Visual Communication Theory & Practice - Section 3

Pooja's Interface Design - Save The Earth

2009-08-17T16:15:00.005-04:00

RATIONALE

NAME Pooja
PROJECT Interface Design Project
DATE August 14, 2009

Not For Profit Site Audience
The website I chose is savetheearth.com. This website essentially aims at raising environmental consciousness and funding environmental research at colleges and universities. The idea behind the website is to enable more research in order to arrest the deterioration of the planet. The audience for the website are colleges, universities, environmentalists and philanthropists.

Web site visual Identity
I want the website to communicate the concept of "Save the Earth", its importance and need. Hence I have used the colors blue and green and images that relate to earth - landscape, water body and animal, birds, Insects etc. I also wanted to highlight the donation aspect as that is the main reason for this website.

Design Strategy
The message I want the design to communicate is the need for a change to save the earth and provoke the user to donate. I did this by highlighting the donate box and by keeping the webpage vibrant with images that are perfect and symbolizes beautiful earth. On roll-over of the links, the color changes with a white glow in the bottom. The secondary links are placed below and underlined and the underline disappears on roll-over/click. I have placed bread crumbs for easy navigation as there are many links and a lot of information to be placed. If there are a lot of information (e.g. research page), the headlines are links which opens out to the whole story. On clicking the next link, the previous one closes and the new link opens out to reveal the story. I placed search navigation on the header as it helps for the researchers look for specific articles and find more about funds.

Style Sheet
Navigation Links : Helvetica 14
Headlines : Arial
Sub Heads Hevetica Bold, 12/14
Body Copy Helvetica, 11

Document Grid
I used the navigation bar as the basis for the girds. The navigation bar needs absolute importance in this website and hence I placed it right next to the logo on the header.

Sources
Save the Earth - savetheearth.com
Images - http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi

Sean's Wrap Up

2009-08-14T22:07:00.002-04:00

This class was awesome. I learned so much-- before I got here, I knew nothing about graphics, Adobe, etc. and was awful at this kind of stuff. Now, I still suck but at least there is some improvement. So that is good.

To my teachers--- Jeff and Kate, you two are mad fly. Ill. Dope. Serious. To my classmates-- it was fun and interesting. I loved being able to choose what I wanted to do on all my topics because I have a very limited range of interests. I like things like crazy, man-devouring animals. So thanks to this class, I got to do two projects with cheetahs and sharks.

Obviously, I wasn't a big fan of the lectures. I thought we could have used more time in the labs because that is where I learned most of what I know now. I really didn't retain any info from the lectures at all. I usually watched youtube videos of OJ Mayo or stalked people on facebook. Sometimes, I sat there drinking a 20 ounce water to help destroy my memory from the night before.

Coming into this class, I didn't expect at all to think about doing more with graphics. My focus was always into writing, but this was definitely my favorite class out of the two of them. All of the projects were different and made me try different procedures.

Overall, all of the projects were helpful and I thoroughly enjoyed coming to class, and trying to make cool things and learn the programs while listening to Jodeci. Hope everyone has a good break.

Sean's Web Site

2009-08-14T19:03:00.001-04:00

Sean Sweeney
Project: Interface Design Project
8/14/09

Not-For-Profit Site Audience
The audience for this web site are animal lovers, specifically people who love the ocean and sharks. My organization is made of people who feel the need to protect the Great White Shark. They are doing research and putting together programs to better identify and research what this shark is all about. Anyone who is interested in stories, info or great pictures of sharks would visit this site.

Web Site Visual Identity
I wanted to have an open space web site to better represent the ocean. Obviously, the shark is such a huge attention-getter. I needed to have that be the focus of my header. Even though I do have boxes, the background seems like you are fading down into the ocean, which portrays my original idea.

Design Strategy
The first time someone visits the site, they will immediately recognize the face and shape of the Great White. No matter how you feel about sharks, it grabs your attention. I wanted to use specific colors and give the site a streamlined feel, similar to that of the real animal. The boxes of information show a lot of pictures and interesting stories about the animal. The header is once again hinting at the colors used throughout the web site and the colors of the Great White Shark.

Style Sheet
Navigation links: ocean sans std, extra bold, 16 point
Headlines: univers LT std, 65 bold, 24/18 point
Subheads: arial 12 point (most regular, some bold and italic)
Body copy: arial 12/11 point

Document Grid
I put my navigation, header and icon all on the same side because I wanted the shark to have the full left side to it self. I figured it would be more powerful and attention-getting this way. Also, I didn’t want any straight edges on my boxes because I wanted them to look streamlined just like the shark and ocean.

Sources
All my images came from google images, whitesharktrust.org and abc4explore.com

Extras
The colors I used are either some variation of blue (for the ocean) or gray/white (for the shark). I felt these heavily contributed to the overall feel.

Olivia's Website

2009-08-14T16:41:00.005-04:00

Olivia Franken

Interface Design Project

14 August 2009

Not-for-profit site audience

The not-for-profit is called For The Good, Inc. and serves the community of Utica, NY. In particular, the lower income areas of the community and areas of town where refugees live benefit from the services provided by For The Good, Inc.

Website visual identity

I want my website to convey a sense of community and good feelings. The site needs to represent progress and involvement so that people feel they are donating to a positive and successful cause. People don’t want to donate to someone that is not getting anything done or looks as if they are failing. This will hopefully help spread what good is being done by the organization and encourage people to help it continue.

Design Strategy

In my creative design process, I worked to think of a symbol that represents community. Out of my list came the flower I designed in Adobe Illustrator and it now sits on the upper right corner of all my pages. This is a single flower, made of bright colors and conveys the strength, growth and community development of the not-for-profit organization. The idea of using purple is a complimentary color and is used on the organization’s current website. My newfound love for Helvetica is represented by the numerous ways I used it throughout the various web pages. The type used is clear and legible, which is very important in web design. The navigation is prominent but not overpowering and I am certain my typography portrays the proper hierarchy.

Style Sheet

Header - Helvetica Neue Bold Italic and Italic (32 and 18)

Navigation Bar - Helvetica Neue Condensed Bold (14)

Home page title - Helvetica Neue Bold (30)

Home page subtitle - Helvetica Neue Bold (18 and 16)

Subpages’ titles - Helvetica Neue Bold (22)

Sidebar category - Helvetica Neue Bold (16)

Sidebar subcategories - Helvetica Neue Bold (14)

Sidebar subcategory details - Helvetica Neue Regular (14)

Body type – Arial Regular (12)

Document Grid

For the most part my grid is 50 pixels with 10 pixel gutters. While I used a grid, it was more of a guideline and not a strict system for organization. I chose my grid because it was easier to determine and just seemed to look right.

Sources

Most of the pictures came from the website for the not-for-profit.

Extras

All of the colors in my page came from the flower created for my header and the purple from the header as well.

davis_interfacedesign

2009-08-14T16:41:00.004-04:00

Sadie May Davis
Interface design project
August 14, 2009

Audience: The most likely audience for this site is a combination of other, related non-profits and women’s rights interested individuals ranging in age from 20 to 50. The non-profit serves women, children, and adolescents around the world in the form of aid and education. I think activists are the most likely people to use this site, and they would use it to gain information about Family Care International.

Web site visual identity: My web site conveys a feeling of comfort and optimism. I use cool, comfortable colors to help make the images and content sold. The images are mostly hopeful, but they do highlight the issues FCI addresses. The site is simple and composed of rectangles. I did not want to detract from the content.

Design strategy: The homepage creates an interest in FCI. I used several layers to create links that work into the rest of the site. The main feature is eye-catching, and it makes the viewer want to learn more. The top navigation gives the broad areas of the site and the side navigation allows the viewer to explore more detailed areas of the main nav bar. I use the blue color to show which areas are links, and the blue color is also used to show people where they are in the site.

Style sheet:
Cronos Pro: Regular, Light Italic, Bold Caption – Header, motto, top and side navigation, sidebar headings, feature headings
Arial: Regular, Bold – body copy, body of sidebars

Document grid: I used a 12 section grid for this project. The twelve sections consisted of 63 pixels each. The eleven gutters between the sections were 4 pixels each. 12*63=756, 11*4=44, 756+44=800! (It took me a while to figure that out.)

Sources:
http://rickspate.com/images/africa_woman_child_web2.jpg
http://crs-blog.org/nutrition-for-mothers-and-children/
http://www.etravelphotos.com/photo.php?pid=974
http://www.cafod.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/colombia/images/colombian-schoolgirls
http://runathena.com/images/BlankAfricaMap.jpg
http://www.alaf.co.uk/images/map.png
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1105005@N23/

Extras: I used blue and green from my header photo to create a color palette for this project.

Todd Cross' Interface Design

2009-08-14T16:38:00.013-04:00

Rationale

Name – Todd Cross
Project – Interface Design Project
Date - 8/14/09

Not-For-Profit Site Audience – Save the Children is an organization that attracts the socially conscious. The audience is sensitive to the difficulties and hardships of society and they desire to act, contribute or at least, educate themselves on issues beyond the U.S. Parents and child health care providers gravitate towards this website. I think viewers would use this site to inform themselves on how they can help, donate, and/or volunteer. The not-for-profit site serves children in need on a world scale.

Website visual identity - I am looking to convey the personal nature of this organization that works intimately with children, families and communities. The visual plays to the “middle-of-the road” emotion experience – not too heavy and sad but at the same time, not comical or disconnected from the organization’s purpose. The design approach is almost neutral; however, it is intended to be accessible – it is really important to connect with viewers and get them to care about people and issues presented.

Design strategy – Through hierarchy, the design shows that this organization in on-the-go. There is a sense of calm and professionalism – important for those who want to give and might be afraid of untrustworthy not-for-profits. The navigation bar is about immediacy, news, and action. In seconds, you are able to find information about this organization and there are catch phrases directing the viewer (almost rewarding them for the click – Learn More, Go, Sign Up) . The type plays off the organization’s long established logo. The main feature switches to serif type to hint at a journalistic feel. The visual indicators are underlined links and small text units that change to red when selected.

Style sheet –
Logo – Gill Sans MT Bold, 39- Auto Leading, Tracking 0
Navigation bar - Gill Sans MT Bold, 14- Auto Leading, Tracking 0
Feature Headline – Georgia, Bold, 28 - Auto Leading, Tracking 0
Feature Subhead – Arial, Reg, 18 - Auto Leading, Tracking 0
Secondary boxed features–headline: Gill Sans MT, Bold 24 - Auto Leading,Tracking 0
Secondary boxed features – text: Gill Sans, Reg, 12 - Auto Leading,Tracking 0
Caption – Arial, Reg, 10 - Auto Leading,Tracking 0

Document grid – The grid is based on five columns, each at 140 picas with 15 pica spacing.

Sources – All images were shot by me.

Nasar Website Layout

2009-08-14T16:37:00.004-04:00

Rationale

Attia Nasar

Project: Interface Design Project

August 14, 2009

Not-for-profit site audience

This site is aimed at anyone really. The organization serves children in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan regions. But this site is for individuals around the world to learn more about their cause.

Website visual identity

I wanted to show that this organization is serious in its mission. Visually I wanted to show that this site is organized and capable of doing what they have set out to do. I think this site is much more navigable now and an instill trust in the audience that CAI is a organization to invest in. I used all images that currently are on their website. I just positioned them better. I used a very simplistic typeface, to show the simplicity and sincerity of this organization.

Design strategy

I think my home page is very clean and relays the information neatly. I wanted to place a greater emphasis on the imagery and logo with my use of light and dark colors. The navigation is very easy and simple. When you move the mouse over the sections a drop down menu appears and when you click on a section, a similar menu appears on the left hand side for easier navigation and the page you have clicked on is highlighted to show that it was visited.

Style sheet

I used Helvetic Neue Condensed Bold for all the headings, navigation links, headlines, subheads, size 14 and 12 and 10. For the body copy I used Helvetica Neue regular, size 12.

Document grid

The document grid is interesting. It’s like a 4-column grid.

Sources

All images are from their website. The Facebook and Twitter images are from Google.

Extras

I used the colors from their logo.

Donate

2009-08-14T16:36:00.011-04:00

Rationale
Interface Design Project
August 14, 2009

AUDIENCE

My audience is anyone that cares about helping people. This is an organization performing a great service to the local community. They provide hot meals every day of the year to whoever cons in, needing help. Most importantly, they do all of this as a non-profit.

VISUAL IDENTITY

My m.o. was to create a visually calming layout that would encourage users to want to give money to the cause. The sleek, design is heavy on content and images intended to give the viewer motivation.

DESIGN STRATEGY

I used beige borders on the top right side of the page, and the bottom left, and a white background banner. With Jeff’s help we put in a gradient overlay on the headline, creating a pop effect. The visual contrast from the highlighted layer (white box) created an outer-glow that really made the page seemingly come out of the screen. The hint of light was what really made this page come alive. We also changed the canvas size to 1200 by 700 to enhance the appearance of the page.

STYLE SHEET

I used arial for font on all my content. Specifically:

Banner Headline : 58 pt for (“Samaritan Center”), 17 pt. for (“the,” and “an interfaith…”)

Nav. Links : 15 pt. regular
Headlines : 24 pt. regular
Subheads : 12 pt. bold
Body Copy : 12 pt. regular

DOCUMENT GRID

I used an untraditional grid. I inserted grid lines to extend down the left and right sides of the page, and inserted pictures on the same extended lines of continuation.

SOURCES

Samaritancenter.com
Google.com

Bryan's Interface Design Project

2009-08-14T16:36:00.009-04:00

Interface Design Project

08/14/09

Not-for-Profit Site Audience
Kids interested in the arts (particularly reading and writing) and adults who have experience and want to help expose kids to arts and culture.

