Mario P. For December 19th

For our final project I worked along with Brianna and Valentina. To me this was the easiest of all just because we all shared the same idea. We were looking for something not too complicated since we have other projects to work on, I personally wanted something simple and was glad we all wanted something to do with photography. Valentina suggested it should be about NYC, and Brianna came up with what I thought was the best name we could go with; Our NYC. We decided to use our own photography of places in New York. I already had a good set of photos from my photography class which again helped making this project easier to do. After Valentina arranged everyone’s photos, I did the text. I used Avenir for the font for both headlines and our thoughts about each photograph.

I chose that font because it is elegant, easy to read and doesn’t distract the viewer from the main point which is the photograph itself. Afterwards uploaded the file to google drive, it is how we kept all the files organized and available for each other since we couldn’t meet and work on it outside the class. That was our only challenge other than finding the right printing place. Brianna took care of the cover, intro and proofreading. We were done with it and just worried about getting it sent for print which Valentina did. I haven’t seen the book but she said it looks really nice. It is a 8.5 x 5.5 landscape photo book, we sent it to Magcloud—at first we were going to do perfect bound—but then we decided saddle-stitch would be better for this publication.

Finally, I didn’t learn new things, was more like putting into practice what I have learn in this and other classes. The structure, text placement, font of choice, the colors and how it all works together. Also how easy work can be when done in a group that want the same results as you do therefore we all work and try to not let one do more than the other. I think that’s important and with that I believe it is safe to say I wouldn’t change anything we did. We did what we all agreed on doing and everything came out as we planned.  

Assignment for December 19

Your last post for the semester will be an assessment of your final project. You will write 3-4 paragraphs detailing the process of making your publication, and the quality of the printed object.

You should coordinate with your group so that everyone can view the final printed object before class next Monday – even if that means getting together at 9am to take a look and post your response before our final class.

Describe the interactions and dynamic of your group, and the discussions that led to your concept and design. What sort of contributions did everyone bring to the table? Were any aspects of the process problematic or challenging? Were you surprised or excited by new ideas from your peers? What did you learn or gain as a designer, manager, illustrator, etc. from working on this project? What would you change if you were made to do it again?

Also describe the finished object. Are there any unexpected flaws or errors? Are the colors of your design reproduced faithfully? Is there any noticeable color shift? Do the qualities of the paper, cover, and ink/toner meet your expectations?

Our final critique should be an interesting and rewarding look back at everyone’s work on this project and the entire semester. Please be (on time! and) ready to discuss your perspectives on the final project.

Assignment for December 12

The first and most important goal for next will be to send your publication to press. You should have a sense of the timeline requirements for the printer your group has chosen, but it is never wise to wait until the last minute.

There are 3 items that your group is collectively responsible for submitting once your files has been sent to press:
1. Your final PDF, submitted as a post.
2. An updated project brief, describing the final design and selected
printer, submitted as a post.
3. A print-out, or mock-up of the project (which can be low quality,
black and white, unbound) to present in class.

Be prepared to present your work and respond to others’ work in class next week.

Assignment for December 5

Your primary assignment for next week is to keep working on your final project. The work that you complete between now and next class will be absolutely critical.

Your post for this week is designed to guide that process. Please write a few brief sentences describing what each member of your group will be working on this week.

Some of the things that you should plan to complete before next class include: finalizing all illustrations/graphics, scanning any hand-made elements, color correcting all photographs, writing all text, creating your InDesign document to match your printer’s requirements, creating a folder with all assets organized, drafting the final layout, run hard proofs of images and/or spreads, etc.

Once again this is an individual assignment. Everyone is required to post. 

Assignment for November 21

Your assignment for next week is one of the most important assignments of the semester. It is designed to help you determine the shape and size of your project, and where it will be printed.

Complete the following project brief using actual information from a printing facility that might work for your design. You’ll see that there is now a list of printers on our Resources page. You are free to use any printer that might be able to facilitate your job (even if they are not listed). If you have trouble finding information from a printer’s website, don’t be afraid to call or email them.

***This is an individual assignment. Each member of your group should choose a different printer then compare specs to make an informed decision. 

Team:
Project:
Aesthetic Summary:

Printing Facility:
Type of press it will be printed on:
Number of colors:
Color profile:
Size:
Pages:
Cover type:
Binding:
Paper finish:
Paper weight:
Paper brightness:
Bleed:
Set up costs:
Proof costs:
Minimum quantity:
Total cost:
Cost per unit:
Turnaround time:

Pros:

Cons:

Assignment for November 14

Your assignment for next week is to spend some time reflecting on the mid-term and start thinking about ideas for the final project.

How was the process of designing and printing the mid-term for your group? Did things go smoothly or was it difficult to coordinate? How would you describe your role in that process? What are the most successful elements of your publication? And what are the weakest points?

What worked well in other publications? Were there any that struck you as particularly successful? What was it about those publications that you found interesting? Is there a group or a project that you would have liked to be a part of? Or any that you’d like to change or adjust?

If you were made to start over on this project what would you do differently? Do you have any ideas for other publications that you would like to work on? (This doesn’t need to be a publication on a political issue. The concept for your final is completely open-ended.)

Write and post 3-4 paragraphs addressing these questions, or any additional responses to the final that you’d like to share.

Assignment for November 7

Your assignment for next week is to complete your mid term.

Prior to class on November 7, your group must:
– Upload a PDF of the final design in a post labeled with all group members’ names
– Print, fold, bind and trim your publication.

You should also be prepared to present your publication, along with the PDF. Your group presentation and your engagement with other presentations are a critical part of your grade for this assignment.

If you complete your own page imposition, use any kind of unique folds or cuts, or print on colored paper, it can also be very interesting to see unfolded or alternate versions of the publication.

Assignment for Oct. 31

Your assignment for next week is to continue working on your mid-term project. Keep in touch with your partner(s) and assemble as many images, references, and copy as possible before next class.

Each member of your group is also responsible for posting a project brief. Though the posts for each group should be very similar, they should not be identical. Each person will have a slightly different perspective on the scope and content of the project. Use the following project brief template (also included on the mid-term page):

Project Title:
Concept / Issue:

Aesthetic Summary:

Art:

Copy:

Color Scheme:

Typefaces:
Layout Notes:
References & Inspiration (at least 3-5 sources):

Dimensions:
Page Count:
Substrate:
Binding:
Print Run:
Budget:
Additional Notes:

Timeline: Complete by November 7!

Assignment for October 24

Spend some time with your new ‘zine collection.

You now have a stack of interesting new things. Flip through each one and take notes on anything that stands out (good or bad).

Do any of them strike you as particularly exciting or interesting? Any that come really close but then don’t quite “work”? Any that give you new ideas for something you wish you had done…or might like to do in the future? Could we identify trends or recurring motifs when looking at the entire group? Would you do anything differently if tasked with attempting this project again?

Post 3-4 paragraphs reflecting on these questions or any other ideas that come to mind.

Assignment for Oct. 17

Your objective for next class is to complete the design of your mini-zine.

The most important aspect of this assignment will be to create a master copy to reproduce, fold, bind and trim. Your master must be printed in black and white on a single sheet of 8.5″ x 11″ paper, unfolded, ready to feed through the copy machine.

There is also a post to accompany this. Update your design brief to accurately reflect the finished project, and attach a PDF of your final design.

Note: You will benefit greatly from printing several copies and confirming that your imposition is correct.