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Able Parris
SelectEdit Designer and Developer
Hi, I'm Able. I've been working at Newfangled since February, 2007. Besides designing logos and websites here at Newfangled, I am also one of the office gardeners.

Able's Blog  filter by tag: funny


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March Desktop Wallpaper

February 26, 2009 at 11:00 am by Able

Well, folks. Here's the last installment of my monthly desktop wallpaper for the Newfangled blog. Friday is my last day here at Newfangled before I head back out into the freelance world. I'm sorry last month's was so bad! I really didn't even enjoy looking at it after the first few days. Just sayin.

March 2009 Desktop Wallpaper

May 2009 be a great year for you! Cheers!

Download here (1400x900)

The typeface used is Cloud, by Subtype. You can download it for free on their website!

You can keep up with what I'm doing by checking out my website or following me on Twitter.


Tagscloud_typeface design download typography desktop wallpaper

 

2009 February Desktop Wallpaper

February 1, 2009 at 11:00 am by Able

February is here. That's right, we are in our second month of 2009, and getting close to 1 full year of desktop wallpapers from Newfangled. We hope you have enjoyed them!

This month's desktop is set in a dreamy Helvetica Neue. With all of the craziness going on these days I've tried to keep them simple and quiet. We hope you have a good month, and don't forget Valentine's Day!

February Desktop Calendar 

Download here (1400x900)


Tagsdesign download typography desktop wallpaper

 

Super Bowl XLIII Logo Redesigns

January 29, 2009 at 10:00 am by Able

I laughed out loud when I saw this slideshow on The New York Times of the Super Bowl logo redesigned. Their reasoning for the logos are great, too. Especially the designers who admittedly know nothing about football. Also interesting that the folks at Pentagram and Armin Vit of UnderConsideration had similar concepts...

Here are a couple of my favorite concepts, but you've got to see them all.

 

 

I will be rooting for the Steeler's although I have not watched a game all season, and just realized the other day that the "big game" is approaching this weekend. I just know enough that next week will be much better around the office if the Steelers win, because someone really likes them...

 


Tagsdesign Super Bowl, logos,

 

Wingsuit Base Jumping, My New Hobby?

January 12, 2009 at 10:00 am by Able

Kidding, I don't think I could ever do this! It's a must-see video, though.

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

Tagsvideo

 

January Desktop Wallpaper

January 2, 2009 at 5:00 pm by Able

Here we are in a new year, and I feel quite optimistic! On behalf of Newfangled Web Factory, I wish you the best, and hope that you can keep all of your resolutions and reach all your goals.

Click on image to download. :)

January Desktop Wallpaper  


Tagsdesign download typography desktop wallpaper

 

Mankind Is No Island

December 5, 2008 at 5:00 pm by Able

I am really impressed with this video. Shot completely on a cell phone, but beautifully produced. Not to mention, a great message!


Tagsvideo Jason_van_Genderen Tropfest

 

December Desktop Calendar

December 4, 2008 at 5:00 pm by Able

Better late than never? I hope so! Other things took priority the last few weeks, and the December desktop calendar was put to the side. Thanks for your understanding, and I hope you enjoy this one, even if it is for a short time.

Free December Desktop 

 

Download below:

1440x900


Tagsdesign wallpaper download calendar typography desktop

 

Getting Comfortable With Video

December 3, 2008 at 1:00 pm by Able


Getting Comfortable With Video from able parris on Vimeo.

Above is a video I made while working at home today. I touch on a few points that I'd like to stress here. One, video is easy. Two, video can be super cheap. You might even already have the tools needed to publish a similar video on your site! Three, it's not as scary as you might think. Just talk as if you were talking to one of your clients. If that means you need to have more of an "Oval Office" type of presentation than I do that's fine. I am sure it would be easy to arrange your backdrop to be a bit fancier than my breakfast nook.

Links:

Feel free to leave some comments below!

Tagsvideo w@ht

 

Don't Forget to Vote!

October 31, 2008 at 5:00 pm by Able

This month's calendar is a tribute to our great country, and a reminder that it's time to vote! The next four years will be interesting, no matter who is in office. How interesting? Well, I hear that time travel will be legal in 2009, as well as life on Mars so that's good news! Anyways, enjoy, and thanks for all of the support! Have a good month.

 

Download below:

1440x900



Tagsdesign wallpaper download iphone calendar Museo typography desktop

 

Vimeo Adds Paid Account Option

October 17, 2008 at 10:00 am by Able

Vimeo PlusAs you may have heard me say before, Vimeo is a great video service. At the time of writing this they are now offering an upgrade for just under $60 that would allow for more "awesomeness." Here's what you get:

  • 2GB upload per week
  • No banner ads
  • Unlimited HD uploading
  • Embed your HD videos
  • Higher quality video
  • Priority uploading
  • Player customization
  • Advanced privacy options
  • Unlimited Groups, Channels & Albums

Tagsvimeo tools, video,

 

Web TrendWatcher: Animated Logos

October 8, 2008 at 12:00 pm by Able

Mindshare animated logo

I think I'd like to add a new section to this blog for brief posts that just point out trends as I see them. Chris and I usually talk about these things, and I think it'd be good to open up the conversation. First one to start the series: animated logos?

I am trying to think of companies that have an animated logo on their site. Sure, a lot of companies animate their logo in ads and commercials, but Mindshare might be one of the first to have theirs animated on every page of their site. This might become a new trend now that so many companies are completely web-based. Am I forgetting any animated logos? If so, please link to them in the comments!

 

 


Tagsweb design logo, TrendWatcher,

 

If You Could...

October 1, 2008 at 2:00 pm by Able

Anorak Magazine asks some "little editors" the following question:

If You Could be anything for day what would you be?

There are 33 posted replies. Below are a few that stood out to me. Oh, and of course, if you ask a child a question, you'll get your response in the form of a drawing!

Alien Rapper: This one kind of reminds me of Mark on our own office Bling Day:

Alien Rapper!

