Final Blog Reflection

Design thinking is the many ways in which individuals believe that design should be taught, used and implemented.  The modernism take of the precise using of technique and form has been the basis of our education and the design world for years but different views have rivaled this way of rigid thinking.

Bruce Mau's manifesto encourages the reader, (hopefully a designer) to think outside the box.  Take the modernism approach to design a step further and go deeper into design, pushing the boundaries and experiment with what was/is viewed as "good" design.  

Taking it a step further is Meredith Davis' keynote on mapping and effective design.  Designers with her outlook think that design is almost entirely going digital with the many websites and technologies becoming readily available to, essentially, consumers and customers.  The emphasis and importance of design is put in the IDEA itself in the way of mapping and brainstorming, where in can be implemented digitally or with technology.  Modernists would think that this kind of design takes away from the practice itself because there is less emphasis on the form, composition, and the actual physical result.

In the same way Andrew Blauvelt's take on design is how it has broadened to the idea and not just the physical piece itself.  The creation of systems has more intrinsic value than a single product, and the focus, in his opinion, should be on interactive design to be up to the times.

IDEO puts an emphasis on humanistic design as the most important factor to design.  Designing systems of development to better our community or the community of those without our resources in the United States.  This strays away from any kind of product to sell but, like Meredith, focuses on the idea, the brainstorming and it's effect on the systems of the world around us.

I personally think that each approach has it's pluses.  Modernistic design allows you to have an effective aesthetic implementing form, type, and composition, etc. that is marketable and useable in todays design fields.  It trains and hones your artistic eye.  However digital design is becoming more and more prominent and can't be ignored.  Mapping and human centered design is very important to society and communities and for students to learn but maybe in a much higher level of education, or even as an option as it can be a preference in this large design field.

Project 3 Final

My final product for our project 3 revision piece.  All of my inspiration and process are describes in earlier posts, this was an individual project.

Individual Reflection

For my last reflection writing I thought I would look into advertising design.  Last "critique" Bertus told me that my design for project 3 reflected a kind of advertising feel so I thought I would find an article about that.  Well I found a whole website:

http://marketingadvertisingdesign.com/

Tim Kenney Marketing is a full-service strategic marketing and graphic design firm located in metro Washington DC.  And this website is a compilation of links and articles about their design strategy.  Down the page there are articles on designing effective ads, branding, and fonts for advertising but I'll just choose, "Building a Case for Brand Identity" seeing as though our 1st project (and indirectly my 3rd) was based around branding.

It was interesting to read the differences between product and branding.  How a product is the actual physical thing and is defined by it's form and function.  The brand is the idea, concept or the character behind a product, event or business.  It invokes thoughts, feelings, and associations to the customer and even employees as to what the product is really all about.

Project 3 Process: Type Variations

I played around with the type.  Different weights, sizes, compositions, rotations, etc.  I wanted a contemporary, sans serif typeface to compliment the script embellishments at the bottom so I stuck with Ariel and Helvetica.  I also played with that one embellishment but this time in the counter of the "O" in Passion.  I'm still not sure If I'll use it at all or if I do which "O" to put it in.

In general I think the type looks best when it's towards the right utilizing the white space and not going past the "F" in the title.

Project 3 Process: Color Variations

After the critique I added in more flourishes behind the black ones in different colors but I ended up using the same pink as the title.  In the last variation I also played with the idea of there being an embellishment inside the counter of the "O"  in "fashion."  I'm still not sure If I will use it.

Project 3 Process

I finally found the perfect photo with the right look, colors, resolution, feel, dimensions, and white space for what I was thinking about.  I put in the title and type but it looked empty so I cut sections of a script typeface and added flourishes in the corner with dots to add a contemporary feel.  I pulled the pink from her top into the title to add emphasis to "passion" and balance to the composition.

More Inspiration