Graphic Design Spring 2019 Final

Spring 2019 Final

Favorite Projects

First

This project was outlining a subject to turn them into vectors. This project took multiple weeks, most of the time being spent on the outline. Some challenges included knowing how many details you needed in the final project and also have the color values match and look natural. New skills I learned while creating this project are how to look critically at an image and how to constantly be editing an image when you add a new part to it. Some feedback I took into consideration include adding more highlights and shadows. The changes from my original idea were mostly making it more detailed with what I stated above, as my original piece was going to be very simplistic. Overall, I liked doing the 2 kinds of vectors, but it wasn't really my style.

Second

The infographic project was picking a topic, researching it, then putting it in a, you guessed it, infographic. It took us around 2 months to complete. Some challenges I faced were turning my complex sketches into simple graphics. New skills include improving with the pen tool (which really helped out with the next project, Vectors) and also being able to condense down information. Feedbacks that I took into consideration was the layout of the overall piece, and making it flow better. Changes from my original piece are mostly just how the sketches looked and their layout in each section. I really liked this one because we got to communicate a topic we love and teach others through art.

Third

My final favorite project was creating a greeting card. This project was the quickest out of the three if you don't include the printing of it. Some challenges included what colors to use and what font(s) to use. My font here is a collection of 3 different styles, so I have that personal touch. The main skills I learned came from using InDesign for the first time and figuring how to lay out cards. I didn't get much feedback except for the text used. With this one, I only changed the colors so that you can still see the text and graphics separately. Like the one above, we got to have a strong say in what we created and wrote, so I liked the freedom of being able to make something for our friends.

Time Used

Throughout this semester, I was able to use my time in class efficiently by staying focused and keeping an eye on deadlines. If I finished early, I either went ahead or worked on my own projects. If I didn't know a technical skill, I mostly looked things up, asked friends, or just kept working on it until something clicked. I critiqued my projects by constantly asking friends how I could improve on it or asking what I could add before it was turned in. Outside of class, I often came in to work on projects or help friends with theirs, and by doing that I could see what I wanted from my self and could turn what they did to an enhancement for myself since I got to see a different perspective.

eComm Strengths

Now that I have been in eComm for 2 years, I know that my best strengths lie in perseverance and time management. With life beginning to pick up with high school workloads, I've adapted with it so that I get everything done and turned in on time. And when things get tough, I've kept at it, even when being frustrated when something didn't turn out like I thought it would. This strengths are especially great to have in eComm since the classes revolve around projects and going beyond what you know.

eComm Improvements

However, despite my strengths, there are also weaknesses I have within the 5 guarantees of eComm. I can always improve on communication with others. Given that a lot of projects are independently done, you need to know when to collaborate when necessary. Though I talk to my friends, I have to be ready to talk on a professional level to get clients. Beginning now, I plan to reach out to more people to build myself a brand, and hopefully create useful connections for when I get out of college.

Conclusion

What I loved most about my graphic design experience was using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop and also being in a chill environment. Though, I would like the class to have more hands-on training instead of following directions for most projects. I feel like there needs to be an even mix on being taught something and having to follow instructions. One goal I would like to set for myself is getting 100 endorsement hours, and then for senior year I would like to graduate with the highest honors we can get. I'm really gonna miss graphic design, but I know that having this class has, and will continue to, helped me with animation. So, thank you, Mrs. Beaudoin, I know next year's class for you will be great.

Vector Illustrated Portrait

Organic Vector

Pre-Production

Image with Posterization

To begin with, we had to choose a subject (family or pet) to do the project on. I chose a photo of my sister, since it had the best lighting, then moved it into Photoshop. In this program, we cropped (8x10in.) and posterized the image so that there were simpler color values to trace. Once adjusting this to make it look natural, we moved the image into Adobe Illustrator to begin the tracing, which would only use the pen tool.

Production

In Illustrator, we had to decide whether to do Organic or Low Poly Geometric. I choose Organic, so after I set up 2 artboards (the first one had a lowered opacity, the other was locked) and set up layers for different sections (eyes, mouth, shirt, etc.). Then came the tracing. This would become the longest part to the project, and often it was difficult to decide what details to include and which weren't worth it. I focused on having a wide range of values, from the brightest lights to the darkest shadows. After a while, I realized that I hadn't closed off all of my shapes, so I went back to correct this and made sure that every future outline was complete. Sometimes, it was difficult to have the pen tool follow what you wanted, but I learned how to edit the anchor points at the end by changing both handles independently.

Post-Production and Final Project

This is the original image along with the finished product. Looking at it now, the face highlight without posterization is softer, though I feel like the exaggerated lighting fits well with vector pieces. In my design, I wished I could have made the hair less "tame" but it would have taken too long to capture every stray piece and I think that would have interrupted the organic-ness of the whole piece. It was difficult to capture the coloring, and I feel as though next time I would've made more shadows. However, without them, the final product has a simplistic aesthetic that I worked hard for, so I believe my balance of details was suitable for this. All and all, I'm proud to see that so many different parts came to make this piece and I will definitely be doing this again some other time.

Typography With Quotes

Typography

Pre-Production

For this project, we had to begin with finding 10 quotes, which would later be narrowed down to 4. I found my quotes by looking at a folder I have on my phone, and then by searching up Bob Ross since I look up to him. For fonts, I wanted to have a mix of Serif/Script and Sans Serif to create contrast within the type itself. I practiced sketching ideas of my 10 to see how they could possibly be set up and this also helped me to find similar quotes to match. 

