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ARTS 346 Final Course Reflection

This final blog post is very bitter-sweet for me. On the one hand, I'm extremely happy to be done with the semester, and my course work. On the other, I'm sad that this is my last time being a part of this class and this university as a whole. This class has helped me develop several skills over the semester, and I'm very thankful for that. I think that I've become better at giving helpful critiques to others, as well as receiving critiques on my work.

The large-scale final project was my favorite one of the semester. I enjoyed being able to spread out my deliverables, so I could put more time into each of them. I also greatly enjoyed being able to choose my own project, instead of having to do one based on a set of already established guidelines.

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ARTS 346 Wikipedia Edit-a-thon / Nick Longo Talk

Our first event this week, the Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon, was an entirely new experience for me. While I'm sure that I, along with many other college students, use Wikipedia very regularly, I had never considered the process behind the information. Previously, I thought that Wikipedia was simply editable by anyone with an account and that there were moderators to keep an eye on things. I had never considered the amount of review that information posted there goes through, or how well managed the whole process seems to be. It was a learning experience that I greatly enjoyed, and in the future, I feel like I might spend some time making some additions of my own to Wikipedia.

The second event, visiting guest speaker and graphic designer Nick Longo, was my favorite guest speaker we've had so far. I really enjoyed his insight into the process of pitching an idea to a client, as well as following through with the process. Seeing the actual material that he presented to his client was very informative, and helped me better understand the way that a designer-client relationship works in the real world. I appreciated how he went into depth on how the process of a logo redesign worked, as well as creating a whole new brand from scratch.

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ARTS 346 Inquiry #5 / Media 5

Listening to the fifth and final media was a very interesting experience!  As a design student in the twenty-first century, there has not been that extreme a change in the logos that everyone is familiar with, but hearing about the more complex, older logos was interesting. Like it was mentioned in the podcast, logos in today's age have to be able to work in mobile, desktop, digital, and print applications. This is much different from the requirements of the past, where the test was to simply fax the black and white logo. I enjoyed this reflection of the past for our final inquiry/media reflection.

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ARTS 346 Inquiry #4 / Media 4

After reading chapters 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 5.2, and 5.3 from Graphic Design Process: From Problem to Solution 20 Case Studies, I have a new insight into the design processes of some big names in the design industry. I found Dubberly Design Offices concept maps particularly interesting. Knowing that they only use each term once in an entire map is very impressive to me. I also greatly enjoyed seeing all the variations of Ralph Schraivogel's work. Seeing all of the different combinations and takes on a single phrase was very inspiring. I think my overall favorite, however, was Michael Bierut's design for the New World Symphony.

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ARTS 346 Inquiry #3 / Media 3 / Guest Speaker

After listening to both Andy J. Pizza (Media #3) and Shannon Downey (Badasscrossstitch), I feel more motivated to put forth the best effort in my work. It is not that I did not have the motivation before, but now it seems easier to come by, after hearing the personal stories of others. I especially enjoyed listening to Andy talk about the things that his personal mentors have taught him. I enjoyed his take on how to improve. You have try to find whoever is the best at what you want to do, and figure out how you can be better.

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ARTS 346 Inquiry #2 / Media 2:

Listening to the podcast "Design Matters" hosted by Debbie Millman was a new experience for me. I have never listened to another designer's podcast, or anyone's for that matter. Listening to Debbie and guest speaker Seth Godin speak was eye-opening as far as the world of design goes. While none of the material that he discussed was entirely new information for me, it personally helped to hear it reinforced by a professional. The point that especially resonated with me was that of the blogger that had only been working for six weeks and hadn't experienced their "Big Break" yet. As a fresh designer (almost) out of college, it's calming to remember and be reminded that success does not come overnight, and patience is a virtue.

