pjohnsonarts346

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Final Course Reflection

This semester has been great for me, and I have really enjoyed this course. For me, it felt slower-paced, which I enjoyed because it gave me more opportunities to focus on what I really wanted to create. Im someone who tends to get the best ideas closer to the deadline, so the fact that this entire project was spread out over the whole semester allowed me to create the best versions of each part of the project. My ideas updated and evolved as time passed, and I started working on each part of my story. Having the flexibility to update my project along the way was really helpful. I know that's not necessarily how the "real world" works, but it was a nice chance to see how much your ideas change for a project when you are working on other things but know in the back of your mind you have the ability to go back and change your progress so far.

I was also a huge fan of the live sample quizzes. I'm extremely sad and sorry I missed the last one. I don't know where my mind was that day, but I completely forgot about it. I might go back and do it for practice and give myself a time limit because I've never had to work under that quick time limit and with that much pressure as when we had to do that first live sample quiz. but I was surprised that with all that pressure, I came out with a project I really loved. Doing that type of exercise is very beneficial to the creative brain and really tests your creative limits. So, I think I will use that exercise in my personal time when I need a kind of creative "workout."

But overall, I have loved this class and the project I created with this format of class and work time. Thank you!!

[pjohnsonarts346]

Nace- Blog Post 8

I loved this week's reading and thought it was a great way to tie up our semester reading. It was definitely one of my favorites. I have always wanted to make an impact in the world and dedicate myself to helping and making a difference, especially when it comes to environmental issues like plastic pollution and deforestation. I started my college career as an environmental science major in new York for that exact reason, I realized that specific major wasn't for me and wanted to try using and expanding the creative part of me instead. So, I transferred to USC and took my first design classes. My mom knew I wanted to do good in the world and help out somehow, so when I switched to graphic design, I felt like I was on the right path, but for a while, it didn't feel like I was doing anything. or it wouldn't go anywhere or complete the goals I always had. She always told me all the amazing things design could do and all the impact I could make with designing. It was inspiring, and Im so glad I made that switch because I can combine two things I love and make an impact in a different, even maybe more effective, way. So this specific reading really resonated with me, especially with the work on the plastic bag tote bag. Stuff like that just makes me so excited for the path im on and so thankful I was able to switch and learn more about design and see what I can do.

For progress this week, we are going into spring break, and I will be finishing up my packaging and starting on my books. In class we discussed the best direction for my packaging and I feel really good about where my project is headed. I love my topics and what im creating, but it can be hard to reminisce on my childhood and growing up with my dad because I don't have that anymore, but im excited to make my items kind of like a tribute to that time and remember it and be thankful and grateful for it. For my packaging I will be making little figures and creatures from the forest and tell a story through them.

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NACE- blog post 7

This reading was very interesting, and I think important to think about. As designers when it comes to really strong messages or maybe controversial messages how do we approach that? I agree with Heller when he has some concern that turning away from possible controversial design can maybe suppress having hard conversations and talking about important subjects in hopes not to offend anyone. But I do think at some points its important to have hard conversations and maybe bring up hard situations from that past, either to remember things that have happened or use them as examples for relevancies we have in every day life today. but we do always have to be mindful and careful of what we are putting out there. 

This week I am still developing ideas for my packaging. right now I am thinking about doing some kind of smores kit or candy kit and then turning the ingredients into objects that represent my dad, so for the gram cracker its an oatmeal cream pie because that’s his favorite dessert, the chocolate is a crow because he believes crows are his guardian angels. And then the marshmallow is a cloud because he’s a pilot and started a club called the “cloud eaters club” where he takes people up in his ultralight to eat the clouds and he loves clouds and always taught me about them and all the different types (one of the things he studied in college was meteorology). So right now I’m just brainstorming how I would go about executing this and what materials I might use to make this come to life??

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NACE - Blog Post 3

The reading this week was very insightful. I agree with a lot of the things said. Like the first week's reading, it talks about the power of design. it mentions that design is heading towards a colder marketing crash grab approach instead of being used with its full potential and used to be put towards a good cause. As designers, we should be aware of the responsibility of being a good designer and use our creative talents for reasons other than getting paid. It is super smart to look at it this way and use our talents for other reasons. Like volunteering or taking on a design project for an organization, you believe in for free. Things like that can go a long way and bring some warmth back into design, but they should not always be used as a way to pay the bills.

This week, we are still working on the screen portion of the project, and I decided to make a video. Im going up to Wisconsin, where I grew up, at the end of February, and I'm excited to be able to make a film about exploring up there and hopefully capture some owl calls and just the sounds of nature and the wood. It's such a special place to me with so many memories, so I'm so happy I can incorporate this into my project. and im really looking forward to what is to come.

[pjohnsonarts346]

Nace- Blog Post 2

This week's reading was super helpful for the current project we are working on. There were so many excellent examples of packaging and design and how they can enhance the message you're trying to send if you do them right, like the cigarette campaign to stop smoking on the packages. Instead of just making a poster that says stop smoking, it's bad for you. They conveyed that message through design and images in the packaging. The AIGA vote posters all convey a strong message in such different and compelling ways, and that's what I love about design. I'm really excited about this project and for it to push me out of my comfort zone and allow me to try and experiment more with my concepts and design.

