The website created in class will help to promote myself because it offers an easy-to-navigate platform to showcase exactly who I am and show off some of the work I have done throughout my schooling to anyone in the world, especially potential employers. It also allows me to communicate my story in my own words, which is the best way to promote yourself so that there is no confusion or misleading information. Lastly, it offers me the chance to get all of my necessary contact information on one page so that anyone who wants to contact me knows how to through whichever means they desire.
Our other projects tie-in very well to the website because like I mentioned earlier, it allows us to display all of the work we have created in the class in one central place. That way anyone who is interested can get the best possible sense of the kind of person I am through my picture, biography, and the portfolio. Also, being able to link my social media pages like LinkedIn and Twitter to the website helps to also promote myself as well by allowing people to access my own personal profiles and can garner a better sense of some of my interests and hobbies. The process of designing and creating the other projects helped me to better organize my files, become more confident in learning new software's, and also gave me a chance to better promote myself by showing off my creative skills.
Although we were unable to completely finish the website yet, I still learned a great deal about Dreamweaver and how difficult it could be to organize and create a website. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to learn Dreamweaver for the first time and believe it will only benefit me going forward. I was worried that the process of learning this software would be tough but the set-up and design on it is fairly straightforward and allows you to navigate through without many issues. I was amazed by how easy it is to customize and tailor the website exactly how I wanted it. I was simple to import pictures from Photoshop to display on my home page and also copy and paste any texts that I needed to display in my biography. I hope to get the opportunity to be shown how to properly import my portfolio items so that they are easily accessible to anyone who is interested in seeing them. I feel as though those are the most crucial part to the website and help to promote myself in the best way possible.
One of the most important ideas a learned is how imperative it is to make sure you save all photos and other necessary files in the proper folder. Organization is key when trying to create a website without any additional hassles. Before this, I kind of just saved my files and pictures and random places and would have issues finding them when I needed to access them. Going forward, whether I am creating a website or just trying to stay better organized for my job, I will definitely be more aware of where I am saving things and think about how I may need them at a later time.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
Behind the scenes look at my postcard
The process of creating this postcard helped to demonstrate how imperative it is to be able to understand and be familiar with all three of these applications, so that the visuals you create can be as effective as possible. Mandating students to use all three applications forces them to become more familiar with all of them and ultimately a better designer.
When creating my postcard I decided to use a black background that has three spotlights coming from the top, that helps to illuminate the upper third of the postcard. I chose this background because when I think of public relations I think of being in the spotlight and being the spokesperson for a company or organization. In order to succeed in public relations you need to be willing to step up and get your message out no matter what the circumstance is, so I believe the spotlights help to add a unique effect to the postcard.
I chose to use the lime green colored text for the header, sub-header, and graphic because I felt that it contrasted very well with the black background. It helped to let the text and graphic pop off the page and set the hierarchy for the postcard. At first glance, you immediately see the lime green and it communicates exactly who's postcard it is and what career path I am heading down, which I believe are the two most important components of the postcard.
I chose to you use a font titled new athletic 52. I used this because I ideally would like to work in sports PR in some capacity so I thought this added another interesting feature. I also thought making the font color white would help it make it much easier to read. The font was also larger, and bolder and made reading it a lot easier on the viewer's eyes.
In terms of the design hierarchy, I chose to have my head shot photo cover over a third of the postcard so that viewers know what I am ultimately trying to highlight. Secondly, I tried to emphasize the header, sub-header, PR graphic, and the graphics of the different sports equipment. This helps people to put a name and general idea of what I want to do without even reading the text Lastly, I decided to put the least amount of emphasis on the text in the middle. It does cover a strong portion of the postcard but I just feel as though when people take a a quick glance at it they'll be able to depict exactly who I am and what I want to do by looking at the other components.
Having the ability to use all three applications was definitely a necessity for this assignment. There were just so many different elements needed to finish the project properly, that you needed to know how to use all three. These elements including having to use Photoshop to properly crop and trace your photo, using Illustrator to edit graphics so they are ready to be placed in InDesign, and finally, use InDesign to help put it all together in one place.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
What does your logo say about you?
A well-thought-out and creatively designed logo can be the difference between a company making it or breaking it. It is like finding the holy grail if people reach the point where they can instantly recognize your logo and identify it with your company. Some companies take a more simplistic approach, while others choose to captivate you with an array of different colors and graphics. Both ways can be effective if the designer or designers take the time to carefully construct the logo and have a strong grasp of who their target audience is. Here are some logos from a variety of different companies in the world that includes a brief description of what makes them effective.
