Blog 18: Third Answer

What is most important in creating a graphic design that will persuade someone to purchase a game?

Potential Third Answer: A reboot of a classic game can bring in new and veteran players

• Veterans can appreciate new updates and features not included in previous installments
• A reboot can look like a whole new product to a new player, even better if it can get them to look at the older versions of the title
• Reboots, however, can also have repercussions. Veteran gamers may judge the reboot as too different from the original.

It's a work in progress, reboots are very special cases. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

Mentorship 10 Hours

1. Where are you doing your mentorship?

• Because my mentor's schedule is unpredictable, my mentorship involves doing projects on Photoshop at home and sending them to my mentor via email. Sometimes we meet up at his house to discuss my progress.

2. Who is your contact?

• My mentor is Inaki Serrano, who is a graphic designer at Biolase

3. How many total hours have you done?

• So far, I have 16 hours of work logged in

4. Summarize the 10 hours you did:

• My mentorship primarily consists of my mentor assigning me projects to do on Photoshop, and emailing my projects back to him for critique. In each project, he teaches me new techniques to effectively use Photoshop. 

Senior Project, The Holiday

1. Is it important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it's break or during school? What did you do over the break with your senior project?

• I think it's important to keep working on your project, even if it's over break, not to lose any momentum
• I continued to develop my design portfolio over the break.

2.What was the most important thing you learned from what you did and why? What was the source of what you learned?

• Over the break, my mentor was watching me use Photoshop to develop pieces for my portfolio. He noticed how I was working was not very efficient, as I would have a lot of layers and shapes. I would lose track of which layers I needed which sometimes led to irreversible changes. He taught me how to rasterize and merge layers and shapes together so I could reduce the amount of clutter.

The left one was my cluttered workspace, there are too many unnecessary layers and such. The one on the right is my new and improved workspace which is slightly more appealing. Labels also help keep me organized.

3. If you were going to do a 10-question interview on questions related to answers of your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

• My EQ is about persuading the target audience to buy a game. I think instead of an interview with one specific person, it would be a better idea to ask the target audience as a whole how to market to them in a survey. But if I had to interview someone, it would have to be my current mentor, since he and I both know the gamer culture very well.

Blog 9: Essential Question

1. I have reviewed the rule of three for writing an essential question
2. Do these questions meet the rule of three for writing an essential question?

• What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?
• This question does allow for some argument
• This question cannot simply be answered with a yes or no, and does require some research
• The wording of the question is somewhat specific, but it can still be improved.
• What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?
• The question requires some looking into for a good answer
• The wording makes sense and is specific
• What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies the customer?
• It allows for a little argument and requires some research
• I think the wording could use a little work
• How can an anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?
• It's not a yes/no question
• I think the EQ could be a little more specific
• It does need some looking into for a decent answer

3. Based on your review of the rule of three and assessing the four above EQ's, write another draft of your current essential question.

• What is the most important factor in creating an effective graphic design?
• How can a graphic design best convey a message?
• (I'm not too sure which one to pick, they both sound kinda good)

Blog 5: Project Reflection and Working EQ

The Pentagon: 
1. What are some positive things that have happened as a result of what you have completed so far?

• Thanks to my progress so far, I see pictures slightly differently now. Instead of just looking at the bare surface of a visual, I search for concepts within it. My progress has "heightened my senses".

2. EQ Content:  Pick a piece of research or your interview.  How has it helped you improve your understanding of your topic?

• I found an article about graphic design elements and principles. This article taught me about different aspects of graphic design. Each element and principle serves a different purpose. Depending on how they're used, they can make or break a piece of artwork.

3. What has worked for you so far in the senior project?

• So far, I'm a lot more organized than I was last year. I'm reading directions more carefully as well.

4. What hasn't worked so far?  

• Because graphic design doesn't have much theoretical backbone, it's been difficult to find on the internet good articles on content I haven't already covered or don't already know.

5. What is a potential question you would like to study this year (working EQ)? What do you plan to do for mentorship?

• potential question: I actually have two potential questions in mind:
• How can I as a graphic designer utilize the elements and principles of design to create artwork so that it holds interest and commands attention?
• What is the most important factor in creating an effective graphic design?
• For my mentorship, I'm going to continue my work with my current mentor, Daryl Villanueva. I was also thinking of taking up another mentor too, so I'll have to look around.

August Blog: Research Debrief

I've spent these past few weeks researching and working in the area of graphic design. So far, I've learned from my mentor that every visual, regardless of size, has a concept behind it. This lesson has changed my perspective on logos, icons, pictures and other visuals, leading me to find the concepts behind them. For example, in the FedEx logo, there is a white arrow between the "E" and the "X", indicating movement or shipment. I never would have noticed this without my mentorship.

As part of my research, I've picked up a book called Design Studies: Theory and Research in Graphic Design. So far, the book talks about history and possible theory in graphic design. It's a quite a lengthy read.

I'll be getting in touch with my summer mentor soon, and hopefully he'll have a new lesson in graphic design in store. I'm also interviewing him for my first interview component.

2013 2-Hour Presentation Reflections

1.  (Know) What presentations did you see?  Name the topic and the person's first name.

• Bobbie: Marathon Running
• Lucas: Haunted Attraction Design
• Danielle: Horticulture
• Gawen: Criminal Investigation
• Mariah: Social Networking
• Ivy: Art Curating
• Joseph: Firefighting
• Arista: Fashion
• Dolores: Theater Technician
• Jose: Music Journalism
• Eric: Marine Conservation Biology
• Dina: Body Building
• Lauren: Homelessness
• Amber: Equine Assisted Therapy

2.  (Need to know) What questions do you have that haven't been answered about the senior project? 

• how many components are there?
• I heard I should pick a topic that I won't get bored with, but I want to pick a topic that works well with the components too. What should I do?
• I'm debating between dentistry or badminton, which one fits with the components better?

3. What has the most important part of the senior project based on what you are seeing in the 2-hour presentations?

• The essential question looks like it drives the whole senior project, since you need two or three answers
• The answers look pretty important too

4. What topic are you considering doing and why?

• I don't know whether to choose badminton or dentistry
• I just like to play badminton a lot, so I thought I'd try going deeper within that topic
• I might have an easier time with dentistry since my mother and a bunch of her friends are dentists as well