You Can't Miss: Designs For a Good Cause

This week, on the blog I'm following for the class, I came across a very interesting post addressing an issue I hadn't considered before - are designers using their talent for a worthy purpose? In response to the recent tragedies impacting Japan, many designers have created posters (like the ones below) to "raise awareness" for donations to Japan, but this issue has had no problem doing that on its own. So, one must ask if this is really the best use of time and energy for skillful artists to promote?

Daniel Freytag - "Japan" 

All profits made from poster sales are donated to relief funds for Japan. 

Signalnoise: "Help Japan" 

The events that have impacted Japan and its people are devastating, but I think designers could find a better use of their time supporting a cause that lacks definitive support. This is not to say that designing for Japan is a waste of time, but other issues could benefit so much more from having someone pay more attention to it. 

Designers really should consider how their art can make a difference in the world, so why waste time drawing attention to a tragedy that is already being addressed when there are so many other catastrophes that occur daily. Art can be so powerful and we designers have a responsibility to invoke sensitivity in the light of misfortune and injustice. 

Response: Everyone's Prototypes

Nosh: I think this group's strong suit is their photography. Not only had they already set up their first photo shoot prior to this first round being due, but it seems that they have had luck with the creative library and have many exquisite photos at their disposal. Great job to all involved for having such a developed example for your prototype to turn in for this first round!

Cupboard: I was happy to see that the color bar behind this magazine's logo remained... and still at a tilt! I like the snacker feel they have created with their designs, which are snappy and clear. I think this prototype could really benefit from some simple infographics that pull apart some of the recipes and short stories to avoid making their prototype look like a cook book.

Shindig: I love the typefaces this group is using in their prototype. I think the fonts really help the overall tone of the magazine, which is fun, fresh, and light. I felt like this group had really stepped out of the box with their design concept, using certain elements as background features (like the wood). It was a completely different idea from the rest and stood out (in a good way) for it.

Plaid Dad: This group seemed to have some of the same issues with the copy they were working with my group did (Modern Midwest). I think that once some of their story drafts are updated, resolving many of their current design problems will be easier. I loved that all of the group members had put in so much working creating their logo together! I think you girls have a lot of excellent logo ideas to choose from. The one you all are using now could stand some manipulation... I'm not sure if the "super hero" feeling you were going for is completely clear and hopefully you can convince the publishing team to be more flexible about that.

Critique: Magazine Prototype

This week we presented our first drafts for the Modern Midwest prototype I'm taking part in designing, along with Erica Hunt, Joe Bradley, and Michelle Pais (our creative director). I think one of our biggest obstacles was just getting on the same page with a cohesive design and template for our department pages. With all of the other projects we've had going on simultaneously, working to improve our designs as a team has taken a backseat. Turning in those first pages helped us to see where we needed improvement, which was great because now our pages will look much better for the formal presentation tomorrow. Everyone has been working really hard to get ready for tomorrow and things are looking great! I can't wait to see everyone's prototypes tomorrow. Here are the pages I designed for our prototype:

Calendar/Events department page - the copy really needs to be worked with for this page. We also need to replace most of the photos with studio shots. Photography will be a huge obstacle for our group because our topic is not exactly stereotypical of the style our publishers usually work with. The creative library had few options for all of my pages, if any. 

Here is the Music department page. This page is also desperately needing some photography and perhaps illustrations, depending on how many photos we end up needing in the end. 

Both spreads above are examples from the Bachelor(ette) Companion Feature. I tried to use color boxes to separate the text and make the pages appear less text-heavy, but I think it may need a little more color and vibrancy. The gray boxes seem a little dull now that I look at it again. The sidebars on pg. 4 are not completed because the text needs to be completely changed. These will be filled next time you see the spreads!

You Can't Miss: The Black Keys

Have you all heard the new album yet? If not, you're seriously missing out! I love The Black Keys. They are one of the few bands that I think have proven their true talent by continually coming out with epic albums, even after becoming quite famous more recently. I just can't stop listening, but it's a great soundtrack to combine with these beautiful spring days we're finally getting our way.