Our last class and all the reading and recourses given to us were so helpful and opened my mind to all the possibilities, but in some ways, it's made it a little harder! I want to produce something great and unique, and I still haven't been able to think of the perfect idea yet. I've been brainstorming ideas on incorporating audio into the digital part of the project, and I'm a little stumped. Im going to keep sketching and researching, and I hope something good comes to me.

here are just some sketched ive done and some images that came to my mind on how to visualize this story

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Nace- Blog post 1

Blog post 1

This week’s blog post is something that I really agree with. This concept is one of the main reasons I love being a designer and a main reason I wanted to start to learn more about it and switch into this major. I believe strongly that design is a very powerful tool. And we as designer shave control over that tool that we should use to be good citizens just like the writing said. “Designers must be good citizens and participate in the shaping of our government and society”. I love that quote she said and it’s just so true how much influence design had not just on people but on our society and so many other things. So its always important to remember that when designing work to be a good citizen.

This week after Thursday’s class I have just been brainstorming new ideas for the three parts of my project. I’m really excited about them all and Thursday class really opened my mind on all the possibilities I can do so I’m really excited to get to work.

I also have a lot of other work cut out for me as I just got a puppy dachshund this week!

[pjohnsonarts346]

final course reflection

This class has been such a great opportunity, and I am still thankful to have gotten into the GD+I program. I have been learning more than I ever expected and each semester I keep surprising myself. I love that I can be creative each day and go to school learning about something I’m passionate about! Although it can get hard and demanding having to be creative, inventive, and think outside the box every day it’s definitely been pushing me to be better and a stronger designer. And this class has especially helped with that. Learning the basic skills if typography as well as how to break the grid and go above and beyond has been so helpful. Thank you, professor Nace!

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inspiration

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blog post 7

Reading this chapter was very insightful and fit really well with the guest speaker we had in class this week. This book so far has taught me so much about the history of type and its evolution over the years. It’s crazy to me how far we’ve come and to look back and see what the process used to look like for creating and printing type. I’ve never been around or used one of the traditional methods for placing type, but I would love to go and test it. After hearing out guest speaker brad Vetter talk about how he was inspired by experimenting in staples and with different traditional methods like letter press printing, it makes me think how I could be inspired by them too and would love to take a look at how it all works.

This week we are finishing up our zine projects and got introduced to our newest project where we will be making posters for a national park that we chose. I chose Kenai fjords national park in Alaska. When I was searching through parks to choose from an image of this particular park stood out to me, it was a picture of a bunch of bears in a river fishing. It reminded me of the scene in brother bear and I thought I could do a lot of different things with my focus on bears. There are also so many other distinct features about this park so if bears fail, I have a lot of options as backup, so I feel very good about my choice. I’m pretty excited about this project.

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blog post 6

This chapter was helpful to read through as we are starting our Zine project. Before starting my design classes I never really realized how important typography is and how much it impacts images, magazines, posters, and everything really. But now I notice it everywhere and it’s just so cool to look at things from a new perspective and notice the intention and detail behind the placement of e everything. This chapter definitely opens the mind to the different ways you can use type as well as the history of different type styles and the history of the machines that create type. 

The Zine project we just started is about using type and breaking the grid and thinking outside the box of the ways you can use and manipulate type. I’m really excited to get started working on this project and challenge myself. The graphic designer I chose for this project is Ivan Chermayeff, he really inspired me with the collage work he does but also his portfolio of logos. When they are all put together, they all have a similar style, very crisp and clean with bright colors. I want to incorporate all those elements into my Zine. 

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word map and brand ideas for project 3

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blog post 3

chapter 2- I think it’s very important to learn about the anatomy of type. It’s a great base knowledge to have that enhances your overall design skills because while you can be a talented and skilled designer it’s just as important to be educated on what you are designing and know your way around typography, because it really is in everything. I’m still a beginner in the world of typography so I always appreciate and value all the lessons and knowledge I can get about it. It’s so interesting to me how many historical classifications there are of typefaces. This chapter is an amazing reference to have that I will definitely refer back to. It feels like a designer toolbox, it’s all very cool.

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project 1 draft

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blog post 2

This chapter was really interesting to me, seeing how far back the history of typography goes and seeing how its evolved is amazing. Around the 1917 period the works get really interesting, and they seem to follow the same trend, in a few of them the words are very scattered, and they don’t seem to follow a strict grid. I love seeing how throughout time there’s an obvious trend that everyone seems to be following and as time goes on it slowly changes and all the works evolve and it’s just a cycle of that. It’s really cool to actually see it laid out on paper in exact order having everything grouped together where you can clearly see the certain trends of each decade.

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signed syllabus

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blog post 1

I chose to watch this specific podcast because I have seen a lot of brene brown videos in the past and I love listening to her speak! Something she said in this podcast was “there is nothing more venerable than creativity” which I find very true in my case it seems intimidating to be fully creative because you’re very susceptible to judgment. She talks about a quote by Roosevelt which is the basis of her entire talk, and it basically explains that we shouldn’t care about the haters but know we gave our best efforts trying whatever it is we did. I definitely need to remind myself of this lesson when doing creative work because I’m always scared if failure but that’s how we learn and grow. This podcast was great to listen to! It was very inspiring and motivating.