How is convergence is affecting the professional Graphic Design

I'm starting out as a freelance graphic designer and I just saw the connection between the Convergence Culture, by Henry Jenkins, and what I've been researching about starting out in the graphic design community. So much of the job will be if making a design that successfully gives a clear message and is easily recognizable. With convergence it adds an element that is ever present as graphic designers are often expected to be web designers which is an example of technology convergence. The job may require a simple logo that through utilizing media convergence can be a success. The example of convergence for the simple logo would be a rebranding of a bank, the goal is a simple recognizable symbol, success means they keep the new branding that increases with convergence because the design will be on mailers, building, applications, websites, in the background of social media pictures. The point of this collection is to explore the affect convergence, both technology and media, are having on the professional Graphic Design Community.

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As Computer Weekly prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, we look back at how retail has evolved from the small corner store of the 1960s to the omni-channel world of today

This article drew me in right from the title of it, From Bricks to Clicks. It rhymes and it’s catchy, so of course it’s going to be a good article, right? It starts off by describing just how much shopping has changed, with it first being all about the retailer and that importance completely shifting to that of the consumer. As technology grew, storefronts faded while online stores started booming. The biggest role that changed the way of shopping was choice. Retailers have to follow the wants of the consumer, so it is ultimately up to the consumer letting them be as selective as they like to be. Consumers usually know exactly what they are looking for when they shop so they pick out a certain store or website to get that item, but Amazon started the trend of websites selling a vast amount of items in one place. After this trend set off, mobile phones became popular so people could buy items straight from their phone instead of having to use a computer. Now, the future of online shopping seems to be a bright one with retailers trying to become more personal with consumers.  This article relates to my curation project because it shows just how popular online shopping is becoming. Online shopping has indeed been around for quite some time, but these new pop-up shops are drawing in a great deal of attention to the Internet. With these shops being able to be accessed anytime, anywhere, what will the future look like for actual storefronts? Will online shopping soon take over the shopping experience?

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While doing peer reviews, this jumped out at me as very useful information in the bridge between graphic design and media convergence.

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Media convergence means that we can now watch a newspaper's video report on our cellphone via the internet

Cambridge University Press 2016

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There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for

Paul Rand

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Using The Best Technology For Small Business Growth

You want your small business to grow and succeed but how? Here are three tools and trends in technology for small business growth.

Technology is such a huge tool in nearly every aspect of owning a small business. Technology can be used in marketing, organization of finances and employees, website building, data storing, or used on it’s own as a benefit to customers. Small businesses utilize social media tools when advertising online and try to attract customers or clients who best fit the product. Technology allows for business owners to more easily find and advertise within their niche.

Small businesses can also use software and internet resources like QuickBooks for accounting or Google Analytics to measure business progress and success. The Cloud allows businesses to work in a variety of different locations all at one time. It provides flexibility that can’t be had outside of technology.

Finally, WiFi itself is a huge commodity that nearly everyone is looking to have. When a physical business provides it’s customers with free WiFi, it attracts those who may not have access otherwise. For example, coffee shops typically provide free WiFi so this allows a customer to come in, order a cup of coffee, and do their work. In the process, many people will also check in from the coffee shop and post a photo to Instagram or Facebook. This acts as free advertising and attracts other like-minded individuals to come into the shop.

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Meaning of media convergence. Shared resources benefit all interviewed journalists in the Media General News Center in Tampa, but the real winner seems to be the television news operation. It benefits from the depth of resources of the newspaper that did not exist when the operations were housed in separate locations and did not work together. The business or financial sides of the platforms have yet to completely merge under convergence, although there is more effort to share costs across platforms. There are still, for example, Tribune employees, not News Center employees, paid by the Tribune budget, not by a News Center budget. This problem of financial integration will likely be corrected as employee and other expenses for operating and maintaining the news research center, for example, are increasingly shared by all three units. There is also a desire to continue growth of sharing through a single, common content writing, editing, and production computer system, which is the primary function of BudgetBank. Movement in this direction is apparent and will continue during the next several years. In fact, as of June 2005, the News Center was beta testing CCI NewsGate, an integrated editorial manage- ment solution that would support the entire news process (G. Thelen, personal communication, June 21, 2005).

