Well Designed Web Banners

When I first started looking for good examples of web banners, I thought the process was going to be pretty simple.  But as I came to find out, it wasn’t an easy task.  Most web banners are just plain ugly.  Everything about them screams, “advertisement: stay Web 2.0 look about them with shiny backgrounds and bright colors.  They were overcrowded with too much information and visually unappealing.  I felt that most of the web banners I saw downplayed the website or product it was advertising rather than making it more appealing to consumers.  The banners that I felt were the best designs were simple compared to the majority of the banners, and contained a unique design that caused them to stand out over the rest of the ads.  They first one I came across was a side banner for the website spudandchloe.com.

Ok, so how can anyone not want to visit this website and see what they are all about.  I think this banner is very clever and unique.  The first thing that caught my eye was the image of the lamb and the little girl.  It immediately gave me the impression it was a more modern site and was definitely different than your average web page.  The banner contains just the right amount of information.  It tells you the name of the company and what they sell (in this case, it is also their tag line).  That’s it.  Just enough information to get you interested in the website and spark your curiosity and interest to see more.  The font is easy to read with clean lines and simple characters.  The one thing I feel that would make this banner stronger is for the tagline to be in a different color.  The sea foam green color on the white background doesn’t create enough contrast making it difficult to read. The other banner that I found successful was a banner for the website pixmac.com.

So it’s pretty obvious why this one caught my eye and stood out over the rest of the banners.  The hot pink background.  I wouldn’t say that this was was necessarily more interesting or clever than any of the other banners but it works because of the bright choice of the background and the good contrast made with the pink and white.  The banner is similar to the previous one I just described with simple and straight to the point information.  This one contains the website and what it has to offer at the site which is “10 million stock photos.”  The font is simple and easy to read.  Even the website in the bottom right hand corner is clear.  But this banner also includes the company’s logo slightly larger than the web address making it easy to search for the website if someone is unable to read the address in the corner.  Both banners I found were simple and effective, making you want to visit the website rather than avoid it all together.

CSS Zen Garden Mock Up Website

This project was probably one of the most difficult projects for me to accomplish.  I have to say before I began this project, I never really paid attention to how a website was designed or what the layout was like.  Every now and then I might notice something obnoxious or out of place, but otherwise it was something that never really interested me.

So naturally, when I first began this project I had no idea what I was doing.  Everything I tried seemed to look dumb or just very unprofessional.  My first attempt was filled with columns and a lot of grey and pink for the color.  I knew I wanted to do something a little bit girly.  Since there weren’t many limitations on our design I decided to go a little wild and do something fun and funky.

My final mock up design is just that: fun and funky.  When I first began, I had my background as black but later on during the process I switched it to brown which I feel was a good decision.  I chose a variety of colors for the different sections and links.  Since there was a lot of body copy I chose the color to be white so it would be too overwhelming for the rest of the website.

I think that my final website turned out really well considering I have never designed anything for the web in the past.  Now, when I search the web I tend to notice the layouts and colors a lot more and have gained a lot more respect for the people who put the time and effort into these things.  Next step will be to take my mock up design and turn it into an actual website!

Book Synopsis

The book project was probably one of the most enjoyable projects for me because it was something that we, as students, had very few guidelines to follow allowing us to have more freedom as a designer.  When I first heard about the project I was completely overwhelmed.  Our assignment was to create a 32-page book plus a cover.  Since we were actually going to be submitting this book to be published, we were given various layout sizes and binding to choose from.  The book could be about anything we wanted it to be and it had to contain some sort of content as well as some other typographic elements within the book.

At first I was completely overwhelmed with the thought of designing a 32-page book in three weeks but once I came up with an idea it was pretty smooth sailing from there.  I decided to create a book about my family.  I emailed various family members asking them to write a favorite family story that was funny.  I wanted to make sure to get everyone’s different style of writing and personality so each story would be unique.  I then went though hundreds of photos and found various embarrassing pictures to include as well.

