Semiotics and Form Nick Rissmeyer

nick rissmeyer

chicago

form

2016

semiotics and

graphic design II

semiotics and form graphic design II ____________________ nick rissmeyer 2016

Course: Semiotics and Form Semiotics: the study of meaning-making, the study of sign processes and meaningful communication.

Form: the visible shape or configuration of something. a mold, frame, or block in or on which something is shaped.

Graphic design as a discipline is highly focused on creating graphic language. This language helps to organize information and to tell a brand story through consistent use of symbols. In this course, concepts will be synthesized into graphic form by use of symbology and typography as the major components in developing a graphic language as essential to brand building. Students will explore basic concepts of symbology as it pertains to basic graphic structure and universal communication. Outcomes will include 2-D and 3-D design solutions.

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se m o i t i cs and r

f o m 03

contents

exercises genres sign systems logo taxonomy 50 fonts noun project summary

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06 - 11 12 - 15 14 - 61 62 - 71 72 - 73 74 - 87 88 - 89

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Id

Indesign

Ai

Illustrator

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Photoshop

exercises

Project 1: Exercises. The Boddington Brewery and the Tradewell Market exercises designed to test our skills with the adobe suite to recreate a series of logos from poor quality images to crisp clean vector designs.

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boddingtons 08

Boddington’s Brewery Logo reproduction

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tradewell Tradewell Market Logo reproduction

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For much of this class we focused and studied these 9 important genres of design.

oldstyle 1455 - 1600s

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chunky letters, hand stamped look, odd spacing

art nouveau 1890s - t.o.c.

organic shapes, extremely intricate linear designs, often blues and greens

constructivism 1914 - 1930s

rigid,propaganda, very red

de stilj 1917 - 1930s

basic use of color and shape, Mondrian, geometric

bauhaus 1919 - 1933

mass production, geometric purity, modernist look

art deco 1920 - 1930s

geometric shapes, elongated texts, flat surfaces of color

international 1950s

heavy grid design, swiss

postmodern 1980s

collage, repetition, type in boxes, playfulness

urban 1990 - current

graffiti, design after 1990

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en r e s 13

sign

system Project 2: Sign system. I chose to redesign the stock Apple Mac applications. I did 21 total apps in a minimal and flat style to further modernize them.

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concept Over the years Apple has constantly redesigned the look of its OS. It’s gone from very realistic looking to the current flat look but still with a small amount of 3D aspects with gradients and layers. My goal was to take another step forward in the look of the OS by taking away everything that wasn’t necessary and further flattening the icons.

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At first I tried to keep the gradient look and from there I experimented with circles or squares to further the flat look with basic geometrical shapes. I eventually chose the circle as the base icon shape and took the gradient away.

I then experimented with many different color combinations for all of the applications and I ended up choosing to use a color that was somewhat similar or had the same feel as the old ones so that it would still have the important immediate familiarity.

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1/21

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photos Photos: For the first app I took the immediately recognizable Polaroid snapshots and added a scene to them and placed one on top of another and turned them a little to add visual interest. Also to show that it is photos, plural, instead of a single photo.

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2/21

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safari Safari: For Apple’s own browser icon I simply simplified it down to the only elements needed to be recognizable as a compass.

Just the needle that rotates and the circle that it sits in.

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FEB

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calendar Calendar: This app is as simple as possible. The red part at the top with the month creates the thick upper part of a desk calender that you tear each day’s sheet out of.

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4/21

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photobooth

Photo Booth: When you use the Photo Booth application the area next to the tiny camera in the top center of the Mac screen lights up with a green dot.

This one may be a stretch for immediate recognition but it is very clear to anyone who has used the application.

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5/21

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contacts Contacts: I made a Rolodex with the well known contacts person symbol on it. I used similar colors to the original to make it feel familiar.

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gamecenter

Game center: For this one I simply made everything very solid and flat. The colors are very close to the original.

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7/21

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notes Notes: My notes is a circular note pad with the same yellow as the original app so that it would be very recognizable and I used an off white to show jagged edges of a page torn. Also I wrote down some things from a typical shopping list on it and made it look like handwriting.

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8/21

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calculator

Calculator: I took only the necessary elements you would need to identify the app as a calculator like the plus sign and equal sign and used the orange from the original calculator app.

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9/21

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settings Settings: I took the well known cog design and put it in white on a dark background circle for maximum contrast.

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10/21

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messages

Messages: My messages app is the same basic concept as the original but with clean rounded edges and a more subdued color palette of blue and gray.

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11/21

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finder Finder: The ultimate iconic Apple application icon.

I took mine a step further with simplicity and made the nose shape angular rather than curved. I made the eyes slightly larger and the mouth slightly more curved as well.

I took away the gradient and used slightly different shades of blue and gray.

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12/21

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garage band

Garage band: I took only the neck and head of a guitar and put it in white against a red circle for stark contrast. I also streamlined the guitar head taking away strings and anything that didn’t need to be there for it to be seen as a guitar head.