This is the logo for the German automobile manufacturer BMW.
The balance, symmetry, color scheme, and pattern used in this logo help to make it both captivating and easy on the eyes. In addition to that, the design is very simple and is free of unnecessary components that distract the viewer from seeing the proper message. It also gives off a sleek, shiny look that almost helps signify that offers luxury vehicles.
This is the logo for the free web browser Mozilla Firefox. The vibrant colors and graphic used helps to make this an extremely arresting and captivating logo. The use of the bright, fiery yellow-orange colored fox forces you to stare at it for an extra couple of seconds. Also, the idea of wrapping the fox around an image of the earth like that to show how your internet-service is available all over the globe, is very creative and well put together.
These five logos help to demonstrate how either approach can be effective. For example, when comparing both the "Jumpman" logo and the Firefox logo you can see how Nike used a more simplistic approach by just placing a basic, white silhouette of Michael Jordan on top of a black background, while Firefox went with a more vibrant colored and cartoonish looking graphic of a fox. This blog hopefully helped to show just how important it is to have a strongly designed and well-thought-out logo.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Topics for Brochure
A team of students from a Buffalo State communication graphics course is working to devise and create a brochure that will help to inform readers of a particular topic of their choice. Here are three of the 12 topics that the brochure may discuss.
1) During just a two-week stretch in mid-February, 23 people residing in the City of Buffalo fatally overdosed while using heroin. County officials believe that a batch of heroin that was being sold throughout the city was laced with Fentanyl, which was the reason for over half of the deaths. To go along with this terrible series of events, there have also been many other occurrences in recent months, where people in the Buffalo area are overdosing on heroin and are hospitalized because of it, or are even killed. County officials and law enforcement in the area have a tough task at hand as they attempt to limit the number of these horrible events and put an end to the heroin epidemic in the area. Many people have been negatively affected by this epidemic so it is imperative that the whole Western New York area works together to help put an end to it. It also shines a negative light on the area most of us call home and during a time when the city is trying to revive itself, this is the last thing it needs. Creating a brochure to help raise awareness of this issue and inform citizens of any way they can help could be one way in helping to end this epidemic.
2) The entire Buffalo Bills organization, along with city and county officials have a huge and possibly very impactful decision to make regarding if, where, and when a new stadium will be built for the team to play in. The team currently has a lease agreement to play at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park until 2022, which leaves all parties involved about six years to design a stadium plan that best serves the city and the fans of the team. There is currently a group consisting of local politicians, local CEO's and members of the Bills brass, including owners Terry and Kim Pegula, working to create a new stadium plan. Many of the proposals that have been created suggest moving the stadium away from Orchard Park, and bringing it to somewhere downtown. Although there are both pros and cons to building the stadium downtown, many citizens believe that the subsequent economic boost that would come along with the stadium being downtown far outweigh any negative impacts. Creating a brochure to highlight the potential benefits of moving the stadium would be informative for anyone who lives in Western New York or cares about the Bills.
3) With summer quickly approaching, it's not unusual to hear and see people complaining about how much "out of shape" they are and how they so badly want to be lean, fit, and comfortable going out and showing off their body in public. Obviously eating healthy and working out can morph you into the lean and eye-catching person you've always wanted to be, but there are also many other benefits of it too. Often times the positive psychological impacts of eating healthy and working out are overlooked. A brochure that could clearly lay out all of the positive affects, both physical and psychological, that working out and eating healthy can have on you would be extremely beneficial for people in WNY but also all over the country. After a long and bitter-cold winter like the ones we see in Buffalo, many people find themselves out of shape and even in this minor state of depression caused primarily by the lack of sunlight and the lack of ambition to go out and do something. The winter definitely takes its toll on a lot of people so hopefully this brochure will help to motivate people to be healthier and ultimately live a better life.
Members of the team believe that these topics are all timely, significant, and relevant to most people both in the area and around the country. Even though some of the topics being discussed are currently occurring in Buffalo, there are many cities and states in the Unites States that are also currently dealing with these same issues, have dealt with these issues, or may deal with them in the future.
