Web design is something that I honestly thought I would never be interested in, but I was so wrong! What I never realized is that it greatly appeals to my organized nature. I like everything to have structure and order, and web design allows me to apply that part of my personality when coding. Using web standards, I am able to create something beautiful and structured. Web standards not only make it better for the designer, by keeping code meaningful and organized, but it is the best way to ensure that a site is accessible to everyone, regardless of disability, and consistent over different platforms.

The World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C is the group responsible for setting the standards and making the guidelines that should always be followed when creating a web page. First of all, there are three different versions of HTML: Transitional, Strict, and Frameset. Transitional HTML was created to help ‘transition’ from the old to the new. Depreciated elements are allowed, however, they are marked as so to let the writer know they will be excluded from future versions of HTML. Strict HTML is what we are learning to use in class. This is the ideal version of HTML because all of the depreciated elements have been eliminated, allowing HTML to work the way the W3C envisioned. Frameset HTML is used to describe framed elements, however frames are rarely used in web design anymore because of usability and accessibility problems. XHTML or eXtensible HTML was created to be able to mark up any kind of information and content to be shared using and XML language. XHMTL is similar to HTML with the exception that syntax is crucial. Everything must be marked up correctly in order for the page to validate.

When creating a website the first thing you have to do is tell it what kind of document it is. This is done by giving it a DTD or document type definition. There are three different DTD to coincide with the three different versions of HTML. By declaring a DOCTYPE, the browser now knows to display the document in standards mode. You will also need to character encode your document. The most common is UTF-8 because it is a Unicode and includes characters for most languages around the world. After you have marked up your document, you will need to validate it. This ensures that you have followed all of the rules of the DTD declared at the beginning of the document. Valid documents are more accessible, consistent, and are quicker to display.

All of these things are essential for building a web page within web standards. Accessibility is extremely important for companies to consider when building a web page. Everyone needs to be able to access all of the information on a site regardless of disabilities, or what type of device they are using. When a page isn’t properly coded using web standards, a screen reader may not be able to detect what is supposed to be displayed on the page. The consequences can be steep, such as in Target’s case, where they were sued for not having a web page accessible by a screen reader. It is also important simply because, you want as many people as possible to be able to access your information. By following web standards, you can ensure you are not excluding anyone from viewing your web page. Another critical factor to consider is usability. Today there are so many hand-held devices capable of accessing the web, you want to make sure that your page still displays properly at any size on any platform. Even if the page cannot be viewed the exact same as on a full screen, when following web standards and using proper code, the critical information can still be made available.

This was an especially difficult project for me.  Everyone in my class had to reasearch two assigned printing vendors that would be collected and made into a resource for the class for future printing endeavors.  The difficult part came into play because we each had to design our two pages for the book using images from our word pair project and using the words as a theme for each page.  Once I let go of boundaries and concentrated on the words fast and slow for my themes, I was able to push the limits of legibility and design something that followed that concept.  Overall, I found it very difficult to incorporate the two ideas (word pair images and print guide) into one cohesive composition - I learned that limitations can often time be our friends.

For this project we were able to emphasize the importance of registering to vote (and actually voting, of course), as well as getting out the name of AIGA. We are producing posters and buttons using the name Volume Through Volume. This name speaks to the significance of each and every vote, and how all of those votes come together to form on voice - the voice of the people.  This project was challenging, but also very rewarding.  It was very different to work for clients who are design professionals.  We are held to a higher standard of work that forces our class to push our ideas and produce carefully thought out designs.

I designed my poster using the Volume Through Volume template and the AIGA color palette for inspiration.  From there I decided to use several subtleties to develop a design that I felt communicated the message and was aesthetically pleasing.

This project was both difficult and rewarding at the same time. The difficult part was trying to define myself with just a logo. It was very challenging to first decide who I am and who I want to present myself as and second to design a logo that encompasses all of those things.  I eventually designed a bird that I decided on for a logo. I felt like the simplicity of the image had a quiet elegance that I wanted to convey, and by adding a stroke, it became both evocative of design and of my personality.

Applying the logo to other pieces was challenging, but fun. I started out by having the logo blown way out, or abstracted beyond recognition. I decided to pull back and let the simplistic nature of my logo speak for itself. On most of the pieces, it is quiet and small, not overpowering.  However, both the color and density of the bird give off a strong, positive energy.  Overall, I really enjoyed this project more than I thought I would. I put a lot of time and effort into it because I really enjoyed being able to design for myself - using the type of imagery that I like, using typefaces I am fond of, and creating something that not only represents me, but also my design sensibilities.

Below is both the front and back designs for my business card.

While working on Take Root, the final deliverables were all printed at the Chattanooga State printing facilities.  This was an especially rewarding trip to be able to take because we were able to see all of our pieces both as they were printing, and after finishing.  That gave us the opportunity to see how they mix the PMS colors for printing, watch how it is applied to the printer and also how it looks on the final product.  We were also able to see the folding machine in action and watch how fast all of the brochures were sent through and folded.  The most important thing I learned was how important it is to check the quality of all the prints that are being made.  The pressmen were very conscious of checking the prints and adjusting everything until they came out just right.  In return, we got a quality finished product thanks to their dedication.

Using the word pair fast and slow, I created two compositions each with 6 frames using my own photography.  I chose to do night shots on the street with varying shutter speeds to give the illusion of speed for some, and to capture the essence of slow for the others.  After manipulating these in photoshop, the results are posted below.  I took extra care to make sure that the compositions work both alone and together, and that there is a clear progression from frame to frame. 
 

Even though I had worked there previously and was already familiar with much of what we saw, it was still exciting.  Actually seeing all of the teamwork and collaboration it takes to get a job out the door from start to finish was pretty impressive.  I find it so amazing that something so big is right here in Chattanooga, and few people even know about it.  It is really gratifying to know there is a nationally recognized company that handles some of retail’s biggest names right here in our backyard.

Our class had the pleasure of talking one-on-one to the visiting artists whose work is on exhibit in the Cress Gallery.  Ryan Wolfe, Mark Andreas, and [dNASAb] were very helpful in talking about their processes, materials, brainstorming, and experimenting with new ideas.  It was very insightful listening to how they create their work. From Ryan having to learn new techniques and [dNASAb] having to shop for materials in retail chain stores, to Mark troubleshooting how to get his pieces to work the way he wants, it was incredible to see all of the behind the scenes work they put in.  Because their work is all so new and different, it was also great to hear them talk about what made them want to do what they do, and how they continue to push the envelope.  It definitely inspired me to allow my mind to wander more and experiment will all kinds of different ideas, even if I’m not sure how to make it work.

Last week our class toured the Chattanooga Times Free Press.  It was very exciting and a little overwhelming to see all of the work and coordination that goes into every newspaper, everyday.  The press itself was very impressive and required three different floors to access all of it, but only 3-10 pressmen to run, depending on the paper.  It was great to see it running and watch the paper change after each color is printed, and how it gets folded, cut, and sent off for delivery.  Overall, it was a great experience and I now have a new appreciation for the newspaper.

Janis Hashe, a writer, editor and PR professional, and Richard Beeland, Media Relations Director for the City of Chattanooga, spoke to our class about public relations and writing press releases.  The most important information they shared was to be professional and polite to everyone you encounter from the ground up.  And when writing a press release to clearly communicate the who, what, where, when, how, and why and to be consise as possible.  Overall, their experience was very helpful.