RICE COOKER MAGIC

Someone told me that the late, great Roger Ebert was working on a cookbook of "things you can make in a rice cooker." Buzzfeed recently featured  a great collection of recipes towards that end.

Back in the 80's, the "hotpot" was standard-issue among the student body at Madison, and it was the only legal appliance students could have in the dormitories. Mac 'n' Cheese and Ramen were standard supplemental faire.

The Asian students also had the rice-cooker stowed away—and during any inspections it often passed for the aforementioned "hotpot." Most any asian family has (at least) one of these. I think since age 18, I have always had one. While I made primarily rice, on occasion I would cook meats in it. Little did I know the complete range of delectables that can be made in the humble rice cooker.

Click the link below for a world of deliciousness for rice cooker owners everywhere!

MORE FREE PICS...

well...sorta. Be sure to read the fine print. This can still be a great resource for any lawbreaking students out there.

(click photo above to go to site)

GREATEST SITE FOR DESIGNERS (REDUX)?

This is one of my favorites. It has expanded since its last mention on the blog, but is still a wonderful resource for graphic design students. This specific link has some really great photoshop tips, but if you are into anything in the world of visual communications...this has to be a 'go to' site.

Color Psychology in Mark Creation

courtesy the Visual.ly website: a basic primer on color psychology in the design of Marks (yep...the mo' better and proper name for what most folks will call logo). The psychology bit  is contestable, as it complies to a western cultural norm...but none-the-less worth studying, understanding, and then exploring.

Color Psychology in Logo Design infographic

Cupcake Crazy

Those that know me know in addition to being a graphic designer, I am also an amateur who dabbles in carpentry and cooking. In fact, I am the "main cook" in our family, and I love preparing (and as my girth attests to) and eating good food. Of late, I've also been indulging in baked goods...and yeah, the cupcake craze has most certainly bitten me back.

A while back, I came across this baking site, and this particular post of cupcake recipes.  Tasty stuff!
(link by clicking on the image)

Neat Private Workspace

I love the idea of well-designed things.
That transcends the design of print and web, into the realm of the incredibly simple and straightforward. Check out this  great design for a pretty slick portable workspace that is small enough to be moved, yet large enough to grant you the escape and privacy you need while working...and it can be given your own personal touch as well!

(click image to link)

WEB DESIGN "UI TOOLKITS"

DOUBLEMESH has assembled a really great collection of UI (User Interface) graphic components for the web designer and graphic designers. Calendars, buttons, and a host of other fairly slick graphic elements can be made with the use of the automated generator links. Take a gander, and enjoy.

Basic Lighting Setup for a Buck-Fi'ty?

As someone who likes asking pros what to do, I had a brief discussion one Thursday evening before classes with Michael Candee. We got to talking lighting (as I lamented I have no money for a Speedlite) and Michael mentioned that there were plenty of good quality, inexpensive solutions. Nissin and Yongnuo were mentioned, along with a few others.

So I got to doing some research, and I came across this most excellent blog by Jim Harmer. A lot of folks have been following Jim and his publishing/writings/musings. In one of his posts, he mentions a very solid "entry-level" setup for about 150 bucks.

Design Salaries (a guide of sorts)

Students at GTC know a bit about Coroflot.  It is the site designed to 'connect creative talent with opportunities worldwide.' For many students, it functions as a sort of content repository, or virtual online portfolio...but it does so much more than just that.

One of the many things Coroflot does is provide information on salaries within the design profession. Its sampling is beyond regional-- in fact global, and comes from the professionals out in the trenches.

If you are a Coroflot member,  check it out. They have been compiling data since 2001, so trends can also be extrapolated from the site.

THE EXPOSURE TRIANGLE

It seems more students than ever before are interested in Photography. One of the issues I've always encountered in the classroom is how to address the basics when students have such a wide variety of equipment: Point 'n' shoot, Bridge, Mirrorless, DSLR, DSLM...

Given time to acquaint users with their cameras, we make sure everyone knows a few fundamentals, and it becomes their job to learn (or help each other learn, or ask for instructor help learning) those fundamentals for their specific piece of equipment.

In addition to: white balance, focusing, flash, aperture and d.o.f... we discuss the urgency of learning the factors that cumulatively contribute to the term "EXPOSURE." This site has excerpts to help you understand that a bit more the importance of the "Exposure Triangle."