DesignBlitz

Color creates mood, draws attention to key elements. Good designs can use bold color or none at all (lack of color or monochrome makes a message too). What colors work well together? What methods of using color are more effective? What do saturate colors say as compared to pastels?

Metaphors/Symbols: What are best practices for using symbols to represent objects, things, ideas? What works? How can complex ideas be represented in symbols?

This artwork is actually hanging in my mom’s house. I used it as a good example for color and a metaphor/symbol. The artist used the sun and the moon as symbols for day and night; then enhanced the artwork to another level with the colors used. For the sun, warm colors such as red, orange, and yellow, represent the heat, and he used them to paint only the sun. While on the other half of the artwork, he used cool colors such as blue and green, even mixing the two to make different variations of the colors.

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Typography: “is the visual component of the written word” – It is the form in which text is displayed, and the characteristics of the type used- Is san serif always better?

My mom and I were out shopping and actually ended up buying this canvas. When I see these, I absolutely fall in love. I am a huge quotes person, and the canvases always have quotes that can relate to anyone’s life. The way the artist used different fonts and variations of sizes says a lot about the picture. As the words get larger, I feel like the artist wants the attention to be brought directly towards those words first, sort of making them center of the picture. As the font turns to cursive, I feel like the artist tries to convey a passion or love or that set(s) of words.

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Minimalism / Use of Space: How can designers do more with less? What makes elegant designs?

This picture actually wasn’t taken during this week, but I came across it in my gallery on my phone and I thought to myself it would be a great example of use of space and minimalism. These are actually my hands in the shape of a heart while I was on the beach with my boyfriend watching the sunset. As an example for minimalism, there isn’t a whole lot going on in he picture, just my hands and the beach, yet it still is a powerful picture that captures attention. And for the use of space? Well there wasn’t much space used at all, except for all of 12 inches for my hands. By looking at it, you wouldn’t think it was only a small amount of space used up and that is why I think I like this picture so much,

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Dominance: relates to varying degrees of emphasis in design. It determines the visual weight of a composition, establishes space and perspective, and often resolves where the eye goes first when looking at a design.

This picture of a picture of the Eifel Tower, was taken today while my mom and I went shopping. I found this to be a very dominant picture of the Eifel Tower. The way it empowers the whole canvas, and is the center focal point is amazing. The use of the colors definitely helps this picture out as well. I just feel like this picture makes you feel like you could actually be standing right below/by the tower as the way it is sitting in the picture.