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.

Week Fifteen | Palladino

I think a lot of people who had previously told me about GRA 217 were trying to scare me. Many of them demonized the class in a way, telling me it would take over my life and sucking away all my free time. GRA 217 is definitely a time-consuming class, but by no means is it terrible if you know how to time manage. I feel that every project we did was relevant to real-world situations and all were very practical. I was especially fond of the resume project, because I have now used that resume I create in class to apply for internships. It must have worked because I was accepted by two of the internships I applied for. I believe I owe a portion of that to my resume and its design.

Recently I ran into a classmate of mine who is a TRF major. He has been thinking about taking GRA 217, even though it's not required for his major, and he was asking me about my experience in the class. I immediately recommended that he take the class, because I feel I've learned so much about graphics and how important basic graphic skills and knowledge are in the workforce. While, like I said before, the class is time consuming and challenging (and sometimes frustratingly meticulous), it's a great class to have under your belt. I'm very happy I took this class, and I'm contemplating taking another, higher-level graphics class in the future. My favorite project was the magazine design project and I'd love to take a class that would allow me to do more projects such as that.

Schwartz - Week Fifteen

Initially, I was confused as to why I would be required to take a course in graphic design. I was very nervous for this class, because I am not an artistic person and do not respond well to visual cues. I never considered myself to be someone that would have any need nor interest for graphic design in my life, and I thought that the class would be essentially pointless for my future. I am a public relations major, so I thought-- when would the application of graphic design ever come into play in my potential career paths?

Well, I was immediately mistaken as our first project was the resume design. This was the most practical project as well for my field, so right from the start I was proven wrong. This beginning just reenforces the continuation of lessons I have taken from GRA 217 throughout the entirety of the semester. As we embarked upon each new lesson and project, I found myself learning a bit of new information as we went along. I was shocked at how interested I became in a class I originally resented enrolling in. I found lectures to be informational, because I knew absolutely nothing about graphic design before this class. To take this to a new level, I was actually interested in the new knowledge I was absorbing. I have found graphics to be both interesting and important to me, as I feel a lot more confident about my knowledge of graphic design but also see the ways that it can help me both on a professional and personal level. I am leaving graphics as my favorite class of the semester.

I am a new Newhouse transfer so I hope that my other classes continue to impress me as much as this one did. By no means did I find this class to be easier than I expected, as I struggled through every project we did. I found myself spending more than half of my free time each week in the lab. Every second not spent doing other work or tending to personal needs, I was in the lab. I have put my heart & soul into every project we have completed, and although the grades may not always reflect it I have put the most effort possible into each project. My favorite, and also the most challenging, was the magazine project. I found that once I came across a topic I really liked, I was engrossed and interested in the making of the magazine. I hope that someday in the future I am able to take my graphic knowledge to the next level, but if not I know that I have learned so much as it is.

Week 15 - Rinder

Before beginning this class, I heard that it was challenging, yet a fun and creative class. I would have to completely agree. It was challenging in the respect that I had never used any Adobe design program before. However I did find this a very enjoyable class. As a journalism major, the most creative I usually get is with sentence structure or story ideas. I really liked the design aspect of this class, it was something a little different for me.

I also feel that this class taught me a lot about reading, interpreting, and designing graphics, advertisements, and logos. I found the gestalt principles and color information especially interesting. Although I may not have a future in advertising or graphic design, I think this class gives important background for anyone person going into print or web media.

Week Fifteen | LaSorsa

As a PR major, I was initially curious about why I was required to take a graphic design class. However, I am so glad that I did get to learn the basics of graphic design. A lot of PR firms are looking for well-rounded students and having a basic knowledge of InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator definitely puts you at an advantage. With these skills, I am now able to use these programs in order to update my resume or make posters for events I am apart of. Though I would not say I am an expert in graphic design, I learned a lot of basics that I will always remember. For example, the fact that the color blue is the most well-liked color. I know that PR tends to overlap with graphic design. So, I am glad I took the course because what I have learned will allow me to communicate with graphic designers, if I ever work with them in the future. Overall, I think the hardest project was the magazine project because of how much detail was involved. My favorite project was the resume project because it was the most helpful and I was able to use this as my real resume. I really enjoyed the class, overall, and found it very helpful for the future.