Web site visual identity
Bold and modern, to represent an organization that aims to helps America’s youth. It’s a site that is both stylish, but not at the cost of substance, as that is what the new generation of writers the program is producing will hopefully be like. Or something like that.

Design Strategy
I tried to create a modern feel, but one that calls upon older broadsheet papers. What I really used as inspiration, was this monthly magazine/newspaper that American Apparel used to publish about a year or two ago called, Mexico City. The magazine had a very bold style, using mainly black, white, and pictures with vibrant colors. It has a strong visual identity, but one that does not take away from its content, which is exactly what I wanted for this site.

Document Grid
Pretty simple, three column grid, two for the pages content, one for the event sidebar. Of the two columns for content one is for text, the other for the image.

Sources
I got all my images off of the 826LA website, except for the banner images, all of which I found through google image search, using the term “kids reading.”

Extras
Clarity with a boldness and vibrancy to boot

O'Neill Website

2009-08-14T16:29:00.007-04:00

Nick Cicero: Wrap Up

2009-08-14T16:27:00.002-04:00

I can't say enough how much fun I've had in class this semester. I've learned so much it's unbelievable. I was proficient on InDesign, but never would have I ever thought I'd end up good at Illustrator and Photoshop too. But aside from a technical standpoint, my ideologies have changed. I now see my ideas more clearly, my brainstorms are stronger, and my end product has been great. I wish I could do this everyday, I'm going to try and get a graphic design job doing something...if anyone knows anyplace lemme know!

The other thing I wanted to include is this sketching and sketchbook thing. What a great idea! I'm not sure why I haven't started carrying a book with me sooner. I find myself constantly writing in it ideas and doodles and sketches. Not to mention it makes me look really creative when I'm doing things I don't want to do and need a distraction.

I want to thank Jeff and Kate for being great instructors, and for never allowing us (well me personally) to settle for less than our potential. I'm grateful for this class.

Nick Cicero: Website Project

2009-08-14T16:22:00.004-04:00

The audience for the National Arbor Day foundation is the environmentally conscious society. As one of the nation’s older NPO’s the audience is huge. People who are members the foundation, as well as people looking to buy trees, would be using this site. The personality of this site is that of a very user-friendly, green website. I wanted to portray a very respectable organization, while keeping that ruggedness of the outdoorsman. The type and images come together to clearly illustrate the need for forest conservation. By having a large picture as the focal point of the homepage, as well as the headline: “Trees make a world of difference,” I think the message becomes clear as soon as a person visits the site. This is a site designed to be educational and conservational. The navigation bars at the top are much smoother than the actual site, and I think this really just helps overall navigation, and readability. When a user mouses over a nav link, a lighter shade of green bar is overlaid, and the type color changes to black.

Navigation Links: Tw Cen MT 14
Headlines: Georgia regular, 60
Body Copy: Georgia Regular, 12/18
User Data: Arial 12/14

The grid I used was the 960 grid system, with 16 columns, with 10 pixels of margin on the left and right, which create 20 pixel wide gutters between columns. I thought this made it easy to lay the site out, and allowed me to be more creative and organized in my thinking.

I took images from flickr (searching trees) and from the Arbor Day Foundation’s site as well. I wanted to keep the same color scheme as the original site had. Their identity is green, so for me to change it would be misleading. I do think the colors work well with the layout; the green and tan dominant allows for a smooth and unified look of my page.

Smith"s_Interface Project

2009-08-14T16:14:00.007-04:00

Ryan Smith

Project: Interface Design Project

8/14/2009

Site Audience

My website is designed to be easy to navigate for people that enjoy staying active and are interested in supporting the Special Olympics. The Special Olympics are designed to help people with special needs compete, and I believe that my website invokes an emotional appeal to its viewers. This website will be used by people who are interesting in taking part in a variety of charity events or a person who wants to compete as an athlete in The Special Olympics.

Visual Identity

The personality of my website conveys an exciting and hip feeling. I chose to use a light blue as my focus color because I believe it pulls people into the body copy. I chose images that show the Special Olympics athletes in triumphant poses.

Design Strategy

I think my content flows well and is easy to navigate. The navigation bar clearly shows the viewer where they are and there is a tab on the left side that shows the page as well. I chose to use Helvetica and Arial because I felt they blended well together and they were clear. The navigations links will turn white when you click on them.

Style Sheet

Navigation Links: Helvetica 14/16

Headlines: Helvetica 14/16

Subhead: Arial 14/16

Body Copy: 12/14

Document Grid

My interface was designed on a 12-column grid. I think people will first see the Special Olympic logo and that will lead their eyes to the navigation bar.

I got all my images from google.com and the Special Olympics website

Feely Website Project

2009-08-14T16:13:00.002-04:00

Nick Feely

Rationale – Website Project

August 14, 2009

Not-for-profit site audience

The audience for my website would be any fans of USA sports, specifically the national soccer teams. My not-for-profit serves the USA Soccer Organization and funds all USA Soccer programs throughout the country. They would use the site to find news about the team, find out information about the soccer programs offered, and to buy USA Soccer merchandise.

Web site visual identity

I intend to provide an informational and exciting web page to any fans of USA Soccer. The site is a one-stop-shop for all information, whether it is scores, news, rosters, merchandise or contact information. The personality of the website is simple yet exciting. I tried to use very simple typefaces and layouts to give the site a clean look, but also included a lot of pictures and clickable links to give it usability.

Design strategy

My design intends to communicate the same ideas presented in the visual identity. The navigation is easily found and very easily used. The white to gray text makes the user sure that they are rolling over a clickable link, and the type stays gray to indicate which page the user is on. I used a lot of colors to show links instead of changing typefaces or size of the type. I really tried to incorporate the red, white, and blue colors to indicate that it is USA Soccer without overloading the colors onto the screen. I used all sans serif typefaces so that the screen is easy to read for any user.

Style sheet

Navigation links: ITC Machine Pro, size 18
Headlines: arial bold, size 18
Subheaders: arial bold, size 16

Sources

All images were taken from either USSoccer.com or found on Google Images.

Grid design

I kept the grid very simple by putting rulers at every 100 px mark. I made sure that all of the elements on each page lined up with a specific spot in the grid to keep the site organized. The only page I had trouble keeping to the grid on was the roster page because that page by nature is creating it’s own grid to put in information.

VH1 Save The Music Interface Design by Drew Carr

2009-08-14T16:11:00.003-04:00

This is my take on the website for VH1’s Save The Music Foundation. The site’s primary audience could be anyone interested in making sure that music education remains in public school curriculums. Because the organization puts on concerts to raise money, the site also applies to music fans in general.

Through an organization like Save The Music Foundation, users can donate, get involved with local promotions and benefits, or attend concerts to help keep music education alive.

I based the site on the official logo, and used a sidebar on the left with two columns in the middle for the content. When in doubt, I turn to blue. I think it’s a calming, non-distracting color, and it matched the logo. So that’s where I started. I thought the logos for JetBlue, Facebook, and Twitter fit well on the page. After some creative input from Jeff Passetti, I decided to use a series of photos on the top of the page, including the Maria Taylor picture that was shot down for the magazine project.

I thought the navigation links looked better on a white column than they did on the background alone. I think I just wanted everything to match.

Navigation links were done in Helvetica (12 pt) and the headlines (save one) were done in Arial, as was the body copy (10). The show ad was also done in Helvetica.

I found the images on Google Images and Flickr. As usual.

Enjoy!

Ali wraps up

2009-08-14T16:10:00.003-04:00

I would have NEVER learned CS4 if it werent for this course. Loved the hands-on approach, and of course the fact that we never had to take our work home and do it by ourselves. Because I never would have made the deadlines if so.

Blogging was a bit of a chore at first, especially the reading responses, but the comments (critiquing) bit I found rather useful. The current event posts over the weekend was a slight case of bad timing. Nobody looks at logos on Saturday and Sunday. But we do what we have to.

Jeff was funny every week. I came to class because of this. Kate had her moments too, like when she called me "problem child."

Great course overall. Exhausting and tedious, but very practical and fun. I think I did well in it, but more importantly, I learned tons of new stuff.

Kasim Interface Design

2009-08-14T16:05:00.005-04:00

The website I re-designed belongs to FirstBook.org, a not-for-profit foundation that provides books to children across the world. The audience for this website would generally be everyone, but in particular, those interested in world literacy. The site provides research on literacy, a media center and of course, an avenue for donation.

I chose this website not because it was poorly designed, but because it could be improved in terms of clarity and simplification. There were far too many links on the homepage. The links were also spread all across the page in different iconic forms, etc.

By reducing the number of links on the homepage to six, information pathways are better “filed” and there’s less of a clutter with user options. The result is a deeper and narrower portal. If a user is looking for something specific, he or she will find it via one of the main 6 links, which encompass (in condensed form) everything on the original version.

The call-to-action – which is the “Donate” option on most not-for-profit websites – was not clearly defined. Hence, I placed it in the middle of my design, embedded in the main feature photo.

The photos were also previously strewn across the page in different sizes and shapes. While these are important, I felt they could be reduced in number and placed more strategically, i.e. on the top of the page and in the middle of the page.

I also added a world map section on the right sidebar that I feel provides a varied aesthetic to the page as opposed to photos of a repeated theme. The world map is actually another link into a section on one of my secondary pages.

Overall, the important thing was to place everything the organization wants the user to see and know on the homepage, without getting too peripheral. Stuff that’s important: a call-to-action, a brief description about the organization, a registration column, a list of awards, and a strong, message-bearing main photo.

I kept the grids to 3 columns, with the main column (main photo + call-to-action) slightly larger and in the center. The second thing I wanted the user to notice was the “Impact on the World” section, so I placed it on the right on a slightly broader column than the left. Links were placed horizontally spread across the top of the main photo, right underneath the page header – where most links are located.

Style Sheet

Only 2 fonts used – ARIAL for web text and HELVETICA for headers, links and everything else. The font for the logo and slogan was a default from the organization.

Marmor Interface Design

2009-08-14T16:01:00.004-04:00

Lianna Marmor
Interface Design
Rationale
Aug. 14, 2009

Not-for-profit site audience
The not-for-profit I chose is called California Human Development and it is targeted to anyone that may be in need of human services. Because the organization offers a variety of services the audience really differs. One major target audience is the farm-working community, another is truck-drivers, another is people seeking housing assistance. Overall, the site is here to help poor people. People would use the use the site to see what services CHD offers, who CHD is as an organization, and how to contact CHD.

Web site visual identity
I wanted the personality of the website to be very inviting. I want it to be easy to navigate especially because many people who might be using this site may not be very internet savvy (or may be less educated). I wanted it to look clean, strait-forward, and professional. I chose the images because most of them are photos that I took while working for the organization. Even the landscape at the top of the site is a photo I took at a winery in Sonoma County (where CHD provides many of its services). The typefaces are Arial, for clarity, and the logo uses Adobe Garimond Pro to give some diversity to the text.

Design strategy
I originally had the background color be a bright shade of green, which was too intense. Then blue, which was also horrible. I wanted to use this shade of green because it represents Sonoma County to me. It’s also not a threatening color or shade. I put the logo in the top left so it catches the eye. I wanted the navigation bar vertically on the left side because when I put it horizontally across the top it was too cluttered and left a huge blank space along the left side. It works much better where it is and it is easily accessible. The Donate indicator is in yellow so it stands out. A person will know when he/she has the cursor over a link in the navigation bar because it will turn black. To further my message I use type to create hierarchy. I put the titles of the page in green and they are the largest. Then sub-titles are black and bold. Then the text is in Arial regular.

Style sheet
Logo: California-Myriad Pro Italic 18pt. Human-Myriad Bold Italic 26pt. Development- Bold Italic 26pt.
Navigation Links: Garimond Pro Bold 16pt.
Titles: Ariel Bold 30pt.
Subtitles: Ariel Bold 24pt.
Captions: Ariel Regular 10pt.
Text: Ariel Regular and Bold 12pt.

Document Grid
I worked off of the mathematical grid that you (Jeff) helped me create originally.

Sources
I took all of the photos myself while working for CHD. The only one I did not take is the photo of the CEO. I got that from chdcorp.org.

davis_final post

2009-08-14T14:35:00.002-04:00

Though it made me nervous at first, this class has been extrememly beneficial. I had absolutely no exprience with CS4 before this class, and the only Adobe work I had done was some basic newspaper design in InDesign. Now I feel as if I have a really good grasp of the software and the theory behind it, skills that will undoubtedly come in handy in personal work if not in the professional sphere.
The lecture portion of the class was probably not anyone's favorite portion, but I did learn a huge amount about typography, grid, design applied to different projects, and underlying theory. Thinking with Type was a beneficial addition to the classwork, and it was a nice, easy read. After listening to these lectures, the world really does look different. We may jokingly notice typography on a sign now, but even with the humorous tone, we are noticing it nonetheless. Just like other forms of art, graphics allows you to see the world in a very different light. I wonder if that will wear off once I stop doing projects on Thursdays and Fridays.
Overall, I am glad this class is required for the PD program. It took me outside of my comfort zone of academia, and it made for a nice break at the end of the week - excluding the deadlines.

End of Days

2009-08-14T13:10:00.002-04:00

Six weeks has gone by and I wonder how. I would not even believe that it has been six weeks had it not been for the changes in myself and my knowledge. I started this class without the faintest idea of what to do when opening an item in Adobe In Design, Illustrator or even Photoshop. In my final project, I could create my own images to fit a design that I put together and add photos where I removed the background. After learning some of the basic skills I can do so much. I can only hope that I will be able to utilize these skills in the future and hopefully continue to expand my knowledge and skills within this area.

