Just Jess

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Today will be my final entry for ARTS246. It’s bittersweet. I learned a lot over the past four months, not only from reading and my professor but also from my classmates. This, of all the things I learned, surprised me the most. I am 42 years old with a 21-year-old son attending the same university as me. My classmates treated me as their peer rather than their enemy or competition. If I had more time, I would make a point to grow these relationships earlier in the semester rather than sit in my puddle of anxiety.

My process book finally got here yesterday afternoon. To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. It was late, there is visible scarring on all three books, and there is another problem I noticed. Ugh. It’s still cool though. I’m glad I have it. 

I’m really glad I took the full semester for this class. If I had to do anything over again, I would retake 245 in a full term rather than 13 days. It’s not just the stress of the shorter term, it’s the missed opportunities. I could’ve learned from my classmates and grown in a normal semester.

My favorite project this term was working on the zine. If I had to do it all over again, I would do something fun and modern. I really had a lot of fun working on it (sometimes, it did NOT feel fun). Thank you for being part of my life these past 13 weeks. Thank you for being a dope professor, Professor Nace!

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Chapter 11: Typographic Design Process

This chapter was a reflection of what I have learned over the past year: it’s a process. It starts when we are given the project, then there are stages we go through to complete the project. First, we define the problem. Next, we gather information. Then, we explore different ideas through ideating. Then, we synthesize by narrowing down the possibilities. Finally, we realize, where we get input and approval for our designs. There were several design process techniques that I’d never thought to use before and some I have used. These ideas will be excellent for future design projects. I use my sketchbook, visual notations and brainstorming. Typographic transformation was very cool! I’m hoping to incorporate some of these techniques in my process book.

My process book is still in progress. I added all the blog entries and captured all the pictures for my book that I want to add. I want it to be interesting but some of my previous work was terrible. I still have a few days until it goes to the printer, so I will have several long days and nights ahead of me. Luckily, I have a super amazing and supportive husband AND a lot of coffee (lifeblood!)! Thankfully, it’s also the weekend! I’m determined to make this my best project. I know what I want it to look like (even though ideas keep popping into my head to add) and I know what I'm doing. :)

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Chapter 10: Typographic Design Education

This chapter reminded me of a few exercises we did this semester. Education through application is the best way for me to learn, so seeing the examples the students created of typography was great, especially seeing the same fonts I used in my projects. Pairing type and image was very creative! My favorite part of the chapter was ‘Onomatopoeia in Motion.’ Using sounds and typography to enhance the strength (pitch, duration, amplitude, and timbre) of sound was a creative way to explore how typography can also be fun! Creating banknotes would be an interesting project for a quick and fun exercise. Type and image in the third dimension seems like a lot of fun, but I immediately had flashbacks to the 9 Square Project. “Typezine: my favorite typeface” (p.214) gave me ideas to create another zine. If I’m being honest, I love Calibri and Arial, but I wanted to do something fun. I would do it differently next time, if only to showcase my skills.

Creating my process book has been…a process. Going back through my work from last summer to now was eye-opening. I really had no idea what I was doing back then. I can’t really claim that I know what I am doing now, but I do know that I ENJOY what I’m doing now. Reclaiming past artwork and realizing how I could make it better is also proof that I am growing as a designer. I never thought of myself as a designer, mostly because I was an analyst for 20 years and wrote and proofed throughout my career, making me a better candidate as an Editor. However, the projects spark something in me. When I’m finished, I don’t want to be…I know I could do more if I had more time. If I could remake my projects, I would scrap them all and just pour myself into them. But deadlines.

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Chapter 8: Typography in Time and Motion

Type is used to deliver a message of motion by using dynamic typography. Placement, size, repetition, and altering the typeface can introduce motion into the message. Using type in conjunction with design techniques that indicate movement or messages allows the viewers to denote or connote the message of the designer. I like to do this in my work, but I call them Easter Eggs (because I’m a nerd). Altering the type to create hierarchy is essential to prevent confusion. It took me a minute to grasp this, but it also helps the viewer move through the design without confusion. Even though I couldn’t use the rest of the film techniques in this chapter in my zine, I did use variation (size), rhythm, and depth of field in my zine to create an experience for the viewer. Kerning was a MUST!

