The Pictogram

This pictogram reading informs on its history. It touches on the earliest forms of pictogram in prehistoric times, the middle ages, and modern times. Immediately, one of the most memorable pieces of information from this editorial is the phases at which the pictogram is understood. "At first glance of the pictogram the most important qualities are perceived. At second glance the less important qualities are perceived. By the third glance the additional details are perceived." This is information to consider when translating our artifacts into icons simply because icons are meant to be read quickly, clearly, and without the use of written language. Pictograms should have the ability to communicate independently of other pictograms, however one of the characteristics of pictograms is that the complete interpretation lies within a system. In order to understand the full context of a particular pictogram the receiver must be able to infer meaning from how it is linked to the rest of the system, such as the one below.

 

Additionally, a pictogram is most successful when a combination of surroundings, an icon, form, and color is present. The receiver's interpretation is dependent on where and how a pictogram is placed in the real world environment. As designers, we should be well aware the power of placement, scale, surroundings, and color choice can have on its audience.

Olympic Pictogram History

This video demonstrates the many variations of the Olympic pictograms. A main point in this video that I found rather interesting was that through the many variations of the pictograms, they are somehow reflective of the location in which the Olympics take place and what is happening in popular culture, such as the icons created for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. This is something for us to keep in mind while creating our icons. The icons we create will have employed the formal stylistic approaches as presented by Jamie, of course, but these icons could also have a deeper connection to the time and place that our culture took place in. By doing both we would have a set of icons that are thoughtful as well as functional.

Rituals: mock up

The subject I chose for this semester in Viscom was religion. At first I was not overjoyed with my decision, but after a bit of weighing out the possibilities I found that this subject may have been the perfect one for me. Beginning with such a broad subject was not ideal, so I narrowed it down to the only religion I've ever known, Catholicism. I don't consider myself a practicing Catholic, but after years of Sunday mass and catechism classes something must have rubbed off. I suppose it might have something to do with my fascination of all the rituals and my lack of understanding or it could be the fact that it's all just so stunningly beautiful. Either way I am happy to say that my book of artifacts is coming along well. I still need to refine the overall flow of my layouts as well as completing a couple iterations of the cover.

As of now my artifacts include: candles, a chalice, Palm Sunday cross, stoups, Our Lady of Guadalupe, confessionals, rosaries, and a monstrance, the vessel used in Catholic churches to display the Eucharist host.

 

  

Within my spreads I am applying a few rule to each of my compositions. Most dominantly I am featuring some form of an arc, cropping of the artifacts to the opposite ends of the page, and using various sizes of the artifact within each spread. Although I have a handle on the rules, I still need to make the pattern of the spreads much more clear. After speaking to Jamie about it, it was settles that the best way to go was to have a pattern that consisted of layouts that cropped the images from left to right and layouts that cropped the images from top to bottom.

How Does the Smithsonian Collect Artifacts?  (reading/response)

"The best of these instruments are like time machines; they provide today exactly the same experience that they gave more than a hundred years ago. With them we can experience science in much the same way as our ancestors, and with that evidence we can begin to understand what science meant to them."

Relating our current project for Viscom II to how the Smithsonian collects artifacts made me understand the goal for what my final book should communicate. After reading this article it became apparent that the artifacts we choose to include in our book have deeper meaning than the image itself. The image provides a visual reference to its function and it provides the possibility of experiencing the artifact. The better selection and variety of artifacts we collect, the better our understanding and therefore a much more seamless execution. 

Making the Invisible Visible 

The main message I received from this reading was that with out a concept you don't have good design. This reading drew me closer to the idea that by having a clear, concise concept in every project life will be much simpler because you now have a guide. This method is absolutely employed in our current project. Our theme is the centralized idea that is connecting every artifact to it's parent. 

Experimental typography. Whatever that means.

This reading offered me new insight on what experimenting means and how we are not fully exercising the action that is experimenting. I considered experimenting as doing the opposite of what is expected, as mentioned in the reading, but never stopped to consider that going completely against the grain is not always the best thing to do. By doing the complete opposite of a convention I would only be reaching one solution and limiting my vision to that one solution. If I were to look to the left, to the right, above, and below the conventions, I would be sure to find a solution that would have been missed because lack of experimentation.

This is something that I find difficult to do. I'm not sure if it's the fear of failure or if it's simply the difficulty of breaking habits. Additionally, I found the comparison between linguists and typographers to be one of the most interesting parts of the reading. Linguists master the sounds of the language, while the typographer masters communicating it visually.

