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Me llamo Jon Duong. This is a blog for design school.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Journal 14: Semester Reflection
Over the course of this semester I would definitely say I experienced a good deal of growth as a designer. While it may have been fast-paced, grueling, and painful at times, I feel like a stronger person as a result. I have learned so much in terms of design principles and approach to creativity. For all that has happened, I am truly grateful for having run the course, because I now understand the necessary steps to take when I move on with this major. If I had to pick one thing that inspired me the most this semester, it would definitely have to be the typographic workbook, because while I was designing based on a realistic scenario, I simultaneously learned so much about typography as a result. Though there was a large amount of restrictions and specifications with the content, I was still able to find a way for my creative personality to reflect in the book. All in all though, everything I learned this semester was of great relevance and I will for certain take it into my design future.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Journal 12 & 13
Journal 12:
Paula Scher:
- Scher's interview was a basic summation of the idea of type as an image before it is language. She spoke of the older processes like rubbing down press type and using acetate to paint over letterforms. What really spoke to me though were her theater poster designs that she said had in previous years been dominated by European style. In these designs she incorporated urban influence that popped, was loud, and gave life to the posters. I thought it was interesting to hear her speak of designing based on non-sight senses like hearing or touch. Scher seems to design on a level that touches base on so many feelings that really breathes life into type in a way that computer-based designers do not seem to understand. If I could ask her anything, it would probably concern the transition to computers for typesetting rather than manual. How has the change effected design method overall? Are we better or worse as designers for this change?
David Carson:
- Carson immediately addresses his lack of formal training in this interview. He spoke of designing based on visual appeal, rather than basic typographic principles. Despite that, his work is still appealing and compelling. What I found interesting about Carson is his view on subjectivity in design. Carson feels that a design should be extremely subjective and should have some of the designer's personality reflected in it. He feels that a design should be made with your own feeling over concern with awards or boundaries. I agreed with this to a degree, but I do have to ask though, shouldn't there be a unity between personality and principle? So if I got the chance to ask Carson anything, it would be about his training as a designer? Does he ever wonder how his career would have been affected had he been formally educated in the field?
James Victore:
- Victore's interview began with a montage of some of the edgiest, gloomiest, and strongest illustrations I have seen. In the video Victore spoke and emphasized the primary function of a graphic designer is to create works that call to and address various societal issues, rather than for marketing and advertising purposes. What struck a chord for me is how Victore spoke of designing to respond to issues that lack attention in the world. It was interesting how he executed his goals in his works, because they were so immediate and able to draw my attention. I liked how his designs reflect the overall fast-pace and impatience of many people, because they were quick, to-the-point, and memorable. If I could ask him anything, I would ask how long on average he spends on developing the concepts of his works, because they're simply genius. Simple and genius.
Journal 13:
Larry Lessig is is one of our foremost authorities on copyright issues, with a vision for reconciling creative freedom with marketplace competition. In his talk he spoke of issues of copyright and trespassing being hampers to creativity in general. He provided examples through a brief history of copyrights and the application of existing material for new material, like remixes. What I found interesting about this talk is Lessig's theories on the unity of business and creativity. He spoke on the growth of technology and how it enables our generation to create through innumerable methods. Because of this, Lessig states that our generation is learning to speak primarily through these methods. He feels that businesses should let the artists and creators themselves decide what can and cannot be made available. Because it is business that is hampering the way that people communicate through the new and ever growing language of technology. Lessig's views on creativity were interesting to hear, and the thought never occurred to me as a designer that commerce could be such an obstacle. But thinking to all the printing and media limitations I've dealt with, I would have to agree with Lessig. I should not have to create based on limitation, I should be able to create without bounds.
Paula Scher:
- Scher's interview was a basic summation of the idea of type as an image before it is language. She spoke of the older processes like rubbing down press type and using acetate to paint over letterforms. What really spoke to me though were her theater poster designs that she said had in previous years been dominated by European style. In these designs she incorporated urban influence that popped, was loud, and gave life to the posters. I thought it was interesting to hear her speak of designing based on non-sight senses like hearing or touch. Scher seems to design on a level that touches base on so many feelings that really breathes life into type in a way that computer-based designers do not seem to understand. If I could ask her anything, it would probably concern the transition to computers for typesetting rather than manual. How has the change effected design method overall? Are we better or worse as designers for this change?
David Carson:
- Carson immediately addresses his lack of formal training in this interview. He spoke of designing based on visual appeal, rather than basic typographic principles. Despite that, his work is still appealing and compelling. What I found interesting about Carson is his view on subjectivity in design. Carson feels that a design should be extremely subjective and should have some of the designer's personality reflected in it. He feels that a design should be made with your own feeling over concern with awards or boundaries. I agreed with this to a degree, but I do have to ask though, shouldn't there be a unity between personality and principle? So if I got the chance to ask Carson anything, it would be about his training as a designer? Does he ever wonder how his career would have been affected had he been formally educated in the field?
James Victore:
- Victore's interview began with a montage of some of the edgiest, gloomiest, and strongest illustrations I have seen. In the video Victore spoke and emphasized the primary function of a graphic designer is to create works that call to and address various societal issues, rather than for marketing and advertising purposes. What struck a chord for me is how Victore spoke of designing to respond to issues that lack attention in the world. It was interesting how he executed his goals in his works, because they were so immediate and able to draw my attention. I liked how his designs reflect the overall fast-pace and impatience of many people, because they were quick, to-the-point, and memorable. If I could ask him anything, I would ask how long on average he spends on developing the concepts of his works, because they're simply genius. Simple and genius.
