Branching Out
The Seasons of Learning Design
Introduction to Design, Art 130, Fall 2024, St. Norbert College
This book was made as part of Introduction to Design at St. Norbert College in the fall of 2024. The fonts used include Lucida Bright and Bodoni MT. This book was digitally printed and saddle stapled at the St. Norbert College Print Center.
to partner up with a peer and create a product to solve one of their problems. In my case, my partner needed a way to succeed at statistics. I sketched out the idea of a Robot Pencil that tutors and solves math problems. We then had to create a prototype of the product using materials around the classroom.
We were limited with the amount of time we were able to work on each step of this project. That said, the pace felt a bit fast compared to what I would normally work at. I felt a bit rushed to come up with five inventive ideas and had to think of the last idea within twenty seconds. I also felt like I did not have enough time to build the prototype. I had to let go of wanting everything to look okay and just move onto the next step so I wouldn’t run out of time. Normally, I would spend a lot of time coming up with the best possible idea in my head, weighing the pros and cons of each, and then would then spend a ton of time creating my product. I could not do that with this exercise, which definitely helped get me out of my comfort zone.
Robot
Pencil,
Initial
Sketch
When we finished making our prototypes, we had to present them to our partner. Showing unfinished work to another person was a bit unsettling. I did not know how she would respond to my piece and if she would understand all of the elements I was trying to represent. I felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but when I began showing her the piece, she immediately made me feel like my piece had value to her. She talked about all the parts she liked and asked if I could add some more parts. She seemed very open and receptive to my prototype.
Based on what I learned, if I could go back, I would not worry about what I was drawing or how bad the idea sounded when coming up with solutions to her problem. I would just move onto the next idea and not worry about previous ones. I got in my head a bit when coming up with solutions and almost ran out of time because of that. I think that I should just let my creativity flow and not get in my own way. I would probably have made a hat that connected with her brain waves to help guide her on the right thinking path to understanding statistics. This hat would’ve also been a bit easier to create and explain than a robotic pencil.
Engaging with a real person changed the direction of my prototype, because I had to think about how my prototype would work for her. She wouldn’t want a huge robotic pencil, because that would be hard to take everywhere with her. She’d need something that she can fit in her backpack easily. I also wanted my prototype to be easily understood since I was showing it off to a real person. I had to determine what I could use to make the wheels look like wheels and the robotic arms look actually like arms. Finally, I had to take her feedback into consideration. If she didn’t like something or wanted something added, I had to accommodate her needs.
Robot Pencil, Final Prototype
Robot Pencil, Final Prototype
Dot Line
Project Overview: This abstract project involved using circles and rectangles to communicate words with no illustration. I chose the words “terror”, “comfort”, and “chaotic”. The criteria was strict for this piece with the amount of dots and lines each iteration could have and how those dots and lines could be arranged. Initially, I was unsure how much I would like working on this project, but in the end, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thumbnail Sketches
One main concept we focused on with this project was the meaning of the word “gestalt”. Gestalt is the idea of looking at things as whole versus the parts. With gestalt, you look at the parts all together instead of each part separately. Gestalt directly relates to this project, because each iteration focuses on all of the dots and lines together instead of one dot or one line at a time. We put together the shapes to create the feeling of a word. Each design would not have the same effect just looking at a singular dot or singular line.
“Terror” First Draft
Final Products
II would definitely use this exercise or the ideas of gestalt and abstraction the next time I create any piece of art where composition is a key component. I think that the idea of gestalt is important to keep in mind when creating a piece of art so that the background is well done and becomes part of the whole piece (thinking of not just the foreground, but how the background and foreground would all look together). I would use abstraction when I want to subtly convey a message or at the start of a piece when I just want to get my ideas down. I think though, that I will use gestalt more in the future when creating art with lots of fine details and even in my lesson planning for education classes. I have to think about how the lessons all tie together to create a unit or how they incorporate scaffolding.
