It's Been Quite A While!

I graduated. Found out that there will be a huge change in my personal life. Then, I got a job. Other than an overall assistant to the company, I am designing their website, which is exciting, since I'm usually sanding, plugging things into layouts, or messing with the office cats.

I am going to take a class at CCAD. The class, small business web design, will starts on September 16th and reinforce what I learned two years ago while assisting me in the design of my boss's site.

Freelance work has been slow to come in but I'm really excited with my new assignment. It's fun, a bit funky, and a secret until the client gives the okay.

The brochure below was the first real freelance work and although I have my problems with the data they are providing, I did it. I had to keep it simple and mostly text. Fitting everything they wanted into the brochure was difficult and made me doubt my graphic design abilities, which I'm sure every designer goes through, but my current assignment is changing my mind! Be patient. I'm working on some other things on the side and will hopefully get them up soon.

Feel free to critic!

Kumiko Ota -- Fashion Designer

This is just one of the many creations by Kumiko Ota, a senior in Fashion Design at Columbus College of Art & Design. Awesome girl and even better designer. Check out her site.

Thesis: Logo Design III

Here are the finalized logos for my thesis, obviously named sprout. The colors were chosen because they are shadows of the bright oranges and greens. They are unlike the colors you typically see at stores. They don't hurt your eyes at all. The final one chosen is the bottom right. What do you think? It's clean, modern, and has the repetition of the "o" which follows the circular aspect similar to the actual product.

Thesis: Mockups

Here are a few images of the mockups. The last three are of my final design.

Thesis: Logo Design II

Here, I've taken the final two from the previous post and have started adding more of a sproutlike, or illustrative look. I decided to keep it clean with an actual sprout coming out of it. Still working in black and white though.

Thesis: Logo Design

So the name for my thesis project is officially "Sprout". Here's my first go at the logo. Which font do you like?

How to Cook with Adobe Photoshop

This is an amazing video displaying the power of Photoshop, my favorite of all the Adobe programs. Okay, maybe not the the real Photoshop but still pretty awesome. Now I want some cookies.

Logo Keeps Being a No Go...

After getting a review from an old friend I wanted to push the logo a bit more. Less with color. I now want to make sure people immediately see the "R". Any thoughts?

Helping Out a Friend

Cassandra of Cassandra Cappello Design needed some help testing out her design, which is a game for children with autism that promotes learning and social interaction. She had me put the game together and jump on it to test the durability. Here's a link to the video. Check it out.

Layout of Resume

Here's the first set of layouts for my resume, references, and cover letter. Playing with the positioning of the logo and information but need some advice.

Thesis Update: Flow of Information

Here's a chart showing the flow of information for my thesis project.

First the system/monitor picks up crying or change in either room or child temperature and alerts the parent with suggestions as to what is wrong. The parents then, if unable to get to the child at that instant, turn on a recording or pulse lights. This helps the child feel comforted and think there is someone in the room. The timer will alert the parent that they still haven't checked on the baby and will keep going every few minutes until the parent shuts it off. This time record will be placed in a memory bank so parents can see a graph of how long they've waited, which assists in forming sleep habits, etc.

Business Cards Revised

Hey there!

Just redid the business card. I simply subtracted the circle bullet points, lowered the opacity for the logo on the back, and changed the font.

Check it out.

Thesis Update: Webbing and Research

Here's a few scans of the way I've been organizing and simplifying the information I have learned before concept sketches.

Business Card

After trying to redesign my logo, I gave my business card a try. Tell me what you think.

Oh, it's front and back.

Logo: Finalizing the Color

Here's an update on a few quick color mixes for my logo. The pink and yellow one is my favorite but doesn't come out as chromatic as it is on my computer. What do you think?

Interview: Shannon Vassey

With a slight southern accent and the need to jump up and give you a hug, Shannon Vassey passes along her exuberant energy to all those she meets. A graduating senior in Fine Arts, she's currently putting the finishing touches on her thesis work.

Born in Columbus, Ohio but raised in South Carolina, Vassey remembers her first year as being hard to adjust to, stating that her previous art classes had been “too much of a free for all with no structure.” The CCAD campus, though, exposes all the freshman to an immense amount of art and structure.

