Sunday, October 18, 2009
Michael Jordan Timeline Infographic
Titled Timeline of Michael Jordan: HISTORY, this is my first ever infographic. Created for my Design for Journalists class, the main idea that I had was simple. I wanted to create a time line that chronicled my favorite, and your favorite player's favorite player, Michael Jordan's career in the NBA. As a tribute to his Airness, I decided to compile a time line in a unique way that included his greatest accomplishments set parallel to a highlight 'reel' of images.
Vietnamese Student Association Logo Design
[This logo will be the official logo of the VSA starting Fall '10.] The Temple Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) decided that it needed a new identity that is simple and communicates the mission of its organization. The VSA is "dedicated to increasing cultural awareness and diversity on campus and in the community." It "hopes to provide the necessary interaction between those of different backgrounds to build cross cultural bridges and foster acceptance and awareness." As a "dynamic and open organization, VSA prides itself on its diverse and unified membership, and persistent dedication to decreasing cultural tension on campus."
Given this information coupled with my research of other VSAs in Universities across the nation, I came up with this unique logo design.
In researching, I found that a lot of VSA logos had included a visual of Vietnam from a map. People know what Vietnam looks like geographically, and so I decided I would not follow that trend. Instead, I decided to take a more modern approach in using the typeface, "Gotham Ultra" for strong impact. The logotype of "Vietnamese Student Association" uses "Gotham Thin." Between the two typefaces, there is lots of contrast. I trimmed some of the "V" and "S" to create symmetry between all three letters. Lastly, the decision to use doves, masked within "VSA," was aesthetic as well as symbolic of the VSA's mission. To "build cross-cultural bridges and foster acceptance and awarness," the doves are all connected, acting as a bridge as they fly across the logo. Symbolizing peace, and unity, the doves act as a great representation for the VSA.
Given this information coupled with my research of other VSAs in Universities across the nation, I came up with this unique logo design.
In researching, I found that a lot of VSA logos had included a visual of Vietnam from a map. People know what Vietnam looks like geographically, and so I decided I would not follow that trend. Instead, I decided to take a more modern approach in using the typeface, "Gotham Ultra" for strong impact. The logotype of "Vietnamese Student Association" uses "Gotham Thin." Between the two typefaces, there is lots of contrast. I trimmed some of the "V" and "S" to create symmetry between all three letters. Lastly, the decision to use doves, masked within "VSA," was aesthetic as well as symbolic of the VSA's mission. To "build cross-cultural bridges and foster acceptance and awarness," the doves are all connected, acting as a bridge as they fly across the logo. Symbolizing peace, and unity, the doves act as a great representation for the VSA.
Kensington Community Food Co-op Logo Design
The Kensington Community Food Co-op was looking for an identity for their new food co-op that would distinguish themselves from competitors. They are committed to healthy neighborhood living. Their mission is to provide a grocery store in the Kensington area that will provide healthy, quality food, products and services to its members and the community. They encourage each member to contribute and participate in all activities they undertake as a cooperative.
For this logo design, I first did research on trends in the industry and competitors. I realized that many trends included: fruits & vegetable visuals, produce, lots of sun, mountains and track imagery. Drop shadows and gradients were also very common among other food co-ops. All in all, the competition had one thing in common, there was too much going on, or nothing going on at all.
And so, to improve upon competitors, I began mind-mapping for ideas. A few words I came across were community, neighborhood, shared values, togetherness, and helping. Out of these, I really wanted to choose something unique for KCFC's new logo. I decided on the idea of "neighborhoods," being in Philadelphia and all.
I am always inspired by logo designs with hidden meanings, such as FedEx, Big Ten, Northwest Airlines, and Amazon logos. And so I really wanted to apply a hidden message in KCFC's new logo. Above the logotype of Kensington Community Food Co-op is a road with square blocks that represent apartment buildings. Not only does it represent neighborhoods, but it also spells out the word Co-op.
As for color selection, I chose a earthy green because I associate this color with freshness and growth. The choice of gray was because it compliments green really well as a neutral color.
The typeface I chose is Bodoni. Bodoni is an elegant modern typeface that is also a classic. I thought that the serifs looked elegant, and helps for legibility as the flat serifs help to create a straight line under the words. It's important for a new brand to have a clear and easy to read type, and Bodoni does a great job.
Whenever creating a logo, there are 5 principles that I think are important to follow:
For this logo design, I first did research on trends in the industry and competitors. I realized that many trends included: fruits & vegetable visuals, produce, lots of sun, mountains and track imagery. Drop shadows and gradients were also very common among other food co-ops. All in all, the competition had one thing in common, there was too much going on, or nothing going on at all.
And so, to improve upon competitors, I began mind-mapping for ideas. A few words I came across were community, neighborhood, shared values, togetherness, and helping. Out of these, I really wanted to choose something unique for KCFC's new logo. I decided on the idea of "neighborhoods," being in Philadelphia and all.
