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Noisy Decent Graphics has shed light to a film that should be required in our class to go see: it's called "Helvetica."

This independent film got such a great response at the South by Southwest film festival that it is now touring the country (and world). Unfortunately it is playing in KC, MO today and tomorrow!!!! Ughh...I wanted to see it. Now we'll have to wait until fall when it comes to DVD.

Anyway, this film discusses graphic design and the industry as well as the 50-year-old font and its impact on design history.

Speaking of Helvetica, I think that's my font on my website!

Check it out here: Helvetica

Response

For me, the Vox experience has been pretty bumpy. I have to say though that now that I'm almost done and can reflect, I've had a pretty good time. Publicity still searches have been the hardest. It never fails that I get the hardest television network to get a hold of or the text changes on me last-minute. I also had two pretty serious articles to design as my features for the mag. Let's just say interracial dating and adoption aren't very "fun" pieces to play with your creativity!

I guess I now understand more of what I learned in Jan's Magazine Design class after taking Advanced Magazine Design. Before, I would just plop type and photos on the page to make it look cool, now I design for the story and make sure everything has meaning. It's pretty interesting to realize how much someone can learn in a class like this.

Critique

Erica's website

This week I am critiquing my website...AGAIN! I have finally made peace with my site and I have to say that I really like the final result. The background is white, which makes it seem more spaced out (and somewhat intentional even though it's not) and I like my choice of gray font color over the average white.

After the long process of picking a color palette, I feel I am finally happy with my color choices. I love gray and black, and orange just screams creative to me. I originally had red, but many thought it was too dark....so I went a shade lighter and now everyone likes it! haha. The pink seems to brighten the orange where the red darkened the page.

I like my links and how the splash page opens, too. I know a lot of people cringed when they first saw my circles because the link font was so small, so I decided to have the words enlarge as the mouse scrolls over them.

The website was a long, gruesome process with the portfolio pages and everything, but I definitely think it was worth it....Hey, it got me a job interview!!

You Can't Miss

This week, Noisy Decent Graphics just wasn't doing it for me. However, a website my boyfriend frequents really hit the spot!

The site is called boingboing and it has all sorts of wild and crazy things (some related to design...some not at all!).



One thing I thought was very interesting was this latest fad to put jellyfish pool lights in your pool for swimming at night. I just can't seem to understand why anyone would think of wanting to swim with jellyfish, let alone create a pool light out of them!

Another interesting fact I learned today from boingboing: A man cut off his penis in a London restaurant with a kitchen knife. That's the weirdest thing I have ever heard of. Apparently he ran into the restaurant and cut his weewee off and the cops actually had to use tear gas to obtain him. I'm glad the site didn't post any unnecessary photos.

Talk about losing your appetite!!

Response

Today's class was really fun. I loved getting to see all the changes that were made from the last time we saw everyone's websites. It also made me want to change mine, too!

My vote for most improved from last web critique is Hannah. Her home page concept was just great. I loved the colors, the fingerprint, everything! I just really would like to see the portfolio in code rather than in a Photoshop app. It still looks good though.

I also really liked Kristin's square design on the sides of her page. The colors were very light and down to earth...much like herself!

Overall, it was a good class period and I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with for Thursday.

Critique

This week I am critiquing my website AND my adoption feature. After class today I went home and immediately started redesigning my splash page. It looked good last week, but when I saw it up on the screen it just looked way too juvenile.

I wanted to keep the dots but make it look different, so I pushed them down and changed the red to a pink. I also added white to the dots and made the background gray. I really like my new color palette. Check it out at http://eflanary.com and feel free to post comments on my blog. I want to show it in class on Thursday too to get more response/feedback.



As for my adoption feature, I am pretty darn happy with the way it turned out! I had trouble with making the title stand out yet still look appropriate for the seriousness of the article.

I wish I wouldn't have had to put in the sidebar, but Sara, the editor, really wanted it in there. I like having white space, and I felt like that page needed some! However, the first page looks good and I like how the photo doesn't run a full two columns. It is hard for me to think outside the grid sometimes, especially with magazine design for some reason. It worked out well though, so maybe I need to open up more.

The design has changed a bit since this draft, but I thought it needed a visual. Check it out in Vox on Thursday!

You Can't Miss: blog

Milton

Above is a link to an interview with Milton Glasser, design genius. I thought the site had some other interesting stuff AND Milton gives his advice for young designers....hooray, that's us!



Also, Noisy Decent Graphics puts up yet another interesting photo series about the functionality of design in everyday things. It made me realize that I need to start paying more attention. Maybe one day I could design door signage and highway city signs!