You Can't Miss This

http://designorati.com/typography/reviews-107/2007/helvetica-the-film-a-movie-for-the-font-for-the-masses/


This is a special treat for all of you typography lovers!!! I have been following designorati.com and this article is about a movie that has been sold out at the South By Southwest film and music festival in Austin, Tx. The movie is all about typography and is titled, "Helvetica, the film A movie for the font of the masses." It is a funny article about this movie that revolves around typography and font styles. I really want to watch the movie now...hey maybe we should just do that instead of reviewing portfolios!!!

anyways, I think if you all read the article you'd probably want to see the movie too, although I am not sure where we could see it now... but check it out

Response

Well, as the end of the semester approaches and graduation is only two weeks away, I have started thinking about what I wish I could've done differently and what I am satisfied with...in terms of school, of course. In all, I wish I would've taken more magazine classes. Instead of taking the easier lecture electives I chose, which were convenient at the time, I think I would have helped myself out more by taking more classes within my sequence that actually have the ability to impact my career. Although Advanced Design has been the most demanding class I have taken, which I guess is the point of a senior capstone, I have truly enjoyed the class, the work, and, of course, the people in class, who I feel like I actually understand because I am able to see how they think and visualize information through their design. It's an interesting way to see someone's personality through design, but it really is easy to gather some qualities or quirky behaviors of people through their work, and I think it's fun that I can now almost figure out who may have designed a piece just by knowing the type of work they usually do and the style their work conveys. (everyone can probably figure mine out too, from the lack of ability-haha) On a more serious note, this class has prepared me for any real job I will ever hold and has even forced me into thinking about time management. I am excited to see all of our designs tomorrow at the Meredith presentations and can't wait to review everyone's portfolios to get more inspiration and see everyone's hard work and dedication throughout the semester!

Designs

This week I have been trying to revise my designs. I planned on starting with my first assignments from advanced design and moving through the end of this semester's work with VOX and the Meredith publications commissioned work. I have designed a new cover for my Meredith title, Fusion, and revised another TOC to match the color scheme of the new cover I designed. I like the image overall, but the photo is quite pixelated, so that bothers me a little bit...of course, not enough to get me to pay for a photo since the Meredith photography password no longer works:) I have also been working on the Stallion Stud feature for 5/3 and my last music dept. page for 5/10. I can't believe this semester is almost over, good thing I have so much spare time to enjoy it:)

Here are my new Fusion cover design and matching TOC, let me know what you think!

You Can't Miss This

http://designorati.com/graphic-design/2007/24-hours-of-cs3-my-first-thoughts-after-using-the-suite/

I have been keeping track of the website designorati.com. This article is about using the new C3 software. The article is about this guy's first 24 hours of using C3 and the differences he encountered while making the shift. So often, we become comfortable and accustomed to certain programs that we use, that even thinking about trying something different makes us uncomfortable-even if its an advancement! I think that this is an interesting article because at some point, we are all going to be using new systems and programs that we aren't comfortable with, and then once we become comfortable with those, they will probably come out with new ones...so I guess we should just get used to it:)

anyways, check it out!

Response

My response is in regards to our websites. As we went through everyone's designs and the way that the websites reflect each of our personalities and work, I became really critical of my design. I don't think I went about mine in a way that really portrays my personality, and I feel as though my design is quite elementary. I think that the formal galleries look much more professional and they are much easier to navigate. I am going to redesign my website(once again) in hopes of three goals- 1. to be professional 2. to be easy to navigate and 3. to show my personality/design style

I hope that these three main goals will help me focus better on what I want people to see when looking at my website. I also hope these goals will help me create a more complete design that I will be satisfied with.

