Week 11: 4/9/2023–4/15/2023 | Featured Image by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash
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The deliverables for the conference project has been completed. I ran into a few hiccups while awaiting for approval from my mentor and supervisor for the finalized deliverables. Essentially, the client had expressed that she would like to receive the deliverables by April 10th. Despite having sent the finalized deliverables to my supervisor and mentor many days prior to the due date and following up with them, there was a lack of replies. I finally received a response on the morning of the due date from my supervisor who stated that the deliverables were OK for submission and only minor alterations were required for revision. I informed in an E-Mail response that I would send the updated drafts for a final round of revision and aimed to send the deliverables to the client before the end of the work day in a follow-up E-Mail, but received no response.
Because there were no updates and the client had expected the deliverables prior to the end of the workday, I was forced to finally make the decision of sending in the the revisions without going through a final round of revision.
Despite being praised by my supervisor for making the executive decision of sending in the deliverables into the client before the end of the workday, I feel that this experience was cutting it too close. I have determined that for future projects, I should follow up with my team more closely because it will not always be the case where the work I submit will be without issue. There could be things that I overlook that my team members may be able to spot. Thus, I have asked for the phone numbers of my team members, so that I could refer to them when there is a lack of E-Mail communications.
In hindsight, communication may be more effective if the team used tools such as Slack, Discord, or Google Teams. I feel that this opinion may be worth bringing up in the next status meeting.
Week 10: 4/2/2023–4/8/2023 | Featured Image by Angel Cuevas
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The mascot project has been completed finally. One of my friends saw my mascot design while walking through the school and kindly took a photo of it to show me (see featured image). It’s interesting to see my design in a new perspective. I hope that the future designers of my internship’s team will be able to reuse the design of Techy Bear for many years to come.
The client for the new project has also finally got back to me after a long weekend. While she initially expressed that she wanted to go with the second concept I provided in the three drafts, she later changed her mind after speaking with my mentor and proceeded to go with the first concept. See photos below.
Concept 1
Concept 2
Concept 3
At the moment, I am working on the other deliverables based on the conventions of concept 1. I hope to have all work completed before the 10th so that it can be sent to my mentor and supervisor for revision.
Week 9: 3/26/2023–4/1/2023 | Featured Image by Vivian Li
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For this week, I returned to working on the mascots project once again. Although I initially believed that I had finished the project, the mentor who I had ultimately handed off the deliverables to had reached out to both the client and myself. He informed that it might be worth producing a version of the mascots flipped horizontally so that posters and monitors that would feature the graphic may be designed prioritizing the hierarchy of the type rather than prioritizing the placement of the image. He had also suggested additional edits to one of the poses for the mascot so that text may be incorporated superimposed onto the banner (see featured image).
At the same time, I began working on drafts for the new client. For this project, I was initially instructed to produce three concepts for the poster so that I can establish branding. However, I was later contacted by the client and asked to prioritize working on the digital monitors because she wanted to have the event advertised to students before Spring Break ends. I communicated with her that doing so should be of no issue as I can easily translate the work I have done thus far for the poster design to the design of the vertical monitor slide. The work was then submitted to my mentor for review, and I was informed that all three designs were strong. Small adjustments were made in terms of hierarchy.
At the moment, I have submitted the designs to the client, and I am currently awaiting for feedback.
Entry 2 | Featured Image by Matthew Waring on Unsplash.
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My first experience in using other artists’ creative work was regrettably done so without said artist’s permission. At the time I was in middle school and did not understand the importance of credit. I wanted to pursue illustration and so I would practice by heavily referencing and sometimes even tracing other artists’ work. I thought that if I could make my work look like theirs, I would be successful. However, as I grew older and learned more about the creative industry, I realized that it was wrong to use someone else’s work without their permission or giving them credit. It was not until I entered high school that I learned about the importance of proper attribution and plagiarism. I started to make sure that whenever I used someone else’s work, I would make sure to properly cite sources and credit the creator when I used their work.
This realization also helped me to develop my own unique style. By no longer relying heavily on referencing others’ work, I was able to experiment and try out different styles, techniques, and approaches to create my own distinct illustrations and designs. Not only did this benefit me creatively, but it also allowed me to appreciate the hard work and dedication that other artists put into their own work.
