Project 5 | Final Portfolio

For my final portfolio, I wanted to do an online version so it could be easily transported if I wanted to carry it somewhere else or send online somewhere. I organized it chronologically by project, and each project has two pages (except for the last project which didn't need a second page). The short description on the first page of each describes the basic concept of the project, and the images are supplemented with descriptive captions. Overall, I wanted to keep a simple and consistent design so the main focus is on the imagery and design of my work rather than the design of the portfolio.

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Project 4 | Final Poster Design

Final poster design for Project 4

This is the final product for project 4. My written notes are incorporated into the image, and the text placed on the bottom of the image uses a color drawn from one of the photographs. Ultimately, I really like what I came up with!

Project 4 | Synopsis

I started this project in a drastically different direction than how it ended up. I at first was just going to display various images I took during my documented day, and arrange them in a chronological order. However, this was a very literal representation of my day. In order to make the poster more interesting, I  wanted to bring it out to be more than something purely documentary. The overall mood or theme that my poster evokes is one that is eerie, and not something that would intentionally make the viewer feel comfortable. I chose this theme for my poster because it is definitely ironic for how my documented day actually was. The day that I documented was actually very normal and mundane. However, since I knew that I was going to be documenting that day, I made sure to write down every single thing I did that day along with the exact minute of the day that it happened. I also took several pictures for each task I did or event of the day, so I had a lot of imagery to work with as well. I took the fact that I almost obsessively documented my whole day and used this as a theme for the poster. The poster plays off of the fact that my day was critically documented, but makes it seem like it was done by someone other than myself. I wanted to play off of the question that what if someone else was making all of these observations. 

In my poster, I created a scene that features several of the pictures I took on my documented day, as well as the notes I took. The pictures that appear in my poster are all of simple things (a bowl of cereal, folded laundry on the bed, etc), but that's what makes the poster all the more eerie, just because they are such mundane objects. The text on the pieces of paper are the actual notes I took, but it is in a handwritten font that is not my own. However, I didn't want to use my own handwriting because I wanted to further show that it was not me taking these notes. The image of the poster also includes the camera I used to take all of the pictures, because that was such an important part of the process as well. 

The overall appearance of the poster is dark and somewhat muted. I didn't want to use too bright of colors because it would have been contrasting with the eerie theme I was trying to portray. The edges of the poster are styled to be darker than the rest of the poster to create a "space" for the viewer to enter into. The dark edges create an environment in which the user gets the feeling that he or she is looking into a restricted or secret place. This treatment also references horror or thriller movie poster styles (from which I found inspiration). 

One way I used to catch the viewer's attention is to use minimal text. The only text (besides that written on the notes of the poster image) is the one sentence featured at the bottom of the poster. I placed it at the bottom since the top portion is occupied by the complexity of the various photographs, and this transitions into the notes, so there is almost a progression from imagery to text. The text is simple, but also brings the viewer in because it is a question. When the user doesn't know what the answer to the question is, they become more interested in what the poster is trying to portray. Without this piece of text, the poster image would just appear to be something not so eerie or questionable. The text is related to the poster image because the color of the text is one that is repeatedly featured throughout many of the photographs. I wanted the text to be noticeable, but not so stark white that it would take away from the imagery. I chose this certain font because it is a thicker, bolder font. I didn't want it to be too thin or weak because then the message of the text wouldn't seem so intimidating. 

In the end, I designed a visual representation of the day I documented, but transformed it in a way that makes the message seem not so "matter of fact." By taking an ironic approach to make my day seem more exciting than it actually was in reality, I got to play up the main event that actually did happen (being the meticulous documenting that I did). 

Project 4 | Final Critique

Before the final critique, I had two layouts of my poster that  I was thinking about using. One was a vertical orientation, and one was horizontal. After comparing the two, I decided to use the vertical orientation because that is the way that the image I chose fit best (along with the text I placed on the image). I also wanted to incorporate my written notes somehow, so I typed up the text in a handwriting font and placed it over the image as well. However, this did not seem to fit with the poster because it seemed too out of place. So I decided to type up all of my notes, and place them on the image using photoshop to make it look like it actually is on the pieces of paper in the image.

