Studio Crawl

The Studio Crawl was a GREAT event! It was a way to see inside some of the local creative design firms. There was a paper making group, a research company, graphic design and photography. Pretty nicely rounded out group of businesses. It was put on by CUDO (Champaign Urbana Design Organization).

Here's a map of all the stops we made.

First up was Fresh Press.

"Mission

Fresh Press is an agri-fiber and agri-fiber waste paper-making lab on the Illinois campus that explores how a collaboration of farmers, artists, designers, and academics can revitalize a slowly dying manufacturing industry in the Midwest.

Why Agri-fiber paper?
Agri-fiber (agricultural fiber) paper materials embrace a vision of regional vitality and local knowledge that can act as a catalyst for Midwestern job creation.  Agri-fiber material is a celebration of regional people, culture, and wildlife. It is an economy that helps keep our air and water clean and maintains our forests and works to preserve natural ecosystems.  
Fresh Press aims to reduce or offset significantly the impact of greenhouse gas emissions in three ways:

1. Providing local farmers an incentive to reduce carbon emissions caused by the burning of waste crops
2. Lessening emissions from the transport of wood-pulp paper from forest to pulping mill to paper distributor
3. Creating agri-fiber and wood-pulp fiber blends from the reclamation and reuse of campus office paper waste, thereby negating around 47% of the CO₂ emissions typically produced from virgin wood-pulp fiber paper (Alliance for Environmental Innovation)." 

Then we went to Wolfram Research.

"Founded by Stephen Wolfram in 1987, Wolfram Research is one of the world's most respected computer, web, and cloud software companies—as well as a powerhouse of scientific and technical innovation. As pioneers in computation and computational knowledge, we have pursued a long-term vision to develop the science, technology, and tools to make computation an ever-more-potent force in today's and tomorrow's world."

Third up was Thunderstruck Design.

"At Thunderstruck, we are visual communication specialists. Every image, every graphic, every word, every line, is designed with a purpose in mind... to hit home with a clear and concise message to the audience you desire to reach. Our communication skills get your message across loud and clear.

We are a team of graphic designers, creatives, marketing experts and dreamers that come from diverse backgrounds enabling us to view each project from a different perspective and objectivity. This leads to new, fresh ideas and solutions. Bold ideas. We think of the things you may not... that's why you'll want to hire the Thunderstruck team.

Our Mission 

Thunderstruck Design exists to inspire, persuade and communicate through design.

Our mission statement is simple, yet it holds a lot of meaning for us. We strive to obtain this objective for each and every project we work on by asking ourselves these three questions:
1) Does the design message inspire the viewer?
2) Does it persuade the person to take action?
3) Does it effectively communicate the message?
If it meets each of these criteria… then we have succeeded in our mission."

Lastly we went to Jason Lindsey Photography. 

"I grew up in a small farm town as a child of factory workers, surrounded by "Salt of the Earth" people. I am still grounded in that upbringing and love being surrounded by the realness in the world. When I started in photography I knew I wanted to bring more authenticity to advertising. I later realized authenticity is part of who I am at the core.

As a former art director, I understand the relationship between art and commerce. As an experienced photojournalist, I create the narrative of the brand. As a Photographer and Director, I use this experience to tell honest, inviting stories. I create the backdrop for the story and then I provide the simple direction that lets that story unfold, capturing real moments and emotions that pull viewers into the shot.

I love shooting in water up to my neck, swimming with sharks, laying in the mud and doing whatever it takes to get the shot. Mostly because that's often what it takes to make a great shot but it is also a great way to live life and have fun shoots. As my crew knows, I likely have not found the shot yet if I am not in the waterfall or the mud hole."

Field Trips

I have to admit, I LOVE field trips! I get excited to go see how different business' design departments work and how their desks and work areas are done. It's just so interesting to see another creative persons' creative space.

This semester we went on four field trips (with a 5th one planned but not yet accomplished) to various design firms in the local area. Each one was really good in it's own way and each one had their forte.

The first place we went to was McKenzie Wagner.
"McKenzie Wagner, Inc. is a small advertising agency with big ideas. We mitigate our clients’ common marketing concerns by implementing strategic, and innovative creative solutions. We believe in the power of branded goods and services, and strive to build our clients’ strong names, and stronger reputations. We offer cutting-edge creative efforts and consumer-savvy marketing messages designed to stand out, make a statement, and leave an impression. Above all, we are dedicated to the growth of the businesses we represent."

The second place we went to was Adams Outdoor Advertising.
"From the University of Illinois to the stature of artists the galleries and theaters attract, Champaign is a town that thinks on a grand scale. With a restaurant landscape that surprises the most seasoned palate, events that attract a national following and being a main hub for the silicon prairie, we are reinventing the Midwest every minute of every day."


