Design - Viewership and Takeaways

Apparently there's stuff like CSS DESIGN AWARDS. I wasn't keen enough to read through how this award works or how legitimate it is... I never really read the details of it and I still don't really care. What's super cool is that they do list up their winners, honourable mentions, and (my favourite and only section I know of) their chosen WEBSITE OF THE DAY, adequately abbreviated to WOTD. Grool.

And then through WOTD, I stumbled upon this website: MARTINA SPERL. Combined with beautiful photography, html5, long scrolling, German words that I do not understand (#ForeignContentIsAlwaysSexy rule applies here), and--most impressively--video integration, Martina Sperl does more than just showcase her furniture.

The online design competition to gain respect and to never fall behind the latest web design trends is on its edge right now. I don't think we have had a demographic like the one that exists today; a viewership that sincerely cares about and notices a company and/or designer's web designs. The online "eye-shoppers" have become the critics, the judgmental verdict-givers, the brand ambassadors, and the shit-talkers. Note how I labelled them the "eye-shoppers" as they may totally be just internet passerby's and have absolutely no connection to the site's subject; in this case, shopping for boutique, indie furniture. This kind of people includes me! I have visited, gotten awed, and felt compelled to discuss more.

The brilliant perks of this site essentially boils down to the video integration and the personable aspect of it. By including the designer in every large section of the content, the viewers are exposed to the human-touch--the handmade-ness--which adds a feeling of notable specialized touch to each product. Once I heard from a boutique furniture designer and company owner that the sales drive the company's continuation, however it is more about the process and each creation's existence that matters to him more. The appreciation he gains from the people who have seen, commented, experienced his couches is the fuel to his work. This process of making such individualistic creations is intricately portrayed in details through short videos and photos that create a story until the very tail end of the scroll down the site. You're hooked! So what are her products like? Well, then, you are led to her SHOP. Check out those chairs!!! Subsequent to your semi-brainwashed state of appreciating Ms Sperl's undertaking, you are mitigated to having fond sentiments to her chairs. They aren't bad at all either. I wish I had a few in my house, hehe.

>>http://www.martinasperl.at/shop/

Anyways, all in all, we see so many pretty sites now that we are really spoiled as viewers of masterfully planned content. It is only until we face the developmental stages ourselves that we realize the time, effort, and talent that went into such outcomes. We are exposed to infinite number of excellent reads, images, variations, you-name-it! On so many portals! Magazines, online publications, social networks!!! What's the future then? UX/UI & aesthetic designs of the sites for upper-handed differentiation? Maybe. Maybe so. Like this one. Like Martina Sperl, no matter if it is furniture design or pure content writing.

****************************************************

Less words, more images... Created for lazy visual viewers like (me and) you! 

I am Purpose on tumblr

#instacapture v4

1. Kiddo patterns. Bold colours. Dots and blonde hair. Outline everything. Black is the answer.

2. #CelebCrushes #NaomiIsMoreBadassThanRiri #DevoutKateMossFan #BeyonceIsQueen #BeyonceIsTheWoman #AlwaysBeyonce #NooneCanBeatBeyonce #QueenBee #BIsForBeyonce #ClearlyICanMakeBeyonceHashtagsAllDayLong..............

On a side note, Blake Lively has a lifestyle page, say what?! PRESERVE launched very recently and has been a project of hers for about two years. Yes, everyone's saying that she is following the footsteps of our utmost favourite Gwyneth Paltrow (hat-tip to my buddy Sasha for showing me this list of her 45 greatest quotes of all time), but her site is branded to target a different audience (obviously) who are fairly young domestic women (obviously) with much less spending limit (obviously). It is a good venture for her as she has a phenomenal public image of the likes of women who can do it all and who has done everything. When she became the fashion star, she became more than a TV star. When she ventured out of her Gossip Girl role, she became a real actress. When she had long term relationships and spewed "real" thoughts on dating and marriage, she became a woman. When she married Reynolds, she became aspirational. Now, she's testing the water if she is aspirational enough to make online-dough, and if we can trust her. One thing for certain, I like her, but I hate her website. Too much filtering!!! Too much black background!!! Really awful font pairing!!! Sigh, it's a real shame, because the idea to pair a beautifully choreographed and awesomely packed content article with a "SHOP THIS STORY" tab is HONESTLY SO COOL. #E-CommerceContentWritingAtItsBest. I hope Lively does something about the design as she has a ton of room for improvement.

