Although there was some confusion as I started this project, I had managed to finish it. I think the most captivating factor about this poster is the vintage appearance, which gives it an “old typography” vibe.
I decided to draw a typewriter because I love the aesthetic look of it. Also, besides the fact that it is much smaller than the Gutenberg to draw, it fits with the concept that I wanted. For the context, I put in information about the essential type classifications from the invention of the Gutenberg Printing Press until the end of WW2. I stopped at 1928 because I would go over 1945 if I continued with the classifications.
The classifications I talk about are:
Humanist or Old Style
Modern
Egyptian or Slab Serif
Transitional Sans Serif
Geometric Sans Serif
Humanist Sans Serif
In addition, I include a piece of information that I don’t think is popular in the typography world, which is the NAME of the type Gutenberg used for his bible, which is: Donatus Kalender or D-K
Overall, this is a good assignment to help first-year like me to get an idea of what are infographic posters.
Self-Assessment: I would give myself a 9/10 because I love the concept of the poster, and I think others would appreciate it as I do too. The reason why I don’t give myself a 10/10 because of my hand-writing; I reckon it is not that good to receive a 10/10.
I would say that this project is enjoyable because it reminds me of the joy of handmade art. The most important thing that I learned from this project is to fall in love with the process of making art.
To begin with, I chose to make the Eastman Kodak Brownie Camera because I love photography, especially portrait photography. Also, I have been a freelance photographer for two years, and I love every single moment during those times. Therefore, to recreate the one dollar camera box was the perfect choice for this assignment because it was an opportunity and a motivation for me to expand my knowledge about the history of photography
Planning Process:
I started by sketching the imaginary shot because I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing. I also sketched out the elements that would be included in the picture to enhance the message. After I finished my planning process, I began to move on to the camera itself.
Props:
There are two crucial elements in the shot: the films and the camera package (camera and the box). However, I could not re-create the roll film. Because of that, I had to buy it as props. The film I used in the shot was the film that people used in the late 1900s. Besides, the description that I made looked like an actual advertisement poster when Kodak introduced the camera.
Self-Self-Assesment:
I would give myself a 9/10 because I had put tons of effort into perfecting the shot. The shot is not as perfect as I wanted because I did not have the luxury of finding a similar background as in the 1900s; however, I did try my best to both meet the expectations of the assignment and made it looked like it belonged together.
The Great Gatsby is a novel written by an American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. It is a novel that could be one of the best representations of America’s culture in the ’90s as well as the “American dream”. Besides, the 1920s was the time when the majority became disillusioned of the societal norms. In other words, the lifestyle whereas self-pleasure was the main focus. The reason why it became so popular was because of the moral of the story, which is: we must learn how to be satisfied with the circumstances we are living in.
Photograph of F. Scott Fitzgerald c. 1921, appearing “The World’s Work” (June 1921 issue)
Cover illustration by Francis Cugat (1893–1981). Published by Charles Scribner’s Sons.
It is not just a book; it is a culture.
The fact that the book was written in the 1900s, about the 1900s, and for the 1900s’ people made it a representation of its own. Also, it has become a part of American high school and now Canada, which also enhances this fact.
In summary, the Great Gatsby is about a millionaire Jay Gatsby who has worked “hard” his whole life but ends up with an unhappiness death because he always wanted more. Gatsby wants not only a perfect life but also a future of his true love, which he never gets. The whole story signifies the American dream, or to be exact, the illusion of having a great life in America.
The Great Gatsby Movie, 2013
Kool-Aid, 6 packs of instant cool drinks with vitamin D for only 5 cents
Kool-Aid is a powdered instant drink that comes with a variety of fruit flavors. Originally, there were only 6 different flavors such as Cherry, Grape, Lemon-Lime, Orange, Raspberry, and Strawberry that came out later. There is an interesting fact about Kool-Aid: the recipe for Kool-Aid was created in the creator’s mother’s kitchen.
Kool – Aid flavors, 8track.com
Kool – Aid. So Cheap!
Kool-Aid started to become popular when the Great Depression began. It was not only about the flavors or the bright colors that helped the company successful. The price of a single packet of Kool-Aid is as low as 29 cents today and less in the past, which makes it difficult to compete with other competitors. The fact that the demand for Kool-Aid rose during the Great Depression proved that Kool-Aid was and still a unique product to date.
D PR/DEL0737
Collection of Kool-Aid’s advertising posters, https://kool-aiddays.com
Personal opinions about the topics:
The Great Gatsby is indeed a unique novel in its way. The book has inspired me in many ways, especially in terms of achieving the actual dream of having a perfect life. I am happy that I could have a chance to come across it again in this blog post.
