TM Research Archive

These layouts were all very interesting to me. There were a few that stuck out to me though.

Emil Ruger

I love Univers so this came naturally to me. The way that he uses asymetry in his design is impeccable.  It is interesting how the type looks so different from the top to bottom.

Andre Gurtler

This composition is very interesting in the abstraction. Gurtler is a Swiss typographer that worked in the same company as Ruger.

Felix Berman

The use of white space is what makes this composition so strong. Berman worked in Isreal for a while. Also, this composition uses asymetry also.

The image in this is interesting. It catches your eye, yet helps you see the type at the top.

I love the use of color. Also, the blocks around the letters help to add an image to the flat surface. The hierarchy is great in this composition too.
Hans Ferdinand Egli

The texture and placement reminds me of expressive type. Egli worked in Oberwil.

Final Work for Kinetic Type

Here is all of my final products for my kinetic type studies.

Open publication - Free publishing

Enjoy!

My updated type work.

I've had about a week to continue my work and here is where I'm at.

Open publication - Free publishing

I'll post my video as soon as it loads.

Changes

Here are some changes I made to my type book.

I think this is my favorite. I used a very simple approach to it because she delivers the speech in such a simple fashion. The use of stark contrast in color shows the severity of the statement.

In this spread, I used a symbol to help add emphasis to her statement.

This is when I decided to add Memphis. It gives it more of a humanistic feel and what a better way to show human beings than with something closer to human than Univers. I may change it to something even more humanistic.

I'm wanting the movements in my graphic to be very fluid. Not choppy like they are now. I will probably extend lines from the arms of letters to underline the next statement or slide the transitions slowly. As far as music goes, I haven't really decided. I listen to music with lyrics, so I have to really dig to find something. I'll post links to what I find soon.

Big Posts.

This is going to be a large post. 

The first set of Saul Bass videos:
How does Saul Bass work with type, image/graphics and music in these three title openings to set the tone for the coming film? He uses simple graphics to show the names of the people. They leave you wanting more of the movie. You want to know what happens just from these simple titles.
 Are they reflecting the coming content of the film expressively and kinetically? Yes they each leave you wanting more. A longer explanation of what is to come.
How do they play off of one another? They all offer very simple, repeated graphics that intermingle with words to create a visual movement.
What is the mood you feel watching them? You get a very anxious feeling because you want to know what happens next.
How are they similar and different? They are similar in that they are simple and very kinetic, but different in content and mood. Each leaves you feeling anxious but in different ways, such as fear, excitement, and interest.

Marlene McCarty videos:
How does Marlene McCarty work with type, image/graphics and music in these three title openings to set the tone for the coming film? They leave you with a feeling of suspense. They have an odd set of music that sparks a what-the-hell feeling. You want to know more. You need explanations.
 Are they reflecting the coming content of the film expressively and kinetically? How do they play off of one another? they each have an odd sort of feel to them. They aren't very fluid and leave you questioning.
What is the mood you feel watching them? Odd. A kind of suspense.
 How are they similar and different? They all have odd music. They also catch your attention, but each has very different backgrounds happening behind the text.

I chose to use a Kyle Cooper title sequence for Spider-man 2. The movie isn't amazing, but the titles are intriguing. The designer is Kyle Cooper. I like it because it keeps your attention with continual movement. He uses sketches to give you a sense of the comic background. I find it to be very kinetic because of the movement and timing.

I also like the opening title for Thank You For Smoking. It is very simple and expressive, but I couldn't find the designer.

Last Day

It is officially my last day before spring break! I don't have much to post, but I will definitely add more soon.
This is more on my book for Type 02.

Expressive Type

Let's ignore the fact that I missed posts and get into the assignment. Sorry.

So I had to find expressive type. I went to a few different blogs but only fell in love with one, but I am now head over heels in love with this blog. It's more of a website with different type designs by different people, but I love it. It's called Dead Words. It is is awesome! The use of simple designs to express the definition of the word... Genius!The others I found were student work. Someone named Delsun and another that may not be a student expressive type. These have inspired me to add more expressive elements to my project through small graphics that help to demonstrate the meaning of the word.