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13/21

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maps Maps: The current maps application looks like every other companies maps app, which is the little road diagram with streets. I tried that approach and found that in order to simplify the icon I needed to strip away everything but the pointer that indicates the destination.

I also put a little dotted path towards it to show the direction and path of travel.

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14/21

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app store App Store: I took the three piece A idea from the original and used three black slab like pieces and put them on a shopping bag.

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15/21

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reminders

Reminders: The current reminders app features a note pad like rectangle with different colored dots. I took the purple colored dot, pulled it off and put the check mark of completion in the center. It retains the recognizability and similar feel as the original but cleaner and straightforward.

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16/21

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facetime FaceTime: I took the very iconic Mac Finder icon and made two faces out of it each with different shades of green to be seen apart and put them facing each other.

Literally Face time.

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17/21

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ibooks iBooks: With this icon I just flattened it even more and kept a similar color as the original. I also gave the book a brown backing for more of an open book feel.

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18/21

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keychain Keychain: For Apple’s Keychain access I flattened the keys and key ring and used a blue background circle to fit the rest of the system.

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itunes iTunes: For my iTunes I stuck with the same music note as they’ve had for years and I just took the gradient off and flattened it and used the same colors.

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20/21

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mail Mail: The current mail app is a stamp. I just used a white piece of paper half sticking out of an envelope with 2 shades of blue and white. Immediately understandable as mail.

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21/21

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trash Trash: The Mac trash can isn’t really an app but I wanted to address it with the same thought process as the apps so when they are all on the dock together they look like one cohesive system.

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photos safari calendar photobooth contacts game center notes calculator settings messages finder garage band maps apple store reminders facetime ibooks keychain itunes mail trash 60

FEB

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emblem A mark in which the company name is inextricably connected to a pictorial element

wordmark A freestanding acronym, company name, or product name that has been designed to convey a brand attribute or positioning.

letterform A unique design using one or more letterforms that act as a mnemonic device for a company name.

abstract A symbol that conveys a big idea, and often embodies strategic ambiguity.

pictorial An immediately recognizable literal image that has been simplified and stylized.

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logo taxonomy

Project 3: Logo taxonomy.

We were challenged to recreate a well known logo using the types: emblem, wordmark, abstract, pictorial, and letterform. I chose Lamborghini. I stuck with the same colors and didn’t go for a total re-brand just a modernization of the logo.

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emblem LAMBORGHINI

LAMBORGHINI

Lamborghini uses a bull in a shield like shape as it’s emblem logo. I went through multiple bulls and multiple shield shapes until settling on the one on the right page. I used similar colors to keep the brands identity and I flattened the logo but also added some depth to the bull.

LAMBORGHINI

EMBLEM

LAMBORGHINI

LAMBORGHINI

BLEM

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LAMBORGHINI

LAMBORGHINI

GR HIGNH ABMOBRO I INI LALM

R G O H B I N M A I L

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pictorial For the pictorial logo I stuck with just the bull. I used the bull from their original logo and just made it a silhouette.

The color and the shape really make a high end fierce looking logo and illustrates the brand.

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wordmark O R B H INI M LA O R B H I M NI A L The wordmark design came directly from the emblem design. I stuck with the curved shape of the top of the shield.

This shape in a way also mimics the hood of the car from eye level.

On the page to the right is another wordmark using the tail of the bull.

R O G B H I M NI A L R O G B H INI M LA 68

LAMBO WORDMARK

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abstract For the abstract I combined the silhouette of one of the Lamborghini models with the tail and horn of the bull to connect it to the previous logos. I think it makes a very unique looking image and the bull aspects help add to the power of the vehicle.

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letterform R G O H B I N M A I L R G O H B I N M A I L

WORDMARK

LETTERFORM

Again with the letterform I used the tail and the horn of the bull. I also used the L from the font on the emblem and the wordmark. Also the L at a slant is used to mimic the position of the drivers seat.

L

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important fonts Akzidenz-Grotesk Avante Garde Baskerville Bembo Benguiat Bondoni Adobe Caslon Centaur Century Expanded Didot Eurostile Fedra Sans Fenice Filosofia Fruitiger Franklin Gothic Futura Georgia Gill Sans Garamond Glypha Gotham Helvetica Hoefler Text

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50 1896 1970 1757 1495 1977 1798 1990 1914 1900 1784 1962 2001 1980 1996 1975 1902 1927 1993 1928 1540 1977 2000 1957 1991

1993 1996 1956 1986 1985 1990 1996 2002 1929 1908 1968 1990 1958 1992 1948 1934 1964 1990 0000 1984 1994 1932 1949 1989 1957 1996 1804

Interstate Jenson Letter Gothic Matrix Meta Minion Mrs Eaves Neutraface Nobel News Gothic OCR Officina Optima Ouadraat Palatino Rockwell Sabon Scala Stencil Stone Serif Thesis Serif Times New Roman Trade Gothic Trajan Univers Verdana Walbaum

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noun project 74

Project 4: thenounproject.com is a website with tons of symbols and symbol systems all simple and in black and white from any graphic designer who uploads them to their sight.

