Helvetica

Cut it up, mash it up, invert it, reverse it, invert it again, add something, subtract something. HOW WOULD IT MOVE? And then you should probably invert it again....

DO IT NOW...

...instead of at 3am this morning ^__^

We played around with our texture/source material stuff in class today. I'm so burnt out I have no idea what I'm doing anymore....

Get lost

So, we were told to "get lost." Which I would have loved to do, except I didn't. Not really. I got lost at the mall. Which is the worst place for me to get lost at. I don't like the mall, but I happened to be there, and I happened to have a camera. So, voila!

Le Book

So here's my "concept book," for type class. I'm afraid I may have over-designed it. That's my tendency...

I was between "super student work" and "looks professional." Maybe I didn't over-design as much as I thought, but I still think that less might be more....although, I dunno. I'm kind of ok with it, or I like it, I can't tell. Is that weird? Seems weird. I ought to be more decisive. It's not brilliant....I don't like it that much. And it doesn't totally suck balls, and I'm ok with that. 

I guess I wish I had more space this semester to really get a better understanding of this whole grid thing, and layout design. The more I got into it, the more I caught on, and the more I liked it. It makes sense, you know. But designing something that really makes sense is another animal, I think.

It's in the details

Notes on designing our own template for the concept books....

Template:

- how do you show Ringling College?
- What if it were your design company?
- what grid would work a 6 panel, a 9 panel?
- would the cover be the same, or a variation?
- how would you use the grid for a longboard?

**think of how to present the info at the bottom

Revise the concepts

And here we go, refining the concept layouts. This time including our own copy, describing the visuals. I think this made it much easier to design with, honestly. I feel as though I was more thoughtful in the overall layout design, than I was previously. And that's ok, I mean....trying different things is imperative to learning.

Bring on the concept

Now we needed to try a new grid, and include images from our concept class. The idea being, to imagine the page layouts as being relevant and having intent when placing type and image. I still wasn't quite there with this step, yet. Since the copy and image don't relate, I wasn't really relating them when I was laying things out. I was just trying to get some interesting results, if I could.

My biggest issues came where I was trying to really integrate the image with the copy. It wasn't the most successful thing, that's for sure. I think with the shapes I was using, it was too difficult to structure around. Either that, or I was trying too hard to fit the structure around the image. It just doesn't make total sense. I think my common denominator for every project I've ever done has come up again: simplify. Although, I'd like to point out that these particular bodies of copy are like stupid to work with when trying to put them "in context" with storyboard images. I WOULD NEVER WRITE THAT MUCH FOR A CONCEPT BOOK, EVER. At least not on a single page. (referring specifically to the Crystal Goblet text, and the excerpt from Hamlet) 

Just no. 

Moar Grids

We had to revise our studies from before (or totally change them?)...here are my results:

Two major no-no's  for this period: FOLIOS + MARGINS.

I completely forgot to actually crop my pages, so the margins were just these big flappy things, like wings on a maxi pad I guess. Dorian hates 'em. I would too if I were actually trying to create something legit here. I'll try and keep that in mind for the future. 

I swear, my folios were cool....I still think my folios are ok, except that without the margin trimming, you can't tell very well. Maybe my spacing isn't enough to separate them visually....hm.

Gotta try a different grid next time.

Grids, Grids, Grids

Crit Notes:

• centering = Jersey Girls ("ew")
• Hamlet - do it like flowing text, it's a stream of info, don't break it up
• folio elements shouldn't be larger than copy size, unless it's about being expressive
• place folio element first
• try using white as a color, make the page a tone

Thoughts:

• I didn't do too bad for someone without a clue
• fail better

Page Layout Design

Dear lawd, do not mention "grids," to me, please. This is Greek to me, I don't grasp it. Page layout is not my forte (although I rather wish it were).

Puke.

Anywho - this was our official welcome to Adobe InDesign. Look how good I did!

I honestly wasn't trying too hard. There was no initial context going into this, so when it came to making decisions, like font size, I was just judging by the screen. Bad idea, but for lack of a better one....

Guess we're aiming for "print" with this one. 

"If you're reading a magazine...." My type was too.....wrong. It was a bit big. 

I dunno. as much as I kind of dread this, I'm looking forward to it. If I can get something out of this, I will be elated. Just making a simple flier is.....well, it just doesn't come naturally too me. I'd like to change that for the better.