I am always inspired by logo designs with hidden meanings, such as FedEx, Big Ten, Northwest Airlines, and Amazon logos. And so I really wanted to apply a hidden message in KCFC's new logo. Above the logotype of Kensington Community Food Co-op is a road with square blocks that represent apartment buildings. Not only does it represent neighborhoods, but it also spells out the word Co-op.
As for color selection, I chose a earthy green because I associate this color with freshness and growth. The choice of gray was because it compliments green really well as a neutral color.
The typeface I chose is Bodoni. Bodoni is an elegant modern typeface that is also a classic. I thought that the serifs looked elegant, and helps for legibility as the flat serifs help to create a straight line under the words. It's important for a new brand to have a clear and easy to read type, and Bodoni does a great job.
Whenever creating a logo, there are 5 principles that I think are important to follow:
- Simplicity
- Memorable
- Timeless
- Versatile
- Appropriate
Temple Advertising Department Logo Design
One of the accounts I'm on as the Executive Art Director in Diamond Edge Communications, Temple University's student-run ad agency, is the Temple Advertising Department. The department came to us for a new identity design, because it has been changing from year to year with no consistency. And so, here are two of my many concepts that I designed proposed.
The first logo utilizes the hat on geometric shapes of the word AD for Advertising. The geometric shapes are clear and distinguishable, representing experimentation, while the hat represents the many hats (art director, copywriter, account manager) advertisers are sometimes required to wear in the profession.
The second logo is clean, distinguishable, with the main focus on "AD." The logotype is composed within a rectangular boundary to create a solid and a professional look. Both logos can be easily scaled without losing its effectiveness.
Either design will provide the department with a simple and strong logo that serves as a solution for an identity that will not get lost in the clutter of all of the overly complex logos out there.
The first logo utilizes the hat on geometric shapes of the word AD for Advertising. The geometric shapes are clear and distinguishable, representing experimentation, while the hat represents the many hats (art director, copywriter, account manager) advertisers are sometimes required to wear in the profession.
The second logo is clean, distinguishable, with the main focus on "AD." The logotype is composed within a rectangular boundary to create a solid and a professional look. Both logos can be easily scaled without losing its effectiveness.
Either design will provide the department with a simple and strong logo that serves as a solution for an identity that will not get lost in the clutter of all of the overly complex logos out there.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Irony, Exaggeration, Metaphor
For this Art Direction II assignment, we were to choose a brand of interest, and then create 3 separate ads. The first one dealing with irony, the second one exaggeration, and a third ad acting as a metaphor without using copy, only a visual and logo.
The brand I chose was Shure SE210 In-ear Headphones. They're sound isolating, and so I wanted to focus on that benefit. In fact they isolate sound so well that you can virtually hear nothing at all when you put them on. Clear, crisp, quality music is the result of wearing Shure Headphones, and those are the benefits I wanted to convey in my ads.
Before jumping on the computer and executing my ads, I needed ideas. And so, I sketched quite a few thumbnails in order to get as many ideas as possible. I found The Kickstart Catalogue from Mario Pricken's Creative Advertising, to be quite helpful in the ideation process.
I went for a minimalist approach for my irony ad. The tag-line reads, "less noise sounds better." In this case, less is more. I decided to keep the rest of the page white to heighten the impact of the tag-line, logo and call to action at the bottom. There is less noise on the page visually, and less noise in your ears with Shure Headphones.
For my exaggeration piece I had the idea of bringing dead musicians back to life. This could be expanded into a campaign potentially. I took the Apollo Theater Marquee sign and manipulated it into the Shure Theater. The headline reads boldly, "The King of Pop Like You've Never Heard Before." Not only is it timely, but it exaggerates by bringing Michael back to life through the clarity of Shure Headphones. Listening to MJ on your Shure Headphones is equivalent to hearing him live, minus all of the noisy fans of course.
My final ad was to be metaphorical with a visual and logo only. I will let the visual speak for itself.
The brand I chose was Shure SE210 In-ear Headphones. They're sound isolating, and so I wanted to focus on that benefit. In fact they isolate sound so well that you can virtually hear nothing at all when you put them on. Clear, crisp, quality music is the result of wearing Shure Headphones, and those are the benefits I wanted to convey in my ads.
Before jumping on the computer and executing my ads, I needed ideas. And so, I sketched quite a few thumbnails in order to get as many ideas as possible. I found The Kickstart Catalogue from Mario Pricken's Creative Advertising, to be quite helpful in the ideation process.
I went for a minimalist approach for my irony ad. The tag-line reads, "less noise sounds better." In this case, less is more. I decided to keep the rest of the page white to heighten the impact of the tag-line, logo and call to action at the bottom. There is less noise on the page visually, and less noise in your ears with Shure Headphones.
