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Minimalism –
How do you define minimalism? I have heard a few different definitions when it comes to this topic, but all are relatively the same when referring to the context. I define minimalism as the bare minimum, and where the product/work being produced is stripped down to the fundamental features in the design. I remember when I first started designing I thought adding all the coolest features, while packing the design with anything you could find was the way go. This was pre any design education that I have now acquired, and my way of thinking at a young age.
The past two to three years of my design life has been inspired strictly on minimalistic design. When I see a minimalistic design I instantly fall in love, and more so if it performs flawlessly within this type of design. I believe the true role in any type of art and design is the minimalistic (simplistic) approach to how things operate or function. A perfect example of this in the business world is Apple’s hardware and software. They have made their own niche in the business world as producing a certain minimal style while delivering a fun experience.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said, “Perfection (in design) is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but rather when there is nothing more to take away.”
When you interact and see minimalistic design there is just this elegancy about the whole design and clarity about what is in front of you. It is sometimes hard to describe, but you know it when it is staring at you.
I have listed a few links and resources for inspiration that I use for design work. If you know of any please respond with a link to the resource and I will update the post with the link(s).
- http://www.minimalshowcase.com/
- http://www.webdesignerwall.com/trends/50-minimal-sites/
- http://www.minimalsites.com/
- http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/minimalistic-web-design/ (part 1)
- http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/minimalistic-web-designs/ (part 2)
- http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/galleries/minimal-websites-designs/ (part 3)
- http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/galleries/beautiful-minimal/ (part 4)
- http://boagworld.com/usability/three_secrets_to_simplicity/
I was driving home to my parents house a few weeks ago and passed over a set of railroad tracks in Brookston(Indiana) on state road 18. This was the usual for a road trip home, but this time i saw some workers working on the tracks. They were using fire for something, and from what I could tell (I’m going to go ahead and assume) they were burning out rivets. As most of the time I carry my camera on me when I feel I may get something interesting on my trips. I went down a block and decided to make a quick turn and head back to get some pics of them working. They were more than happy to let me take some pictures of them while they worked on the tracks. It wasn’t anything to exciting, but the picture I had in my head was an old vintage look. This is what i came up with and I think it reminds me of a blast through the past when you saw railroad workers nailing in rivets to the tracks.
Railroad Workers
Railroad Workers
Some say solitude can be good for you. Solitude has a value of being able to concentrate on your thoughts without being disturbed, being able to get one’s work done, and meditating / relaxing.
“For those uneasy with the world, solitude is the only guarantee of confidence.”
This house is located in Monticello just off of 431 past walmart, on range line. It resides in a big corn field surrounded by nothing else. The house is so broken down that half of the floor and roof is missing. It leans to one side and is unstable. However the house is so intriguing from the look, to the textures, and the oddity of it being the only thing in a vibrant field of plants year round. I question as to why the owner of the land has not demolished this house. Possibly it has some meaning to him/her, or perhaps it is more trouble to tear it down than to just drive his combine around it. This is not the only time I have taken photos of this house. The first time I made a visit I took some inside shots of the house. Head to my FLICKR to check the other ones out.
This is the HDR version of it.
Solitude
This is just a normal edit.
Solitude
Well just before Christmas day my family went and picked up a new kitty for the house. However since it was so young we couldn’t figure out if it was a male or female and the owner told us it was a female. So a few days later we took it to the veterinarian and it ended up being a male instead. Which is not good, because dad does not want a male cat around the house because of how they spray. So we only have had this cat for 1-2 weeks and it’s going back soon 
… but instead we went and bought another dog a shihpoodle (shitzu and poodle mix). Super cute and will have pics of her soon!
New Kittah
Sneaky
He plays with everything
Oh Hai
Follow me on Twitter!
I’m still lacking some photo creativity, so here is something digital for everyone.
I finally broke down and joined up the twitter community a roughly week ago.
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!
Follow me because as of right now (12/15), I have no friends on there =(.
*Combination of photoshop and Illustrator.
I finally got my first tattoo!! I’m so happy with the how it turned out. I designed it by myself besides the birds, which I had Matt, the artist, put in for me. He also helped out with the shading area.
The tree represents life and the quote that comes off the trunk represents what i live by each day “living in the moment”. It says, “The art of life is to live in the moment.” The birds are representing taking a risk and flying off to a new adventure.
Click here to view more photos
Inked
Inked
Inked
Little bit of pain
Pain
Inked
Ryan O. Hicks Design Portfolio
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~rohicks
(be patient if it does not load; server is having some troubles today – 12/3/08)
YAY! … for me actually completing a design and getting it up and running. I have been through 3 different re-designs(this being the 3rd) in the past year and a half (change my mind much?). But it’s done for the most part with just a few other touches to add in. I will also be re-doing some of the works area, as it’s just mostly a place holder right now.
Sorry to any of you wondering where my photo submissions have been lately. Been busy and having a lapse in creativity :/. Will try to get some up and work something out … I miss using my camera. It’s also started snowing here and that does not motivate me to go out and shoot one bit!
Anyways let me know what you people think about my site or at least check it out if you don’t want to comment about it! 
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~rohicks
Below is my new Identity that will be launching with my new portfolio site. The lens represents my photography side and the mouse represents my graphic side. I originally had the idea to incorporate color swatches as my letter “H” and use the mouse wire as my letter “R”, but the swatches were a bit difficult to work with and made it look really odd. So this where I ended up at. The lens is made in Illustrator and the mouse was made in photoshop. Everything else was finished up in photoshop.
Ryan's Identity Mark
Yes another new site layout (i change my mind like women change clothes). I’ve decided to once again get rid of the other one that I didn’t even get up and running.
LINK
Regardless the final result I end up with, site WILL BE launched 1-2 weeks from now. 100% sure on that one at least hah.
LINK
I was bored the other night and I hate sitting around for long periods of time. So what better to do than to get up and just go for a road trip! Well Amy loves to do the same thing so I picked her up and we were off with my camera equipment in the back seat.
Our first stop was tapawingo park in West Lafayette (Indiana) just before you go into Lafayette across the bridge. We walked across the bridge, and into downtown Lafayette, around the block, and back to my car. These pics are from the walk in downtown. Then we decided to get back in the car because it was getting really cold and do something else. So we just went cruising around the country for a little bit. By this time Amy had said she wanted to learn how to drive manual (my car is a manual). So I told her we’d find a empty country road and let her master it.
We got out of the car and switched it up. Told her a few tips, what to expect, and what to do. As soon as I was done a cop pulled up behind us out of nowhere with his bubbles flashing. He walked up and asked, “What’s going on tonight guys?” I said, “I’m just trying to teach her how to drive manual because she hasn’t ever done it before.” We were so surprised by his response to this. He said, “Oh yah … well then I’m going to stand here and watch her do it.” This was pretty funny as he was standing in the middle of the road watching Amy attempt her first drive with a stick shift. To my surprise she took off EXCELLENT and didn’t bog or choke the car down and only took her the first try to get it going and she kept it going! I was so excited for her.
By the time she was done driving around, we switched up seats again so I could get back to my original seat. Since we were already half way home to my parents home I told her I was taking her to my parents house (mind you it’s roughly 230am at this time) to see my dog and pick up a few clothes I left there the weekend before. She agreed and off we were. It was such a fun time, and she slept in my passenger seat on the way home. We got back to my apartment around 330am. A simple night turned into something so great and fun for the both of us; sometimes the simple things in life, make it that much more complete.
Amy in my aviators
A midnight stroll
Building Lights
