the Art & Design of Á ngel L ópez // alopezdesigns.com // @alopezdesigns
the Art & Design of Á ngel L ópez // alopezdesigns.com // @alopezdesigns
I value the need to break stereotypes, especially in Latino culture. Alongside, I continuously look for opportunities to pay homage to the women in my family through living art forms such as fabric and food. I also value the integrity of the hand and sense of touch. I make it a point to include it in my design aesthetic. In addition, I value the need to create sustainable products and designs, as well as create culturally conscious work that has durability and longevity.
My vision is to lead a life that empowers and inspires communities, especially youth, through my diverse art forms. I am dedicated to continuously learning from people and continuing the rich traditions of my culture through art and design. My identity mark is reflective of that narrative. My brand identity contains the elements influenced by early Mayans. My logo mark is a circle with a dash underneath similar to the Mayan number six. The number six is very important to my identity as it reflects my association with my beloved brotherhood, Sigma Lambda Beta. Because of the brotherhood, I gained confidence in my abilities to follow my passion in art and design. Furthermore, Mayans were attracted to turquoise and jade stones more than gold. The stones had a dynamic purpose, as they were carved for storytelling and marking history. Rituals and other practices required the stones as well. With these strong dynamics in the color, I use it to tell my own story and create my mark in this lifetime.
the Art & Design of Á n g e l L ó p e z
The foundation of my work is influenced by a number of historical artists and designers, but it only comes second to the strong influence from my family and culture. My portfolio is a growing documentation of my craft through the discipline of art and design. Design for me is flexible and charismatic, identical to my personality. As for art, it is open for interpretation and can pervade through diverse societies.
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Artist Statement
Historical Influences Diego Rivera Narrative design is heavily influenced in current technology and Rivera was critical about the narratives he constructed in his paintings to tell the story of the people. I am inspired by his cubist aesthetic and cultural association.
Massimo Vignelli One of the most dynamic designers of our time, Vignelli, understood the principles of design and I admire his love for “intellectual elegance and timelessness.” Vignelli’s love for design is prevalent with the variety of print and tangible creations. His work is simple and sophisticated and I appreciate him for tackling challenging issues such as New York’s subway maps.
Leonardo da Vinci I admire Da Vinci because his work was not recognized early in his career. He was a student of his craft for years before becoming a master. His draftsman skills were exceptional, and the ideas behind the drafted artworks were ahead of their time. Da Vinci inspires me to improve my draftsmen skills and exhibit the hand touch to my work.
Cipe Pineles Pineles art directed some of the most popular magazines in American publication history. Her love and hard work helped brand the identity of various magazines. She helped pave the way into a profession that was dominantly led by men and received her own recognition for her achievements. Her strong devotion to design is inspiring.
Paul Rand Rand’s rebranding of corporate identity is so approachable and simplistic that it has stood the test of time. I am inspired by his playful and vibrant design choices.
the Art & Design of Á n g e l L ó p e z
Candy Chang I admire how Candy Chang creates well-designed forums where she invites the community to engage with her work. It is intuitive, holistic and approachable. Chang’s work distracts from the heavy input of growing technology and aligns how we think about personal and social issues. Chang’s art is very relative and informs how I can create social change through design.
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Pablo Picasso One of the most fearless artists that I have ever studied in art history is Picasso. His work is multidimensional and always evolved to break barriers within the art world. Picasso’s cubist contribution to the arts has profoundly influenced me because of the defragmentation of the figure and the constant reminder to not be trendy or typical.
01 Ladrones de la Nieve
Product Design & Packaging
11 National Water Trails System
17 Coatlicue Drawing & Poster Design
23 Community Book Designs Narrative Design & Social Engaged Art
29 La Piedra Community-Based Design
Branding & Product Development
41 Ferguson Artist Activism
49 System Plan Cover Art
55 Annual Report Design Layout & Narrative
59 Masks Unconventional Painting
the Art & Design of Á n g e l L ó p e z
Identity & Systems
35 Nativtea
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Table of Contents
Ladrones de la Nieve
01
Product Design & Packaging
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Design Initiative Snowboarding is fairly a young sport. It has only been less than two decades since snowboarding has been initiated into the Olympics. As a growing world sport and a fellow rider, I noticed the lack of snowboard art influenced by Latino culture. Therefore, I developed a snowboard theme that contains cultural signifiers connected to Latino culture. I utilized a Day of the Dead influence to create the theme. What I appreciated the most is the open-ended opportunities to during the creative process and the opportunities it has for the future of the product to continue growing.
