Final Project

For my final project, I will be doing a magazine with an auidience that is geared towards people that are interested in eco-friendly fashion. I got my inspiration from the webesite, Esty.com. I will be doing a article feature of Orsola de Castro. I did some research and found out that she is the "queen of upcyclying." I will also include ways to get the natural look with affordable make-up as well as a page that covers the website Esty.com. Also, I will include my advertisement that I made with my logo on it.

Specification Sheet for Fashion Design Students

This week, I learned how to construct a specification sheet using Excell. It was fun to input all variables to come up with my own spreadsheet for my company. This tool will help me in the future when I work for companies that require knowledge with specification sheets. I used the logo I created in Adobe Illustrator as well as the dress I created for a bonus assignment in Adobe Illustrator. Overall, this was a fun assignment.

Brochure Help

This past week, I created a brochure using Indesign. I created the template with the help of an online site. The main things to keep in mind is to make sure to extend the color all the way to the red lines so that the bleeds show up and to make sure that the text does not pass the purple lines. Overall, making templates is a fun process to do! Below is the website that I used for help on setting up my template.

Source: http://www.clickorderprint.com/blog/Tri%20fold%20Brochure%20setup%20in%20InDesign

Brochure Reflection

The type of brochure located above is called a trifold. It presents some sort of information on all flaps, including the front and the back. The line of the brochure is very effective. The front cover of the brochure, located by the arrow, has the SAMSUNG MP3 PLAYER as its main headline. It is effective because the headline in not broken apart so the consumer quickly identifies what the company is trying to market. Furthermore, the lines throughout the brochure work well because they are kept simple and clear. The lines integrate color, a readable font, and a size that balances with the rest of the information. The visuals are effective because the brochure includes the products in different colors. This makes the customer aware of the colors offered in that product. The design incorporates rhythm within the image because the eye of the customer is drawn from one section to the next. Also, there is balance within the design. The brochure includes both images and fonts in an effective manner. The tagline is an example of this. The only improvement that I would make to the brochure is to add something on the back cover of the brochure. The reasoning behind this is because the brochure can either be laid down face side up or face side down. Therefore, the back should be just as visually appealing as the front.

Picture Source: http://www.google.com/

Advertisement Relfection

The type of ad used that is being used is called benefits and differentiation. The ad is promoting the Special K cereal. The message of the ad is that by eating the Special K Cereal, the consumer will be able to reduce weight. The results are that they will be able to fit into a bikini for the summer time. The line of the advertisement could use some improvement. The size of the “The Special K Challenge” is not the first thing the customer sees. Instead, the dominant focal point is the “YOU vs. THE SWIMSUIT.” Although they might be trying to emphasize their message, they should try to create more of a balance between the two so that the customer knows what the challenge is for. The overall visual and design is very effective. The text of the ad, the tagline, and product shot all work well together. The color scheme integrates all of the elements together as well. The goal at the bottom presents a benefit from using the Special K product. It is effective as well because the goal is not deceptive. Therefore, there is good usage of unity and variety within the advertisement.

Picture Source: http://www.google.com/



Similarities and Differences Between Adobe Programs

There are many differences and similarities between InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. To begin with, the CMYK setting is set differently in each program. In InDesign the CMYK color mode is found by clicking on print, output tab, selecting the convert in the destination box and setting it to CMYK mode. In Photoshop, the CMYK color mode is found by image, mode, and CMYK color. In Illustrator the CMYK color mode is set by file, document, color mode, and setting it to CMYK color.

          Furthermore, all of the Adobe programs have the Bridge feature, which is located at the top of all programs. Also, all of the programs give the user the ability to look at several documents at once. The essentials tab is present in all of the programs as well. The measurement of the units used in all of the programs is similar. Yet, InDesign provides the user with the ability to work with picas, also known as points. All of the programs also have the text tool. Yet, InDesign has more features that make it work a lot like Microsoft Word. Furthermore, InDesign has the normal view mode in which the user is able to view the document without any lines so that they can see how it is going to print.

          Lastly, InDesign has different features that neither Photoshop nor Illustrator contain. For example, InDesign has the place feature, which is located under the file tab. The place feature allows for the user to put an image that they want into the document because copy and paste is not permitted in InDesign. The links panel makes sure that the user places an image that will be seen when printed. If there is an error with one of the picture, the links panel will state it. Also, the pages panel helps the user locate the page they are working on in the magazine layout. InDesign also checks for spelling errors which is located under the edit option. Tools that are new include the page, the gap, the rectangle frame tool, gradient feather tool, and the note tool. Overall, although all three programs have similarities, InDesign is geared more towards magazine layouts.

Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator

The first step before using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator is that the person should make it a routine to make a drawing before making it on the computer. For example, a sketch and then a thumbnail can be drawn. Second, the documents should be built the same size. Third, files saved as a .psd file should be placed into illustrator as a smart object. Therefore, if an object is updated in Photoshop, it is also updated in illustrator. Yet, when the user places the vector object in Photoshop, it embeds it. As a result, it doesn’t link it. Edit in illustrator, wont update in Photoshop. Fourth, the user is able to edit colors in illustrator and save them, but the color source file will not be matched in Photoshop. Lastly, the user can use a no fill/bounding box to copy and paste an item from illustrator into Photoshop. Once in Photoshop, the user will paste the object as a smart item to make sure that the copied item maintains the same placement as it was in illustrator.