Use of this paper is meant to bring you directly to the published pdf of the paper.

Always have the ever present ideas of what the necessary and possible sources for your message to be seen. 

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7 creatives redefining Brazilian art and design

From art and architecture to fashion and design, here are the Brazilian creatives to know about.

Just as important as where we have been, is the question of where are we now. It is important to understand that globalization is ever present in the professional Graphic design Community and it is important to keep your eyes open and available to keep up with the current trends.

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News and Events for students, faculty, and friends of the Master of Arts degree in Sustainable Design at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

A nationally reputed art and design school for undergraduate and graduate level degrees. This blog has postings showing and highlighting the route of the use of everyday life to produce effective designs. 

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Jennifer Morla

Jennifer Morla (2010 AIGA Medalist) is recognized for her ability to surprise and inform through her poignant communication designs for global brands and arts institutions, and for instilling that skill in others through her teaching.

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Jennifer Morla is President and Creative Director of Morla Design, San Francisco. With over 300 awards of excellence, she has been recognized by virtually every organization in the field of visual communication. She is the 2010 recipient of graphic design’s most honored award, the AIGA Medal, and has been published extensively, most notably in Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Since opening Morla Design in 1984, she has continued to pair wit and elegance on everything from motion graphics and branding to retail environments and textiles. Clients include Levi Strauss, Apple Computer, Wells Fargo Bank, Herman Miller, Stanford University, Sculpture Center, and Design Within Reach. For her accomplishments with Design Within Reach, the company was awarded the prestigious AIGA Corporate Leadership Medal for the successful interaction between aesthetics and business. Jennifer’s work is part of the permanent collections of MoMA, SFMOMA, the Smithsonian Museum, the Denver Art Museum, and the Library of Congress. She has been honored with solo design exhibitions at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and DDD Gallery in Japan. SFMOMA has acquired over 50 pieces of her work. Jennifer lectures internationally, is adjunct professor at California College of the Arts, and is an elected member of Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), an international design organization based in Zurich. She serves on the boards of numerous art and design organizations and has been on the SFMOMA Board for Architecture and Design since 1995. She is a 2012 invited artist at The Workshop Residency, where she investigated typographic forms as applied to felt floor coverings, hanging partitions, wall panels, and silkscreened textiles.

Jennifer Morla is a professional graphic designer and AIGA Medalist her works deal with the ever changing media platforms. From her more recent works, a clear connection is made graphic design  and everyday life.

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23 Key Moments in the History of Graphic Design [Infographic]

Discover the fascinating history of visual communication and how technology has pushed the industry forward.

History link number 2

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As with any topic; getting a well rounded history is important. I have 3 sources for a quick rundown on the history of graphic design.

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Urban Typography

As well as recording the sounds around me, I also took some photographs of my journey from A-Z.

There are 26 letters in the alphabet and 26 images in my first outcome. Each image is a representation of a letter. I decided not to do it based on what the image looked like and whether it was similar, but more on the A-Z of my journey. Once I had picked out my favourite 26 images, I then put them in the order that they were taken. This visually shows the journey that I took and the process of how I got there.

  I like the fact that the typeface shows my route but not in an obvious way and even though some of the images are very different, they all relate to create a smooth flowing type. The colours stay consistent throughout, which wasn’t purposefully done, this also helps the outcome link together as one.

  What I found interesting was, half the letterforms that were on the ground, were complete nonsense to me, this was interesting because it communicated effectively with some people, like builders and construction workers but not others.

  My favourite part was all the cracks that were on the slabs. I liked how, if you looked a certain way, you could see letterforms and signs, sometimes more than one on a slab. As you can see, the last image on the outcome has many cracks on, but what was interesting was that the letter ‘Z’ can be traced, finalising the type and the journey. 

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Graphic Design is one of the earliest forms of communication. It has always changed within the ebb and flow of popular culture and technological advancements. This will be the first post of my topic, How convergence is affecting the professional Graphic Design community. In this topic I plan to gather information to better illustrate where graphic design is today and how convergence in media and technology are changing the professional community.