Overall I feel that the final design was very strong. I went through various drafts until I finally came up with one that seemed to fit with the content of my book.  I am really happy with the cover and I think that it simple and elegant.

I am really pleased with the way everything turned out in the end.  I think that it has a great balance of positive and negative space as well as some good typographic elements.  And on a side note, I love the fact that it doubles as Christmas presents for everyone!

Psychogeography Inspiration

In my typography class, we were assigned a project…not just any old type project but something, I feel, was completely out of left field.  Our project was to create a psychogeographic map within the Chattanooga area.  Piece of cake, right?  Not exactly.  I love the fact that we were given something outside the normal everyday projects but when it’s something I have never even heard of, then I start to get a little stressed out.

I am finally grasping the whole concept and have begun to take steps in designing my personal psychogeographic map.  Part of my process in grasping the idea was researching and finding inspiration from other maps.  Here are a few of my favorites that have caught my attention.

http://confluxfestival.org/2009/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/julia_kaganskiy_persona1-1024x301.png

http://ischkin.com/psycho1web.JPG

http://makingmaps.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/wood_boylanatlas_signs.png

http://www.ff-blitz.com/ffx/sphere-grid.gif

I am visually drawn to the more colorful vibrant maps out of all the ones I have seen.  The maps that are more line based than photo based are my favorite.  I think there is something really beautiful about the lines and how the form different organic shapes within them.  I also find the maps using repeating geometric shapes just as beautiful.

I was intimidated at first by the project but I’m pretty excited about it now.  Looking forward to the final outcome.  Hope it looks as good as it does in my mind!

Web In the Wild Logo Synopsis

Our assignment was to design a logo for a possible design conference titled, Web in the Wild. All of the information was based off of an example email brief from one of our books, Sexy Web Design by Elliot Jay Stocks.  From there we decided as a class the details such as the days, target audience, and the main categories that would be covered.  From there we were to use that information to create a logo for the conference.

I knew I wanted to create a logo based off the letter W since it was easily connected to the title.  My first initial reaction was to create a design that had a sort of gestural feel.  The design was quickly scrapped and I played around with different styles including modern, technical, nature, and everywhere in between.  I also experimented with designing a logo solely on the typography and the title.  That was short lived and I began playing with geometric shapes that would suggest the letter W without actually using it.

Finally after class response and personal elimination I came up with the final logo: a series of overlapping triangles put together in a way it creates an upside down trapezoid.  The final shape and lines within it create a repetition of different w shapes depending on the way you look at it.  As for my color palette I wanted to go with something mature but still vibrant and exciting.  I feel I have achieved that with my color choices of deep purples and teals.

The tagline was one of the more difficult things.  My final tagline is a play on words. Most people who attend any sort of conference are there to expand their knowledge and improve their skills in their area of specialty.  Web designers are constantly challenged to come up with fresh, hot ideas and designs.  They are constantly on the cutting edge.  With those things in mind I came up with the tagline: “giving your site an edge.”  I wanted people who were interest in attending the conference know they were going see new concepts and ideas for their website; hence, the play on words.  I am very please with the final logo and tagline.  It was a rough process, but definitely worth the work.

Class Trip to Williams Visual Solutions

Yesterday, we went as a class on our final excursion of the series to Williams Visual Solutions.  First, I’ll start off with a mini history lesson.  Williams Visual Solutions was founded in 1947 by Bubba Williams (our guide for the day) father, Levi M. Williams.  The company started out as a Linotype Trade shop and as the demand built over the years, the company expanded to what it is today.  I think the easiest way to sum up what kind of services they offer is this: you name it, they do it.  And if for some crazy reason they don’t have the capability, the Williams has connections with other companies to make sure the job is done right.  The sky is the limit.