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ARTS 346 Inquiry #1:

Inquiry #1 was a very new experience for me. Having such a quick turnaround time for a project at the very start of the semester was somewhat challenging but in a good way. It forced me to go outside my comfort zone and try something new, which I enjoyed. If in the future I decide to add the project to my portfolio, I want to make it more engaging/interesting. Currently, the social media posts leave a bit to be desired. In addition to the first inquiry project, media #1 was very interesting to listen to. I had never considered the implications to packaging/store displays with the release of the compact CD case, as compared to the longbox.

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ARTS 546 Reflection 5 (Final):  

This last post is very satisfying to make, but also a bit sad. While I'm happy to say that the class is over and the work is done, it's that very same work that I'll miss. This last project has given me some time to reflect on the class as a whole, as well as myself personally.  I like to think that I gained several valuable skills throughout this class. The most notable being a proficiency in Adobe XD, and a general working knowledge of Webflow. These skills were useful while creating my final portfolio/project. My previous experience in the course gave me what I needed to create an effective website.

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ARTS 546 Reflection 4:  

After going through our class presentations of Project 3 for ARTS 546, I feel that my campaign was effective. I feel like there was room for improvement, however. After completing three projects, I've grown used to Adobe XD, and feel much more comfortable using it and its features. I enjoyed this project, as it gave us the most creative freedom. We were able to choose the blue law we wanted to campaign and create our own marketing material for it. Observing my classmate's work during final presentations gave me inspiration and ideas to use for future projects to make my work stand out more, as well as to be more effective.

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ARTS 546 Reflection 3:

Looking back on our second project for ARTS 546, I feel very accomplished. Throughout the project, I increased my knowledge of Adobe XD, as well as that of general web design. At the start, the prospect of creating an entire website from scratch was daunting, to say the least. But the structure of the project made it easy to transition from producing our sitemaps to wireframing the site, to producing the full mockup. I enjoyed creating everything from scratch and seeing it all come together. I can confidently say now that I am much more familiar with Adobe XD, and I look forward to starting the next project. I have a large amount to improve, but I believe that I have a solid base to start from now.

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ARTS 546 Reflection 2:

After completing my first project for ARTS 546, I'm starting to feel more confident about the tools we'll be using throughout the semester. Using Adobe XD is very similar to the cloud-based service, Figma, that we used in class for exercises 1 and 2. Adobe XD did take a while to get used to, and there is always more I can learn about it, but now I can say I have a working knowledge of it, where that wouldn't have been true before. I am looking forward to further expanding my skills as a graphic designer, as well as my skills as a web designer.

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ARTS 546 Post #1

Reflection:

After completing our first two in-class exercises, I am becoming more comfortable with the tools used in web design. Although before the first exercise, I was already familiar with the general elements of a website, it helped me place names to the components that I already knew. Exercise two was an effective team building activity as well as being informational in the creation of a site map. It was also a good way to get familiarized with Figma. These two exercises have greatly helped me in getting started on my first assignment: creating a one-page website. I'm looking forward to more group activities in the future and increasing my knowledge of web design!

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Reading response:

Chapter 10 of Typographical Design Form and Communication (“Case Studies in Typographic Design”) covers various graphical design case studies. Multiple case studies are covered, including clients such as the US National Parks Service, a book store in Basel, movie title sequences, and even subway systems. Despite how mundane or simple something may seem, there is always an underlying element of graphic design present, whether it is perceivable or not. A perfect example of this is the Unigrid system, developed by the US National Parks service in 1976. This system is used for creating pamphlets, as well as site folders, and other various publications.

Reflection:

For my tenth reflection, I chose the template form of my process journal. Chapter 10 (Case Studies in Typographic Design) of Typographical Design Form and Communication covers various case studies in graphic design, because of this, my process journal is a perfect example of a case study. I will be using my knowledge, as well as the skills that I have developed this semester to create a record of my progress, that showcases my work in a unique, but effective way. I am sad that this will be our last project, but I look forward to seeing it completed, as well as everyone else's final work.

