WEEK 6

CRITIQUE: This past week I finished up my photo essay for Global Journalist, as well as my feature about The Code of the Techie (set to be published tomorrow!) To see my final design for Global Journalist, please scroll down to my most recent post before this one. I am extremely happy with how it turned out and gained positive feedback from the GJ people as well. The issue will not be published for about a week, so I will keep you posted (and definitely grab a copy or 12). The main changes I made were fairly minor. I basically wanted to make sure I was using all of the space that I had in order to showcase just how magnificent these photos are. I can't imagine being the photographer and opening up the magazine to find my pictures tiny and swarmed by white space. I am also pleased with the color scheme of the spreads. I chose the dulled blue-gray tones in order to supplement the photos instead of distract from them. Alright, now onto the Tech Feature! I feel like I have been talking about this for weeks. I will not have a PDF of the spread until tomorrow, so I will make sure to post it the second I am able to! If you scroll down a few posts you will be able to see my original design. Prepare yourself - the final version is COMPLETELY different. It is less cluttered and less literal. The only element that remained the same was the buttons as subheads for each section. I changed all of the fonts, took out the "motherboard" background, and several other things that you will see once I post the new version! I am also very excited about a demonstration video that I coordinated to be shot to go along with the story for the online site. It will be a short demonstration video on how to upgrade your RAM by yourself (which, I did, might I add). Overall, this spread was a great challenge to me. It is meant to be extremely service-y, but difficult to design because it is broken up into four chunks of a story, a side-bar, and a large chart. It took alot of opinions from others and trial-and-error, but I am overall happy with the outcome and excited to see it in print tomorrow.

FUTURE PLANS: I have three covers due tomorrow by 11 for the Nicotine feature that will be running in two weeks. Stay tuned for these designs!

RESPONSE: Making logos! Yesterday we became more informed of an assignment that will be due next week. The kist of the assignment is to work fast in creating 20 sketches of a logo and then decide on 10 to execute. We have two options for the logo; the first is called "Eat For Life" and the second is called "Show Me Dharma." I have been brainstorming how I want to go about creating a logo. Sarah made a good point when she said that we should make sure to remember the this logo needs to work both big and small, as well as in color and black and white (thanks Sarah!). I have never designed a logo before so those are little things that will be beneficial to keep in mind. I found some helpful advice from a website for The Logo Factory. Check it out here!

I found this particular tip very helpful: "A logo doesn't have to convey what your company does. Think the McDonald's Golden Arches. No hamburgers. Think the FedEx logo. No trucks or planes (though a cool 'hidden' arrow). Think the Nike swoosh. No sneakers or golf shirts. etc. While sometimes having a logo that portrays an element of the company is appropriate, it's often better to have a logo that's graphically void of detail - a logo that can be adapted to whatever direction the company takes. Think the Apple logo. True, it is an apple. But there's no indication that it belongs to a computer company. That's a pretty cool thing - the Apple logo looks just as cool on an iPod as it does on the top of a Powerbook." The list also mentions to remember that color is secondary to your design, strive to be different, disconnect the icons and the text, etc. I highly encourage you to check it out before beginning to create a logo!

Another website that I found is called Logo Design Love (http://logodesignlove.com) Here are some of their favorite simple logos (all very recognizable too!)

(my favorite.....LONDON!)

This site also provides many resources for not only examples of great logos, but tips as well on creating! Don't you just want to go create your very own logo right now? GO!

YOU CAN'T MISS! (BLOG.EYEMAGAZINE.COM)
Ever thought you would see your work on a beer bottle?
Not much was new at the Eye Magazine blog this week so I decided to dig into the archives. Back in July 2008, a story ran about four recent grads of the Royal College of Art in London who designed labels for Beck's beer bottles.
"From August 1 to the end of September, 27 million bottles will be on sale, with labels by four recent RCA graduates – Tom Price, Riitta Ikonen, Simon Cunningham and Charlotte Bracegirdle"
Check these out!
Beck’s Canvas labels, 2008: from left, Head 6 by Tom Price; Duckrabbit by Simon Cunningham (RCA photography graduate, 2007); Let’s Stick Together by Riitta Ikonen (CA+D graduate, 2008); Pintora by Charlotte Bracegirdle (painting graduate, 2006)

This is just a reminder that in the design world, the different types of mediums available for use are endless! If you could design a label for an alcoholic beverage, what would you do?

END QUOTE:


Encore!
(just because I like this one....)


Have a great day!
~Christy