Graphic Design: The New Basics

"Layers allow the designer to treat the image as a collection of assets, a database of possibilities" Reading this opened my eyes to why layers are so important during the work process. As designers we have to have the ability to relocate every part of a design. Elements such as type, line, images, and color blocks. Layering allows room to experiment and figure out if certain design elements are or are not working within a design. I feel that this is a very important part of design. A connection I found from this article is our discussion of layers in Color, Form, Production. We talked of how in printing, layering of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black is necessary to achieve the correct color. Although, layering is required in order to create a specific color, our eye does not see the layering. This leads to transparency. Transparency is similar to layers in the sense that it allows you to enhance layers, by creating a quality of density.

The layering in our books will absolutely play a role as to how we will perceive each word and every page of imagery. Layering with a transparency allows the eye to make inferences with both compositions or just one alone. Aesthetically this is a great thing because it automatically implies a certain depth to each word and each composition. Both the composition of dots and the transparency work together, but do not depend on one another. I tried very hard not to keep my type compositions when creating my dot compositions but it was difficult to.  

Having to create typography compositions by hand, has made me appreciate graphic design in past decades. Especially now that we have controls on our computers where we can highlight a certain area and easily copy it onto another space it's easier than ever. Back then, physically cutting and pasting was the only way to do it. No shortcuts. Layering is a technique that allows me to see what options I have and to try different things. Which as I have mentioned earlier in this post, is something very important in the process of design. This section actually reminds me of my darkroom teacher in high school, Miss Bennie Ansell, and her reaction to the transition of dark room terminology into Photoshop. She was lecturing and demonstrating how to dodge and burn in the darkroom, and a student immediately asked, "like in Photoshop?" Her reaction was priceless. She stopped what she was doing, closed her eyes and said very loudly, 'No! Dodging and burning originated in a dark room, not some digital program named Photoshop"

Type and Image with Meggs

This particular treat discusses field of tension and refers to the work of Piet Zwart and Cheryl A. Brzezinski. The article discusses how field of tension is used to create a taut relationship between the type, design elements, and the edges of the paper. The importance of field of tension is that even though there are very harsh, angular lines in the composition there is always a sense of balance in the composition as a whole. An example of this is mentioned in Zwart's use of the red arrow and in Brzezinski's use of type in negative space. Each composition is divided into zones but are threaded together with opposing design elements like using dark elements on a light background and vice versa.
I can already foresee this  technique being applied to our books:)

Quality vs. Quantity

Its interesting how this method of creating pushes your next idea from the last. I have in the past focused either too much on quantity or too much on quality making for an unbalanced, unsuccessful approach to the problem at hand. Reading this article, makes me realize that over thinking any process only leads to disaster. Sometimes you have to step back and let yourself make mistakes to realize not only what works, but what does not work as well.

Thinking too seriously about things, I have found, limits me. Worrying about perfection during the process in anything I do distracts my mind from focusing on the communicative elements of a project and whether or not it is doing what its supposed to be doing. Yes, the work should be presentable and beautiful, but this is why there are sketches and first drafts. The idea of perfecting should only be employed towards the end of a final product. Why has is taken me this long to figure this out?! Well, it's a good thing I've found this now, rather than weeks from now.

Why design you say...ey?

Design is one of the most influential forms of communication and this is why I love it. Everything, every book, every pen, every chair, every car, household items consists of elements like line, color, shape, form, and style. By manipulating these elements (and many more) you can change the personality of a product or its entire identity. I find it this idea brilliant in that I can convey any message I want by not only using words but also visually.


Response to Type & Image, Meggs:
I think that as graphic designers we are responsible for the perception we instill in people the moment that they view a work of design. We speak through the placement of "symbols, words, and pictures," but these visual elements have more meaning, more significance. I have always been aware that color, line, and placement on paper was a form of communication , but never actually applied the concept to my everyday life. I think that this has been something to be applied to everything I do, not just when I'm designing on paper or on the computer. Seeing the words that graphic design "transcends the dry conveyance of information, intensifies the message, and enriches the audience experience" make me giddy with the thought that this is what I'm doing with life.


Response to Graphic Design Source, Hiebert:
This article speaks of graphic design as an interface which is a perspective that I never considered. Which feels strange because it is very true. Although I gained some insight from the use of style and hoe it can sometimes get in the way of the message, I especially found satisfaction from the statement that "discovering the application of one experience of life to another." I liked this statement particularly because creativity doesn't just come from referencing images and visual properties that interest you, but from experiences in life, from moods and expressions and words spoken.


Response to Stefan Sagmeister: 
I find Stefan Sagmeister to be an exhilarating designer in the sense that he not only pushes himself in his craft and his style of communications, but pushes himself physically to make a strong, empowered statement that will surely resonate with the audience.