For my exaggeration piece I had the idea of bringing dead musicians back to life. This could be expanded into a campaign potentially. I took the Apollo Theater Marquee sign and manipulated it into the Shure Theater. The headline reads boldly, "The King of Pop Like You've Never Heard Before." Not only is it timely, but it exaggerates by bringing Michael back to life through the clarity of Shure Headphones. Listening to MJ on your Shure Headphones is equivalent to hearing him live, minus all of the noisy fans of course.
My final ad was to be metaphorical with a visual and logo only. I will let the visual speak for itself.
Why Do You Do What You Do?
For our first assignment in my Art Direction II class, we were asked to answer the question, "why do you do what you do?" through graphic and type.
"Because existence is interdependent" means that we are all reliant on each other as a human species. I know one reason I'm here is to help other people, and so I try my best to be there for my family and friends when they need me most. We're not isolated. We are all connected, and thus, the circle is a link, a symbol, that is representative of US as a whole.
"Because of a hole in one" is meant to be playful. When you know you've found the one, it's as sweet as a hole in one. I chose the simple typeface because that is what Love should be, simple.
"Because I love white space" is pretty obvious. Perhaps the most important technique a designer has in his arsenal is the use of white space. Not only is it simplistic, but it just looks good.
"Because existence is interdependent" means that we are all reliant on each other as a human species. I know one reason I'm here is to help other people, and so I try my best to be there for my family and friends when they need me most. We're not isolated. We are all connected, and thus, the circle is a link, a symbol, that is representative of US as a whole.
"Because of a hole in one" is meant to be playful. When you know you've found the one, it's as sweet as a hole in one. I chose the simple typeface because that is what Love should be, simple.
"Because I love white space" is pretty obvious. Perhaps the most important technique a designer has in his arsenal is the use of white space. Not only is it simplistic, but it just looks good.
Not My Typical Saturday
Titled Not My Typical Saturday: A Photo Story from my Converses' Perspective, this is my first photography assignment. Taken for my design for Journalists course, I choose to photograph my Saturday, because normally, Saturday's are very uneventful for me. The decision to shoot in b&w was because as I went about my day, I noticed that I came across many strong visual representations such as temple banners in the Bell Tower shot, the H&M signage, the American flag, and that special someone's pink Converse. And so I thought the images would have more visual impact if I made everything b&w except those strong visual representations.
All in all, this project was a fun and interesting one. It made me pay closer attention to the details in my photographs as well as taught me a lot about how to edit and adjust my images. It made me get out of my comfort zone, get out there and take pictures that I normally would not take.
Here I am, early in the morning, on a Saturday, waiting patiently as the R7 train to Center City, Philadelphia approaches.
Destination, Temple University. Here's a shot of the infamous Bell Tower that I cross everyday and on this particular desolate morning. Yawn, now it's time for me to head into work at the Howard Gittis Student Center.
Alone at work, on a Saturday with nothing to do but read blogs, do homework and stare at the decorated wall in front of me. What a life.
Work's done. Just caught the Broad Street Line into City Hall. I can't help but notice a dank smell of urine and spacious skylines. Time to explore the area.
William Penn atop the City Hall Tower. It's astonishing every time I see it.
Ah, H&M, one of my favorite places to shop. Stylish and affordable and it's always got me thinking red.
The Kimmel Center, such a classy and elegant place. I've always imagined what it would be like performing in a place like this.
Feet are tired. Time to head home. Suburban seems like the closest train station. Another 15 minutes until I'm fast asleep aboard the R7 as sweet symphonies of Beethoven prove to be quite soothing.
And the best part of my day. Coming home to that 'special' someone. All you really need is love.
All in all, this project was a fun and interesting one. It made me pay closer attention to the details in my photographs as well as taught me a lot about how to edit and adjust my images. It made me get out of my comfort zone, get out there and take pictures that I normally would not take.
Here I am, early in the morning, on a Saturday, waiting patiently as the R7 train to Center City, Philadelphia approaches.
Destination, Temple University. Here's a shot of the infamous Bell Tower that I cross everyday and on this particular desolate morning. Yawn, now it's time for me to head into work at the Howard Gittis Student Center.
Alone at work, on a Saturday with nothing to do but read blogs, do homework and stare at the decorated wall in front of me. What a life.
Work's done. Just caught the Broad Street Line into City Hall. I can't help but notice a dank smell of urine and spacious skylines. Time to explore the area.
William Penn atop the City Hall Tower. It's astonishing every time I see it.
Ah, H&M, one of my favorite places to shop. Stylish and affordable and it's always got me thinking red.
The Kimmel Center, such a classy and elegant place. I've always imagined what it would be like performing in a place like this.
Feet are tired. Time to head home. Suburban seems like the closest train station. Another 15 minutes until I'm fast asleep aboard the R7 as sweet symphonies of Beethoven prove to be quite soothing.
And the best part of my day. Coming home to that 'special' someone. All you really need is love.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Team of Destiny
Here's a wallpaper creation of one of my favorite teams, the Philadelphia Eagles. Designed in Adobe Photoshop CS4.
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