Weather Report Video

This project on type-in-motion was a very helpful project in finding a deeper understanding in both the appropriateness of a typeface for a given situation, as well as how a factor like motion can effect the effectiveness of that typeface in context. Other details, such as organization of information and the colloquial way of ordering information became clearer through the completion of this project. The challenges of this project were endless, from maneuvering through after effects to fine tuning the details to create smooth and organized transitions, but each challenge was overcome.

Visual Identity: Mark

In creating a visual mark to represent Waller Creek, I had to hone in on an aspect of Waller Creek that I could use to create and identity, but that also embodied the Creek. In my study of Waller Creek I found it to be a beautiful, natural, historical escape from the urban lives that we all live in central Austin. I wanted the beauty and whimsy to be evident in my design. I executed this through my typeface and colors. I wanted the lines of the bridge to convey the beauty in waller creek. Finally the use of the bridge as imagery was a choice made to highlight the historical aspect of waller creek, the angle of the bridge, allowing the viewer to feel as though they are on the bridge.

Process Work/Research: Mood Board

This mood board was created as a method to flesh out ideas for the design of our projects related to our sites. By this time, I had decided to focus on the whimsical, beautiful and yet historical aspects of waller creek. I wanted it to be viewed as a sort of natural, storybook like escape from the urban world that is central Austin. My mood board is what really set me up for success in my mark as I had a good color scheme decided on, as well as an idea of the kind of typeface I wanted to use. Overall the project gave me insight into my site I may not have come up with otherwise.

Interface lesson

The interface lesson was a good lesson in the way one would run through graphics on something like a cellphone app. It also gave insight into how design would work on a canvas like a cellphone. This was a way for us to showcase our portfolio from Advanced Typography. It made me aware of how to talk about my work, as well as how to showcase it to make it lpleasing to a viewer.

Plotter Lesson

This project required rules, and each image we created had to follow these rules. It was interesting to see what variation coming up with these rules created. Despite having the same rules throughout each design, they all turned out very different. Another aspect to the project was the use of the plotter. We had to be able to manipulate out materials in order for our designs to come out as we wanted. The transition from computer to plotter was a difficult one and made for a few obstacles.

Zine

My zine was one of the projects that I feel advanced me the most as a designer. I was able to created a chromatic type face that gave off the feelings I wanted it to. With a message as dark as mine, I wanted to contrast that with a design one may call “pretty”. This was later printed on black paper, making for an even more ominous effect, as the varying opacities allowed much of the black to take over.

Style Lesson

Through this project about style, we were taught the importance of style in one’s identity. It is important to consider style in every design, to meet both the needs of the client and the audience. In this project my partner and I were given Preppy as a style, and we chose 80’s/90’s grunge as out second style. We successfully honed in on both styles to create our images. We then created a unique look, one that fit both preppy and grunge. Through this combination were were able to see how we would go about combining and creating styles.

Object Lesson

This project was a focus on not just prop design, but also on appropriateness of a design to fit the context. In this case, I had to design a matchbook that could be seen in the movie ‘Moonlight’. I took the time period, location, and situational factors into account in designing this. Being the 80’s I tried to embody that time period with a mark, hence the gas pump with a colorful shape behind it. Finally I made the matchbook seem distressed and as if it was from a local gas station to reflect the poorer neighborhood, and stressful situation the characters were all in.

Cognitive Mapping

This project was one I enjoyed very much. I was super excited to create graphics/icons for this map. I challenged myself by making this poster Risograph printable, meaning I only had a two color palette. I chose to make use of the white background not just as negative space but as an additional color in my palette, giving me a slightly broader range of options. In this project it was also important to create a very logical flow in order to guide the viewer’s eyes through the work the way to want it to. I enjoyed the project and learned a lot from it.

Information Map

The information map project was about taking quantitative information and turning it into a visual representation of those numbers. The graphs needed to be accurate as well as appropriate for what they were being used for. There was also an important task of creating icons to fit. Overall this project was helpful in learning how to make information visual.