The Science of Graphic Design

                       The day was Tuesday, January second, and I just finished my class at school. Wanting to wind down, I watched some videos on YouTube and saw the recent episode of Binging With Babish. In said video, he makes and Angel Food Cake twice, and states directly that "Baking is a science".

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2d6VmncdK-E

                      As time passed, I soon started to think of Graphic Design as the same way. There is several steps one must take to achieve their goal, multiple factors that can determine the outcome, and the best work usually comes from studying your material.

                     Just like there is many fields to science, there are many fields to Graphic Design as well. An example that comes to my mind is how photography and photosynthesis both require light for what they accomplish. Another one is how both web design and biology have a multitude different subjects. In fact I would dare say that it is because of science that we can better explore graphic design.

                      So what does this mean for people wanting to get into Graphic Design like me? Well, it means that maybe a science class might be a good idea to take. Let it get you into the process of performing experiments and tests; see if the study of animals and plants inspires future designs; you can even just draw illustrations for science books of you want. Whatever the case, try a science class out!

                   With that said, thank you once again for reading! Make sure to comment down below, tell me how I can improve, and if you just want my services. I'm glad I made this connection, and I hope you enjoy it as well.

Perfection To No Return

                             All of us want to be better than what we were. It is simply a desire to reach perfection is all. A nature humans follow due to insecurity and ego. Not saying that self-improvement is a bad thing though, in fact I applaud those who can home their skills every day. However, I would like to take a look at the effects one can have when trying to perfect their craft. Keep in mind, this won't be a negative analysis, just an analysis.

 

Images courtesy of JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia.

        

              As you can see, the two images shown above are radically different. However, they are both works of the manga artist Hirohiko Araki; drawn for his ongoing series 'JoJo's Bizarre Adventure', which has been around since 1984. Over the course of his career, Araki has changed his art style and theming up several times to fit his characters and environments more. However, at the cost of this, it is clear he's fallen out of practice with his older styles, despite those being much simpler.

            So the point I wish to make here is that perfection can cause people to possibly become imperfect in another area. Think being good at writing legal documents, but being bad at writing fiction. Then over the years, you write more and more fiction, creating beautifully woven stories; have not filed a legal document properly for awhile though. Again, keep in mind that I am not painting this as bad, if you prefer your later work, that is fine, just be aware that you will not recreate what you once made easily.

             With that said however, thank you again for reading. I just want to also make the statement that you must know what you want to perfect. Some people just go in the wrong areas, and focus more on the business aspect instead of the design. However, if you like what you read, please share this around, comment below, and stay tuned!

Embracing Stupidity

               After the train wreck that was 2020, I feel most of the world has been left with little joy in their lives. Maybe this is too much to ask, but how about we just embrace a little bit of stupidity to bring the joy back? Hear me out, it's important to buckle down and be serious most of the time; the world also need some way to tone down that serious nature or else everything will be a chore. Even in the most professional setting, you need a way to alleviate your stern demeanor of you might hate life forever.

             So in a sense, I might not really be talking about stupidity, but laughter, free thinking, just writing a group of lines that make no sense. Just some form of mindless act to relieve oneself after such long periods of focusing on business and such. Let me remind you again, we do need to be serious, or else we can not grow as people. However it must also be said that we won't take anything seriously unless we learn to balance life out. After all, what's the point of anything if pleasure will not show itself?

             Anyways, that should be it for today. Thank you once again for reading, make sure to comment your thoughts below, and stay tuned! As for any stupidity I could recommend you to help you in these trying times, here's this guy called Ordinary Sausage.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JLnPDXnAlB0

Brand Protection

            So, this subject is one I am seeing pop up more in graphic design and media in the recent months. You see, as brands become bigger and branch out more, they seem to be more protective of their designs and ideas. While it is understandable when a company could have a hard time controlling their property when they have to manage more, they tend to go overboard with that control. An example of this could be Google, who have made their icons look like lazy, mutated rainbows. Yes, they are Google-owned, but it feels a bit harder to understand what they are for.

 Image found on Opinion-Search.com

            Do not get me wrong, you do not want anybody using your brand image for malicious purposes. However, I feel there is a difference between malicious purposes, and having Mickey Mouse on a KinderGarten wall for fun. There might be a bigger reason to it all that I just don't get, but I also feel like sometimes it should not matter. At least if a company needs to take action, they need to be more transparent about it. Explain the reasoning for the strictness, and have more personality. 

  So, that does it for my blog this time. Hopefully I made sense in my views, and helped other designers get a grasp on how to handle their brands. Other than that, thank you once again for reading. Make sure to comment below, tell me what you thought, and stay tuned!

Second Thanksgiving Celebration!

