FINAL DATA VISUALIZATION/ INFORMATION DESIGN PROJECT: Edit

Edit 2:

Edit 1:

Made a few minor changes.

FINAL DATA VISUALIZATION/ INFORMATION DESIGN PROJECT

I was so excited about this project, once I started - I couldn't stop.  :)

Reign of Queen Elizabeth

Infographic / Data Visualization Project Final?

I applied some suggestions after critique and this is what I came up with :).  I think it looks much better!  Thank you everyone for the help :).

Infographic / Data Visualization Project Progress

Info-graphics / Data Visualization

I thought the combination of research and design was really neat.  This is a graph/chart that illustrates how people spend their time online.  It is easily readable while more or less humorous.  I want to apply how clean and legible this piece is to my own project.  I want to ensure that my project is not difficult to read or cluttered, but rather having a simple piece, and possibly using the same method of reinforcement on the right hand side with the listed categories just for more clarification.

I really enjoyed how creative, colorful, and interesting this piece is.  It's a map of the major cities, all intertwined and connected, creating a really wonderful piece that keeps the eye moving and interested in it.  I want the same effect to be translated into my own project.

This is something utterly fun and possibly useful.  For a confused or blocked typographer, this would be an interesting way to go about choosing a typeface.  Even if not in such a predicament, it is a fun tool to use that has so many possibilities and leaves one looking for hours.  I want to have the same effect.  I want to create something that is not only humorous, but possibly useful in the real world.

Infographic Sketch

Abstract Project Revised

I went ahead and created new icons and did a new abstract project that I am much happier with :).

Abstract Project

I didn't realize it had to be in 11x17 format ^^;.  Oops!

Abstract Project Sketch

Artists for New Abstract Design Problem

Paul Klee
Keith Haring
David Sullivan (see works on aluminum under prints at the menu bar on the left)

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but I'm not quite sure if most abstract artists really ever know until they're done.

Color, Value, and Hue

In reference to the differences of subjects or items, color is a general term that is applied.  This is not the correct term though, the correct term would be hue.  Hue refers to the whole spectrum and variation in color.

There are three kinds of primaries.  There are painters primaries (red, blue, yellow), printers primaries (magenta, cyan, yellow), and light primaries (red, blue, green).  Depending on what purpose a piece is for, it's important to utilize the correct color pallets.

Certain hue combinations can cause a color illusions.  Different color illusions include color proportion, simultaneous contrast, and optical mixture.  For color proportions, the different amounts of color used change the overall feeling of the piece.  Simultaneous contrast is when different color combinations cause colors to change when next to each other and in different amounts.  Optical mixture occurs when there are many spots of color variation an different colors.

Beginning of "How To"

Checkers!

Due to my computer having a bad habit of breaking down, I am still unfinished.  I am still throwing around ideas, and I'm open to any suggestions :).

Project Sketch

Gerd Antz and His Beginnings

Gerd Antz was a master at creating pictographs.  He created over 4,000 in his life time.  His pictographs created a bridge between different languages and the illiterate to the literate.  

They are simple and convey their point quickly.  His idea combined with Otto Neurth’s encouragement and support, they created a new movement together with ISOTYPE.  

With ISOTYPE, they were able to motivate the proliterate into emancipating from socialism in Vienna with their newly-found literacy and empowerment through Antz and Neurth’s pictographs.  His work is now referred to as infographics in today’s world.  

Modern Hieroglyphs

It may seem odd that there are modern hieroglyphs, but it is true.  We are so accustomed to them - we don’t realize that they exist in today’s world.  Signs such as the men and women’s bathroom signs come so naturally to us, it’s just an everyday sighting.  

Non-smoking signs is another good example of modern hieroglyphs.  We see them everywhere; they are used so often.  These are other signs we see, but normally in a computer lab, library, or even a store.  

A fun example of an usual hieroglyph, which isn’t really used in everyday life, but more as a moral reminder is shown in the image above.  The monkeys are a visual reminder of simple morals.  

Symbols - Good or Evil? It depends.

It is possible for a single symbol to represent good or evil, depending on which side you take or represent.  In the case of a peace symbol, it was used by the Vietnamese to represent their anger and rage.  The US uses it as a sign of peace, like an olive branch.  It's most universally used as a peace sign nowadays, but it's origin was a sign of hate.

Just like there are two sides to every story, if you look at abortion, there is anti-abortion (life) and pro-abortion (choice).  People who are anti-abortion or pro-life do not want to have abortions, anti has a negative underlying tone, and makes abortion sound like a bad thing to do.  They try combating it with a different take on anti-abortion with pro-life to make it sound more positive, saving lives.  On the other hand, there is pro-abortion or pro-choice, which has a positive underlying tone and has the opposite effect of anti-abortion.  It sounds like abortion is okay and allows freedom.  These are two different stances on one thing - abortion.  This is similar to how there were two takes on the peace sign.

A good way to sum up this reading section is a yin-yang symbol.  This symbol represents constant change in a circle.  Day becomes night and night becomes day.  Happiness becomes sadness and sadness becomes happiness.  Birth becomes death and death becomes birth.  Friends become enemies and enemies become friends.  Evil becomes good and good becomes evil.  

It's possible for a symbol to change in representation of what it's referencing.  

A History of Symbols/Brands/Logos

Logos are used to brand and define a company.  If done right, a glimpse of a logo should tell you what company it represents without any words or hints.  In the case above, it is quite obvious what the rebranded logo represents.  After 2010's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, British Petroleum's (BP) logo was seen everywhere.  With the dripping oil and fading colors from top to bottom, you can see what the artist is referring to with the re-made logo here. 

In this case, even with the company's initials "BP," and the play on initials, it is still representative of BP.  With having knowledge of what happened, you can see what the artist is tryting to convey.  Even if you didn't know what happened with the oil spill, it isn't hard to infer what happened. 

In the case of Google, they have yet to make any serious mistakes as BP.  Instead, they try to keep their logo interesting.  They change their logo for holidays and events.  With the consistency and with how widely known Google is as a company and browsing device, it is still easy to distinguish their logo.  Here are just a few creative examples of what Google has done with their logo since they've distinguished themselves. 

Exercise 1: Icon Set

choose from one of the following typefaces:

Helvetica

Ariel

Chicago

Gill Sans

Peignot

Cooper Black

Century Schoolbook

Bodoni

Bembo

Didot

Baskerville

Garamond

Clarendon

Blackletter

Fraktur

Times New Roman

Research the history of the typeface.

Use the alphabet (converted to outlines in Illustrator) to create a set of 5-9 icons based upon imagery/art/industrial or product design from the time period. (cut up with the knife tool and reassemble)

Your icons should work together as a system and relate in terms of level of detail and scale.

Do not change the letters scale.

Do not skew or distort the letters.

Do not fill in the counters.

Do not change the underlying path of the letters.

(note: this project is an expansion of Hellen Lupton's class project "Helvetica Nation" forGraphic Design II at the Maryland Institute College of Art)

Working with restraints

Conveying ideas through minimal means

Relationships between contemporary design across discipline

Relating parts of a set as development of a style