Response: Cheers to you guys. You're brilliant.

We are designers. We are brilliant.

Every day for the past two weeks I've woken up and thought, "Oh thank God, I'm one day closer to being done with school."

Now that the culmination of our undergraduate studies is finally upon us, I'm not so sure I like it. Of course I won't miss the huge load of schoolwork and sleep deprivation that comes along with it, but I'm definitely a lot more hesitant about the part where everybody moves on to the next chapter of their lives. Separation anxiety is inevitable.

I know that we've all been really stressed lately what with finishing up our magazine prototypes, iPad apps, mini portfolios and websites, but I propose we all take a step back and try to enjoy the time we have left together, even if it does involve mag editing, haaaaa. I'm going to try really hard to fully appreciate the short time we have left together before graduation.

It can't be denied; our capstone class has become a creepy cult-like family over the past month. We do perfect impersonations of each another. Our jokes make little sense to anybody else. (Trust me, I've tried. People don't get design humor. Or, in many cases, design itself haaaa.) Shoot, half of us are in the design lab right now ordering Gumby's and laughing hysterically about something insignificant. IT CANNOT BE DENIED.

As a lot of you probably know by now, my immediate plans are to stay and work in Columbia, so if any of you will be in CoMo this summer, please let me know. I'd love to keep in touch and get together for "social outings."

I wish each of you the best of luck in your future endeavors, wherever they might take you. No matter where you're headed, remember this: "The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time."

Response: iPad design

"I have conquered the iPad. Hire me." 

 — Christina Shimer

Since we sent our final product to the printer last week, we've moved on to developing content for our publication's iPad application. Our goal for Nosh is to convert our entire issue into a format suitable for the iPad.

We're not just uploading pdfs of our publication onto our application, though. We're recreating it for an iPad platform using the software that the J-school has recently bestowed on us ever so graciously. Heck, we can even get free copies of it uploaded onto our personal laptops.

So just how useful and relevant is our current work on the iPad? Only time will tell. For all we know, iPads could be irrelevant in a few years. Or maybe they'll be the default computer operating system for half of America. While I don't think the former is likely, I do think the latter is a prediction by Apple techies who are overestimating the appeal of the iPad.

Do I think a design company will hire me solely based on the fact that I've used iPad design software? No.

Do I think that the additional experience portrays me as having both the interest and capability needed to learn software that could be obsolete in a couple of years? Absolutely.

Do I care about iPads? Not so much at this point in my life.

Do I care about knowing how to design for the iPad? Absolutely. (Hrmmm this seems hypocritical.)

Crap, I might have to give in and get one. If only I had a coupon...

Response: indecision — enjoy the power and beauty of your youth

I am tired. It's 4:16 a.m., and a number of my capstone classmates are still in the design lab working on final magazine prototypes.

Walking out of the Missourian after many late hours of design work typically means I'll be a walking zombie the next day, but recently I've felt sad as I make my way through the empty hallways. This is the end. In a month I won't have to complain about the lack of sleep resulting from my schoolwork because I won't have any.

I've done pretty good in school, and it's because I've put so much effort into most of what I do. I wish I could have gotten more design experience earlier, but I was too busy working as both a Peer Adviser and blog editor for SuretyBonds.com. My boss offered me a full time position last summer, which has made working through my last two semesters much more manageable.                                          If only I knew then what I know now...

Having a job waiting for me definitely influenced my decision not to continue school right after graduation. Although I'm definitely ready to move on to the next chapter of my life, I can't help but feel nostalgic about my experiences as a J-school student.

Part of me wishes I would have applied to start grad school here in the fall so I could continue my work as a designer. I'm not sure I know how to live a life that isn't mainly focused on bettering myself through the education system.

What I do know, though, is that at this point in my life, I'm ready to live my life for me. I won't have school and its correlated requirements and commitments to bog me down. I'm excited to finally be fully self-sufficient and independent. Honestly, I can't wait to work 9-to-5 and bring home a steady paycheck. Then the rest of my time will be spent doing things that I choose to do for me. I'll have full, subjective control of what I want to do with my life.

