Producitivty: Irregularities

IRREgULAR

IRReGULAR

IRrEGULAR

IrREGULAR

The Problem

 

Two months have passed since I have incorporated various productivity tips into my daily routine. Weekly planning helps me to block out my free time for some activities. Consequently, I was able to complete activity but I feel little satisfaction or fulfillment from it at all. I used to do whatever I like to an extent that I may even spent the whole day designing in Photoshop. The impulse and energy you feel while indulging in a certain activity really feeds your inner hunger ( this might sounds weird...). 

My Solution

Don't over organize

 

Chamber Of Reflection

 

Working through all your plans and strategies means nothing without a proper review session, albeit I will conduct a self-reflection session every week to find loopholes and flaws. Suddenly, this reminds me of the chamber of reflection mentioned in The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. Making your mistakes public requires one to take a giant leap over the endless void within yourself. Today, I will attempt the flaws  in my plan and the goals  I would like to achieve this week.

1. Writing a Journal

It was so difficult to start writing a journal even though keeping one with you will serve as a spiritual and mental guidance. Therefore, I am determined to write my journal starting from today. However I was between the decisions to write an online journal or an analogue journal. After some serious thinking, I have decided that a book will be more portable and feel more 'real'. Do you know that recording your tiny ideas that materialised over the day will help a designer in long term.

2. Devote more hours on website design and programming

A research shows that when a layperson spends 10000 hours on a particular subject, he or she will become an expert after doing that. All my friends have definitely spent more than 10000 hours on gaming. Here I shall declare that you guys are expert gamers. If I could squeeze some extra hour on website design, I believe the result will be astonishing.

3. Craft a suitable sleep pattern

Lately, my biological clock has been seriously messed up. Tuning your circadian clock is no easy task but it is not impossible. It took me 3 days to alter my own inner clock. Just an extra tip, sleeping at the same time every day and avoiding TV or computers really help.

4. Sticking to the schedule

If designing a time table is the first step to a more productive day, then sticking to your schedule makes step number two. Any urgent matters that arise during the course shall be carefully evaluated before start jumping into the wagon. A minor distraction is so deadly that it might destroy one whole day of productive.

5. Using the Pomodoro Technique

Many of you might not heard of this technique before. Pomodoro is actually a kitchen timer but don't misunderstood me, it has nothing to do with cooking. Mostly, I will use Focus Booster which acts like a Pomodoro on my computer. You can set an amount of time before the Pomodoro rings. This will help to remove any distractions for that particular time and really enjoy the ticking sound from the software.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Today i have reached the last page of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo ( sigh and gasping for air ) and I actually bought the whole set from Popular instead of reading it on my computer. A book gives you a sensation that an ebook can never give but without the ebook I would never have decided to buy the book. Besides that, I also grabbed a book entitled Worst Case by James Patterson. Having watched the movie before reading the book help to paint my mind with vivid images as I go through each page. It took me over 3 weeks to finish the book due to the duration of my job. Luckily, I had squeezed some extra time by disrupting my sleep pattern. Steig Larsson really is a maestro in the art of storytelling because he was able paint vivid images in your head with nothing but deftly chosen words. I am looking forward to my next trip into The Girl Who Played With Fire tomorrow. I just realised that you can actually get a lot of good second hand books from Chowrasta Market. Next time, I am going to get some books by John Grisham from the bookshop.
You can find out more about the bookshop here.

Chowrasta Second Hand Book Store

Jinified: Tabula Rasa

Designing a logo is an odyssey where the designer transcends reality and creativity. Actually I wanted to share with you guys my latest prototypes but before that, I will like to write down my experience while it is still fresh in my head. 

First-Time

An opportunity was handed to me to design the logo for my F1 team, Nemesis Velocidad. Someone else had done the basic framework and I was supposed to finish the design based on some basic concepts.I regretted for not asking more questions on the requirements and expectations before started my design. First step, i fired up Photoshop and played around with the initial design a little bit. I started adding more elements and colours until the right 'feel' hit me. The final result is an elegant logo but with no soul. If I had taken my time to sketch out some more ideas on a piece of paper instead of jumping straight into Photoshop;the logo will definitely looks better. However, my first logo has become part of me and Jinified.....


Tabula rasa

Logo is a visual representation of the designer's mind and soul. Many designers have lost their souls while trying to please their clients. Too little effort has been inputted by the designer to protect his or her idea, instead they succumb to critics and change their designs. A designer should fight hard for his idea and persevere through obstacles and resistance. When something is difficult, it is worth fighting for. You guys should really take 10 minutes to read this article at 99 Percent. What does this have to do with the word Tabula Rasa ? Tabula rasa can be defined as an opportunity to start over without prejudice. In short, it means a young mind untainted with any experience or influence. Every designer should treat every design project as their first and last project. This will sparks new ideas and introduce commitment. You can find out more about Tabula rasa under the link below:


What is Tabula rasa ?

