Communication Artifact - Web Site

http://brettgearld.wix.com/get-sconed

As my title states I chose to do the web site for our group. Our group project is designing artifacts for a food truck called Get Sconed. Now with the web site I really wanted to focus on three things and you can see these three different design elements throughout each of the different pages. Of course there are more than just three different elements at play here but there are three that while I was creating the web page and as I was conceptualizing it I had in mind. Those three things are first simplicity, second the law of continuity, and third is balance and specifically symmetry. 

The following pictures are in order of menu and I will talk now about how I executed these three design elements and others. 

First The simplicity design element. The thing that I think makes this web design really simple and not to busy is the background. I kept it simple and stuck with a single color. This plays into also the continuity with the style guide and the colors we chose which are incorporated into our logo and color scheme. Also I kept the menu system simple with everything located at the top of the page. The font style which I chose for the web page I also tried to keep simple so it is easy to read. Another thing you can do is simply send an email to us from the web page instead of having to get onto your own email. We also have a calendar making it easy to locate where we are going to be. Also if you wish to call us our number is big and in continuity with that the most important information is easy to locate and read. All of these things I used to try and simplify and especially from a design stand point I felt that it was important that the web page was simple and not to busy.

Another huge design principle is seen only when looking at the different articles that were created. I tried the best I could to keep continuity not only on the web page but especially with all the different articles to make sure that when people saw our truck then our web page and whatever else we end up making it all conveyed the same message and they new that it was Get Sconed. The color is of course the most obvious that is strung throughout the entire web page. It isn't just simple but it is also a form of continuity that all the colors are in the logo then they are the back splash for each individual page. Along with this continuity there is also an element of contrast. When you go from right to left as you can see below top to bottom the colors alternate from the orange/red to the different teal colors. This was done on purpose to add some contrast from page to page so you know you are switching pages and also it portrays the law of continuity because of the logo which is constantly in the header on every page. Also if you notice on the scone gallery page I tried to keep the vertical theme that is seen throughout the different articles which we have such as the packaging and the apron. Another thing that is seen on this web page with continuity is the starts that are in the logo and that are seen throughout the different pages as different designs or as a type of line. It helps separate the different information and keep your focus on what you need to be reading and paying attention too. Something else is the home page header and body have the same background color to help you know that you are on the home page and then the sub pages or the other pages have different colors for the back ground colors. But again as I mentioned to keep the continuity the header stays the same color throughout every page.

The last design element I mentioned was balance. If you go throughout every page the entire page is symmetrical. I felt that this was also a very simple approach and it was in continuity with our logo. I know that there are benefits for each form of balance and perhaps part of it is personal preference but I enjoy having things being symmetrical and so that is also part of why I did it.  It is important to note also though in the last page "our design" I had to twice break that symmetry but I made sure to keep the balance by putting the next broken symmetry on the other side of that middle line. I think what is cool is symmetry to me seems simple and so in and of itself the design element of symmetry, at least in our web page is simple and shows continuity with a lot of our other articles and our logo. So with this one design principle it includes in it at least two others. 

Of course I beleive there are other design elements in play such as the different shapes that I mentioned like the stars and the spiral curly lines. These are used to, as I mentioned above, draw your attention one way or another and focus your attention. I think other things that come into play are the textures that are seen in the pictures but I wasn't the one to take the pictures but they are still part of the web site and a big part of the web site actually. If there are going to be pictures on your web site, especially if they are of food, you are going to want them to look appetizing. Something you want to make people pick up the phone and call or pick up the keys and drive to where you are. I think it is important to note that they are the first thing you see when you enter the web page to show that we are all about the food and this is what we are. I think that it is important at least for our web page that the pictures are the first thing you see and as you can see they are strung throughout the entire web page. There is actually only one page that there isn't a picture of food on it. This also adding to the continuity of the web page. 

Over all this was a very fun project and I think I learned a lot trying to actually think about a product and how we would apply the different things that we have been learning all semester. What is interesting is sometimes when I made a decision sometimes I made that decisions based on what I thought looked better or good. Then when going back I realized that the reason it was appealing was because of certain design principles. It was also interesting to see looking back that there are a lot of things we decided to not do or take out because of the design principles. What is interesting is a lot of those decisions go unseen or unnoticed but I believe that it is the point, to avoid bad design decisions before they happened. Which in my opinion is one of the coolest things to take away from this is avoiding bad design. I hope that all made sense. It made a lot more sense when I was explaining it to my self in my head. 

