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Final Journal Entry

My masters education experience is almost done! Just a few days before I have completed my last assignment.

Over the past year I have had some amazing experiences. Looking at my last journal entry you can see how some of the different projects evolved. In todays entry I will look at how each class has effected me. Below you can see my experience map showing the highs and lows of my time in the Media Design Master of Fine Arts Program.

The introductory course had me reflect on my experience as a designer so far in my life. It was interesting to look back and see the progress I had made since I started almost 20 years ago. I created a personal logo and looked at what I needed to do to develop myself both personally and as a leader. We went through each course and set goals and strategies to achieve those goals. I had no idea the ride I would go on over the months following the first class.

In the next course we looked at Margo Chase and other designers to see what they did to become successful. Margo Chase’s story really captured me. I ready many articles about her and was sad to learn she had passed away. As a part of this class we shared some of our successes and I had just finished my biggest local project, rebranding a large local nonprofit that works with at-risk families and individuals. This was a high moment for me, I felt good about my work and I was proud to share it with my class mates.

The next course was the start of what would be my favorite project of the program. We had to choose from 3 cities, Morocco, Kyoto & Reykjavik. I chose Reykjavik and began my fascination with Iceland. In fact my reward for completing my masters is a trip to Reykjavik to see the country I have come to love. This is the first time I have really done major research for a project. Most of my previous clients had already done their research or couldn’t afford to have me or anyone else do research. It was daunting at first but so rewarding in the end, it made my work on the project over the year so much easier. I really came to love not only Reykjavik but the process of research and getting to know my client.

In the fourth course we chose a nonprofit organization to create action ads for. I chose a cause that was near and dear to me and poured my heart and soul into creating an informative action ad that I felt portrayed the cause of raising awareness against discrimination against adopting parents. This was another step up in my high during the first 4 classes. I was able to use my new love of research along with some new avenues in my own life to create a project I was proud of.

The beginning of the next trimester was a complete turn from the previous classes. We created a mood board and mock-ups for charity event. I chose to raise awareness through a concert for sea turtles. This was a little more difficult than previous projects because I wasn’t passionate about the cause, nothing against sea turtles, they are amazing. On the design side it was easy, I have many projects over the years that are similar to this and like this one my passion came from needing to pay my bills. It was just interesting to notice the difference in my zeal to complete the work. It was toward the end of this class that there were a couple of huge upsets in my personal life, I was able to finish this course with out too much trouble but it was the start to a huge landslide in my experience.

I ended up taking the next class three times before I was able to pass, there was so much going on and continuing with the sea turtle project was a huge mistake. It wasn’t until I switched back to Reykjavik and had to wake myself up as I faced either stopping my education or moving forward with a different attitude. I think my biggest take-a-way from this course was the importance of leaving my personal life at home, the problem was I worked from home... This section of my education was a sharp fall into a deep dark pit. My final instructor was instrumental in the change, we really connected and his energy on positivity was so helpful in pulling me out of my funk. 

Most of the rest of my experience has been focussed on Reykjavik in one way or another. I created a motion poster in the next class, a series of ideas for PSA’s as marketing and I chose one of those ideas in the following class. In the next class I refined the PSA add and after the questionnaire in the next class I completely changed from a PSA to a Cinemagraph. The interesting thing about these classes was the evolution of what started as a motion poster and ended as a fancy motion poster aka cinemagraph. At each step of the way I was proud of the deliverable and at the beginning of the next I was rethinking everything. 

I loved receiving instructor, peer and public feedback. Each time I was made aware of something I hadn’t though of. I remember when I first became a designer I was so sensitive about my work. I took critique very personal, after 20 years not so much. I have learned that it is the criticism/feedback that really allows me to be a great designer and take my work to the next level because I am able to step out of my own head and prejudices and ensure my deliverable is of the highest quality. There were many ups and downs, but over all I was working my way back up the latter out of the dark pit.

My last two classes (current class included) have been spent reflecting on my time in the program and what I have learned and how to apply that to my career. It is fitting to end the class the way we started. I didn't realize just how much I have learned until going back over the process. I have been able to pinpoint something each month that has been helpful for me. 

