Semester 2 Final

Semester 2 Final

What did I do this semester?

Magazine Spread

For this project, I selected a local designer, interviewed her, and then designed a two page magazine spread over the interview using her design style. This project started towards the end of first semester when the interview was done. Designing did not start until second semester, so not including winter break it took about 5-6 weeks. Working with layout was somewhat new so that was challenging in this project. I did yearbook last year so I had some experience but having to create all original content was different from yearbook. This project really pushed me to pull out more of my own design elements and be creative while using the interview and photos provided to me. I learned so much about the design industry during the interview and a lot about spread design during the project, too. Some feedback I was given at the critique was to look and find what I actually contributed to the design and what was just photos and text provided to me. After realizing that, although I had picked out fonts and made a layout, there wasn't that much of my own work on the spread, I added several more design elements. I cutout a photo of Megan and made my own minimalist background box behind her. I also played with pull quotes and making them really unique. My overall opinion of this project is great. It was a really fun project to complete and it taught me a lot about being a designer. I think my finished project ended up looking great.

Snapchat Geofilters

This was an outside project that I did on my own time. For this project I created two of my own geofilters to submit to Playa del Carmen, Mexico in the hopes of being able to use them on spring break. This project took me about three weeks to completely finish as I was working on them during spare time in class and at home. A big challenge I faced was that I wanted all of the graphics to be original so I had to create my own vectors of tropical leaves. I wanted it to look watercolor so I tried painted my own and scanning them in at first but it didn't look quite right. Next, I tried finding a tutorial on making the shape and many of the shapes I tried didn't look very good so it took several attempts to finally get a few shaped that I was satisfied with. The final thing I did was find a water color texture and change it to green in photoshop. I saved out several different shades of green so that each leaf was different. I made a clipping mask on the leaf to give it a nice, shaded watercolor texture. This project helped me learn how to make my own graphics rather than just finding free vectors. It was really beneficial in teaching me many shape tools that can be used to make the graphics. Along the was I asked for the opinions of Courtney, friends, and family. I do not specifically remember any feedback or changes, but my final outcome was far different from my original idea. My first idea of what I wanted was a transparent box with leaves coming out of all of the edges and the "Playa del Carmen" in the middle. One of my filters looks somewhat like that but the other was a completely different idea I came up with along the way. My overall opinion is somewhat good. I love my finished filters, but the were not accepted by snapchat which was frustrating because when I went to Playa del Carmen, the other filters were not very good. It was a beneficial lesson though and it gave me a good project for my portfolio, to submit to e-Magine, and for endorsement hours.

Personal Branding

This project was to design a personal logo, business card, and stationary. This project took about half of third quarter. This project was extremely challenging because it required me to think about what I was my impression to be as a designer. I had to really get in touch with my design style and who I am to decide what I wanted my logo to be. Along the way I learned how to create an entire brand and how to represent myself. I decided my sort off design style and how I want people to see me as a designer. Some feedback I was given on my original business card was to choose just one color and move the pattern to the front. I changed both of those things and I really think it made the business card so much better. I also played with the type and changed that some on the back which helped with readability. My overall opinion on the process is a good one. This project was probably one of the most beneficial projects that I have completed in e-Comm. It gave me extremely important materials to be able to have my own business as a designer. 

Swim & Dive Tank

Lauren Pugh contacted me asking for me to design the swim and dive tanks. She sent me a design that she wanted and asked me to just recreate it. This project only took a few days of working because it was a quick deadline and I only need to recreate a design similar to her example. I didn't face many challenges besides that I had two scholarship applications due the same day that she wanted the shirts so it was a little stressful that week being crunched for time. I texted Lauren throughout the process sending her pictures and asking for feedback. The one change I remember making for her was making the box behind the text transparent instead of white. My overall opinion is good. It was a cute design and fun to do. I always love getting to see people wear my design so I loved that part. The whole process itself wasn't very original but I did was the client wanted.

Cover Art Design

This project was to design a cover for a friend's music mix. It took about a week and a half to complete this project. Some major challenges I faced was that the person I designed for provided me with low quality picture that didn't really go with the rest of what he wanted. I needed up making four different variations of the cover for him when he originally asked for one. I wasn't getting any sort of payment so it was frustrating to have to spend so much time on doing a favor for him and nothing really looking great int the end. I learned that some people may having a different taste in what they think of as good design and that some clients aren't right for me. My original font wasn't great so I changed that and my client wanted to see the image both upside down and right side up in the design. In the end I gave him what he wanted but I didn't like it so I designed an entirely new one just doing what I wanted to do and gave him that one as well. Overall I didn't like the process of the design but I like my last cover that I did and I think it's really different.

The Bike Shack Advertising 

This project was to create a fake company that provided some sort of service and make a logo, billboard, magazine ad, newspaper ad, web ads, brochure, and infographic for it. This project took all of fourth quarter. Some challenges I faced was Mrs. Burdolski being gone so I didn't get her feedback. Other than that there weren't too many challenges. I think that the infographic was the most challenging since it was new to me but with some searching and brainstorming I got a clear idea of the concept I wanted to create. Along the way, I learned how to do everything a lot more independently mostly just using peers for feedback. I also learned a lot about infographics and the process of building one. Some feedback I was given was to play with the spacing of my logo and darken the colors. On advertising I asked people near me along the way on their opinions of background images and text formatting. I changed the colors of my logo slightly and some of the spacing. I also opened up kerning on my brochure to make the body type more readable. On advertising, I changed my background along the way with the help of the options of my peers. Overall I loved this project. Branding projects are always my favorite and I got to finally do the style brand that I haver been wanting to do for a while. I am really proud of all of my finished work for this project.

Class Time

I have done a good job staying on task and working in class. In class I was spending time brainstorming, sketching, getting inspiration, designing, and perfecting. During times where I was finished I spent time doing mockups for bechance, side projects, and perfecting my work in any way possible. There were very few times where I felt that I was completely done before a deadline because any project can always be pushed to be better. Outside of class I spent time on side projects like the geofilters, swim and dive tank, and cover art. I did another very small side project, also. I made a simple prom tank top for a prom group. It only took a day or two of class and isn't on my bechance so I didn't include it in my projects, but that is just another example of how I spent all of my time productively. Outside of class I did sketches, found ideas, and worked on my projects. I have all of the software so I spend well over two hours a week outside of school on ym projects and outside projects. 

Strength

I think my strength include being reliable, creative, and consistent. All of my deadlines have been met for in class and out of class projects. If a client asks me for something by a certain day I will make sure that it is done by then. I think that I have come up with many of my own original ideas. Sometimes it takes some pushing with sketches but I am confident in saying that I have come up with many creative idea. I have always put my full effort into every project that I have completed. This makes me very consistent because even if I don't like a project I don't blow it off. I really value wanting to have a good looking portfolio so making sure that every project is done to the best of my ability is really important to me. 

Weakness

I think my main weakness this semester was attendance. I was really good with making sure to communicate attendance with Burdolski, but had troubles with communication because of having a substitute. After the first progress review this quarter and getting a low score for myself I tried to make it in more often. I still didn't get as high as a review as usual and wish I would've been able to communicate absences more.

Summary

What I loved most the semester was getting to wrap up everything I have completed in e-Comm and do Senior Show. The only thing I would change is trying to come to class more often when I didn't feel well and find a way to communicate when I wasn't going to make it in to class. I really wish that I hadn't gotten a B this semester because I have never gotten a B in this class before. My overall take away was learning how to be professional in the senior show and finishing my portfolio. E-Communications has taught me so much and without it I'm not sure what I would be doing in college. I'm so happy I joined and it lead me to what I want to do as my career.