Not only was I able to learn how to use these programs, but also the mentality of how and why to make design choices. To be honest, the lectures may not have been my favorite part of class and I frequently caught up on the daily news while half listening to that day's presenter. However, even with the attention I did pay and from the blog posts of my colleagues, I learned a great deal about the extensive process of graphic design in numerous fields, how it has evolved and the potential it holds in society.

Finally, it seems only fair (even at the risk of sounding sappy and dorky) to express my gratitude to those who helped me to not only survive but grow in these six weeks. Without the help of my professor and TA I would have not been as successful in my projects. They were endlessly patient with my questions and struggles. They taught me tricks to aid in the creation of my individual and unique projects. Most of the time they were even nice : ) Over this class period I have developed an immense amount of respect for both of them.

Ouch, that last part was really hard...and I encourage you two to not let that last paragraph get to your head. (But really...thanks).

Feely Wrap-Up Post

2009-08-13T21:23:00.002-04:00

It all came together for me today while I was working on my website project.

I've tried to make a few blogs of my own throughout the years on Blogger or Wordpress. Because I had no sense of design, I never felt comfortable with the way they looked. The websites give you those terrible templates to use and you get to choose from a few color schemes, but to me I just never kept the blogs going because they looked awful.

Today, I can honestly say that I felt like I sort of knew what I was doing for the first time in design. Do I know how to make every effect in Photoshop work? No. Do I know how to add a gradient to an ellipse cut out into the shape of a horse that I traced in Illustrator? I maybe could figure it out in about 8 hours work. Clearly, I don't have all the technical skills necessary to be a graphic designer at this point.

But, as Passetti said today in class, it's not about having all the tools at this point in the game, it's about having the basic knowledge and theory of design down that is important. Today, I felt like that really came through for me and for the first time I felt pretty comfortable designing on my own.

This graphics class has really opened my eyes up to so many things that I never noticed before. I know probably every student says that on these posts, but that's probably because it's always true. Every logo I look at I analyze the typeface. Every website I go to I try to look for the grid system. Every time I write a paper for newswriting in Times New Roman I am disgusted with myself. Thank you graphics for making my life that much more complicated.

Overall, I thought the class was really effective. The theory topics weren't always the most entertaining, but a lot of them were important and that really comes through during the lab exercises. I think I will consider taking more graphics classes, most likely in the web design area, in the future.

O'Neill wrap up post

2009-08-13T21:21:00.002-04:00

So here we are. One more day of graphics.

I have found this class to be pretty entertaining. While I normally spend the previous day and half dreading the class, when I get there I (normally) have a surprisingly good time. I learn a lot, we watch some solid movies in lecture, and I think of funny but mean ways to wake up Drew the TA because he sleeps in every single lecture.

Much to my chagrin, I have developed an eye for fonts: just tonight, I went to see the TRF's films and in the opening credits of one of the films I actually scoffed at someone's font choice. You've got your hooks in me, you bastards.

I'm proud of the work that I've done and what I've learned. I'm significantly more fluent with various computer programs and I discovered that I'm pretty good at Illustrator. I actually have Photoshop on my computer, and I've never been able to use it until this week. I'll continue to play with that and while I'll probably never become a graphic designer, I will certainly be able to send out some awesome Christmas cards to my friends and family this year. Oh, the possibilities!

Also, Jeff told me that he'd have sex with Tiger Woods. True story.

See you guys in a couple weeks,

Justin

Pooja's Wrap up post

2009-08-13T20:22:00.002-04:00

When I posted my first blog from Lupton, I was just re-iterating what was said in the book with a few examples. After this extensive course work of projects and lectures, I can now analyze a design and critic it myself.

Earlier I used to look at letters as alphabets, now I can read through to get the feel of the word. I have learnt a lot in terms of having a structure in the design for a reason and how to keep the most complex design simple. There were days when I used to think that the designing software can create magic. Very soon I realized that these tools merely help in executing the magic from thumbnails to a live version of it.

Not only have my skills improved in terms of thinking, doodling, coming up with ideas, executions of the designs, but I have also sharpened my abilities professionally by working with a deadline with a clear rationale. Having designed a resume, stationary set, logo, poster, magazine spread and now an interface design, I have laid my hands on the various forms of designs. Designs are custom made, depending on the medium and the content and the typography and grid structure changes accordingly.

The last 6 weeks has been days of hard work, keeping up deadlines, and running back for the next project, a lot of whining, a lot of worries and a lot of excitement!

I enjoyed every class and every project…just did not realize how time flew away and how much I have taken back from this course!

Shruthi's Wrap Up Post

2009-08-13T19:33:00.004-04:00

I did not completely know what to expect when I registered for GRA617. For one, I had worked with designers, giving them concepts and content but I always watched from the sidelines. I was fascinated by design but a tad intimidated by it and did not know how to venture into it. I was thrilled and a little nervous when the opportunity presented itself in the form of GRA617.

During the first lecture, when I saw how excited Greg and all the professors were about fonts, I was lost. I mean, fonts to me were the '12 point Times New Roman-Regular, Bold, Italic' and I had never thought beyond that. At the end of this course, I realise that I am not only interested in designing but I love typography.

The only trouble I had with the course was that I felt I had a plenty of ideas but was unsure of how to execute them. The magazine project was especially challenging. I think better knowledge of the tools would give me a clear picture of the limitations of my design ideas. But I understand this was a fast track course designed to teach us as much as possible in a short span of time.

Adobe Illustrator and Indesign were great tools to learn and use. This course has not just allowed me to add another skill to my resume. It has made me realize that I have a real passion for designing.

Bryan's Wrap Up Post

2009-08-13T16:24:00.004-04:00

I was pretty excited about this class when the Summer semester started. As I wrote back in my first post, I've always liked graphic design and typography. So was my excitement warranted?

You know, I'm going to have to say it was. Despite some frustration in lab (I still don't think every magazine article needs to have info graphics...), the assignments by and large have at least made sense, the reading was always pretty legit, and I didn't fall asleep in lecture once. I also learned a lot of really important Adobe Creative Suite Skills (which, I think we can all agree on is awesome to put on our resumes). Plus, despite the interest I had in the subject matter before the class started, my knowledge goes past being just cursory, which is all it was before. Now I can say with confidence that I actually know a thing or two about typography and graphic design, something I'm totally cool with.

So yeah, to wrap things up, I liked this class. It was always a nice way to finish things off, after a tough 2 1/2 days of newswriting. But I also learned something, and really isn't that the best, when you can learn something and enjoy yourself. So thanks to Jeff and Kate for putting up with us all, and creating an enjoyable classroom experience.

Reflections

2009-08-13T16:05:00.003-04:00

Boot camp went by so fast, I can't believe it's been 6 weeks.

Initially, I was intimidated by graphics. I didn't think I was capable of handling all of these new programs. It took time, but with the help of Kate and Jeff, I managed to learn a great deal in a short amount of time. Six weeks later, I'm confident in my ability in InDesign, and Illustrator. I'm still building my chops in Photoshop, but given time, I will get a better handle on it.

I will definitely use these skills in the future. In the short time I was in this class, I have created a strong resume, logo, and learned how to design a magazine layout and basic web pages. Invaluable skills as the medium progresses and moves more and more towards the digital side. Before this class, I had no idea how to do any of this, or the confidence in my ability to learn it. I have to really thank Kate and Jeff for having patience with me and taking the time to sit down and show me how to make my vision translate onto the page.

Thank you,

Adam

Current Event

2009-08-13T11:04:00.004-04:00

I don't know if anyone is following the local mayoral race, personally I'm not. However one canadate, Otis Jennings, caugh my attention. Not only does he rip off the essence of Obama's logo, his billboard near teall ave. is just awful. I encourage you to see the similarities and lemme know what you think.

http://www.otisjennings.com/

Nasar Wrap Up

2009-08-12T22:56:00.003-04:00

I love graphics even more now and I feel like a complete dork because I cannot help but analyze everything from a designers perspective. Especially after watching "Helvetica," I never realized exactly how that font face has impacted my life and really the world in general. Design is everywhere!

I really enjoyed learning the software, but I am familiar with the Adobe Suite and if I wasn't, this class would not have been as easy or fun. But these programs make is so much easier for people to learn the "tricks" of design. Now that doesn't mean that people don't create crappy designs but that people can learn to create better designs.

My only recommendation would be to allow more time for students to work in the lab. This class is very much "hands on" and I know that I have needed more time for a project which led to chaos. But overall I enjoyed learning more about visual communications.

Todd Cross' Wrap Up

2009-08-12T21:14:00.004-04:00

Wrap Up

This has been an interesting visual journey that has given me greater understanding and sensitivity to all the choices designers make to help communicate an idea, story, brand, etc.

Despite wanting more training in InDesign and Illustrator, the tools we explored will lead to greater use and practice in the future - the programs are not scary unknowns anymore.

The cd album cover was a playful exercise due to the random factors and the found typography sparked our curiosity to notice typography in our daily lives. The resume project was a wise, practical beginning and gave us a chance to design with many pieces of information in mind.

The poster project prompted new exploration with real purpose and a call to action. I enjoyed practicing with the potential of design elements on a larger canvas. The logo exercise was more introspective, evoking our personalities and style. Finally, the magazine project threw our minds into more of a real world scenario, having to juggle all priorities and all pieces to the puzzle.

Now it is time to pay it forward.....

Marmor_Wrap Up Post

2009-08-12T19:26:00.002-04:00

This course has taught me a tremendous amount of information I would NEVER have known otherwise. Going into the class I knew nothing about InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, or even the importance of using certain typefaces. It was certainly never anything I had thought about. I was always able to pull together a poster or logo without using these programs, and at the time, I probably thought my projects looked pretty good. Now I know the magical extent to which a person can utilize these programs to create truly beautiful creations. This is not to say that I can create anything I want to. I believe I still would have a long way to go. What this means is that I have a better knowledge of many of the rudimentary tools that I could utilize. Granted, the not-for-profits that I have worked for did not have these programs therefore this was never an option for me. The way I see it is in the future, if I work for a company that has these programs, then I might be a little more useful.

Smith's Wrap Up post

2009-08-12T18:44:00.003-04:00

GRA 617 has opened my eyes in more ways than one and I have developed a whole new appreciate for typography and layout. Although I thought I was a creative individual, the skills and theory that I have developed in lab have enhanced my creative insight. During this class I have noticed much more detail in magazines and advertisements. It was amazing to me that so much detail in regards to font type, color schemes, and creative flow went into the design of a variety of projects. I also learned the value of keeping the message simple and straight forward. More is not always better.

I enjoyed learning relevant computer skills in lab during these six weeks and I think they have increased my marketability. I really wish that I could continue to take the lab portion of the class in the fall.

Smith's Wrap Up post

2009-08-12T18:44:00.000-04:00

Obama Vs. Pepsi

2009-08-11T22:16:00.008-04:00

The new pepsi symbol looks a whole lot like the Obama symbol. Clever marketing, or coincidence? This is a marketing ploy, with debatable cleverness. Is it clever to use something that consumers already have a visual history with? In most cases, yes. Is it clever to use a logo that has nothing to do with the product you are selling? No. The pepsi symbol looks like the Obama symbol upside down. Check it out. Will this help pepsi defeat coke? Only time will tell...

Magazine Project by Drew

2009-08-11T15:34:00.003-04:00

This magazine is designed for the Esquire/GQ crowd.

I wanted the article to reflect the title and feature attractive women who weren't striking poses, giving the appearance of someone you might meet instead of a cover model. The article, which you can't see because the only saved copy in my work folder is the Maria Taylor version I originally lobbied for, is set up with three columns on each page with pictures in the top outside corner, and one in the middle for balance.

The title page font is Bodoni, and I used Garamond in the article.

Feely Current Event

2009-08-11T13:25:00.003-04:00

http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/the_shack_aw_shucks.php

"The Shack"

Radio Shack has recently started a new ad campaign in which they will be calling themselves The Shack. As the blogger says in his post, I tend to think of Radio Shack as an old-fashioned store that got surpassed by Best Buy or Circuit City in popularity. I don't think I've set foot in a Radio Shack in ten years.

With this new campaign, they maintain the red and black of their original logo for familiarity, but make the writing bolder and more recognizable. A lot of times I feel like companies that make their logos and/or slogans simple declarative statements (Just do it, etc.) get really good results from it. It tends to make the consumer stop and think because it is so simple. Reverse psychology, in a way.

The name "The Shack" is catchy, I guess. I just don't think it's enough to get Radio Shack back on the same playing field as the other companies. The giant laptop is pretty cool, though.

Feely Magazine Project

2009-08-11T08:56:00.005-04:00

2009-08-10T23:55:00.000-04:00

Nasar Magazine Post

2009-08-10T16:20:00.002-04:00

Feature Spread

Jump Spread

Rationale

Attia Nasar

Project: Magazine Project

August 10, 2009

Magazine identity & readership

I titled my magazine Bare Sounds. This is a magazine directed at individuals with a taste for different (often foreign) styles of music, which the sitar fits into very well. The readership would consist of an eclectic group of people who enjoy the different sounds this world has to offer. By title, the magazine offers a rare look into music minus the commercialization of instruments allowing the readers to experience the instrument in its “bare-ness.”

Magazine visual identity

Visually I wanted to create something that combined musical ability with artistic ability. The story focuses on individuals in Calcutta, India that have been creating this beautiful instrument for over 200 years and I wanted to convey the richness of this beauty. I think the feature spread gives an alluring look into the story with the skyline featuring elements from the actual city. I love puns and plays on words, so “sitar” seemed like a great element to incorporate with the “stars.”

