Semester Graphic Design Reflection

Fall Racoon & Postcard

The project was to create a raccoon using the tools in Illustrator. It took about two to three weeks to finish the entire raccoon and its background. Certain tools in Illustrator were often challenging and difficult to work with, being the hardest part of the project. I learned about new tools and how to create certain shapes and I was given feed back on my postcard. I ended up changing the text in the snowman postcard to say, "And a Happy New Year!". I was really pleased with this project; especially the postcard aspect of it. 

Chiefs Infographic

The project was to create an infographic on a certain topic, using the tools in Adobe Illustrator. I chose to compare to Chiefs players. It took about two to three weeks to make the whole design as well. I had to update the stats every week, so you could say that might be challenging. The hardest part, in my opinion, was cutting the players out in Adobe Photoshop. I learned more about Photoshop, though, and also got more familiar with the tools in Illustrator and what an impact a non-computer based font has on the overall design. I was given feedback on my arrange of the player's names and positions, so I switched them around, making it look better. I really enjoyed this project and I feel like my design is simple, yet informative and right to the point.

Vector Portrait

And finally, for this project we were to create a vector of ourselves using the pen tool in Adobe Illustrator.  It took about three weeks to complete. Some of the challenges I faced were in making the hair (especially) and making the shadows (around my neck). I learned more about the pen tool and also learned that making a vector is not an easy task. I wasn't given much feedback, but I did add a gray background to make the design pop out. I liked this design because it looks clean. The process was a long one, but the final result was what I wanted.

Time Management

I feel like I have used my time in class effectively, as I usually finish the project somewhat early. I used the extra time to create each Behance cover photo and mockup to make my profile look great. I stayed after school at least three days to finish my vector design, so I feel like that built my skills and helped me to finish on the deadline. 

Strength

I am definitely better at some tools than I am others in Illustrator. I am also more familiar with Illustrator than Photoshop, so that has definitely helped my designs. I like to be simplistic, so I feel like that is a good strength to have when it comes to design. I maximize these strengths by carefully creating my Behance portfolio to look clean and simple.

Weakness

Some of the areas needing improvement would definitely be the use of Photoshop. I'm not very familiar with it (although we completed tutorials at the beginning of the year). To improve this weakness, I used Photoshop in my infographic project to create pngs of the players.

Summary

The best thing about this semester was easily the infographic. We got to choose our topic, so that made it more enjoyable. I also liked trying to create a design similar to what you see on ESPN or SportsCenter. One thing I would change is the raccoon postcard. I would work to make the tree look more realistic. Also, the original raccoon background could stand some work. I could have created a tree or something to place next to the raccoon. The number one thing I learned this semester would be the use of outside fonts to create your design. I mean, I can TELL if someone using a computer generated font for their design. I made sure to use unique fonts in all of my projects. One goal for next semester would be to get more familiar with Photoshop, integrating the photos I get from it into my design. I enjoyed the projects we did this semester, and can't wait to see what's next.

ONW Now Sophomore Edition

 

Overview

For this project, we were to create an ONW Now news segment as a sophomore journalism class. We were split into two teams and were assigned roles. I was a part of the production team, which was in charge of the lower thirds, graphics, intro, and outro. 

Process

For our intro, I decided on the theme of "The Office", a popular sitcom. We were assigned characters and filmed almost all of the intro in class. The next day, I went outside in cold, cold weather and filmed the opening shots of the school. In editing, I modeled of "The Office"'s intro and made it somewhat similar. I used graphics at the end to show that it was a sophomore edition. 

What I Learned

I learned about creating an effective intro and became more familiar with Adobe Premiere regarding graphics. I also worked with others to create each shot, modeling of "The Office" intro. Finally, I had a different experience using handheld for the camera, as that was the style in "The Office". 

Improvement and Next Time

I could have used a better font or color corrected some of the shots better. I also could have included shots of everyone (even though I listed them at the end). For next time, I will spend more time color correcting and on fonts/graphics. 

Overall

I think we did quite well in creating an effective and fun intro. I think it really captured what video class is all about: learning and having fun. I will continue to build on my Premiere skills throughout the year as well!

Power 50 Feature Story

Overview

For this project, we were to film a feature story outside of our class. My group chose Power 50, a new program at our school. We interviewed two people: Mr. Cooper and Quintin Talbert. They talked about their experiences with Power 50 and how it's going to look in the long run.

