Global Journalist Redesign

Here is my final design for the Global Journalist feature I have been working on that will be published next week. The changes I made initially include making the photos larger on the second spread, in order to take full advantage of the space given. To keep the spread more streamlined I was asked by GJ to take out my chaotic lines around the headline (sad times...but it makes sense to take out my design element for this particular magazine). Let me know what you think! If you scroll down my last post you can see the design that I originally submitted.

WEEK 5

CRITIQUE:
One of the main projects that I have been working on throughout the past week (completed on Sunday in order to present on Monday) has been the prototype for Meredith Corp's online version of Storage Magazine. This posed as a giant challenge, mainly because I had never designed a website before. Overall I felt like my presentation went very well and I was confident in my designs. I posted 5 pages below...all of which were used in my presentation. #1 is the home page. Each of the icons is an interactive door that, when clicked on, opens to a preview of the next site and then zooms through the door to view the whole page. #2 shows you what this door looks like when opened. #3 pictures what a typical department page would look like for Storage's online site. #4 shows what a general feature story would look like (when clicked on from the department page, for example). Finally, my last picture I posted is what the "community" page would look like. I really like the idea of having a place on the site that caters to all users; a place where they can both share their ideas and gain new insights about storage. Even though my design was not chosen I am beyond excited and ready to get started on this project. We have a great design team and a wonderful creative director (*wink wink Maggie).






After I presented my prototype for Storage on Monday, I immediately got to work on my spreads for the magazine Global Journalist. I was assigned to do the photo essay, which will run as the main feature in the upcoming issue. My first draft of the design was due by 10am on Wednesday. At 11am I sat in on the staff meeting for Global Journalist and gained feedback about my design. Overall I got very good feedback. I was just asked to paybe take a few photos out and play up a few of them a little more to create more impact. There was also come discussion about my headline treatment and whether or not to downplay the "chaotic lines" a bit. This is a part I am still working on, but I suppose I will give you a sneak peak into the issue.....This design is not finalized yet, keep in mind.




Tomorrow I will presenting all of my design work (ever?) and getting valuable feedback from my classmates about what pieces should go in my portfolio. I came across some oldies that I designed back in strategic design and visuals 1 (taken over a year ago). It is gratifying to see my progression from one of my first design classes until now. Here are some ads that I came up with as assignments for that class...

Future Plans: The next piece that I have to finish up tomorrow is my redesign for the Techie feature. I posted my initial rough draft of the design last week, so be on the lookout for (most likely major) changes to be posted soon!

RESPONSE:
As I mentioned above, this week in lab we have been going through everyone's design work (EVER) and made critiques based on our favorites. The goal of this is so that each person can get multiple perspectives about what he or she should include in his or her design portfolio (sidenote: can you tell magazine editing is kicking in? You will not find any sexist language in this blog...). That was meant to be humorous. I finished compiling all of my work earlier today and am excited to get feedback tomorrow. It is awesome to see everything that all 17 of us have done and it is apparent that we have progressed. Plus, when else are we going to get the chance to have almost 20 other designers look at our work as a whole and critique it?
Compiling all of my work has really made me think about what I would like my portfolio and miniportfolio to look like (which, will most likely be what I blog about next week! As well as my website).

YOU CAN'T MISS! BLOG.EYEMAGAZINE.COM
GIANT Steps by Michal Levy
This article offers a short Q&A with artist and designer Michal Levy. She says that designers have always been "on the same quest." Here is an abstract that sums up her arguments, "Back then and now, we try to deliver a message and hope to be as clear as possible. Using type, colours and composition – our basic tools were and remain the same. Colour has an effect on people today, the same way it had when we were ‘cavemen’. The sky is blue, so blue will always be a calming colour and project reliability. Red is the colour of our blood and / or mouth, so it will always deliver passion and a call for action."
She continues to say that just like some musicians, designers have to understand all that came before them in order to procede in designing and inventing.
Levy has a website worth checking out as well -->
http://michalevy.com/

END QUOTEs:


Have a great day!
~Christy

Thank you british literature.....

Preliminary "Techie" feature

As promised in my previous post, here is my preliminary design for "The Code of the Techie" feature that will run on March 5th. I'm sure this spread will change alot.....but here is what I have so far! Comment, please!

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