Information Design - Final Project Milestone 3

Week 12–13

David Ho Ming Aun (0328394)

Information Design

Final Project: Milestone 3

Brief:

MILESTONE 03

Weeks 12-13

Compare and Contrast

1 – Start by comparing things side by side to make it easier on the eye. Whether it’s two or three elements, you should everything symmetrical.

2 – Obsess over alignment. Make sure your elements are correctly centered and aligned, and on the same level.

3 – Create a clear division using two different colors. In order to keep it clean and minimalistic, you can choose darker or lighter shades of color.

4 – Always stay consistent using the same kind of elements. We’ve covered this in the past, but look at the example below: the first version shows the correct usage of the same fonts and same style icons, while in the second one we chose different fonts and inconsistent icons. The difference is subtle yet meaningful. One is simple, clean and pleasing, and the other one looks messy.

5 – Finally, use the same structure for side by side comparisons for titles, icons, text, etc. When comparing apple with apples, it’s important to keep the consistency between both sides to demonstrate that it’s a comparison. The example below is a perfect portrayal.

Progress:

Video Storyboards

Voiceover Script (Guide)

1:

So you’ve decided to write a letter to try win the heart of a german lady! HEre are some things you should know before you attempt to write a letter in German.

Like the english alphabet, the german alphabet also shares the letters A to Z, but has a few additions of its own, such as the umlauts: ae, oe,  ue, as well as the german sharp s: essseet.

Starting your letter may lead you to an essential question: which ‘you’, do I use? While English only has one you, German is all about context, and has two forms of ‘you’: du being the informal and Sie, being the formal. On initial contact, using Sie would be most appropriate, to avoid being too friendly from the get go.

Do prepare sufficient amounts of ink, as German words come in at an average length of 11.66, as compared to English with 8.23. German is famously known for their lengthy words, such as Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz, which comes in at a whopping 63 letters.

Once you’ve lovingly composed your letter, send it off and wait patiently for a reply from the lady.

So you write your letter and happily send it off, waiting eagerly for a reply from the lady.

2:

So the lady has agreed to meet you for a first date! She said to meet her at a cafe, “um 8 Uhr”, but what does that really mean? Does she 8am or 8pm? Thankfully, unlike the English time system that divides the day into AM and PM, the Germans are wonderfully precise and use a 24 hour system. So her 8 Uhr, means a lovely breakfast date!

First Impresssions matter, so here are some things you should know! IF you were to compare her to the beauty of an angel, she would probably wonder why you think she’s a fishing rod. OR if you wanted to give her a Gift, she would probably be quite afraid of you.

If she asks for a Kissen, don’t pucker up because all she wants is a cushion!

Thankfully, your date is going well and after a good time together, its time to say goodbye. The waiter comes along and says “achtunddreissig euro, bitte!” but you are wondering whether he means 38 or 83 euros. The english number system notates numbers from left to right, for example, thirty-eight, while the german system is the other way around, meaning 38 would be eight and thirty, hence, achtunddreissig. So don’t sweat it!

3.

You’ve been together for a while now and the lovely lady suggests that its time for you to adopt some affectionate nicknames. Of course, you could opt for the classic english dear, darling or sweetheart; or you could be more colourful and try on some unique german ones, such as maeuschen, schnecke, igelschnauzchen, or if you’re really adventerous, try on the hybrid “mausbaer”, or even the very creative, honigkuchenpferd.

Whatever you may call each other, we wish you all the best in your new relationship, with your lady as well as the romantic german language.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Poster Layout Sketch

Publishing 2: Mass Communication - Final Submissions and Reflections

David Ho Ming Aun (0328394)

Publishing 2: Mass Communication

Final Submissions and Links, Reflections

Instructions:

Exercises

Project One

Project Two

Project Three

Submissions:

Exercises

Format Exploration

Figure 1: Format Exploration

 16-page Format Mockup (150x245mm)

Figure 2: 16-page Format Mockup

 Van der Graaf Grid (on A3 format)

Figure 3: Van der Graaf grid on A3

 Digital Van der Graaf Grid (on 150x245mm)

Figure 4: Digital Van der Graaf Grid

 Signature Folding

Figure 5: Signature Folding

Coptic Stich Binding

Figure 6: Coptic Stich Binding Top view

Figure 7: Coptic Stich Binding Side View

Identifying Grids:

Figure 8: Grid Identification 1

Figure 9: Grid Identification 2

Figure 10: Grid Identification 3

Figure 11: Grid Identification 4

 Form and Movement Exercises

Figure 12: Form and Movement Exercise 1

Figure 13: Form and Movement Exercise 2

Figure 14: Form and Movement Exercise 3

Figure 15: Form and Movement Exercise 4

Project One

Text 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gc3ojnFUnzzV4vZuCO7dNIzGrZ1xe5RLJ8pd74ykyNw/pub

Illustrations

Figure 16: Project One Final Illustrations

Project Two

Figure 17: Project Two Thumbnails (1/2)

Figure 18: Project Two Thumbnails (2/2)