Although The Black Keys are obviously amazing musicians, they also had a wildly creative album cover for their latest release: "Brothers." Check it out....

Not only is the design clever, but so is the copy. This is an impressive package overall. In addition to having an intriguing and unique album cover, the disc itself also has special properties - put it in the player, enjoy the experience, and when you take it out, the disc, which was all black at the start, suddenly has white emblazoned across it. The type is heat activated! How cool. Need I say more?

Also, check out this interesting site called Musicovery. Thanks to Stumble, I came across this fun page, which plays music according to your mood. It's not exactly 100% accurate, but still a fun site to mess around with when you take a break from all your hard work designing! 

Response: Portfolio Critiques and the Final 5 Logos

This week, we have devoted a lot of time to critiquing our peers' portfolios during our class time. I think it has been a really beneficial opportunity to see the talent of others as well as to get us motivated to start actively preparing for our futures. I haven't presented my designs yet, but I was surprised to find out just how many examples I actually had. I know I haven't had all the experiences some of the other people in class have, but I don't think I'm going to have a problem filling a portfolio for potential employers and job interviews. It's kind of exciting to see the culmination of everyone's hard work! It's a little scary to hear others' criticism, but in the end, it will only improve our chances for success.

While awaiting my chance to present my portfolio designs, I had also been altering my final five Sports Journalism Institute logos, which ended up getting cut down to three. I really have no idea what the outcome of the judging will be for this project. Everyone had such great logo concepts and I think most of us were in unfamiliar territory here. Logos may be one of the most painstaking design tasks so far. You have to say so much with so little, and the design ends up making even more of an impact than the words themselves, so the design construct becomes even more tedious. After some slow-moving revisions, here are the final three I ended up submitting:

I felt that color was the best tool to reflect diversity for these logos, so I tried to choose strong colors that didn't distract, but grabbed the viewer's attention. I think I like the bottom one best. Erica and Jan suggested I fill in the circle outline I was using previously, which ended up being a great idea that I was kicking myself I hadn't thought of before! The circle has no identifying marks, so I thought it could symbolize many sports by just supplying the "ball" image. To incorporate diversity, I used spot color for "Journalism," and I also made that word a bit larger than the other two. The Institute's tagline is that they help women and minorities into newsrooms, so I thought this sandwiching of words could represent their efforts to interpolate minority journalists into sports journalism. I thought the orange circle helped provide that retro look Greg Bowers had mentioned to us from the start. I'm very interested to see what the outcome will be and which logo ends up being used for the foundation's branding. 

Critique: Web Design Attempt

Almost two weeks ago I went to a meeting held by a capstone group that was searching for a designer to help them out with a cohesive design concept for the site they're trying to renovate. They are convergence students, so they admitted that when it came to the design process, they all just kind of got stuck. Fortunately, the organization they're working with, the Daniel Pearl Foundation, has provided them with a small sum to compensate for a designer to help out.

When I sat down to start this project, I thought it would be a little easier, but it was strange designing a sample home page on InDesign. My first attempt was disastrous, you don't even want to see it, but here is the draft I ended up sending to the capstone group to meet today's deadline:

Sorry if it's difficult to see... The text isn't really important, most of it is just filler copy. One of their main requests were to find a place for links to Facebook, Twitter, and an RSS feed. I formatted the home page with the bar that ran across the top, which provides a cohesive design element that can appear on any page and it also gives the name of the foundation and creates a space for those links.

It was also one of my main tasks to create a new logo for the organization. I had a couple more options, which I ended up sending to the group, but I believe that the one I used for this mock up page was my strongest. Some complaints they had received about the old page was that the colors were too boring and it was too text heavy, so I wanted to clear up the home page and use photos as the dominant design element instead. My color palette isn't exactly an extreme opposite, but I don't think using too bright of colors would best suit the site's topics.

So, I'm just waiting to hear back from the group! It would be great to make a little income, but more importantly, it would be an excellent example to include in a portfolio... and maybe it would be a nice little self-esteem booster! Even if they don't select my designs, this is still another element I can include in my portfolio.

