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12.4.2 Reflection

Thet first main takeaway that is important to me as a media designer is the laws and practices outlined by AIGA. Ethical and moral reasoning will become vital to my success and to my career. Understanding the outcome of both, consequence and reward, will follow me throughout my design practice.

The second main takeaway is the laws of copyright. As a designer, it is important to know the legal justifications of the industry and not involving ones own with infringement. Also, practicing the proper use of protecting my work, such as using the correct legal notices more frequently, will only strengthen my professionalism and protection as a media designer.  

The third main takeaway is the experience map. Developing an experience map for myself was a great analytical resource for mapping out my progression throughout the program. Doing so enabled me to understand myself thoroughly. I was able to recollect my experience and learn from my failed attempts. This will become a good tool to help with the prevention of repeating the same mistakes. 

Screenshot of my Experience Map.

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11.4.2 Refection

The first takeaway I got from this course was the importance of communicating an idea through visual storytelling. From the book, Stories that Move Mountains, there were two stories that are stuck with me, and I'm willing to bet, I’ll never forget. The story from the Microsoft Consultant and US Army Veteran Al Noel gave a very vivid example on just how powerful a visual story can be. You only have to cross something like this once in your life as an infantryman to get the idea and appreciate it. It is the same with the visual approach to telling stories (Al Noel, 2013). Visual stories can be very convincing and must be communicated correctly. Unfortunately, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis wasn’t up to speed.

The second takeaway I got from this course is the importance of articulating design work. Presenting your work should include, but not limited to, showing preparation/brief, the outline on how you approached the brief and then a summary of why you think the solution achieves the objectives set in the brief. Using these three stages of management proved to be very effective in my recent experience with this course (Best, 2006, p. 146).

The third take away I got from this course is consequences. Unintended Consequences, a key test from the CAST method. The sixth key test is Unintended Consequences. Consider any unintended consequences to your proposal  (Sykes, Malik, West, 2013). I used this step myself during the execution of my thesis. I will continue to keep using this key test and the others, moving forward.

I also wanted to recognize the RISE model, this is another takeaway I will continue to use moving forward, I'm curious to why we weren't instructed to use this model in previous classes (unless we were?).

Above photo is a screen shot of my Thesis Presentation. Revisiting each degree learning outcome and articulating them in my own word was a bit of a challenge. However, I can see the benefits of developing a thesis in this manner. It was a very educational experience and it really pushed me to fully comprehend the criteria and curriculum for this MFA program.

References

Best, K. (2006). Design Management: Managing Design Strategy, Process and

Implementation (pp. 33-35). Rue Des Fontanelles 16, Switzerland: AVA Publishing.

Sykes, M., Malik, A., & West, M. D. (2013). Stories that Move

Mountains: Storytelling and Visual Design for Persuasive Presentations.

New York City: John Wiley & Sons.

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10.4.3. Mastery Reflection

Survey Monkey was a great tool to add to my toolbox, as a designer. The feedback was really helpful. What I enjoyed the most was crafting the questions themselves. I learned that developing a questionnaire and backing each individual question which appropriate research has an exponential amount of value.

Below is a screen shot of the questionnaire on SurveyMonkey.

The SaveaSeaTurtle website is a primary demand, developed as tool to allow and provide a means for its target audience an educational, seamless, user-friendly ticket selling platform. It is intended to advertise, increase awareness and contribute to the efforts of preserving the lives and habitats of sea turtles.

Completing this survey will greatly help improve the sites success and maximize our chances in reaching ours goals, maintaining our values and completing our mission. This site is powered to guarantee the success of the intended goal, purchasing a ticket to attend the concert and raise profits for the charity and cause. Help us, help sea turtles.

1       Was the site’s ticket purchasing experience user-friendly and easy to navigate compared to other ticket purchasing sites?

