Tea Bags

A simplistic design (used by many) but highly functional is this container by Stash Tea. This package can be used two different ways. You can allow it to stand up tall and dispense bags one at a time or let it sit on its side. Stash has a very simplistic logo. A serif font with a starburst around the center letter.

Adobe Design Software

One of the great things of knowing how to use inDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop programs properly is being able to merge them into a good design. Perhaps the newsletter I designed required graphic work, sharp photos and a good layout. I could have used the appropriate program for its strength. Not only that, I would have been able to prepare my final output correctly for the printer.

I now not only know why inDesign is telling me that there is an error in my print job because the photographs are RGB, I know why it is a problem and, most importantly, I know how to fix it. I know that I can go to Photoshop and correct the mode of my photographs. (Hopefully this knowledge will save my office some money for time the print shop doesn't spend correcting this for me!) And I know that if I create anything that needs to retain its definition when increased or decreased in size that Illustrator is the software to turn to.

Logo Design

Logo Design

Well-Designed

I think the logo that Oprah uses for her magazine and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s logo are well designed.

Oprah—who has unique name to begin with—has simply taken the first initial of her name and it is recognized as her. Very simplistic and a clean font lead to instant recognition.

I think the NMSS logo is well designed. It too is simplistic—simply the letters MS (multiple sclerosis) with a black line swooping through it. The black line indicates eradication of the disease.

Poorly-Designed

A very well known logo and one not too popular are deemed by me to be poorly designed.

Boys and Girls Clubs of America—this logo is a set of clasped hands. The hands seem to promote unity and cohesion. However, the really don’t seem to have anything to do with boys or girls.

Magic Johnson Enterprises—I feel that this logo is so abstract that it doesn’t hit the mark. If I force myself to, I can make the letter ‘m’ from the yellow and blue image (but it is a real stretch). I will say that the size of the image does indicate strength.

For Chocolate Lovers

Here is my image of a positive use of color. I love the use of brown in this advertisement. It makes the page look as if it can be eaten.

It Probably Looks Better Printed on Coated Stock

In this piece the use of yellow ink allows the difference of environmental lighting in which the advertisement is viewed to have great importance. If the light setting is shadowed it is difficult to read or see the words printed in yellow. The fact that it is printed on newsprint doesn't help. I think if it were printed on coated paper stock it may not matter as much.

The logo for Adoption Expo is a good use of type as image.The "t" and "it" look like an adult and a child in a hugging pose.

Finest Feature of Photoshop

For me one of the best features of Photoshop is the Magic Wand. There have been multiple times when I want to use a portion of an image and leave out the background or change the background. In the images below I have replaced the background. I used the following steps.

1. Cropped the original image to include a portion of the canvas.
2. Added text to the canvas portion using the Vertical Type Tool
3. Double clicked the Background layer to create a new layer
4. Selected the MagicWand, Contiguous and made the Tolerance 50
5. Placed the Magic Wand over a portion of the sky and using the Shift key, highlighted all of the sky portions of the image
6. Clicked Delete to remove the sky
7. Added a new color background (using inDesign--I'm sure there is probably a way to do this in Photoshop).

Folded Invitation

Again this was an assignment that I struggled with; no folded self-mailers in my house. [Yeah! Trashing mail as it comes is paying off—or is it now stopping me from easily doing my homework? I digress.] Then I stumbled across this invitation at work.

This is a bit more complicated than our homework is. It has a die cut and an inside pocket. Of course, a lovely ribbon adds class to it. The complimentary colors of this piece keep it unified. The outer flaps, invitation, response card and sealing sticker all are printed on the same paper. There is also continuity with the scroll design printing in brown on the beige piece and printing beige on the brown piece.

Folded Envelope with Sealer

Flaps Unfolded

Invitation in Ribbon; Response Card in Pocket

The Invitation and Response Card

Cooking Uses a Recipe, Layout Uses a Grid

This example of a 4-column, 3-row grid comes from one of my favorite magazines, Cook's Illustrated. (I love the illustrations!) This particular page puts the grid to fantastic use. There is a great deal of subdivision that flows well. Your eye is easily led from left to right and then top to bottom.

Reminds Me of Our First Two Assignments

Massanutten Resort is having a Halloween party. Their invitation is quite inviting. The font used for Thrill on the Hill is glowing and looks slightly thrilling.

Time Saving Lessons from InDesign CS5

Though I have used InDesign for at least three years now, the skills learned for CS5 in PBDS 501 are already paying off. Each fall I am responsible for the layout of a program book (I look forward to going electronic with this next year) and an additional 120+-page book. I am enjoying the ability to visualize the speakers' pictures in the frames without having to resize them. Another thing I learned that is a time saver is the Character Style feature. I was always identifying the font family for each time I applied a character style--what an aha moment it was to learn that I was defeating the purpose of this feature by doing so.

Classic Clean Lines

The use of color and non-justified text draw this particular layout to my eye. The font used, point size and leading make it easy to read. Pull quotes are used nicely to entice the reader. And of course, because the subject matter is designing rooms in a house, there are ample photographs.

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words—Can a Few Words Create a Picture?

