Bookforms process journal pages by Samantha Morrell

Bookforms Fall Semester 2016 Hite Art Institute, Univeristy of Louisville Instructed by Meena Khalili Designed by Samantha Morrell Black & White Photos by Samantha Morrell

CONTENTS Foreword $5 Toy Project

Intro to Project

3&4

Weekly Responses & Progress 1-5

5 - 14

Final Product, Packaging, Poster

15 & 16

Project 2: Dutch portFolio

Intro to Project

21 & 22

Three Dutch Design Spreads

23 - 28

Weekly Responses & Progress 6-12

21 - 40

Final Layout and Folio

41 - 48

Conclusion

FOREWORD

Throughout this journal you will experience what was going on in my creative mind during the Fall semester 2016 in Bookforms. With a new design professor I knew this semester would bring me more opportunities and creative challenges. Meena Khalili inspired us to keep a weekly blog post, writing about 500 words after listening to design podcasts from Design Matters, 99% and also reading Layout Essentials. Not only were we supposed to react to what we listening or reading, we had to relate what the artist was saying to our current projects in the class. I found this time incredibly inspiring and thoughtful for the designer I want to become. During these assignments I would purposefully stop where I was in a project and try to look at what I was doing as a designer and a person. This was me looking at myself and my work from a somewhat out of body experience or a different point of view. Each response speaks to what I learned and heard in the podcast/reading and how I can relate it to my design experience. Also in this book you will also see many black and white photographs I took for my Into to Black and White Photography class taught my Mary Carothers. I took these with a Pentax camera with 35mm film and developed them myself. I really learned a lot about my design skills, what I want to improve on, and what kind of designer I want to become. It helped me shape who I am becoming in design school at the Hite Art Institute. I hope you, the reader, experience what I went through and my thought process during the semester.

Negative taken in 1946 by my grandfather, John Morrell in his design workspace.

$5 Toy Project For the first project of the semester the assignment was to create an imaginative toy with pieces from a hardware store costing only five dollars. With this toy we were to create a double sided promotional poster that folds into an info brochure. I created the concept of this toy as well as the packaging design. Building a product from nothing to a whole brand taught me a lot about the process of design. I will guide you through the process of this project from sketches to the creation of the final designs. This project includes skills with grid structure, creation of small scale visual branding, generating written copy, maintaining a consistent mood, color scheme, theme and typographic treatment, printing a fully functional piece with a central over arching theme, creating packaging for the product and photographing finished pieces. The project was so enjoyable and free in a creative way because the only restriction was spending five dollars on the materials.

DEDICATION Sketching is something that is very important in my design process. This is the time that my ideas can flourish, even the crazy ones. I can see what will work and what won’t work. As I listen to the podcasts, I sketch out my ideas for what toy to create and the logo designs I will use with it.

99%

and why I liked them so much. This helped me generate ideas. Once I got into this state of mind the ideas came flying, and I soon had my own toy in mind. Ware goes on to discuss the feelings he had when he entered one of his first studios. He fell in love with the sights, smells and sounds of the studio. Everyone around him was enjoying what they were working on and he wanted to feel that sense of dedication too. I felt the same desire for dedication when I was younger in a studio and again when I interned in Sweden. I hope to have a career like that of Ware, living my dedication each day. While listening to the podcast, I sketched. I didn’t think about anything in particular, just listened and sketched out ideas I thought about for a $5 toy and logos. You must be dedicated to what you love and good things will happen through that desire and urge to better yourself.

Listening to podcasts always excites me. They always bring back random memories or experiences I’ve had throughout my life. I can always relate to some part of a podcast with a project or things happening in my life. While listening to the assigned podcasts, it reminded me of what I’ve learned thus far in Bookforms. In the first podcast, we have Edith Macefield, the little old lady who doesn’t want to leave her house. She loved her house for its familiarity and all she wanted was to stay there for the rest of her life. While designing this toy, I had to have the opposite attitude of Edith and get out of my comfort zone. I awoke the inner inventor in me and thought of a creative, fun and cheap way to design this toy. I’m learning that getting out of your comfort zone in the artistic field can open a lot of doors and creative thoughts.

Design Matters The second podcast with Chris Ware really caught my attention. Ware discusses how the feeling of creating cartoons and books sometimes brings out the child in him. In creating this toy, I had to bring out my inner child. I found myself thinking about what toys and games I played with, what they made me feel

RESPONSE 1

RESPONSE 2

MEANINGFUL DESIGN After sketching by hand and creating my toy, Hoop Hop, with five dollars, I moved to the computer. The variations for Hoop Hop were endless but choosing to incorporate the hoops gives the logo more meaning in the design.

Design Matters This week’s podcast begins with a quote from Massimo Vignelli that I will remember forever, “If you can design one thing, you can design anything.” This quote is encouragement for me. As I design my toy, I still find myself figuring out a way to perfect it. I find it difficult to make this $5 toy from the hardware store more attractive, but if I can do that I can make anything look more attractive. My first thought was to make it look less industrial, but as I get feedback from my classmates and teacher, I learn that keeping this industrial look could work just as well if not better. I struggled to create a logo and package for this toy looking at it from a different perspective, however like Vignelli said, if I can design one thing I can design anything.

the different design perspectives that go into each piece. I agree with Vignelli’s opinion that no design should be meaningless. I wanted to incorporate this philosophy into the creation of my toy. The logo must have certain design aspects from the toy itself. The logo also has to have a strong meaning and relate to the toy. As I was coming up with ideas and sketches for this project I had to consider what he describes as “junk.” I try my best to keep the “junk” out of my sketches, keep it simple and meaningful, no extra shenanigans. Though it will all come together in the end, I feel that at this point I’m designing different forms of art and making them all work together as a design system. Design can be hard at some times but like Vignelli says we can design anything. Thanks, Vignelli! Here are some digital logo sketches I designed while listening to this week’ s podcast. I had done a lot more in a week than this but I like to reflect on what I have worked on to get more ideas. I love seeing the process and early thoughts in my artwork. Massimo Vignelli gave me a lot of encouragement and inspiration to improve these designs.

99% Designers of all kinds have to consider other elements that will interact with the work whether it’s an architect studying the wind, or a packaging designer considering the material they will use. I can relate to the students the podcast discusses because I’m creating something that will hopefully stand out from other work, but I have to make sure the design is functional in the environment. Although I will use similar design elements for the toy, logo and packaging, I also have to consider

H H

HO OP HOP

TIME MANAGEMENT The amount of school work I have is done at a very fast pace in a short amount of time. A week and a half after sketching I had to have a fully functional toy and the packaging design. Many elements were used to create multiple forms to design and brand the toy.

99%

Layout Essentials

Managing time is a huge part of my life. Between designing multiple projects for school and designing freelance projects, I have to make sure it all gets done efficiently and effectively. As I was listening to the 99% podcast I found myself thinking about managing my time while balancing all my work. The podcast mentions, “the clock is your master.” This caught my attention because the clock is something I refer back to many times throughout my work process. All my projects have deadlines, whether it be sketches or a final product. I have to have it completed by the set date to get the necessary feedback or credit. Sometimes I become oblivious to the clock and get so lost in my artwork that I lose my sense of time. That’s how I know I love design, because sometimes the clock isn’t my master but art is my master. Design is becoming more important to me everyday and every year. It is so much a part of my life that I can totally relate to this podcast that mentions, “you know it by heart, you dream about it, you become good at it, you lose control, you’ve lost time on how much time is left, you get carried away with the project and finally time comes to an end.” I loved this segment of the podcast, and it will stay with me forever because it is actually a really good representation of what design means to me.

To go more in depth about design we get into the system of the grid. Yes! My favorite. Graphic Design and the grid go hand in hand in my eyes. With all the different elements we have to focus on as a designer, the grid is a helpful tool to organize it all. As I continue my designs of Hoop Hop onto a poster and booklet I have to consider the basic grid structure I will use for these formats. I’m at the point in creating a grid where I must assess the material I have for the poster and booklet. I need to consider the different elements such as pictures, graphics, and text when choosing a grid structure. As I read through these chapters it helps me generate ideas about the structure I want for my final poster and booklet. If I ever get stuck or frustrated I have to remember that the grid is my friend!

RESPONSE 3

RESPONSE 4

BACK TO THE BASICS The next item to design was a poster to promote Hoop Hop. While sketching poster ideas on the computer I can sometimes get lost in my ideas. When that happens I have to refer back to the basics of design and figure out which important elements need to be shown on the poster.

Design Matters

Layout Essentials

Jessica Hische’s podcast discusses many helpful outlooks on studying graphic design and working as a designer. She brought up a point that I often think about during my time in the design program at the University of Louisville. Throughout the time I have spent in the program I have noticed how portfolio driven it actually is. Sometimes I get so caught up in making sure the project will look good in my portfolio and that it’s what my future employers would like, that I forget about the basics. I do love how my design program works, don’t get me wrong, but things go at such a fast pace in such a short amount of time that sometimes I have to rewind back to the basics. I want to learn and understand graphic design as much as I can. I am constantly reading through graphic design books because I think knowing the basics and the history is what will make everything click in my head and what will help me become a great designer. Jessica got me thinking about how school is a very competitive environment but sometimes I need to really understand what makes design beautiful and why. Not only do I hear it from my dad, but now I’m hearing it in the podcasts I am listening to as well!

