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Week 15 - Final Thoughts

The future of design will undoubtably be found on the worldwide web. It’s already being used here, but I think as online shopping becomes more and more popular companies will be reaching out to designers to make their brand stand out next to the next brand selling their products or services online. Of course I think that design will always be found in analog forms as well, but as far as the future of design goes, the majority of it will be through designing websites, blogs, online branding, etc. 

Virtual reality design is also in the foreseeable future. Especially now, while we’re in the midst of this pandemic where a lot of our lives have been changed through working remotely, I think this is what will give VR design a push to become more and more normalized. I’ve already seen museums take us on online virtual tours. I browsed the Louvre from the comfort of my own couch! VR design will also be pushed because it creates equal opportunities for many individuals that come from a widespread economic status. 

Finally, and tying in with VR design, I believe that ergonomic design will be something we see in the future. The purpose of ergonomic design is to create a safe and comfortable environment such as a home office. Especially now as we see more people working from home, there is going to be a need to create our spaces to keep us motivated and be aesthetically pleasing to reduce stress levels. 

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Week 14 - your choice

I would like to talk about the importance of design in web design. Earlier today I was looking on several website and I couldn’t believe how ugly some of them are. It surprises me that some people still don’t prioritize good design in their websites. Unless I have a reason to be on their site, if a website has a poor design I will not invest my time into the remainder of their site. 

On a more positive note, some designs that I really have loved include mugs. Every morning I start my day with coffee and I choose the type of mug based on the design and my mood. When I go to other people’s homes, I feel like I can tell a lot about them based solely on their mugs. Are they all the same? Are they monochromatic? Do they tell a story? What kind of style are they in? I know that mugs are a simple example, but I like starting my day well and that is why having a good design in a mug is important to me. 

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Week 13 - New Media

Throughout the 80′s and the 90′s and as technology continued to be advancing, media was changing rapidly and designers were looking for new and innovative ways to keep up with the technology changes. We began to see how design became an important component to online platforms. Digital aesthetic was being implemented and determined how things such as video games, television, websites, would look. The designer’s goal was to make it visually appealing while using this new technology. 

A contemporary example of this would be how photos are shared. We no longer keep photo albums on hand to whip out during a family gathering. Most of our photos are now posted on social media and this is how they are viewed. Many people no longer print their photos, but instead they are displaying them using digital mediums and they are creating their aesthetic online rather that in a print format. The digital aesthetic aspect of this includes templates that now create borders or design your images in a way to look visually appealing for the online format. You can find just about any example of digital aesthetics online - included this format: tumblr!! 

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Week 12 - New Media

New media is constantly changing, especially since technology is on the rise. Every year to 18 months there seems to be something new that is pushed that advances media even further. New media organizes skills, tools, and processes, which are constantly changing. The term new media does not include anything that is analogous or tangible, such as magazines, posters, books, etc. 

Web 2.0 is “a term that imitates the numbers used to describe new releases of software” (Eskilson 397). Macromedia flash was developed in web 2.0 that was a large influence of motion graphics. Web 2.0 was also the start of youtube. When youtube just started, it consisted of individual user content, which then later became scripted entertainment content. Web 2.0 also is responsible for the ‘internet fame’ movement that is caused by generating user content. 

What stood out to me the most was how the term new media cannot even be named new media since it’s emerging and changing so quickly. In the lecture we talked about how the way we listen to music has changed. Even in the past ten or so years I have experienced a change in buying cds, then using an MP3 player, then an ipod, and now I am using spotify on my iphone or laptop to listen to my music.  With how quickly things change, it makes me wonder what the future will look like and if we will ever get back to a point where we as a society would prefer to slow down. Society and companies motivated by capitalism have a way of pushing things through without understanding the full impact it could have in the long run. I am concerned with how new media has shaped us as a society and I hope that we can all start to understand and be aware that advertisements are catered to us through ads, and media can even shape the way we think. The more aware we are that this is happening, the more likely we will be to seek outside sources to make sure that we are seeing things in an objective way. 

Eskilson, S. (2019). Graphic design: a new history. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

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Week 11 - Graphic Design

A citizen designer, according to our material, is someone who attempts to address societal issues that we face in our world through their commercial work. (Eskilson,  page 425). Graphic designers were also referred to commercial designers, but the name has since changed to graphic design through recent years. Artists are known for telling the truth through their art, whether that be through political issues, religion, racism, sexism, etc. Artists are driven by the truth and telling their stories through their mediums. Citizen designers can use this skill through understanding a product/business and telling that product’s “story” through design. To me, the most clever logos and designs are designs that tell a story but in a very discreet and personal way. 

