Final Blog -Impressions

As a whole I really enjoyed the course because it enhanced my knowledge in many different ways. Every assignment was challenging and interesting. I should admit that there were no boring lectures or labs. I learned something new after each class. Actually, for me it was all new information. I was a bit intimidated in the beginning of the semester because I never took a class that requires additional Lab work. However, I really enjoyed the time spend over the lab hours. All assignments were lots of fun and helped me to get a better understanding of the material. My favorite exercise was the in-class shooting assignment. I also enjoyed the postage stamp exercise. I felt like I was able to express myself and to create a design tells something about me. I think that the trip to the Museum of the Moving Image was a great idea because it helped me to get a better understanding of the topics that we covered. The assigned readings were very informative and intriguing at the same time. I wish that we were able to discuss some of the readings that were on Black Board more deeply. I think that this way I would get a better understanding of the material covered in the readings. There were many definitions and I had hard time remembering all of the concepts. I wish that there was a review sheet for the midterm as well as for the final exam. The concept sheets were helpful but they did not cover all the material. To be honest the hardest part for me was the final exam because I had a tough time to remember all the information. Ironically, in the beginning of the semester I thought that I will be suffering to create my portfolio, thus perform well on the exams. At, the end it turned out to be the other way around. Moreover, the course was very educational and I do not regret that I signed for it .

Design I like
Design is everywhere; it is like a natural part of our environment. However, if you stop to notice the lines and colors of a particular design that means that there is something special about it. There are many different designs that I like. However, for this particular assignment I decided to focus on a favorite book cover. One of my favorite book covers is the one of Eclipse which is the third book in the Twilight series by Stefanie Meyer. If you stop to notice the lines and colors of that book cover you will see that they are both functional and appealing. What I mostly enjoy about the book cover is its simplicity. In my opinion simplicity often creates beauty. In general, I tend to like simple designs a lot. I believe that it is much harder to create a simple design that will strike the attention of the viewer. The cover of Eclipse features a torn red ribbon illustrated in a simple black background. The design is beautiful and functional at the same time. The thorn ribbon carries a symbolic meaning to the public. The composition is very simple as well as the choice of colors. However, I believe that depicting red in a black background is a good technique because it catches the viewer’s attention. In my opinion the designer of the cover found the most effective way to represent the message of the book. In conclusion, the design that I choose proves the theory that simplicity creates beauty.