Updated Motion Studies/Type Book

Day 10

Thoughts:

• image and type are better mixed intuitively, without thinking too hard
• it's hard to not think too hard
• Dorian loves the 90s

Class notes:

• my studies could use more structure, or decisiveness - my goose is too loose and things are fairly ambiguous throughout (esp. the one with the boy's photograph)
• the x-ray study was the champion today (Dorian loves the 90s), a little tweaking will give it just what it needs
• the textured one (up top) is something Dorian was digging, but it's got a little bit too much going on ~ also ambiguous, though the visual elements could definitely be working well if I chopped em up a bit, sautéed em, and seasoned it

just a few examples, there

After thoughts:

• sometimes working at 3am, and not being capable of really thinking straight pays off (in design at least)
• but that suffices for merely "ok" foundations to build something more structured on after you've gotten a good meal and a full night's sleep
• the madness needs a method, and the chaos needs some structure

The TED talk we watched was about getting what you give in design. Your success is intimately related to how much time you put into your work.  

Motion Studies 5 3/16

Day 8

I think my studies were all pretty lame. I'll be honest, I didn't read the article until after I made these - so they lack deconstructionist influence, and probably a lot of interest too. 

Type and Destruction [reading response]

I somewhat agree with Zuzana Licko in that no type face is inherently legible, but our familiarity with a face accounts for its legibility. Although, when I think about reading almost any sans serif font for the first time (pretending, for instance, that I haven't ever seen Helvetica) next to some other more ornate font that I also have never seen before, I am of the belief that I would be able to read the sans serif faster and with greater ease than the other. But then...maybe that's only a sign of the times.

"...impermanence and potential for chaos, which is a basic condition of the digital medium."

This is kind of an eye-opening read for me. I never had any idea so many designers put so much thought into creating type faces, it was something I never thought about - they were just different styles to choose from on the computer. I find it interesting that a lot of faces were like bastard children of their generation, from even before now. There's a whole destructive approach and irreverence to convention and legibility.

I think it'd be fun to try playing with this in my own work and explorations - but I don't think it'll come too naturally. My mind doesn't know what to do with this yet @___@

Day 7

So I only had 2 of 8 animated studies to show today. But my first one was well liked :)
My second composition needs some adjusting, the bottom lines dont line up and altogether
the reading gets jumbled between statements.

And 6 more to go.


c l a s s    n o t e s

• diagonals need to be intentional, not goofy, unless they are intentionally goofy
• have the exits make as much sense as the entrances 

quote of the day:


T: "I thought they felt cute"
D: "Cute in a good way, or cute in a bad way?"
T: "Cute in an excessive way."

Day 6

Today we dove into display faces.

They can be tricky.

And weird.

And ugly.

And cool.

I'm still getting my bearings with this whole "typography" bag...so nothing I did was particularly of note one way or the other. Although during crit one of my compositions did make it to like, the final 2 was it? Hahaha....yeah, whatever :P Good fun.

I have the feeling this will all click for me in due time. And I'm excited for whenever that happens. Till then I'll just keep making ugly stuff ;)

Motion Studies

Being restricted to moving the type in only x and y was an interesting challenge. It's kind of hard not to mimic everything I've already seen with kinetic type, it's also hard to not repeat patterns, which seems inevitable. I tried not to over think it, and I think the kinetic studies came out a'ight. The timing in every single one of them could be ironed out a bit, at specific parts for each one. For the most part I think the pacing of all of them is OK...granted I've been staring at the monitor for a few hours and reading the same phrase the whole time, so maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and realize how god awful they are. Hahahah

Edit:

crit notes yo'

- I nailed it on the last composition with the sizing of the type, not to big, nay too small (well, really, just...not too small). Dare I say, the baby bear of my studies ("juuuussst right") we all learned a bit about how small you can go without going too small for screen (14px-29px)

- one of my compositions is too small, which was obvious when shown on the projector. I had been staring at these too long last night to notice, woops

- things to keep in mind (in general): don't just introduce one level of variation, make it 2 or 3. And ask yourself if every frame is interesting as you review your work (obviously it's not really possible to necessarily make every frame a stunnah, but more or less keep the motion, and key points visually compelling)