12/1

KERNING

Kerning is adjusting the spaces between letters or symbols to create the most pleasing result.  I found myself doing this a lot, and was so pleased when I learned an easy way to do it.  It’s great for final products that don’t have to be retyped again, things that will likely not change, like a logo, or the printing on collateral.  The address had to fit just right, below the logo on my envelope, and the success of that came from kerning.

 

EMPHASIS

Emphasis, in branding/marketing, is consciously attempting to direct the viewer’s attention where you want it to go.  In my concert poster, I wanted the name of the band to get the viewer’s attention first – I emphasized the name of the band by making the lettering largest, in the top portion of the poster, in a color that contrasted to the rest of the colors, and I had the letters leave the confining spaces of a word bubble.

 

DESCENDER

The portion of a letter that extends below the baseline of a font-type.  I got a little frustrated when choosing fonts, I would think I had the right one, and would then find out that all the numbers were not level, and had crazy descender dips.  A font I chose still had this issue, but for some applications, I used to kerning to fix that.

 

VISUAL IMPACT

I guess if something has strong visual impact, then it is more remarkable and memorable.  Or it simply has greater power in attracting attention, like a neon sign versus a printed sign.  Visual impact can also refer the feelings or emotions that viewing a ‘thing’ might evoke.  Like powerful branding, the Coca-Cola sign evoking nostalgia, or green logos bringing to mind environmental friendliness and sustainability.

 

 

 

11/17

Intellectual Property

Intellectual is very important in that it puts value on the intangible.  A work of one’s creativity that they then get the rights to as being their own, such as a idea, or manuscript, or a design or work of art.

 

Minimalist

Minimalism is an enormous artistic concept that brings things down to the elemental, to form and color and sound.  It is a concept used in fine art, literature, design, music, and architecture.  It rejects the flamboyancy of expression or the superfluous-ness of ornamentation.  In graphic design it is one of many approaches, however it does seem to be often the “better choice” in graphic design because it seems to have the greatest power to have information be processed the quickest and most easily.

 

Transmedia

Transmedia is using multiple media sources to send a message.  This could be an arts organization reaching its stakeholders through its website and social media.  An advertising campaign may be designed using various forms of media to reach as many audiences as possible, using web advertising as well as traditional t.v. and radio.  I think any method of communication could fit be used as part of transmedia.

 

Affiliation

Affiliation is a relationship or a partnership.  It can be a way to broaden one’s presence.  It can also be a way to achieve accreditation.  Museums, for example, benefit from being affiliated with the AAM (American Alliance of Museums)  This affiliation tells people that an museum has achieved a level of standards, it can increase trust, museum attendance, and support.  Affiliation can also be negative, say if a board member to an arts organization gets in trouble, publicly, that affiliation can have negative consequences for the organization.

 

 

11/14

Social Proprioception

I see this as the awareness I have about the people I know, through the digital world, and also the way I am aware of myself in the digital world.  I see it as a positive in that I have a clearer sense of where people are (people I am close with, where they are, if they are doing well or not). I also see it as a gray area in terms of my own self-awareness.  Sure, our online presence is important these days to monitor (linkedin, ect.), but it can also have the danger of becoming obsessive, unchecked, and certainly a risk of one becoming overly narcissistic.

 

Dissonance

Dissonance is a conflict, or a lack of connection.  Dissonance is something that a new organization may have to work to prevent when starting, such as learning to make connections with communities and the people they want to serve.  Finding connections through understanding helps to eliminate dissonance between to parties.

 

Feedback Loop

A feedback loop takes whatever is being outputted, and has it reenter to influence what becomes output again, and continues as a cycle. A conversation can be started about a topic among a group of people who must collectively end with a final group statement , so someone says something, that is heard by all others, which influences what another person will say next, those two statements will influence what the next speaker says… multiplying the information that they all hear, overall collectively influencing their total understanding of that topic.

 

Compression

Compression is making a file smaller so it is easier to store and easier to transfer, making all kinds of data we use digitally easier to access and use.  I also had to store a comforter recently, so I tried to squeeze all the air out before sealing the plastic bag to make it smaller.  Uses less storage space and cheaper to ship!

 

 

11/8

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Strategic planning is a way for organizations to position themselves in deliberate ways so as to be prepared for the future in general and foreseen potential future events.  Conducting SWOC analyses is one important way in which organizations can begin the process of strategic planning – identifying and analyzing strengths and weaknesses in order to prepare for opportunities and challenges.  When it comes to strategic planning, development of a plan is only the first step, and the real challenge comes with getting all stakeholders on board with the plan as well as successful implementation of the plan.  (I’m in a strategic planning class this term with PPPM)

 

CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT)

I’m viewing CRM as a form of data gathering, similar to donor relations, where an organization either uses spreadsheets or a constituent management system to gather and sort information about your customers so that it is readily available whenever one has to communicate with customers.  The goal is to improve your relationship with your customers by staying up to date with them and letting them know you care through this type of management.  CRM helps to improve loyalty to the organization.

