Sometimes I use art and design to express how I feel in the moment. Sometimes I have an idea, with no previous experience on how to execute it, which is both fun and exciting (until I'm hours into it 😰). I've used a variety of mediums to create with—check them out below!
Primarily working in digital, I love when I can work with physical objects, or combine the two. With a program like Processing—an application for non-programmers to learn coding in a visual context—I've been able to create some really cool responsive devices.
Butts Up!
Sharp, needle-like pain radiating down my leg, caused by a herniated disc, inspired this project. We know we shouldn't sit for prolonged periods of time, yet we find ourselves lost in our work, sitting at a desk for hours.
My solution was to create a wearable prototype that could detect when the user was sitting, start a timer, and vibrate when it's time to stand. In collaboration with another designer, it wasn't the prettiest design...but it worked!
Recent updates to my portfolio made me realize how unique it was to hardware diagram in Excel, but I can't even tell what's what. I revised the diagram to both give a clear explanation of the parts as well as challenge myself on my first isometric design from a jpeg. How did I do?
Midi Music Box... But Make it Drake
Sometimes I like creating things for fun. At the time of this project, Grumpy Cat and Drake's song "Hotline Bling" were trending. So I thought, why create a generic music box when I can make something with a sprinkle of pop culture?
With visual coding programs like Processing and Max, I've coded (albeit basic) some interactive applications. Though seemingly simple on the front end, it took much more code on the back end—I respect you, developers!
Pea Shooter
I grew up on video games, computer games, mobile games, you name it. As I started using Processing, I thought it would be cool to code user interactive elements such as mouse movement, "shooting," and change background color. It's almost like Asteroids—well, sort of.
Tsum Tsum
A little more game play, the goal of this game was to trap or freeze all of the Tsum Tsums.
Kittyverse
Max by Cycling '74 is another visual coding program I've used to create this kitty universe.
My goal was to have a song influence the actions of objects, and also allow the user to manipulate the shapes as well (via UI).
Why this project? To test my technical coding ability, UI skills, and I looove the bass of this song & wanted visuals to match.
Vlogs
This vlog series started with one question: what would happen if I applied fairy tales to real life? Fairy Tales, especially Disney ones, are nostalgically cherished by Americans and can shape one's ideals about love, friendships, and life, and provide a magical escape from the real world. But what would happen if reversed, fantasy applied to reality?
As an introvert, this series pushed me outside of my comfort zone, to take risks in pursuit of my creative vision. It was a challenge to ideate, execute, edit, and publish videos weekly, but consistent brainstorming, storyboarding, and filming scenes multiple times helped develop my skills as a designer, videographer, and editor.
Ikea Ad
One of my older projects, my goal was to creatively sell the Billy Bookcase and practice using a green screen. Not perfect, but it's jazzy!
Engagement
This video, discreetly filmed as a gift, captures the engagement of my two friends. What did I learn? Using the best/right equipment will save hours in post, editing frame by frame 😥.
Morph
Messing around in After Effects. Wouldn't it be nice to have magical morphing powers?
This printed photo book (thanks Blurb!) visualizes my artist process: research, brainstorming, experimentation, critical thought, analysis, and repeated failure, until my ideas become a tangible reality—challenging the belief that artists solely make things pretty.
Artists constantly reimagine, reinvent, and rework existing ideas, challenge boundaries, and inspire innovation through creativity.
This project was a fun challenge to simultaneously take the role as the photographer and subject matter, resulting in hundreds of takes to get the right shot.
Have you ever tried going on a diet? Cutting out the sugary, ooey, gooey, smothered in butter mouthwatering foods that you love so much? Yet their trance-like temptation supercharges your cravings into high gear until you have "just one bite" or binge the whole thing?
This game is just that. You must avoid villainous pizza minions, flying deadly donuts, and cheesy lava pits to reach victory—but don't stay idle too long, or a trailing pizza boss will consume you.
I was dieting around the time of this project, and with the help of a developer coded in Game Maker, this was my outlet. Can you tell how I felt?
© 2024 Natasha Mislang