Annie Liebovitz

Going into Hendricks Chapel on thursday night, I knew little to nothing about Annie Leibovitz. All I knew was that she took a series of baby photos and some of them featured Celine Dion. I feel like seeing her in person allowed me to learn more than I could from reading about her on the internet. She is such a laid back and easy going person. It was comfortable and enjoyable to sit there and listen to her and I really liked how she commented on the group feeling like a family with her niece there. My favorite part of the presentation was right at the beginning when she told us the story about her trip to Niagara falls. She put herself under the utmost scrutiny discussing her financial troubles, but I feel like it made people respect her that much more. It is interesting to see such a famous and well-known person struggle so much financially. Too me, it made her seem like a real person and it made her seem grounded. She appeared as your every day person who just happened to be fantastic at taking photographs.

Annie Leibovitz - Schwartz

I feel like a took a lot out of watching Annie Leibovitz speak. This was such an unusual opportunity because she is a world renowned photographer, and I was able to watch her in person. She was such a good presenter, providing a broad spectrum of ideas. She did not focus solely on her photos which was also interesting, because she spent a great deal of time addressing her other interests and pasttimes. She read a part of her book, expressing the details behind her interest. I also really like seeing her photos just because of the vastness of her talent. Its such an experience to be able to see a woman speak whose work is presented in Rolling Stone and other famous magazines. She photographs celebrities, but also takes more personal photos as well. This is a unique aspect of her work and personality. She brings a lot to the table, and she is able to really articulate her experiences in an understandable and effective way.

Annie Leibovitz

Syracuse was extremely lucky this year to have Annie Leibovitz as a guest speaker. Before Thursday, Annie Leibovitz was a surreal person who I only recognized through amazing portraits and magazine covers. As she spoke about her children and told personal stories from her career, I began to see her as an ordinary person. She is very low key and down to earth considering she has photographed the Queen and John Lennon. Leibovitz's talent has led her to not only meeting a huge amount of famous people, but traveling the world. Conde Nast traveler allowed Leibovitz to basically chose the places she would go to shoot pictures. However, Leibovitz explained how found more success in her portraits. Though she may say she doesn't have a favorite photo, she did show a portrait of her mother which she loves. I found it very meaningful when she explained how her mother was the only person she ever photographed who was looking at her, not the lens. Annie Leibovitz spoke greatly of her family and you could tell she has a very close relationship with them. She did focus on her niece, who we can also thank for having Leibovitz come. Attending this event allowed me to finally see Annie Leibovitz as a person, not through the photos of either the pregnant Demi Moore or the barely clothed Miley Cyrus.

Week Fourteen | LaSorsa

Danielle LaSorsa

Rationale: Interface Design

4/25/10

Design Strategy

When first thinking about my design for this web project, I immediately thought of one of the examples from class of a student whom did a web design for her sorority’s (Delta Gamma) Anchor Splash philanthropy event. Since I was doing a web design for an event for my sorority, I wanted to use similar design ideas. I started with a base that had a header container, navigation bar container and a container for specific information pertaining to that page. My header remained the same throughout each of my pages to keep everything consistent. It had the name of the webpage event, a brief sub-header and a picture representing the sorority. To represent that the sorority works with Prevent Child Abuse America, I placed the logo on the bottom right of each page. The viewers eyes exit a page on the bottom right and so I thought putting it there would make viewers recognize the image as they left the website. It also made the website more official because it was a distinct logo that many are familiar with. The toolbar also remained consistent throughout each page of my web design so that the viewer did not get confused when navigating throughout the website. However, to highlight what specific page one was on, I changed the color of the category. My main (biggest) container would hold the information pertaining to each page. I tried to remain consistent by using a feathered picture, a header and then smaller text explanations. However, on the Donate and Directions page where I found it necessary to use two pictures, I formatted it with two diagonal pictures and diagonal textboxes. I tried to use typographic hierarchy for each page by using a bigger size font for the header and got progressively smaller as I placed each textbox beneath. I tried to keep my design very simple and clean because I find that these characteristics lend to easy accessibility and navigation. My main concern was consistency because I knew if each page looked similar, then a person would become familiar with the ways of the website. They then would be able to find the information they need easily, which is most beneficial to the success of a website.

Typeface Information

I had previously made a poster for this event. In order to remain consistent to the event’s previous design, I chose to use the same font, Aachen Std Bold. I liked the font for this event because it represented the idea of building. It was also a fun (not so serious) font and this event was supposed to be playful and enjoyable. This font, however, had low readability as a body text. I had just watched the documentary about the font Helvetica and was truly inspired by the simple but powerful characteristics of the font. I chose to use it for my body text because it fulfilled my want of a simple sans serif. I didn’t think it was necessary to use more than two fonts because it would be too much of a distraction. I think the boldness of the Aachen Std and the simplicity of the Helvetica complimented each other while providing a balance.