I find that I am more informed about Kool-Aid because I have never heard of this type of drink before. I learn that Kool-Aid is almost as big as other beverage companies like Coca-Cola or Pepsi. Furthermore, there is a story about a massacre that is related to Kool-Aid, which is Kool to read but not Kool because almost 900 people had died.
In my opinion, there will always be stories in every period, and as graphic designers, we must try to read as much as we could. Researching will always be a vital skill because it helps us gain more insights about the company or the product. The topics assigned might not be absorbed; however, the purpose of the blog posts is not for us to remember the facts since it serves as a way for a design student to develop a habit of doing in-depth research about different topics. Hence, I would say this has been a not-fun assignment, but it does build up my tendency to do research and give my voices to the subjects.
All of us need to know who are the ones that had built a foundation for the big screen and movies. The ones who showed the first moving pictures were the Lumiere brothers, Louis and Auguste Lumiere.
The Lumber Brothers, national geographic.com
What did they actually invent?
The Lumiere brothers invented a camera that is capable of record, develop and project film. It was a phenomenon at the time when they released their first movie night. The invention was not just about movies, it was the start of a new design aspect in communication design. In other words, it created new jobs such as designing posters, advertising campaign for the entertainment industry.
The world’s first movie poster, photograph by Oronoz/album, national geographic.com
The race for better quality
The success of the Lumiere brothers sparked a light of opportunity for others to take part in the industry. Same as today, there is always some new technology advances in terms of quality of the still and motion pictures. As the cinema industry grew, many people as well as the brothers started to develop in new projects. Because of that, the creation of color photography and later the color film was invented.
Will H. Bradley, the guy who used graphic design as a medium for creating art
The demand for books grew, so as the need for decoration of cover books. Will H. Bradley was known as an American graphic artist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was specialized in designing book covers and some aspects of architecture. However, the unique thing about this graphic designer is that his style was quite different from the other designers. Bradley had used quite a few designing techniques of gestalt principles, which made it so modern compared to other designer’s work.
Posters in Miniature by Percival Pollard
The Chap Book, what is it?
The Chap Book is the name for an American literary magazine from 1894 to 1898. It was a small publication, or can even be considered as a mini zine.
The Chap Book Covers. Covers or Art?
There were a variety of covers versions of the Chap Book, mostly designed by Will H. Bradley. The Chap Book had become so successful because the masses were obsessed with his work. Therefore, he had to create many separated “The Chap Book” posters for poster collectors or favorite customers. It came to the point where the publisher had printed some posters designed by him as a limited edition, signed by Will H. Bradley himself and marketed as “fine art”.
The Chap-Book, Thanks Giving No., 1895
The Chap-Book, 1895
The Chap-Book, 1895
Personal opinions about the topics:
I think this is one of my favorite surveys because of the creation of motion pictures. The Lumiere brothers had left a legacy for the visual communication world. They might think that they have only invented movies, but the truth is they had raised the industry to another level of the playing field. Creativity is built upon the past. Hence, without the knowledge of the past, we would never be able to thrive and become better.
This is one of my favorite projects to date in this class. The most important thing that I can take out of this project is the process of creating things by hand. As a designer, it is important that we need to understand the basics of designing. In addition, software should only be seen as tools and tools only.
For this particular project, I chose Futura as my topic for research. Futura is an interesting typeface that has been inspired by my favorite design movement: the Bauhaus. I had decided to use multiples mediums for my zine because I wanted to have different textures. Typography is not a compelling subject when it comes to adding pictures and illustrations; However, having textures will give it a sense of crafting like old typo masters had done in the past. Personally, I think this project helped me to remember the history and characteristics of the typeface that I chose. It is a useful assignment for learning purposes, and to have a deeper insight into the technical side of the typeface. Overall, I would give myself an 8/10 because I had spent a lot of time on this project including printing, gluing, cutting, etc. I would not say that I have the prettiest zine of all, but I am happy with the outcome of mine.
Equality. A never-ending-problem in human’s society.
Pyramid of Capitalist System
Before the invention of printing, exchanging ideas was not an easy task because the majority were illiterate and books were expensive. However, revolutions started to occur when the masses could read and realized that they did not have to abide their whatever circumstances given to them.
We would always seek for equality, despite any ideas that promote it. An idea is just a way for us to achieve it faster because we don’t have to fight alone. Although the intention of Communism had been proven wrong, the core value remains relevant to today’s society. It is the encouragement that children must have a proper education to get a career and ends up with a sustainable life. In other words, to be obedient and follow the hierarchy is essential to our life. It acts like a cycle that never ends. Is it true that we are equal, or the system has gotten much more advanced?
