It's Boxing Day!

Here's a quick pic of my progress so far. In the background you can see my original template, which I sketched on to get initial layout ideas. I found this really helpful for figuring out what direction everything needed to be in for printing. In the foreground is my current version. I'm happy with the quality of the print and the design, but the craftsmanship isn't perfect. I doubled up the cardstock to make is super sturdy, but this resulted in the folds not being as crisp as they should be. I might have to make the final version in single ply and hope that it's strong enough. Also, I had to tape the corners to keep it from opening up. Has anyone else found a better solution? Glue seems far too messy for this type of project.

Packaging Print Test

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I've been working on my final for our graphic design class, and today I'm running some print tests. Since I'm going to be printing on brown instead of white, I thought it would be a good idea to see how the paper affects the ink output. I'm also testing the readability of the logo and various fonts at different sizes. I've included a (terrible) picture so you can get an idea of what I mean. 

This might seem like a lot of extra work, but I think it will save me a lot of headache in the end. For those of you who are also using different types of paper this time around, I highly recommend doing this. It doesn't take that long, and can make a big difference in your finished products. Look forward to seeing everyone next week!

Clean Packaging Designs for Soap

The company I've chosen to work with is called Carden Farms, and they create these amazing handmade soaps. Everything is made by hand from all organic ingredients that they grow on their family farm. However, the packaging and logo is absolutely terrible (see above). I would love to create something that emphasizes what the product is made from and stands for, and that also looks appealing. Below are a number of examples from the web that I like. How do you guys feel about these?

Create your own galaxy!

Hi guys! A number of you were asking me today about how I created the galaxy on my book cover. There is a great (and very simple) tutorial here:

http://www.oktutorials.com/photoshop-tutorials/cool-ideas/deep-space-nebula

In the tutorial the methods he uses with the noise filter don't work quite so well for larger, higher-resolution images. I worked around this by using a large, low-opacity eraser to take out most of those noise layers. I also softened the larger stars that I added in by duplicating their layer and using gaussian blur. Hope this comes in handy!

Recovering a Classic

For the next GD project I'm going to tackle one of my favorite books, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I've loved this book since I discovered it back in 1995, and I've always hated the cover, so it's a logical choice. The first image is of the cover of the first copy that I owned, very retro. I've never liked the way that hand looks, so chunky and bulbous. Ugh. And even though that crazy looking green planet has always been on various covers for years (see the second image as well) I've never liked it! So in my version, it's definitely going bye-bye.

The third and fourth covers are much better. The third takes a prominent line from the book, "Don't Panic," and makes it the focus of the cover. The choice of font and colors work well together - bold, playful choices. And the simplified planet and thumb icon that was created looks fantastic. It's a subtle wink to earlier covers with a more modern and updated feel. The fourth cover is a fan-made version, and while it doesn't feel professional or complete, I like the idea of it. The whale and bowl of petunias, while a very minor point in the book, do well to represent the fun randomness of the story as a whole.

I have a few ideas in mind, mostly involving towels and alcohol right now. If you haven't read the book, that last sentence probably sounds a bit odd. I also like the idea of using the whale and petunias somehow, or perhaps a wrecking ball. I'll do some concept sketches and post them here for feedback, so stay tuned!

Kidrobot and some Awesome Ads.

I've been a fan of Kidrobot for years, so I decided to choose them for my next design project. I've been looking at a lot of their ads, and I've noticed a pretty obvious trend. All of their ads focus heavily on the product with very minimal text. I think this works out fine since they are assuming (pretty correctly) that people know what it is they're selling. 

The only one I don't particularly like is the "Thoughts in Jeremyville" Ad. The product is heaped up rather chaotically, and a lot of the pieces aren't even face-up. Where as the other ads all look professionally shot, this one looks like it was simply thrown together last minute. This just doesn't mesh well with the other high quality ads that they've produced. 

For my mock ads, I'll try to stick to the minimalist style that Kidrobot uses, but put my own spin on it. I obviously can't buy a bunch of product and do a professional photo shoot, but maybe I can get creative with stock photos and some vector art. I think the goal here is to find a way to present the material professionally, but also find our own style in doing so.

