Blog Category: KCAI

Line Studies Self-Critique

By Erika Goering,

I think the most organized way for me to critique myself is to directly answer these questions: 

What is the visual strength of the image/line study selection and pairing? How could it be improved? 

After all the iterations and editing, I think my line study/photo pairs are much stronger than the first time around. I’ve modified the curves in my Westport pieces so that the line segments more successfully continue the lines in the round grate.
Crazy lines before…
Much better now.

How is the photograph legible, well composed, engaging?
How should it be improved?
I think the most legible photograph that I have in these images is the Westport one. It’s clearly some sort of structure found in an urban environment. The other photos are a generic crack in the ground and a rubber… thingy from the floor of a parking garage (it’s not exactly legible as such an object, and definitely not the greatest subject matter for depicting the Plaza).

Is line quality study well crafted? Where should it be improved?
I think my line studies are well-crafted. There aren’t any really weird craft issues this time around. My scans of my photocopied-then-scanned lines could be cleaned up around the edges and made a bit more solid, but there is a rawness and honesty about how they are now. (Don’t worry; I’ll try my next round of posters with and without cleaning them up.) Also, I have some little bits of lines in the corners of one of the Westport ones above. That’s something that I should’ve spotted before I printed my work.
Is the type choice and placement integrated and appropriate?
Okay. Here’s my problem. Since I am taking a typography class, I’m very aware of how badly I suck at it. I wasn’t at all sure about what I should do with my type, so I just kind of left it for last and then didn’t have time to finish. (Not a good idea, I know…) And the type that I do have could use some work. “Plaza” isn’t enough for my linear posters. So I will experiment with labeling it “The Country Club Plaza” and using different typefaces to better convey a sense of Plaza-ness. I will also rotate it so that it is horizontal and more natural to read.

How does the overall composition dynamically employ principles of scale, framing, orientation, alignment, continuation? How could it be improved?
The framing and continuation in this one is interesting, but it doesn’t really work where it is on the page. It is very high up, and the bottom edge of the white line is awkwardly reaching the center of the page. I could improve the relationship between the line study and the photograph by rotating them to put them on a more dramatic angle and shift the scale between them to make the photo much smaller so that the viewer can grasp the image more easily.


How well do the graphic elements communicate the neighborhood?
I kind of already mentioned this, but the one that works the best is Westport. The graphic elements represent the overall feel of Westport by showing movement and referencing an industrial material. It shows that Westport is an urban environment.
I think the Crossroads posters (with the crack in the ground) convey the feeling of the neighborhood because it’s a more rugged, raw, expressive part of Kansas City. The crack in the ground shows a deterioration of the environment, which alludes to the massive number of people who walk around in that area on First Fridays every month.
The Plaza posters are my least communicative. The grungy parking garage doesn’t represent what most people think of when they think of the fancy Country Club Plaza of Kansas City. They think of glamour and shopping and Spanish-inspired architecture. The linear properties of the parking garage floor are abstractly interesting, but conceptually weak. I think if I had an image that made a stronger connection with what people think of when they think of the Plaza, I’d have stronger work.

 I’m digging this black boxy shape that happens between these two!

  Filed under: KCAI, VisCom1
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Juxtaposition

By Erika Goering,

Why is it important?
Well, my dear, placing objects (type, image, color, whatever) near each other can have dramatic effects. The position of said objects can give the composition a stronger meaning than each individual object on its own. (The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.)

When unplanned juxtapositions happen, they can create unexpected, surprise results. Sometimes these results are pleasing, and sometimes they are not. Harnessing the power of juxtaposition by purposefully placing objects together can become a very strong force by giving the viewer another layer of conceptual depth within the composition. Objects can reflect upon each other to form a sense of unity, or conflict with each other to create a sense of tension and unease. When objects are further apart, this kind of relationship doesn’t happen, and they are just objects on their own without any context or partnership.

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Neon Monogram

By Erika Goering,

Here is my monogram for my project on the element neon. This symbol focuses on the stability of the element and not on the fact that it is a gas. The symbol is grounded, and the capital E acts as a weight for the symbol to rest on, reminding the viewer that neon is very stable, and is the least reactive element in the periodic table.

  Filed under: KCAI, Typography1
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Victory!

By Erika Goering,

The people have spoken! Gap has decided to keep their old logo because so many people had a passionate hatred for the new one.

Well, that’s not exactly how they worded it… They said they reverted to the old logo because people loved the classic look so much. (Good job seeing the glass half-full, guys.)

The president of Gap Brand North America had this to say:

“There may be a time to evolve our logo, but if and when that time comes, we’ll handle it in a different way.”

Yeah, I really hope so, Gap.

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Color Harmony Book

By Erika Goering,

Here’s my book for my Color/Form class. After all the photos I had to shoot and re-shoot, I’m glad it’s done. (Seriously… Over 1000 photos to get 8 good ones.) Overall, my hard work was worth it.
I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.






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“Typeface”

By Erika Goering,

I saw the film “Typeface” last night. I ended up sitting near a large group of classmates who I’m sure all share the same feelings about design that I have. They even conversed about their common hatred for the Gap logo redesign. I love my classmates. They’re as snobby as I am.

“Typeface” tells the story of wood type, which is very rare and precious and rich with history. There’s something very engaging and intimate about seeing people handle these physical, tangible letterforms. They caress every curve, and connect with every beautiful flaw. That is what makes letterpress so valuable. Seeing the people in the film handle wooden letterforms with such care sends chills down my spine. They are giving the forms the respect and care they deserve. Before the informative parts of the film even developed, I knew the emotional aspects of it would hit me pretty hard. I felt very sad for the dying art of wood type. But I also felt compelled to do something about it. It was an emotional roller coaster. My feelings drifted between inspiration, amazement, sadness, and hope. The saddest parts were when I realized that wood type will probably become extinct in my lifetime. There isn’t enough appreciation for such an impractical method. Sadly, everything is cold and digital now. But it’s faster and cheaper that way.

One part of the film that stuck with me is when Professor Ichiyama explains that students who work with solely digital type don’t feel the same intense appreciation for counter space and delicate, cradle-like kerning as those who start with physical type. That’s why I appreciate all of the analog work that I have done in my Typography 1 class. I learned to appreciate serifs and brackets because I drew them by hand. I got up close and personal with the anatomy of my Bodoni capital S. There’s a little bit of me in that S. I grew to love her weight shifts and beautifully symmetrical form. It is the tangible experience with type that makes such a romantic, passionate relationship possible. Films about design and art make me feel very inspired. I even had this to say about it: (which was later re-tweeted by the “Typeface” people themselves, with an endearing comment of “!” I might add.)

  Filed under: KCAI, Typography1
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Gap’s Lapse in Judgment

By Erika Goering,

I’d like to reveal to the world my new logo:

Beautiful, right?
No?
Aw, man…

…But in all seriousness, It’s come to my attention that Gap clothing co. has redesigned their logo.

I’d just like to go on the record as saying it’s not so much the cliché use of Helvetica that bothers me. It’s that horrid blue box that does it. Seriously. It looks like some middle school kid from the ’90s did this. (Corner-to-corner gradient? Really? Ugh.) Aside from the box itself, the placement of it is not well thought out at all. Why is it there? It honestly looks like an afterthought. (There should never be afterthoughts in design. Because every aspect of a design needs the same care, attention, and development.)

I’m certain that the people who would be attracted to the new Gap logo are the kind of people that I wouldn’t want wearing my company’s clothes. (In their ignorance of aesthetics, they might end up doing one of these numbers, and that just makes the clothing look bad.)
I hope Gap changes their mind and drops their new logo designers like a bad habit.

If you’re feeling particularly masochistic, take a look at these Gap-ified beauties. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

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Beanmaps– I mean bitmaps.

By Erika Goering,

I fixed a lot of weirdness with my letters. Giant counters, inconsistent x-height, “interesting” kerning… It was a sloppy mess. But it’s a lot better now. My x-height is now a very strict 7 beans (units) tall. And my counters in my lowercase letters are 3 beans wide. That makes everything feel more unified. And I didn’t have to change the scale of my beans and letters to make everything fit. It just works. No more hacking my way through this. I’m very pleased.
Oh, one side note. For those who are wondering, my composition is so freakishly wide because “Legume Protein” is such a wide phrase on a 4 inch tall piece of paper.
The more you know…

  Filed under: KCAI, Typography1
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