Yesterday was so good, it was verging on epic!
Ok, it's kind of a long-ish story, but I have to tell it.
So, on thursday my teacher gives the class a "rush job" to kind of show us what its like in the -real world- Basically we were told thursday morning to have a identity, business card, newspaper ad, and podium sign done by 1pm the next day.
We we allowed to do it alone, or in groups. Everyone chose groups. Mostly the groups that we were already in, but since Adam was late, he ended up in our group.
The company (fake) was "the great Canadian toboggan company" and they sell standard toboggans. Simple.
My first attempt at a logo and ad were not that great, but it takes me a couple of tries to get what I want. As I was working on it, Adam would tell try to pick out the things that were wrong with it. But I knew I would get it, and continued to work.
Whenever he is told to make a logo,he always tries to make an image that is in a circle, or an image of the product...he forgets that he can just use the name and a font...etc..(he also has a year od graphic design from a previous school too)
Anyway, I didn't like the direction he was taking us in, and he wouldn't listen to me...so I was talking about leaving the group. The teacher said it was ok to do so (but I think he was just testing us, you will see why when I talk about what happens next)
I thought about it, and decided that even though I wasn't happy, I was going to eventually have to work with people I didn't like, or ideas I didn't agree with at some point. So, I decided to stick it out....I would have felt bad if I left them too.
So, I work on some things and come up with a design that I love.
The next morning we gather and I show them my stuff, and he is like...yeah..its good. But he didn't sound like he meant it. A few minutes later he says "yeah, I'm thinking about going on my own...."
then he asks NICK to join him, and leaves Matt and I out.
I wasn't too stressed, because I had most of the work done (Because I didn't trust them and the direction they were going....) but Matt was told to do business cards, and even then he was having a hard time with that. So I feel bad for him.
My teacher took Matt and I aside and told us that he didn;'t like what Adam did to us, and that he will give us an extension until Monday, and Nick and Adam will lose marks because they ditched us like that. He said he just hoped they didn't take any of our ideas. Which they didn't, HOWEVER....Thursday my teacher kept telling us there is one question we didn't ask yet about the execution of the project.
I was the first one (out of two) who asked. It was about the newspaper ad. No one but me (and a girl in another group) askd how many colours the "client" wanted in the newspaper ad. Adam and Nick would NOT have thought to have asked that, and only knew because of ME!
Aside from that they didn't take my ideas. (they are not bad people...just..duhhhhh)
So, anyway...I worked my ass off and was able to present on time. I was the last to present, but I got it all done.
So, Adam and Nick do their presentation. Omg. The teacher was hard on them.
1. They got the company name wrong. It's "The great Canadian toboggan company" they just had "Great Canadian Toboggan"
2. their logo was a sled with a seat on it (which I told them, and later chris told them, looked like Santa's sleigh.
3. their newspaper ad had a kid sliding on a plastic slide.
4. choice of fonts kinda weird. I THINK they used two serif fonts O.o
They referred to the toboggan as a "candy cane" and made a facebook page for the company, even though it wasn't asked....and I mean, usually the people in the company do that themselves *IF* they want it.
I was kind of nervous about presenting, because they o ther groups were SO AWESOME.
1. my logo did not have a canadian flag or toboggan as the others did. It has a black background, rounded rectangle border in white. The "the great canadian" is a serif font (garamond) to represent the history of Canada and toboggan...and "toboggan company" is a sans serif font called "comfortaa" that is to represent casual, fun, light heartedness. There is a stroke below the name with a brush that looks like "snow" What is a toboggan without snow? I questioned my client.
2. Business cards. Going with simple black and white as a theme, I wanted to depict classy, timelessness, sophistication. Everything that an old style toboggan is, and yet timeless as in it wont be seen as old or new...Everyone will be able to appreciate it.
It has a black and white border. Using the same fonts, and on one side is the log, the other the business information.
3. Newspaper ad. Looking at other ads, a lot of them have borders. I have a black border. A picture of a woman laying on the ground next to her toboggan. Black and white, with ONLY RED to emphisize the toboggan pad (which was advertised to be part of the product, and something no one bothered with) and part of her toque. below was black space for the writing int he ad, along with the logo.
4.podium post. same idea as the ad, but with colour. except the colours are muted, just like the red in the newspaper ad. Black and white. less words, classy.