Journal 13:
Larry Lessig is is one of our foremost authorities on copyright issues, with a vision for reconciling creative freedom with marketplace competition. In his talk he spoke of issues of copyright and trespassing being hampers to creativity in general. He provided examples through a brief history of copyrights and the application of existing material for new material, like remixes. What I found interesting about this talk is Lessig's theories on the unity of business and creativity. He spoke on the growth of technology and how it enables our generation to create through innumerable methods. Because of this, Lessig states that our generation is learning to speak primarily through these methods. He feels that businesses should let the artists and creators themselves decide what can and cannot be made available. Because it is business that is hampering the way that people communicate through the new and ever growing language of technology. Lessig's views on creativity were interesting to hear, and the thought never occurred to me as a designer that commerce could be such an obstacle. But thinking to all the printing and media limitations I've dealt with, I would have to agree with Lessig. I should not have to create based on limitation, I should be able to create without bounds.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Journal 11: Design Matters
Debbie Millman is the president of the design division at Sterling Brands, a leading brand consultancy based in New York. She is known for also being the host of Design Matters, a radio-show on DesignObserver.com. Design Matters is a radio-show that takes listeners into the world of prominent design professionals and discusses their processes and philosophies on designing.
I chose to listen to the interview with Ann Willoughby, the president and creative director of Willoughby Design Group, a brand, innovation and identity design firm she founded in 1978. Aside from the fact that Willoughby is based out of Kansas City, I found some other interesting things in the interview concerning her and design. Miller first started off with discussed an icon project concerning the nature of pain. She designed some icons for a chart for patients in a hospital to associate levels of pain with an icon. Miller then explained how pain has then become subjective because of the brain's ability to articulate pain through other visual means. When it came to Willoughby, what I thought was compelling was her perspective on design's current environment. Her opinion was that it is harder now to balance outside life with design now with more distractions of technology. Willoughby went on to discuss how today relationships of designers and clients has certainly changed from being in less touch personally with the concern with technological innovations increasing the rate of communication to beyond a capacity that would build relationships. She also brought up issues of time management and isolation, and how they can be more of a problem now with the technological distractions that she discussed earlier. I definitely connected with the interview in terms of relation with designer issues, and what Willoughby says to combat these things reassures me in a way that I hope to incorporate into my daily process.
I chose to listen to the interview with Ann Willoughby, the president and creative director of Willoughby Design Group, a brand, innovation and identity design firm she founded in 1978. Aside from the fact that Willoughby is based out of Kansas City, I found some other interesting things in the interview concerning her and design. Miller first started off with discussed an icon project concerning the nature of pain. She designed some icons for a chart for patients in a hospital to associate levels of pain with an icon. Miller then explained how pain has then become subjective because of the brain's ability to articulate pain through other visual means. When it came to Willoughby, what I thought was compelling was her perspective on design's current environment. Her opinion was that it is harder now to balance outside life with design now with more distractions of technology. Willoughby went on to discuss how today relationships of designers and clients has certainly changed from being in less touch personally with the concern with technological innovations increasing the rate of communication to beyond a capacity that would build relationships. She also brought up issues of time management and isolation, and how they can be more of a problem now with the technological distractions that she discussed earlier. I definitely connected with the interview in terms of relation with designer issues, and what Willoughby says to combat these things reassures me in a way that I hope to incorporate into my daily process.
Speech Project: Answer the Question
How do you think the audience experience will change based on the media? What will the audience exprience in print. In Motion. What can you do in print that you can't do in motion. What can you do in motion (in aftereffects) that you can't do in print?
- I think with the innovations in interactive designs that the audience experience will certainly become more intimate. What seems to interest people in design is the act of interacting with the product/design, and I think that with that fascination that the audience experience will become a more important part of design than ever before. In print, I think that any sort of mood conveyed will not change for the audience, but the level of dynamism will certainly increase to flow naturally with pieces within different media, say web or motion. For motion, the visualization of language will carry a stronger presence, as it is a quick, interesting way to put forth what one is trying to say in a given subject. For print, things you can do that can't be done in motion are things like manipulating level of control. For the viewer/reader, print enables them to control how long they delve into any aspect of the design. In motion, a large part of what makes it distinct from print is the designers ability to control experience without ambiguity. This can engage the audience in a great way, as options open up with sound and pacing. What is great about both options though is the sheer fact that the audience is compelled to interact with the design no matter the form.
- I think with the innovations in interactive designs that the audience experience will certainly become more intimate. What seems to interest people in design is the act of interacting with the product/design, and I think that with that fascination that the audience experience will become a more important part of design than ever before. In print, I think that any sort of mood conveyed will not change for the audience, but the level of dynamism will certainly increase to flow naturally with pieces within different media, say web or motion. For motion, the visualization of language will carry a stronger presence, as it is a quick, interesting way to put forth what one is trying to say in a given subject. For print, things you can do that can't be done in motion are things like manipulating level of control. For the viewer/reader, print enables them to control how long they delve into any aspect of the design. In motion, a large part of what makes it distinct from print is the designers ability to control experience without ambiguity. This can engage the audience in a great way, as options open up with sound and pacing. What is great about both options though is the sheer fact that the audience is compelled to interact with the design no matter the form.
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