mpartg310

[mpartg310]

Blog Post #12 - Proof 2

1) Summary

A first pass at the banner and half page. We're pretty well on track. Discussed ideas for the full page, and a couple changes for the existing drafts, like increasing the contrast of the 'nodules' of the blackberry and adjusting the text angle.

2) Discussion

Mostly just a meet up — we seem to be well on track! We discussed some color schemes and ideas for the full page, like making it a mini comic strip, or having the blackberry break through a mountain with sheer power!

3) Changes

We might adjust the text to follow the diagonal trajectory of the lines, and increase the contrast on the blackberry itself to make the 'nodules' on it more evident to give it that blackberry silhouette.

4) Closing

We're communicating great! Things seem to be well on track, and we haven't encountered any particularly brutal roadblocks or issues.

[mpartg310]

Blog Post #11 - Beginning of Production

Using the direction laid out from the brief and the initial meeting, my designer got to work coming up with a workflow and concept. Using a comic-book font, she put together a simple, bold logo, and we discussed what sort of direction to take things, previewing a few conceptual backgrounds she created, then together solidifying the 'story' or the message that would be told between the three images - a blackberry being boosted, developing superpowers, and finally crashing through an obstacle. For then next meeting, we decided to just keep things steady, working on the aesthetic and taking a first pass at the banner ad and the half-page.

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Blog Post #10 - Meet and Greet 2

Today, we met our designer. I was hoping that I would have somebody that was excited about the bold, comic-book look, and I was definitely happy that my designer was on board. We came up with a plan of the 'story' of the three ads, with the blackberry being empowered and then eaten by somebody to give them powers.

We discussed that with our publication, the Reader's Digest, that we could made nods to comic book aesthetic, such as understated half-tone shading and bright, bold colors while not going overboard so far that it would be too goofy for the tone of the Digest. For next week, my designer plans to test out both vector and raster style and ideate on the banner ad for us to experiment with aesthetics and functionality.

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Blog Post #9 - Making It Matter

I learned a lot about running a project without necessarily having a great control over the overall design, which I felt was a valuable experience in my designer’s toolkit. I think one thing I could definitely have improved on in the process is actually writing down my thoughts from the perspective of the graphic designer position, as most of our agreements were verbal with a few screenshots. I could have done a much better job of generating ‘ammo’ for the blog posts. Working with my designer was a breeze, as well as being an art director, as both people involved were lovely, motivated and insightful which really smoothed over any of the bumps before they became big enough to cause any sort of problem.

[mpartg310]

Blog Post #8 - New Brief, New Project

This time around, I intend to go out of my comfort zone, directing something bold and comic book inspired around blackberries being 'superfruit.'

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Blog Post #7 - Finale

The final layout is complete! I'm extremely happy with how it turned out. The illustrated pictures are a standout, and the typography was clear. I'm glad to have worked with my designer, who was great to collaborate and put it all together.

[mpartg310]

Blog Post #6: Proof 2 And Ideation

For this week, my designer sketched out various concepts to fill in the placeholder image slots throughout the design. He also refined the text further, and started dialing in exactly what emotion we wanted to convery through the illustrations. Most of the work on the layout is done, only needing minor changes, and I am hoping to see the images mostly in place next week.

[mpartg310]

Blog post #5: Proof 1

My designer used the first proof period to refine their body copy to be just right to serve as a basis to work on the rest of the composition. We discussed some ideas about the size and layout of the pictures and how we will fill out the 4 spread layout of the article, which will definitely need to incorporate some bigger images and judicious use of pull quotes and section heading to add some visual interest.

[mpartg310]

Graphic Design Art Director Journey: Update 2

My first meeting with my designer went about as smoothly as I could have hoped for! We were professional, concise, and detail oriented without being too strict. After conveying my brief and the direction I wanted the project to move in, we decided to start with getting the copy in and formatted at least in basic columns for next week to see how much copy we have to deal with. My designer was excited about the juxtaposition illustration, so I may make a large illustration a centerpiece of the article.

[mpartg310]

Here's the creative brief that I put together for my as-yet-unannounced designer to use as a guideline for the upcoming project. I tried to keep Maclean's aesthetic in mind, using a combination on serif and san-serif type, minimal use of color, and some thematic examples.

[mpartg310]

File Structure I have always been a proponent of file naming conventions, and they have been in place since I started the graphic design program. My file conventions go:

All my work backed up on OneDrive

The year and semester

The course

The project

Any relevant subfolders. Usually, then, I have a 'working file' folder for what is actively in use and any dependencies that that working file may have.

[mpartg310]

What is an Art Director?

An art director is a strategist - they help an artistic vision come to life by providing the aesthetic direction and ‘feel’ of a project. They maintain that the design reinforces the ‘emotion’ and brand design. While the designer might answer how, the art direction answers the why. A designer working in tandem with a director can nail both the technical execution (the design) and the overall message (the direction.)

Inspiration 

The project that I chose was from Pentagram for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The direction and design of the project is approachable, clean and inquisitive, which was instantly a draw for me after viewing what work took place on this project. It strikes the perfect balance of being informative without being too intimidating. The typeface used is either a clean sans serif or a playful serif font which combine together fantastically. The color palette used throughout the products are cohesive and just the right amount of saturation to pop without being garish.

Guiding Principles

Informative - The ocean is an amazing place.

Fun - Come visit us to learn, and you’ll have a good time.

Approachable - Science isn’t scary, it’s exciting.