Design Is...

Design is the application of elements such as colour, balance and hierarchy to objects all around us in order to make them usable and understandable. It is concerned with conveying use or meaning to people in a clear and concise manner and being understood by those that the design is meant to target. Something visually appealing isn't necessarily designed if it doesn't serve a purpose. A design must entice people to interact with it, but it must also accomplish a main goal; form follows function.

My Design Process

When I receive a new project, the first thing I do is read the specifications carefully a few times to memorize them. After that I usually think about the project for some time, jotting down notes and sketches for anything that comes to me right away and performing research. Once I've exhausted my ideas, I'll step away from the project and do something I enjoy or work on another project to let new inspiration come to me. If I get inspired, I'll add to my previous notes.
Once I choose a direction, I draw a rough layout before moving on to digital applications. I apply my notes and sketches to the program I'm using, and execute my idea. Usually during this time, my design will change based on my skills and opinions along the way.
When I feel my design is finished, I'll leave it for a day and come back to look at it after I've had a while to stop thinking about it. This is usually when I'll spot a mistake or something I'd like to make a last minute change on because I haven't been staring at it for hours. Although my process may not be entirely time efficient, I find it is how I do my best work.

A Bit About Me

The purpose of this blog is to reflect and make observations based on what I've learned in my Contemporary Design Theory class. I am a graphic design student at Humber College currently in my fourth semester. The areas of graphic design that I am especially interested in are advertising, particularly print media and guerrilla marketing, and editorial design. I would describe my design style as clean and modern, with specific interests in typography and illustration. I have an appreciation for Art Deco and Bauhaus design, as well as bold typography and cool colour palettes.

The title of this blog is based on the fact that everything in advertising is on purpose. I've always been interested in the subliminal language of advertising design that sparks a specific urge or desire in the viewer. In a world so flooded with design, it's difficult sometimes to believe that the majority of it was meticulously designed to mean something specific to you, but it's completely true. There is a method behind all that madness.