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December, 2012

  1. Graphic Standards Final Project

    December 4, 2012 by arichard@uoregon.edu

    Assignment Description: The Graphic Standards represents a culmination of students’ logo design, collateral pieces and other presentation specification around their organizations brand. Specifications and examples of past cohort standards are provided. The standards are presented at Finals.

    Info Design Graphic Standards Final PDF

    I enjoyed using InDesign to create graphic standards for one of two Advanced Information Design and Presentation final projects (the other can be found here). I like the degree of precision InDesign accommodates. After setting the purple bars as design elements on the master pages of the document, as well as page numbers (with the help of Prof. Eric Schiff), I was off and running. The most time-consuming part of the creation of this project was making the measures for the collateral pieces. It was also a bit difficult to make sure the text boxes for each page were placed consistently between all the pages. I set my margins pretty far in for all the pages, so I didn’t have a lot of space to work with, but I did so intentionally because I thought it looked a little more modern and less like a Word document with some images thrown in. I had to scale down the collateral, logo images, and display ad in order to fit the text and each image comfortably on the same page, so I hope I didn’t make those images (and the measurements) too small to see. I think it turned out well, and I am pleased that I was able to create something that looked so (relative to, say, my event poster) formal and professional.

     

     


  2. PowerPoint Final Project

    December 4, 2012 by arichard@uoregon.edu

    Assignment Description:

    It is recommended that the Powerpoint presentation topic be the Prototype shell of the students’ Winter term professional ePortfolio website they will produce. Students have the option to choose a different presentation topic. Examples and specifications of both are shown. The Powerpoint piece is one of three presented at Finals. Note: Students choosing to do the Showcase/Professional ePortfolio website prototype must include the following PRIMARY navigation links/categories. Please reference the following flow chart PDF for the sample. Secondary navigation links/categories may vary depending on individual experience.

    Info Design PowerPoint Final PDF Format

    Info Design PowerPoint Final PPT Format

    For the final PowerPoint project for Advanced Info Design and Presentation (one of two finals–the other can be found here), I made a fully navigable prototype of my WordPress site, bestshowevereugene.wordpress.com. This site was my Transmedia Field Guide for another class, Art in Society. The prototype looks more amatuer-ish than the actual site. But that’s to be expected, because for the site I used a pre-made, professional-looking WordPress template (although I did use my Photoshop skills, gained from this class, to make the banner!). I like aspects of the prototype though (which is set up almost identically to the real site, which itself was based off the SmartArt flow chart I made for this class). In particular, I like the yellow star that indicates which page you’re on, and fonts I used –Popstars for the title “Best Show Ever,” and Richard Murray for the headings. I got both of these at dafont.com, my new favorite website. For the background image, I screened a stock photo of a disco ball way back in Illustrator. I was planning on making the background similar to the banner for my site, adding a photo from one of the concerts I attended, but it was way too busy-looking.  This project was an exercise in self-control–I kept it simple this time. I also became much more comfortable with PowerPoint as a result of this project.

     


  3. Learning Objectives, Part B

    December 2, 2012 by arichard@uoregon.edu

    Part B Student Learning Portfolio

    Art In Society AAD 550

    12/02/12

    1. When I began this class, I stated in my learning objectives that I wanted to get back into the habit of abstract thinking, saying that this class could be “physical fitness for my frontal lobe.” I do feel that I achieved that. My frontal lobe is in much better shape. I enjoyed using my imagination (like for Module 4, when we talked about the future of arts programming), and as the term went on, I found it easier to understand and analyze dense texts like Becker’s Art Worlds.

    2. I wanted to become better acquainted with Eugene through my Field Guide. I have definitely accomplished this. When working on the Guide, I went to five different music venues in town. I also met and interviewed people working in music locally. This was a great way feel more at home here in my new locale.

    3. I hoped “to understand my position better as an arts administrator within society.” I had detailed questions that I hoped to be able to answer:

    • How does an arts manager/administrator contribute to the artistic process or the generation of creative output? In answer to this question, in the case of working for a music venue, I would say there is a great range depending on the type of position the administrator holds. It has a lot to do with the size of the venue, the staffing structure, whether it’s nonprofit or for-profit, and what the organization’s mission or guiding values are. I learned that if I want to be a part of the creative process in an organization, I’ll have to make that a goal when it’s time to find a job—not all arts admin positions afford this opportunity. Additionally, not all organizations care equally about the quality of art they promote.

    • What is an arts administrator’s responsibility to facilitate the making of “good” art? Making “good,” or meaningful, or important art is not a goal or value to all arts administrators. It’s only an arts administrator’s responsibility if they make it so—although they also must keep in mind the wants and needs of the stakeholders and constituents of their organization, especially if it’s a nonprofit.
    • Is the arts administrator’s responsibility to the artist they are supporting, the audience, their organization? Who is the most important to please? Again, there’s a lot of variance here—it depends on the individual and organization. I still haven’t answered this question. I think generally, though, the responsibility should be to the audience/public, since that’s ultimately who the arts administrator is working for.

    4. I hoped to be able to define “transmedia” and find examples that “excited” me. I did become comfortable with the idea of transmedia by about the midpoint of the course. I found many live music-related examples for my Field Guide, and I enjoyed “curating” them. What I discovered is that transmedia is a pretty broad term, at least as we used it in this class. It is basically anything that expands the content or narrative of a central topic. What best summed the term up for me is a Jenkins quote from “Transmedia Storytelling 101”: “This process of world-building encourages an encyclopedic impulse in both readers and writers. We are drawn to master what can be known about a world which always expands beyond our grasp.”

    5. I wanted “to deepen and broaden my current base of Internet resources for all things art and society.” I have done that; I’ve discovered and bookmarked many new blogs and websites. Again, research for my Field Guide was especially helpful in this regard.

    6. Finally, I said, “As an artist myself, I would like to remember to consider all course readings and material from that point of view, not just as an outside analyzer or future arts manager.” This wasn’t so much a learning objective as a directive to myself. I did consider readings and class discussions from both points of view—arts administrator and artist—as well as consumer/audience/patron, and indirect supporter of the arts (like Becker talking about the people that manufacture canvas for a painter they’ll never know). This class helped me to think about the arts more globally.

     


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