No class on Thursday, April 18

I just wanted to post a reminder that we are not meeting on Thursday. You have the time to work on your final spread for Connect Magazine.

I have posted the instruction sheet for the final assignment in the assignment list on this blog: Major Project 3.

50 ways to become a better designer

This is an article from Computer Arts Magazine, a UK publication.

What is design? Design is both the process and the final product of an endeavour to fulfil a personal or professional brief. Whether you are creating a piece of graphic work, a website, or a design for a new product, the underlying principal is the same – the creative process is everything.

Bad design results from faults with this process – poor planning, ignoring the conventions of the media, poor technical skills or poor communication. So how can you streamline your working methods? How do you go from haphazard doodler to a well-oiled design machine? Listen to the experts.

7 habits of successful designers

I found this post in the online magazine boxes and arrows.

Talent Isn’t Everything
by Chanpory Rith on 2007/04/09 | [12 Comments]

Here’s a common myth: To be a successful creative professional, all you need is talent. It’s a nice myth to believe in. “Talent” suggests a divine or evolutionary genetic gift, so if you’re blessed with the talent gene, you’re special and can be a cool creative person. If not, you’re destined to be an accountant.

”... this myth of talent has very little to do with the success of a junior designer.”

After working three years at MetaDesign and since starting my new position at Dubberly Design Office, I’ve noticed this myth of talent has very little to do with the success of a junior designer. Instead, I have found that those who survive and last more than six months practice these seven habits:


1. Work quickly. Produce a lot.

2. Attend to details.

3. Be versatile.

4. Make an effort to learn.

5. Anticipate problems.

6. Set goals.

7. Display a positive attitude.

Design Meltdown

I just found this interesting reference site for designers. Check it out.

A planning resource

Graphic designer Ron Reason's package planner might give you some useful ideas as you continue to think about the components of the final assignment -- the page(s) you are planning for the story you chose that will be published in CONNECT magazine. Take a look at the items on the left side of the form; they should spark some ideas for you.

http://www.ronreason.com/images/PackagePlannerRonReason.pdf

Sunday, April 1 lab hours

Just a reminder the lab will be open to you on Sunday, April 1 from 5 to 10 pm. Linda Quigley and I will be available to help with your assignments during that period.

The assignment is due at the end of class on Tuesday, April 3.

The assignment is posted on this blog: Major project 2

A new blog from the Society for News Design

The Society of News Design is a resource students should learn about. This blog is their latest venue for communication. Check it out:

SND Update Blog

Eric Volz links

Last week we were brainstorming about ways to cover the Eric Volz case. Here are the primary links that tell his story for reference.

Friends of Eric Volz

Free Eric Volz MySpace page

Online Vision coverage

The Professional Organization for Editors of Magazines' top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years

This is a link to the ASME's Top 40 Magazine Cover. This site has great reference material. Remember there is nothing new under the sun only rearranging everything that has come before. So look for inspiration.

Reminder about Sunday, March 18th

Just a reminder the lab will be open to you on Sunday, March 18th from 5 to 10 pm. Linda Quigley and I will be available to help with your assignments during that period.

The assignment is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, March 20.

Photography resolution

I've found a couple of good tutorials on image resolution. Read them, but don't get stuck on the math. Try to understand the concept, and we will talk about it more on Thursday.

Tutorial 1-photographer J. Nevins

Tutorial 2-Vivid Light guide

Tutorial 3-"Dummies Guide to Resolution"

Cornell University has a site that explains resolution, file formats, and compression.
Link

Thanks to Michael Krouskop

I enjoyed class Thursday, and was delighted to hear about Michael's varied career as a photographer. Here's a link to his Web site so you can see more of his photography:

deluxelight.com

blue eyes magazine

This is another very interesting documentary photography site. I find it inspiring.

LINK

--and one more from a consortium that includes the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.

LINK

Best of Photojournalism

This site has winning web, still, and video photojournalism.

Careers in photojournalism

This is a good resource from the National Press Photographers Association.

LINK

Assignment for Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2007

Right click title to download.

What is photojournalism?

Mark Hancock, a newspaper photojournalist, asks and answers the question:

What is a photojournalist?

A journalist tells stories. A photographer takes pictures of nouns (people, places and things). A photojournalist takes the best of both and locks it into the most powerful medium available--a single frozen image.

Photojournalists capture "verbs."

Read more of his insights here

Top 10 Internet Tools for College Students

Here is a helpful link for you: the top 10 internet tools for college students.

click here

NewsVine

I just discovered a new news website that has great interactivity. It is much nicer to look at than google news, but has some similarities.

www.newsvine.com

design=reporting 101

Check out Jamila Robinson's Web site. As the home editor and a home designer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, she has great thoughts on news and design for newspapers. Go to her handouts page and download some of her tips.