Desktop Publishing
The goal of this course was to learn to use digital tools to publish professional documents for multiple purposes and audiences. We discussed how design makes meaning, and focused on strategies for evaluating and developing documents that engage and inform readers/users in a variety of circumstances. Projects I created in this class included a flyer, brochure, movie poster, and magazine layout. Through developing each of these artifacts, I became familiar with Adobe Creative Suite, specifically Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
Movie Poster
Summary: In Desktop Publishing, I was tasked with creating a movie poster using Photoshop. In order to successfully create the movie poster, I had to gain knowledge of movie poster anatomy, and learn how to support the clarity of a message by integrating type and imagery into a cohesive narrative. This project challenged my design skills and was my first introduction to using Adobe Creative Suite.
Reflection: Desktop Publishing, as a whole, challenged my sense of design, and introduced me to Adobe Creative Suite. The movie poster on the right was created using Photoshop and incorporates numerous images, layers, and clipping masks. This project, although challenging, was exciting to watch come to life, as I discovered a number of Photoshop's features, simply through trial and error. The most difficult part of creating this poster, by far, was finding a background image of a high enough quality. Once I found the background image you see to the right however, the other elements of the movie poster began to fall into place.
Logo Redesign
Summary: In addition to creating the movie poster above, I was also tasked with creating a logo for a local non-profit. I chose to use the organization Women of Cincy because I am an avid reader of their blog, and believe strongly in their mission to support local women. In order to create an effective logo, I had to consider several design features such as color, font and imagery, as well as think about the importance of successful cross-platform branding.
Reflection: As you can see from the image on the right, my design took a very feminine route, as I chose to include the female symbol drawn in bright pink. I also included the word "Cincy" in white centered on the symbol, as I thought it was unnecessary to reiterate the women aspect of Women in Cincy by including the word on the logo. I felt that the simplicity of the white against the bright pink background and the thickness of the shape gave the logo a dominating, loud feel, which acts in direct opposition to the normal feelings a bright pink background would evoke. Your eyes immediately catch the prominence of the female symbol, but are also directly drawn to the word Cincy, reminding viewers that this is a local organization. Furthermore, the contrast of the two colors would pop not only on a white background, but on many other colors as well. Aside from the color scheme, the font I chose for this logo is playful and artsy, but also easy to read. I did not want anything cursive for the type on this logo, as I did not want to further elaborate on the femininity of the design, but instead chose a font that looked creative, but also highly visible.
Women of Cincy's current logo (2018)