In this last class we have been looking at ethics, morals and our responsibility as media designers to not only just do no harm but to do good. I was raised to be honest and had good examples in my life of people with high morals and good ethics. It wasn’t until last week that I really looked at how easy it could be to slip in to that greedy place where morals can waiver. It has been nice to review why we do what we do as designers and to look at examples of what can happen when we lose sight of our responsibility to look out for the clients.

It is nice to end my experience on a high, with a great view, not only of my journey so far but the journey ahead. Thanks to my masters and the experiences I have had I have been able to gain employment for one of the best companies in the world to work for. I am thankful for the highs and lows. I have found that all the experiences have clearly shown me what I do want in my life through contrasting experiences. You can’t know what you want until you know what you don’t want and I definitely know I don’t like the bottom of the pit.

This is an extremely accurate representation of my experience over the program. Such an amazing journey, every valley making the next peak that much more beautiful.

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Defining Points

This past month has been intense, it is one thing to work on a project it is another to defend my work at a masters level.  It has been both fun and terrifying.

Over the past month I have been through all the materials for the entire Media Design program several times. It brought to light a defining point of this course, one of three takeaways, perseverance. The project would never had evolved the way it did without perseverance. The original project was a scare piece designed to entice thrill seekers to visit while scaring them into being safe.

Through a lot of work, research, peer reviews and a questionnaire the project changed into something unexpected that spoke to the heart of the problem Reykjavik was having. Not only had tourism had increased so much over the past several years that they didnt have enough services to take care of everyone, but people were coming with an expectation of a visit to an uninhabited iceberg. The project morphed from a motion logo to a full campaign to re educate the world. The first part of the campaign is a cinemagraph showing the Northern Lights over the modern city of Reykjavik.

The second point of interest, or takeaway is the need for accurate, succinct communication. Whether that be between clients, peers or the public, you have to be able to accurately express an idea or a report or whatever you need in a clear simple way. Many times over the last year I thought I was doing a great job of communicating only to find out I left half the story in my head. It is definitely still a work in progress, but it is one of the main points I will take with me throughout the rest of my life, both work and personal.

The main and final takeaway for me is the importance of collaboration. I tend to work alone, though I like people, I find them often cumbersome. Over this past year and especially this last month I have realized just how valuable they can be. It is so refreshing to get another point of view. Many times I have been on what I feel is the right track only to get another point of view and realize that I was facing the wrong way.

The Reykjavik project is a testament to that. All of the changes to that project were instigated by collaboration. I am so grateful for that collaboration because the project is what it is today because of outside help.

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MDFA Measuring Design Effectiveness

Mastery Journal

In this months course we worked on a questionnaire for our most recent design project, mine was a cinemagraph for Reykjavik, Iceland. The purpose was to seek feedback that would help refine and enhance the project.

The Questionnaire

The process of creating the questionnaire was interesting. We started with 15 questions, I quickly jotted them down but realized that the chosen questions weren’t going to be helpful in the long run. After several attempts and some refinement I came up with 15 questions that I felt would actually help me produce a better product. 

We were then asked to pare those down to just 10... this was an extremely difficult choice but in the end I came up with this survey.

The cinemagraph 

The cinemagraph for Reykjavik was designed to appeal to a broad audience of world travelers who want to experience a once in a lifetime adventure of seeing the Northern Lights. It is intended as the first step in raising awareness and interest in Reaykjavik, Iceland as a travel/vacation destination. The design shows the day/night cycle of Reykjavik with the Northern Lights showing bold and bright over the city at night. While the city stays static, the sky is in full movement and the city below, though still shows lights turning on and off as the day/night cycle loops. The cinemagraph is intended for display online (as banner style ads and in video ads, such as on YouTube) and anywhere video can be displayed, signs, television and ad boards.

The Result

The results to the questionnaire were both expected and a bit surprising. The overall response to the project was very positive and it definitely helped increase brand awareness and stimulate desire to visit. At the same time a few respondents stated that it was too cold there and they would never want to go, even though there wasn't any snow and the image is of a summer day/night. The most surprising response was that of the audio, the birds paired with the music was considered distracting by a majority of respondents. 

