site redesign

For this project we were allowed to choose between designing our portfolio or giving a certain website a "redesign." I chose to get started on designing my own portfolio. Since it was my first time experimenting with html and css, I decided to keep the design and layout simple, allowing my work to be the main attraction. I made a point of keeping the design "above the fold" and tried to allow the viewer to preview my work quickly and efficiently through the use of thumbnails. I still have a lot of work to do before my website is finished, but this project gave me a good starting point. 

concept map

For this project students were told to create a concept map depicting an issue of their choice (chosen from a specific list of topics). I chose to research and explore the 2009 Flu Pandemic, more commonly known as the Swine Flu. The challenge was deciding how to display such a large amount of information while keeping the design clean, organized, and interesting. We explored different techniques for connecting terms and experimented with using different lines/methods to connect information.

field guide

The field guide was my favorite project to date. We were allowed to choose any subject around Austin to create a field guide for. After choosing my subject, I began exploring all of Austin's swimming holes. After visiting a few, I decided it would be beneficial for someone to know each swimming holes policy on camping, dogs, price, walk to water, and terrain. I originally intended to create a book of this information but later decided that a long accordion poster/foldable book would be a better, more interesting choice. You can take this field guide with you or hang it on your wall for decoration.

tasa book

The Tasa book was designed as a guide for an upcoming art conference at St. Edward's University. The challenge was managing such a large amount of text for a small book. The theme was "Art + Community" so I tried to play along with that theme by keeping the color palate neutral and combining speaker photographs with patterns of their work.

weather report

The weather report shows the weekend forecast for four cities in three different segments. Students were told to present this information in three ways, choosing between location, alphabet, time, category, or hierarchy (L.A.T.C.H.). I chose to begin with alphabet, transition into time, and finally end with location. The difficult task was transitioning from one segment to another while keeping all of the weather information on screen.

blue squares

The blue squares assignment was a short exercise we did in class just before we started the word in motion activities. We were given an example that appears exactly like the one above and told to imitate the motion of the blue squares exactly. This assignment helped us become familiar with the basic motions that are possible when using after effects.

graphic design history: systems and series

The purpose of this project was to establish a visual format for continuity and identification. Students were told to design and produce a series of commemorative entrance buttons and accompanying explanatory poster for a hypothetical Graphic Design History Exhibition held at the Blanton. My buttons represent the Arts and Crafts movement and are inspired by the works of artists such as William Morris, Charles Voysey, and Owen Jones.

instructional design

For this assignment we were told to create a "how to" piece for a simple task (such as how to wash dishes). The challenge was to create instructions that were both aesthetically pleasing and graphically innovative. We had to decide who our target audience was and where they would find these instructions. My target audience was college students/roommates and they are meant to access this tutorial through a public site such as youtube. While most college students already know how to wash the dishes, they frequently "forget" to do them. Therefore, my instructional stop motion is meant to be more entertaining than informative and it plays off the idea that your dishes won't wash themselves. While my stop motion is not a straightforward set of directions, it runs you through the process of washing dishes in an unexpected and innovative way.

the kitchen of meaning

For the Kitchen of Meaning assignment we were given a list of words to choose from and subsequently design a poster that embodied the definition of that word. I chose to explore the word "melange" because I like the idea of mixing incongruent items together in a way that appears cohesive and smooth. Originally, I had a hard time focusing my design ideas because creating a design that is defined as a mixture or blend leaves a lot to be explored. From the beginning I knew that I wanted to create my own typeface and that is how my final poster transformed into what it is. I noticed that the typeface I created looked more like a group of varying shapes than actual letters. I then decided to play around with the shapes individually, stacking them on top of one another, flipping them around, etc. until I had created a whole page of what appears to be a mix of patterns. At first glance you may not realize that the pattern on the page is made up of the same shapes that spell out melange but I think that makes the poster more interesting.