Week 1 Critique: THE COMPETITION

WEEK 1 OF VOX:
My first week working at VOX was a little hectic, but only because everything is obviously new and I do not quite have all of my responsibilities and deadlines memorized yet. I am confident that the coming weeks will be less of a stress factor and more normal. The assignment for this week was a competition. Initially it sort of felt like Project Runway or some other reality show where the contestants have minimal time to accomplish their best work.





















This is my solution to the cover story. The story's main point is that many lesser-known, indie bands have been getting bigger gigs and music licenses because they are cheaper than the big-name bands. I went through several ideas for headlines before settling on "Picking A New Crop." Some of my earlier ideas were, "Putting the Notes Back on Track," "The Cheap Route," or, "Picking a Different Tune." I was working with a photo of a tree full of music notes and an illustration of a person picking the notes as if they were apples or some other fruit. When the execution of this failed miserably, I decided to change my cover concept. The illustration on my cover began as a picture. I manipulated it in photoshop using the cutout filter and am happy with the result. I think that this cover not only represents the story, but is an eye-catching design that is bold and will make readers curious.

We were also assigned to design a feature story that focused on two men, their involvement in economics, and their opinions/advice for what is really happening with our economy. Using photoshop, I edited a $50 bill in several formats for these spreads. I used the suggested headline for this story and made up my own deck. I also edited the faces of the two men in the story, Cook and Haslag, and put them each on a bill. For the sidebar, I changed from having a solid, green box so just placing the "$" graphic. I felt that this made more of an impact and provided more visual contrast than simply having a solid box behind text.

P.S. I did not win the competition, but I will be re-designing both the cover and the feature spreads! They will be posted as soon as they are completed.

FUTURE PLANS:
This week, I will have my first design published for the Arts department. I will post is as soon as it is finalized. Otherwise, I will be working on two assignments that are due on Tuesday - the first involves creating a logo found from photographic typography. Essentially, I will shoot pictures of either different letters or objects that look like letters and arranging them into a word (This word is yet to be determined....but I hope to make it witty). The second assignment involves creating a photo journal for one week starting today. I will be taking at least one picture every day for this coming week and using what I shoot as design inspiration.

RESPONSE:
In class, we have been introduced to the history of Graphic Design and all of the different eras that have collided to make what WE know as design. Past eras definitely influence our present design techniques from typography to amount of content to color to images, etc. Knowing where certain styles originated and in what historical context is a great way to expand my knowledge of design. It simultaneously will also increase my capability to think outside of the box and be innovative. Styles have been evolving through the eras forever and I do not see that coming to a sudden halt anytime soon. If we know what has come before us, there is no doubt that we will be better designers.
Knowing this history could also aid when it comes to critiquing. What better way to explain your design that to be prepared to speak about its historical context? That is, as long as it is relevant to the comprehension of the story of course.
I enjoy different aspects of several eras, but I most enjoy the expressionist era. To me, it is the "anything-goes" era and it reflects a time of radical experimentation with art and mediums. Picasso is a major artist during this time, mostly representing the cubist style.
To sum things up, I am enjoying learning about past styles and why certain typefaces and layout styles have been prominent. Why not aspire to be in the books one day for creating a style that defines an era? It's a long shot, but hey, you never know.

YOU CAN'T MISS!Click Here!
TIME has prepared some wonderful photo essays following Obama to his inauguration. If there is anyone to envy on this, it would be photographer Callie Shell - talk about access! My favorites are, "Behind the scenes on Obama's Big Day," "Pictures of the Week from Jan 16-22, and "The World Watches Obama's Inauguration." All of these photo essays provide an incredible account of the inauguration of Barack Obama. I think it is imperative that we recognize the historical significance of this year's inauguration day and realize how wonderful it is that we are able to view photos that document behind-the-scenes events.

Photos courtesy of Callie Shells, http://www.time.com/time/photoessays

Another website that I stumbled upon was that of Mark Jenkins' Street Installations.
Click here for his website
Jenkins basically traveled to different cities worldwide and installed random things in random places. These range from what appear to be people doing abnormal things on the street, to making a Stop sign look like a flower, to a giant, blow-up giraffe "eating" from a tree, etc. I thought this was an innovative idea and would definitely be a conversation piece for morning commutes. Here are some examples of his work, all courtesy of his website:

WEEKLY BLOG REPORT: BLOG.EYEMAGAZINE.COM

What's the buzz about at Eye Magazine today? The site discusses the possible thinking behind this poster of Barack Obama:
FYI to see the original picture of this poster, visit http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/sceneonroad/2009/01/found_again_the_poster_source.html

The article compares this iconic image to that of several prominent African American jazz artists of the past.
Take these album covers, for example:

Quote from the article:
"...some of the most resonant and powerful images of musicians show them looking up, and / or into the middle distance, as if they know something we don’t. As if they see a better future, and they’re going to take us there."






END QUOTE:
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Have a great day!
-Christy