The world is saturated by program interfaces. Icons are a part of daily life for anyone that uses a computer... much less an ATM or a cell phone! Animation draws the eye into advertisements. Movies and video games are as much a part of our after-hours entertainment as reading a book. While designing user interfaces for websites and computer programs, I have created a wide variety of icons, gaining experience in what does and does not work for users, on various types of displays and resolutions, even at sizes as small as 16 pixels square.

Flash is also very, very prevalent in website development today. Combining the best features and capabilities of program interfaces, streaming media, as well as database integration in its newest versions, Flash is one of the most useful things to add to a website.

The sections below detail my work on icons for Ask Jeeves, Inc, Teoma.com, Dadaware, Inc, Macromedia Flash animations and interfaces, and some video game artwork, as well as Flash advertisements for Ask Jeeves, the Minnesota Tribe, and IPivot.com.

Commercial Software Program Icons
Ask Jeeves Inc,
Internet Explorer Toolbar:

Teoma.com,
Internet Explorer Toolbar:

Dadaware, Inc,
Program Interface Icons:
airbrusheraseflood fillfill selection with colorhand move (cursor)user defined operationspecial effectsstamppenciltext tool

Macromedia Flash Animation & Interfaces
Ask Jeeves, Inc,
Macromedia Flash advertisements & interfaces:
Food Fight for Hunger:
 E.T. Homepage Ad:
 Windows XP Homepage Ad:

Minnesota Tribe,
Macromedia Flash animations & interfaces:
Regiment Structure
 Division Structure
 Map Overlays

IPivot.com,
Flash movie demonstrations:
Garage Band
 Flight Booking
 Mortgage Calculator

3D Design
Quake2,
Scenic Backdrop Illustrations & Character "skin" texturing:
Backdrop Illustrations: 3D Model Texturing:

©2004: All rights reserved by the artist, Christopher T. Merkel, except where otherwise noted.
Any reproduction or distribution of the artwork presented here without the prior consent of the artist is strictly prohibited.
All brand names mentioned here remain the property of those companies. Artist claims no rights to any registered trademarks or service marks.