Opinions needed--thesis project

[AlexNJ210]

FRIST, i apologize for the poor handwriting, i tend to think quickly. These images are scans of my notes, im hoping my handwriting is legible enough for everyone to read. I want to know what you think about my thought process, my general idea, and design propositions. everything seems a bit jumbled but its all interrelated. There are propositions of what the presentation will look like(format) and my thoughts on their importance. The medium for my project will be large format digital gelatin silver prints, where the original photographs will be computer manipulated in photoshop and illustrator to incorporate text. My thoughts in these notes reflect my direction and format for my thesis exhibition.
http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/566/0Thesis-notes0001-med.jpg

[AlexNJ210]

More notes.....(about 7 pages so far)
http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/566/0Thesis-notes0002-med.jpg
http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/566/0Thesis-notes0003-med.jpg
http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/566/0Thesis-notes0004-med.jpg http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/566/0Thesis-notes0005-med.jpg

[AlexNJ210]

http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/566/0Thesis--notes0006-med.jpg
http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/566/0Thesis-notes0007-med.jpg

[AlexNJ210]

Ask questions if you arent sure what its about.

[typographics]

alex,

basically you want to graphically communicate, as well as involve the viewer, in a split timeline showing them how one small decision and/or event can dramatically set into motion the outcome of future events? did i get that right?

i really like the idea. especially the idea of viewing a graphic representation of a choice or moment in time, and then dividing it into two different rooms. one room illustrating the events of one decision, and the other room with a contrasting timeline. i think that could be a lot of fun to participate in.

i had a hard time following your notes on the other ideas, like the book and posters. there really wasnt enough information in your notes for me to wrap my brain around it. id like to hear more about those.

you said this is a thesis? for what? not a design thesis, or is it? if its a design thesis, im having a hard time figuring out how this deals directly with design, as opposed to something like psychology.

depending on what this thesis is for, i think it is a good idea. perhaps you can give us some more details when you have the chance.

matthew~

[AlexNJ210]

alex,

basically you want to graphically communicate, as well as involve the viewer, in a split timeline showing them how one small decision and/or event can dramatically set into motion the outcome of future events? did i get that right?

i really like the idea. especially the idea of viewing a graphic representation of a choice or moment in time, and then dividing it into two different rooms. one room illustrating the events of one decision, and the other room with a contrasting timeline. i think that could be a lot of fun to participate in.

i had a hard time following your notes on the other ideas, like the book and posters. there really wasnt enough information in your notes for me to wrap my brain around it. id like to hear more about those.

you said this is a thesis? for what? not a design thesis, or is it? if its a design thesis, im having a hard time figuring out how this deals directly with design, as opposed to something like psychology.

depending on what this thesis is for, i think it is a good idea. perhaps you can give us some more details when you have the chance.

matthew~

Yes, you have basically understood my idea. The way i will be incorporating design would be in the text that would be laid out in each of the images. In recent revisions of the idea i have been considering the book structure more, not only because book making is more interrelated to graphic design/printdesign, it seems to lend itself as a more interactive experience for the viewer. The project is really more about poster design and conception, or in my secondary book style approach its about concept, communication, and design under the format of a book.

In my project im looking to capture an example of a moment in time or in daily mundane life that normally seems unimportant or as merely a passing event to be forgotten that can somehow become inescapeably profound. I used the example: have you ever been close to a tragedy, almost been in a tragic or painful situtation, where if you made a simple choice differently you would have been the victim of said tragedy? For instance, if you pulled up to a light and decided not to go through the yellow, and as you stop another car runs the crossing red light and you nearly missed being killed. Instances like that. They have to mean something. This is what im trying to evoke in a viewer. My ideas for a book structure would be to create a large format book, im talking big, like large enough to stretch the length of a table. Im going to make sketches of this even a dummy this week. The structure would be a wide format book with a cover that opens like a closet from the middle. Then visible in the middle would be an image of that first small instance in time seemingly insignificant with text on pages that will stretch on either side. The text is still in the working. The pages will be normal paper covering sections of a panoramic image on the back cover. There will be about 4 pages on either side, and as you lift page by page you see more and more of the image.
The photography will be an orchestrated blending of images in a scene to create a panoramic type view. They will portray a first person pov, allowing the viewer to identify with the content of the images. The image will portray two possibilities from one starting point in the center and branching of in two different directions symbolizing two different(but small) decisions. The image should essentially tell two storyies that are possible( the "what ifs"). They will not be abstract but photo manipulations. I hope all this gets everyone on my line of thought. It does incoporate a bit of psychology(for typo) but embodying real ideas and communicating them through type and image is what graphic design is all about.
My college graphic design program has more of its roots in a "fine art" mentality, avoiding the common corporate graphic design school approach, that is aimed at creativity and expression through means that are evocative and fresh. Although, the corporate approach is still promoted when in the interests of the students. So that explains the unorthodox nature of the thesis. It has been a lot of fun so far.

