Wednesday, March 31, 2010

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Grid System Post

1. Discuss the grid system in place. How well do the designs work within the boundaries, or even by breaking boundaries of the grid? There is a three column grid system in place in this magazine layout. The designs work well within the boundaries keeping the layout sleek, modern, and an easy read. The three column system remains in place in the top right portion of the layout as the three pictures follow the same layout as the body text on the left page.
2. How does the grid in your example aid the reader or user? This layout helps make for an easy read for the user. The picture of the car in the bottom left page creates a visual gestalt leading the readers eyes from the text to the next page which contains more texts and pictures. The grid makes the layout simple and sleek and helps attract the reader's eyes to the most important parts of the magazine layout.
3. Does it engage them with its structure or lack thereof? As mentioned above the grid system definitely engages the reader by creating a visual gestalt especially with the picture of the car and the three pictures on the top of the right page.
4. Does it cause tension, either positive or negative? I think it causes positive tension creating a very modern overall theme for the layout.

Week 10 Grid | Pruitt

Nylon Magazine's website follows a grid system. It sections off its information with three columns that are all equal distances apart and the information within the columns lines up to a grid as well. This helps the reader to not get overwhelmed with the information on the site. It separates the stories and features of the site from the advertisements and keeps the readers from being confused. I think that the simple and functional layout and grid system of the website does engage the reader and makes the website easy to use. The design is very balanced because it puts the main focus of the page in the largest column and puts the ads and other less important information in two smaller columns that together are the same size as the more important larger column. The varied column size does create some tension, but I feel like it is good tension and aids the web design as opposed to hurting it.

McFarland- Grid Post

1. The grid system that is in place in this feature spread in 'Cinch Magazine' is a very non-traditional layout. The spread is divided into six different sections, however the text is broken into a very different, irratic structure. The various cut outs and images placed near the text help break up the article visually for the reader and keep the eye interested. This design works very well within its own boundaries and was enticing for me when I found it. The interesting grid system prompted me to read the article as I appreciated its off-beat structure.
2. The grid in place in this layout assists the reader as it provides a great deal of contrast and visual stimulation. Rather than traditional, vertical columns of one specific width, the columns change both horizontally and vertically, and are broken up into sections that help create an interesting structure. One of the positive aspects of this design is that it helps break up the word content per line, which made it easier to read. I was initially drawn in by this layout and feel that other readers would be also.
3. This spread absolutely engages the audience due to its non-traditional format. Upon opening the article, it is clear that there has been a different grid system put into place. The balance between text, images and white space creates a visually stimulating layout that entices the reader to become involved in the content of the story.
4. This format creates both positive and negative tension. Since there is great dimension to the design and the visual contrast between all of the elements of this article is so great, there is a positive tension between the space fillers and the empty space. This design also has negative tension, due to the fact that it can be difficult to follow at times when trying to read it; since the layout is so attractive and not traditional, it can be distracting for the reader to absorb the content of the article. Overall, this is very unique and aesthetically pleasing though!

~Claire McFarland

Project 3: Logo | Wong

Design Strategy

I really wanted to play around with my initials because the letters “M” and “W” are often symmetrical in my typefaces. I actually tried making logos that were actual pictures, but when I tried shrinking the logo, you could barely see what was going on, so I decided that using my initials were a better idea. Also, I was looking through a lot of logos from different public relations firms, and I saw that they were all very simplistic. My favorite ended up being the FD logo (the firm recently redid their logo), because it was bold but also simple and still seemed professional. I wanted my logo to come off as professional, but colorful to show that I could be fun.

I liked intertwining the letters so that the end result would look a bit like argyle because I am a very preppy person. I chose the colors Pantone 286EC for the front “M and Pantone 642EC for the “W” because many of my friends would call me a huge tomboy, and also because blue is a very business-like color. The M is darker in order to emphasize my first name. I also chose to use my initials because the end result was a very clean logo. I tried filling in the diamonds, or using gestalt principals so that you could envision the “M” or “W,” but in the end I liked the original result of 3 diamonds created by overlapping the two letters. It was clean, and I liked that you could change the colors easily – making it an adaptable logo, and thus implying that I could adapt to whatever type of work my clients would want me to do.

Choice of Typefaces

I used ITC Kabel Std for all the wording (my name, address) for the stationary set because it was the font most similar to the letters in my logo. Although my logo seems like a font, I actually scanned different versions of my handwriting and then traced my handwriting with the pen tool.