Jay the Spy: Okay, he has "fire boots!" Something I am sure I would have overlooked as a spy.

Jay the Spy

 

A Gorilla: This description sounds somewhat like our resourcing department, only BIGGER. Maybe some one we know wrote in under a disguise?

Chocolate Gorilla 

Robot With a Pet Robot: This is definitely our own Chris Butler.

Pet Robot

Purple Octopus: You may not know that one of our Project Managers, Jason Adams, has a fondness for these creatures. (And a blog about them!) I wonder what color he would be if he were an octopus?

Purple Octopus

Superman: But this Superman has an awesome new logo. Maybe Brand New will be posting an article soon?

Typographic Superman 


Tagsoffice Magazine, dreams, children, Anorak

 

Danger! October is Coming

September 30, 2008 at 2:00 pm by Able

Whew! This one is out before the 1st, I can't believe it. Enjoy.

 

Download Free October Desktop 

Three sizes available this month:

1440x900

1280x1024

iPhone


TagsMuseo design wallpaper download iphone calendar typography desktop

 

Pixel Animation With Old TV's

September 24, 2008 at 10:00 am by Able

You may have seen this already, but I couldn't help but post it. It's an ad for the new Ford Fiesta directed by Noah Harris. The music is by Pluxus.



Tagsanimation

 

A New (Different) Carrboro

September 8, 2008 at 12:00 pm by Able

I like Carrboro. Since I moved here last February to work at Newfangled it has changed just a little bit. What used to be 3 vacant train cars literally next door to our building is now a bustling restaurant and bar with movie nights, trivia nights, live music, and a beer garden. It's a great example of making a lot out of a little. Across the street is ArtsCenter and Cat's Cradle of which have helped put Carrboro on the map. But they will soon be leveled.

I have little expectations that whatever replaces it will feel like Carrboro. Below is a drawing of a proposed plan of four 5-story buildings that will replace the strip that is there now. (I've added our logo to the illustration to give you an idea of where we are.)

My guess is some one thinks that Carrboro should be more like Southpoint, and they just don't understand what has continued to make Carrboro the unique and creative town it has become. I wonder if the architect even walked around Carrboro. Did they see the hoopers? The bluegrass bands? The hippies? The do-it-yourselfers? Have they ever been to Weaver Street Market?

I could go on and on with that list. Carrboro is a rag-tag group of people that, as far as I can gather, are not even from Carrboro. It is not homogenous, and it's surprising that it even works. Which brings me to my first statement: I like Carrboro. I hope I can do something to stop this proposal from going through.


Tagscarrboro

 

September Desktop Calendar

September 3, 2008 at 12:00 pm by Able

My apologies for being a bit tardy on this month's desktop calendar. I was out all last week for a family emergency. I am back now, and with a bright, bold September desktop. School is also back in session for many of you, and Newfangled wishes you the best of luck! Here's something for your new MacBook and iPhone (Zdenko).

September Desktop Calendar

Three sizes available this month:

1440x900

1280x1024

iPhone

 

 


TagsUnivers iphone design wallpaper download calendar typography desktop

 

August Desktop Calendar (For iPhone Too)

July 31, 2008 at 3:00 pm by Able

With not much time to spare before the end of the month I bring you the August desktop calendar. Simplicity is key. I hope you enjoy it!

 Downloadable August Desktop Calendar

Three sizes available this month:

1440x900

1280x1024

iPhone


Tagsdesign courier download wallpaper calendar typography desktop

 

Great Use of Mac Applications

July 9, 2008 at 5:00 pm by Able

Yes, I am aware of the absurdity of the title of this post, but you have to admit that Apple has lapped the competition as far as the beauty of it's interface. Below is a music video made entirely from OS X. I'm interested in how long it took to develop!


Tagsapple video music

 

Download: July 2008 Desktop Calendar

June 30, 2008 at 1:00 pm by Able

We have almost made it to another month! Tomorrow is the first day of the month in the Gregorian calendar named after Julius Caesar. This month's calendar desktop includes the Roman leader on his "triumphal chariot." I hope you enjoy this one. If so, please pass along the link.

Here's a preview:

Also, thanks to John at I Love Typography for posting the June desktop in his Sunday Type. (Maybe this one will make it, too!) If you have any interest in typography or design, his blog is a must-read! The site is climbing its way to 20,000 subscribers. Be one of them.

Right click and save the desktop below:

1440x900

 

UPDATE:

John did in fact post this desktop on I Love Typography. (Thanks John!) Be sure to check out the rest this week's Sunday Type.


Tagsdesign inspiration download desktop free typography resource

 

Look, But Don't Click

June 19, 2008 at 10:00 am by Able

As you may know already, we don't build Flash websites here at Newfangled. Some of our sites have flash content, but that's as far as we go in that direction. However, we do concede that the control you can obtain with Flash can greatly increase how the experience the user has with the site. For instance, I see a new trend rising of sites (or even parts of sites) that use a "no-click" navigation. In these environments, the roll-over is all that is needed.

The most obvious example, and they take it to the extreme, is www.dontclick.it. You are asked to click one last time before entering the site. After that, if you click...well, I won't spoil it.

 

Does anyone know if this would be possible without using Flash? 


Tagsflash trends, UI, webdesign,

 

Music in Blood

June 10, 2008 at 10:00 am by Able

Bettina posted a video the other day of a musical roller coaster. Below is a still from another musically themed video made from blood! Beautifully done, watch the video here.

 


Tagstypography, video

 

Antiquated Performance: Radiohead's Nude

May 28, 2008 at 1:00 pm by Able

Below is an amazing video by James Houston putting antiquated technologies to great use. The song begins at 1:09.


Big Ideas (don't get any) from James Houston on Vimeo.

Tagsvideo Radiohead,

 

Download June Desktop Calendar

May 28, 2008 at 1:00 pm by Able

I'll be out of the office Friday, and I am not sure if I will have time to post this tomorrow so here we go. Below is the June desktop calendar. This is the third desktop I've posted, and I plan on keeping them coming each month so stay tuned! Grab the RSS feed, and don't be shy about leaving requests for future imagery in the comments.

