Design and Development Process:
Upon assigning the project, the client first directed the class to Clemson’s Creative Services website, which serves as a depository for feature stories on Clemson employees across campus. Students were advised to select as many or few stories as they liked from which to model their poster designs. The client asked that designs be cohesive and include the following information in a visually appealing layout: an image of an employee performing his/her job and a captivating quote from the individual regarding his/her job at Clemson.
I began the process by writing a brief outline detailing my project plan and researching Creative Services articles. An additional progress report was due to Dr. Hilligoss on October 31. This report noted my review of the available features and selection of four from different disciplines. The report commented on my desire to ensure the client received posters that were illustrative of the project’s theme, “Why I Love Working at Clemson,” being applicable across multiple departments. Because the class was serving a Clemson client all deliverables needed to adhere to Clemson branding guidelines for fonts and colors.
I experimented with the fonts and paired sans serif with serif in selecting FG Saga and Trade Gothic. One design also showcased the Goudy Oldstyle Family font. In addition to adhering to Clemson branding standards, these fonts matched the tone for the document, contributing to a “combination of friendliness and professionalism” (Mackiewicz, 2005, 293). According to Mackiewicz’s (2005) guidelines, FG Saga is a friendly font due to its resemblance to human handwriting and features such as imperfections, broken construction, and rounded terminals. Trade Gothic, on the other hand, is labeled a professional font because of its neutral, machine-like, and easy-to-read features (Mackiewicz, 2005). Used together, these fonts allowed me (e.g., the communicator) to portray a tone mirroring the project’s theme.
read Rhetorical Situation and Goals, Design and Development Process or Critical Reflection
back to Visual Communication page
After receiving feedback on the components from Dr. Hilligoss and fellow ENGL 853 seminar members, I began my designs in Adobe Illustrator. Students were instructed to use this program, as it would allow designs to be scaled for a size or media (e.g., web or kiosk) other than their original. When importing all components into each document (e.g., photo, quote, and Tiger paw image), I needed to ensure accurate placement and arrangement. I decided to have the image be the prominent focal point of each design. I felt the image was so strong in one design (the second pictured) that I chose to exclude a quote entirely and have the photograph stand alone. Some of the images used were cropped in Adobe Photoshop prior to their placement into Adobe Illustrator.
On November 14, Dr. Hilligoss provided each student with feedback on first design drafts. I received comments in regard to the Tiger paw overlay, quote marks appearing like commas, and one design needing more visual contrast. Dr. Hilligoss also recommended that I try my designs with Clemson’s secondary color pallet. I incorporated this feedback when using Adobe Illustrator to create second drafts.
With the exception of one design, all first drafts showcased the traditional Clemson colors (e.g., Clemson Orange and Regalia) while the second appear in secondary colors (e.g., Tillman Brick and Hartwell Moon). The variations in colors were made to provide the client with additional posters.
In general, the designs are clean and simplistic. I chose this approach because I did not want the posters to appear information-packed or crowded. Viewers may notice the trimming of information that occurs between the first and second drafts of each design; this mirrored my efforts to condense the text on each design and have the images represent the salient objects and the accompanying quotes. Quotes and their attributions are framed together to increase the emphasis of the joined elements and signify their belonging together (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2006).
This design concept works for the client because each design is upbeat and inviting. I aimed for this mood to correspond with that of Human Resource’s new location and office. The unity across the designs is also apparent: the repetition of the enlarged quote marks, the photograph, and the Tiger paw in all designs translates into one cohesive design concept. We are able to see patterns and interpret discrete elements around the whole in each of the designs (Seward-Barry, 1997).
The progress report commented on this font selection process as well as that of Clemson-approved colors. It also detailed my plans for scaling designs and included a proposed timeline. Feel free to read the report for additional information.
Along with the report, I submitted to Dr. Hilligoss sketches of my potential designs, completed with graphic paper and pencil. According to Bill Buxton’s Sketching User Experiences (2007), “sketching in the broad sense, as an activity, is not just a byproduct of design. It is central to design thinking and learning” (118). Sketching my designs prior to using software allowed me to think about the design process and refer to these ideas for inspiration throughout the project. You will find my sketches here: