COVID-19 banners appearing consistently behind the NZ Prime Minister’s media briefings, to press, video and social media posts, New Zealand’s approach to COVID-19 communication was undoubtably consistent. 

Let’s break it down to see how and where the NZ COVID-19 design appears:

• Track and trace in-the-wild QR posters
• Media briefing stage collateral
• Television, social and printed press display advertising
• Mobile app user interface
• COVID testing stations
• Vaccination stations
• Public health spaces
• Nationwide businesses and public meeting places
• Nationwide airports and international departure locations
• Public space signage and floor print decals.

Consistency was made easy due to a simple and highly adaptable design. Let’s not forget however, that the speed in which a ‘that’ll work’ design was implemented in New Zealand. 

• Consistancy. Brand.

Conclusion

When designing at speed, throwing a solid curve ball is the best way to target widest known denominators. Once successfully launched, one can expand treatment of the design to suit evolving situations for an achieved result. This is known as designing organically, something Envisage are very good at doing.

In 2020, organic graphic design was New Zealand’s approach to COVID-19 public health communication. With identifiable and consistant graphic design New Zealand crushed the curve.

In 2020, NZ was the envy of the world. This remarkable country continues to be a world leader in viral pandemic communication design response.

Envisage appreciates the power of creative vision. If you have one, we want to talk to you.

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With 30 Years of Mac OS daily usage under my belt, I upgraded my desktop iMac from macOS Mojave to macOS Big Sur recently – and reluctantly.

I was very hesitant to do this on my workhorse iMac. Reason being, I did the same OS update on my laptop first with shocking results! Read more below.

Be aware, when updating from Mojave to Catalina (or Big Sur) you’ll find that the root Macintosh HD is unwritable. This is due to new security restrictions as dictated by Apple. What, you may ask, is the point of an unwritable HD on my desktop? Good question.

More to the point, where are my all-important work files that, pre-update, were sitting in my Mac Hard Drive?

Where did my files go?

Updating to Catalina or Big Sur from Mojave will create an invisible partition of your HD called Macintosh HD – Data. The location is Macintosh HD > System > Volumes > Macintosh HD. Here, you’ll find all of your precious work and personal files.

There is no easy way to make this crazy new (Data) Volume mount on your Desktop. As dictated by Apple, it’s invisible. Bummer. How do you make your old-school Mac HD root work files easily accessible again?

I did a sloppy hack on my laptop to get the Macintosh HD – Data files available on desktop via an Alias Folder. Fine for my laptop, but not good enough for my recently OS updated desktop iMac workhorse.

A good solution is simple:

1. Create a new folder on your desktop. This is where you’ll put your original root Mac HD personal files. The folder can be any name to wish.
2. Locate your HD – Data files. Go to > System > Volumes > Macintosh HD.
3. Move your personal/work files into the newly created desktop folder by holding down the Command key (⌘) as you grab and drop each item. You may be asked to type in your User Password. DO NOT simply drag and drop, as this will create a copy!
4. Move ONLY your personal files to the desktop folder. Leave all System files in the Volume > Machintosh HD folder.
5. Done!

Finishing touches

Find yourself a rock’n Replacement OS Hard Drive Icon. Give your new Desktop Hard Drive folder some personality!

How to assign a custom icon to your desktop folder:

1. Right-click your new Desktop HD folder > Get Info
2. Drag and Drop your newly downloaded icon (.icns) onto the folder icon to update it (top left of Info Panel).

Here’s my new Mac HD folder on the desktop in Big Sur:

Keep the ‘Macintosh HD’ Volume permanently on your desktop. It contains all of the OS goodies. However, move it down to the bottom right of your desktop to keep it out of the way.

Remember, hit Command-Shift-A to access all of your third-party Apps. I’ve never bothered with the whole Mac OS Documents, Movies, Documents thing, so the above solution works perfectly for my legacy file management habits.

Conclusion

I am happy with the above solution. After hours searching the web for an elegant solution, I found nothing suitable to match my desktop HD storage habits. Hence, I have created this post to hopefully save you some time.

