When we first started this class, I was not sure what was to come from it. I was also very nervous when I learned we would only be doing one large project the entire year. I instantly started thinking of ideas that I could in order to not get behind and be able to have something completely finished by the end. I soon realized that this was not the case. I learned that the idea was to start with an idea and watch ti grow and evolve every day. Thylias mentioned a journey that we were going to go on to find our final projects. At the beginning, I wasn't sure exactly what this meant. I now find myself here 10 weeks later with a completely different final project than my initial ideas. As I started to realize the idea before limited fork theory, I let my mind wander at the possibilities not necessarily settling on any specific ideas until I found the one the truly provoked me to work on it. A few weeks later, I finally thought of an idea that I truly wanted to commit myself to and thought was worth the effort. My brother and I had both been accepted to compete in Israel during the Summer of 2009 in the 18th Annual Maccabi games. This was truly an honor that not many people are given the opportunity to do. We are going to be one of 5 other men in the United States on our respective teams to compete in these games. We are both very passionate about running and were very excited at this opportunity. With having a great interest in an art and in running, I thought this would be a great opportunity to combine the both together. I decided to use my skills and interest in rt and graphic design to help and promote this journey we would be going on in the up and coming months to get ready for the games. This would also be a great way to learn something new like website design while putting it to use in order to inform family friends and others of our acceptance in to the games and begin to fundraise money for the experience. This idea was the best of both worlds, a way to kill to birds with one stone I thought. So I began on this "journey" to learn to develop and make websites for our cause. This journey started with paper and pencil and soon was being digitalized. I began develop technical skills that I had never had before and putting them together with my previous graphic design knowledge. I started to design images and graphics for my website well thinking of the information that I wanted to portray. My images began to take shape as well as the information. In no time, I had a functional website on my desktop. I began to realize that there were many changes I could make and that although I had settled on an idea, this wasn't close to the end product. I realized that the journey still needed to continue as I started to make changes to better the layout and look of my website. Along with the design aspect, I also develop the language that was displayed on its pages. I wasn't happy with what it said at first and I started to build on top of the information while I get rid of some useless stuff. The website finally began to take shape. I then learned how to upload it to the internet in order for the transformation to be complete. It is officially for all to see at MahakianRunning.com.

I have completed the journey for now and am happy with where it has taken me. Although I was very confused at the beginning, I believe I have traveled a long way and have watched the evolution of my idea and the final product. I am happy with where my project is right now and look forward to where it might go. I am also excited about its functionality and hope many people will visit the website to learn about what we are doing. I am glad I took this opportunity to try something new and put together two things I love to do. This class was a great experience and I have learned a lot from it. I will continue to update the website whenever new ideas come to mind. I look forward to its further evolution and can't wait to see where it will go.