Printing and cutting my zine was the finale I have been looking forward to since I started it. I enjoyed cutting it with my X-Acto knife because it’s cathartic, but I went a little overboard and cut each page down to size. By the time I realized my mistake, I had already cut five full sheets. I still had one full zine left, but I wasn’t mad because I did want them to be a little different. Saddle stitching was new, but I think I’ll use a different stitch next time I bind a zine or book. When it was all put together, I was really proud of my work! Of course, I envisioned it to look a little differently, but I really love the finished product! I would definitely print on different paper next time, since the ink came off on my fingers when I worked on the saddle stitch. I am glad it’s over and that I can work more on the Progress Book!

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Week 9: Chapter 8: Typography on Screen

There are several things to consider when creating Typography on screen: legibility, visual hierarchy, and structuring type on digital pages. What I learned from this chapter: digital is not always better than handmade. Clarity can be distorted due to rendering, which I found out immediately while working on my zine. While antialiasing smooths out the jagged (jaggies), the character will be distorted when we change the size. Resolution is distorted when you aren’t creating the digital letters pixel by pixel, which is exactly what I had to do with my zine. Hinting helps with digital resolution by reshaping the character outlines. Hierarchy of fonts as well as the amount used must be carefully considered. I thought about this while creating my zine, and while the font is awful in places, it is relevant to my zine. Clarity includes letters and lines. Kerning is a must to create a smooth transition between letters. I spent a LOT of time ensuring kerning was on point with my letters.

My Super Mario Bros zine is finally completed! Luckily, the extra week off for spring break really helped me bring everything together, especially the hours I spent creating the spread backgrounds. All the problems I had previously seemed superfluous when I was finally done. Doing the photo shoot with my family was a lot of fun! I took a ton of pictures while they had fun posing and making me laugh while they goofed around! The only real problem I ran into this week was saving I finished product. For some reason, all of my work that had multiple characters, like the planes, kept losing link, which was a nightmare in the end. Overall, I’m very proud of my zine! Even though I couldn’t find the picture that inspired it, my son is really excited to see the finished prints!

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Week 8: Chapter 7: The Evolution of Typographic Technology

The first statement in this chapter was huge: “The invention of typography has been called the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.” Letters and words on paper has evolved over thousands of years. When machine composition came into existence, it relieved the labor-intensive requirement of hand composition. The invention of the Linotype machine in 1886 offered a line of text printed. The Teletypesetter was invented in 1928, which made this more efficient. The display phototypesetting machines offered letters, numbers, and characters projected onto photo paper. This reminds me of the early stages of photo creation. Digital typesetting is the most advanced and used pixels, which is what I focused on in my zine.

This week my zine has come together nicely! I have a lot more confidence in what I am doing and got a lot of great feedback from my classmates. I have already put a lot of hours into this project and it shows, but the real win for me is that I feel really good about it now. I ran into some issues when I was drawing the pixelated characters. Mainly with opacity and making sure each pixel was colored. Another issue I’m running into right now is my grids. They are not how I want them to be, but that is a fairly simple problem to have and I can fix it. I am really happy with my zines so far and I am excited to see how it will evolve over the next few weeks!

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Week 7: Chapter 6: The Typographic Message

Typography is a language, not just an art. It is “verbal, visual, and vocal.” It sends a message through weight, kern, and repetition. It involves logic and intuitiveness. It operates in different dimensions. Removal of a letter signifies a message just as repetition of letters sends another message. Our brains will fill in the letters, intuiting the message the sender wanted us to read. Typography is also experienced. It can be ignored, when repetitive and boring. It can captivate the viewer by changing the syntactic or semantic dimensions. These are actual or implied meanings. They can be based on what the creator wanted you to see or evoke memories of past experiences.

An interesting example in this chapter we’re shapes. The red circles in the examples described it as a form or sign carrying a message. While the explanation included balls, balloons, a cherry, or a flag, I immediately thought of a liquor store. In context, three red dots mean the store sells alcohol in the South. Through experience, I relate these symbols together as more than three red dots. The syntax and semantic dimensions are regional, in this example. The way typography is used to speak and visualize a language is amazing!

This week’s project is creating a zine. Honestly, I have never heard of a scene before this week. It could have been my life experiences and being cut off from pop culture when zines first came out, but I am pretty excited to be working on this project. At first, I wanted to do something that was a fun part of my life, which was in Hawaii. We finally have nice weather and all I want to do is see the beautiful beaches in Hawaii and bask in the sunshine and swim in the ocean. However, I could not figure out how to poke fun at the experience and I really wanted to completely divorce myself from this original idea.