Citizen designers are relevant in today’s society because they are a voice in the advertisement industry. Much like reporters and journalists, designers have a responsibility to tell the truth through their designs. Consumers need to have a transparent relationship with a product and a company and they need to know exactly what they are purchasing and what kind of business they are supporting through that purchase. 

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Week 10 - Graphic Design

Typography is a class that I am currently taking this semester so I’m somewhat already familiar with the anatomy of lettering. Before this semester, however, I never knew that each little section of a letter had it’s own name. Type was also something I thought I was familiar with, but after taking classes about it and incorporating type into my projects this semester, I realized how little I actually know about typefaces. Typefaces, to me, are like first impressions when you meet someone. When I’m walking or driving down an unfamiliar road and I’m trying to figure out which restaurant I want to stop at, the typeface that the restaurant uses is my first clue as to if that particular restaurant is one worth stopping at. In my type class we also discussed how upper case and lower case letters got their names and I found that very interesting! On page 19 it also talked about how letters were created in a very scientific way. Often designers would use the human body as inspiration for the typefaces. Another interesting thing I learned was that Bill Gates took a typography class in college and fell in love with type. If he hadn’t taken that class, perhaps apple products would not be as focused on the artistic styles that typefaces contribute to our computer systems! 

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Week 8 - Industrial Design

Industrial design is a process of design applied to products that are to be manufactured through techniques of mass production.

Below are some examples of industrial designs. All of these designs are mass produced, serve a purpose, and are designed in a way that shows beauty and pleases the eye. 

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Week 7 - Architecture

Design principle one: simple and intuitive use 

Design principle two: Equitable use

Examples from real life:

I find simple and intuitive use in a design such as a chair. A chair never comes with an instructors manual, it’s intuitive on how it is supposed to be used. A chair is easy to understand, regardless of the individuals intelligence, experience, age (to an extent) or language skills. However a chair is not just a chair, it can be a staple item for a particular room, it can enhance a color scheme in a room, it can be a conversational starter, all while still maintaining it’s function: to seat people. 

The design principle “equitable use” can be seen in real life in an objects that are useful and marketable to a diverse set of people with varying abilities. An example of this would be cars. Anyone over the age of 16 is in the market to buy a car, yet the skill level of the drivers are very diverse. For example, companies will market cars to professional race car drivers, advertising things such as speed and efficiency. However another company may market their cars toward older individuals advertising things such as safety.

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Week 6 - Architecture

I drew the Milwaukee Art Museum because it is my favorite piece of architecture in Milwaukee. I am drawn to all of the lines and curves of the building. Architect Santiago Calatrava designed this building and the expansion of the Museum was completed in 2001. I have also included a photograph that I have taken of this building since I love it so much. I think this is a perfect design for an art museum, since viewers can look at a beautiful work of art  before even entering the art museum. I think this building represents a post-modernist style of design because it does not incorporate many elements of historical buildings such as columns, or gothic features, yet it’s design is very avant grade. It also could be considered to be under the art nouveau movement, since it’s design is curved and asymmetrical. 

In this photo, you can see two different styles of architecture separated by the crane. On the left, you see a bank in the distance which reminds me of the Neo-gothic structures, along with buildings in the Third Ward which include skyscrapers with modern design styles. On the right is the Mitchell Building, which is an example of French second empire architecture which was built in 1876. 

The third building from the left (the Milwaukee Office Building) reminds me of the Neo Gothic (new gothic) structures that were in our lecture because of its strong vertical lines and impressive height. This is evident especially at the top of this building and how architects strived to make a building look as tall as possible without changing the open feeling of the interior. 

The Basilica of Saint Josaphat is another building that is striking in Milwaukee. It reminds me of the renaissance period. The interior of this building reminds me of Michelangelo’s work.  The Basilica of Saint Josaphat is a place of worship, prayer, and spirituality. This design reminds me of the beau-arts, since this time period of design incorporated a lot of dome structures. 

Columns were a large part of our history of architecture however I did not take photos of any buildings that had this feature. Column styles included entablature, doric, ionic, corinthian, and tuscan. Buildings in Milwaukee. 

References:

Milwaukee Art Museum

https://www.milwaukeemag.com/most-beautiful-milwaukee-architecture/

Mitchell Building

https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/plan-a-visit/guides/things-to-do/historic-architecture/

the Basilica of Saint Josaphat 

https://thebasilica.org

http://badgercatholic.blogspot.com/2012/03/basilica-of-st-josaphat-milwaukee-wi.html

 black and white photographs taken by me

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Week 5 - History of Design

The Bauhaus was a German art school that became famous for its approach to design as it combined beauty, usefulness, and mass production together. “The Bauhaus does not feature decorative elements that are superfluous to the function of the building. Instead, the geometric abstraction of the composition serves as both the functional and the main visual element,” (Stephen F. Eskilson, 225).

