Samson!

The only news in my life lately is that I got a puppy for my birthday. He's a Chow Chow and his name is Samson. He's pretty cool and perhaps the best dog around. He's about 10 weeks old. 

One More Week

This Week

This past weekend, I went to the Kentucky Derby and it was so great! Sporting my white floppy hat, the boys and I arrived at Churchill Downs at 9 a.m. and started placing bets on the races. I didn't win any money, but my brother and some of his friends won money on about 6/11 races. Although the weathermen said it was going to rain all day, we never felt a drop. In the end, Mine That Bird (the underdog) won the final race and one of my brother's friends, Joe, placed a bet for his sister on the winning horse and she won $500. I just wish I would have worn more comfortable shoes.

I've been rethinking my mini-portfolio, but I haven't made any final designs yet. That will be a project for next weekend, because I have a very busy week this week. I'm working on getting photos for my evergreen feature, profiling a man who does autopsies, but those won't be taken until some time next week, so you'll be seeing the first designs then. Also, I'm working on an illustration for the screen department of Vox about "sexting", which you'll have to read the story to find out about, but the name pretty much explains what that is. 

Response

I'm really happy with the way the presentations went yesterday. The people from Meredith gave us a lot of great feedback and it was great to hear their opinions about the work we did.  I'm really happy with what we've created, and really wanted to show it off, and they seemed to like our product. It was great to miss class all day too. We had a little Cinco de Mayo/projects being done celebration last night that was really fun. Overall, our group worked really well together, so it was a great experience. I'm so glad to be finished with copyediting for the time being. We took our final copyediting/proofreading exam for Mag Editing on Friday, and it felt so great to be finished with it. I think everyone in the class will agree with me on that. Only one more week of classes and then finals week, which ends on Tuesday for me :) I can't believe I'm graduating in less than 2 weeks. 

MagCulture

Creative Director of US Wired Scott Dadich, who spoke at EDO last week, showed a sketch of a cover featuring Martha Stewart making a Wii-shaped cake, that is pretty amusing. 

Also, the shortlisted and winners of the ASME Awards, as well as a photo from Salone del Mobile, which was part of the design exhibits in Milan last week. My friend Eric, who is studying abroad in Italy (he's an architecture student) went to this show last week and said it was very cool. 

"We are crazy about magazines. We love to touch them, to rumple them, to smell them, to take them with us, to throw them away or to keep them in our bookshelfs" -Hamburg-based magazine kiosk/club Gute Seiten. The club is planning an awards program for magazines that print less than 8,000 copies. Also, the BBC reported the closure of Good Homes.

You Can't Miss

A website with some fun mini portfolios. Since I'm redesigning mine and everyone else is too, or making their first ones, I thought it would be great to look at some for inspiration. The one I looked at is very playful and doesn't really apply to my design style, but it was great to see how some other people design theirs. Take a look at some at Slideshare.net.

Week 14

This Week

Well, the end is near and I still feel like there are a million things to do. I designed the Screen Department in Vox this week which looks like this:

I also made a short trip to Birmingham to interview at Southern Living Magazine which was really fun. Everyone I spoke with was incredibly nice and it seems like a great place to work. I will find out in about 2 1/2 weeks if I was selected for the internship. A highlight my interview was showing off the Storage layouts I had. The 3 interviewers seemed to be blown away by the amount of web design we have done, so hopefully that gave me a leg up in the selection process. The rest of the interview almost seemed too easy. It was really laid back and they gave me an opportunity to talk a lot about what I loved about the magazine and also to show all of my work and leave them my mini-portfolio (which they loved). So keep your fingers crossed for me throughout the next few weeks. 

This week, we've been finalizing the Storage Web site. Maggie has been working really hard to get everything put together and the site is looking great. Along with Storage I've been working on my personal Web site, which is 95% finished. I kept it really simple to go with my mini-portfolio, and I like the way it looks so far. I also made the entire thing in Flash, which is a step up for me. I've learned Flash through my Storage colleagues, which I'm very grateful for. I like it a lot better than working in Dreamweaver, which I think is a complete nightmare, although I've learned a lot about it too. 

Response

Is it bad that I have a trillion things to do and all I can think about is going to the Kentucky Derby this weekend? Probably. I figure there will be a lot of time to do things in the car, though. The party consists of my older brother Matt (I only have one) and 3 of his college friends. I'm hoping I'll see some famous people at the track, as well as some people like this:

In response to John Fennell's speech about the Meredith presentations next Tuesday: I don't think he made me feel any differently about them. I had always been thinking it was going to be more like a conversation than the groups just talking at the audience. I think everyone will be great and there's nothing to worry about, except maybe technical glitches. 

