Nusrat Durrani

Nusrat Durrani worked literally from the ground up to get to his position as Senior Vice President and General Manager of MTV World. Growing up in India, Durrani was raised in the midst of a giant sea of culture in and outside of his own country. In 1993, Durrani recalls seeing a television network that was aptly titled Music Television, or MTV, for the first time. Immediately he was infatuated with the network, researching for the next four years about MTV and trying to find his way in to be part of it himself. This passion got him through having to basically restart his life in America and struggling his way into the company's New York-based headquarters during the harshest winter the city had seen in 100 years.

As the surprisingly mild-mannered and down-to-earth Durrani states, "finding a passion isn't a science, it's an art". By this, he means one cannot calculate how to excel in a field that they love, it must more or less express itself naturally. This is an important concept for anyone who chooses to take up any job or life for themselves, as it will be this artful passion that will get them through the almost imminent hard times that life will bring them, and ultimately a great deal of success.

Julius Caesar Project: Research

Synopsis:

A tragedy by William Shakespeare.  Portrays the conspiracy against the Roman dictator, his assassination and its aftermath.

Symbols:

Dagger

Roman Column

Roman Statue

Bloody cloth

Julius Caesar Project: Storyboard

Blog Commentary: Week 6

Seth Godin: What does this remind you of?

Very true assessment. Companies and sellers often tend to try to reinvent the wheel when releasing a new product, which more often than not works against them. Sometimes it is best to just do what works. Actually, most of the time it's best to do that.

Core77: Apple design, old vs. new

I remember using one of the earlier Macintosh computers in my house when I was a kid. It is true that Core77's assessment of the design of macs being awfully similar throughout the generations, however I believe that is due to the fact that Apple has always held onto the concept of simplicity and whatever is not needed is to be left out. So extra broader design is simply not necessarily, and so it is not exhibited. We see this concept especially now with the newest macs, in which Apple stresses the fact that they were design with fewer manufacturing pieces than before. Again, the company truly has mastered the assertion that less is more.

Blog Commentary: Week 5

Core77: Deserve Your Dream: Design Education and Advocacy, by Mariana Amatullo
Amazing artwork.  A simple yet powerful design with a profound message.  A lot of cases in contemporary design this is a key concept that goes a very long way.  Even the simple text at the bottom contrasting with the relatively "giant" blood splatter image drives the point home.  This is something that can work very well in the area of advertising.  Even if it's just advertising a serious subject and not just a product.

Seth Godin: Nine steps to Powerpoint magic

Certainly great tips to handling your presentation, especially in a class like New Media.  Basically the main point in these tips is to simply give a genuine presentation, like you actually enjoy whatever it is you're trying to "sell".  And if you don't enjoy it, act like you do.  It'll make the biggest difference.  

Core77: Youtube in SuperHD

Very clever.  Even funnier that it's a Rick Astley video.  I would not be surprised if Youtube made HD, or at least super high-quality video available to stream in the near future.

Core77: Harman Kardon Makes Crystal Bling Speakers

These look pretty nice in my personal opinion.  Harman Kardon is known mostly for its speakers, but these are a distinguishable design that, according to the article, blend "bling" and "steampunk", which is bound to attract at least a small group of individuals looking for a set of speakers for their computer.  Very interesting.

Blog Commentary: Week 4

Seth Godin: What advertising can't fix

Microsoft very well could have generated a great deal of buzz with the Jerry Seinfeld commercials if they weren't so weird and borderline terrible. This seems to be an ongoing trend in television advertising; doing commercials with quirky storylines that I suppose are intended to be funny or entertaining, and hoping the advertise the product solely off a "quirky" commercial. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Microsoft should've left it alone.

Core77: Foldaway furniture, part 1

An interesting and possibly useful concept. I can't imagine some of the furniture, particularly the bed and chairs, being all that comfortable or practical as foldable material, though. But then again I haven't tried it myself.

Seth Godin: When you stand for something
Another example of a lesson in everyday life applying to the world of design and business. You are seen as much more respectable when you make a clear stance on something and stick to it, rather than bending your own rules for the sake of trying to make everyone happy. This concept in the long run is impossible and unattainable, so it is better to know your limits in certain cases and stick to it.