Web Classmate's Site

Looking through some of my peer's working website, I've noticed a few really decent layouts in class. My friend, Dan Kearsey, has presented one of these fine quality layouts. I feel I should give a little credit where credit is due, so here goes.

Upon my initial response to the site, the colors chosen are vibrant yet professional; giving an interesting sensory appeal. All of his content is centered and relatively smaller in comparison to the surrounding negative space. I like the personable appeal also, with the picture of he and his fiancee. The typography is legitimately structured, and I am really liking the redesign of the social networking links. They relate to the design, but don't immediately jump at the viewer.

Moving along, Dan's navigation is clear and concise; just as is his portfolio. Something I am considering with my website is clustering my porfolio pieces via media. A good example of this idea can be seen through Dan's site, and how he has separated thumbnail groups. The contact information is not overbearing but might stand a to shrink a bit.

Other than that, props to Dan Kearsey on a site well-done!

justinlloydgibson.com officially official via Lime Domains officials

Finally, my site is connected to the inter-world.
It's pretty rough for now, but that'll tighten up soon. Right now I'm juggling and struggling with 4 projects. Got to graduate though..

Anyway, if you're into Lime Domains at all and want to domain forward; always rid of hosting any site through LD first. I've temporarily chosen to utilize the University of Akron's server to host all native files. So when I initially attempted to get the ball rolling (forward), I overlooked any running default domain upon purchasing the domain.

Live and learn.

427 Open House

This past Friday (4/30) I was able to attend an open house at/with local Akronite design firm, 427. It was my first time attending a design open house. Thankfully enough, they were relatively close to the campus (on N. Union). I arrived to a quiet wooded area where the business complex exists at the end of the road. 427 were on the second floor.

And there I entered the 'fight against the ugliness', adorned with plenty of tacos and luchadors. All throughout the triangular layout of the office studio were various print works of illustration and typography. everyone had a glass-encased office, which I found welcoming.

From this initial observation I was greeted by a few of my peers from class. We mingled among one another for a bit and then I went off on my own to look around some more. These guys were legit from the get-go. Full photography studio, centrally located lounge area, kitchen; and yes, a studio offices for music and musicians alike. Who wouldn't want to work here, right?

After another round of eying the place, it was time for a beer. They had Mic-Ultra, which is a fair selection. I wanted to take a look over at the promotionals, but the adjacent bookshelf seemed less congested. Over the past 6 years of college, I have been holding on to most of my books in hopes to revise and upgrade a lifelong library. So when I browsed over the 427 bookshelf, I saw an even variety of interactive/web, type, advertisement/illustration, as well as software materials. Good stuff. Some other interesting things were on the top of the shelf. For example, they had woodblock letterforms that spelled out this:

When I saw the old cameras next to them, I asked someone who I thought designed there about them. Apparently he didn't know as I found he too was a visitor. His name was Chris, and he came from designing in Arizona. We chatted a while about the field, what to expect, stuff like that. Either way, those cameras were interesting (look into those later).

Moving onto the promo table; effective, appropriate, impressive. I scored a screen print, lucha-figure (w/packaging), magnet, and a window cling; all custom DIY by the way. All in all an enlightening experience. Thanks 427!

AIGA Student Portfolio Review / Cocktails for Creatives

About a month ago (on April 9th) my fellow designer / friend, Mike Strizak, and I ventured north to downtown Cleveland for some constructive criticism and comradery via AIGA. It was relatively nice out, just a little cold though. We ended up parking 5 minutes down the street before realizing the event provided free parking...whoops.

Upon entry, we were greeted by a couple of AIGA-ers and filled out a name tag. We were further directed down the hall of Trinity Commons and into the cathedral area where the event took place. Surrounding the the perimeter of the cathedral were white covered tables, students, portfolios, and professionals. A fair amount of the students seemed to be from the University of Akron. Nonetheless, I was greeted by Amy Hawk and Dawn Zidonis while awaiting a table spot.

After a few minutes, a chair was open and I headed over to greet the professional. His name was Richard and he worked for _. While he admittedly enjoyed my work, he suggested I consider bringing working models along with my portfolio to any interviews in the future. Richard stressed the importance of continuing to promote yourself, as he received one of his first design jobs roughly one year after self-promoting.