LOGO EMBLEM Mayan influenced jade color, customized Adobe Garamond Pro typeface & responsive logo layouts.
ILLUSTRATIONS Visual illustration elements that helped narrate the theme. Artwork inspired from still life drawing.
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Creative Strategy The product contains a snowboard, goggles, gloves, stickers, carrying bag, book, and a bandana. All items are custom packaged and designed with vivid forms of imagery showcasing illustration, photography, and design narrative. More importantly, the identity development of the logo emblem and illustrations were developed from still life drawings. Additionally, the snowboard contains a Latino theme making it important to incorporate dual language throughout the design packaging. The duality of the language also inspired the development of a responsive logo emblem and reversible fabric material.
SNOWBOARD The board was a driving force behind the design concept. Original top and bottom sheet artwork.
CARRYING BAG
GLOVES
Custom fabricated bag out of neoprene fabric. Open top to display board artwork.
Simple packaging and winter weather gloves.
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BANDANA Reversible nylon fabric bandana. Spanish and English labeling on square packaging.
STICKERS
BOOK
Tangible artwork that continues the brand beyond the sport. Adhesive artwork from logo to illustrations.
A 4x6 inch dog cat; dual language; saddle stitch book with narrative design and illustrations.
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GOGGLES Reversible goggle sleeve with a sophisticated letterpressed tag. Tags in English and Spanish.
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02
National Water Trails System Identity & Systems
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Overview The National Park Service (NPS) is set to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2016. Former Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, set 100 Call to Action initiatives and I had the opportunity to contribute to the development of one of those initiatives, the National Water Trails System (NWTS). The primary initiative of NWTS is to strengthen conservation, restore the nation’s rivers and connect people to the waterways. I was charged with the task to form the identity mark along with cohesive print and web communication products. The identity mark required to visually communicate an urban and natural environment as well as recreation and visitor engagement.
SKETCHES
LOGO EMBLEM
Below are a few of the process sketches using the set parabola shape given by the client.
The final identity mark contained symbology of recreation, urban landscape, and natural landscape.
BROCHURES
THUMBDRIVES
TRAIL MARKERS
A dynamic 16x10 inch tri-fold that established the overall brand identity for the NWTS products.
A 1GB digital storage device containing an interactive portfolio. Logo printed in CMYK.
Aluminum reflective trail markers are 3.5 inches squared with rounded corners.
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Creative Strategy A large driving force behind the development of the branding was a tri-fold brochure. I wanted to create a dynamic form that engaged users with a brochure in a way that wasn’t done before. I was inspired by an early 19th century woodblock print, “The Wave” by Katsushika Hokusai. By developing a similar color palette, I replicated a dramatic wave that would be continuous regardless of how the brochure is folded. The brochure triggered my creativity to continue the same identity and system dynamics to reflect my craftsmanship in pragmatics, semantics and syntax.
WEB DEVELOPMENT
LAYERS
Front-end web design influenced by mobile technology. The layouts are responsive for diverse platforms.
Deliverable design files with intuitive use of layer organization & and naming conventions.
BANNERS
BUSINESS CARDS
Dynamic layouts that work individually or together. Banners are 36x92 inches each.
Simple business cards highlighting url site link. The cards are 3.5x2 inches in dimension.
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Coatlicue
03
Drawing & Poster Design 16 // 17
Art Objective Some of my work lends to the creation of my hand aesthetic. An exciting opportunity emerged when a client requested a drawing that would showcase a feminist and Chicano image that would also serve as an empowering visual. The artwork commanded a Mesoamerican influence and visuals that convey the intricate connection of the Catholicism and the conquest of the Americas.
the Art & Design of Á n g e l L ó p e z
PROCESS SKETCHES Before creating the final rendering, I quickly explored the elements necessary to create a composition.
Creative Strategy Because of the complexity of the artwork, it was important to do research in contemporary aesthetics, Catholicism, Mesoamerican and feminist art. After I concluded my research, I developed a figure that combined the Virgin Mary and the Aztec goddess Coatlicue. The appropriation between the two came from researching the most dominant figures associated with feminism in Catholicism and Mesoamerican art. Some of the project’s highlights demonstrate the appropriation steps and the design production.
PROCESS VECTORS
PROCESS TEXTURES
Varied aesthetics were considered in the creative process as well as gradient vectored artwork.
A hand-crafted element was created as a texture. I explored watercolors to add a rock aesthetic.
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FINAL RENDERING To the right is an 11x14 inch graphite drawing on bristol paper with multiple symbolic elements.
