Response: WHERE DID THIS SEMESTER GO?!

Where in the world did this semester go?! It's crazy to think I'm almost done with 4 fast years of college. So cliche, but it seems like just yesterday we were getting  our first assignment. We were SO stressed out because we had our Roll On stuff due and then Spring Preview due a week later, and now I feel like I could do it all in just a couple of days. Oh how we've all improved!


After reading Krista's blog, in honor of the semester coming to a close, she posted her first design assignment from this class. So I decided to do the same.. even though it's (very, drastically far from) my best work.

And to think I agonized over this for hours!

Critique: Logo, Book Cover and more!

Can't believe this semester is almost over. Only one week left! So many little things left to get done while still trying to enjoy my last week of living in Columbia... ever! Yesterday in class we looked at everyone's online portfolios. I finished most of mine last week, but got to hear everyones comments on my final version. Everyone liked it for the most part, but I appreciated all of the help I received, especially from Theresa and Jan. I changed the logo after hearing everyone's opinions on it. I took out "designs" in the middle of the green circle because "designs by blair elizabeth weaver" was right under it and it seemed a little bit repetitive. So here's my new logo!

I never noticed the "designs" in there twice but once it was pointed out it looks much better without it. Some people also said it was hard to read. 

We've also been working on our book covers, and our final version is due tomorrow. I didn't make too many changes, but here's my final book cover:

I'm really happy with how it turned out. We turn it in to the book publishing company tomorrow and the winner gets their cover published! Fingers crossed...

So once I finished my portfolio, I posted the link to my Facebook for all of my "friends" to check it out. I loved getting all the positive feedback, but now everyone wants me to help with their design-related stuff they need done. So I've done my fair share of resumes, a couple logos for some friends as well as a certificate template for my sorority's senior superlative banquet on Sunday.

Here's some logos I made for my roommate Tiffany (Tiffany Dawn Chevins.. hence the initials).

As well as the certificate.

Good thing I enjoy this stuff!

Response: Online Portfolio

I've now officially finished my online portfolio. It's been hanging over my head for awhile now but now that I finally have my Better Cook pages finished I could add my most impressive pages in it! My first step was figuring out a logo for my page. I came up with quite a few, asked my family, roommates and classmates which one they all liked best and of course, they all liked different ones! So I tried to combine a couple of different ones... and I came up with this lovely logo.

I'm really excited the way it turned out. And I'm really happy with the colors I chose to use. I think it fits me very well! After completing my portfolio, it made me feel pretty confident and I didn't think I had that much work!


So here's the link... click around, and enjoy!


http://cargocollective.com/blairweaver

Critique: Better Cook!

So I never thought I'd say this, but Better Cook has been sent to print! Can't believe it's finally completed and the last little edits have been made. These are the most updated pages that I have, they still need the ads put in. But here they are!

Response: Life of a stressed designer-- Wooo!

Just like all of my other classmates, I've been under quite a bit of stress lately. Between 20/10 book covers, Vox covers, Vox department pages, portfolios, designing logos, iPad stuff and Better Cook stuff, time management is key! A year ago I was in Magazine Design and was stressed because I had a design assignment due in a week that I hadn't started. A year later, I am able to whip out designs in no time, that actually look good! I'm much more comfortable with Indesign, Illustrator and Photoshop now than I was before and am much better at typography than I used to be.

I can't believe I'm almost about to.. (gulp).. graduate. It's just one more thing to stress me out about, but I feel like I'm ready to enter the real world. (I can't believe I just said that.) My experience at the MU J School really has prepared me well. I don't cringe at the word "portfolio" anymore. I read magazines (and by read I mean mentally critique all the designs) and have the confidence that I can do that. Not only has my designing gotten better but my confidence in my work has gotten better, too. Bring on these last 3 weeks of college!

Can't Miss: Portfolio designs

Like everyone else in class, I've been working on my portfolio..... step by step. Needless to say, it is a process. My first step was making my logo, and I did lots of research looking at logos online. I also came across a pretty cool website featuring different kinds of portfolio ideas. I've realized how important it is to have creative ideas for your portfolio so you can stand out from other applicants. This one is probably my favorite!

I like it because of the logo. Who else has an ant in their logo??

http://pelfusion.com/inspiration/10-creative-portfolio-design-ideas/

Critique: Better Cook, covers, logos... oh my!

I've been quite a busy little designer lately. I've been working on Better Cook pages and also Vox covers for the next week's issue about Dynamic Duos. I only made slight changes with my Better Cook designs so they're not too drastically different, but I'm really happy with how they magazine is turning out!

My favorite is the garnish department spread, "Four Ways to Spice Up Your Kitchen Now." The only change I really made was making the wine connoisseur image/story more dominant. I'm excited to see our finished product!

Now for Dynamic Duo covers:

Along with the rest of Vox staff, my favorite is the first cover. It has the "dynamic" look to it which I thought was fitting! I'll be working more on that tonight to have as my final draft for tomorrow's critique session. For the second cover, I was playing around with a dynamic duo. Who's more of a dynamic duo than a couple power rangers?! My thoughts exactly. I also worked with Illustrator more than I usually do since I'm trying to get more familiar with it. For the last cover, I was playing around with the idea of a bunch of different pieces fitting together to work/function as one, just like what a dynamic duo does.