Horizontal poster I decided not to choose

Project 4 | Critique Response

After participating in the critique of our posters last week, I've decided to take a completely different approach with my project. Previously, I was going to merely put some of my pictures in chronological order, but realized that this was a very literal translation of my day. Other posters that people were designing had a theme that was deeper than just what the events were of the day. The approach that I am taking is playing off of the fact that I meticulously and almost obsessively wrote down every little thing  I did on the day that I documented, including the exact time that I did it. I also took a good amount of pictures of almost everything I did, so I am using those pictures in a way that makes it seem like someone else was documenting my day (instead of me). The excitement and almost paranoia of someone following me is more ironic than anything because the day I documented was so mundane and not exciting at all.

So in order to start with this new approach, I printed off most of the pictures I took that day and pinned them up on a board. Then I placed this board with the actual notes I took that day and took photographs of that to make a scene that would make it seem like the "stalker" displayed all of the images they took while following me that day. I took a lot of pictures of this, but realized that pictures were another important part of the day, so I wanted the camera in the picture as well. Therefore, I had to take the picture with my cellphone since the camera was in the picture! I took one of these pictures into photoshop to darken the edges like they would appear on a horror/thriller movie poster.

Now I am working on placing text on the poster. I want some sort of main phrase to go on the bottom perhaps, and also some text to go on other parts of the poster as well. I have one idea where I will write the times and activities of some of the events of my day, so it shows that my day was diligently documented. I plan on having a better idea of exactly what I'm doing once I get some feedback during the next class, but I feel better about having a different theme than just taking a literal approach.

The photo I chose as my poster image (with edges darkened in Photoshop)

Project 4 | Preliminary Poster

In the last class time, I designed the general layout of my poster design. I made three strips that would be divided into sections where my photographs would go. There are also three images that will stand out against the rest of the images. At first, I just wanted to show a general layout of the poster, so I placed text (describing the picture I had in mind) in place of where the images would be. Once I was satisfied with that layout, I placed the images in their designated positions. In order to make the three larger images stand out, I made the rest of the photographs have a lesser opacity so they fall back somewhat. The next thing I will do is adjust the photographs if need be, and also find some way to treat the text to incorporate it more with the images. The critique will be helpful because I'll be able to ask people what they think I should also incorporate into the poster or what I should change.

poster design before placing photos

poster design after placing/adjusting photos

Project 4 | Content

I chose to document the day before Thanksgiving (November 23). I made sure to write down everything I was doing during the day and the exact time I was doing it. I also made sure to take a lot of pictures, because I knew that I wanted to design something that involved imagery. I didn't really do anything too significant on the day that I documented, so it was more of an average day rather than an extremely exciting one.

When I started designing in class today, I was focusing on trying to find a way to chronologically organize my day. I had two ideas in particular that I was working with. My first idea was to design the poster based off of a game board. The path would start when I wake up, and continue through different elements of my day until it ends when I go to sleep. There would be writing on the path spaces that play off of what I did during the day (ex. "stuck at the car wash...skip a turn"). The other idea I had was to arrange the photographs I took in chronological order and highlight a few activities of the day that were either significant or took up a good portion of my day. This arrangement of the photos would resemble a film strip since I spent a lot of time with my family over break watching various movies. I originally had the poster in a portrait orientation, but realized after a while that it would be more effective if it was in a landscape orientation. In the end, I decided to pursue the "film strip" design idea. The next thing I have to do is place pictures on the design I created in class, and adjust the design as needed. I will also find a way to highlight the few images I bring out to make them stand out against the rest of the poster's images.

Original poster sketches done in class

Written document of the various activities of the day I documented