Day: October 15, 2018

Link: My final design (Downloadable PDF) for Module 3: Final Module3 CBELL

MEMO:

To: Professor Lizardi & IDT 507 Class

From: Charles Bell

Date: 10/13/2018

Re: Module 3: Electronics Project

The idea for this project progressed rapidly, as I thought of a concept for the artwork based on the material from the readings and research. A few aspects of the design have changed since my original idea for the project. In this memo, I will discuss my experiences in creating the design, and how some of the changes came about.

Audience:

The audience I intend to reach with this infographic is high school students and undergraduate college students. By keeping he information in short, bite sized chunks, I intend to hold their attention while informing them of the subject matter. I feel that the bright colors, creative graphics, retro styled font choices and more modern layout will also appeal to the audience by captivating their attention. Overall, I feel it is appealing enough to attract the attention of the audience and interesting enough to hold their attention beyond their initial inspection.

Message:

The message that I intend to give is an informative one that focuses on the ways media can not only entertain, but also inform and influence its audience. Each example highlights an important medium in the electronic age and provides specific examples in how it was used to entertain, inform and ultimately influence its audience. I have also mentioned iconic programming that many younger readers may or may not have heard of. I hope that this will spark their interest enough for them to investigate the material further, through additional research and viewing. I would also hope for it to inspire a dialog between members of different generations, in order for them to get a better understanding of how it affects other previously and how it can relate to current technologies now.

Platform:

This design was created using Adobe Illustrator for all of the vector graphics, and Adobe Indesign for the page layout and text elements. As an additional element, I have decided to start a WordPress site to host the PDF artwork and memo. I feel that the combination of Adobe products and WordPress skills that I have used in this module will continue to benefit my work in the future, and can only help me as I progress as a designer.

Design Considerations:

I wanted to focus on a more defined topic for this module. In the previous module, I created an overview of several different periods, and in this module I decided to focus more on one particular topic and how it was used through the different types of media in that time. Visually, I wanted to create a design with a more retro feel, and in some ways I feel this is successful. Mainly through the use of retro fonts and graphics.

Design Challenges:

The biggest challenge was fitting the information into bite sized, easily understandable chunks that would look good in the layout that I selected. I also chose a more non-typical size for my layout of 15 x 17 inches, in order to challenge myself to work in a layout size that was less traditional that 8.5 x 11 or 11 x 17.

In summary, I feel that the project was successful. I initially wanted to create an even more pronounced retro look to the design. As I worked through the project, I thought the lightning bolts and font choices were enough to create a retro feel, and the use of vector graphics gave it a more modern appeal that would not look out place within the current world of infographics and infographic design. The opportunity to use a content management system to host the project, experiment with the various different software programs, and create graphics that have meaning and real world application to the class is invaluable to me as a designer.