MagCulture

MagCulture covers one of my new favorite magazines, Wallpaper*.

The masters behind the mag are putting out their first Sex issue, which will feature a story titled "Soft Furnishings - the Erotic House of Eric Saville". If you see this before Thursday, you can catch the live SHOWstudio shoot online here.

Also, Portfolio magazine is planned to close after it's May issue, after only being in business for about 2 years. 

Leslie received a lot of mini mags in the mail from Gary Cook. Cook took them and resized them, I don't know why, but he did. Here's what some of the ones Leslie received look like. 

For any Zac Efron fans visiting (I hope not), he graced the recent cover of Interview, which has a new logo. The art direction of the magazine has been taken over by M/M Paris. Other than Mr. Efron being on the cover, me likey.

You Can't Miss

CMYK Magazine which features designs by young people just like us! If you visit, you can see portfolios from all over the world and information about upcoming magazines and contests. It's a great resource for inspiration and just knowing what the trends in design are looking like. The magazine has interesting covers each month too. For example: 

Week 13

This Week

I designed the screen department for Vox this weekend and finished designing my mini-portfolio. We also got a lot of the Storage Web site done this weekend and I learned a lot in Flash. It's a good feeling. I also finished putting my actual portfolio together to take with me this week. I won't be posting any Storage materials until it's all over with, just because we want it to be shown to the corporation before anyone else really sees it. Here is a page from my mini-portfolio. I wanted to keep it simple, so there aren't many elements on the pages.

Response

Storage is coming along really well. It's been a lot of work but it's really paid off so far. I made all of my pieces for the site in Flash, and I'm really glad I can use it now. I'm thinking about making my entire website in it, but I'm not sure if I will do it for the class or not. This weekend was definitely dedicated to Storage and getting everything ready for my trip this week. I'm excited to go to Birmingham, and especially excited to go on my own because it will be fun to explore on my own. I'll be missing 3 days of class, so it was a little hectic trying to get everything completed before I leave, but definitely worth it. 

MagCulture

This week on MagCulture, there is a lot about David Hillman, who spoke at the D&AD contest saying all modern magazines are boring. Leslie believes that Hillman has every right to his opinion but thinks it's disappointing to hear him dismiss modern magazines. I love modern magazines. 

Also this week, he tells viewers, again, how much he loves Stack, through which he gets a different independent magazine in the mail each month. It's a great resource, especially for people in the industry who want to look at different current trends and it's a great source for inspiration. 

David Hepworth believes Maxim and Arena magazines' death wasn't caused by "their reliance on flesh but the way they Photoshop the life out of it." He said, "When the history of the men's magazine boom of the last twenty years is written people will go looking for the images to place alongside the tennis player scratching her backside, Farrah Fawcett Majors' incandescent smile, Alberto Vargas's forgetful blondes or Adam Hersh's lesbian kiss in the gallery of male fantasy. They'll find very few candidates."

You Can't Miss

Design*Sponge. It's a really cool example (pretty feminine) of a way you can make your blog unique and inspiring. Ever since I started blogging this semester I have been wanting to find time to make it look great, and I'm hoping once graduation comes, I'll find time to dedicate to it. I think it can really show someone's personality (like this one), and I love the name of the blog as well. This week the blogger put some cool string pieces for viewers to see. I haven't been following any blogs besides MagCulture, but I think I'm going to follow this one for awhile and see how I like it. 

Week 12

This Week

I am almost finished designing the Earth Day feature for this week's issue of Vox. I have done a lot of waiting on the copy and sidebar information, which isn't completely finished yet, so it's still a work in progress, but it has to be done SOON. Both of my sources for the trends assignment fell through at the last minute, so I turned to my older brother, Matt, who works as a copyeditor at The College Station Eagle in Bryan, Texas, to help me out. I knew he wouldn't let me down and I wanted to get something for Tuesday's class and I've included the transcript of the interview and a photo of my bro from last year's Thanksgiving (which he'll be thrilled about) below. He gave me a lot of good advice for the future and some more insight on his duties at The Eagle. I have also been working on my redesign of the Justice League cover. Here's how it's changing so far.