 

MEDIUM

Medium is an element used for the creation of something else.  In fine arts, a medium could be paint, clay, collage, etc. And in media it could be print, texting, email, broadcast.  As I understood the reading, there is an intrinsic relationship with the message and the medium that created it, and that the medium affects the way society perceives the reception of the message.  Or that the medium is its own singular message, and that only after a new medium’s commencement does it become a message about how society will perceive it (the medium) and perceive communications in general there on out.   It’s still a difficult idea to confidently grasp.

 

SOCIAL IMPACT/CONSEQUENCE

Social impact or consequence is the way that organizations interact and relate with the community around them.  It is obviously important for that impact to be positive, and it can be in reliability or quality of services offered, or in community participation.  Positive social impact is something that is earned and then protected, as the value of it translates to the success of your organization.  Customer Relation Management is one way of maintaining positive social impact.

 

 

10/31

DISTRIBUTED COGNITION & COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE

Distributed cognition and collaborative intelligence are two ways for an individual to expand their capacities to accomplish something using outside resources.  The Jenkins article speaks of using these resources as way of going beyond a single person’s mental capacity, tapping into other resources that enhance your own data, and provide additional skillsets that the individual cannot possess on their own.  With our branding project, I see Illustrator, YouTube tutorials and other online resources as additional elements of cognition to help me accomplish this project.  Without these resources, the project would likely not have the same level of quality.

Collective intelligence is pooling the knowledge of multiple people towards one common goal.  Group projects in grad school is a form of collective intelligence, though the Jenkins article focuses a lot on online communities, also the internet as a tool for forming grassroots organizations.  The intelligence of the group is much greater than any one member.

 

INFORMAL LEARNING

I think the concept of distributed cognition is a great way to pursue informal learning, or to give it equal merit to formal learning.  In a modern formal learning environment, however, we are encouraged and assisted to take advantage of all the resources that serve as distributed cognition, whereas in an informal learning environment, many of those same resources are available, but no one is prodding you along.  All the resources available to us today make it possible for someone to create their own education, equal to or even better that what one gets in a formal environment.  There is still the lack of accreditation, however, that comes with a formal education, and I also feel that success in informal learning requires much more personal determination.


WHITE SPACE

As we have worked on our logos, I think of white space as being an element in a design that has not been altered, but still communicates and has a relationship with elements that have been altered.  It’s a useful concept to think about when creating a logo.  There is an element of play between the logo and the white space it interacts with that can be very noticeable and appealing if done well.  It can also add an interesting element when the logo is being applied to different surfaces and backgrounds. Using white space has the potential to add versatility to a logo.

 

FOCAL POINT

If you are creating something, focal point is a cognitive decision as to where you want the viewers eye to go.  It’s where you want their attention to be and it’s where they get the main information you want them to get.  Like if you were creating a concert poster, you may want the name of the band to stand out most, as the focal point, because you know that’s what will interest a passerby the most.  Other details in the poster, such as additional info, would not compete with the focal point, for the passerby will go for that after they are lured by the focal point of the poster.

 

 

10/20

SIGNATURE

A way of authenticating something or making something your own, personalization.  It’s a way to stand by either a creation of yours, a statement of yours, or a way to confirm your agreement of/to someone else’s statement.  I think in the context of graphic design, a signature is embedded information in a file that confirms your ownership of that design.  Very important for artists and designers alike who need to pass along their ideas and images digitally without opening a window for someone else to claim it as their own, a way to avoid theft and forgery.

 

HICKEY PICKER

Somehow I missed this word during the tour, so I looked it up.  A hickey picker is a tool used by printers to remove imperfections that occur during the printing process.  I think on a roller or whatever surface is pressing ink onto a final product.  It can be from buildup of ink, of dust particles in the air, or something else.  They must be removed to avoid imperfections like dark smudges of ink or blank spots where ink should have gone.  Some presses have automatic “rollers” that take care of this, while other presses need the routine attention of a staff member to locate them and remove them with a Hickey Picker.  The tool comes in different sizes and materials (plastics) for different printers and needs.

 

DPI

DPI stands for Dots Per Inch.  It relates to the number of pixels per inch on a digital document and translates to actual dots of ink that are used to create an image in printing.  It is something that is adjusted to suit a variety of printing needs, based on the size you want your product to be and in how much detail.  Ron made a good example of this, referring to the large vinyl poster in the conference room.  As he said, images on that screen are available in a variety of levels of detail, DPI.  If your audience will be looking at the screen from a distance, then less detail is required because their eyes will be unable to discern the different between the dots; the colors blend and the image looks clear.  We got another example when Ron’s colleague, Chris, invited us to inspect a printed brochure page with a magnifier, where one could easily detect all the dots that would otherwise be difficult to see.

