Roxanne Hesh: Final Post

Coming into Graphics, I didn’t know what to expect. When I found out that we would be learning about Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator I was thrilled. I had never used any of these programs but had always heard people referring to them. On completion of this course, I am glad to say that I can now use InDesign and Illustrator with no problems, and even though I still have a lot to learn I can somewhat operate Photoshop. I know I may be using some of these programs in future classes and possibly in my career, so I am happy that I now have some knowledge. For life in general, this class has taught me to ask questions (no question is a stupid one) and to never procrastinate something I am not fully sure of how to use. This class has also taught me to keep an open mind. Although I was not the biggest fan of the projects in this class, I learned a lot about my work ethic and surprisingly I did fairly well on some of the projects despite doubting everything I did. This class was beneficial and I appreciate the help that was provided.

Roxanne Hesh: Post No. 9

I remade the website for the organization known as H.O.M.E. (Humanitarian Organization for Migrant Economics). The target audience are domestic workers in Singapore and those interested in helping the cause. I chose to remake the website because it was crowded and filled with unnecessary navigation tools. My goal was to fix the errors by maintaining a simplicity and user-friendliness throughout. I did this by creating one main navigation bar across the top that remains constant on every page. Although it is the only navigation bar, I created clickable links throughout the website to add more personality. I tried to maintain the same look and set up on every page, just differentiating each page by the content. For the font, I chose Myriad Pro because it was one of the fonts Darren told us Google detects and reads. The point of my website is to be seen, so I wanted all of the content to be traceable by Google so the website would show up when searched for. Lastly, the colors used through out the website were chosen based on the colors used in the organizations logo.

Roxanne Hesh: Post No. 8

Typeface creates a mood, feeling, or image based on its look and style. In the movie, one of the guys said something along the lines of, “you know a typeface is effective if it screams the emotion you’re trying to convey.” He then went on to show a bunch of descriptive words that weren’t typed with matching typefaces to prove his point. For example, you don’t want to use the Gill Sans typeface for something that is supposed to be scary…the two just don’t fit together. However, typeface creators can adjust certain fonts, like Helvetica to meet their needs and to convey an emotion. To be honest, I never paid attention to typefaces. I cannot recall a single instance when I had a reaction to something in print because of typeface. Typeface really doesn’t affect me that much; it’s usually the content – like the image associated with the font – that affects me.

Since I am/was so ignorant to typefaces, this film has opened my eyes up to the world of typefaces and graphics in general. I now realize how difficult it is to make a typeface but how effective a good typeface can be in reaching an audience and a certain mood. I never knew that typeface and graphic designers make variations of and adjustments to original font types to make them meet their needs. I never liked graphics and to be honest this class is turning me 100% away from ever liking or enjoying graphics, but now I have a lot more respect for graphic designers and people who know how to effectively use typefaces in their work.

Roxanne Hesh: Post No. 7

http://home.org.sg/

The website I am choosing to recreate is the localized non-profit organization HOME. I am choosing this organization because its goal is great – to help domestic workers in Singapore find equality and stop abuse by employers, however the organization’s website is unfortunate to the eye. When you get to the home page of the website, there is a navigation bar at the top of the page, however the set-up of the rest of the page takes viewers’ eyes straight to the middle, where then the page becomes overwhelming with information and different links and navigation tools. My goal with this website is to simplify it and make it less overwhelming. I want to make viewers’ eyes stick to the top of the page and easily find the (one and only) navigation bar, and then go down the website in an orderly manner instead of with no direction. Although this project will be difficult I am excited to help recreate a great organization’s poorly designed website.

Roxanne Hesh: Post No. 6

For this project I chose to make a poster advertising SF Pride’s annual LGBT pride parade. Since the parade takes place in San Francisco, I decided to take the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and reproduce it on Illustrator with (instead of the American flag) the gay pride flag waving at the bridge’s side. This meets the needs of the organization by showing where the parade takes place and what its cause is for. The target audience is members of the LGBT community in and out of San Francisco, as well as others who may be interested in participating in the event on a sunny California day. I decided to stick to the natural colors of each item in the reproduction of the Golden Gate Bridge and of the gay pride flag. I chose a light blue background because it is calming and gives the illusion of a nice day – especially with the sun shining in the corner of the poster. This advertisement could be seen in a lifestyle or home magazine in and around San Francisco, as well as in other parts of the country.