So, then I came up with Nintendo. Nintendo came about around 1985, and it was an exciting entertainment system but had the worst graphics compared to today. It’s very two dimensional and pixelated and frankly, it is perfect for this assignment. I jumped on board with the pretendo font. I started drawing sketches of Nintendo characters, which has been a lot of fun! After running through our discussions today in class, I know how I’m going to add more and be able to exaggerates the point where I need to be in this zine. I’m really excited to see how the next week will pan out, as I put together a zine and also start working on photographs for my zine.

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Week 6: Chapter 5 – Syntax & Communication

This week was my best week, both frustrating and rewarding. I spent hours on rounding my letters again, making sure they fit in the shape of the moon, looked visually appealing, and didn’t have any stray hitches in them. This was tedious work, but in the end, it was very fulfilling to see my vision come to fruition! I was frustrated enough to want to throw in the towel, but I’m glad I stepped away, slept it off, and came back with fresh eyes the next morning. I also played around with adobe to create a video of my work. That was probably the most fun I’ve had on the project! I couldn’t make the clips in illustrator because I don’t have the Gucci version, but creative cloud offers the same thing for free…which turned out great! Thankful this week is over!

Chapter six described syntax as “the connecting of typographic signs to form words and sentences on the page.” The first part of the chapter talked about the letter, the word, and the line. In a nutshell, these bring harmony to the page. The placement of each of these is just as important as the message. When I was working on my type specimen poster, I used visual hierarchy to ensure the focus was on Raleway. I used the grids on my type specimen poster to bring complementary form through placement of my examples and explanations. Even though I didn’t. realize it at the time, I used ABA form in a complementary way to create harmony on the page.

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Week 5: Chapter 4

The grid was explained as the “skeletal framework used by designers to organize information within a spatial field.” Before I read this, I knew it to be true. The grid is the backbone of design, whether it is written, visual or spatial. In the reading, it mentioned the grid as being tied to harmony, which is true on all levels. Even as a writer, I used the grid to ‘complete’ my thoughts and bring a sense of closure to my words. It is the same with artwork, architecture, and typography. There is a sense of balance that the grid brings to the design. It brings the viewer the balance, sense of relief or even completion when used correctly. Even when intentionally leaving the viewers in a state of imbalance, the grid is still an important piece of the structure.

This week, I changed major parts of my poster and I was not happy with it. I tried to do something different with my dunes, but it was not something that I was 100% behind and I think it showed it my work. Even though I spent ~20 hours working on the handwritten font, manipulating it, then making new dunes to look more like dunes, it did not make sense. Even though I want my poster to seem simplistic, of course, it is a lot of work and a lot of hours trying to get everything in the correct spot on the page. In this sense, I used a grid system to divide my poster into sections where either the dune shadows fell, the moon’s reflection through the words appeared, or the balance of the 62 in the upper left corner. I really struggled with the clipping masks for the moon and ‘White Sands’ this week. It Every time I did the clipping mask; I would realize there was something I did not like or did not fit. It would take at least three times as long to do another clipping mask, which was bananas. I hope to fix all the problems I’ve had with font elongation and placement first, then finish with a grid to ensure it’s balanced.

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Week 4: Chapter 3

The chapter really hit home with me this week. Legibility is something I thought always considered, but I was missing a few components. Spacing and kerning were on the top of my list this week to make sure I did correctly. With a few different examples in the chapter regarding the size of the space between words, mainly “r” or “o”, I used these examples to kern the words “white” and “sands” in my project. The color palette distinction and variation of legibility between colors gave me a great example to use as my moon and wording in the moon, and I really think it turned out well with those colors. Because I drew everything in the poster by hand (with my mouse), including the paw prints the words in the moon and the dune reflections, I paid closer attention to the distortion of the objects when I expanded them. The difference between the expansion of the objects was a distortion that either worked well or was trash. Luckily, the examples in the reading helped me a lot in my project this week.

So far, the project has been a lot of fun! I ran into more problems with the printers than anything else. Like I said above, I made all the track prints using a mouse (iPad & pencil arrived Wednesday night), so THAT made things very interesting, but more annoying when I accidentally moved my hand or slipped when I was trying to smooth the prints. This experience (doing it the hard way) made me thankful to know that I can do it but also thankful there are resources available to do it quicker and easier. The moon shadows were probably the most fun part of this week. I studied a few different pictures to capture the best images and I think they turned out well. The palette options we were given are really working out to my advantage because of the color pop, but again, the printer does not do it justice. The last problem I ran into was the actual dates, but only because the park I picked has two dates. Thankfully, I got this cleared up. This weekend, I’ll be working on a few things I’ve wanted to try with my pencil to try to clean up some of the choppiness throughout the artboard. The picture I’m using is of the pawprint tracks on the dark blue backdrop. It’s the printed version. It’s not a good look and that’s exactly why I wanted to post it. It’s a reminder to me: just because it looks nice on the screen doesn’t mean it’ll print the same way.

