December 5, 2011

Dayta (Typeface) Presentation

Brumbaugh_Dayta

December 4, 2011

Final Post / Documentation / Statement / Improvements



STATEMENT:

INSIST. is an organization created to help people in the community understand that they have the right to insist on a receipt no matter where they spend their hard earned money. We believe that they should ask for their receipt to avoid the financial hardships that are possible without paper documentation of payment such as evictions, and duplicated payements. We have created the Receipt Keeper a portable storage device that contains an index file that will allow the owner to better manage their receipts on the go and also remind them to insist on their receipt. The Insist campaign is aimed at business as well as the customers. We believe that  businesses want to operate at a high level of professionalism and using Insist they can help do that by training their employees their importance of giving receipts to each and every customer. To advertise Insist we have created a logo that shows a receipt being torn off. The logo also forms the shape of an exclamation mark suggesting the importance of insisting on a receipt. The red and black colors represent regained financial security. Our bus ad will be shown on bus routes near partnering business informing them about the function of the receipt keeper, what comes with it and where they can pick it up. The pick up locations will be one of each of the three different types of pick up locations: Community Centers, Churches, and Community Banks. The box itself is an organizer containing an index and t-shirt. The T-Shirt is a special gift from the sponsor U.S. Bank. That people can wear with a sense of pride that will also spread the message. To reach the businesses we will be sending out a mailer that will appeal to the businesses sense of professionalism, teaching them the importance of keeping receipts. Inside the mailer will be a sticker that will be placed in the widow of the businesses to remind the customer to ask for a receipt  and remind the employee to remind the customer to get their receipt. 



WHAT DID I LEARN FROM THIS PROJECT:

Between the design intervention project and the poverty simulation I feel that I have learned a great deal about what it means to design for good. Experiencing the frustrations and effects of that kind of situation that so many people are in was eye opening. The poverty simulation really made this project hit really close to home. We were no longer designing this Receipt Keeper for people we've never met before with assumptions of what their situations must be like but rather we were designing for ourselves having experienced the situation firsthand. 


While working on INSIST I realized more than ever the importance of being careful and thoughtful of what kind of copy you use on a project for an assumed group of people. Considering we were designing for the impoverished or unfortunate people who are currently struggling to manage their finances better and get out of that financial black hole or those who are just trying to stay on track we did not want to say, or imply anything to make these people feel like they were less than they were.  We wanted to build these people up. While working on INSIST I realized that our project could fill a need but also serve a higher purpose. INSIST was created to better manage your finances by insisting on your right to a receipt but the message extends past that. It may start with a insisting on your right to a receipt but also influence people to insist on other things in their lives that they might desire but feel that they were not capable to attaining like a higher education or to escape a bad situation. 


INSIST really helped me better cement my experience designing a system of artifacts that supported one another. Applying the INSIST logo to so many different mediums that allowed for only limited amount of information to be displayed and exploring ways to get our message across as clearly as possible in them was a really great experience. I was able to reenforce my understanding of how to utilize multiple artifacts to convey a message.

WHAT THREE THINGS WOULD I DO TO IMPROVE OR EXTEND THIS PROJECT:

If I had a bit more time I would do the following to improve and/or expand this project:

  • Consider and explore a Receipt Keeper Wallet option for men. Not that the box isn't or wasn't designed to be unisex but currently the box serves better in a purse or bag rather than a pocket. 
  • Attempt to make the current Receipt Keeper Box and possible Receipt Keeper Wallet out of a sturdier material like some kind of polymer or plastic. 
  • More customization options inside the Receipt Keeper Box to support other kinds of financial documents at the discretion of the owner. 



FINAL IMAGE OF FULL PROTOTYPE SET:

Receipt Keeper, T-Shirt, Letter, Stickers, Bus Ad.  

PRESENTATION:INSIST Presentation

FINAL PRESENTATION BREAKDOWN:


The Problem:

People within the community are failing to insist on their receipts
Due to lack of education, apathy, or pride
This is resulting in unnecessary consequences to those who may be already financially unstable
Evictions, Property repossessions, Double payments

The Solution: 

Insist is an organization who wants to:

Empower the public to insist on their receipt
Give them an container in which to keep and organize their receipts
Insist on a higher level of mutual respect and professionalism between the customer and the employee

Branding:

Our logo represents a receipt being torn off.
The logo takes the form of an exclamation mark suggesting the importance of insisting on receipts.
The colors, from red to black, implies regained financial security.

Audience: 

The financially unstable and the business owners/employees
Insist targets each party with a universal message of the importance of receipts 
as well as a more tailored message to both the customer and the employee.

Bus Advertisement:
The bus advertisement will be displayed on the buses with routes near partnering businesses.
The ad will inform the viewer of the importance of insisting on a receipt.
It will also tell them about the function of the Receipt Keeper, what comes with it, and where to pick it up.
The ad will also reflect the three different community locations closest to that particular bus route for ease of picking up.

Location: 

The Receipt Keeper will be available for pick up at locations in the neighborhood:
Locations like:

Community Centers, Churches, Community Banks.
These are locations we believe to be easily accessible by bus, bike, or foot.

Receipt Keeper:

The receipt keeper is an organizer with an index for three different receipt categories that people can name themselves
The box includes information about the importance of keeping and organizing receipts on the inside

T-Shirt:

As a special gift from the sponsor U.S. Bank the receipt keeper comes with a free shirt.
Having this shirt to wear can give people a sense of pride and empowerment in asking for their receipts, as well as spread the message to others

Mailer:

Inform the the business of the importance of keeping receipts
Appeal to their sense of professionalism
Be polite in reminding the customers

Sticker:

Placed in the window of the business
Reminds the customer to ask for their receipt
Reminds the employee to remind the customer to get their receipt

December 2, 2011

Project Revision: Gertrude Stein Animation


I choose to revisit my Gertrude Stein animation for Project IV. I decided to recreate this project because after working with my PotPie logo spot and the Union Station timeline project I felt like I had a much better understanding of After Effects and how to better utilize it to see my vision to fruition. I am still very much so a beginner to After Effects but after this class it feels like with enough patience, and practice it is possible to bring into my skill set as a designer.

In my initial design I had a sets of type clumped together and sometimes single lines of text just popping out from behind a shape. Honestly it was pretty much the extent of my abilities at the time haha. It was as close as I could get at the time to replicate or I should say represent my type Stein book which was actually more of a complex set of different branded related materials like two posters, a dvd, and a small book of moments. I found myself repeating the same motions and text placement in this original video. Some of the text was actually too fast paced as well. The worst mistake I made was adding a paint swatch to the background. I think I was nervous about having such an empty background. I have since realized that just because its empty doesn't mean its wrong, or better to place any kind of filler.

While working on this revision I learned that I could better utilize my type in various movements and combinations to better represent the expressive text from Stein. I learned to pull back on the imagery if it isn't needed and made sure to better utilize the way my audio syncs up thanks to the Logo Build project. Making small but conceptual moves rather than large moves to make up for lack of concept has made a world of difference. I learned that I could use type and break it up into objects that I can use to make cause and effect actions. Since using the background image that doesn't work I realized that I could instead use subtle details created in photoshop rather than full on blocky images that might not relate as well. A few other differences between the new video and the old: The new video uses text zooming in and out to re-enforce the idea of distance and representation of other imagery suggest by Stein rather than just basic text shifts. This version better supports the Type project but also goes above it to bring in more meaning.

