Dearly Departed
I'm unhappy with how this design turned out. When I first signed up to design for the Vox restaurant issue, I was excited do something different for a change. I've only actually designed one Fine Arts department page, but soon realized that there weren't many opportunities other than photos and text. The editors think it's important to show a photo of the show or event the article is previewing or reviewing, which I agree with. Unfortunately, this doesn't leave much for me to do. I was looking forward to taking a stab at an illustration for The Departed page.
Well, that idea fell through and the page wound up looking exactly like a Fine Arts department page. It's not the end of the world and I think the page looks good, I just wish there had been more interesting visual details to the page.
3.13.2007
Logo Limits
Response to Logo Assignment
Almost as interesting as creating logos for the MU Convergence Journalism sequence,
today's class discussion about designing methods, opened my mind up to reflect on my own methods and how my designs reflect and are effected by my designing process.
Depending on the assignment, I tend to create thumbnails of the design, mainly to figure out how I'd like the layout of the page of spread to be. Unfortunately, I don't do much illustrating, but when I've needed to include graphic elements to the design, I'll turn to paper and pencil before opening up InDesign. Either way, the final product is usually completely different than my original idea, which is a good thing most of the time.
It was great to see how some designers sketches reflect their personalities. The sketches of designers who are incredibly detail oriented and more abstract thinking, tended to be more detailed and neat. And the sketches designers like myself who think of the big picture first and then go back and add details, tended to be very rough and simple.
For my upcoming feature design, I'm going to try to sketch more and reverse my process, at least for the first stage of critiques, and see if my execution is improved.
Almost as interesting as creating logos for the MU Convergence Journalism sequence,today's class discussion about designing methods, opened my mind up to reflect on my own methods and how my designs reflect and are effected by my designing process.
Depending on the assignment, I tend to create thumbnails of the design, mainly to figure out how I'd like the layout of the page of spread to be. Unfortunately, I don't do much illustrating, but when I've needed to include graphic elements to the design, I'll turn to paper and pencil before opening up InDesign. Either way, the final product is usually completely different than my original idea, which is a good thing most of the time.
It was great to see how some designers sketches reflect their personalities. The sketches of designers who are incredibly detail oriented and more abstract thinking, tended to be more detailed and neat. And the sketches designers like myself who think of the big picture first and then go back and add details, tended to be very rough and simple.
For my upcoming feature design, I'm going to try to sketch more and reverse my process, at least for the first stage of critiques, and see if my execution is improved.
Check It Out
Differing Opinions
I amaze myself each week, when I find ways to write about things on Fwis. The site doesn't post new designs very often and I get bored with book covers.
This week, as I was searching for things to write about, I noticed that a lot of book cover designers are using shapes, particularly circles. In my own designs I've started using rounded edges on sidebar frames and dots of various sizes and colors to make the page "pop."
The critique of Carol Devine Carson's design of Matters of Honor gives great insight to how people respond to shapes. Some of the critiquers go off on tangents about spacing and typography, but one person wrote that the geometric shapes on the cover is enough to spark his interest.
Check out the way different people respond to Carson's use of shape and take a look at how other designers use shape to reflect the book's content at Fwis.
I amaze myself each week, when I find ways to write about things on Fwis. The site doesn't post new designs very often and I get bored with book covers. This week, as I was searching for things to write about, I noticed that a lot of book cover designers are using shapes, particularly circles. In my own designs I've started using rounded edges on sidebar frames and dots of various sizes and colors to make the page "pop."
The critique of Carol Devine Carson's design of Matters of Honor gives great insight to how people respond to shapes. Some of the critiquers go off on tangents about spacing and typography, but one person wrote that the geometric shapes on the cover is enough to spark his interest.
Check out the way different people respond to Carson's use of shape and take a look at how other designers use shape to reflect the book's content at Fwis.
Designs in the Making
Switching Stories
The feature for the April 5th issue of Vox has been changed from the story about the Columbia Mall's curfew to a story about two brothers who live in Versailles, Mo., and are suing FOX,claiming that their new show Prison Break is their story.
I'm expecting the first draft of the text later today, so hopefully I'll have some better ideas about design elements, but I'd like to include dark colors and textures to represent the harshness of prison. We're waiting to put in a photo request until we figure out whether just a portrait will do the job, or if there are other elements in the text that could be brought to light with photos.
I'm excited about this design. In some ways it's less challenging than the mall curfew feature, in that it allows for photos, but trying to figure out a way to use the photos in a content driven makes it more challenging.
The feature for the April 5th issue of Vox has been changed from the story about the Columbia Mall's curfew to a story about two brothers who live in Versailles, Mo., and are suing FOX,claiming that their new show Prison Break is their story.
I'm expecting the first draft of the text later today, so hopefully I'll have some better ideas about design elements, but I'd like to include dark colors and textures to represent the harshness of prison. We're waiting to put in a photo request until we figure out whether just a portrait will do the job, or if there are other elements in the text that could be brought to light with photos.
I'm excited about this design. In some ways it's less challenging than the mall curfew feature, in that it allows for photos, but trying to figure out a way to use the photos in a content driven makes it more challenging.
