24.1.12

IA, Reading Responses

"The future’s not only fun, it’s messy. Welcome it with open arms." 

10 New Years Resolutions 
First off, I appreciated  reading New Years resolutions for the designer. Design being something that I do everyday and that I can relate to. Mike Monteiro brought up really broad appropriate points, but then things that I can personally relate to. One of my favorite points he made was #4. Stop being your own obstacle. Being a student I often compare myself and am always thinking I should be doing this, or I should have created a poster that looked like that, when really I should just be creating design how I see best fit for the particular project. Using others for inspiration of course, but sticking to me and my creative mind. Another point Monteiro makes that I am inspired by is Choose Better Problems to Solve. I LOVE his whole statement. I think being at KCAI (the professors I have had) have given me the knowledge to know that I can and will be a problem solver.  That whole idea is what attracts me to design so much. The things he mentions for example, "Let’s find problems to solve that actually improve people’s lives. Whether it’s figuring out a better way to access medical records, figuring out how 14 year olds can stop carrying forty pounds of textbooks back and forth to school every day..." this is so true! I hope I can really focus on this and the issues going on today and use the skills and abilities that I have to improve issues. Blame Yourself First. Being a student I believe that this happens all to much. We need to take responsibility for our own actions. "This year, everything will be your fault. It’ll feel good." I think we can all have excuses, but in the end our work is a representation of who we are and if we constantly choose create excuses and don't take responsibility than how does that make our work look? I could say something about each point he made, but those are the ones that will stick me with me.

Web Design is 95% Typography & Reactions to 95% Typography
I suppose I never really saw being a web designer as a typographer, but after reading this article by Oliver Reichenstein, it makes perfect sense. Of course I understand that type plays a huge role in web design, but I basically thought it was the grid system and layout of the page. In order to understand that grid though the type has to be understood as well. The type contrast, hierarchy, and legibility makes a site successful or unsuccessful. Reichenstein says that, "I should start with the text mass and organize it with a grid that guarantees optimal readability." I also like that he says we need to get off line and start collecting and reading. We need to know the basics, "There are clear rules for leading, spacing, kerning, and measuring font sizes. And if you know and apply these rules, the text will look better and will be easier to read." As designers we have to shape things so that they work for our viewer. We are designing for them and if they do not see it clearly than what is the point? We have to make wise choices so that the reader gets "optimal viewing experience." I like that so many people had positive and negative things to say about the writing. Reichenstein had to go back and explain more which caused me to learn more as well as see all the opposing views. 

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