New Video:


Old Video:


November 29, 2011

INSIST. Final Documentation / Statement



INSIST. is an organization created to help people in the community understand that they have the right to insist on a receipt no matter where they spend their hard earned money. We believe that they should ask for their receipt to avoid the financial hardships that are possible without paper documentation of payment such as evictions, and duplicated payements. We have created the Receipt Keeper a portable storage device that contains an index file that will allow the owner to better manage their receipts on the go and also remind them to insist on their receipt. The Insist campaign is aimed at business as well as the customers. We believe that  businesses want to operate at a high level of professionalism and using Insist they can help do that by training their employees their importance of giving receipts to each and every customer. To advertise Insist we have created a logo that shows a receipt being torn off. The logo also forms the shape of an exclamation mark suggesting the importance of insisting on a receipt. The red and black colors represent regained financial security. Our bus ad will be shown on bus routes near partnering business informing them about the function of the receipt keeper, what comes with it and where they can pick it up. The pick up locations will be one of each of the three different types of pick up locations: Community Centers, Churches, and Community Banks. The box itself is an organizer containing an index and t-shirt. The T-Shirt is a special gift from the sponsor U.S. Bank. That people can wear with a sense of pride that will also spread the message. To reach the businesses we will be sending out a mailer that will appeal to the businesses sense of professionalism, teaching them the importance of keeping receipts. Inside the mailer will be a sticker that will be placed in the widow of the businesses to remind the customer to ask for a receipt  and remind the employee to remind the customer to get their receipt. 

INSIST Presentation


The Problem:

People within the community are failing to insist on their receipts
Due to lack of education, apathy, or pride
This is resulting in unnecessary consequences to those who may be already financially unstable
Evictions, Property repossessions, Double payments

The Solution: 

Insist is an organization who wants to:

Empower the public to insist on their receipt
Give them an container in which to keep and organize their receipts
Insist on a higher level of mutual respect and professionalism between the customer and the employee

Branding:

Our logo represents a receipt being torn off.
The logo takes the form of an exclamation mark suggesting the importance of insisting on receipts.
The colors, from red to black, implies regained financial security.

Audience: 

The financially unstable and the business owners/employees
Insist targets each party with a universal message of the importance of receipts 
as well as a more tailored message to both the customer and the employee.

Bus Advertisement:
The bus advertisement will be displayed on the buses with routes near partnering businesses.
The ad will inform the viewer of the importance of insisting on a receipt.
It will also tell them about the function of the Receipt Keeper, what comes with it, and where to pick it up.
The ad will also reflect the three different community locations closest to that particular bus route for ease of picking up.

Location: 

The Receipt Keeper will be available for pick up at locations in the neighborhood:
Locations like:

Community Centers, Churches, Community Banks.
These are locations we believe to be easily accessible by bus, bike, or foot.

Receipt Keeper:

The receipt keeper is an organizer with an index for three different receipt categories that people can name themselves
The box includes information about the importance of keeping and organizing receipts on the inside

T-Shirt:

As a special gift from the sponsor U.S. Bank the receipt keeper comes with a free shirt.
Having this shirt to wear can give people a sense of pride and empowerment in asking for their receipts, as well as spread the message to others

Mailer:

Inform the the business of the importance of keeping receipts
Appeal to their sense of professionalism
Be polite in reminding the customers

Sticker:

Placed in the window of the business
Reminds the customer to ask for their receipt
Reminds the employee to remind the customer to get their receipt

November 21, 2011

History of Motion Graphics Response


The History of Motion Graphics Response:

First of all fascinating video. It really helped explain where graphic design and motion graphics interacted on the same plane and where they were divided from animation. At times I wish we could bridge that gap more often as designers but they would also take us away from the opportunity to work with someone as dedicated to their art as we are our own to possibly fantastic results. Showing objects portraying themselves rather than characters really felt like a possibility still defined as neutral ground. I had no idea that motion design had gone back so far. So far that I don't think even those people creating it had any idea to what genre of materials that they were creating and shaping for the future. Its incredible and so exciting to see where things have changed in the last one hundred years. Let alone in the last 15 years. The technology is reaching the point where the mind is the limit rather than the machine. This really inspires me to push into motion now more than ever. Thanks for sharing.