Process

During Power 50, I went around and filmed several locations where students were eating. Later on, we used a mic to interview Quintin, who gave us insight about experiencing Power 50 as a student. We also Mr. Cooper to give a teacher point of view. In editing, I made J and L edits, overlaying the b-roll over both interviews. I also added voiceovers between soundbytes. Finally, I did a little color correcting on darker shots.

What I Learned

I learned about framing the shots and got better and interviewing someone. I also got more comfortable with Adobe Premiere and learned how to make out story by using voiceovers. Finally, I used the delayed lead and ending to begin and end the feature story.

Improvement and Next Time

I could have shot more b-roll and closeups, as well as ask more questions while interviewing. For next time, I will remember the delayed leads and parts of a feature story to make the next one even better than the last!

Overall

I feel like we did a pretty good job this time around. Definitely better than the last feature story. I will use the knowledge I acquired this time about feature stories and implement it in my future projects!

Feature Story

Overview

For this project we were to interview a member of our group. The objective was to get them to tell a story, because everyone in ONW has a story to tell. We chose Brian as our interviewee, and he talked about his experience in transferring to Olathe Northwest.

Process

We were allowed to use a mic this time, so Brian strapped it into his t-shirt and we were ready to shoot. He was placed by the main stairs. We adjusted the white balance and made sure the audio was good. Shelby asked him a series of questions relating to Olathe Northwest and e-Communication. Once I put it on Adobe Premiere, I made sure to overlay several different b-roll shots on top of Brian's interviews. I didn't do any color correcting this time.

What I Learned

I learned a lot about interviews. As the interviewer, you should get to know and listen to the person you are interviewing. You should also make sure the audio levels are correct and that the interviewee is placed according to the rule of thirds. Adobe Premiere was also easier to work with and navigate through.

Improvement

I could make some of the b-roll shots shorter as well as brighten up the clips that we were interviewing Brian. We could also shoot some more b-roll and add voiceovers between Brian's soundbites.

Next Project

I will definitely use these new skills I've acquired from this project for the next feature story. The rule of thirds and b-roll are just two of the many things I could implement into the next project for an even better product.

Overall

All in all, I feel that we did pretty good. I think that we got enough b-roll to get by which allowed the video to be more interesting. Brian was also easy to interview so it allowed us to get great soundbites. I can't wait for the next feature story!

Photoshop Reflection

Overview

For this project, we were to use photoshop for various different designs. Some included deleting objects from a picture, and some included adding objects to a picture. We went through a series of tutorial videos and created several different designs. I learned how to navigate through the different layers, use the marquee and magic wand tool, and also use adjustment layers to edit the final photo.

What Did I Learn?

I learned that, by putting a certain layer on top of the others, it would show up on top of the final photo. Also, renaming the initial layer "Layer 0" changed its settings from a background layer to a normal layer where you could edit at will. This became very important later on in the design, as I would need to edit that exact layer. I also learned about the magic wand tool, which came in handy quite often. To use it, you would click on a certain object you wanted to select and it would "magically" select it based off the smart selection. At that point, I would be able to edit that object and move it around. Finally, I learned about the adjustment layers. You could change the color, brightness, saturation, etc. of the specific layer. This became important because it added contrast and made the photo better looking overall.

Favorite Tool

Magic wand. All the way. This tool pretty much does all the work for you! Let me explain why it will be useful later on: if I am working on a project that requires me to mask out the rest of the background but keep the center object, I will just select the object with the magic wand tool instead of selecting it by hand. It is that easy!

Strengths/Weaknesses

My strengths would include navigating through the layers and using the magic wand tool. However, I found it somewhat difficult to edit an individual layer as well as find everything Photoshop (tools, panels, etc.). I definitely think once I become more familiar with the program I will remember where everything is at.

Different/Same

One thing I would do differently is make the edge (above) cleaner where the sky meets the father's head because it looks a little dark compared to the rest of the sky. I would also make the blue shirt (above) cleaner because it still looks a little rough after removing the logo. Some things I could stand to keep the same are the removal of the logo on the surfboard, removal of dots on the white wall (with the man to the right of the picture) and removal of the flecks of mud on the kid's face (left above). The removals don't take away from the photo and actually add more to it in a sense. The photos look cleaner and more professional with the adjustments.

