Assignment 8 - 11/19/18 - Who are you?

I was very excited when I finished this assignment because I think this really shows me. There are a lot of books and if you know me, I love reading and use the name 'Bookworm' to describe me proudly. I have a lot of oceans, sky, and city photos that I love because deep down I feel most comfortable in those spaces and they hold so many memories for me. If you look closely, you can also see a lot of anime and superhero characters, representing my geeky side which some people don't realize is a big part of me. Overall, I used this assignment to showcase how I think of myself and how I think in general. Everything that you see, make me, figuratively and literally.

Assignment 7 - 10/11/18 - Altered Page

For this assignment, I was very excited about the prospect of an underwater apocalypse type situation and showing what I think it would look like. While man-made structures would hold out for a while, we are no match for nature. Even though we admire it and many of us respect it, everyone seems to forget how powerful it is. I wanted to have it look beautiful and destructive at the same time because I love water and the ocean but it still scares me. 

Assignment 6 - 9/26/18 - Font Poster

I chose this font because I loved how flowing and loopy it was. It was a bit like cursive but easier to read. When I thought about the poster design I decided to go along with the flowing idea and worked to create the words falling down a waterfall. Starting a bit smaller, then crashing down. 

Assignment 5 - 9/18/18 - Pencil Alphabet

For this assignment, I decided to use pencils to 'write' the alphabet. When I was thinking about what and how we make words, this shows (to me) how ignorant some people can be when it comes to how they use the alphabet to make harmful words. For this assignment I had to break three pencils in half, might have gotten a splinter, and it showed me how weak I might just be.

Assignment 2 - 8/22/18 - Learning Good Design

Part 1 - Watch both the 2-minute video by Ira Glass and the 15-minute TED Talk with designer icon Milton Glaser.  On your blog, note the concepts that struck you as important in this competitive world of design. What inspires you to learn about and do good design?

     In these video's, there were many different topics and ideas that I found very influential information. One I really liked is how you can change the meaning of art by moving it around or changing one piece, art is different for everyone in interpretation and meaning. I also learned about how you should do many different designs and styles before deciding on one, that way you can really understand and show what you are trying to express. The most important idea I got out of the video's, however, was that "If you don't believe in your work, who else is going to believe it?" There is no point in art if you don't love it and are able to express that, once you lose passion for your work then it also loses the meaning you once had for it. 

Part 2 - Select two great designs - anything from anywhere - and explain why you selected them and discuss their designs.  Along with your explanation, post the images, giving credit to the designers. 

1. The Apple logo designed by Rob Janoff. I really liked the story behind this, how it goes into Adam and Eve, the apple that Eve ate to give her knowledge. Once I learned the story behind it I really saw how the simple design can convey that with just a little bite missing. 

2. The Amazon logo designed by Anthony Biles. Amazon has a very rich history and even though the overall purpose of the company has changed, the logo still has a very clever meaning. How the arrow goes from a to z, showing that they have everything throughout the alphabet (when it was a bookseller only) shows how you can have a lot with just a little arrow. I really loved how it has also adapted over time in their marketing techniques and can be considered a smile. 

     I chose these designs because for as long as I can remember, they have surrounded me and only grown. Even though the logos are known by pretty much everyone around the world, it is so surprising how few people understand the meaning of them. This goes to show me that all designs have meaning, even if we don't know what they are.