You Can't Miss This 3.24

LOOK FAMILIAR?
This time of year makes me think of my early designing days where dictated by Holidays and anything my mother would let me get my hands on. April brings Easter so dipping eggs, my hands, most likely my sisters hands and anything else I could find in easter egg dye was my method of choice. My poor mother.

Now being 22 it seems more appropriate to be in the Vegas/Springbreak mind set as opposed to Easter. So to help get me and anyone else in the same boat, here is some throw back and modern egg ideas. Thanks to VEGGtors.com by Pheaa.com.

I love the prints and intricate detail. Where I was always happy to come out with an un-cracked, these really put anything I ever did to shame. Maybe now as an experienced designer I could do better.


Also the sometimes pukey pastels that eggs are often associated in aren't as trendy as these little babies.



Using vintage prints, these little bunnies seem like something a country star would like on her logo (AHEM). I love taking two opposites as retro prints and classic as bunnies in spring and infusing them to create modern/vintage art!

Critique (of myself?) 3.24

Of course 30 minutes before my portfolio review, while fighting with the lab printer, I see an email offering VOX TA design positions. I've been fretting over what I'm going to do to keep myself busy after this semester and everyone else is gone. NExt fall is going to roll around and I will find myself a fifth year senior. (yikes) Never thought that Vox, the source of some of my stress would be my saving grace.
Every once in a while I get these small ideas, in the midst of chaos and feeling completely overwhelmed, that offer a small glimpse of clarity of my near future. That little window of light came in the form of 6 emails from Kim Townlain and another portfolio review with Jan.
And let me know what you think:

1. Assistant art director for Vox this summer. Applying for this job, I'm acknowledging that I'm not a type A personality like a lot of designers I know, I'm not as detailed oriented and focused on the micro design as I should be. Jan and I agreed that maybe an assistant-ship would be a better fit for me. I feel completely uncomfortable if there would be no one above me to check what I do before it was published. I don't need Jen Rowe after me :)
2. TA for beginning design class next fall. I think this will be a good fit and not to mention fun. Little budding mounds of clay for me to mold! I want to stay involved in design, the J school and of course do something that I could add to a resume.
   

Im going to apply for both and hopefully things work out in my favor. It's going to be weird to be here without everyone but keeping myself busy, adding to my portfolio, and building my resume just might make it a little more bearable.

3.23 Response

Fear and Creativity

Okay, I googled this Roger Von Oech. (Left) He looks a little odd but I'm willing to give him a shot because I often hit walls when it come to creativity. Some of these questions were a little strange and worded in way I'd never thought of in terms of designing.

I enjoyed the exercise though and appreciate the new view on creativity and designing. I'd never associated fear with designing or creativity but I'd also never really assessed my creative thinking style. Cant wait to see what Jan has in store

You Can't Miss This 3.17

LOVE LOVE this song and love how they used typography!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DrX8AFIQao


Plus he's very very dreamy. So pour yourself a drink ( like I'm doing) and enjoy this 3:38 second well-deserved break from your homework!

Critique 3.17

I thought this was a good read and more importantly a great reference. Although Im sure we've all had the material before I feel like we haven't had it all on one place, so a text book like this helps with inspiration and reference.


Im glad we went over all the different types of magazines in class, as a designer I was a little embarrassed because I'd never heard of the ANY of the names we'd talked about in class. Although now I know what I'm asking for for the next set of holidays.
Although expensive I'm sure what ever design pickle I'm in I can get an idea.

Like I said in class I thought that it was interesting that we as designers can finally read about things we talk to each other about. I've never seen an outlet for designers to talk about things that we encounter everyday.

Response 17th

SOO rap battles. I'd like to say that without any text or story these covers turned out pretty good. I like the third one the best and event though it may not be the best visual depiction of a rap battle but I think it tuned out really well. It's my favorite and the first time I've come away from a cover group where I've been happy with what I did. I think these are the most conceptual designs I've done and thats why I've been okay with them after a critique.

I think after having to really think about a feature and make it the most conceptual thing on earth Im just in the right mind set. I hope it lasts!

Critique March 10th

That's right Sarah and mine six page love child. It was great working with Sarah-she is the quick key queen. It took along time to create spreads for 10 stories, and by along time I mean we tried counting up the hours and got depressed. We had trouble deciding how to categorize all the stories and because of that there was really no good way to start; except just to lay it all out.

I loved the brain storming process with Sarah we got a lot of feedback off each other and also came up with a few new terms that we're currently working on the copy rights for.

I think this type up feature really requires a lot of work but after the brain storming process there is really only so much two people can do while starring at one computer screen. Sarah and I finally got to the point of being able to split up the pages and work together and side by side. Frustrating isn't the word I would use but more boring to sit there and watch each other work.

I'm very proud of the feature!

Response March 10th

LBB:

What will come next? Wondering if we'll have to revise our logos again keeps me thinking about texture. I saw a gigantic improvement from 20 down to 5. I'll attribute that to that time it takes to prefect 5 than come up with 20 ideas.

I loved how everyone's color palettes were so different. We all interpreted what she wanted in our own way and I think that really showed with our color choices. I was noticing too that we used alot of the same fonts. It will be more than interesting to see what she thinks about what her ideas look like, and most of all what she ends up picking.

The September Issue.
For those of you that don't know documents the processes behind putting out Vogue's biggest issue; September fashion.
WOW. This made me never want to work in a high end magazine like Vouge. 1.) I don't have the money for the clothes to even walk in and apply 2.) I can't imagine living in constant fear of someone 3.) If I were that stressed out all the time I would be dead by 45. I respect what Anna Wintour does but I just don't know if a job is worth being as miserable as everyone there seemed. Im glad we watched it. I'd heard people talking about it and now can add to conversations but If I anyone ever tells me magazine design is easy I'll show them that movie just to illustrate how demanding and political it can be.

I did however love how they use the story boards and scrap booking techniques while in the processes of putting the issue together. I wonder if that's Anna's preference to visualize it that was or thats what magazines are doing. Although if Anna wanted to see it upside down and backwards the staff would make it happen.
I found myself feeling bad for Grace. She obviously is devoted to her job or wouldn't put up with Anna ripping photos and wardrobe picks apart. I wonder how the dynamics differ between staff members at different publications

You Can't miss This.

In the true spirit of Project M and a 40 page annual report Im working on for Graphic design class I've been googling grid structures and TOC designs. Looking for something other than whats expected I'm going for something more artisitc than simply page contents and number.

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/07/07/table-of-contents-creative-and-beautiful-examples/

These are some beautiful and creative examples of TOC, an element of a publication that usually is over looked by the non designers. This is one of my favorites. A simple design bu brilliant as a TOC that would make anyone look twice.



This one is a Pocket Manual of Chinese Medicine. SO beautiful.


Check out the website for more inspiring TOCs.

Eureka! Ideas and the ones that aren't there.

This week working with Sarah on the feature has been interesting. Trying to create a feature about ideas that aren't related or tangible is a challenge. We've been working with the concepts of light bulb and science and if that doesn't leave you scratching you head I wont know what will!


Images of processes and FINAl to come!
Also worked on department pages this week and read through the book about MILE MARKERS to make the splendid map!