Shortly after that, I met another professional Richard. Though he prefers to go by Ricky, I felt the irony from the start. He was referred to me by Janelle Slivka (friend / designer). And rightfully so, I enjoyed Ricky's approach. He had me speak about my work as opposed to just listening to what he had to say first off. This encouraged self awareness on the 'sales pitch' of my design. Furthermore, he gave me some minor tips to touch up my work. Check out his design blog by the way.

All in all, the review as was fairly constructive for me. Only regrets I had were not meeting with enough professionals after handing over 25 dollars. I don't get to visit Cleveland (or go anywhere for that matter) too often; so whenever I can visit, the experience is positive.

After the portfolio review, a group of us from Myers School of Art headed out to the Cocktails for Creatives after party. Mike and I drove around the flats a bit, passing Larry Flynt's Hustler Club one too many times trying to find Rock Bottom Brewery. We parked nearby and walked over to realize the Scene Pavilion is right next door. This part of Cleveland seemed a little detached from the city, in a good way though. The brewery is located in a warehouse type of building with a fair amount of architecture relative to firefighters. Although it was a Friday night, the place wasnt as full because it was still early. I went straight to the bar for a Firemen's Ale. Apparently half of the proceeds go to burn victims; generous of them. Mike and I met with a few classmates, but couldn't find the majority (they were allegedly in the back of the place). So, we went upstairs to the pool tables with a few of the AIGA folk, played for a little while, and called it a night.

All in all, it was a positive experience. Got some feedback on the porfolio, chatted with professionals, got to interact with some of my classmates outside of class, the Cleveland city atmosphere...All good things.

Paul Sahre @ Kent State

So on March 25th, I went out to listen and observe Paul Sahre (graphic designer) with fellow classmates over at Kent State University's Franklin Hall Auditorium.

Living in his New York 'OOPS' studio firm, he creates via editorial, poster, and cover medium. The acronym is literally the office of Paul Sahre. A Duncan Donuts shop accompanies the building three floors down at street level.

Paul received a couple of degrees from Kent State and seems really adamant about the importance of books and older catalogs; both typographically and graphically. Sahre conveyed vegan and atheist principals, and also promotes the conceptual development process through initial sketches.

In one interesting project, Paul Sahre conceptualized with ever-shifting typographic qualities and attributes of the Garamond typeface. Entitled, What is Garamond?, one of my favorites is 'OG Garamond'.

Moving on, the Kent alumnus argues the fact that it is alright to stare at a screen for long durations (such that work requires). He encourages all designers to interact aside from the bulb though. And I too agree that experimenting with the right balance of mental and physical interaction is necessary to maintain a healthy positive life.

Two individuals guided Paul throughout school and into his career. Charles Walker is a Kent State emeritus professor whom he learned a lot of advice from. The grid, of course, is an essential utility to Paul Sahre's work. Swiss designer, Josef Muller-Brockmann serves Paul as a prominent influence in his graphic design as well.

Currently he is approaching a redesign for several Hemingway novel covers. Other notable projects include Patton Oswalt's book cover design, as well as his TDC Call for Entries poster and foot-made type.

Aside from Paul Sahre the designer; he is one hell of a fusball player. He created an established national fusball league for designers only.

I've shared the same viewpoint with Sahre in that the field of graphic design is different from other occupations in that with each creation comes a different endevor of knowlege. We are (or should be) learning as each experience presents itself. He continued, when in the professional field it is important to push an idea rather than 'shove', or force, any issue.

Paul Sahre recommends Hemingway's 'Torrents of Spring', and NPR's 'This American Life'. Aside from his main site, he also maintains Spreadin the Luv.

Camille Utterbeck

This is a tad on the delay, but I'm finally posting something this semester!
Anyway, Camille Utterbeck came through Myers School of Art with the help my awesome professor, Tony Samangy. Our class had the privilege of interacting with a couple of Camille's installations, further dialoguing her thoughts. She spoke to some of the ideals of connectivity and furthermore instigated individual awareness of this general connection we share with our ever-changing environment.
New media is essentially an infantile art-form achieved through the extension and integration of web, video, and graphic utilities. Utterbeck has been creating in this medium for roughly 10 years. While working through computer programming techniques to establish a work, her prevailing emotive retains a humanistic quality. This is further conveyed by the mere interactions required to view each differently conceived installation. For example, people walk and ride bikes over an area in downtown San Jose. Good, innovative stuff!