[AlexNJ210]

Hey guys, these are some more sketches of the book structure. When i get the photographs and image manipulations finished you will be able to see what im talking about with the image. Its really difficult to explain clearly. Anyway, these should illustrate better where im headed with presentation. By the way this project will be on display in the Senior Art Exhibition run by the art dept. of my college.
http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/565/853Thesis-notes0008-med.jpg
http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/565/853Thesis-notes0009-med.jpg

[Navian]

Alex,
I can understand your notes and sketches just fine, it must be the ability of the drafting skills/experience (I have to read engineer markups, yikes!). I like the book idea, and I can't wait to see the finished piece. Very innovative thinking.

my 2 ¢.

[AlexNJ210]

cool, thanks navian...i actually plan on posting things as it develops so everyone can see it grow.

[typographics]

alex,

why is the book the size of a small car again? its monsterous!

ive been to a large number or art and design shows. one thing i usually dislike is waiting in line to expierence something. one giant book can only be truely expirenced by one or two people, while the rest are forced to look over shoulders or wait.

so why not make these regular sizes? that way, you could make a dozen or so and spread them out on a table or find a fun way to contain them on a wall. this would allow multiple people to engage youre creation while keeping the flow of the show from bottlenecking around your installation. also, some people may not even see your book because of time restraints, and not wanting to wait for the crowd to clear.

huge installations work well if everything is on the wall. that way, viewers can form a line and walk down the wall. but by making this a huge book, and forcing everyone to stop and participate by reading/turning pages, you will undoubtedly cause a traffic jam.

plus having a huge, huge book on a table seems awkward and cumbersome to me. the difference in size relationship is so different that i feel it would take away from your message, instead of help it.

just some thoughts on the size. i like the idea. i think it could really be a memorible piece at your show. im excited to see how it progresses!

matthew~

[AlexNJ210]

im actually not set on the size just yet. I do know i want it large, maybe not as large as in this particular sketch but big enough where two or three people could stand in front of it. I do have a version of this project as an installation where there are posters hung from stands and curtains would guide viewers through it and it would be more of a "walkby" avoiding the bottlenecking, but for the sake of communicating the idea of the piece, i kind of wanted it to be experienced more intimately in the format of a book. In previous senior exhibitions at my school, there have been pieces who could only be viewed by one or two people at a time and they did really well. I think its the reward for the wait, and the fact that you do actually get to touch it and look through it that makes the piece enjoyable. I hope I do have a crowd!!!!! But i doubt the number of people who will see the piece, especially since there will be about 5 other exhibitions in the same gallery space, and traffic will become a problem. I think everyone will be kind of spread out and move along from piece to piece instead of crowding in front of one piece at a time. Too big is bad, i do agree, but i need to emphasize the importance of "that small moment" somehow. I dont want to go too small either. I like the bunch of little books idea. But this one book alone will be alot of work, because i also play baseball for my school and it takes up lots of time as well. I guess im going with my gut on the presentation. My professors are all for it.

[AlexNJ210]

By the way, i will be doing all, i mean all production of the piece. Im actually going to develop my own large print photos and construct the book itself. Concept to completion is all me, I wont be outsourcing any produciton.

