McBratney Final

Identity Analysis

My design for the Us vs. Them assignment was titled the Shades of Shoshanna. I used a photograph of myself, and tools in Illustrator to complete this on November 5^th, 2013. It was a digital version of six different artboards, each of an illustrated version of myself, with different coloring of my hair on each. The specific subject in this piece is the hair colors that I’ve done and the variety that I’ve dyed it. While I focused on that for the most part, I also had a secondary subject of qualities of myself that you can’t tell just by looking at me. I wanted to show that there are many different shades, or qualities, that I express.

I used elements of type, photo, illustration, and color to illustrate my piece. Over the complete design of the six artboards, they are integrative towards each other, each comparing a difference of myself with another difference of myself. Though, within each composition, I feel they are geometric with the type on the poster easy to read and making sense in its position. The portrait is centered for the most part and easy on the eyes, with only slight wavy coloring of different tints of gray in the background. The focus is clearly placed on my hair and the type that coordinates with that color

            This piece of mine has to do with my hair style, and how I feel it is a large part of my identify and what people know about me. I bring other people’s opinions and what my close friends and family have told me about myself in the text of the project, while bringing my experiences of dying my hair many, many colors to this piece. I feel most people, besides a few, had focused on their heritage or religion, but I think I had a different focus, similar to a classmate who’s focus was on facial hair in his family, which was on my individual self and appearance. I feel my work was very simple, which I am happy but not completely satisfied with. I think the critique about animating the faces in each more would make it appear different enough. I wanted a very simple and straightforward approach, with little distractions in my piece.

            I think the designer who used the most similar approach to my work was Andy Warhol. Both of us have used repeating portraits, posterized and colorized photos. The events through my life of dying my hair different colors had shaped the approach I took. I wanted to appear as the same girl, but with changing hair in each picture. I wanted people to see the qualities that are brought out with different hair colors, and that people may see me as a different type of girl during each time of my life, but ultimately I am the same. I feel the final was strong, but I agree with one of the classmates that maybe I could’ve combined them all into one image, although it would have to be quite large to be able to see all the type included. I was happy with the aesthetic and what my intent for the design was.

CDM Ad Final | Chris Solorzano

For my final, I wanted to create something that I've never seen before. I drew inspiration from everywhere so I can't point to anything specific. I can say that I got inspiration from my wrist that wears a watch. Chicago is a very diverse city, CDM has many types of students from many backgrounds. Looking at other ad campaigns, I didn't want to do what other schools have done. Most of them try to create an atmosphere and identity for their schools. CDM is all about creating and exploring. Therefore I think that  instead of doing that, we should make use of the wall on the side of the school and just display the name of the school. Along with that, it would be great to include something that everybody can use. The time and the weather along side of the building. Of course these will be electric signs that are up to show a live status of the current time and weather.

I believe this will set us apart from other colleges without enforcing any kind of quote or fact. If they take interest in the school, they can always walk in the school for more information. 

I couldn't get a price quote for this because the companies that I contacted never responded and some couldn't do what I was asking for. Perhaps, DePaul CDM, knows of a company that can do this. I know it is possible.

Shoshanna Final Critique

this is my final design for the CDM vinyl poster for this building. I wanted to illustrate that the being part of this school feels like we're in the center of the city. Instead of saying anything about this, I simply put a 'You are here' map locater on this building, and on the poster, it is the center of the city. I used the DePaul colors for the city to bring our school into the city more. When walking past the building now, they will see a DePaul pride and an image that illustrates how CDM is in the center of our city. I got a quote in the early stages that was $3,860 for the poster, and the image would be on a 40ft tall and 63ft wide poster.

CDM Advertisment: Final

Mock up

Similar to Oliver Vernon Mars-1 (concept)

Gordon Final Critique

Lauren Bunker Final CDM Critique

This piece would be a 20’ x 40’ vinyl poster that would have from the fifth to the second floor of the building. I would like for the green “CDM” ink to be glow in the dark, leaving the rest of the poster mostly unnoticeable at night.

When thinking about everything that goes on in the building, I kept think of the word “digital”. From “digital” I moved to “pixels”. So much of what we do is on computer, camera, and television screens- little lighted squares everywhere.

I also felt that a simple poster with minimal writing and no photography would be the best solution. I really wanted people to receive barely enough information to understand that it was a DePaul college and get a slight idea of what goes on inside. I mostly wanted something strange looking to catch the eye.

I think that the color choice and use of the pixels will communicate that the building focuses mostly on computers and technology topics. I hope that the people who see it and are looking for our type of school will be curious and google the school to find out more.

I have noticed that my poster’s lack of information and readable material is similar to some of my classmates and very different from others. Some students also chose to do illustrations or create symbols or icons. I think that I went in this more minimal, pixel route partly inspired by a mural that used to be in Detroit. I think that there is an advertisement hanging over it now, but on the side of one of the buildings there used to be a black, white, and red pixel mural.

I got an online quote saying that the banner would cost about $2,200 to print. My dad, who deals with construction contractors on a regular basis, said to budget between $1,000 and $1,500 for the labor to install the sign and that the price could vary significantly depending how it was installed. He thought another $1,000 for cables and hooks to secure the banner to the building would be a reasonable estimate.