Production

Once we decided on 4 quotes, we moved into Adobe Illustrator. The file was set up as 5x5 with 4 artboards, and this beginning set would only be in black and white. I tried to arrange my text by importance and weight to draw the eye in order of how you would read it. I learned how to better work with Type during this process, including how to change the kerning and space between separate lines. At this point, we saved and made a copy to begin working with color. On two of mine, I felt that it wasn't necessary to add a lot of color, so I used gray to focus on the value aspect. I prefer working with black and white because though it is simplistic at times, you can carry a message easily.

Post-Production

I feel like the Bob Ross quote turned out the best out of my four. I also like the "Heed the words of" because of the gradient and simple graphics, though next I would make the clouds more cartoonish. I feel like the connotation you get with the words "A Friend" and "An Enemy" really work with the font choices. With more time I would have found more colors for the quote by Yabsira, and the Voids one feels as though it is missing something important, but I liked how I reflected the moons to work with the warping of text. To add onto my favorite quote, next time I would add highlights to the color splotches for dimension and work to make their forms more organic and curving around the text, though I really approve of my choice of font with this one. Overall, this was a good experience to see the other side of graphic design and was needed practice for making items work together. 

1st Semester Graphic Design Final Exam

Performance Review Blog

Link to My Behance:

Julia Hester's Profile 

Projects Done this Semester

Raccoon Adobe Illustrator:

This project was to follow a tutorial to begin us using Illustrator in class. It took me 3 days at most to complete this project. Some challenges I faced was using pathfinder to mask and divide objects to create highlights and the design around its eyes. Along the way, I learned to be more comfortable with using a program that wasn't Photoshop or Maya. Some feedback I got while working was to make the bats around the raccoon smoother. My original idea was just a vampire raccoon, but the end project had a pumpkin behind it for a fall theme and bats around him to add on to being a vampire. I really liked this one as it looks professionally cute.

Panorama Photoshop:

For this project, we had to take 10-12 images and combine them into a final piece to tell a story. Mine took anywhere from 5 days to 7 because I worked on the contrast a lot. Some difficulties I experienced were making the images look relatively the same and having the same whitest white and blackest black. Throughout this, I learned how to easily manipulate an images contrast and how to use masks to easily alter them. I got most feedback on the whites/blacks and on the rough or messy edges. I changed my original image based on this feedback, so now the image looks cleaner and is also brighter. My overall opinion at this time was that Photoshop was easy to use and that this could look good in a portfolio as a statement piece.

 Photoshop Tutorial Print:

This project was to turn a previous project you did into a physical print. It was one of the longer ones we did, taking around 2 weeks because we had to do a lot of waiting and cleaning up. Some troubles that occurred was that my other print had bubbles in it so that the print didn't lay even or have the image distributed correctly, but since this is my second one I had fewer mistakes. The only feedback I got was to use more water to finish getting the remnants of paper off. I didn't make any changes compared to my original idea since there was not much to do once the print was placed upon the watercolor sheet. I think this project changed my mind that graphic design was something that is kept on the computers, and I liked that we were able to do something physical in this class.

Time Spent in Class

When I finished early or thought I was done, I either worked on animation or created something in Photoshop. However, mostly I used any extra time to add to my Behance or to add on to the project I finished and revised it to look the best I could make it. I often went back to mess with line art or to use filters/layers to add more depth. Outside of class, I worked with friends to help them with their projects or to work alongside them on ones I hadn't yet completed so that I could get more help or advice myself. In this class, I try to use every second being productive, whether that means completing my project or editing it, or helping someone else with theirs so that I could also get insight into my own. 

Strengths as a Student

My strengths as a student, or employee, include being able to get projects done on time and having them still look good. I am able to pick up on new skills while also improving on what I have done before, so that I am able to look at my past and know how to use it to better my future. Since we have two eComm classes, I know how to move between various programs, from Maya to Photoshop to After Effects to Illustrator. I know the tools well in Photoshop, like using the clone stamp and how to use filters, then I am also able to use the pen tool in Illustrator well to create a clean image. Along with knowing various tools and finishing projects, I also make sure to do the other side of this class by adding to my Behance and finishing my blogs. 

My Ares of Improvement

Though I do talk with my friends about the projects, I am still a generally reserved person to anyone else. I saw this the most when I thought about doing our Open House, but decided against it since I did not feel comfortable with talking in front of everyone. Also, I am always willing to improve with my technical skills, because I feel like I'm still hesitant to use the pen tool in Adobe even though I think my graphics came out nicely, I didn't add on to them more because I thought that I would mess it all up. In Photoshop, I was always nervous to use various masks and filters, so I stuck mostly to just adjustment layer, but I know I need to get better at Selection and editing if I want to continue on the Graphic Design path. I feel like with 2nd semester, I could improve on every area of eComm to become a better student. 

Summary

What I loved most this semester was using Photoshop to edit and combine images. There's just something I like about creating something new from other pieces, and then editing that final piece was relaxing in a way. What I would do differently, though, would be to use less clipping tools because I need to be more at ease when doing a project and not always depend on something to fall back on. Also, I would use Illustrator more often because some days it still feels foreign. My overall take-away is that to succeed in graphic design you will have to know how to quickly move in between programs and that you must have some knowledge on every tool so that you are able to create the best assignment you can. One goal I would like to set for myself is to get 100% on every project and to redo the ones I lose points on. I honestly had a lot of fun in this class compared to e9, and I appreciate the freedoms and work time we were given. 