              To think a year ago, I was still in my Graphic Arts Classes, and now I'm almost done with college. It's kind of crazy how fast time can fly. With that said, I just want to share some photos with you today. Think of it as a Thanksgiving tradition. With that said, thanks for reading, and have a happy Thanksgiving.

Early Preparations

             As a designer, you want to make sure you get a head start on your next project. This allows potential clients to see you as a hard worked, but also keeps your skills sharp. Furthermore, it helps you keep track of any big projects you want to do for a certain holiday or event. So in a sense, it is always nice to have a demonstration before you need to show it off to a big presentation. As they say, the early bird gets the business deal with the graphic design firm!

                  So we have a few reasons why you would want to be early already listed so far, and there is more to come.  Having the ability to get feedback for future reference is always nice, as it leads to better products. Moreso, there is the added benefit of being able to move into the next project, stress free. Finally, I would like to point out that with deadlines existing, you need all the practice  you can to deal with them. At the end of the day, getting work done early is a bit difficult, but it can be fun.

                Now with that put of the way, I'll show off some work I got done early. Holiday cards have been made, so feel free to take them for anything other than commercial use. If you have any comments, please let me know with a comment. Other than that, thank you for reading!

The Effects of the Pandemic

     

 Our lives now.

      

                  Recently, I've been seeing ads on TV, in papers, and online where it feels like the pandemic of Covid-19 must be addressed in some fashion. Commercials for restaurants which urge you to stay home; pictures of auto-shop workers in cloth masks; political campaigns where one side blamed the other for the problems of the virus. It's a bit hard to believe that a 30 day shut-down has escalated so much into our lives that it feels normal. This has me thinking about how much the design philosophy has changed to reflect current events. I then realized however that this isn't the first time we've had to change it.

               Think back to the early days, let's say the first two World Wars, where propaganda against the enemy and support for our countries was through the roof. We were in an era of change, where we couldn't do things the way we used to and had no idea when we could go back. There had to be rationing of  foods and gas, new laws made, and even deals struck that created products in their form today. For example, the Twinkie used to have banana cream before we had to ration bananas out. Now think about anything today that could be affected by the pandemic in such a way.

Images from allthatsinteresting.com

                    I can already imagine food delivery becoming more popular after this is over.  There is also the fact people could want more focus on vaccinations for future viruses. So many things that have changed, so we need to find a way to design with it. Create logos for special masks, advertise new hand sanitizers, etc. I'm sure that as long as we stay in things, it will be alright. With that said, thank you again for reading, and stay tuned.

Hidden Details

               In this sentence, i have hidden something. I won't tell you what it is, but I think you'll notice it if you have a good eye. That is sort of what this blog post will be about, just an appreciation of hidden details on media. Many designers and writers tend to do this as a way to have fun, test the audience, or just to build something up. These details can range from obvious like the A to Z smile in the Amazon Logo, to secretive  like the arrow on the FedEx logo. Both have a special meaning that you could understand if you look closely.

Images property of respective brands.

            So, why is it that hidden details seem so fun? I like to imagine it has to do with the feeling of accomplishment. As if you were able to insert or find something new about whatever you looked at. It could also be pretty embarrassing though, as it you just noticed it, and conclude what you saw should never have been in. Now I am not going to make an example of this, for the sake of protecting other designers. That being said, I think we all know something like this.

            Keeping what I said in mind, I hope you all pay more attention to details in any work, be it yours or not. Stay on the look out for what's in plain sight, and thank you for reading. Hopefully you found the detail I hid in the first sentence. With that said, comment below your thoughts, share this blog, and tell me if you liked it or not. As always my valued readers, stay tuned!

Basic English

             It's time for another class my readers. This month is all about Basic English, and getting better at writing. The good news here is that hopefully not only will I become a better writer, but also that I'll get better at communication. One area I struggle with is putting myself out there, and my main goal with this class is that I'll be able to spin words into something that helps advertise me better. Another area it will help me improve in is getting me better at narrative telling. I always wanted to tell more stories here, and hopefully soon I will be able to. Having a story that helps show my creative side will do wonders for me if I can get it done.

 Front Page of my Basic English class

                As I continue on in this class though, I'm sure some of you have noticed that I'm starting to switch to a bi-weekly format. This is because with my new job and school, I need to remove stress and not do these as much. I promise to get them out when if I have a free week, I just want to become committed to doing them on a different schedule. Make no mistake though, I'm not giving up on this any time soon, as I'm still committed to a job well done! This relates to the class as I once again plan on doing good in it, and keeping my future goals open.