The only problem is I have absolutely no idea what I want at all, not to mention where I want to see myself in a few years. I've tossed around the idea of attending art school for graphic design. Heck, I've even thought about pursuing my recent interest in fine art photography, but earning a living doing that seems too unrealistic for me considering my lack of experience in the field.

The following are the lyrics to a song by Baz Luhrmann that I've always really liked. I think that they ring truer than ever now. They give me a lot of comfort when I'm feeling unsure about the future and what to do with my life. I hope whoever reads this appreciates it, too.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '99—

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it

The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists

Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience

I will dispense this advice now

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh, nevermind

You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded

But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked

You are not as fat as you imagine

Don't worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind

The kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday

Do one thing every day that scares you

Sing

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts

Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours

Floss

Don't waste your time on jealousy

Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind

The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself

Remember compliments you receive

Forget the insults, if you succeed in doing this, tell me how

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements

Stretch

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life

Some of the most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives

Some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't

Get plenty of calcium, be kind to your knees

You'll miss them when they're gone

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't

Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't

Maybe you'll divorce at 40

Maybe you'll dance the "Funky Chicken" on your 75th wedding anniversary

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much

Or berate yourself either

Your choices are half chance

So are everybody else's

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can

Don't be afraid of it or what other people think of it

It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own

Dance

Even if you have nowhere to do it but your own living room

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them

Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good

Be nice to your siblings, they're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future

Understand that friends come and go

But for a precious few, you should hold on

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle

For as the older you get, 
The more you need the people you knew when you were young

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard

Live in northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft

Travel

Accept certain inalienable truths

Prices will rise, politicians will philander, you, too, will get old

And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young

Prices were reasonable, politicians were noble

And children respected their elders

Respect your elders

Don't expect anyone else to support you

Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse

But you never know when either one might run out

Don't mess too much with your hair

Or by the time you're 40 it will look 85

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it

Advice is a form of nostalgia — 
Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts

And recycling it for more than it's worth

But trust me on the sunscreen

Response: magazine prototype progress

My fellow design capstone junkies and I are preparing to leave for spring break to pretend that we have social lives outside of school. But before we do, we've been sharing the progress of our final projects. Generally, I think all of our groups need to work out the kinks to make sure that our prototypes have a consistent design tone, though disconnects are obviously to be expected with first drafts.

Modern Midwest

This publication definitely has a lot of interesting content, so seeing where the designs progress from here will be exciting. I know it might take some extra work to find good visuals to work with, but it should be comforting that the designers aren't limited to content that primarily centers around food. I think the magazine's nature will make for some really unique design presentations.

Plaid Dad
I feel your pain with having to differentiate between feature and department content. The design team is definitely on the right track as far as recognizing the different ways to present the information to readers logically. They're doing a good job of keeping their target audience — young dads — in mind while creating design concepts. And kudos for coming up with so many nameplate options.

Shindig

I like the idea of using real-world textures, and I hope you guys are able to find some great ones that correspond with the publication's tone. Also, unlike others, I personally like the publication's title, and the design style does completely reclaim the word. I think your overall design concepts were interesting, and I can't wait to see them implemented.

Cupboard

The content for Cupboard is also pretty unique, but at the same time I think it would be difficult to come up with concepts for some of the stories. The crafty feel that the publication is taking on is fun. I would try to play that up as much as possible.

Good luck everybody, and try to have a relaxing break!

Response: designing for VOX's special travel issue

or, "why meeting deadlines is crucial for journalists"

When taking an exam in one of my first real journalism classes at MU (Cross-Cultural Journalism) my professor poked fun at the last few students staying past class to finish up their exams. I'll always remember her saying the bunch of us would probably be good journalists since we were determined to work straight up to deadline.