Summary

Overall, I think the course went pretty well, although I had a few problems with photoshop along the way. I think the designs could use some improvement but the general idea is there. We are also given the task to create a design using five or so images and this is what I came up with:

Procedures Video

Overview

The objective of the project was to create a video highlighting procedures of some sort. We were to create a 30 second to a minute video. I worked with Dylan and Jake to create a video about what and what not to do in Mr. Cooper's class.

Process

First, we created a storyboard with the different shots, mostly of which were over the shoulder. The idea was to make a shot of what NOT to do in Mr. Cooper's class, and then another very similar shot glorifying what TO do in Mr. Cooper's class. We grabbed a camera and started shooting right a way in the sound room with the soundboard. We were able to shoot every scene in a timely manner, adjusting the white balance and iris along the way. Then, post-production was next. I used Adobe Premiere Pro to edit the 1 minute video. I placed an X on the shots of what NOT to do, and a check mark on what TO do. I also did a little color grading and brightened the video up a bit. The video took 16 minutes to render!

I Learned.

I learned how to use the white balance settings on the camera as well as the iris. I also learned about zooming in on the Panasonic camera. The real gain of the project was that I got more comfortable with Adobe Premiere. I was able to find all the effects and sift through the project timeline easier than  last year. I worked with Dylan and Jake, so we all came up with suggestions along the way to improve the shots (i.e. what if we did this?).

Improvement

Some things to stay the same in the video would be the music and the sound effects as well as the graphics because they add to the story. As for improvement, I could have used a tripod to stabilize the shots. I was trying to go for more of a sitcom type of camera movement, but this is not what the project was asking for. I could also brighten up the shots more and could stand to not zoom in but instead have several more different shots. 

Next Project

I will use the added skills I have acquired from using Adobe Premiere for the next project I have. I will also use a tripod as well as spend more time on the storyboard. Finally, I will draw up more shots to make the next video more interesting. 

Overall

I feel like we did a pretty good job.... or at least for our first video. There are definitely things to be improved upon though. One major thing would be the use of a tripod, as well as more storyboarding. I look forward to the next project and can't wait to get started!

4th Quarter Reflection

The Product, Presentation, & Team

For our 4th quarter project, we were to implement the skills we acquired from the quarterly rotations (graphic design, animation, and video). We were put into groups based off our personality types. My group was Jenna, Hattie, and Nicole, all of which had different personality types. We decided on the name "E-Team" because we were in e-Comm. Then, we designed the "Cupbrella", a unique cup holder umbrella. We made graphics, logos, animations, and videos off of this idea, and it took until pretty much the last final days that we before presenting to finish it. Some of the challenges we faced were when people were absent and might have been currently working on a certain part of the project. We just had to fill in their spot and continue the project from there. I learned communication skills and project management skills along the way. I also got good presentation skills! I was nervous before the final presentation but ended up doing better than I thought I would. Finally, I got some technical skills in from all the rotations. I was given some feedback on our graphics, so we tweaked them a little bit until they looked just right, such as the color and size of certain fonts or graphics. I also was given information on the audio in my video and fixed that as well by boosting it. Finally, people gave us feedback on our presentation, and we changed the script up a bit to fit their comments.  I really liked our work in 4th quarter because it allowed us to see how much we really learned from e-Comm and what we could apply to team skills and project management. 

The Website

Our task was to create a website that showcased all of the work we made in video, animation, and graphic design. It took about a week to make, but maybe another three weeks to actually put all the extra things in the website (like the commercial). Some challenges we faced were when the commercial wasn't showing up on the home page. I learned more about the code view and overall web design concept this way. Some feedback given was to just change the size of fonts and layouts on our website, but we fixed this by making the fonts the same size and making the website more organized. I really like our website because its organized and easy to use!

Graphics & Video

In graphic design, we were to make a logo of our team and product, as well as an ad and coupon. It didn't take a long time to make this because of their simplicity and how fast we decided on them. Some challenges we faced were getting them turned in on time. I learned more about the elements of graphic design this way and some feedback given on our colors and overall size of the graphics helped us to change them (the size) to fit the proportions of the logo. I thought our graphics were very strong and good. 

