Saturday, November 29, 2008

Sluggish

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Nope, I'm not talking about my computer being lag or slow, just about myself being unaware with the environment especially when I'm sick (sometimes I don't even aware the car is heading to me, I totally rely on my lucky charm when crossing the road). I feel like a fool whenever I decided to anything in Long River. Fortunately, I'm back to civilization and I'm able to sleep peacefully without having the troubles of making decision.

Time to ZZzzz


-End

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Real time Theme Changing

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Here's some capture of what gmail theme capable of in different sets of time:


Midnight

Morning

Lunch Time

End.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Theme in Gmail

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We all know the fact that one could actually change the theme in hotmail or yahoo mail but never in gmail.


But, its history now.

Gmail now offers theme changing feature even better than its closest rival by offering themes that changes according time and location, mimicking the similar function found in Sony Ericsson's phone using flash lite.



So far, I'm able to utilize to see the night them of this tea house 'theme', I shall explore more what this theme function will do.


As for now, enjoy the screen captures.



The new Welcome Screen with Cosmetics Make Ups 




Before Make Up

Choose a theme

Enter Location so Google knows where you are what theme to show

Wala - After Make Up



Nice Footer Image



Anyone still being left out from the New Windows Live Hotmail Upgrade?


End.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Fresh theme before Christmas

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After some hunting using Google as my ultimate weapon, I managed to hook on an interesting site that offers creative Wordpress theme for blogger. I initially ponder to switch to Wordpress just because of the broad theme available in the Internet. Blogger's template is hard to create and learn ever since they have upgraded it to XML format. It is hard for me to let go the bright orange dilectio theme by design disease , but its time to change.

The theme I currently using now is created by Evan Eckard, a very good designer in creating Wordpress templates. Many thanks to GosuBlogger who modified the code to make it available in blogger. It is sweet and nice as my previous layout problem has been solved.


BEFORE


AFTER




Layout Disorientation




End.

The Story Behind the Wushu Camp Poster

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It all started when Joseph asked me whether I am interested in helping him designing the poster for his wushu camp. Although I never acknowledge myself as a wushu member, I am quite surprise my name is listed in the Wushu Society's database.

I didn't have a clear idea on what to create and I was quite frustrated about it. Ku-dos to the new release of Google Picasa 3 (BETA) , I was able to gain some inspiration based on the built-in collage tool. I had used the photos from the Dusun Eco Resort website itself. I also thought it will be attractive if I place the details of the Wushu Camp in a Post-It mimic picture. The first draft appears to be quite plain as shown in the photo below:



Poster Draft 01


The messy grass was added last minutely. I send it as my first draft for Joseph to get an impression how the poster would look like. 


Poster Draft 02

In the second draft, I managed to fix the footer in a trendy and catchy view which I learned from my Genting trip during my semester holidays and added some quality icons. Besides, I had hunt some wushu related picture to add on to the main fonts.The only problem I am facing is that I don't know what should I place on the border of the poster. Here's another last minute border that I have done before sending to Joseph.


Poster Draft 03

In the third draft, I have tried to make the main heading to be start out as it looks very matching with the background. The japanese-look border is remove as the wushu committee dislike it.

Poster Draft 04

Joseph have not seen the third draft that I sent it to him, but I definitely knew he is going to ask me to change the border. In the fourth draft, I have remove the wushu training point off by using paint to do it.

The Frustration Border

Seriously, I am really mad at the don't-know-what-to-put border. I thought of sending the borderless poster to Joseph as I am getting tired of changing it so many times. However, I decided to do it one last time. I looked through my previous of work (consist of some random birthday cards) to get some idea out of it. Surprisingly, it did. 


Birthday Card No 11

Yup, my very early stages of playing photoshop cs3, the only function I love and like the most is the brush tool. You could get all kinds of brushes from the Internet, and then its up to your creativity to play mess with it. That reminds me that my brush tool has been reseted to default when I have reformatted my computer earlier. I thought of downloading new brushes from the Internet. However, the snail speed of the net in Forest Green can't help adding my boiling pressure higher. I eventually gave up on seeking new brushes from the Internet, as file as simple as few kilobytes took hours or even days or years to download. 

The situation leaves optionless but to go through my database to seek my old brushes. Thankfully, I managed to get some interesting brushes to produce the almost final result.


Poster Draft 05


Finally, a border that suits with the poster's theme and intention. Yet another last minute inspiration. I personally dislike doing things last minutely, but the good idea always come last minutely. >_< I still like the grass that I simply do in the first draft just to fill up the white gap after the footer. Overall, I am quite impress and happy about it except for the main headings, it still lack of attractiveness. I stopped doing it temporarily as I felt bad to disturb my roommate who was fast asleep to dreamland eons ago and I still switching the table lamp and the computer on. Imagine how irritating his listens the mouse 'clicking' and the keyboard 'punching' sounds.

Nevertheless, I left the final heading amendments to Joseph. I am unsure how he did it, but the result is simply perfect just nice.

Final Result

I really like the font he done it. He told me that his computer randomly selects the closest fonts to match with my font as he doesn't has the font installed in his computer. The team building games and wushu talk were another last minute modification which I received that call from him. I wasn't back to my house yet, so I have no choice but to use my friend's laptop to add in purely by using paint. Fortunately, I have brought the fonts along in my removable media. 

*****

Without any knowledge, I found my poster is posted in the UTAR's main website. I was very surprise and happy to see it. My very first poster has been a success! =) Yipppee and it was printed out in color and pasted in their booth as well as the corridor of my campus. I'm on cloud nine now.


End.

Hectic Semester

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Phew~ What a hectic semester.


I have finally completed what I think I couldn't or nearly impossible tasks.


Anyway, push the elaboration as side, here are my portfolio of posters for societies' camps.


Here's the Wushu Camp Poster that I have done which you could find it in UTAR's web portal.




UTAR Website


Wushu Camp Poster





Alternatively, you could access directly from here.