Where Dreams Come True

Brochures seem to have lost their popularity since technology has become such a crucial aspect of every day life, but there is one place where brochures are always useful - Disney World! I remember going to Magic Kingdom with my family and being so excited about getting my hands on one of those character-filled, bright, magical guides. Disney World map guides are helpful for parents without a doubt, but most times appeal to children first, so always keep the target audience in mind when creating.

Like the brochure pictured to the left, it's important to include elements that represent the brand. Pictures of Mickey Mouse, the Walt Disney typeface and Cinderella's castle do just that.  When analyzing this brochure, I see that bleed photos and the gold wave make the brochure seem continuous, which is nice. And what's a brochure about Magic Kingdom worth if it doesn't include a map? With such a grand size, including a map is important if guests getting around the park is necessary, (and trust me, it is!) You can find my personal brochure creation and other works at nevin051.wix.com/taylornevin Happy designing!

Hell ya, Helvetica

This film is about the increasing use of the typeface Helvetica and how it affects people's daily lives. The film takes the viewers on a journey through big cities and touches on the type that is prominent in them, while interviewing designers about the type they choose to use and what goes into making that choice. 

One of the designers and interviewees, Erik Spiekermann, really stood out to me. He is a type designer who founded MetaDesign, a large design firm. This firm has over 450 fonts available for download on FontShop.com, which is a website that allows users to buy and download fonts for their own personal use. Spiekermann is responsible for the corporate design programs for businesses such as Audi, Lexus, Volkswagen and Skoda.

Because of his work and contributions, he is considered a very influential person in the field of graphic design. Spiekermann has an eye for design and uses type to enhance works of art in a way that makes sense. He is a creative individual dedicated to the art of typeface, and I think he represents the movie Helvetica well.

Typography Around Me

University of Minnesota. A phrase that I see every day, but have never taken the time to appreciate. What went into choosing the font for this? What makes it work so well? How does it represent the University of Minnesota brand? These are all questions I never considered before, but now that I have a better understanding when it comes to typeface, it intrigues me and pushes me to want to know more.

I think the University of Minnesota font was chosen because it is readable and it comes across as distinguished and educational. I also think this typeface works because of how the "U" and "M" are both slightly larger on the vertical scale compared to all the others. The  "O" of "of" keeps it small size, which is nice in this case because "of" isn't one of the most important words in the phrase. Lastly, I like how the words are small compared to the large "M" they are paired with since that is a symbol that is incredibly well known and understood by itself.

I'll Take A Cosmo, Please

When I think of my favorite magazine, I picture the word "Cosmopolitan" spread across the front cover of a magazine with its tall, bold, colorful typeface. Cosmopolitan, if you didn't know, is a women's magazine focusing on health, beauty, sex and fashion. This magazine ALWAYS has a picture of a beautiful female celebrity on the front with her head just slightly covering up some of the letters of the title. The color of the title ALWAYS works with the outfit being worn as well, which makes it seem purposeful and connected. I like how Cosmopolitan does this consistently, because it creates a strong brand identity.

 This magazine has many other elements that make it consistent. If you look at the magazine cover samples I have shown, there are circles in the top right corners with the celebrities names underneath. On the left side, there are phrases that have to do with sex with a big number somewhere nearby. There are also several typefaces and colors used, making the covers look visually appealing, gives the covers some depth, and allows for a sense of individuality. The colors are attractive for women, the target audience, and really draws the eyes in. So, what do you say, want a cosmo?

Vision Beyond Print

My class and I were given the opportunity to tour Bolger Printing last week. Bolger works with clients including corporate, agency and high-fashion sectors, such as Cobalt Condos, Nars and Aveda. I was able to see first-hand how each step of the printing process works, all the way until the finished product.  Prior to the tour, my professor would talk about the "10 color KBA 105 UV press" and I would have no idea what she was referring to.  But now, I have a better understanding of how the printers work and what a coating can do to enhance the final product. One of my favorite parts of the tour was when we were able to look at some of Bolger's completed posters, catalogs, brochures and advertisements. They were all presented on a bulliten board, and each design was different from the next. Our tour guide, Rob, had a story to tell about every single one. I enjoyed getting the chance to feel the texture of the prints and see the fine details up close. 

I never realized how much time, effort, decision making and thought was put into simply printing something, but that is what makes Bolger one of the best at what it does. The employees aren't afraid to take the time to send the product back and forth with their clients because they want the finished product to show off the complexity of Bolger's printing and be something that everyone is proud of. I feel special that I was given the change to meet such creative professionals and gain so much intellect during my tour at Bolger - Vision Beyond Print.

  

Mehemed Fehmy Agha

I learned several things about Mehemed Fehmy Agha, 1896-1778, from conducting research on him over the course of the semester. The first thing I learned was that he was the first person to ever switch titles from "art editor" to "art director" which is quite an accomplishment. He worked at the Paris and Berlin offices of Vogue as an art editor until Condé Nast persuaded him to move to America in 1929 to become art director of the American edition of Vogue. He then became responsible for Vogue, Vanity Fair and House & Garden for 14 years until 1943.

                               1934                                                                                                                                                         1932

Agha made many contributions to the design world. He invented bleed photos, and you can tell from the two magazine covers above that he used that technique a lot. He also invented the double page spread, which has become very popular and is used in almost every magazine today. Agha had an eye for photography and design and will be remembered for his style, personality and inspiration. Because of all he did, he changed not only design during his time, but our time also.

Smashed

An important part of being a good designer is having the ability to see something in different ways and reconfigure it. The reason I find this important is because a lot of people will make a design, think it's the best one ever, and then just leave it as is. An in class assignment I did was to take a book cover and redesign it - anyway I wanted to. I chose the book Smashed by Koren Zailckas (the one on the left), which is an autobiography about how she abused alcohol as an adolescent for over 10 years. As you can see, it is plain with fonts that don't match, colors that clash, and an uncertainty as to what the book is all about.

So, I found a picture of a broken wine glass (the one on the right) and played around with it a little bit. I made the glass a kind of brownish color, to resemble the color of whiskey. I then picked a font that seemed slurred and almost drunken to go along with the theme of alcoholism. The other font I used is simple, not distracting, and is the same color as the title and the wine glass.  So please, take my advice on this one and don't be afraid to play around with your work! You never know - your second, third or fourth design might be more effective than your first.