1) During just a two-week stretch in mid-February, 23 people residing in the City of Buffalo fatally overdosed while using heroin. County officials believe that a batch of heroin that was being sold throughout the city was laced with Fentanyl, which was the reason for over half of the deaths. To go along with this terrible series of events, there have also been many other occurrences in recent months, where people in the Buffalo area are overdosing on heroin and are hospitalized because of it, or are even killed. County officials and law enforcement in the area have a tough task at hand as they attempt to limit the number of these horrible events and put an end to the heroin epidemic in the area. Many people have been negatively affected by this epidemic so it is imperative that the whole Western New York area works together to help put an end to it. It also shines a negative light on the area most of us call home and during a time when the city is trying to revive itself, this is the last thing it needs. Creating a brochure to help raise awareness of this issue and inform citizens of any way they can help could be one way in helping to end this epidemic.
2) The entire Buffalo Bills organization, along with city and county officials have a huge and possibly very impactful decision to make regarding if, where, and when a new stadium will be built for the team to play in. The team currently has a lease agreement to play at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park until 2022, which leaves all parties involved about six years to design a stadium plan that best serves the city and the fans of the team. There is currently a group consisting of local politicians, local CEO's and members of the Bills brass, including owners Terry and Kim Pegula, working to create a new stadium plan. Many of the proposals that have been created suggest moving the stadium away from Orchard Park, and bringing it to somewhere downtown. Although there are both pros and cons to building the stadium downtown, many citizens believe that the subsequent economic boost that would come along with the stadium being downtown far outweigh any negative impacts. Creating a brochure to highlight the potential benefits of moving the stadium would be informative for anyone who lives in Western New York or cares about the Bills.
3) With summer quickly approaching, it's not unusual to hear and see people complaining about how much "out of shape" they are and how they so badly want to be lean, fit, and comfortable going out and showing off their body in public. Obviously eating healthy and working out can morph you into the lean and eye-catching person you've always wanted to be, but there are also many other benefits of it too. Often times the positive psychological impacts of eating healthy and working out are overlooked. A brochure that could clearly lay out all of the positive affects, both physical and psychological, that working out and eating healthy can have on you would be extremely beneficial for people in WNY but also all over the country. After a long and bitter-cold winter like the ones we see in Buffalo, many people find themselves out of shape and even in this minor state of depression caused primarily by the lack of sunlight and the lack of ambition to go out and do something. The winter definitely takes its toll on a lot of people so hopefully this brochure will help to motivate people to be healthier and ultimately live a better life.
Members of the team believe that these topics are all timely, significant, and relevant to most people both in the area and around the country. Even though some of the topics being discussed are currently occurring in Buffalo, there are many cities and states in the Unites States that are also currently dealing with these same issues, have dealt with these issues, or may deal with them in the future.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Design Critiques: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Good Design Critiques
1) Business Card
One reason this business card is effective is the color scheme that is used. The sleek black matches up well with the lime green on the bottom. The simplicity of the card is also something that helps to make the card effective. There isn't any unnecessary information or graphics to detour you from the main main elements of the card, the person's contact information and the company they work for. The card's information is also balanced very well and doesn't appear to have too much information on it, which helps all information to be legible and easy to navigate through.
1) Business Card
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2) Brochure
One reason this brochure is well designed is because of how it is able to display all of that information and still remain balanced and symmetric. All the information and graphics are spaced very well and they do a strong job of using all of the space on the page and not wasting any space. The images of cars are also very important in showing potential consumers what exactly they specialize in, just in case the front page and name weren't effective. The color scheme used is also effective as it remains consistent throughout and allows all written information to be clear and readable.
3) Flyer
One of the strongest elements of this flyer are the images used. The images are extremely effective in adding a strong visual element to go along with the written text part of the flyer. Also, like the brochure, I think this creator of this flyer was successful in trying to get a bunch of information on one flyer in a way that allows it to appear balanced and symmetric. They did a great job of being concise with their wording so that everything was short and easy to read but also still very informative. Lastly, the designer of this flyer did a great job of using larger fonts and different color fonts to help emphasize certain words and messages. All of the essential information was clear, legible, and also very easy to navigate through.
Bad Design Critiques
1) Business Card
This business card does not effectively utilize all of the space given. The front of the card does have a neat looking font and is readable but it takes up entirely too much space and doesn't give enough information. All you get is the name and occupation. That is just not good use of the available space. Another issue is that the card does not give off any useful information and doesn't help to establish the individuals credibility. It gives a website to visit or email to contact but does nothing to entice someone to want to visit the site or contact the person.
2) Brochure
One main glaring problem with this brochure is that fact that text is essentially illegible. The designer used red font on top of a reddish-orange image that covers the entire background, which makes it incredibly tough to read the information. The main contact information also can't be read, due to the fact that they used a blue colored font on top of the water and sand. Also, the written information appears to be all clumped together, which makes it tough to distinguish when one sentence end and another starts.
