In honor of graduation being in 9 days and a ceremonial ending to this blog for class I decided to blog about the Graduation hat or mortarboard. It is described as this according to Wikipedia “The square academic cap, often called a mortarboard (because of its similarity in appearance to the hawk used by bricklayers to hold mortar) or Oxford cap, is an item of academic head dress consisting of a horizontal square board fixed upon a skull-cap, with a tassel attached to the center. In the UK and the US, it is commonly referred to informally in conjunction with an academic gown worn as a cap and gown. It is also often termed a square, trencher, or corner-cap in Australia. The adjective academicals is also used. In the US and UK, it is usually referred to more generically as a mortarboard, or (in the U.S.) simply cap.” Below are some fun examples of how people personalize their cap.

Really?

For Ariel...I totally think you should do this next year.

I kind of like this one.

Hmmmm?

I don't get what 1643 is for but I like it.

No idea....

I hope he is a design student.

Floating Toilet

We have talked in class about how people with visual impairments, advanced age or physical restrictions have issues with things that are not normal for example a chair that the legs aren’t straight, or a table that casts odd shadows. So when I was looking around for something to write about today I found this “floating toilet” by Caroma. Its actually name is Invisi Series 2 cube. I personally love it and think it looks really cool. This dual-flush toilet is universally designed with minimal wall projection for maximum space saving. What do you think of it? Do you think it will cause issues for the visually impaired?

The Royal Wedding

In honor of the Royal wedding being less than a week away I decided to do a quick post about a “Royal Wedding Promotion” I came across on Interior Design Magazine’s site. Graham and Brown company that sells and designs wallpaper create a Royal Wedding wallpaper (below). The website says “To celebrate the Royal Wedding we are offering 20% off the below selection of Royal Products. The opulent Crowns and Coronets wallpaper was designed specifically for this occasion and features black crowns and coronets on a white background and have the ability to be fully interactive. Use our self-adhesive ‘Royal’ jewels in a variety of colors to add the finishing touches to the wallpaper.” I am not a huge fan and feel like it is stretching the beautiful of this wedding to far. Let me know what you think. If your interested in buying use “ROYAL20” at checkout on their site.

Interviews...

The last few days I have been stressing about interviews. What to say, how to look, does my personality fit the company, etc. So from advice by the teachers I put together a LinkedIn account and put together an online portfolio. Look me up on LinkedIn (they say the more connections you have the better it looks, so it will be good for both of us) and check out my online portfolio and tell me what you think. So for my post today I decided to help the people who read this out with links to sites I found helpful about interviews. Here are the links for questions the interviewer might ask you (these are good to go over so that you have an answer in your head so they don’t catch you completely off guard).

• http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/vcm/detail/Career-Advice/Interview-Question/Sample-Interview-Questions-in-Interior-Design?id=954
• http://interiordesigndegree.lifetips.com/tip/120516/resources-for-interior-designers/resources-for-interior-designers/common-questions-in-an-interior-design-interview.html
• http://www.directionsmag.com/columns/top-15-interview-questions/129571
• http://www.commoninterviewquestions.org/interior-designer-interview-questions/

These links are of questions for you to ask the employer. I hear you need to have several questions to ask the employer. I also hear that it’s a great idea to ask the employers about themselves because people like to talk about themselves. I hope these are helpful. Good luck!

• http://www.circleofexperts.net/interviewee-questions.aspx
• http://www.essortment.com/top-10-questions-ask-prospective-employer-interview-32104.html
• http://www.uwec.edu/career/online_library/careerfairques.htm

Carpet Tiles not for the OCD

So after seeing several Junior and Senior projects this semester I noticed that a lot of them had these crazy patterns in carpet tiles. For those of you who know me you understand that crazy is not how I design so these carpet tile patterns were really overwhelming to me. After looking at many suppliers’ websites I noticed that this is an upcoming trend to lay the tiles in opposing directions or are designed so that the lines don’t match up. This is just too much for me. I like all my lines straight and in line.I put some of the patterns and designs from Mannington Commercial below what do you think? Maybe I am a little OCD?