While I was designing my booklet for Hoop Hop I had to refer back to the basics. I have a diagonal design on my packaging so I needed to figure out how to use type at an angle and what type of grid would be best for this format. I found some answers while reading Layout Essentials that helped me improve my Hoop Hop design. Keeping the viewers interest is very important so I decided to use the same pace throughout my booklet. I kept the text boxes all the same width on each page and angled them to match the bounce line. Though this idea changed in my final poster design it is good to know how to handle type in this way. This made my design look more fun as well as keeping interest and organization throughout the whole booklet. Another important point Jessica made is that being nice and being around people that make you feel good gets you far in life, so SMILE!

HO OP HOP Bounce. Play. Compete. Hoop Hop is a game between two people that involves bouncing a ball off the table into a mini hoop. Whoever is first to make it into the hoop ten times wins that round! Perfect the the competitor inside you, you become a pro! Go to your nearest Target or Walmart to pick yours up today!

Initial design sketches for the poster.

DESIGN FLAWS The amount of design I see everyday is endless. Whether it’s good or bad it’s always around to take in. For my final Hoop Hop poster design I want people to gain a sense of interest and curiosity about the toy.

99%

Design is everywhere and sometimes it tells people what to do without them even realizing it. The fact that a small poster or sign can change a person’s decision that drastically tells me how much of an influence graphic design has on people. For example in this podcast a simple sign with just type can become a more decorated and friendly sign. The designer added the school’s colors to the sign which made using the rotating door more popular. Most of these people who noticed the sign and made the choice to use the rotating door had no idea that the look of this piece of paper triggered interest to make that decision. This experiment got me thinking of how my Hoop Hop poster is interpreted. Though it will not lead people to make a decision of what door to use, it will help a person choose this toy over another game. My focus on the poster is to catch people’s attention and show them what the game is all about. The friendly use of colors and animation/flat design I include will hopefully intrigue people and make them want to play with it.

images and ball bounces all work together. It was important to make sure each row of copy and the numbers above had the same order on different parts of my grid so they flowed throughout the pages equally. I focused a lot on the direction of the ball bounce because it had to make sense and guide the reader throughout each page. Figuring out the direction that the ball was bouncing had a big impact on where I could place my type and images. I wanted the bounce to be accurate on each page when it was closed as well as opened, but I also needed my copy and images to be placed correctly. It is important for all of these elements to work together with the available space on my pages. Every detail matters for elements to make sense on a piece of paper, whether that’s a sign saying “use rotating door” or a poster showing the coolest new toy. Each of these will have some type of impact on the viewer.

Layout Essentials

Reading about rhythm and order on pages really influenced how I placed elements throughout my booklet. I have to make sure my type,

RESPONSE 5

Sit or stand on opposite sides of the table from your opponent. Make sure each player is about 2 feet away from the hoop. Now it’s your time to shine. Bounce the ball one time into the hoop and earn a point. Try challenging yourself by putting some extra distance between you and the hoop. Bounce the ball twice or off of two different surfaces for two points. The trick shot possibilities are endless!

Whichever player makes it to 10 first wins and becomes a hoop pro champion! You will find yourself and your opponent playing for hours, it’s that fun! That satisfying feeling of getting the ball in the hoop increases the interest even more. The playing field is open for so many opportunities to make up some of your own unique rules. Now the time has finally come to unleash the pro hooper inside of you!

Let the Bounces Begin!

Bounce. Play. Compete. Angle and set Hoop Hop on a flat surface! From your counter to coffee table to desk, Hoop Hop is perfect to play anywhere! Extend the hoops from each side and make sure hoops are straight and even. Now get ready for an intense game for the competitor inside of you!

Find an opponent and pick a side! Hoop Hop is fun for any age. Whether you’re challenging your best friend in grade school, competing in college or just taking a break at work you will have a blast playing Hoop Hop. It’s easy, entertaining and addicting! Now you can take basketball to the table top! It’s love at first bounce! No need to worry about the ball, it’s provided by Hoop Hop for maximum bounce! Now, this game isn’t as easy as it sounds. Practice your aim to become a hoop pro champion! Don’t forget, practice makes perfect. It’s a great strategy for making the most hoops!

16 15

HO OP HOP My final products include the toy, packaging, double-sided poster and brochure. Many of different sketches and changes happened to get to this final point. I feel great that I can accomplish and create this many pieces in a month. I learned a lot about design and myself through this project.

