Monday, February 7, 2011
Monday, August 2, 2010
Final Project
I wanted to share my final projects with the rest of the class. I got permission to use a letter press machine, since type and typography were an important aspect of this project.
I brainstormed forever on what to do... Doing a self portrait of any type is difficult for me. This first project came to me over dinner last weekend and I went with it. The theme here is that it's a poster introducing the new IT guy to a company. This IT guy, tired of being pulled in a 100 different directions at once, took vengeance upon this poster. I hope you enjoy the photograph (I got the "costume" at a thrift store (those are actually 3-d glasses).
I learned a lot about letterpress on this project. I only had access to the press for one weekend, and it took me about 13 hours total for both pieces over two days (the actual photographs and written work only took about 3 hours).
For the 2nd poster, I wanted to do something similar - Letterpress, photograph, etc. But I wanted to use a more 'normal' photograph. I decided on this poster based on my experiences with IT contractors. Businesses typically contract IT staff based on their various certifications. My argument is that certifications are no replacement for true business experience and collegiate education. I'm not saying certifications are useless - but just that I put high stock into actual employee experience. It's frustrating when your organization contracts a temp or consultant, and then you need to spend 2 months 'training' them because they have no experience into what you or your organization actually does. Add to it, that consultants typically make double what a regular full time employee makes (though sometimes without benefits, health-care, etc...).
This poster is again a organizations bulletin announcing a new I.T. consultant, that was again vandalized, but this time by other staff.
These posters do represent me. Part of me is that frustrated nerdy guy in the first poster, and part me desires to be that overpaid IT guy in your company's future. Hopefully though I will be a humble, overpaid IT Super Guy.
I brainstormed forever on what to do... Doing a self portrait of any type is difficult for me. This first project came to me over dinner last weekend and I went with it. The theme here is that it's a poster introducing the new IT guy to a company. This IT guy, tired of being pulled in a 100 different directions at once, took vengeance upon this poster. I hope you enjoy the photograph (I got the "costume" at a thrift store (those are actually 3-d glasses).
I learned a lot about letterpress on this project. I only had access to the press for one weekend, and it took me about 13 hours total for both pieces over two days (the actual photographs and written work only took about 3 hours). For the 2nd poster, I wanted to do something similar - Letterpress, photograph, etc. But I wanted to use a more 'normal' photograph. I decided on this poster based on my experiences with IT contractors. Businesses typically contract IT staff based on their various certifications. My argument is that certifications are no replacement for true business experience and collegiate education. I'm not saying certifications are useless - but just that I put high stock into actual employee experience. It's frustrating when your organization contracts a temp or consultant, and then you need to spend 2 months 'training' them because they have no experience into what you or your organization actually does. Add to it, that consultants typically make double what a regular full time employee makes (though sometimes without benefits, health-care, etc...).
This poster is again a organizations bulletin announcing a new I.T. consultant, that was again vandalized, but this time by other staff.These posters do represent me. Part of me is that frustrated nerdy guy in the first poster, and part me desires to be that overpaid IT guy in your company's future. Hopefully though I will be a humble, overpaid IT Super Guy.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Entry 20: A Lion's Vendetta
Here were the instructions for Entry 20:
Cut the five images out and turn them face-down on a table. Mix them up thoroughly, arrange them in a line, and then turn them over. You should have five images randomly aligned in a row.
Your task is to write copy underneath each image to tell a story– sort of like a cartoon.
Look at the illustration in each frame, then as a whole, and create the story you will be telling.
Write a dialog, scene setup, or a simple explanation of what is occurring in each of the scenes. Write no more than 2 sentences for each image.
Having written in our discussion forums about some of my favorite one-a-day T-shirt Websites, I decided to pull five images from the t-shirt websites I frequently visit. I captured each image, and then assigned a number to them. I then used a six-sided die and kept rolling until all five numbers came up - and used that order. I did not look at the design's names until after generating the body for each image.