Then we went to Horizon Hobby.
"At Horizon Hobby, we believe that who we are is not defined by what we do, but by the values we live by. – So while the development, distribution and retailing of innovative hobby products is what we excel at, it is our vision and core values that give meaning to that work and provide the inspiration for outstanding product expertise and tremendous attention to the needs of our customers. Three central values drive the Horizon approach and serve as the company's foundation:

Golden Rule

Treat everyone with utmost respect as we would best like to be treated ourselves.

Consumer is Boss
A caring, can-do attitude in every situation.

Inverted Pyramid
A servant leadership model in which leaders serve those they lead."

Then lastly we went to Spinlight Studio.

"We make learning fun. — Kids are natural born explorers — and the best educational apps tap into their sense of wonder and curiosity to make learning fun. At Spinlight, we make more than apps. We create enriching play experiences that invite children to tap, touch and discover, turning the facts they need to know into the games they want to play.

Since 2011, that simple philosophy led to a long list of awards from some of the most prestigious names in childhood learning, including multiple Parents’ Choice Awards and ON for Learning Awards. Welcome to Spinlight and a growing collection of educational apps built to make learning fun."

 

Delicious

Some of you might not have ever heard of the local sight called Delicious, but, you should check it out!

Delicious is a site that links you up to most of the local art scene. When I say this, I mean art of any and all kinds! There are artists, graphic designers, marketing design firms, museums, photographers, you name it in the "art" field, and you will probably find someone under that category. There's no way that I could possibly write about everything there, so, just go check them out!

Delicious

Favicons!

I was surprised as to how many people didn't know what a "favicon" was. Well... here is the official definition from Wikipedia:

A favicon /ˈfævɪkɒn/ (short for Favorite icon), also known as a shortcut icon, Web site icon, tab icon or bookmark icon, is a file containing one or more^[1] small icons, most commonly 16×16 pixels, associated with a particular Web site or Web page.^[1][2] A web designer can create such an icon and install it into a Web site (or Web page) by several means, and graphical web browsers will then make use of it.^[3] Browsers that provide favicon support typically display a page's favicon in the browser's address bar (sometimes in the history as well) and next to the page's name in a list of bookmarks.^[3] Browsers that support a tabbed document interface typically show a page's favicon next to the page's title on the tab, and site-specific browsers use the favicon as a desktop icon

So, those cute little mini logos you see on your browser tabs, yep, those are favicons!

Take a look at the one's on the tabs you have open right now. Some make sense, others, well, you get the idea. Personally, I was ecstatic when I figured out how to add them to websites I had designed. I'm sure everyone around me got sick of hearing about it too! Haha! The point is, if you are able to make one that "makes sense" to your design, by all means do it! It will add that little bit of extra character to your website, and it might one of the little things that a potential client might remember.
 

Parkland Alumns

This week I'm going to simply give you a link to some of the very creative Alumni that Parkland College has produced. Please check them out and see how many really talented people are in your community. You can find them here!

Social Network – Can it help you promote yourself?

This week's homework was all about the different social networks out there. We all know the big ones – Facebook & Twitter, but is everyone aware of the others? There are LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, Flickr, Pinterest, YouTube, Blogger, WordPress, etc. Even if you hadn't heard of some of them, you might recognize their icons.

Your assignment, if you wish to take it, is to check all of these out and see which ones you would like to use, or be seen on. Good Luck!

Pinterest for Inspiration

I have been using Pinterest for quite a while for inspiration purposes, so I though I would share a quick view of some of my design related boards with you. 

What kind of Portfolio case is best for you?

Decisions, decisions. I don't have a clue as to what I want for myself. The more I look, the more confused I get. 

I found an awesome site that has so many super cool portfolio ideas...but would any of them actually be suitable for me? I don't have a clue! They are "Custom Graphic Design Portfolios and Presentation Books." The site is klo portfolios.

Next, do you want a box, a booklet, a satchel, ... The choices are almost endless. Just look at this screen shot I took - I typed in "portfolio cases for graphic designers."

Then I thought I would narrow it down a little so I typed in "portfolio cases" and this is what came up.

There's a little bit of overlap, but the second one came back with more realistic results, for me anyway. Check them out and let me know what your style is like.

What to Include in a Graphic Design Portfolio

This week is going to simply be informational. In fact, it will mostly be to send you to other blogs or sites that have a TON of information. I could have copied and pasted it all here, but that wouldn't be fair to those who originally wrote the articles. 

First up I am including a link to About.com Desktop Publishing. They have some really good ideas about not only portfolios, but what kind of cases work best. Enjoy it here!