Designs

This week I have been evaluating my designs and the way I go about designing in general. I have currently been working on my website, the feature for Stallion Stud, and the music department. While doing these three designs, I have been trying to go about them in a different way than I usually do, so I have been making smaller thumbnails and have tried to actually create a layout before I get in InDesign. This has proven to be both beneficial and detrimental to me. It is beneficial in that I am thinking about how to put everything together, as well as how to balance, and emphasize different aspects of my design. However, this also creates problems because instead of just switching things around in a computer program when I am not satisfied, I have been redrawing, erasing, and making really messy interpretations....which just makes me start all over again-ha! So, whether or not this is the way I should go about my design is not something I really have decided thus far, but it does make me think about how I could possibly be more effective through design or how else I can go about forming my design before actually going to the computer.

You Can't Miss This

http://designorati.com/graphic-design/2007/pantone-introduces-peel-and-place-chips/

I am keeping up with the website designorati.com. The link above goes to an article about how Pantone has introduced peel and stick "chips." I personally think this is a great idea, especially for those who sketch thumbnails or do smaller layouts before executing their design. The peel and place chips allow you to see exactly what color will print out, because colors never look the same in our programs as they do printed, so I think it will help in terms of knowing exactly what your design will look like before production, which is always nice! Anyways, the article is pretty good so check it out!!!

Response

I thought class today and the selection of the Convergence Logo was a really interesting process, but the more we watch judging and the overall rankings of design I am reminded at how subjective our work is. Overall, it is apparent which designs have better execution, but I think it is really interesting to see each person's vision and then the opinions of outsiders simply looking at the designs without, perhaps, going through the actual thought process of trying to create a design that correctly conveys the tone or message we are hoping to express. I really like to watch the judging process and think that it helps me learn what others want to see in design and what aspects of design seem to be most important to them.
Also, the presentations today were nice because I feel like they were all on such different types of design and art direction that it allowed us to gain a better understanding of several aspects of design and what a variety of mediums and work are all design driven-especially with the differences in the designs of the married couple that Kate LaRue spoke with, their creations from pillows at a hotel to nike ads and everything between show how multi-faceted one designer can be in their own projects.

Designs

This week I have been working on the 5/3 feature on the Stallion Stud...the most sought after horse sperm for breeding. Needless to say it's a very interesting story that I would never consider doing an illustration for, so it will be very photo-driven. The photographer is going tomorrow, so I should have a better idea of my design direction after I see what shots we were able to get- apparently the horse owner was, understandably, not wanting any shots of the "process," so I am interested to see what we get.
I have also been working on illustrations for the 4/26 music department for the reproductive health issue. I will post my roughs after a little more work, but they are for the music story of "Mood Music." The illustration uses music notes with hearts, I know, how romantic, as the bottom with the typical music note look. I want it to obviously relay the concept of love and music and figured this would be a great way to interact the two. I am also working on a large stereo image with some sort of heart design too-its a work in progress though:)

Can't Miss This

http://designorati.com/photoshop/2007/photoshop-world-day-1-cool-keynote-great-sessions/

This article on designorati.com talks about the annual Photoshop World Event held in Boston. At the event there are several days of tutorial and explanations of all things photoshop. It's really interesting to me because everytime I try to do something in photoshop, I always end up messing around with different tools and effects because I want to experiment with all of the options-unfortunately this takes up so much time though. So, even though most of the people that go to the conventions are already designers at publications, I think it's interesting that there is an entire convention and annual event devoted to Photoshop and learning all the ins and outs of the program.
CHECK IT OUT....AND LEARN SOMETHING

Response

Today in class we went over all of our past designs in Vox, and I realized how everyone, myself included, always wishes that they would have done something at least a "little different" to their designs. It is really interesting because everytime I take on a new design, I always try to put together something I will really be proud of, but after designing and redesigning and redesigning something, I find myself slowly becoming frustrated and eventually settling for something, either due to deadlines or lack of energy, that I am not completely satisfied with. So, my new goal:) is to try to start designing as soon as I receive story info so that I have an opportunity to design and leave the design alone to think about before going back to it again. Maybe I will be more pleased with my work months after if I take a new approach to the way I begin and plan...at least I hope!!!

