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Visual Order & Demystifying Design Workshops from India
Post Date : 2025-02-09
Since their departure from a conference in Toronto, Canada, in 2017, Dr. Yeoh and two other attendees, Professors Mandar Rane, a faculty from Communication Design and his colleague, Purba Joshi, from Industrial Design at the IDC School of Design, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay had been planning a collaboration. Two years later, two workshops, a lecture, and an exhibition were conceived. 'Visual Order Workshop,' the first workshop ran from October 8 – 10, from 9 AM – 12 noon. The workshop was free and open to all students at the university while another workshop, Demystifying Design, was $50 per person. Before the workshop ended on October 10, 2019, Professor Rane gave a lecture titled Intellectual Observer while Prof. Joshi’s light show was exhibited together with 16 other students from Graphic Design in the Barr Gallery at IU Southeast. The workshop aimed to foster an understanding of design by employing a unique approach to learning design through everyday observations, discussions, and debates in applied contexts from an Indian and global perspective.
2019 IUURC Bloomington, Indiana
Post Date : 2021-03-22
During the Indiana University Undergraduate Research Conference's annual 25th anniversary, three graphic design majors, Katrina Dennis (top left), Brianna Dixon (top right) and Madeline Baird (bottom) presented their research at Indiana University in Bloomington. The event took place on Friday, Nov., 22, 19 where the parted with other Indiana University Southeast students from our campus in New Albany, IN at 6 Am to make it for their registration that began at 8:30 AM. Both Katrina and Briana presented their research on infographics while Madeline discussed how the elements of design were utilized to create her artwork that brought her closer to her spirituality.
[Pictures by: Katrina Dennis]
Webinar at Amity University of Dubai
Post Date : 2021-03-22
It was an honor to be invited by Prof. Yulius Shamsuddin, a faculty at Amity University, Dubai, to join their new webinar program. The topic of Networking Can Happen Anywhere: Typefaces for Career-Focused Mini Resume and Business Cards, The presentation was set to go online at 8 AM Eastern time zone on June 2, 2020.
Indiana University Bicentennial Stained Glass Unveil
Post Date : 2021-03-22
In summer of 2019, Donna Stallard, coordinator of Fine Arts foundational studies, in collaboration with Donna Baldacci and Kirk Richmond of Stain Glass Gallery (based in New Albany) supervised three graphic design students to produce a stunning 3' x 3' stain glass artwork for the bicentennial celebration of Indiana University. A recent graduate of graphic design, Andrew Perkins produced a t-shirt design, featuring a historical evolution of the IU logo in the span of 200 years. The chancellor was invited to the School of Arts and Letters to unveil the design to the public on Sept 30 2019.
The 7th International Conference of Typography and Visual Communication
Post Date : 2021-03-22
My presentation at the Conference and Cultural Center at the University of Patras in Greece on June 19, 2019 went well. The title of my research was 'The Hawker Centers of Singapore: How the island state's multicultural and polylinguistic environment typographically and pictographically mingle in a communal space for food to create a unique culinary identity.' A PhD student engaged in the research on Hebrew typography in Germany's public space was interested in obtaining information about my research methodology to aid in her research. I also have attendees interested in pursuing design at Indiana University. In addition to getting new ideas for research, creative work, and teaching assignments, I have also made some new friends. Mission accomplished!
The Eleventh International Conference on Design Principles & Practices
Post Date : 2019-02-24
After collecting data from eighty-six restaurants in five Southeast Asian Chinatowns in the summer of 2016 for design elements that contribute to their impressions, I have attended the 11th International Conference on Design Principles and Practices at the Institute Without Boundaries at George Brown College, Toronto, Canada between March 1-5, 2017 to present my paper "The Golden Phoenix Wok: A Visual Survey of the Evocative Essence of Chinese Restaurant Signage Designs in Southeast Asian Chinatowns."
Click here for some information about my paper presentation.
