Concept Statement and Audience Persona

Concept Statements

In the dream it feels as if it has a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you are always wishing you could go into that mystical dream again. To satisfy the need to relive the heroic adventure where good conquers evil with the power of faith and determination. 

A feeling or great liking for something beautiful and unusual. As if you were put under a magical spell that allows you to face danger without showing fear and to discover an adventurous imagination through the eyes of a child.

A glorious discovery of magic and adventure in a setting other than a real world opens a courageous door in the mind of a faithful and heroic person. Once it is closed they are always wishing how to get into the dream again, where evil was conquered by good.

Audience Persona

Olivia is a 10 year old girl who has always been very interested in girly things and loves playing dress up with her younger sister. She is very active and always has to be occupied with some type of fun activity. Shes in the 4th grade and loves going to school to socialize and learn about subjects of her interest. Everyday her teacher makes the class read for twenty minutes. Those twenty minutes are almost torture for Olivia because she can never focus longer than 5 minutes on her book. She has a tough time finding a book that she is willing to read and keep her interested until its finished. One day at the library she came across a section of fantasy novels. Olivia loved to use her imagination, so she thought that this genre would maybe solve her reading problem. Since then she has started a fantasy series called The Chronicles of Narnia. She is very interested and can barely take a break from reading until all seven are complete.

Graphic Design_Reading #2

A good point I came across in this reading was the generalization they made about how visual communication is everywhere in our world. Its used through billboards, signs, television commercials, magazine advertisements, and messages are even incorporated into the packaging. Logos play a crucial role in all of these forms of visual communication. When creating a logo it is very challenging to stay away from the trend because you don't want to take the chance of it going out of style. A logo is a foundation base for all the other messages. While designing a logo a designer should always keep a strong understanding of their own role, the client's role to maintain a clear and successful vision.

Book Cover Research

Series: a number of things. Events or people of a similar kind of related nature coming one after another

Sequence: a particular order in which related events, movements, or things follow each other

Sign: a stimulus pattern that has meaning, the difference is how the meaning happens to be attached to or associated with the pattern.

Example: signs can be gestures, facial expressions, speech disorders, slogans,

graffiti, commercials, music, drawing, poetry, etc. (very diverse)

*Similar to an Icon: a picture of your face is an icon of you.

This sign means no 

smoking.

               

Index: some sensory feature, A, (directly visible, audible, smellable, etc) that correlates with and thus implies or `points to' B, something of interest to an animal.

Example: dark clouds in the west are an indication for rain

Or a red stop light indicates that you should stop or wreck your car

Indicates a sad feeling, mood, or emotion.

                                            

              

Symbol: (content words like nouns, verbs and adjectives) are (sound) patterns) that get meaning:

1: from its mental association with other symbols and

2: from its correlation with environmental patterns

example: a child says “choo choo” because he sees train, smoke, charcoal, caboose, train tracks, loud horn, etc.

      

Book Choices:

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Genre: fantasy

The author of The Chronicles of Narnia is Clive Staples (C. S.) Lewis, who was called Jack instead of Clive. Born on November 29, 1898, in Belfast, Ireland, he attended English boarding schools, which he hated. During World War I he served in the British army and was wounded in battle. Lewis attended Oxford University in England, where he later became friends with J. R. R. Tolkien, who went on to write the Lord of the Rings series. While at Oxford, Lewis published his first work, a collection of poems called Spirits in Bondage (1919).

The Chronicles of Narnia were published one at a time during the 1950s. The books were very popular, and Lewis received many letters from children fascinated with the world of Narnia. During his lifetime, Lewis wrote more than 30 books, including science fiction stories. He was also a Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University. C. S. Lewis died on November 22, 1963, in Oxford, England.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

While hiding in an old, enchanted wardrobe, or closet, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie stumble into the world of Narnia.With the help of the Great Lion Aslan, they defeat the White Witch, who has made it always winter in Narnia, but never Christmas! For many years the children rule as kings and queens of Narnia until they return to their own world, where no time has passed.

Prince Caspian: the Return to Narnia

Prince Caspian’s evil uncle Miraz has murdered Caspian’s father—the true king of Narnia—and taken the throne for himself. Most of the enchanted beasts and creatures of Old Narnia have been killed or are in hiding. Fearing that his uncle will murder him next, Prince Caspian uses the help of the Pevensies to regain his throne. This is Peter’s and Susan’s last trip to Narnia.

The Voyage of Dawn Treader

Edmund, Lucy, and their cousin Eustace are pulled into Narnia through a painting.They find themselves aboard the Dawn Treader, the ship of their friend, King Caspian X. In a fantastic adventure to the End of the World (also called the World’s End), Caspian leads a successful search for the seven lords who were friends of his father, but who had been exiled (forced to leave), by the tyrant Miraz. Caspian returns home, but Eustace, Edmund, Lucy, and the noble Mouse Reepicheep continue their journey and encounter the Great Aslan, in the form of a lamb, who tells Lucy and Edmund that they are too old to return to Narnia after this trip.