Designs

This week I have been designing the feature on photographer Bea Wallace. I really wanted to show off her photography and keep the design relatively simple, yet I dealt with which photos to choose, emphasize, and positioning. Also, some of the photos were in color and others were black and white, which made it a little more difficult because I wanted to create balance but struggled with placing the black and white photos side by side with the colorful ones. The colorful ones did not have the same overall feel or similar subject matter, so I wanted to make sure that I display her award winning black and white photos, while still showing her personal colorful and insightful images as well. I tried about five different designs and finally came up with my final this afternoon. I don't have a pdf of the final, as it's going through production, but will post it asap!

Also, here is my department design from the 4/5 issue-music dept.

Designs

This week I have been designing the feature on photographer Bea Wallace. I really wanted to show off her photography and keep the design relatively simple, yet I dealt with which photos to choose, emphasize, and positioning. Also, some of the photos were in color and others were black and white, which made it a little more difficult because I wanted to create balance but struggled with placing the black and white photos side by side with the colorful ones. The colorful ones did not have the same overall feel or similar subject matter, so I wanted to make sure that I display her award winning black and white photos, while still showing her personal colorful and insightful images as well. I tried about five different designs and finally came up with my final this afternoon. I don't have a pdf of the final, as it's going through production, but will post it asap!

Also, here is my department design from the 4/5 issue-music dept.

You Can't Miss This

This article is about the newest Dreamweaver and Flash software. I figure that with all of the work we've been doing on our websites lately, we should learn about the new advances the systems will have in making future website design better...hopefully and maybe they could make it easier too:)


http://designorati.com/graphic-design/2007/which-adobe-cs3-package-is-right-for-you/

Response

While trying to figure out the trends project and exactly what questions I wanted to ask after researching Health magazine, I realized that many magazines and their online versions are actually really different and, often times, have nothing to do with each other. I think this is really interesting because most of the time, both versions are completed with the same content, yet look nothing alike. The websites that I have looked at are all very easy to navigate, user-friendly, and visually enticing, yet it is just odd to me that these versions are not aimed to have a similar "look" to their print counter parts. As I started looking at the designs though, and the most basic differences, I think that mostly the differences have to do with the concept of page space and column use. It makes more sense when looking at it from this perspective because the designs are not going to follow the same basic formations when there is always simply one column on websites versus many varieties in magazines. Also, the column differences can account for many other differences, such as pull quotes and photograph placement. I had always noticed that the online versions of magazines didn't quite have the same feel as the magazines, yet now I think that it is almost impossible to create the same feel in completely different mediums that just don't allow for the same capabilities.

Designs

This design is in the current issue of Vox and is the music department anchor on Neko Case. I really like this design, even though it is quite basic, because of the photograph. The colors are really vibrant, and this was the first page I designed after we got our new department color palettes...which was extremely exciting for me!!!

I also designed for the 4/5 issue of Vox, but that design has not been exported yet, so I will have to update this blog.

As for other designs I am working on right now, my website has been taking over. I really like messing around with the colors and shapes and the overall image of my website, which is great but also unfortunate in that it is taking me so long to complete because I keep redesigning everything. Hopefully, I will figure it out and complete it sometime this week. Lastly, I am working on the feature on Bea Wallace, but the design is primarily based around her award-winning photography.

You Can't Miss This

http://designorati.com/photoshop/2007/photoshop-cs3-will-split-into-two-versions-for-consumers/

This article on designorati.com is all about how the new Photoshop CS3 is going to have two separate versions- one for professionals and one for "other" consumers just interested in tweaking photos and messing around with software. Of course, there is price difference in the two programs, as the one for consumers has far less capabilities and components than that for the professionals. In addition, though, I think it is interesting to look at which capabilities are available for consumers versus professionals, especially because I doubt anyone actually uses all components to the program-just because there is so much that can be done. Anyways, the article is good, so check it out!

