Brent Alexander

Google Changes How You Search the Web Yet Again

Brent — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:45:38 +0000

Just when you thought online search engines couldn’t get any faster… Google launches instant results as you type! The new feature, Google Instant isn’t available across the world just yet, but Google as launched it to a select number of users. Go ahead and test it out at www.google.com or read more about it at www.google.com/instant.

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Internship: Church Website Templates

Brent — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:46:41 +0000

This past summer I interned with rockbeatspaper (RBP), a web design agency in High Point, NC. They were a lot of fun to work with, but it was also a lot of work! I learned new techniques and strategies to implement in my everyday design.

During my internship RBP assigned me to design website templates for Churches. They are broadening their target market from new and existing organizations to churches in need of website design. In order to accomplish this, they put together packages that churches can choose from to best fit the churches needs.

This was the first template I designed. I started with some rough sketches of what I was wanting. Then I moved into Photoshop, using the 960 grid system to design my layout. The 960 GS is basically a column grid system using 12-16 columns to organize and layout the design. This makes the development process much easier. After designing the homepage layout, I designed the sub-page layout, the template for all the other pages. All the pages in the website will follow these two templates.

After I designed both templates, home and sub-page, I made two alternative color schemes that can be chosen from. This brings more variety to the table, and offers more custimization.

Overall, I enjoyed this project a lot. I learned how to use the 960 GS, and why using a grid is important. I still use the same exact grid and system for all of my designs. Later, I will post another template I created this summer.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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What do you get when you put Arcade Fire, HTML5, and Chrome together?

Brent — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:27:33 +0000

Awesomeness. Blowing your mind, awesomeness.

Watch out MTV, the music video has just got a new gold standard. Indie band Arcade Fire has released a vid for the song “We Used to Wait” off of their new album, The Suburbs, and it’s basically one big ball of HTML5/Google Maps/musical goodness.

The video was announced today on the Official Google Blog, which details exactly what elements went into its creation. Dubbed “The Wilderness Downtown” (an undertaking created by writer/director Chris Milk) the video is a new kind of musical experience, reminiscent of — but much more advanced than — hypertext storytelling of old.

Basically, you surf over to “The Wilderness Downtown” page using Google Chrome (don’t use Safari, the program will murder your browser), and type in the address of your childhood home when prompted. If Google Maps has enough footage of home sweet home, you’ll be pulled into a multi-browser movie of your own making.

The experience of watching this highly personalized video is not easily described, but basically the story of childhood ending as time rapidly slips away becomes your own as trees shoot up out of nowhere on your old street, culminating in an opportunity to write a letter to a younger you. Check it out when you have a moment to really watch the whole thing, sans any other browsers.

(http://mashable.com/2010/08/30/arcade-fires-chrome-video/)

Watch the video now

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Wheelhouse Baseball Academy [Logo Design]

Brent — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:05:07 +0000

I designed this logo for a local baseball academy in Simpsonville, SC. I created four different versions. They all turned out great.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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For The Love of The Game

Brent — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:07:34 +0000

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For The Love of The Game

Brent — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:05:30 +0000

I decided it was time for a new wallpaper. So I created one. No copyright infringement intended.

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In Search of The Great Pastor [Logo Design]

Brent — Thu, 27 May 2010 03:57:09 +0000

This is for a pastor’s conference coming up in 2011 that a local Greenville, SC pastor and teacher was heading up. He asked me to design a logo/theme for the conference. For my inspiration I used the Sherlock Holmes movie that come out last year. He loved the finished product, and I like it a lot too!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Trinity

Brent — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:09:07 +0000

I think I like this retro look a lot. Maybe a little too much.

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Logo Variation [Futuristic-Retro Version]

Brent — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 03:37:27 +0000

I found a link to a really cool tutorial the other day and decided to do something useful with it. It’s a futuristic-retro application of my logo. I think it fits.

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Business Card [Identity Design]

Brent — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 01:55:00 +0000

Project for Graphics Design II class. Applications used: Illustrator, InDesign. (Presentation graphic compiled in Photoshop).

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The Diverse Simplicity of a Logo [Logo Design]

Brent — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:42:54 +0000

I’ve been working on a logo concept for myself for a while now. I wanted something simple that I could jazz up if I wanted to. So I did some rough sketches, which turned into comprehensive sketches, which turned into a finalized vector path. Then I came up with this beautiful depiction. Logos are meant to be simple. Simple enough to be diverse.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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My Spring 2010 Course Schedule

Brent — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 02:18:07 +0000

This is my course schedule for the spring semester. Classes start this Wednesday.

Download now or preview on posterous

SP-10 Schedule.pdf (13 KB)

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Schultz Carolina Custom Homes [Brochure Design, Layout, Print]

Brent — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:08:05 +0000

I just finished yesterday a Brochure for home-building company, Schultz Carolina Custom Homes. I, as were they, was extremely satisfied with the final product. You can view or download the .pdf below.

