Week Fifteen, Stefaniak

In this class I really learned a lot about what you can do with creativity and computer software. I'd heard that graphics 217 is the best Newhouse class to take, and throughout the semester I never doubted that. Even though it's only my second Newhouse class, it has been the most enjoyable class I've taken at SU. The projects were enjoyable despite the long hours of work an the skills I developed through them are priceless. This class has even caused me to consider changing the field in which I plan to work to someone graphics related. Though I'll continue to be a magazine major, I really would like to work in the graphic magazine field rather than my original plan of fashion. Since the class combined many of my interests and taught me how to utilize them to my greatest advantage, I don't think any of the skills I learned are ones I'm willing to give up. I even bonded with who's now my boyfriend over love of typeface; ask Valentina, she knows.

Fish

At the beginning of the course, I can honestly say that I did not know the first thing about graphic design. The first project took a lot of work and frustration, and I was convinced that this was definitely not the class for me. But as I worked on, and through the frustration that came along with learning a new sophomore, I have grown very comfortable using the software. This class has taught me that I am actually interested in graphic design. I know that I will use the skills I gained from the course in my career later on in life. I can now consider this field to be of interest, which would have never seen coming before this course.

Week Fifteen - Igbeare

This class has taught me a lot about necessary tools I know I will need for my future. I went through an array of emotions because of how much detail each project entailed. I can say that I took away so much from this class. I look at typefaces and fonts in a different way now. I analyze them in a way I didn't think I would. If someone would have told me I would immerse myself in all things graphics after finishing the class I wouldn't believe it. But I'm glad I had the opportunity to learn Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop. I feel my skills have grew enormously because of this class. Even though I wanted to yell and scream because of how tedious the projects were, I learned more than what I expected and for that I am grateful.

Stanislaus - Wrap Up (Week 15)

Before entering GRA 217, I had heard how difficult the course was. A lot of people would say it is a very time consuming course and they were right. This class is extremely time confusing however, I attained skills that have benefited me. I was able to learn how to use Adobe Suite which is something I have always wanted to do. There were a lot of times when I could not stand the course and was just so annoyed, I'm not going to lie and there were also plenty of times I questioned why I was taking the course, especially during the Magazine project. That project was definitely the hardest project. Although this is how I felt, I can understand why this class would be a requirement for most majors, it is always good to see and respect how people of other fields work. I also appreciate the skills I have attained from taking this course, I know I will definitely use them in my lifetime. Overall, this course was honestly not my favorite however, I can appreciate the skills I did attain from it.

Stanislaus - Week 14 (Part 2)

Design Strategy and choice of event:

For the web design project we were to pick an event being hosted by a not-for-profit organization. The organization I chose is called Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). It is a major performing arts site in Brooklyn, New York. It is a venue for film, performance, art, literature and events. The event I chose was DanceAfrica 2010. This is an annual event that takes place at BAM. Each annual DanceAfrica consists of dance performances by numerous dance companies, an outside DanceAfrica Bazaar, an art display, a series of films and a dance party with live music. The reason why I chose this organization was because it was a local event in my hometown of Brooklyn, NY. I chose the event because I felt that it was extremely cultural and it seemed like a very lively event for all, from young to old. When designing the website, I felt that it should be very bright and festive just like the event. Therefore I incorporated a lot of bright colors into it. I also wanted the website to explain a lot yet be simple which I think I accomplished.

Choice of Typeface

For the whole website I chose the font, Helvetica Neue. The reason why I chose this font is because it is an easily read text and it has numerous different types of font styles and I was able to work with the font in different ways. It’s a very versatile font.

Color

For the website I chose vibrant, bright colors. I chose red (R 214, G 35, B 41) for the top layer, yellow (R 255, G 233, B 95) for the body and black (R 10, G 0, B 0) for the bottom and the background for the navigation bar. I feel these colors meshed well together for the website. For the titles of each page I chose to take the red from the top layer for the color of the font to keep it consistent. I feel overall the website looks simple and clean yet informative.

Stanislaus - Week 14 (Part 1)

Stanislaus - Week 13 (Hierarchy)

Perezhilton.com is a great example of hierarchy. He has numerous navigation bars to get where you need to go on the site. Also, the colors are very appealing and are in unison. The visitors of this site are able to view the latest celebrity gossip with ease.