Box Style Logo Design

Icon Tutorial

Grid and eComm logo on server

Tutorials folder-> Flat Icon Tutorial folder

Icon History

1981- Xerox Star used a graphic user interface introducing large, unicolor icons

1984- Apple released the Mac first commercial and mass produced machine that used designed icons and graphic elements (designed by Susan Kare)

1985- Microsoft and other companies released graphic user interfaces

Susan Kare also worked for Microsoft in the design of icons, so it’s not strange for the icons to look alike.

1991- Icons start to have colors, shadows

2000- Icons start to become what they are today (3d like)

2013- iOS 7 is released, Apple kills the realistic icons and everything went flat. And other companies started to follow.

Susan Kare interview

Leadership Strengths

My top 5 leadership strengths are...

• Adaptability (Relationship)

"You live in the moment. You don't see the future as a fixed destination." I am ready for anything that is thrown at me, is the way I see that. Which in most scenarios I am, a little bump in the road is not going to foil what is already going on. I do not see myself as a person who is gonna freak out if something happens while I am working on something, some people do and to them it is like the whole world just ended.

• Relator (Relationship)

"Relator describes your attitude toward your relationships. In simple terms, the Relator theme pulls you toward people you already know." That is very true about me. I am not big on being in a room full of random people I do not know. If your have 1,000 friends, do you really "know" them? That is like adding some random person on Facebook, that is not a friendship more of a "cyber-ship". I can related to my friends because I have know them for many years. 

• Strategic (Strategic Thinking)

 "The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route." To sum that up, I do not make things 10 times more complicated than it should be. It is thinking of multiple options to a scenario. Going into battle with a plan is better than going into battle and it being a chaotic mess. 

• Responsibility (Executing) 

"Your Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion." Honestly I do not feel like this fits me at all. Yeah I get work done but I do not become emotionally attached to it as this describes. And it says something along the lines of "willingness to volunteer may sometimes lead you to take on more than you should" thats completely opposite of me. I am not the kind of person to overload myself with extra things to do. 

• Futuristic (Strategic Thinking)

"You are the kind of person who loves to peer over the horizon." Somewhat split on this. With projects I usually have multiple versions of something before I decide which one best fits. An idea evolves to multiple ideas, so if considering that futuristic then yes. Everyday routine, I don't think 2 weeks ahead from now what I am going to be doing.


What I found most valuable is the fact that answering 20+ questions, it can generate what your strengths are. Most of mine were spot on, and I could relate to. Just a few (Responsibility, Futuristic) I was 50/50 some of what it described fit me perfectly and then the rest was somewhat opposite of how I think and do things. Anything with team or group projects I will just keep on doing what I did before, I do my fair share of work when it comes to projects. All of those strengths go together in one shape or form, they could change over time well maybe slightly. 

What is Graphic Design?

Historical heritage of Graphic Design:

It has been around for centuries. Started off with paintings on walls to now mass scale production of products. Has it elaborated over the years? Yes. Now most graphic design skills are done on a computer, but that does not wipe out the hand drawing/sketching of an idea. With the internet and social media, a logo/design could be shared around the world within a few hours of creating it. We have modernized from drawing on walls to sketching now to mainly computer based designs. 

The graphic design process generally follows:

• Discover (roadmap)

Involves a great deal of meeting with client. With doing so it slowly paves the road. Some goals need to be set, whether it is to stay away from a certain color or the size of media. 

• Define (do forensics)

Do not jump the gun and assume they want something a certain way. It always works best to ask questions, a lot of questions. So their is no graphic designed becoming the "client" of the project. Better to get vivd details of what they, so no second guessing/making up what you think they will want.

• Design (dream big)

Whatever it takes to fufill their vision do it. It maybe a super complicated or simple design. The client wants it to stand out. Nothing of the same old design that just gets recycled over. Maybe similar to competitors designs, but not an exact copy.

• Develop (make it happen)

I have found that. usually presenting 3 designs to someone gives a better chance of 1 of the 3 being picked. With just 1 design that does not leave the client a lot of options and same for the graphic designer. They may like design 2 better than design 1, or may even want elements from each design incorporated into the final design.

• Deploy (leaving the nest)

Perfect it to the standard. Well at least to their standard of what they wanted it to be. Needs to stand out. Possibly some brand recognition.

Being a Graphic Designer:

Being a graphic designer is taking something and making it happen. An idea can turn into a long term running project that gets amped up over and over, to skilled well at least close to perfection. It can be challenging sometimes, but in the end it is worth it. The vision of a design can reflect the designer, and a lot of proffesional graphic designers have this certain style that fits with every project they do.

With the T-shirt project kinda of challenging. Trying to come up with 3 ideas including the words "Graphic Design Is" is not the easiest. Overall in the end I like how it came out. "Graphic Design Is Powerful" which it is, the world is represented by designers. Any job computer based helps shape how the world is today.

Infographic Project

 The scope of the project was to create an infographic, and I chose how to make spaghetti for mine. Started out sketching a few things, which I did base 2 of them off the sketches. Learned that creating infographics can be a pain, a vision that I had, was terrible looking when I went to created it on the Mac.  

Sketch based

Image based

Typography based

Next time I would probably include more details within my sketches. It would create less of a hit n miss situation where in my mind it was awesome, but when it came to draw/PS it looked terrible. I would keep the same colors, the red and somewhat tannish brown really fit my topic of choice. From this experience next time I will include more details in my sketches in order to get a better idea of what I really wanted to create. Overall I am pretty proud of how well it came out, still got the point across of what I was representing on the infographic.

VML Field Trip

VML is a very relaxed but informative and work determined place. Kinda crazy looking how they have their office spaces set up. I don't know how to explain it, but it doesn't feel like you're walking into some uptight place. Everyone in their has a common goal, which is to get the product right for the client, wether its a poster, commercial and or any form of media. The Wendy's commercials that they have made, make me want to buy the pretzel burger. Their idea is simple, yet really effective. Same thing applies to GD, a project doesn't have to be super complex in order to get the point across. There is a lot of simple ideas for brands, that really get the point across. Like...Wendys, Taco Bell, Burger Kind, and McDonalds the commercials are simple yet effective towards the common public. It doesn't take an elaborate idea to get the point across, all it takes is a smart idea to get message rolling.
http://www.vml.com

Their conference room is outstanding, really neat how they include all of their current clients on these glass panels.

Some main points that Aaron Evanson mentioned that stuck with me are...

                                                          Set yourself up, be prepared.

No set process, keep on working. 

Make sure you have an awesome portfolio by the end of graduation.

Keep track of all the things you're doing.