Images and Color

Throughout my whole web design, I stuck to four main colors (teal, navy, yellow, white). The use of only four main colors made the web design extremely consistent, which I was aiming for. I chose to use blue and yellow because those are the colors of the sorority. I focused on the color blue because that is the universal color of Prevent Child Abuse America. I used the yellow for the text because as a lighter color, it would be more easily read over the background blue color. My background is a gradient because I thought it added some texture to my web design.

Most of the images I used were my personal images from throughout my past two years in the sorority. It was hard for me to find specific images from the event but I tried to correlate the images I had to the event’s purpose as much as I could. The Donate and Directions pages are the only ones where I used outside images. I cropped and feathered almost all of my images in Photoshop before I placed them into my website. For the mapquest image and the donation form, I took snapshots from the website and placed them into Photoshop.

Web Design- Mikaelian

Hierarchy

I used hierarchy in my web design to provide viewers with information in an orderly manner that would slowly lead them to donating to the philanthropy. The top page that says “Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity Presents: Theta Bowl” is present on every single page, so the viewer has a constant reminder of what the event is. I also included a picture of boys playing in Theta Bowl so people instantly know what the event entails. Since the homepage is the first thing visitors will see, I decided to put a nice welcome message on the front that explains what Theta Bowl is and who participates in it. I then decided to make “About CASA” the second page so viewers can learn more about the organization and what Theta Bowl is making money for. The third page is a photo gallery, so people can see how much fun the event is. After viewers see these three pages, I am hoping that they will be inclined to sign up to participate in the philanthropy or donate to the cause, which are the third and fourth pages. The last page is a contact page, in case after viewing the rest of the website visitors would still like to know more information about Theta Bowl, Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity, or CASA in general.

Usability

I wanted to make my website really easy to use, so I decided to keep it really simple with a traditional task bar across the top of the page and one text box that would hold the information for each page. Nonprofit event websites should be simple so people can navigate easily throughout the page, so I wanted to keep the information minimal and in small paragraphs. To get to each section, users simply have to click on the link to each page and there is one page with all the information they need. There are no sublinks, etc. since that can get too confusing and viewers can get lost clicking from link to link.

Visual message/Audiences

I wanted my visual message to be that Theta Bowl is a fun event that raises a lot of money for a great cause. The audience is most likely going to be college males, since that’s the demographic that participates in Theta Bowl, but Kappa Alpha Theta alumni and family members will probably also look at the site to learn more about the Chi chapter’s philanthropy, and to donate money to the cause. Because of this I wanted to create a layout that stays true to the philanthropy that would make boys want to participate, but I also wanted it to be friend and inviting to alumni and the older audience that may be viewing the website. In order to do so, I made the layout a combination of boyish and girly by utilizing two different font styles (explained below), and including pictures of both sorority sisters and football teams that participated in past Theta Bowls. The pictures of the sorority members give viewers and idea of the type of girl in Theta at Syracuse, and hopefully evoke that the event is a fun, wholesome event. The pictures of the males should show how much fun they’re having, and how into the philanthropy the boys get. I also feathered all the photos to give off a friendly, happy vibe that made the pictures seem reminiscent of nice memories.

Typography/Color choices

The main fonts I used for my website are Antique Olive Std. and Stencil. I used Stencil for “Theta Bowl” at the top of the website and important headlines. I used this font because it is a tough-looking font that fits the football theme of the website well. I chose Antique Olive Std. because it is a simple font that has a slight girliness to it, which I think compliments the boy-ish Stencil font and makes the site to both men and women. For the navigation bar, I used Antique Olive Std. in a black font, and to show what page I was on I turned the font of that page (i.e. home, about casa, etc.) to Stencil in a larger font size and white color to make it stand out from the rest of the navigation bar. I also used Verdana for large bodies of text (the home page and about casa page). I use Antique Olive Std. in 9 pt. for captions.

The main colors I used are black, white and yellow (a replacement for gold) since those are my sorority’s colors. I also felt like they worked out well since they aren’t too girly and work well with the flag football philanthropy. I decided to make the main background white, and used a black container to hold the main text for each page. I also made the top bar black and the navigation bar yellow (R=255 G=231 B=65) so it would stand out. Most of the text is white, although I did use yellow if I wanted to make certain words stand out, and also for the donations and sign up page to contrast from the white text boxes.