Jinified: Many Faces of Jinified

I just sketched out more ideas over the weekend. Looking through a plethora of logos pumps me with excess inspiration, and before I realised, all the ideas seemed to imitate certain styles. Therefore, I found some light bulb moments in solitude where my mind is disconnected from the rest of the world. Below are some of my latest sketches done in Adobe Photoshop ( perhaps I should do it in Adobe Illustrator since a logo should be in vector form ) ;

#1 The Focus One

 

#2 The Key 

 

#3 The Second Key

#4 The Genie

 

#5 The Target

#6 The Billiard Ball

#7 The Detective

#8 The Detective 2

#9 The Face

 

#10 The Negative Key

#11 The Negative Ball

#12 The Negative Ball 2

#13 The Rose

My inspiration for this series of prototypes is based on the concept of circumpunct which seems to focus my mind when I picture it subconsciously. Please comment.

Web Resources: CSS3 Gradient Tutorial

I was going through some CSS 3 tutorials yesterday and I had hit wall when it comes to generating gradient. The sequence of inputs started to mess with my head so badly that i could hardly continue after that.
After a few minutes, I had decided to find a solution to my enigma and you too can visit the link below the get a better picture from those dedicated people from CSS-Tricks. I was perplexed with different input methods for different browsers. However, I believe you guys will definitely learn something from from the link below. 


Speed Up with CSS3 Gradient 

I will post some prototypes tomorrow night. Remember to visit my blog for the latest prototypes.

Jinified: Moulding the Facade

The first prototype of Jinified logo has been born under the spirit of "Just Do It". I felt a need to sketch out my initial idea instead of spending hours and hours procrastinating over the design myself. Before I leave you guys open to your own interpretation of my design, I shall express my state of mind while designing this logo:

1. I try to come up with a minimalist approach 

2. This is only a prototype and it is meant to be imperfect 

3. I will design the logo in black & white mode first before jumping 
    into colour selection

Finally, feel free to comment your thoughts on facebook or twitter.

Jinified: Rise of The Giant

 <!--JINIFIED-->

I stare into a piece of blank paper as my mind work hard to define Jinified. After 10 minutes, ideas started pouring in and my right hands seems to come alive. Before i realised, the blank white paper has been covered with branches connecting word to word. Jinified to me is an evolving project and thus i have decided to let grow by itself rather than setting a framework that might stunt its growth. Below is the result of my brainstorming:


What is Jinified ? 

Contribution 
Games
Flash
Wallpapers
Softwares

Forming a tribe
Gather people like me
Stay connected with each other
Build Networking
 
Self-Discovery
Get Feedback
Showcase my learning process
Freelance

Sharing
News
Tips & Tricks
Tutorials 
Fun 

 

CSS Vol #1 : Using Text Shadow and Border Radius

I found some very useful tutorials that may assist anyone who is trying to get their hands on CSS 3. I find learning through the Internet is much easier compared to reading a book or even attending a computer class. Being a navigator of your own learning gives you gripping control over the pace and difficulty of a particular skill you want to improve. This link below will mark the end of this post:

Get Started With CSS 3

Jinified : Hello World

 Intro

Thinking in solitude provides one with unlimited insight on his problems. I close my eyes and listen carefully to my own breathing; 1, 2, 3 ... as I register every breath in my subconscious. With every breath I take, more thoughts started to disrupt my fragile peace of mind. I began questioning my own actions and an inner voice started to resonate as I progressed deeper; what can I get from this meditation? Am I wasting my time? Staying still like a water allows one to discover his real image just like a mirror. At least that was what I read about Zen Buddhism. 

Small Steps 

Many times have I experiment with many productivity techniques from GTD by David Allen, Autofocus by Mark Forster and Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo. After staring right into myself, it dawned on me that the problem does not lies in the method but rather on the what i want to achieve. The concept of Zen Buddhism has caught my attention for a long time but for some reasons, I never take the time to read more about it. At 8 o'clock this morning, i was scrolling thorough an introduction to Zen Buddhism from About.com. 

Beginning 

The concept of Zen captivates me because it does not depend on any scriptures or books but instead is a religion to learn about yourself. The first few steps have been harsh, you might think it is easy but sitting still like water is a tough job. Many ripple of thoughts start appearing in your mind the moment you try to settle down. 

Jinified and Zen

Jinified is a concept that I came up in a confused mind. However, application of Zen Buddhism provides me an insight to the true intention of Jinified. Jinified is an evolving project whose objectives and vision remain unknown even to myself. The only thing I know about Jinified is this should be FUN!!!

 

If today was your last day

This is a very strong statement that I try to recite every morning. Do you think I am a pessimist ? Of course not. Living last day of your life will open up a new realm of possibilities to everyone. Suddenly, you and me becomes conscious of our environment and everyone around us. Not only will you feel motivated to accomplish your dream, you will also learn to appreciate everything that happen to you. I believe death is the greatest tool to get things done and this post is the fruit of this practice. Don't worry I will guide you through with the following pointers:

1. Remember to say it to yourself the moment you wake up

2. Start writing the tasks you wish to complete on a piece of paper


3. Start doing what you really want if today was your last day


Please share with me your experience after using this method on Facebook or the comment section below.