Design Approach The artwork contains a strong composition as a graphite drawing, but allowed for the opportunity to continue beyond the fine arts. Therefore, I developed a poster that showcases the second coming of the goddess Coatlicue in an urban setting. The first archaeologists that found the original sculpture were so daunted by the grotesque form that it was hidden for centuries. With an approachable aesthetic to the artwork, I utilized a transitional typeface, Baskerville, to compliment the artwork.
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Community Book Designs Narrative Design & Social Engaged Art
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Community Initiatives Volunteering in my community is important and exciting for me. I especially get motivated for any opportunity to use art and design. On two occasions, I was able to use narrative design to help give sub-communities a voice and empower them as well. My first project was with a group of adults learning to speak English as a second language. In collaboration with their instructor, I was given the lesson plan for the day and developed a curriculum to create a book design with one or two sentences in English and the use of drawings to convey their story. My second project allowed me to work with a local fourth grade elementary class. They were developing a creative story in both English and Spanish and I taught them appropriation, collage techniques, and simple approaches to drawing to develop their stories.
Case Study 1 Adult English Learning Class
WRITING Adult students writing in English and mapping out their narrative.
DRAWING The photos below showcase the student's drawings to compliment their narrative including cover page.
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Art in the Classroom As a child, I never had art or design as a prominent influence. It was never taught or encouraged either at home or in the classroom. Now I have joined the ranks of many artists and see the need of encouraging art and design at a young age. It was important for me to show the community that art and design can make a difference. It was equally important to have young Latino children see another person who looks like them in a professional field. I believe narrative design is a great vehicle to empower people to tell their stories through the principles of art and design.
Case Study 2 Fourth Grade Class
DUAL LANGUAGE WRITING The students put together English & Spanish narratives for their book.
DRAWING
APPROPRIATION
Colored pencils, markers and graphite pencils were utilized to help tell their story.
I taught the students how to appropriate stock images to also aid in telling their story.
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La Piedra
05
Community-Based Design 28 // 29 the Art & Design of Á n g e l L ó p e z
Community Overview One of my most powerful experiences was working in the Dominican Republic with an underdeveloped sub-community, La Piedra. This community has a rich culture and an abundance of agriculture, but they lacked some of the most essential resources such as water, food, and education to name a few. Along with one professor and a small group of MSU Denver students, I worked with the Guanin Foundation in the Dominican to help visualize the challenges faced by La Piedra and use the power of design to create positive social change.
DONATIONS
TRUST & IMMERSION
As a team, we were able to donate books, school supplies, computers, & sports equipment.
It was important for our team to know & understand the community before initiating solutions.
Community Empowerment As designers, we must be culturally aware of the communities we serve. We wanted to design with the community and not for them. We did not want to come in and change a culture, but rather to offer some of our design skills to improve the way of living. Our approach was to first observe and then immerse ourselves. We lived with the community to understand their challenges and opportunities. From there, we gained community trust and conducted research. Finally, we were able go into a design process and quickly implement. The experience was a short three weeks, but we were able to work on diverse projects that most importantly supported the youth of La Piedra.
DESIGN PROCESS
COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP
Identifying community strengths & collaborative group discussions of research & possible solutions.
Working alongside community members to provide ownership over design process & tools.
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STORYBOARD Using copic markers I drew scenes that best told the story of the community & the student experience.
My Initiative One of my growing affections about design is the creative process. Since the start of our community involvement with La Piedra, I naturally captured candid moments of our group experience. The approach was very much a photo and video documentation process that later served to tell the story of the student experience, but most importantly, provided a voice for the community of La Piedra.
Scene 5
Scene 6
Scene 7
SOLUTIONS Design solutions varied from an educational toolkit, wayfindings, community mural, & events board.
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Group Solutions In our three-week experience we had to work diligently. We implemented a wayfinding system throughout the community, created a dual language educational toolkit, designed a community events board, designed and painted a community mural, and improved Guanin’s online presence and healthcare awareness.
Nativtea
06
Branding & Product Development 34 // 35
Design Initiative Sustainability is an important subject when it comes to my design decisions. I believe that as designers it is important to think of our future and the mark we leave behind as both artist and people. Therefore, Nicole Binuya, Lisa Keith, and I developed a sustainable tea product. The tea is prepared and consumed like most other teas, but we decided that the tea should have more value after consumption by making the tea suitable to grow at home.
the Art & Design of Á n g e l L ó p e z
LOGO LETTERFORM The previous page shows the final identity mark & below are the spacing standards.
Vision
nativtea strives to deliver reusable tea bags, bringing tranquility and sustainability in everyday life. We seek to provide nourishment for today and foster growth for tomorrow.