Everything about this project had to be precise. The cutting and gluing had to be straight and clean. It is pretty difficult for me to make a well-crafted object. I am not the neatest person, so having to make sure I glued everything carefully and cut with precision took a lot of time for me. I also tend to ignore tiny errors (like a little bit of glue on the outside of paper), so I actually had to make sure I focused on not creating any mistakes or cleaning up any that were created. On the other hand, I pay extreme attention to small details when painting or creating other pieces of art. Therefore, I am a person who spends extra time to get the small details right (it is just my craft that sometimes lacks). I wouldn’t want to make things quickly, as I wouldn’t be satisfied with the results. This project challenged both my craft and my skills.
It was a bit difficult to represent ideas without illustrating them. I was forced to think outside the box as to what people think of when they hear certain words. For me, I had to play around with a lot of compositions before I found one that illustrated the word the best. I also thought of what people would universally think for some of the words. For example, I thought of the color black and nighttime for the word “terror” then thought about how I could represent that with dots and lines.
This project changed my idea of abstraction by actually making me like it a little more. I have never been a huge fan of abstract art, because I always like being able to tell what is being depicted right away. This project was pretty interesting, as I began to see how meaningless objects (like dots and lines) can actually become meaningful once put together. I found myself really trying to think of whether or not my pieces made me feel the words I was trying to convey. It was fun looking at other people’s artwork too and trying to be like “hmmm, does the circle by that line really make me feel energetic?”. This project gave me more respect for abstract art and why people create it.
Chaotic
Terror
Iterative Illustrations
Project Overview: I really enjoyed this project. For it, we had to choose an animal (or object with moving parts) and depict it in numerous ways using a variety of techniques. Some of those techniques included collages, continuous lines, and geometric shapes. I found it fascinating trying to create different iterations of a barn owl (my chosen animal) through different media types.
Through this project, I learned that there are so many forms owls can move in. Between their necks that can rotate 270 degrees, to their approximately 45” wingspan, they have a lot of moving features. Barn owls are very graceful birds and look majestic no matter if they are just taking off or in mid-flight. Their talons are also super long. All these features made it challenging to incorporate all of them in just
The Owls I Chose to Use for my Final Poster
Typographic Owl Iteration
Collage Owl Iteration
Collage Owl Iteration
Contour Owl Iteration
Contour Owl Iteration
Contour Owl Iteration
Beatrix Potter Inspiration
EricCarleInspiration
Contour Owl Iteration
Typographic Owl Iteration
Geometric Iteration
The most challenging medium was the typographic collage. I did not find it easy to use text to show color and form. I don’t really like the way type collages look (they look cluttered to me), too. The most enjoyable medium was one of my artist iterations (Beatrix Potter) where I got to paint an owl as a storybook character. I had a lot of fun creating that owl.
If I had to continue with this object, I would portray it eating something. In addition, I would show more individual features of the owl (such as going up close on the face). I think I would also somehow incorporate the owl’s pellet or other features that are extremely specific to an owl into my artwork. Finally, I would add more of a background to my artwork (like trees).
I learned that Photoshop and InDesign can be finicky. It takes a long time to load and causes your computer to quit (my computer hates Photoshop). Working with it was a bit of a challenge, but I used the “Help” button a lot until I got the hang of where things were. I will definitely make a lot of pages and continuously save those pages when using Photoshop and InDesign again (because it makes it far easier to play around with the tools).
Collage Owl Iteration
Collage Owl Iteration
Contour Owl Iteration
First Owl Poster
Final Poster
PSA Poster
Project Overview: For this project, each of us had two roles: the client and the designer. We each came up with different PSA announcements, then sent what we would like announced (or the text) to the designer. My partner chose to have me create a more uplifting, easy-going PSA poster. The goal was to create an effective poster that catches people’s eyes and communicates the information easily without using any illustrations.
50 million Americans have mental health issues
Sharing a laugh not only improves their health but yours too
Making someone smile can make a difference
Find a Way to MakeSomeoneLaugh
Become an expert jokester at: https://www.laughfactory.com/jokes
More information at: https://www.mayoclinic.org
My First Draft
I learned that it is possible to get across a message really well only using text. This project made me think about how I orient text and what people really see first when it comes to posters. Being an art teacher, I am going to have a lot of handmade posters in my classroom teaching different art techniques. I will definitely be more conscientious about how and where I position my text and what fonts I choose to use when creating those posters.