November 20, 2011

Narrative Project Goals

Project V 

I would like to revisit my Stein animation so that I can repair that weak link in my semester. I believe that know what I learned in the rest of semester will allow me to return to it with a fresh set of eyes and really make some improvements. I plan on replacing the way the text moves together with something more representational of the poem itself. The original was way too repetitive in movement and in way the two poems behaved. The music will be adjusted now that I know how to use SoundBooth better. I plan on making the movements and timing more meaningful. I would get more selective in this description of changes but honestly the entire video needs a major overhaul. I want to be able to walk away from this project with another portfolio piece that I'm not embarrassed to include.

Changes:


  • Reworking the way the text moves together and comes out to be reveled and read in different ways to better represent Steins work.
  • Replace the blocky movement and current timing of text movement. I plan on making better use of Illustrator to create interesting and individual objects that will move independently on one another.
  • I want to edit and or replace the music with something more meaningful that I know how to use Soundbooth.
  • I will also be removing and replacing the background which had no working conceptual meaning. 

November 18, 2011

Pot Pie Process Sketches and Storyboards

Final Storyboard
In this final storyboard I was able to narrow the scope down even further. Allowing me to show the start and the finished product basically but eluding to the middle process of baking. Using smoke I was able to elude to the pie being baked instead of showing it.

Second Complete Storyboard
In this storyboard my video was still coming up too long. 
I had to many frames of content and had to then decide on a way to show all of these events happening by eluding to them rather than showing them literally. 


First Complete Storyboard
In this round I realized that I needed to shorten the scope of my spot.
I also decided that I wanted to pursue the idea of a from the kitchen to the table concept. 

Brain Storming initial concepts. 



Pot Pie Final Logo Spot



While creating this video I learned about how a logo spot can be even more difficult to create than a long video due to how much meaning you have to try and portray in such a short amount of time. I had to revise several story boards and shorten them time after time because I wasn't used to drawing frames for such a window of time. I also learned the importance of a sound mark and how it can enhance meaning within that limited amount of time. Someone else who had overheard me working on the video said that they liked the chime and asked what commercial it was for. There is definitely an association that we have with those sound marks even if its almost on a subconscious level now that were so used to hearing them.

The challenge that I had to resolve was to portray Taylor Pruitt's Pot Pie branding guide in a way that complimented it rather than clash with it. I wanted to re-enforce her concept of comfort, elegant, rustic, and nostalgic using a sound mark that could resemble something you would hear around the home. It could be a child playing with a xylophone toy or the wind chimes outside the kitchen window. Something that could make you think of those good times and how you could have same feeling if you sat down to eat at Pot Pie.

Taylor's Pot Pie branding used woodgrain as a background so I decided to incorporate it directly into my spot by using two shades of wood grain for the rolling pin. Her colors were warm and welcoming so I decided to take her orange and red and use that to color my type against the yellow / white pie crust. To seal the deal my background is a traditional picnic or holiday home table cloth which also allows for a nice contrast between the pie and background. By using fades I was able to keep a traditional and simplistic feel to the clip, I found that if I tried to over complicate the transitions the message could become misconstrued. By using the fade between the pie and the pie in the tin with the final mark is also a representation of the pie cooking in the oven explaining how it could have shown up in the tin on a table without having to use more time to explain it. I wanted to exhibit the process of how your potpie would come fromt he kitchen to the table bringing with it that nostalgic feel of home cooking.

Taylor's Brand Guide:


November 14, 2011

Insist. Round One.


"Our campaign/organization, INSIST. consist of a system of four components. A box for the user too put receipts into with information on the inside slip describing the importance of insisting on and keeping receipts. A vacuum-packed t-shirt with a graphic portraying the complicated and stressful nature of receipt management (the t-shirt will be placed in the receipt box). A bus ad would advertise the main message and the route specific pickup locations for the receipt box. A mailer would go out to the businesses giving them information on the importance of giving receipts and assuming professionalism in doing so. The mailer would include stickers to place at the place of purchase and in the store window, reminding people to give/ask for their receipts."

