VISCOM1; Proj1 Reading Response

A Primer of Visual Literacy

This reading built upon what we covered in class last week. It gave me more ideas and ways to get my ideas across. Instead of just the twelve different principles, it gave us 38 different words to work with and it also worked with comparing and contrasting how they are alike and how they are different. This will give me more ways to figure out how to communicate my words better. The following is a list of everything they talked about to help me remember what they were.

; Balance & Instability

; Symmetry & Asymmetry

; Regularity & Irregularity

; Simplicity & Complexity

; Unity & Fragmentation

; Economy & Intricacy

; Understatement & Exaggeration

; Predictability & Spontaneity

; Activeness & Stasis

; Subtlety & Boldness

; Neutrality & Accent

; Transparency & Opacity

; Consistency & Variation

; Accuracy & Distortion

; Flatness & Depth

; Singularity & Juxtaposition

; Sequentiality & Randomness

; Sharpness & Diffusion

; Repetition & Episodicity


Principles of 2D Design
This reading was another reiteration of what we went over in class and what was talked about in the other readings. It was nice to see these same sort of principles used with photography, to show that they do not relate to just one area of work, it relates across the entire world of art essentially. It's also easy to tell how they relate to graphic design even though they were illustrated with photographs.

Type & Image

This reading, like the two before, just helped me understand visual language better, gave me a broader grasp of it. It's opened up more possibilities and paths to take while trying to create a stunning image while at the same time communicating my point across to the viewer.

VISCOM1; Theme & Words

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

Incan, Mayan, Aztec Civilizations

01; Seclusion
02; Overgrown(jungle)
03; Misty
04; Steep
05; Dangerous/Danger
06; Violence
07; Quiet
08; Unsettled
09; Mysterious
10; Peaceful
11; Forest(wilderness)
12; Intrude
13; Ancient
14; Adventure
15; Sick/Sickness
16; High Altitude(mountains)
17; Climbing/Hiking/Treking
18; Sacrificing
19; Dark
20; Hunt
21; Massive(mountains)
22; Thrilling
23; Unexpected
24; Cold
25; Humid
26; Deep
27; Crumble

Working with the overall feeling of being up in the mountains. High altitude, the dangers, the gorgeous ruins,  the rich greens and blues. Darker imagery, maps, old feeling. Ancient, crumbling, overgrown, the overwhelming feeling of a deep, dark society. Very animalistic.

other ideas: music&theatre; working with visualizing sound

VISCOM1; F+S

RIIIICE KRIIIIISPIESSSSS

Lovely, lovely, lovely.
Simple, clean, and organized.
There aren't 5000 different gradients with oddly warped text.
Simple color scheme: white, black, red.
Same font used for entire front of box besides the company logo.

Alignment is used here, most definitely. Center aligned, though also justified to the "edges" of the panel.
Symmetrical, veryy symmetrical. Equally balanced across entire front panel of box.

-ian arthur spaeth

VISCOM1; Response 1

The two excerpts that we were required to read only emphasized and expanded my take on Graphic Design. Graphic Design for me, even at the beginning, was always a complicated process in my mind. Type and Image definitely covered my basic thoughts about Graphic Design. I have always been a problem solver, whether or not I called myself that, I have always been on. With Graphic Design, your goal is communicate the message to the readers in the best possible manor. In Graphic Design Sources, there was a much deeper breakdown of how the Graphic Designer functions and even how their mind and attitude works. I do not exactly agree with everything he wrote, however. I do not feel that just because we are Graphic Designers that we think we can do anything we want. That, I feel, is more of a stereotype than an actuality. Though, he did touch on how intricate Graphic Design is, as well. This is not a simple profession, there are multiple layers that go into just one concept, there is never a simple outcome. It may look simple, but it is only able to look simple after hours upon hours of work, and studies, and experiments, and other such building and learning processes to make it appear simple, when in reality is a very deep process that the designer was able to mask as simple. Which, in my opinion, is the secret to a very successful Designer.
-ian arthur spaeth

VISCOM1; Why Graphic Design?

Why not graphic design, I ask you.

I love anything to do with typography, (re)branding, or website design. I've had photoshop for years now and from it I started my love for graphic design. I have had a website since sixth grade, and from there began my love of anything graphic design related. I did not realize, at the time, that what I was doing was an actual profession. I've kept my website going since sixth grade, it has had many name, content, and style changes since it's birth, but the current address is www.ianarthur.net. It was not until I got into high school that I realized that what I was doing with my website was something that I could do for a job. Once I came to this realization, I started to do more research into the graphic design field. As I started my search for which college I wanted to go and what field I wanted to go into, I could not see myself doing anything but graphic design. I was nervous to take something I had done as a hobby for almost six years, and turn it into my actual profession. I was worried that I would quickly come to hate graphic design and ruin my love for it. But at the same time, I could not see myself doing anything but that. The more I thought about it, the more I comfortable I became with the thought of turning my hobby into my profession.

-ian arthur spaeth