My opinion is that original artists’ work should always be credited, regardless of how heavily it is referenced or transformed. This is because the act of referencing or transforming another artist’s work still relies on the foundation of their original creation. Even if the transformation or reference is significant, the original artist should still be acknowledged and given credit. This also applies to cases like the Fairey Copyright case, where Shepard Fairey used an Associated Press photograph to create the iconic “Hope” poster for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign without permission. While Fairey’s use of the photograph can be considered transformative, the fact remains that he still used someone else’s work as a basis for his own creation. Therefore, I believe that he should have given proper credit and obtained permission before using the photograph.
Works Cited
AIGA. A Client’s Guide to Design: How to Get the Most Out of the Process. AIGA, 2017. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), doi:10.1177/0002764218756095.
Christensen, Paul, and Ben Sobel. “Case Study on Fair Use and Fair Dealing: The Hope Poster Litigation.” International Journal of Communication, vol. 11, 2017, pp. 4283-4303. Communication & Mass Media Complete, doi: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2015.11.005.
William Fisher et al, “Reflections on the Hope Poster Case,” 25 Harvard Journal of Law and Technology 244 (2012).
Entry 1 | Featured Image by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
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During my internship, I gained an understanding of the importance of following ethical guidelines outlined in the AIGA guide when creating original work. As I worked to create designs—ranging from posters to monitor slides, web banners, and even mascots—for clients within the college, I was reminded of the guidelines related to the sourcing of images and using trademarks and logos. This was reinforced during my training when my supervisor emphasized the need for all assets to be created in-house, including both graphics and photographs. As designers, it is our responsibility to produce original work and avoid using copyrighted material without permission. This not only ensures the integrity of our designs but it also protects the client from legal disputes. I applied this understanding to my time as a graphic design intern and diligently worked to create original graphics that complied with these ethical guidelines.
While I have not personally faced any ethical dilemmas in regards to my own work, I have noticed that one of the members of my team occasionally sources photos from Unsplash (stock image website) and uses sites like Freepik. I wonder about the legality of this because while the usage rights are under her name as it is her account, it is not under the school’s name, and I am unsure whether or not that is allowed. Personally, I prefer to create all of my own graphics and photographs in-house because I believe that it adds value to the final product and makes it unique. Even though it may be acceptable to use photos from these sites, I prefer to use them only as placeholders and then replace them with my own original work.
In terms of the use of trademarks and logos, I was instructed that all typographic work should include my team’s logo as well as the clients’ own logo if applicable. For the most part, this was applied to works such as posters or monitor slides, but I recently came across a client who had requested to remove my internship’s logo. While my supervisor had approved of this, I feel that it is important to include the agency’s logo when possible because it serves as a signature and gives credit where it’s due.
Although I did not sign any confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements during my internship, I encountered instances that brought our clients’ confidentiality into question. In one case, we were hired to work with two clients who had conflicting bookings at the same location and time. While the issue was resolved, it required bringing up the conflict to both clients, thereby revealing that someone else was holding an event at the same location. While I appreciate the open work environment, I worry about how such situations would be handled in a more corporate setting where confidentiality agreements are standard practice.
Works Cited
AIGA. A Client’s Guide to Design: How to Get the Most Out of the Process. AIGA, 2017. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), doi:10.1177/0002764218756095.
Week 8: 3/19/2023–3/25/2023 | Featured Image by Vivian Li
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For this week, I met with my new client and my mentor over Zoom. This new project is to promote the accomplishments of highly motivated and recognized students through a conference that welcomes faculty and students alike. I will be producing the following deliverables for a virtual student academic conference:
• Poster (11×17 – printed and PDF)
• Banner for the City Tech website
• Horizontal digital display monitor (1920×1080)
• Vertical digital display monitor (1080×1920)
The client informed me that it would be her first time working together with the team, so she was unfamiliar with how the workflow of things would be. With my mentor’s guidance, I explained that I would work on establishing the branding of the event first by working on the poster. Three different options will be produced for the client to choose from. But before these are sent to the client, it would first need to be approved by my supervisor and mentor. As such, it was agreed that the drafts would be sent to the client by next Thursday latest.