What Sketches (and Prototypes) Are and Are Not. Reading Responce

This was an article I really needed to read. I tend to have a hard time knowing when to stop and allow a sketch to be a sketch instead of investing too much time into it. This helped a lot in terms of putting things in perspective. I think this will help me a lot in terms of managing the early stages of my projects better. The Design Funnel is a really nice chart to have as well. Especially in terms of UI this whole article was really interesting. I know I have a hard time not pushing my sketches too far and find myself trying to develop them rather than explore further. So much of design is learning self-control and patience.

November 10, 2011

Interesting article about the future of interaction design




"As it happens, designing Future Interfaces For The Future used to be my line of work. I had the opportunity to design with real working prototypes, not green screens and After Effects, so there certainly are some interactions in the video which I'm a little skeptical of, given that I've actually tried them and the animators presumably haven't. But that's not my problem with the video.
My problem is the opposite, really — this vision, from an interaction perspective, is not visionary. It's a timid increment from the status quo, and the status quo, from an interaction perspective, is actually rather terrible.
This matters, because visions matter. Visions give people a direction and inspire people to act, and a group of inspired people is the most powerful force in the world. If you're a young person setting off to realize a vision, or an old person setting off to fund one, I really want it to be something worthwhile. Something that genuinely improves how we interact.
This little rant isn't going to lay out any grand vision or anything. I just hope to suggest some places to look."
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

November 7, 2011

INSIST - Channels


  • Bus Ad - Bus Stops and maybe the sides of buses.
  • Packet w/ Insert - Distribution centers prior to being picked up. Then in the home.
  • T-Shirt - On customers and/or employees.
    These would be in the box which is different for customers and employees.
  • Stickers - In store window signage and Point of Sale.


* Employees shirt and in store signage would be in one package just for the business.

Updated Communication Model

Updated Communication Model for our group consisting of Michael Armstrong, Anika Ruf, and myself.

October 31, 2011

October 24, 2011

Motion Graphics Studio Report: Shilo

Motion Graphics Studio Report - Shilo


Further Reading:

http://vimeo.com/channels/designinfusedstories
http://vimeo.com/shilo
http://www.shilo.tv/

Chocolove Final Statement

Front and back of the Chocolove bar. 

Old Front Packaging. 

Old Back Packaging. 


New logo branding next to the old:



Chocolove - 100% Guilt Free. 
Chocolove - "Guilt-free chocolate that tastes as good as it is for you"

While working with this Chocolove chocolate bar I have explored taking a Pathos mode of appeal based object and converting it into a Logos based mode of appeal. I used this informative and logical   mode of appeal to reinforce the health benefits of Chocolove chocolate in a fun, informative, eye catching way. Using the Logos mode of appeal and utilizing three dimensional space to create an informative and appealing chocolate packaging. On the right and left side of the bar rests the "100% guilt free" to reassure the shopper. The label that wraps around the bar leads directly into an informative infographic that simple enough to be understood by average customers. They then encounter the nutrition facts and health benefits. I believe that the health conscious shopper will not only pick up this packaging over the others but purchase it based on the benefits that I verified through research. As well as informative fun facts that now sit on the front of the packaging allowing for the benefits to reside in the back together. 

The benefits being:
  • Lowering right of heart disease. 
  • Lowering cholesterol. 
  • The addition of vitamins and antioxidants. 
  • Reduces blood pressure. 
On the shelf in context with other chocolate bars.
The redesign stands out clearly against the other bars on the shelf. 

Front / Right side angle shot. 

Back / Left side angle shot. 