Photo by TJ Bowman

Personally, I think we saved the best for last.  As soon as I stepped foot in the building and our guide for the day Bubba introduced himself, crazy as it sounds, I immediately felt completely at home.  To start the tour, we were taken to the design area of the “fun house”.  I say fun house because there are some many different halls and doors from the company expanding that you could easily get lost by yourself.  Anyways, when we were in the design area we met up with our other guide for the day, David Smith.  From there Bubba and David took us around the building filling our brains with all kinds of great information.

Photo by TJ Bowman

Photo by TJ Bowman

We saw design, proofing, digital print, mailing services, data capture and analysis, offset print, and believe it or not there was a lot that we didn’t get to see because of the time allotted!  I think the one thing that made them stand out compared to the other companies we visited was that even with all the capabilities, achievements, and big name clients the staff was so humble.

Photo by TJ Bowman

To end the tour the company even went the extra mile and had lunch catered for us!  Something that we never expected, nor received during our other trips.  While we were eating, we had a digital presentation of the companies goals for the future which I was extremely impressed with.

Overall, this trip was a blessing for me.  With the high demand of time and energy of  UTC’s graphic design program, I had begun to question whether I was really cut out to be a graphic designer.  The spark was gone because not only did I feel like my work was never good enough but I also hadn’t really experienced anything to look forward to in the future.  But as cheesy as it sounds, this trip immediately brought my passion back.  I can’t really describe what exactly was different there compared to the other places we visited, but it came just in the nick of time.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to David, Bubba, Jennifer and the rest of the staff there at Williams Visual Solutions for taking the time and allowing us to visit!!  The passion, knowledge, family atmosphere, and strive to constantly improve were clearly evident.

Class Trip to the Chattanooga Times Free Press

Photo by Austin Reed

Last Thursday we got to go on another class field trip, this time to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.  When you first walk into the building the first thing you notice are these beautiful original old maple hardwood floors from where the building used to be an factory years and years ago.  We were greeted by the sweetest, cutest elderly woman who gave us our “visitor” stickers and then led back to an alcove called the “Newseum” where we were greeted by our guide for the day, Frank Anthony.

Photo by Austin Reed

In the Newseum, Frank gave us a thorough history on several examples of old printing equipment including a Washington Press, Linotype, Associated Press, and a Platen Press.  From there we were taken to the newsroom where all the action for the newspaper took place.  We got to see all the editors, writers, and graphic designers in action working on the next issue of the newspaper.

Photo by Austin Reed

We were then taken up another floor where we were shown where the staff for the newspapers website worked.  We were also shown some pretty cool machines that were capable of printing silver negatives and negative plates.  Frank then took us to where the actual newspaper was printed.

Photo by TJ Bowman

The printer was absolutely incredible!  It was ten feet wide by one hundred feet long and thirty seven feet tall.  It was a monster!  The printer is so large in fact that it was build on its own separate foundation.  Everything about this thing was supersized.  A single roll of paper for one of the machines weighs about one ton and even the ink “cartridges” were huge!  The entire cost of this beast: about 12.5 million dollars.

Photo by TJ Bowman

Unfortunately we didn’t get to see any of the printers run but I’m sure its incredible.  Finally we taken to the room where the newspapers were organized, separated, and stacked to be distributed.  A big thanks to Frank and his staff for allowing us to see what all goes into publishing the local newspaper.

Class Trip to Allegra Print & Imaging

Picture by TJ Bowman

Yesterday we took a class trip to Allegra Print & Imaging and I have to say it was pretty dang awesome.  Todd Oates, the general manager, was our guide for the few hours we were there and I have nothing but great things to say.  Todd took us through each department and explained to us what went on there and then someone within each department would show us how the printing machines worked.

Picture by TJ Bowman

Not only did they show us how the machines worked and what they produced, they even went above and beyond and spoiled us with personalized examples of what the machines were capable of making or doing to make the final product.  I was really impressed with how Allegra makes it a point to stay up to date on all their machines and tries to stay on top of making sure to replace their machines with improved ones every few years to keep the quality of their products in top shape.  We were shown everything from the graphic design department, to digital printing, cutting, binding, laminating, die-cutting, ink pressing, to folding, and more!