 Comparing the site versus other similar site will provide optimum & valuable validation to the design. Developing easy user flow is the core concept of the site’s design strategy. Concept Testing is how people, without prompting, interpret a sketchy idea for a new product or service. (Smith and Albaum, Fundamentals of Marketing Research, Sage Publications, 2006).

 2       At any time, did you feel lost or stuck on any of the pages you were intentionally visiting?

 This is a standard yet very important question. This question provides quality assurance. It is a simple, straight to the point question that will provide a simple, straight to the point answer. Standards raise levels of quality, safety and efficiency and certifying organizations and/or their product and processes provides quality assurance (K. Best, 2006, p.114)

 3       Did the look and feel of the site seem appropriate?

 The site’s look and feel where developed with the sense of relevance to today’s familiar design styles. This decision is similar to O’Grady’s approach. A new and trendy feel are the semantics behind the design, relating to what the target is comfortable using now is paramount. "The design decisions I made in my contemporary practice were deeply influenced by the sense of typographic and graphic design history I encountered through the mid- to late nineteenth-century typographic examples I uncovered while conducting the research for this project," Baseman said. "And, ultimately, this related to the overall design of the book as well"(O’Grady, 2009, p.130).

 4       Which of the following did the site provide at the completion of purchase?

 a.)     Another purchase item(s)

b.)     An Advertisement

c.)     A receipt of appreciation (a Thank You)

d.)     A broken link

 Similar to thanking the respondent for taking time out their day to taking a survey, this question is meant to secure and reiterate acknowledgments/appreciation. Respondents to questionnaires rarely benefit personally from their efforts and the least the researcher can do is to thank them (H. Collins, 2010, p.129).

 5       What music genre relates to the sites design?

 a.)     Hip-Hop

b.)     Heavy Metal

c.)     Classical Jazz

d.)     Indie Rock

 This question uses the tactic known as psychographics. In this example, the answer will help define a subjective interest. In this case, Music is the subject interest attempted to understand. This research tactic, whether employed in a primary or secondary fashion, will help you clarify a creative approach by illuminating a target market's opinions and preferences (O’Grady, 2009, p.47).

  6       Do you enjoy and appreciate sea creatures?

 Using this question is a critical approach that will help eliminate those outside the target demo. Non-relating values may cause a negative effect. A strongly critical approach would suggest that you should be critically aware of your own values, assumptions and interests and that you should try to make these explicit (K. Best, 2006, p.182).

 7       Which age category do you fall under?

 a.)     13-21

b.)     22-30

c.)     30-40

d.)     40-45

 Age is one of the most common demographic questions asked in surveys. How old a person is will often determine his/her knowledge and experience with the focus of the survey. When administering a survey about consumer electronics, a respondent in his 20s will most likely answer the question differently than a respondent his 70s. Asking a respondent about Age is often one of the first demographic questions asked in a survey (SnapSurvey.com, 2012).

8       Have you littered in a public area in the last 6 months?

 Depending on the answer, a prediction/forecast can be generated. Littering is a known causation of negative impact to sea creatures. Finding those considerate may help narrow down the target niche. Regression models for prediction are often useful even when the assumptions are moderately violated, although they may not perform optimally (K. Best, 2006, p.114).

   9       If you would attend a concert from the following list, which one would you choose?

 a.)     Nipsey Hussle

b.)     Marshmello

c.)     The Killers

d.)     The Temptations

 This is another question using the tactic known as psychographics. In this example, the answer will help define a subjective interest. In this case, Specific performers is the subject interest attempted to understand. This research tactic, whether employed in a primary or secondary fashion, will help you clarify a creative approach by illuminating a target market's opinions and preferences (O’Grady, 2009, p.47).

 10    Do you enjoy travels to other countries even if you are not familiar with the language, food or culture?

 This question inherited from the cause and effect diagram. Learning if the target is an ethnocentric thinker may become a deal-breaker. This can help you to search for root causes, to identify areas where there may be problems, and to compare the relative importance of different causes (K. Best, 2006, p.116).