Roxanne Hesh: Post No. 5

The advertisement I chose is part of Adidas’ “Impossible is Nothing” campaign. The photo in the ad is of David Beckham screaming after making a goal. It is successful in conveying the message of the piece because in the upper left corner of the ad, viewers of the ad learn that Real Madrid fans “questioned [the] signing of the English midfielder.” Beckham proved otherwise by scoring a goal in the first two minutes of the match. The photo used in the ad captures this moment – the moment when Beckham proved “impossible is nothing”. There has not been any controversy over the photo used in this ad; it shows the truth and it captured a moment in time. The photo works perfectly in color. If it had been changed to black and white Beckham’s emotion would not have been as intense and may have been lost in the dark background of the photo. The photo may have been slightly manipulated (the colors may have been boosted and Beckham’s facial lines may have been minimized). Even if the photo has been manipulated I do not think it is a problem because this is an advertisement and is not meant to be a news piece. The manipulation of the photo (if any) just makes the advertisement more successful. This is a good and successful ad which captures viewers’ attention and gets a point across to them.

Roxanne Hesh: Post No. 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My logo design is based off of the lotus flower. The lotus flower can be found all over south east Asia and having spent my high school years in Singapore (where I believe I developed into the person I am today), I felt as though the lotus was an appropriate design to use on my stationery set. For the colors, I decided to stick to traditional lotus flower colors. I used different shades of pink for the petals of the flower and I incorporated the color green (to represent leaves) in the dots that separate my information. Since lotuses grow in muddy water I used a dark blue color for my font. For my type choice, I chose DIN 30640 and stuck with it through out the stationery set. The reason I chose this particular font is (honestly) because when I originally typed out my full name I was really attracted to the way the “J” looked and how it reminded me of Singaporean signs and markets.

Roxanne Hesh: Post No. 3

As gruesome as this ad is, the Montana Meth Project effectively speaks to not just teens and youth in Montana who may encounter the addictive and deadly drug known as Methamphetamine, but also people of all ages across the United States. Without using pictures of the actual drug or of people on the drug (similar to other Montana Meth Project ads), this ad, by the simple sentence and by the image of blood splattered across the sink, attempts to scare potential users from using the drug. The color of the blood and it’s contrast against the white, bright sink, as well as the font type chosen for the sentence across the ad work to make the ad effective. The simplicity yet depth and emotion portrayed in this ad inspire me to do the same. I plan on keeping my ad simple and to the point, yet hopefully powerful enough to emotionally affect viewers.

Roxanne Hesh: Post No. 2

A great logo:

Hugh Hefner’s logo for the Playboy Club and Magazine is original and still around 58 years after its creation (a quick Google search told me the logo was created in 1953), which is why I think it is a great logo. The logo depicts the bunny outfits worn by waitresses at the Playboy Club while simultaneously showing that the club is a gentlemen’s club by incorporating the bowtie around the bunny’s neck. Although the logo is very simple, it’s simplicity makes it appealing and memorable to one who sees it.

A bad logo:

Sherwin Williams’ logo shows a bucket of paint spilling all over a planet while “Cover the Earth” is spelled out within the circumference of the globe. This is probably the worst logo I have come across because with the hype over environmental preservation and need to be eco-friendly, Sherwin Williams’ logo promotes the exact opposite. In addition to sending out a bad message, the actual logo is crowded and too complex. When it is viewed on their website, it is difficult to read the text within the globe, and for some, the logo is so small that it may be hard to tell what is being shown. The logo could be better if it was simpler (if not simpler, at least a bit bigger), easier on a skimming eye, and most importantly, if it sent across a positive message.

A horrible business card:

Although we were challenged to find a great example of a business card, I decided to go the other way (just for fun) and found an example of a horrible one. This card is way too crowded, unorganized, and a little over-the-top (in my opinion) when it comes to design. For a business that I assume sells liquor and food (based off of the text on the card), this card is just too much to hand out to ordinary grocery shoppers who may not have the most creative minds.

Roxanne Hesh: Post No. 1

As someone who is easy-going and simple to understand, I created my resume to reflect those characteristics. My word mark is to the point without extra distractions. Instead of creating an ostentatious design, I chose to simply print out my name while varying the boldness of the font between my first and last name, and my middle initial. Originally, I had decided to use Big Caslon as the primary font for the resume. However, Big Caslon is a serif font and eventually I realized it was too serious for my liking. I changed the font to Avenir LT Std because it is simple – yet firm, it is to the point, and it is easy on the eye.  I feel as though Avenir LT Std better reflects my personality, which was the ultimate goal. This resume (if distributed to potential employers) is meant to attract corporate and communications based companies. I am unsure of what the future holds, so the simple design of my resume is appropriate for the “traditional” corporations but it also demonstrates my ability to work with InDesign for the communications-based companies who may be looking for more than plain and traditional.