DAVE GATES DESIGN

iPhone Test

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Sat, 23 May 2009 08:41:00 +0000

This is a test post from my iPhone BlogPress app.

-- Post From My iPhone

Sneak Peak...

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:37:00 +0000

I have been working on rebranding my logo/identity as of late. Above is a sneak peak of what my new business cards will look like. This should give you a an idea of the new art direction I am pushing towards.

As always comments are welcome.

Enjoy!

Some people are so creative

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:26:00 +0000

Look how this unique artist, Erika Simmons scuplts with the tapes from a cassette tape.

Impressive!

Hilarious Website

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:10:00 +0000

Many of you have seen your all time favorite worst logos ever. This logo above says it all about the site. These guys have made a site just for this purpose and I personally think their sense of humor and content on this site is genius! It is hard to believe that they are not fabricating some of them they are so poorly done.

Be sure to look at the categories and favorites!

Go to their site and see for your self.

Some Updates!

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:03:00 +0000

My apologies on not updating too much lately. I did just get married to a very wonderful girl. I will graduate with my graphic design degree in just a few weeks, that has been a long time coming.

I am currently finishing my portfolio and I should have the final art sent off to the printer in the next two days.

I am still working at the same place and not currently taking on any new freelance work.

Here is a link to my Flickr set where I have posted my honey moon photography.
Click here!

I was glad that I have an iPhone on this trip, it came in very handy. You have seen the Apple commercials, there is an app for everything and many of them are free. I was constantly looking for directions, great restaurants, taxi cab, walking directions, the weather, the time, checking my banks account, etc.

For those of you viewers that use FireFox as your primary browser, you simple must install the Cool Iris plugin! It is hard to describe what it does, but you can find out more about it and see for yourself how nice looking and functional this can be on your machine. It works with mac and pcs.
Check it!

I recently designed and built a new modern simple site for a law firm in Nevada. Like all jobs, they asked me to change some things with it that I didn't quite agree with from a graphic design stand point, but it turned out pretty good all things considering.
Check it!

As soon as I have my portfolio done for this semester, I Will re-designing and re-building my website to stay consistent.

There are so many great sites out there that can help any one who is interested in design. Even though I will be done with school soon, I will always have something I can learn online. It can range from SEO tactics, learning a new CMS, all the new CSS/XHTML tricks, and Photoshop tutorials.

I am going to work on updating more frequently. My day job has just about blocked us out of every popular social networking site you can think of, so it can be tough.

I hope that everyone is doing well and I appreciate your comments and suggestions.

Follow Me

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:05:00 +0000

If you want to find out more about me, feel free to see what I am doing at these following social networking websites.

Want to to see what I am taking photographs of?

Follow me on Flickr

Want to see what I am doing and delve into my random thoughts?

Follow me on Twitter

Interested in what I am listening to these days?

Follow me on LastFM

Minor Name Adjustment

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:21:00 +0000

I have decided that many people may not know how to pronounce dgatesdesign.com, especially if they do not know my name is Dave. To remedy this I have bought another domain name www.davegatesdesign.com. I have set up my DNS so that both urls point to the same site. On my new branding indentity that I am working on completing now, I will now use davegates design instead of dgates design.

That is all for now, I promise I will post several images of what I have been working on this weekend!

Thanks,

Ok, some updates!

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:39:00 +0000

First of all I am sorry for the lack of updates. Things in my life have been pretty busy, but it is a good busy. I will post some art here very soon on the design projects that I have been creating.

Here is a quick list of things going on with me as of now:

I recently got a nice 17" Macbook Pro and I absolutely love working on it.
I am enrolled now in my last semester and I will have my graphic design degree by mid May from NSCC.
I am going to be a married man in about a month from now. We all know all the preparations that are involved with planing a wedding. I have the invites, RSVP cards and some of you saw the save the dates I did, not too mention a full CSS/XHTML website to follow the design motif I selected.
I worked on a nice print design for a 2 pocket folder that will also hold two business cards. The work was contracted by Interstate Logistics out of Murfreesboro. I did several designs, as soon as it has been finalized, then I will post some of my artistic ideas for this project.
I also did a 3 page nice sleek website for a law firm in New Mexico. Here is a link, http://www.joneswittragsdalelaw.com
I am working on the final stages of a my new logo. Going to change things up quite a bit with fonts, colors, and I am developing and overall branding identity for my work. New website to follow once this has been completed.
I am currently learning how to use Word Press so I can adapt to requests to build and design for custom blogs for clients.
I am also working on learning the complex world of content management system sites, such as Joomla. This will be one the best things I can offer someone as soon as I have a firm handle on how it works completely.
I am attempting to learn how to work with JQuery and MooTools javascript libraries. I want to be able to offer more functionality to my sites, especially the new one I will create for me.