Article visual identity

I wanted to show the beauty of such an old form of music from South Asia.

Article design strategy

My design is artistic and realistic. The feature spread shows a play on word and incorporates the “sitar” into the design with stars. With the text I wanted to relay something that matched the feel of the instrument. I tried to play around with the words a lot and that ended up costing me time in the end but I think the title is okay for now and matches with the image. Through color I tried to match the feature spread to the jump spread. I incorporated the browns from the actual sitar image; I just used a lightened version. For the pull out quote I used the same text as the title and the side bar heading. I also placed some “stars” in the side bar to tie in from the feature spread.

Style Sheet

Opening Spread Deckhead: Abadi MT Condensed Light

Folios: Abadi MT Condensed Light

Opening Spread Headline: Bossa Nova STD

Jump Spread Pull Quote: Bossa Nova STD

Body Test: Big Caslon

Document Grid

To be honest I forgot about this and think it will cost me. I had imagined I would establish a 12-grid spread in the beginning and completely forgot about it. I chose to do two columns on the first page of the jump spread and three on the second page because on the first page the image of the sitar took up room where a column would have been.

Sources

All images were retrieved from Google Images

Extras:

I chose colors from the sitar. I incorporated the brown into the text with headlines and pull out quotes and the stars. By focusing on neutral colors, I think this gives the story a earthy tone and contributes to the name Bare Sounds.

Shruthi'S Magazine Project

2009-08-10T16:15:00.008-04:00

The watermarks are because I used a file converter. Not a design element.

Shruthi Sankaravadivel
Magazine Project

7 Aug 2009

magazine identity & readership
My magazine is called 'Swarathma'- the soul of music (Sankskrit). It is created for music lovers who want to venture beyond the genres of pop and rock to explore music in its infinite indigenous forms.

magazine visual identity
If I had to design a cover for the issue I would look for elegance and a compelling element of surprise. I would keep the design minimal since I do not intend it to commercialize it. There are several facades to music that I believe that remain undiscovered and the content of my magazine would go in search of that.

article visual identity
The feature article which was written by me is about a project where a group of musicians travel across seven countries worst hit by the Asian tsunami in search of indigenous forms of music. The article is all about the healing power of music since it began as an attempt to assuage the pain of the tsunami.

article design strategy
My design communicates to my audience that this is a serene yet powerful story. I used a picture of the Maldives musician on a backgroung of a bright blue sea. This was because I wanted to create the impression that the musician who has her eyes closed is hearing the sounds of the ocean which is inspiring her music. The musician is in greyscale as a design element since the original image was in bright green and would have stood out from the background. The type I used for the 'cosmic harmony' part seemed to almost spell the words out to me. I used another font for 'seismic notes' because I didn't want my design to get filled with fancy fonts. The white of the fonts also contrasted well with the blue enhancing readibility. My jump spread carries the blue tones of my feature spread and forms a solid unit.

style sheet

Opening Spread Deckhead (Seismic Notes): Minion Pro display 60

Opening Spread Deckhead (Cosmic Harmony) : Blue Island Std 60

Opening Spread Headline : Adobe Garamond Bold 24

Jump Spread Pull Quotes : Adobe Garamond Pro Italics 16

Body Copy: Adobe Garamond Pro Regular 12

document grid
My article uses a three grid structure. This eased up the display making it look well spaced-out and not too cluttered.

sources
All the pictures except the blue sea background in the feature spread are sourced from my friends in India who worked on covering this project. I found the blue sea through google images.

extras
I used blue particularly because it is a calming color but this shade of electric blue can jump out and grab the attention of the reader.

Olivia's Magazine

2009-08-10T14:54:00.002-04:00

Olivia Franken
Magazine Project
7 August 2009

Magazine Identity and Readership
Even though I drew my article from a National Geographic, I wanted to design it for a high-class traveler who looks for culture in their travels. The style and feel I thought of during the creation of my magazine spread was that of something similar to Vogue or another upscale magazine.

Magazine Visual Identity
I hope to convey the feeling of mystery and the possibilities of finding a hidden treasure in Venice. Masks are a big deal for Carnival, a yearly festival in Venice and around the world, but they are made and sold year round. The magazine, and thusly the article, should present and air of sophistication and class. The article topic of Venice ignites grandeur and elegance, something that should carry throughout the magazine (if it existed). I named it The Odyssey to describe the adventure and exotic travels of its readers and the locations detailed inside.

Article Visual Identity
The mask used in the jump spread has a cracked face contrasted with vibrant colors and a flowy, elegant design on the mask. This brings out the tradition and sense of the old world found in Venice. The empty eye sockets give the reader a sense of fear and perhaps wonder that carries over into the text of the article.

Article Design Strategy
Again, the initial impression is mysterious as well as expensive and exquisite. There is a wealth and grandeur found in the culture of Venice, especially at the time of Carnival and I think it’s important to express this in the presence of the article. The text on this first page is also very elegant may even draw one to think of monarchs and a time long forgotten. The grandeur of the gold is a theme carried throughout the article as it ties into the pulled quotes, sidebar story and even some of the pictures chosen. To further tie in the sidebar to the main article the same type is used for its title as the main title.

Style Sheet
Opening Spread Title – Nuptial Script Medium LT Std
Opening Spread Deckhead – Georgia Regumar , 16/30
Jump Spread Pull Quotes – Georgia Bold Italic, 18/22
Body Copy Caption – Futura Medium, 10/17
Body Copy – Georgia Regular, 8/11
Sidebar Title – Nuptial Script Medium LT Std, 53
Sidebar Body copy and quote – Helvetica Neue Regular, 8/11

Document Grid
I have a six-column grid, which I chose because I thought it would allow for the greatest versatility when placing objects, images, quotes, etc. Also, I knew I wanted to have three columns of text and 6 columns for my grid just seemed natural. My margins existed as guidelines that allowed me to push beyond them when necessary.

Sources

Body Copy Photos
http://toddadams.net/images/wallpaper/

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1316054235035204585nWfyPV

Opening Spread Photo
http://discoveryouritaly.com/events/sensation-carnival-of-venice-2009/1329/

Extras
The gold color is pulled from the mask as well as the different shades of white and gray.

Ali's Current Event #3

2009-08-10T13:49:00.003-04:00

I see Nick's already beaten me to this idea. Sort of. This video is a little different though. Something very familiar to what we all went through last week.

Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhnV21sL9UI

Pooja Magazine Project

2009-08-10T12:33:00.002-04:00

RATIONALE

NAME Pooja
PROJECT Magazine Project
DATE Aug 7, 2009

Magazine Identity and Readership
The magazine s aimed at soccer fans, named “FOOTBALL PASSION”. It is a sports magazine that covers all clubs and leagues of soccer.

Magazine Visual Identity
The magazine is a sports magazine and hence has a smart soccer look. It has bright colors, synonymous with the colors of the leagues.

Article visual identity
The article is about Cristiano Ronaldo and his skills as against other players. This is the last session of his as a part of the club Manchester United and he has shifted to Real Madrid.

Article design strategy

I wanted the first impression to be “Red Devil” (as how the Manchester United is fondly called). The audience must see the article and understand even without reading tit what it is about, which I have done using the clib;’s colors and logo designs.The article has an identity of Cristiano Ronaldo with his former club, Manchester United and hence the color of the spread has red. The feature spread has Manchester United logo that is slightly changed and designed to fit in Cristiano Ronaldo and make it his logo.

Style sheet
Feature Spread
Headline – American Typewriter, bold
Introduction – Adobe Garamonde Pro, 12

Jump Spread
Introduction – American Typrewriter, 30
Quote – American Typrewriter, 22, bold
Photo -- Adobe Garamonde Pro, 12, bold
Body -- Adobe Garamonde Pro, 12
Side Bar – American Typewriter, 22

Document Grid
I used a 2-grid layout. This is because a sports magazine has more pictures and it is easier to do read and incorporate the pictures in a 2 grid layout.

Sources
Googleimages.com

davis_magazine

2009-08-10T11:21:00.005-04:00

magazine identity and readership: My magazine identifies as a fashion magazine much like Vogue, although it is named Trend Mode. Instead of focusing purely on couture designers, however, the magazine examines fashion on multiple levels, including fashion in the lives of popular women. In this way, Trend Mode expands beyond clothing and accessories into women’s interest stories that attract readers ranging in age from 25-45.

magazine visual identity: In my specific design, I attempted to combine feelings of energy and movement with femininity in order to make Ana Ivanovic seem like more than just a tennis player. If I were to design a cover for this issue, I would use a large, clean serif font and for the title and few article headlines to keep the cover image clean. Though I probably wouldn’t use the Ivanovic article for the cover, I would use a theme of women overcoming low spots in their fields to tie the articles together. In terms of packaging, it would be important to alternate serious women’s interest stories with light-hearted ads and fashion sections to keep people interested, even if they were just flipping though Trend Mode.

article visual identity: The visual goals for my design are to present an article that is athletic, playful, and still classy. Instead of using photos just from matches and practices, the Ivanovic design presents her in a different light, one that goes beyond the court. Especially since that is somewhat the theme of the article, my goal was to give Ivanovic a more tangible personality than that of a beautiful and talented tennis player.

article design strategy: I designed my feature page to capture the effort and grace Ivanovic puts into preparing for tennis. The photo and typography are simple, hence “Back to Basics” and use colors that are natural for Ivanovic. I used two type families for this project, Kepler Std and Cronos Pro, both of which are used on the feature spread. They contrast nicely and when combined do a good job of being simple and still elegant and feminine. Once I move to the jump spread, the simple, organic colors are linked in the stripes, drop cap, pull quote, and side bar. The two type families are used throughout, which helps the article remain cohesive and appear linked.

style sheet:
opening spread deckhead: Kepler Std Regular 21.625/25.95
opening spread headline: Cronos Pro Light Display 80/96
folios: Pepetua Titling MT 11/13.2
jump spread pull quote: Kepler Std Bold Caption 18.6/22.32
side bar title: Cronos Pro Light Display 30/36
side bar victories in chart: Kepler Std Bold Caption 11/13
side barside bar text box: Kepler Std 10/11.5
body copy: Kepler Std
photo credits: Kepler Std
photo caption: Cronos Pro

document grid: To be honest, I neglected to think about my grid with this project. I chose to use two columns because it seemed the best way to keep the story clean and clear, but I think if I would have focused more on grid, my photo, pull quote, and side bar story would look more stable in the page. Hopefully I will focus more on grid during the web design project.

sources:
feature spread image: http://www.tenisx.com/?p=446
jump spread image page 3: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/photogallery/sport/tennis-star-ana-ivanovic/2009/01/05/1231003911659.html
side bar story image: http://www.celeble.com/celebs/ana-ivanovic-sports-magazine-photos.html

extras: I use color to help tie the feature spread to the jump spread. Instead of choosing my own color theme, I took the simple colors of Ivanovic’s shadow, hair, and socks to create my palette. I used these colors in the stripes of the jump spread and the typography throughout the design. This really helped make the design interesting and cohesive. Simple black and white would not have unified the photos and story.

Nick Cicero: Magazine Spread

2009-08-09T17:22:00.002-04:00

Nick Cicero Current Event

2009-08-09T17:13:00.002-04:00

Since we're designing magazines and things, why not see how one is made? My current event is from Macworld magazine. The graphic designers wanted to show how a cover is created. We have discussed in class photo shoots and other things, but this time lapse video illustrates the entire process. It's really cool and I hope everyone enjoys it.

Cover creation from Peter Belanger on Vimeo.

http://www.macworld.com/article/142177/2009/08/covertimelapse.html

Bryan's Magazine Layout

2009-08-09T15:44:00.006-04:00

Magazine Project

August 7, 2009

Magazine Identity & Readership

My magazine, Horatio’s, is similar to The New Yorker or The Atlantic Monthly, a highbrow news/culture magazine, that aims to give its readers all the knowledge they need to get by in their day-to-day life. It main goal is to provide a mixture of smart, snarky and above all else interesting viewpoints of its readers’ world.

Magazine Visual Identity

While there is nothing wrong with a hip modern looking glossy magazine format, Horatio’s’ editors are of the mindset that substance is more important than content. Therefore the magazine’s visual identity is one of austerity. It’s very clean and rigidly formatted, giving the writing center stage. That said it is a classical look, one that is stuck with in part because it works. Also, feature articles are given more leeway than most pieces featured in the magazine, being able to have feature-spread, which while restrained are not subject to the design mandates made on the rest of the magazine.

Article Visual Identity

This article is a perfect example of the leeway allowed to feature articles, though the rest of it fits into the same traditional format of the rest of the magazine, the feature spread features a large (but tasteful) drawing of Mr. Franken, that leads into the story.

Article Design Strategy

As Mr. Franken is the focus of the story, the goal of the feature spread was to capture who he is. It was decided that a illustration would be the best way to capture Mr. Franken’s essence, one that has a sketcy feel to reflect the subject’s roots as an ex-Saturday Night Live writer and performer, while also looking realistic to get portray that Mr. Franken is more than just a clown. The article also highlighted his recent election to the Senate, as the junior Senator from Minnesota, so it was felt that a red, white, and blue color scheme was appropriate for the illustration and the article.

Style Sheet

Unfortunately the libraries computer will not allow me to access my inDesign file and get specifics, but here goes:

All text on the feature spread is Baskerville Old Face (except for the “goes to” which is just an italicized normal Baskerville).

