GRA3611 – Vector Art Editing

Week5 – GRA3611

Hello. Welcome to week 5!

DUE Today
1. Research:We will meet with teams today and organize reference material for presenting to client today. See last week’s handout:

inspiration from existing examples
existing Logotypes, Symbols, Pictograms – that can be looked at for inspiration
list of adjectives (descriptive words)
photo reference

2. Back of playing card. Please send to my dropbox folder by end of class today. Make sure you name your file: yourname-cardback.ai and zip the file before you upload.

In-Class Here are a few examples of logos Maureen Healy sent us. But she emphasizes she is more interested in seeing what you come up with.
Here is the Sane Energy Project site:
http://saneenergyproject.org

Go here to see a clever logo from an environmental advocacy group:
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org

The Fifth Avenue Committee was once a small, grassroots group concerned with Brooklyn housing.
I like the feeling of community I get from their logo:
http://www.fifthave.org

This is one way we would expect to use our logo–when we sign-on with other organizations:
http://www.wethepeoplematter.org/partners/

Lesson – Download file here: week5-lesson
Illustrator – continue with the Deck of Card exercise.

Calligraphic Brushes
Shape Builder Tool
Width Tool
Type-beginnings

Announcements
We will NOT be meeting in class next week: 10.09.13 (Week6)
I will be out of town at a conference. Instead of meeting in person I will ask you each to go visit the following exhibit:

Image of the Studio
To learn more about the exhibit you can visit:
http://imageofthestudio.com/exhibition

Exhibition Details:

41 Cooper Gallery, Cooper Union
October 1–26, 2013
Mon–Fri 10am–6pm; Sat–Sun 12–5pm

Opening Reception (open to the public)
Tuesday October 1, 6–9pm

You can go on your own time, but please view before our next class meeting on 10.16.13

Homework
-> Review your notes from today’s meeting with CARP
-> Develop 10 sketches of possible ideas for the CARP logo, thumbnail sketches. All work must be done with pen/pencil on paper –NO COMPUTER. Sketches can be rough (not finished pieces of art), but must be clear enough to communicate your idea. Be prepared to discuss your sketches in class. Keep in mind your logo should be: re-sizable, readable at a very small size, work in color as well as in black and white.
-> Continue working on your playing cards. I would like you to design #10 of the playing card in each suit: spades (♠), hearts (♥), diamonds (♦) and clubs (♣) – DUE October 16th.

Week4 – GRA3611

Hello. Welcome to week 4!

Announcements
1. I sent everyone an invitation to the class dropbox folder. You might have to check your CityTech email. Here is a link to the class dropbox folder where you can submit your projects to me (make sure your name is on the work you upload.)
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/o8dx7xaceqruu30/PgwxGE2eXN

2. You can also follow this blog now on Openlab. If you are not yet a member please join!

3. DUE: Please upload your (a zipped AI file) of your 4 iconic shapes: spades (♠), hearts (♥), diamonds (♦) and clubs (♣). Place each icon in its own (2.25in x 3.5in) Artboard. See week 3 lesson files for an example.

Lesson – Download file here: lesson-week4
Illustrator – continue with the Deck of Card exercise.

Review homework.
Pen & Path tools (review)
Shape Builder Tool
Width Tool
Blend-continued
Expanding features (review)
Type-beginnings

Lecture Topics
Design Teams

Review handouts, notes and discussion from last week’s visit with Maureen Healy from CARP. See recent PDF she sent: Encouragement for activists WBAI: WBAIonActivists
Watch short video: Margo Chase
Today we will break off into smaller research groups and begin to brainstorm ideas and possible design directions. Each group will be responsible for collectively gathering research materials. Here are the details of what you will be asked to find: GRA3611-Research
Organize your team into focus groups

Homework
-> Complete your research as assigned by your team. Teams will be asked to present your research to client and class next week. You will have an hour to organize your research with your group in class next week before the client arrives at 10:30AM.
-> Finish refining card symbol based on class critique today.

Week3 – GRA3611

Hello everyone – welcome to week 3.

DUE: 4 iconic shapes: spades (♠), hearts (♥), diamonds (♦) and clubs (♣).

Lecture Topics
We will be working with CARP to design their identity.

This Wednesday at 10AM, Maureen Healy from CARP will pay us a visit and provide us with more information about her organization and their needs. This is your chance to ask specific questions that should eventually influence your design decisions. In preparation of her visit, please read this document that she has provided for us about her organization:
GRA3611-MissionQuestions-CARP-Responses

Next week we will break off into smaller research groups and begin to brainstorm ideas and possible design directions. Each group will be responsible for collectively gathering research materials.
Here are the details of what you will be asked to find: GRA3611-Research

Lesson – Download file here: lesson-week3
Illustrator – continue with the Deck of Card exercise.
Deck of Cards – template

Pen tool (review)
Blend-beginnings
Expanding features
Creating Outlines
Blob tool – Eraser tools
Free transform/ Distort

Homework
-> Research: Continue to research CARP website.
-> Re-read handouts and your notes from class today.
-> Finish card template layout from class exercise today.

Week2 – GRA3611

Hello everyone – welcome to week 2.
We have a client!

Client Details
We will be working with the Coalition Against the Rockaway Pipeline (CARP), a grassroots alliance of organizations and individuals. Their mission is to prevent the construction of the Williams/Transco Rockaway Lateral Pipeline Project. We will help them develop an identity, and work with them on creating an ad campaign and some promotional materials.

Please look through this webpage to learn more about the organization: http://carpny.org/about-us/

Next week we will have a visitor from CARP, Maureen Healy, come in to answer specific questions about the clients needs. In preparation for this meeting our goal for this week is to begin research.
See handout:
What is Branding

Lecture Topic
What determines a good brand

Lesson We will work on last weeks lesson since we did not have access to the software, if time allows we will also cover the following:

Download files here: lesson-week1

Pen tool
Expanding features
Creating Outlines
Blob tool – Eraser tools
Free transform/ Distort

1. Deck of Cards: Based on the lesson in class create four icons: spades (♠), hearts (♥), diamonds (♦) and clubs (♣).
2. Develop list of questions to ask Maureen Healy, from CARP next week to help learn more about CARP

Homework
-> Finish in-class exercise: create 4 iconic shapes: spades (♠), hearts (♥), diamonds (♦) and clubs (♣).
-> Come in with 8-10 questions your have for CARP
-> Research what you can about CARP
-> Look through Communication Arts for interesting design trends: www.commarts.com

GRA3611 – Week1

Welcome to the first class of the semester!

Lecture Topics Introductions & Overview
Here are the handouts given in class including the course outline:

GRA3611_HitchingsSyllabus
GRA3611-ProjectOverview

Lesson

Introduction to Illustrator

Workspace
Panels
Bridge
Geometric Objects
Freehand drawing
Alignment tools – Rulers/Guides
Measurements – Inches/Pixels

Download lesson files here >> lesson-week1
Download exc>> PenTool

Resources

Communication Arts: www.commarts.com
Webby Awards: www.webbyawards.com/webbys
The One Club: www.oneclub.org/os

www.aiga.com
www.tdc.org
www.adcglobal.org

Homework

Register for this blog to receive regular updates
Read Project Overview
Research examples of design work created for non-profits (see resource sites above)
Complete illustrator exercises: Create three icons. Suggested: heart, four-leaf-clover, spade, jester hat