My Head Just Exploded

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED LAUREN VANHEYST.

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED

life as a designer.

(

)

WARNING: communications design may cause stress, sleep deprivation, coffee addiction, pulling your hair out, self doubt, looking like a zombie and possible loss of sanity.

LAUREN VANHEYST Hello my name is Lauren VanHeyst.

I am currently 20 years old and a sophomore Communications Design student at Syracuse University.

My mind is a myriad of ideas, which leads to constant over-thinking and second guessing myself, which is why my head is constantly exploding with frustration, creativity, and other daily insanity. It’s how my brain works and it makes me who I am — eager and excited to make my mark in the design world.

portfolio.

cmd 281 | fall 2011.

CROPPED LETTERFORM This assignment was to crop out as much of a letter form as possible, while leaving enough to allow its identification as a typographic character. This brought into focus the qualities of a letter that make it unique to itself.

Success was judged when parts were seen before the whole. The final composition was meant to have roughly equal amounts of black and white, figure and ground, form and counter form. I selected three different letterforms: one serif (Garamond), one sans serif (Helvetica), and one of my choice (Rockwell).

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED

when i see the bus pull away right in front of me

cmd 281 | fall 2011.

LETTER SYMBOL This assignment was to arrange multiple copies of the same letterform to create a form different from the letterform. The arrangement was meant to achieve new visual strength or symbolism. The symbols were made using 3 - 7 of the same letter in the same size. These were placed on a 12-inch square bristol board with enough space around the unit so that it stood out as a symbol.

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED

when the first thing i hear about my major is that your professors are known to burn projects

cmd 281 | fall 2011.

3-D LETTERFORM This assignment was to build a letterform from white paper, bristol board, and foam core. The viewer is meant to see the letterform, not how it was made. I chose to make a Rockwell “Y�.

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED

when my roommate goes to bed at midnight, and says it was a “late night”

cmd 281 | fall 2011.

LETTERFORM LAYOUT This assignment was to organize several elements into a poster format.

We needed to organize image and typography in a visual arena, write a headline and body copy, and direct a conceptual photograph. The copy contains interesting facts and personal opinions on the type face we chose (Rockwell), and contains a version of our cropped letterform, letter symbol, and 3-D letterform. The layouts were designed using the grid: constructional and compositional.

v v

v v

v v

v v

BOLDLY standing out

B staOLD nd L ing Y ou

Rockwell was designed by Monotype’s in-house design studio in 1934. Its design was based on an earlier, more condensed slab serif design called Litho Antique. Frank Hinman Pierpont supervised the design.

Rockwell is a serif font, more specifically slab serif, or Egyptian, which means that the serifs are un-bracketed and a similar weight to the horizontal strokes of the letter.

Rockwell is geometric, blunt, and has straight-edged serifs. It is a robust design that gives off the feeling of straightforward honesty in a text composition. It has a strong, adaptable display face that is perfect for headlines and posters and is still easily legible in short text blocks. It is a powerful and versatile font with nine different weights. It is one of the most iconic slab-serif fonts and is now used in all kinds of designs for an eye-catching impact.

l

ck we l

Rockwell is geometric, blunt, and has straight-edged serifs.

It is a robust design that gives off the feeling of straightforward honesty in a text composition. It has a strong, adaptable display face that is perfect for headlines and posters and is still easily legible in short text blocks. It is a powerful and versatile font with nine different weights.

As one of the most iconic slab-serif fonts, it is now used in all kinds of designs for an eye-catching impact.

t

Rockwell was designed by Monotype’s in-house design studio in 1934. Its design was based on an earlier, more condensed slab serif design called Litho Antique. Frank Hinman Pierpont supervised the design.

Ro

Rockwell is a serif font, more specifically slab serif, or Egyptian, which means that the serifs are un-bracketed and a similar weight to the horizontal strokes of the letter.

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED

when i have $.01 left on pcounter

cmd 281 | fall 2011.

TYPOGRAPHIC DEFINITION This assignment was to visually define 3 of the 5 words: Aggression, Alienation, Exaggeration, Noncooperation, and Organization. We created a Non Verbal Definition, Typographic Definition, Image Definition, and Hybrid Definition. I chose the words Aggression, Alienation and Noncooperation.

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED

when the smell of rubber cement becomes normal

cmd 251 | fall 2011.