The deckhead is regular Adobe Caslon, as is the rest of the article’s text and pull quote. The captions are Adobe Caslon italic.

Document Grid

I went with a simple 3 column grid, it’s classy and like a billion people threw history I have an affinity for the number. I also figured it’d give me the flexibility with pictures, keeping them either a column wide and a paragraph or two in length, or use half page images that go across three columns but leave room for about a half page of text beneath. As mentioned simple, but with some room for flexibility.

Sources

All images were found with Google image search. Here are their links:

http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogimages/mcmemo/Al_Franken_mug.jpg (Illustration source)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/2672627271_f5e1be0687_o.jpg

http://www.thesuckzone.com/wp-content/gallery/foundersday/twoals0810041.jpg

Extras

I mentioned this already, but I tried to use red and blue throughout as a reference to Franken’s new role as a senator. The red is actually the same color as that on the American flag, while the blue is a little lighter so that it would print better.

YOU'RE SO MONEY AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IT

2009-08-08T23:20:00.008-04:00

The Tropicana Casino in Las Vegas is updating its image for the first time since 1985. They are revamping the inside of the casino, and the $125 million renovation is set to be complete in 2010.

The old logo looks like it was designed for a 1980's arcade video game. I don't know what says "Tropical" about teal and yellow. The new logo is much better for many obvious reasons.

"You know what you are? You're like a big bear with claws and with fangs..."

"...big f'n teeth man!"

"Yeah... big f'n teeth on ya! And she's like this little bunny, who's just kinda cowering in the corner."

Bryan's Current Event in the World of Design and Typography, Pt. 3 of 28,317

2009-08-08T22:38:00.003-04:00

Everyone makes fun of people reporting on logo changes, but whatevs, I'm doing it too. If you're smart you'll get why.

So, according to the TampaBay.com,(a website similar to Syracuse.com, hosting the St. Petersburg Times web presence), Washington Mutual's in the Tampa Bay area, just now changed their name logo to that of their new parent company, Chase.

Anyway, that's not news to me, though, what's news to me, is that this is only happening now. Dude, not to be that "guy" or anything, but this happen like months ago in L.A. What about here? Or wherever you're from did this happen before the other day for you?

Anyway, yeah, that's what I'm getting at, when did this happen. Is this just Tampa Bay being way late to the game, like I am to writing about a logo change.

P.S. I realize I already wrote about a logo change, don't worry.

MAN HIDES GUN IN FATTY FLAB

2009-08-08T22:19:00.002-04:00

A fat Texan hid a gun under the flabby layers of his body. George Vera hid an unloaded 9mm, within his 500 lbs. Apprently, he was searched 3 times; at the time of his arrest, at the city and at the county jail. Officers never found the gun. George decided to tell officers about the gun during a shower break, removing it from the layers of flesh it was wedged in. Guess he didn't want to get the gun wet and mess it up.

davis_current event

2009-08-08T22:17:00.001-04:00

I thought it was interesting to find a new logo for Brands of the World on the Brand New blog. Companies that work with design, or brands, or even critique of those brands, need to have a logo that is solid and appreciated. I think it's a fairly important part of their legitimacy. The Brands of the World logo was described on Brand New as painfully cliparted, and the criticism is well founded. Now the logo is simple and bold, emphasizing Brands and World and leaving "of the" as part of the background. Unfortunately, the logo uses a cliche globe as the o in world, yet they did it fairly well. The globe is simple and somewhat geometric rather than multicolored with shapes of continents.

It seems like the new logo will reach a wider audience, better represent the company, and be more versatile in terms of where it is used. The logo does a great job of emphasizing what really matters with size. The company name is large, whereas in the old logo the company name was secondary compared to the weak images used. Now, the image is simple and flexible. The name is what matters, and people who see the logo can tell. Generally, this is a great redo for the Brands of the World logo.

Pooja - Current Event - FIAT logo evolution

2009-08-08T21:57:00.001-04:00

One of the recent logo changes has been made in the automobile industry! FIAT, the Italian car has created a wave with the logo change. So I wanted to scrutinize further to find out why the change had taken place and what the new logo conveyed. The website has a whole history of their branding.

“On the one hand, the new logo retains the red color and shield shape typical of Fiat cars up until the Sixties, and on the other it features formal, three-dimensional characteristics, in terms of form and color, that suggest advanced technology, Italian design, dynamism and individualism.”

So then I looked into the revolution of logo that FIAT has had, and found that this logo has a new philosophy and a historic continuity. It is a reinterpretation of the logo of fiat cars between 1931 and 1968.

The brand started to build itself right from the time FIAT was launched in 1899. The logo was a small parchment containing the company name. The logo kept revising itself with changing times. Yet, the one thing that remains common is the name “FIAT” that is present in the logo all through these years.

The new logo looks smart, with the color being vibrant and yet traditional. The logo has the shine to it, with a pure metallic touch that adheres to the recent graphic advancements. This logo has a 3D effect to it that conveys the technological change, a strong Italian design , dynamism and a strong personality.

This is the 13th logo change that makes the logo change a part of FIAT’s tradition. Well, we have learnt that a logo is the best when it can pass through changing times and advancements, like “GE” and “NIKE”. Yet, the logo designs of FIAT are also good, so is it a “change” or an evolution through the years? Something to think about…are logo changes good or bad?

Courtesy: www.fiat.com

Todd Cross' Blog Posting - Current Event #3

2009-08-08T21:36:00.004-04:00

Change in the Industry

I recently stumbled upon an article on Graphic Design USA (an online news magazine for graphic designers). I was drawn to their discussion on the future and how to navigate these challenging times in our industry.

In the article, "Dealing with Change in Good Times and Bad," professionals came together to offer advice on how to stay the course until a re-bound occurs.

Some companies are focusing on maintaining a high level of quality in their work so they can continue to stand out. This involves being more sensitive to the diversity of their in house talent and maximizing that part of their business. Many companies are implementing online training for their staffs to help with evolution.

Others are looking to seize the moment and re-brand their companies. They will be able to reemerge with a fresh perspective and look. This is a time for the re-education of many so we are quiet lucky to be in an academic program.

The professionals tell us that we should learn digital skills in as many categories of design, illustration, photography, and motion media as possible. We need to quantify our value and be an indispensable resource.

The article tells us - "Change isn’t always easy to understand or integrate, but in-house designers on the whole seem to be making a good-faith effort to embrace it and work through it. And despite the day-to-day stresses and pressures that change triggers, 88% of those surveyed said they think working as an in-house designer will be a “promising” career path in the next five years. As one respondent put it: “Prove yourself through your work, be dependable, and find a company with a very solid foundation."

Here's to the future.....

Moulton_current event

2009-08-08T21:33:00.002-04:00

So this is Calgary Script by Alejandro Paul. I usually dislike script fonts, as this class has taught me to be very emotional about typefaces. So here I am, pouring my heart out and telling the world about the wonder that is Calgary Script. Look at it, if this doesn't make you want an enchilada, then you may in fact be a non-cultured piece of crap. And the last thing a paranoid border-watching insular bastard like you wants at a time like this is something Mex-e-cun. So you wouldn't appreciate how delightful an enchilada would be on this fine weekend night, but imagine how Kraft Processed American Cheese Food Product would look. In fact, I may just buy this font and send people processed food recipes laden with high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated soybean oil, all the while typed in Calgary Script. So if you can ignore that this type is named for a Canadian City (you did know that, right?) and is used to write Hispaniard food concoctions, you are well on your way, and boy oh boy does it feel good. On a final note, when I am forced to redo my magazine spread, I wil do the titles in this typeface. Word to Big Bird.

Shruthi's Current Event

2009-08-08T20:25:00.006-04:00

Does the name 'Bauhaus' ring a bell? It is the school for art and design in Germany which inspired and lent its name to the popular design style in the early 1900s. The Bauhaus recently held its largest ever exhibition in Berlin. It is also holding an exhibition of its most celebrated works in New York in November, including graphics by Herbert Bayer(picture below) and the famous Marianne Brandt teapot which sold for $361,000.

The Bauhaus which was founded in 1919 in Weimar was forced to shut down by the Nazis in 1933. The school then shifted base to a telephone factory on the outskirts of Berlin. This exhibition featuring more than 1000 design works created by the students and faculty of the school commemorates its 90th anniversary. It is also seen as a re-entry of the school into Berlin and an attempt to revive its past glory.

The organizers of the exhibition have said that showcasing the works of Bauhaus would help clear the fixed image that people have for it. The Bauhaus, they say, took on different ideas and approaches at different times.

Sean's Current Event

2009-08-08T20:07:00.002-04:00

Article

I just found out Diddy is changing the icon and design of his clothing line, Sean John. I was interested because it is a clothing line that I have purchased a lot of clothes from, mainly polo shirts. Diddy says in his webcast that you have to change or be changed. The company has had a similar design for a long time, and Diddy felt it could use some extra juice. The new logo is very futuristic and sets a new focus and look for where Bad Boy and Diddy are going.

Back in the day, Diddy was a megastar and his clothing line followed suit. Now, he is struggling to stay in the spotlight in the same way. I definitely think that played a part in this change: he is trying to generate a buzz and get his clothing line out into the spotlight. The line has survived a lot and has been around for a little while so I think it will continue to survive. I can definitely see a lot of people not enjoying this new logo, especially since the company has been linked to the old logo for so long.

Fake or Real...or does it even matter?

2009-08-08T15:23:00.001-04:00

I enjoy falling asleep in front of the tv and this one particular evening (Monday, Tuesday, some night earlier in the week) I was falling asleep to PBS. I know this is dorky, but they had on a show called NOVA science and were talking about how you could determine if a photo was doctored and a fake. I thought this was fascinating.

So basically, this guy, Hany Farid is the director of Dartmouth College's Image Science Laboratory and is a bit of a genius. He thought about this and came up with three different computer programs over the years to determine if a photo had been altered and if so how. The first one looked at image pixelation and can detect if pixels have been added or deleted and in what areas the pixels are different from the rest of the photo.

Next, he looked at shadows of the images. By analyzing the angle of the shadow he could tell if two pictures where put together or taken together. He got this idea from a photo of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, taken when Brad was still with Jennifer. This photo, of Brad and Angelina, was in fact two separate photos that were combined to make it appear that they were together. On a more serious note, Farid was also able to determine that the famous photo of John Kerry published during his run for president in 2004, with a famous anti-Veitnam spokeswoman was a combination of two photos as well.

Lastly, and most complex of Farid's doctored photo programs, detects light within the eye. Apparently, he can tell from the little 'glint in your eye' how far away and at what angle the light was from the person when the photo was taken. This all some pretty high tech stuff and was interesting to know when we had the lecture on doctored photos and their ethical value.

I am not sure if I think doctoring photos is unethical, but it may be unethical to doctor them and then claim they are pure and legitimate photos. Perhaps we should require some sort of stamp to be placed on photos that have been doctored and in what way. I do think that it is beyond being dishonest to take two completely separate photos, put them together, and claim that it is an accurate photo. As of right now, it's all in the grey area.

This is a link to the Q&A session with Farid: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0301/03-ask.html

Marmor_Current Event

2009-08-08T14:46:00.003-04:00

This op-ed piece from the NYT caught my eye:

Twittergraphy

BEN SCHOTT

Published: August 2, 2009

The 140-character limit of Twitter posts was guided by the 160-character limit established by the developers of SMS. However, there is nothing new about new technology imposing restrictions on articulation. During the late 19th-century telegraphy boom, some carriers charged extra for words longer than 15 characters and for messages longer than 10 words. Thus, the cheapest telegram was often limited to 150 characters†.

Concerns for economy, as well as a desire for secrecy, fueled a boom in telegraphic code books that reduced both common and complex phrases into single words. Dozens of different codes were published; many catered to specific occupations and all promised efficiency.

The phrases below are from the third edition of “The Anglo-American Telegraphic Code,” published in 1891. It can only be hoped that, as Twitter advances, more people will begin Tweeting in code, thus:

This makes me think of how technology can frame communication. Because twitter only allows 160 characters in a post, people are forced to find other words for what they want to say. They are forced to be concise, OR people can do what they did in 1891 and create codes to mean what they want. We've already done that in instant messaging. We have LOL, TTYL, etc. but I wonder if the twitter world of language is also soon to be morphed based on its character restrictions? What do you all think?

Ryan's Current Event_3

2009-08-08T10:22:00.002-04:00

Newspaper Ad Revenue to Recover
Forecast: Rebound to Start Next Year
by Nat Ives Published: August 07, 2009

I know that our class has been discussing the downfall of the newspaper industry lately so I thought this would be a relevant story. There's actually a new forecast projecting that newspaper revenue will rebound by 2.4 percent next year. Recently, newspapers have been marketed towards well educated, high income readers and according to this article, this will be the audience that will keep the industry afloat. Newspapers are getting better at selling advertising as well, focusing not just on large companies but on local and regional companies too.

I don't believe that the newspaper industry will ever completely collapse. On the contrary, I think that our society is going through a bit of a fad with all the new technology. However, the image of reading a hard copy of the news will always remain strong and intact. The people we have to worry about are young kids who are not aware of the idea behind reading a newspaper. They are so ingrained into the Internet to find news that they don't think twice about it. In the simplest form newspapers serve as documented history that will always be an asset for us, even if it turns out that only one copy is printed.

