Art from the chasm: June 2011

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Collateral design: Artist campaign

Artist campaign, CD package front.
Photography by Ian Komac.

Artist campaign, CD package interior & CD label.
Photography by Ian Komac.

Artist campaign, subway ads. Photoshop
Photography by Ian Komac.

Artist campaign, Outdoor ad. Illustrator
Photography by Ian Komac.

Artist campaign, 11x17" poster. InDesign

Artist campaign, CD package. InDesign.
Some Photography by Ian Komac.

Artist campaign, instant camera sleeve. InDesign

Artist package creative brief

ARTIST

For my artist package I chose upcoming artist Vicci Martinez. Even though she’s been making music and releasing records since she was a teenager, she’s only recently come to the attention of a large audience thanks to her appearance in NBC’s The Voice. At the auditions she blew the crowd away with her rendition of Adele’s ‘Running in the deep’ and later on won her ‘battle round’ with another amazing performance, this time singing Pink’s ‘Fucking Perfect’. Regardless of the outcome of the show, I think she has made a big impression on the music-loving public and will become a successful artist in the years to come.

LOGO & CD PACKAGE

Looking at her previous releases there’s no coherent design to them, and even the logo on her otherwise professional website seems quickly thrown together. For this package I decided to go with a sophisticated feel, as would be fitting a major label release. Her current logo incorporates a wing and I decided to keep that idea, but in a more focused way. I chose the handwritten script because I feel it fits her loose style and her age. Her style of music is a mix between singer/songwriter, soul and blues with a hint of rock, similar to Melissa Etheridge and Beth Hart, and like them she appeals to a pop audience as well. For this campaign I wanted to stay away from any genre cliché’s that would label her as a genre artist, but instead tried to create a ‘big budget’ feel by combining deep blues with gold and emerald green and using Trajan Pro for legibility and sophistication. Other releases of this kind would use a lot of artist photo’s to make up the bulk of the images, to retain a more ‘indie’ feel, I consciously used only one photo of Vicci herself and instead used more expressive ‘artistic’ images that corresponded with the theme of her album.

INDOOR/OUTDOOR ADVERTISING

For the outdoor ads I decided to go with mid-size poster that Is fully scalable and can be used in subways, on the side of trucks or buildings. The smaller poster includes more information and is suited for a variety of locations, clubs, stores, bus shelters etc.

Some of the photography used is by Ian Komac, see his work here on flickr.com.

For our final project in Collateral Design, we will create a multiple-piece campaign for a band or recording artist of your choice.Project should be designed to promote a new (not existing) CD and tour. I would encourage you to consider pushing yourself on this project to do something you might not ordinarily listen to. Design, font choices, etc, should be appropriate to the genre/artist. Design: Logo specific to the disc/tour; consider designing in llustrator to keep clean vector art. CD packaging, including label see discmakers.com for templates. 11 x 17 Poster. 1 example of outdoor or large format advertising - take note on the NY trip, there are long banners that go the whole way up the subway escalator, for instance, or banners covering the side of a building, etc. Minimum of 1 add'l pcs to be determined; remember all we've talked about in regards to creating a unique promotional product. Mounting, etc. up to you - just make it look professional and worthy of a final project.

Collateral design: Bald Eagle Vineyards campaign

Bald Eagle Vineyards, Mystery, Wine & Dinner Invitation. InDesign

Bald Eagle Vineyards, Mystery, Wine & Dinner program cover. InDesign

Bald Eagle Vineyards, Mystery, Wine & Dinner program interior. InDesign

Bald Eagle Vineyards, full page ad. InDesign

Bald Eagle Vineyards website home page. Photoshop

Using your favorite of the 3 logos you designed - and yes, you may develop your logo further - we will develop a 3-piece collateral project to promote the vineyard and establish a "brand identity" for our company. Project should include: 1. Web site home page, 1000 x 700 pixels
2. Full page color magazine ad, Susquehanna Life Magazine. Size 9 x 12 + 1/8" bleed if necessary.
3. You decide, but shoot for a memorable, innovative piece or approach that would promote and create interest in the vineyard. (I'm nodding off at the idea of more key chains, bumper stickers and t-shirts...)