Our company aspires to cultivate a sustainable future and provide consumers with peace of mind while enjoying our products.
Core Values
Objectives
Typeface
innovative growing technology nourishment sustainable resources reusability
creativity quality products sustainability transformation
Nexa bold Nexa light
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Mission Statement
the Art & Design of Á n g e l L ó p e z
Creative Approach Before we developed our product, it was important to go through a disciplined process. We began by researching tea companies and evaluating their mission, vision, objective, and core values. We closely examined color palettes and type treatments. The research phase was also helpful for our own naming convention and marketing approach. With a strong research background, my peers and I developed our own mission, vision, objective, and core values that were instrumental in the development of the design choices.
WOOD ENGRAVING Bamboo wood & glass engraved with logo mark and artwork.
Product Branding Nicole Binuya was instrumental in pinpointing the final letterform identity mark, but I took it further by developing a brand unification to components related to the tea product. I added a tea box, tea envelopes, and drink coasters. The brand contains hand drawings that were eventually vectorized and etched onto the coasters and product branding. In addition, bamboo wood is a consistent identity in the product's aesthetic.
TEA BAGS Each flavor contains 2x3 inch envelopes that contain tea flavors with appropriate artwork.
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Ferguson
07
Artist Activism
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Brief Overview A controversial event in Ferguson, Missouri involved the fatal shooting of an African American teenager, Michael Brown, by a white police officer, Darren Wilson. The events leading to Brown’s fatality showcased the use of excessive force including the shooting to be justified by the police officer. The shooting of an unarmed person of color fueled anger in the Ferguson community because of the amount of excessive shots fired towards Brown. However, there was already tension in the community because of the broken relationship between African Americans and law enforcement. The event led to peaceful and violent protests demanding justice for Brown and demilitarization of police. There were also detailed investigations of the shooting and the Ferguson Police Department’s treatment of people of color in Ferguson.
SKETCHES Before coming up with the final compositions, it was important to draft possible ideas & concepts.
EXPERIMENTATION Different methods were used such as wood burning, collaging, layering, cutouts, and appropriation.
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Artist Responsibility As an artist, it is important for me to be culturally conscious and actively involved in my community. As a person of color, I have experienced my own forms of racism, stereotypes, and discrimination. Even today, there is a community outcry about social injustice that persists in our communities. From Oakland to New York, the tragedy of Michael Brown was the breaking point for the Ferguson community and other cities around the country. As an advocate, it is important to stay aware of the personal struggles of people of color, my community, and how I can use my art to make an impact, convey the emotion of the community and amplify the message.
FERGUSON 1 OF 4 Approx. 5x7" drawing and cut out paper collage with symbology of crow and bunny.
FERGUSON 2 OF 4 Approx. 5x7"collage drawing and cutout symbolizing this is a relative matter for every community.
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Artist Response Artist in the past have visually expressed the challenges of their communities. Pablo Picasso’s Guernica was an artistic response to the bombing of Guernica in Spain. In this particular case, I was inspired from contemporary artist Faith Ringgold’s work that focused on civil rights and racial conflicts. My approach was to create a drawing series using a crow to symbolize the current American justice system and the rabbit to symbolize innocence and people of color.
FERGUSON 3 OF 4 Directly inspired artwork from Faith Ringgold. Approx. 8x6 inch, copic markers on bristol over cardboard.
FERGUSON 2 OF 4 Approx. 7x5 inch drawing & paper collage with water color using color to further evoke emotions.
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System Plan
08
Cover Art
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Objective Overview The 100th anniversary of the National Park Service (NPS) is set for August 2016. In the last century, NPS has grown to “safeguard over 400 places” across the United States and will continue to grow. Leadership staff at NPS are developing a System Plan document that will be presented to Congress and most likely the President. The plan highlights the park service’s legacy, as well as the continued stewardship for tomorrow. I have been appointed the lead designer for the identity development of the document.
SKETCHES Sketchbook with initial brainstorming ideas influenced from current NPS sites through out the country.
1ST IDENTITY CONCEPT Before vectorizing & designing the identity, a hand rendered sketch was necessary to influence stakeholders.
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Creative Process This project is continuously being refined, most specifically because of the caliber of its importance. Much of the identity development required collaborative brainstorming and detailed visual problem solving during the initial stages of design. Like most projects, sketches were initiated to help tell the story of the future vision of NPS, but also the legacy. Much of the inspiration came from current NPS sites containing battlefields, historic landmarks, and new concepts such as the lantern. The lantern was specifically initiated by me as it is symbolic for leadership and a source of guiding light.