The questionnaire was extremely helpful, it gave em a clear list of things to improve on while also letting me know it is planted firmly on the right path.

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Reykjavik Motion Poster

The motion poster/cinemagraph for Reykjavik involved a lot of mental work to condense a much larger vision into a more streamlined and direct marketing piece while still telling a story. 

Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator and Premiere were used to create the final graphic, which are all familiar tools. The concept of telling a complete story in only a few seconds took many iterations and a lot of research and thought.

The process was liberating in a way, it forced the idea to be broken down into its bare bones, what was important, which required a lot of research. After months of working on different projects focused on Reykjavik, Iceland all the research culminated on a report for the 2017-2018 tourist season, it laid out exactly why people visited to the minutest detail. After compiling the information it was clear that almost all the visitors come to the island nation to enjoy the unique nature that surrounds Reykjavik. All of the nature loving visitors who came to visit wanted to see the Northern Lights with the majority stating that as their main reason for their journey. (Ferdamalstofa, 2018)

With research pointing the way the next step was to determine what to do with the information obtained. The tourist industry has become the main industry for Iceland as a whole with Reykjavik being the hub for all the excitement. Last year saw a dip in visitors, but the influx of visitors was still huge. The goal is to reach potential visitors and entice them to come visit by showing them the main reason so many people are coming to visit, and in small part to educate people that Iceland isn’t always cold and covered in ice.

To do this a format had to be chosen, which became clear it would be the motion poster/cinemagraph. This format is designed to have one main (moving) focal point, which is exactly what the research demanded.  “The art of creating a cinemagraph is essentially highlighting specific moments, and isolating those special movements in a continuous loop.” (King, 2016).

The main reason this form of motion graphic was chosen is that “Animated adverts get noticed quicker & stay in your head for longer. They allow for more depth, more dynamism, more interaction with the viewer.” (BurningRed.com, 2017)

One issue with this was creating and telling an effective story of the Northern Lights and Reykjavik in only a few seconds. The good news is that motion “posters border on storytelling, but still only try to convey one item of information.” (Benyon, 2018)

The story: As the day fades over the mystical city of Reykjavik, Iceland everything slows to a stop as the cosmos lights the night sky with its magic, a wonder for all to behold.

After much collaboration a clear story emerged, the format chosen and that made the rest of the process pretty straight forward, with only a few minor adjustments. Each time an adjustment was made the story was condensed and told more clearly which made it more powerful.

While researching the advertising methods already in use for Reykjavik, most were static imagery and cinematics, which is understandable, there is so many beautiful things to capture and share. This was a problem initially, it is natural to want to share all of the natural wonders, and they abound in Iceland. So instead of sharing everything the decision was made to share the one thing everyone wanted to see, the thing that everyone said they came for... the Northern Lights and instead of cluttering ever second up with as many images as possible, which was the first iteration, they were displayed front and center without distraction over the city of Reykjavik. Both portions of the poster are unique, not many pictures of the lights over the city are displayed, mostly because the lights of the city compete. This was done to remind viewers that you can enjoy all the amenities of civilization while enjoying the raw power of mother nature at her fullest potential.

The greatest takeaway as a designer is that it is not always the grandest vision that is the best, sometimes it is the clearest story.

Scroll down to see some of the journey that lead to the latest iteration.

Early Storyboard:

Next Iteration of Storyboard:

First Iteration of Motion Poster:

Current Iteration:

There is still a small glitch on the horizon just before morning, but it has come a long way and the overall process has been extremely enlightening.

References

Ferdamalstofa. (2018). Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: E7720. v Tourism in Iceland in Figures,1-29. doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f

King, C. (2016, December 08). 5 Reasons to Use Cinemagraphs in Your Marketing Strategy. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from https://blog.flixel.com/5-reasons-to-use-cinemagraphs-in-your-marketing-strategy/

Animated adverts & motion posters: What's the big idea? (2017, June 1). Retrieved November 16, 2018, from https://burningred.co.uk/latest/2017/06/animated-adverts-motion-posters-studio-faqs

Benyon, L. (2017, May 28). A New Poster Movement. Retrieved November 16, 2018, from https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/a-new-poster-movement/

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Reykjavik PSA

My next step in the process is to refine the verbiage on the current project  and then start on the one of the next PSA's either "Elf Etiquette" or "What NOT to do when you visit Reykjavik".