The goal with this project was to pick a topic and design a system in clean black and white and have all the symbols look good as a whole and be about the same size.

I went onto the noun project’s website and looked at what other people had done and realized there was no well done mafia icons. So I decided to make some. I made 11 mafia icons, some inspired by some of my favorite movies.

switchblade The switchblade is one of the most classic and iconic weapons in the mobster’s arsenal. Also one of the coolest knives ever made.

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tommy gun The tommy gun is 100% the most iconic mobster weapon. Used in every mafia movie and one of the first if not the first things that come to mind when you think of the mob. This specific one is modified with a front grip.

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poker chips Poker and gambling are also in every mafia movie and are one of the main sources of income for mobsters. Think Martin Scorsese’s Casino.

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revolver The classic snub nose revolver, like the tommy gun is a quintessential mafia firearm. Used by everyone in a mafia movie at some point.

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playing cards The playing cards also represent the gambling side of the mafia and also the social side.

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straight razor In order to be in the mafia you must be cleanshaven. The straight razor is the tool of choice. The barbershop is also an iconic aspect of life in the time of the mafia. Like Robert De Niro playing Al Capone getting a shave in The Untouchables.

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alcohol In every single mafia movie or TV show there are probably over 20 scenes of the characters drinking. This glass is some kind of hard liquor on the rocks.

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brass knuckles Brass knuckles are the easiest concealed weapon and for that reason used by the mafia. With a very iconic shape that works well as a black and white symbol.

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cigarettes The mafia is a product of the 40’s and 50’s a time when smoking was social and almost the entire population did it.

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boutonnière The boutonnière worn on the suit jacket of a man at a wedding is an extremely iconic mafia symbol because of Marlon Brando in The Godfather wearing one at his daughter’s wedding.

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blood money This symbol refers to both the way the mafia gets it’s money and literally money with blood spilled on it.

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summary

I had very high hopes for this class because I had taken so many graphic design classes in community college and in high school. They were always very easy for me and I never learned much. I figured that going to art school for graphic design, going in with so many credits toward my major and skipping graphic design one would be great.

This class was much more real than previous graphic design courses I had taken. Ron is a designer and I think he made that very clear throughout the semester. I think the class lived up to my expectations.

I find that it isn’t always about the class though, it’s more about you as an individual and the progression you make through working. It seems obvious but the more work I do the better I get. I think that’s really the whole point of studying graphic design. The exposure is very important.

The first two weeks were spent learning and discussing the nine genres and doing the exercise projects. We began to see the structure and flow of the course and how each class would be.

We spent most of class looking at everyone’s work from the previous week and this continued throughout the semester and the course.

We talked about how nothing is original and that all design is inspired by something else and briefly about connections and marketing yourself as

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a designer. This I found refreshing to hear about because it’s obviously very important and most classes I’ve taken in the past didn’t mention it.

Weeks three through six we worked on our logo taxonomy projects and started the sketches and ideas for the sign system project. It took me a very long time to find a logo I really wanted to redesign for the taxonomy project. At first I was going to do Firehouse Subs because I go there a lot but it was immediately boring.

I settled on Lamborghini because of how elegant it could be and I liked the bull.

Weeks six through nine we spent actually creating our sign systems and reviewing everyone’s progress every class. I made the calendar, finder and notes applications first and changed them a bit every week until settling on a final idea and rules for my system. We looked at everyone’s final system on the ninth week for all of the class.

We also talked briefly about the noun project and looked at the website.

“As soon as you hear it or think about it write it down, never lose ideas, write everything down.”

-Ron Kovach Week nine through week twelve we did the noun project while simultaneously and slowly assembling this book. I chose to do the mafia

icons pretty quickly and started working on that immediately. I really liked that project because I’m a big fan of mafia movies and TV shows. I also liked trying to make a visual language of sorts to convey the mafia and have all the icons be a similar size and weight.

By week nine our books were just the file set up in InDesign with some stuff just dropped in as place holders.

We worked on the books from week nine through thirteen.

The books were printed on week fourteen and due in class on week fifteen.

I saw myself progress a lot throughout this course and I think the printing and actually creating tangible items was a big help. I really enjoyed being able to see something I made in person in my hands. It really puts all the hard work into perspective. It’s really nice to be able to walk away from this semester with portfolio pieces as well.

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Nick Rissmeyer Macbook pro Photoshop cc 14 Indesign cc 14 Illustrator cc 14 2016 Graphic Design II Semiotics and Form Akzidenz-Grotesk -Bold -Medium -Regular Univers -Bold -Roman -Black Extended Oblique

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Š2016 nick rissmeyer. all rights reserved

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chicago

2016