I believe a doubt has given that we could be excellent in some areas of our life, and with those skillsets, we could become successful. The fact that we are all humans, we are alike, make us think that we are not different is indeed compelling. However, there is a hidden truth that most people would never understand: no one wants to give up their position in life. Hence, the creation of equality and the middle class is the key to convince the masses that we could always be successful if we worked hard enough.
How could a 30-pages book had developed into an idea for numerous revolutions around the world?
The Communist Manifesto, First Edition in German
The Communist Manifesto was not just a book. It was an idea that a society must not exist only in two classes, which were the capitalist and the working class. At the beginning of the industrial revolution, there were some issues regarding wages and exploitation. The gap between the wealthy and the poor was too far. People went mad and revoked when they realized they could do it successfully as a collective. The idea gave them strength and acted as a light among the darkness when people were at their lowest point in life.
A scene from the German March 1848 Revolution in Berlin
The best-seller
Ironically, an idea hated by most countries in the world has become one of the best-selling books of all time. According to Deutschland.de, there are about more than 500 million copies sold. The book had also earned its achievement as the world UNESCO Heritage document.
This particular object has marked a vital phase in the history of humankind. It shows the basic needs of human rights, and the will to speak up for those needs.
(This blog post alone only talks about the idea itself, not on how leaders in the world have manipulated it for their own benefits. An idea does could not cause any form of harm but the one who controls it can.)
The Italian Renaissance would never be born without the money from the wealthy family from the first half of the 15th century. Florence, the city where all famous artists and architects had gathered such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Brunelleschi, Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and many others. There was a powerful family that had brought all of them together: it was the Medici Family, especially Lorenzo De Medici, the catalyst for an enormous amount of art commissions.
The Medici Family
How did the Medici contribute to the design world?
In terms of design, funding money for extraordinary architectures and sculptures might be their biggest accomplishment/contribution. For example, the Uffizi Gallery, the Boboli Gardens, the Belvedere, the Medici Chapel, and the Palazzo Medici are some of the notable architectural commissions by the Medici. Hence, this foundation of Renaissance art had become an inspiration for many other artists in every kind to thrive and to create more art in many different ways.
As art thrives, so does the church and the need to believe in something larger than ourselves. The purpose of art in the 15th century was very different from today; art was seen as a way to communicate with the mass population in which most of them were illiterate. Human tends to seek for the help of the above for strength as we face the pain of this world, and God was the only one who could give them that kind of belief. The increase of the need to understand God had contributed to the creation of books and typography, which later became the foundation for communication design.
Florence, Tuscany, Italy: the outside of the Uffizi Gallery (Italian: Galleria degli Uffizi), famous art museum which holds a collection of priceless works, especially from the Renaissance periodThe Medici Chapel in Cappella dei Principi, Medici Chapels, Florence FlorenceExample of pages of an Illuminated Script (The book of god)
Art was just art, or it was power?
This has been an on-going topic for various art critics because it is indeed easy to think that the church and the wealthy family were working together to use art as a tool to get money from people. Most of the large projects often got paid by the taxes of the people throughout Europe. Michelangelo’s ceiling for the Sistine Chapel was a major example of those payments. However, it is also hard to not believe that art was not power since almost everybody was happy with the masterpieces.
Art could be seen as power to the wealthy people, but to the working class, art is how they could communicate with god. If that believes helped them got through the day, then art might as well be seen as just art because it gave humanity a purpose to live.
InVision is great for making mood-board; however, I still think Google Presentation or Powerpoint would be easier to assemble pieces of information and to present. The period in history that I was given is the Baroque and Rococo (1450 – 1750). There were 3 events that I chose to make some research in this project, which was:
The discovery of using a telescope to observe celestial objects (Galileo Galilei)
The invention of The Gutenberg Press (Johannes Gutenberg)
Caravaggio and how he had made an impact in the world of painting
This project is a fairly good project for entry-level designers, or first-year design student to study the process of making a mood-board. As I mentioned, InVision is good but it is certainly not the one that I would recommend to others. In reality, creating a mood-board is a more complex process because of the diversity and flexibility of the brief. Time and the size of the project will decide on the number or the complication of the mood-board. By saying this, I am not trying to devalue the importance of this project but only for the reflection of my experience in the creative field. I love this project despite its boringness content and the kind-of-confusing tool because it reminds me of the reality of being a communication designer, which is to create for others and to others. Indeed, designing is not a medium for self-expression as Peter Saville once said in his interview. The truth of being a communication designer is that we are not artists, but we are the experts in solving problems by using images. There will always be work that would make us want to question ourselves that “if this has been the right choice?”. For all of the reasons I have said in this blog, I would again want to clarify that this is a great project and I would love to recommend this to the later first years. I know that InVision is not the best way to create mood-boards but sometimes you just gotta do what needs to be done.