Gateway in Art translated into Korean
Post Date : 2019-02-24
"Kiddo," a mascot I created for a campaign was featured in a textbook in 2011 and he reappears again on page 209 under the "Visual Communication Design" chapter, but this time, in Korean as the textbook, Gateways to Art published by Thames and Hudson by authors Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann and M. Kathryn Shields was translated into Korean and published in the spring of 2017.
For awards and some notoriety I have achieved over the years, click here.
Ushering in the Year of the Rooster
Post Date : 2019-02-24
Feeling humbled that my students' coloring book jacket designs to usher in the year of the rooster on our Indiana University Southeast Graphic Design Facebook got picked up by the official University Facebook on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017, especially when the article below was about a talk by the nine-time gold swimming medalist Mark Spitz.
Find out more about the article here.
International Photography Contest Winners named
Post Date : 2019-02-24
While in Penang in the summer of 2016 as part of my ongoing research regarding Chinatown signage, I shot this mural which made Penang's Armenian Street famous for street art and submitted this together with three other for the Indiana University Southeast Photography Contest and was glad to know that I have won the Critic's Choice Award (People Category). Titled Kid Biker, my submission is part of 62 images from 25 countries, with the winners representing not only cultural diversity but also a wide range of photographic genres and individual creative sensibilities.
Winners of the Critic's Choice award were selected by a small faculty-staff committee with expertise in both photography and world travel. Winners of the People's Choice award were chosen by people who viewed the photographs during International Education Week and submitted their selections in the ballot box. The winning photographers will receive official recognition and prizes during the International Festival on March 21, 2017.
"The photography contest is a way to highlight International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of State and Education that began in 2000 and is now observed in about 100 countries," said Dr. Jean Abshire, associate professor of political science and international studies, and co-director of international programs. "It's also a great way to draw the visual arts into our international diversity activities on campus."
Find out more about the article here.
Solo Exhibition
Post Date : 2019-02-24
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ARTIST BUT BECAME A GRAPHIC DESIGNER: A SOLO EXHIBITION BY KOK CHEOW YEOH, Ph.D.
With a snappy and unapologetic title, my solo exhibition, scheduled to run from Nov 8 - Dec 3, 2017, held at the Indiana University Southeast Barr Gallery, 4201 Grant Line Road, New Albany, Indiana 47150 saw a good turn out during the opening reception on Wednesday, Nov 8, 5:00 - 7:00 PM. The idea of the exhibition was to showcase 23 social commentary posters that had been created between 2010 - 2017. Living in an economy where consumption is the machine that drives economic growth has led to phenomena of planned obsolescence and rapidly changing styles. Consumerism is so ingrained in the consciousness and vocabulary of our society that it is difficult to separate our dependency on it. Through a tongue-in-cheek approach in masquerading his social commentary posters as visuals found on consumerist objects, I wish to link our obsessions and dependency on materialism to social issues of ignorance, deprivation, and discrimination. By linking his posters to consumeristic objects with topics of social, political, and economic issues at a vernacular level, graphic design is shifted from serving commercial interests to become agents of social change.
For pictures from the event opening, click here.
The Light City Exhibition
Post Date : 2019-02-24
La Ciudad Ligera (The Light City)
Madrigrafica 17, organizer of the open exhibition at La Central del Diseno de Matadero has selected 100 designs out of 500 posters. I was being informed on September 20, 2017, that my submission, was one of the lucky 100. Titled, "Powered by Feet," I wish to express my appreciation that cities like Madrid are taking the lead to remind every citizen that they have a powerful weapon, i.e. their feet in combating the situation. Walking is a good way to exercise and it will also reduce congestion in the city where a number of personal vehicles can be reduced and when necessary, public transportations are always an alternative in hand. According to the UN, 54% of the world's population lives in urban areas and it is expected to increase to 66% by 2050. This phenomenon puts a massive constraint on the infrastructure, public transportation, housing, electricity, water, and sanitation. My poster will be exhibited both at "The light city" exhibition at "Central de Diseno / Matadero Madrid" opening on October 4th, and at some spots of the city of Madrid with the other top 99.