 11    Can you save your earnings after paying bills or can you comfortably spend?

 Disposable income (or net income) is the amount of money that an individual has available to pay for expenses minus taxes and deductions. Discretionary income is the amount of money that remains after consumers pay for "needs" (food, rent/mortgage, insurance, etc.) that are required to sustain a reasonable livelihood. In general, the higher the level of net income the greater the amount of discretionary income that would be available for a consumer to purchase 'wants,' or items not necessary to maintain their life but rather their lifestyle (Kelly, 2017, p. 1).

  12    To which racial or ethnic group(s) do you most identify?

a.)     Caucasian(Non-Hispanic)

b.)     Asian/Pacific Islander

c.)     African American(Non-Hispanic)

d.)     Latino or Hispanic

e.)     Native American or Aluet

f.)     Other

 Capturing a respondent’s ethnicity or race is another common demographic question. A person’s ethnicity or culture may influence his/her responses to survey questions. Answers may be influenced by the respondents’ experiences with the survey topic. For example, someone raised in a rural Native American culture may respond to questions about topics such as the environment differently from someone raised in an urban culture (SnapSurvey.com, 2012).

 13    Was there ever a lack of information or communication during your experience with the website?

 This question is a design audit. The audit is meant to provide further insight and input towards the design. In doing so, the audit will highlight both positive examples of the use of design as well as any inconsistencies, which may produce misconceptions about the organization (K. Best, 2006, p.34).

 14    When skipping through content, do you prefer scrolling or clicking?

 Testing out a new concept can be risky without proper input. Concept Testing is how people, without prompting, interpret a sketchy idea for a new product or service. (Smith and Albaum, Fundamentals of Marketing Research, Sage Publications, 2006).

 15    Have you ever saved a sea creature? Would you like to?

 a.)     No & Yes

b.)     Yes & Yes

c.)     No & No

d.)     Yes & No

 In order to achieve a “specific-answer”, two questions were needed to eliminate 3 out of 4 questions. This is known as the multi-method quantitative study. Respondents to questionnaires rarely benefit personally from their efforts and the least the researcher can do is to thank them (K. Best, 2006, p.53).

 References

Best, K. (2006). Design Management. N.p.: AVA Publishing.

Collins, H. (2010). Creative Research. N.p.: AVA Publishing.

DeFranzo, S. E. (2012, March 13). 5 Examples of Survey Demographic Questions. In www.snapsurveys.com.

     Retrieved January 8, 2018, from https://www.snapsurveys.com/blog/5-survey-demographic-question-examples/

Kelly, K. (2017, August 8). Understanding Your Customers: How Demographics and Psychographics Can Help.  In www.extension.psu.edu.

      Retrieved January 8, 2018, from https://extension.psu.edu/understanding-your-customers-how-demographics-and psychographics-can-help

O’Grady, J., & O’Grady, K. (2009). A Designer’s Research Manual: Succeed in Design by Knowing Your Clients and What They

Really Need. N.p.: Rockport Publishers.

Smith, & Albaum, (2006). Fundamentals of Market Research. In www.qualtrics.com.

     Retrieved January 8, 2018, from https://www.qualtrics.com/support/research-resources/concept-testing/

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9.3.1 Reflection

This video above is a dynamic presentation developed to present the conceptual website http://saveaseaturtlecom.businesscatalyst.com. This video covers the features and deliverables that the site offers. The content within the video explains and displays what is expected when viewing the site.

The product above is iteration, after iteration, after iteration. This class was heavy on iterations. The Design Thinking design process helped with its developement. This was used many times with the revisions, which were made respectively from the critques of both peers and intructors. With their contribution to this assignment, the execution of its design felt more complete. Hopefully this final cut satisfies all parties.

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8.4.1 Reflection

(screen shot of mp4).

This class was very effective and educational. Utilizing design thinking as a process in the development of the product created for this course was an eye opener and a great learning outlet. Exrcersing new learned processes was benefit to the outcome of the solution.