Visuals

I basically scanned a sheet of paper that I had written the letter M on in different ways, and then traced each one with the pen tool to see which type of I liked better. Then I made a copy of my trace and turned it 180 degrees so that the M and W would be completely symmetrical, and then overlapped the two letters and grouped the two items. I did this all in InDesign because that is my favorite program to work within the creative suite.

Tocci | Week 10 Response

1. This article layout has a very clean, organized look. The copy content is perfectly aligned within the grid system and thus easily readable. The two column setup works for this particular page, as it breaks the content into readable chunks without making the content too disjointed. The photo on the right fills up the entire space, providing a nice visual contrast from the organized feel of the left-hand page.

2. Again, the two column system makes the content readable and prevents the copy from becoming overwhelming. The aligned text is easy to follow down the page, and works in tandem with the size of the copy to lead a reader's eye through the article.

3. The structure on the content page and lack of structure in the photo work together to engage the reader. The content is organized, clean, and easy to read, and the visual is engaging and interesting and provides the reader with a reason to read the story.

4. I think there is positive tension here, as the headline is large and tightly kerned, but the vivid summer colors and relaxed atmosphere of the photo set the tone for the story. The two columns do not create tension, because two columns in a magazine is laid-back and does not overwhelm readers with text.

Berk Week 10 | Lupton Grid Response

When I saw the assignment, I immediately thought of the New York Times.
1) The grid system is very straight-forward, with six columns of text with pictures placed in. The pictures, along with larger headlines, are the only breaks in the grid system. There isn't a larger horizontal system but the headlines of the smaller articles towards the bottom match up.
2) The organization aids the reader a lot. The column structure gives clear distinction between articles to prevent confusion. It also sets up pictures very well, as most pictures are rectangles so they can be placed in the grid system very easily.
3) The reader is very easily engaged with the structure as the New York Times front page is well known for this structure. Also, I mentioned before, the grid system used allows for easy readability and flow.
4) The grid system can create some tension here because it can look very dense and wordy. However, I don't think that is detrimental to the newspaper. The New York Times is known for its density and professionalism, along with the in-depth nature of their stories. After all, its motto is "All the news thats fit to print."

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

MERCER-- week ten

I really am a big fan of any layout or design that involves everything being lined up in a really neat and proper way. For that reason, I really liked pg. 124 of Lupton's book (Jochem Stankowski's identity system). I really like things of the same shape and size lining up perfectly over and over again with even spacing.

The 1st photo on this post is of Anthem Magazine's home page. (http://www.anthemmagazine.com check it out!!!)

1.) There are clearly two columns and the rows within the columns line up nicely as well. Even when the rows are more narrow than others, they still line up to fit snugly inside of the bigger rows. Furthermore, at the top of the page, the alignment continues! With the main headline and photo, as well as menu options, everything lines up and it looks so clean!

2.) The grid involves two main columns, and many rows within those columns. The top of the page only has one column-- which is the width of the two columns together! This layout completely leads me down the page and I read every aspect of it. This may not be the case with everyone, but since I so love the alignment when it's clean like this, it's really easy and readable for me.

3.) As I said earlier, I am definitely engaged in this particular site, since it's aligned so well! I think that the clean lines almost make a grid in my mind, without actual grid lines being present. Because of the alignment and how it makes the page readable and makes me read everything on the page, I would say it's completely engaging. I really like the colors too! (Not that that's relevant).

4.) One could look at the site and see the stark black and white contrast (mixed with the cool small patches of bright colors) as pretty tense. Mix that with the lack of variety and the fact that there is no deviation from the grid, and you have a pretty tense situation! Once again, though, I don't think it's tense! I find it relaxing to see things lined up perfectly, so I appreciate Anthem very much.

p.s. I also reallllly like the logo for the magazine! Check it out!

Wettje: Logo

The design process for my logo was a long yet exciting one. From the start, I wanted to focus the logo around my initials, “JAW.” I also knew that I wanted to try and form the three letters into the shape of a jaw. I was originally going to try and get it in the image of a shark with it’s mouth open using the “A” and the “W”, but things weren’t working out as planned. I decided to turn it upside down to see what could be done to change it but after rotating it 90 degrees, I saw my logo staring at me. It was a fish with it’s mouth open. The final thing I did was make the “J” into the eye and give it a -25 degree rotation to add movement to the logo.

When I was trying to find a typeface for this logo, Bradley Hand ITC seemed to ber made for it. It is very scaly, straight where it needs to be, and rounded where it needs to be for all three letters. I also liked that the cross of the “A” extended past the letter, giving it an imperfect look that works very well with the imagery. I used Tekton Pro for the rest simply because I liked it and thought it worked well.

