Monday, July 20, 2015

Colorite Investments LLC Business Card

front


back
We chose Charles' business to focus on for our presentation. I used the logo of Colorite Investments, LLC, for the front of the card.  Charles' contact information is on the back of the card. The color red in the logo grabs attention. The red outline on the back of the card focuses the eye on Charles' personal information and is harmonious with the logo. The layout is simple and easy to read. The bullet symbols are more interesting than the standard circles and generally relate to the listed information.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Mis-en-scene


I normally don't like dark movies but I got caught up in the Harry Potter series because I read the books.

The senior art director was Andrew Ackland-Snow. He was born in 1961 in the UK and is known for his work on Harry Potter movies. He was supported by 6 other art directors. Principal photography for Goblet of Fire began during May 2004. In 2006 the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction but lost to Memoirs of a Geisha. The film won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for Best Production Design, making it the first Harry Potter film to win at the BAFTAs. The movie budget was $150 million and it grossed 896.9 million in its first weekend.

The production manager was David Carrigan who was supported by a unit production manager and production supervisor. He worked on 3 other Harry Potter films. He also had credits as assistant director and visual effects on other movies.


The photography and graphic design is primarily low contrast or shadows and highlights which results in an eerie or fantasy effect. Harry Potter movies are fantasies.





The speaking characters are frequently off to the side.



The graphic diagonals and vectors are provided by the movement of the characters





Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Compose your frame

     The most interesting part of this photograph is in the top 2/3rds . It shows the light coming through the windows which highlight and create shadows on the floor and table tops. I cropped the photo to better use the rule of thirds.

     The angle appearance of the tables moves the eye to the upper right corner of the photo. It could be a diagonal or an index vector. The shadows are index vectors that point to the columns and window separators. The floor tile lines add a graphic depth effect to the photo. The table leg, window separators, columns and wall edges are vertical vectors.


Friday, July 3, 2015

Axioms of Web Design


Axioms of Web Design



I chose National Geographic as my favorite website (http://www.nationalgeographic.com.) because of the photographs. Part of going into mass communication as a major is having well rounded skills, including photography.   I would like to be able to take photographs like the ones found on the website and in the magazine.  

Most people who go to the National Geographic website expect to see photos.  The magazine is famous for it's photography. The website has 2 columns which is a simple layout. The primary column has photos which is of most interest.  To see the entire page you need to scroll down. There really isn't a lower right position to focus on. Scrolling also eliminates diagonal angle graphic effects. The column layout creates vertical lines of focus and suggests information follows vertically.  By intuition, I clicked on the photos and photo titles to go to links providing more information. The width of the columns provides contrast in size. Most people focus on the widest column. The photos are intrinsically aesthetic. The website page shows mostly photos. The web page almost looks the same on both my computer and iPad.  However, my iPad doesn't show the white text tabs near the top of the page which are links to different categories of information.


Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Design Evaluation

Design Evaluation: Campbell's vs Progresso New England Clam Chowder

- side by side on the shelf




When I shop, the first thing I look at is cost. Fortunately I found 2 cans of soup that cost about the same per ounce. Now, I can concentrate on packaging and campaign.

From advertising campaigns, I remember that Campbell emphasizes satisfaction and taste, “Mmm Mmm Good”. Progresso tries to align it's soup with a healthy life style.

The first thing I notice is the red background of the Campbell label. It grabs my attention. The blue Progresso label background is soothing and harmonious which is consistent with a healthy life style. The white text on red background has more contrast than white text on a blue background. The taller can gets more attention. The wider can appears to contain more soup. Fortunately both have the weight of contents on the front. I would pick up and read the Campbell label first considering shape, color, and contrast.

The photo of the soup on the Progresso can looks more realistic and healthy.

Campbell's slogan, “Soup that eats like a meal”, focuses on satisfaction. Progresso's descriptions as “Quality Food” and “Gluten Free” on the front of the can and “No MSG Added”, “Gluten Free”, “No Artificial Flavors” on the side of the can focuses on health.



Both cans display nutrition information. Progresso's consistent text size and closeness of Nutrition Facts to Ingredients make it easier to research health effects.

Campbell's promotes convenience and satisfaction by including easy to read preparation instructions. Progresso 's preparation instructions may not be noticed.

Considering Design Evaluation:

If I was primarily interested in satisfaction, convenience, and packaging I would buy Campbell's Soup.

If I was primarily interested in healthy foods I would buy Progresso's Soup.

Taste Test:
I prefer the Progresso's soup to the Campbell's. I was not just tasting the potatoes like I did in the Campbell's soup. Campbell's lives up to the name that it is chunky.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

contrast, balance and harmony

CONTRAST refers to the arrangement of opposite elements such as light and dark when referring to colors, rough compared to smooth when talking about textures and large or small when talking about shapes

CONTRAST refers to the arrangement of opposite elements such as light and dark when referring to colors, rough compared to smooth when talking about textures and large or small when talking about shapes

HARMONY is where all parts of an image relate to and complement each other. It can be seen through repetition and rhythm. It pulls the pieces of a visual image together. By repeating patterns in an interesting arrangement, the overall visual image can come together.

BALANCE is a psychological sense of equilibrium. It refers to the sense of distribution of visual weights that offset one another. It seems more comfortable and we find it more pleasing when the parts of the objects seem to balance out with each other.



I enjoy looking at photographs in the National Geographic magazine. I found this photograph on National Geographic's website.




I see contrast in color between the iceberg, water, and sky. The light reflection of the iceberg in the dark water is eye catching. The ripples create some texture in the water. The icebergs have distinct shapes compared to the continuous nature of the water and sky. Contrast focuses my attention to the icebergs.

The decreasing sizes of the icebergs create a sense of closeness and distance. The ice, water, and sky compliment each other. Depth perception is harmonious.

The arrangement of the icebergs is unsymmetrical but the triangular arrangement is aesthetically pleasing. There appears to be equilibrium or a calming effect, nothing disruptive.

The contrast in the photo catches my eye and creates the most interest.

 

visceral response

The following photo was taken at Lower Antelope Canyon near Page Arizona. It hangs on a wall in our house. I see the sun shining through an opening surrounded by varying shades of red rock. The yellow hues give me a feeling of warmth. The red rock is comforting, familiar, and reminds me of St. George. The dark bands in the rock create a wavy or wispy texture which provide contrast and maintain interest. The edges and shadows provide a sense of openness. I can feel the wind that created the sand dunes that eventually became rock. The intrinsic beauty is stupefying