The next one I checked out was on artbistro. This one has not only what to include, but what not to include. I included the picture that they had because she's like a portfolio super hero. Haha! Check it out here!

Lastly I'm including an article fro AIGA. There are some really good points in this article for first time presenting. It tells you how to prepare for interviews, and what the author prefers to show when being interviewed. It's worth looking at. It is called Presenting Your Portfolio.

Color Meanings

I was looking up colors for my logo and ran across a couple of examples of what colors are supposedly portraying in logos.

Optimism - Yellow
Friendly - Orange
Excitement - Red
Creative - Purple
Trust - Blue
Peaceful - Green
Balance - Grey

These are pretty cool, too.

Red - Shop Now
Orange - Get it Now!
Yellow - Sop Here!
Green - Get Rich!
Blue - Safe Shopping
Purple - luxury Shopping
Pink - Look Cute 4 Less!
Black - Buy (Or Else!)

Creating a Digital Portfolio that Pops!

While researching for portfolio information, I came across this site "tcg The Creative Group", and a blog that they have created to help other designers. So, I thought I would simply feature their blog this week.  Here is a link to their blog so that you can get all of the information yourself.

This is a screen shot of their "How to Make a Portfolio that Pops" blog entry. But you really should check out their blog (link in first paragraph) for links to "examples" and "helps."

Clazie.com/portfolios

While doing this week's homework, there was a paragraph that caught my attention.

"There are plenty of examples of professional-looking portfolio interfaces out there that are anything but boring. For just a few, visit www.clazie.com/digitalportfolios."

It didn't even dawn on me that this is the same site as for our book, which is written by Ian Clazie. Imagine my surprise, when this (first image) opens on my screen. It's basically an add for the book.

I thought, "O.K., maybe there's something showing these 'professional-looking' portfolio designs lower on the page." See the second image, this is what's below. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. Basically it is the resources they used for the book. All of the links are there, but, it wasn't what I was expecting. Pretty big let-down in my book.

Soft - Portfolio Website

Since I'm new to the whole portfolio website scene, I thought I would look up "portfolio websites". I actually found a website called "50 Fresh Portfolio Websites for Your Inspiration | Smashing Magazine".

On that site, I found "Soft" and thought I would take a look. This first image is of their home page.

As you hover over items, they go from black & white to color (as in the first image above), and as you move your mouse from side to side, the camera angle changes (you might be able to tell that the second image isn't quite "square", it's skewed slightly). There are also sounds when you click on links. But, there isn't music playing while you're on the sight (I'm not a fan of those that has a melody playing unless it goes well with the purpose of the sight).

The third image is from the "film" section of their portfolio. It's a cute little movie and I absolutely love the character who plays the lead. 

The site has some nice tricks, but it is fairly clean and eye-catching. I think it is tastefully done, but yet has some fun features. Hope you enjoy checking it out.

Blog change from GDS 273 to GDS 293

This blog was previously used for my Illustration class, but will now be used for my Portfolio Seminar class. Thank you for taking the time to check it out!

Class Final Projects

This post is simply a compilation of all of our final projects. This project was one we got to choose out of a list to illustrate. Therefore, you will see a huge difference in what everyone chose to do. I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed doing them. I'm putting the images in alphabetical order by our first names. 1-Amber Walters, 2-Angela Norman, 3-Bissie Buscombe, 4-Burke Stanion, 5-Gary Cosat, 6-Jonny Ashikyan, 7-Katie Balch, 8-Lisa Williamson (me), 9-Susan Coulter & 10-Whitney Coulter. Note that #2 & #9 are drawings and are NOT photos.

 

Classics Illustrated - Hamlet - William Shakespeare

This semester I've shared some of the books from my childhood that used illustrations in them that I have always really liked. This time I'm pulling from a really long time ago, the copyright is 1969. This issue was illustrated by Alex A. Blum. Please note the price was only $0.25 and you can also see my writing as a little kid. Haha!

I thought Ophelia was the most beautiful girl ever and I was so upset when she died in the story. Anyway, I digress... For the time in which this was printed, it was done really well. Note the full color not only on the cover, but the interior pages as well.

The image at right is of Ophelia falling into the water, to her death. As you can see, the edge of the page is even missing from my being distraught and rereading this section so many times. Note the movement that the illustrator give the water with it's swirls and waves around her. Then the use of light colors and making the water look transparent as she sinks.

The last two images I found online. They are in a bit better shape than my "well used" copy and mine is becoming a bit brittle with age so I didn't want to bend it to scan.

The third and fourth ones also show the ghost of the king. See how the illustrator shaded him to make him look "transparent". The third one took up one page while the fourth one was a two page spread.

I think this series was really well done. In fact, I used to have others in the series but don't really know what happened to them over the years. At the time that this one was printed, there were 169 different ones to choose from.