FINAL PRODUCT

REFLECTION

Moving Forward

After spending a couple of days not thinking about Hoop Hop and then rekindling my thoughts and what I had learned, I came to the conclusion that I grew as a designer throughout this project. When I say I grew, I mean that I figured out who I am as a designer and what my work reflects about me. I am pretty straightforward with my designs, and I like to show a clear conception of what I think design is. I not only grew as a graphic designer but I grew as a product designer, inventor, and creator. It’s amazing to reflect on what I was feeling at the beginning of this project and how I feel now, which is happy. The confusion I faced throughout this process taught me to think things through more efficiently and to be confident with my creative ideas. I’m proud of every step I’ve taken during this project, even the bad ones. I’m proud that I figured out how to make a game out of literally a hinge and a piece of wire from a hardware store. I learned how to make ugly and random objects pretty. I learned how to make boring and unappealing objects into something interesting. Oh, and I also learned A LOT about how spreads and pages are set up as well bettering my typogra phy skills which I thought was most important.

After the toy project my teacher asked us to find a spread design that we think represents good design. The reason I chose this spread is because it gives me a sense of peace and makes me have a lot of design envy! It is so beautifully laid out. The balance of the two images on each page creates a sense of depth and interest for my eye. The hierarchy between the images, copy and headlines is clear and understandable. The clear grid on the spread keeps the layout and elements organized. This layout is a good example to me because of its use of space and balance between the two pages. The image is a big focus in this spread while the designer still allows enough space for the copy.

Spread design by Henrik Nygren

Dutch portFolio The Dutch Portfolio project opened a lot of creative doors for me because it brought me out of my comfort zone. The first part of the assignment was to choose three Dutch designer and email them with questions we had about their design work or general design questions. I felt nervous to contact a popular and inspiring designer that had such great success and lived in a completely different country. This project taught me how to be comfortable with contacting professional designers who I can learn from. After questioning three designers we were to design three spreads for each designer that included 300 words for copy, two images of the designer’s work, picture of the designer and a timeline. These three spreads were critiqued, and one was chosen as the focus of the project. We were then given about a month to create a three spread portfolio that included images of the designer’s work, an interactive element, timeline, metaphorical image and copy. I was very inspired by this project, and I’m so happy with the end result. Having a design that I worked so hard on and put a lot of thought into is now in my hands and exactly what I imagined. This is the best feeling ever. This is pride. This is why I am a designer.

DEDICATION As I look through multiple Dutch designers, Tom Frencken’s work really catches my eye because of his simple yet unique style. The image to the left is a piece of his furniture design that I really love because of the colors and simplicity.

Design Matters

Furniture design by Tom Frencken

Organization is a key factor in a person’s life, whether it’s organizing work or lifestyle. As a designer, you must organize multiple different elements in a given amount of space. We are given a lot of different information, and we have to make that all work together and be organized on a page. Thank goodness for the grid! Organization is also happening in our minds and we may not even notice it. We see so many inspirational things in a day that we have to keep all those thoughts or visuals organized subconsciously. So much information visually is taken in during the day, it has a huge impact on the way a person sees things and how it influences the creative process and design. School gives artists the tools and creative resources, but it is the world around us that gives us inspiration to make it our own. With all the “stuff” we like in the world it can help form the person we are. We choose who we engage with, who we love and why we are interested in something or someone. It helps a person grow and figure out a little bit more of who we are. The people we surround ourselves with are so important in our lives, we are affected in so many ways from each individual. Where we are geographically also has a huge impact on our work, our ideas or our views on life itself. As I think about this next project I know I will have to focus on location and how

that influenced each designer’s artwork. I can say I have experienced this feeling of being influenced by unfamiliar surroundings. When I traveled to Sweden to study with a design studio my idea of design was flipped upside down, but in a good way. Sweden and America are completely different design wise, and I was so inspired everywhere I went because of the great design in Stockholm. I was coming up with ideas while walking down the beautiful old cobblestone streets that I never thought I could create or imagine. Being in Sweden you are constantly surrounded by amazing design and art that gave me a totally different creative feeling than at home. The work I created while in Sweden was pretty different than what I would create here in Louisville. Though I do try to bring different influences from Sweden into my work, it really shows how surroundings are so important to any form of art, whether we are aware of it or not.

RESPONSE 6

SPREAD 1 Tom’s spread was my first to design because he was the designer that caught most of my attention. The aesthetic I got from his work gave me a sense of comfort. His unique clean style shines through in his interior design work. Tom’s designs were very interesting to me becasue it was easy for me to relate to his style of work.

TOM FRENCKEN

No.44 the concept store is the new fashion concept in Eindhoven. Fashion with a focus on new designers and a sense of lasting quality. Understated chic and executed in luxurious materials for the modern woman who blends fashion with comfort. For this fashion, beauty and perfume conceptstore Tom designed this simple and robust interior. The clean furniture forms a good base to showcase the latest fashion. How do you keep the balance of showing the fashion off but also let your designs shine through?