Recycling Ideas

           Recycling ideas is something I'm beginning to see is beneficial to design. Not as a way of being lazy because you can't think of anything else though. To clarify what I mean, imagine you just got done with a big personal project, but you weren't satisfied. So, next project, you take ideas you liked, and improve upon them. Another example is changing an element mid-designing because it doesn't fit, but still looking for a place to use the first element. Just because something fails, doesn't mean you can't fix it up.

             I know not all ideas are going to work, and some will eventually need to be scrapped. Be that because it was insensitive, not convenient, or just forgotten. So do keep in mind what you want to reuse. Just like with actual recycling, there will be need of some disposal, you can't save everything. That being said, we still recycle because in the end, this will save us so much in the future. 

 Just some images I was recycling.

               

             I mainly came to this after hearing how some of my favorite writers reuse ideas they couldn't find a place for in past works. As if they needed a change of scenario for how the events will play out. I also think about how you can do a twist with an old concept to get audiences offguard. Whatever the case, as long as you aren't rehashing ideas, you should be good!

            With that, I once again thank you for reading. Apologies for not blogging last week, but I needed time to decompress. Anyways, make sure to comment your thoughts, and stay tuned! Also make sure to recycle any of your own ideas that you liked!

Microsoft Office

           Once again, I am changing classes! This time, I will be learning about Microsoft Office 365, and all the options I can do for alignment in there. Now, you might be wondering what this has to do with Graphic Design, again.... Well, it's a good way for me to practice new tools and techniques. Get me used to when I can't or don't need to rely on Adobe you see. On top of that, it's a way for me to get better at orientation, and structure.

My new book

        In all honesty, even the most basic of structures can be good graphic design. As long as it serves its purpose of conveying the message. So, as long as the flow charts I soon make convey a direct message to the audience, I'll have made a good one. Granted, I will have to be more grounded when it comes to this. No time to pick out the best color and shape combos, but still enough to find a good one. So, in a sense, this will help me exercise my balance skills as well.

            With that, thank you once again for reading my blog! I'm hoping to put my best into this class, and keep delivering good results so I can be good at graphic design. So, no better time than now to practice, even if I don't plan on keeping this. That being said, this business is always changing, so I may come back to it at one point. Once again, thank you for reading. Make sure to comment down below, share your thoughts, check out and critique my work, and stay tuned.

Bigger, but Better?

          So, is bigger always better? That's the question that has plagued humans for so long. Make the burgers stack higher, make the cars more like tanks, the coffee cup needs to hold a gallon of the stuff! However, you then start to realize maybe you can't handle the size of it. As of you put too much together, and now you regret tackling this.

             That isn't to say not every big thing doesn't have it's benefita, or isn't good, just that it can be too much. On the other hand, it could also feel like too much of a hassle, or be less memorable. The reason I bring this up is because one day, I was watching a ProtonJon stream. In this stream, he was playing the game 'BatMan Arkham City'. While he does say it is a fun game, he states that he prefers the first game, 'BatMan  Arkham Asylum ' , as you're more than likely to complete everything before getting bored.

 Images courtesy of GameSpot and MobyGames respectively.

              Now while I do understand that this is his opinion, I feel like it does set a good argument against bigger things. Just because something is more vast and packed with things to see and do, doesn't mean it's perfect.  Think of a restaurant with an oversized menu, but not enough workers. Chances are, it's going to be a mess. Compare it to the other way around, chances are it'll be a better experience.

              With that being said, thank you once again for reading. Thank you as well ProtonJon for being the inspiration for this post. That being said, as always, make sure to comment, read more of my posts if you haven't, and stay tuned! I'm always looking forward to what anyone has to say about my work.

Different Views

           So, I would say today has been pretty good for me. Originally, I never intended on writing a blog this week. However, after learning about different views, and realizing how it relates to design, I had to! You see, people may come to general conclusions, but everyone has a separate frame of reference. They each like a unique flavor of ice cream if you will!

             Imagine you look into a telescope, and you see an island off in the far distance. You then hand it to your friend who has poor eyesight. Instead, they just view a blur because they can't use the telescope as well. That's more or less what I mean. To build off my post, 'The Power of A Symbol ' not everyone will see what you see. Even if it may be a similar result, it won't be The same.

https://h8l0v.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-power-of-symbol.html

           What does this mean for graphic design though? Where exactly am I going with this? Well, since everyone views things differently, you need to do your best to interpret your thoughts. You need to show what you want them to see. Caution in showing is highly advised, even if there won't be sure conseqeunces. If only because we each look from a special angle. So, we need to help others see from ours, and try to see things from theirs.

          So with that, thank you again for reading. I'm really loving this class so far, and I hope it continues to help me in my goals. Other than that, please comment below. If not, I hope you at least share this around, or still offer feedback! Tell me what you thought, check out my other posts, and as always, stay tuned!