I have another theory, however. I believe a fair number of people are attracted to studying journalism because it allows for procrastination (to an extent). As a student who's nearing alum status at one of the world's strongest journalism programs, I can tell you all about the rush of adrenaline you get from pumping out a piece right before deadline. It doesn't matter if you're reporting a breaking story or designing 1A. Finishing your work right before deadline — and knowing you did a good job – is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world. Even if you're not really procrastinating, it sure does feel like you've been trying to play catch-up.

But there are some who take procrastination too far. They consistently fail to meet their deadlines, which makes it hard for those who work after them to further develop a story. Procrastinators make life harder for those who plan ahead and schedule every step they're going to need to take in order for a story to be published on time without errors.

Unfortunately, designers are all too often left at the end groping for content that isn't available, which requires us to (at times) create designs with a limited understanding of the story to be presented. It is both our curse and our opportunity to make sure that everything in a story's package comes together in a visually appealing, content-driven way. Without the content, though, this can be difficult to navigate.

I know a number of designers struggled with this while working on this week's special edition of VOX. The problems can't be blamed solely on procrastination. A good majority of the publication's template was reworked for the special issue, which threw off everybody working on the issue. Miscommunication played a role as well.

The bottom line is that each individual on the chain needs to work his/her behind off as to not hinder the progress of those who come after them. And if something should go awry along the way, it's okay to admit your fault, apologize to those whose progress you slowed down and then move on with life.

Response: Mag+, designing for the iPad

In this week's VOX staff meeting we had the opportunity to take part in a Skype session during which we were able to learn about Mag+ directly from its creator. Mag+ is a relatively new program for designing iPad content that is compatible with InDesign CS4 and CS5. This means that today's designers now have ability to begin developing designs for iPad applications much more quickly and efficiently than has previously been possible.

Photo courtesy PRNewsFoto/MIM Software Inc. via Associated Press

This is not only great news for designers interested in working with multimedia, but all designers looking for a way to get their foot in the door of the design industry. Having an understanding of how to design on the iPad platform will undoubtedly prove beneficial for young professionals looking to boost their resumes with valuable skills and experience.

I'm not sure how much further I intend to pursue design in the context of journalism. However, if I do decide to study the field more in the future, then I would defintely look into the Mag+ program.

The only thing is, with the way technology is today, iPads could be obsolete in a few years, ha. Like Jan said, by then the journalism industry will have found the next big craze.

Response: historical influences on modern design

As I mentioned in last week's response post, William Owens's book Modern Magazine Design offers readers an evaluative synopsis of the evolution of graphic design as both an art and as a journalistic tool. The following are a few historical designs from the book that have impacted graphic design as we know it in today's realm of magazine design. Along with each design I've featured a contemporary layout that appears to have drawn inspiration from the original.

Historical Inspiration: Vogue, September 1955.
Owens explains that Vogue was the first magazine to popularize extreme, full page close-ups of women. The publication's punchy layouts were the first to draw in readers by using the "startling close-up stoppers." As a consumer of modern magazines, it's difficult to imagine this sort of layout being viewed as revolutionary, as it's obviously become the norm for many magazines geared toward women.

Contemporary Design: Seventeen, December 2010/January 2011
Although it pains me to admit that I actually own a recently printed issue of the teeny-bop publication (last semester I studied the use of sex in magazine advertisements), I must admit that I was taken aback upon seeing this layout. I typically find designs in Seventeen to be loud, cluttered and, at times, just plain obnoxious. I feel like this spread is a refreshing anomaly for the publication. From the facial expression to the color palette to the information contained within the layout, this spread clearly refers to Vogue's original, revolutionary concept. I find both to be absolutely exquisite.

Historical Inspiration: The Face, May 1985
According to Owens, the art director of this design used an elaborate typographic treatment to create a more formal separation between the text and the the image. Owens also explores the use of reflection, as Morrissey's face appears to be "doubled by cropping along the axis of reflection."

Contemporary Design: Spin, November 2010
This design features Robyn, a Swedish pop star and "electro-queen" whose career as a young starlet first peaked at the same as Britney Spears. Side by side, these two layouts are comparable in a number of interesting ways. Similar to the Morrissey spread, this layout features a bold typographic treatment and also plays with the idea of reflection. Both spreads work to balance the page of text with the page featuring the photo by utilizing white space and interesting typography.