Our video was carefully planned out and we wrote the script for the voiceover to detail about the product. It took a day to film, but maybe a little less than a week to edit. Some challenges I faced were the audio quality and color grading of the video. I learned more about Adobe Premiere this way!  Some feedback I was given was to make the audio better, so I boosted the sound. I think our video is good, but could be a little bit better. 

Animations

For this project, we were to create a 2d animation in Photoshop and a 3D one in SketchUp. It took about the entire two weeks we had to plan them out and make them. Some challenges I faced at the beginning were putting the graphics onto the Cupbrella building in Sketchup. I learned more about 3D animation and design this way though. I wasn't given much feedback, but I did add raindrops later on to fit the scene. I really like our 2d and 3d animation because they explain what the product is.

Time Management

I used all of my time in class to work on whatever the group needed help with or what was responsible for doing. Even if we were thought to be done, I went into some graphics or animations to tweak some things in order to make it look better. I also watched my commercial over and over to make sure it was good. Outside of class, I have worked on short films. I have currently made about five shorts and look forward to continuing them this summer!

Strengths

I think I have strengths in the video category, or at least I hope I do. I also feel like I manage my time well in class so I can get things done on time. I maximized my strengths by working outside of class to create short films and other little projects to implement my skills acquired in e-Comm. I also help others if they need help in class.

Areas of Improvement

A definite area of improvement would be team skills and working with other people. By doing this 4th quarter project, I feel like I have boosted myself in this area and it has really helped me to learn how to work with others. Another area would be animation. To fix this, I volunteered to create the 3D animation, which turned out better than I thought.

Summary

I loved the video rotation most this semester because it was fun seeing what our product would be like in real life and how we could get people to buy it. I would change our 3D animation by making it more colorful and adding more objects to it, as well as change the commercial. I would stay away from the infomercial type of commercial and go towards comedy or something in that nature. One thing I learned, as I said, is good communication skills and presentation skills. Working in groups really pushed this concept. One goal I'd like to set for EVERY year is to win the eMagine festival in the video category. Definitely. Number one goal. This year in e-Comm has really been helpful to boost my technical skills in all areas and teach me more presentation and communication skills.

Final Graphic Design Blog

Product Logo

Our product logo of the Cupbrella is a combination mark of a logo and topography. We combined the graphic plus black and white colors that represented our company and product. I like the logo because it symbolizes comfort and stability while displaying our product and its name.

Company Logo

For this logo, we used blue as well as repetition for our company and product. I really like this logo because it showcases our company and also is easy to read and figure out. Since our name is the E-Team, we colored in the "e" in "team" to show this. The simplicity of it makes it a great logo.

Cupbrella Coupon

Our coupon was also quite simple and easy to look at. We decided on 10% off so that we could still make a profit but also have people want to buy our product. The colors yellow and blue are prominent throughout our graphics, so they are shown here as well.

Cupbrella Ad

I know I keep saying the word "simplicity", but in our ad, it was really stressed. We decided to put not only our graphic and company logo, but also our slogan. This way, the viewer knows that the Cupbrella is about "cover up, drink up" while also seeing what it is by the graphic displayed. Plus, they will find the manufacturer's name as well. 

Website Banner

This is definitely my favorite, if not second favorite. The colors yellow and blue are still prominent, and our slogan is shown as well. We decided to put the product logo on there because it had more of a rectangular shape to fit a website banner's proportions. The E-Team logo at the bottom was purposely made small to put more emphasis on the slogan and graphic. 

E-Team

Overall, I really think that we worked well together to create all the graphics, animations, and videos. Our website functioned properly and I think our presentation went well. Better than I thought it would! We were on a time crunch, so in the five minute span that we presented, we held the audience's attention. I think our work overall was good and we worked well as a team.

Animation Rotation

My Contribution

For our team (E-Team), I made the SketchUp animation of our product, the Cupbrella. Regarding graphic design, I made the web banner and company logo. The SketchUp design worked well, although I had a little trouble importing the graphics in the beginning. I put the Cupbrella logo on the doorframe, and the E-Team graphic on the building. I tried to make the other buildings more of a neutral color so that the E-Team logo would stand out. When I made the Cupbrella product in SketchUp, I made the umbrella and cup separately and then combined them into one item. One thing that I could have done better is put more rain drops (as that is the setting) and could have added more buildings, bushes, or street lights. Overall though, I think the design worked well.