Watercolor Transfer Printing Process

Watercolor Transfer Prints

To create these prints, first we had to select which previous project to do. I chose the one above, and then a challenge one, though the previous turned out better so I used only that as a photo. Then, once we got the projects on one document, we printed them out. Before we could transfer the print, we had to get the watercolor part ready. We took a piece of paper, tore it in half at a crease, then began create an abstract piece. One was purple and yellow, and the other was green, blue, red, and more purple. Then, we cut the printed projects in half with a border around the image.

Finally, we were ready to transfer the prints. To begin, we had to put a thick layer of mod podge along the image, being careful not to get any on the body or other side of the paper. Then we laid it upon the dried painted sheet, before smoothing it out with a squeegee to the best of our abilities. Once it had dried for a while, then we used water to rub off the paper. This was probably the longest part, as it took a lot to get all of the paper and fuzz off. Once the image felt smooth, though, a gloss was added as a finishing touch. 

While creating these prints, the part that affected the end product the most was putting the mod podge on. If any bubbles remained, then that would change the image appeared and could have white spots and lines due to it. I struggled with this especially on my first time around, but with the print above, I really improved. What went well for me, though, was getting all of the paper off, since I also worked on it at home. But with this, some of my paint came off, but it's not that bad. Overall, I really didn't expect to have transferring prints be this easy, as I thought it would be some complicated and long process. It was really fun to do, and I think with a third attempt I could have the best print yet!

Printing Processes

Relief Process

This technique involves craving into wood or linoleum so that when ink is applied, the carved areas show up as white space and can either haver grain texture or be a flat black. This skill is needed to easily replicate images with texture or not, and can be used by anyone if not doing it by press when one has a baren. First, you begin by prepping the object with ink so that you may have a background to tell what is happening. Then you transfer the drawing onto the wood, and either use black line or white line composition to create depth. Once the image is cut into the block, it is ready for ink to be rolled over the surface, then put onto a press to transfer the design to paper.  With linoleum, you can use a marker to draw onto the block, and then carve the soft material out, and with this medium, the black is very flat and has no wood grain texture.

Intaglio Process

This technique involves scratching or moving of material on a flat plate, such as copper, to create wells for the ink to settle in. This is a direct opposite to the process above, but is also used to mass produce items, but would be less common as it required access to metals so more popular artists would use this method. You begin by using a variety of tools to create texture on a surface into your desired design. Then, you must soak the plate, wash it, and soak it once more. Once this is completed, you polish and clean it to begin etching, which begins by preparing the ground. Then, you smoke it to create a black surface, and scratch the ground off to reveal the copper beneath. The plate is then put into acid to create the spots for ink to sink into, and is then cleaned for printing. First, you must put ink along the surface then wipe off the excess. A dampened piece of paper is laid on top, then felt is rolled over the sheet and paper to transfer the image.

Lithography Process

This technique involves using a lithographic stone that is both receptive to water and grease, so the grease is the drawing that can be removed with various items, and this printing type is very delicate with its surface. This would be used for printing posters and other pages requiring words, and would be used for those in the writing or news business. The grease is made with either lithopencils or lithocrayons, and is done directly onto the stone. There is a first etch, then rosin and gum arabic is applied to the drawing. TAPEM is applied next to help keep the gum to the stone, and the gum itself is added again, and the whole drawing is buffed. A greasy solvent is placed upon the drawing, making it "disappear," to act as a base for the ink, which is applied after wetting the surface. For printing, ink is first forced into the crevices, and this is down multiple times to gather a full print from the stone, but this also creates a realistic look of each newsprint being hand drawn.

Summary

The printing process I would like to attempt the most is Relief. I feel as though this would be the easiest one to do in a school setting since we don't need a press to do it. Also, I have always wanted to do wood carvings since I tend to be a very nature centered person. I think these older printing processes have affected contemporary designers by allowing there to be ways to print cheaply and have the methods be widely available. Also, this allowed for us to mass produce designs, such as t-shirts, and not create the same thing over and over. Overall, it allowed for more colors and mediums to be introduced into printing, and made the printing itself more commonplace for artists.

Multi Exposure Panorama

DC Panorama

Travel

At the beginning. we passed over a calm river to reach the destination of our 23 bus ride: Washington DC. On our way to a hotel, there was a building that reached up into the heavens, a sight that we would see nearly everyday. The altitude was different here, the air felt lighter but with the amount of plants and trees, it felt more invigorating. Breathing in welcomed the strong scent of rich earth and aromas from various food trucks and restaurants nearby. I had never seen a city so cultured and so different around each corner, people talked in more languages than I could imagine and they were selling everything from around the globe. 

During the middle, we spent most of our time visiting monuments and museum. There was always another building close by that beckoned you to explore it. One of my favorite places to see was the Botanic Gardens, which I know isn't some fancy, towering building with more history than some states, but I felt alive with all the growth, and how they had everything from desert cacti to tropical trees. Don't get me wrong, I feel more knowledgable visiting national museums that taught you everything from art history to NASA, and I will forever keep close the awe I felt when I saw the founding documents. At the end of each adventure, we'd return to what would become our home, safely protected by a stone lion.

