Journal 05

HOW

IS

???

Sagmeister ist Cool.

How Good is Good?

"I do know that bad design can harm our lives. From the problems this little piece of bad typography caused in Florida to unnecessary junk mail and overproduced packaging, bad design makes the world a more difficult place to live in."

This article made me question the idea of "good design." What is good? and is making something good always the best answer. Should you create something that will win awards or something that makes sense for the business or client. Can bad design be good sometimes? Designers tend to me removed from direct contact with the organization or event they are working to promote or create awareness for. Designers can be just as important, though, as the people directly involved because they are removed. Degrees of separation. If there is a good cause and a good design they work together and create good because design can unify and help us remember. Design can simplify our lives, it can make someone feel better, it can make the world a safer place, it can help people rally for a cause, it can inform and teach, it can raise money, it can make people more tolerant.

This article is the dreamers idea of being a designer: that they can save the world with their designs. I don't think this is a bad way to be, shoot for the stars, but on a more realistic level how many designers really make it to that place where they can really, honestly improve the word? It seems a little absurd to some, but I understand and see the possibilities of good design. Sagmeister is so inspiring because he is honest and because he cares. This article is about the dreamer and shows the possibility a designer has to do something that will spark unity and change. Just think of Sol Sender and the Barack Obama campaign. Design really changed the world of politics and peoples idea of hope! Good design works!

If I were to ask Sagmeister a question it would be how do you make it so good? What is the key element to making people notice your design and think twice about it? He seems to use a lot of hand drawn type, which I feel is a really important tool to making people notice. It is the presence of the artist's hand. His designs are not cold, they have a human touch. People relate to that. I would ask him if he thinks hand drawn type is more impactful and relatable. I would like to try this approach sometime.

Timeline sketches

sketch round 03

sketch round 02

the history of the bathing suit

this timeline is fun. it is about summer, textiles, patter, water, and the pool! I am just playing with type, pattern, and summer/ flower images. I have a ways to go though.

sketch round 01

this is the concept i decided to go with

Journal 04

MY MANTRA FOR THE WEEK

9. Begin anywhere. John Cage tells us that not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. His advice: begin anywhere.

This motto is applicable in that we are beginning a new project his week! As difficult as it can be to begin the process all over agian, you have to start somewhere! Thanks for the advice Bruce and John!

Man oh man, Bruce! I couldn't have put it any other way.

18. Stay up late. Strange things happen when you’ve gone too far, been up too long, worked too hard, and you're separated from the rest of the world.

WHO IS BRUCE MAU? WHAT HAS HE DONE? WHY IS HE SO FASCINATING?

Bruce Mau is a visionary and world-leading innovator. As Chief Creative Officer of Bruce Mau Design, he proves that the power of design is boundless, and has the capacity to bring positive change on a global scale. Mau founded his studio in 1985, and his first project was the celebrated Zone Books series. A decade later he produced S,M,L,XL, an award-winning compendium developed in close collaboration with Rem Koolhaas. In 2003 Mau founded the Institute without Boundaries, a studio-based postgraduate program that was formed out of the conviction that the future demands a new breed of designer. This became the engine for Massive Change, an ambitious travelling exhibition, publication and educational program series that mapped out the power and possibility of design. In recent years he also worked on !Guateamala!, in collaboration with business and cultural leaders of Guatemala, to design a galvanizing movement to realize a positive future of their country. Throughout the years, Mau has gained an international reputation for his commitment to interdisciplinary and purpose-driven innovation. As the creative force driving studios in Chicago and Toronto, he recognizes that the complex challenges of the future demand innovation across disciplines and industries. In the fall of 2009, Mau was given the distinguished Louise Blouin Foundation Award at the Global Creative Leadership Summit for his exceptional creative achievement. In 2007 Mau was presented with the AIGA Gold Medal for communication design. He was named the Bill and Stephanie Sick Distinguished Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Bruce Mau is also the feature of the recently released book by Warren Berger, GLIMMER: How Design Can Transform Your Life and Maybe Even the World (Penguin Press). This spring also brings the release of The Third Teacher, a book that Mau and his studio co-authored with OWP/P and VS Furniture, which examine the relationship between the educational environment and learning outcomes. Other clients include: Frank Gehry, MTV, New Meadowlands Stadium, Coca Cola and the feature length documentary The11th Hour. Through his design practice, Mau continues to pursue life’s big question, “Now that we can do anything, what will we do?”