The E-Team

I think this rotation in animation went good for the most part. I feel like some people in the group didn't necessarily work the whole time. The way we divided jobs up was good, as we had Hattie and Nicole working on the Photoshop animation, and Jenna and I on the SketchUp animation. Hattie and I helped with the content of the website and Nicole worked on the website. Overall, we worked well together, but there are a few things that we could improve, like time management and staying on task. Staying on task is a big one because some group members don't stay focused the whole time on the project.

Here is my SketchUp animation!

Mini Presentation Blog

The Process

Our product is called "Cupbrella". This item holds your drink while you are walking in the rain so you don't have two full hands. The cup holder attachment on the side is very useful for things like a morning coffee. For our first assignment, we were to come up with a product logo. I sketched several different combination marks for our item. Then we implemented the final sketch into Illustrator.

The Details

We wanted to target a younger audience for this product, so our target group was 18-33 years old. The reason behind this is that younger people are always walking around for work or school, so a Cupbrella could definitely be useful to them. Our slogan was "cover up, drink up". This meant that you can cover up under an umbrella while holding your drink at the same time. Finally, the product logo was made simplistic with a square around an umbrella (like an app icon) and the word mark "Cupbrella" next to it. The color blue was put into it because it serves as a calming factor for the viewer.

5 Guarantees & Presentation

First, we showed technical skills through Illustrator and designing the logo on a computer. Second, we communicated during the sketching process and the final design. Third, certain people took leadership roles to make sure everyone was on task and on time. We collaborated on the final design and the overall idea of the product. And, with project management, we made sure to turn in the product on time. During the presentation, our group dressed appropriately and made eye contact with the audience. We also spoke clearly so that everyone could hear. No one was slouching or anything. Overall, I think we did a nice job with the product and presentation. 

CSS and CARP Design

The Intro

For this project, we were to create a web design using the principles of CARP. The goal was to show the change between the starting HTML file with no color or organization and transform it into a colorful and organized page. In order to do this, we customized the settings to each element of the page (body, header, author line, etc.). So, each individual selector was changed to match the rules of CARP!

C: Contrast

To start out, the contrast of the original page was bland. There was no contrast at all. The color of the fonts in the whole page was the same! Plus, the font family was all the same. The fact that the color and font of the whole page was the same made it boring to look at. So, we used CSS Designer to change to color (using the eyedropper on the tan of the dog). We also changed the font size to vary with each other and made the title more bold. The contrast between colors and fonts was definitely better than to begin with.

A: Alignment

The original page had disorganized alignment. Most of the body was right-aligned, but one line was left-aligned. Plus, the dog was right-aligned as well, making the whole design seem disorganized. To improve this, we changed the alignment of the title to center, and kept the body paragraph left-aligned. Then, we moved the dog so it was right-aligned. At the end, the poem was more organized and each element looked good with the unique alignment designed in CSS Designer. 

R: Repetition

At the beginning, the whole page had the same settings, so I guess you could call it repetition. But it was pretty bland overall. Using CSS Designer, we made the first four lines italic to emphasize that the dog was barking. In fact, the word "barking" was used several times, but the first four lines being italic made it more of an emphasis instead of being all the same font. 

P: Proximity

The beginning page was really close together and had no room to breathe. The text was all close together and the dog was aligned with the rest of it. In fact, all the elements of the page were grouped together. To fix this, we moved the dog to the right and the text to the left to create more space between objects. This proved easier to read and all the elements weren't clumped together anymore. Plus, the title was center-aligned so that all of the text wasn't close together.

What I Learned 

I learned how to change the elements in the selectors with CSS Designer. This included font family, line weight, font size, etc. Some things that I remembered from the last project was linking each page with one another. That way, the viewer could flip back and forth between the old and new page. Finally, I learned about CARP, the design principle used in web design. As explained above, CARP can transform an otherwise normal project into an interesting project.

Personal Logo Design

3 Personal Logos

For this project, we were to sketch three personal logos. First, I made a logo that contained a video camera and "CF Films" was coming out of the lens. Yet, later I decided the design was too much and not simplistic enough. Then, I made a REALLY simple logo with "CF" in a circle and "Films" on the outside. I didn't necessarily like it though because it didn't have really anything to do with filming. Finally, I came up with the idea of a square-ish design featuring "CF Films" inside an action board. It was pretty simplistic, and only had two colors. I decided to use that one!