The simplicity and cleanliness are the key here. The noticeable details of the design are at ground level, the small blocks the furniture is standing on, so there will never be anything in front of it that makes the design invisible. The thickness of the white elements and the heavy wooden tops are big enough to not get covered in total. How do you know when enough has been done in your work? When it feels right, simple as that. Sometimes its needs a lot of detail and in some cases less is more. It really depends on the design and the purpose it’s for.

Did you have an specific inspiration for the design of this concept store? It needed to fit the interior of the perfume store ‘eau de cologne’, which is in the same building. I designed and made this perfume store a year before nr.44. It has the same details and simplicity, but a different color scheme. The actual space, amount of clothing that needed to lay and hang, and of course the wishes of the owner where the base of the design. This was the most efficient way and placement of the furniture, so it only needed a nice shape.

Tom gets inspired by everything that surrounds him and translates all ideas into handcrafted furniture, interior projects and art. Averse to trends Tom is not to be stopped by the unknown. He creates his own surprising world and dares to be different. Tom prefers not to design with the computer, all products and projects are hand made in his studio to keep a finger on the quality and details. Tom makes balanced and robust designs in which comfort, quality and durability are very important. Toms strength is the ability to translate the customers wishes and needs perfectly and turn them into a personal and custom made design.

Toms Timeline

1978 Born in the Netherlands

1998

2007

2012

2016

Began 2d & 3D design at st.Lucas Boxtel, the Netherlands

Graduated with furniture design and interior archtecture KHM Mechelen, Belgium

JOBTOM collection launched

Currently working on many differnt project, recently launched NR.44 concept store

SPREAD 2

Muurbloem History

Muurbloem is an interior design company that creates unique, fun and modern design to interior spaces. I focused my spread on one of compnaies projects. I was inspired by the 3D wall piece they design to incoorporate into the spread. This was very different design style for me, I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done an uncomfortable design style like this before but I ended up having the most fun doing it.

2000 Muurbloem Studio founded by Gonnette Smits

MUURBLOEM

2005 Education Inspectorate project established to

2008 Education Inspectorate project established to

2013 Catherina Stitching, print on etched glass project

2015 Stroomt Interactions launched

DESIGN STUDIO

Stroomt Interactions

Muurbloem is a design studio that specializes in the realization of interior and exterior projects and product design. The studios ambition is to be operational with a small team of professionals. This works best with a small permanent team of about four to six people which is supplemented by flexibly professional skilled employees on a project base. The team is under leadingship of Gonnette Smits, designer and creative director and Bart van de Kerkhof, general manager.

Muurbloem designed and realized the establishment of the new Stroomt Interactions office in Utrecht. The particular location is a former coaching inn in the old city centre. In close communication with Stroomt Interactions Muurbloem designed an innovative, sustainable and contemporary nature of the business that reflect what their company is about.

Activites

The identity of Stroomt Interactions has been made the center of all designs and therefor the special designs are a repetitive pattern throughout the entire interior. This pattern can be seen in various rooms as reflected by the speciallydesigned carpet, wallcover and wall cabinet. Because of this cabinet, the 2d wall design gets a 3d function. In addition, Muurbloem composed the furniture,

light plan and colour scheme of the interior. The basic colors are grey and greying greens complemented by bright green and orange. All parts where brought together with care, achieving a surprisingly coherent overall image.

Method

Muurbloem project team has designed the interior concept in full consultation with the client. Together the employees created a moodboard that served as inspiration for Muurbloem. The realization of this project, the various craftsmen and supplies, ordering the products to streamline the entire process was all supervised by Muurbloem. An important part is the time and effort Muurbloem puts in the project to achieve optimal quality.

Project Details Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands. Job description: Interieur design. Carpets: speciaal design, produced by egecarpets. Furniture: plywood, CNC carved and painted. Wall: fleece non woven, speciaal design.

2016 Currently working with Clients including interior and architects, corporations, government

SPREAD 3

Matej Chabera

As I was creating these spreads I was trying to incoorporate each designers style with my own style of design. I wanted my design to reflect the designers hard work and creativity. I spent a lot of time studying spread designs and how each element was handled. The balance of the two pictures is what I love so much about this piece I created for Matej Chabera.

Matej Chabera has firm roots in an artistic family and always has been lead towards creative work pursueing music and visual arts. He studied many things including, anthropology, art history, psychology, graphic design, architectural design. Throughout all the studying me found out that design was the outcome of his search.

Matej Chabera is a design studio and brand with offices in United Kingdom and Czech Republic. The work includes images, objects, identity, creative direction and consulting. The studio works internationally on own projects, on private commissions and for a range of companies. Coatstand 02 started out from the typographical form of letter A. Its symmetry and

1982 Born in Prague

1996

Matej Chabera began his studies wit his artistic abilities

2008

Graduated from Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam with graphic design and architectural design

2009

Matej Chabera studio launched in BrandĂ˝s nad Labem

2011

Created Coatstand 02

2014

MA degree in Product Design

2016

The studio continues to work with brands and clients across Europe.