June downloadable desktop calendar 

Right click and save the desktop below:

1440x900 (most of you will probably want this one)

1243x969 (This is the dimensions of my external monitor)


Tagsdesktop free, download, design,

 

A Whole Suite of Birds!

May 23, 2008 at 1:00 pm by Able

AviaryI've been on the hunt for a while now trying to find the best free image-editing software. I reviewed Picnik a while back, and I have been recommending it to clients. From what they have told me, it has been a great resource.
Just when I was feeling good about having found the best comes a whole suite of editing software, all named after birds! The suite is call Aviary. Described on their site as:

A suite of web-based applications (RIAs) for people who create. From image editing to typography to music to 3D to video, we have a tool for artists of all genres.

It's no secret that I love birds so I am anxious to see if these products live up to their branding. Right now use of the products is by invitation only, and I have yet to receive access. I will let you know, once I get in there, exactly what we're looking at. As of now, they have these tools:

 

Phoenix: Image editor

Toucan: Color swatches and palettes creator

Peacock: Computer algorithm-based pattern generator

Raven: Vector editor

Hummingbird: 3D modeller and skinner

Myna: Audio editor

Roc: Music generator

Starling: Video editor

Owl: Desktop publishing layout editor

Penguin: Word processing software geared towards creative writers

Pigeon: Painting simulator

Tern: Terrain generator (minitool)

Horus: Font editor

Woodpecker: Smart image resizer using seam carving (minitool)

Rookery: A free, unlimited distributed file system network that anyone can connect to and store data in. It also powers Aviary's file search engine.

Hawk: Digital content marketplace

Crane: Custom image product creator

Eagle: A smart online application that can identify complex data about an image based on the pixel patterns (i.e. which specific camera an image originally came from)

 

Whew! That's a handful. We'll see if it lives up to our expectations. For now, I'll stand by picnik for image-editing. Here is a list of other free resources Aviary will have to compete with:

 

GoogleSketchup: 3D for everyone (not to be confused with Google's ketchup)

Fontstruct: Create geometric fonts. 

Chocoflop and The Gimp: These are more like Photoshop. Chocoflop for MAc, Gimp for PC. 

Inkscape: Create vector art without Illustrator! 

I Like Your Colors: Type in a url and get the hex colors. 

Stripe Generator: Need a striped background for part of a website you are designing?

Audacity: Cross-platform audio editing software 

Open Office: Replace Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat for free! 

Avidmux: Video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks.

NVU: "A complete Web Authoring System for Linux Desktop, Microsoft Windows and Macintosh users."

 

Please keep in mind that I have not used all of these, but ahve bookmarked them over time. I link them here just to spread the word, and I hope they come in handy for some one. Please let me know either way, and feel free to leave some links in the comments. Maybe you have created your own software? Cheers! 

 

 

 

 


Tagsfree editor, design, 3D, resource,

 

Painting Machine for Inspiration

May 23, 2008 at 11:00 am by Able

Swiss musician and programmer, tokoloten, has built a fancy little online application that creates art by the movement of your mouse. It's called paintingmachine. Below is a progression that I created. I think the colors are different each time. I was hoping to introduce more colors in to this composition somehow, but could not. Maybe tokoleton will add this in a future version? Anyways, try it out. Maybe you can design the next Amon Tobin record cover. (Be sure to check out tokoloten's music while you are at it. It's electronica/ambient/noise)

painting machine 


Tagsart machine, inspiration, resource, design, music, 3D, painting

 

Desktop Calendar: May 2008

April 1, 2008 at 2:00 pm by Able

Okay, I pulled it off. Another desktop calendar for you! Last months' was unusually bright and futuristic so I thought I'd bring it back with some earth tones, and I started with a drawing from my Moleskine sketchbook. I also created April's to look like it were in motion, but decided to have May be very grounded. Happy Spring, enjoy!

May desktop calendar 

 

Download here (1243x969) 

 


Tagsdownload free calendar images Moleskine

 

Design Coding

March 31, 2008 at 10:00 am by Able

Eric has been saying it the whole time, but he never said it quite like this:

Tagsdesign video coding

 

Spring is Here: A Downloadable Desktop Calendar

March 27, 2008 at 11:00 am by Able

The first day of Spring was the other day, and the days are getting a little longer. It's even going to get up to 80 degrees here in North Carolina this week! In the spirit of things, I'd like to offer you a little experiment I made as a desktop calendar. For those of you who need some color to spice up your office, I think you'll like this one. And for those of you who tend to keep things simple and toned down...well, I made a black & white version for you.

Download color version here (1243x969) 

 

click to download- 1243x969

Download b&w version here (1243x969)

Please let me know your thoughts. I'd like to make more of these, and your feedback or requests will help me cater to your needs. Now get outside and enjoy the weather!


Tagsdownload free calendar images

 

How to Edit Images for Your Website, Free

March 12, 2008 at 1:00 pm by Able

If you use Flickr at all, you may already know about the online image editing application Picnik. I was a bit caught off guard the first time I tried to edit an image on Flickr. A prompt popped up asking me if I wanted to allow a third party application to have access to my flickr information. I clicked "okay" and was even more surprised by how much editing I could really do to my photo, and all online! That got me to thinking, maybe our clients could benefit from something like this. In the past I have suggested software like Gimp and Chocoflop, but sometimes clients are not allowed to download any software on their work computers. Some are even a bit intimidated by the idea of editing photos in general, and I don't blame them.

Image editing has gotten much easier as long as you don't mind having some shiny ads begging your attention while you edit your photos. Picnik offers a paid, no advertising, subscription for about $25 a year. Losing all of those ads allows for you to use the entire screen. I don't see any other good reason right now to upgrade. Soon they will have "professional" fonts from FontShop, and, as a subscriber, you get priority support.

So let's get to the application!

 Although there are some extra things you can do with Picnik, I am just focusing on 3 things: resizing, cropping, and saturation. These are probably the most needed features for editing images for the web.