I believe that the simplicity, continuity, and balance really applies to the target audience and reaches each of them. I believe that coupled with the web page it is going to be huge to make sure the social media that is connected to the web page be these three things as well so as to reach the audience which we wish to reach. I think that it applies to the high schooler, college student, and adult with the family as well as others. Also it is important that the brand Get Sconed stays connected through every article that is put out there and produced. Again I learned a lot with this project and had a ton of fun doing it. Thank you so much. Hopefully you enjoyed our web page and my analysis of it.

Mis-en-Scene Pirates of the Caribbean Art Directors

The movie that I have chosen for this analysis is Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Choosing the film however was the easiest part what was difficult was choosing which scene I wanted to analyse and which person/ part of the scene I wanted to analyse. I finally chose this scene that you see above. It is when the Black Pearl and her crew start attacking Port Royal. There is a lot going on in this scene and I believe it gives a really good look at a lot of different aspects. Even with those two things chosen I had a hard time choosing which crew member I wanted to focus on. I think that in this scene some of the great things I saw were the costume design, the production design, and really all of the different aspects that we talked about helped to pull me in.

For this scene I have chosen I wish to talk about the art direction. There were four listed art directors for this specific film, the are: Derek R. Hill, Michael Powels, James E. Tocci, and Donald B. Woodruff. All of which have worked on other influential works. What I find so incredible about this scene as far as an art directions stand point is all the different things that go into this one scene. This scene starts off with a view from a fort that is fully equipped with cannons and infantry. It then shows a ship blowing up this fort and not only the fort but it starts firing on the small town itself. The art direction had to have been on such a large scale to pull this off. Not only does it have scenes of Pirates running through this town and show the fort but then it also has scenes of a mansion and the different things that go on there. All and all I was very impressed with the size of different sets that are shown.

That was just upon first look in why I was so amazed. Looking deeper however there is something else that I absolutely love about the art direction here. It is not just on such a large scale but the time period in which they draw me into is very well done. As I stated there is a fort at the beginning of the scene and the fort is at least to my eye something they would have had in that time frame. You have after that an entire town that is set in the same time period and some of the smaller details that really pull me in are the building design, the windows and how they are designed, the dirt roads, the dock, even things like the supplies and different things in the roads, the treasure and other things that the pirates are caring back to their ship. All of this has to be done in such a manner that you forget you are watching a movie and draws you in. I think that something else that is done here is not only do they draw you in and you forget you are watching a movie but also you get drawn into this time period, you think you have gone back in time. The thing about this that is hard is that if we see one small thing that is off, at least off to us in our brains we will be sucked out of that and remember what is really going on. It was crucial for those four art directors to design the scenes in this movie and this one in particular in such a way that we forget what we are doing and even forget when we are.

I think that the art directors did a fantastic job of creating this feeling within the entire movie. That is why it was so hard for me to chose a scene because they all in my opinion had such a great example of time travel as I have come to call it. I think this scene for me though has great contrast in it and really shows an extensive look of the art direction and is a good example to use to show a broad range of the things that were accomplished throughout the entire movie. I love the contrast of the town to the Black Pearl. They did a great job of contrasting the different environments. Also the costume design and the towns people in comparison to the pirates was also a very great contrast as far as costume design goes. I think also just in the way the actors move was a good contrast. I think that throughout the scene the Pirates are filmed in such a way that you can just feel the kind of people they are. I know some of those things don't deal directly with art direction or the art directors but it goes well with the art direction and in fact they do play into the overall art direction of the film.

There are other design principles at play throughout the entire scene other than contrast but I felt that contrast was the biggest element at least in the art direction. As far as the other design principles go the art directors I felt did a good job of color. The colors are not super bright in this scene and in general which I also feel is a way they transport me to this time period. The most color I remember seeing are the bright red coats of the infantry and guards. Which also play into the contrast from the dark colors on the pirates cloths. Even the color on the cloths of the pirates are dirty and darker. I think that the art direction as far as the first design principles we talked about such as line, form, space, and texture are all present throughout the scene.  I do think that one of the most noticeable design principles out of those was texture. I think about the part in the scene where a cannon ball blows a hole in the wall in the jail and Jack Sparrow can't get out but the other prisoners do we see the inside of the jail and you can feel the different textures that are present and they are not pleasant. I think also of the prisoners and the texture you can feel of the dirt on their faces. I believe that texture was very well done from an art direction stand point.

Overall I felt like this movie did a masterful job of art direction and in creating a form of time travel for me for at least a couple hours. This scene was a great example to me of the incredible job they did throughout the entire movie of this. This scene showed us a lot from the perspective of art direction and as I stated I believe the greatest design principles that help to accomplish this is contrast and then texture. Along with others including space and the ones mentioned above. There is a reason so many people have enjoyed and still are enjoying this movie even though it was released back in 2003. I would say a big part of that reason is the art direction and the manner in which they teleport you not only to a different place but a different time.