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Chapter 2: Letterforms

The reading this week was very interesting. I had not thought about the history behind why and how letters were made. It is very interesting how the need for the evolution of communication transpired, and how calligraphy also played a role. Unity and clarity of the letters as well as the typeface make sense to me, but I never thought of the harmony behind the creation of the typeface. This is probably why certain fonts appeal to me when I am working on a particular project that has a background needing to express meaning through words and the display of typeface. The weight obviously changes the emphasis, just as spoken words can do.

This week I am working on my White Sands National Park poster. I researched the history behind the park to get a better perspective as to how the park has evolved over time. I would like to incorporate come of the history as a backdrop and the current living objects within my typeface to build dimension and texture. The color palette available is perfect, so if I choose to move forward with the park at night theme, I will be able to capture the beauty of the sky and the silhouettes of the wildlife within the reflection of the moon. My typeface is Raleway, so I’m hoping I can develop my vision with the right weight.

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This week was SO much better than last week! My eyes no longer feel like they’re going to pop out of their sockets at any given moment. I struggled with several things in InDesign. The smart punctuation got me good. I set it (on my Mac) and could NOT find it on my MacBook (weird, I know). I also had problems with creating my grids, making columns, working in text boxes, adjusting the photograph placement, taking screenshots of my grid (I found it once then lost it), and basically feeling comfortable in InDesign. I watched the video tutorials and read the articles for help but I wasn’t at the level I needed to be at to execute a good project. Thankfully, there is a weekend before the due date and I’m going to watch as many InDesign tutorials as possible! After doing this project, I realized I had NOT used InDesign before, only Illustrator, which explains a lot. I’ll do better.

The reading for this week was pretty dope! I actually read/viewed it last week because I was so intrigued by the evolution of typography that I jumped right in. I had no idea about the actual history of writing, other than the bits I learned in Art History classes. I thought it was interesting to read about the history of where it came from, why it became a need (i.e. printing for mass publication), and then following it up with videos and books I was watching, listening to, or reading and hearing it reinforced here! A few of my favorite or go-to fonts are more than just a quick string of letters; they have a history.

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99u

This week I listened to the 99u blog by Anne Helen Petersen: Rethinking Productivity Culture. I was floored. This podcast was released a few months into COVID confinement in 2020, but it still applies today. Anne was frank about the podcast, openly admitting to the fear she felt, much like many others, during the pandemic confinement. What I found fascinating is that, even though she targeted millennials in the podcast, it equally applied to me. I stopped listening to news, social media, and the general population during the height of the pandemic because I was scared, just like the rest of the world. I'm retired and don't have to worry about employment, but I can relate because my son is in this bucket of humans trying to figure out what is next for their world?! The frightening realization that this generation may and/or will have fewer opportunities to grow & break out of the shadows of their parents is scary...and real. My feelings were raw as Anne talked about her fears, world truths, and future unknowns. Even though it's 18 months later, it's still happening around the world. When will the world be normal? When will we stop watching YOUNG people dying of a disease that shouldn't be here? Will I lose someone next? I can't fathom the hurt, loss, and horror of losing someone to the disease. Maybe this will end in 2022. Maybe I'll be able to see the faces of my classmates, professors, and professionals brave enough to work in-person during the pandemic. Maybe. Hopefully.

The picture represents the tools I'm using for the typography assignment. It is project that has me rethinking my age...not because I'm old, but my eyes have changed and it's pretty important to be able to see the pencil markings, letter curves, and eraser markings up close. Praise bifocals! It hurts my soul a little because I'm 42 and have bifocals, but honestly, the curves in the typography project were kicking my butt with regular glasses. Something else that I've found to be super useful is my happy light. It mimics the sun which helps with depression...as long as I use it. I can put it under my glass table and can more easily trace things. I'm not saying my CHARLIE gobstopper homework is perfect, but I'm hoping to get it that way by Monday. It's a LOT easier now to see the letters and move the French curves, another dope invention! Here's hoping my letters are perfect!

