Short Sound Composition

I tried to play an intro to a song I first learned on guitar. I am not good by any means but that meant something to me.

Sign-Posting/Wayfinding

I use this picture as a statement to show that all theories are not cut and dry like most people like to think they are. The sign above for instance gives direction and graphical information to allow the tourist or local for arguments sake as this picture is from Antwerp, Belgium. People interpret information differently as well they should. Not all people are of the same ethnicity nor do they all speak the same language. With that being said, we need to start appreciating that theories are exactly that, a theory. Times have changed and will keep changing and we should not segregate theories as a lot of them intertwine. 

Pros!

The pros of sign-posting is that sign-posting allows us to interpret information presented to us in a way that will allow us to make an ethical or logical decision to do something. That something can be lead in the direction going in a certain direction or just appreciating the surroundings that the sign is pointing too. That leads me into Wayfinding which is also a part of this. Now, I know that sign-posting is a part of Wayfinding but honestly they operate on the same level. Under Wayfinding we build  a cognitive map that allows us to navigate through the information given to us to a destination. Can't sign-posting do that as well? Essentially they are in the same bowl.

Cons!

The cons of this is there is no universal language to do this in. There will always be someone that will not understand what the information is trying to tell them. Pictures are easy to understand as images; which can be information design; are universal but words are not. Another con of this is the designer is assuming this is what the viewer wants to see. Not all viewers will see the same thing that most others may. It then comes down to the logistics of what is correct and what is drawing the line. Where is the target audience? It's hard to do that with Sign-Posting.

Utilization!

As far as utilizing this in my blog, I would like to say that I would however I do not blog as much as maybe I should. Nor do I use Facebook. For dealing with media, I really don't use a lot of it. Kind of sad really.

My post word capped.. that is sad.

Media Flowchart of Feasible Business

Final Design

So taking what I had I wanted to add a bit of something to it. I took the out the original motto and re-added it with an embossed look and colored the text grey. Using the paintbrush that I had downloaded earlier, I added a layer and used splotches around the whole layer and made it opaque for a red grimy feel. I also add a bit of "spatter" to the hand to give it more of a pressed hand the screen look.

I change the original definition a bit to subtly put (See God) right above the top of my head. At the bottom I added text to give it a gamer type feel. The text was done with an inner glow adjusted so that the GG was outlined but not filled in. I wanted to achieve the split up text look. For those of you who don't know what GG is, it is gamer lingo for Good Game. In the very right hand corner I added a mini slogan Be Anonymous. 

Ah, My indecisiveness astounds me. I scraped my original and created this. I used a brick background from a picture and applied a plaster filter to it.  I took another picture of myself and used the magic wand but let it only pic out select portions of it. I applied a paintbrush layer behind it to give it an almost fading in type effect. I used the magic wand to piece together my hand and the apple, even though you can't really tell its an apple. I put in an old road side I had a picture of an redecorated it with the burn brush and several different colors. I put text on the sign to imply a your not welcome type feel to it with a bit of comic taste. I gave the sign a shadow to give it more of a three dimensional feel. Towards the bottom, I made text in Illustrator and tried to make it so that the text played off the sign aka. "Want to own Charlie?" Lastly, I put GA in the corner. 

Final Design Thoughts 2nd Round

Ok, so I was a bit unsure of where I was going with the rest of this project. With that being said this is what I added to this picture. I used a paint brush and cover the outside with a slight fade to give the picture a border. I added a hand with I changed the color saturation to give it a blood red look. The red coming from the fingertips is supposed to symbolize blood. Will need to fine tune that a bit.

I scrapped the idea I had before and started over. I took a picture of myself and peice it together with a halloween picture that I had and cut and pasted to make the two pictures co-exist together. I applied a glowing edges and ink outlines to the mask so that it gave it more of a grungier look. I added text with the font I downloaded and inserted a text sentence. GA in the corner for gamers anonymous.

This was another result of me scrapping the previous idea. I took myself and used the burn tool to give the upper portion of the hood complete darkness. I then using various paint tools including a lightning one and crystal on that I downloaded, created eyes that assumed the look of being of fire with red lightning coming from them. I then took an xray brush that I found and used the bottom half of the jaw to  portray the bottom jaw of myself. I inserted a text definition that I created (used rough_typewriter font) and put that above my head gave it a gradient look and focus the fade in the middle to create a burnt look. The text is subject to change.

Final Design Thoughts

For this I wanted to create a sort of creed for Gamers Anonymous, So I used a flat black background and applied patchwork flilter to it. I used a font that I downloaded off the internet and created text to go with the creed.

I took a diamond plate design and created a peephole so to speak on top of it and also attached a slider piece so to speak. The border of the opening needs to be fine tuned a bit. I used V for Vendettas mask to imply being anonymous. Scaled 2 different copies to give the illusion of depth. I used a city for the background behind the masks. Stuck with the same font as before. On the text, I used drop shadow and gradient overlay  to kind of match the background. GA in the corner of the picture for Gamers Anonymous.

For this picture, I used a collaboration of different characters from different games to form an overall figure that can be seen as different and a unique feel. I need to fine tune it a bit along with some editing. I am still up in the air to what exactly I am going to intertwine into this picture. Always up for ideas.

Design Competition.. Reggae Poster

I used the rectangle tool to make the 3 different reggae colors and filled in each box accordingly. After that I used the smudge tool to fool around with the edges so it wasn't so cut and dry. After that I applied a stained glass filter with a centerized light in the middle. I then made another layer and added my traced picture of Bob Marley and colored it in solid black.

I added quotes from Bob Marley with the shadowed head and alternated color for the Reggae theme. I got rid of the head close to his head and input a new one to symbolize peace with his most famous quote within the hand. I also added the title REGGAE at the bottom.

I have a few ideas to run with on this but could always use suggestions.

Ok, so to finish out the poster I took some advice from people and applied it. The text as Heather said looked unfinished as I knew that it did. So I manipulated the text within the Shadow to fit the edges best I could and took Christine's idea of making the text less prominent by making it more opaque. By making it more opaque, I wanted to give it the illusion of the hand being closer then the head shadow, which I believe it accomplished. I put in random shapes and used the Gaussian blur tool to blur the shapes and then used the Liquify tool to manipulate the shapes into a smoke-like effect. I also used the Warp tool to change the direction of the smoke as well. I wanted the smoke to give the illusion that it was stemming from his fingers as Bob Marley like to participate in extra curricular activities. I tried to make the smoke look like it was merging into the words "One Day..." as Bob Marley wanted peace in the world hence why all the quotes. One day is also the song title for another reggae singer Matisyahu. 

Hope you like it.