Locating Place - Movie

This project was trying to teach us how to take a project from the start to the end and in the process getting submerged in the content (or in this case culture) that is part of the project. The project had us head into a specific section of East Austin and do our best to capture pictures of the area that fit certain guidelines. From there, we were to create a visual piece in the form of a video that could be either interactive (flash) or not, and choose a theme to help represent East Austin through your eyes.

I created a video that used a "home video" feel to take users through East Austin through their own eyes, however the goal was to show the difference in perception from one person to another; what one person see may be a "slum" or a "restaurant" while another may see it as "the local hang out spot" or "home".

I am extremely happy with this project and I believe the amount of work put in shows. This project opened my interest to doing videos like epipheo in the future, and when I have free time I tend to create videos just to play with AfterEffects and spice up my skills.

This was created using AfterEffects CS5.

Found Type

We did not do a found type exercise for this class

Activity Booklet

This project was teaching us what it would be like to design for a conference with very specific requirements. For example: only 2 colors could be used, and the copy was already given. We had to find a way to organize the copy as well as the photographs and do it all in a way that would be cheap and easy to assemble for the volunteers.

The speakers side of the brochure can be found here and the sessions side of the brochure can be found here. 

I learned a lot about print media and how spot colors work from this project. I was overall very happy with the end result, and wish I still had a physical copy to hold on to.

Identity Series

This goal of this project was to help us design for a specific event where we may not necessarily have any knowledge of the subject. In order to fully understand the project, research was necessary as well as the development and mastery of button-making.

(first version)

(final version)

This project was extremely difficult for me, and my iterations changed dramatically from one version to another (shown). However in the end, I am very happy with the final product and I learned a lot about High Modernism in the process.

Weather Report

The goal of this project was to master the "L.A.T.C.H." concept (location, alphabet, time, category, and hierarchy). Choosing 3 of these concepts, we were to create a weather report no longer than 1:30 minutes long.

I used Location, Alphabet, and Time. Using quick transitions and animation, I tried to, while making the information clear and aesthetically appealing, make the video seem as professional and believable as possible. The images were created in Adobe Illustrator and imported to Adobe After Effects.

Kitchen of Meaning

The goal of this project was developing conceptual brainstorming. We were supposed to develop critical thinking skills as a means of analysis, talking about, and making design. Additionally, we were to understand the relationship of audience, design choices, and communication performance goals. All of this was to be done through a selection of a word from a list on a 18"x24" poster. My word was "nascent"

(above) is the current version. The final is due 03/28/2011 and I have a few things to fix. Final will be uploaded when it's done.

(final version)

Loved this project. This is the perfect example of a project that you're excited to see the final product for. I am extremely pleased with how this one turned out, and plan to keep this as a major portfolio piece for several years. This was created in Adobe Illustrator CS5 and printed at St. Edward's University.

Words In Motion

The goal of this project was to explore the meaning of a word through motion.

I chose the words "Bold" and "Increase". For the word Bold, I used some humor to achieve the effect of "bold... bolder!" I created the words and chose the text in Adobe Illustrator and created the movie in Adobe After Effects.

For the word "Increase", I used an increase in size, speed, and number to define the word. In order to make the meaning of "increase" different from "condensed", I kept the large number of words on the screen for only a short period of time. Like bold, I created the words in Adobe Illustrator and animated them in Adobe After Effects.

Instructional Design

The goal of this project was to design an instructional experience for a user. Picking from a list, we were to design and produce a "how-to" piece using both image and text, and were to explain our idea simply and aesthetically pleasingly through words and images. My task was "Mailing a Letter".

Trying to make the book something useful and appealing for letter writers to buy, I created an instructional book that was easy to understand and also had the potential to hold envelopes, stamps, and stationary if so desired (the link above will take you to the pdf format). The pages were created in Adobe Illustrator, printed out, and bound via a plastic spiral coil for easier flippability to desired pages. The front and back cover are also mounted on a harder board material to give the book some weight and make the pages seem more like a book.

Blue Squares

The first day back after our winter break we were asked to complete an exercise. Professor Tuan gave us the illustrator file of a series of blue squares (see video) aligned in a block formation. He then gives us a .mp4 of these squares doing various rotations and effects. He asks us to recreate this video using After Effects. 

Using different effects in Adobe After Effects (3D rotation of x,y,z axis, directional blur, fade in/out, etc) I mimicked the original video and created the above final product.