I think that sums it up for the most part. Thank you all for the emails and for following my blog. Now that I am no longer in between computers, I will be updating much more frequently.

Bask in its Beauty!

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:02:00 +0000

Looks like Apple has done it again. They have not only topped the competition yet again in my opinion, they have alos one-uped themselves with this new release of their recent laptops. I am really hoping to get my hands on one of these before my last two classes start in Mid January. From what I have seen and read it is one of the best laptops out there and it can more than handle design. I also like the fact that I can install bootcamp and then I check all my sites that I am working on in a PC enviroment and their main browsers.

Motion + Typography = :o)

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:23:00 +0000

Well, I have noticed that there are a lot of really good design firms working with strong typography and then adding motion to it, which really gives it more meaning and purpose. Here are 3 wonderful examples of this. I found out there are so many of these on youtube. Many of them to my all time favorite movies such as, Donnie Darko, Superbad, Napolean Dynamite, Reservoir Dogs, Snatch, Fight Club, Knocked Up, etc.

You will need to have Quicktime installed to watch video 2.

1. Ford has spent over $100,000.000.00 in advertising for their new campaign. Click this image below to see a small clip of one of their effective commercials on youtube.

2. This is a very unique way of promoting Womens in Engineering Project. Some might think that this would not a very exciting subject to advertise, but check it out, pretty neat and great color palette used. Click on the image and then select Women in Engineering Program. I can't provide a direct link because this site was built in Flash.

3. This is a bit on a the vulgar side, but the point is very well made. I love how the motion and the typeface used really takes me back to this specific scene in this cult classic movie!

PLEASE NOTE: The Pulp Fiction Video is not work safe, unless you have head phones.

Dexter, a cut above the rest!

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:24:00 +0000

So, I finally got around to watching Dexter. It is a very well written clever, yet dark Showtime series. I borrowed season one from a friend of mine at work and I burned right through it over the weekend. It really has something else to offer in the way or creative plots and strong character development. I am glad I got season two coming my way via Netflix soon. If you are looking for a show that offers you more than most these days, I suggest you check it out.

This poster was done by the well known and very respected artist that I really do admire named, Shepard Fairey. He is known for his simplistic iconic propaganda art style. Many of you have seen his work and perhaps not realized it. He is the guy who is responsible for the "HOPE" poster for our soon to be president, Barack Obama. The imagery is as clever as the poster title.

Pumpkin Carving Fun

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:28:00 +0000

Rebecca and I decided it was time to carve out some pumpkins last night. We both worked hard at it and our hands were sore, but I think they came out pretty cool in the long run. I carved Frank and she did The Count.

Hope you all have a Happy Halloween!

Updates!

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:24:00 +0000

Sorry I have not posted in a few days. I am recovering from the almight wrath of Strep Throat. I am feeling much better now. I have a few random updates:

My Personal Wedding Site is up! --> Visit Site
I just recently picked up a freelance web design/build for a out of state lawyer, details to follow later.
Another big project I will be taking on soon, is our custom designed wedding invitations!
I am also working on a new version of DGATES DESIGN, trying to focus on a new look and fell as well as a official logo identity.

I will post some more goodies soon. I wanted to thank everyone who has received our save the date cards and complimented me on their design.

More Apple News

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:20:00 +0000

I hear that Apple is going to release a new line of laptop computers. They are supposed to be made from a solid brick of aluminum. That is kind of neat. I have seen some leaked photos, but they are just mock ups and they remind me of what the Air looks like. The best thing of all is that they are supposed to be $800.00-$900.00 new. Maybe some of the really nice "older model" ones like last years will become more affordable with this release.
On a side note, I got that iPhone and I absoultely love it! It is a really neat device, not just aphone. All these other phones that are claiming to be iPhone killers, have just imitated the functionality of it. They will never have the all the free mobile applications you can download. Some of them are really awesome, like:

Ebay
YouTube
Google Maps, Gmail, GTalk, Blogger, Docs, etc
Aim email
Facebook
Twitter
MySpace
Simplify Media - This allows you to access anywhere, anytime your music collection from your computer!
Pandora Radio - This is like LastFM kind of, same idea.
Sportacular - Catch up on all things you might of missed in sports. I
use it for NFL, and of course NHL now!