 

BLEED

This refers to an action one could take when preparing an image for printing.  If a file is saved in the same dimensions that the image will be printed as, there is the chance that not the whole surface will be covered in ink, leaving an unwanted white border.  If the goal is to have the image fill the entire space of a page, then a bleed will ensure this.  Bleed is extending the image slightly past its actual borders, so when printed pages are cut, the image is ensured to cover the entire page.

 

 

10/13

C.R.A.P.

Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity – Four basic elements about graphic design that make sense, are new to me, and something I look forward to understanding and applying as we progress through branding or re-branding an organization.  Repetition stands out the most for me as I think about the necessity for the elements of an organization’s branding to permeate through nearly everything.  Continuity of these elements creates the familiarity of an organization, where a person can spot something of your organization (sign, pamphlet, etc.) without even looking directly at it, but maybe through the corner of their eye, or passing by in a blur; simply recognizing the color palate, or structure of its elements.  Like if you’re driving through a road with many businesses looking for Staples, and among all the signs and lights you are still able to find it with ease, instantly recognizing the sign without actually having to read it.

Contrast as being bold about your design choices, grabbing the attention of the eye.  Alignment; conscious decision of where each element goes, also how and why.  Proximity I understand as ordering your elements in a way that you are assisting the viewer in the correct way to process the information.

 

VECTOR

I know that Adobe Illustrator is a vector program, but off the top of my head I can’t really describe it what it is and how it’s different from other design programs.  What comes to mind are all those little dots that surround an image as you play with it in Illustrator.  It’s like the program harnesses any image you select with those little dots, giving you the freedom to manipulate it in many ways.  I also think Vector has something to do with a greater ability to take something like a logo, and apply to many different things (like on an envelope or a large sign) without losing the integrity of the image.

 

RASTERIZE

I think rasterize has something to do with digitizing an image so it may be used in a program like Illustrator.  Taking an image and assigning thousands of pixels to it so it becomes a usable file.  It also makes me think of rasterbation, which I know as taking an image and reducing it to black circles of various sizes, contrasted against a white background.  In college we used to make giant posters like this, composed of many printed pages, then pieced together and pinned to the wall.

 

OPACITY

Opacity is the idea of non-transparency or vagueness.  With design it could be a way to layer multiple images, maybe like putting an opaque image over some bold text.  Information can be opaque, or not fully intelligible, where you might get the gist of an idea, but are left with something lacking.  I feel that with branding, and getting across an idea, you would want to avoid opacity as you need the viewer to understand who you are as instantaneously as possible.  With other forms of art I think it definitely has its uses, and can be a very powerful element.  But going back to images, I think it’s a good tool to be aware of, it could be a good way of adding an element of depth to an image.

 

 

10/6

Typography as Design

I would say everything that involves the use typography has passed through some element of design thought.  That is, not just when used in a logo or as part of a branding project, but also in the everyday applications of type, such as writing papers or emails.  You may be required to write a paper in Times New Roman; it’s not your choice but someone else’s, but it was chosen for a reason, such as continuity and because it’s known to be easily readable.  Some people change font settings and color for their email, and that’s a design choice to reflect in some way their personality or preferences.  Similarly, for organizations, choosing a style of typography for various applications is a way to say something about the organization, to differentiate, and ideally to be something that people come to recognize.

 

Balance

I think of composition when I think of balance.  It’s a way of making an image complete, so that the eye rests easy on what it’s looking at, and that it’s seeing the image the way the creator intended.  If balance and composition is poor, then I think the viewer may consciously or subconsciously pick that up as an error, or a moment of awkwardness.  Balance is achieved through controlling the spacing of elements, the thickness/thinness/boldness of elements, and the use of size and color.

 

Intangibles

I think of intangibles for an organization as those elements of high value that cannot be easily transferred or sold, such as equipment, inventory, or others objects.  They are the things that create brand loyalty.  I think of these intangibles as things that take time to achieve through the good practices of an organization that are then connected to its branding elements.  The branding of Lego or Disney may invoke nostalgia, and that of Zappos may invoke trust.  Apple and their logo has for a long time kept loyal customers through intangibles, of being a superior product in design and functionality, which in turn creates very high expectations.

 

Flexibility

This makes me think of what was discussed in class about a good logo being designed with the flexibility to be used for different applications; elements of a brand identity that can be easily transferred to signage, letterheads, business cards, merchandise.  Additionally, they can be of various sizes or colors without losing recognition.