Nasar Current Event

2009-08-08T08:42:00.003-04:00

Shepard Fairey is at it again. This time he has created an image for the Rolling Stones for an article titled "Obama So Far." Fairey says he "wanted the new image to convey [Obama's] focus, but with the added weight and stress of responsibility." Around Obama's head is written "Will he take Bold Action or Compromise too easily?" Giving a message that he is human and may make mistakes. This also sends a messages that questions the job ahead and what role he will play. The color sheme adds a very serious and dark tone to the cover of the magazine. The portrayal of Obama with his eyebrows furrowed shows that this issue and Obama himself are taking on serious matters. As compared to the other Rolling Stones cover we saw in class where Obama was grinning, this shows how he has changes and how the situation has changed. Also, the Rolling Stones chose not to include any other headlines on the cover besides the MJ story, deeming the story about Obama to be the most important.

Sweeney's Magazine

2009-08-07T21:57:00.003-04:00

Sean Sweeney

Project: Magazine Project

8/07/09

Magazine Identity & Readership
My magazine is one that covers the NBA for a select audience. It is all about providing the game of basketball in a hard-hitting and street-style design. It is aimed at young people, anywhere from 10 years old to 35. The majority of the readers will be people who really love basketball; if they didn’t, they would go to ESPN or Sports Illustrated or their basketball info.

Magazine Visual Identity
This article and magazine are celebrating the Lakers championship win. More specifically, it centers on Kobe Bryant, who had more at stake than anyone. I tried to show that within the article title page where the main visual is Kobe celebrating with two trophies in his hand. Behind him in the shadows are the Lakers championship banners and retired jerseys to show that he is chasing a legacy.

Article Visual Identity
I wanted to continue with the Lakers colors and the black background. Also, I wanted to use my blown-up captains and pictures to give the article life. I think it adds to the page, sort of giving it motion as if it was a basketball game.

Article Design Strategy
My design is unique because the visuals help to tell the story. I threw in a lot of visuals and the color combinations help to convey the message that the Lakers won a championship. The big Kobe picture is the dominant image that everyone will remember. I wanted to have large and aggressive type cut-outs as a way to lead people through the article. They help to break up all the text. The reason why it all works together is because of the colors; the black is backed up by purple and gold.

Style Sheet
For the title and headlines, I wanted a bold type that appeared pretty modern and street. I figured that style would work well in the text and would contrast my bold headlines. All of the colored font is aggressive and gets your attention while the white font provides the background.

Opening spread deckhead: Antique Olive Std, Nord italic, 122 size
Folios: Gil Sans, regular, 9.5
Opening spread headline: Antique Olive Std, Nord, 15
Jump Spread Pull Quote: Antique Olive Std, Nord, 15

Document Grid
I figured 3 columns would be perfect. Most of the magazine articles I’ve read were 3 columns. I didn’t want huge columns because I needed small text to help contrast my large pictures and aggressive headlines.

Sources
Spurs Logo- http://blog.compassintelligence.com/image.axd?picture=spurs-logo-350.jpg
Magic Logo- http://www.patwilliamsmotivate.com/photos/Magic_Logo.jpg
Cavs Logo- http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_87IqIxH9E9U/SasEj9FLz3I/AAAAAAAAMUU/yV5Kgjv2bY0/s320/cleveland_cavaliers_logo-1600x1200.jpg
Celtics Logo- http://wtfisup.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/celtics-logo3.jpg
Lakes Logo- http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://lakers.topbuzz.com/gallery/d/7433-2/team-laker-logo-capt_sge_gyw92_310707161140_photo00_photo_default-504x374.jpg&imgrefurl=http://lakers.topbuzz.com/gallery/v/laker-team-pics/team-laker-logo-capt_sge_gyw92_310707161140_photo00_photo_default-504x374.jpg.html&usg=__askxwX-crmGjGr-ekuztH2vgw1M=&h=304&w=410&sz=76&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=vo6THQKgvs6Q_M:&tbnh=93&tbnw=125&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlakers%2Blogo%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26um%3D1
Kobe celebrating- blox images
Dwight Howard- theepictimes.com
Phil Jackson- blog.cleveland.com
Jump ball- nbahub.com
Main Kobe pic- nba.com
Lakers titles- ih6.ggpht.com

Extras
Once again, I focused on Lakers colors. This time it was more obvious and I used this theme in my entire article. It helped to keep everything simple even though the article itself was loaded with stuff.

Todd Cross' Magazine Project

2009-08-07T20:50:00.004-04:00

Rationale

Name: Todd Cross
Project: Magazine Project
Date: 8/7/09

Magazine Identity & Readership - The identity of my magazine, Insider Travel, is meant to merge two audiences – the “Budget Travel” crowd and the “Travel & Leisure” readership. I am aiming for the middle group - this means 30-40year olds who are established in their careers, are able to spend money on travel, but want a good deal. The readers are youthful in their choices; they are looking for quality, but are practical. They are mobile, slightly adventurous, professional, but not tied down by family obligations – they, for example, desire to rent a villa to bring friends together to celebrate a birthday.

Magazine Visual Identity – In order to appeal to the magazine’s audience, the design is packaged as a user-friendly experience – inviting, easy to read (able to skim if necessary) – a practical presentation of useful information. The personality is solid, dependable, slightly playful but always gets “to the point” (gives the reader what they need, rather than being too fluffy).

Article Visual Identity - Through my design, I am zeroing in on the effective approach of lists, “Top 10 Villas.” This is especially useful with travel content. Travel also must be about big, inviting, “I-want-to-be-there-too,” visuals. The lead photo is all about establishing the mood of the vacation-villa, relaxing experience.

Article Design Strategy – Again, big photos rule the day here. As the article unfolds, the photos decrease in size slowly to the point where they become reefers to support the sidebar (another list of sorts) – all this is based on functionality. The type choice and opacity supports the airy, fluid, relaxing tone – the san serif choice is intended to avoid anything too formal (also the yellow subhead is muted to a lower opacity to be softer). Color sampling from the front helps the jump become more cohesive. There are careful choices in the photo editing through out based on color tones and scale. The images need to work well together - the three photos are on the same scale, the reefer photos in the sidebar are still readable as thumbnails (other photo choices were rejected because of this), and the two lead photos (front and jump left) serve their purposes well (front, brings the reader in and the jump lead, give the reader an detailed image to explore). Carrying over the font choices from the front to the paragraph labels unifies the article. The body text is Calson which provided for great flexibility and comfortable reading.

Style Sheet –
Opening Spread Headline (top word) – Myriad Pro Bold, 300pt
Opening Spread Headline (top word) - Myriad Pro Regular, 60pt
Opening Spread SubHead - Myriad Pro Bold Italic, 30pt
Opening Spread Author - Myriad Pro Regular, 18pt
Opening Spread Caption - Myriad Pro Regular, 14pt
Folio - Myriad Pro Semi Bold, 12pt

Jump Pages:
Drop cap – Myriad Pro Bold
Lead-in paragraph – Adobe Caslon Pro Regular 24pt
City Name – Myriad Pro Semi Bold, 26pt
Villa Name – Myriad Pro Regular, 16pt
Price info - Myriad Pro Regular, 12pt
Body text for each paragraph
Text for reefer – Myriad Pro Semi Bold, 8pt
Folios - Myriad Pro Semi Bold, 12pt
Photo Credit – Myriad Pro Regular, 6pt

Document Grid –
My grid is based on 6 columns. This allowed me to line photos and type blocks in an organized fashion. This was especially useful for my sidebar where the spacing created a nice horizontal flow.

Sources –
The lead image was shot by me – man in water.
The lead jump image was shot by me – Puerto Vallarta villa.
Jump right page, from top to bottom: all via google images.
Side bar – three images from google and the one from Chichen Itza, is by me.

Ryan's Magazine Project

2009-08-07T16:58:00.005-04:00

Ryan Smith

Project: Magazine Project

8/7/09

Magazine Identity & readership

Magazine is entitled GUY STUFF, and it is marketed toward men, between the ages of 15-30. I tried to keep the pop culture feeling throughout the article while staying with a clear identity. The men who read my magazine are interested in popular culture and enjoy staying active.

Magazine visual Identity

The purpose of my article was to explain that Michael Phelps has propelled swimming back into popular culture. I wanted the reader to be inspired by his achievements and realize that they too can swim to stay in shape. If I had to design a cover for this magazine it would have a normal guy sitting on the edge of a pool getting ready to start his workout. Meanwhile, behind him stands Phelps smiling at the guy. The image is intended to say that Phelps is happy that his achievements are motivating men to swim.

Article visual Identity

I wanted my readers to be drawn to the large image of Phelps and to notice the reflection of his body compared to the reflection of the heading. The heading will pull the reader into the rest of the article.

Article Design Strategy

I used the same color scheme throughout the article including the front page. I did this to maintain the visual flow. I wanted the reader’s eyes to be attracted towards the pictures so I decided to use a black box as the background. I felt my headline displayed a sleek image that tied to the message of the article. At the end of the article I created a side bar that showed the calorie intake of Michael Phelps. I felt this was interested and related to the article.

Style Sheet

Opening Spread Headline: Rockwell 65/78

Folios: Orator 11/13.2

Opening Spread Deckhead: Garamond 23/27.6

Jump Spread PullQuote: Rockwell 19/22.8

Document Grid:

My Headline picture fit best in a three grid format I decided to use that in the rest of the article. I used larger margins because I needed to create space between the words and the folios.

Sources:

All Pictures were from Google.

2009-08-07T16:54:00.001-04:00

O'NEILL MAGAZINE LAYOUT

2009-08-07T16:53:00.002-04:00

Ali's Magazine & Rationale

2009-08-07T16:52:00.002-04:00

The article is derived from the official magazine of the UEFA Champions League titled, “Champions.” The intended readership is of course, soccer fans all around the world, in particular, across Europe.

I didn’t feel the need to change the identity of the magazine with my own design – in fact, I drew inspiration and quite a few ideas from it. I was simply tweaking a few areas (photos, typeface, etc) according to my own tastes, which really is a balance of my uber-simple approach all other soccer magazines out there.

As for the article itself, the original version was simply a feature on the rise of Josep Guardiola, the current manager of FC Barcelona. I flipped it around to be more of a profile/interview piece of the man and his career thus far.

The design strategy was not too complex for me. I knew I wanted a blown-up photo to cover most (it ended up being all) of the feature spread – the article would not begin till you flipped the page. And on the jump spread, a pull-quote inside a portrait-like photo to give the “correlation effect” between the words and the individual. As for the sidebar, I went for stats because ultimately, this was for a sports magazine – and stats are a cornerstone. The theme that I kept consistent from feature to jump spread was the tones in the photos.

I kept the photo frames rigid and straightly arranged for a more classy look. A text-wrap and/or photo overlaps would have made it fancier, but I figured that’s more appropriate for fashion/celebrity magazines. With the grids, I went for the conventional three-column system for both pages in the jump spread.

Fonts used:

Hoefler: the headline and sidebar headings
Helvetica: for captions, page numbers, deck, pull-quote, and sidebar text.
Garamond: for the body text of the article

Sand Dunes

2009-08-07T16:48:00.003-04:00

Adam Popescu
Magazine Project
August 7, 2009

Magazine Identity/Readership

Sand Dunes is a magazine catering to beach-surf culture. The design is an island feel catering to readers who enjoy both beautiful women and the sandy beaches they sunbathe on. This specific spread is a feature for the August issue, dedicated to bikini models. This spread is intended for both recreational viewers as well as fashion industry aficionados who can use this magazine to find models for print campaign work.

Visual Identity

This feature spread is intended to be a cool way to get to know one of the most beautiful women in the world. Through an informal question and answer article, the reader learns fun facts about Quiana. The design is laid out so that the pictures of Quiana make the reader feel like she is actually looking right at you. If I would design the cover for the magazine, I would put a sultry, seductive picture of her on the cover. I would feature Quiana as one of perhaps a half dozen girls worthy of gracing the pages of Sand Dunes.

Artistic Visual Identity

The color tone is a tan that matches the color palette of the opening picture of the beauty. The side bar is an informative way to check out vital stats and contact information on Quiana (agencies that represent her are shown). As mentioned earlier, the goal is to give the reader a sense that this woman is looking back at you.

Artistic Design Strategy

I feel the initial impression my feature page makes is seduction. I chose such a provocative picture of Quiana, on her knees, back to the camera, in order to draw the reader in, and make them want to explore what makes this woman who she is. My use of type helps further this cause by a cursive title style, in a brown color. I chose cursive because I think it’s a feminine style that works well with her personality.

Style Sheet

Opening Spread Deckhead: Zapfino 16 pt, Charlemagne STD bold, 16 pt
Folios: chaparral pro 11 pt
Opening Spread Headline: Zapfino 68.16 pt
Jump Spread Pulled Quote: chaparral pro regular, 18 pt

Document Grid

I chose a two-column grid because I think it makes the words flow easily. The margins work to display a good mix of visuals and text to convey this, fitting all of my text and graphics succinctly.

Sources

Sportsillustrated.com
Wikipedia.com
Google.com

Ali's Current Event #2

2009-08-06T10:42:00.004-04:00

English soccer team Manchester United has decided on a throwback for it's new jersey/kit this season.

The new home shirt for the 2009/2010 season will be red with a large white v-shape sash down the front (above). Manufactured by Nike, the new shirt is a tribute to the Manchester United side that won its first FA Cup 100 years ago in the 1909 FA Cup Final.

Certainly very old school as opposed to last season's jersey/kit (below).

Sometimes, logos go with a more anti-progressive look, especially if it's for a purpose (tribute, etc). But usually, when that does happen, the "new" look is still modified slightly to fit into the modern era. Not so much in this case. They even kept the laces below the collar.

Maybe this will restart the trend..

2009-08-03T21:56:00.003-04:00

Dear Jeff,

This is the logo project that was completed on July 31, 2009.