Figure 19: Back Cover and Cover 

Figure 20: Spread

Figure 21: Spread

Figure 22: Spread

Figure 23: Spread

Figure 24: Spread

Figure 25: Spread

Figure 26: Spread

Figure 27: Spread

Figure 28: Spread

Figure 29: Spread

Figure 30: Final Book (Front)

Figure 31: Final Book (Back)

Figure 32: Final Outcome (Spread)

Project Three

Desktop Version (1366x768px)

Thumbnails:

Figure 33: Desktop eBook Thumbnails (1/2)

Figure 34: Desktop eBook Thumbnails (2/2)

Online Desktop eBook:
*Roll over the cover text for a cool animation!

iPad Version (1024x768px)

Thumbnails

Figure 35: iPad eBook Thumbnails (1/2)

Figure 36: iPad eBook Thumbnails (2/2)

Online iPad eBook:
*Click on the red body text!

 

iPhone 6 Version (750x1334px)

Thumbnails

Figure 37: iPhone 6 eBook Thumbnails (1/2)

Figure 38: iPhone 6 eBook Thumbnails (2/2)

Online iPhone eBook: 
*Click and hold on the red body text!

Reflections:

Experience

The module ended early, as expected of modules headed by the lecturer. Upholding his reputation for following his timeline to a tee. As usual, the semester felt like it passed by very quickly, as of all things when we look back. 

I'm not satisfied with my work. The final book had not given me the same amount of pride in my work as the previous semesters in my other modules, such as the magazine in Publishing 1, or the campaign in Advertising 2. I just cannot bring myself to say that I am proud of this piece of mine, because I know I have slacked in certain areas of it. I have not pushed any boundaries of mine, and this is extremely evident with the content of the book, as well as the illustrations that pair it. I take responsibility for my inactions, but I also must acknowledge the deadline provided that deemed insufficient for me to produce any acceptable work. The half-baked outcomes from Project 1 rippled through the semester, and I think that made the rest of the process feel blander. I tried to give it more spice through Project 2 with layouts and typography, but design cannot save bad content, especially for the pickiest client in the world—me.

This module (and other modules in general) are gradually swinging the limelight back to the students, getting us to think for ourselves. As a student from a typical Malaysian educational background, I find mild difficulty in being so self-oriented, in the sense that we have to decide our learning path for ourselves. 

As much as I would have liked it, I could not devote my full attention to the conceptualization process in the beginning, due to some time management hiccups that I tangled myself into. I did not feel good about dividing my time and energy in so many directions, as I usually like to have enough room to be focused on one project at a time. I can't juggle that well. I rationed my efforts poorly in the beginning, and I do regret that.

The semester has been quite an emotional rollercoaster, and I find myself feeling deflated and defeated more often. I question myself and my abilities more frequently. At low points like these, I feel like I'm just a fraud, faking my way through this facade of being a 'designer'. Or maybe I'm just too harsh on myself as usual.

Observation

Despite the hell that is the Blogger interface, this e-portfolio is a good record of the progression that we have done throughout the semester. Always good to reflect on the past works.

As my lecturer had pointed out to me personally, my illustrations are lacking. Composition-wise they aren't really all that interesting, and I didn't really apply much thought to them. I was merely using my eyes to form the shapes, but I don't think I should have taken that approach. Ultimately, my illustrations lack humanity, for a subject that demanded humanity.

My eye for typography, in general, is developing. Looking back on previous works I can now see the typographical disasters in them, and this is a good sign! It means I can spot my errors better. 

The lectures are good and very informative, and I have no issues with the learning style promoted by the lecturer. However, I notice that the lecturer does not really encourage a group-based learning as employed in his previous module I took, Advertising Principles and Practice. Group sharing was very much encouraged in that previous module, and I believe most of us found that beneficial because of the communal learning that comes with it. I found it a real pity that there was little to none of that in this class.

If anything, I observe myself getting tired more often. Maybe it's because I haven't felt the spark that comes with having a really good idea, the zeal that accompanies the feeling of pushing your work to new boundaries. I haven't been able to produce really good ideas for a while now, and that may be making this whole process feel all too mechanical. 

I am very proud to see my classmates' works. Having seen their works in the first semester and looking at them now, it really shows how far they've come and how much they've improved. Which begs the question: Have I improved since? I feel like I have not improved much since I first joined this course, and I'm scraping against a ceiling. I understand the danger of that, and I must do something about it during the break.

Findings

I find that this module is a good lesson to me. I mean, on the surface it is merely taking us through the stages of creating a book and throwing it onto a digital platform, but I must not forget that designing is a human process, and it comes with very human lessons. 

Here are some thoughts I need to chew on as I carry on: I should reevaluate my process and see how I can improve. I also need to consider how I measure improvement: is it through public approval or personal satisfaction? What is a good balance?

I find that this reflective prompting is beneficial if one takes it seriously, albeit time-consuming. It's always good to put thoughts down to 'paper' in order to solidify the thoughts that we have about both the assignments and ourselves. 

All in all, I find this semester to have been quite a roller coaster for me, with a healthy serving of both ups and downs, but I think that's okay as long we get something out of it. 

Cheers.


Image Sources:

Figure 1–38: Personal Documentation