Picture by TJ Bowman

I really really enjoyed everything about it and I could definitely tell that the team at Allegra wasn’t just your average printing company.  It was clearly evident that the team of people who worked there were extremely knowledgeable and took the time with each print job to make sure it was absolutely perfect.  So a HUGE thanks to Todd and his staff there at Allegra for taking the time to show us how everything works and answering our questions.  It was an incredible experience and I was able to walk away with an improved knowledge on printing.

Layers Magazine Contest Entry

This project was for Layers Magazine, a magazine dedicated to everything Adobe related.  We were assigned this project just seven days before the entry deadline, so needless to say it was a very quick turnaround.  The whole idea behind the contest was to create a fictitious movie poster and incorporating the tutorials provided.

Now this was the first time that we had ever been assigned something and it be completely resolved in seven days.  And let me say, it was rough.  Now, I know that this will happen once I am released into the real world, and I expect it to happen to me sooner or later.  But since this was the first time, I struggled to even come up with a good concept.  I ran though five or six different ideas and finally settled on creating a movie about my best friend, Josh.  I had this really great profile picture of him that was one of my favorite pictures and used that for the image on the poster.  And for a short little bio about Josh, he has been riding dirt bikes since he was four years old, and is now trying to get sponsored by a factory.  So the title and tag for the movie poster was only appropriate for his situation.  Being designed in such a short amount of time, I think that it came out pretty well considering everything we had to do.

DIY Summit Thoughts

www.DIYSummit.com

Last Thursday, September 17, 2009, my graphic design class spent the entire day watching nine speakers online through a live web feed.  Each speaker or speakers talked for about an hour each with a small break in between each one.  It was the first time that I had ever experienced a live video via internet and it was pretty interesting.  I really enjoyed how we were able to hear some great speakers yet it was also very casual since it wasn’t in a large room full of people.  Although some of the topics we way over my head I was able to gather some resources for future reference.

Matt Harris went over using WordPress for content management which was pretty helpful for me, surprisingly.  Believe it or not, before being accepted into the graphic design program at UTC I had absolutely no interest in creating a blog.  As a result, I’m not really blog savvy like a lot of people in my class.  Since Matt went over everything from the different WordPress sites, datatypes, and plugins, I was able to finally feel like I had some sort of a grasp on this whole blog concept.  Kevin Lawver gave us an introduction to Ruby on Rails, a web development framework written in the Ruby language.  This is where I was belly up in the deep end of the pool, in other words it was completely over my head.  Props to Kevin for understanding it and being comfortable enough to give a speech about it.  Kelly Goto gave us some insight in “finding the FLOW in workFLOW.”  I really enjoyed hearing about release cycles and creating manageable ones with clients.  She went over some of the challenges that we might run into and gave us a way to overcome them without causing us to miss a deadline.  Unfortunately, I had to go to work and didn’t get to hear any more of the speakers.

Overall, I was able to walk away with some great resources and also gained new knowledge in areas that I was completely unfamiliar with.  I thought the online conference was great in the sense that no matter where you were located in the world, you could attend the conference thanks to e4h, Environments for Humans.  I really enjoyed the casual atmosphere and how you were able to listen in a place where you were able to relax and not in a big conference room.  But there were some technical issues such as sound and the video freezing and slides not working that might not have been an issue in person.  I had never heard any of the speakers before so I felt like since they had to stay stationary in front of a computer screen the conference didn’t really do them any justice as far as how they are in person.  They were able to keep my attention though video, so if I ever get the opportunity to hear them in person, I know I will be impressed.  So thanks Matt, Kevin, and Kelly for taking the time to share your passion with us and everyone else who attended the series.  And if it weren’t for our amazing teacher, Leslie Jensen-Inman, we wouldn’t have been able to have this opportunity to participate.  So thanks Leslie, you’re awesome!