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It’s the final countdown! Yes, it’s an epic song but it’s also true! Tonight, I’m working on my final project, a book cover for Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I chose this book for several reasons: 1) I’m a product of the 80’s. 2) It’s science fiction…but could become our reality. 3) The digital book is read by Will Wheaton (Star Trek!) and it’s EPIC! 4) It has video game components that I grew up with. 5) It was a book my son and I read together and really enjoyed. 6) There’s a movie about it (read the book first).

Now you know WHY I chose this book, but let me tell you how I chose the design. When I first joined the Air Force I was a NERD! I can’t really say that it’s gone away over 23 years, but it has tapered down…a tiny bit. Binary code was taught in my second school and I LOVED every minute of it! In fact, I would get the WORST headaches from deciphering binary code but I couldn’t have been a happier girl! It was a puzzle that was not going to beat me! This is how I got the idea of putting binary code on my book cover. Who else but nerds would go nuts trying to decipher the code? (*I raised my hand tall for this point.*) I also used fantasy worlds and made overlays of them, changed the exposure and opacity, and loved how trippy it looked!

When I think about virtual reality, I really think about a few things: computers (binary code), cyber nerds (myself included), interpersonal conflicts (clearly I can communicate 1,000 times better on my computer than I can in person. It’s a sad but valid fact).

Here is what I turned in today, but I’ve already made some pretty dope adjustments to it. Unfortunately, I won’t have it done before 5pm today, when this blog is due. Don’t fret: I’ll post it when it’s complete!

P.s. thanks for reading my blog! It’s been fun!

P.p.s. You're welcome for getting "Final Countdown" stuck in your beautiful heads!

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May 25, 2021: Chapter 14

This chapter was much different than the previous chapters. I never really put much thought into the fact that designers are more than designers (curators?! Woah!). The digital world has changed the roles of designers, but from what I have read so far, it isn’t a bad thing!

Yesterday, I mentioned that I love words! I love the narrative behind a design (any design). I found it very interesting that Jeroen Barendse mentioned that designers “must develop a more research-based approach.” YES! I definitely have that down! I love to research things, especially when I don’t really know what I’m hearing or if I have meetings with people who expect me to know xyz. For 20 years, it was the strawberry jelly to my peanut butter! But to be fair, this advice just makes sense. If you want to get ahead in the industry, you need to know what you’re doing and what you’re talking about, girlfriend! (This is why I love school and reading so much! Yes, I’m a freak.)

Interactive experiences mentioned in this chapter were also pretty dope! I hadn’t thought about graphic design as a moving, interactive career. I (illogically) thought it was static art. Bless my heart! When Ada Whitney talked about her time working on Saturday Night Live, I was floored! Hello, dream job! This really is so much more than just a job…it’s a lifestyle!

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Chapter 9

This chapter was pretty cool as it discussed branding and packaging. The very first sentence caught my eye: “Branding is storytelling.” When I am shopping or looking for a new book the first thing that catches my eye is the design: in five seconds does it tell me a story? If it does, more than likely it will quickly be in my shopping cart whether I need it or not.

Just like this chapter discussed it’s about the experience. Whether it’s a visual or tactile experience I am all about it! Words don’t necessarily draw me into the products but the design can captivate my senses and guide me through the story, whether it is already displayed on the product or I’m telling myself the story in my head. Whether or not the story is real, if I feel it, I will gravitate towards it.

Another thing is words. I love words! Written, spoken, sung, signed...it is beautiful to me! Incorporating designs and words (whether printed or an implied story), is magical!

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When I heard about the poster assignment, I immediately knew what I would pick for my topic. PTSD is etched into brain, my heart, my soul. It has be my dark and all-consuming shadow for the past nine years. I am thankful to be alive, but this is not the life I thought I would be living. I thought I would be going out into public, care and worry free. I thought I would be meeting new friends in college, planning get together a or study sessions. Instead, I hide in my own head. I jump at loud noises. I anticipate the worst so I make sure I know all the exists. I pray I don’t have a panic attack in front of my classmates because, honestly, it’s terrifying for all of us. I feel things so much more deeply than before, a product of depression? My anxiety has me nearly panting when I’m meeting my professor for the first time, or explaining the how’s and why’s behind my work.

This is why I chose PTSD as my public awareness poster. I want people to know that I’m still here. I struggle to find my words, to be myself outside of my safe spaces, but I’m still here. I won’t let this stop my from achieving my goals. I will only get stronger with time, support, and truth.

My poster has morphed several times over the past week. I’m proud of my work today. I’m proud to be spreading the message. I’m happy I was able to find a picture that really captured what I feel.

I think I’m getting the hang of this class but I’m sad it’s ending so soon.