https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AByw-8FnCp8tf5m3mfZtsrevbVA6oxYo/view?usp=sharing
From the virtual networking “Graphic Design Masterclass” by the Academy of Digital Industries, and the presentation by Chris Allen, I learned that Graphic Design is all around us and that typography if used correctly has infinite choice & infinite possibilities.
I also learned the importance of typography readability and eligibility, such as in road signs for the highway, the letter spacing between the type (kerning) has to be abnormal due to people traveling at high speeds, which makes the person able to read the sign as if it were normal.
This helped me understand the importance of designing and formatting my typography to make it eligible and easy to read for me or the target audience.
The second event I chose to attend was “Tony Williams Artist Talk – All We Cannot Forget”. This event was held by the Riffe Gallery Ohio Arts Council.
The speaker, Tony Williams is an independent self-employed Fiber Artist working with Paper and Indigo (A fiber artist is an artist who creates art using natural or synthetic fibers, such as yarn, fabric, or other materials).
Tony Williams shared his journey, inspirations, and processes from his background being born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised on the east side of Cleveland in a neighborhood called Hough on Hough Ave above the Astor Theater in the mid-60s during the Hough riots.
Tony during his talk was making an emphasis on to not frown upon an artist’s craft because that is the basis of all art, it’s craft. He doesn’t understand why art is judged by tiers, like high art/low art, and believes that there needs to be some real clarification on how we approach art.
Tony held a Q&A after the event and I wasted no time asking questions regarding his artist’s journey and he responded with it has been very interesting saying he’s done costuming, worked in the garment industry, drawing and painting, and came back, when he did he felt different and felt more expressive and connected to what he does. “It’s more than painting a pretty picture, there’s some tooth in the art that I’m creating”
The event I chose to attend was the virtual “Graphic Design Masterclass” by the Academy of Digital Industries held on Google Meet, which I found on Eventbrite. The presentation was by Chris Allen and after the presentation, a brief Q&A was held where LinkedIn profile links were shared in the chat.
This 1-hour graphic design masterclass introduces the effective use of typography in design. Along with an understanding of its origins, technologies, and wider cultural impact – you’ll learn practical methods and tips of how to use it effectively. Brought to life with some live learning demos, as well as inspirational examples of design from around the world.
Eventbrite event info
Chris primarily spoke about the effectiveness of typography and how design is all around us and used in everything. Something that stood out to me that he spoke about was road signs and how the type is spaced out and designed a certain way to still be eligible while driving/moving.
Chris also introduced to us KernType a letter spacing creative app/game where you can visually practice your kerning or in other words letter spacing.
In the screenshot provided above you can see in the bottom center my score is 100/100 meaning I aligned/kerned the letter spacing between the randomly generated type perfectly as it should be.
I found this networking event extremely useful and helpful for me as a designer because typography is very important and Chris is right, type is quite literally found everywhere with an infinite choice and infinite possibilities, why not make it so that its eligible and readable no matter the circumstances.
Method of Action is the creative endeavor of Mark MacKay.
Method of Action creates tools, toys and games to help you learn design, for free.
This first one is called KernType a letter spacing game where you can visually practice your kerning or in other words letter spacing.
The next one is called Method Draw. Method Draw is a simple and easy vector editor for the web. It is open source and you can find the source code on GitHub.
These creative apps were introduced to me in the Graphic Design Masterclass networking event by Chris Allen. They helped me realize that all types of resources for designers are out there, even ones that help make learning fun. KernType for example, helped me visualize how much space between letters looks visually appealing to the eyes as well as improving readability.
The AIGA Readings on Design Ethics and Copyright changed my perspective on my personal design work because I was familiar with crediting creative work such as photography or art from an artist or photographer, but fonts however I was unfamiliar with the fact that ethically you should make sure you have a license of the font you are using, that fonts are creative, intellectual property, and that you do not own a font, you license it for limited uses.
Fonts are creative, intellectual property, similar to designers’ creative work or to proprietary business products. Since type is so ubiquitous and fonts are so easy to share among computer users, the legal and moral issues of the simple process of using a font are often overlooked.
– AIGA Readings on Design Ethics and Copyright
The Fairey Copyright Hope Poster case revolves around Shepard Fairey, an artist, and the Associated Press (AP) over the use of an iconic photograph of Barack Obama taken by AP photographer Mannie Garcia. Fairey used the photograph as the basis for his famous “Hope” poster during Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. The case became a significant legal battle over copyright and fair use in art.
The case highlights the tension between artistic creativity and copyright protection. Fairey’s argument that his work was transformative had merit, as the poster conveyed a new message and purpose distinct from the original photograph. However, his failure to seek permission and later dishonesty weakened his position and undermined his fair use claim. The settlement was a reasonable outcome, as it protected the AP’s rights while allowing Fairey’s artwork to remain a cultural icon. Overall, the case serves as a lesson on the importance of balancing artistic freedom with respect for intellectual property.
My experience at Calling All Graphics related to the ethical guidelines in the AIGA guide was just fine.
• A professional designer adheres to principles of integrity that demonstrate respect for the profession, for colleagues, for clients, for audiences or consumers,
and for society as a whole. These standards define the expectations of a professional designer and represent the distinction of an AIGA member in the practice of design. – AIGA Readings on Design Ethics and Copyright
Marla had given us access to websites such as 123rf which has stock photos, vectors, and royalty-free images and no I did not have to sign a confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement at Calling All Graphics, and no restrictions were placed concerning my internship blog for this class.
I was searching for a webinar to attend and the one I chose was titled “Product Design Leader Journey”. The speaker was Cal Thompson, VP of Design and Research at Headspace.
Headspace makes mental health support accessible to everyone, no matter their background or experience. Through the flagship Headspace app, they provide mindfulness tools for everyday life, including meditations, sleepcasts, mindful movement and focus exercises. Their enterprise offerings combine this experience with a human-centered model of care, with coaching, therapy, psychiatry and EAP services under one roof. Their team of experts ranges from mental health clinicians to Emmy award-winning producers and data scientists, working together as one to help millions of people around the world be healthier and more productive.
This webinar was Cal Thompson primarily discussing the importance of Design Strategy and having that design leader mindset.
Cal Thompson @ Headspace leads the product design & research teams: Product, UX, and service design + clinical and design research.
I received an email regarding the Product Design Strategy course advertised and also served as a wrap-up after the Q&A for the webinar and unfortunately, I did not end up winning the course for free.
During my internship at Calling All Graphics under the guidance of Marla Gotay, I contributed to designing and editing digital and non-digital menu boards and logos for various clients. This experience allowed me to refine my creative and technical skills, particularly in Adobe InDesign.
One of my most significant accomplishments was learning and mastering the Tabs feature in InDesign, which greatly enhanced my ability to create organized and professional designs. Through Marla’s mentorship, I developed a deeper understanding of industry standards and improved my ability to manage design projects efficiently.
This internship provided me with hands-on experience in client-focused design work, sharpening my ability to adapt to different branding needs and deliver high-quality results. I am proud of my growth and the contributions I made to the team, and I look forward to applying these skills to future projects.
This week consisted of a collaborative project that the other interns and I at Calling All Graphics worked on during our internship.
Numbers 9, 10, & 11 were designed by me in Adobe Illustrator. This does stray away from Marla’s regular Adobe Indesign use, however, another intern and I felt more comfortable designing logos in Illustrator rather than InDesign because that’s just what I’ve always done and what I am used to.
All of these logos were presented to the client and according to Marla none of these were approved by the client and we were all sent back to the drawing boards.