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Based on everyone's feedback, I've been making some updates to the bluebird. So far I've expanded the sweep of the wings slightly, added more feather detailing along the wings and tail, brightened the colors, and did some very minor adjustments to the breast and overall body shape. I think the tweaks have really helped this feel more like a bird. It's less blocky and heavy now. 

I've also made some changes to the K80. The K side felt a little too heavy, so I tried switching the stripes to the opposite side. I think this has made it feel more balanced. Like the bluebird, I also changed the colors to be a bit brighter. The text is also ever so slightly bolder now as well. I think the end result feels more cohesive and professional.

Come Visit Beautiful, Exotic Logoland!

After my critique last week, I've been trying to narrow down my logo selection to a small handful. There are a few more I might still digitize, but for now I've finished 6 different logos in both color and greyscale. I really like the circular, striped kw, as well as the heart and the K80. Not really happy with the winged kw or the scalloped circle, and I have mixed feelings about the bluebird. Some of these might benefit from a little bit of pattern or texture on them, but I'm short on creative ideas at the moment. Hopefully some of my peers will have some good feedback. 

So Many Logos!

Phew! Been working on this for almost a week. I spent about 11 hours on this yesterday alone, probably about 25-30 hours total. What you're looking at are 30 different logo designs using my name or initials. Some of them I really like, and others don't work as well. All in all though, I'm pretty happy with the set. I'm looking forward to getting feedback from the class on them today. After that I'll be choosing one to use as my signature on assignments for the rest of the semester, and I'll also be doing a color version. It's going to be hard to choose just one!

Survival of the Oldest.

I made it through the first week of school! I never realized just how worn out I'd get simply walking from the parking deck to class. Ugh, I am so out of shape. Anyway, my classes are fantastic. I can tell from the course load and project lists that I am going to be challenged, and I'm pretty excited about it. That means no time for slacking off! I'm going to have to work hard, and I think that's going to help break some of my bad (lazy) habits.

I am keeping a daily sketch log now, something I have been meaning to do for ages but kept putting off. It feels good to be drawing regularly again. I'd forgotten how much I missed it. I also created my first ever 'mood board' for my graphic design class. I'd vaguely heard about them before, and was curious to try my hand at one. Sadly I think my attempt fell a bit flat. I tried to make it out of materials I had at hand (rather than digitally). I couldn't do half of the things I wanted to, and my supplies were pretty limited. But I still tried to convey a feeling of who I am: cartoony imagery, various shades of blue, etc. I might try to make a digital version to redeem myself. I won't get any class credit for it, but I feel like I have to make up for my hand-made one. 

Right now I'm working on 30 mock-up logos for class. Some of them I'm really happy with, and I'm excited to start getting feedback on them. I'll be posting a few of my faves here soon!

My Third First Day of College.

(Reposted from 8/27/2013)

After years of delay, today I can proudly say that I am a college student once more! And this time, I plan to graduate with no less than a Bachelor’s Degree. I am dedicated, motivated, and excited for all of the experiences headed my way.  I will be keeping this blog as a chronicle of sorts. Going back to college at 33 is a bit different from the first time around, and I think it will bring about some unique challenges for me. Being the oldest student in class today was a bit humbling! That being said, despite my age I know I still have a lot to learn, and I intend to take this very seriously.

Today went exceptionally well. I met my professors and blindly stumbled around campus, getting myself turned around on more than one occasion. The syllabuses for both classes sound pretty darn great, and I learned where some important things are, so I’d say today was a definitely a winner. Ty even came by to take me out to Mellow Mushroom and Sam Flax, which made the day even more epic! I also stopped to take a few random photos around campus before I headed home. As a part of my graphic design course, I will be documenting things that I find appealing to me from a design standpoint. Midtown has so many interesting signs and architectural features that I’m sure there’ll be no lack of inspiration.

My classes look like they will be fun, challenging courses, and I’ll be posting my progress here on a regular basis. Be sure to check back for inspirational photos that I’ll be taking around town, as well as works-in-progress! And a big shout-out to all of my family and friends who have been so great through this process. Thank you all for your love, support, and encouragement!