Coatstand 02

RESPONSE 7

FUNCTIONING DESIGN After creating three spreads of three different designers, I chose to create the portfolio for Tom Frencken. Now that I knew which designer I was going to focus on it was time to sketch out ideas for the portfolio.

99% Design flaws are everywhere. Lots of people notice them but many don’t do anything about them. Richard Ankrom did do something about a design flaw he couldn’t ignore. He wanted to fix this signage because it was something that people saw everyday. He wanted to help out the citizens with this secret project. Though creating a magazine or book spread isn’t secretive, its function is for people to use and look at just like the freeway sign project. Ankrom used the same design as the other signs so it does not stick out or come across different than the others. While researching Dutch designers and creating a spread that matches their style, needed to keep in mind similar elements the designer put into their artwork, just like Ankrom did. I must mimic the designer’s style onto the spread but also incorporate my unique design style. As I was choosing a designer I found myself most attracted to the ones that had similar tastes as I do, something I found to be inspiring and beautiful. Weight, size, texture, shape, space, colors were all great elements I could incorporate into my spreads, but which of these elements did my designers focus

on most? That’s what my spread needs to portray -- what my designer likes and what I like. Ankrom incorporated his ideas into the designs that were already created. I find myself in a somewhat similar situation. I have a blank canvas to create my artwork but there is another piece of artwork out there that I have to match or even mimic its style. It’s a good thing I choose designers that have good taste!

Layout Essentials As I’m figuring out how I’m going to set up my time line for Tom I refer to the book. As I read the chapters I learned how to illustrate or make charts more interesting. I can now show a time line of his life in a more interesting way through line, shape, color, texture, or repetition of icons. As I read this chapter it helped me shape a more accurately designed time line.

APPRECIATE PAPER This mood bored I created for Tom helped me see repetion in his work or what elements of design he paid more attention to. The mood of the desinger is important for this project because it must reflect in the portfolio.

Design Matters As a designer there is always something to work towards. There’s always another goal to achieve. Designers create a piece of work for a reason, whether it’s for school, work or just for fun. But for whatever reason it’s being created designers always want it to look good, we want it to inspire someone looking at it. Marian Bantjes mentions that she creates pieces that influence people in a different way and inspires them. It’s nice to keep that thought in mind because we are not just creating a poster to show “something” we are also creating it to get peoples attention and maybe even do a double take. Design envy is what designers want to happen to them, we want someone to see our work and rip it out of the page and hang on the wall. As Marian was discussing her book, she said it is more like a piece of art that can only be appreciated printed. With the Dutch designer project I feel the same way. The interactive page element would not be accomplished if it were on screen. Paper is also another element that can only be appreciated printed. I’m learning so much about the different types and textures of paper it really makes the piece that much nicer and can portray another “feel” of the designer. These elements are going to make this folio even more like a piece of art. Tom Frencken’s work is very minimalistic and clean in my eyes. He uses space

as an element throughout his work. As I’m starting to create spreads for Project 2 I am using space a lot through my spreads because as I learned in Layout Essentials that it provides order and a sense of balance. When text or images are used on the page this use of space helps the reader navigate the page easier. I am trying to keep this lesson in mind because it can relate somewhat to Tom’s style in my eyes and throughout the folio.

Layout Essentials Using color in typography can help the reader recognize more important things. A pronounced hierarchy of headings can be easy to follow if aided by accents in color. I will use this technique with Tom’s folio, Since I am showing all of his interior design projects I will use color for the headings to differentiate each project name. Color in type can be fun to work on I realize because its so interesting how color sets one piece of information from another.

Images from tomfrencken.nl

RESPONSE 8

RESPONSE 9

ALWAYS BE AWARE 99%

the folio. Tom uses this for recognition and to spread awareness of his furniture and unique style to his work. I want people to be aware of this symbol because it is a pretty cool idea and it is important to him.

Symbols are surrounding us every day almost everywhere we look. Whether they have a deeper meaning to the artist or not people will get all different ideas from looking at it. I listen to a podcast this week about a very important subject and how people were making a difference visually with the red ribbon. People were placing these everywhere to spread the awareness. When I listen to this I can’t help but think of the symbol Tom uses on his furniture. On every piece of furniture Tom designs he leaves this symbol. It is made up of different blocks of wood that spell out “TOM” in the white space.

Layout Essentials The images shown throughout Toms folio is what is most important. The book describes how to let the images shine through. I’m thinking about making my spreads filled with images of his projects because to me that speaks for itself. His work is so unique it can only be appreciated by seeing the work he creates.