For more about the Light City posters, click here.
Beijing International Design Week 2016
Post Date : 2017-02-04
My submission on September 5 for considerations for the 2016 Beijing Design Week scheduled from September 24 - October 6, 2016 was accepted as one of the 272 finalists for inclusion in an international exhibition from September 26 to October 5, 2016 at the Capital Normal University's Academy of Fine Arts Art Gallery during the Beijing International Design Week (BJDW).
With over 1200 submissions, the peer-reviewed selection was carried out by five committee members of the 2016 Contemporary International Ink Design Exhibition. First launched as a pilot effort in 2009, the Beijing Design Week is now an annual event. UNESCO named the 800 year-old capitol of China an 'international design capital' to recognize the city's effort to foster innovation in China, the event strives to raise the public's awareness about designs. Taking advantage of the city's long cultural advantage, the Beijing International Design Week is co-hosted by the Ministry of culture of the People's Republic of China and The Beijing Municipal Government. Attracting over 2,000 designers, institution representatives, industry experts, over 5 million visitors, and more than 100 accredited news media in attendance every year, BJDW has become an A-class international design event, the largest and most influential platform in Asia for display, promotion, exchange and trading of creative designs.
Click here for the Beijing Design Week Facebook link.
Ivy Tech Juried Competition
Post Date : 2017-02-04
Each fall and spring semesters, the visual communication department invites professional creatives to critique student work where they would do so as though they would pitch to a real client or employer. I was invited, together with two other jurors by the Program Chair of Visual Communication of Ivy Tech Southern Indiana in Sellersburg, Indiana to critique student work. With over 50 students presenting anywhere from one to four pieces of photography, graphic design, digital imaging artworks, and photo books, it was a slow start at 9 AM when we averaged about 15 minutes per student. After our lunch break which was also a committee meeting, we picked up our pace and by 430 PM, we were done. Then came the time to pick honorable mentions, first and second awards for the multiple different categories. After the awards are announced we celebrated at a Thai restaurant in New Albany, Indiana called Tanthai on Charlestown Road. It was a rewarding experience to have students thanking and valuing us for our time and feedback.
Students must present their work as they would to a real world client or employer. In doing so, students not only gain the experience of presenting in front of a group (the judges as well as their peers), they gain the insight provided by those who are working every day in the field of design. At the end of the day, jurors are to select those pieces they feel demonstrate the best work and awards are announced.
This event starts at 9:00am and ends around 4:00pm on Dec 15, 2016. More at http://ivysofad.org/?p=2663
12th Annual Undergraduate Student Conference
Post Date : 2017-02-04
As one of the judges for poster presentations at the 12th Annual Undergraduate Student conference at Indiana University Southeast on April 22nd, 2016, together with a colleague, chief judge Todd Mason, 11 posters were assigned between the two of us and students were judged on the following:
Content (6 points)
Conceptual organization, clear introduction of topic, main points clear and fully supported in presentation/poster, central idea reinforced in conclusion, analysis of information.
Format (6 points)
Visual organization, proper use of figures and illustrations, clarity of figures and illustrations, proper use of sentence structure, usage, vocabulary and word choice.
Ability to answer questions (4 points)
Professionalism (4 points)
Comfortable giving paper/poster and effective use of eye contact, body movements, and vocal quality.
It was both fun and educational to hear the various kinds of research that took place throughout the different departments and schools at the university.