Now for my work.
My first direction has a more definitive focus on certain words to help the audience visualize the content. I chose interstate as the font because it is simple, but still has a defining feature.

My final direction is focused solely on size and gradient. This will lead the viewer through the document from a hierarchial view. I chose akzidenz Grotesk because it is simple to read and keeps the focus on the content.

 My final direction is focused solely on size and gradient. This will lead the viewer through the document from a hierarchical view. I chose akzidenz Grotesk again because of its simplicity.

The most effective direction I feel is the first because there is a repeating line that pulls the eye through and a good sense of hierarchical type that helps. I think the symbols add a visual aid to speed up comprehension. I may may the symbols extensions of the letters.

Oops...

After I make this profound statement that I will post everyday, I miss the next day. Sorry, but I'm on it now. Because I am in the middle of a ton of different work, I'm going to give you a short glimpse of each.
My Color Theory book is... coming along. Hope to be at least half way into it by next Thursday. Maybe I could finish it on the plane. Who knows? It could happen.
My design project is a little ahead. I came to class yesterday with next Tuesday's work. It's alright though. I have decided that the name for my file sharing app will be either DataMate or BitKick. I made mood boards out of inspiration for steam punk, 8 bit graphics, and a more bubbly comical theme. I'm trying to make this one more bright. I never really seem to go there.
My Type project and WGSS class are running into each other. I have to make expressive type for a speech and I currently have work on Gloria Steinem's Address to the Women of America. I went to a speech from Dr. Jackson Katz (look him up, it will change your life) last night and was extremely inspired. I want to find a clip of his speech where he gets so passionate about feminist not being anti-male. It's my goal for tonight. If not, I'll stick to Gloria Steinem.
That's really all I have for now, but I will be packing and working over the weekend so I should be able to post some interesting stuff!
5 days, 17 hours, 42 minutes, and 33 seconds until I leave for London. :)

Type 02 with a Vengeance.

This blog is supposed to be helpful to me by getting my creative wheels turning. So I'm going March Madness! A design-a-day challenge, but sensible enough that I'll actually do it. From charts to lists to graphics, I will open this blog everyday until Easter and post something. As a precursor, I will be in Paris a few days so those may be list days. Who knows. I'll do something.
For today, I am working on a motion graphics project so I'm posting my research. Mandatory for my grade but I'm going to count it. 

_ Who is speaking? Gloria Steinem

_ Why was/is the speech important to society? It outlined and spotlighted the feminist movement.

_ Why do you feel it is important or interesting? I'm taking a women's studies class so I've been getting really into the whole feminist movement. So many people think that it's about making men and women equal, but its so much more. The need to eliminate segregation and discrimination is still so prevalent. We need equal humans that get what they deserve.  Not people getting things because they have a certain sex, race, gender, class, etc.

_ What is the emotion, mood, tone, personality, feeling of the speech? I think it has an almost nurturing quality to it. She's peacefully explaining the meaning of the movement so that you understand it and aren't terrified of it.

_ What is intonation, emphasis, what is loud, stressed, or soft. Where are there pauses? She emphasizes several points. The first part is that it isn't simple. She goes on to explain why there are social groups, states that it needs to be fixed, then ends with a statement to try to bring understanding to those that are scared or the word feminism.

_ What do you FEEL should be loud or soft, long pause or rushed? I think she did a wonderful job placing emphasis. I may have emphasized more on the "system still depends", but I also have a rather overbearing, in-your-face speech style. 

_ Is there a call to action? When listening to it what are key/emphasized words? I see a call to action. Most would not. The call to action is hidden in the last two sentences. She's saying this is what you want so work for it!

_ How does it make you feel? Inspired, disgusted and motivated.

_ How do imagine that the audience felt? Empowered, motivated, and spirited.


_ Could there be another interpretation of the speech? It could be taken as a stab at society. It is, but someone may not pick up on the call to action.

