Independent Component 2

Literal
(a) "I, William Lam, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”

(b) I executed various tutorials from Adobe for Photoshop in order to better familiarize myself more with the tools that graphic designers utilize.

Interpretive
It is significant for me to learn the program because it is what is used in order to execute the designer's idea and make them a reality. Without proper knowledge of the program, what might've been a potentially grandiose idea, would end up with the final product not doing it justice. I practiced the following tutorials, all of which vary in difficulty and completion time within the time frame indicated on this calendar here.

Vector masking and background removal - 2 hours/3 days (overall 6 hours)
Radial zoom enhanced eyes effect - 1 hour
How to blend textures with photos in Photoshop - 1 hour
Graffiti  - 1 hours/3 days (overall 3 hours)
Silhouette and gradients - 1 hour/4 days (overall 4 hours... it was fun)
Photoshop type: creating warped text - 1 hour
Old school 3-D effect - 1 hour
Photo inside text - 1 hour/3 days (overall 3 hours... needed it for yearbook)
Vignetting - 1 hour
Selective coloring effect - 1 hour/2 days (overall 2 hours)
Alien - 2 hours
Skii masking - 1 hour/4 days (overall 4 hours)
Human puppet - 1 hour/2 days (overall 2 hours)
Ripped paper collage effect - 1 hour
Fake real blood - 1 hour
Urban jungle - 1 hour

Total: about 34 hours

I have uploaded some the work after the jump. (the "read more." I only uploaded some because a few had difficulty compressing. I'm resolving this once I get some free time.)

Applied
This helped me answer my EQ because it helped me explore the possibility that the answer may like in something more literal (the execution) rather than the conceptualization or other concepts and techniques.

Grading Criteria
· Log (calendar or list)
· Evidence of 30 hours of work

Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

1. I plan on mainly practicing my technique on Photoshop, since that is where I have the least knowledge. Plus, my research towers indicate I don't have a lot of research on the actual technique required to be a successful graphic designer anyways. I will go and buy tutorial books and will work on the lessons they have whether they be photo editting or typography or effects or such as.

2. This should reach 30 hours of work since I've done these tutorials before and each one is about 1 to 2 hours of work. Since I will have an entire book to work with, I don't think this will be a problem. I will divide the work to maybe one lesson a day or every two days depending on my mood... All the work completed will be kept in a folder and I'll print them out/PDF them for evidence if necessary.

3. This relates back to my EQ becuase this allows me to experiment hands-on different techniques to make my designs more eye-catching. Also, because one of my possible answers is knowing the ins-and-outs of the software being used, it fits perfectly. Also, because my skills as a graphic designer are in reality limited to publication design, since that's where I've been trained the most, this will allow me to become more creative with more mediums other than just editorial.

Independent Component 1

Log of 30 (or more) hours of work:

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Evidence:

Due to on-going technical errors with the printer in Strand's room, I was unable to get the final printouts of the first and second deadlines. I was, however, able to dig up some of the drafts. First and second deadline is 100% complete, though! I didn't think of the idea of taking screenshots instead since I was panicing about the printer. Also, the whole "yearbook needs to be kept secret" idea kind of applies too... But here it is! 

Cover

Front Endsheet

Back Endsheet

Division #1

Model Assembly

Senior Projects

Frist Page of Senior Section

The rest of the drafts of first and second deadline

Literal:

(a) I, William Lam, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

(b) I worked on designing our school's yearbook. This includes, but is not limited to, designing templates, laying out spreads, Photoshopping photos, touching up photos, cutting out photos, headline packaging and other typography, teaching the staffers how to design, inputting photos, writing captions, putting together mods, taking photos, and gathering "inspiration" from other designers. In all, this includes about 48 spreads, or 96 pages worth of content completed (halfway done!).

Interpretive:

I say my entire component has significance because I'm constantly doing hands-on work and practicing my design skills. I have applied many of the techniques I have researched, such as designing for your audience and different ways of organizing information, to my work in yearbook. My component is direct application of my entire senior project in terms of design techniques as well as learning how to operate the programs needed to become a successful designer. I stay after school almost everyday from 1 to 5 working on spreads. It demonstrates (more than) 30 hours of work because designing requires strict attention to details, which means multiple hours of working on the same thing. Overall, my labor in the independent component is significant because I apply what I learn from research every time I'm on the computer working.

Applied: 

The independent component helped me answer my EQ because it allowed me to gain hands-on experience on designing for a specific audience I.E. iPoly student body. The theme of the book required deep digging in order to successfully connect with the student body in order to have a chance at an impacting design. Without that and without an audience, my work would be insignificant because I would then be simply designing for myself, which goes against the purpose of a graphic designer. My third interview, graphic designer Sylvia Ly stated that graphic designers are like messengers; they mold a message according to the preference of the receiver in order for the message to be well understood. My independent component, working on yearbook, allows me to do just that. My designing is not according to how I want things to look like; rather, how my target audience prefers things to look like (through utilizing trends that are popular among current high school yearbooks.) Through my independent component, I was able to see that the first key to impacting an audience is to know your audience thoroughly in terms of history, taste, attitude, idealisms, culture, etc.

Independent Component 1 Plan Approval

I plan on applying my graphic design techniques to the place where I first acquired them– yearbook. Since I'm design editor, I get a heavy load of designing and conceptualizing the spreads. Currently, because it is the beginning of the year, my main responsibility is to design the theme-centralized spreads (including cover, endsheets, division pages, senior section) and the coverage/content spreads (academics, student life). What I design this deadline will determine what the entire book will look like, so I feel that this part especially fits my senior project well because this will be where I apply the "creating things stemmed from an idea" aspect.

I plan on meeting the required 30 hours by working in elective on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the designs. I will also work after schools whenever possible (most likely everyday) since the workload and deadline will call for that. I usually stay after school designing from 1:30 until 5:30. Again, because of my job, I'm mainly on the computer designing so sidetracking or additional duties are not an issue. In order to present evidence of this work, I'll be keeping a log every day I'm working as well as keeping each and every draft, which I will print out at the end of each work day. (Because we start yearbook in August, I have not had the chance to save the preliminary drafts for some, but I will for the new ones that will materialize throughout this deadline.)

This study will relate to my EQ because at this stage of the yearbook, my entire goal for the designs is to make an impact on the readers (students, you, etc.) who will eventually receive this book in May/June. The entire point of yearbook design is to draw the reader in to reading the copy and admiring the photography, and the first step in order to do that is to make a strong first impression. Yearbook design is simply an extension of graphic design because of this, and this will help my discover more answers because I'm getting first hand experience through trial-and-error.