3. This brand is making clothes for me, I swear.

4. My proposed make up for the upcoming week. I also learned how to make cotton candy frappuccino, so if yer ever in Vancouver and visiting the Starbucks I work at... ask for a cotton candy frapp, ;)

-- No instagram hashtags and no words like blogger, --

just for the visuals

@

-- i am purpose on tumblr --

Hotel Pastis written by Peter Mayle

Hotel Pastis is a charming, nonchalant read perfect for the early summer when one sits down with a book in hand in the "not-yet-hot-enough-heat," pretending that it is indeed hot enough for a mojito. While sipping on that mild drink, one dreams of the upcoming summer and its false promises. That's when you should read Hotel Pastis. No other times would deliver this book's optimistic flavour, sweet sultry French sensations, encouraging images of Provence, and a worthwhile feeling of accomplishment. I doubt that this book could have its impact when read during the winter; it'd probably leave a sour sappiness instead combined with an reaffirmed distaste for easy fiction reads.

Another thumbs up aspect is the character's background as a middle-aged, advertising executive from Britain who is basically on the top of the industry. He chucks it all in an unreasonable fashion to build a small hotel in Provence after meeting an fetching French lady. Kind of parallels Mayle's life as he was a successful figure in ad industry until he had had enough and quit to write full-time. There are some parts of the book where the ad industry is accurately portrayed in a satirical ways, and such parts had triggered me to make a mental note to go job hunting the next day.

The Condom Marketing Board, or the Rubber Barons, as they were unofficially known in the agency, had asked to see presentations for their five million-pound account. Simon knew that two other agencies were pitching, and he wanted the business. Although the billing wasn’t enormous, it would be worth having for the creative opportunities it offered. Sex and social responsibility—a copywriter’s dream assignment—could be the basis for some showy, provocative work that would be in dramatic contrast to the package-goods advertising that the agency produced for its major clients. And the City would be pleased to see another few million on the turnover. It would be, as Jordan had been heard to say, a rubber feather in the agency’s cap. 

Simon looked through the documents that would be incorporated into a single glossy volume for Thursday’s meeting, the paper crutch carefully designed to support the campaign idea, proof that the agency had done its homework. He weighed the inch-think pile in his hands, sighed, and forced himself to concentrate. 

The days leading up to the presentation passed in a series of skirmishes between the various departments of the agency. The research people accused the creative people of ignoring their findings. The creative people sulked and complained about lack of time. The media people complained about lack of sufficient money for a national campaign. The executives complained about everybody else’s unreasonable and childish behaviour. The agency bitched and snarled its way towards Thursday, working late and muttering about pressure and brutal hours. It was always the same, Simon thought. Give them three days or six months, it didn’t matter. Panic was part of the game.  - p. 78-79

The dialogues are hilarious and the situations well-described. The luxurious lifestyles of a head ad executive (spending other people's money and charging unnecessarily huge amounts to the clients) is gratifyingly portrayed. #GoodEntertainment #LOLMomentsEveryPage

“Except make money?”

“Exactly. And so you buy a new car or a new house and tell yourself that living well is the best revenge—it’s like a consolation prize for being bored and having to work during weekends and not liking what you do very much.” Simon drew on his cigar and frowned. “I don’t make it sound very attractive, do I? The poor old advertising man, suffering in luxury, dragging himself from the Concorde to the Mercedes to the restaurant.” He smiled. “Breaks your hear, doesn’t it?” - p. 115

“Something tells me it will be easier than you think. You know in the self-supporting suits.” Simon nodded. Jordan would be delighted. “They’ll all move up one. Isn’t that what they want? There may be a few crocodile tears, and then they’ll start arguing about who gets your cars. You mark my words.” 