The end came with after our parade. The parade itself was through bustling streets, and I had difficulty breathing in the heavy, humid air. But we all pushed through the landmarks and smoke left over by the motorcycles are few hours before. All I could focus on was making it to the end, even though I dreaded leaving the mountainous, lush green region to go back to flat, yellow Kansas. Then, it was over, and I chugged down a water bottle, which had become the sweetest thing in the city to me. The bus ride back to the hotel was quiet, all of us satisfied with completing our main goal for band. Soon after. we began another day long ride, leaving over that calm, shimmering river. 

Reflection

First, I had everything in black and white so that they could have a shared mood. I edited the contrast balance so that the images might have a dark black and a bright white. I kept color in what I felt had the most impact on people, which in the end was the colors red and gold. The 2 rivers were both put down as the background, one at night and on at day. The tried to have the buildings show up in the order that I saw them, and had the ones I saw the most in the middle and on the left side. I wanted it to appear as though they were right by each other, without having hard lines and by deleting the backgrounds. I feel like the little bit of color represents what the city itself tried to make the most important, having a strong historical/political background. The buildings were either in the background or the foreground to keep it consistent. Then, extra items were put along the middle. The emotions were mostly awe of the monuments, and a sense of wonder. Overall, I tried to make it flow from the beginning to the end, to have that sense of Travel through DC, and to convey what I felt along the trip. 

Photoshop Pop Art

Pop Art

For this project, I was partners with Audrey Young and had her as a subject to create pop art. To begin with, I cropped out the background so it was only her and then made it into black and white. With the background, I tried to have the repeated circles of Roy Lichtenstein's comic style, and also made it cool colors to add further contrast with the bright, warm triangles and horns. The is some influence of Warhol with her inverted image, so that the subject is also repeated. I tried to have it be flashy like theirs to balance out the black and white adjustment mode. 

Over this adjustment mode, I used some layers with the Color blending mode or Overlay blending mode to retain the feel of the original image, just with some Pop! The main filter that I used for this were the Blurs, seen with the inverted subject and then the triangles. There were many masks to keep the desired effect in a specific area and to add back color. I wouldn't say I have a true color scheme, just various forms of warms with cools, so almost complementary colors, and then there is contrast with the black and white focus.  I would say I was effective in creating my design, as I was able to easily add and take away additions to her, and had a lot of freedom in what I wanted to do. 

Photoshop Challenge

Editing the Nature Man

With this project, we had to combine what we learned from the 2 previous tutorial groups to create an edited version of the given Nature Man or someone we found online. The only conditions were that his face had to be shown, and that we had to have blend modes, layer masks, and adjustment layers. For it, I chose mine to be flowers, being inspired by the video tutorial we had, and kept the man instead of finding someone else. I already knew that I wanted it to be yellow and very vibrant, and thought that a sunflower would be best in place of his hair. Though I slightly changed what I planned, it stayed pretty consistent.

To use the required items, I used the blend mode Overlay on the jacket flowers. Before this, I made a layer mask with this layer so that they would only be on the jacket and not the background or his shirt. Overlay was able to give me the best color and also keep the details below, like texture and wrinkles. They were originally yellow, but with a color balance layer adjustment, I changed them to be purple so that I could have complimentary colors and the image itself became less uneven. With the head flowers, I used multiple layer masks, patching and healing, and copying different sections to move and have the petals I wanted throughout his hair. There is some green I kept because I felt I had distorted the images enough. Also, I used Curves to change some of the shading so that the various pieces could fit with one another.

Honestly, my end result didn’t really match my vision of it. Without video tutorials to follow, it was difficult to decide what I needed to do to reach my goal. The hair was pretty similar, but it looks too unnatural and doesn’t have a flawless transition, so I will have to find out a better way to incorporate multiple photos into one. My jacket was changed, but I like how it turned out better than what I was originally going to do. The yellow it was happened to be too much for me, and also before I worked it out, you couldn’t see any of the jacket’s details. I would also improve on using adjustment layers and blend modes so that I am able to go even further with my projects. Overall, I would say that I did well on my first challenge and can’t wait to see where the next lessons and practice takes me.

Graphic Design Basics

Photoshop Tutorials

Scope of Project

To begin with, we had tutorials to teach us more of Photoshop skills and review ones from last year. The process was generally watching certain videos to one of the 6 tutorials, then working alongside with it to edit the given images. To make the edits, we used the Content Aware Fill, Patch Tool, Clone Stamp, Healing Brush, and Spot Healing Brush, all of which will be mentioned below. These skills that we worked on would be great for photographers and magazines as they are able to fix what was missed and provide necessary adjustments for publication. Out of all of them, my favorite tutorial was the original Patch Tool. Though we jumped right into working on the computers, these tutorials will make future projects easier and more understandable.

Content Aware Fill

The first of the videos was the content aware fill, which uses a selected area's surroundings to replace it. There were 4 photos to do of these, and they only worked if given enough space to copy from. This skill is used for minor edits, like an unseemly background blemish or a logo that can't be used. If the Fill didn't come out exact, you are able to change the layer's lighting for a more even look or choose from smaller areas. I can already tell that this will be used often in the future for quick fixes.

