Life is a Great big canvas and you should throw all the paint on it you can. (Danny kaye)
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Through someone else's lens
These image bear the copyright of "Underwood & Underwood ". But according to wikipedia "The company ceased business in the 1940s." I could not ask for permission for using the photographs.
I would say these can be described thus .... "Some images to Remember and some to Forget"
Thursday, June 4, 2009
You are the King
There were amazing and awesome products on display like stabilized natural plants to designer’s furniture. Similarly exciting were the technological concepts focusing into providing a unique and integrated guest experience. There was a design competition for the employee uniform and it was it was a corporate catwalk that showcased those 7 categories of uniforms by designers. Two conferences were being organized simultaneously on the side lines of these displayed products and glitz. My main interest was to attend The 7 star conference and The Middle East spa Summit which roped in the experts and the business leaders from the region.
Now that I have sat through those two, I would like to reveal a secret that I was able to conclude while listening to what the market leaders had to say. I have found out that you and only you are the King at this moment in history and I thought everyone should know this.
Today the all the players (Tour Operators; Retailers; Airlines; Hotels) of the Travel and Tourism industry are working together and working hard to come out of the crisis brought in by the global economic downturn. We need to remember that in good times they are arch rivals vying for each other’s blood or market share. So what does it mean to you when they come together and try to get back the tourists? The answer is simple. They need you. Rather they need your money. They woo you with very attractive offers and great discounts. You are pampered like never before. A few years back you had to be very rich or an influential and powerful somebody in order to be treated royally. But today all that have changed for this moment. Today you can negotiate the best rate with the top hotels and one doesn't have to be embarrassed in doing so. You can select from various packages being provided by airlines. You walk into a boutique or any store for that matter and you are treated like a shahenshah. So enjoy it till it lasts.
Similar trends are visible in Dubai. The top of the range hotels including Atlantis is providing series of attractive packages. The resorts in and around Dubai are also offering a basket of alternative choices for guests and patrons to select.
There has been lot of Dubai Bashing in the past few months in the western media. But the general consensus that came out of the speakers was that business generated here today is still much more than other areas around the world. Someone has very aptly described the situation in Dubai as "the heat is off the cattle right now but not to forget that the cattle were already overheated."
So enjoy being a Royal till it lasts.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
This Color Coded World
On my way to work today I had a very interesting realization. As all creatures in this planet was starting a fresh day I was amazed to find how distinctly color coded is our world. As a kid I remember one of the lessons they taught us that color coding is one of the ways of sending signal to others in the animal kingdom. We were then told about red being associated with danger and subsequently our knowledge was updated with the explanation that red could be viewed from the farthest distance because of its wave length. That is why red is used for traffic signal and all other danger notice. Similarly we see water tankers of different colors eg blue, green, orange, yellow each carrying a different category of payload. If you hit the orange one you know that you have hit the SHIT!
But we seem to have adopted this very well in our everyday life. While every one is free to choose and wear any color at a party, it is not quite the same at work. That is why we came with terms like "blue collar" jobs and "white collar" jobs. We even see differentiation being made in the color of the helmet one wears. It is quite interesting to note how Priests, doctors and politicians have reserved the white color for themselves.
But the significance of color goes much deeper than this. Effective Graphic Design relies on the considered interaction of various elements to convey a message or emotion.Composition, imagery, color and font are just some of the elements that can affect the way that a message is perceived by the viewers. People make very quick assumptions based on visual cues and these cues can be used to reinforce or alter the way that a written message is understood.Color can have a strong emotional effect on a viewer. Nature uses color to transmit a range of different messages and Graphic Designers also select different colors hues to evoke subconscious reactions from their audience.
Present day Significance of colors:
Red is the color of love. It is the most emotionally intense color. It is a very stimulating color that can invoke feelings of excitement and confidence amongst the viewers. Being the color of blood, it is sometimes culturally regarded as the color of life and is seen as a lucky color in China.Traditionally red symbolized courage and bravery and the color is often paired with black for a very strong result that has instant visual impact. Eveready and Coca Cola is probably the best known proponent of the use of red in their branding while YouTube is a new entrant to take advantage of Red.
