Sean and Candice welcome you to portfolio this Spring. We look forward to working with you to achieve your educational and professional goals. Please take time before our class begins to read through all the blog posts and visit the links. There is a great deal of information here you can really use.
Remember this blog is part of our collective effort to push your book as far as we can. We need you to help by identifying additional resources and ideas that could help our class and future generations. If you have something worth sharing you can email me and I will post it the next time I am updating our blog.
Thanks for your help!
Don't forget to check out the San Diego City College Graphic Design Program blog to find out about design related events in San Diego. Become a follower and grow your design knowledge and contacts. It's not just what you know it's who you know.
http://sdccgraphicdesign.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Vendor contacts for portfolio
Andrea Bacal
SOS printing
ab@sosprint.com
858.292.1800
Carol Dodds
vinyl cutting
carol@cjnorbysigns.com
938.1500
Clyde
Inscriptu
518.8865
819.9347
SOS printing
ab@sosprint.com
858.292.1800
Carol Dodds
vinyl cutting
carol@cjnorbysigns.com
938.1500
Clyde
Inscriptu
518.8865
819.9347
Golden Section for a square format
Square books are hard. The section wont really fit inside of it, but
there are some creative solutions to solve it. Here are two
possibilities I would go with:
Start with Root 2 go through the construction and then subdivision
for it so you end up with the grid and then place it inside the square
she will just have a really wide gutter/white space.
Another option is to use the Root 4, go through the construction and then the subdivision so that you have the grid. and then if Root 4 is horizontal it can be divided in half to get 2 square pages.
Thanks to Sean Bacon for this post
Golden Section Handouts
Special thanks to Sean for preparing these amazing handouts on the golden section.
Growing your book with branding
Branding
Now that you are knee deep in portfolio and realize the challenge of pumping work out each week I think it is the right time to consider branding.
Instead of creating so many new pieces you could take some of your best marks or other projects and evolve them into dynamic multi-panel solutions by branding.
Example:
You have an identity you like for a prescriptive skin care product or salsa or coffee house.
Brand it to the following:
-apron that employees wear
-matches
-cups, martini shakers, plates
-napkin
-caps/hats
-shampoo/conditioner/bath soap/shower cap-in room toiletries
-environmental graphics [Buy stock photography or shoot your own imagery then photoshop it onto an existing building]
-vehicles [photoshop it onto an existing car/truck]
find an existing building that could work for your store-remove any graphics etc. Apply your own and change the colors of building, add awnings, banners etc. and then multiply them so they look like they are on the structure or vehicle. You can also show a before and after.
-banners
-calendars
-seasonal cards/postcards
-canvas bags/backpacks
-shoes/sandals or other items of clothing
-towels
-kitchen implements-wooden cooking tools
-toys/ paper dolls-airplanes
-different types of containers-go to Container store
-go to places like Target/Cost Plus/Macys Home store and find un-branded items then brand them with your graphics. You can always make slight changes.
Now that you are knee deep in portfolio and realize the challenge of pumping work out each week I think it is the right time to consider branding.
Instead of creating so many new pieces you could take some of your best marks or other projects and evolve them into dynamic multi-panel solutions by branding.
Example:
You have an identity you like for a prescriptive skin care product or salsa or coffee house.
Brand it to the following:
-apron that employees wear
-matches
-cups, martini shakers, plates
-napkin
-caps/hats
-shampoo/conditioner/bath soap/shower cap-in room toiletries
-environmental graphics [Buy stock photography or shoot your own imagery then photoshop it onto an existing building]
-vehicles [photoshop it onto an existing car/truck]
find an existing building that could work for your store-remove any graphics etc. Apply your own and change the colors of building, add awnings, banners etc. and then multiply them so they look like they are on the structure or vehicle. You can also show a before and after.
-banners
-calendars
-seasonal cards/postcards
-canvas bags/backpacks
-shoes/sandals or other items of clothing
-towels
-kitchen implements-wooden cooking tools
-toys/ paper dolls-airplanes
-different types of containers-go to Container store
-go to places like Target/Cost Plus/Macys Home store and find un-branded items then brand them with your graphics. You can always make slight changes.
