Lauren's Process Book

It’s a Process

Intro to Design Art 130 Fall 2022 Saint Norbert College

Lauren Miller

Crash Course

Objective:

This project was an introduction for us to get into design thinking. We had to work with a partner to listen to some conflicts they might be having and had to create a solution for them in 15 min.

The problem we were finding a solution for was the fact she needed better time management. As a freshman just navigating her first year of college she needed a solution that could help her organize her schedule. I knew what helped me as a freshman, but I wanted to make sure it would suit her needs as well. By asking questions that related to her typical day and relating to what I went through last year. I created a calendar out of foam and organized the calendar by using bottle caps that were labeled on the attached key. Showing unfinished work was very uncomfortable for me because I do not feel strong in my art abilities; and my prototype was specifically for the person I was presenting to. I felt as though the prototype was a first draft and was not as neat as I thought it would be, however, I know she understood the concept of the solution. The pace of the assignment felt quick but I was still comfortable. It made me think on the spot and I had no time to second guess myself, which I enjoyed.

Reflection:

Dot/Line

Objective: I learned how to use negative space with the shapes given to us to illustrate an abstract meaning of a word.

This was a draft from my sketchbook of other ideas for the three words I was trying to illustrate.

Oppression Freedom Abundance

Reflection:

Ultimately, the main challenge was creating a unique composition of the word while only using the limited materials given to us. I chose to have the compositions: one line and one dot, two lines and two dots, and all lines. With one dot and one line I got creative with what words I could illustrate. After playing around I noticed that one big line could push a small dot into the corner to prevent the dot from being free in the square, illustrating the word oppression. With two lines and two dots composition I made a ground/“barrier” with the two different colored lines. I then made the two dots different colors to show that they can cross each other’s “barrier”, illustrating freedom. Lastly, I made a composition of all lines showing abundance. My plan was to make an ‘abundance’ of lines starting from the middle looking really small so they looked like they were from a distance. As they gradually start to get bigger you can see how they may be never ending. My main challenge with this assignment was making the lines and dots the exact shape and size as wanted. A lot of hours went into cutting the abundance lines and though they turned out pretty squiggly it was mentioned as I was presenting that it went along with the abstract composition of illustrating abundance.

Letterforms

Objective:

This

project taught me how to illustrate letters to convey a certain meaning.

This is a mind map from my sketchbook.

This was an assignment analyzing the characteristics of letters and fonts.

Reflection:

This project came with many challenges. Finding different ways to illustrate the word ‘stuck’ had me stuck. My first challenge was inking the letters to the paper. I found it difficult to ink the letters in a straight line. Not only was it important for the letters to be aligned but to also make sure they had even amount of ink on them so one letter didn’t look darker than the other. Although this was difficult to navigate, it was fun to learn something new. Another challenge was finding enough compositions to illustrate ‘stuck’. I immediately thought of letters being stuck together and started to play around with that. It took me a while to figure out other illustrations until I was inking the letters to the paper and accidentally flipped the ‘c’. I realized that I couldn’t flip it back because it was stuck on the paper and left it as it was.

Iterative Illustartions

This project’s main objective was to learn how to research and recreate images of a subject. My subject was a red squirrel. I had to show using different techniques such as geometric, one line, abstract, and style of a master artist. By using these techniques I showcased the red squirrel in many different positions that are a part of its daily movements.

The Squirrels!

Final Product

This was probably my toughest project in this class. Trying to think of different positions that squirrels normally are in on the daily was not easy. I did think this project was very fun because it wasn’t just drawing pictures. The abstract technique was very interesting because we got to do some scrapbooking. We were told to find textures and colors in magazines and other pictures that are similar to our subject. I therefore made the head of my squirrel from a horse’s face that I found on a farm magazine.

PSA Posters

Objective: Listen to my “client” and hear what they want their poster to communicate to their audience. I made sure I wrote down the details my client absolutely wanted. It was very important to make sure the font, size and layout of the poster was done the way she wanted.

In the beginning of making the PSA posters I made a lot of drafts and thumbnails to figure out the layout and included my clients notes that she wanted on the poster. While making the layouts I figured that I wanted the title to have a path, I thought it made it look more welcoming. Then after a lot of drafts I figured out a layout that works best for the subheading, and other details that were necessary information for the poster. One challenge that I had was the indecisiveness of picking a layout.

Reflection:

Who Designs- Jessica Walsh

The artist I chose to research was Jessica Walsh. Jessica Walsh always had a love for graphic design. She started designing at a very young age and went to the Rhode Island School of Design to dive in further into what she loved. Jessica Walsh is an American designer who focuses on fashion. Using bold and bright colors to enhance fashion design she creates the most unique, inspirational artwork. Walsh is most known for her digital design; and mostly works on typography, branding, art illustrations and website design, as she has her own website. Walsh had caught my attention because of the bold and distinctiveness of her photos. She uses her colors and boldness to emphasize fashion today. When I see her art I

think of a modern turn on the 80’s fashion. In the 80’s there was a lot of pop of color and boldness throughout fashion and design. Walsh also uses a lot of typography in her art. She is known for using typography on people.

Vocational Question #1:

What, if anything, distinguishes art and design? If you have to pick a side, which do you choose? Why?

I think art and design have many differences. When I think of art, I think of hand crafted pieces that are special in the artists’ unique way. When I think of design, I think of fashion, of interior spaces, the list goes on and on. But when I think about those things I think of a designer using their knowledge of what the do’s and don’ts of today’s style are. I don’t necessarily think a designer creates complete pieces from scratch, although I do think all designers have their own style that makes that design original.

Vocational Question #2:

What is the difference between a good life and a significant life?

I personally believe that the difference between a good life and a significant life is how meaningful you think your life is. If you wake up in the morning excited to start your day and accomplish what you feel is significant to accomplish in life then I believe you have a significant life. When you wake up in the morning and stumble out of bed because that is just what you’re supposed to do I believe you will only have a good life. The difference between the two is the excitement for life.

This book was made as part of Introduction to Design at St. Norbert College in the fall of 2022. The fonts include Marker felt, Bodoni 72 Oldstyle, Adobe Hebrew, Apple Chancery, Krungthep, PT Mono, and Ariel Black, .It was digitally printed and saddle stapled at the college’s print center.