Collateral design: Bald Eagle Vineyards logo

Bald Eagle Vineyards logo with color variations. Illustrator

Develop a set of 3 options for logos for Bald Eagle Vineyards, an imaginary vineyard and winemaking start-up company. This should be 3 very different "feels" to the logos, not, say, one logo with three color choices. Please turn in roughs with your final project to show concept development. Please check carefully for typos - you have three words here, spell them right. Any project with a typo on will receive a 0, just as you would lose this account if you worked up a presentation for a logo and didn't take the time to represent them properly.

Collateral design: Armed forces campaign

Navy Recruitment campaign, full page ad. InDesign

Navy Recruitment Campaign, brochure. InDesign

Navy Recruitment Campaign, half page ad. InDesign

Navy Recruitment Campaign, Poster 22x17". InDesign

Armed Forces Promotion & Recruitment Project Creative Brief

April 20, 2011

For my armed forces promotion & recruitment project, I have chosen the US Navy. They are an institution steeped in traditions and very proud of their past achievements and roles they have played in past conflicts and humanitarian actions. They have good reason to be proud. At the moment they are the largest naval force on the planet and command the largest seafaring tonnage. They have been instrumental in achieving victories and supporting other branches of the armed forces in their vital duties.

Their past however, also includes some less admirable facts. For the longest time, African American enlistees and later women and Hispanics, even though they were formally equal, found it very hard to move up in the ranks, and after Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was established in 1994, it ranked first in the number of dismissals of Gay and Lesbian personnel.

At present, the Navy makes a concentrated effort to pursue a policy of equality and diversity, giving ample room for women, African Americans and Latinos to present themselves as proud members of the naval forces. Under Admiral G. Roughead the Navy has established an all-encompassing diversity policy that aims to correct those past wrongs and opens the way for a more open and tolerant future.

From the Navy Diversity Policy:

We must not be locked in time. As leaders, we must anticipate and embrace the demographic changes of tomorrow, and build a Navy that always reflects our Country’s make up. We must lead in ways that will continue to draw men and women to service to our Country and to our Navy. Diversity of thoughts, ideas, and competencies of our people, keeps our Navy strong, end empowers the protection of the very freedoms and opportunities we enjoy each and every day. the vast talent, diversity, and experience of our citizens will continue to be our strength, and will ensure our Navy's relevance and our Nation's security and prosperity.

Following the repeal of Don’t ask, Don’t tell, in 2010, I feel it is time for the Navy to follow through on their promise of diversity and start tapping the vast potential of well-educated and talented Gay and Lesbian men and women who want to contribute to the safety of their country and help others in need all around the world. I propose to design an understated campaign aimed at higher education level Gays and Lesbians with the purpose of recruiting them into leading officer positions. It will be based on the basic premise that they would be proud to serve, a word that resurfaces frequently in the Navy’s written communications.

The four pieces I propose to do are: two magazine ads, placed in publications such as The Advocate and Compete magazine. Secondly, a poster that will go together with a brochure that can be placed in universities and colleges that have an LGBT Student Resource Center, such as Penn State. The brochure could also be used as a handout at specific LGBT events, such as the OUTer Gay and Lesbian SciFi / Fantasy Film Festival in Austin, Texas. Lastly, I want to design small ads to be used on the web, both on the navy’s websites as well as targeted specifically to higher-education LGBT web users through the use of tracking cookies and Google Adwords.

The campaign as a whole should reflect the viability and benefits of a career in the Navy, as well as the talents and potential inherent in the LGBT community.