My teacher said that IF HE WERE THE CLIENT HE WOULD HAVE HIRED ME!
He said that he liked that I went in a different direction that then rest (who used a toboggan and canadian maple leaf in everythign)
There was a grad from last year (who was also a mature student like me) who just started her company this year, with a business friend in teh class watching. She told me that I MADE toboggans "Fashionable" and that she anted to buy one.
I also explained how Adults generally read the newspaper, so I used adults in the ads. I wanted to make adults remember wha it was like when they were kids, and to not feel as though they are too old to do it. Also, they have the money,(LOL) so they may think OH! I should buy one for my kids/grandkids.
Later, Adam told me that its a good thing we didn;t stay as a group, or he would have brought me down. I said no...(I felt bad at this point for his failure)
Later he tweeted me and said we shouuld get together to work on some things so he can learn from me.
O.o
I feel bad one one hand, but on the other I don't. He can be very cocky sometimes, and thinks his designs are the best......But, he is not a bad guy. He is still kind, despite his cockyness and I can see how much graphic design means to him. So it must have hurt to have been shut down the way he was, because I know that HE FELT he worked hard. In a sense he did, but he doesn't UNDERSTAND that he HAS to follow the creative breifs.
He constantly messes up project names. Like, the moncton museum committee wanted us to make a brochure to promote their picture book "greater moncton, then and now" and he made a brochure for the moncton museum. (by the way, I was 1 of 4 chosen to present to the client. My brochure was not chosen, but some of my idea were. ^^)
He THINKS he is going above and beyond, but he does things that the client may not want. -- the seated toboggan, or the facebook group.
So, in a way, I think maybe he needs to take this as a learning experience.
I took it as a learning experience too...because I was CONVINCED that because I went in a different direction from the obvious that I was going to do bad. But, in fact it was the opposite. It made me more confident in my work, and my presentations. As long as I can back up what I do, my teacher will never fault us for it.
WOW. long post. but I have to get it off my chest.
I worry I seem like someone who is conceided when I talk about myself, or if I am proud of myself. So I lose confidence easily. I worry what others think.
BUT TODAY. I WILL SAY. I AM PROUD OF WHAT I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED!
I will continue to work hard to become a great graphic designer/visual artist!! <3
So, on thursday my teacher gives the class a "rush job" to kind of show us what its like in the -real world- Basically we were told thursday morning to have a identity, business card, newspaper ad, and podium sign done by 1pm the next day.
We we allowed to do it alone, or in groups. Everyone chose groups. Mostly the groups that we were already in, but since Adam was late, he ended up in our group.
The company (fake) was "the great Canadian toboggan company" and they sell standard toboggans. Simple.
My first attempt at a logo and ad were not that great, but it takes me a couple of tries to get what I want. As I was working on it, Adam would tell try to pick out the things that were wrong with it. But I knew I would get it, and continued to work.
Whenever he is told to make a logo,he always tries to make an image that is in a circle, or an image of the product...he forgets that he can just use the name and a font...etc..(he also has a year od graphic design from a previous school too)
Anyway, I didn't like the direction he was taking us in, and he wouldn't listen to me...so I was talking about leaving the group. The teacher said it was ok to do so (but I think he was just testing us, you will see why when I talk about what happens next)
I thought about it, and decided that even though I wasn't happy, I was going to eventually have to work with people I didn't like, or ideas I didn't agree with at some point. So, I decided to stick it out....I would have felt bad if I left them too.
So, I work on some things and come up with a design that I love.
The next morning we gather and I show them my stuff, and he is like...yeah..its good. But he didn't sound like he meant it. A few minutes later he says "yeah, I'm thinking about going on my own...."
then he asks NICK to join him, and leaves Matt and I out.
I wasn't too stressed, because I had most of the work done (Because I didn't trust them and the direction they were going....) but Matt was told to do business cards, and even then he was having a hard time with that. So I feel bad for him.
My teacher took Matt and I aside and told us that he didn;'t like what Adam did to us, and that he will give us an extension until Monday, and Nick and Adam will lose marks because they ditched us like that. He said he just hoped they didn't take any of our ideas. Which they didn't, HOWEVER....Thursday my teacher kept telling us there is one question we didn't ask yet about the execution of the project.
