Assignment 19: Research and Inspiration

What is a business card used for?
Typically a quick way to give the idea for your company, and some basic information

Spa Design Research

• I've found most designs are very flowy, lots of script utilized
• lots of cool colors, very sea like, 
• abstract human images often used

Color research- as in the last one, i plan on using cool colors again, as in a spa one is supposed to be in total relaxation, an cool colors have a calming effect.  I do want to use a little bit more bold colors though, to set this apart from other spas.

Visual Hierarchy

Stationary Package

-Printed pieces that a company uses for communication purposes-

• Basic Stationary Package is a Business Card, Letterhead, and envelope designs

Business Card:

• Should form an immediate opinion of company
• has information, but also shows mission, culture, and goals through colors fonts, texture etc.
• Includes, in this order: logo, company name, employee name, title, phone number, fax number, e-mail address, company address, web address
• MUST be 2 x 3.5 inches
• Horizontal or Vertical
• unity
• typical margin is a quarter inch

Letterhead:

• A printed piece of paper used to send letter, invoices, memos etc.
• Should include: logo, company name, company address, phone number, fax number, web address
• logo and company name should be the focus with
• other info less prominent
• must be 8.5x1,vertical orientation
•  leave mostly empty for body type

Envelope:

• The packaging that contains the letter/form 
• We will be creating a standard #10
• Typically includes just one logo, company name, and company address
• Must be 9.5x4.125, horizontal or vertical
• must leave room for recipient stamp and address

Assignment 18: Research and Inspiration

What is a wordmark?
A standardized, text only, visual representation of a company. It should be representative of the company.

What makes a good wordmark?
-Good wordmarks should be memorable. This can be achieved through emphasis and contrast.
-Simplicity.  The least you can do to the company's name, while sufficiently conveying an appropriate image, the better it will be.
-Memorable

Photography Industry Trends:
-Depending on the type of photography the company is taking, their wordmarks seem to be either very modern, or very conservative
-All are very very simple though, almost no out of the box flourishes

Color research: use cool colors, photographers should be personal, and cool colors are welcoming

Inspiration

I like this one because it breaks the mold of having no visuals on a wordmark, the small flash is still simple, but very effective

Ignoring the symbol on the left, this is a perfect example of a simple and modern wordmark, it also uses contrast perfectly

Assignment 17: Research and Inspiration

I've chosen to create a logo for Spin Records.

As music is always fresh, i've decided to create a more trendy logo. Through research i've found that this means:

• It should look modern
• It should be very, very simple
• For a more trendy look, I should use a color or two, most old record labels use only black
• Some symbol of music should be used
• circles are very commonly used 
• Bold colors are often used, to pop

This modern record player could be modeled, in contrast to the multitude of companies who just use records

I enjoy the simplicity of this logo

Nice figure groun in this picture

 

Logotypes

Definition- a mark or logo used by companies (mostly) to brand

What should they do?
-Be recognizable
-Convey the right image
-Simple

How did modernism affect logos?
-Logos became more clear and simple, opposed to the complex visuals before the 50s

5 Principles of effective logo design:

1. Simple- more effective for the quickness with which an audience looks at a logo
2. Timeless- will it be effective in 10 or 20 years? make sure it can
3. Versatile- your logo has to look good on any kind of media
4. Memorable- keeping simple and appropriate will make people remember it
5. Appropriate- design for your audience/client, not for yourself

Spot Color
-Method of specifying and printing colors, which each color is printed in its own ink
-Good for only up to three colors
-Uses Pantone Matching System to find colors

Choose Color Wisely
-Color plays an important role in logo design
-Color can illicit different feelings from your audience
-Different demos have different interpretations of colors
-Colors follow trends
-Keep to 2 or 3 colors, for complexity

Combination Mark
-Includes text and visual
-both are integrated

Iconic/ Symbolic
-Abstract
-Extremely simple
-Symbol for company, not what company does
-Visual only

Wordmark/ Lettermark
-Stylized company name
-Typography
-Utilizes only text

Assignment 16: Research and Inspiration

 Research

- An infographic is a means by which one can communicate information visually

What makes an infographic?

• Quick clear information
• Things that would require too much word explain are told visually
• Be concise first, add broadening infromation later

What are infographics used for?

• Maps are considered some of the first "infographics"
• other current common versions of infrographics are things such as graphs and time lines
• Infographics are commonly used for education, in the news, and by activist and other non profit organizations to  disseminate knowledge effectively

Inspiration

I particularly like when infographics incorporate the thing that they are explaining as the information like this.  I also like how simple it is

I like this timeline because it feels very dynamic. It has great rythym and feels like its coming atchya

Early Computers | 1930s - 1980s AD

What is an abacus?
device used for simple calculations

In 1936,  Zuse invented this type of computer?
first freely programmable computer

Post a photo of the 1944 Mark Computer.


In 1944, Aiken and Hopper designed the Mark Series of computers to be used for what?
for ballistic calculations for the US navy

Post a photo of the UNIVAC Computer.


In 1951, Eckert and Mauchly designed the first commercial computer for whom?
for the census beaureau

What does UNIVAC stand for?
 Universal Automatic Computer

In 1953, IBM enters the scene. What does IBM stand for?
International Buisiness Machine

What is FORTRAN?
First successful high level program language

Post a photo of the first mouse.


In 1964, how did Engelbart change the way computers worked?
he invented the mouse

What is the significance of ARPnet?
Helped protect information between a network of military computers around the world

In 1971, Intel introduced this? Post a photo of it.
the intel 4004


In the same year, IBM introduced this? Post a photo of one.
the floppy disk


In 1973, Metcalf and Xerox created this?
the ethernet computer network

During the next several years, the first consumer computers were marketed. Post photos of the Altair, Apple I, Apple II, TRS-80, Commodore PET. Label each.

Altair

Apple I

Apple II

TRS-80

Commodore PET

In 1981, Bill Gates and Microsoft introduced this package?
they introduced the MS-DOS

Post a photo of the Lisa computer.


In 1983, who introduced the Lisa computer?
Apple

What is GUI?
Graphical User Interface

Post a photo of the computer mentioned below.

In 1984, a more affordable home computer was introduced. Name the computer and the company that marketed it?
the apple macintosh

The commercial only ran one time. When?
that was that superbowl commercial that referenced Orwell's 1984, cool commercial

In response to the Apple GUI, Gates and Microsoft introduced this?
Windows OS

Two men are known for their development of the Apple I computer. Who are they?
Steve and Steve, Jobs and Wozniak, respectively

When was the internet that we know, world wide web, developed and introduced?
Nov. 12 1990

Over the years, Apple has included "easter eggs" within their software. What is an "easter egg"?
an easter egg is a hidden joke, or message inside things like games, movies, books, and in this case software

Search for easter eggs in Photoshop and Illustrator. List a few in this post ... and try to find them in the applications.

Where do you think computers will take us in the next 10 years?
they're just getting crazier and more omnipotent, they'll probably just take over the world.