When trying to decide on a color for my logo, I wanted a very tropical feel to go with it. No colors were going very well until this shade of green. I love how it is not a very commonly used shade of green but it is very bold and something that could be found in nature. For the type and bubbles, I took a picture of an ocean and used the eyedropper tool to get them to look very oceanic.

The only visual I used in the logo is the bubbles coming out of the fish’s mouth. I wanted to unify the nautical theme and make the fish seem underwater, which is also why the type is over the logo. On the business card, I used the bubbles to point up the the type above it to draw attention from my visual to my information.

Monday, March 29, 2010

WEEK 10 | Lupton "Grid" Response

Lupton's last chapter in "Thinking With Type" describes grids and their importance to all forms of graphic design, both print and web based.

"For graphic designers, grids are carefully honed intellectual devices, infused with ideology and ambition, and they are the inescapable mesh that filters at some level of resolution, nearly every system of writing and reproduction." (113)

Grids are essential for guiding design - whether ordering items, or breaking the order. Magazines and newspapers exist on grid systems in order to create consistent environments that are functional and reproducible.

Food for thought: can breaking the grid also create a sense of order since breaking a grid will still be done in predictable ways?

Lupton also write about the power of grids in magazine and print design and the evolution of the grid in web design through tables and Cascading Style Sheets and the more free form environment afforded by the use of Flash.

THIS WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT
Find an example of a grid system being used in print or on the web. You examples can come from magazines, web sites or newspapers... THEN, write about it by answering the fol questions:

1. Discuss the grid system in place. How well do the designs work within the boundaries, or even by breaking boundaries of the grid?
2. How does the grid in your example aid the reader or user?
3. Does it engage them with its structure or lack thereof?
4. Does it cause tension, either positive or negative?

Attach screen shots, links or images in order to help illustrate your example.

Screen capture on a MAC:
Apple Key + Shift + 3

Screen capture on a PC:
Hit the "Print Screen" button (usually found on the top right of the keyboard);

CITATION: The inspiration and content for this post is borrowed heavily from a similar assignment given by Prof. Greg Hedges in GRA 617.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Davis | Logo

Design Strategy
I sought an identity that expressed strength and creativity. I also wanted the identity to be incredibly simple, both in color and design. Critical to my job as an advertiser (and graphic designer) is to get the message across as simply and effectively as possible. It is this clear and concise attitude that I wanted my identity to exude. I wanted it to mean business. At the same time, I am not all work and no play. My identity needed to demonstrate that I am approachable and outgoing. So, I had my work set out for me. The identity needed to be strong and approachable at the same time. This is accomplished through the use of a strong mark and an approachable color.

Choice of Typefaces
I chose to use different weights of Univers Extended in my identity. Univers is a simple, no nonsense sans serif typography. It is very readable at all sizes, which allows the logo to be resized. The type set in all lowercase adds a youthful, modern flair while not affecting readability (because “evan” is in Black Extended and “davis” in Regular Extended).

Visuals
To develop the logo mark, I first brainstormed different icons that represent strength. A shield was one of the first visuals that came to mind. The difficulty with a shield, however, was that I wanted it to represent strength, not warfare. The shield I developed is a unique shape, yet still recognizable. And, the diagonal line going through the mark throws off the symmetry, emphasizing creativity and uniqueness. The bottom of the logo also points directly to my name, leading the eye there. To counteract the strength of the logo, I chose a warm orange color (CMYK 0, 77, 93, 0).

Mabel Marte | Logo Project

Design Strategy and Choice of typeface:

A logo is supposed to identify a person; my logo represents me. It’s very simple however; it’s very bold and dramatic at the same time. I tried to do double m’s since my name and last name start with that letter, but accidently I created a 3D M that I actually really liked. I added some color so the double m’s can be easily identified, and also because pink gives it life. I think the color I picked gives off sweet, nice, comforting energy, and I think I have those qualities.

Even before creating the logo I knew what font I wanted, and it was Khaki. I like that typeface especially in lowercase because it’s very playful, and very relaxing. I want people to feel comfortable with me, not run away. Since I’m still a student and exploring what I want to do with my life, I wanted my logo to be more in the laid back side, and I think I accomplished that.

Visuals:

I started designing my logo by using the Wacom tablet, however that completely failed. Then I used the pen tool in Illustrator to try to make double, very thin, m’s that would look like a heart but not really at the same time. Playing and playing I came up with the 3D image and I automatically liked it. I think the visual is working perfect for my idea. It encompasses my vision, which was girly but simple. The color just makes it something more attractive than just black and white, which was my original idea.