Putting it in Illustrator

At first, it seemed like a pretty hard task to get alternating lines with certain shapes. I used the shaper tool and line segment tool to make the alternating black and white strips on the top. Then, I filled in the base with the paint bucket tool and put the text, "CF" inside of it. Although I wanted it to say "CF Films" because I like filmmaking, I decided to shorten it and use the "F" in "CF" to start the word "Films". For this design, however, I only used two colors to make it simplistic and used white font on top of black to make the name stand out. When I originally sketched it, I used black for the "CF Films" font. But I knew I'd use white when I created it in Illustrator.

My Opinion

I really like the final design. I'm glad that I didn't use the other two designs I had sketched, because they were either too simplistic or too complex. One thing that is really good about the design is the action board in the background. It's a square object, and square logos are good for social media and other platforms. Plus, the action board tells all about my "company". It shows the viewer that my company is specifically focused on filmmaking. Plus, the word "films" is incorporated into the "CF" so it also shows the topic there. Overall, I'm pleased with the final product. If I had to change on thing, I'd try to straighten out some lines and such. But for the most part, the design worked!

My House Design

The Sketch Process

For this assignment, we were supposed to sketch a tree, bird, house, or flower twenty different ways. You really had to think outside the box on this one! Regarding my first house, I drew a simplistic cartoon house. After that, I drew a two-story home. The third, I made a tent because some people love the outdoors and practically live in tents. Then, I drew an apartment building and a hut. The hut ended up being my favorite (or most unique) so I decided to put that into Illustrator. I also drew a castle, cottage, log house, and RV. A ton of people live life on the road in their RV! Then I drew a one-story motel (because I stayed in one for a soccer tournament one time). Next came the teepee, cave, and of course, the bird house. My sister made a bird house a while ago, so I thought I'd try and draw that. I made a church, firehouse, one-room cottage, and igloo. Who would have ever thought of an igloo? Finally, I sketched a lighthouse, doghouse, and cathouse. I actually never thought in the first place that I would somehow magically come up with twenty houses to draw. It was quite a challenge!

Adobe Illustrator Design

As I said earlier, I chose the hut to re-create in Adobe Illustrator. At first, I chose to have no sky or round but just simply made the hut using the shaper tool. The door was probably one of the hardest challenges. Then, I actually decided to have a sky and ground to make it look more realistic and so I chose the "send to back" feature for the layers. For a while, I played around with sky colors to really capture the scene. I thought that the sky looked to plain and dull. So, to fix this, I added the sun and clouds, which didn't end up being overly difficult. Finally, I realized that the ground was a bunch of empty space, so I added steps leading up to the hut where the visitors are greeted with a welcome sign. I was finished! Regarding my colors used, I tried to make it more dull and old-looking, almost as if tribes had been living in it for hundreds of years. Also, the sky I decided wasn't going to be too bright in order to capture the old look as well. Yet, I still wanted visitors (or viewers) to feel welcome, so I added a welcome mat and sun to show that. 

My Opinion?

I thought that my sketches turned out to be quite alright! Definitely better than I thought I could ever do. Plus, I considered it a challenge to think of twenty different houses to make. Of course, I liked certain sketches over others, such as the hut, tent, igloo, and castle. Probably because they were unique. Anyway, when it came to Illustrator, I sort of wished I could have made a better roof for the hut. Originally, I was going to try to make it straw-looking, but I didn't necessarily know how to add textures. It still resulted in a good design though! I can for sure say that I've learned much more about Adobe Illustrator and what you can do with it, so I will always try to keep improving my designs.

My Personality Type

INTJ

"I" stands for introvert.... which I very much am. I don't talk a whole bunch and prefer to talk to smaller crowds. "N" stands for iNtuitive. This may come into play when making decisions or describing things. "T" stands for thinking. This means that I think rather than feeling. Most of the time, I have to think and decide on things before I do them, rather than feeling what the outcome or situation could be. "J" stands for judging. Judging not in the sense of judging SOMEONE, but something. Like a decision for instance, and what the best option is. Finally, people like Mark Zuckerberg and Isaac Newton also share the same personality I do.  

