Encode Designer Website: Further Sketches

During class began with a quick review of HTML & CSS basics and a group meeting with the professor.  I spent the rest of the class furthering my sketches (focusing on my second page design), exploring color, texture, & typography, & brainstorming branding for the site.

The page layout & color is abstractly based on Van Doesburg's Contra-Composition XVI, as I have previously exhibited, with some inspiration the Cinebal, a dance hall he designed.

The logo, which will be embedded within the title design, is also based on his Contra-Composition XVI, though much more literally.  I have yet decided if I want a full color version for the logo, or a more black & white line drawing.

Also for the title, I'm looking at Van Doesburg's Kleine Dad Soiree for typographical inspiration.  Interestingly enough, it wasn't until after I fell in love with this Dada lettering that I discovered it was also the work of Van Doesburg.  

Encode Designer Website: Beginning Sketches

Encode Designer Website: Theo van Doesburg Research

Theo van Doesburg was a Dutch artist active in painting, prose, poetry, & architecture in the early 20th century avant garde.  He is best known as the founder of the Dutch art movement De Stijl, also known as neoplasticism and characterized by the simplicity & abstraction achieved through stark use of lines, diagonals, & bright rectangular forms.  He was also associated with Concretism & Dadaism. 

Van Doesburg's Contra-Composition XVI

HTML Coding Exercise: My "First" Website

Not actually my first website, I redid an activity I did in my web design class to further practice the basics of internet coding.  It was quite helpful (especially with the huge undertaking of designing an entire webpage in my other class) to go back & practice these concepts in a less stressful assignment.

Below is a picture of the finished "web page" & its HTML code.

Magazine Project: Final Critique & Revised Cover

Critiques took place Thursday.  After the critique, we were given the opportunity to make changes to better our design.  One comment that was prominent in the critique of my piece was that there were too many elements vying for attention.  In my re-design, I took out the chalk drawing a the glass of orange juice and replaced it with a less intrusive red glow with lightning bolts & rays.  Lesser elements like articles & the top bar were moved slightly, as well as the masthead slightly tweaked for better alignment.

Magazine Project: Final

Yesterday I brought all of my imagery into InDesign & tweaked the existing type.  Here's my composite image I brought in...

And here is the completed cover...

The type for the featured articles alludes to chalk drawing.  The emphasis of green not only references the "organic living" theme of the magazine, but also helps cool down the warm colors of the imagery.

Magazine Project: Additional Background Imagery

With my OJ/lightbulb composite finished, I decided I needed something more in the background than just a flat color field.  Referencing Whole Foods website, I decided for a chalk board background, also lending homage to cafes and coffeehouses everywhere.

I spent a few hours doing several ideations & variation thereof.  Unfortunately, my memory card was corrupted, but here are a few that survived.

This final one I chose to be my background.  I thought the proportions were most appropriate and the macro detail of the orange juice better rendered.

Magazine Project: Imagery

Captured image: Orange juice

Scanned magazine image: Lightbulb, Wired Magazine

The above are my two main images.  I'm currently working on integrating them into a composite image, a lightbulb filled with orange juice. 

A preview.... sans the WIRED masthead, of course.

I'm going for the same idea of a flat background on which the bulb can lay, though after some research I think perhaps a lightly textured background could add more effectiveness. Thanks to The Spoon Magazine for some texture inspiration.

Here's a small, simple sketch of what I plan for the magazine cover to look like.

Magazine Project: Masthead

Above is my completed masthead.  The underlying typeface is Poplar Standard Black, with a leaf embellishment for the "i" for a green sensibility.  The slight curvature of the "R" (as well as the leaf) against the stolid straight angles of the rest of the word lend to a modern, hip feel.