An awesome resource for grids
http://www.thegridsystem.org/
Golden Section Grid for balanced designs
http://www.atrise.com/golden-section/
Golden Section Grid for balanced designs
http://www.atrise.com/golden-section/
Links to make your own website
The combination of a dynamic portfolio and well done website are the two marketing tools that can get you the job you are searching for. Here are some links to help you get started. You will be compiling all your work in portfolio so think about building it as you go or trading with someone who can create it for you.
http://bigblackbag.com
http://indexhibit.org
http://wordpress.com
http://bigblackbag.com
http://indexhibit.org
http://wordpress.com
Crafting Logos for your book and for branding
One of the first things Sean and I plan to work with you on in portfolio is to develop strong marks for branding.
LOGO PROCESS
1. Take some time to collect the marks we decided should go in your portfolio. If you created new ones you feel are worthy bring those in too.
A. Print them out on an 8.5 by 11 sheet so they are the same relative size in black and white.
B. It is OK to have multiple sheets and I would put only 4 marks per page. These black and white sheets should then be copied onto a clear transparency. You can get this done at places like Kinkos. We are going to project your marks up large in class and go over them giving feedback for revision so you can push them.
C. Also make a print out on regular paper of all your marks in full color. We need to crit the color too so this could be a simple digital print.
We will be discussing logo spreads in detail on our first class day.
Logo Resources:
Some great blogs to inspire you about logos:
http://www.logodesignlove.com/logo-awards-design-blogs
http://www.logodesignlove.com/best-logo-design-resources
http://logodesignerslogos.com/
http://justcreativedesign.com/2008/12/02/logo-design-resources/?utm_source=faqpal.com
LOGO PROCESS
1. Take some time to collect the marks we decided should go in your portfolio. If you created new ones you feel are worthy bring those in too.
A. Print them out on an 8.5 by 11 sheet so they are the same relative size in black and white.
B. It is OK to have multiple sheets and I would put only 4 marks per page. These black and white sheets should then be copied onto a clear transparency. You can get this done at places like Kinkos. We are going to project your marks up large in class and go over them giving feedback for revision so you can push them.
C. Also make a print out on regular paper of all your marks in full color. We need to crit the color too so this could be a simple digital print.
We will be discussing logo spreads in detail on our first class day.
Logo Resources:
Some great blogs to inspire you about logos:
http://www.logodesignlove.com/logo-awards-design-blogs
http://www.logodesignlove.com/best-logo-design-resources
http://logodesignerslogos.com/
http://justcreativedesign.com/2008/12/02/logo-design-resources/?utm_source=faqpal.com
A must read article about portfolio and constructing custom pockets
Here are some thoughts about custom pocket construction from alumni Desi and Sean. There is also an article you have to read at the end about Mary Scott's program at Academy of Art. Mary is the inspiration behind our original book portfolios and many years ago she visited us at SDCC. That year we worked in class to explore the format and introduced it for the first time at the AIGA San Diego Portfolio Review.
In 2010 students asked about custom pocket construction and we tapped into the minds of Desi and Sean for advice.
From: Desi McKinnon
I made mine custom. If I remember right Sean did too. I had saved a photograph of a pocket I liked and I duplicated it. I would look at folding books. This site might help too. www.neenahpaper.com/folders/ It has downloadable diecuts for folders. If they know what they want to construct I could help them figure it out, but it's always trial and error when you do something custom.
From: Sean Bacon
Yeah I made my pockets custom too. They were pretty simple and based on my grid, but I remember the trial and error as well.
I was originally looking at cool pockets and they were scattered all over, but I remember looking at books, annual reports, brochures, paper samples and places like that. It is kinda like the page-folios where there isn't one go to source for it. Some of the coolest pockets I saw were in paper samples or in that article from STEP about the academy of art's GD program.
From: Candice
I am posting the link here for portfolio students to check out
http://www.stepinsidedesign.com/STEP/Article/28805/index.html
In 2010 students asked about custom pocket construction and we tapped into the minds of Desi and Sean for advice.
From: Desi McKinnon
I made mine custom. If I remember right Sean did too. I had saved a photograph of a pocket I liked and I duplicated it. I would look at folding books. This site might help too. www.neenahpaper.com/folders/ It has downloadable diecuts for folders. If they know what they want to construct I could help them figure it out, but it's always trial and error when you do something custom.
From: Sean Bacon
Yeah I made my pockets custom too. They were pretty simple and based on my grid, but I remember the trial and error as well.