The Diary of Clouds
Post Date : 2015-04-30
Located in K11, the world's first art shopping mall in Hong Kong's Tsim Sa Tsui, is an artwork by Tony Ng called "The Diary of Clouds". The statement is as follows: In the bustling city, we all too often neglect the things around us. It's no surprise that clouds n the sky also escape our attention. This artwork seeks to portray the story of a cloud and invites us to admire its drifting journey and its serenity. What's more impressive is that the mall has programs that K11 continues the endeavor in nurturing artists through curatorial, marketing and publicity supports to outstanding local young talents. Visit them at www.k11concepts.com
Sweet Delight Mona Lisa
Post Date : 2015-04-30
Named "Sweet Delight Mona Lisa, this is the world's largest toast art displayed by the entrance to K-11, a shopping mall in Hong Kong to complement the Food Art Festival. Crated by Maurice Bennett from New Zealand, otherwise known as "Toast Art Picasso", this art is inspired by one of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces. Collaborating with 18 local students, the installation required 6,000 toasts and occupied the space of 5m x 5m.
An overhyped Mona Lisa
Post Date : 2015-04-30
While not all may know Leonardo da Vinci as the creator, most recognize the Mona Lisa. ontrary to its popular name, the title is Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. The artwork was encased in a climate controlled, bullet proof security glass with two security officers guarding next to it at Musee du Louvre museum in Paris. Revered as one of the most famous and iconic painting in the world, it goes to show that an overwhelming popularity is further hyped by the fact that every history textbook isn't complete without a mention of this government-owned painting which has made it a target of several attacks in the past.
Tenth International Conference on Design Principles and Practices
Post Date : 2016-09-19
It was a paper that started before relocating, during relocating and after relocating back to the USA. Titled 'The Golden Dragon Wok: A Visual Survey of the Evocative Essence of Chinese Restaurant Signage Designs in an American Chinatown,' the paper was submitted on August 11 for considerations to be published in Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal, a publication by the organizers of the Tenth International Conference on Design Principles and Practices to be held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 25-27 February 2016.
Click here to 10th International Conference on Design Principles and Practices.
Indiana University Southeast Authors & Artists 2016
Post Date : 2017-02-04
The research titled Work Life Harmony of Creative Minds in the Creative Industry with Dr Suwichit Chaidaroon from the University of Westminster published in the Journal of Public Relations and Advertising (vol. 9 No 1) and a campaign with Dr Angela Mak who was then a colleague from Nanyang Technological University are being exhibited at the main library for the Indiana University Southeast Authors & Artists event from Nov 17, 16 to Jan 4, 2017.
Indiana University Undergraduate Research Conference
Post Date : 2016-01-23
An extension for an assignment for my Graphic Design I course at Indiana University Southeast, my first assignment was repackaged into a poster session submission for the Indiana University Undergraduate Research Conference (IUURC). The branding assignment, entitled 'An environment that communicates: Branding of the School of Arts & Letters, IUS' was co-presented with student Tyler Risinger on November 20, 2015 at Indiana University in Bloomington and it was poster was selected as one of the winners in the 21st Indiana University Undergraduate Research conference. Mr Tyler Risinger will receive a certificate and an eligibility for $250 of scholarship to help with the research.
Click here for the link to IUURC
Beijing Design Week 2015
Post Date : 2017-02-13
September 23 - October 7, 2015, Beijing, People's Republic of China
The Beijing Design Week 2015 is an initiative by China's Ministry of Education, Ministry of Technology, Ministry of Culture and the Beijing Municipality and is scheduled to run from Sep 23 - Oct 8, 2015. I was honored to be invited on July 13, 2015 by Professor Li Xu of Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication who curated for the exhibition. The poster was submitted ten days later.
Brief description for the poster:
The unseen question that provides a direction for the poster asks a basic question: "What are cities inherently good for?" Cities must allow us to live, work, and play. As a trisect that neatly compartmentalizes aspects of our lives such as living, working, and playing, the thick white line which forms the Chinese character for "human" (人) becomes a unifying icon. The roundish line can also be perceived as an abstract structure of a roof as well as metaphysical boundaries of living, working and playing for human beings. By placing the Chinese character of "living" (活) on the horizon, it visually suggests that the very basic needs for humans is first, to thrive in an environment that supports a productive working life in a city, so that we all can enjoy another important aspect of human existence: to play.
