CRITIQUE: Baby Pageant, Mortgages Covers and Spring Preview

 

Here are my designs for the first competition assignment about baby beauty pageants. I've seen the show Toddlers and Tiaras and honestly it makes me sad. Especially when a mom talked about the state of depression she was in from having two sons before she had a daughter that she could flaunt around in these beauty pageants. It was awful. However, after reading Amanda Woytus' story and looking at the photographs, I got a much different message. I think the story was really just about a proud father, someone that a lot of people could relate to. Reading the story, I thought about the way my dad sends out all the stories I write over his work e-mail listserv, or the way parents put bumper stickers about their children being on the Honor Roll on their car. This was obviously a very loving dad and I didn't find his actions to be all that extreme, just a little more out there than most dads. 

With that idea in mind, I thought of my cover concept, with the semitruck featuring the baby's photo. I wanted to make it look like a tour bus that the two of them would take to competition. I liked my idea, but I think I fell short in a few areas of executing it. For one, I couldn't find a great FREE photo of a semi to use, so I had to go with this one which is sitting there. I would have much rather had one in action, but most of those were also motion blurred, something that I didn't want to have to do to the illustration on the side of the truck. I also wish I could have thought of some more creative way to represent the fact that the dad was the driver of the truck. I think perhaps I needed a headline or deck to reflect that the dad is a truck driver. 

As for the features, I tried to think outside the box a bit by using the trophy photo illustration on the opening page. I thought that would further focus the story on the dad. I wish I would have pushed that illustration a little more with some added elements. The rest of the design was pretty simple and logical in the way I ordered the photos chronologically. One thing I'm just noticing that bothers me is the way my columns aren't the same size throughout. That's something I would definitely fix.

Coming up this week I have three cover designs due for the mortgages feature / classical music feature on 2/10 as well as the Spring Preview assignment. For the mortgages illustration and photo illustration, I'm still finalizing ideas in my head, but after reading a draft of the story I'm thinking something along the lines a housing bubble popping, or a photo or some rundown homes with a giant "FORECLOSED" stamp across it. I've also though about houses sinking into the ground, or a more numbers heavy graphic to represent the housing market. It's a pretty serious story though so I'm debating how much fun to have with the cover. 

For the Spring Preview, the only idea I've thought of so far has to do with baseball lineup cards and baseball cards. I know we're not supposed the think too literally with Spring, but I think there's a difference between baseball representing spring as compared to rain boots, umbrellas, flowers, etc. 

YOU CAN'T MISS: Store designs and GOOD Magazine

This semester I'll be following the blog: http://www.mediabistro.com/unbeige/ which provides links and commentary on fashion design, architecture design, product design, people, events and job postings (woot woot!). While I probably won't find many Photoshop tutorials, I think this blog will inspire me to think outside the box. I think architecture design is both fascinating and beautiful (think Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother), but it's a place I usually forget about when looking for print design inspiration.

This week on the blog, they featured the store design of Ikea which the study shows is a lot like a maze. The study says "because the layouts are so confusing, consumers fear they won’t be able to find an object again and wind up buying it just so it won’t disappear." That sounds pretty brilliant to me. Maybe it's annoying for consumers, but the prices bring them back. I think Wal-Mart is the same way. I once looked for bottled water for about 20 minutes, only to finally find out they had moved it to a completely different area of the store. Good business practice on their part, since they know people will still come back. Casinos are designed to have no windows so you forget how much time you've spent in there. While working as a page designer for The Working Press at the SPJ Convention in Las Vegas this year, I saw the sun exactly two time in four days; going to and coming from the airport. Unfortunately, in the magazine design world, I don't think we have these luxuries. If the design doesn't make sense to the reader right away or if it's too unorganized, they might skip reading the story. Unlike finding the bottled water at Wal-Mart, a reader should always know exactly where they are going.

The magazine I would like to feature this week is GOOD Magazine. I just found out about it last semester and I love it. They do some really cool infographics, like the one above on the top news stories of 2010. They also offer a whole tab on design as well as slideshows, videos and other projects. I've never picked up a hard copy of it, but based on their website, the artwork is just absolutely phenomenal. They do a great deal of illustrations that convey deeper meanings. This week, they did a a family tree of wine grapes. Simple design, but what a brilliant idea!

One of my favorite stories on the site is about a study that suggests in order to cut emissions, cut parking spots. If people can't find parking they'll be forced to use other modes of transportation. As someone who is in a constant battle to find parking around Lee Hills Hall and at my apartment complex, I hate the idea, but think it's an interesting one. It's also a little humorous considering the monstrosity that is the new parking garage downtown.

RESPONSE: Love INC gives parolees a new start

Before last October, my heart was set on being a designer. All of my experience / training / internships had been in design. Then I met Michael Buford while working on my final story for Intermediate Writing. Michael was working at the Love INC furniture bank as part of a program to hire ex-offenders. After interviewing him for the first time, I knew that I wanted to be a writer in at least some capacity. His story tugged at my heart strings. At one point he told me about all the family members he had lost while in prison and my eyes filled with tears. They did the same as I sat in a courtroom and listened to a judge tear him down in front of his teenage daughters and son as well as several family members and co-workers. He is one of the most genuine persons I have ever had the privilege of meeting and I know he'll make it through this.

This story is also the most extensive work I've ever done with VOX and I walked away with a very positive experience. After my first draft, I sat down with John Fennell and Amanda Woytus and they pushed me to go further. I submitted several drafts over winter break before reaching a final product. I thought the whole editing process was very smooth and it made me feel more at ease going into this semester of working at VOX.

As for the design of the feature, the only thing I was disappointed with was the photos, which had nothing to do with the photographer or even the designer really. I think the timing of the photo shoot just didn't work out so of the five main characters in my story, not one was pictured in the story. I was happy with the cover photo chosen after seeing other drafts that included the above photo on the front. I think it's a good photo to represent the story, but it looked a little bit dark and set more of a somber mood for the story, which isn't really what I was going for.  The final draft of the cover (on the right) had a much lighter tone which I think was a big improvement.

(Photos by Brad Racino)

Helloooo.

Hi all — Welcome to my blog, "Did you improve on the design?" The title comes from Lupe Fiasco's Superstar. I really like the next lyric "Did you do something new?" as well, but I thought that would be an obnoxiously long title.

I'm a senior magazine journalism student (obviously) from Omaha, NE. I've spent the last three and a half years focused on design with internships, freelance work and various other jobs. However, recently I've grown to love narrative writing, so I'm not sure which way I'd like to go with all that after graduation in May.

Some things I enjoy are golf, photography, attending Mizzou athletic events, concerts, movies, service work and travel. I'm currently employed by Big Brothers Big Sisters in Columbia through the AmeriCorps program. It gives me the opportunity to meet with seven awesome little brothers every week at their schools. I wish I could create a Twitter account of the things these kids say... they constantly make me laugh. I also work for Sports Direct Inc. writing college football and basketball recaps and previews.

Hopefully this semester I'll be able to provide some insightful and entertaining commentary on the world of design as well as critique both my work and classmates' work. Since we all have to read each other's blogs, I'll try to make it worth your time as best I can.