PROCESS DEVELOPMENT After delivering an identity, it was important to follow up with further brainstorming sessions.
Final Overlook High visibility of a project is as important as a smaller scale project. As the identity of the NPS System Plan continues to evolve, the most powerful aspect for me has been the creative process because it identifies visual problem solving. I am invested in delivering an identity that has utility and longevity and I trust I will achieve it with a disciplined process.
2ND IDENTITY CONCEPT The vector illustrations contain a variety of symoblic signifiers including the main shape of a bell.
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M P E LA N T S Y S
Annual Report
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Design Layout & Narrative 54 // 55 the Art & Design of Á n g e l L ó p e z
Design Objective “The Denver Service Center is a central planning, design, and construction management project office for NPS.” I was charged with the task to create an annual report that would highlight key figures and projects from the service center. I needed to work with the constraints of a budget and a document size. I was given body copy and most images that would be used in the document. NPS has established their brand identity, therefore, I utilized the necessary logo and typefaces through the document.
PHOTOS
GRID
Pictures were placed towards the top and divided into fifths horizontally through out the layout.
The document was divided into four columns. Outside columns for captions and 1 inch inner margins.
GRAPH TEXTURES I implemented a hand painted texture to utilize throughout all the bars & graphs in the document.
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Creative Strategy For this particular layout, I worked closely with public relations personnel that funneled the information from the entire service center as well as the director. Public relations helped me develop a design narrative, but the overall layout and design concept and decisions were directed by me. I researched various annual reports from NPS as well as other companies to gain inspiration, but I also looked for areas of opportunity. My main approach was to add a personalized hand touch to the annual report that I had not seen in any other report I researched.
Masks
10
Unconventional Painting 58 // 59 the Art & Design of Á n g e l L ó p e z
Cultural Significance Mesoamerican art is one of the first forms showcasing the use of masks. Gods and goddesses depicted in stelaes and sculptures show amazing craftsmanship of the masks that formed an alter ego or an altered state of being. The masks also are first forms of understanding the “self ” or of having a higher awareness of one’s image. In contemporary time, the same can be said about the masked luchadores of Mexico. Each person wearing a mask hides his or her identity and is someone else in a spectated sports performance. Something similar can be said about the Day of the Dead event. Painted faces reflect a celebration of the deceased. It is the act of recognizing the deceased in the afterlife as well as a celebration and remembrance of life. It is an altered state of being.
MASKS Approx. 12x16 inch carton masks painted in acrylic and influenced from Mesoamerican masks.
ORIGINAL PACKAGING Below is a sample of the original cardboard packaging used to create the masks.
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The Artwork Taking it further into the design field, I considered the production of packaging material and mundane objects. I took, my practices of art and design to defragment those ideas and repurpose items by creating paintings and drawings influenced by Latino culture. The work carries vibrant colors and unconventional material such as packaging cartons for technology, wooden toys, fabrics, and commingled products.
List of Contributors In Memoriam To my abuelita who always reminded me to be noble and have faith. I admired her strength and kindness. To my brother Stefan who always knew how to lend a hand to those in need. He was the first to believe in my ambitions and supported me in my transition into the art world.
Perpetual Gratitude Antonio de Jesus Andrade Armando Somoza Claudia Cespedes Damian Solorzano Jacob Vigil Jazmin Chavez Jeremy Jimenez Jim Corbett Jonathon Flores Juan Jaime Mario A. Lﾃｳpez Maximillian Mascarenas Mom & Dad Niesi Lﾃｳpez Norma Oldham Sandra Zamora Stephanie Ramirez Yasmin Mauricio Rafael Wood
Organization Gratitude Centro Cultural Guanin Daniels Fund Scholarship NPS Denver Service Center MSU Denver Professors Ralph Nagel Scholarship SLB Lambda Chapter Portfolio Printing Publication Printers publicationsprinters.com Cover printed on 100# matte cover stock with soft touch laminate. Perfect bind also completed with printing. Text pages printed on 80# matte text paper.
Project Contributors Historical Influences All images via Google. Ladrones de la Nieve spoonflower.com marharsnowboards.com Norma Oldham Coatlicue Divider page image customized from morguefile.com Nativtea milehighengraving.com
Document Typeface Adobe Garamond Pro 11 pt body text size. 15 pt body text leading. Frutiger 10 pt caption text size. 14 pt caption leading. 47 condensed for captions. 95 ultra black for dividers.
Design, Photography, & Layout of Portfolio ﾃ］gel Lﾃｳpez
the Art & Design of Á ngel L ópez