Link to the organizer
International Invitational Poster Exhibition
Post Date : 2016-01-23
April 9, 2015, Istanbul, Turkey
It has been a short while since I last checked my mailbox as the contents are mostly junk mails but I was pleasantly surprised to receive a package from Prof. Hasip Pektaş, Chair of Visual Communication Design Department from the Isık University Faculty of Fine Arts in Istanbul who organized the "International Invitational Poster Exhibition". Inside was a The 256-page booklet measuring 15.5 x 23 cm and two of my posters, created in 2013, invited for inclusion in the event are both printed on pages 158 and 159 respectively.
The exhibition at Gallery Isık Tesvikiye was from April 9 - 25, 2015. Other ongoing events were the Posters of Yurdaer, Student Colleagues and High School Students from April 8 - 30, 2015 at Gallery Isık Maslak in Istanbul, Turkey. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the International Invitation Posters' opening on the 9th April 2015. The exhibition at Gallery Isık Tesvikiye in Istanbul was from April 9 - 25, 2015.
It all started on July 4, 2014, when I received an emailed official invitation Prof. Hasip Pektaş, Chair of Visual Communication Design Department from the Isık University Faculty of Fine Arts in Istanbul, Turkey to participate in honoring the 80th birthday of Prof. Yuldae Altıntas who was the pioneer in many other fields of design. The purpose is to present a selection of 80 designers' posters under the name "International Invitational Poster Exhibition" to a young generation, build an international poster archive in their university and to celebrate Professor Altıntaş's 80th birthday with a poster exhibition (shown here).
I guess every now and then, there are some good things in the mail...
Project Repatriation 2014-2015
Post Date : 2015-08-14
The most significant event in 2014 was making the decision to repatriate to the United States after living in Singapore for the past 10 years. Admittedly, leaving a well-paid job was difficult but there were other more important things in my life. Singapore has continuously changed since my arrival in 2004 and it has since become overcrowded and prohibitively expensive to maintain a space to live, work and play, if any. When it finally became a reality with a job offer as an assistant professor of graphic design at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Indiana, I jumped on the opportunity.
Landing a teaching position has always been tough but for the past 10 years, I was shielded from the realities of the competitiveness in academia. Adjunct filling in as non-tenured new hires, tenured professors getting fired, budget slashes, just to name a few and when I finally decided to join the dog-eat-dog academic world, it literally took almost a year from April 2014 when I applied for the first available position. All in all, some 90 positions, averaging about one interview per 7 applications. Once a job offer was finally a reality with a contract signed, sealed and delivered on on April 9, 2015, it was time to pack up. I was unable to negotiate relocation as part of reimbursement and as a result, I had to find an affordable forwarding company. Eight companies later, I finally settled on Orient Express which came and picked up part of my belongings on June 2, 2015.
Preparations and appointments were next to meet with friends, ex-students and other family members to rejoice for one last time before my departure. Most of my relatives in Malaysia were aware of since I had made the trip home late March. Even my ancestors were informed as I timed it be on Cheng Beng Festival (Tombs cleaning day). Mom who was visiting me in Singapore from April 6 onward before my departure almost 2 months later had no intention to stay to witness all the commotion as it had become painful for her but she couldn't go home as my brother was in Tibet and we were worried about her being alone. It still brings tears to my eyes when I see that picture of her rubbing tears off her face. When June 5 arrived, she was on the plane bound for Malaysia and a day after, on June 6, 2015, it was my turn to board China Airlines for a long flight to America. Looks like I would be missing my niece, Zi Xin's birthday again this year...
