Karla Garza’s Semester Reflection of GDES_I

My target of expert hours this semester was 225 hours. Surprisingly I surpassed them with a total of 247 hours. I must say I did not expect that because it was a rough semester personally but I really enjoy working on my projects at home and modifying them therefore I believe those hours helped me exceed the target of total hours I had and I am happy about it. My current total hours taking into account since I was a junior in high school, because is when I started practicing, plays that I have attended to, and this two and a half years of college is an approximate of 1010 hours.

Social / Emotional Development

Mature – Young

In this category I believe I am between mature and young level. I started the semester with a mature attitude and I would pay attention in class, attend every class, do my best for projects, and turn in everything on time. Even though I have been going through a very difficult family problem, I tried my best the first half of the semester to act as maturely as I could but unfortunately things got complicated and that led to me getting sick and being at clinics and hospitals. As much as I tried to keep in a mature level, I failed and the last month of the second half of the semester I slide back to the young level. I think that although it was not my best month and brought consequences to my projects I did change throughout the semester because last semester I was too shy to participate during critiques but I feel that this semester I actually gave feedback to my classmates and I received mine gratefully.

Sophistication of your Work

High

I think this category varies for everyone and and I think that I made a great progress on my projects. I learned a lot about Illustrator such as shortcuts, these really save you time; how to use the pen correctly, I knew how but I would always see it as a challenge because I would always have had difficulties with it; and I am very happy that my skills got better. I love working on my projects and spend a great amount of time on them because I enjoy it so much and like I said in my midterm paper I do not even notice the time spent on them but what I do notice are the sophisticated results from it. I worked hard during this semester but I know I still need to practice and keep learning because I am not at the level I wish I be.

Use of Feedback

Useful

Feedback from my classmates is very important to me and I think I learned how to use that feedback effectively so that my projects work better after being critiqued. Unfortunately, I would have liked to receive and give more feedback but due to my personal situation I missed most of critique days and I know that is one of the important things about projects. Although I missed class, I feel that the use of feedback is useful because I would find a classmate and give each other feedback. The feedback that I think worked better is for the symbols project because I did change a lot based on my classmates’ feedback and I am grateful for that because I am satisfied with my work.

Level of Challenge to Yourself

Intense

This semester was very rough like I already said and despite of the problems I faced, I always kept trying to catch up with work so I would not miss deadlines and that is why I feel that I am in the intense level. For the symbol methodology project I worked very hard and every time I considered my symbol was done I would find a detail that I did not completely liked and change it again and again until I was satisfied with the symbols. I think that the maps were the huge challenge for me since it was the first time that I did any of those maps. The Flow Chart for me was the most challenging because I had no idea how to execute the project but I think I did a goo job. Since the maps were due during the time I was sick I had trouble turning in the spread on time and had little time to work on it but as soon as I got back on track, sadly the last days of class, I spent days and nights working on the projects trying to make the as good as I could. They are not my best work but I know that I made a great effort working on them to be able to turn it in on time.

Contribution to Climate

RoomTemp

As much as I was hoping to participate and be useful for my classmates I was not. I was not cold either because I did attend class before I got sick and give feedback but not enough. I feel that whenever I attended class I gave feedback to the person that would asked for it and therefore I am in the middle of the contribution to climate.

Use of practice time

Consistent

The amount of time that I spend on design work is very consistent. During the semester I not only work on my projects but if I have free time I look for things to do related to design. During christmas break and summer I find design work to do as well. Since my family knows that I enjoy designing they ask for logos or anything related to design. Sometimes I do not know how to execute what they ask for but is when fun time arrives because I challenge myself to learn how to do it and accomplish the work successfully. I see it as fun because I enjoy it too much like I said before and it is something that I never get bored of learning and working.

 

Over all, the change within myself has changed significantly due to this class because it helped me to improve my skills. At the beginning of the semester I knew just some basics of Illustrator but at this point I can say I feel much comfortable using the program and I am able to execute a project with less difficulties. I learned a lot from every single project starting by the fact that it was my first time doing each one of them. The symbols on vinyl was my favorite project and I feel I got a lot out of it. Considering that I did challenge myself and worked very hard on each project I would like to have an A but due to my absences and lack of feedback to my classmates I think I deserve a B for the semester.

 

Plotter

 

IMG_1092 copy

 

For this project, we created five different typographic posters. We were given certain fonts, fills, transformations, patterns, and images; from those we had to pick one font and two ornaments. At the end we plotted the posters on a vinyl cutter replacing the blade with a gel pen.

For the poster with the letter ‘B’ I transformed it adding scallops to the side of the letter and added a pattern of distorted lines multiple times. I am very satisfied with this poster because it seems there are two tones on the letter, even though it was the same pen used to plot it; also, I added a closer shot to the part where the ‘B’ seems to have a curve pattern but it is a line pattern instead.