Resizing your image could be critical. Let's say you are uploading new headshots to your company bio page. You've taken the photos with a 12 megapixel camera, and the photos are huge. Resizing the photo is necessary so that the image will fit in the content area of your website. In this case, my photo was 4000x3000 pixels. Way too big! (It's a photo I took of some popcorn I left out for the squirrels in my yard. I figured that if they didn't know what popcorn was, I'd let them know it was theirs to eat.)


Resizing the photo in Picnik is actually easier than Photoshop. You can choose to scale proportions, which is almost always recommended, to avoid distorting your photos. You can edit the dimensions until you have it right, and each time, it gives you a preview of your photo. Once you have it where you want it simply click "OK." You can reset the size at this point if you feel you have made an error.

So you have resized your image, but it's not square like the other headshots on the company bio page. This is also easier in Picnik than it is in Photoshop. You can specify the desired dimensions and move the crop box around to frame the photo just as you would like it before actually cropping it. Again, you can go back a step if you feel it needs to be done differently. Also, they have some default settings for creating you user icon from your favorite social networking site. They even have preset dimensions for creating desktops for your computer! (Seriously, I am not getting paid to write this.)

Now you would like to make your headshot look better than the others in your company. Easy. Using the Colors section, you can make your cashmere sweater a deeper blue, and bring a little contrast to give yourself that "I just had 3 cups of coffee" look you desire.


Like I said earlier, there are other features, and I suggest trying it out to see if it would be something that you could benefit from. I am sure it is, and if you do, please let me know what you think of it. You might find something to tone down my enthusiasm about it. ;)


Tagssoftware webdesign free tools resource photoshop

 

Newfangled Eats in Time Lapse

March 7, 2008 at 1:00 pm by Able

Are you tired of me posting time-lapse videos, yet?
Here's one of some of us eating.


Newfangled Web Factory Eats from able parris on Vimeo.
Music: They Might Be Giants
UPDATE: I guess iMovie didn't export the audio because I tried to trim it. Oh well. Silent lunch.

Tagsvideo donuts timelapse office work food

 

Time Lapse of My Hands at Work

March 6, 2008 at 2:00 pm by Able

My days here ar Newfangled are never the same as the one before. Some are spent on the phone, some designing, some "making" emails, and some juggling everything that comes at me. The other day I focused the camera on my keyboard, and set it to shoot a photo every 30 seconds. I slowed it down and added one of the songs that I had heard that day, and noticed that my hands weren't the only ones typing on this side of the room. I didn't think that you'd be able to see anything through that giant monitor of Eric's, but apparently I was wrong.

I was also suprised to see how little my left hand moves, although not surprised by my serious slouch!


Time Lapse Video of My Hands at Work from able parris on Vimeo.

Tagsvideo timelapse office work

 

Time Lapse at Work

February 4, 2008 at 2:00 pm by Able

If your were a mouse in our office for a day, and could survive long enough to sit on the top of the refrigerator for about 4 hours, this is some of what you might see:



Another Day in the Life of Newfangled Web Factory from able parris on Vimeo.

Music: M. Ward


Tagsvideo timelapse office

 

Is Handmade the Future?

January 30, 2008 at 2:00 pm by Able

Is Handmade the Future?A Brief Message published an essay from Steven Heller today called "The Hand is Back." I guess you don't have to look too far past your own hand to see that the "cut + paste" look is ubiquitous. (I know I do it!) Collaged and handwritten ads are all over magazines and billboards, and are taking over the web. An amateurish handmade look/feel has now become of top choice in design.

Why? Is it nostalgia? I hope not! Maybe we feel "closer" to something handmade, as if a website constructed from scanned crumpled paper and coffee stains is more "real." It's definitely a big challenge to pull it off successfully on the web. Unless Flash is your medium of choice there is little control when obtaining that layered look, and even then it could look real cheesy and may be hidden from Google.

Here at Newfangled, Chris has been illustrating his blog with his own drawings/collages much like a magazine. In his case, the images help convey a feeling or mood emphasizing the point of each article. It's not for the sake of nostalgia in that context, it serves a bigger purpose.

Heller suggests that the trend will soon fall, but will it? I don't think so. Would Milton Glaser put the pencil down? Sagmeister? Chris? No. It's older than these new trends. The handmade has been around much longer than computer, and Heller of all people should know. He's THE historian for graphic design.

I'd be interested to hear about what you think of the trends. Do you trust ads or websites that look handmade over others that are glossy or minimal? 

Tagsdesign trends typography handmade collage future

 

Typotransformat

January 30, 2008 at 11:00 am by Able

I used to experiment a lot with erasure poetry. I would take a Sharpie to a text, leaving a poem remaining on the page between the black lines. It was always amazing to see that, even though there was only a fraction of the text left, people could still tell what the original text was about.

That is kind of what Typotransformat does. It allows you to cut and paste a body of text in to "extract and break apart subtile content of text." Below is an image I retrieved by entering Chris's last post, "Is That Really You?"


Tagstypography poetry

 

Next, News. But First, White Space!

January 23, 2008 at 10:30 am by Able

I am sure you all saw highlights from last weeks Apple keynote, if not the entir(ing)e speech. The Macbook Air is no doubt a great step towards slimmer portable computers, but last week it got in the way.

How many of you went to The New York Times to get up-to-date on the news, and noticed that Apple bought up most of the homepage? Yes, there was a clever ad where some guy begins going around the whole internet to fix all the ads that say Leopard is faster than Vista. Once the little flash ad (that took up most of the homepage) was over, however, it turned to white space. We all know Apple banks on white space, but I was appalled that it had come to this. They even bought up the space that bookends the Times' logo at the top, and left it empty. I guess I am just surprised they didn't route nytimes.com to apple.com for the day!
Okay, I am stretching this a bit far, but I did find it over the top, and thought I'd share a couple of screenshots with you, too. The first is one that I had on hand from June 2006. the second one show's Apple's "white space."