Sources:
Image 1 - (Name unknown) - preorder design from www.tshirthell.com (warning: many of this site's designs are no way near politically correct).
Image 2 - "Break Yo Mama's Back" from www.teefury.com
Image 3 - "Painted with Water" from shirt.woot.com
Image 4 - "The Twilight Rider" from www.tilteed.com
Image 5 - "Atomic Sketch 2 Year Anniversary" from riptapparel.com
Cut the five images out and turn them face-down on a table. Mix them up thoroughly, arrange them in a line, and then turn them over. You should have five images randomly aligned in a row.
Your task is to write copy underneath each image to tell a story– sort of like a cartoon.
Look at the illustration in each frame, then as a whole, and create the story you will be telling.
Write a dialog, scene setup, or a simple explanation of what is occurring in each of the scenes. Write no more than 2 sentences for each image.
Having written in our discussion forums about some of my favorite one-a-day T-shirt Websites, I decided to pull five images from the t-shirt websites I frequently visit. I captured each image, and then assigned a number to them. I then used a six-sided die and kept rolling until all five numbers came up - and used that order. I did not look at the design's names until after generating the body for each image.
Sources:
Image 1 - (Name unknown) - preorder design from www.tshirthell.com (warning: many of this site's designs are no way near politically correct).
Image 2 - "Break Yo Mama's Back" from www.teefury.com
Image 3 - "Painted with Water" from shirt.woot.com
Image 4 - "The Twilight Rider" from www.tilteed.com
Image 5 - "Atomic Sketch 2 Year Anniversary" from riptapparel.com
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Entry 19 - Mirror Mirror on the Wall... Who's the Sexist of them All?
Many of today’s and yesterday’s ads contain MYTHS. “In today’s society, the modern myths are built around things like the notions of masculinity and femininity, the signs of success and failure, what signifies good health and what does not.”
I wanted to focus on the notions of masculinity and femininity – and along that line – the sexism used in advertising. In the middle of the century, it was rampant. Here’s an ad that’s a perfect vintage example of this:
But today is 2010. We would never see such blatant sexism in ads. Take for example the refined car manufacturer, BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke / Bavarian Motor Works). Such a reputable company would never stoop to such blatant sexism in ads today. No… Wait… They do:
("You know you're not the first")
Ads such as this create myths and stereotypes about their products. Indicating the myths that men are better drivers or that women are attracted to guys with ‘Beemers’ is pretty ridiculous, yet there are those out there that still run with such stereotypes. Attend any auto show and my point here is reinforced, as you will often see scantily clad women draped over vehicles. I consider myself a motoring enthusiast. I personally don’t appreciate it when I want to talk about a car’s performance and style with a dealer’s associate at an auto show, that I have to first bypass such stereotypes. I like cars, for the car. Never because I think a woman would like me or less for the vehicle I drive.
When I try to look at this from a female perspective, I can’t even begin to imagine how such ads can soil a company’s reputation with perspective female consumers. I think any woman would be insulted, if not outraged, by the ads above.
I wanted to focus on the notions of masculinity and femininity – and along that line – the sexism used in advertising. In the middle of the century, it was rampant. Here’s an ad that’s a perfect vintage example of this:
But today is 2010. We would never see such blatant sexism in ads. Take for example the refined car manufacturer, BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke / Bavarian Motor Works). Such a reputable company would never stoop to such blatant sexism in ads today. No… Wait… They do:
("You know you're not the first")
Ads such as this create myths and stereotypes about their products. Indicating the myths that men are better drivers or that women are attracted to guys with ‘Beemers’ is pretty ridiculous, yet there are those out there that still run with such stereotypes. Attend any auto show and my point here is reinforced, as you will often see scantily clad women draped over vehicles. I consider myself a motoring enthusiast. I personally don’t appreciate it when I want to talk about a car’s performance and style with a dealer’s associate at an auto show, that I have to first bypass such stereotypes. I like cars, for the car. Never because I think a woman would like me or less for the vehicle I drive.