Ernest sniffed and returned to his Filofax, and Simon spent the rest of the flight considering the strategy for his departure from the agency. He was under no illusions; once he’d gone, every penny due to him would be resented and disputed. He’d be a nonproductive drain on resources, and he’d heard a dozen stories about the legal acrobatics performed by agencies in order to minimize payments to departed directors. Also, he was committing the cardinal sin in advertising of willingly leaving the business, which was something you were supposed to talk about rather than do. - p. 177

And Peter Mayle, being smart, adds on a second storyline which ultimately becomes connected with the main romantic story. This one's more of a thriller as it is about a group of ex-criminals who plan to rob a bank at a nearby village to where the hotel is.  So the reader is never bored. Once you feel tired of reading about the annoying first-world satirical comments originating from the goddamn posh lifestyle of the rich, you are presented with a fresh set of characters and speech of the cunning criminals of Provence. You can hear the French from the dialogues, the heat from the Provence scenery illustrations, and as the book ends, you will be sad that you were not a living part of this fictional and comical world of adventure, romance, and... essentially paradise. No wonder Van Gogh had stayed years in Provence, praising it and declaring how new colours can be discovered in this beautiful region.





One day, I will be in Provence, too. Savouring the wine, basking in the heat, and just trying really hard to make sense of olive trees.

This Chrome Extension Will Change Your Life: WhatFont Tool

Nevermind the infinite pursuit for the perfect web types, the hunt to even know what font is used on that beautiful one-in-couple-hundreds-you-stumble-upon is even harder.

It's like that paradigm where the most fundamental step gets skipped when giving help to others and instead you learn the most difficult step in a painstakingly meticulous way. For instance, when teaching how to write an essay to fifth graders (or do you learn this in sixth?), teachers tend to explain what a paragraph is like this: "A multi-sentence structure where they serve together to talk about one topic. They're indented and look like this. Seen them before right? Okay. Now let's move on to writing the thesis." And we all know how awfully difficult it is to formulate that perfect thesis; you don't even know what the true meaning/purpose of a thesis is until like three years after you start writing the dreaded 5-paragraph essays. And maybe you don't even know how to correctly pronounce the word, haha. Yet this topic of writing the perfect thesis is broken down into steps and drilled into you every single time the teacher assigns an essay assignment.

But the sad part is... When you get your essay handed back... All of the red comments are on errors regarding paragraphs: how the paragraphs were split wrongly; the paragraphs are missing the topic sentence; or the paragraph transitions are clunky. UHHHHHHH. Dear teacher, you NEVER taught me how to write a goddamn paragraph.

Same deal here. There's a ton of materials and resources on how to pair web font groups and which work the best and where to go (eg. Google Fonts), but no quick-and-easy, two-step process to find out what font is what...

...Ladies and gentlemen, meet WHATFONT TOOL!!!!!!! 

Download the Chrome extension HERE and then FONT AWAY!!!!!! It's FREE!!!!! (#wtfmoment) I believe that there is also a version for Safari if you click HERE. 

You just turn on the WhatFont tool, and then hover over any thing to know which font it is. Then you can CLICK on it to open up the box to know more details (like PIXEL SIZES and LINE HEIGHT!!!!!!! and even WEB COLOUR CODE) as so: 

I will now proceed to tweet Chengyin Liu to thank him for such an awesome tool. You can, too. Let's show gratitude... Also click the link if you are curious (like me) of how this holy WhatFont tool guy looks like... cuz you know that's not creepy at all........

Source: giphy.com

...And let the weekend begin!

@iampurpose on Tumblr

#instacapture v3

A BLOG POST OF HAND-ME-DOWN-INSTAGRAM.

1. Why I still do not own a pair of Superga is a mystery.

2. Pastels and waves. I need more UV rays so that I work on my summer tan.

3. Men x Bike x Prints = #extremeswoon... except that bike is sort of the ones I want to ride...

4. Stackables. Right ailgnment.

5. #livefolk. Like dude, check out this VEGAN SOAP. For some reason, I can even SMELL the fresh (?) scent... Following this tangent, #livefolk means something along the lines of buy local, hand-make your junk, stop consuming. Sighhhhhhhhhh. For me to stop glorifying consuming would be to stop breathing?

 Suggest me yer top Insta accounts !!!! 