 

 

Update: 

Here's an article by "A Thousand Times No" about the ad Apple ran last week. It's a clear rant on the punctuation in the WSJ quote. WARNING: True irritated geekiness ahead...


Tagsadvertising news apple

 

Layer Tennis, Friday 11, 2008

January 10, 2008 at 2:30 pm by Able

If you don't know about Layer Tennis, consider yourself informed. It's where 2 designers go head-to-head in making the best image. Sometimes they are even animated using programs like Flash, After Effects or Image Ready. The animated gif's battle was my personal favorite!

Watch tomorrow's match between Veerle Pieters vs Cindy Li! (The RSS feed helps to stay informed...) 


The above are 2 favorites from the animated gif battle between Matt Owens vs Jason Gnewikow.


Tagsart technology layertennis

 

An Urban Puzzle Made of Cubes

January 10, 2008 at 1:30 pm by Able

Remember the first Batman movie where the Joker says, "Where does he get those wonderful toys?!" Well, that's kind of how I feel when I look at Room 26 Cabinet of Curiosties, a blog curated by Tim Young and Nancy Kuhl. Today they posted a puzzle, ca. 1880's, that is made of cubes, each side having a beautiful print of a then urban city.

 


Tagsart handmade puzzle history

 

No Photoshop Necessary

January 9, 2008 at 4:00 pm by Able

There is no need to exaggerate the size of Eric's monitor. It looms over me daily, blocking the sun from our corner of the room. If it fell, I could die. If I touched it, I am sure that it would send a sudden shock through me, launching me into one of the offices exposed brick walls. This is not science fiction, folks. This is the Hanns-G. Monitor of death!


Tagsoffice

 

Core77: Design, Wit, and the Creative Act

January 8, 2008 at 4:00 pm by Able

In November, I had the opportunity to go to a panel discussion at the Art Directors Club called Design, Wit, and the Creative Act. I went with a copywriter friend of mine who got me a free ticket. (Thanks again, Andrew!) Unfortunately, I got stuck behind a big black platform that was set up to film the event so I couldn't see anyone from the panel while they were speaking. Luckily for you, you can view some "highlights" at Core77.

The conference itself was overall disappointing, but there was some great discussion on humor in products and advertising. If anything, it was great to just think of humor and wit in my role here at Newfangled. Not that it's a selling point or anything, but I do think that a sense of humor around the office and with clients does indeed help business, even if to keep the stress down. Although the panels focus was on products and design, I found some insight on service and relationships.

Steven Heller, who I know mainly through his contributions on Design Observer, offered what could be considered a cop-out presentation of a cheesy video of the history of humor and wit in graphic design. This was really just a movie with posters and cartoons spinning and whirling around with some captions. When it came time to have the panel discussion, he was a bit distracting and sarcastic at first, but came around to giving some great insight and seriousness.

Kelly Dobson had a tough time with the whole thing, and it was apparent that she was uncomfortable, which Heller didn't show much empathy towards and repeatedly insulted her. Since she has a sweet, timid personality she just laughed everything off, but who knows how she felt when she walked away that day. If you get a chance to check out her work, please do. It is quite interesting. Think: empathetic machines. Intriguing, don't you think?

Kid Robots founder, Paul Budnitz was there. He is quite energetic and spoke intelligently on the creative process. He understands the environment needed to be creative, and that each creative person has different needs. I really enjoyed everything he had to say.

Tobias Wong showed the most intelligence that day, although he just sat quietly in the ausience. You see, he had a stand-in act as if her was Tobias Wong, and talked about "his" work really well. I'll be honest, it took me a while to put the peices together. I find his work interesting, and it doesn't surprise me that he would pull a stunt like that. He takes expensive designer objects, and kind of defaces them, without taking away their "value." Please check out his work, too. He hasn't updated his site so you'll need to Google him.

With such a diverse panel, Ze Frank had his hands full to keep the conversations on track. It was a tough feat, but he did a great job. His opening presentation was well done, and informative.


Tagsdesign newyork conference

 

Development Happens Outside of the Internet, Too

December 21, 2007 at 4:00 pm by Able

governers island developmentThanks to the Core 77 blog, I heard of two pretty impressive land developments that I would love to visit. Each of them happen to be islands.

First off, The Netherlands are planning on building a tulip-shaped island. I have visited the country, and know first-hand how big the tulip is over there. Now it's actually going to be about 31 miles long!
A little closer to home, over 90 acres of Governer's Island is to be developed with playgrounds, sports fields, ecological environments, open park space, an amphitheater, and hills created from preexisting buildings on the island. Wow! I look forward to riding a bike around the island. Last time I was there I rode all over Brooklyn, and had a great time. I could just imagine how amazing the city would look from there!

(I even made a short video from my time there.)


Tagsnewyork netherlands parks travel

 

The Website Development Process Explained

December 19, 2007 at 4:00 pm by Able

If you haven't worked on a website project, and you are looking to learn more about the process, you could read all of our Newfangled blogs and put together all of the pieces. However, Yongfook has put together a photo essay that explains it nicely, and will cheer you up!

Tagsphotography resource work webdeisgn

 

Advent Time Lapse: Anticipation

December 10, 2007 at 4:00 pm by Able

My “Anticipation” installation is going well. Saturday I was in the space alone, and was able to get pretty far. Just when I was getting into the groove, and had some ideas of what to do next I had to start cleaning up. (frown) I had some errands to do on the way home, and some fun dinner plans…


I started the morning out playing guitar and singing in the space. I even had an idea for some lyrics to a chord progression I have been fooling around with so I grabbed the laptop to record it. I even ended up changing the song a bit more, and adding another section to it! Once I got to cutting paper and painting things were going well.
I took a time lapse movie of my progression to share with you, and as you can see, the sun was moving hot across my back!



Time Lapse: "Anticipation" (Day 3) from able parris on Vimeo.