Logo

The symbol at the top has text, symbol, and the product. The logo is effective because the three items work well together. The baseball bat identifies the target audience, which is anyone who is interested in baseball. Furthermore, the font used works well with the logo design because it correlates with the theme. The colors used are effective because they relate back to the red cardinal, which is their mascot. All three intertwine which makes the logo design come together. If each of the three items were to be separated, the audience member could point out that it symbolizes the Cardinals baseball team.

Image Source: www.Google.com

Using Baisc Shapes in Illustrator

PATHFINDER FUN

This week, we worked on baisc shapes in Illustrator. It was a fun assignment to do. It was not a hard tool to work with. In order to adujust the baisc shapes, one should get the pathfinder panel open by clicking on Windows->Pathfinder. You must select your shapes before you add any of the effects. Above, is an example of my work done using this new technique.

New to Illustrator

This week, I have started to learn how to work in Adobe Illustrator. Some things are similar to Adobe Photoshop. So far, it seems like Adobe Illustrator is more design friendly. For example, there are more shapes to work with. The stars are fun to work with because with the arrow keys you can add points on the star. Adobe Illustrator also makes it easier to work with paths. For example, the birds were easy to work with. The picture is shown below showcases these features:

Typography Tutorial

Puppet Wrap

The following tutorial helped me create the N seen on my can. Instead of using a striaght rope, I used a tree branch to create more of a natural look.

http://abduzeedo.com/cool-text-effect-puppet-warp-tool-photoshop-cs5

DPI/Pixel

Graphic Design Terms

Pixel, also known as a picture element, is a single point in a raster image. It is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled.

Examples:

DPI (Dots per inch) is the number of individual dots that can be placed in a line within 1 inch. Therefore, the number it equals is the resolution of the image.

EXAMPLE:

Sources: Techterms.com, Wikipedia.org and Google.com

Visit to PMC Solutions

This week we took a trip down to PMC Solutions where we learned about the printing services they offer. It was really interesting to see all the work that goes into printing a flyer of good quality. For example, there has to be a different sheet for the red and black seen in the University of Arkansas logo. Another thing that was good to know was that they do printing jobs for RSO's. Therefore, if an RSO wants to do a printing job with them, they should send it through a format with Indesign.

Example of the black and red printing:

Source: Google.com

Postcard

This week, I learned how to add layers. It was fun to work with this new tool because I could work with each layer individually. Making the postcard was an exciting activity for me. I also learned how to flatten layers so that they were saved as one. It is good to know this tool for future reference. I would not want someone editing my hard work. In a sense, this gives the creator some sort of protection. I used our photoshop book to help me with adding a gradient. It was another tool that was fun to work with because it added an artisitc element to the postcard. Overall, I really enjoyed doing this project!

Fun with Filtering

 Fun with Filtering 

                       

This week, I got the opportunity to work with filtering images. It was a new technique that proved to be fun for me. For example, the first image was done by clicking Filter->Pixelate->Pointillze. This new tool will help in the future with projects that come up. I am Public Relations chair for Apparel Studies as well as for my sorority, Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Incorporada. Therefore, this new technique will help me with making announcements more entertaining and eye-catching. Something so simple to learn can make a lot of difference to the overall image. As seen in the image, they are all the duplicate of one shoe, yet the filter effect makes them different from one another.

File Format/Composition

The picture above has been saved in the file format of JPEG. This means that the picture will have a lossy file format. The image will lose its integrity if it is edited. When the picture is compressed, it combines pixels which will create bad quality pictures. The type of composition used is silhouette. The silhouettes of the man and the woman are the main focus of the picture. There is also the silhouette of the trees that adds to the picture because it showcases the scenery and adds to the overall romantic scenery.

The picture above has been saved in the file format of PNG (Portable Network Graphics). The PNG file format is lossless which means that it will lose less of its integrity when the picture is edited. When finished, the audience will not be able to tell the difference. This type of format is patent free. The photo composition that this image used is angels. Most pictures of celebrities are taken facing them. Yet, the photographer used a different angel to showcase Adele's side facial features. Her cheekbones are brought to life in this picture as well as her neckline.

The image above was saved under the file format of GIF, which means Graphic Interchange Format. The image is lossless which means that the integrity of the image is not distorted as much. Yet, it should only be saved when using a small number of colors. Images with detail will not result with good quality. The type of photo composition used in the picture is proportion. The size of the objects found on the moon compared to the average person is quite larger in size. This proves to be effective because it lets the audience know how the ratio of objects found on the moon compared to a human being.

Good and Bad Images for Principles

The picture above uses the principles of design in a good manner. The layout uses horizontal symmetry to create a sense of balance. The overall composition therefore is pleasing to the eye. Furthermore, the arrangement of the man on one side and the lettering and jeep on the other side also creates an essence of proportion. Although they are different images, the bold lettering and the jeep creates the same weight as the man. The line across the layout creates a flow so that there is rhythm in the layout because you go from one side to the other. Therefore, all the principles used create unity within the layout. The different aspects work well together to not just create an effective layout, but to also tell a story.

The picture above is an example of using the principles of design in a bad manner. It looks like they are trying to create some form of informal balance, but the outcome is a unorganized layout. When looking at this layout, the eye does not know where to start. It seems like they wanted to have the Comfort and Style as the dominant point of the layout, but it seems to be out of order. The proportion of the images used also is not used in an effective manner because the different sizes used throughout the layout creates a sense of confusion. Therefore, it seems like each picture has its own wieght. Overall, the layout makes the auidence feel confused about the message they are trying to get across. When flipping through a magazine, the reader will not stop to look at a layout if it is not pleasing to the eye.