Patch Tool

Next comes the Patch Tool, do go even beyond what the Content Aware Fill can do. On some areas, like the man's shirt from before my version, the Fill doesn't have enough area to mimic the shirt. So, with selecting the desired area, you can then drag it away to bring in the portion of the shirt you want. You can also copy shadows and texture this way to give it a natural look. If one area was too bright or didn't, you can continue to drag smaller areas for precise adjustments.

Clone Stamp and Healing Brush

After that, we went onto something harder: removing a tag while preserving texture of the item. To do this, we had the clone sections of the coat nearby the tag in the pocket to continue on the shadows and pattern we'd see from the clothes. Then, we had the find sections of the pocket to copy and layer. With the Healing Brush and some Filter editing, we removed the soft and blurry look that had occurred and made the coat lose its natural look. The Filter was able to add back Noise that creates the texture, and the Brush fixed small problems. This was the first usage of the Clone Stamp, but it plays a huge role in the following tutorials, being one of the easiest ways to continuously fix an image once removing an object from the
photo.

Clone Stamp and Patch Tool

This next tutorial combines the previous ones to erase a larger part of an image with a more complex background. First, we had to clone out most of a pole which was coming from the man's head. There was a small section of Content Aware that you could do, also. Then, you had to fix his hairline and patch the sky back in. Once that was finished, we had to blend out the sky to keep the original gradient and a smooth finish, making it seem like there was nothing to interrupt the background at all.

Spot Healing Brush

For this tutorial, we worked on quickly removing blemishes, in this case it was dirt, and over large expanses of a photo. At first, we used this brush to individually clean up the image, but it was difficult to get all of them since we had to work with a smaller brush as to not cause inconsistencies with the skin. To combat this, there were masks and layer additions to be added to the end result, and the results were immediate after using a normal brush set to black on the mask itself: a picture perfect kid that no one would have guessed was just outside. 

Building a Portrait Collage

This final tutorial was the most engaging and time consuming of them all. In one way or another, we used all of the previous skills to create the collage. To begin with, we set up the photos in the order they would be in, then edited the one of the left to be near the same height. Then, we extended the background by first cleaning up the branches with the Clone Stamp and patching the sky and making a new layer to extend the background so that the center image had a place to rest. Any transparency above the head was fixed later on by cloning sections on all layers.

I think the hardest part of this tutorial was working with the middle girl. There were constant revisions to the hair and clothing; to make the sleeves, we had to take them from a different image and line it up, then work with filters and various brushes and masks to have it look natural. Once the center image was ready, we had cropped the image and finished the placements for every layer. The final touches were done by editing the color and tone. We had the background be muted so that the extra saturation on the center really popped. By finishing this collage, we concluded the first set of Photoshop tutorials.

Reflection

Before doing these basics, I had no idea what Photoshop was truly capable of. I now know how to fix problem areas, how to merge two different images, what masks can do and to use black or white brushes to affect them, and especially the importance of all the brushes and selection tools. Also, I have become aware of how time consuming and precise the process must be. I'm no expert yet, not even close to it, but these have forced me to always be problem solving and to bring together all the skills I have to work on one issue. Looking back, I can already see what I need to work on, and plan to continue using the next set of tutorials as a way to refine and develop my abilities. 

4th Quarter Reflection

Final Exam

4th Quarter Project

Our final project in e9 was to create a product by using all of our skills from graphic design, animation, and video. This project took the whole quarter, with us rotating every 2 weeks to go to the next section. Some challenges I faced included redoing a large portion of our items and having a steady team. Along the way, I learned how to do more within Photoshop when animating and was able to do things more quickly towards the end. Some feedback given to us included making everything set for school, providing more information the product, and talking louder without it being stilted when moving around the team. We changed the cost and vines used for our product to make it more appealing for all and appropriate. Overall, I like to think that I did my best work on the ads and their animations, but less so on video.

Below is what out team decided to create, virtual reality Vine glasses by Totally Not Vine Co. called Vinels. I have included the two animations and coupon I created and then there are screenshots to the side of what the website looks like along with it's layout and items included. We created Vinels as Generation Z and often Millennials miss the famous video app, and have watched every compilation. With it, you can watch everything new and create your own on the go. Our color scheme was monotone green to add CARP (Contrast and Repetition). Katie worked mainly one the website and top banner, Blake on the 3d animation and was the cameraman, and Audrey was the actress and creator of one of the ads and the final logo. For the project overall, we had 4 style of ads, a web banner, a slogan and logo, website (with various pages of information), commercial, and 2 animations showing the product itself. A lot of work and time went into this project and I know we have all grown as students and people by doing it.

 

Class Time Used

During class time, we did what had to be done at these computers, like building the website, using Photoshop and Sketchup, and at the beginning of the quarter, filming and editing the commercial. I stayed productive by either improving on what I had done before, like editing with newfound skills, or by looking ahead on what we would need for the product. I also made sure that my team was working on what was needed and that they were also caught up. Once outside of class, I worked with another e-Comm group in their commercial as they needed help, and I helped myself and others with critiquing and edits to better the design. Also, most of our team agreed on what was needed to complete the website and have all the necessary components for a good grade, and wrote a script then. Throughout this project, I made sure to constantly check in at times so we had decent time management.