Self – Assessment: I would happy to give myself 7/10 for this project because I can’t even believe that I would be able to pull this project off. Personally, I don’t think this moodboard project requires any creativity but somehow I did manage to have some connections between topics. Although some of the connections might seem vague but due to the oddness of the brief, I would say I am satisfied of my ability to tie unrelated things together. I did more than what needs to be done; therefore, 7/10 might be a good marks to be considered.
Uruk archaeological site in 2008, the largest city in the world around 2900 BCE.
Background history of the Sumerians Civilization:
The Sumerians were one of the earliest civilizations, along with Ancient Egypt and Indus Valley.
The Sumerians are arguable to have one of the largest cities in the world; At its peak, their city used to contain about 40,000 to 80,000 people living inside of multiple defensive walls.
One of the most crucial cultural achievements of the Sumerians was the linguistic record. They had the oldest as well as the earliest form of writing that appeared as far back as 4000 BCE. It is called Cuneiform, the main purpose of this writing was to make records of trades, rationale, and ownership.
A cuneiform clay tablet dating to the Early Dynastic period in Sumer, approximately 2500 B.C. Photo courtesy of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago
Sumerian Art and Statues – The mystery behind the blue eyes:
It is effortless to recognize the Ancient Sumerian statues because of the big eyes. The statues were created differently, nothing was alike.
Art at the beginning of times were often related to the spiritual world, especially from the Sumerians civilization. They used to have a complex pantheon of gods and goddesses, and their gods were represented in human form as any other gods from the ancient civilizations.
Some of the statues that represented gods and goddesses usually had enormous blue eyes. This representation of gods was not only existed in the Sumerians culture but also many other civilizations.
There is no certainty of the meaning behind the big blue-eyes statues due to the limitation of recorded texts from that period. However, despite the limitation, blue eyes were seen as a symbol of gods because the majority of them are looking up upon the blue sky, which can be depicted as heaven.
Pictures of different statues from different ancient civilizations, the Sumerians civilization was one of them
Opinion of my own about week 3 lecture:
The week 3 lecture is the first lecture and it is indeed an interesting one. I have got to say that I was impressed by how early they used to recognize the importance of images and words. After going over this lecture by myself again, I have had a much clearer understanding of the development and power of symbols and images in our lives. History had proven for thousands of years that an image could hold much more meaning than 1000 words, and we as future communication designers must acknowledge that it is our heritage to preserve and continue to build upon it.
“Communication is the key to us to thrive upon other species, without it, we would never be able to be seen as human.” – Nguyen Quoc Huy Anh
Sources:
Lloyd, Ellen. “Mysterious Sumerian Statues With Big Blue Eyes – A Sign From The Gods.” Ancient Pages, 11 June 2020, www.ancientpages.com/2017/02/23/mysterious-sumerian-statues-big-blue-eyes-sign-gods/?utm_source=newsletter.
Lerner, Louise. “Miguel Civil, World’s Leading Scholar of Ancient Sumerian, 1926-2019.” University of Chicago News, 1 Feb. 2019, news.uchicago.edu/story/miguel-civil-worlds-leading-scholar-ancient-sumerian-1926-2019.
This yearbook spread represents me best as a first-year graphic designer student because it shows my personality as well as the way I communicate through images. It had taken me 2 failed attempts and various sketches to produce the final one. Before I explain the details in my yearbook, I would like to say thank you to Judy for the advice she had along with this first project, I would not be able to have the finest version if she didn’t help me realize how important it is to be original.
I did not draw complex imagery because drawing is not my strongest skill in terms of designing. Instead, I used paint combine with a little of my knowledge about expressionism art to create this yearbook spread. There are only three elements that I used in this piece, which are lines, repetition of shapes, and a bit of assemblage.
To begin with, there are two small portraits which have been placed opposite of each other because it shows the interpersonal conflict between social expectations and my rebellious desire. I am a very rebellious person when it comes to ideas because I recognize what aesthetic style fits me well; however, no one seems to be able to understand my interpretation through art. I have to fake being loving what others love to fit in with society. The background is a combination of three shapes, which are triangle, square, and squiggle. The shapes all speak three distinct characteristics of an individual. The triangle shows my ability to work well under pressure, square stands for a perfectionist and squiggle means that I could sometimes be aggressive and dramatic as a creative person. Last but not least, the repetition of two arms in an embracing position in which I had assembled so it could both resemble a rose and an infinitive loophole of my endless internal conflict. Overall, this has been an intriguing assignment and I would give myself a 4 as a first-year student ought to get. I hope it could be a 9 by the time I graduate because 9 means my skills are ready to be used in the real world.