[AlexNJ210]

Well...i have the 1/4 scale demo of the book structure completed. here are some pictures of it. The book here is about the size of your standard keyboard to give you a point of reference. It is constructed of mat board, and paper. Double sided tape and paper were used to create the binding. The white paper seen on through the opening between the first two pages describes where the image will be placed. I am still working on the text but there will be text on all pages and on either or both sides. Most likely both sides will have text. I hope everyone likes. Let me know what you think. Refer to previous posts for the back story. Thanks :)
http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/565/853SP-book-demo-1-med.jpg
http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/565/853SP-book-demo-3-med.jpg

[AlexNJ210]

Well, at long last the background panorama picture for my thesis book project has been shot, collaged, and completed. The digital picture will be divided intow 4 equal size images which will then be transfered to 35mm film and enlarged into 16x20" panels. The 4 panels will then be pieced together during construction of the book. The book will be able to be pieced together as well, in two left and right sections. For transport and practical reasons. I would love to hear opinions and thoughts. Yes, the image will be 64x20" when pieced together and the book itself will be 68x24" when finally completed. I will post pics of my show and the final book structure.
http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/565/853WEB-SENIOR-PROJECT.jpg

[typographics]

very cool. very nice photo work!

i just wish the guy on the right was throwing the trash in a trash can. in both instances, the guy (which im guessing is you?) is littering. he is either littering in the street, or littering on the sidewalk. there isnt much of a difference. (except littering in the street gets him tagged by a car)

seems like if he were throwing his wrapper in a trash can, that would make the message stronger...doing the right thing saved his life. but then again, maybe im just biased. i hate litter bugs, especially when its cigarette butts. lol.

but again, very nice composite photography!

[AlexNJ210]

thank you very much. I actually did want a garbage can in the photo but alas there wasnt one in the street i could use, and its my classmate, not me, he could pass for me i guess. Theres a pic of me in that names to faces thread. Im really not try to say anything about littering in this photograph( i hate littering too), its more about the small decision. It may carry that social morey as a message as well, but its not the goal :). Hopefully with a little backstory and the text that will accompany the picture in the book i will avoid that as a major message of the piece. But thanks again!

[cjoe]

wow i wish i'd hooked up with this project earlier, i had some good comments for your sketches. I think the idea is great, it would have been nice to see the installation come off as well.

Love the photo.

[AlexNJ210]

wow i wish i'd hooked up with this project earlier, i had some good comments for your sketches. I think the idea is great, it would have been nice to see the installation come off as well.

Love the photo.

Thanks! You guys are making me feel more confident about my show. Good news is my department head loves it. Im nervous but excited.

[AlexNJ210]

Hey, this is the printed post card for the show. I was fortunate enough to have my design selected. If youre wondering the funky looking T is actually a Tao cross, its a symbol of Fransiscan traditions( I go to a fransiscan college) and the f stands for Felician ( my college name). I know i know, "where the heck is that" youre thinking, its a small school but ive learned so much since ive been here so it was worth it. Let me know what you think of this design. Thanks!
http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/565/853Post-card-print-for-web.jpg

[cjoe]

Hey, this is the printed post card for the show. I was fortunate enough to have my design selected. If youre wondering the funky looking T is actually a Tao cross, its a symbol of Fransiscan traditions( I go to a fransiscan college) and the f stands for Felician ( my college name). I know i know, "where the heck is that" youre thinking, its a small school but ive learned so much since ive been here so it was worth it. Let me know what you think of this design. Thanks!
http://thecreativeforum.com/photopost/data/565/853Post-card-print-for-web.jpg

not super exciting, the T doesn't really make sense to me.

[AlexNJ210]

yea, i know its not the coolest thing. But this years post card was meant to give a boost to the art department. We need as much support from the administration from our school as possible. This design will kind of get us "brownie points" with the administration. The "T" like i said is a Tao Cross, a symbol of fransiscan traditions, and my college is owned and run by a fransiscan order. There are about 10 students showing work in the exhibition, and this postcard is kind of just an announcement of the show with a design geared toward being attractive to the administration. Its not the direction i WANTED to go, but its what i came up with on advice from my department head and professor. Good thing is that the work in the exhibit is not such to appease the admins. Definitely wouldnt go for that myself. Kind of a give and take. Ill keep it in my portfolio as a sign that i had my work exhibited. This is a scan of the printed card. It is glossy on one side, the computer doesnt do it justice with the colors and the wavy texture is another product of the scan.

[AlexNJ210]

The book construction is completed!!!!!!! I finished building the book itself minus the background image which is still being produced into large format photos. But it looks great so far. I will post some pics of the construction and the show which will be installed this wednesday the 26th. My oral presentation in front of the department and administration will be on the 1st of May...dreading that but i think i will be alright. Anyway, wish me luck :)!!!