Response

I have been working on my mini-portfolio (starting today) and I think it will just be my first draft to see how well it turns out. Then I will probably make another one for our assignment, unless I fall in love with this first one. I am keeping it simple by making it white, with minimal design elements. I want to showcase my work in something that is not distracting for people. Here is the cover of my mini-portfolio. 

MagCulture

Correction: Wired did not close! I don't know why I thought that from the blog last week. Sorry! Conde Nast launched the UK edition of Wired. The Guardian's Simon Waldeman commented on the new magazine and our lovely accents in North America, saying, "The thing about an American is that even if they're saying something spectacularly bland and obvious, there's something about that accent that just makes them seem more authoritative." I encountered this same attitude when I worked at Professional Beauty magazine in London. I would call people for interviews and they would ask me where I was from because I have the most amazing accent! I couldn't believe they think our accents are great. Their accents are great!

Other news on MagCulture, Leslie raves about File, which is a new London-based magazine that uses print and DVD in its product.

You Can't Miss

Trendhunter.com where you can search tons of trends in areas including tech, fashion, pop culture, business, art & design, science and even bizarre. My favorite find so far has been the Yellow Innovations slideshow. It shows tons of things people have recently come out with that are pretty bizarre in terms of fashion and even something they call Suntography. Check it out and find your favorite!

SO WEIRD!

Week 11.2

Hello! Here are my cover designs for the 4.23 issue of Vox. I'm revising the comic book one for next week (sketching it!) Also, the real beginnings of the Earth Day feature.

Week 11

This Week

I didn't do much design work. I presented my website to the class last week and received some really helpful feedback which helped me with editing it over the weekend. I had a VERY productive weekend. I made a list of about 25 school-related things I needed to get done and I finished all of them. Somehow, I still feel like there are a thousand things I have to do. There are only a few weeks left before graduation, so you'd think the work load would be decreasing, but that's not the case. But I guess I've survived for 11 or 12 (I can't keep track anymore) MANY WEEKS, so I can make it another 4-5 weeks. The only thing I have been working on over the weekend/beginning of this week is the first drafts of the Earth Day feature for Vox which will run in the 4/16 issue. It's a ROUGH draft, obviously, so be sure to look for it when it comes out, and I'll post it as it comes along. I'm looking forward to going home over Easter weekend :)Response
I had my one-on-one conference with Jan today and it went great. She gave me a lot of feedback about my strengths and even offered to help further me in the design world by putting in a good word for me with some people I will be interviewing with in the near future. This was probably the best part of my day because I always worry about this class, so I feel very relieved to know that my hard work is paying off and it's great to know that Jan thinks I'm doing a great job as well. I've started some sketches for what I want my mini-portfolio to look like, so that I can get it put together and leave it with some interviewers (right word?) at the end of this month. My editing class this morning was very eventful! Professor Rowe was just getting lecture started when the door opened and in walked a camera crew and some men dressed in suits to award her with the Keller Award (?) It's an award for outstanding teaching, so it's well-deserved. They also presented her with a check for $10,000! A few of the designers and me teared up a bit, it was so great! I felt like the Prize Patrol was coming in our classroom when they opened the door with this bright light and huge camera! Professor Rowe was so surprised and it was a really great moment.

MagCulture
In the last week, MagCulture has posted some things about Conde Nast having to make cutbacks, the new mix 'n' match, interactive cover of Esquire, which Maggie mentioned in her blog/to me, I can't quite remember, but it features Justin Timberlake, George Clooney and Barack Obama and the faces are cut into 3 flaps that you can switch out. Pretty cool. Also this week, MagCulture drops the (heartbreaking, I'm sure) news that Maxim will put out its final issue next month. My boyfriend will be crushed. Barf. New York's AIGA design center has an exhibition of Abbott Miller's designs for Dance Ink and 2wice.

I love this (I think) :You Can't Miss
The Spring/Summer 2009 issue of fashion mag Plastique, which features photography on the front and illustrations on the back (of 3 different issues) by Ferry Gouw. On this one, I'm not sold on the placement of the title, but I love the photo and the illustration on the back.

Week 10

This Week

After my Spring Break in Vegas, it was time to come back to reality Sunday and design the department page for the 4/2 issue of Vox. Over break, I began work on my website, which I presented today. It's a great feeling knowing I can make a website now. This week I will be presenting my first draft of the Earth Day feature, which will be in the 4/16 issue of Vox, so I will post that as it comes along. We presented our first designs for the website project with the publishing group, Jan and John yesterday morning and everything went well. We received a lot of great feedback that will lead us in the right direction for our next designs. Overall, I think everyone was really pleased with what we had and the redesign of the logo. Also below is my department page for the 3/16 issue I never posted.

