WEEK 4

CRITIQUE
This week has been a whirlwind of designing; or at least coming up with ideas for designs. I met with Jan this week to present my ideas for the project we are working on for Meredith. This has been a bit of a challenge for me because I have never designed a web site before. I had to keep in mind everything that the representatives from Meredith told us when we met with them a few weeks ago, while also being innovative with my designs. It is difficult trying to figure out how to stay within a certain boundary, while also bringing the project to a new level of design. The initial designs that I executed to show Jan were EXTREMELY rough and I am actually too embarrassed to post them up here. I have to have my final ideas ready to present on Monday so as soon as I have them completed I will post them.
In other designing updates......I have been working on one of the features for the March 5th issue of VOX entitled, "The Code of the Techie." The feature is all about how you can still be a "techie" even in poor economic times. It highlights how you can save money by doing things yourself, buying things used, etc. This is also currently in progress...although I am extremely happy with how it is coming so far. As with before, as soon as I complete my design I will post it.

Last Thursday I presented my final idea for the Bed and Breakfast cover that will be published this week. My design was not chosen as the cover....but here is what I came up with:

This design is very different from any of the 3 initial designs, except for it being solely an illustration. I was trying to portray the idea of a very old idea/tradition with the font choices and the back "wallpaper," while giving it a fresh, new look by illustrating a very modern looking plate and choosing a very modern font that I thought worked well.

Finally, I will be designing a 3-page photo essay spread for the magazine, "Global Journalist," which is due on Wednesday of next week. I have not even picked up the components for this assignment yet, but I am extremely excited to be designing a photo essay!

Whew - busy, busy, busy....

RESPONSE

In lab yesterday we continued our history presentations that began last Tuesday. I presented on Mademoiselle magazine, which was published from 1935-2001. I focused mainly on the years from 1950-1961 in which the art direction changed between three different people. I am not going to write about my entire presentation, but rather some of the most interesting things I cam across while doing my research. One of the most entertaining elements to me were some of the ads that I came across. It completely baffles me that at one point in time people thought it would be OK to publish such things. Check these out:
I ended up learning a lot from this assignment; it was interesting to compare how a fashion magazine designed in the '50s in comparison to today. All in all they really are not too different. Even in the '50s, fashions magazines were packed with advertisements and, at least for Mademoiselle, contained over 250 pages per issue. I enjoyed comparing and contrasting the different art directors' designs and critiquing them myself, as well as reading about how others critiqued them.

YOU CAN'T MISS! BLOG.EYEMAGAZINE.COM
Valentine cards by Marian Bantjes are booming! (At least in the world of design magazines). Marian Bantjes is an illustrator/designer from Canada who has become extremely creative with greeting cards. Eye magazine discovered Bantjes back in 2005 and had tracked his work through the last few years. This year for Valentines Day, Bantjes sent out personalized, handwritten notes and put them in a transparent envelope. (see image below)


Here are some examples of Bantjes' previous Valentines:
Go check out more of Bantjes' designs at his website! http://www.bantjes.com/index.php?s=Projects


END QUOTE:
Have A Great Day!
~Christy