Graphic/Media Design

Journal One.

As I was looking through the magazine Abitare January 2006, I came across an ad for REX Electrolux. It was all in a different language so unfortunately I could not read it and I went to the website it gave me and it was in a different language as well. So from observing the add though I think it was very well designed. Especially if I, the viewer, cannot read the print that it is in, and still understand the idea that they are trying to get across. It is a two page spread and the center is the dishwasher they are trying to advertise. They have an entire drum set fit inside the dishwasher. I am assuming the idea they are trying to make is that it is very spacious and large to fit a large amount of dishes in. The whole ad is a muted silver/gray tone and the drum set is in a vibrant red, orange, and yellow. They obviously chose this color scheme to emphasize and focus the eye on the main point of the ad. I think they did a very good job designing this ad, even though it is in a completely different language.

Journal Two.

I was looking at an ad for Ariston and it showed a couple preparing dinner in the kitchen. It was advertising refrigerated drawers. I commented on this product already in the product/artifacts because I liked the idea, however, as an ad I feel like it could have been utilized better. It is a two page layout and on the right side there is the couple, the picture goes over onto the left page a little bit and then the page is divided into two sections. The top section is a picture of the two refrigerated drawers and then on the bottom is writing and two more tinier pictures of the drawers. I feel like they could have emphasized the organization of the drawers and the adjustable/removable organizers in the drawers. Once again this ad was in a different language, I'm thinking Italian, so I give them props that they made the article understandable to foreigner's however I still think the layout could have been utilized better.

Journal Three.

This ad, for Sub-Zero, is advertising a wine storage cooler. It is a one page spread and is completely white except the picture that takes up about 60 percent of the page. The main focus is the wine cooler and there is a quote above the picture stating, "Wine Storage Sub-Zero. The wine can tell the difference", and I thought that was a cute, cheesy, slogan for the product. It makes sense and is straight forward. I think they did a good job of getting right to the point of what they were trying to advertise.

Journal Four.

At first when I saw this ad for FLOR modular carpet tile I didn't think it made sense. But now looking back at it I think its pretty cool. The main focus is this large stack of boxes, one open with a see through lid that leads into the living room. The area that is inside of the box has carpet in the home, and outside of the box there is wooden floor. The only text on the picture is inside the box and it reads "Half-day dream". After reading the caption below the picture explaining how you can lay the tiles down in less than a day and have your whole living room carpeted it all made sense. I thought it was a clever way to play with the use of images and focal points to lead the eye in to the carpeted area. The carpet color chosen is red and all other colors on in the ad are dark and muted so the color subliminally focus's your eye on the red carpet.

Journal Five.

This ad is for Thomasville furniture collections. It is a full picture ad, but the one page layout is split in half. One half was the back of a woman with a white and gold pinstriped tank top. The other half is a bed with the same colored stripe bedspread as the womans shirt, however the stripes are bigger. The slogan says "So you." above the bed and I think it does not give a good idea across. I once again had to think about it a lot before understanding it. In the middle of describing it up above I then realized what it means. I feel like they got the message they were trying to get across about how the beds are fit for you, however, I feel like it is a pretty corny way of doing it.

Journal Six.

This is a two page layout spread for 100 reasons to crack a smile. It is mainly a large navy rectangle with white print. The reasons are laid out like some sort of game. there are different groupings in rectangles different sizes, outlined in solid rectangles, dotted rectangles, and arrows. They variated the different fonts by using different type, bold, and all caps. I think they did a good job making it different and used the opportunity to change it up instead of just generically listing in columns the 100 reasons to crack a smile. This ad was in the Design Your Life Blueprint magazine summer 2006.

Journal Seven

This is a two page spread for Martha Stewart everyday in K-Mart. It is advertising all the new Martha Stewart bedding and bath items. The layout is a bed level view of a bedroom. They have caption bubbles to the different products quoting different comments like "A woven floral coverlet will really lend some romance to my room." Very cheesy I'd have to say, but it does get the point across.

Journal Eight.

This as well is a two page spread. It is for Armstrong genuine hardwood floors. Almost the whole spread is a hardwood floor and then three clip art images. It is a turkey on a tray+banana peel= pizza box, then underneath it says "Tested to withstand the unexpected". This ad unfortunately does not convey a clear message.

Journal Nine.

This was a one page layout for Olay regenerist micro-sculpting cream. The ad is in all deep red colors and black with white writing. The jar of cream is enlarged in the center of the page with white lighting underneath to emphasize the jar. I think it does a great job advertising the product and even though I do not need this product i feel like it would work and make me feel refreshed.

Journal Ten.

This ad was a one page layout as well and it was an advertisement for a design company called Tisettanta. It is very simple and clean, the room they have designed is the main focal point of the ad. The space is very well designed, the colors repeated throughout the ad and the clean lines repeated throughout the design. The design is very unique and intrigue's the viewer to pursue the company.