Graphic Design projects Options

[Joanne]

This semester, I had to do three projects for my IAT 102 Graphic Design class. I am in no way as talented or artsy as most of the members here, but I just want to get your opinion/suggestions/critique on them.

1. Redesign an existing magazine spread that contains both text and images. The text must have a ragged edge.

click to enlarge

(original spread)


2. Design a paper mock-up for a cylindrical container that will sit on a shelf in a store.

click to enlarge

(I don't know why it's showing up with the weird line around the tennis ball now...)


3. Using graphical style inspired by an art movement, design a 2'x3' Smart Poster advertisement containing RFID tags (cell phones can download information from them), for either an entertainment service or an eco-awareness service.

click to enlarge

Feedback and criticism is encouraged.
My TA hardly gave any of us any feedback. She only told me 1) I got an A, but she really hated the quote around the heads, 2) I got an A/A- (she hasn't decide yet) and she liked how the silhouettes directed people's attention through the object(?), and 3) I got an A/A- and she just "really liked the poster". Great, thanks for the input.

I want to know what you guys think... be brutal if you want. Just be honest.

[angeconda]

1. As I said in the draft and final feedback stages of Project 1, your layout design is very strong. I think what you did with the vertical type positioning on the title was very well done and the introduction of colour into the title added emphasis and was very effective. I also still feel that your use of colour to indicate which person was "speaking" during the interview component of the text was good, and carried the red through to the red of the model's dress in the lower corner and helped to tie the page together. I still think your positioning of the smaller images at the bottom was a good decision and having the one image overlap onto the lefthand page breaks up the overall "blockiness" of the layout design and adds interest and visual "pop". I also still don't think that the curved text around the heads of the main image adds anything to the work and actually distracts from the tone of the piece. I like what you were trying to do with it (adding an element of fun/whimsy) but I just didn't feel that it fit the piece and instead looked as though you were trying to do too many things at once. The elements of colour and the offset image at the bottom were relatively subtle additions of fun into the design while the text on a path seemed a little too overt in comparison. Remember, design is very subjective, and if you choose to work as a professional designer your art directors will always have their preferences whether you agree with them or not.

2. For Project 2, I still stand by what I said in the draft stages of this project...I think your use of the tennis ball in place of the "e" is clever and adds an element of fun and lightheartedness that you don't often see in the design of sports products which is why I encouraged you and your partner to go with that logo as opposed to the others you had proposed. I think the blue you chose looks better in print than on the screen (it's a bit darker and less teal). While I felt that the figures made it look a bit "dated" the way that they led the viewer's eye through the design was quite effective. I still think that the black text elements on the blue background tend to flatten out a little too much but really, I'm still not sure that white or another light colour would've been any better really. You would've had to have tried it out to know for sure. I also still find the black/grey shadow under the ball in the logo to be too much...I think it would've tied in better if it were a slightly darker blue than the main field of colour, rather than black. Black tends to flatten out when used with bright colours.

3. Project 3: What I said about your poster design still stands. I think your use of colour coding was clever, as were most of your design instincts throughout the course. Yes, it could've been confusing to the user as to which contact info belonged to which establishment, but I think that the way you followed up on my suggestion to colour code the interaction screens that went with the poster made the links very strong within the context of the interaction. I wasn't a huge fan of some of your font choices but your articulation of your choices in this case made me feel as though you had given it a considerable amount of thought and that my dislike of the "computer-y" title font and the somewhat messy handwritten font on the left, were very subjective and maybe not something that I necessarily wanted to impact your design. I also still feel that the illustrations and your use of them within the very rigid deStijl framework were the strongest element in your poster design and that is why the poster component of your grade for this project was very high. As I said at the time, the presentation wasn't great, but the overall high level of design work and the effective application of the deStijl principles in a contemporary design worked to "salvage" your grade.

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't feel the feedback was enough, but in future courses I recommend that you make use of office hours to obtain further feedback when necessary. When dealing with class sizes that are as large as 102 is, TAs seldom have enough time available to give really detailed feedback to everyone and as a result the feedback is often given in a sort of pared down, abbreviated fashion, focusing on the most obvious issues first. I personally try to balance my feedback with both positive and negative points because I think it's important that students be able to keep their own voice in their work and not just make changes to please me. In future I will definitely try to make this more of a defined process and will explain to students the limitations that I have regarding time and emphasize the option they have to speak with me during office hours for more detailed feedback if they feel they need it now that I am aware that my current methods are lacking. :-)

Angela.