Overview: You will develop ideas and create a final Digital format 11″ x 14″ executed in Illustrator that expresses yourself in a figure/ground flag style design. Present an understanding of the Design Elements and Principles we’ve studied. Choose and develop a color palette that has meaning to you and create personal logos/emblems integrated into a dynamic unified visual statement.

1. Discover

1) Research, and sketching. BEFORE THINKING OF YOUR PERSONAL FLAG:

  • Research: Background history of pictorial symbolic language.
  • Open each of the following links and pick a few images to post, take notes from and sketch from: (Tip: you may also do your own search in these 3 categories but include a word to indicate your own interests: such as Logo designs related to nature..etc)
    • Pictograms– graphic symbols (you may also search for Pictogram subjects suited to your interests)
    • Heiroglyphs–a pictorial language through ancient history Design- banding ideas, simple composition devices, color symbolism
    • Logo Designs– study styles, composites, symbolism, flow.
    • Flag Design: – study simple division of picture plane, and color field design used in flags. You can research Color Symbolism in flags and shape symbols.
  • On 2 sheets of sketch paper, make roughly 3 small sketches each from the above 3 sources.
  • Drawing is to learn how these symbolic shapes are constructed and to get ideas for your own design. You may copy from sources to LEARN, analyze, then change, modify, and recombine when creating your own unique designs.

2. Define

  • Personal Ideation: Make a Mindmap or outline on sketchbook pages
  • Write down 4-8 words in these 3 categories:
    • Likes and Interests (sports, music, politics, food, animals, etc)
    • Personal Attributes and Qualities (humor, honesty, messy, quiet, outgoing, etc)
    • Outside affiliations: religion, country, teams, organizations.
  • Make several individual sketches, on mindmap or sketch paper, to illustrate and symbolize your interests, attributes, and affiliations.
    • Interests category: Find reference images, start by using descriptive realistic illustrations to make your subjects, then proceed to translate forms into more graphic style symbols.
    • Personal Attributes category: In order to portray qualities, not things, you will have to use more Abstract lines, shapes, and colors to represent who you are. Think about your doodles to music and how to portray emotions with varying line direction, line quality, and shape.
    • Pick ONE Idea that can be translated as visual

Start using Illustrator:

  • Develop more graphic style shapes, pictograms, symbols, or logos, to represent these activities and categories.
    • Stylize or geometricize your shapes, use silhouetted images.
    • Combine, make hybrids, use negative/positive shapes, etc.
    • Find examples in graphic design, search for your images in your specific interest areas, and modify and change them to make them your own.
  • Composition: Create 5 + thumbnails of the flag design itself; the dividing up of the rectangle, where you will put your logos, how big etc. Color Palette, and symbolism. Use your flag design research for ideas.
  • Color Symbolism: Research and make palette swatches. Make every decision in hue/value/saturation to have a meaning.
  • Critique and revision

4. Develop

  • Final executed in Illustrator format.
  • For this project, you will use concepts related to the abstract depiction of a mood or idea, such as in your Line Project 1 where you drew lines/shapes representing Power and Fragility.
  • This abstract process is important in order to represent graphically your personal attributes; for instance happy, serious, impetuous, moody, generous – to integrate a quality like this into the symbolic form requires abstract properties.
  • You can also use representational means to draw subjects.
    • It is important when creating graphics of activities/interests you enjoy to think about how literal and description do you want the form be vs abstract, using a silhouette or simple graphic shape.
  • Use Color Symbolism. No Color should be arbitrary. Write out all the meanings

5. Deliver by Monday, December 18th, 2023

Critique

  • Bring all parts of this project to class: Discover, Define, and Develop
  • Be prepared to present, discuss, and analyze your finished work in terms of concept, craft, what you learned, and the design process.
  • State the following: your name, what you are presenting (title and design problem), which parts are successful and why, and which parts are unsuccessful and why.
  • Your peers and the professor will provide feedback. You will have an opportunity to revise your work based on the feedback to improve your work and your grade.

Documentation and Feedback

Submitting in your work

Follow the Submitting Your Work guidelines and include the project-specific details below:

  • Post Title: Final Personal Flag
  • Images: Upload images of mind map and sketches. Export all illustrator versions as JPG or PNG. Organize your post to include all content from the three other Design Process phases for this project. Create headings for each phase and include images or a gallery, where appropriate:
    • Discover: Research & Sketching
    • Define: Mind Map & Ideation
    • Develop: Digital Color Palettes
  • Written Project Reflection: In the Deliver section of your post, document your thoughts about this project. Think about what you learned, what you could have done better (planning, material use, craft), and how you will apply what you learned to your next semester class. Consider and respond to the comments made in class during the critique.
  • Category and Tags:
    • Category = COMD1100 Project #8
    • Tags = Deliver, Final-Personal Flag (Digital or Print)
  • Upload Illustrator File in Google Drive link.

REMINDER: You will receive a grade and comments from the Professor on this post. Without this post, you will not receive a grade.