Since he puts this everywhere on his furniture as a symbol to remind people that he designed it. Though this is not as serious as AIDs awareness I thought it was important to use in

HAVE GUTS Design Matters

TOM FRENCKEN Tom gets inspired by everything that surrounds him and translates all ideas into handcrafted furniture, interior projects and art. Averse to trends Tom is not to be stopped by the unknown. He creates his own surprising world and dares to be different. Tom prefers not to design with the computer, all products and projects are hand made in his studio to keep a finger on the quality and details. Tom makes balanced and robust designs in which comfort, quality and durability are very important. Toms strength is the ability to translate the customers wishes and needs perfectly and turn them into a personal and custom made design. The simplicity and cleanliness are the key here. The noticeable details of the design are at ground level, the small blocks the furniture is standing on, so there will never be anything in front of it that makes the design invisible. The thickness of the white elements and the heavy wooden tops are big enough to not get covered in total.

The more I listen to these podcasts, the more my eyes open to the design world. It helps me stop where I am in my design, take a step back and have a very open perspective on what I am doing. Stefan Sagmeister is a very inspirational man as a person and as a designer. He really catches people’s attention with his work because of his unique style. When the topic of having guts comes up in the discussion with Stefan I begin to think about what my design teacher, Meena, said about having guts in this project (as well as others) and taking the ideas far. This is one of the things I’m trying to work on as a designer, take more risk in my work. With Tom’s folio I took more of a safe route because that was the feeling and aesthetic I got from his interior work. The discussion mentioned a point about if design is good then it is a work of art. Good art can be defined as being breath taking, a breakthrough, innovative, effective, accessible, and professional. I try to keep these words

When it feels right, simple as that. Sometimes its needs a lot of detail and in some cases less is more. It really depends on the design and the purpose it’s for. It needed to fit the interior of the perfume store ‘eau de cologne’, which is in the same building. I designed and made this perfume store a year before nr.44. It has the same details and simplicity, but a different color scheme. The actual space, amount of clothing that needed to lay and hang, and of course the wishes of the owner where the base of the design. This was the most efficient way and placement of the furniture, so it only needed a nice shape. Tom makes balanced and robust designs in which comfort, quality and durability are very important. Toms strength is the ability to translate the customers wishes and needs perfectly and turn them into a personal and custom made design.

TOM FRENCKEN The unique characteristic work that Tom designs is functional yet poetic. He brings his own personal inspirations into his artwork. Inspiration surrounds artist but Tom uses these ideas to create furniture, drawings, jewelry, accessories, lighting and interior design. Tom is well known for his different furniture shapes with sharp angles that appeal to all eyes. The love for his work is clear in his artwork; he puts such a passion and joy into his work to share with everyone in their own space. Each project or piece is special to him and with that he chooses very wisely with his designs. Materials, finishes, colors and more are all chosen to match the character of the product. Some people like to describe Tom as always surprising yet recognizable.

in mind while I continue my design on this project. The discussion with Stefan comes to an end as he discusses the happiness to his voice. I think when your successful at something you love to do then there is a sense of happiness that you may not be aware of in your speech or actions. He says being more positive than negative will bring a bigger amount of happiness and be around people that make you smile. You must love the art you create! The two layouts to the left are drafts in my design process. I play with different layout ideas, hierarchy and images. My metaphorical imagery is the wood texture that encloses more information about Tom’s work. I used a wood grain because of how important wood is to Tom’s designs. I thought it would be very important to include this in the folio.

Recognizable in a way that his name is on all of his pieces. Literally he has a symbol engraved in his work. Whether he is making a unusual looking chair, unbalanced cabinet, curious drawing or astonishing interior design shop, all of it is being created with his hand with no help from the computer to assure detail and quality. The focus here is more in his interior design work and projects. Throughout each of his interior spaces and even the furniture gives a sense of simplicity and cleanliness. That is key in almost all of his work, which Dutch design was a big influence on. In these projects Toms work shines through the products work. A big focus on these projects is the actual space itself, the amount of product to place, lay or hang and of course the wishes the owner had on the store.

RESPONSE 10

RESPONSE 11

COMMUNICATION Trial and error was the only way to learn in this case, especially when physically creating a book structure and design. I tried lots of ideas, as you can see to the right, and figured out how to put it all together .