Visual Message: Many people may feel that the fleur de lis stands as just a french symbol, however the symbol has been used in many other cultures. The symbol I wanted to resemble in my logo was the Giglio that stands as the symbol of Florence of Firenza. I chose this because I am Italian and Florence is my favorite city. I saw the Giglio on all the beautiful churches and other structures while touring around Florence, which began my fascination. I wanted to express myself within this logo by highlighting parts of the symbol to show a CT for my initals. This provides myself with a logo that has importance to me and is also a recognizable symbol to most. I used the color purple because it is the color of Florence and it is also my favorite color.

Audience: The audience that this project was aimed for is everyone, it could be someone I write to in the workplace, however it could also be family and friends. I feel like it pertains to a wide range because anyone who I write to will see that I used a logo that means something to me.

Design Strategy: As I discussed above the logo communicates to the audience by grabbing ones attention through the different opacity I used within the logo. The darker area of the logo pops out more in order to emphasis my initals, in addition to that I chose to have the logo bleed off the page so that the fleur was not my actual logo, but more so a variation that is centered around the CT. I tried many fonts in order to find one that would complement the elegant and thick look of the logo. I tried many such as Cochin, Dante, Canstantia and Bell Gothic. I finally decided on using the font of Bakersville because I thought it was simple yet still had a pretty feel for it. I used italic in certain parts to emphazie items such as my name. It allows it to stand out a bit more.

Style Sheet:

Stationary : Bakersville - Italic- name

Bakersville- regular - all other info

envelope- all regualr bakersville with the exception of again my name = italic

the same goes for my business card however I might switch part of the business card to italic to emphasize my email.

Sources- I traced the image from a google image.. however influences would be many articles of clothing and jewlery that I own with the Fleur on it.

Extras: I think this was my favorite project thus far.

Olivia's Logo System

2009-08-03T16:30:00.006-04:00

Logo System

Visual Message
I would like to convey several key concepts including stability, strength, and peace. I am working to receive a certificate in peace and conflict resolution and hope to convey my mediation and diplomatic skills through my logo. Also, my first name, Olivia, is derived from the word olive and means a symbol of peace. The color I chose is soft and warm due to its earthy tone. The block style, used as a background to my logo, expresses the stability and dominance I wish to portray in my image and myself.

Audience
This logo system is designed for a future career in Public Diplomacy in which I hope to work for a prominent NGO or branch of government. My logo needs to be sophisticated and classy to appeal to this audience.

Design Strategy
The initial impression of my logo is soft and inviting. The style is drawn with a certain natural flow due to the fact it was designed from scratch in illustrator. The font styles are actually taken from my resume where they successfully expressed my image without detracting from my message. The design is very uniform among all three documents and holds a very strong correlation between them. While it was difficult to arrive at a simplistic design, my logo and concept became stronger and clearer as the design was simplified.

Style Sheet
Gill Sans MT
• Address Information on the stationary, business card and envelope
• Job title on business card
• Body of stationary
Scotch Roman Std MT
• Wordmark used in logo and on business card

Sources and Influences
The logo itself is a concept that is very close to my name and my own personal interests. Peace is something that I have been drawn to throughout my life, as a resident assistant, extracurricular activities, hobbies, family affairs, and even in my academic avenue. I am very happy with my logo and satisfied that it fully expresses who I am.

Magazines

2009-08-03T12:27:00.003-04:00

With so many magazines going under, it's nice to see one that's attempting to break the losing streak. Afar magazine caters to experimental travelers and is being bankrolled by a entrepreneur-turned-publisher. I'll let you read the article for itself, but it's nice to see that someone is still taking a chance on magazines, which kept me occupied for hours at a time as a boy. I don't like reading online, so it's also nice to see that Afar doesn't plan to launch a website til 2010. Credits to Adweek for the article.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/e3i6098aad6d9c8d3fb6f9d85a5537449a6

Get Familiar by Drew Carr

2009-08-02T22:39:00.003-04:00

Everyone needs to return their seats to the upright position because this is huge.

I think it's safe to say that most of us remember watching Nickelodeon shows when we were younger and enjoying the top-quality entertainment in just about every episode.

And almost as reliable as the programming was the orange "splat". It read "Nickelodeon" in white letters and stayed parked in the corner of the screen during your favorite shows.

It's not like we actually paid much attention to the logo; most of us were sidetracked by our childhood crushes on Meagan Good and Amanda Bynes, or the antics of CatDog, Doug and the Rugrats. But the orange splat was there and it's still familiar for many of us.

So though it's not easy, I'm writing this to tell you all that it was recently announced the Nickelodeon's logo, which was introduced in 1984, is undergoing a makeover for a more modern look. Sucks. I know.

We can get through this together. I encourage everyone to tune in to Nickelodeon once the logo is official so we can start to get used to it. This way, in the forthcoming years, none of us will have to shake a disapproving head at the HDTVs in our children's bedrooms as they watch Nickelodeon cartoons at 11 pm.

Oh and if anyone asks, you heard it here first.

Shruthi's Current Event

2009-08-02T18:18:00.008-04:00

A logo design change that strikes closer home, this time -Apple's Quicktime. They have apparently done away with the 'aqua gel look' for a chrome tinted 3D finish. The result is quite sleek and keeps up with the rest of Apple's branding strategy. The logo which was previously blue will now take on a shade of purple.

Apple updates its logos on a regular basis. Generally, version updates are accompanied by logo changes. This time around the logo will represent the QuickTime X(ten) version. There have also been some controversies of the similarity between the Apple Quicktime logo and General Motors' 'Goodwrench'.

The GM logo apparently has a rotated 'Q' in the middle in the exact same shade of electric blue. This also looks like the power symbol seen on electronic equipment. The contoversy created quite a buzz on design forums but no legal allegations have been made.

Todd Cross' Logo Project

2009-08-02T17:33:00.006-04:00

Moulton_Logo

2009-08-01T23:13:00.005-04:00

Since everyone else is focusing on logo changes, I thought I would mix it up a notch. This sounds like an Emeril thing, with him always kicking those notches' asses. But it does relate, as the blogger wrote about how he went to the natural food store and bought turmeric and liked the writing of the cashier so much that he bought some Himalayan crap so he could see the dude at the cash register write that down too. So it made me think, why the hell is designing a logo so hard if the hippie down the road can figure it out? Do we really need to be studying hard, working our way up this arbitrary path if weed is the answer? I am sitting here looking at a can of Genny Light, and I am sure that in my current state I could think up some nifty designs for the can, but they already have a logo otherwise I wouldn't be drinking out of a can full of an undefined liquid. So they did their job. Logos don't need to be changed all the time, but since they are, I would suggest that the wholesome guy with the fancy sharpie at the natty food store gets in on the rearranging of all the symbols of American consumerism I have grown to love over the course of my rather meaningless existence. But now I can blog, and tweet, and spend my days doing things that would otherwise seem a waste of time but aren't. My life is almost complete, and with my upcoming mastery of typefaces, I will be the man I always dreamed of. My mom is so proud, and not just because my abilities that she fostered in me are being spent in front of a screen, but because when I actually write her a letter, I use a snazzy typeface that tells her I love her better than I ever could have dreamed of at the beginning of the summer.

The Delusion of Apple: Olivia's Current Event

2009-08-01T23:01:00.006-04:00

Is the new GreeNYC campaign logo a copycat of Apple or is it merely coincidence? Apple seems to think this new campaign logo is infringing upon their own logo and is ready to sue the city of New York on these grounds. However, upon closer examination of this situation I think Apple is being selfish of all things apple shaped and acting rather ridiculous. From a factual standpoint, NYC has been known as the "Big Apple" since the 1920s and has since been connected with this symbolic fruit. Also, the concept of a GreeNYC campaign would logically draw upon images of fruits, vegetables, recycling and other environmentally suggestive icons. As if these two points do not portray the logic in NYC using an apple image as their logo, analyzing the two logos side by side will show how dissimilar they are.
The two logos shown above both portray the common image of an apple but are no more similar than any other two apple logos. Apple's logo is a solid fruit with a bite out of it, no stem, the leaf is pointing right and has a metallic look. The GreeNYC campaign logo is green, with a stem, the leaf is pointing to the left, and the apple is not a solid image with the main fruit created by an infinity symbol. Those at Apple are clearly delusional and despite the success of their company, that does not mean they have a monopoly on any and all apple images for years to come. I first heard about this story at NPR (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89333930). Also, I found an entertaining blogger whose feelings about the situation were very similar to mine (http://logicalcomplexinfinitive.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/apples-apple-bullies-nys-apple/).

These are my own thoughts on this crazy situation between Apple and NYC, but I would be very entertained to hear anyone else's.

davis_currentevent2

2009-08-01T22:58:00.003-04:00

For this week's current event I decided to keep with the theme of academic logo redesign. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, as discussed on Brand New, recently switched from a fairly basic typographic logo and abstract bird image to a more dynamic design.

Though the simplicity of the previous design is nice to see, the lab made a good decision by moving to a bolder and more visually appealing logo that uses different members of the type family to grab the viewer's attention. The lack of space between the first three words is remedied by the bold, but it also allows the last two words "of ornithology" to be emphasized. There are undoubtedly many Cornell labs, and they distinguish themselves by the last words. This is well represented in the logo.

I'm not sure where I stand on the change of the bird graphic. The abstract version is interesting, and I'm not sure an ornithology lab really needs to detail a bird to get their message across. However, the new bird fits the new logo fairly well. In a world that seems to expect logo changes, I imagine it is difficult to keep coming up with good ideas.

Nasar Current Event

2009-08-01T22:31:00.000-04:00

Eurovision is a annual competition between countries of the European Broadcasting Union (predominantly Eastern European states), where each country submits a song and performer to represent their country. The winner is voted by the participating countries. The logo for this competition has been this for the past few years.

The member-states are allowed to place their flag within the heart and create a background for it. Russia has its own logo, but this year it was jazzed up:

I read somewhere that this bird could be a "reference to Russian folklore and the stories of the prophetic bird people such a Gamayun, Alkonost and Sirin." I find this logo to be very visually appealing. It fully utilizes the color palette of the Russian flag (red, blue and white) while conveying a message of simplicity and beauty. Birds are known for their voices, their singing capabilities. The bird itself looks like a musical note, not to mention the notes that are incorporated into its tail. This image catches the readers attention and the flow of the bird leads it into the text. However Russia did not win the 2009 competition, Norway did.

Todd Cross' Blog Posting - Current Event #2

2009-08-01T22:21:00.005-04:00

Old version

New redesign

This is another not-so-breaking news example; however, it is very recent (end of April 2009) and I wanted to compare my past posting of a magazine with this posting on a redesign of newspaper.

Will any redesign really matter with newspapers? I would like to think so, but readers habits are dramatically changing - the unknown haunts me.

I am impressed that this newspaper took two years to survey readers and advertisers to make effective changes. I remain appreciative of hometown newspapers who care about their readers and the readers' experience when reading the newspaper.

They opted to add more color, more features and use a narrower page - all smart decisions in my opinion.

The Sunday edition, surely the most read edition of the week, was given special attention. Their focus was all about "the “why” behind the week’s headlines, holding officials accountable with more watchdog reporting, providing an in-depth cover story in every section and providing readers with a relaxing weekend experience." I am fearful of what will happen to investigative reporting as newspapers evolve, so it is nice to see Atlanta staying true to the principles of newspaper journalism.

When it comes to design, they opted to make adjustments for the week versus the Sunday edition. During the week, the design is focused on quick and efficient reading and the Sunday edition is about a leisurely approach to the newspaper. All this is achieved through easy navigation references, consistent sectioning and anchored features.

Knowing that advertisers rule the day, the redesign also offers them more color options, more flexibility in ad positions and supports usability.

The newspaper also realized they need to connect with readers through all mediums - some of their marketing is geared toward the television crowd:

http://media.ajc.com/unplugcampaign/tv.html

This is the most comprehensive redesign the newspaper has undertaken.

What do you think?

Pooja's current event

2009-08-01T20:45:00.001-04:00

It is strange how one starts applying the strategies learnt in class and look at every design critically. I found this poster which talks about green peace in the most destructive manner possible. It is created for a “car free day 2009” in Hong Kong. The visual shows a hurricane which is designed using automobiles. The copy simply reads “You are Driving the Wind into Hurricanes”, a line that makes use of the pun very well.
As I learnt in class I could understand the way one’s eyes moves in a page. The top of the page I saw the hurricane with cars and the direction of the hurricane led me towards the copy below. The logo, “Greenpeace” is placed on the right bottom.
It is a plain and simple design with not many visuals or copy. It is straightforward, filled with a lot of negative space and yet communicating the message very well to its audience. The use of cars in the form of a hurricane captures one’s attention. When I saw this visual, I stopped to actually read it and find out what it is about. If I were in Hong Kong I would want to participate in this event for sure. Having designed a poster, I realized that this poster not only communicates, but also makes its audience take action. This is the success of any design.
So enjoy it just i did, and lets hope we come across more designs like these!

COURTS OF LA

2009-08-01T20:38:00.003-04:00

The Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers both play in the same building, Staples Center. Both play on the same court, but each team has their own home floor, color, typography and design.

The Lakers court feature its logo at center court, and there only. The type face is all uppercase, giving the name a much more bold feel; behind the name is an image of a large basketball. On the baseline, LAKERS is written out in all uppercase. Lakers colors are purple and gold.

The Clippers court features the Clippers logo at center court. The type face is a cursive, connecting the uppercase C and lower case letters, with letters in white (there is no visual aide, just the name). The shortened logo of LAC is featured at the elbow on both ends of the court. Los Angeles Clippers is written out on the baseline behind the basket. Clipper colors are blue and red.