I was the first one (out of two) who asked. It was about the newspaper ad. No one but me (and a girl in another group) askd how many colours the "client" wanted in the newspaper ad. Adam and Nick would NOT have thought to have asked that, and only knew because of ME!
Aside from that they didn't take my ideas. (they are not bad people...just..duhhhhh)
So, anyway...I worked my ass off and was able to present on time. I was the last to present, but I got it all done.
So, Adam and Nick do their presentation. Omg. The teacher was hard on them.
1. They got the company name wrong. It's "The great Canadian toboggan company" they just had "Great Canadian Toboggan"
2. their logo was a sled with a seat on it (which I told them, and later chris told them, looked like Santa's sleigh.
3. their newspaper ad had a kid sliding on a plastic slide.
4. choice of fonts kinda weird. I THINK they used two serif fonts O.o
They referred to the toboggan as a "candy cane" and made a facebook page for the company, even though it wasn't asked....and I mean, usually the people in the company do that themselves *IF* they want it.
I was kind of nervous about presenting, because they o ther groups were SO AWESOME.
1. my logo did not have a canadian flag or toboggan as the others did. It has a black background, rounded rectangle border in white. The "the great canadian" is a serif font (garamond) to represent the history of Canada and toboggan...and "toboggan company" is a sans serif font called "comfortaa" that is to represent casual, fun, light heartedness. There is a stroke below the name with a brush that looks like "snow" What is a toboggan without snow? I questioned my client.
2. Business cards. Going with simple black and white as a theme, I wanted to depict classy, timelessness, sophistication. Everything that an old style toboggan is, and yet timeless as in it wont be seen as old or new...Everyone will be able to appreciate it.
It has a black and white border. Using the same fonts, and on one side is the log, the other the business information.
3. Newspaper ad. Looking at other ads, a lot of them have borders. I have a black border. A picture of a woman laying on the ground next to her toboggan. Black and white, with ONLY RED to emphisize the toboggan pad (which was advertised to be part of the product, and something no one bothered with) and part of her toque. below was black space for the writing int he ad, along with the logo.
4.podium post. same idea as the ad, but with colour. except the colours are muted, just like the red in the newspaper ad. Black and white. less words, classy.
My teacher said that IF HE WERE THE CLIENT HE WOULD HAVE HIRED ME!
He said that he liked that I went in a different direction that then rest (who used a toboggan and canadian maple leaf in everythign)
There was a grad from last year (who was also a mature student like me) who just started her company this year, with a business friend in teh class watching. She told me that I MADE toboggans "Fashionable" and that she anted to buy one.
I also explained how Adults generally read the newspaper, so I used adults in the ads. I wanted to make adults remember wha it was like when they were kids, and to not feel as though they are too old to do it. Also, they have the money,(LOL) so they may think OH! I should buy one for my kids/grandkids.
Later, Adam told me that its a good thing we didn;t stay as a group, or he would have brought me down. I said no...(I felt bad at this point for his failure)
Later he tweeted me and said we shouuld get together to work on some things so he can learn from me.
O.o
I feel bad one one hand, but on the other I don't. He can be very cocky sometimes, and thinks his designs are the best......But, he is not a bad guy. He is still kind, despite his cockyness and I can see how much graphic design means to him. So it must have hurt to have been shut down the way he was, because I know that HE FELT he worked hard. In a sense he did, but he doesn't UNDERSTAND that he HAS to follow the creative breifs.
He constantly messes up project names. Like, the moncton museum committee wanted us to make a brochure to promote their picture book "greater moncton, then and now" and he made a brochure for the moncton museum. (by the way, I was 1 of 4 chosen to present to the client. My brochure was not chosen, but some of my idea were. ^^)
He THINKS he is going above and beyond, but he does things that the client may not want. -- the seated toboggan, or the facebook group.
So, in a way, I think maybe he needs to take this as a learning experience.
I took it as a learning experience too...because I was CONVINCED that because I went in a different direction from the obvious that I was going to do bad. But, in fact it was the opposite. It made me more confident in my work, and my presentations. As long as I can back up what I do, my teacher will never fault us for it.
WOW. long post. but I have to get it off my chest.
I worry I seem like someone who is conceided when I talk about myself, or if I am proud of myself. So I lose confidence easily. I worry what others think.
BUT TODAY. I WILL SAY. I AM PROUD OF WHAT I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED!
I will continue to work hard to become a great graphic designer/visual artist!! <3