Thursday, February 23, 2017

Typographic Artisans Recap

Jessica Hische & Erik Marinovich are two San Francisco based letterer and designers who founded a creative studio, properly titled, Title Case.  There, Jessica and Erik produce professional typographical work while offering workshops for the SF Bay Area community. Jessica was named Forbes Magazine "30 under 30" in art and design as well as an ADC Young Gun, and Erik co-founded Friends of Type with clientele, such as the New York Times, Nike and The Atlantic. They each have their own work style that facilitates their own creative process, but they both possess a high level of skill and passion for the typographic arts.

Their workstations at Title Case were personally tailored to their needs, and it was interesting to see how their work process flowed and what they prioritized.  Erik, for example, favors writing by hand rather than digital, so he keeps a roll of tracing paper within arm's reach.  Additionally, he likes to keep books and magazines around as inspiration in hopes it would better work, which I thought could be useful. He goes on to explain the need for multiple iterations during the earlier conceptual stages, and that the exploratory phase is very important to his process. This process and using new material and tools can lead to unexpected results that cannot be produced on a computer.

Jessica brought along the discussion of unity, using her novel design for Barnes & Nobel as an example.  She commented on the use of text that would emphasize or simply match the ornaments on the cover, mentioning unity is decided early on in her process, while lettering and ornament is a marriage that evolves throughout it.

Witnessing the difference in professional thought process was very helpful for a student in design at the start of his/her career.  From the video, I am now able to pick and choose what will work for me down the road.



Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Sean Adams Recap

Some of you may ask, "Who is Sean Adams, and why am I watching an interview of him?!"

Well for starters, he is currently a Professor and Executive Director of the Graphic Design Graduate Program at Art Center College of Design, a TOP 20 graduate school in the U.S. for art, industrial design and media design according to U.S. News & World Report. Secondly, he is a two-term National president of AIGA, the only two-term president in the history of the organization. Thirdly, in addition to being an on-screen author for lynda.com, he is the co-recipient of the AIGA medal in 2014 along side Noreen Morioka for their work as AdamsMorioka.

So, long story short — when Sean Adams speaks, you listen.

...and as a student, listen I did.

Adams’ thoughts on technology, teaching methodology, and industry insights were not only enlightening, but encouraging for any aspiring graphic designer. It was personally interesting to learn about why he chose a career in design, instead of following his family’s footsteps by attending Harvard University. Although he does not necessarily believe that a formal design education is necessary to flourish in the industry, his motives to go against the grain spoke volumes about himself and about the perception people may have about the profession.

Key take-away advice from the interview was the importance of networking in this industry. Sean emphasizes the small knit community of the graphic arts, and that exposure to some could easily lead to opportunities in the future. It was also beneficial understanding how his mind works, and how he would develop ideas for clients and projects. For example, taking constant notes, writing down symbols or metaphors, listening to coworkers and clients, and also, sometimes, doing the 100% wrong thing in order to get something original and unique. Sean also elaborated on the pros and cons of technology within the industry. Stating that while a highly useful tool that can excel productivity, it can also fall short from creative potential. In other words, the use of computers and software may lead to quick turn-outs for clients, but with more time brainstorming, a higher quality product may be possible.

Overall, it was great hearing about the process from someone who was once a student, to being a professional and teacher in one quick video. Sean Adams had some refreshing wisdom in portfolio design that I will remember when developing my own.

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

(100) One Hundred


Subject: Orange

Description: I focused my attention on Orange as a fruit and the various forms we experience it - untouched, squeezed, juiced, jammed, sliced, alcoholic and eaten. Expanding on the idea of the fruit, I incorporated food that could be orange flavored - sherbet, jelly beans, cake, macarons, popsicle, and chicken. At this point, I included cultural concepts that would invoke the word orange, such as Chinese New Year traditions, national colors, politics, idioms, jokes, television and film. I restrained myself from integrating different orange colored foods into the assignment. Instead, I blended orange textures and used spherical examples to emphasize orange as a fruit.