The Clippers are known for losing and the Lakers are known for winning. Wins and losses aside, the mark of good visual design is apparent in both courts. In my view, the Lakers court looks far more contemporary, NBA level, much like the franchise that uses it.

Feely Current Event

2009-08-01T19:22:00.002-04:00

A website that many of us have used in class, Brands of the World, has recently changed its logo according to the blog Brand New.

The old logo seems very outdated with the brush strokes along the globe and the very common typeface.

The new logo (on the right) is much more current, staying away from really bright colors but using a simple, bold, sans serif typeface to get the message across.

I personally relate to the second logo much, much better because it comes across as much more professional and gives the website much more credibility. The old logo looks like I could have colored it with markers in elementary school.

I also liked how the kept the "globe" nearly the same to keep some consistency even during the change.

Bryan's Current Event in the World of Design and Typography, Pt. 2 of 28,317

2009-08-01T19:13:00.005-04:00

So this thing happened in like February or something, but I didn't find out about it until last night when I was getting a drink at Faegan's, so excuse the timeliness of it, but really it's still pretty current in the grand scheme of things (but so is my birth, when you look at the full scale of time as human's perceive it). Now for the event: Blimpie, self proclaimed "America's Sub Shop," have changed their logo. Real quick here's the old one:And the slight variation that was rolled out a few years ago:

Not much difference, just a change of colors and that oval-ish thing that goes from the top of the "b" around the the "e" and then back to the bottom of the "e." They obviously tried to streamline it a bit, for who knows why, probably because they assumed the red was too distracting. But still, it's a very similar logo. If you're going to change things, this is the way to do it, a little bit new, a little bit old.

It's not the greatest logo, but distinctive and fitting of a sandwich shop. Also, despite never having once eaten at a Blimpie I knew this logo. It's imprint was scarred on my mind's eye.

Now, the new one:Ick.

That's almost all I have to say about this way too boring new logo. Yeah it's got the shop's slogan underneath, but who cares because it's so unnassuming that it barely registers with me. A nondescript bold san serif...you've got a completely forgettable logo. It's got none of the charm or personality of the old one. And for someone like me whose never eaten one of their sandwiches it gives me no reason to remember it.

I mean, to me, changing a logo, isn't a good thing. It's an admission that the old one just isn't that good. But if you're going to change things up, at least do a good job of it. Blimpie has not done this. Instead they've done the opposite.

If I were Jeff, and in charge of grading the company, I'd give them a C-.

Ryan's Current Event_2

2009-08-01T16:56:00.006-04:00

Can Creature Do for Sherry What Hip-Hop Did for Cognac?
By Jermey Mullman
July 29, 2009

Seattle boutique agency Creature has taken on the tough task of bringing sherry, the quintessential drawing-room drink, into the 21st century. Personally, I have never even tasted sherry and I may have scene a bottle of sherry once or twice in my entire life. So I was a little sceptical when learning that Creature is going to take on this intimidating task.

If you didn't know, sherry is a Spanish fortified wine, historically thought of as an old-man drink or a cooking wine. Part of the campaign, Creature has created a website that attempts to take the mystery out of sherry. Viewers are able to navigate through a dusty, castle-like setting called the Secret Sherry Society. People can view information on sherry cocktails, food pairing and the different types of sherry. Creature is trying to market towards a younger audience by eliminating the "boring" stigma associated with the brand.

I really admire Creature's attempt with sherry. Their marketing effort will bring new light to the brand. The number one problem with sherry is that people my age don't know anything about the brand. I think if I knew more about sherry I would be more likely to purchase a bottle. Apparently the campaign seems to be working thus far: Through March exports had risen 50%. Sherry is far from the success of Cognac but they're headed in the right direction.

Sweeney's Current Event

2009-08-01T16:56:00.004-04:00

Recently, the Philly Sixers changed their logo, switching back to the logo on the right which is very similar to one they had for years up until about a decade ago. It seems like they want to take the team and fans back to a time when they had Dr. J, Moses Malone, etc. and were very good. It will take effect immediately this season.

In my opinion, it is a good move. The one on the left seems a little cartoonish; sports logos are almost always better when they are simple. For example, when the Denver Broncos changed their old orange crush uniforms to the crazy blue and orange ones around a decade ago, I hated it.

Fans can identify with the team's history with this new logo. The colors are pretty similar, but it is just a much sleeker and more appropriate design.

O'Neill current event

2009-08-01T13:28:00.006-04:00

I read recently in the news that 19-year-old student from Syracuse(ish) was recently brought up on something like 89 graffiti charges. It's more than a slap on the wrist, but many communities see graffiti as a growing problem.

A new graffiti "artist" in New Orleans has been promoting literacy (?) by tagging "READ" in huge block letters all over the city. He also has been drawing books on buildings and abandoned houses all over the town. I found a review of the work on GraffitiNews.com.

I am pretty ambivalent regarding graffiti in general. Sometimes I think it spices an area up, but most of the time it's an eyesore. The reviewer of "Mr. Read's" work pointed out that there was seemingly some element of Public Service Announcement to it, but called it a far cry from "the lilting poetry of the Banksy graffiti that wowed the Crescent City over a year ago."

If you're unfamiliar with Banksy, he's a British graffiti artist who has global renown after painting some pretty topical work all over the world, including on some of the walls that separate Jewish and Palestinian areas in Israel.

Marmor_Current Event

2009-08-01T13:12:00.002-04:00

Apparently this company called Network Solutions is now changing its logo. I think it's a good change. I'm not familiar with the company, but providing a graphic really enhances their logo. The old logo is REALLY boring. First of all, grey, in my opinion is one of the most boring colors, unless used properly. And in this the instance of the first logo, it looks like the designer chose it for no apparent reason. I do like the green though. It stands out and catches the eye. I'm glad they kept the green in the new one and used green for the image. Although I think the graphic needs a bit more help. First, it looks like a light is shining on the top of it, now that might be on purpose but I think it's distracting. And the NS inside of it, could be a little bit more clear. The S is clear, but I think the N could be better. But I do like how it folds. I don't know what any of this has to do with the services the company provides though. Maybe they might think of doing a logo that connects to their services.

Pooja - Logo and rationale

2009-07-31T16:47:00.006-04:00

Ali's Logo Project

2009-07-31T16:43:00.005-04:00

Smith_Logo Project

2009-07-31T16:40:00.007-04:00

My logo is a Rhino with a bird sitting on its horn. That was my nickname in college, sweet, great, grand!!!

Bryan's Logo Project

2009-07-31T16:36:00.005-04:00

Project: Logo System July 31, 2009

Visual Message

As I’ve made clear many times, I’m a pretty big literature buff, so I wanted a logo that would ably illustrate this. I also knew I wanted a logo focused on my initials, since capitalized B and H are pretty similarly shaped. What I decided to do was take the two letters and make a logo had an older bookish slant to it. I also wanted to make the logo look like a stamp, with the letter in an older looking typeface, something that would look like it was produced by an old printing press.

Audience

Literary magazines like The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly and Harpers. A magazine like The Believer wouldn’t be bad either.

Design Strategy

As stated in the visual message portion, I wanted something that had an old bookish feel to it. This feel was created, hopefully, by using an old typeface, Garamond, and kerning the letters slightly to create a block like shape, almost like a stamp. I then added texture to the whole thing, by printing it out, tracing it in pencil, scanning this in, then using Photoshop and Illustrator to turn this into an image. Using Illustrator’s live trace option, I gave the thing an inky feel. The goal is for it to look like an old rubber stamp of my initials, which I think was achieved.

Style Sheet

Believe it or not the every single thing is Garamond Bold. Every single bit of text.

Sources and Influences

None

Extras

The whole thing is in a blue very similar to the one seen on the Los Angeles Dodgers uniform. It’s a little throwback to my L.A. roots. But the colors can easily be changed, like if I were looking for a job in San Francisco, for example.

Moulton_Logo

2009-07-31T16:35:00.002-04:00

O'NEILL LOGO PROJECT

2009-07-31T16:31:00.006-04:00

Nick Cicero: Logo and Stationary

2009-07-31T16:28:00.002-04:00

Nick Feely Logo Project

2009-07-31T16:24:00.004-04:00

Shruthi'S Logo Project

2009-07-31T16:23:00.007-04:00

Shruthi Sankaravadivel

Project: Logo Sytem

08/31/09

Visual message
The lotus or ‘yantra’ as it is known in India is a symbol of enlightenment (a symbol of Buddha) and balance, since it floats on water. It is also the national flower of India. Through the design of my logo and stationery system I want to communicate balanced control and skill in a serene setting. The color scheme is soothing and aimed at relaxing the user. To me the Indian element in the logo is vital since that is an integral part of who I am and my patriotism.

Audience
The audience for my stationery set would include people in the Indian media industry -editors, writers and advertisers.

Design Strategy
The first thing to notice about my design is the color scheme- shades of lavender and pink. When I send my letter out, I want to be sure that the colors will calm the reader and set the right stage for them to hear my case. The symbol of the lotus is almost therapeutic as it has been associated with yoga and several Hindu and Buddhist deities for ages. The smooth, flowing curves in my logo represent the flow of creative energy. The ‘S’ is meant to personalize the logo. Since I wanted to inlay my ‘S’ into the lotus petal, I wanted a font that would flow along with it. The remaining typefaces I chose, looked simple and stylish –exactly the tone I wanted to convey. I carried my theme throughout my set to maintain uniformity while reflecting and filling out my logo to show variation.

Style sheet
I used only one typeface throughout my set so that they look connected. I used a different font on my logo because that worked best within the petal.

Logo ‘S’ : Adobe Garamond Pro
Body Text: Adobe Jenson Pro

Sources and influences
My heritage. I worked as the Assistant Editor of a culture magazine in India and spent a lot of time researching symbols in Indian mythology. That was when I got hooked to the lotus and its myriad connotations. It is one of the most powerful symbols and I am very pleased to have it in my logo.

PALM TREES

2009-07-31T16:22:00.003-04:00

davis_logosystem

2009-07-31T16:20:00.004-04:00

RE: Rational for Logo System Project

The visual message of my logo is simple and bold. The contrast of black on white, or white on black, makes the logo easy to distinguish and remember. The system conveys an elegant message with black and white in flowing lines. Since it looks like a flower, it gives a simultaneously modern and natural feel that is well-balanced. The hidden message within the flower is three women wearing medals, which offers a symbol of collaboration and equality.

Though this system could be used for multiple audiences, I believe it would be best suited to be used for a women-focused NGO that specializes in rights or empowerment through achievement. The system is both feminine and professional.

In terms of design strategy, I tried create a logo that gives a bold first impression, which is why I chose to play with size and contrast. Without the size and contrast in black and white, the flower would be far too feminine, which is not what I wanted for my logo. As mentioned previously, there is a hidden message in the flower – the necks and chests of three women wearing the one medal in the center. Finding this message is not critical to the effect of the logo, but it gives it a rounder and deeper impact. There is also potential to emphasize this message of sharing achievement.

I varied the design throughout the system. The business card is by far the boldest piece, with strong contrast and visuals, so it can capture the attention of the inactive audience. The stationery and envelope would typically be sent to an already activated audience, so I used muted color and larger size on the stationery to be more personal and the basic logo on the envelope to keep it simple. I chose to use Helvetica Neue family for my text. It is modern, trendy and versatile. The lighter versions of this type complement my design.

I have included my style sheet as follows:
Helvetica Neue Bold: name on envelope
Helvetica Neue Regular: name on stationery, address on business card, address on envelope
Helvetica Neue Light: address on stationery. name on business card
Helvetica Neue UltraLight: position on business card

Other than the creativity induced by sketching and discussing my design with my instructors, my influence was a women’s restroom symbol I saw in Costa Rica. The symbol woman wore a flowy dress instead of a triangular dress. I began drawing that symbol, turned it upside down, and eventually found that it worked well as a flower.

Marmor Logo and Stationary

2009-07-31T16:19:00.001-04:00

Sean's Logo Project

2009-07-31T16:17:00.001-04:00

Rationale in the letter.

Old Poster, New Post

2009-07-31T16:13:00.005-04:00

Adam Popescu
Poster
July 24, 2009

Event

My event is a charity golf tournament that benefits the food bank of Central New York. It takes pace July 14 in Marcellus, New York. All proceeds from the event go towards funding the food bank, providing meals for the needy. This event is a good way to have a fun day of sports and recreational for a good cause.

Visual Message

Golf and food are not the most closely associated items, and it was challenging to incorporate both of them together into one cohesive image.

That being said, the goal of my poster is to display this connection through the use of big, direct, easy to read text, and images of golf and eating.

Audience

My audience is universal, but specifically targets sports enthusiasts as well as those who donate and are involved in food bank charity. Beyond that, anyone interested in sport and helping ones fellow man is part of my audience.

Design Strategy

My design strategy is intended to deliver the information about the event simply and directly. The background is similar to the color of grass found on a golf course. The food bank’s logo figures prominently on the top of the poster. In the center of the poster, a large golf ball is flanked by a set of silverware. The golf ball represents a plate of food, and the grass behind it works as a placemat. My font used was Gill Sans Ultra Bold, which I thought lent itself well to a bold, easy to read format; I changed the color of the font to be white, to further pop off of the page.

Style Sheet

Event Name: Gill Sans Ultra Bold (in white)

Event Date: Gill Sans Ultra Bold (in black) for the main info (2009, Golf Open)

Rest of Event Info: Gill Sans Bold and regular