I enjoyed this project and how aesthetically pleasing the type looks when put together correctly. I learned how to use different variations of one font to fill up negative space, making a series of designs. It was easy to alternate between thin and bold type, as I could tell which kind fit the space and wording the best. However, it was challenging to fill up all the art board space. The type took a bit of finagling to make it take up as much space as possible without looking cluttered. My submission could be improved if I used Illustrator in my opinion, as it would have allowed me to move the words with greater ease. Figma prevented me from attempting more intricate designs. I think the assignment could be improved if it was laid out with directions on D2L. The knowledge that I gained in typography can be used in my future designs. I can now fill up spaces and use different fonts to create complementary type. I was inspired by looking at the past student work, as it gave me inspiration for laying out my words.
For this project, I created a fused metaphor symbolizing “the world is your oyster”. Through my work, I learned how to transform and warp images, such as the earth, creating more realism. It was easy to combine the 2 images, as this involved simple photoshop skills. However, it was more challenging to make the image look realistic and create a pattern in Figma. Creating a pattern that filled space, but didn’t look too busy took some time. My submission could be improved with a better pattern, as using waves, hands, and opportunity symbols may not convey the metaphor fully. The assignment could be improved by not requiring a pattern and leaving that just as a lab, as it takes away from the metaphor. I can apply the knowledge gained from this project to my future assignments as I know now how to warp images, allowing me to truly transform shapes. I was helped by the noun project (http://Thenounproject.com), as they provided me with symbols to use in my pattern.
In this project, I created four different landscapes using various gradients, shapes, and Gestalt principles. I learned how to create radial and linear gradients, as well as understanding the different color schemes. I really enjoyed finding different schemes and relating them to the unique areas. I thought it was easy to draw out the various shapes and create the landscapes, such as the coral and the buildings. Figma is starting to become very easy to utilize in terms of drawing and designing. It was challenging to draw the cactuses, however. In order to make them realistic, I needed to understand how to curve the rectangles which I struggled at initially. I think I eventually created a decent cactus towards the end, however. My submission could be improved if I focused more on different gradients and different saturations. This could make certain areas in the artboard pop. I don’t believe this assignment could be improved, as I thought a good amount of time was given to work on it and the critiques helped greatly. I had a lot of fun with this project. I would apply my knowledge learned as I know understand color schemes. I can now use certain color schemes when designing in the future, allowing for a more aesthetic end project. I was particularly helped by the website, kuler.adobe.com. This helped me explore different color schemes and truly understand what analogous and triad meant, as I was unaware of the two before this class.
Artboard 1: I used the principle of proximity to establish a relationship between Jack and Jill.
Artboard 2: I used figure ground and created hills with the black background.
Artboard 3: I used continuation here, so the raindrops led the viewer’s eyes downward, without actually being on the bottom of the artboard.
Artboard 4: Here I used the principle of similarity to establish Jack’s fall . The smaller parts of him represent his whole self failing down.
Artboard 5: The principle of closure was used to establish Jack’s missing crown. A piece of him is missing, yet it is assumed that the circle is closed through closure.
Artboard 6: Here I used repetition so the viewer would perceive Jill’s tumble as one singular element, rather than individual elements.
Representative:
Artboard 1: Here I used similarity to establish a connection between Jack and Jill and have them contrast their background. This makes them a pair that stands out, rather than individuals.
Artboard 2: Here I used repetition to create hills. Many of the same circles are overlayed to create a large hill, rather than many small ones.
Artboard 3: Closure is used here to represent the pail of water. There is obviously not a gaping hole in the pail’s side, so the principle of closure fixes that perception for us.
Artboard 4: I used continuation to demonstrate Jack’s fall. The moons are portrayed in a curve and lead the eye off the page, narrating his large tumble.
Artboard 5: This artboard uses figure ground to establish Jack’s crown breaking. Small triangles contrast with the background to create fragments and the triangles in the upper corner switch places with the ground.
Artboard 6: Lastly, I used proximity to establish Jill’s tumble. Many shapes are put closely together to establish a connection among themselves. This contrasts Jill against Jack, who is on the bottom of the artboard.
Reflection:
In this assignment, we used Gestalt principles to create a Nursery Rhyme. For my project, I chose to show “Jack and Jill” through shapes in both an abstract and representative manner. In this project, I learned all about Gestalt principles and how to put them into practice. Additionally, I combined this knowledge with the Rule of Thirds when designing my artboards. I also learned how to use Sigma in this project, which is an easier alternative to Illustrator. I thought it was relatively easy to create the representative artboards in this project, as it was simply telling a story through shapes. However, combining Gestalt principles with the abstract dartboards was quite challenging. I struggled with creativity in the beginning as well as trying to satisfy all 6 principles. My submission could be improved if I spent more time learning the ins-and-outs of Figma. With more knowledge of the site, I would probably be able to make more intricate shapes and tell the story in a more complex manner. Additionally, this submission could be improved if I was able to be more creative. I struggled in making abstract pieces. The assignment could be improved for the next class by involving color. I think simply adding gray shapes to the black-and-white would enhance the storytelling. From the knowledge gained in this assignment, I will now be able to identify design crimes that go against the Gestalt principles. Additionally, I will be able to follow the Rule of Thirds in the rest of my designs in the future. I was helped in this project by referencing the Gestalt lecture presented in class, as well as the links provided in the directions. Specifically I found the Smashing Magazine article helpful (http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2014/03/design-principles-visual-perception-and-the-principles-of-gestalt/). This article helped me further identity the Gestalt principles with more examples.