Strength and Improvement 

My areas of strength include graphic design and animation. In these two, which I plan to focus on next year, I have spent most of my so far e-Comm career. I have gotten used to the basic functions of Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, and can maximize my strength by going beyond what school teaches us and watch more tutorials on subjects I wish to learn. With the animations, I used both frame and video to utilize both of these skills, and next time can go even further in how I create a product. We can all expand our strengths by also looking at our weaknesses to use more ideas on what makes us good and targeting what is difficult for us.

My areas that need improvement include video and website design. With video, I think my editing skills are good, but I haven't had much experience in filming and creating the story to shoot, so to support this I plan to work on a short film with my friend and I helped others when filming in a way to familiarize myself with video. On website design, I didn't have much work to do for creating one, so I checked in with Katie to make sure it looked correct, had CARP, and edit what was needed. To continue improving these areas, I can work outside of my comfort zone and take on more responsibilities with projects.

Summary of Quarter

What I loved the most about this quarter was having more freedom on what we can do. It wasn't just a strict guideline, but had one thing to follow while the rest was up to us. By learning from doing in this project, next time I would have a stronger idea on what we would be presenting before hand, and would spend more time outside of class with my team so that we would be better prepared and connected. This quarter has taught me how to have all of your skills intertwine to create one item, and how to manage everything when having an on-going and constantly changing project. One goal I would like to set for myself next year would be to do even better on graphic design and animation by learning more of what goes into them. My final thoughts are that this quarter was a good way to see all of the various branches of e-Comm in work, and that I now know what goes into a good creative team, along with what type of people go into them.

CSS and CARP Design

Web Design Project

The Project Overview

This project was to use CARP and CSS to improve how a page looked. The beginning of a page is just HTML, the code and basic format of some sites. With the CSS style, the designs come and bring the page to life. By using specific styles, you can add principles of design. With it, we could add CARP: Contrast, Alignment, Repetition, and Proximity. 

Contrast

With just HTML, you get simple black text on a white background with little variation. While this is a form of contrast, it's not pleasing to the eye or effective. However, once the style was added, there were multiple colors, with the brighter ones jumping out of a black background, having an extreme contrast. Also, the notice text and link are now more prominent. With the image, the dark face pops out of the background onto the body section. CSS styles allowed a more interesting distinction between the various text with the size, font styles and color usage, thus removing the bland look. 

Alignment

In the first photo, all text and the photo are aligned right. With it, though, there are various alignments and a floating image on the right. The notice, body, and author are aligned right while the title is centered. This way, you can better use Proximity by changing where on a page something falls. CSS styles allow us to manipulate positions, which draw attention to various sections of a page and guarantees that not all of it will be similar in location and provides items to be in the correct place.

Repetition

In the first photo, the only factors that may count as repetition are the black color, some bolded text, and how the poem is separated. In the second photo, you have more varied repetition, like getting the website's colors from the dog itself, having the titles have the same Alignment and color and the body text is like this too. This also allows greater attention to the important areas and draws relations between the page's ideas. CSS styles allowed more input on how repetition is used and broadens the HTML limits of it.

Proximity

With just HTML, the grouping is altogether except the text the comes out of the photo. However, with the style added, the text is divided into the notice, title. body, and author at the bottom. This allows related ideas to be near one another, making it easier to understand. One way this works is by changing Contrast and Alignment. CSS styles allowed to have grouping on pages, a layout, and develops relationships to distinguish between the ideas.

CSS and Conclusion

Overall, I learned how to use CSS styles to manipulate a page's design and to make it more appealing. One thing I now know is how to use colors from a photo to form Contrast. I wouldn't have though to use photos already in the page to make up the text color, but it just brings everything together. This, now that I actually have a better understanding of Dreamweaver, went quicker than last time since I knew the general locations for editing the style. For the little Web design we'll do, this was a nice experience for how to set up a page and how to utilize CARP.

My Personality Type

The Myers-Briggs Test

INTJ

When taking the personality tests, I got INTJ. This means that I prefer to have alone time rather than a lot of social activity (I), live in the future, have great memory, and am creative (N), am critical and for facts rather than emotions (T), and plan everything to have an organized life (J). So it's pretty much those who like to stay inside and think of the future while analyzing what the plan for the day will be. Susan B. Anthony and Jane Austen also shared this type.

Though this type does represent me well, I have gone between this one and being an INTP over the years. One thing that is me full on is that I have high standards and a great drive for reaching goals. However, being able to recognize patterns quickly isn't something I'm the best. Also, while I'm able to organize jobs, on some cases, depending on the importance or other factors, I might not finish it for a while. Overall, it hits the mark mostly, but people are fluid so some things apply, some at different times, and some not at all.

By looking at these results and their explanations, I can see why I like to spend a lot of time alone and thinking. It's reassuring to know that I am caught up on the future and how to get where I want to because of my personality. I always knew I was a creative introvert, and that planning is something I enjoyed. However, with the critical analysis, it's nice to know where my blunt honesty comes from; it's not meant to be mean, but to help further others along! In addition to others, I like working with other introverts because then we don't have to talk, but then being with extroverts if I want something on the outside done.

With the above, I like taking on the background, but equally important, roles because those are where I truly shine. I prefer to do the writing or drawing, while hopefully a extrovert presents all of it. This way I feel the most comfortable and am able to utilize all of my potential. While I understand that sometimes you have to go outside your comfort zone, being the one in the spotlight has never been me and I can explore as much as I want when not in focus! If I am put into one of these roles, I'll do my best to fulfill it, no matter what, because I am here to get a job done.