Download now or preview on posterous

brochure_web.pdf (1658 KB)

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Tara Sheffield - “All of You EP” [Album Design, Art Direction, Typography]

Brent — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 05:58:17 +0000

My brother and I collaborated on this project for a friend. She has a new EP coming out soon and needed some design work done for it. Her music is great; you should go check her stuff out at www.myspace.com/tarasheffield - And here’s the artwork (front and back):

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Merry Christmas, Followers and Fans!

Brent — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:21:19 +0000

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to all who have supported me throughout this year. This might just be my last post of the decade. It’s been a great one. I’m looking forward the the next. I’ve learned a lot this past year and expect to learn even more in 2010. In honor of the holiday, I have created a festive wallpaper for you all to download. Just click download full size when you rollover the image. Merry Christmas everybody!

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It Never Snows (in Charlotte)

Brent — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:21:08 +0000

In honor of the present predicament of today: i offer you this free song from Philmont. Be sure to check them out on myspace (www.myspace.com/philmontrock) and twitter: @PhilmontRock.

It Never Snows (In Charlotte) by Philmont
Download now or listen on posterous

It Never Snows (in Charlotte).mp3 (12534 KB)

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Best of 2009: Music

Brent — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:15:17 +0000

Last year I compiled a list of my favorite albums of 2008. I have decided to do that again this year for 2009.
It’s been a great year of music with some great rising artists and plenty of talented new ones. But some of the best music of this year were new releases from old bands and artist.

So this is a list of my favorite picks from this year. I also awarded Best Song of the Year, Best New Artist, and Best Rising Artist. And if you have any albums that you think i’ve looked over, please tell me. More wonderful melodies are always welcome.

Best Album of the Year

10. "Lungs" - Florence + The Machine	9. "Troubadour" - K'Naan	8. "Stockholm Syndrome" - Derek Webb
7. "Up From Below" - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros	6. "Far" - Regina Spektor	5. "The Resistance" - Muse
4. "Strict Joy" - The Swell Season	3. "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" - Phoenix	2. "I and Love and You" - The Avett Brothers
1. "The Hazards of Love" - The Decemberists All of these picks on this list were hard to nail down in numerical order. I didn't really know what to determine one album being better than the other. So it just came down to this: what I listened to the most. The album I listened to the most this year was definitely The Decemberists' album, Hazards of Love. I just kept coming back to it. I didn't really like The Decemberists until they debuted this record at SXSW 2009 and it was love at first listen.

Best Song of the Year

Best Song of the Year: "My Girls" - Animal Collective

Ok. I must confess, I didn't like this whole album. I just couldn't get into Animal Collective as much as I wanted to when I first heard about them. I guess they are too weird for me. But I really loved this song. I couldn't stop listening to it this year. This song gives me hope for more Animal Collective. See for yourself.

Best New Artist

Best New Artist: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

I first heard these guys on a Tiny Desk Concert on NPR's All Song's Considered Podcast. I saw at least eight or nine people playing instruments. What a large band. What was even better was their enthusiastic sound. This is a band I'm really looking forward to hearing more of.

Best Rising Artist

Best Rising Artist: Phoenix

Their poppy synth leads and catchy guitar riffs caught me instantly off guard. I didn't know what to do: sit there in astonishment or dance? This is music you want to move to. Every time I saw the new Cadillac commercial I had to turn up the TV and pause what I was doing to bust a move. This band got huge fast. And they will only get better.

Defying Gravity: Wallpaper

Brent — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:12:35 +0000

So today I was looking for a decent Wallpaper for ABC’s new show Defying Gravity. My room mate and I have really been enjoying the show so far and he asked me if i could find a good wallpaper. After much tedious searching, I came to the conclusion that no good wallpaper exist. Thus, I do the next best thing: design my own. So that is exactly what I did. I opened up photoshop and after a couple of long hours, this is the finished product. Hope you enjoy!

Fall 2009 Course/Work Schedule

Brent — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:41:23 +0000

It’s that time of year of again. Fall 2009 has begun and I will share my schedule with you. I like my classes so far and have a feeling they will go just as well tomorrow. Without further to do, here’s my weekly schedule for the next 15 weeks:

Monday
9:00 - 9:50 Writing For Print Media, Eller, MC116
10:00 - 10:50 Chapel
11:00 - 11:50 Graphic Design 1, Eller, MC116
12:00 - 5:00 Work Study, Eller
6:30 - 8:45 Oral Communication, Johnson, ADM-214

Tuesday
9:25 - 10:40 Marriage & The Family, McManus, SCI-211
12:15 - 1:30 Spanish 3, Walker, LC-BRS1
1:30 - 3:30 Work Study, Eller
3:30 - 5:45 Typography, Hance, RUNON-201

Wednesday
9:00 - 9:50 Writing For Print Media, Eller, MC116
10:00 - 10:50 Chapel
11:00 - 11:50 Graphic Design 1, Eller, MC116
12:00 - 5:00 Work Study, Eller

Thursday
9:25 - 10:40 Marriage & The Family, McManus, SCI-211
12:15 - 1:30 Spanish 3, Walker, LC-BRS1
1:30 - 3:30 Work Study, Eller
3:30 - 5:45 Typography, Hance, RUNON-201

Friday
9:00 - 9:50 Writing For Print Media, Eller, MC116
11:00 - 11:50 Graphic Design 1, Eller, MC116

Textbooks: to be read only for class. Right?