Response

Today I thought that what I will call "Paper Packages" were extremely exciting. I think that it is interesting that despite how many different ways a company can go about displaying their product, that this somewhat "old-fashioned" approach of shipments was exciting. After all, everyone loves getting free things and flipping through different colors and textures to actually feel the paper they may choose to purchase. I had no idea that the process of production and choosing paper still was in such a process of physical pamphlets and delivered packages. I really liked the materials and supplements that we received today and think that it was really fun to look through them! Plus, they make for great scrapbook paper:)-- just kidding

Designs

This week while designing for our websites I have thought a great deal about perceptions and what types of things can be inferred simply through design. I designed my website with bright pink and black, with various shades of pink as a color palette and white accents, which I think is pretty, but after looking at my site, realized it looked very similar to something a 13-year-old girl would probably create. Of course, as I am not 13, I am a little bit disturbed my the type of personality that my website conveys. Besides not being completely satisfied with my design anyway, I am going to redesign my website. Hopefully it will look better and more accurately display my personality as well as design!

You can check out my website so far at www.missouri.edu/~sjtf3/page2.html

You Can't Miss This

This article on designorati.com is about the new slogan for photoshop- "See What's Possible." The article is interesting in itself but was especially interesting to me today after class and the logo discussions. As we each put together logos for the convergence sequence, we were forced to consider the "image" or overall concept that we want to relay with such a simple symbol or image. The concept of a logo somewhat parallels the concept of a slogan in that both need to be clear, concise, and catchy while explaining an entire product identity. The article seemed relevant...so check it out!


http://designorati.com/photoshop/2007/see-whats-possible%e2%84%a2-photoshops-new-slogan/

Response

Today's class discussion about Meredith and the publishing class designs made me think about how each role and position in producing a magazine is personal yet only one part in a long process. Although I do not necessarily want the other students to tear apart my design or borrow several different aspects of different designs to collaborate into one, it is easy to see why they would prefer such an option. Of course, if I were publishing a magazine, I would want to put together all of the strong visual elements from different designs. It is just interesting to consider their perspective versus my own in that I come from a completely different stance in that I have put effort into my design but I am not as invested in the "overall" package as the other students might be. I look forward to seeing how the discussions go and seeing how the final products turn out!

Designs

This is my final design for the 3/15 cover. I have finally come to like this cover, although I am not completely pleased because I feel as though it could be more brilliant, or perhaps inventive. I had a very difficult time with this design, partially because I had high hopes for myself and partially because of the subject matter. I really wanted the design to correctly convey the information yet be compelling and interesting as well. I do like the end product, I like the stark nature of the cover and feel as though it does relay the correct message, I just wish that it was a little more exciting.

You Can't Miss This

I am keeping up with designorati.com. This article is discussing how a web-hosted version of photoshop is going to be released in the next 3-6 months. This would be interesting because if could pave the way to other software being offered in the same way and it would allow everyone access to photoshop at anywhere there is internet access. This would just give an alternate way to access your work and give extra options for convenience. It's a pretty good article, but that is pretty much all it says...check it out for yourself!



http://designorati.com/graphic-design/news-111/2007/photoshop-anywhere-web-hosted-version-to-debut-in-3-6-months-2/

Response

After sitting through the poy session I realized how quickly images are canned. But also, I noticed how photographs must either capture extreme emotion or have great impact to be given more than one second of deliberation. This was somewhat expected, as I learned through judging the regional magazines, but it was interesting to see what each judge deemed to be worthy of awards. After all, photography as in any art form is extremely subjective and very personal, so although it can be agreed upon that some photos stand out versus others, photos are generally difficult to judge based on certain criteria. I found it interesting that some photos, even if one or two judges felt strongly about it, might not place at all, whereas some photos that none seemed quite as passionate about would place because of the general acceptance of being a nice shot. Overall, I just enjoyed watching the whole deliberation and judgment process and, of course, loved looking at all of the wonderful photography!

Designs

Here is one of my ideas for the cover design of the 3/15 issue. I am designing for the screen dept. story about the new "obsession" with Irish gangs and mobsters. I tried to create a cover that conveys the image of a mobster with a somewhat timid Irish theme. I did not want to overdo the Irish aspect and make the cover really "St. Patrick-ish" b/c I feel like it would lose the mobster feel. Any suggestions you guys have would be helpful... the images still need work it is somewhat pixelated.