Tagsart video timelapse collage music

 

Mail Art: When the Inside is the Outside

December 5, 2007 at 4:00 pm by Able


I have had it on the back of my mind to participate once again in mail art correspondence with Chris, but it has been a busy few months for me. We used to mail things to each other all of the time. Let me introduce you to Craig Oldham, a kindred spirit that has made the inside of the envelope the outside. I think he's on to a great idea!

Tagsart mail

 

Visualizing Advent

December 2, 2007 at 4:00 pm by Able

The past weeks have been busy, and I expect that it will continue well into the new year for me. I am involved in a few different projects outside of Newfangled, and hope to share some of them here. My wife and I were invited to do some installations at the church we have been attending in downtown Durham. For hers, Julia drew birds flying from the front window to the back of the space. It creates a wonderful movement through the space. I made a time lapse video of her making it. Unfortunately, I started the video after she had already begun drawing the birds.


Advent Installation at Emmaus Way from able parris on Vimeo.


My installation is called "Anticipation," and will be an ongoing even through the Advent season. I will be creating art on paper in the front window on the other side of the room from Julia's drawings. I will be working with paint and collage, and I am not sure how many pieces I will make in the given timeframe, but got pretty far on it this weekend. It feels great just to get my hands wet with paint and glue again. It had been a long time since I had worked with materials in that way, and I was a bit intimidated if the idea of creating a sort of studio in public space. While I was at work there on Saturday, the Durham Christmas Parade gathered a large crowd, and while waiting for the marching bands and fire engines, they stood just feet from me, watching.
I will continue working on the pieces until I think they are "finished," but here are a couple of the things I started this weekend. They have changed even since I snapped these pictures on Saturday afternoon, and I have started 3 others, one of which is twice the size of these.

 

 

 



Tagsart video timelapse

 

We Build the Internet

November 8, 2007 at 4:00 pm by Able

You may have noticed by now that my tag cloud down there to the right has one word that STANDS OUT more than any others. Video! And now that I have a new digital camera, I will be making more and more videos. And thanks to Vimeo, I can elegantly post them here. :) This one is about an hour or more of work from the North Carolina office. Chris wasn't too keen on the camera being pointed directly at him, but I think he's excited by the way it turned out.

If you pause it at about 2 seconds in, you'll see Mark proudly holding Spot, our office dog.



One Hour of Building the Internet at Newfangled from able parris on Vimeo.

Tagsvideo work carrboro

 

Landscape Architecture Studio Moves from Chapel Hill to Carrboro

November 8, 2007 at 12:59 PM by Able

Every Saturday my wife and I have been doing 2 things as much as possible. Sleeping in, and going to 3 Cups for coffee. It's the same every week. She orders a seeded ciabatta roll, and I get la miche. Both with butter and delicious jam. We split a medium press pot of Dolok Sangul coffee. It's a relaxing time, and it gives us some time to catch up with each other since the weekdays can get pretty hectic.

On our way around the corner of the building, walking from the car to 3 Cups, we pass by a little office (my guess is that it's about 500 square feet) full of maps, bikes, printers, stacks of papers, pine cones, shells from the beach, books, boxes of more things already mentioned, and peeking over all of it would be a man, working. We got so much gratification out of seeing him in there like that. By the look of the place, he probably never left. There was a small path to the back of the room where he sat, but not much other room to be in there without standing on one of the many piles. When he was in there working, we would kindly look away and head for coffee. We didn't want him to feel like he was in a fishbowl. If he wasn't in there, however, we would take a few seconds to peek in to try to make sense of it all. We were so inspired by all that had been made in there, and the many items collected and stored. We wanted our own place like it.

Two weeks ago, on a routine visit to 3 Cups, we steered around the corner only to find the office almost empty. We gasped! It was the one place around that reminded us of Providence, where we lived the first 4 years of our marriage. It was the one place we saw regularly that inspired us to keep being creative. It was one of the reasons this place was starting to feel more like "home."

You could imagine me sigh of relief this afternoon after I called Swanson and Associates, the landscape architecture company that was located there, in Chapel Hill, to find out that they were not closing their doors after all, but (not so simply) moving the office to Carrboro. Who knows how many calls they get from people not needing their services, but just making sure they aren't closing their doors. The lady on the other end of the phone was as sweet as I imagined she would be. She explained that they had been in that office for 18 years, and had finally grown out of it. I could not agree more, but that is what gave it most of its charm.

So now they are within a few blocks from the Newfangled office, and I think Chris and I will need to head over there soon to formally introduce ourselves. He and his wife, also having spent some years in Providence, were as sad as us to see the move. He snapped the picture months ago of the office in full swing. I got this one of them moving.


Tagsoffice inspiration history carrboro coffee

 

Animated Caterpillar Made of Beads: Take 1

November 7, 2007 at 9:49 PM by Able

Typically animation is 12 frames per second, but since this was my first attempt, it's about 7.25 fps. It looks more like an Atari video game, which is okay by me. (If you like that kind of stuff check this out») I really enjoyed making the following video, and it's too bad I had to throw out half of the frames, but I had moved the camera position and the light changed. Maybe I'll have better luck with the next one...


Caterpillar Animation Test from able parris on Vimeo.

Tagsvideo animation

 

Jellyfish Take the Sky

November 1, 2007 at 3:29 PM by Able

Okay, here's another artsy stop-motion animation video. This time, it's partially the making of a friend of mine, Nathan, from The Record Machine. He is part owner of the independent Kansas-City based record company. He's got the eyes and ears for spotting young talent, and I hope they all become famous some day. But enough from me, check out this video from one of his bands, The Winston Jazz Routine:


Tagsvideo music animation friends kansascity

 

The Supplies: Bob Vila and the Art of Collage

October 10, 2007 at 9:33 PM by Able

collage: Visitor-croppedDo you remember those old Bob Vila books about the Do-It-Yourself home repairs? I loved looking at those when I was a kid. He was to me what Martha Stewart is to my wife these days. I looked up to him, and thought he was so smart, creative, and hard working. I mean, he was always doing something on some house that didn’t really look like it needed work done on it. It was extravagant! Just think, you have this average home, some extra time on your hands, and you think to yourself, “I’m going to vault my bedroom ceiling.” Wow.