You Can't Miss: Queen Elizabeth Images

According to the blog I follow, I guess that Great Britain was considering removing the Queen's image from postage stamps, but fortunately Her Majesty's image will continue to grace the British post. I like the sense of tradition the British have in so many aspects of their culture. The British monarchy and its history is so fascinating to me. Anyway, here are some of the images that were included on the blog of the Queen.

Here is a famous portrait entitled 'Queen Elizabeth II,' done by Dorothy Wilding in 1952 and hand colored by Beatrice Johnson. How beautiful are these colors? The red is fabulous. 

This might be my favorite. This photograph is also called 'Queen Elizabeth II' and was shot by Eve Arnold

in 1968. I love how youthful and happy she looks here. 

I wonder if the Queen was a little irritated by this disembodiment? This was done by Justin Mortimer in 1998. I'm not sure if I really understand the reason for the vibrant yellow background, but I like how this artist combined the tradition and class embodied by royalty with such a modern edginess of the time.

This is such an excellent use of photoshop. Here, artist Chris Levine has taken a photo and alerted it to create an ethereal perception fitting for his title: 'Lightness of Being.' (2007)

Response: Mag+ Conferences

The start of this week was so interesting. I was actually really excited to hear the speakers and to learn more about this Mag+ software we so fortunately have access to. It was refreshing to feel so good about my major because I have a lot of friends that aren't as excited about school. I feel like this is such an incredible time to be a designer because they're so essential in this transition to the iPad and the formation of a totally new side to the magazine industry.

The speaker from Wired was probably most impressive to me. I don't know if it was necessarily his presentation that was the most impressive or informative, but I was more impressed with the amount of work Wired has put into the creation of their app and the planning that they put into its design. It was amazing how on top of the project they were from the start. They had it all laid out even before the iPad came out last year!

Photo Credit: The Tech Journal

Photo Credit: Definition Magazine

I think it was comforting to know that even professional designers are in the same place as students or people about to come out of college right now. Everything about the iPad, apps, and all of that technology is so new and our generation will be the one that gets to transform it all. We get to be the first ones to direct how those apps look, feel, their success, and we get to develop the process for other designers and for the audiences we end up reaching.

The presentations were all so fascinating, but I think our greatest asset in this experience is that we have access to Mag+ and we also get the chance to develop the Vox iPad app. I would like to pat the backs of the Webbies in the design class! I ended up dropping the Magazines Across Platforms course because I knew the workload would be too much for me in this capstone, but those who ended up sticking it out are really impressive. Good job you guys! It's really going to be exciting to work with the Webbies to start designing our own apps and possibly using some of those awesome iPad app ideas that some of the presenters pointed out to us during the conference.

Critique: SJI Logos

As a part of our 20/10 assignment, the Sports Journalism Institute is allowing our class to come up with some possibilities for their logo redesign. Greg Bowers, the Sports Editor for the Missourian, has been working the SJI spokesperson and liaison for their transition to the MU campus. He visited our class to present the assignment and came in yesterday when we critiqued our first 20 logo concepts in class. He had some pretty good advice for us to start moving forward and touch up some of our best ideas for the last critique.

One of Greg's biggest concerns was that he didn't see the diversity concept in most of the designs. The whole point of SJI is to tackle the issue of diversity and put more minorities into the newsroom to have the opportunity to succeed at sports journalism, so obviously diversity needs to appear in the logo designs.

I tried to portray diversity through color, but I the feedback I got was that this wasn't as obvious as I had perceived it to be. I didn't want to be so obvious about including it (like, literally a black person and a woman), but it seems to me that Greg maybe wanted to actually see people in the logo. I'm going to try to put a human aspect into it, but I think this is going to be really tough. I would much rather work with color, but I think it will be good for me to try and give a more difficult design idea a shot.