BEFORE

AFTER

Now that the semester is over, I realize something that I did not realize in the beginning. Although this class was about the integration of Words and Images, I believe it was about more than that. When looking at the quote, It makes me realize that this class taught me more than just ways to put words and images together but it has changes the way I think about a certain idea. This class has certainly lead to "unpredictable outcomes". At first, I had many ideas when presented the premise of creating anything that had to do with Words and Images. Some of the ideas that I initially thought of were creating t-shirts having to do with the slogan "Life is Art", creating a graphic novel around this story that me and my friends created a few years ago and putting together my own race. All of these seemed like great at the time but they were certainly predictable ideas. I am very interested in graphic design so t-shirt design would have been nothing out of the ordinary, neither would an ad campaign. I also have a great background in drawing and am very interested in story telling and comic books. By doing one of these projects, I don't believe I would have gain any knowledge like I do. After time, I had developed an idea that combined my interests with something unknown to me. The task I decided to venture on ended up being a website that promoted a great opportunity that I had been given. This was a tough idea at first because I had never developed a website before and wasn't sure where to start. I started with a very basic idea and started learning technical things in order to complete the task at hand. As I increased my technical skills and understood Dreamweaver a little bit, I was able to do very basic things like changing the background and creating images with Photoshop. As I fooled around with something I was unfamiliar with, I started to get better at it and my ideas for the website began to change and develop. I started with a very simple idea for the layout of the site and found that I could do much more with this site. I would create images and test them on my website. I have made many drastic changes since the initial paper idea. The banner for my website has changed the most with the opinions of others as well as there help. I changed the menu bar many times to make easier to read and navigate through. It has many solid colors and gradients instead of photographs and other things. As I experimented with what look best, I decided solid images would be the least distracting and let the information be better understood. I also experimented with the color of the text and the background and changed them many times before I was happy. I made many changes but have finally settled on a layout and style that I "think" I like. This isn't to say that this couldn't change in the near future. I realize now that this class greatly changed the way I think about ideas. I realize that the initial idea is almost never the best way to go. It might take hundreds of ideas to get to the best possible one. I also learned that you can't rush the creative process. Creativity is something that takes time to develop and the first I did is never going to be the mother-load of an idea. It will take time to develop and by the end, it might not even be recognizable or even the same idea. At first with the idea of just one huge final project due at the end, I was nervous that my idea wouldn't be what I wanted. I then realized that was exactly what Thylias wanted. She didn't necessarily want us to have a perfect final outcome but to have an idea that was solid and a process that showed the evolution of an idea. My ideas changed many times through out the course of time and has ended some where unlike from where it started. I am currently happy with the final outcome but look forward to manipulating the website and changing it in the future. This class has taught to think of ideas as loose guidelines but be ready to make drastic changes in a completely different direction. Let your ideas evolve, and you may be surprised where you end up.

I have figured out how to put my website online and how to constant update any changes I would like to make. Since the final presentation, I have added a few more things to my website in order to make it a little bit more complete. It is definitely shaping up and as time goes by, I believe it is getting better. A few changes and additions that I have made since December 8, 2008 are that I have added a splash page at the beginning of my website that as you roll over it, it appears as if we are running. I have also edit the writing on all pages in order to present the information I want the viewer to see and understand better. I have also added a mock-up t-shirt to merchandise page to give the viewer a glimpse of an apparel item that will hopefully be available in the future. I also was not happy with the background color so I changed it to a dark grey which I believe helps the overall presentation of the site. Another addition that I have made to the site is pictures to our bios so that people aren't just staring at a blank page. I am very happy with where this website is heading and have already started to tell people about it. My brother put the site up as a link on his facebook and has already received many comments about it. I am glad that people are viewing it and I hope the word will get out about our trip. Although, we are done with the semester I will continue to add and change things on the site as they see fit. One of things we are currently working on is creating a donation page with Pay-pal and a way to sell merchandise and other things for fundraising through the website.

Please visit my site at www.mahakianrunning.com to see the updates and the finalized version (for right now) of the website.

Thanks!

First, the static image.

Second, the roll-over image.

I am currently the proud owner of "MahakianRunning.com".

With that done, I am working on purchasing a hosting address and officially uploading my website (although a work-in-progress) to the internet.

Hopefully more will come of this, and the website will be up in the very near future.

Below is the current graphic for the banner of my website.

This one is the old version, the initial graphic that I came up with.

The image below is the background of the site where the the buttons and text will go. (buttons on left, text on right).

That's it for now. more will be added soon.

1. Vision first
(exception: vision is not documented, articulated in a manner that reveals your commitment to your vision, your passion for your emerging)

2. Some Audacity of Evolution
(Don't be afraid of evolution; let the Work system grow, become, expand, transform, merge, split, twist, bifurcate; don't be afraid to let your vision improve not only up until the mid-December day that we convene to share and discuss the (temporary) status of the Work (poam system), but also over the years; your vision should remain configurable for as long as possible, as long as you have interest, as long as you are capable of growth, as long as you live.)