I was originally looking at cool pockets and they were scattered all over, but I remember looking at books, annual reports, brochures, paper samples and places like that. It is kinda like the page-folios where there isn't one go to source for it. Some of the coolest pockets I saw were in paper samples or in that article from STEP about the academy of art's GD program.
From: Candice
I am posting the link here for portfolio students to check out
http://www.stepinsidedesign.com/STEP/Article/28805/index.html
Blank canvases for branding
As we develop stellar marks in the first part of portfolio class you will want to check out the LiveSurface image template library.
The key is to focus on building very strong identities and then branding them out. The thing you need to be aware of however is that it isn't about slapping a logo on something. You need to brand each item a bit differently to add interest and show your ability.
There are blank canvases to put your designs on. As we begin to brand multiple items for your books this site can help you apply your artwork 20x faster.
http://livesurface.com/images.php
The key is to focus on building very strong identities and then branding them out. The thing you need to be aware of however is that it isn't about slapping a logo on something. You need to brand each item a bit differently to add interest and show your ability.
There are blank canvases to put your designs on. As we begin to brand multiple items for your books this site can help you apply your artwork 20x faster.
http://livesurface.com/images.php
Introduction to the Golden Section
The Golden Section will add the ahhhhh! to your layouts and once you master it people will look at your work and think you are a rocket scientist in design. It is also fascinating and mysterious as phi is a powerful aesthetic tool that can evoke great emotion in your audience.
I found a link that shows how to golden section a square so check it out:
http://textism.com/bucket/fibsquare.html
Once you have created golden section grid lines you can use the intersections of those lines to position images and text for your portfolio spreads. It really is amazing how applying the golden section to your page designs pushes them to a higher visual aesthetic.
If you want to learn more check out these links:
http://milan.milanovic.org/math/english/golden/golden1.html
http://milan.milanovic.org/math/english/golden/golden5.html
http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibInArt.html
http://powerretouche.com/Divine_proportion_tutorial.htm
http://www.layersmagazine.com/illustrator-design-goldensection.html
One of our class textbooks on the subject is called The Geometry of Design: Studies in proportion and composition by Kimberly Elam. It is inexpensive and has many great examples with tracing tissue overlays showing golden sections.
What do the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and the sun pyramid of Teotihuacan have in common? What secret did great world thinkers, artists and composers like Plato, Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Mozart, Beethoven and Bach embrace?
In this short video Sean Bacon does a masterful job of explaining the golden section. The results are amazing and you will be hooked on the power of the design tool. The relationship between mathematical thinking and design is fascinating. Sean and I will be working with you this semester to perfect your golden section layouts, push your typography and make those portfolio spreads really sing.
"The power of the golden section to create harmony arises from its unique capacity to unite different parts of a whole so that each preserves its own identy, and yet blends into the greater pattern of a single whole". Gyorgy Doczi, The Power of Limits 1994
I found a link that shows how to golden section a square so check it out:
http://textism.com/bucket/fibsquare.html
Once you have created golden section grid lines you can use the intersections of those lines to position images and text for your portfolio spreads. It really is amazing how applying the golden section to your page designs pushes them to a higher visual aesthetic.
If you want to learn more check out these links:
http://milan.milanovic.org/math/english/golden/golden1.html
http://milan.milanovic.org/math/english/golden/golden5.html
http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibInArt.html
http://powerretouche.com/Divine_proportion_tutorial.htm
http://www.layersmagazine.com/illustrator-design-goldensection.html
One of our class textbooks on the subject is called The Geometry of Design: Studies in proportion and composition by Kimberly Elam. It is inexpensive and has many great examples with tracing tissue overlays showing golden sections.
What do the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and the sun pyramid of Teotihuacan have in common? What secret did great world thinkers, artists and composers like Plato, Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Mozart, Beethoven and Bach embrace?
If those names don't intrigue you then what about Donald Duck? Take a look at these classic Disney videos that do a good job of introducing you to the golden section.
In this short video Sean Bacon does a masterful job of explaining the golden section. The results are amazing and you will be hooked on the power of the design tool. The relationship between mathematical thinking and design is fascinating. Sean and I will be working with you this semester to perfect your golden section layouts, push your typography and make those portfolio spreads really sing.
"The power of the golden section to create harmony arises from its unique capacity to unite different parts of a whole so that each preserves its own identy, and yet blends into the greater pattern of a single whole". Gyorgy Doczi, The Power of Limits 1994
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