Design and Emotion 2014
Post Date : 2015-08-14
Oct 8, 2014, Bogota, Colombia
"To learn is to experience: How our daily interactions with objects, events, the environment and people can be a classroom" was a conference paper that I presented at the Universidad de Los Andes which hosted the 9th International Conference on Design & Emotion in Bogota, Colombia from October 6 - 10, 2014. This year, there were submissions from 24 different countries and all submissions were double-blind reviewed by at least two experts and was carefully assessed by the program committee. The paper was based on the "Creative Visual Experience and Design" course at Nanyang Technological University. To find out more about the course, click here.
ABSTRACT:
Testing a premise put forth by Nathan Shedroff (2001) that there is always an experience created by an object, an event, the environment and people, this paper is a report for an experimental course at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information in Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. Using experience as a form of pedagogical technique in bridging our experience to what could be learned and shared, 144 students are presented with five predetermined categories to choose from, followed by an individual assignment derived from their interpretations of Shedroff's six dimensions of experience. The course is an attempt to add newness to problem-based learning which engages students in contextualized and authentic problems with realistic real-world expectations. By adding our common sensorial and cognitive experiences that we come across everyday as a catalyst for learning and discoveries, the students are also exposed to other learning outcomes--creativity, collaboration, team spirit, artistic appreciation, photography and crafting.
Click here to find out more about Design and Emotion 2014.
Congratulations The Real Reunion!
Post Date : 2015-04-30
March 9, 2014, Singapore
I attended an event organized by my final year students on March 9, 2014 where 40 families gathered to bond through meals at Blisshouse Singapore. Guest of Honor, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ms Low Yen Ling encourages families to support The Real Reunion's movement and plan dining dates with our loved ones! It was not the Chinese New Year reunion dinner but a reminder to encourage families to dine together more frequently and the resiliency of families come under attack from the stresses of living in a modern society which requires families to fork out many hours in the professional work life.
Out of 303 respondents (aged 18 to 25) their survey indicated that today's youth might not find dining together a necessity. Work, school and other distractions make it harder for a family to sit together for a meal. We might have experience one of these scenes during our meal times:
- the parent who could not stop updating his social media status
- the child who needs an Ipad to settle down
- or the kid who refuse to eat if TV is not turned on.
As the supervisor of the project, I was invited by the students to say a thing or two about family and I harked back to the time when my mother who rushed home in her motorcycle alongside the entourage of the Sultan of Kedah in Malaysia, only to be pulled over by the police. They let her go because she kept stressing her desire to come home with a meal for both my brother and I. It was truly a memorable event especially when we realized that she had worn her helmet the wrong way!
Photo Credit: Pink Blue Photography.
Check here for their Facebook link.
Typography Day 2014
Post Date : 2015-05-01
March 1, 2014, Pune, India
The consecutive 7th Typography Day for 2014 at the Symbiosis Institute of Design in Pune, India was annual peer-reviewed international conference for typo enthusiasts. The theme for this year was "Typography and Culture." I presented my paper, titled "Hawking Gawking in Singapore" on March 1, 2014 for the event which ran from 28th Feb - 2nd March 2014.
Here's an abstract of my paper: This paper is about a comparative visual and typographic analyses of culinary signage that display secondary languages of Mandarin, Malay and Tamil in Singapore in addition to the main English language at hawker centers. A hawker center is a collection of stalls selling different types of affordable foods, housed in a covered but open complex, with a common seating area. A list of hawker centers located at different locations in the island, particularly those that offer popular traditional dishes, as identified in the Lonely Planet publication are compared and contrasted as a study to ascertain the underlying layout and design structures employed especially when multiple languages are used as a supportive/graphical form with the purpose to inform and persuade. This is where different compositional elements such as fonts, colors, image, and principles of organizations, materials, craftsmanship and rules are analyzed to ascertain a pattern to provide an understanding of how hawker center signages are designed in a multilingual environment. There are also cases of unintended puns, typographical errors, mismatching fonts, applications of minimalistic approaches as opposed to rarely radical, but safe, tidy, and usually bland designs.
Link to Typography Day 2014.
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YEOH'S JOURNAL
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