Web Design Project - Seo

Concept
The event I chose for web design project is “Syracuse Festival of Races”. It is a annual festival event that I think it is good for people in Syracuse to know about this festival. For this website, I used a silhouette of men running as a logo for this event. I tried to put fewer contexts on the website and summarize the information that people need to read.
Links
Since the event of this website is straightforward, I tried to find images to help people understand this website clearly by looking at the images. The color I put for each navigation bar is consistent with the color of headings. I chose the color carefully because the highlighted color may distract people from reading the information. All the pictures of people are from the official website Syracuse Festival of Races.
Font
The typeface I chose for this website is Arial for all headings and body contexts because I think Arial is not only a great typeface for reading information but also a good for heading when its bold. For the title of the event Syracuse Festival of Races, I chose Cooper Gathoam because I wanted to chose different typeface but at the same time, it shows similarity with other texts.
Color
I used black background for my navigation bar, and for each color link, the color is directly traced for the image of silhouette on the top right corner. Headings for each page also show consistency with color.

FISH

Mel Fish

4/30/2010

Rationale | Web Design

Concept

The event in which this website website was created for is called ‘Get on the Ball.’ The direct beneficiary is the Jim and Juli Boeheim foundation, and I felt that it was essential that this was a prominent theme throughout the design. To achieve this, I cropped the logo of the Jim and Juli Boeheim foundation, and made it the consistent header for each of my links. It adds a sense of legitimacy to my site, and attracts the reader’s interest throughout their visit.

Links

‘Get on the Ball’ is a simple event. It does not require much explanation, so I determined that simple, straightforward links were appropriate. Each of the pages maintains visual consistency, in that they each are designed within a 2 layer grid. Each page has at least two images, and the text is located in the corners of each page. For my navigation bar, I used a rollover, in the form of a ball, to indicate which page the user is visiting. I transformed the image opacity to 38%, which allows the ball to be prominent and visible, but still allows the text on the navigation ball to be the dominant visual entry point.

Font

For my navigation bar, I used the font Friz Quadrata Standard Regular. It is easily readable, and it effectively coincided with the translucent roll-over ball. My body font was Verdana Regular. It is an easily readable font, and user friendly. For my privacy information, I utilized Helvetica. It adds a sense of hierarchy, and it also user-friendly.

Color

The RGB for my navigation bar is 242, 101, 34. To maintain visual consistency, I used a gray to white gradient. It is inspired from the logo that I use at the top of my design, and adds a little spice to the overall website.

Leibovitz lecture- Mikaelian

Annie Leibovitz is an extremely inspirational photographer. She began her professional work at Rolling Stone in the 70s, photographing events such as Nixon stepping down and the famous John & Yoko Ono cover. She has had more accomplishments than any other photographer, and now holds the spot for the first and second magazine cover ever. Leibovitz says she loves photographing landscapes, even though she has shot hundreds upon hundreds of amazing covers for magazines like Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Vogue. She showed photos of her work, starting off with black and white photos that I thought were truly inspiring, since they were done with no digital photography what-so-ever. She then showed photos all the way up to her family and current work, the home of a famous poet. My favorite photograph that she showed was an image of a person standing in between two huge stone walls, and in the slit of the stone walls you could see a beautifully structured gothic building. The woman in the photo was also standing on a rock and she is so tiny that the size of the stone walls and the white building you see through the slit almost resembles the woman seeing a white light. The woman in the photo is one of her dear friends who has since passed away. Annie Leibovitz is definitely the most famous photographer of all time, and it was amazing to hear her speak about her work and tell the stories behind the photos- especially how she got the shot of Queen Elizabeth "outdoors" (it was actually a backdrop) and the story behind her favorite photo, the photograph of her mother.

Annie Lebowitz Lecture - Igbeare

I really enjoyed Lebowitz's lecture. She read a few excerpts for her book. I liked how she described her process while showing us the images. The image of Queen Elizabeth was phenomenal. The background and her pose really added to the whole image. I also enjoyed the black and white photos she showed. I thought it gave the image authentic feel. I thought the images of the dancers were amazing. There was one in particular that I liked a lot. Two dancers were photographed at the beach. One was lifting the other up and the man who was lifted was in a pose. I could feel the emotion coming from the image. Overall, I liked Lebowitz's lecture. I thought she had really good advice for up and coming photographers as well as students in the media industry. I could tell she was really passionate and genuine about the work she did as she spoke to the audience.