 Direct IG @ rachelchungg 

Salinger, the documentary

When a person is dead, then there is no stopping what the living will speak. This applies to everyone, regardless of power, status, respect nor dignity. 
- My key takeaway of the documentary.

My life on Netflix is pretty unexciting. Whenever I really want to spend time on it, it stops loading. Like #foreverPIXELATED!!!! [Insert all kinds of worldly profanity here]. I then proceed yelling at everyone in my family to turn off their phone wifi to maybe perhaps get less pixelation... But of course, to no avail. When it's working though, I'm usually shuffling through the documentaries.

As always, my reviews of stuff come way later than when I actually viewed them. This one, I viewed a long time ago. "SALINGER" came out in 2013 and has a lovely unimaginative poster that resembles a book cover. SO CLEVER!!!!..... Not.  Apparently this director guy (Shane Salerno) had spent about a decade working on this documentary. SO WORTH HIS TIME!!!!...... Not. I sound sour because the documentary leaves you feeling sad and sour to the extreme. I watched it to kill some time in between the two FIFA games of the day, and because I knew I'd learn something new. I was also never a big fan of The Catcher in the Rye and Holden Caulfield, so I was mildly intrigued in what ways would this documentary glorify the book even more than it already is. In fact, "Salinger" glorifies EVERYTHING even down to the unpublished characters of JD Salinger's work. Go figure. Making the documentary pretty "phony." LOL! Get it??? hahaha..... (insert awkward turtle hand gesture here..)

Source: chicagonow.com

Most of the interviews are quite generic (more and more extraordinary compliments of JD Salinger, his looks, his writing, his style, his perfection-obsessed personality, yaddayaddablahblah), except for Jean Miller's as she gets pretty deep, personal, and sentimental when revealing her side of the story. This is when I was shocked about how a person could keep silent for more than half a century and spill the beans on EVERYTHING when Saliger's gone off to the heavens. Same sentiments ensued when I watched the other interviews of the women Salinger had encountered (pretty much countless). Then I went onwards to assure myself to never fall for word-masters who are suave, brilliant, and veiled-in-secrecy-in-super-mysterious-sexy-ways. Hard. Very hard. I think I'll fall for a personality like Salinger's just for the sake of self-destructing my emotional self. Anyways, back to the documentary review... Not only is the privacy-invading content from these women pretty disturbing, but it is more about the documentary's existence itself. Salinger had spent his whole life with a mission to seclude himself from the outside world, truly pursuing the art of living in secrecy and in insane mental state. One can't blame him as his fame did not merely bring money and happiness, but also heavy burdens; there were three--not one--murders in America where the killers quoted Holden Caulfield in the court testimonies. The most famous incident would be the murder of John Lennon. This topic is also briefly covered in "Salinger." Despite all of Salinger's troubles and wishes to remain away from the world, this entire documentary is about divulging his life, tearing his secrecy apart, and publicizing almost everything he had wanted to keep silent about. It fucking starts with this guy stalking around to take paparazzi photos of JD Salinger walking out of the mail depot. RUDE. Just so rude! Poor JD Salinger... He will definitely not rest in peace now, would he? :( :( :(

Yet there are still good parts to this mediocre documentary. There is a somewhat ridiculous amount of time spent on Salinger serving the state in WWII. I never took the effort to read JD Salinger's wiki page, so I had no idea how long he had served, how hard he tried to get enlisted, what kind of position he undertook, how he came back, et cetera. This part and his survival through WWII is enriching and complements his subsequent life events well. Needless to say, this fact-driven history lesson in the middle shines out and stays with you after the documentary, because it clearly juxtaposes against all the emotional, sappy, and overtly pretentious interviews and viewpoints on JD Salinger.

Still interested?
Watch the trailer below. 

*** See you on TUMBLR ***

*** See you on TUMBLR ***

*** See you on TUMBLR ***

URGENT: finding more friends on the app, Yo

Source: businessinsider.com

About two weeks ago, Yo launched with vigor. 

It accumulated a ton of curiosity as its sole purpose is to send yo's to friends. What does that even mean? It means I tap on your name on the screen and it sends a push notification saying that I just yo'd you. Sometimes (and I still haven't figured out why it's only sometimes) the phone says "yo" out loud in this mechanical manly tone, "yo~" Listening to it "yo" is EXTREMELY satisfying and instantaneously makes your day 400 times better.