99% Communication is key in graphic design whether it’s through typography, symbols or images. It’s so important between humans but it can get tricky between different cultures and countries. Communication Art and Design is interesting for many reasons. One being that it can translate something from current time to something noticeable in ten thousand years. The 99% podcast related how design elements can be interpreted in ten thousand years and it got me thinking about my current project. How will the Dutch Folio project be interpreted to another culture, particularly Dutch? Obviously we live in close enough cultures that it will be understandable but the question I tend to think about is whether or not the design decisions I made will be questioned by a designer from another country/culture. I faced a somewhat similar problem with the funky logo that Tom Frencken has. I have a whole page dedicated to the symbol in a unique way but when someone looks at it who has no idea what his work is, will have no idea why or what that shape is. Once it is explained it is recognizable, but that would not be acceptable for the team who is trying to create a symbol that is recognizable to human as“stay away.” But then again, my design folio will not be known in 10,000 years.

chapter falls at the same time I’ve assembled and planned my folio. It discusses a lot of planning on the design aspect but the actual building aspect has a lot of planning as well. I’ve put hours into making many mock-up’s and dummies of Tom’s folio so that I know exactly what I want it to look like as well as how it will work. During this time I’ve learned that a lot of my design ideas couldn’t work out. As I was creating a version of a mock up that includes sliding images I realized that it wasn’t going to work the way I had imagined in a clear and constructible way. I had to change my idea into folding tabs that show different images. This actually turned out way better and it showed more picture of the designers work which was my goal all along. Creating these dummies physically can show some ideas that won’t work out like they might have in my head. The picture above shows a number of the different mock-ups I created to see what design could work. I actually have more made that aren’t in the picture but it really took a lot of building for it all to make total sense to me. Especially with printing, I had to make a lot of mental notes about what is getting printed double sided and whats not .I’m really having a great time working on this project, the time and struggle I’ve put towards it is really going to pay off in the end!

Layout Essentials During the process of building a booklet I see how designs turn out after printing, there are much more flaws that become noticeable when in full size. It’s very convenient that this

STAY POSITIVE Design Matters Positivity is something that I’ve paid a lot of attention to lately. Throughout all the rough things that can happen in a week, sometimes we all have to think about the positive aspects of our lives. Some things I am thankful for include creating artwork everyday for the pure love of it, and I’m also thankful that the folio project is over! Though I did really enjoy it, completing a project that you put a lot of work and thought into is such a great feeling! Being happy with the work is even better. As I listen to Tina Eisenburg talk about various things in her life I begin to think of how I can better my creative mind as a young designer. She talks a lot about how happy her blog makes her, and how she turned it into her career. As I listen to someone else discuss having a blog, I can relate to the happy feelings she has discussed. Throughout this semester of keeping a blog with just one of my classes I’ve been able to figure out my thought process and myself as a designer. I like to think of these posts as a place I can express myself in more than a creative and personal way. Tina mentions that her blog posts are a way to connect to people and share personal thoughts/feelings. I agree that a blog post is a great way to freely share yourself. Some things I write down throughout these posts are things that I may not say to someone face to face, including my struggles and my hopes for myself as a human and a designer. I show my flaws and strengths throughout these

posts, and I express my opinion on artwork and why I make the decisions I do. I’m honestly thankful for these blog posts, because I am able to really think and dig deeper into my thoughts and beliefs. A quote from Tina that really grabbed my attention, as well as her favorite saying is “highlight beauty in the ordinary.” It’s important to see something or someone for who they are and not try to change what is special about it. Tina’s drive to make people connect with one another digitally and personally is an amazing thing. Meeting people is so important in this industry. Really in any industry connections are always helpful, but in the art world they seem to be a little more personal. It’s important to have inspiration around you especially when it’s someone speaking to you in the same room; I tend to get a drive to be better! The reasons behind starting Creative Mornings really made a lot of sense for a lot of local artists to get together, listen and connect. It’s things like this that help me a lot, positivity and motivation is sometimes just what I need to move a step closer to becoming a better designer, worker, and even citizen. I’m really happy and even excited that my design teacher has assigned these podcasts and readings because it has helped me become a better designer.

RESPONSE 11

FINAL FOLIO

Finishing up this project I feel a lot of pride. To hold my hard work in my hands after so much energy has been put into it is a great feeling. Here are images taken by my professor, Meena Khalili, of my final Dutch portfolio on Tom Frencken. Below you see the front cover and to the right is the back cover.

Tom’s Folio, Spread 1

Tom’s Folio, book opening

Tom’s Folio, Spread 2

Tom’s Folio, Spread 3

“If you can design one thing, you can design anything.” Massimo Vignelli

Tom’s Folio opening, photo by Meena Khalili

CONCLUSION

Wrapping up my semester, it is clear how much I have grown as a designer and an artist. From this point on I continue to develop and reflect on what I’ve learned during this class and what I’m greatful for. This semester’s projects has taught me to solve problems faster and easier. Creating this process journal itself was a huge learning experience and I have come out more confident in my ability to design spreads with consistant flow lines, grid structure, publication design and paragraph styles. Throughout every milestone with each project from this class I struggled at times, but always took pride in my work. Everyday I continue to progress and become a better designer. The image to the right is my typical view as I design throughout the day. Most of my time is spent on this computer finding inspiration, studying other desigers and creating art becasue just like this journal, all good design is a reflection of self.