Response

I've started speaking with Zachary Trover, who is the art director for The Pitch in Kansas City. I am interviewing him for the trends project and I am gaining a lot of helpful information. He is very cooperative and easy to work with. I'm hoping he can be a good contact for me in the future as well. Hopefully I will have a lot of good advice from Taylor to pass on to my classmates next week.

MagCulture

This week and last week on MagCulture there was a lot of content about Colophon 2009, including a video of one of the exhibitions. 

I learned news of Blender closing on the 28th after a decrease in ad sales of 31%. This is the final issue published. 

Dear Kristin Noe: white space is dying out for the time being. MagCulture talks about the latest re-design of Good Housekeeping. Editor Lindsay Nicholson said: "We are looking at a really dense magazine packed full of information. It is also more ecological with more information for your page." The new art director is using the space to include up to 25% more copy. If you want to read the full story in the Guardian click here.

Leslie comments this week on the American Society of Magazine Editors' choices for Best Design, which include: Bon Appetit, Good, GQ, New York and Wired. Full list of shortlisted magazines.

You Can't Miss

The colorful, fun photos I took while I was in Vegas last week! My 4-day trip turned out to be more than the nightlife experience I expected. There are a lot of beautiful things to see in Vegas! All of the hotels have interesting design elements within and everywhere I turned, I saw things that caught my eye. Here are a few I took:

This is the side of Coke World, which houses tons of different Coke products. It's located right next to M&M World, which has the same idea. 

This is a part of the ceiling at the Bellagio Hotel. It was completely covered in these glass sculptures. Below is another part of the hotel, but these are umbrellas hanging upside down from the ceiling. 

Above is the light show at Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. Every hour all of the bright lights shut off except the roof that covers the street, and a light show comes on put to music. We watched the American Pie and Queen shows. Here is a video of the American Pie show. 

Week 8...OMG

This Week

I designed the screen department for VOX. Like I said last week, it was a little difficult but I think it worked out pretty well (except for the creepy close up of the guy)

I also designed a St. Patrick's Day card for the bf. This is something I do all the time, no matter the occasion and sometimes for no occasion at all. Although this semester I've been slacking in the homemade card department since my schedule is so hectic. For some reason, Clint decided he would go all out this year and hardcore celebrate the holiday. I don't get it, because he's not Irish. So my card has the definition of an Irishman on it. This is the back page of the card. 

I'm also working on some designs to show the publishing group tomorrow. They are department pages for the website. This is becoming a really fun project because of the group I'm working with. We all work really well together (the designers always have and the publishers are beginning to get the hang of it) and Maggie is a super-organized art director, so I'm glad we have her as our leader. Everything is spelled out for us and she is doing a great job of communicating with the publishers. 

Response

I talked about my design process yesterday in lecture and after my classmates critiqued my logos, I chose 3 to redesign for Friday. The 3 chosen were my favorite ones too, so I'm happy I get to work with them. 

MagCulture

This week on MagCulture, there is a lot of discussion about the final preparation for Colophon 2009 which took place this weekend. Some things featured were a 100-page magazine about the event and a Colo-shoe. Leslie also shows viewers some strange postings from Kasino A4's Grayscale Bar (who only serves black and white drinks), which have been made out of white paper and just a few words. He also mentions that Scott Didach, Creative Director of Wired, is scheduled to speak at the Editorial Design Organization in April.

You Can't Miss

The video I made this weekend in my digital imaging class. I learned how to use Final Cut Pro. It was better than I thought it would be because designers Christy Solberg and Jena Anderson were in the class as well. If they hadn't been, I don't think I would have survived the boredom to be honest. We watched 12 hours of tutorials online, courtesy of "Brian", and learned how to make a short video. The video we cut from consisted of short interviews of everyone in the class and some B-roll taken by our instructor. We also had fun with the photo booth application on the luxuriously large Macs we got to use for the duration of the weekend. At times, it was hard to quit laughing at the pictures. This video is clips of Christy, Jena and I, explaining to the instructor (which you can't hear) that we have no experience with video editing tools (except Christy had some with iPhoto) Enjoy.