Mastery Journal Entry #1

"I have fallen in love with Reykjavik and Iceland. After working on this project I want to go to a land that still believes in magic, where the wonders are still wonderful and the people are still kind and cultured. It seems a bit fanciful, but I want to figure out a way to keep that magic alive through creating an ad that will increase tourism yet keep the pristine, mystic beauty unspoiled. I want to visit a place where half the population still believes in elves and they call graffiti wall art, but I want to protect it too."

A quick preview of what awaits you in Reykjavik. (motion logo sample)

Mastery Journal Entry #2

"I have been working on this project for months, first a logo, now an ad to increase tourism. I wondered if I would be able to come up with anything interesting. After doing some research on this last tourist season I realized that many people who come to visit Reykjavik and Iceland really don't know what they are committed to. Last year in just the first two weeks of the season two people died accidental deaths because they ventured off the path, while others are paying little respect to the culture or treating the island continent as a theme park. This realization lead me to creating a series of PSA's (Public Service Announcement) type ads. While I am not quite there yet, I really feel like I am on to something."

First storyboard iteration. TOO PSA, not friendly at all.

Not just a vacation, a life changing adventure! 

Mastery Journal Entry #3

"The happy medium? After all this work I still don't feel like it has the PSA feel I am looking for, so glad this is just a step in the process. I have learned a lot in the past few week and feel like I have elevated my thinking, like I am standing on the edge of a glacier waiting for the Northern Lights to shine for the first time."

So see the whole project in its different iterations check it out on Behance.

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Discovery, Exploration & Implementation

This has been an interesting month. We spent time “discovering” what our clients needs are, then we “explored” those needs to determine what possibilities we had and which were the best then we finally created some comps to “implement” the ideas we came up with.

The process was fun, taking each step lead me in a direction I didnt expect. The final moodboard and comp were not what I expected initially. Taking the time to go through this with a client is very important as you have the opportunity to actually figure out what the client wants, it also provides the opportunity to educate the client on the best ways to implement their vision so that it works.

Looking at open positions I found that the jobs that fit my experience and education have more to do with information architecture and user interface and experience design. I actually applied to two jobs, one for Pfizer and a UX/UI designer and another with a local company called Zeal as an art director. Zeal is a local programming company that builds corporate software so all of their design centers around UX/UI and IA.

I am excited that this is the direction I am going, I think that it is this kind of design that has the largest impact, making a site look pretty is easy, making it functional takes a lot more effort and being successful makes all the difference in the projects success.

The images below represent this months project starting with initial discovery, followed by the exploration and finally the implementation. Special thanks to pixabay.com for images and George, J., & Beaird, J. (2014). The Principles of Beautiful Web Design, 3rd Edition. SitePoint.

Initial Moodboard Discovery

Initial Moddboard

Initial Comps

Final Moodboard

Initial Comps

Final Comps

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Copywriting

What a month! Copywriting scares me. I was not looking forward to this class at all. Design comes pretty easy for me, creative writing is easy for me, but copywriting is not easy for me. I am the type of person that goes with my heart a lot and you can start there with copywriting but it takes a lot more than that to create great copy.

I am not sure if I succeeded in the creation of great copy, but I am not terrified of copywriting anymore. through the course of this month I have been given a system I can follow to ensure that I create high quality copy that is backed by research and targets an actual market of more the one (me).

The three ads I cam up with for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State are to raise awareness against a bill that is being passed in the state of Georgia. The bill (SB 375) has passed the State Senate and is now heading to the House to be passed into law. SB 375 would give authorities the right to discriminate against potential adoptive parents based on religion, race, ethnicity, past divorces or sexual orientation. The bill would also give authorities the right to turn services away from teens that are LBGTQ. It is a horrible law and I became passionate about the cause to educate the public and call them to action, asking them to tell their Legislators to reject the bill.