When I try to look at this from a female perspective, I can’t even begin to imagine how such ads can soil a company’s reputation with perspective female consumers. I think any woman would be insulted, if not outraged, by the ads above.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Entry 18 - Elephants, Cheetahs, and Angelfish - Oh my!
Frank Jefkin suggests three basic principles for effective advertisement writing:
1. The advertisement should be of interest and value to the reader.
2. The advertisement should be precise, that is, get to the point as quickly as possible
3. The advertisement should be concise, saying what it has to say in the fewest necessary words.
(click on me for larger image)
I actually chose a series of ads for this assignment – as they are all related, and all the same company.
AT&T wireless did an ad campaign where they used a series of people’s hands that were painted up to be landmarks, animals, or people that are indigenous to a particular overseas country where they offer services. Each simply states “Works in over 200 countries, like _____.” The ads (as shown in the bottom-two images) do showcase a website and “The best coverage of any carrier worldwide.” The cell phones, iconic images, and the advertising of multi-country cellular services is of definite interests to the reader of these ads. They are precise and get to the point very quickly. I think they also make minimal use of text. If you want to learn more – you either click on – or later input - their Internet address.
I think Mr. Jefkin would approve of this entire series of ads.
1. The advertisement should be of interest and value to the reader.
2. The advertisement should be precise, that is, get to the point as quickly as possible
3. The advertisement should be concise, saying what it has to say in the fewest necessary words.
(click on me for larger image)I actually chose a series of ads for this assignment – as they are all related, and all the same company.
AT&T wireless did an ad campaign where they used a series of people’s hands that were painted up to be landmarks, animals, or people that are indigenous to a particular overseas country where they offer services. Each simply states “Works in over 200 countries, like _____.” The ads (as shown in the bottom-two images) do showcase a website and “The best coverage of any carrier worldwide.” The cell phones, iconic images, and the advertising of multi-country cellular services is of definite interests to the reader of these ads. They are precise and get to the point very quickly. I think they also make minimal use of text. If you want to learn more – you either click on – or later input - their Internet address.
I think Mr. Jefkin would approve of this entire series of ads.
Entry 17 - Rocks ~&~ Cerries!!
Source: Motor Trend: July, 2010I liked this ad for my journal entry 17 – in part because I think it’s a good example of color – but also for a color reference.
This ad uses colors that both compliment and contrast well. The background color is a light yellow or khaki color that contrasts excellently with the three dark images of the road, the truck, and the product itself, the red can of Mother’s car wax – creating a complimentary harmony.
This background also works well with one of the main focuses of the ad, that of the stripes in the road. These two yellows are analogous of each other or maybe even monochromatic (shades and tints of a single color). I think the colors work well to focus the eye on the center image. This image in turn, makes you want to read the body. I think this is actually a pretty crafty advertisement in how it lures you into reading. Sure – it’s just a rock – but it represents a possible dent/ding/scratch in my beloved car.
This ad’s body also states: “We can only hope that one day, some little girl finds you, paints you PURPLE, sticks little googly eyes on you and names you Sally.” This aligns well with our class’s learning in that the color “purple has a feminine and romantic quality” and “is said to enhance the imagination and thus is used in decorating children's rooms.”
Maxim Magazine - July, 2010My second ad can be summed up easily: Red, red and more red.
Skyy is a brand of Vodka, and like most brands of vodka these days, they have many flavored infused varieties. This ad is obviously for cherry flavored vodka.
They use red for the lipstick, skin make-up, cherries, some type and the background image. The main colors in this ad, the reds (mentioned above), the blue bottle and the yellow/brown skin tones create a near-triadic color harmony.
Additionally, there is some white in the image. The Caucasian woman and the lettering on the bottle (white) – along with the strong red and blue elements almost make this ad patriotic for American readers, and it was fitting for the back cover of my July Maxim (i.e. July 4th).