The following image was found in a design book that I own. It is expressive and dynamic and it uses typography and design. The design includes vibrant colors and it caught my attention right away. I think this design also incorporates math into the design, which how it is all broken up into triangles, yet the colors and choices of where everything is placed seems very deliberate. This piece reminded me quite a bit of the Bauhaus movement. 

“Rodchenko created a poster advertising the film that makes use of his favored triangular composition” (Graphid Design A new History, 198). Rodchenko was a Russian artist, sculptor, photographer, and graphic designer. He was known to be a very versatile constructivist and productivist artists. Many of his designs included shapes, often circles. Below is the cover art of the film Maleficent. Maleficent is the only subject on the cover and she resembles a triangular shape, much of which is due to her costume, but she is also photographed in a way to accentuate this triangular shape into the movie cover design. 

In Graphic Design: A New History written by Stephen F. Eskilson, writes, “Bauhaus buildings are intended to be experienced in three dimensions, their geometric shapes interacting in a dynamic design” (216). Below is a photo of the Shard, which is found in London, England. It is the tallest building in England and people can take an elevator to the top and see amazing views. I think it is a great example of the Bauhaus movement and allowing people experience 3 dimensional art. This building is impressive no matter if you’re on the ground looking up, or if you’re inside of the building looking down. 

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Week Four - found object

I went on a walk around my neighborhood tonight while looking for designs that caught my eye. Most of what was near me were average looking houses, sidewalks, and streets. One house in particular was interesting and different than the others. It is a fairly large home, painted yellow, with large white bricks on the edges of the home. The home also had these large bricks placed in a square area at the front of the home, while inside of the square you could see the yellow part of the home. It had a very Spanish sort of vibe to it - which I think is due to the color choice and the brick style choice of the home designer. I also found a stair railing that caught my eye. Rather than a simple design (which still is functional and fine) this railing was made of metal and it was twisted in certain areas to make it feel vine-like. This railing lead into a home that was similar in design so it made the entire property feel cohesive and well done. Next to this house, there was another house which I feel like the design was not very well thought out. There was a weird brick hill that was put into the landscape. This hill separated the home from the front yard and it really made the home look disconnected. 

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Week Three - Design In Real Life

Design is all around us and it has an effect on our mood and how we feel when we enter a space. Here are ten examples of design that is in our everyday life. 

1) Here is a photo of a chair. It’s function is a chair, however when I look at it I see it more as a piece of art. Whoever designed this chair clearly had an artistic vision when coming up with how it will look. 

2) Here is a photo of a Bugatti. I don’t know too much about cars but I can tell you that just by looking at this design, this is not a car that is intended to be driven as a daily driver or by the average person. This car was designed with a certain type of person in mind: someone who enjoys fast and sporty looking cars. Of course it still functions as a car but the design of the model is what really sets it apart. This car is bought by a select group of people, which the designers were targeting when coming up with the model. 

3) Silverware is also a design. These are utensils that we all use several times a day, yet it is easy to overlook the design that goes into them. Are they made of silver or plastic? Are they meant to be disposed of or collected? Are they something that was handed down to you by family members or did you buy them from a store? Silverware can tell a lot about a person and even though all silverware functions the same, it is in the design process that creates a feeling that we associate with the item. 

4) At first glance, it is probably likely that you don’t know what this is. It is, however, a shoe. It does not have the standard design as a shoe, however the function is still there. This was one of the most creative and atypical shoes that I found and I would love to be able to try it on to see how it feels. Just looking at it is fascinating to me. I also love how they incorporated the different colors of pink, green, and black. Whoever designed this shoe knows how to think outside of the box! 

5) Here is a designer bag. The function of this bag is just like any other bag - to carry things in. However what sets it apart is the fact that is is made from a designer brand, which usually means the highest quality of materials and it is associated with people who are rich/high status individuals. A bag like this can alter someone’s confidence and make them feel really great about themselves. It can also make someone feel guilty for purchasing a bag that is several thousands of dollars. Either way, it is not just a bag - and the design of the model is what makes it unique. 

6) Lighting can also be a design. Whenever I walk into a new restaurant, whether I’m realizing it or not, the lighting design is probably the first thing I feel/see which gives me an idea of what type of restaurant it is. If the lighting is very light, I usually assume that the restaurant is more casual. When the lighting is dark, I assume that the restaurant is more of an upscale restaurant. 

7) Pins are another very common thing to be designed. People are drawn to pins because they like to find things that describe themselves or how they think. People will often put pins on things like their backpacks as a way to form an identity for themselves. People will also notice these pins on other people and they can easily get to know them a little more without even having a conversation with that person. 