TEEZ RESTAURANT Restaurant Branding, Advertisement Posters Teez is an aphrodisiac inspired restaurant aimed towards couples that are looking for a fun, quirky eat.

and every

It was love at first bite.

every

It was love at first bite.

teez teez

teez

149 2nd Avenue | New York, NY 10003 | Phone 212 228 8020

teez

149 2nd Avenue | New York, NY 10003 | Phone 212 228 8020

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED

when i make it the whole semester without cutting myself with an x-acto knife, but slice my hand open with scissors

cmd 251 | fall 2011.

HOME INVASION Gallery Exhibition, Advertisements Home Invasion is an exhibit on the history of advertising. The exhibit resembled a home with each room focusing on a different media of advertisement: print, radio, television, web, guerrilla and outdoors. This emphasized how the public is bombarded with advertisements and marketing daily.

A HOME INVASION AN EXHIBIT ON THE HISTORY OF ADVERTISING

OPENING: 8 DECEMBER 2011 THE WAREHOUSE GALLERY 350 W. FAYETTE ST. SYRACUSE, NY 13202

A HOME INVASION

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED

when the stack of pepsi bottles and starbucks cups on my desk is overflowing

cmd 282 | spring 2012.

THE EVIL EYE Information Design The assignment was to design an information driven project. I designed a book about the ancient belief in the evil eye, which is a look that is believed by many cultures to be able to cause injury or bad luck for the person at whom it is directed for reasons of envy or dislike. I created a 7-inch square hard cover book, along with bookmark and protective talisman. I used imagery and graphics to explain the history and different beliefs about the “evil eye� that exists in different cultures, as well as the use of cures and talismans for protection.

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED

when i walk to the library to print at 3 am

cmd 282 | spring 2012.

CONNECTION PROGRESSION This assignment deals directly with visual connections and progressions. Using type and image, I had to create a book, which used different types of connections to create a logical progression. The book had to be 8 inches square, accordion fold in black and white. All type and image was found from magazines and books. The book is 24 pages and has an equal amount of typography and imagery. The pages are meant to transition smoothly and have a consistent rhythm that carries the viewer along. I used the visual macro themes of “order to chaos” (12:12), and “type to image” (6:12:6). In design we have to make connections. It is our job, as designers, to put together things that seem to be not related in any way, shape, or form and make them seem like they were meant for each other.

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED

when midnight takeout becomes routine

cmd 252 | spring 2012.

REWIND Package Design The assignment was to create a new product from the wonder product, baking soda, which already has hundreds of every-day uses. My challenge was to create a new use for it, name and package it. The advertisement had to be a full-page magazine spread and the P.O.P. Display had to announce the new product and is benefits to the marketplace. It needed a minimum of 12 units and function as a counter-top display. I chose to create “Rewind”, a hangover remedy. This is for anyone who has had a bit too much to drink and doesn’t want to deal with a hangover the next morning. They may have been out late partying but still have an early day ahead of them. It is unique because it comes in a liquid form and is designed to resemble an alcoholic shot. It is pre-measured and both fun and easy to use.

WE DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED EITHER

WE DO KNOW WE CAN CURE YOUR HANGOVER

rewind HANGOVER RECOVE

RY

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED

when i start shaking from mixing red bull and mountain dew when i can’t look at a menu or sign without judging it when it starts pouring rain right after i print

when i have over ten sharpies that are somehow all out of ink when i don’t notice my typo until after i print when i’m already exhausted and i manage to get mono

cmd 252 | spring 2012.

SMOKIN MONKEY Magazine Design The assignment was to create a “two-headed magazine” for two distinct audiences: one for the household husband, and the other for the household wife between the ages of 25 and 45. Both magazines have the same content and contain feature stories about relationships, careers and money management. The department topic was my choice and of a subject appropriate to my audience. I created a magazine for “creative’s”, and chose to use strange imagery and headings to appeal to my edgy, quirky audience. This project was an experiment in splash page layout.

MY HEAD JUST EXPLODED

when i think “this is so easy. why can’t i get it?” for the hundredth time

Through all the blood, sweat, tears, and head explosions, it was all worth it in the end. I met great people, learned to work in a team, was inspired, and learned to laugh at myself.

I wouldn’t change a minute of it.

TO BE CONTINUED...