3) Flyer
This flyer here should be used to show student's exactly what not to do when designing a flyer. This flyer used far to many font types, colors, and images that it makes it difficult to decipher what exactly is happening at this event. There is absolutely no balance or symmetry used, and everything is just clumped together and thrown in there with no method or reason behind it. It seems as though this designer was adding information just for the sake of adding information. The whole bottom half of the flyer is just a mess which makes it tough to even read any of the information. There is far too much going on in the background image which makes some of the font and information illegible.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Keys to Visual Communication
Student in the modern day United States, which is loaded with many forms of media, are exposed to many different forms of communication. This includes verbal, visual, audio, and written communication.
In terms of which one yields the strongest response, I would say visual communication is the one type that really intrigues me and helps me to understand a message as clearly as possible. Unlike the other forms, the use of visual communication (i.e. graphs, maps, tables, videos, info-graphics) helps to add another dimension to the information besides just strictly written or spoken word. These visual aids can sometimes be distracting, but when used properly they can help to display and organize the necessary information in a way that helps to make analyzing it much easier. For example, I am a huge sports fan, so one way I am able to see where players rank, in terms of statistics, around the different leagues are by reading and analyzing the different info-graphics and charts that different sport-themed Twitter accounts posts. Another example is how the Buffalo Sabres Twitter account sends out a graphic breaking down their line combinations for that night's game. This is a much easier way of viewing and analyzing the lines compared to just reading it off or hearing it.
When exposed to visual communication, a necessary tool is trying to communicate a simple and concise message and also to keep the design of the graphic or aid simple, as well. People don't want to have to spend time sifting through any meaningless information. It also needs to have a strong contrast in color so that the text is legible and readable. Strong and properly designed visuals can help to grab attention, map a story, and help people better relate to your message or brand.
One person that has a good understanding of how to use visual communication, is a rapper by the name of J Cole. While searching through his website, you can see all of his videos, events, and news properly organized and easy to navigate through. He also just released a documentary series, on his life journey, that was very well put together and did a great job of delivering his message to the youth of this country. His "Dreamville" slogan is simple but holds a whole lot of meaning. He tries to show the youth, through his lyrics and actions, that just because you may have a tough upbringing doesn't mean you can't accomplish your dreams. If you want it bad enough and work hard enough, anything is possible. It also has a very simple design and has a strong color contrast that makes it easy to read.
The Buffalo Sabres organization does a strong job of visually communicating their message. This can be seen on their website, Twitter account, the graphics used in their game day programs. Their slogan "Next Chapter" is definitely appropriate because of the fact that they're now trying to take that step forward out of the "tank mode" they have been in and want to start contending.
In terms of which one yields the strongest response, I would say visual communication is the one type that really intrigues me and helps me to understand a message as clearly as possible. Unlike the other forms, the use of visual communication (i.e. graphs, maps, tables, videos, info-graphics) helps to add another dimension to the information besides just strictly written or spoken word. These visual aids can sometimes be distracting, but when used properly they can help to display and organize the necessary information in a way that helps to make analyzing it much easier. For example, I am a huge sports fan, so one way I am able to see where players rank, in terms of statistics, around the different leagues are by reading and analyzing the different info-graphics and charts that different sport-themed Twitter accounts posts. Another example is how the Buffalo Sabres Twitter account sends out a graphic breaking down their line combinations for that night's game. This is a much easier way of viewing and analyzing the lines compared to just reading it off or hearing it.
When exposed to visual communication, a necessary tool is trying to communicate a simple and concise message and also to keep the design of the graphic or aid simple, as well. People don't want to have to spend time sifting through any meaningless information. It also needs to have a strong contrast in color so that the text is legible and readable. Strong and properly designed visuals can help to grab attention, map a story, and help people better relate to your message or brand.
One person that has a good understanding of how to use visual communication, is a rapper by the name of J Cole. While searching through his website, you can see all of his videos, events, and news properly organized and easy to navigate through. He also just released a documentary series, on his life journey, that was very well put together and did a great job of delivering his message to the youth of this country. His "Dreamville" slogan is simple but holds a whole lot of meaning. He tries to show the youth, through his lyrics and actions, that just because you may have a tough upbringing doesn't mean you can't accomplish your dreams. If you want it bad enough and work hard enough, anything is possible. It also has a very simple design and has a strong color contrast that makes it easy to read.
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| J Cole's logo |
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