Class Info: week 4, class 8

This agenda provides a detailed outline to give a clear vision of the day’s class.

• Date: Wednesday, September 22
• Category: Icon sketches

To-Do: before class

• • Post your homework
  • Prepare to describe your work in terms of graphic shape

Topic

Icon design

Goal: Create forms that signify essential qualities

Objectives: define images that communicate

Systems

What are they?

How do they affect design?

Examples of visual communication affecting systems

Activities

• • Upload photos to Miro
  • Video: negative space logo design

Lecture

• • Subtractive drawing
  • Review deductive method of cropping
  • Video: negative space logo design.  start at 2 minutes and 3:45

Workshop

• • Combine one icon with a letterform.
  • Continue to focus on figure/ground, and balance in your studies.
  • Create different combinations by combining images with cropped letterforms.
    • In some variations, call attention to the icon.
      In others, allow the letter to become the dominant form.

About

The goal of this assignment is to simplify the form of a familiar object, through the process of documentation. For this reason it may be more rewarding to select a fairly commonplace object instead of a very unusual or rare one. 

Process

In class, we will start to document your images on 8.5 x 11 paper

1. Investigate method of documentation that reveals the most interesting visual qualities in your object, qualities you may have previously overlooked and are not evident at first glance. 

This will differ depending on your object but consider: xeroxing (to highlight shape and contour), scanning (to reveal very precise detail through enlargement), making a rubbing (if your object has interesting texture), photographing (if your object is large and not collectible). 

Each of these processes can be further subdivided. For example:
Scan or xerox several sides or angles, photograph from different angles (e.g. frontal view, angle, profile view, top view, etc.) and under different lighting conditions (artificial vs. natural light, day vs. night).

Draw your own, or work with an existing icon or symbol. 

2. We will combine one icon with each letterforms. Continue to focus on figure/ground, and balance in your studies.

Create different combinations by combining images with cropped letterforms. In some variations, call attention to the icon. In others, allow the letter to becoming the dominant form. 

Due Next Class

• • 10 diagrams of icon configuration
  • Read and Comment On Online Discussion
    Use these terms: figure-ground, continuity

Resources:

Preparation resources

Use negative space in logo design; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzvJWWLTuEM

For reference, look at icons in The Noun Project for ideas https://store.thenounproject.com

Creating images in Illustrator: Adobe shape builder: (2 mins)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaXc3nU6ZNo

Icon reference: https://www.pinterest.com/sharp/icon-inspiration/?lp=true

Symbol reference: https://www.designspiration.net/search/saves/page/1/?q=icon%20symbol