From Sketch, to draft to final:

3 things I learned this month:

1 - Start with heart. Go with your gut, start by just writing everything down that comes to your mind, them sketch it out.

2 - Do your research. Learn everything you can about what you are doing, it opens up creative ideas and gives your work authority.

3 - Be clear. Once you know your message, convey it as clearly and directly as possible. Don’t make people guess or search for information. Let them know who you are and what you want them to do.

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5 Effective Ad Headlines and Why they Work

Searching for ads has been interesting, I frequently spend time avoiding them, I found that I notice ads a lot more than I thought. I frequently click on ads, emails and random links because they catch my attention or I have an interest but haven’t had time to follow through.

The 5 ads I found below are all ads I found while searching for ads, most of them are older, but I followed each one to find out more because the ad interested caught my attention.

#5 | CoSchedule - Facebook Ad

The headline attracted my attention. As a marketer I am always interested in ways to be better.

Right below the headline they follow it up with proof: 20k+ industry users. They finish it off with a straightforward reason to use the product while explaining what it is.

#4 GoPro | Facebook ad

Funny thing here is that I do NOT have a GoPro HERO4 or a GoPro at all. But the headline says I can get the HERO5 for $100 off, I don’t even care that it is with a trade only. I want a HERO5 now.

This ad is simple and direct and the “TradeUp” wording makes me want to stay in the loop with the newest, coolest product.

#3 Soylent | Facebook ad

Just the fact that this meal replacement product is named after the infamous “Soylent Green”, you know, the movie where they drink people sludge? That alone is enough to grab my attention. The really great thing about this ad is that they play on that, obviously they chose the name for a reason, “What does it taste like?”. That is my first thought too. They follow it up with a great, slightly snarky comment to stop asking and just order it. It plays on the morbid fascination they have created by calling the product Soylent.

#2 Nike | Facebook ad

This simple ad for Nike just says “Customize it Your Way” and they follow it up with making it really simple, have it delivered, start now. It selects the best prospect by being Nike. It also pulls you in because you want to see just how custom you can make your shoes.

I love how simple and appealing it is. The ad is clear and direct. I always gravitate to things that allow me to be unique. I also love a great brand name that makes me feel important or smarter, more committed than others. This ad has it all.

#1 InkBox | Facebook ad

This is my favorite ad, I have already ordered my tattoo. This ad spoke directly to me, they clearly have selected their best prospect. They are also clear and direct. The headline speaks to my desire to be unique. The follow up sentence is nice and short and describes the product in a concise, descriptive way. It is fun and only a 2 week commitment.

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Final Design Toolbox Projects. 

Such a fun class, I learned so much and am thankful for all the feedback from my classmates.

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Toolbox Journey

Creating a brand toolbox is fun. I like organizing everything and making sense of everything. I have been using it in my everyday work as well. It gives so much more meaning to design choices. 

It is frustrating & exciting to think I have it all together and then realize I am way off. I love learning and trying new things, I especially love adding to my own personal toolbox. Exciting times!

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Design Toolbox: Reykjavik, Iceland

Process & SWOT Analysis

Threats:

As a designer I have a keen eye for colors, imagery, fonts and layout, but I frequently get caught up in the minutia and can be very indecisive. Often I find myself questioning myself and wondering if I could do more. I noticed, when looking at other “brand toolboxes” online that other designers boards seem to have a purpose for everything, down to the white space and I feel like sometimes I get so caught up in the little things that my project presentations can seem a little thrown together. Frequently, when I find myself caught up in it all, I take a breath, back off and end up going with my initial thoughts.

Opportunities:

I have many opportunities to improve, the nice thing is they are mostly small areas. Looking at my threats & weaknesses I see that I can simplify, trust my research and gut and let go of the doubts. There are so many great ways to present information and so many awesome things to learn there is always opportunity for growth and improvement. 