You Can't Miss This

This article is about the impact and influence of logos. It talks about an insurance company in Oregon that has decided a new logo is the way to revamp their image and believe it will bring more business by appealing to new consumer groups. I thought this was really interesting considering our 20/10 assignment to design a convergence logo. Check it out!!!



http://designorati.com/graphic-design/2007/oregon-employer-insurer-rebrands-with-expressive-new-logo-2/

Response

I really enjoyed class today. I always like looking at other designers' take on a subject and the way that each person may choose to execute the same topic in completely different ways. I thought that the shutter graffiti assignment was really interesting to look at in that I never typically notice typography on signs around town unless it is particularly inventive or unusual, yet I still recognized and was able to picture most of the letters in the photographs. So, clearly typography relays a stronger message than I believed, and I even notice things like that as a designer. The magazine prototypes we looked at today were really impressive. It was great to see all of the other magazines besides Fusion because I was able to draw inspiration and ideas from the other work I saw- whether it was a particular layout style or the use of little intricate details that really pulled the piece together. My favorite days in class are when we are able to look at one another's work- it not only shows us what everyone does and how everyone sees design, but also teaches us what ideas to try, what works, and what we should stay away from.

Designs

These are two of my covers for Fusion. I am having a hard time with whether or not I feel the cover should focus on the interior of the home with technology, technology, or women. I am in the process of trying to find a photograph the includes all of the above, but I really want the woman to stand out more than the current cover. I have been playing around with some other ideas that are not quite as traditional or "Meredith-esque" as the two I have now, but I am not exactly sure what I want to emphasize. So basically, I am trying to figure out what I want the cover to say and how I want to say that now that I have tried a couple out. Let me know what you think!

You Can't Miss This

This is an article from designorati.com about the difference between EPS, TIF, and JPG images. I might be the only one, but I was not really sure what the differnce was between all of these types of images and exactly why it mattered which format was used. So, this article helped to clear up some confusion I had about switching all of my images for department pages to TIF and why it really makes a difference. There are also a few more links to other articles about imaging and differences between other portions including colors and density. Check it out!!!

http://designorati.com/dtp/graphics-and-pre-press-4/2005/shall-i-use-tiff-or-eps-files-to-print-images/

Response

Portfolio, portfolio, portfolio!!! After looking at portfolios and the impact of presentation, quantity, and most important, quality of the work displayed today, I realized I really need to get into gear. In response to all of the work that I saw today, I was not only really impressed but also surprised, pleasantly of course, and in awe of everyone's hard work. I think that in terms of design, it is interesting to see how each person interprets and executes the same stories-especially when looking at the Enrique designs and Logbook pages. It was interesting to see everyone's work and different outlook on stories, as well as noticing that each design that was drastically different from one another, still brought fresh ideas and ideas that worked for the piece. Obviously design is so personal and so creative that each of us interprets things based on our own personal preference and "likings" -it was just nice to see everyone's ideas in complete forms from serious issue spreads, to funny spreads, and everything in between!

Design!!!

The first two pages are my design for the music department from the 2/15 issue. I used a lot of photography and not necessarily illustrations, which is something I am hoping to work and improve on for future designs. So...I am experimenting for the music department page for 3/1. The stories running are on a group, Apples in Stereo, which I have great publicity stills for and Kurt Cobain's documentary showing at the T/F Film Festival. I decided to try to come up with some type of illustration for the Kurt Cobain story, as any photos of him are pretty typical and have been seen over and over again- and obviously, none are recent either. What I decided to do was to use a photograph of Cobain, and cropped and changed it through several different tools in photoshop and illustrator to create a new image. From there I have experimented with several different colors and types of shadowing. Now, I am unsure whether to layer these on top of each other, line them up, or choose one color scheme and manipulate the photograph further...I am not really sure. So, if anyone has any advice of thoughts on where I can improve or if you like/dislike this idea, that would be great!!!

You Can't Miss This

I am keeping up with the designorati website and found this article. It's about the top 25 tips to use in InDesign from an InDesign conference, so it should be pretty helpful.