Freshman year is wrought with stress as to what major should be picked and Vassey was not immune. “I thought about Interior Design but decided I couldn't handle math and angles,” she says as she laughs, “and Fine Arts seemed to offer the freedom to explore all avenues of art.” Three and a half years later, including a productive semester in Italy, Vassey is about to have her first show.

“I'm working with the psychological aspects of memory and how it starts to fade.” She uses printmaking techniques, fabric, found and used objects while incorporating patterns and shapes. “It's influenced by the Fifties and my grandmother.” Her grandmother, died when Vassey was two. “I have an ideal image of her but it's not the whole truth. My memory [of her] is there but I can't get a hold of it.”

Another connection to memory in Vassey's pieces is the use of silhouettes. These types of images have to be given a second look in order to really see the picture. It all goes back to faded memory. Vassey believes that “when you try to get a hold of a faded memory, you start adding your own parts so that it's not the truth.”

Like many student's, especially seniors, Vassey has thought about what to do after graduation. “I'm thinking of taking a year off and then get a business degree at Columbus State,” she says. Her ultimate dream? Asking her made her face light up. It's to own her own store. “I want to keep using printmaking, while making invitations, cards, handmade books, and little collectible prints.”

Columbus offers one of she most favorite things (she loves snow) but Vassey might end up moving back to the south. “Charleston [South Carolina] is a good place because it has a lot of history and I am drawn to places like that.”

As the days to her show start to dwindle into single digits, Shannon Vassey can be found at her favorite coffee spots, visiting the Short North, and wishing for snow.

Shannon Vassey's show will be held from February 22^nd until the 26^th. Closing reception will be held at the CCAD Design Studios on Broad on February 26^th. A photo of her work will be posted when the closing reception time is decided.

The Answer to PDA

Check out this little product called Veasyble. It promotes privacy but really just looks awesome and I would love one in bright coral.

Logo: reworked, again...

Okay, so I started to really look at my logo and have decided to change the contrast of the colors. I have made a few quick changes, keeping mostly in the warm yellow and orange range. Here's a pic and if you have any suggestions as to the contrast, colors, or even the actual shapes, comment or email me! Thanks.

IDSA Merit Awards!

A really good friend of mine has been chosen to represent CCAD in the IDSA Merit Awards! As well as being a great friend, Cassandra Cappello, who has her own blog, is truly a great designer in both graphic and Product design. Along with her are Shawn Fortner and Dustin Sweeney. A big congratulations to the three. They deserve it.

The ID Lab

Ew. This is the sink in the Industrial Design lab. Just because the last daily photo (the easel) was so damn blurry.

Pop + Shorty

Recently, I discovered a blog called Pop + Shorty which regularly updates you on "design that pops!" I really love these geeky greeting cards that show just how much you love your significant other. Check them out!

Do You Want to Stalk Me?

I've started another blog. Less about schoolwork and design and more about, well, things that make me happy, angry, lovey, and sleepy.

A Little Side Project is exactly what the title says it is.

My "Art" Area

This is a small corner that I dedicated to painting and drawing when I first moved into the apartment, and, for a while, I did use it to its full potential. Now it just sits there waiting for me to get a hold of some free time.

In a Bit of a Vacation, Sort Of...

I recently had my gallbladder removed and will be out for a bit. Meanwhile, I will try to upload a picture a day, starting tomorrow. Haha. My procrastinating nature gets a hold of me!

Keeping Goals

Look through my notebooks and you will find intricate lists upon lists of thing I have to do. From long term, like learning to ride a bike, to short term, such as paying the electric bill, my goals are barely legible. Recently, though, I have discovered a site that helps me organize some of the tedious things I have to do.

Joe's Goals is a simple, easy to use site that not only organizes my goals but gives me points for items I have completed. Similar to my days in kindergarten and the famous sticker charts, I get a point for running a mile and a negative point if I eat junk food.

The site's free. All you need is an email address, and so far it's had a positive effect on my work. Try it and tell me what you think.

Babies!

Nope, I'm not pregnant. But I've read enough books on babies to get a degree on child care. Well, maybe not, but I now know the proper method of burping a baby.

My goal is to design a product that will assist new parents in monitoring and soothing newborns while developing structured sleep cycles. This will include temperature control, routine development, auditory and visual stimulation, as well as providing a method of monitoring the child while the caregiver leaves for a few minutes (for example: showering).

Now it's back to creating the presentation due Tuesday! Wish me luck!