3. Articulation of the Journey
(a. digital: digital articulation [which has been [[or will soon be]] ongoing] of the journey via responses to this blog in the context of your project/vision and articulation/documentation of your project/vision progress. Charts, diagrams, blueprints encouraged)
(b. a final [as of mid-December] entry/post/articulation that reflects on the journey that happened, comments on the present status/condition of the project/vision, and that considers further possibilities for growth/transformation of the project/vision)

I read this obstruction and I began to understand more about the journey we began under taking with this class and this project. I now understand that there is no need start out with exactly what you want to. I realize now that any idea can always change and be manipulated. I have gone through many different ideas through out this semester and I have just settled on what I "believe" to be the final idea but who knows if it will stay this way. This idea that I have arrived at is far from what I began. I know understand that the idea you start with is not necessarily the best idea and you should never think of the final product before you begin. I now know that there is tons of trial and error and change before finally arriving at a great idea. There has been much change in my idea and I continue to keep track of all the changes in sketches in my sketch book and different files on my computer. I have a final idea but not a final out put. In the next few weeks, I hope to continue manipulating and adding to my website. I hope by not having a idealized version of how I want it to end, that it will grow and become something that I had never imagined. The end of the project is near but I hope to continue this project by continuing to make changes throughout the year.

I finally settled on an idea. I decided to create a website for my brother and I about the trip we will be taking the Summer of 2009 to Israel for the Maccabi games. Everything is going pretty good and the website is well under way. I have finished the banner and have designed each button (Home, Bios, Blogs, Fundraising, Merchandise, Contact, etc.) I have just began to add our bios to the website and hope to add much more soon. I am compiling all of our information separately and will add that very soon.

I am happy with how the website is coming along, but I am thinking about making a few changes to the layout of the page and how I built it. I am just beginning to learn website design and how to use
Dreamweaver and I have found that there are simpler ways to do the same things I have done. I also hope to link my website to the official Maccabi site as well as a paypal page so people can donate.

There are many things I still need to work on. I need to continue to design the splash page. I have a design but I am not completely happy with how it turned out. I will continue to work on that as well as merchandise (i.e t-shirts)

I would like to post some images on this blog but am unsure of how to go about this. Hope to add pictures soon. But that is it for now.

The blog talked about the idea of "What we know and what we don't know". It spoke about the object that was Thylias brought in a week or so ago and what we knew and didn't know about that object.

To me, that object was very interesting. It appeared to be a device that looked like a very old cooking device but for we could not be sure exactly what it was. It had no name, no directions, no date to tell us how old it really was. All it really had was a bunch of questions. "What is it? What's that for? Why is the cord all worn and torn apart? How old is it? Is it a Easy-Bake oven pro-to-type? So many questions and so many assumptions, but very few answers were given. I thought it was a very interesting way to look at an object without knowing exactly what it was or knowing that you might never find out.

When thinking about my work, I see many similarities. There are both things I do and don't know about my work. What I do know is what its purpose is. What I don't know is the purpose it migt take on as it becomes further developed. I know that I have an idea of what I want it to look like, but who can really know if that would be the final outcome. I also know that I want it to be a website for family and friends to come to, but who knows if they really will? or quite possibly other people could come to this site and learn about it just as they could. I also know that I want to create something to promote this opportunity that we have been presented. What I don't know is the perfect way to do this.

I hope that as I continue this project, the things I don't know might answer themselves and become things I do know. But who knows in the course of that time if the opposite will occur.

That is it for now, but hopefully things will evolve soon.

Like I said in an earlier blog, My brother and I were both excepted to compete in "The 19th annual Maccabiah Games" this summer in Israel. My new idea is to create an interactive website where family and friends can visit and learn more about us, the Games, our training, and fundraising ideas. I was also thinking about using it to blog about the training and racing that leads up to the event as well as the event itself.