For the mascot project that I am finishing up on, that client had requested that I make some minor changes to the mascot poses as well as illustrating an additional pose similar to Uncle Sam’s “We Want You” pose. I have decided that instead of scraping the initial pose I had sent in, I would create a variation of it and keep it in the finalized poses as both are still usable depending on the context. This project will next be handed off to another one of my mentors who specializes in typography. The mascot illustrations are to be used on posters for the college’s liberal arts department.
Week 7: 3/12/2023–3/18/2023 | Featured Image by Vivian Li
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During this week, I was able to successfully complete the illustration of the three poses for the mascot. While these poses were approved, the client expressed that he wanted to have at least two more poses that clearly expressed that the mascot was feeling excited and confused/lost. This should be no issue if I am able to organize my time appropriately.
On another note, in the prior week, I had a status meeting with my team. My supervisor mentioned the importance of sketching after coming from her own design team class. She spoke about how many of her students are evasive when it comes to sketching. They quickly jump to lining and coloring. I am guilty of this quality. In my attempt to correct this habit of mine, I reluctantly sketched out my the new poses for the mascot this week (see featured image above)
At the same time, my supervisor has assigned a new client to me. I will be working with the same mentor from my first project again. For this upcoming project, I will be working to produce the following deliverables:
• x1 digital flier
• x1 web banner
I will be working to create promotional materials for a student conference that promotes academic scholars within the college. I have reached out to the client along with my mentor and we are currently waiting to meet via Zoom this coming week.
It is unclear what environment the digital flier will be used in. I will have to keep this question in mind to ask during the meeting so that I can be mindful of the amount of text that should appear on the flier.
Week 6: 3/5/2023–3/11/2023 | Featured Image by Vivian Li
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The finalized mascot design has been approved.
It has been decided that the mascot should express emotions to convey the following messages:
• Interested in having the perfect schedule?
• Sure the classes you need are available?
• Sure that the courses you’re thinking about are covered by Financial AID?
• Ready to take final exams and then enjoy the Summer without having to do something important later?
See featured image above for my attempt at illustrating the mascot (who has been affectionately nicknamed Techy Bear) nervously wondering if the classes he needs are available. Initially, I wanted to include text into each illustration I produce of the mascot. After some more thought, however, I have determined that doing so would limit its usage in the future. As a result, I have removed said text.
At the moment, I am only in charge of illustrating the mascot poses. One of the mentors will be responsible for incorporating my work onto informational posters and/or the college monitor displays.
My plan for now is to illustrate two more poses to see how the client feels about the project and whether or not he wants more work done for the mascot.
Week 5: 2/26/2023–3/4/2023 | Featured Image by Vivian Li
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For this week, I worked to further develop the mascot for the client.
The client expressed that he has communicated with their supervisor and informed me that the supervisor felt that the most successful design would be the bear (see featured image above). Due to an increased workload from my other classes, however, I feel that I haven’t been able to accomplish as much for this week as I did for the previous project. The good news is that the project isn’t due until early April, but I would much prefer to finish the project quicker so that the client does not have to wait until last minute.
The previous draft of the design featured the bear without any sort of bottoms or shoes (see below). I decided to add these extra articles of clothing to the design (option 3) as per the client’s suggestion.
Previous Draft and Design Choices
The next steps now are to wait for the client’s approval of the finalized mascot design before moving on to illustrate the different poses/emotions that would be appropriate for its upcoming use.
Week 4: 2/19/2023–2/25/2023 | Featured Image by Vivian Li
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For this week, I have completed some options for the client to choose from for the mascot. While the college has an existing mascot (the yellow jacket), the client stated that he did not mind having the liberal arts department’s mascot be a different animal such as a lazy dog or some other sort of funny looking animal.
I opted to use a rabbit, dog, and a bear wearing a yellow jacket (a pun to college’s already existing mascot actual mascot). So far, the team has provided me with a lot of helpful feedback. Many of the members in my team expressed that they are partial to the rabbit design. In my own personal opinion, I feel that the dog is my favorite just because it happened to look the cutest. However, I ultimately believe that the bear is the most successful of the three designs as it clearly has the logo printed on the shirt. It is also representing the school with the yellow color of its jacket.
The drafts have been sent to the client, and I am currently waiting to hear back from him, who is waiting to hear back from the dean of the department. It will be interesting to hear back from them to see which design is chosen.