October 21, 2011

Interactive Timeline Final

While working on the Union Station Timeline project I learned how transitions play a key role in the process of improving storytelling through mediums such as film. Using translations like the action edit, directional edit, form edit, concept edit, and combined edit as some of the ones we discussed. As well as linear versus non-linear storytelling. I learned that you could nest files within other files in after effect. I learned about the importance of making design moves to reinforce the store telling process rather than polish a poorly told narrative. Ways to build up the content and deliver it to the viewer. Most importantly of all I learned to scale back on the amount of feature bloat one can put into a project. I enjoyed add features because hey who doesn't like being able to show and design neat ways for people to interact with the work. But in this case it was too much and I found that rather humbling to realize that there are cases that in fact less options are enough options. Pairing down and scaling back is something I am having to learn and this project was great for that. I don't want to get into the concept of our video or how this ties into but working with our fictional character "John" but it was a really interesting experience working out a storyline using a persona over the process of a user experience. UX is something I find very interesting and hope to pursue more in the future. 


October 18, 2011

Chocolove Packaging Adjustments

Clean up the icons, make them smaller, explore the lock up placement with text.

Work on wrapping around the box in a more interesting composition.

Try to avoid using banners too much.

Explore using the white line under the text for the icons. Make sure its slightly thicker to improve clarity in printed form.

Alignment needs to be purposeful. Explore left alignment in 2 or 3 columns. Keep swiss clarity in mind.

Keep the icons just on the back of the packaging.

Replace the old "lowers blood pressure" icon with something that doesn't look like the main chocolove heart icon.

Experiment with separate banding.

Remember this is logical chocolate.

Union Station Audio Info: 29.97 fps / 48,000 Hz

Hey everyone,

Those of you mixing audio for the Union Station interactive timeline should make sure that your sample rate is 48,000 Hz so it functions better with the 29.97 fps video recording that we're using in After Effects.

If you're recording with your MBP or iPhone they have been recording at 44,100 Hz for me. You can convert using Soundbooth without any issues.

Check it out:


48,000 HzThe standard audio sampling rate used by professional digital video equipment such as tape recorders, video servers, vision mixers and so on. This rate was chosen because it could deliver a 22 kHz frequency response and work with 29.97 frames per second NTSC video - as well as 25 frame/s, 30 frame/s and 24 frame/s systems. With 29.97 frame/s systems it is necessary to handle 1601.6 audio samples per frame delivering an integer number of audio samples only every fifth video frame.[11] Also used for sound with consumer video formats like DV, digital TVDVD, and films. The professional Serial Digital Interface (SDI) and High-definition Serial Digital Interface (HD-SDI) used to connect broadcast television equipment together uses this audio sampling frequency. Much professional audio gear uses (or is able to select) 48 kHz sampling, including mixers, EQs, compressors, reverb, crossovers and recording devices such as DAT.

October 14, 2011

Koenig Book Spreads






My conept for the Koenig book is based on the idea of referencing architectural drawings. Line work comes off of the imagery where appropriate to resemble the blue prints. These same lines are being used to lead your eye into the start of paragraphs. I have decided to slice images at the start of a new section revealing a little of the image and giving the text an interesting place to sit and interact with the image to create energy. My paragraphs are focused around other paragraphs or pull quotes to create a sense of negative space on the page that could resemble rooms in a house using a top down view. The images themselves have been treated using a few filters to create a more vintage and attention grabbing feel depending on the time of day they were shot in. My pull quotes are resting on a black shape to create a strong sense of contrast that can also interact with the rest of the content by being shaped by it.

October 12, 2011

Chocolove - New Packing Mockups


New mockups w/ extra styles. 

Five new mockups together. 

Seven old mockups together. 

Mockups together. 

Close up. 

Angle of the set. 

Close up detail. 

Group Shot

Group Shot

Detail Shot


Old and new design comparison. 

October 11, 2011

Chocolove Re-Branding for Packaging

I replaced the old Chocolove branding with a more up to date and modern feel to better compliment my information graphics and logo / logic based packaging. 


A few different logo variations. The old version at the top. 


Chocolove Lock up



Typeface experimentation. 


Color pallet.