I have started to create the splash page and have come up with a few different ideas of how I want to portray the site. I was thinking that solid graphics would be powerful but I had also thought that hand drawing might give it more of a personal look. I also am not sure if I want to purely do graphic images or to rely some-what on photographic imagery as well.

Another dilemma that I am contemplating is what font I should use. What font will convey the message I am trying to say? Is there a perfect font? or would any of them do? I am continuing the search for the perfect font but have yet to come up with any contenders.

My new idea that I thought of is as follows:

1) My Brother is a triathlete and has thought about creating a triathlon club called "Why Not Tri?" I was contemplating using that as a spring board to create advertisements, t-shirts and a website around the idea of a triathlon club. I am not sure if it I would pursue it as trying to create an actual club or to begin by creating it as a work / project and then thinking about it as an actual thing later on.

I am still really interested in pursuing the 5k race idea but am not sure if it is a realistic goal. I have thought about the work that would go in to the actual race and not sure if there is enough time. I am still interested in creating merchandise and advertisements for it even if it might never come to anything.

Another idea I had was creating a website about my brother and I going to Israel for the Maccabiah games. This site would be a place where our family and friends could go to look at our progress, donate money, learn more about the race and so on.

1) T-Shirt(s) / Company.
-I was thinking about developing a line of t-shirts that combine the idea of words and images. They
would all be shirts that have a similar saying and an image that helps convey the message. An initial idea for a message or slogan is "Life is Art." This means that art is all around us. Art isn't just things that are created by man, but can be found in the most common phenomenon that happens every day in the natural world (i.e. a rainbow or a chameleon camouflaging its self). I have about 4 - 5 different ideas the center around that idea. The other day, you brought up a great point that i am still wondering about. You asked me if Life is Art, should even the bad things that happen be considered art? Instantly, I realized the flaw in the bold statement I was trying to make. Maybe life isn't always art. From this I began to think of an answer to this question. So I was thinking that some of the bad things that happen in life are often man made or brought upon by man. Maybe life is art, meaning the natural world, and that we as a living thing aren't. This could possibly turn my bold statement into a question, "Life is Art, but Are We?" I still need to do much more thinking in order for this idea to be strong. I am also trying to think of other things sayings or ideas that I could create a line of T-shirts on. I shall continue to do research and think more to see what else can develop.

2) Shoe Development and Advertisement.
-I am very interested in running and in the running industry. In the future, I would love to work in the graphic . advertising department of a Running / Sport wear company. I thought this would be a good opportunity to use words and images together to promote running. My initial idea was to create a shoe (physically or digitally) and creating advertisements for it. I was also thinking about creating ads or posters promoting running in general. Running is a big interest in mine and I would love to combine the idea of art and running together. Also, I have searched online and came upon Nikebiz.com. It is the Nike corporation's business website and there is a section on internships. In order to get an internship with them, you have to send in a portfolio. I was also wondering if creating images revolving around Nike and Athletics would be another way to go.

3) Action Comic / Graphic Novel
-During my senior year of high school, My friend and I started to develop an idea for a Superhero comic / graphic novel. He has started to develop the story-line and the background stories for it and I would be developing the visual aspects of the comic. I was thinking about using this time to develop a comic book around this idea.

4) Fundraising Race Merchandise and Advertising.
-I have recently been accepted to run a half marathon in Israel during the Summer of 2009 at the 18th Annual Maccabiah Games. I would be one out of six American Men going to represent the United States at a Jewish-based sporting event that 60 different countries will compete. In order to do this, I have to fundraise money for the organization and for Israel. I was thinking of planning a 5k Run in order to raise the money. I would use this project to develop advertising and merchandise to promote the event. I would you words and images as tools for promotion and providing information.

I have began developing images for the first idea but am not sure if that is that right idea to develop. I am interested in each idea and I'm not sure which one would provide the best end-product.

I would love your input on my ideas if at all possible. Thanks,