Finally Posting on Here...

Alright, so I read chapters 13 and 14. Those are apparently the last readings. Good. Now I can focus on the book project as well as the community garden (which let me tell you- it needs a  lot of focus. PR kids, what do you want from us?!). Now even though I sound whiney, these two chapters could maybe be considered my favorites. Especially chapter 14, which was all about ways to sell yourself and your work. I find this to be really important. How else will one find a job or convince a client to use their concept? Chapter 13 was also helpful, but in a different way. It was about the execution of the ad campaign.

A great concept will never work out if the ad campaign can't be executed properly. At this point in my design career, I am a student. I felt that the most helpful part of this chapter was the list of things that are helpful for designs and portfolios. I'll summarize them with my own commentary-ish thing below:

• learn the computer inside and out. This includes the creative suite programs. It also mentioned freehand, which I remember using in high school. Alright learning the programs... CCAD has tutorial classes in each program. I wish we had those at Otterbein. The programs have so much potential that I don't know how to use. 
• learn photography and get a digital camera. I have a digital camera... not quite sure how to make my photos look good though. 
• Learn typography, collect typefaces, and experiment with them. I guess I should Google how to download fonts, huh?
• Be resourceful. Beg and borrow for props, locations, whatever. So far I haven't had to do much with this.
• Know where to get royalty free stock imagery. I knew of a texture site and now I know of the one mentioned in the book. 
• Borrow fellow students to make your ads look good. I did this! My theatre major friend helped me with a costume rendering. They have to make those as quick as possible, so what would have taken me a day or so was finished in under two hours. She's using it in her portfolio.

Other things not in the bulleted list were things like doing whatever it takes to get your stuff to look good. I needed an ice cream picture for Ecstasy Ice Cream. Yeah totally paid $6 for a double scoop chocolate-covered waffle cone mint chocolate chip with sprinkles from Graeters. Unfortunately, being a student does not get you discounts on ice cream. The rest of the chapter reviewed typography and went through things to think about (like grid systems).

Alright, and I mean it when I said chapter 14 was my favorite. I tend to freak out about the "proper" way to exhibit my work. This chapter gave ideas on how to present in ways that made it easy for the client to understand the concept. There were also tips about knowing whether or not they think your idea sucked. If they're looking interested and nodding, you're fine. If they're asleep and drooling, you're not fine. It helps to find out what things make the client happy and go with it. It's also important to be confident and keep eye contact. No one wants to listen to you if you're not confident and saying "ummm like umm" all the time. I like to think I'm ok at talking about my work, especially if it's a project I enjoyed. Although it was a pain and I had creative brain technical difficulties, the Ecstasy Ice Cream was one of my favorite things to present, and I thought that presentation went well. I wonder what it will be like presenting to clients in the real world...

Umm Whoops...

So I am behind on this... and behind on the reading. Easter happened, then my family had a second Easter this weekend and after having a midterm on Friday, it slipped my mind. Since this is a "free week" with no reading, I'll read and catch up, but not right now. Right now I'm designing a menu.

To make up for the lack of content, I give you this:

Info that may or may not concern this class.