Category: COMD1100 Graphic Design Principles I

This class was definitely a challenge for me. However, I can say that I learned a lot such as the importance of craftsmanship, design elements and principles, etc. which were all new to me. Unfortunately, my craftsmanship still isn’t the best but taking this course did help me with precision. For instance, I became more comfortable using the exacto knife as it got easier to use since the beginning while learning other small techniques through trial and error including using a separate sheet of paper to prevent fingerprints. In addition, I feel that I have been able to spot various design elements and principles everywhere and anywhere outside of class, taking note on what works and what doesn’t especially when improving and applying them to my own “work”. Overall, I have learned a whole new understanding of design this semester.

On the upcoming trip to the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, I am most excited about the Pixar: The Design of Story exhibition where it showcases the making of the movies I’ve grown up with from Finding Nemo to The Incredibles to Wall-E. The exhibition features the development of not only my favorite characters hand-drawn, painted and even sculptured, but also scenes and minor characters from a number of their popular films. Being surrounded by Pixar’s work will, without a doubt, make me nostalgic.

Project 3 helped me understand and play around with layering, transparency and mostly value. As this project gave me the opportunity to attempt perfecting the right grayscale color progression with the paint and magazine, I feel that I am able to easily tell whether there is either an adequate or too much of a “jump” from one color to the next. My project was not entirely successful with this, but I was able to see the mistake after it was assembled and placed next to each other. With the marker texture, I’ve also learned that value, not only works with color but works with any texture there is.

From attending this workshop, I learned how to use WordPress more efficiently and improve how my ePortfolio is being presented. More specifically, we looked at both good and bad examples of an ePortfolio, learned about plugins, which I never really bothered to notice and we also did an exercise, giving me some idea on what else to add to my portfolio as it is not the most appealing or interesting at the moment. Overall, the workshop has helped me become more comfortable using ePortfolios, which I will use to my advantage, knowing that I’ll be using it for future classes.

1) BuzzFeed (Site/YouTube channels)
I chose BuzzFeed because of how much I enjoy their content on a daily basis, especially their YouTube videos. I am really fond of their editing as well as camera work (for example, this video in accompany with this video) therefore, I would love to be part of their video production.
2) Google
Even though Google is one of the biggest companies out there, making it almost beyond reach to work there, it is no doubt that it would be an amazing opportunity. The openings in their Creative Lab caught my attention, and I definitely would not mind being a part of it.
3) The Representation Project
The Representation Project would probably call themselves more of a movement than they would a company, but I am drawn to what they do as it is something I find very important generally and very important to me. They use the media, especially film, to challenge gender roles and norms as a social construct, bringing them into question. I am/would be interested in using design in any way possible to promote and spread awareness and/or even be a part of their film production.

Our first project helped me further understand the use of frames. Seeing that frames serve as a separator, isolating the design from its surroundings, the 4×4 cut outs separated one composition from the other, making any viewer focus on one at a time. In addition, the frames covers the rest of the design that lies behind it. Thus, frames can also help with setting apart a fraction of a design or picture from the rest of it. In short, I have learned that frames are mainly used to call attention.

In a design project, I would use this brick wall texture when manipulating photos.

While doing this exercise, I learned how complex shapes can be “formed” from symmetrical to asymmetrical and free-form, in turn, acknowledging the infinite amount of shapes that can be constructed. I also learned that with negative and positive space, it is not possible to change one and not the other. For example, the more shapes (positive space) I made and glued onto either the smooth bristol or artagain paper, the less negative space there was and vice versa.

In the article, “An Exhibition That Proves Video Games Can Be Art” by Nathan Reese, a college museum in Massachusetts is displaying video games by designer, Jason Rohrer. This new exhibition shows that video games are not just a form of entertainment but also a form of art. In addition, not only are they displayed in Wellesley College’s Davis museum, but Rohrer’s possibly most popular game, “Passage”, can also be seen in the Museum of Modern Art. Yet, video games considered as anything but a way to enjoy yourself is still debatable. Roger Ebert, a film critic, argued that they are not and will never be art. However, he changed his mind a few months later admitting that he did not foresee the artistic potential of any video game.

Before even reading the article, I couldn’t agree more with how video games are/can be considered a form of art. Just like painting and drawing, video games can also be a way to express yourself. They can tell a story in an interactive way, allowing the player to “put themselves in it”, which is a unique way to appreciate and understand the story and/or message it might be trying to tell. Not to mention how I didn’t think that there could be a place for video games in a museum; it’s a really interesting idea and, I am now hoping that it will be more common in the near future.