8) Designs can also be for your pet. Here is a photo of a scratching post made for cats. It’s purrrrpose (sorry, lol) is for the cat to be able to scratch on something. However cats also love to climb on top of things and to hide in secluded spaces. They also love to play with rope and string. In this photo you can see that this post is successful in allowing the cats to do all of these things! 

9) Clothes are one of the most designed things that we use every single day. The purpose of clothes is to keep up warm and covered, however clothes are so much more than that. Within a second you can look at someone’s outfit and take a fairly good educated guess at their economic status, what they do for a living, and what kind of circles they hang out with. Clothes can tell people around us about ourselves and every day when we get dressed we are - whether we’re aware of it or not - showing a version of ourselves through our clothing choices that we would like the world around us to see. 

10) Our homes are another huge part of design in our every day lives. Homes keep us all safe and warm, however the designs of all of our homes vary to large degrees. Much like many of the other photos I shared, our homes can symbolize our economic status, but also our individual tastes.The exterior design also to some degree dictates what the interior design will be. Many homeowners decorate and remodel their homes to fit the style of the exterior part of their homes. 

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Week 2 - Design Thinking

What is design? Design is a process where something is created in order to solve a problem. Of course, design can also be beautiful and mistaken for art, especially if it is a successful design. However, ultimately design is intended for a purpose. Design should be efficient, convenient, and useful. It’s the designer’s job to make a product or idea attractive to potential clients. Successful designers have considered both the form of the design and the function. 

“We  believe  that  great  ideas  pop  fully  formed  out  of  brilliant  minds,  in  feats  of  imagination  well  beyond  the  abilities  of  mere mortals. But what the Kaiser nursing team  accomplished  was  neither  a  sudden  breakthrough  nor  the  lightning  strike  of  genius;  it  was  the  result  of  hard  work  augmented by a creative human-centered discovery process and followed by iterative cycles of prototyping, testing, and refinement. The  design  process  is  best  described  metaphorically as a system of spaces rather than a predefined  series  of  orderly  steps.” I love this quote from the article “Design Thinking” since it points out that all of us have the potential to create beautiful designs and all it takes is hard work and dedication.

In The Deep Dive video, I really loved how they emphasized how instead of climbing the corporate ladder, in design it doesn’t matter who is above others, it’s about who has the best ideas. I think that people, and most creative people, will be more successful when they have more freedom and liberty to create their ideas. I also love how designers are more willing to throw out old ideas to design new and improved products and they are so open minded to the unknown. I also loved how they encouraged playfulness and they correlated playfulness with being innovative. that I believe that these are both essential characteristics that a designer should have. 

In my life, I often am drawn to certain products that give off a certain feelings for me. Products that use packaging that looks organic, environmentally friendly, or healthy make me subconsciously like the product more - even if that product is the same or even worse than a product with poor packaging. The more I learn about design the more I think more about what the product is, rather than how the product looks. Designers know who they are targeting with their products and someone with no design experience (me, a few years ago before I started thinking in these type of terms) will be drawn to buying their products. The psychology behind design is truly fascinating and I am excited to learn more about it!

Reference:

Brown, Tim. “Design Thinking.” Harvard Business Review, 28 Aug. 2015, hbr.org/2008/06/design-thinking. 

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Week 1 - About Me

Hi everyone! My name is Leah and I am a DVC major and a dance minor. All of my life I have loved art, whether that be through music, dance, painting, design, or photography. I have two more years left in my program and I hope to learn as much as I can about design while I am here at UWM.

To me, design is important since it changes how we feel. It is why we feel a certain way in someone’s house over another person’s house. It impacts our productivity and studies have shown that when we are working in a clean, well-designed environment, our productivity increases. It impacts our mood. It impacts our spending. I recently was buying coffee and I knew I wanted to try a different brand than what I normally buy and I bought a brand based on the design that was on the coffee package. Design is everywhere you look and I love noticing the things that I like and dislike in design. It also seeps into other areas of life such as interior design, which is something I am also interested in. If you can’t tell from this paragraph, I LOVE DESIGN!!

I’m taking this class so I can learn more about the history of design and graphic design. I also want to learn how I can make my own designs more interesting, creative, clever, and successful.

I am inspired by the world that is around me such as nature, other artists, places I’ve traveled, things that I imagine in my head, emotions, memories, animals, everything! For me, a design that can make me think, catch my attention in a good way, forces me to look at it longer than I normally would, or is cleverly done, is a success. I love seeing what current designers are putting out there but I especially love the designers who think out of the box and can create something that I haven’t seen before.

I am a photographer and although it is different than design, there are still elements that are similar, such as the composition, the colors, rule of thirds, the focal point, and the overall mood of the image. There are so many factors that must be considered while taking photos, and I am sure that it is the same with design.