Link to Mind Map PDF: mind map-21l2kno

Link to Fulbright Book PDF: Fulbright Conference-1om69ry

My mind map is pretty straightforward. I start with the concept and move on from there in order to create guidelines for myself so that I stay on track for what the design needs to look and function like.

I think Tuan is probably wondering about why I’m pursuing a design minor as an art major. The answer is that I’m interested in how these two areas can function together to create a fuller education for myself. I love design, but I also love art and art history. It’s hard for me to distinguish between art and graphic design, because in my mind they are two methods of creative expression. Both require concepts to drive projects, and allow me to use my passion for art history to guide my methods. I think it’s worthwhile for Tuan to be wondering about this, since it’s an unusual combo to pick for major/minor.

This project was my second attempt with After Effects, and feel it is really where I began to understand both how the program works and how to create meaningful design. With this assignment, I learned the importance of planning out transitions beforehand (as I planned the Latch sequences). Additionally, I gained experience with type, layout, motion design, and color. This was a challenging project, in that it required each not only balanced elements, but for balanced and seamless transitions from each frame to the next. My color transitions and type decisions were crucial in this outcome. In addition to getting a better handle on the software, I feel like I’ve learned how to visualize in a way that I had more difficulty with in previous semesters.

This project challenged me in a number of ways. Creating a combination logo tested my iconography and typography skills. Additionally, I had to develop skills of balancing elements and color. Developing a cohesive color palette that was appropriate for a diverse audience, that was balanced, and that was easy on the eyes was a challenge. Altering typefaces was also a new challenge posed by this assignment, as I had not been asked to do this type of project before. Developing brand guidelines and professional-looking logos are skills I was able to really hone in on in this project.

Here I’ve documented my creative brief and strategy documents for my brand identity of the Congress Bridge. This identity culminated in a form of media that would be useful to a specific audience, of our choosing. I decided to create an app that would appeal to young, twenty-something Austinites who were new to the city. The app provides information on the history of the bridge, a daily announcement of when the bats will take off, live updates on the traffic patterns on the bridge, and a calendar of all upcoming events on the bridge, such as the annual Batfest, Statesman Cap10k, and various other monthly events.

This project serves as both my first app design and my first venture into branding. These mockups are a work in progress. I’ve learned various skills while working on this project, such as developing research skills, learning how to appeal to an audience, and how to develop a “voice” for a client.

These photographs were composed and taken as a way of separating out the 6 principles of art: texture, line, value, shape, space, and scale. Each photograph here was taken of a friend who effectively displays one of the principles in each shot. Additionally, we were tasked with capturing a secondary principle in each photo — one that was present, but not as in your face as the main principle. Each photo had to have this separate principle without repeating any twice.

Learning how to effectively use design and art principles in composing scenes was a valuable lesson for me as a designer. This exercise, while in digital photography, is easily translatable into digital design. This gave me experience with storyboarding images and planning light, angles, and positions for the camera. I also learned how to shoot in camera RAW on a DSLR.

This stop-frame animation was created for my final project in my Image Methodology course. The assignment given was to create a 30 second animation in a subject matter of our choosing. I decided to create an opening title sequence for a fake children’s show, called KID SHOW. The names of the writer, producer, director, and so on have all been fictionalized for the sake of the animation.

Each frame was created individually in Illustrator CC, and then sequenced in After Effects CC. I created the typeface used throughout the video, called Menu. The music clip was downloaded via a royalty-free music sharing site, and I remixed the clip using Audition CC. The video and audio were brought together in Premiere Pro CC

This project allowed me to develop something that would be useful to an audience, rather than just something that looked “cool.” Developing rules about how to go about designing a map was definitely a challenge, but it was ultimately rewarding because it allowed me to develop as a designer. I was forced to step into the shoes of the user, and think “Is this useful to me?” rather than “How does this look?”