"Pedestrian vs Machine" Compose your Frame

After a walk and many different pictures this is the one that I ended up choosing. What is interesting is when I started my walk I didn’t know what I wanted to take a picture of for this assignment but then once I started taking different shots this type of shot started to speak to me a little more. I’ll explain what I mean.

So I was looking for pictures or different things I could take pictures of that included the things that we were supposed to be using in our analysis. I early on in my walk took a picture of a sign of someone walking.

Then I realized there was another sign with someone walking on it and it was the sign that I chose above. That wasn’t the first one I shot though. There were many more before it trying to find the right meaning and background. I ended up choosing the one you see at the top because I felt that it accurately portrayed what I felt that it should and that is the contrast between pedestrians and the machine world which we now live in.

The reason I first took the picture was because of the motion vector and also the index vector of the finger. I think you could even argue the graphic vector but I thought mostly of the motion and index vector. It portrays in this picture a contrast of motion vector with the car that is driving up the street. This is one of the things that tells me of the fight in this picture between man and machine. Also you have the motion vector of the person which goes right into the cross walk and into the giant line of cars waiting to go forward, these vehicles seeming to be inching forward in this still image. Almost ready to run anything over that crosses in front of them.

The diagonal lines here are the lines of cars and the lines in the street where the vehicles are sitting. These are not as noticeable as certain diagonal lines but never the less suit their purpose of the contrast which is portrayed here. I see a clear sidewalk and a very messy and congested street adding more to the contrast between the “clean” pedestrian and the “wild” machine.

I really enjoyed taking this walk because I felt that through the short walk I became team pedestrian and could see myself taking more pictures in a series of “pedestrian vs machine.” It also helps that my car is currently broken so maybe I had a vested interest in this picture before I even took it. 

Brett Lunceford - Design Presentation

For my selection of bad design I have chosen the Sega Dreamcast. There are many parts that I would like to compare between these two different systems. The three main things are the console, the controller, and then also the logo. In this comparison I wish to use the principles of design and the Gestalt principles. First off I don't believe that Sega did everything wrong with the Dreamcast. I feel like there are good elements of design but overall it isn't a visually appealing product and here are some examples.

The Dreamcast does have a simplicity about it in color and the box shape but I feel like part of where it falls flat is with the different shapes on it. First the circle and the half triangle on the top looking almost like a crystal ball give the top of the console a different look. It could be because the Gestalt principle of similarity for me is not occurring here. I feel that the two shapes in this form together don't create something pleasing to the eye. However they do try and keep the similarity going throughout the entirety of the product all the way to the controller. For example the two circular buttons and the triangle at the center top of the console and also the circle on the controller and the triangle shapes extending off the edge of the controller.

Another Gestalt principle in play here is the law of closure. Again when talking about the triangle we don't see it ending but our minds would finish that for us however for me I don't see the triangle ending all the way because of the circle and vise versa. If you look closely though you can see the circle finishing and it makes the triangle disappear or look like an odd shape.

The law of Continuity also I feel is lacking in this design. I see it in the bottom of the product. When comparing the back of the console to the front you can see that the back is solid all the way down but in the front that bottom line goes up into the machine almost like it is going to tip over or creating a cliff. I think that the design in a way breaks the law of continuity because you are expecting something to be there and then it is gone.

In general I feel like they fell flat with this design. The lines are not very in sync and it feels clunky in a way. It has a very box feel to it with the way that it is sharp on the corners but has a slight curve on the top which is another contrast that doesn't work well together. I don't think it was because of these reasons that the Dreamcast failed but I am sure it didn't help. As I said earlier though there are good points of design to the Dreamcast but I feel in general it missed the mark.

The product that is comparable to the Dreamcast that is better in aspects of design is the Nintendo 64. To start off when talking about the contrast problem that the Dreamcast had this makes up for that. The reason being is that it has a similar curve on top but it also has that same curvy feeling throughout the entire system and controller. This relates to the Law of Similarity. The entire system has a sleek curve with the lines in it always going around and back around making it more appealing to look at then the Dreamcast. Something that also goes along with the Law of Similarity is the controllers three prongs. To be honest I don't know why they made it like that because no human that I know of has ever been born with three hands but from a design perspective it actually looks appealing. I know that the third joy stick has no purpose other than maybe if you wanted a choice but it still to me looks good.

Another thing this design does well is in relation to the law of continuity. I think this relates to the smooth lines all through the console but also looking at the controller the lines in the controller seem to really run smooth to take your eyes down then up the controller. It is a lot different then the Dreamcast where there is a hard cut then a smooth circle. This really is almost relaxing effect when you take no effort in having your eyes aromatically drawn in a circle around this controller and console.