Well, you are probably wondering what this has to do with collage. If you said yes to the opening question, then you probably remember that before describing in full detail with photographic essays how to vault your bedroom ceiling, then you probably remember the list of “tools needed.” I am sure hammer was listed in just about everything Mr. Vila did.

Tools and supplies are important. I use a Moleskine sketchbook to collage in. I find the thick pages alluring, and appreciate that they take pen without bleeding through most of the time. (Something that my friend, Chris Butler, uses to his advantage with cheap composition notebooks.) Also, the little envelope in the back of the every Molskine product allows me to precut images and store them for later use when I am traveling. When the book gets thicker once I have added to its girth pages of old magazines, the elastic band keeps it somewhat manageable. I am about to finish my fourth Moleskin sketchbook!

Scissors are important. I always suggest tearing as much as possible since it creates mistakes, and mistakes help make a great collage. Try not to use scissors when cutting tape or glued paper. The tape and glue dull your scissors and render them useless. Let’s move on to glue and tape now.

Double sided tape can be used for things that glue cannot do. It’s great stuff! Use photo safe tape if you’d like to think that 50 years from now it would be worth anything. Glue is probably, other than the imagery you work with, the most important of them all. I have my wife to thank for the glue I use. She turned me on to UHU years ago. It works great, and lasts forever, it seems. After you glue something down, you ahve a few minutes where you can still work with it a bit to get it where you want it. Once it’s been there a while, though, it’s there for good. Don’t get the purple stick that let’s you see where you’ve covered, it just doesn’t hold. Liquid glue is the worst! It bubbles up your papers, and never holds anything down. Stick with the good stuff. ;)

I hope this helps. Now go make something great!

(This article originally posted at www.elphabat.com)

Tagsart tools collage supplies professionaldevelopment

 

Play Doh Bunnies

October 4, 2007 at 12:09 PM by Able

Sony Bravia commercials never disappoint. My favorite part is the whale swimming through the ice...



If you really like stop motion animation, here is a new film made by the grandson of Charles and Ray Eames, Eames Demetrios.

 

In somewhat related new (elephants), Brand New creates some controversy over the new Republican National Convention logo.


Tagsdesign animals video technology Eames politics

 

$100 Laptop Review

October 4, 2007 at 1:45 PM by Able

David Pogue reviews the $100 laptop, which I have been hearing about for a while now. Not only is the technology incredible, so is the purpose behind developing it. You'll have your own chance at purchasing one in a short, 2 week window. they will be on sale as a "Give 1, Get 1" deal starting November 12 for $400. That's pretty great!
View Pogue's review at nytimes.com >>


Next, I'd like to see an iPhone for every child. ;)







Tagsvideo technology review green

 

Have You Heard of a Computer Monster?

October 3, 2007 at 2:33 PM by Able

A short divergence from the rest of your day, this video was apparently created before "Muppets" and "Sesame Street."

via Core 77

Tagsvideo technology

 

Typography for the Web

September 28, 2007 at 9:17 AM by Able

Even if you are not a designer you may benefit from this article. It's a nice introduction to typography on the web that will help you talk about the website you've hired someone to design. You will have a little extra knowledge when giving feedback to the person that's working so hard to make your site look good. 

 

The article is part of a series, 15 Excellent Examples of Web Typography, by I Love Typography.

READ: Under the Bonnet  


Tagsdesign typography

 

Embed an MP3 on Your Website

September 24, 2007 at 12:05 am by Able

It's exciting to post helpful information here rather than another youtube video. I will try to keep it up. As you know, I have been sharing tools I find online that help your website do more or help you sift through all of the information online better and easier. Here is another little tool I found that makes it easy to have an MP3 embedded on your website without crashing the browser!

The Mantis Ensemble- 4 Songs About Love

Tagstools selectedit music

 

Social Networking in Plain English

September 21, 2007 at 12:05 am by Able

This video by The CommonCraft Show explains social networking better than I ever could...


Tagsvideo tools collage socialnetworking

 

Embedding a Flickr Slideshow in Your Website

September 21, 2007 at 9:32 AM by Able

This one is for allSelectEdit users out there. Did you have a conference lately, and want to post pictures from it on your site? A company picnic? Or do you just want to put tons of cat photos on your site? Well, this tool might help you.
read more...

Tagstechnology tools photography selectedit

 

Phone Garden

September 14, 2007 at 2:22 PM by Able

It is well known in our office that I enjoy gardening, and I have tried to share this by populating our space with a variety of plants. I even shared some thoughts and photos in an earlier post, but things have changed here since then.
read more...

Tagstechnology office gardening

 

Field Recording, Carrboro Train

August 28, 2007 at 9:14 AM by Able

I have written on earlier posts about the location of our North Carolina office being nearly 10 feet away from the train tracks servicing the local cement company. The squealing of the brakes, metal against metal. The horn, and the distressed tracks, quivering beneath the mass of the engines. Chris Butler and I have tried to capture the sounds before, without success, but last night I was able to get a decent recording of an engine pushing 4 cars toward the end of the line. I held out my PowerBook G4 and made this recording. As the engineer passed by, I gave him the universal sign to blow his horn, and he did.

Tagsoffice carrboro experimentalmusic trains

 

How Do You Say Thank You?

August 24, 2007 at 3:57 PM by Able

In the service business, it's critical to let your clients know that they are appreciated. To give them an honest sense that you enjoy(ed) the work you were able to do for them. Each week, some of us gather around a table here, and discuss how we can better serve our clients. We are currently reading through "Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service," and although I don't agree with everything author Ari Weinzweig has to say about service, it is a great reminder as to how critical our relationship with each client really is.

So, in the spirit of thankfulness, I created the photo you see below. I had been thinking about how we are almost completely a "paperless" company, and how we don't really offer a tangible "thing" to our clients. (I am sure that they would like it if we gave them a new computer in which to use their newly published website on, but let's not get any ideas...) Shredding paper, and spelling out the words "Thank You" seemed to be a logical thing to do. A handmade greeting card made from shredded paper is what I offer to you, our loyal Newfangled client, to say "Thank You."