Plus, as if the app isn't a joke enough (parodies like the Game of Thrones Hodor-ing instead of Yo-ing has emerged), the reviews on the Apple app store page are hilarious!

The problem with Yo (as an app) right now is its decline in popularity. Just like how it had shot to the top of the app store, now it is just another app floating in the appsphere. There are talks about how Yo is a revolutionary app opening the doors into a new level of push notification strategies... but isn't this taking everything a little too far? Isn't this the model example of the North American way of flourishing everything with words for depth? Though we all know what is shallow and what is not, we are all prone to influences. When embellishments are smartly stated, they have the power to disorient the audience into believing in them. In all optimism and fast-paced world of technology, let's see how Yo turns itself around. Until then, I'm having a ton of fun Yo-ing three contacts. THREE. So sad. Therefore, I am searching for more friends on Yo.... add me @ rachelchungg and we can Yo all day...!!!!!!! 

On a side note, there's apparently this new social networking portal opening that is going to be strictly emoji-only. If you've IM-ed with me before, you know how critical emoticons are to my well-being and heightened level of communication. I've already reserved my Emoji.li username. Maybe you'd like to do so? Then we can be friends on the two of the world's "dumbest" + "minimalistic" apps.

Ciao, till later!
Yo!

TokyoInspi14Summer

You know what the problem is with liking dressing like a freak? It's really weird when you are outside your confined yet comfortable place called home. Also, it's really about how similar your friends' styles are; they could be accepting of all your wilderness, but they may still find your outfit super odd so that they won't stop talking about it. Bummer.

So this is why I need a crew who dresses very similar to me when I like to hit the extremes, and such lack of fundamental wardrobe friends is the reason why I haven't been venturing my outfits lately. You can catch me walking, looking like the same old girl in Vancouver (sort of, but yeah). My wardrobe is truly boring and the fact that I don't like wearing 90% of the pieces put me into automatic misery. Boo hoo. Then what do sad people in reality do? Go on the I*N*T*E*R*N*E*T for swag-satisfaction. My kind of freak show wardrobe still has to be somewhat wearable... so let me return to my long time passion of Japanese street style: summer 2014 update of the Tokyo streets.


1. PRINTS. Imagine the ennui of a world without prints nor texture. Why do I forget that such elaborate prints and texture do exist in the world and that they exist to CLAUSTROPHOBICALLY-MAGICALLY-CLASH with each other?! Below are two examples of how prints should be worn with other prints and colours even if they look like unicorn-puke. That's the whole look anyways. And lace can be worn with oversized sneakers. No problem-o. *also shout out to odd future! hehe.

2. True friends will not give a shit about how the fact that you are wearing high waisted undies with low-riding jeans. They will think you are hot for showing your midriff (think 2004), will love your greasy hair in need of a dye job, and will pose beside you for photos with absolute no shame. Okay, let's be serious... The stuff we need to grab from these three outfits are: a) beads in a bob; b) pom pom earrings; c) tiny braids (like cornrows but not); and d) choker necklaces. #WINATLYF

3. Couple looks. Tricky concept since it has to be done with the right balance of chicness to portray your love for each other but also individual identities. When done right, couple looks are really awesome!!! Unsure why North America has not yet enveloped this concept, as they can be super fun when both are stylish! I'm personally not digging their lettered tees, but them pants! The guy has fun star-print, totally 90's Asian hip hop baggy jeans on while the girl goes for a more feminine touch with her pinata-like white bootlegs! Sew kewl. I can't handle. That's a damn good summer couple look.

4. Tone it down now! Any piece that is white screams summer, and just lay it down low with primary colour blocking. Spin it with style with a trendy-coloured beret and make sure you have sunnies that are large enough to cover half your face.

Hope this post will get you to play around with them old, funky pieces that are bagged into a "maybe donation" pile in your closet.

It's summertime! People are expected to lose their minds a little bit, so let's put our "normal" sensibilities away.

* All street snaps from DropTokyo

For more inspirations and messy thoughts depicted in visual mannerisms...

i am purpose is also on tumblr.