For the poster with the letter ‘N’ I added a circle pattern and sliced the letter in half adding two lines to each part. The close shot shows the tiny gap between the strokes that at the end gave the poster a nice touch.

AfterEffects

 

For this project we chose and research a constellation to later project it on a thirty second video with found sounds and textures that were scanned. I chose ‘Hydra’ and it consists of a serpent, a crow, and a cup; it has a myth that involves betrayal. At the beginning of the video the serpent, the crow, and the cup come in from the left and whet they get to the center everything starts shaking, there is a sudden explosion, and they become a constellation. I believe this motion depicts the myth of the constellation and because of the chosen textures and sound it seems they are in the outer space. During this project I believe I learned a lot about motion and how to use the tools on AfterEffects and improved my skills.

Video Camera

https://youtu.be/iG_tRDjuwHg

For this project, both sections collaborated to came up with one idea for a one-shot music video for Taylor Swift “Shake it Off.” First each section came up with different ideas, then picked the best from each, and last decided to pick the idea of people getting rejected from parties until they find the party where they fit. After planning, brainstorming, and getting all the props, we took 4 complete shots to get it right. It was a very fun project and we learned about teamwork.

SLR Camera

For this assignment, we were asked to read “Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris and come up with metaphors that portray the lesson of the reading. My metaphor talks about sometimes we make something simple so complicated. To depict this metaphor, I took some time to think about how could I illustrate this and I decided to take a photo of a toilet with the newest technology. We are used to toilets with a simple handle, which flushes the toilet, and this toilet has turn something simple to a more complicated usage of the toilet. I believe the machine that gives you several options such as spraying water in different ways and opening the lid automatically, emphasizes the metaphor of the reading.

Tumblr

You are asked to give your name after 10pm

For this assignment we were given a quote and had to portray it with 10 images. On Tumblr those images had to make s tory but not too literate. I perceived my quote as something scary since it takes places at night because it has “10pm” on it. I decided to make a story were a serial killer is going for someone and you can see this person’s path but you never see his face just his shadow. My pictures portray fear and suspense.

Mapping Project: Cognitive Map

Cognitive Map

This assignment was to make a map based on decisions of Yes/No or multiple choice but the hard part was that at the end there could only be one choice. The first part was the hardest for me because I did not know if the topic had enough options so I changed the topic three times. I came up with several questions that had a Yes/No decision but I want to go back and think more about it so I can have more options. It lacks symbols and that was a big part of the project.

 

Mapping Project: Information Map

Karla_Spread

This project illustrates how I organized my budget of food for six months. The point was to create three different charts, bar, line, and pie, and show different information for each one but at the same time related to the main topic. First, I went through my expenses, find the food transactions, and then I organized them into three categories: groceries, restaurants, and junk food. I fulfilled the requirements but I want to go back and do a little more research on the information I am providing so I can make iterations to the charts and make them more different from each other.

Mapping Project: Artifact Map

Car Wash Prices Low-High

For this project we were asked to pick two locations and to identify something between that area. We were supposed to add zones, networks, and choropleths into our map. I picked the area between St. Edward’s University and my apartment and the map illustrates the price range of the car washes located between these two locations. I looked up the prices of each car wash and illustrated them with color. The darker blue are the most expensive and the brighter blue are the cheapest. I focused a lot on the specific location of the car washes instead of making it a choropleth map.

SYMBOL METHODOLOGY – PHOTOGRAPHY

For this project I chose to create a symbol for photography. It is something that I really enjoy doing and hopefully in the future I would like to have a photography business besides being a graphic designer and because of that I wanted to create a symbol for it.

The first step in creating the first six symbols, traced and stylized, were done directly in illustrator and were not as hard to accomplish as the last three that were abstract. I had a hard time with the last three because at first I did not get the concept of abstract but at the end I understood but it was still hard to make a meaningful symbol without looking like something.

For the hybridize step, I combined 2 or 3 of my symbols but at the end I picked the symbols that looked best and combined them.

Hybridize

For my final three I combined film with memory, collage with camera, and lens with frame. I made different symbols for the three changing little details on them.

Hybridized2

 

 

Hybridized3

 

Hybridized4

 

After “massaging” the symbols, these were my final versions.

3 Final

The rubric I followed for my symbols contained the following rules:

  • Black and white only
  • Simplicity but detailed
  • Not too complex
  • Legible at any size

Plotting my symbols was easy for me and I had no problem with it. The lines in my symbols were bold enough so they could be distinguished from a distance. I learned a lot in Illustrator and from the critiques during class on how to make my symbols better. I participated when asked for critiques and accepted the critiques and feedback for my symbols. They are not too complex but they go straight to the main idea of photography. On a spectrum of grading for these symbols,  they meet the criteria required and I think my work deserves an A. The viewers get the main idea and the meaning of the symbols so I think that gets to be above a sophomore A grade.