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Summer 2023 UTFC Print Ads

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Summer 2023 UTFC Print Ads

Project: UTCF Advertisement
Notes: The process of designing an ad for the UTFC textbook has been an educational and enriching journey, one that has profoundly impacted my growth as a designer. The collaborative process of mocking up various logos and textbook ad placements allowed for an in-depth exploration of visual composition and placement, making me more attuned to the iteration processes of graphic design.

A pivotal aspect of this project was the recognition that the provided text was not final. This underscored the indispensable role of well-crafted content in effectively conveying the ad’s message, reinforcing the notion that design and content are linked, and that they should evolve in tandem. This realization sharpened my understanding of the importance of close collaboration with copyediting services, as the quality of content is equally as crucial as the visual design.

 

The request to move away from stereotypical representations of French culture, particularly images of Paris and the Eiffel Tower, presented a captivating creative challenge. It necessitated an exploration of alternative imagery that authentically represents the rich tapestry of the francophone world, pushing me to think outside the box and break free from clichés in design.

 

In summary, this project has been instrumental in enhancing my grasp of the interplay between design and content, reinforcing that successful design emerges from a harmonious relationship between the two. It has also heightened my awareness of the significance of cultural sensitivity and the need to challenge preconceived notions in design, ultimately making me a more versatile and culturally conscious designer.

Summer 2023 UTFC Studio Backdrops

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UTFC Studio Testing

Project: Backdrop Color Testing
Notes: This past summer I had the opportunity to go into the LAITS studio to do some image testing. UTFC had planned on recording their lectures for the summer and spring so I tested 43 images all by myself, for the most part. For the particular modules I worked on, I had some trouble finding copyright-free images that accurately matched the destination. This led to some research on what landmarks were in these cities/countries and how far the location in the description varied from the location I was looking for.

In the studio, I could see the backdrops in real time and edit them to the correct display such as altering contrast and saturation inside Photoshop. I’ve completed testing, exporting, and attributing all of the backdrops for the respective countries!! Yayy!!!

 

Here’s what one of the finalized backdrops looks like against the original photo. This is in Faʻaʻā, Papeʻete.

A New Semester!

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Hello world! I haven’t updated my blog in a hot minute since I was the only STA working over the summer but I’m going to include above a quick recap of the projects I thought were interesting!

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Week 29 Thang Truong

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Week 29

Project: Texas Beyond History

Started on: Sep 21, 2023

Staff Guidance: Stacy

Description: 

In this project, I will need to navigate through a plethora of HTML and CSS files in the directories to figure out where all the files and changes are located. The problem with this project lies in the complexities of the different branches that I need to merge and push. One of the folders in the teacher-pages branch is not found, and it is located on the main page, so I need to figure out how to merge and see the changes reflected. However, I am still waiting for the client to communicate more clearly what branches she wants to merge.

 

 

Training: Building a Full-Stack Application

Started on: Sep 7, 2023

Description: In this training, I will have an imaginary client and help them redesign different web pages including the main page, login/sign-up, dashboard, and project management page.

My imaginary client is a start-up that builds a place for hosting various projects, and users are free to apply to whatever projects they want to be a part of. Therefore, I will start to lay out and design different pages for the project in Figma. After that, I will start to build a full-stack application for this project, initially by setting up React or Vue for the front-end, MySQL for the database, and .NET for the backend.

 

 

Week 9/18 – 9/22

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Fall ’23 STA Roster Poster

Project: Fall 2023 STA Roster Poster
Client: LAITS
Completion Status: Due Sep 22
Staff guidance: De’sha
STA team members: Leilani
Description/plans: Finalizing both iterations of the poster to be looked over by Mike.

 

Poster #1: Audio, Design, Project Team, Video, and Tech Integration (34 STAs)

Poster#2: Classroom Support, Computer Support (35 STAs)

 

Where it started:

   

How it’s going:

  

I’ve learned so much from Leilani throughout this process with feedback and tips from her past experience with designing an STA Roster Poster!

Autism Infographic Research

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Autism Infographic Research

Start: Sep 13th, 2023

To be Completed: Sep 22th, 2023

Client: Brumback

Staff Guidance: De’sha

Description: The client is requesting an infographic about her Autism research. It should be fit for both horizontal (on PowerPoint) and Vertical (hand infographic sheet) with a branding guide for following visual assets. Since there are lot of text information included, I need to find a way to well balance the layout.

Layout Exploration:

De’sha and I chose No.2 as we thought this design followed the readers’ direction and must be the clearest layout to highlight experiment result.

First Draft:

The first draft strictly follows the timeline layout in NO.2.

 

Second Draft:

As we noticed the existence of the timeline and its needed interval between made the space crowded, we decided to use a two-column design instead. The general finding is listed above the contrast between mice and worms. So the reader can follow the flow from top to bottom without changing their focal point in the middle.

Version 1 final Draft:

In this final version, I cleaned up the middle part by creating contrast between mice and worm. I also created headline and small icon to help people understand these two option more easily. I also pay attention to color contrast and ensure every text box is readable.

Illustration for Version 2:

After meeting with our client, we realized that there is too little illustration “as an infographic”. So we decided to move on some fun illustrations involved in the autism diagnostic procedure. To get closer with her children patient, our client want the style to be playful and attractive. Therefore, the color palette should convert to blue and vibrant pink.

 

Final Draft for Version 2

With the clear illustration, I’m able to implement them into the infographic with the new layout that flavor  the balance between text and image. I used the contrast between dark blue and white to differentiate each section of autism: what is autism, timeline and the data about worms. The new flow is more straightforward about the purpose of the infographic and call-of-action.