 


Tagstypography photography handmade service

 

Professional Development Day

August 22, 2007 at 1:14 PM by Able

Without trying to dwell on it too much, I would like to bring up that it can be somewhat difficult to be "inspired" to go out and explore North Carolina (my new place of residence) when the temperatures are up near 110 degrees. That being said, I'd have to extend a little pat on the back to Chris Butler and myself for even going outside last Monday for a Professional Development Day. Something we used to do every Tuesday back in Rhode Island.


read more...

Tagsvideo professionaldevelopment experimentalmusic

 

The Health Divide

August 10, 2007 at 10:44 AM by Able

There seems to be quite a divide in our office concerning the health value of certain snack foods. Take Pop Tarts for example. Until recently, the pleasant "ting" of the toaster was almost always in the background while some one warmed up their pastry. The smell would linger around a bit until another person couldn't resist it any more, and... "ting." You'd hear it again.
read more...

Tagsoffice food health

 

At the End of the Day, a Gardener

August 10, 2007 at 4:13 PM by Able

Growing up in Wyoming I used to help my father with the landscaping of the yard. I enjoyed it even. Most kids played tee ball, I weeded. Most kids went to soccer practice, I went to the lumber yard. Looking back on it, our yard was nothing really to brag about, but we gave it all of our love. I don't have a yard now, and I haven't the last 10 years since I moved out of my parents' home, but I still have a garden. Two gardens to be precise. One at home, scattered throughout my apartment, and one here at Newfangled, huddled mostly around one large window.
read more...

Tagsoffice wyoming carrboro professionaldevelopment green gardening

 

Sold My Prius For a Magic Wheel

July 25, 2007 at 2:17 PM by Able

I don't really have a Prius, but I envy all who do. I haven't been much for skateboards, and Razors, and I mostly walk or take the bus from home to the Newfangled office and back. However, if the Magic Wheel proves to be good with hills, I think I will have to order one!


Tagsvideo green wind

 

Have you known someone like him?

July 25, 2007 at 9:02 AM by Able

In an attempt to overcome my own absence, I am posting this video. Enough said.


Tagsvideo advertising green wind

 

An End to Useless Lighting, and Bring on the Plants!

May 11, 2007 at 2:51 PM by Able

 

 

Since I came to work at Newfangled, I have been trying to stock the place up with plants, but I refuse to purchase large plants that would ultimately look better around here. Instead, I make cuttings and propagate plants I have from home, the coffee shop, and other public places. I like to watch the plant grow and become comfortable to its new environment. As a result, We have some little plants that look even smaller in front of spanning brick walls.
Now there is a solution!


read more...

Tagsdesign green gardening

 

Hands as Heads and Wings

May 11, 2007 at 10:26 AM by Able

 

 

Was that a person that walked by a fence that a bird perched on and sang a little song? No, but it sure looks like it. Isn't it beautiful what hands can do?



Tagsart video advertising

 

Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait by Chris Jordan

May 9, 2007 at 2:35 PM by Able

 

 

Chris Jordan has combined math, art, and awareness to create beautiful imagery, with a message. I would love to see these in person!


Tagsart photography

 

Cabinet Magazine, Delivered Again

May 9, 2007 at 2:49 PM by Able


 

 

The latest issue of Cabinet Magazine reached my mailbox this week, thanks to my brother-in-law and his wife who purchased a subscription for me as a Christmas gift. Insects is the theme this issue, and I am excited to crack it open. The cover image is from a book that I happen to have called, Heteroptera by Cornelia Hesse-Honegger. The book is over-sized, and has beautiful drawings of mutated insects. A good example of the arts and sciences coming together in a way that would make Wendell Berry proud.


Tagsart books science magazines

 

Inspiration: Mail Art

May 9, 2007 at 5:05 PM by Able

I love Moleskinerie, and I was excited when I came across a post about the correspondence between me and Chris Butler. Thanks for sharing the love, guys!

Tagsart collage

 

Be Proud to be Cheap

April 30, 2007 at 10:38 AM by Able

On a more serious note, and a continuation of free editing software, here is an online review from cnettc.com for those looking to create flash animations, crop photos, build static websites, and more... FOR FREE!!

Tagssoftware tools selectedit

 

Photos and collages

April 5, 2007 at 3:39 PM by Able


 

One of my favorite pastimes is to sit on the floor cutting up old magazines, photos, books and paper, and assembling them together in a collage. As a freelancer, I was often hired to create collages for companies and individuals for their branding. They would see things I had done in my sketchbook and ask me to create something like it for them, usually giving me a lot of freedom to create something new rather than a copy of what they had seen. I even had the opportunity to create a couple of websites that were collage-based.

For those who haven't seen any of my collages, here is an introduction along with some photographs I have taken.
read more...

Tagsart collage

 

Editing images

April 4, 2007 at 12:35 PM by Able

From time to time I get an email that goes a little like this:

"ABLE!! PLEASE HEEEELP! I UPLOADED A PHOTO OF NEWEST EMPLOYEE TO OUR COMPANY BIO PAGE, AND NOW IT'S BROKEN!!! WHAT DO I DO?!?!"

As it is sometimes my duty to educate, I inform them, first, that all caps should be used sparingly as it suggests yelling, and no one wants to be yelled out. Right? Secondly, there are a few things that need to be done to a photo before putting it online.


read more...

Tagssoftware images selectedit

 

A Train Runs Through It

April 4, 2007 at 9:16 AM by Able

 

As a sort of “ice breaker” to kick-off my Newfangled blog, I’d like to just spend a few moments writing about what a great building we have to work in. Newfangled has two offices; one in Providence, RI, the other in Carrboro, NC. I work at the latter. It’s great to be here, and as an admirer of things old, I think this may be one of the best buildings in the area.
read more...

Tagshistory carrboro