3.06.2007
Critical Review
Poise Feature
After presenting my Poise prototype last week, I went back in and did some redesigning. I tried to keep in mind the comments from class and make the spread more organized and less text heavy. I focused on making things clear and concise. I played around with some of the typography of the page, including the folio and sidebar element.
I pulled an orange tone from the photo and added an extra pop to the sidebar, so that it would really grad the reader's attention and provide them with straight forward answers to the issue the text is addressing.
The page lacks white space, which contributes to a crammed look that bothers me. I need to figure out a way to make it all look like a package. I haven't quite got there yet but I'm not giving up.
Back to the drawing board.
After presenting my Poise prototype last week, I went back in and did some redesigning. I tried to keep in mind the comments from class and make the spread more organized and less text heavy. I focused on making things clear and concise. I played around with some of the typography of the page, including the folio and sidebar element.
I pulled an orange tone from the photo and added an extra pop to the sidebar, so that it would really grad the reader's attention and provide them with straight forward answers to the issue the text is addressing.
The page lacks white space, which contributes to a crammed look that bothers me. I need to figure out a way to make it all look like a package. I haven't quite got there yet but I'm not giving up.
Back to the drawing board.
Response: MAP Summit
Judy Bolch Knows Her Stuff
I sat in on Judy Bolch's seminar at last week's MAP Summit. The seminar gave magazines a variety of ideas on ways to think differently about the packaging of their stories. Now that I have found design, I have nightmares about having to doing any reporting ever again. However, Judy Bolch put a great spin on things by saying that a great way to bring new life to stories is to look at design.
She shows various spreads from magazines that were attending the summit and others that used the layout to tell the story.
I was particularly impressed with the spreads from 417 in Springfield, Mo. I've looked at this magazine before as a possible future employer. I'm really interested in city and regional magazines and in Missouri, 417 is in my opinion one of the most impressive ones on the market. They seem to appeal to a wide range of readers and their design is formated but still leaves room for creativity and innovation.
It turned out to be a lot more interesting than I expected and I got a real kick out of listening to Judy Bolch.
I sat in on Judy Bolch's seminar at last week's MAP Summit. The seminar gave magazines a variety of ideas on ways to think differently about the packaging of their stories. Now that I have found design, I have nightmares about having to doing any reporting ever again. However, Judy Bolch put a great spin on things by saying that a great way to bring new life to stories is to look at design.
She shows various spreads from magazines that were attending the summit and others that used the layout to tell the story.
I was particularly impressed with the spreads from 417 in Springfield, Mo. I've looked at this magazine before as a possible future employer. I'm really interested in city and regional magazines and in Missouri, 417 is in my opinion one of the most impressive ones on the market. They seem to appeal to a wide range of readers and their design is formated but still leaves room for creativity and innovation.
It turned out to be a lot more interesting than I expected and I got a real kick out of listening to Judy Bolch.
Check It Out
Interesting Illustrations
Trying to find a muse as I begin designing for the Mall Curfew feature, I checked out books that feature illustrations on the cover.
The great thing about the Fwis covers blog, is following the thought process of the commenters. Some commenters put a witty spin on their comments, while others are short and sweet.
This illustration was particularly eye catching for its use of a silhouette. The inverse silhouette makes it stand out more and the decision to place text in the silhouette adds great interest to the cover.
Trying to find a muse as I begin designing for the Mall Curfew feature, I checked out books that feature illustrations on the cover. The great thing about the Fwis covers blog, is following the thought process of the commenters. Some commenters put a witty spin on their comments, while others are short and sweet.
This illustration was particularly eye catching for its use of a silhouette. The inverse silhouette makes it stand out more and the decision to place text in the silhouette adds great interest to the cover.
Designs In The Making
Future Feature Design
I am designing the feature story for the April 5th issue of Vox. The story is about the mall curfew that has recently gone into effect at the Columbia Mall.
I haven't received any text yet, but I've talked with the editor and we definitely want to create a fun illustration.
My idea is to use a silhouette of mall security guards creating a wall preventing teens from getting into the mall.
The editor wants to create an illustration of teens on leashes, like the ones that were popular a few years ago for parents with troublesome toddlers.
I think her idea is pretty funny and gives me a better idea of the focus of the story, however, I'm not sure how I could use this idea for four pages without it being too annoying.
I'm going to start working on the illustration this week, so we'll see how things develop.
I am designing the feature story for the April 5th issue of Vox. The story is about the mall curfew that has recently gone into effect at the Columbia Mall.
I haven't received any text yet, but I've talked with the editor and we definitely want to create a fun illustration.
My idea is to use a silhouette of mall security guards creating a wall preventing teens from getting into the mall.
The editor wants to create an illustration of teens on leashes, like the ones that were popular a few years ago for parents with troublesome toddlers.
I think her idea is pretty funny and gives me a better idea of the focus of the story, however, I'm not sure how I could use this idea for four pages without it being too annoying.
I'm going to start working on the illustration this week, so we'll see how things develop.
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