SL Update / Strahan / Historical Society Brochure

I made a few "tweeks" to my brochure for my service learning client, the Narragansett Historical Society of Templeton. The big change was substituting vintage paper as the background for the two inside boxes and moving the clock face to the left for better balance. What do you think?

#7 Update / Strahan / All Things Must Pass

I played with the font for the quote at the bottom of the poster, per Coni's suggestions. See two versions. I used Arial Regular / Abbott for the first; and Papyrus (which was my original font) / Abbott for the second. What do you think?

Project #7 / Strahan / All Things Must Pass

Here's an update of my Project #7, the "All Things Must Pass" poster. I purchased ($8) the font used for the title of George Harrison's album by the same name, and used that for the poster header (Abbott Old Style). I also made other recommended changes. What do you think?

Project #6 / Strahan / Civilian Conservation Corps

Hokey Smokes, Bullwinkle ... I forgot to post this website! I created this for the 50th anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps, one of FDR's projects to put men back to work during the Depression (1930s) and to reclaim the forests and protect the environment. My Dad was part of a CCC camp in New Hampshire, working on Mount Kearsage. My Dad never would talk about the dark days of the Depression, only to say that he and his mother had one meal a day: applesauce on a slice of bread. (P.S. I used this axe before Greg.) www.cgdclass.com/strahanvirginia/cgd240/creativeproject2/

Business Card / Virginia

Here is my business card, which connects to my passion for all things historical. I thought I should add something to the bottom left for balance, so I have this "historic" quote from now dead Pearl Buck (of whom I bet most of my classmates have never heard). I think I'd prefer a tag line connected to my work but I haven't been able to come up with something clever. What do you think?

SL Project / Historical Society Brochure / Virginia

Here is the latest draft of the brochure I'm creating for my Service Learning Client, the Narragansett Historical Society. What do you think?

Project 10 / Endangered Cheetah / Virginia

This is the last and MOST difficult of my portfolio entries. It was an assignment for Illustrator, and I dread re-visiting it. It needs a lot of work: the big cat's color is too "orange"; he begs for more detail, and those spots ... those spots look more like sores! Ouch! But those eyes ... ah, those eyes are beautiful. I am proud of those intriguing eyes, which came so easily - as if I were painting by number. What can't the rest of the cheetah came as easily? Desi suggested I reduce the amount of text in the lower left and make the font larger for readability, which I will. I await your feedback.

Project 9 / Website for Templeton Center Burial Ground / Virginia

As you all know, my passion is for all things historical, especially if they're connected to Templeton, where branches of my family have lived since before 1775. This website is for the Templeton Center Burial Ground. Desi noted that the title in the header needs to be centered -- good catch! Chris asked if I could shorten the list of inscriptions on the gravestones, using a few samples instead of that L-O-N-G list. I included all the inscriptions, thinking that people who love to peruse such things would like to "see" them all here. However, I do see the wisdom of only a sample. What do you think? Also, on the HOME page, be sure to click on LINKS in the footer for a "giggle." Click here for the site: Templeton Center Burial Ground.

Project 8 / Recipe Website / Strahan

Another first -- my first website as a graphic design major at MWCC. Connecting with my Swedish roots, it offers three recipes for spectacular Nordic dishes, plus a contact page into which I threw "everything but the kitchen sink" to show off my new skills.  Är Du Hungrig? I am!  Here is the link: Är Du Hungrig?

Project 7 / All Things Must Pass / Virginia

This is my very first project as a graphic design major at MWCC. It's my "baby." This 11x17-inch poster is my tribute to George Harrison, the spiritual Beatle, on the 10th anniversary of his death (2011). Basically, I played around with hues. Chris, with his eagle eye, caught some alignment issues. However, I haven't corrected these, waiting for additional comments from you. Desi asked if I considered using a "groovier" font for the title, but I wanted what I considered a "respectful" font (Papyrus). Please review.

Service Project Brochure / Historical Society / Strahan

I had posted my first draft of a brochure for the Narragansett Historical Society for your review, but I just heard back from the president who rejected it, so I just removed it. Ouch! I will survive. This is all part of the experience. Virginia

Project 5 / Revised Historical Society Posters / Strahan

I've revised my three posters for the Narragansett Historical Society by using the same vintage paper as background image for continuity. Please comment.

Project 5 / Historical Society Posters / Virginia

It's nearly 4 a.m., but I wanted to get this done. These are three of the posters I created for the Narragansett Historical Society during 2014, as a volunteer. I've made many of the changes suggested by my classmates.

Poster #1 (open for the season). It was suggested that I bleed the background image (a sheet of vintage paper), which would mean that I would lose the torn edges. However, I like the torn edges, which I used on all but one of the seven posters I created for the historical society in 2014 for uniformity. Hopefully, the torn edges help the reader think of an historical document. I decided to keep the torn edges just for this one poster for additional comments. I changed the header font to a vintage-looking font, Subway Novella, as requested.

Poster #2 ( pumpkin festival).  I made major changes to this poster, including substituting a different background image of vintage paper (sans torn edges) so that there is a bleed. I used the same vintage-looking font, Subway Novella, for the header. I moved around images and text, but kept the same body font.. By the way, the little boy in his Superman costume is my brother; I colorized a black and white photo.

Poster #3 (Jack Frost Festival). The historical society praised this poster, but my classmates were concerned about readability, and I agree. It was suggested I reduce the opacity of the background image (frost on a window pane) so that the text was darker and more readable; I have done this. I tried to move the border to the edge of the paper, as suggested, but I couldn't understand how that would work. If the paper began to slip on the printer, this border might disappear.