A working-comp/motion-design was developed to showcase the "in use" experience and functionality of the Save a Sea Turtle website design. A motion graphic video promotion was also implemented on this platform. The collection of the different products were consolidated as a single solution for the notional client to visually experience the consumer's experience when purchasing a ticket for the charity concert event, from start to finish. The solution is delivered as an mp4.

Human Centered Design thinking was the design process used to develop this product. McKinley's Design Thinking Lynda lecture helped enormolosy with the design process. Mapping the Modern Web Design Process, with Morten Rand-Hendriksen helped with the UX/UI. Up and Running with Behance with Justin Seeley helped with the Behance presentation.

References

McKinley, T. (2016, January). Design Thinking: Lead Change in Your Organization. In Lynda.com. Retrieved October 1, 2017, from         https://www.lynda.com/Creativity-tutorials/Conclusion-next-steps/433738/462438-4.html?org=fullsail.edu Seeley, J. (2014). Learning Behance. In www.lynda.com. Retrieved October 12, 2017, from         https://www.lynda.com/Behance-tutorials/Up-Running-Behance/143876-2.html?  org=fullsailold.edu Rand-Hendriksen, M. (2014, December 19). Mapping the Modern Web Design Process. In www.Lynda.com. Retrieved October 12, 2017, from            https://www.linkedin.com/learning/mapping-the-modern-web-design-process

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7.4.1 Mastery

This course was a great experience. I took the proper amount of time to throughly build and plan for a larger longer term project. Majority of my time was spent on research and iterations. Practice makes perfect, and taking more time on one project really helps define and tailors its quality.

Below are screen shots of the storyboard developed for the expected motion design.

“Look and feel” design, progress below.

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Reflection - Organizational Structures - Online MDM570-O

This course was by far is one I will always appreciate. It’s been quite some time now since I dabbled with After Effects and Motion Graphics. Overall it was a great experience. My take away from this course is definitely the 12 Basic Principles of Animation in Motion Design by James Pannafino, (Howdesign,2017).

I can very much see myself going back these principles and applying some or all in future work. I used some of these principals working on assignments for this course. Some of the principles I applied into my work below were staging, slow in slow out and timing.

Below is a screen shot of a video montage developed to represent a promotional video for a charity concert event - Saving Sea Turtles (concept).

A logo and logo bumper was also developed for the purpose of this event:

References

Pannafino, J. (2015, March). 12 Basic Principles of Animation in Motion Design. In how design.com. Retrieved September 8, 2017, from

     http://www.howdesign.com/web-design-resources-technology/12-basic-principles-animation-motion-design/

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5.4.2 Mastery: Project

I’ve researched job descriptions for web designers and within doing so I learned that crafting inspiring websites, is about speaking to a variety of audiences. In my experience, this is a role I can see myself most successful in. My duty would be collaborating with clients to create custom designs that give a voice to their business. Inside all my design this is the key action I take when starting and ending my design process. I strive to find the voice and create a visual the fully speaks that voice and tone effectively to its respected audience.

Below is a mood board for my prototype parallax web site design, “Save A Sea Turtle”.

Below is the Synopsis 

The name of the event is “Save a Sea Turtle” and the intended target audience and music genre targets millennials who have an interest in indie/alternative rock music. The first action to the design of the mood board was developing a head line, “Saved a Sea Turtle”. The second action was solidifying the legibility, ensuring the engaging photo of a concert-goer and the goers intent is clear along with the look and feel of the design strategy. The mood board uses the resource of social media, allowing goers to share their thoughtful contribution with a filter inside social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. Five adjectives play a key role, they are the values and tone of the entire identity. Alternative, eulogize, proud, progressive and acclaim. Alternative is a known descriptor or the music genre that originated in the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1980s. Eulogize, is more of a term depicting the reason for the charity. To be proud of being part of a cause and sustaining the progressive efforts necessary in stopping the death and decline of sea turtles. These efforts deserve great acclaim, and supporting the recovery of the species should be shared and acknowledge.                    

