Upon embarking on the Humber Jazz Ensemble's CD project, I began by taking into consideration the time constraints that will be present with this project. I thought about how much time I will have for developing a concept and producing a mock-up CD case for the client presentation.
After considering this, I started by conducting a research of the Humber Jazz Ensemble, or better yet, the entire music program at Humber, to get a feel for the atmosphere and aspirations of the faculty and students. I then proceeded to read through the client brief that I recieved in class, and tried to get a good feeling of what this CD means to the students and the Jazz company. I did some additional research on the meaning behind the word "prologue", which is essentially the introduction to a beginning, or the introduction to a story.
From the research, I was able to conduct a type hunt, where I searched for typefaces that I felt related best to the message being communicatied from my research and ones that would communicated the feelings and emotions of the music and CD contents most appropriately. This stage is so critical in my personal research procedures as ensuring a proper typographic vernacular is critical for me, as I use the type and the feelings and tone being communicated in the type to develop layouts and other visual elements for a piece.
I then produced several thumbnail sketches and figured out how the layout was going to function upon assembly. I explored several layout options and type treatments. This project is one in which how the type is handled will have a profound effect on the success of the design solution.
After thumbnails I moved to the computer and produced a template layout. From there I applied my concepts and explored type setting methods, as well as the application of the photographs to the layout. I printed off my layout variations and will present them to Heather on Monday.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
How do I create?…
I am a person that survives on my creative thinking. Whether I am designing a logo or cooking something for dinner, I rely on my creative process to solve problems that arise in all facets of my daily life. The world we live in can be a very difficult place for a creative person to thrive and develop, primarily in the early years of their lives, because it is constantly thwarted by those who educate us. Even though we face these obstacles, it is still possible for the creative mind to find an abundance of outlets to feed and develop in the world that we live in today.
Ken Robinson's TED talk brought up some important realizations of my childhood and adolescent years that I had not quite reflected on before. From literally the time we are taught to read and write or count to ten, it is being implanted in our brains to follow a system and conform to the norm, or what is considered "right". Emphasis is clearly placed on school subjects such as math, science, and english, all which could have such wonderful creative outlets, to which specific methods are deemed correct. Through the class discussion after the TED film, it became apparent to me that my classmates feel the same way, and as well that math and science were not their favourite subjects. But what if math, science, and english forced students to not only learn how to do the questions, but create answers of their own? Math and science courses would be so much more enlightening if students were required to develop their own formulas to solve problems, and to think of new theories on how to get accurate solutions. The great masters of these fields such as Fibbinacci, Descartes, Newton, and Einstien used their vast creativity to develop their theories, and they acheived this by being open to the world around them and exploring multiple ideas until they reached their conclusion. If students were not frowned upon by thinking creatively, and rather embraced, they would be better prepared for the future that awaits them and they would be more intelligent because of it.
I noticed from the excerpted 100 habits list that graphic designers can draw their creative inspiration from such a wide variety of places and activities, and that we must be outgoing and willinging to try new all the time so that we may add to that creativity. I feel that I draw my creative inspiration from looking at the everyday world around me because the everyday world is what/who we are designing for and if we can draw any elements out of it that can aid the design process, then it will in return result a design that relates better and communicates more effectively to the viewer/user. I like to observe my surroundings and draw inspiration and ideas from the nature and landscape that I am a part of. From nature to architecture, I find form and functinality as well as beauty that can be applied to graphic design in numerous ways.
I the creative and designer am a person that wishes to explore multiple ideas and concepts, and draw inspiration from all my surroundings so that I may arrive at a creative solution that appropriately communicates, informs, and educates the viewer, and to use my creativity in a way that opens up new concepts and theories that make the world a better place to live in.
