I’ve been playing around with the new Pocket app and quite like the idea. Although the application icon was quite lacking in design. The whole 3D icon is a little over rated and I wanted to give some life to the icon. Showing the colors coming out of the “Pocket” makes it feel like there is is some life to the logo. I always feel that a product should not only look good, but also evoke some kind of feeling or emotion, even with application icons.  It’s the entire package of a brand that matters & if one thing is off, the whole product itself can seem off. This is was just a quick representation of what I see in the icon. Using more rounded corners at the bottom with sharp edges at the top. Along with flat and solid colors for the stripes.

You can check out the Dribbble shot too.

Thoughts or suggestions, what would you do differently? 

I was honored to have one of my articles on Brainzooming today!  Please check it out! It’s during their World Creativity and Innovation Week. Please check the article out and leave a comment there if you feel inspired or have something to say. I’ll be responding to comments there.

I am constantly playing mobile games. Its been a while since I branched out and played other games on different consoles. I’m a huge Halo fan, which is the main reason I ever owned an Xbox  360.

I started playing massively multi-player online role-playing games (also known as MMORPG’s) just to get my mind off  mobile games. Sometimes I feel that the mobile games are limiting and not as broad as they could be. So it feels good to play something that has a ton of features and is constantly expanding. I also love the feel of the social aspect and the collections/inventory features of MMOs. I mainly play MMO’s to get items into my collections –  I’m one of those players that is always fighting to get that rare item. Nerdy I know but I was started out as a casual gamer, moved into MLG (Major League Gaming) and now work at a gaming company. It’s only gotten nerdier as I’ve gotten older. I never saw myself so tightly knit to the gaming world. Now I realize that gaming is something that goes to my very core!

I wanted to share some screenshots of Wakfu and some of its very pretty UI detail. I think the aesthetics is quite nice in the game. Although the UX somewhat feels like it’s a bit clunky at times.  There are some things I wish were a little more clear, especially during the PvP stages.

The top of the login box is really quite intricate. All through the game there is this gear like aesthetic. I really like this theme and think it was quite creative. I also think they did a great job on the logo and branding of the game. It’s quite different, but memorable. The rest of the form I am not too crazy about, but do like the small details.

Choosing the land is really quite pretty too. The artwork in this game is just beautiful. Again, I really am admiring the detail surrounding the UI and the earth graphic is so pretty. That little voodoo doll is really cute too.

There are things I like and dislike about this part of the UI, which is located at the top right of the screen. The “Bug” button is quite cool — it lets players easily report bugs. It could have been placed better, however. I kept on clicking on it by accident. If I had designed this feature, I would have put the Bug button in the settings menu. I do like the colorful day and night icon. I think it displays time well, but find I the gear on the side of it to be an unneeded decoration.  The map box does what it’s made to do, but I wish I had the ability to hide it. Overall though, I think that the UI was designed very well.

Another pretty detail that I liked was the health UI details in the bottom HUD bar. Again, there is the gear incorporation with the leaves. I really think this is quite pretty and would be great inspiration for anyone creating any sort of whimsical or game interface. The HUD bar changes depending on what screen, or action the player is using.

Wakfu is truly beautiful and the character customization is quite awesome as well. The game play is quite fun, and the PvP is challenging, but it doesn’t take forever to level up. This is more of a pretty and less serious MMO. The game does offer the ability to be more serious through several premium features.

It’s always good to look at other UI for inspiration even if it isn’t in your particular field. You’ll always learn something new or see something that may catch your eye for a product in the future. So keep your eyes open, you never know what you may see that could improve yourself and your career.

What are your thoughts on looking for inspiration outside of your comfort zone?
Do you believe it’s needed to do research outside of your field?

Finding nude heels is a challenge. It’s not because their hard to find. It’s because their hard to find for each individual girl. Nude heels come in all types of heights and color. Buying the wrong color nude heel can either make or break your outfit. It it doesn’t fit closely with your skin color, you’ll actually look more mismatched and lose the point of wearing nude heels. The tricky part is that if you have very light pinkish skin like mine you’re going to have to go for more of a very light brown color. Wearing a more pink color nude heel will look odd and make your skin look more pink. Stay away. I found these Via Spiga heels size 8 1/2 and fell in love with them instantly.  It’s a perfect height, I love the Mary Jane type straps and the rounded toes. Via Spiga has a very classic feel to their heels with timeless shapes. Since the heels are are a bit higher the straps help to keep the foot in the shoe. It makes it feel very secure, they are extremely comfortable and so far I  haven’t felt any blisters.

When wearing nude heels, I’d suggest wearing a pair of flats to work and not wear them for commuting. They will show scuffs quickly and they are visible. Invest in a nice pair of nude heels that fit your skin color, but take care of them. These are great office and dinner shoes. But I wouldn’t suggest these on long commutes or for going out shopping in the city. Plus, like all high heels, they will become uncomfortable if you’re on your feet all day.

Every girl should own a pair of nude heels. It’s like owning that black tank top that comes to use on so many occasions. This is a classic staple in fashion and should be in every wardrobe. You’ll be surprised at what you can wear with these shoes. Basically everything goes, from little black dresses to jeans with blazers.

The weather was gorgeous today. Not warm but pretty with the sun. I took a quick trip down to the end of the Wharf, since it’s not that many blocks away from my apartment. Yet I still took a bus because it was so cold and windy. The wharf was beautiful, many runners and tourists were out taking photos and children were playing in the water. One little girl got completely drenched by a wave. She screamed and seemed like she was going to cry then started laughing. It reminded me of what how free and awesome it is to be a kid. Even when you get soaked by a wave children still laugh after the shock. I think that even as adults when something unexpected and unpleasant happens to us, we have to find a way to laugh through it.

I am still learning all the ways of photography, since there is so much to learn. Half my shots were blurry due to me not focusing well and not holding my arms closer to my body. It’s a huge learning curve, but the process its a lot of fun. I am so used to using a medium like Photoshop and Illustrator to create something. So using a camera to create photos is a challenge and almost therapeutic for me.