The mood board as a whole played a big role in the design of the landing page and each main landing screen on each navigational link. The primary focus of the design is to engage the user with high res images and videos that depict the respected event. The site was designed with a parallax effect, a web design strategy called parallax scrolling. This is very simplistic continuous scroll down into the application and information of each page. The user flow of the site relies on the intention of the target audience’s satisfaction, ending with the call to action to purchasing a ticket. Keeping the action of thinking to a minimum was something I learned from the reading assignments and was applied throughout my design. While designing the comps, the mood boards helped keep my color pallet in line, and cohesive. It also was used it as a reference when designing the text hierarchy and structure of each page, which made the indie rock concept of the design easier to execute. The comps have a very easy flow in navigation and engagement. Videos, images, and simple graphical aesthetics that share the values of the target are incorporated to attract the target audience to purchase a ticket. 

The following are still images of the site:

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My experience creating concepts and writing copy was very enlighting and highly helpful. I learned a lot this month on how to gear and structure copy for the purpose of communicating effectively to the target audiences. I received a lot of tips and advice from the professor, gaining more knowledge out of the class. The persona assignment was extremely fun, it allowed me to explore the mind of the user. I now have a better understanding of the users and the amount of information and detail developed prior to executing the design. Exercising my creativity at this level has given me a new set of standards.

Moving forward I will put more of an emphasis on the amount of detail needed to understanding personas.

Moving forward I now know how to identify users portrayed within ad content.

Moving forward in my career as a media designer I now have more knowledge in copywriting and can now use what I have learned and apply it to future projects.

Target Audience Profiles are now more in depth in comparison to my past work.

Detailed sketches using different user types helped me narrow down my focus within the campaign. 

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Included in each ad is a portrait image of each individual giving the testimony. I worked on the harmony within each peice included cohesive elements to each of the ads, strictly tightening the campaign. Copy was added to each ad, each body of copy focuses on the provided imagery and person giving the testimony. All the images display demeanors that portray the tone and voice of the organization. Each ad provides a user and a visual representation of that user’s background/profession. 

The concept for ad A (First one from the top) is to provide a daring-adventurous display of a ship out in the waters with a man and his k-9 companion. The copy promotes reliability.

This visual product is meant to solve a problem from a physiological stand point, in this case it can be of not being alone out at sea. It also incorporates many of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs (psychological needs, safety needs, love needs) - (George Felton, 2013).

The concept for ad B (the 2nd image in the center) is to provide an engaging display of an expert at work alongside her k-9 companion. 

The concept for ad C (the 3rd and last image) displays a young girl busy inside her imagination (she has a hearing loss) and her dog is attempting to bring her a message. 

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LifeD_3.2.1.m4v 

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TASK 3: Mastery Journal Reflection

     Experienced designs directors are the first line leaders to the design process. These directors have the knowledge of the "ins and outs" of design from start to finish to maintenance. Designers like Margo Chase, have the capability to conceptualize possibilities that in turn, a brand such as Starbuck's can take into consideration for updating their own identity (Lynda.com, 2017). These designers, working inside senior management, produce versatile arts and assets that can be used in many mediums regardless the final medium (Lynda.com,2017). 

     Dirk Müller-Stolz exterior designer for Mini is another experienced designer who was trusted for his designer process (Design Mangement, 2006). Dirk Müller-Stolz took the step of working at full-scale inevitably reveals new insights into the design process and therefore the eventual design solution (Design Mangement, 2006). The work that these experience designers do beforehand ultimately become an effective component of the final solution of the outcome of the design.

3 Main Takeaways

Truly understanding the request for proposal has become an essential learning point for myself and my work. I have learned that this has become invaluable to my design process.

Taking this time to fully develop a SWOT analysis for a brand opens more doors in understanding that brand.

Dissecting the logo of a brand's competitors can add an edge to the design process of the brand I am working towards to developing.