Marks of Excellence Summary (Communication)

The Communication section, in Marks of Exellence, speaks the of idea that trademark communication exceeds the realm of graphic design, breaching into other relative aspects of study, such as semiotics. The social role and interacting systems (semiotics) of a sign is communicated through the language of graphic design via symbols, letters, and words.

Communication is a transport of meaning, or a social interaction through message. Semiotic manipulation focuses interest on the sign produced. As Charles Sanders Pierce stated," a sign is something which stands to somebody for something in some respect or capacity."

As Shannon and Weaver's Mathematical Theory of Communication (1948) proclaims, there are three apparent problems that arise with trademark communication; the signal, message, and influence. The Signal deals with a symbol's accuracy (is it visible enough?), while it's precision of meaning is handled via message (is it understandable), and influence is displayed by the mark's effectiveness (will it create the desired effect). For example, the Montblanc Pen Co. trademark was designed to represent the snow-capped summit of Mt. Blanc through a rounded six-tipped white star on the tip of the black pen. This proved a conflict in similarity with the star of David symbol.

Noise is noted as anything that hinders the correct decoding of a message. There are generally two types of noise. Engineered noise relates between the trademark and the surrounding visual environment in which it exists. Opposite that, semantic noise is created between the similarities of a trademark and it's competition. The audience will naturally react in different opinions.

The image of Mercedes-Benz' logo as a hood ornament conveys a multi-transferable (dimensional) mark. Trademarks are a visual phenomena due to the transferability through several channels by different media forms. These channels exist physically by which the signal is being engaged. The technical means of transmission through acts/presentational and works/representational media. Constraints and biases do exist in the different formats. Cultural regionality is one example of these constraints.

Trademarks can retain a primary visual phenomenon along with a secondary audible quality. These phenomena create the context of a trademark. Dimension and perspective also shapes context. The temporal relationship of drinking is present through the context of spatial stages of consumption in Cassandre's iconic Dubonnet poster.

Another function of the communication vehicle is linguistics. In 1960, Jakobsen's communication model created a linear model of the Shannon and Weaver theory by relating factors of context, message, addresser, addressee, contact, and code. The double function of language is either referential or emotional. Referential language is thought of as objective and calls for attention, whereas emotional language is subjective; further inviting participation. Linguistics covers referential (dealing with the message and the referent), emotive (dealing with the addresser and the emotional message), conative (message and effect on addressee), poetic (message and it's characteristics), phatic (communication; establish/continue), and metalingual (understood clarity of communication) subfunctions as well.

Signs interact through different layers and interpretations based on the physical sign itself, it's symbology and the reaction the sign generates.

Beyond the physical, communication can function in code; a semiotic system of signs incorporating relations and meanings which can be objectively and/or subjectively referenced. Logical codes are either paralinguistic (ideas instead of sound), practical (instruction/coordination), or epistemological (classification/calculation). Expressive codes are interpretive and emotional.

Trademarks operate in subjective or objective modes. Each mode can exist with the other in variation through three fields of communication. Indication refers to a single being, Induction to action, and representation through knowledge.

All signs are conventional in the sense that the level of meaning is determined by that convention's strength. Motivated conventions are natural, whereas arbitrary signs require understanding beyond literal connotation; both existing in degrees. Symbols simply are non-figurative communications, linked arbitrarily to the objects. Icons are linked in similarity with the object, and can be conveyed through images (representation of real object), diagrams (showing structural schematics), and metaphorical (shared conceptual qualities with the object). Indices are physically connected to the object through designations (acquired meaning through relation of location) and reagents (effect via casual association with the object). All of these elements aid the relationship between the sign and what it stands for.

Trademarks carry multiple meanings. Distinction describes a referral function, meanwhile description through categorization and attribution are emotional references. As Paul Rand states, "A trademark is created by a designer but made by a corporation." The quote is as genuine as it is true. Furthermore, semiotic subject matter is the production of meaning. The purpose of a mark's meaning can be broken down through the control of visual identity, external identity, internal identity, rationalization, economics, business goals, encoded meaning, individualization, categorization, attribution, aberrant decode, performance based, and wild decode.

'Form follows function', as Sullivan once said. This idea definitely applies to graphic design as trademarks allow immediate identification, while invoking values of visibility, application, competition, legality, simplicity, attention, decency, color/grey reproduction, vehicles, holding power, description, tone, fashion, timelessness, graphic excellence, marketability, medium, pronunciation, nonverbal sounds, discretion, and favorability.