The ad is already sexy with the use of the cherries and the made up women faces – but red, a color that represents sex, passion, love, energy, and heat – is an excellent choice for an ad for either a young men’s magazine. I could see this same ad being used in a similarly formatted women’s magazine such as Cosmopolitan. This add though, might fail in some parts of Africa though, as red is often representational of death or mourning.
Entry 16 - A logo from the dark side...
For entry 16 – I am going to journey to the dark side.
This is Apple’s first log in the mid 70’s…
This logo was designed by Ronald Wayne. It looks black and white at first glance – but you look closely into the sky, you will see color there. The border reads: “Newton… A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought… Alone.” I feel this is a decent color choice for a logo, as it easily translates to a complete gray scale, ideal for monochrome copiers and printers of that time period. 4-color printing was around, but could get expensive. Some might argue that this log is too old fashioned and not well representing a computer company… well – that is what Steve Jobs thought, too…
In 1976, Steve Jobs (i.e. Voldermort, Lord Vader, Khan, Xerxes, Skeletor, etc…), commissioned designer Rob Janoff to come up with something more modern. The bite in the apple was implemented to keep it from looking like a tomato, according to Janoff. I think the rainbow color looked and contrasted great on the Apple of Old – especially the beige Apple II series and early Macintosh. Being the rainbow, you might say this is double split complementary, as nearly each of the Roy G Biv colors are illustrated, although not in the traditional order. I think Janoff wanted green at the top, as that is where the leaf is.
This is their latest logo – which again The Joker… er… Rasputin… I mean Feddie Krueger – oops – I meant Doctor Doom… … oh… alright – STEVE JOBS - had another hand in. Jobs returned to apple in 1997. Apple went to the current monochromatic metallic apple-logo. A key reason I think they did this is they wanted something that looked better on the big colorful plastic iMac’s of the late 90’s.
A little research and I also found opinions stating they went monochromatic as to save money on printing. The rainbow Apple required 4-color printed decals versus a solid black or gray for the new decal.
Well, personally, I like the newest Apple logo. And the general look of the brushed aluminum Macbooks and iMacs of today. I think putting a rainbow decal/logo on such devices really detracts from the clean lines and design of Apple's modern products.
This is Apple’s first log in the mid 70’s…
This logo was designed by Ronald Wayne. It looks black and white at first glance – but you look closely into the sky, you will see color there. The border reads: “Newton… A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought… Alone.” I feel this is a decent color choice for a logo, as it easily translates to a complete gray scale, ideal for monochrome copiers and printers of that time period. 4-color printing was around, but could get expensive. Some might argue that this log is too old fashioned and not well representing a computer company… well – that is what Steve Jobs thought, too…
In 1976, Steve Jobs (i.e. Voldermort, Lord Vader, Khan, Xerxes, Skeletor, etc…), commissioned designer Rob Janoff to come up with something more modern. The bite in the apple was implemented to keep it from looking like a tomato, according to Janoff. I think the rainbow color looked and contrasted great on the Apple of Old – especially the beige Apple II series and early Macintosh. Being the rainbow, you might say this is double split complementary, as nearly each of the Roy G Biv colors are illustrated, although not in the traditional order. I think Janoff wanted green at the top, as that is where the leaf is.
This is their latest logo – which again The Joker… er… Rasputin… I mean Feddie Krueger – oops – I meant Doctor Doom… … oh… alright – STEVE JOBS - had another hand in. Jobs returned to apple in 1997. Apple went to the current monochromatic metallic apple-logo. A key reason I think they did this is they wanted something that looked better on the big colorful plastic iMac’s of the late 90’s.
A little research and I also found opinions stating they went monochromatic as to save money on printing. The rainbow Apple required 4-color printed decals versus a solid black or gray for the new decal.
Well, personally, I like the newest Apple logo. And the general look of the brushed aluminum Macbooks and iMacs of today. I think putting a rainbow decal/logo on such devices really detracts from the clean lines and design of Apple's modern products.
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