Check it out!!!





http://quarkvsindesign.com/articles/a1/features/2006/top-25-indesign-tips-from-the-indesign-conference/

Response

So, after we experimented with various different tools and tips in Photoshop during lab last week I decided to do some experimenting on my own! Not only did I spend about five hours trying different things and new tools, but I also still couldn't figure out how to do about a million other things I wanted to try. I think I could spend the rest of my life figuring out how to use Photoshop and still not know how to do certain things. The tutorials from lab last week convinced me that I should be more experimental in my design and try to do new things by spending more time with tools that I don't normally use. However, given the amount of time I spent and relatively little progress I made, I am not sure whether or not this would actually help or hinder my design!

Designs

This week was my first week designing my department. Overall, I had a lot of fun with the assignment but realized how different it was from previous design assignments. I couldn't figure out how to upload this design, for some reason it is different than my previous ones, but hopefully I will have it up by tomorrow!

You Can't Miss This

This article is pretty interesting. It discusses whether or not the pencil tool is a pointless/worthless feature for Photoshop. I think he spent way too much time analyzing whether or not its function is necessarily vital to the system, but he does have a point in that most people use photoshop to manipulate and manage photos over drawing. He thinks that the pencil tool is a great feature for illustrator, but that its purpose in photoshop is lost. You should check it out!

http://designorati.com/photoshop/2006/is-photoshops-pencil-tool-worthless/

Response

After our class discussions and presentations today on the Historical Perspectives project I realized not only how far design and typography has come, but also how contemporary some designs of the past were. I critiqued Mademoiselle magazine throughout the 1960's and was truly amazed by the progress made throughout only one decade. I think that the 60s in general was a transition period, and especially for women. The designs from the early 60's are rather similar in design and composition to that of the 40's and 50's and women are basically "taught" how to be women by common societal standards of housekeeping and beauty. However, by the end of the decade, not only do design and typography drastically change and look quite like the 70's and in a few instances the 80's, but also the content of the magazine shifts. It still includes a great deal of information about being the "best woman you can be" in terms of style and beauty, but it also featured short stories and essays by respectable writers, such as Capote and Sylvia Plath. The magazine is praising powerful women and encourages women to succeed in all facets of life, and even details why women should be educated, go to college, and be more independent-of course while displaying the best manicure and physique possible!

I thought this project was really interesting and fun. It was great to look at the history of magazines to see the progress made and just to look through the magazines. Although, I also realized how so much of the content of magazine has truly not changed in terms of the womens style category- it even seemed as though the beauty advice in Mademoiselle practically described the same tips as my current magazines do, simply with new products.

Designs

This is one of my attempts to do an illustration for magazine design last semester. I want to redo it before I put together my portfolio, so if anyone has suggestions that would be great.

You Can't Miss This

http://designorati.com/typography/opinion-108/2006/are-we-being-too-mean-to-bad-fonts/

This is a funny article about typography. It talks about how to many people type is such a minute detail, where to designers it is something we analyze, discuss, and ponder over, not to mention an art form. It is a rather witty, well at the beginning then it kind of tapers off, article about how typography really is such an interesting medium that can carry a great deal of weight- perhaps enhancing the overall idea of the story or work, or relaying a contradictory message if not thoroughly examined. Check it out!

Class Response...1/30

During the class discussion today I started thinking about the vast personal differences involved in design and how "good" and "bad" design is really defined. After all, surely a designer would not knowingly design a horrible layout with the intentions of clearly offending others. I started questioning my design and the choices I make, and of course, my feelings when compared to the designs of my peers after turning in an assignment-sometimes happy and sometimes quite disappointed in myself for not being more creative or taking a more unique perspective. Really as a creative form, design is somewhat like fashion, in my eyes- you can wear or design however you want, however outrageous or trendy or "out there" as long as you stand by your "creation" and are confident in your choices and why you made them-actually I guess that is all of life really and not just fashion, haha. So, hopefully the next time I create a layout or attempt to design a story, I will keep in mind to make sure that my overall design will make me proud and confident in my work...after all that is what makes Better Homes and Gardens -THEY ARE SO CONFIDENT AND SURE OF THEIR APPROACH (because it is successful for them) that they don't want to do anything else:)-no really I did have fun at Meredith and truly learned a lot, I just think my mom appreciates their publications more than I do at this time in my life!!!