Weaknesses:

I have several weaknesses, one being my love of typography, I will spend hours choosing a font and continually fiddle with colors. Though this isn’t entirely bad, it can be a hinderance when you have other important components to compile. Another weakness is my active imagination, I can see so much when I look at a project and so many of the ideas are great that I don’t want to leave any behind, this can really clutter my work and take the edge off of it This is something I deal with in every area of my life.

Strength:

It is funny, I am going to list my weaknesses as a strength as well. My love of fonts can be a real boon in communicating a brands voice as well as my active imagination. When I can reign it in I find that I come up with stunning ideas that are new and exciting. I also have many years experience with the Adobe Creative Suite, the software is easy for me to use and allows me to easily express my ideas.

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The Process:

Although I followed the general format of the concept above, I work very much like a mindmap looks, very nonlinear. Connecting one sketch to another, watching each evolve just a little bit as I went. It was a fun, new experience and I came up with better ideas because of the brainstorming/mindmapping process.

I did my research, first by writing down the mundane facts and common ideas about each place. Then I looked through images and literature and artwork for each city, making notes of what I saw there. Finally I looked through history, old traditions and current superstitions among other things to find what each city was really about, what made it interesting and lent itself to a visual representation. After completing this process I started sketching and let each sketch give birth to another idea and just kept going until I either ran out of time or ideas.

Feedback:

I had great feedback on this assignment, my critique suggested that I include some imagery with the typeface drawings, unfortunately I did that all on the other pages after I made some sample typefaces on the 3rd page of my sketches. Maybe she didn’t see that.

For the Logo Workshop part 2 assignment I really appreciated the feedback I received from Olivia Ewing. She was very positive and the way she gave me props also gave me ideas of ways I could make the design better.

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MDMFA Action Plan

I am a skilled designer, I have worked for almost two decades on honing and sharpening my skills. I have looked to other designers, publications, sites like behance.com and even 99designs.com to see what others are doing and to try and find new ways to speak through design. Over the past several years I have learned a lot, my skills have increased beyond my hopes, but it isn’t enough. Though I am happy with my progress, ecstatic really, I know there is so much more out there for me to learn. It is this basic reason that I have come back to Full Sail and joined the MDMFA program. 

I have many weaknesses and gaps in my understanding. I am amazing at coming up with interesting layouts, fantastic at sitting with a client and catching their vision and taking it to the next level, but there is still so much I want to be able to do. Many of the things I want to learn are just sparks of ideas, concepts that I am unable to voice. It is my hope that the MDMFA program will help build my foundation and give me a flat even surface to stand on as I reach higher.

As I look to the future I see myself working on projects that are far reaching and can make a difference, either in the world as a whole or for my clients and their world. I would love to work with cutting edge technologies to find fun and fantastic new ways to reach the new people, clients.... the world. Right now I am fascinated by the potential of Augmented Reality. One of my clients is going to start using AR in her publication so I get to take a course in how to make the software work and what it’s current limits are.

I feel like the MDMFA program is catalyst for my creativity and the missing key to finding the success and happiness I desire to feel and spread through the work I do.

My action plan is really simple:

 Read all course materials.

 Do all my assignments to the best of my ability.

 Think outside the box, try to find new and unique ways to complete projects.

 To cross over as much into my professional world as possible. Either apply what I am learning to current professional projects or actually use my professional projects in conjunction with classroom assignments.

 Make the most of every opportunity.

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Week 1: Defining Client Needs

It is interesting, this weeks journal assignment is based on reflection for a discussion that didn’t end up happening. Which in and of itself is an important takeaway. Sometimes things happen, life gets busy, holidays come and go, work, family, personal life... happens. It is up to us to decide how to proceed when things don’t go as planned.

The live session we did have was fabulous and much appreciated. It went through this courses main project and told us exactly what to expect as we learn how to better define client needs and apply that education to the project.

I thing it is interesting that our project this month is based on a city and how to help the city attract visitors and become a recognized brand in the global market (depending on the cities strengths and offerings. I am excited to look at defining client needs in a different light, from a different angle. This is an interesting client and I think that it’s uniqueness will help open my mind to new ideas and ways to approach design and marketing in general.

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Fun rebranding project for a local not for profit community outreach program.

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Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

Steve Jobs

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Mastery Journal Timeline