Historical Inspiration: Links Richten, no. 9 1933
According to Owens, this Dutch worker-writer magazine cover was created using minimal components. I find this design to be eerily beautiful. The head shot is disturbing, and the type treatment is cold. The use of red adds tension to the design. The design is masterfully crafted with just a few visual elements, but its connotation is intentional and easily observed.

Contemporary Design: BRM, Issue No. 12
This page features a band called The Local Natives. It's just one page of the spread, but I think it definitely gives off a similar aura as the Links Richten cover. The image image has been toned in a way that gives eery, old sepia color with harsh contrasts. The men have been cut out to look like they're actually coming out of the page. This design also uses red to highlight the quote.

This are just a few examples of how much historical thought processes continue to influence modern design as we know it. As designers, the more we understand about the history of graphic design, the better equipped we will be to create interesting and thought provoking designs in the future. 

>>>danielle<<<

Response: the historical importance of "the grid"

This week's reading, "Illustrated magazine and the photographic revolution," outlines the historic evolution of graphic design as both an art medium and a journalistic tool.

The article discusses a number of major developments and trends throughout the evolution of graphic design, but none so impactful or enduring as the grid. As designers, we have been taught to utilize grids for three key purposes:

1. streamline and organize content
2. assist readers in comprehension of the story 
3. keep layouts consistent from issue to issue
   The grid from "Tron: Legacy"              

Even the most complex, intricate designs almost always follow an underlying grid, whether or not the viewer recognizes it.

Interestingly enough, the article reveals that the origin behind the initial use of the grid was inspired by a graphic storyboard. The illustration was used to "associate disparate elements in both space and time." This directive relationship used to keep story lines intact became universality recognized as the most significant organizational requirement expected of formatted magazines. I find this expectation to be very appropriate while considering the role grids play when it comes journalism: to organize a story and help readers understand it.

The following excerpt from the article explains the grid's significance to both design and journalism.

"The magazine is a continuum of cover, contents page, minor features, major features and miscellany, with a specific architectural integrity which, in this respect, differs from other forms of printed matter. This is why the grid takes on a double function in the magazine. The underlying geometric framework suggested by the work of the synthetic cubists and rather more directly by the compositional studies of Mondrian and can Doesburg, could be utilized as an anchor of constancy, or point of reference, with unrestrained asymmetric layouts."


Piet Mondrian's  "Composition 10" (1939–1942) inspired the use of the grid in graphic design.

In the end, what I've taken away from this reading as a whole is that graphic design as we know it didn't just begin thriving as technology progressed. To fully appreciate it as both an art medium and as a journalistic tool, we need to understand its historical significance as well as how it has evolved over time.

Response: thoughts on our prototype project

After reading through the syllabus for my capstone course, I was mildly horrified to say the least. Just a few of the assignments include weekly blog posts, countless designs for VOX, research projects and a "commissioned" print magazine prototype for a major magazine publisher. Not to mention the online portfolios we need to compose to showcase our work.

Wow.

Nothing turns fear and intimidation into anticipation and excitement like hearing success stories from recent Missouri J-school grads who sat on my side of the table just a few years ago. And now they actually have real jobs that pay them to do something they love.

They urged us to leave our preconceived notions about the corporation at the door—this project is all about attracting a younger, more vibrant artist. You know, people like us.

I think the most insightful aspect of the discussion was when we viewed the recent redesign of Better Homes and Gardens. The publication has gone in a completely new direction in the past year. Part of our job as the designers for these projects is to give Meredith some fresh new ideas they can implement into their various publications.

Finally, seeing firsthand examples from previous designers who took this class really sold me on the project. I saw how designers took mundane topics like BBQ or arthritis and created youthful, trendy publications.

These projects are going to be our brainchildren, and I hope mine turns out to be a genius.

>>>danielle<<<