You may choose the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard. Step one is to develop a creative brief defining who this "company" is, what challenges we have in promoting and recruiting for it, and how we can develop an effective public awareness and image. Explain how you would carry this campaign through, with a minimum of 4 pieces. (No more than 2 of these may be print ads, and each ad must be in a different publication and a different size.) Think in terms of carrying this through and reaching your audience: If you design an ad, where are those ads placed? If it's a kiosk poster, where? Radio spots, what station would it run on? Etc. Consider "off the wall" and creative solutions. Spending time on this part of the job will be crucial to developing an effective campaign.

Collateral design: Meyer Dairy Campaign

Meyer dairy magazine ad, Photoshop and InDesign

Meyer Dairy website home page, InDesign

Meyer Dairy promo poster, InDesign

Meyer Dairy Ice-cream carton, InDesign

Meyer Dairy milk carton, InDesign

Meyer Dairy ice-cream cartons product sample

Meyer Dairy milk cartons product sample

Taking the brand we have researched, let's introduce the word "design" to collateral design... this project may be a bit different for each of you. Taking the idea of the branding change/refocus you worked on in step one, carry this campaign out with a minimum of 4 pieces that reinforce what you are trying to accomplish here. Examples may include: magazine or newspaper ads, billboards, outdoor advertising, radio commercial scripts, advertising specialties, web site, etc. In other words, how will you effectively reach out to the audience you defined in step one of this project? Note: if you do, say, a magazine ad, you must identify what magazine... if you do a billboard, where would this be placed (ie northern interstates outside metro areas? on route 45? etc.)

Illustrator: Graphic Novel covers

Graphic Novel cover 1; Atlas Shrugged. Illustrator

Graphic Novel cover 2; The Fountainhead. Illustrator

Working entirely in Illustrator create a set of two related Graphic novel covers. Minimum size 9 x 12. Recreate logos, mastheads, etc. in Illustrator as needed (no pixely web grabs, please.) Work in the style you prefer as appropriate to your subject matter. 200 point project; 100 points design and meeting deadline, 100 points demonstrated knowledge and application of Adobe Illustrator (ie challenge yourself to do something really nice here.)

Illustrator: Retro warp ad

Retro warp ad, Luna Robot,
final version (top) and preliminary version. Photoshop and Illustrator

Using a combination of Illustrator and Photoshop, design a 9 x 12" ad promoting a newer technology-based product - ie iPad, iPod, removable hard drive, bluetooth device, mp3 player, etc. using the retro warp technique we will be reviewing in class. Shoot for a "60's feel" to the final project. Incorporate a stock photo from a source like istock.com or fotolia; you may need to buy a photo, acquire a print-quality image or do custom photography. Please put some time and thought into this project - explore color options, your wording, etc. If you finish this project in a day, you have not put enough thought into it.

Illustrator: Self portrait

Self-portrait, Illustrator

Using the tools and techniques we have covered in class, create a self-portrait... any style... cartoon, stylized, realistic, somewhat abstract, full body, cropped portrait, you decide! Finished portrait should demonstrate proficiency in the use of the drawing tools and techniques we have covered in class and in your exercises, as well as demonstrate application of some basic graphic design principles (ie is nice composition used, good color choice, good contrast where necessary, etc.)

Illustrator: Corporate identity package

Corporate identity stationery, Illustrator

Corporate identity business card back, Illustrator

Corporate identity business card front, Illustrator

Corporate identity envelope, Illustrator

Using the logo we created, we will now create a corporate identity package for the client. The file should consist of one Illustrator file with multiple artboards for:
1. Letterhead (typically 8.5 x 11) DESIGN 3 OPTIONS FOR THIS.
2. Envelope - which should be appropriate for size of letterhead
3. Business card front
4. Business card back

Illustrator: Corporate logo

Corporate logo, Illustrator

Using a symbol created entirely using a combination of simple geometric shapes in Illustrator, design a logo for a company based around your last name. The symbol is not intended to represent you as a designer, rather, think in terms of a global corporation. Incorporate some typography with your symbol.