As my experience with our typography assignment has shown me, designing with typography alone is not an easy task. Thus it would explain why I couldn’t find what I believe are true examples. Nonetheless I submit the following:

WTOP

There is one graphic used in this advertisement but the remainder of it is simply words repeated over and over. Just the same as the radio station repeats its format over and over during the day. The bold font used for Traffic & Weather reinforces the fact the traffic and weather is repeated every ten minutes during the day. Without a picture, they are able to get their point across.

Not Your Daughter’s JeansThough this advertisement is a two-page spread (with words fully depicting what is being sold), if you look at the letters of NYDJ you can see a figure that is lean in shape. The figures arms are uplifted in the Y with a thin bottom envisioned in the J (jeans). One is lead to believe from the typography that wearing these jeans will alter your true shape (if necessary).

Look Good for Your Age

This article title uses a typeface that exudes beauty. The delicate lines moving from the arm of the K, ascender of the D, the descender of the G and Y and other locations around the words draw your eye to the page. I believe that anyone (woman) over the age of 30 concerned about his or her looks would read this article.

Creative Concept 2

My House Looks Good in that Color

I was immediately taken by the “paint” chips advertising house siding. Versus simply showing the different color siding they sell, this advertisement allows you to see the siding in a “living” method. Asymmetrical balance and the rule of thirds are used in this layout. Strong value is assigned to the chips.

Creative Concept 1

Where Is His Mouth?

This advertisement immediately caught my attention because it is a jigsaw puzzle. I felt compelled to read it to figure out why the pieces representing the mouth are missing. I must admit that once I did read it I felt it was a wee bit corny. But because I stopped to read it, the designer has done their job. Strong value is assigned to the face and it is an asymmetrical layout.

Symmetry? Asymmetry? That Is the Question

Preappoved

Massey’s preapproval for credit is asymmetrically balanced in font size and placement of text and images on this page. The visual weight is heavy slightly above the center of the vertical center of the page and at the bottom. The weight of the black text varies against the weight of the non-black text.

Discover

Another cry to extend credit has my eye reading from top to bottom in a straight line; left to right. The shape of the page is rectangular. The text sits squarely in a vertical row. And though the fonts are different colors there is symmetry as to which words are darker. This request is symmetrically balanced.

Pop-Tarts

This push of sugar captures our eyes with a symmetrical balance of words and images. Again we are lead top to bottom and left to right. Though the fonts have different weights, overall the balance of all items is symmetrical. If you look closely, you can almost envision 3-4 scoops of ice cream (less, sugar, sweet) sitting in a cone (“introducing” to “Ice Cream Shoppe”).

Sauza

Again, this week Sauza fits the bill. The visual weight of this layout has a sharp contrast between the poured liquid and the text at the top and bottom of the page. The liquid creates a clear sense of movement. As well, the isolation of the liquid in the middle of the page leads to an asymmetrical balance.

Adobe’s InDesign CS5

I have been using Adobe's InDesign (CS3) for the past three years. I migrated to it from Corel Ventura. Change can sometimes lead to frustration. Though InDesign has great features, I had to learn them and missed some features from Ventura that are just now being released in InDesign CS5—specifically, the ability to span text across columns.

InDesign is a powerful program. The new CS5 features—interactive documents and presentations, simplified object selection, multiple page sizes, and of course, spanning text, will increase the value of the program to me.

I look forward to learning these new features and implementing them in my layout of publications.

Figure+Ground and Four Principles of Design

Figure/Ground

This book cover title “Positively Dangerous,” plays on figure and ground with the ascender and descender of the letter “p” and the letter “d.” The leading between words allows the ascender/descender to flow into each other. (I was unable to get the scanner to scan the entire cover.) If the entire cover were seen, however, the distinctiveness could be seen better.

Example of C.R.A.P.

Sauza Advertisement

This advertisement for Sauza follows C.R.A.P. in the following way:

C = the swirl of the liquid is a very unique element on the page. Its movement is fluid and directive.

R = the fonts used in the advertisement (top of page, ice cubes and tag line) are repetitive.

A =the swirl aligns itself horizontally with the text at top and bottom of the page. And it causes your eye to drop straight to the images (the product, as well as pitcher the liquid poured from and the glass it was poured in) in the lower right corner.

P = the swirl dropping down to the bottle puts the swirl and bottle in proximity. As well the text at the bottom of the page is lined up with the images on the bottom right.

I feel this is a good advertisement—I was drawn to read the text on the ice cubes which tell the story of how a group gathered for a book club drinking margaritas made from Sauza will have a great evening.

Assignment 1 - PBDS 502

Print Piece 1

This piece uses color well. However, there is strong competition on the page. Five sections have the same visual weight. The reader is not able to discern where to begin reading. (Poor design)

Print Piece 2
This piece is unfocused. The tree appears off in the distance and is swallowed by the colored background. Besides the words, one does not know that this is promoting miniature golf. The word color contrast is poor. (Poor design)

Print Piece 3
This piece's layout leads the eye in a direct path. It is clear that we are witnessing a progression of change. The images contrast well off a neutral colored background. (Good design)

Print Piece 4
Piece 4 has strong color contrast. It uses the image well—your eye looks at the tachometer and knows this piece is about a car. The head grabs your attention. And there is no doubt as to what is being advertised. (Good design)