Another thing with the controller as I mentioned before it is similar to the curvy design of the console. With the Dreamcast they try and do something similar but it is noticeable that the arrow on the console is facing outward while it is the opposite on the controller. 

The simplicity of the N64 along with its great example of the laws of continuity and similarity makes this product a very attractive design. The lines and shapes work well together giving it a pleasing and relaxing design and stable. Making the Nintendo 64 a good design and a better design when compared to the Sega Dreamcast. 

The last thing I wanted to talk about was the logos.

What is interesting is even though the Sega Dreamcast has aspects of radial balance it to me feels less balanced then the Nintendo 64 logo. The Continues loop on the Nintendo's design really completes the design of the controller and console creating that can't look away feeling where as with the Sega Dreamcast your eye follows the spiral but you can see the end. From a design perspective even the logo is better for the Nintendo 64 than the Sega Dreamcast. This is based on not only balance but also aspects I think that apply relating to Gestalt principles are the law of closure, continuity, and similarity.. I feel like the Nintendo 64 does this a lot better with their logo then Sega Dreamcast. Where as the logo for the Sega Dreamcast does have a nice element of simplicity to it and even though you can see the end of the spiral on both ends it does give it a continues motion but still in general it doesn't quite live up to the Nintendo 64 in aspects of design.

Contrast, Balance, Harmony

This image was taken outside at night at the Saint George LDS Temple. The picture shows a girl standing outside of the Temple grounds looking at the Temple through the bars of the gate. Some background to this picture is we were actually walking to the Temple and we were talking about the temple. At one point she wsa talking about how she is exacted but a little nervous to go to the temple for the first time. For those who don't know anyone can go to the temple but there are certain things you have to do to prepare. I took this picture mainly because I liked the lighting and the different aspects but realized later the interesting story it tells. How she is excited to go to the temple someday and how she is showing that in this picture. This picture depicting a foreshadowing of something she wants to do at some point in her life.

Also something I realized as I was looking through my different images and as I was taking these pictures was the contrast that is unseen. For those who don't know the temple is a happy place. In our religion we are taught that it is a place where we can go to find peace and feel joy. The contrast that arises is that in this picture the building almost looks ominous. It has, because of the lighting, somewhat of a scarier look to it. Which adds to the contrast when thinking about the desire of this girl to go to the temple and how it is suppose to be something that is inviting.

I think the biggest thing that is shown in this image is contrast and not just with lighting. Although the contrast in lighting is probably the most obvious. You have the contrast of the light but also you have the contrast of the darker foreground in relation to the lighter background. As mentioned above the contrast in the way the temple is portrayed in comparison to how it usually makes me feel.

In terms of balance I feel that the size of the temple is balanced out nicely because of the position of the girl in relation to the temple. The proximity of the girl balances out the temple even thought the temple is much greater in size. I think the small space in-between the girl and the temple also create this feeling and help to have a better feel to the photo, and create less of a smashed feeling and more of an open feeling.

What is interesting about the harmony of this image is that I see the gate as something that pulls the image together. Why this is interesting is because the gate is what is separating the two subjects in the image. In the process of separating them it is also telling a story as I described above and in tern pulling the two subjects together. Creating separation and at the same time harmony within the image. 

Stupefying

This simple picture of a football field creates a feeling of beauty inside of me. I thought about what to me in life really creates a feeling, not just something that I enjoy looking at but really creates a feeling for me when I look at it and I thought of a football field.

When thinking of it in terms of line I think there are different ways to look at it. From this angle we see the diagonal lines, creating a feeling of movement and it reminds me of all the moving I did while on the field and the speed of the game. I also think though that the lights being vertical lines and then having the horizontal lines create a feeling of structure which also reminds me of the structure of the game. It gives feelings of a game that is structured yet fast passed and wild at the same time.

For me the space of the empty field could be negative space but I believe that that is the positive space and the night sky is the negative space giving the feeling of the only thing that matters right now is the field or the game that is about to be played. This brings out feelings of when I remember our coach asking us to leave everything out on the field.

One of the biggest things that I creates feeling for me come from the texture of this picture. I remember the grass and all the different practices we would have on the grass. When you would get tackled and you really hoped that there was a soft patch of grass and not dirt you were going to land in. I think in combination with the texture the color of this picture gives the feeling of a cool evening which reminds me of the games and practices we would have in the fall. The cool wind and temperature chilling your neck after a hard sweaty practice.

In conclusion this photo to me really makes me feel something. The different design elements that I never really noticed before do effect me without me even realizing it in these different ways. It is interesting to think about that something so simple as a field with lines on it could actually mean so much to me and make me feel so much at the same time. I believe that it is the simplicity of it that really creates a feeling of beauty. It is so simple and empty leaving room for me to interpret so much.