MakeSomeoneLaugh Find a Wayto
I thought that it was very difficult being limited to only using type. I am a person who likes to use images to communicate messages, so I had to think of creative ways to get my message across using only text. I also feel like the meaning behind my poster could’ve been enhanced had I been able to use images.
MakeSomeoneLaugh
I tried to use orientation and negative space in a playful way, because my poster’s goal was to get people to smile more. I oriented my words in a fun swooping position. I also scaled up the heading and scaled down the less important text such as the URLs. I tried to create a visual hierarchy with the color choices I made (white text against a black background compared to white text against a gray background).
Numerous Attempts
(Left and below)
Final Poster
50 million Americans have mental health issues
Become an expert jokester at: https://www.laughfactory.com/jokes More information at: https://www.mayoclinic.org
Letterforms
Project Overview: This project was my first time printmaking. I learned how to carve letters from linoleum and print with them. I enjoyed that part of the project, but the rest of it did not go as well. We were allowed to use the copier machine and photography to capture the word (providing we did not distort the letters). I had a tough time bringing the meaning of the word “wish” to life only using the letters (for most of the pieces). Let’s just say that throughout this project I wished that it would be over.
From working this way, I learned that it takes a lot of patience and thought to make letters pop out in a way that really speaks to the meaning of the word and is legible. I did not know that there are so many terms to define everything from the spacing between letters, to the holes in them. It is also a lot harder to hand print letters straight and on a clean baseline than it looks. Finally, I learned that letters communicate very different messages depending on how you set them up and alter them.
Thumbnail Sketches
First Iterations
If I were to continue working with these letters, I would first probably clean up some of my pieces. I would try to get them all on the baseline perfectly and edit my photos per the critique’s suggestions. I would also try playing around with the ink some more. In one of my drafts, I had the letters fading as the word went on. I would try doing that technique and seeing what best represents the word “wish”. Typographic Iteration
Vocational Questions
If you were guaranteed it would support you financially, what would you want to design or make for a living?
The beautiful part about studying to become an art teacher is that I am already pursuing what I love. Therefore, if I was guaranteed to be financially supported, I would hop from country to country building up art education programs and giving students the opportunity to use and explore media they may never be able to afford. Unfortunately, the arts get cut at a lot of schools, because they don’t have the finances to support them. Many schools have very limited art supplies available to them. My job would be to work at these schools to help their art departments either come into existence or flourish. I would teach the importance of art within an education system and how art can be found in nature and with very little materials available. I would be an art teacher, but I would travel the world to teach. This would also provide me with the opportunity to learn how different cultures express themselves through art. I, myself, would not be designing or making something for a living, but rather helping students design pieces of their own.
Are you called to creative work? If so, how do you recognize that calling? If not, to what do you feel called?
I am called to creative work. I know this, because each day I naturally notice the beauty in the things around me. Inspiration for projects and paintings will come to me spontaneously as I am going about my day. I could simply be walking on a sidewalk and the next idea for a painting strikes me. I have a list of art ideas written down that have just randomly come to me. I feel the urge to express those ideas. I am not a person who can just sit down and be continuously told what to do. I need to have flexibility, a bit of unpredictability, and lots of independence. I know that I would not feel fulfilled pursuing work that limits me in what I can do. I would grow bored and my creative side would ache to escape. That is why I am becoming an art teacher.
This book is an overview of my first design class. I was a little nervous about this class, as I was apprehensive about the types of projects we would be doing. The thought of using online platforms to create pieces filled me with dread, because I had previously struggled with them. As the semester progressed, though, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the class. The seasons in this book represent how I felt about each project. Fall leaves and summer flowers mean I liked the project, winter snow means I felt okay about it, and spring rain means I disliked the project. Nevertheless, with all the assignments I branched outside of my comfort zone and discovered myself growing as an artist.