How to Reflection

1) You were required to create a structure/layout, original title/type, and a visual sequence for your "How To" Poster.  Select ONE component you feel your poster is strongest in. Explain why you feel your poster is particularly strong in that category describing at least ONE specific part of your poster.
One component of my poster that I felt is the strongest in is the font of my title. I felt like my font was the strongest because it was unique from everyone else's. Also I spent a long time making sure each letter was exactly the same distances apart and the size was the same too. I spent time making sure each letter followed the slanted curvy design I started with. 
2) What is ONE thing you would do differently if you had the chance to start this project over from the beginning? Explain what you do differently and how that would strengthen your poster.
One thing I would do differently if I had the chance to start this project over was to redo the circles that hold the steps I have. The reason I want to do it differently is because the circles were suppose to represent potato slices that are about to go inside the wok. On my poster they don't look like potato slices, so if my potato slices actually look like potato slices I feel like it would really tie my poster together and make it more cohesive. 

Broken Glass Back and Front Cover

5 Book Covers

I was drawn to this cover because of the familiar colors of a post office. There is a definite center alignment in the cover. What really drawn me to this book cover was how simple the cover was but at the same time has an obvious connection to the title of the novel ( Americans in Paris, U.S. post office/ envelope style).

I was attracted to the origami bow tie looking design in the center of the cover. Although I don't know what Pnin means (title of the novel), the bow tie makes me feel like it's going to be about someone with class or maybe the bow tie has a significant meaning to the novel.

The pickle is what caught my eye. The reason for this is because there is nothing but the pickle so my eyes naturally stared at it. I thought the pickle was strangely fitting to the title, especially the "ugly" part. I like this cover because the cover is simple. It doesn't make my eyes wander since there's just the pickle but it makes people think why. Why the pickle? What does the pickle have to do with the novel?

I really liked how the title and author names are jumbled together like shredded paper. I feel like the cover really speaks about what the book is going to be about. The shredded paper style makes me think of offices and that makes me wonder whether the novel is set in a office or about an office worker. I really like the simple black and white concept.

I love how the letters look so three dimensional. I really like the whole idea of the title popping out at the reader. I also find it interesting how the cover doesn't have a picture. However, that's exactly the reason why I love the cover, it's so plain but at the same time it feels somewhat mysterious. It makes me want to know what this novel is about.

In all the book covers I chose, there is one obvious theme and reason I like them. That is... they are simple! For me, I don't like covers that are complicated because I feel like it reveals too much of the novel. I feel like simple covers are like teasers that show a little but draws in one's mind so that they continue to wonder what the novel is about.

What is a Good Book Cover?

I don't love this book cover. However, I do think this cover is a success. The reason for that is because it depicts the novel's mood and story line really well. I have a love- hate relationship with this novel but even without reading the novel, one can already know that this novel is not a comedy or happy type of novel. It's an autobiography and the black and white photo of a young girl with a scarf covering her face really gives off an eerie, kind of depressing feeling. That already shows in itself that the story line is going to be sad. Also it shows irony since the title is Autobiography of a Face but the girl's covering her face.

Design Competition Reflection

1. My process in creating this design was to first research more on images that remind me of Millennium High School. After looking at the images I looked at the past Millennium Student Planners I received throughout the years. I wanted to see if there was any common themes included in the past ones. I noticed how there was always the Phoenix which isn't strange since it is our school's mascot. I knew I wanted to include the Phoenix so I started off my designs with that in mind. Overall my process was difficult in trying to create a design that creates almost a nostalgic feeling for Millennium. I wanted a design that was familiar but at the same time different. 

2. I created my design by keeping in mind my goal for the cover of the planner. My goal I wanted for the planner was to have all the students look at it and have that "Oh! It's Millennium!" effect. What I mean by that was that I wanted to combine the major elements that reminds everyone of Millennium. I found that it was our Phoenix mascot and our unique office building school. Even though the whole design is simple, I think it is actually very fitting for Millennium. Millennium, although looks very plain on the outside; on the inside consists of stern but wacky teachers, crazy students, and a powerful community.

3. I've mentioned the reason I chose the images I incorporated into the design in the writing above. I chose the text and font that I tried to imitate in my design from the Millennium website itself. It's a font and text that every Millennium student have seen whether alumni or current student everyone had to stare at those fonts for four years. The text reminded of a unity to Millennium. I chose this layout of the Phoenix rising from the office building because I wanted to parody our school phrase of "the Phoenix rising from the ashes" and allude to the fact that Millennium was opened after 9/11 which is something everyone in Millennium knows about. 

4. To be honest, I focused more on the Proximity and Alignment aspect of the design. In terms of Proximity, the design is very modern and fitting to the current time. Also, alignment I wanted the design to be very centered so that people's eyes would really travel from top to bottom and look at the design holistically. 

Reflection

Swim Logo

Swim Logo on Backpack

• How does your Logo design represent the after school club or activity? (Font choice, symbol, colors, layout, etc)
• Which process was most helpful in creating your design? (research thumbnail sketches, concept board, 2 rough drafts, digital draft on Gimp, etc.)
• What was the most challenging aspect about the logo project?
• Are you satisfied with your final design? Why is your logo successful?  If you not satisfied with your design, what would you like to change? 

- My Logo design represents Swim Club because it is an image of a swimmer diving into the water like when the Swim Team members dive into the pool when competing in races. I chose the colors red because our school colors are red and black. Also, the Swim Team members have red (and black striped) team suits we wear for competitions. I chose this type of font because usually sports teams have fonts that are block like and serious. I chose this font to follow it and to show dedication.

- I think the concept board was the most helpful to me because I got to put any photos that reminded me of the club. It's looking at my concept board that I found inspiration from one of the photos in it. 

- The most challenging aspect of the logo project was producing the logo closest to the one I envisioned in my head when using the gimp tools which I still have not yet mastered. 

- Overall, I am generally satisfied with my final design and I think the logo was successful because I think it embodies the movement and overall feeling of excitement from competitions. If I were to change something I would change where I put the logo. I want it to be on a duffel sports bag since we do need to travel to our swim meets and the duffel bag will be helpful and showing team spirit to meets.

13 Best of Moments of 2013!

My Top 13 Best Moments of 2013!

1. College Applications are done! The struggle of putting together and then taking apart and putting back to together a perfect college essay is OVER! All I have to do right now is wait.

2. Being late on the day I had to take my 3rd SAT's. Stupid NY transit needs to tell people ONLINE that certain trains are not active on the weekends. I cried my way into a taxi and met a really nice taxi driver. He felt bad for me and gave me a free ride to Brooklyn Tech. There are nice people in NYC!

3. Watching Titanic at Bernice's house for the first time in my life with Airton and Ronnie. Turned on the lights only to find out that all of us were in tears! They took photos of me crying...

4. Breaking my shoes while trying to get to my first interview. I got so annoyed that the bottom part of my shoes broke so I ripped them off and continued running to my interview place. 

5. Not having power for a whole week during Hurricane Sandy. I was so bored that I played with the fire on candles and pretended I was a fire bender. 

6. Raising my child with dwarfism, Mackenzie, with my partner Mindy for a week for our Advanced Bio project.

7. Having a parent free week with only my sister and brother when my parents went to the Bahamas in November.

8.Receiving a Sponge bob toothbrush, mouthwash, and toothpaste as a Christmas present. 

9. Actually competing in races when I was in Swim Team.

10. Watching Despicable Me 2 with Bernice when it came out! IT WAS AWESOME!

11. Learning how to ride a bike with my friends! Then some drunk lady tried to teach me...

photo creds to Ronnie!

12. Ice Skating for the 2nd time in my life. I fell twice and scraped my arm.

13. Watching Charlie Brown Christmas with my friends and comparing ourselves to the characters. Apparently I'm suppose to be Rerun because I'm short.