Brent — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:10:18 +0000

"Designing With Type" by James Craig

So i’m moving back in to school in five days. Classes start next Wednesday, and honestly I’m quite excited. I just looked over my course schedule and so far, I really like it. Though not having yet been to any of the classes does sort of skew the meaning of that.

I am particularly excited about one class: Typography. Typography is the study and art of arranging type and type design. Type has always been something that as intrigued me and I’m glad I’m taking a course to learn more about it.

I’ve already received the textbook for the course and found I’ve already read the first five chapters. At this rate I’ll have the book read before I attend the first lecture. Which I’m fine with. It’s a great book. In fact, it’s one of the best design books I’ve ever bought.

The book is called Designing With Type, written by James Craig. So far, i’ve learned many technical terms as well as why a lot of things are the way they are today. Very Interesting. If you are anywhere interested in design or visual communication, I strongly urge you to buy and read this book!

At any rate, I move back in Sunday and I’m excited to get back. I hope to do more reading–even more than I’ve done this summer, more studying, and ulitimately I hope my grades will turn out just as well as they did this summer. That’s not too much to ask for, now is it?

My Life According to Death Cab

Brent — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:54:39 +0000

I decided to describe my life only using songs by the band, Death Cab For Cutie.

Describe yourself:
Long Division

How do you feel?
A Lack of Color

Describe where you currently live:
My New Twin Sized Bed

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
Where Soul Meets Body

Your favorite form of transportation:
Passenger’s Seat

Your best friend is:
A Talking Bird

You and your best friends are:
Brothers on a Hotel Bed

What’s the weather like?
No Sunlight

Favorite time of day?
The New Year

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called?
A Movie Script Ending

What is life to you?
Expo ‘86

Your relationship:
I Will Possess Your Heart

Your fear:
The Ice is Getting Thinner

What is the best advice you have to give?
Someday You Will Be Loved

My soul’s present condition:
Transatlanticism

The Return of the Fallen

Brent — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 07:03:10 +0000

So the internet definitely was down yesterday for quite some time here in the Wood D House. That’s North Greenville University for yah. So i was bored out of my mind.

So what did I do? Well, I did a lot of reading, and still am. I just finished The Silver Chair, the fourth installment in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, and am now reading the fifth, The Horse And His Boy. I admire C.S. Lewis. I’m also reading The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. Great book. Highly recommend it. I’m learning how sinful I actually am, and how much that sin offends a holy and righteous, perfect God, who has no choice but to hate the sin I willingly commit. But it’s also teaching me how to be holy, and everything that means and brings along with it.

I also did some designing. I wanted to make something referring to my studies here at NGU. My concentration is Visual Communication in the Print Media degree, so that’s what I focused on with this design. I made a wallpaper, with 3 variations.

I started with just a plain black background. The font I used was a free one I saw featured on a blog. It’s called Sansation. The rest is photoshop brushes. They are a watercolor set I also got for free. You can download them from free at BittBox. I added a few different layer/text effects and all, but that is basically it. You can download the wallpapers from my flickr.

But now, the glorious internet is obviously alive and running. In fact I think I might have been the one who remedied the catastrophe. We’ll have to see how long it wants to stay this way.

Happy Designing!

Demand The Design

Brent — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:28:48 +0000

So I’ve been working on this new portfolio site for the past 3 days. And so far, I’m happy with the results. You can view the site at www.brentalexander.net. My reasoning for redesigning a layout was to get away from the blog theme that i had going on with my old one. I wanted something that shouted “I’m a top-notch web designer!” and “Hire me now!” I believe that this new layout is going to work out just fine. There are still a lot of kinks and things to work out. Every time i think I’m finished with it, I find one more thing that bothers me, and it must be fixed. But now, I need sleep. So i will go, and leave my further endeavor’s for another day. In the meantime, enjoy the new site, and please, leave feedback!

Britt Nicole - The Lost Get Found

Brent — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:51:14 +0000

Me, the Ultimate Multi-tasker

Brent — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:47:21 +0000

You can call me the ultimate multi-tasker. I think the title fits pretty well… Above is a picture of my workspace in the mass comm department. I was working on the new website for the student newspaper of North Greenville University, The Skyliner. I don’t always use three computers; it just made that specific job easier. I didn’t design this. Praise God for Wordpress theme designers. They make my life a lot more enjoyable and a lot less time-consuming; that way i can get on to other better and interesting things like building and designing better and bigger websites. Yeah, i know. I’m a nerd. It’s ok though. I love it. You will thank me later. So feel free do check out the website over at nguskyliner.net. I’m working on getting all the kinks out and some little things here and there, but you should like what you see.

Also, i’ll let you guys and gals in on a little secret. Yes. A secret, and i’m only telling you, my fellow blog readers…

Sometime in the distant future you shall be expecting a miraculous rebirth of brentalexander.net. That’s right. I’m designing a whole new layout. I have no clue on where i’m going with it. But your eyes shall be amazed. In the meantime go check out the skyliner.

Until next blog… Namaste.