I think that Apple should be warning users at the start of the update process about how (and why) your HD root files will moved. Don’t you?

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A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978–1992

The Arab of the Future is a touching memoir by talented illustrator and storyteller Riad Sattouf. Published in 2015 by Two Roads and presented over 4 volumes in graphic novel format, The Arab of the Future is an unforgettable story of Riad’s extraordinary childhood.

Born in France to an excentric Syrian father and bookish French mother, Riad’s parents soon relocate to Ter Maaleh near Homs, a Syrian village, to be close to his father’s family. Here, Riad visually documents his earliest memories which are powerfully influenced though his father’s bond with his native country. While Riad’s mother struggles with the way of life in her husband’s village, the political juxtaposition between each of his parents homeland becomes raw and apparent.

Reading the story of Riad’s youth was an educational, gripping and moving experience for me. Through the innocent eyes of an altogether happy child, human relations, religious prejudice and parental love are wonderfully laid bare. There are lessons in this story; acceptance, humour, understanding and tollerance.

Riad Sattouf’s illustrative style is simple, engaging and clever. His pen, ink and colour-coded shadow technique conveys a complex subject with tenderness and emotional accuracy. The dialogue is to the point, relevant and visually interesting.

Learn more about this unique set of graphic novels by watching an excellent interview with Riad Sattouf below. Especially interesting is the developmental presentation of the complex man who is Raid’s well-educated father who only wants the best for his young son while living in a challenging cultural environment.

The Arab of the Future (vols 1-4) is available at Two Roads, or (if you’re lucky like me) at your local library.

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I have just finished reading Permanent Record by Edward Snowden. Wow.

Written with wit, grace, passion and unflinching candour, Mr Snowden has written a crucial memoir for our digital age. In this book, Snowden reveals how he helped build a mass surveillance system and why he was so profoundly moved to expose it.

Privacy is not a given. It must be claimed.

Edward Snowden

Permanent Record helps to explain the techincal details involved with end to end file sharing, encryption, the early internet, data storage and system configurations. I found this to be a an important component in learning more about Snowden’s incredibly brave journey.

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Launched in 1985, the Amiga ushered in a new age of home computing. With its powerful 16-bit Motorola CPU and custom graphics and audio chipsets, it was an instant hit among gamers looking to move on from the eight-bit systems, as well as artists and musicians moving into the digital realm.

The Commodore Amiga was a huge influence for me when in my final year of Graphic Design studies in Auckland (1990). Deluxe Paint II, with it’s intuitive interface and animation capabilities opened up a world of creative endevour which continues to this day.

Commodore Amiga: a Visual Commpendium, published by Bitmap Books in the UK, is a gorgeous walk down memory lane.

Book specifications
424 pages. 170mm x 230mm, Lithographic print, Double thick cover, Sewn binding, Spot varnish cover, Spot varnish dust jacket, shrink wrapped.

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The NGV Triennial explores cutting edge technologies, architecture, animation, performance, film, painting, drawing, fashion design, tapestry and sculpture.

Visitors have an opportunity to look at the world and its past, present and future through the eyes of some of the most creative minds working today.

Triennial is an incredibly worthwhile visit. A rewarding experience.

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Colossal pride themselves in celebrating the work of both established and emerging artists across a vast field of creative endeavors, featuring 5,000+ articles on fine art, crafts, design, animation, photography, street art, illustration, and architecture. The blog also explores the beauty of the natural world at the intersection of art and science.

Always on the hunt for outstanding inspiration, Envisage regularly follows This is Colossal.

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2017 was a busy year, and undoubtedly a year for many of us turning to a softer, more comforting style of music to help heal and escape the real world.

Now more than ever, people are connecting with ambient music, and and in the growing popularity of the genre in the wider-music spectrum.  Tune out (and tune in) to some of the best of Ambient 2017 in the SoundClould mix below.

Happy New Yeah everybody.

With thanks to http://www.astrangelyisolatedplace.com

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