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Here is a link to my Mastery Learning Project: Prepare a Brand Identity Presentation

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David C. Life | Media Design

Visit my site @ www.davidclife.com

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LAW 1 NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER LAW 2 NEVER PUT TOO MUCH TRUST IN FRIENDS, LEARN HOW TO USE ENEMIES LAW 3 CONCEAL YOUR INTENTIONS LAW 4 ALWAYS SAY LESS THAN NECESSARY LAW 5 SO MUCH DEPENDS ON REPUTATION - GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFE LAW 6 CREATE AN AIR OF MYSTERY LAW 7 GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU, BUT ALWAYS TAKE THE CREDIT LAW 8 MAKE OTHER PEOPLE COME TO YOU - USE BAIT IF NECESSARY LAW 9 WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENT LAW 10 INFECTION: AVOID THE UNHAPPY AND UNLUCKY LAW 11 LEARN TO KEEP PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON YOU LAW 12 USE SELECTIVE HONESTY AND GENEROSITY TO DISARM YOUR VICTIM LAW 13 WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S SELF-INTEREST, NEVER TO THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE LAW 14 POSE AS A FRIEND, WORK AS A SPY LAW 15 CRUSH YOUR ENEMY TOTALLY LAW 16 USE ABSENCE TO INCREASE RESPECT AND HONOR LAW 17 KEEP OTHERS IN SUSPENSE: CULTIVATE AN AIR OF UNPREDICTABILITY LAW 18 DO NOT BUILD FORTRESSES TO PROTECT YOURSELF - ISOLATION IS DANGEROUS LAW 19 KNOW WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH - DO NOT OFFEND THE WRONG PERSON LAW 20 DO NOT COMMIT TO ANYONE LAW 21 PLAY A SUCKER TO CATCH A SUCKER - SEEM DUMBER THAN YOUR MARK LAW 22 USE THE SURRENDER TACTIC: TRANSFORM WEAKNESS INTO POWER LAW 23 CONCENTRATE YOUR FORCES LAW 24 PLAY THE PERFECT COURTIER LAW 25 RE-CREATE YOURSELF LAW 26 KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN LAW 27 PLAY ON PEOPLE'S NEED TO BELIEVE TO CREATE A CULTLIKE FOLLOWING LAW 28 ENTER ACTION WITH BOLDNESS LAW 29 PLAN ALL THE WAY TO THE END LAW 30 MAKE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SEEM EFFORTLESS LAW 31 CONTROL THE OPTIONS: GET OTHERS TO PLAY WITH THE CARDS YOU DEAL LAW 32 PLAY TO PEOPLE’S FANTASIES LAW 33 DISCOVER EACH MAN'S THUMBSCREW LAW 34 BE ROYAL IN YOUR OWN FASHION: ACT LIKE A KING TO BE TREATED LIKE ONE LAW 35 MASTER THE ART OF TIMING LAW 36 DISDAIN THINGS YOU CANNOT HAVE: IGNORING THEM IS THE BEST REVENGE LAW 37 CREATE COMPELLING SPECTACLES LAW 38 THINK AS YOU LIKE BUT BEHAVE LIKE OTHERS LAW 39 STIR UP WATERS TO CATCH FISH LAW 40 DESPISE THE FREE LUNCH LAW 41 AVOID STEPPING INTO A GREAT MAN'S SHOES LAW 42 STRIKE THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP WILL SCATTER LAW 43 WORK ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OTHERS LAW 44 DISARM AND INFURIATE WITH THE MIRROR EFFECT LAW 45 PREACH THE NEED FOR CHANGE, BUT NEVER REFORM TOO MUCH AT ONCE LAW 46 NEVER APPEAR TOO PERFECT LAW 47 DO NOT GO PAST THE MARK YOU AIMED FOR; IN VICTORY, LEARN WHEN TO STOP LAW 48 ASSUME FORMLESSNESS

Robert Greene

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Link to my conceptual mobile application prototype.