Shifting gears, I've also been working on my online portfolio. So I've been working on some different ideas as far as logos go. And I'm learning I LOVE designing logos! So here's my first page of ideas...

I started out with the black and white ones then started playing around with color. I like both the blueish/periwinkle color but also love the green, so I wanted to incorporate both somehow. My biggest problem I had making these was that it looks like "low" instead of "bw". So I played around with some different fonts, and it still looked like low. So here's what my final logo is!

I'm really happy with how it turned out. I think since I put the green circle inside the "b" that it looks less like "low" and more like my initials. Now to finish my portfolio!

Can't Miss: 40 stylish fonts!

I'm obsessed with cool fonts. Who isn't? I find myself constantly trying to find new (free) downloadable fonts because I get so tired of the fonts that come with my computer. Typography can make/break a design. So I came across a website that has some pretty neato downloadable fonts... fo free! Check 'em out!


http://www.smashingapps.com/2012/04/02/40-stunning-fonts-for-professional-web-and-print-design.html

Response: Book cover designing

Designing book covers is not easy. It's quite a bit different from designing a department page or a feature spread. While its still about visual storytelling, you have to think more on the marketing sign of designing. You only have a couple seconds to sell someone on the book, it has to be eye-catching enough to keep the potential reader from continuing to walk by. While it has to be eye-catching, it also has to capture the overall feel of the book in just a small little space, which was what I struggled with. I really liked the image that they provided for us but I had a lot of fun working with different typography.

Critique: Book Covers

I've never designed a book cover before, but I've always wanted to. I love designing department pages, but designing book covers is a great way to mix up our usual design work.


The book I am designing a cover for is called "Madam Chairman: Mary Louise Smith" which is a biography on Mary Louise Smith, the Iowa grandmother who was selected by President Gerald Ford to serve as the chairman of the Republican National Committee. We were assigned to make 20 rough sketches of completely different ideas, so keep in mind, emphasis on the 'rough.'

I struggled to come up with 20 completely different ideas. It was especially difficult because I've never done this before. I was given just one image to work with, so I played around with some photography covers as well as some illustrations and typography covers. I found that I liked my beginning covers the best and then my ideas got progressively worse... hence my license plate idea (sorry Nick!)

Can't Miss: Funny business cards

So most of us are trying to find jobs, and for me it's difficult finding a way to stand out from other applicants. We all have our own style, trying to brand ourselves, so you're not just another applicant in the pile. I came across this website with funny business card ideas, just another way to stand out!

Critique: Better Cook prototypes - first draft

Here are the designs I've finished so far for Better Cook. I've loved designing food spreads, mainly because the pictures are so pretty and it makes me really hungry just looking at them. I'm really happy with the way they've turned out. I love the typefaces we've been using and the bright colors. Take a look!

 Let me know what you think!

Response: Better Cook experience

So we've all been working diligently on designing our magazines, getting ready to present the first draft to our publishing team on Thursday. Yesterday we got to see all the other groups' first drafts and it was really great seeing everyone's ideas. Since we've been working on a food magazine, it was interesting seeing the other group's food magazine ideas. Each group handled their magazines so differently yet we all have such similar content.

I've really had a lot of fun designing these magazine prototypes since it's very "real world experience" (from what I imagine). What has been difficult about the experience is all of the little details matching up with the rest of my design team. It's the little things like whether or not we're changing tablespoon to tbsp or if we're bolding the ingredients or if we're using the thin font or the light font. It makes me realize how important communication is! I'm lucky I've been put with the designers on my team because we really work well together and have similar style.

Response: Portfolio Process

So we've all been working on compiling all of our design work for our portfolio. I talked a little last week about the feedback I received from my fellow design classmates, which was really helpful getting fresh eyes to look at my designs. I find I look at my work so much that I never notice the things that other people notice right off the bat. I've been into looking at other designers (not from our class)'s blogs lately that showcase their design work. One thing I've picked up on is that nobody else that I've come across has iPad work. How awesome is that! It definitely makes us stand out from other designers and puts us ahead of other contestants for jobs, internships, etc. Magazines are transforming into different types of platforms that it's very important as a designer to stay on top of the newest technology, especially when trying to find a job!

Critique: DGB!

So I officially have my favorite clip. Although it's not quite your typical department page, it ran as a Scene page in Vox on Thursday. I talked a little bit about it last week on my blog, but now I have the published version!

I'm really excited about it, not only because I now have an awesome clip for my portfolio but it brought a little uniqueness and variety to Vox's usual scene department page.

I also have photos of my feature that came out in print Thursday. I was really happy with how it turned out. I ended up having to change the font just a little bit, but it wasn't too drastic so it didn't change the overall look I had for it originally.

It's kind of difficult to see since it's a photo of the magazine and now the actual file, but I played around with adding color to the spreads, keeping them cohesive but giving each of them originality. I didn't use a pull color, but I picked a color palette that I thought would go with all of the spreads, which I think turned out nicely. I'm definitely glad I chose to add color instead of my original idea of keeping it all black and white.