Ken Robinson's TED talk brought up some important realizations of my childhood and adolescent years that I had not quite reflected on before. From literally the time we are taught to read and write or count to ten, it is being implanted in our brains to follow a system and conform to the norm, or what is considered "right". Emphasis is clearly placed on school subjects such as math, science, and english, all which could have such wonderful creative outlets, to which specific methods are deemed correct. Through the class discussion after the TED film, it became apparent to me that my classmates feel the same way, and as well that math and science were not their favourite subjects. But what if math, science, and english forced students to not only learn how to do the questions, but create answers of their own? Math and science courses would be so much more enlightening if students were required to develop their own formulas to solve problems, and to think of new theories on how to get accurate solutions. The great masters of these fields such as Fibbinacci, Descartes, Newton, and Einstien used their vast creativity to develop their theories, and they acheived this by being open to the world around them and exploring multiple ideas until they reached their conclusion. If students were not frowned upon by thinking creatively, and rather embraced, they would be better prepared for the future that awaits them and they would be more intelligent because of it.
I noticed from the excerpted 100 habits list that graphic designers can draw their creative inspiration from such a wide variety of places and activities, and that we must be outgoing and willinging to try new all the time so that we may add to that creativity. I feel that I draw my creative inspiration from looking at the everyday world around me because the everyday world is what/who we are designing for and if we can draw any elements out of it that can aid the design process, then it will in return result a design that relates better and communicates more effectively to the viewer/user. I like to observe my surroundings and draw inspiration and ideas from the nature and landscape that I am a part of. From nature to architecture, I find form and functinality as well as beauty that can be applied to graphic design in numerous ways.
I the creative and designer am a person that wishes to explore multiple ideas and concepts, and draw inspiration from all my surroundings so that I may arrive at a creative solution that appropriately communicates, informs, and educates the viewer, and to use my creativity in a way that opens up new concepts and theories that make the world a better place to live in.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
What is Design?
Design, regardless of whether it is Graphic or Industrial, is required to solve a specific problem pertaining to the market in which it has been commissioned for. It is not solely decorative nor functional, rather it is these elements working together cohesively to produce an end result that is both pleasing to the eye and practical to the user.
Graphic Design follows these rules, only its function is to communicate a message to a specific target market that informs and educates the audience in a creative and aesthetically pleasing way. Design is therefore a direct result of the information or product in which it is communicating on behalf in order for it to be visible by its target market. It is the combination of creativity and communication working together to arrive at a solution that effectively speaks to the target audience and influences decisions.
I feel that when I design that I am in control of peoples perceptions and knowledge of a brand or product, and I feel as though it is my role to communicate in an aesthetically pleasing way and also a clear and concise way that effectively informs and educates the target audience in a visually pleasing way. I get excited when I experience good design because aesthetics and function have come together to produce something informative and enjoyable that speaks to its intended audience.
My overall view on Design is that it is essentially taking a communication problem and solving it by using both aesthetic and functional elements that inform and educate the appropriate target audience in a creative way, and subsequently influences action and decisions by the viewer.
Design, regardless of whether it is Graphic or Industrial, is required to solve a specific problem pertaining to the market in which it has been commissioned for. It is not solely decorative nor functional, rather it is these elements working together cohesively to produce an end result that is both pleasing to the eye and practical to the user.
Graphic Design follows these rules, only its function is to communicate a message to a specific target market that informs and educates the audience in a creative and aesthetically pleasing way. Design is therefore a direct result of the information or product in which it is communicating on behalf in order for it to be visible by its target market. It is the combination of creativity and communication working together to arrive at a solution that effectively speaks to the target audience and influences decisions.
I feel that when I design that I am in control of peoples perceptions and knowledge of a brand or product, and I feel as though it is my role to communicate in an aesthetically pleasing way and also a clear and concise way that effectively informs and educates the target audience in a visually pleasing way. I get excited when I experience good design because aesthetics and function have come together to produce something informative and enjoyable that speaks to its intended audience.
My overall view on Design is that it is essentially taking a communication problem and solving it by using both aesthetic and functional elements that inform and educate the appropriate target audience in a creative way, and subsequently influences action and decisions by the viewer.
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