Spring is in the Vases

With all the beautiful flowers blooming in the area I can’t help but to want to put them all over my apartment. The only problem is that all my vases are so boring, so I started looking for fun vases and came across these great vases. The Museum of Modern Art has their gift store online and while searching for vases it popped up. These vases are a little out of my price range but are beautiful. Check them out and let me know what you think. I may have to splurge a little!

Outline Vase

"A novel interpretation of the classic vase, this porcelain "outline" of the familiar shape creates an interesting floral display and gives the admirer a framed, new perspective. "

Magnetic Vase

"These vases are made from aluminum tubes with magnetic bases and magnetic plates. Place the bases under any tablecloth to create a fascinating effect. Perfect for an outdoor party as they appear to magically withstand wind."

Loop Vase

"Elegant yet minimal, this vase is made from beautifully shaped chromed steel wire. It can be used individually or clustered in multiples. Includes a removable plastic tube to hold water and an artificial calla lily."

Clear Aalto Vase

"The word aalto is Finnish for "wave," and in the 1930s Alvar Aalto captured the eternal wave in his classic series of vases. Long included in the MoMA design collection, these now-famous undulating vases are masterpieces of free-form modern design. With a sensual and flowing form, they seem to mimic the water they hold. Each lead-free crystal piece is mouth-blown into a mold and hand-polished."

Chalkboard Vase

"Designer Ricardo Saint-Clair seeks to foster communication and interaction through his designs. This playful bud vase features a chalkboard front that can be used for drawings, messages, and more. The top of the vase is home to a removable glass tube designed to hold water and flowers. A small hole on the side of the vase holds the included chalk. Made of plywood, laminate, and glass. Spot clean with a damp cloth. Optional mounting hardware included. "

Half Pint Creamer

"With a charming design that evokes the half-pint milk carton, this molded clear-glass creamer puts a spin on an everyday item. Made of borosilicate glass."

So it appears the tradition after a deadline (or in my case the day before) is to make this weeks post our project. I still have some work to go but thought I would put my renderings out there for some feedback. My project is an Elementary school, which I have been working on since August. We started programming the project in August, and then moved on to schematic design in January and final design in February. This was a fun project and I hope the project reflects that. Thanks for checking it out!

Library

Cafe

Cafe 2

Green Classroom

Green Classroom

Teacher break room

Teacher break room 2

Gym

Trevi Fountain

So this Spring Break has been the best of my college career. I got to spend 10 days in Italy and France. As I type I am people watching at the Trevi Fountain in Roma, Italy. This is an amazing place in an amazing city. It funny though I sit here and don't see a single Roman which makes me realize how much this is a tourist spot in Rome. I love it though. There is something so romantic about this spot, by yourself or with a significant other the place is beautiful. The fountain makes over 3,000 euros a day and its because they say this fountain will bring you back to Rome if you throw a coin over your shoulder. Its a fun tradition I have started while in Rome and encourage everyone who visits to make it a tradition of their own!

"Big Ass Fans"

The “Big Ass Fans” company is quickly becoming a recognized home name. Is it the crazy name or the quality of the product, I am not sure but there is one thing I know once you have seen one you don’t forget it. 21^st Admendment Bar and Lounge on Dickson Street here in Fayetteville is the first time I ever encountered one of these huge fans and at risks of sounding dumb I am now a huge fan of this fan.

Bigassfans.com offers large size fans for both the home and the office even industrial uses. Under how they work on their site it says “Big Ass Fans are the highest quality, most meticulously engineered HVLS fans on the planet. HVLS stands for High Volume / Low Speed, meaning Big Ass Fans move a lot of air with their size (which is up to 24-ft. in diameter), not speed. Moving at a low speed means less energy used for operation, translating into more energy savings for you. And Big Ass Fans aren't just for the warmer months. Big Ass Fans can save you money and keep you comfortable year-round.” So not only does it look cool it also saves energy. I’m sold. What do you think?