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Reading response:

Chapter 9 of Typographical Design Form and Communication (“Typography in Time and Motion”) touches on the topic of moving type, as well as type presented in media. Several different topics are briefly touched on, such as hierarchy, movement, frame/space, and legibility. While these may all seem obvious enough, others might be overlooked, but are none the less important. The transition of text, rhythm, and pacing, as well as continuity. are concepts that might be overlooked. Chapter 9 covers many topics that have application in not only graphic design but the film world as well. While these may be seem to be two different applications, they share many of the same similarities.

Reflection:

For my ninth reflection, I chose the initial layout of my fourth and final project; my Process Journal for the entire semester. As discussed in Chapter 9 (Typography in Time and Motion) of Typographical Design Form and Communication, the movement, placement, form, and presentation of type is an essential factor in design. I have chosen to show the initial layout of my Process Journal so that I may describe the content I am planning to fill it with. With what I have learned from Chapter 9, as well as the rest of the book, I plan to create a design that not only presents all of my work from the semester but also engages and fascinates whoever is reading the journal as well.

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Reading response:

Chapter 8 of Typographical Design Form and Communication (“Typography on Screen”) goes over how viewing text on technology can affect the readability of type, as well as the techniques used to make type readable on smaller screens. The most common technique used is Antialiasing. Antialiasing fills in the curves of letters with an intermediate tone to smooth the appearance of the character at lower screen resolutions. Another technique used to improve the readability of type at smaller sizes on-screen is called "hinting". Hinting is when a designer reshapes a character to the best possible shape at a certain point size. Modern technology allows for hinting to be displayed automatically when text is generated onscreen.

Reflection:

For my eighth reflection, I chose the pre-critique version of my Conceptual Typography Poster (Featuring the Open Sans typeface). As discussed in Chapter 8 (Typography on Screen) of Typographical Design Form and Communication, the readability of type is paramount in design that concerns presenting information meant to be read. I have chosen my Conceptual poster because it is a perfect example of a typeface that is readable at both large and small scales. Open Sans was designed expressly with this purpose in mind. The smaller text in the background is still perfectly legible, even without the presence of the "reading glasses".

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Reading response:

Chapter 7 of Typographical Design Form and Communication (“The Evolution of Typographic Technology”) explains how the technology used to create and manipulate type has changed and evolved over the years with the advance of society. The most notable improvements/advancements being the ability to quickly change the characters being printed. The speed and ease at which this could be achieved increased exponentially as time went on. This started with the movable type invented by Gutenberg and evolved through the Linograph, the Monotype, the Ludlow, the Photosypositor, and finally settling on the modern method of desktop publishing. The technology making modern typographical design possible has come along way and is sure to change a great deal in the future.

Reflection:

For my seventh reflection, I chose the result of my 2-Hour Typography Poster project. As discussed in Chapter 7 (The Evolution of Typographic Technology) of Typographical Design Form and Communication, the technology permitting the editing and formatting of type has come a long way since its conception. I have selected my poster because it is a perfect example of what is possible with the use of modern technology. While the content of the poster I created is simple, using older methods mentioned in Chapter 7 would take many hours, if not days to complete. Due to modern technology, however, I was able to create the design in a timeframe of under two hours, thanks to Adobe's desktop design program, InDesign.

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Reading response:

Chapter 6 of Typographical Design Form and Communication (“The Typographic Message”) explains the different methods through which typography can be used to communicate with a viewer.  This chapter covers how type can be used to create an almost verbal message, through manipulation of text, or even simple placement. Type can also be used to create an implied illustration. Examples of this being the lyrics "O Christmas Tree" being repeated over and over while being oriented vertically, to visually create the image of a Christmas tree. In addition to literal imagery, text can also be used to imply more conceptual images.

Reflection:

For my sixth reflection, I chose the final mockup of my book covers. As discussed in Chapter 6 (The Typographic Message) of Typographical Design Form and Communication, type can be used to communicate a variety of different messages. I believe that I have successfully applied this lesson to my project. The most obvious examples of this being the back covers of my books. In the first book, I use this to wrap the text of the summary around the curve of the moon on the cover, in turn mimicking it. I utilize the same idea on the back of the second cover, mimicking the shape of the twister on the front cover for the summary's shape.