Info Graphics

Info Graphics are useful tools for a designer. They provide us with an interesting way to show gathered information, and more importantly; info graphics show why as designers we do what we do and why we make the decisions we make. An info graphic is a way in which useful information is shown in a visually interesting way. The examples below show how information can be made visually interesting.


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So what is it that makes these images interesting to us? There are a couple of reasons. The first is that these graphics are bold. They grab our attention from the beginning and encourage us to look deeper and read what the information is presenting. The second key to these images is their flow. Both images have an interesting amount of movement that carries the viewers eyes across the page in a way that makes sure all content is absorbed.

Portfolio Fall 2010

I just finished my new portfolio. Below is a link to the entire portfolio. Take a look and tell me what you think!







www.daapspace.daap.uc.edu/~moore2mj/MichaelMoore_fall2010_portfolio.pdf


Mikey here,

This Portfolio was an evolutionary process through and through. The obvious goal of a portfolio is to show what talents and services you can bring to a company or work place. I knew that I wanted to showcase my work in the most simplistic and clean way possible. No tricks or distractions, just the work itself. The final solution is reflection of this idea. Simplicity coinciding with good quality work will ultimately create a successful portfolio. Let me know if I succeeded.

-Mikey

Tron Legacy Trailer

Tron Legacy, The follow up to the original Tron from the 80's is finally on its way to theaters nearly 3 decades after the original released. The hype growing around this movie is huge and thanks in part to its number of great trailers released over the past year. The epic 3d adventure has used its trailers to bring back the fanboys while harnessing a whole new group of young movie-goers. The beginning of the trailer focuses on nostalgia to please the original Tron fans. They show a couple of characters from the original as well as some of the old Flynn arcade and computer lab. After this they waste no time getting into the meat of the film. The super shiny, sleek tech environments designed to grab and welcome new fans to the franchise. This new world is intriguing and vivid and spending a couple hours in it sounds like a lot of fun. This after all is the point of the trailer, to make people want to go spend two hours in this world that Disney and the filmmakers have created for us as viewers. Lastly, the trailer sends us out with a bang. Flynn jumps out of an aircraft only to see a light jet form around him as he blasts away. A good 'wow factor' to end the trailer and too keep the viewer thinking about the film long after the trailer ends.

A brand to learn from

Apple has been and will continue to be an iconic brand that we as designers can should learn from. Apple has two major things going for them: The design of their products, and the company owner Steve Jobs. The design for apple is iconic due to its simplicity. Smooth surfaces and clean materials have established apple ahead of the technology pack. The design team has mastered the art of finding beauty in simplicity. Steve Jobs is equally important to the success of Apple. Steve Jobs possesses a quality that we as professional designers can only hope to attain. Jobs has been and always will be known first as a great presenter and public speaker. His presentation skills are direct, precise, clean, practiced, consistent, and trimmed of all fat. In terms of presenting a product, Jobs is as close to perfect as one can get. This is why designers should pay attention to Apple. They handle two parts of their business incredibly well; Design, and presentation. They go hand in hand. One cannot survive without the other. Luckily for them however, both departments are ahead of the game.

Design Portfolios: Simplicity is the bee's knees

As a student of design, one is always looking for the best way to represent oneself to peers, teachers, and potential bosses and clients. The question is how does one go about doing this in the most effective way possible. The answer is a design portfolio that highlights ones skills and talents in the most direct and efficient way. This of course sounds much simpler than it really is. Designing a cohesive and effective portfolio is a very tricky thing to get just right. It is almost impossible to have "The Perfect" portfolio but there are a few simple rules one can follow to help make the best possible portfolio for the given individual. First and foremost, simplicity is king. Keep projects direct and concise so that the reader has no confusion of what the designer is attempting to convey. The more complicated a portfolio gets, the greater the tendency for the portfolio to become bloated and muddy. The second rule to follow is be consistent. It is important to keep an ongoing theme/layout throughout the course of an entire portfolio. This lets the reader turn through the portfolio without having to frequently change gears whenever a new project is introduced. This way the portfolio seams like a continuous body of work that represents the designer rather than a group of individual projects. The last important rule to follow is to make sure one shows examples of a wide range of work in different medias. This is important to show that the designer understands the process of creating a product as well as showing that they are a well rounded designer. Employers like to see two things: a wide range of skills, and the entire process of a project from beginning to end. Show too much of one thing and too little of another, the designer will not be viewed as well rounded. Follow these three tips and one will be well on there way to creating a portfolio that best fits and showcases themselves as a designer. http://www.coroflot.com/public/individual_details.asp?job_seeker_id=294108&t=&specialty=4&sort_by=4&&page_no=&c=1

cghub.com

New year, Same blog

Here we are again at the beginning of another fall quarter. You know what that means....time to prioritize, buckle down, and decide what I really want to get out of the next 3 months. As always, grades are important and maintaining good grades throughout is a goal that shouldn't have to be mentioned. Grades being a given, it is ultimately more important to grow as a designer. there are several areas in which I would like to improve. First and foremost, I really need to learn 3d modeling in order to sell myself as a more complete designer. Secondly, I would love to hone my presentation and graphic skills in order to present myself and my projects in the most meaningful way. I'm sure there are many other things I would like to work on over the course of this quarter and I will gladly share what those are as the come to me...

Product Process Storyboard