_ Write/find a short bio, of the person giving the speech. Gloria Steinem is a writer, lecturer, editor, and feminist activist. She travels in this and other countries as an organizer and lecturer and is a frequent media spokeswoman on issues of equality. She is particularly interested in the shared origins of sex and race caste systems, gender roles and child abuse as roots of violence, non-violent conflict resolution, the cultures of indigenous peoples, and organizing across boundaries for peace and justice. She now lives in New York City, and is currently at work on Road to the Heart: America As if Everyone Mattered, a book about her more than thirty years on the road as a feminist organizer

This is no simple reform. It really is a revolution. Sex and race, because they are easy, visible differences, have been the primary ways of organizing human beings into superior and inferior groups, and into the cheap labor on which this system still depends. We are talking about a society in which there will be no roles other than those chosen, or those earned. We are really talking about humanism.

Trollback

Thanks to slow internet due to the weather, I was unable to load the Trollback video. That won't stop me though! I researched him a little and his work is awesome. This is a video I will definitely watch on the bus sometime. His work seems very large scale. I love how he uses lines and type with a hint of the logo. So many times today all you see is a logo slammed on something and it's supposed to be done. We seem to get lazier. My three year old can't read, but he knows the McDonald's M. He also know the D for Disney and the letters in Cartoon Network's logo. He can't recognize his own name, but he sees these logos and knows what's going on. I believe that type is a little more important than the design itself. There are very few companies that are known by their logo with no type in it. It's challenging to find the type that fits a company perfectly, but its important. After creeping through the interwebs to find more typographers, I came across this article:
http://www.creativebloq.com/typography/20-typographers-follow-behance-11121295
I feel like article's like this help new designers by starting our search for further knowledge. It's important that you continue to look and research outside of class.
In conclusion, typography is super important and we should continue looking for it outside of the class room.

Mantra

Wow. Just wow. Mau's work is inspiring! Bruce Mau has led me to proclaim my mantra for this past week. It is (they are) as follows:

Slow down and keep moving.

I realize this is not the way he listed it, but its how I see it. This past week has been so hectic. I always feel the need to run. So much so that I only stopped for food poisoning. After the effects of medication set in, I reminded myself that I need to keep working. Everyone needs to remember every once in a while to stop and smell the flowers. The goal is not simply to get to the end, but to enjoy every step of the way. We work in an amazing field. We make something new almost everyday. We have the chance to change bad to good and provoke change. Let's be happy we're not doctors or lawyers!

Lettering Artists.

This group really excited me! In the video of Jessica Hische, she made a comment about making type for chalkboards. I've always wondered how people made it so clean, now I know. I saw an article not too long ago about how chalkboard lettering is coming back. I for one love chalkboard lettering, and if I didn't shake like a leaf, I would use it all the time! 

I have a lot of respect for these women. I'm also very jealous. I would love to create type. I think I like type more than the actual design aspect. You have to know what you're doing. When to use what. It's putting a ton of otherwise trivial knowledge to good use.

I will end talking about the collections that Filli has. I am going to England and Paris for spring break, and while I'm there, I want to browse some old local stuff to see if I find anything interesting that I could use as inspiration for designs. Both of these women are amazing at what they do and I can't wait to see what they do next!

Journal Studies: Alvin Lustig

I watched the journal on Alvin Lustig. It was interesting to know that he died so young and that he continued working after he went blind. His works are amazing. The use of a few, simple colors combined with simple designs really catches your eye. His more complex designs still hold a simple quality to them. I feel like his work has a huge influence on designers today. It seems like you are continually seeing more simple graphics, but they still speak volumes.
Before Lustig, I watched the Paul Rand video. He also has a very clean modern feel for his designs to be as old as they are. When Rand uses the color combinations he does, they stand out. They subtly beg for your attention and you can't help but look.
Finally, I need to talk about Chip Kidd. He is definitely comfortable speaking in front of crowds. When you speak about your designs, I think you should stand out just a little more than your work. That makes you memorable as well as your work being memorable. I didn't know who Kidd was until I saw the Jurassic Park logo. Everyone knows that. We have to remember to keep our work just that, our work.