Author Archives: Shaina Kamkar

About Shaina Kamkar

NO-CARD

Blog Homework 3 by Shaina Kamkar

Posted on by

When it comes to the “right” design, I think the answer isn’t always the same. Personally, when I think of a form of good design, it’s usually something that has word play or has a strong relationship between concept/content and design.

For example, in these three designs, the exact words and their semantics directly reflect the design. My favorite would have to be the third design: “I Never Finish Anyth-.” It is clever not exactly in the choice of type, spacing, etc, but rather in the actual meaning of the statement. For all I know, the designer could have written “I love cats and-,” which would still get the message across.

tumblr_m4cclaGPL21qjh7zko1_500 tumblr_mhtzcmeYGW1qjh7zko1_500 tumblr_mvrhf3lRNz1qzh0vno1_500On the other hand, my idea of not so good design other than Dr. Zizmor’s subway ads, would have to be something that confuses the meaning of the design. This could be done many different ways such as using images that have no relevance to the meaning or even using such an illegible type that nothing is understood.

For example, this piece, unlike the ones above, overlaps its lettering, which makes it difficult to read and understand the meaning. DECONSTRUCTION 5

 

 

Punch Cutting: Pros and Cons

Posted on by

I think besides the obvious fact that punch-cutting would seriously make the process of designing longer, it definitely has other effects, both positive and negative. In one sense, punch-cutting would make it difficult to play around with different design ideas as each letter must be so meticulously handled with. Moreover, punch-cutting puts the focus on the actual lettering, it’s serifs/lack of serifs, and it’s curves/edges rather than the placement of the lettering in relation to a design. On the other hand however, punch-cutting puts such an emphasis on having the perfect, clean letter that perhaps the design is well-thought out beforehand to account for the difficulties in making mistakes and redoing. When one has to deal with the actual process of punch-cutting, design brainstorming may be more critical as there isn’t a lot of time to make mistakes. It is quite amazing to see how different and time consuming type-setting was at one point in time. To go from that to clicking a single button is quite remarkable.

What is Graphic Design? -Shaina Kamkar

Posted on by

I always knew that Graphic Design was such a versatile and wide-spread idea, linked to many different industries and businesses. But, until this article I never really realized how important it is in communicating. It’s practically everywhere, whether we consciously think about it or not. The article did a strong job of explaining the three different types of designing: imaging, type, imaging & type, and logos. At the end of the day, graphic design is a form of communication just like a speech, a song, or a commercial. I find it interesting how a company or a business can completely change its audience or the way it is perceived by its audience just by a different website home-page layout, business card font, or even billboard design.

If I could ask the author one thing, it would be where the line gets drawn between creativity and functionality for Graphic Design. Is Graphic Design considered an Art or a tool in the business world?  My personal answer to this question would both. Without starting with creativity, artistic talent, or some sort of inspiration, you will not understand the purpose or function of your design. It also can depend on the type of Graphic Design one wishes to pursue. For example, a t-shirt designer may not look so much at functionalities of the t-shirt, rather the intricate design or logo that will make it unique or eye-catching. Conversely, a web-designer may take into account both creative elements as well as functional elements.