Breaking it Down

In all honesty, INTJ does a pretty good job describing me. The first part that states, "Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals" is right on. Also "have high standards of competence and performance" is me as well. Something that might not fit my type as well is when it says, "...develop long-range explanatory perspectives". Other than that, though, the description of my personality is almost right on. The text helps me better understand why I do the things I do. Most especially the last sentence because I DO have high standards for myself and others, and now I understand why I make the decisions I do. 

Events and How They Match Up

I tend to take the role of committed. Meaning, if I'm going to do something, I'm going to try to the best of my ability to do it well. This is where the description "when committed, organize a job and carry it through". I try to implement my ideas and goals into the group or family I am working with. This role helps the whole team work even better because all ideas come together to form the best idea. Yet, sometimes the role I need to fill doesn't match my INTJ type. This would include backing off and watching a project go by without any say in what the group is doing. Or, not being able to even organize the project in the first place. I'm almost positive that my sister and I have misunderstood each other because of clashing personality types. For example, when I try to work on something with her, I try to organize it and carry it through the best I can, which my involve some strict rules and guidelines. On the other hand, my sister dislikes this and feels that a plan and rules are not always the best option. This example is the best thing I can remember where we clashed because of differing personality types.

What I Learned

 From this test that we took, I learned why I act the way I act. When someone asks, "Why do you not talk much?" Or says, "You don't talk much, do you?" I can explain to them that according to the Myers-Briggs test, I am the INTJ type, which includes being an introvert. I have also learned that it is alright to be different...... which is what everyone has heard at some point. But, by taking this test, the evidence proves that everyone has a unique personality. This type or personality is especially important in collaborating or working on a group project. You never know, someone might need your personality type in their group to make the final product look good!

The LOGBR Test

For this test, we were to put numbers in each column according to the one that sounded most like us (our strength). 4 was the best fit, and 1 was the least best fit. When I added the numbers in each column, column 3 had the most. Each column had an animal that was linked to it, and mine ended up being a golden retriever. This meant that I am loyal and do not like big changes. It also meant I liked security and am sensitive. For the most part, the description fit exactly how I am structured. The attributes under the golden retriever category were most like me! Basically, this test reinforced the information I received for the Myers-Briggs test, but also added a few new traits in as well.

Color Theory

The Color Green

This is my favorite color. Pretty much always has been, and always will be. When I think of green, I think of outdoors and nature. I see this color on several food products that claim to be organic. In this way, green also symbolizes health and purity. If I could change anything to green, it'd be my house's walls. You might think, "why in the world would anybody want to have green walls?" Free green screen, that's why. On St. Patrick's Day you walk downstairs only to realize you are being filmed by your sibling and BAM! half your body is gone. Also, many foods (healthy foods in particular) are green such as broccoli, pears, and green beans. The expression "eat your greens" comes from the fact that green foods are healthy. Finally, my color is bright but can also be dark and is a secondary color.

The Color Red

This is my least favorite color. I associate red with anger, stubbornness, hatred, and violence. In many ways, red, at least in my eyes, seems to be more of a negative color. However, I do see red on some logos I like such as YouTube (I mean, who doesn't like YouTube?). This color is also on street signs (such as the yield sign and stop sign). Red serves as a warning, so the sign colors are very purposeful.  I'd like to see less everyday objects be the color red because it reminds me of bad memories and anger. Also, there is also fruits (cherries, apples) that are red. Finally, my least favorite color is bright and is a primary color.

Color Theory

Why is that logo blue? Why is it bright yellow? These questions are answered by the color theory and how it influences graphic design. For instance, the Jurassic Park movie picture has a black T-Rex upon a red background. The red serves as warning for little children as this movie might be scary. It also symbolizes violence and danger (which is shown throughout the movie). On the other hand, the HP logo is blue. This symbolizes security and trust in which they want you to have in their brand. It serves as a calming factor for customers when trying to decide on a laptop. Finally, Tropicana's logo is green because they want to symbolize health, growth, and renewal. Regarding their orange juice, they want to "renew" your body back to health if you have possibly picked up a cold. Clearly, color theory heavily influences graphic design and the way we interpret logos today.