As always, I welcome your comments. And now I think I will go to bed.

Project #1 -- Non-Smoking PSA -- Revised

Anyone there? Here's my revised version of Project 1 -- Non-Smoking PSA. Upon Connie's recommendation, I've tried to make the image of the man "a ghost-like apparition coming back to haunt us with this message." I blacked out the eye sockets, so that the eyes are no longer visible; I tilted the skull a little more; I added smoke to try and blur the low-res image, which I had no time to redraw in Illustrator; and I added an image to the cigarette pack. I also changed the American Cancer Society logo in the lower right corner to black and white. I like this a lot better, but I think the cigarette pack still needs work. What do you think?

Project #2 / Virginia / Flush Left

I've made both columns for the inside text in my FlexPrint brochure flush left, as suggested by Coni. Please give me your feedback so I can decide which version to use, so I can finish this project. Many thanks in advance for your input.

NEW -- Inside spread with text in tan box now FL.

OLD -- Inside spread with text in tan box moved to center.

Project #3 -- Historical Society Magazine / Virginia

This magazine created for the Narragansett Historical Society of Templeton features the 1938 hurricane that devastated Baldwinville. This project originally was done in Quark, but I have recreated it in InDesign since MWCC has dropped Quark to cut costs. (This meant extra work for me now, but a plus for the future in case the historical society decides to adopt this publication.) I selected "Storm Extra Bold" as the font for the headline "1938 Hurricane" and tilted the photos to represent the chaos of the wind.

The town of Templeton is comprised of four small villages, which always haven't seen eye-to-eye down through history (there have been attempts to separate). That is why I selected the "Four Villages ... Sharing One History" banner, in order to reflect unity.

Changes suggested: On the cover, extend the tail on the "g" in "Villages" in the banner so that "Sharing One History" is now on the tail. On the spread, change the position of the headline on the left panel so that it "swirls," matching the swirling of the hurricane in the background image. And I need to remove the bar code.

Changes made: I wanted to get this online for review now, in case I lost power due to Winter Storm Neptune, so I decided not to extend the tail of the "g" in "Four Villages," but I am open to trying this. I "swirled" the headline on the left panel, but I'm not sure it works. So I have posted both the "before and after" panels. I value your input. What do you think?

Magazine Cover

Magazine Contents Page with border for better viewing

Magazine Spread (original)

Magazine Spread (updated left panel)

Project #2 -- FlexPrint Brochure by Virginia

This brochure with its required die-cut was created to market a fictitious print shop in Gardner named FlexPrint, which uses flexography (or flexo print) to produce high-quality flexible packaging. This print process uses environmentally-friendly fast-drying inks that are perfect for slick surfaces, such as plastic grocery bags, food wrap and even shower curtains. The firm also prints on paper.

In flexography, the flexible flexographic plate with its raised image or text is attached to a roller. A second roller applies a specific amount of ink to the plate, while a third roller keeps what is called the substrate (the material on which to print) pressed firmly against the flexographic plate while it passes between them. Hence, circles, representing rollers, are key to this design, along with the "rollin', rollin', rollin" theme. I also threw in a  bit of nostalgia, just for fun. (Can you sing the theme song for the TV western referenced in the brochure?)

1) Reviewer noted that the images inside the circle looked "blurry" in the printed brochure. However, the images are high-res in the InDesign file (300 dpi). After a few adjustments to the print settings, I printed a second copy of the brochure, and the images are crisp once again.

2) No other updates were suggested or made. Comments, please.

Brochure Folded Front

Brochure Folded Back

Brochure Spread Outside

Brochure Spread Inside

Portfolio #1 Non-Smoking PSA

Here is my first portfolio redo, based on Greg's critique during class 2/3. This non-smoking PSA is targeted at adults ages 40-60, who would remember the popular American  Express campaign from 1976, "Don't Leave Home without It" (your American Express card), which used Karl Malden. The low-res image is a major problem with this PSA. Unfortunately, I've been unable to secure a high-res version of the image of actor Karl Malden, so the main image remains "fuzzy." (I looked through magazines and even Malden's autobiography.) Posterizing the image didn't sharpen it.  I enlarged and changed the font of the headline from Helvetica to a scarier font called Horrorfind. The cigarette pack is generic to avoid focusing on any one cigarette company, and it is pink/salmon in color to represent women smokers, since a big target of cigarette companies is women.

1) As we begin this discussion on online portfolios, I thought I'd post Zak Stoddard's website, since Zak is one of our own. Maybe this site is more than a portfolio, but it showcases Zak's work as as a designer. I think it is a well-organized, creative way to display his work and background information, and one that I am considering using as an example for my online portfolio. What do you think? Zak Stoddard's Portfolio

2) Wow! I am mightily impressed with this animated (as in multiple movement) website by "the droid you are looking for" -- although he should have paid more attention to grammar in school. He's GOOD -- he says so; he's a perfectionist who confidently touts his wares and skills, and his skills are "legion." He paraphrases Steve Jobs, and there are many little buttons on this very complex site to discover and press that lead you up and down and sideways for more information. It's kind of fun for me as a student to poke around, but would a perspective client have time for all that? Again, this site is all one page, where you scroll down toward the bottom. He sells himself first, and then showcases his work, although his work section seems all "jumbled" together. (Where's the white space?)  I'm not sure if his name is Botond Raduly or Raduly Botond, but see for yourself at http://botondraduly.com/

3) I like the simplicity of this fun site. The designer is at the forefront all the time. This is me; and then this is my work. A lot of animation. http://www.gcardoso.pt/

Comment on Entwistle logo

I feel the classic lines of Art Deco support Entwistle's identity as a classic pianist.