So, here are all the logo ideas I came up with! I don't really know which is my favorite at the moment; I have a few. I wanted to stick with black and white and red as my colors. I tried to use the red as a spot color rather than the dominant color. I thought the black and white represented diversity and the red stuck out to me as reflecting journalism, sports, and the sense of immediacy reporting gives you. I also thought these colors looked classy, but using just a basic red kind of gave the logos that "throwback" feel that Greg described to us in the beginning. What do you all think?

You Can't Miss: March Vogue

So, I fell in love with Vogue's March cover. I think it has something to do with the fact that I have a soft spot for the pop princess Lady Gaga. Not usually a fan of the genre, but she's basically amazing. Anyway, I thought the cover design they did showed her in a new light. Honestly, she's totally crazy. We get it. There have been tons of articles written about her lifestyle and crazy wardrobe choices, but here I actually got to see her looking delicate, in a fierce sort of way. It's amazing that this photograph captures the duality of her nature.

The colors chosen for the sell lines are just great, too. I'm glad they went with a hot pink because I don't think a soft pink would have had the same effect. The mint green background is enough pastel for me, anyway. This photo is so beautiful and I think it steps out of the box a little in terms of who Vogue has featured on their cover previously and the color palettes they tend to use for cover designs. 

Response: Historical Perspectives

This assignment ended up being very interesting. I had to battle with the microfilms in Ellis again, which is something I hadn't attempted since HOJO. After spending about 2 hours finding the films I needed and figuring out how to work those gigantic machines again, I finally got to check out some of the old issues of the magazine I researched, Vogue. I chose a time period that went from 1952-1963. I wanted to be able to include some of the redesigns that occurred in the Diana Vreeland era that began in 1963 when she replaced Jessica Daves as editor-in-chief. It was amazing how different the designs were in the '60s, and especially when Vreeland and Alexander Liberman were working together compared to the decade before. After listening to the other presentations in class, though, it seemed that almost all of the magazines went under a pretty drastic change during the '60s.

It was interesting to see the origins of some of the magazines we're so fond of. To see their past and their development helps me feel more in place with the magazine industry. I don't think you can really develop a passion for magazines if you don't understand where they've been before now. Anyway, here is one of my favorite feature spreads from a 1963 issue of Vogue.

How great is this photo illustration?! I always wonder how they did stuff like this before the Adobe Creative Suite... I can't even imagine how many more hours they spent on this than I do now. 

Critique: Hot Box Designs

This week I designed the T/F feature spreads with Tova, but since they're coming out tomorrow, I don't want to spoil the surprise! So, I thought I would share some of my design work for my internship with Hot Box instead.

I've been working on some signs for them lately. Basically, the biggest challenge has been formatting their fonts and colors. We are trying to come up with some of these things because all of the designs they have done now are all sort of different from each other. The biggest problem is that most of their signs, and even their logo, had been drawn by hand, so when they want to change something, it takes a long time and cannot be done quickly. Coming up with a style for their signs, logo, ads, whatever is going to be essential to helping them improve overall. So, here are some font ideas I had to use for the signs. Next to the font choices is the board they have displayed at the store now.

I wanted to match some of the designs that had already been done on the hand-written boards, but I didn't think it was necessary to look the exact same. My favorite font for some of the "headline" elements was the 4th one down, but the owner liked the second one down. I had some difficulty persuading him, but in the end we both decided on the 5th one down. My issue with the bubble letters that he liked was that they could never be filled color-wise. The format of the font made it so only outlines would show color and I didn't think that was a risk he wanted to take. I didn't think using that as the dominant text would produce the results he wanted because they would never be filled. The last font, "cookie text" is what we decided to go with for the menu item descriptions. 

So, my project for the weekend is to redesign the boards. After meeting with him yesterday, here is a VERY ROUGH idea for the format. Also, I'm trying to develop the color palette, which is something I'm having a little difficulty with especially because I have to make sure it works with his vision, too. 

The background of the boards will be black, so I was playing with that to see how those bubble letters would look. They stand out much better with the black background, so that was helpful! It's nice to have some of these other projects going on because they allow me to take a break from class assignments, but they're still helping me build a portfolio.