There are also a lot of fun games, and safari's browser rules. Soon the next update will allow iPhone users to view flash and copy and paste I believe.

Frozen Moments Photography

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:10:00 +0000

The verdict is in! Rebecca and I have picked out a very talented local, yet reasonably priced photographer for our wedding in March. His name is Kay Anderson and you can find out more about him on his website.

Also, our Save The Date Cards got delivered to me yesterday and they turned out just great looking if I do say so myself!

New Wedding Mock

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:58:00 +0000

Today I had a lot of ideas running through my mind. This is what the result was. I think that this is more along the lines of what I was looking for our wedding site. This is a screen shot of it, it will be a full screen wide website layout when it is built with CSS. Of course that is just a sample photo and dummy content for place holders. I will have to give it a day and see what I think about it tomorrow. Ha!

Adobe Creative Suite 4

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:38:00 +0000

I was wondering if any of you have had a chance to try this new software suite from Adobe. I am happily using CS3 Suite, but I am curious about what features and upgrades have been added that make it that much better. I looked around on the web and kind of read mixed reviews. Anyone that has used it, let us know what you thought. Hopefully this version doesn't each up so much damn RAM like CS3 does. Then again if you have a new computer, I am sure that it can handle it better because your processor speed is more than likely faster and up to date. I love Adobe products, so I am sure that this is great.

The Wait is Over...

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:33:00 +0000

If all goes well today, I will be a proud owner of the new apple 3G iPhone! I have been looking forward to having this phone months before the first non 3G one was released last year. I am pretty stoked to have one. I think my level of nerdom has gone up a few notches! :)

What The Font?

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:44:00 +0000

This is very cool. Next time you see a cool logo and you want to know what typeface they used, you can more than likely go to this site and it will tell you. I have tried it and it seems to be pretty accurate. Make sure if you are using the url field, that you only put in the url of the specific text image in order to get more accurate results. So neat!

Coming Soon!

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:07:00 +0000

This is a more modified idea I was playing with this past weekend. What do you think? I need to work on it some more and add details and sample content.

This is a low res preview for a small wedding site I am working on for Rebecca and I. It will be up very soon! All contact information, registry details and photographs can be found on there.

Parkway Drive

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:45:00 +0000

For those of you who know me, you know that I have always had a love for aggressive music as well as my tastes in art and design. I just found out about this hardcore band from Austrailia named Parkway Drive this past weekend. They are one of the best bands I have heard play hardcore music with melody in a very long time. This new album was recorded by the guitar player of Killswitch Engage and YES it sounds utterly amazing! They just got signed to Epitaph Records not too long ago. Epitaph was the lucky record label that signed Sweden's very own REFUSED. I might add, I like the somewhat abstract design album art. They are also one of my favorites. If you want to check this band out, you can find out more info about them here.

Fun With Type

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:28:00 +0000

There are so many reasons I like this image that I found when looking up good typography examples.

The colors work well together
All the fonts are different sizes
Only 1 font is used
Makes a nice desktop wallpaper
I simply love typography, always have

Designer Ties

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:28:00 +0000

I have been looking at several unique suits and ties for my wedding coming up in March. I stumbled upon this website and it totally struck me by surprise. They do some of the coolest looking ties I have ever seen and they are very reasonable in price. They are called Cyber Optix and they have tons of locations. I will definitely be keeping my eye out to see what they come up with next. There are so many designs that I like, I am not sure which one I will pick! Check out their site for more examples and info here.

Not too mention, you can get a cool wooden tie box for just a little bit more.

Esquire Cover?

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:34:00 +0000

This is fascinating to me. Esquire Magazine has a very special cover for their 75 Year Anniversary out now. It is not something that I could begin to explain. Essentially, the cover is based on light and I assume a hidden electronic device. It is not a holloagram, but it blinks, flashes, changes colors as you move it, much like you would see in today's modern flash websites. This record breaking technology is called E-Ink. For more details, watch the flash movie on this website. These are the gurus who have come up with this unique cover concept and design.

Horizontal Rules

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE GATES DESIGN) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:01:00 +0000

Have you ever thought about how many different ways you could make a horizontal line? Well, the folks at smashing magazine had a neat contest. I was quite impressed with some of the creativity that these people used for their submissions.

Check it out!