the final portfolio page.
the final program cover.
billboard finals+in context.
the final animated save-the-date.
“Organized chaos” is the theme that was chosen
to represent the Anat Cohen Quartet. The main element used to emphasize that
was the use of a combined instrument, using pieces from each of the instruments
involved in this specific quartet. That graphic element and theme was used as
the primary means of communication throughout all pieces of promotional
materials. The idea of four people, four instruments, four lives coming
together to form something larger than oneself is the more hidden idea behind
the piece; following along the use of synecdoche and hyperbole. I wanted the uniting concept to not
be easily understood and then discarded. I wanted the viewers to slowly
understand what the connection was, similar to when one learns to tie their
shoes as a child, one day it just clicks and from then on you continue the
process. The main way that I personally view design is through the idea of
learning/teaching/advancing our lives; designs are the way to divide
information into more easily digestible lessons or bits of data. But
simplifying what and how we present all information, we add the ability to have
a greater connection to the viewer and a better way to educate in a variety of
ways.
Based on the concept
of education and educating, audience feedback was very important for me. I
remember various times in my youth seeing promotional materials for
performances in Chicago, or neighborhoods and didn’t often make the connection
of what the performance was and whom it was advertised to. So, I wanted to make
sure that I kept in mind, how varied an audience can be; especially when stated
during the meeting with a representative of the Folly Theater that the theater
was attempting to attract a younger audience. In my mind, that meant
advertising to more than just the normal, everyday Folly Theater or jazz music
lover; which really opened up the crowd to everyone. Luckily over the years I
have attained friendships with a variety of a number of people from different
backgrounds, tastes, personalities and ages; often, the one linking element was
the love of art and music, the ability to express. I knew, that I had the prime
group to attain some feedback on my project from; I knew that they would take
the time to give some honest feedback. By taking in feedback from my classmates,
Sir Galloway and the other varied people, I was able to look back at the data
that each group gave and figure the best way to work it into the promotional
materials.
My focus for the
program cover was that it would be the most intimate piece of promotional
material, that being stated it was similar to the poster, but attempted to make
the viewer part of the experience. The cover is set up so the two halves of the
constructed instrument line the sides of the paper, with the specific event
information in the center; almost like a hug, the final enclosing embrace to
help one remember the intimate event. The animation focused on the fluidity of
the music and the constructed instrument as one being as if in mid-dance to the
fluidity, further illustrating the rhetoric tropes. As my focus for the poster
was the idea of showing what the mind cannot accept, the idea of our
instruments as once; the focus was therefore more on the shock and intrigue
appeal, whereas with the animation, the idea was bringing together everything
about the performance that I could. I brought in the actual sound of the band,
as well as kept the same appeal as the poster with the main use of the combined
instrument to keep the intrigue. With the animation I was also able to focus
moreso on where the viewer looked, when they did and for how long. This poses
potential hazards, because if I did not correctly layout the information, or
timing, the viewer may lose interest and stop watching, even at only 15
seconds. But, my focus was for the animation to start and end referencing the
Folly, the location of where the event was. The next piece of information was
the quartet, so mentally the connection was made early in the animation that
the music in the background was the Anat Cohen Quartet. Then the date and time,
because all though both of those piece of information are important, the viewer
can easily look up the location and artist and find the time and date.
In the class thus far,
I have looked a lot closer at not only the way I work, but also the way that I
should be working. It is one thing to say that you have an amazing idea, but if
you don’t jump right away to that idea, if you slowly work up to the idea,
there lies the potential to come up with something that could be greater than
it ended up being. I have a tendency to just jump to the specifics, the end
product; I love my details. But, what I often forget about is the ability to
push around ideas, get feedback from multiple fellow designers, as well as the
potential public/audience. Sometimes I get too caught up in the early designing
that I forget to circle back, make sure everything works and goes well
together…and sometimes, I even forget about my favorite step, which is the
research. I re-found my love of researching in the process and how beneficial
researching can be. Had I not have researched again mid-process of sketches; I
would not have learned that the Folly did not want the promotional materials to
focus on the saxophone, but rather the clarinet. Sometimes I assume when I
shouldn’t and that could have lead to a not well-formatted piece that the
client wanted. I need to remind myself to slow, stop, think and breath because
I am so excited to share and show the final piece that I forget crucial steps;
so I am currently trying to reteach myself to fartlek, alternate between different
running paces.
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