 

Alex Fowkes - illustrator, graphic designer, typographer

I ran across Alex Fowkes in the Advertising Annual of Communication Arts magazine (Nov/Dec 2013). He is listed in the "fresh" section. His typography and retro designs first caught my eye (see my blog for GDS 122) and then his illustrations. The images I'm including here are for T-shirts & removable bicycle mudguard. The product is Awesome & the illustration is, too.

These designs are for Full Windsor, which is a company that carries "Innovative cycle accessories that capture the imagination." Full Windsor uses a monkey (or ape - I don't know which) on their website and the designs also have variations & tribal influenced designs with a monkey skull in them. The t-shirts also have a design across the bottom on the back with a skull at the top center. 

Check out more of Alex' designs on his website.

A Local Company . . . McKenzie Wagner Inc.

While reviewing my process for my Illustration class this week, I discussed screen printing. I enjoyed the experience, but now know that it's not something I could do very often. This made me wonder whether or not any local companies design for screen printing any more. So... I started looking online & came across McKenzie Wagner's Illustration department. Above is a picture of a 5 poster series that they did that were screen printed. These were "developed for the Greater Community AIDs Project of East Central Illinois. Inspired by WWII propaganda posters..." This explains they "dated" look that these posters have, but, I really like that look for these. I think that screen printing was the right way to go in printing this style of poster, anything crisp & clean wouldn't have gotten the same message across.

Then I came across their cover for the 2013 Springfield Visitors Guide - SCVB. It is an extremely strong illustration that definitely gets the "Illinois" point across. Multiple images of Abe Lincoln with key "Springfield" points of interest catch the eye.

They also did the branding for SCVB's Celebrity Citizen campaign. The final designs for this are at left. Again, a VERY strong Abe Lincoln, tall hat and all! Very clean design with subtle hints of color, but overall pleasing to the eye.

 

The 10 images above are all part of the Springfield Grooves" theme that McKenzie Wagner created for the booth and pre-conference promotion to attendees of the
Illinois Society of Association Executives (ISAE) Annual Meeting. "Shag carpeting, lava lamps, incense, bean bag chairs, racks of records and rocking 70s tunes to get meeting attendees’ feet tapping set the flavor of the booth. MW designed a series of ten 70s-inspired album cover parody posters that swapped Abe Lincoln’s face or a Springfield scene for the original images on the covers. The posters were popular give-aways at the booth." The really funny thing is that I actually have some of the original albums that they are imitating.

Feel free to check the rest of their work out at McKenzie Wagner.

Illustrator Lesley Barnes

I was looking through Communication Arts Sept/Oct 2013 issue and ran across Lesley Barnes in the "Fresh" section. I don't usually go for these kinds of illustrations, but for some reason I liked these. I think usually bright colors & shapes like these are on abstract artwork, which I don't really care for, but these are more like children's book illustrations and I think that's why I like them.

She lives in Glasgow, Scotland and has been doing illustration for about four years. She also does 2-D & 3-D animation and studied English in college. She's had no formal training whatsoever.

You'll notice that both of the first two illustration I've included have castles in them. She seems to really like the castle, dragon, mythology, type of thing (I do too). But, she has also done adds for makeup and many other things that have nothing to do with her other imaginative designs.

I included this third image basically because I'm a big nerd and the name of it is "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". If you don't know that this is the name of a song, then shame on you! (Just kidding - kind of)

The fourth image is a Christmas card she designed for V&A Museum. I thought it was pretty cool! Having just done our Holiday Card project I thought my classmates could appreciate it. You can even buy these on her website.

The final illustration I'm including is a book cover. She has done quite a few book covers and book illustrations. They all just have a kind of fantasy feel to them. Google her or check out her website that I linked in the previous paragraph.

"Christmas in the Bell Shop"

Since we were looking at Children's book illustrations this week, I wanted to share a favorite from my childhood. This was put out by Ambassador Cards and doesn't even have any names attributed to it - written by or illustrated by. It was printed in the 1960's (I received my copy for Christmas in 1968). It is full color and even has gold on the cover. It is also embossed on the cover. Very cute & very cool!

This book only has 14 pages, plus a front & back cover (back is blank except for "Ambassador Cards" logo typical # info).

On every inside page, the first word always has this enormous initial cap. They are different on every single page - colors, styles, etc. never being the same. I like the way that every time the word "bell" appears, there is an actual bell design shadowed behind it.

The story is really good, too. You should look it up some time. It's kind of about not judging things by their cover/ price/place in life/etc. You get my meaning.

I wish I knew who the Illustrator was, but, there doesn't seem to be much information about it out there. I'll keep looking though.