Project 4 “Personality” and Pictographs

In the previous lecture, you discovered that a good piece of design work would contain a personality or mood. You found that the designer creates the mood of the piece by adding parasignals that support and magnify the primary message of the design. Then you used this knowledge as the basis for a new approach to critiquing work. For Project 4, you will use your knowledge of parasignals to consciously create a personality for a design piece.

You will use a quote or maxim as the copy for your design. From the copy, you will analyze the images and associations that the copy evokes. Then you will use thumbnails to explore ways that the type can suggest these images.

• Finding Quotes: You may use a quote or maxim of your own choice. Quotes or maxims may be found easily over the Internet, or you may refer to one of the many books or almanacs that contain such sayings. You probably even know a few favorites. However, not all quotes will lend themselves well to this treatment. Select at least two or three to start with, limiting the length of your copy to one sentence. As a general rule, the more brief the copy, the more powerful the message.
  
• Finding Images and Associations: Next, examine each quote individually. Say it to yourself, and notice any images or associations that come to mind. For example, “The grass is greener on the other side” may evoke images of being conflicted, having two sides, and of course the color green as well as the image of grass. Write down your discoveries, and repeat the process for each quote that you have collected. Parasignal options may include; typefaces, colors, size and positions.
  
• Creating Images with Type: Now is the time to begin using thumbnails to record and explore your ideas. You may work on the computer, by hand or use a combination of both techniques. A good technique is to explore several design solutions for each quote. Your thumbnails should contain enough detail to capture the essence of the idea and how your type choices enhance the meaning. Although you may include some element of graphics, they must be incorporated into your quote and the type selections. Do not rely on the graphic to send the parasignal. Create a minimum of six thumbnails. They may be any size and shape but no larger than 8 ½ by 11.

Honestly, I didn’t spend enough time on any of these and I don’t like a single one.  I love the quotes though, so I just need to spend a bit more time on concept and execution: