Mini Art School #2

For my second assignment for Mini art school, I decided to focus on two aspects of effective graphic design and graphic design layout. Mini Art School has really helped to broaden my conscious into being more aware of graphic design and how I receive it in my daily life. 

1. For the first part of this assignment, I decided to complete a word portrait, based upon the exercise suggested on p. 241 of the book, Design Basics Index.  For this assignment, I had to use a variety of fonts and think about their meaning. This project really made me think about how we perceive various fonts for various messages. For this, I had to write words that I thought would represent the message that the font would convey and then I wrote a word that was the opposite of what the font was trying to convey. (As shown in the example below.)  This was a very interesting assignment because I had never previously thought about the sub-conscious messages that fonts attempt to convey through their style. As our text book, White Space is not your Enemy suggests, "The best designers are experts in type and typesetting because they understand that well-styled type not only sets the document's tone but also directly impacts it's readability, legibility, and visual hierarchy" (Golombisky & Hagen,  2010, 86). This assignment was important to me as someone who is beginning to learn about design and the fundamental power and knowledge that one should obtain with regards to working with fonts. Below is my example of my word portrait: (ps. I created my word portrait with Microsoft Publisher.)

2. For the second part of this assignment, I decided to try this! exercise on page 56 in our book,  White Space is not your Enemy.  "Put your hands on a high-end magazine. Find a feature story layout that you believe really works. Then, use the elements and principles of design to explain why the layout works. Now do the same thing with an advertisement from the same issue" (Golombisky & Hagen, 2010, 56).
Luckily for me, this assignment was right up my alley. I am like the magazine queen of New Jersey and I receive so many magazines on a daily basis, that I really can't even keep up. Today, I just happened to receive my new issue of W magazine for March 2013: "Spring Fashion in Full Bloom." W magazine is an extremely upscale magazine that caters to upscale consumers of fashion; like one who will purchase a $2,500 Chanel pocketbook. I like to read these magazines and dream about the fashion that I will not be able to purchase for a very long time; if ever; but I love to peruse these magazines and look at the gorgeous photos. 
For the layout that I felt that worked was this:

This layout reminds me of the works every time layout. This layout has a main focal point of the picture of the woman on top. This picture draws my eye in and then down to the larger font, then following a progression, my eye exits through the right side of the page. The white background of the negative space in this layout allows for a contrast that enables my eye to clearly view the picture on the top of this layout and then follow the progression of the page. The two columns underneath the picture create a balance for this layout that is both aesthetically pleasing, simple, and easy to follow along.  The movement  that exists in this layout is extremely obvious and easy to follow (as previously mentioned). The desired pattern for one's eye is extremely obvious, simple, and makes the layout very strong. I believe that the principle of movement is the strongest point of this layout and it makes this layout as successful as it is. This layout demonstrates the importance of movement and how it can make or break an artifact of design.

Next, it seemed like an obvious choice for me to analyze a Michael Kors advertisement for its graphic design elements. I am a huuugeee  fan of this designer and of his style. Michael Kors is known for making his products to be simply made but beautiful and this advertisement is no exception.

The main focal point of this advertisement is the gorgeous leather MK bag that the model is holding. As soon as I saw this ad, my eye went right to the pocketbook. There is definitely a major implementation of the contrast principle at play in this advertisement. The colors of the clothing that the model is wearing allow for the whiteness of the bag to stick out in contrast. Mr. Kors also uses the white for his logo to appear on this advertisement because of the stark brown background of the desert scenery. The white in this advertisement really pops against the background and the diversity of colors that exists.  There is also the element of balance at play during the conveyance of this message on this advertisement. The model is holding the bag on an angle because she is sitting on an angle. This idea represents the unity that exists within this advertisement. This advertisement is very simple but it manages to transmit its' message to me, "BUY THIS BEAUTIFUL WHITE LEATHER MICHAEL KORS BAG."