Design Brief 5

One thing I am worried about is the topic. I know extremely little about microbiology. I am not a science person. But since it is an intro class, my lack of knowledge could be very helpful in understanding the target audience. Although the brief makes it sound somewhat simple, I'm sure there will be a lot of details to pay close attention to considering all the information we have accumulated over the semester. But as always, I am ready for the challenge.

Queen of the Sun

Queen of the Sun Rationale


I hope that my poster sparks curiosity in those who view my poster, and that they leave actually pondering what the bees could possibly be telling us. The close up of the bee is meant to enhance that, showing the complexity of the creature that we normally miss. Many people find bees a nuisance, so I picked light, pleasant fonts to try and overcome that negative connotation.

I learned a lot of little lessons related to visual hierarchy doing this brief, not only from my designs but the class as a whole. I paid attention to how each student reorganized the text and from there worked out a hierarchy that I hope is as logical and easy to follow for others as it is to me.

I noticed in many layouts that the photo and the title text were almost fighting for the attention of the viewer. I tried to balance the two with this layout- the bee comes out of the left margin and points us in the direction of the text. The text is organized within the span of the bee’s wings, creating a unified feel between the picture and the text. The bee and text are surrounded by white space, making it clear that this is the only place you need to look.

While working on my various drafts, I developed a logo for the film series incorporating the UWM logo. In some of my earlier drafts I struggled with what to do with the title of the film series and UWM. If I could do this brief over again I would definitely break down and organize all the necessary elements sooner, which would allow me to design much more efficiently.


-Erin Meulbroek

Design Brief 4- 11/7/11

My apologies, I completely forgot about this post until now. Creating a brochure will definitely be a challenge, but one that we are all ready for. I'm excited for the possibility that one of our brochures could actually be used for the Spring semester. The brief calls for the use of repetition, and I can already tell that will be very helpful in organizing the brochure. One concern I have, which we discussed in class is mounting the brochure which will without a doubt be awkward given the nature of the brochure. I'm sure by the time the brochure is due I will have worked something out.

Visual Hierarchy

The tip I found most helpful was the "squint test", which came from the second reading, about half way down the page. The test is to simply squint and note which design element catches your attention first, as well as how everything else follows. With that knowledge you can place your information accordingly in order of importance.

Although it was about web design, I found the first reading the most helpful. Because we view web pages more often then printed documents these days, it is much easier for us to understand using web pages as examples. I liked that the example for white space was not literally white space, emphasizing that the term means something closer to unfilled space.

I feel that alignment will be one of the principles I pay most attention to. It's more than just left, right or center. When working with multiple sections of text each individual sections alignment as well as the alignment of the piece as a whole can make a huge impact with the littlest changes.

One thing that bothered me was that the readings didn't practice what they preach. How am I supposed to trust the information when its presentation contradicts its content? I find that great motivation to produce quality, well thought out design in every situation I find myself in.

Design Brief 3

I am excited to move on and learn new software and techniques through creating a flyer. And, as always, I am excited to see all the different interpretations that the class creates.

One thing I am nervous about is finding photos to use for the flyer. I'm nervous that I'll have a great idea in my head of a photo that I cannot find online or produce myself. I am also worried that my photo might lose some of its persuasive power when converted from color to black and white.

Designing for multiple contexts/audiences is always a challenge as well.

10/4/11- Designing Forms Readings

I found the first reading, Visual Communication for Forms Design, to be the most helpful of the articles I read and the bulk of the information in this response will come from there. I found it really helpful that the ideas weren't just listed, but followed up with an explanation of why the idea works. It was thorough without being boring- a very well thought out piece.

One very helpful section was How We Identify Letters and Words. This explained a little about how our brains read and recognize letters and words as well as design tips that help us design accordingly. For example we learn that writing in all caps messes with the our ability to recognize outlines, which is an essential part of reading and comprehending.

The following section, How We Read, shares similar ideas, but on the paragraph level. We learn that too big of leading can confuse us when moving from line to line, and the "Alphabet and a Half" theory which states that "that a line of type should be no shorter than one alphabet (twenty six characters), and no longer than two and one-half alphabets (sixty five characters)."

Finally, the article discusses caption styles for forms. Everyone will agree, the one thing that turns an easy form to a pain in the ass is when the space where you are supposed to fill in your answers is unclear. The pros and cons of a couple different options are discussed.

Psychology and Design may not be traditionally linked, but and understanding of both can really give you an edge. It is one of those things that initially surprises you a bit, but after a second though makes perfect sense.

9/29/11 Typography Readings

In the "11 Essential Tips For Good Print Typography" it was listed first, and I found it the most useful out of all the tips on the list. Its so obvious that we often forget how useful it is.

Another reading I found useful was the reading on "Choosing Type Combinations." Its main point is to "follow the Holy Font Guideline #1 when choosing different typefaces for a piece: Concord or contrast, but don’t conflict. That is, either stick with different styles in the same typeface family (concord), or choose completely different faces (contrast). Do not choose typefaces that are similar (conflict)." This of course only makes sense if you know your font families (modern, sans serif, etc.), which the reading includes in the explanation of font guideline.

The "Five Simple Steps to Better Typography" discusses the relationship between measure and leading. A simple rule they propose is "Small Measure, less leading. Wide Measure, more leading." So far, I think this will be the most helpful in fine tuning my typography skills. They also discuss hanging punctuation, an example of which might be when all the texts from a bulleted list starts at the same margin. It is something that always bothers me when making and viewing layout that I haven't been able to put a name to. I would definitely recommend reading that whole series.

There really is a lot more to typography than just picking fonts, aligning them and sizing them. I really am excited to fine tune these skills and learn more about this aspect of design.