Orange is often used in the business world to symbolise good value for money. Graphic Designers prefer to use this color while producing designs for value products. Probably this is the reason why Google's free Blogger service uses a strong orange colored logo.
Black is the color of authority. It implies submission and probably the reason why priests wear black to signify submission to God. Black dress makes people appear thinner for which it became popular color in fashion and is widely worn by film personalities. Black is also used to symbolize death and destruction.
White color symbolizes peace. Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity and it is also considered as good luck to be married in white clothes. Doctors and nurses wear white to symbolize sterility. The nuns wear this to symbolize purity.
Pink is a very feminine color. The female of our species have a great affinity to pink. A quick tour of the blog spaces will provide enough proof of this. Mattel's Barbie doll's branding could not have got any more pink.
Purple embodies the balance of red simulation and blue calm. This dichotomy can cause unrest or uneasiness unless the undertone is clearly defined at which point the purple takes on the characteristics of its undertone. A sense of mysticism and possess royal qualities like; Uplifting, Calming to mind and nerves, Offers a sense of spirituality. Purple is a color often well liked by very creative or eccentric types of people. It is generally the favorite color of adolescent girls.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Architecture You Can Sit On
One of the most common pieces of furniture that we use in our everyday life is a Chair. How many times so we try and find out how this chair came into existence. Some of the most sought after chair design has been designed by famous architects. Usually we associate architect with building design and we always try and distinguish the interiors designed by architects with that designed by Interior designers. Some tend to argue that Architects are very rigid and lack imagination when it comes to designing interior space. On the other hand architects themselves consider interior design as mere of decoration. Following are a few of the chairs designed by some of the greatest architects of our times.
This "Barrel Chair" made of natural cheery wood with an upholstered leather seat was designed in 1937 for Herbert Johnson's house and apparently was a rework on a design he created in 1904. Wright saw the chair as an architectural challenge and used tall straight chairs as screens around tables. Unlike many of his contemporary stalwarts, Wright believed that machines could actually enhance the designs.
The Taliesin armchair 1949 by Frank Lloyd Wright
The Hill House Chair was designed in 1902-1903 by the Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the publisher W.W. Blackie. Originally painted white, this high, narrow Hill House chair was meant to be decorative - not to be actually sat on. The original still resides in the bedroom of the Hill House in Helensburgh.
The Nonconformist Chair by Eileen Gray
The most important Finnish architect of the 20th century, ALVAR AALTO (1898-1976) was a central figure in international modernism. His greatest buildings, like the 1927 Viipuri Library and 1928 Paimio Sanatorium, fused the naturalism of Finnish romanticism with modernist ideals: as did his influential furniture and glassware.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Search for a picture Postcard
They say Industrial revolution has brought in the concept of mass education where large number of pupils were taught in the classrooms as opposed to one is to one teacher student relationship. The result have been amazing and the world started to mass produce all the produce all categories of professionals. A large number of individuals who could do the same work with same level of expertise and one could replace the other so very easily. I think one of the few profession which was relatively untouched by this sweeping wave has been the photography. Primarily because of the high initial cost and operation expense.
I am not a professional photographer either, though deep inside I aspire to be one someday. Here is my quest for a picture postcard but failed single out any one in particular...
Everyday and the same magic is recreated but one can never get bored of it
Too lazy to get off the car
The Most expensive Hotel, Burj Al Arab as a backdrop
Madinat Jumeirah
Amphitheatre on occassion but a restaurant otherwise
Calmness
Why read a newspaper
Photo by Lina Kivaka_Pexel Who still reads a newspaper every morning? Maybe not many, as today's fast-paced lifestyle leaves little ro...
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A couple of weeks back I took a break of 10 days and went to Kolkata. It was a great feeling to be back and spend some time with the family ...
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I was prepared for a call at two in the morning. This was to let me know that they have landed in the Doha airport. I had planned it w...
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At the piano “I have never been in a haunted house,” said Anita to her friends. The girls were having a sleepover at her place, and ...