Mel Fish

Design Strategy

As I began the design process, I decided that I wanted to have both a clean-cut and visually stimulating résumé. Since my target audience is a Public Relations firm in New York City, I determined that I wanted to represent myself as an experienced and modern creative thinker. I feel that these firms are innovative and in search for this type of intern. To accomplish this, I made a clear visual hierarchy, used a crisp shade of blue to guide my audience down the page, and used most of the space on my résumé for the ‘experience’ section. Through my use of blue for my last name, the second line of my contact information, headers, and bullet points, I feel it gives the résumé a modern feel, as well as effective eyepoints throughout the page.

Another major design decision was how to represent my name on the wordmark. My full name contains 7 letters, and I felt that a horizontal wordmark would not accomplish the image I am aiming for. To handle this, I created a stacked and colored wordmark, where I kerned the first two letters of my last name so that the M of my first name could sit symmetrically on top of my last name.

In creating my wordmark, I was drawn to the flat cross strokes of Memphis LT Std. Light for my first name. The reasoning behind this is that the letters sit flat on top of the superimposed (FI) and the ascender of the (H), in which I utilize the san serif quality of Franklin Gothic Std No. 2 Roman. This is especially true for the capital (M) in my first name. The stacked wordmark looks symmetrical and helps make my name seem less strange. For the body of my résumé, I used Memphis LT Std Light because not only does it have a relatively small x-height, but it is easy to read and has a crisp feel to it. The small x-height is important to my résumé because it helps save space, which was an issue as I went through the design process. For the ‘education’ section of my résumé, I felt it was still important for it to stick out even though it is at the bottom of the page. To do this, I made the font slightly larger for the information in this section

Week Four Schwartz

Strategy: When designing my resume, my aim was to produce a creative but professional expression of self. I wanted to add personality to my design and structure without taking it over the top. Because of my major, PR, I wanted to create a resume that would be broad enough to apply to a spectrum of jobs. I knew that it would be seen by mostly professionals, so I wanted to spark individuality in a different way. I made my wordmark creative while still maintaining its quality. I kept my resume bold and to the point, highlighting the information and experiences that I have had. I like the simplicity that it contains. I did not use color or any intricate design work for this reason as well, maintaining the quality of my content.

Typefaces: For my wordmark and headers, I used Eurostile LT Std. I liked this font because it was bold and also quirky. I was particularly drawn to the sans serif fonts, as I also used Thornburi for my body text. I like the clean cut image they portray. I chose to make my wordmark in all caps for a bold effect, and as a way to draw attention to the prominence of my name. I liked both these typefaces because they provided uniqueness through a seemingly simple font. I chose to maintain a pattern of bold, black, lettering through the entirety of my resume to keep consistently through style.

Week Four, Stefaniak

Strategy:

In today’s business world where staying on the current edge is crucial to success in the workplace, it’s important to have an equally current résumé. Especially in the art magazine field, using an outdated design or typeface might be the crucial error that causes a person to be passed over during the application process. For this reason, I’ve tried to produce a resume that reflects my personality as well as mold to the newly changing magazine field. In order to keep up with the flux and uncertainty of the future of magazines, my résumé’s goal is to provide prospective employers with a reason to hire me and help sustain the “dying medium.”

Likewise, I also set guidelines for myself in order to ensure a great résumé. By keeping to a simple design, my achievements and experience are able to stand out amid the rounded rectangles and crisp lines. But in using shapes as dividers and headers, I knew that a fresh color would make them pop; the pea green adds cleanness and originality to an otherwise black type résumé. Though my objective in my résumé is to become an editor/writer, the overall current theme of my résumé will help me break into the design-centered field of art magazines.

Typefaces:

Helvetica Neue UltraLight felt like the best choice for the wordmark and headline. Since it’s a sans serif, it provides the résumé with a streamlined and succinct effect that allows me for the use all caps without making it seem as if I’m too loud or forceful. The thinness of the font really worked for the design. In addition, Gill Sans Light seems to be the perfect complement for the body type. Not only does it continue the pattern of sans serif type throughout the résumé, but the weight and posture also allow for easy readability and cohesion, something I feel is important for a résumé.

Week Four- Rinder

Design Strategy:

As a Magazine Major, my intended audience for my resume is editors or HR departments of women’s fashion, health, and/or lifestyle magazines. I wanted my resume to not only represent myself, but also to be appealing to such prospective employers. I wanted it to appear feminine, and stylish, but also clean and modern. I feel that I achieved this with my design and typeface choices.

Choice of Typefaces:

I like the modern, clean lines of the sans serif typeface, especially for a resume. I chose Thonburi to be the typeface of my body-text. It is very readable and works well as a small body-text.

For my word-mark and headers, I wanted it to have a little more flair than my body-text. I chose another sans serif typeface, Antique Olive. When enlarged in my word-mark, the ends of the letters (especially on the ‘a,’ ‘e’, and ‘r’) are slightly angled. I think it looks a bit sharper, and with more character, than if it was just completely straight.

I also kept my word-mark and headers in all lowercase letters to add something a little different to my name. I decided not to put a space between my first and last name, and to kern them closer together, because I like the appearance of the two lowercase ‘r’s lined up.

I made my first name bold, and blue to separate it from my last name, since they are both lowercase and kerned close together. I chose blue because, not only is it my favorite color and therefore represents an aspect of myself, but also because I feel blue evokes feelings of calmness, confidence, and truthfulness, all things that I hope I convey to future employers.