Class Reflections:
This class was an eye-opener for me! I felt competent in many areas of communications, but this taught me so much about design, color, layout, and function. I really enjoyed working on these final projects, publicity for a blood drive for the American Red Cross The Red Cross is an organization near and dear to my heart, because myself and many of my family members have benefitted from their services. Two of the three projects actually uses my family's pictures that I took myself, and a poem that was told to me during a very challenging health issue. I utilized a black, white and red color scheme because I find them to be the most striking and bold, which pairs well with the black and white photography. All of the stories told in the Instagram posts are TRUE! That makes it all the more poignant. I used Persuasion and Conviction as well as Beautification in the Functions of Art. I believe ads and information can be beautiful, and by utilizing photography and a monochromatic color palette, I was able to elevate the entire campaign.
I really hope this project helps you see the benefits of learning more about Communications, as I have grown so much in the process of making these projects!
Final Project Reflections:
Discuss how the visual elements in your piece(s) matched the written message?
The visual element for my poster was a hand having blood drawn, with a blood bag with the Red Cross logo on it. It was an obvious choice for me because it was unmistakable and it matched my color profile of red, white and black. It was in a universal style, making it easy to see and understand. The visual elements in my Instagram blitz were black and white photography of members of my family. It was an appeal to pathos, in that they were real people with real stories, which made it more believable and relatable. I felt that it made the event more real y showing the lives changed by donations.
Were the design elements you chose effective? Why or why not?
Yes, very. They were sharp and clean, relatable and understood in their meaning. My reviewer felt that they made sense and they appealed to the pathos in the viewer, which was my goal.
What problems did you encounter creating your pieces and how did you resolve them?
I originally chose different pieces, but after critique, decided they weren't the best choices for my design ideas. I switched tracks, and went with the pieces seen here. I feel really good about my choice to change tracks and rework my plan.
What improvement(s) would you make in your media pieces?
I feel that I would have preferred to use my own artwork for the pieces, but since i was in the process of moving, my scanner was unavailable. I love to watercolor, and have used my own artwork for many pieces in the past, but was unable to make this happen in time. That would have made it even more personal to me. However, the choices I made with the photography (being my own work) makes it second best. I stand by my choices in this project.