Final Book Covers

CONCEPT STATEMENT

CLIP. WHACK. HIT. BURN. SWAG.

The Boss is the ultimate decider of who should stay and who should go in the cut throat word of an Italian Mobster. The “Don” and his men are responsible for big city hustles and schemes, including car theft, hijacking, smuggling, and other criminal activity. A career in the so called "waste management business" is as time consuming as a regular 9-to-5, but instead of a briefcase, these men sport flashy pinky rings, hankies, gold cufflinks, and Italian suits. It is not all glitz, glamor, and beautiful women, though, if you become to greedy and are caught "eating alone" you will be clipped, hit, whacked. Capiche? The best way to stay alive in this business is to stay clear of any rats and not be a "jamook," an idiot, loser, lamebrain, you know, a jamook!

TO SUGGEST

the feeling of being on edge

a daunting feeling

death and violence

the harsh, cold reality of organized crime

mystery

Jounral 03: Twenty Rules

Important rules:

rule 03: Speak with one visual voice.

This rule is often hard to realize, but basically you have to make sure all of the parts in your design "talk to each other" and make sense together.

rule 07: If you can do it with less, then do it.

I love this rule! I like simple designs and find beauty in clean, crisp layouts etc. I found a book with some business cards in it and some of them utilized only geometric shapes in simple colors and they looked beautiful and sophisticated. I want to try this sometime when applicable.

rule 09: Treat the type as image, as though it's just as important.

This is a good rule to make your design more interesting. You have to be careful with legibility, but if worked well it is a great device.

Need to work on:

rule 02: Communicate – don't decorate.

I feel like at the beginning of projects I tend to just collage images together and don't communicate a clear goal or concept. I usually end up with a clear concept with out decorations, but the beginning is always too decorative for me.

rule 05: Use the one-two punch!

This is a very important aspect of designing. You need to focus the viewers attention on one important thing and then lead them through the rest. I need to practice establishing a clearer hierarchy.

rule 12: Squish and separate.

I don't think about my typography as much as I should. I need to have more variety in my font choices and leading, kerning. I need to make more confident choices and be more bold!

Don't need to work on:

rule 06: Pick your colors on purpose.

This rule is important, but I feel like I have a good sense of choosing colors. I always want to break away from the expected colors, but often realize that the expected is usually the best, but you can make it less expected through form, texture, and arrangement.

rule 08: Negative space is magical – create it, don't just fill it up!

I feel like I am getting better at using negative space especially with my Graphic Design project, the logo design. I have really embraced it.

rule 10:

Type is only type when it's friendly.

This rule is a little obvious. Make type legible and readable.

Book Cover

Okay. Here are my latest versions. I like them tonight, we will see how I feel in the morning after I print!

Newest Revisions. It is getting there!

attempt at making the typography look like a label in a jacket?

Oh, the possibilities!

I just need to work on the typography of my titles. I don't know how to make them feel like the Italian Mafia or how to make them more interesting. Help!

Journal 02

Who is Chip Kidd?

Chip Kidd is a designer, writer, and editor who has designed some 1,000 book covers! He has been so successful because he tries not to be literal when designing book covers. This makes me a bit upset because I just realized how literal some of my book covers are. If the cover is about a rat, don't but a rat on the cover. I need to work on this and try to point at the subject matter without being too literal. Hmm... Chip Kidd inspiration.

Who is John Gall?

John Gall is the Vice President and Art Director for Vintage and Anchor Books. After seeing John's designs I realized that I need to add more text to my covers. Gall uses a lot of typography to emphasis the subject matter. It is a nice combination of image and text! Try it! John Gall inspiration.

Revisions