Designs

This first design was for a grid design assignment in Magazine Design. I revised it a little just for fun, although I kept the same pictures and basic theme. I wanted to work on something just for portfolio examples, but now I am not sure if I even like the second one better, as the simplicity in the first may allow for clearer understanding of the travel destinations. Let me know what you think!

YOU CAN'T MISS IT!!!!

I have been keeping up on www.designorati.com and have found several interesting sites.

1ST there is a contest for basically anything creative (visually) that has been created by using Adobe systems. The entries are due by April 28, and it would be a great opportunity for anyone interested. Here's the link- www.adobe.com/education.

2ND I found an article about the new Payless Shoes logo. Apparently, Payless thinks that if they reinvent the old logo that has been used for twenty or so years, that new business will follow the "new and improved" logo design. Not that their first logo was very exciting or necessarily enticing, but I think that this new logo is almost worse than the first. You can look and decide for yourself, but I would imagine that if any business were aiming to increase their sales, they would do something to drastically alter the common stereotypes of the brand in order to reinvent a new identity. I think that this new logo does nothing...but who am I to judge?!

http://designorati.com/graphic-design/reviews-3/2006/payless-shoesource-rebrands/#more-936

2. Response

Today's class period on judging design made me think about not only the judging process of design, but also the thought process of designers, and really all people. As each student was given the task of judging several designs, all of which were well-executed, insightful, or at least visually pleasing on some level, it became apparent that everyone simply sees things differently and has a personal take on what "superior" design is. The short amount of time we were given to examine and judge several designs, all of which must have taken hours of diligent work to complete, made it clear that as a designer, I do not have the luxury of judgement after understanding-meaning most people look over our work in a few short seconds and decided whether or not it is "worthy," without necessarily even knowing the subject matter at hand. In all, this means that a designer's job is all the more important, in that we can bring readers to material they might not have even considered. However, this also means that if we do not strive to create exciting designs that grab the attention of readers, they may simply pass up, or seemingly judge and discard, all of our and the writers, reporters, and editors hard work. That being said, maybe I should be working harder!!!

Magazine Design Blog #1!

1. Critique

a. The design work that I have completed this week was primarily for the "Booby Prize" profile of Heather Carver, detailing her battle with cancer and using comedy as therapy. My overall thought process was to convey the fun and playful nature of the piece, yet relaying the serious tone of the subject matter and conforming to the overall style of VOX. I decided to use black and the red/orange color of Carver's clown nose to form a cohesive color scheme that would highlight the "clown role" and coordinate with the photographs. From this point, I used Carver's clown nose as inspiration. A clown nose is easy to recognize and carries an overall playful and funny notion about letting loose and being humorous, or perhaps crazy. So I took this recognizable feature and played it up throughout both of the spreads and used small rows of dots as borders to keep the circle/ball theme. I now wish I would have spent more time developing this idea and used circles in a much greater way to give more of an impression and impact on the design. Although I think the circles do enhance the overall idea, I think that their mere existence and somewhat small impact did not quite create the tone I had hoped.

For the cover of "Booby Prize" I wanted to show the many facets of Heather Carver as described in the profile. I wanted to show how many roles she has, and I thought a way to portray this was through a play on words of "walking in someone else's shoes." I used the title, "Hard Shoes to Fill" and large, exaggerated clown shoes with a list of "checked-off" items listing all of her roles as described in the piece to show how she is more than a cancer survivor and a clown, but also that she has managed to do all of these other things besides being a cancer survivor and a clown-which I think is the main point to the story.

b. I plan on revising both spreads and the cover for "Booby Prize" in hopes of relaying my ideas in a more visually exciting and interesting manner.

c. some designs!!!