Though, despite all of this and the knowledge of knowing what I am like, some people want me to engage more. I'll often ask questions, but not when the teachers tell students too, and I'll only be truly happy in some group settings, and otherwise, I'm just doing things that fit my needs. Some don't approve on how little I talk, or how sometimes I'll just be caught in my own mind, but these are a part of me and only with certain people will I actually show some extroverted characteristics. Even with this, I would say I have an even mix of introvert and extrovert friends because we just make it work and have a good balance.

By doing this assignment I have a better understanding of the different personality types and how we're all different and similar, you just have to find what works and how you work to get by in life. I am kinda surprised I'm an INTJ again after a few years being an INTP, but that just goes to show how people grow and develop, and I'll look forward to where my beloved future takes me next. I've always focused on the introvert part, but now I'll be sure to look more into the other types because my friends are diverse in their types, even I didn't know what I truly was. Now, with this information, we can all work to relate and, well, just to work with one other and utilize what separates us to bring one another together with a common goal.

Lion/Otter/Golden Retriever/Beaver Test

Lion

From the second test, I got the highest score for Lion, and then Beaver second. The Lion personality is similar to INTJ in the way that they take challenges, are always looking to improve (for the future), and are focused on a goal. Beaver's are also focused, and very creative. I think I'm a mix of both, and I do share their strengths, weaknesses, and limitations. However, unlike the Lion, I don't believe I'm too dictatorial, but can be too direct, and unlike the Beaver I do see the optimistic side, but do have high expectations and standards. From this test, we can see more of the traits that are like us, and of others around us, to also use with the test above to get a good idea on who we are and what makes up our lives. 

AB Sequence Video

Going From Point A to B

The Video Brainstorming 

For this project, along the previous one, we needed to use the 6-shot system to get the clips we needed. To decide the main ones, for this was a longer and more complex video, we used a storyboard, at the end it being 2 pages. My group decided that this video was going to have a more suspenseful theme, as one person tries to find another. We didn't have a true establishing shot, but the beginning fit the give a general location and the subjects. We had to sequence the film as a journey with obstacles, so we were sure to add in a few missteps in it and notes to drive them along the correct way. Once we got done the basic movement, location, and shot style, we moved on to filming.

The Creative Process

The filming took place over multiple days, seen by the changing lighting, but we tried to get them to look as similar as possible to meet the deadline given. The story is seen from the entrance of the auditorium, to the orchestra hall, going down the way to the band hall, stop at the gym doors, then back to the auditorium. As mentioned above with the obstacles, we wanted her to go down the wrong way before the notes direct her back, efficiently starting and ending her journey. Once done with shooting, we had over 30 clips to chose from when editing. On Premiere, first you have to input the shots, and then begin going through all of them to best convey the story. At one put, the shots jump due to a missing one, but we made it work the best we could. Once it was laid out, we locked the clips to trim the sound. The song I chose for this did come off strong, but I liked how at some points it aligns with the movement, so I decided to keep it. Finally. we uploaded it to YouTube, and then embedded it within this post.

Thoughts and Conclusions

The collaborative process of this project, with 4 people in a group rather than the 2 for the printing video, meant more opinions and while it did make the story more interesting finally decided upon a storyboard took more time. Though the work went well in the end, you had to put in effort into this to be an efficient group. Next time, I will be sure to more involved with the storyboard instead of going with the flow to make sure I leave a mark in the video, even though I did get a lot of say in this. Also, I will be sure to make it clear which job I want, and guarantee that everyone has a say and doesn't just do something to please the rest. Along with this, we all need to play with our strengths and find our weaknesses. This project was more informative than the last, which was just to get us comfortable with video, and now I know what to work on and how to better provide a video and what challenges you'll meet along the way.

How To Print Video

How to Print A Document Video

The Creative Process

After learning the basics of video and photography, which included the rule of thirds and the various shots necessary for the project, we began storyboarding. This was to get a general idea of the video and to ensure that we had all the items needed in a blueprint of sorts. My group decided to have the video consist of the library's entrance, a shot of walking to the computer, one of logging on, then pulling up a document to print, walking over the to printer, stapling the documents, and at last holding up the finished item. To tell the story, we wanted to make sure the viewer understood how we got to each step and to keep the video moving. In this process, I was the one being filmed, while my teammate filmed; we both decided upon matters together, however. learned how to work as an even more efficient team, and then edited the clips together separately. 

The Skills Used

To take the video, we checked out an iPad and a tripod to have the shots leveled. When shooting, we often had to manipulate the height of it with the legs, but mostly had it steady. Once done with filming, we downloaded them onto the computers and opened Adobe Premiere Pro. The clips were imported, clipped to a time limit, and then the audio was removed to add our own. If there was time, you got to add some opening text. During all of this, many other teams often collaborated to help each other with editing, and as I was done earlier, I helped a few and then my teammate when she came back to school. To be successful in this project, one had to be willing to ask for and give help, understand the basics on how to work computers and Premiere Pro, and watch your time to stay on top of everything.

Thoughts and Conclusions

Throughout this project, there was a lot of mistakes to handle and reshoot, however this would help you out in the end when editing the final piece. Though, from these errors, I have learned what to do next time, including have a clearer storyboard, watching the spacing of the subject, and being mindful of the lighting. Next time, I would make the shots have a better transition, but I would keep the chosen topic of each shot as they portrayed what we needed. Overall, the filming itself wasn't difficult, instead the setting up of the video was. I will be sure to remember the difficulties of some filming and beginning aspects to better focus my attention on what was truly needed, but this first time project went smoothly in the end.

