Too many finals...

...so I'm going to blog!

I'm looking through my informational binder and gearing up to finish my final projects, presentations and tests. I'm just a little Type A and neatly draw a line through each class period I sit through, each assignment I turn in and even each vacation day. My daily planner is filled with diagonal lines through each day and little check marks when the activity has passed.

I hope I'm not the only one who does this! (Sidenote: it reminds me of the way my former piano teacher kept tabs on the things in her life. Checkmarks, notes, and lots of lists!)

I think my favorite class this semester has been Publication Design and Graphics. I think this class has strengthened my resolve to work in design in some form some day. Although I can write copy (really well) and take pictures (not really well), my talents shine when I get to incorporate both words and graphics on a page.

I learned C.R.A.P. in Pub Design this semester; which stands for Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity. Those four principles working together are what takes an awful design to tolerable and a good design to great. Leave out any one element, and the whole thing can flop. Use each one appropriately, and you've created a design that looks like art!

Not that these all look like art, but I am VERY proud of the finished products! I'll be presenting this campaign to an actual organization on Tuesday. I have to pitch my work and my abilities, then ask them to choose my pieces for their campaign! (That will be the hard part for me - I'm not good at selling.)

A little background: the middle school/center is hosting a community financial literacy night - where students teach the seminars - and needed materials to promote the event and educate the community.

Remember, this is the culmination of 4 months of hard work, my nerves are frayed and I haven't had more than 6 hours of sleep a night for the past week. Be kind! And enjoy!

A banner announcing the event...



A business card that students could hand out...

The front page...



...the second page...

...the third page...

...and the back page...



A poster for the event...




A general ad for the school...


And an event-specific ad...


I also designed two pieces of stationery, but am too tired to post them tonight. Check back tomorrow. (My favorites are the ads!)