Graphic Design 1 - Descriptive Pairs

Graphic Design I Project 3

Descriptive pairs

Zach Custer

For my third project in GD I, Descriptive Pairs, we were to begin by choosing four descriptive words. Define them and come up with 10 to 15 examples of the words being used. Then we were pick one word pair and sketch it into a descriptive way to describe what word pair we selected without the use of a typeface.

In the images on the previous page starts with my definitions of my four individual descriptive words along with the descriptive pairs underneath each section of the descriptive word. My list of words include Classic, Stop, Cold, and Fast. So with those, some of my examples of my descriptive pairs include: Classic Car, Record Player, Fall Classic (SPORTS), Classical Music, Stop Sign, Red Octogon, Stop and Go, Defensive Stop, Stop Watch, Stone Cold, Cold Feet, Cold Shoulder, Ice Cold, Cold Temparature, Fast Times, Fast Car, Fast Runner, Cheetah, New York Minute, Rocket, Plane, etc.

After we defined are words, the next step was to pick one word and pair them together with the use of images alone. I chose the word Fast. For my first few I drew a rocket with racing stripes, and clock with feet instead of hands to tell time, and cheetah that is sponsored like a nascar stcok car, and then a picture of a car on the highway going into lightspeed.

For the next set, it starts with a shoe that is a racecar, the next is a representation of the superhero Flash trying to catch a train in a big city, because it is quick to et around that way. The next is a plane with a cheetah print design, and the final image is a speed limit sign with the speed limit being a cheetah.

The list on the next page is a list of descriptive words I thought about using in the next part of the assignment they include: Flowing Break Fast Classic Slow Cold Stop Explosion Safe Sound Build Drop Fast Build World

Build up/down Drop off/down Fast Paced Fast Car Safe and Sound Free Flowing Controlled Chaos Radio Head Think and Thin Spell Check Wine and Dine Break up/down

The images on the next few pages, begin with me sketching out the descriptive pairs with the use of type only and no images. This starts the third part of this project by using only type to convey the message. It’s the old saying, “everyone can draw a dog but does it bark”? So I start by sketching out my top choices of descriptive pairs. Some convey the message better than some and some do not at all. That is the trial and error in this project. I choose the word break down to be my final descriptive pair for this assignment.

For my final descriptive word choice, Break Down, I sketched the image nearly 10 times to final get the message I was looking for.

Above on this page, is my final sketch before I used Illustrator to complete this project. Now let me explain on how I got to that point.

I began with sketching the words break down into three forms, Analytical, Meta, and Metaphorical. With the first drawing I went with a more phonetic pronunciation to represent the way I wanted to convey the message in Analytical terms. The following sketch is the Metaphorical way to convey the message of break by drawing the type as broken glass or something in that nature that is fragile.

Finally, the image in the middle right of the next page, at the bottom, is the meta concept I was trying to push acrossed. The meta concept is a design concept that refers to itself or to an audience that works with-in the industry or genre. The concept has a double-meaning to it and has an appeal to other designers.

I used the typeface Rockwell Extra Bold because it gave me enough room to “breakdown” the type without completely distorting it. I started by taking three sections out of the letter B and continuously taking more and more out the the next letter to send the message that this descriptive word pair is actually breaking down. I started with the three sections out of the B all the way to taking 19 sections out the the letter N. This final process was done in Adobe Illustrator with use of the pen tool, kearning and postioning the font. It is an 8” x 8” laser print matted on black matte board.