Website Project

Designing A Website

Process And Overview

This project was to make a website using Dreamweaver. The website was our final assignment for first semester. We had to use our previous elevator pitch and former projects to make up our portfolio. For e9. this is to give us a look into web design as it isn't a section for Freshman.

To begin with, we had to get the home and style files and copy them to be used first. Then we took a photo to be added to the main page. Then we started setting the default website page by adding our name the header, our elevator pitch below the "Hello!" and our photo to float in the text. The date was added by going to Insert, HTML, then Date, so that it would update each time we worked on it. Then we focused on the sidebar by setting up the two sections and the designated links below.

 To have a link, we went into properties and put in the text needed to go to that page. For the Projects link, we had to make another copy of the home page by using Save As. On the projects page, we deleted the body text/photo, and added in some projects from both quarters and text from our blogposts to explain it. To add a video in, we first had to upload it to Youtube, then embed a html text into the code so that it may work.

Once the pages and their text was set up, we went on to design the page itself. We changed the colors used by going into CSS Designer and using the Selectors for different areas. You then had to go into Properties and change the background colors. For the text, we did the same process, but went into the text option itself in Properties, and also edited the text styles to be what we wanted. Finally, we changed the links colors for when they were active, hovered over, and already visited, seen in the Projects photo.

What Was Learned

For this project, we had to learn how to use Adobe Dreamweaver and a few basic aspects of code. Along the way, we learned how to make new pages, links, and how to give color to the web design. Also, we were now able to insert various objects, like pictures to float, embedded videos, and code to make different colors of the links depending on what happened to them. Now, we're able to make a simple site with a menu going to other pages in the sites and going out to other websites. Overall, we learned how to use Dreamweaver Files, CSS Designer, the ways of viewing them, and everything in between.

Experiences And Thoughts

From designing my site, I will remember the multitude of actions that go into making one thing for the whole. I thought that I did pretty well for it, and did it in a timely matter. If I didn't have what I needed done, I would come in after class to finish it, something we'll surely have to do as the years go on. The = experience that I'll be sure to remember is that if you're having trouble, watch a tutorial if needed, but always keep trying and editing to get what you want.

My General Response

This was nice to get a look at Web Design and what goes into it, as it's an option next year and we don't get a quarter in it as freshman. It was interesting to learn how the code looked and behaved behind the design side we always see. I enjoyed going through each section and completing it so that it actually looked and functioned like an every day site. Though it isn't what I would consider doing in life, it's a good skill to have in this technology based world.

Sketchup House

Sketchup House and Animation

The Project's Overview

For this project we had to create a house in the program Sketchup. The goal was to make it as realistic as possible using a model. Before this we had steps to make a chair, but for this we had to experiment and keep making errors to get the final project. We had to find our own textures to use then make a video to show it off.

The Project Process

First, we had to go to this website and find one that was over 500 feet and specific rooms and height. Then, we had to begin making it in Sketchup. I began with rectangles and the general shape of the building. Then I pushed them up to be 3D, and began to add the extras that came off of my base. Next was the doors and stairs, and thee roof, which had to be moved upwards in a point for the later, and changed planes to give a natural feel in both. For the final building process were the windows, which were rectangles, pulled out, then made into components so that they could be repeated and copied objects. The last design step was to find our own textures and color the home completely with seamless textures. Finally, we set up the scenes and made the animation.

What Was Learned

We learned how to better use Sketchup and to make complex shapes. We especially learned the importance of measurements and how to make the objects the correct length. Also learned and used was the push/pull tool, move tool, offset, components, measurement, and general movements. The main thing to learn in this project was how to use shapes and make them into a realistic house, with shadows, design, and how it presented itself.

Next Time: Different 

What I would do different next time would be to better follow the house I chose as a reference. Especially in the roof because I could never get it down correctly, and in the end decided just to make my own. Also, the porch was never separated as I made it a component too soon and couldn't edit it after that. I would also work the make the lines more precise and the figures more connected. There were little additions I wasn't able to do this time, so next time I would spend more time on the small things.

Next Time: Same

What I would do the same next time would be the textures I used. Keeping a set amount of colors and textures, then spreading them out with alteration, was something I enjoyed doing. I would also continue to have the windows differ on various rooms, and make the doors different. Also, I would start from the ground up because that made it easier to then add on in most parts.

Experiences To Remember

I will make sure to remember the complexity of creating objects within Sketchup. The time it took and the constant errors will never leave me. I was frustrated at times, but by persevering, I was able to make my project the best I could. Like with my previous projects, one of the most important things to remember that things will not end up as planned, and that's okay, giving you an opportunity to make something even greater.

My General Response

The idea seemed so simple and straightforward, but Sketchup had proven itself not to be in the slightest. Though some of the mistakes were funny to see, they were not welcome at all. The process was draining to a degree, but I still learned something from it, and to a degree, enjoyed it. I liked having an actual, complex product come out of all my time and errors, and making the animation was the most satisfactory part to it. It was difficult, but worth it, and I would do it again.

House Information

This is the house I based my project on.

These are the textures I used on some of my home.