dylanstephensonsmith

[dylanstephensonsmith]

Graphic Design Week 5:

This week in Graphic Design we finalized our Visualizing Text projects and presented. Learning Illustrator was very difficult, but I can now confidently say that by the end of this project I have a firm, basic understanding of essential functions of the program. I learned how to manipulate text and for the most part am now able to freely create a product that represents what I Imagine in my head. This class will be the springboard I use to launch the pursuit of my design career and I will continue to improve upon my work.

[dylanstephensonsmith]

Graphic Design Week 4:

This week in Graphic Design we presented our magazine layouts. After getting over the hump of presenting, I thought my magazine was well received by both my professor and my classmates. I got a lot of good feedback including topics such as industry design basics and grid layout design. I used a grid for both my table of contents as well as my two page spread, which I feel set my work above some of my peers. Through observing other people, I could definitely tell which projects were created using a grid and which projects weren’t. Overall, this project further solidified my basic understanding of the InDesign program and pushed me to match my peers’ creativity.

[dylanstephensonsmith]

Graphic Design Week 3:

This week in Graphic Design was the most challenging yet. Tasked with redesigning a magazine, I began my journey by looking through my dad’s massive pile of magazines he’d been procrastinating on recycling. My goal was to find a magazine I had a realistic shot at improving. I saw many people in class choosing reputable magazines such a Time and Vogue and various other established publications. I felt if I were to pick something like that, nothing I did would improve much upon it and instead detract. The magazine I chose to redesign was a smaller publication called Florida Grower. I found the most visually unappealing issue and got to work. I drew most of my inspiration from the lecture power point included in the assignment on Canvas. I studied and subsequently sketched the Fibonacci Squares and modularity columns/layouts. The magazine design videos on Linkdn were also tantamount to learning a visually appealing and proportionally correct magazine design. When approaching my redesign I wanted to tone things down a notch. I found that my initial viewing of Florida Grower left me overwhelmed. The page was too busy, so I simplified it while keeping the content intact. Here are some images that will help you grasp my work flow. Looking forward to presenting!

[dylanstephensonsmith]

Graphic Design Week 2:

This week in Graphic Design I focused mostly on completing my project. After playing around with the software for several hours I happened upon my final designs. My finalized designs highlighted the fundamental design principles of symmetry, harmony, movement, and asymmetry. Upon entering class this past Thursday, I was not expecting to have to present my project to the class. This was my first design project and I was very nervous to be compared and contrasted to my peers who have progressed in the major much further than I. After getting over the hump of the presentation aspect of my project, I am much more confident after receiving positive feedback and constructive criticism from my peers and professor. I am mentally planning ahead for the next project, and hope for a productive week three in graphic design.

[dylanstephensonsmith]

Digital Design Week 1:

This week in Digital Design we were instructed on how to use several tools within the Adobe InDesign software. These included the “step and repeat” process, layering, coloring, and more. We learned how to organize our toolbars according to personal preference and how to set our margins for an ascetically pleasing page design. Over the past week I have been collecting my found letters (symbols, letters, numbers) which has proven to be quite difficult. Upon my return to class this Tuesday, I am hoping to be able to finalize my design into something unique and readable. This is my first time using Adobe software, so I have a huge learning curve to get over, which makes me incredibly anxious about my success in the class. Regardless, I am putting 100% of myself into this class, and I hope it pays off for further success within my major. The images I am including display some found letters and some sketches that helped inspire me to come to my final page design.