Illustrator Blog

My Soccer Sketch

I drew a soccer ball atop of grass with the sun in the corner of the sketch. First, I used lines inside the soccer ball and to set the horizon for the drawing. I also tried to make jagged lines to show the grass. Then, I used the regular colors that you would expect to see on all my objects, but I made sure to make the sky blue so that it wouldn't be too harsh or hard on the eyes (dark blue may resemble night).  For the grass's texture, as I mentioned, I used jagged lines to create a cartoon-sort image. I made the soccer ball the biggest part of the sketch, as it was the focus point. I used shapes such as circles to make the sun and ball, and used triangles for the sun's rays. I used squares and hexagons inside the ball as well. Finally, I decided not to have anything going on in the background, as to give the soccer ball space (as talked about in one of the key elements of graphic design). Finally, regarding value, I made the sky a light blue to create a peaceful image.

Adobe Illustrator Time

I then used Adobe Illustrator to recreate my sketch, but this time's objective was to use basic shapes and colors as well as the new tools to make this possible. So, to start off, I drew two rectangles that bordered each other to resemble the ground and sky. Then I made a circle with the shaper tool and moved it to the corner. As I made it yellow, I also created triangles to resemble the sun's rays. For the focus point of the project, I created a huge circle using the shaper tool and kept it white. Inside, I used the shaper tool again to create squares and a hexagon for the design of the ball (I colored these black). Finally, I used the pencil tool to connect the shapes inside the ball and also used this tool for the grass's texture.

The Shaper Tool

We were introduced to this tool which allowed you to draw a shape freehand and it would automatically snap to the perfect size and measurements of that shape. Pretty cool, right? This turned out to be easier than trying to draw shapes or making them with the pencil tool. It also takes place of the eraser tool as well. In our design with the shaper tool, we created a big circle, and then grabbed from the right side of the circle and cut off 1/4 of the shape. We then made a smaller circle and overlapped the original circle's center, making them combine. Finally, we made an even smaller circle and put it in the center of the two circles. We "punched a hole" in the design by drawing a jagged line with shaper tool to erase the smallest circle. There were a few learning curves, but the shaper tool is a lot easier to work with. I like Adobe Illustrator's features such as the shaper tool and pencil tool in general. Finally, it's cool that you can blow up a picture and it won't get pixelated!

What is Graphic Design?

Introduction

For our first sketch in our sketchbook, we had to draw something that resembled graphic design or what it meant to us. We were then to use the seven key elements of graphic design: lines, color, texture, size, shape, space, and value. Regarding my sketch, I chose some logos that I see very often.

Artistic POV

I chose the eCommunication logo, because, of course, we are in eComm. Plus, when I was sketching, right in front of me was the logo... so it inspired me to draw it. This is an example where you notice graphic design like that. Second, I chose the Nike logo because I wear a lot of Nike gear and my soccer uniform is made by Nike. Then I drew the Adidas logo because I've always liked Adidas and their gear. Also, they are a German company and my dad was born in Germany so I like Adidas because of it. I used the Under Armour logo because I wear their clothing a lot and they are a very famous brand with a surprisingly simple logo. You might ask, "Why did Colin use the Umbro logo?" Well, I don't wear their gear or anything very much to be honest. But, they were my first soccer cleat brand so it means something to me. Finally, I designed the Amazon logo because there are billions of things to buy on their website and their logo is creative. I used colors according to the color of each logo, but then used yellow as a neutral background color to make the logos stand out more. As a border, I colored black around the focus point of the design.

7 Elements of Graphic Design

Starting off with lines, I decided to have lines surrounding central portion of the design to outline it and make it bold. Of course, I already talked about color but made the logos their own color with add yellow as a background color. Regarding texture, I tried to make the outline of each logo more bold and thick than the coloring of it to make it stand out. The size of the logos also came into play, where I tried to make them close to the same in size. I tried to make the logos as close to the shape they are as possible, and decided to surround the drawing with a rectangle. I allowed for some space between logos as well. And finally, going with a lighter yellow background made the logos stand out more and the element that shows this is value.

The Process

First, I had to figure out how to make the logos all fit on the design and decided the best way to do this was to make them smaller, adding a border on the outside. I sketched the logos with pencil and then outlined most of them in black. Finally, I colored them in according to what the logo looks like. I liked my Adidas logo and Under Armour logo because they are simple yet effective. I also liked putting the border around it. All in all, the process was somewhat longer than I expected but came out as a good result.