Tone/Model

east _ > + _ _ west (eastern/western or east coast west coast)

organic > _ + _ _ high–tech
minimal _ _ + <_>+ _ _ futuristic / 

nostagic _ _ + _ _ contemporary
unrefined/rough _ >+ _ _ clean/sophisticated
machine made _ _ + <_handmade> + _ _non-traditional
complex _ >+ _ _easy

To Suggest

To suggest a fantasy and enchanted world

To suggest an antique taste

To suggest a mystical dream

To suggest an adventurous imagination

To suggest good conquering evil

To suggest the power of faith and determination

To suggest children committing great heroic deeds

To suggest a sense of royalty

To suggest the beauty of nature

 

Word list

Fantasy Magical Mystical Old-fashioned Antique Vintage Fancy Kingly Royalty Christianity Bold Misty Earthy Hazy Dreamy Rustic Symbolic Classy English Historical Wondrous Happy Family Honesty Delightful Aggressive Competitive Beauty Nature

Imaginative Adventurous Risky Heroic Wealth Rich Tough Chance Charming Wicked Unusual Eccentric Enchanted Forest Imaginary Greed Gluttony Friendly Seasonal Malicious Evil Danger Defeat Brave Timestopping Courageous Fearless Fascinating Entranced Kind Beautiful Sweet Gentle Valiant Magnificent Brilliant Glorious Vivid Pastel Subtle Cool Hazy

Enchanted: (enchantment) a feeling or great liking for something wonderful and unusual: a magic spell

Courageous: able to face or deal with danger or fear without flinching; face danger or pain without showing fear

Fantasy: the activity of imagining things that are impossible or improbably; a fanciful mental image; magic and adventure in a setting other than a real world

Magical: beautiful or delightful in such a way as to seem removed from everyday life

Antique:  in tradition, fashion or style of the past; old-fashioned; paper having rough surface; to emboss on paper or surface

Pastel: color having soft subdued shade; delicate or pale in color; light colors

Subtle: delicate, faint or mysterious; skill, crafty and clever; fine, thin, finely woven

Mystical: mystic; spiritually symbolic; of or having spiritual reality or import not apparent to the senses

Fancy:  the artistic ability of creating unreal or whimsical imagery, decorative detail; the breeding of animals to the point to develop beauty and excellence; ornamental, not plain

Dreamy: soothing, restful, serene

Adventurous:  inclined or willing to take part in adventures: full of risk, requiring courage, hazardous

Glorious: full of glory, entitled to great renown; brilliant, beautiful and magnificent (splendor) 

TONE 

Nonfiction, relaxed, colloquial 

Quotes, Phrases, etc.

"It is more magic." They looked round. There, shining in the sunrise, larger than they had seen him before, shaking his mane stood Aslan himself.

"Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight

At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,

When he bears his teeth, winter meets its death

And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again." 

Perhaps is has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone said something which you don’t understand, but in the dream it feels as if it has some enormous meaning - either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again.
~ p141 (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)

She strove and she pleaded with cries all unheeded 

To go back and reign as a Narnian queen.

….But sparkling rivers, congenial beavers 

And ancient trees thickened with glistening snow 

Call to her softly, though her sister scoffs 

And claims 'twas a game that they played long ago. 

Yet she too was there, and she clung to His hair 

On the glorious morn when He conquered the grave. 

She too heard His roar and, as never before, 

Felt strong and compassionate, faithful and brave.

….With hope growing fainter, she's touched every painting 

And opened each wardrobe that she's come across. 

She's searched every station in deep desperation; 

Her spirit sags with a profound sense of loss. 

He told her to stay here and make her own way here, 

But it's not the haven it was way back when. 

Her true home lies hidden till a Storm - or a Kitten - 

Summons her back to her kingdom again.

- Lucy’s Lament (poem by Erin McCarty

“You have listened to fears, Child,” said Aslan. “Come, let me breathe on you. Forget them. Are you brave again?”
~ Aslan, p386 (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

“Offering a fresh perspective that allows readers to subtly discover God's love through the wide-open eyes of a child” – Erin McCarty

"It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. We shant meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?" 

"But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan. 

"Are -- are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund. 

"I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

( The Voyage of Dawn Treader)

Book Covers

 

*White horse against the black  Background creates a very Strong contrast allowing the  Horse and arm to stand out. Eye drawing gold line leading 

To the tasteful type box. Good use of negative space.

*Type has very strong hierarchy and the lack of quotes and blurbs creates a great layout. The photo in the pupil is a little too much.

*The title is shuffled all over the Cover but is still very readable And interesting. Vibrant use of color.

*The flow of type and image may Contrast a bit too much. Very Good conceptual image design to the book. 

*Great use of mood through Photo. The type is a simple Touch and makes the over-all effect very pretty. Has A very successful color Palette. Questionable frilly Ornament.

Journal Entry #1

Book Cover Designers

                                                                  
Chip Kidd.....

Is a well known book cover designer who has designed who has designed over 1,500 book covers for very popular authors, from Michael Chrichton to John Updike.  He graduated from Penn State and went to work in the art department of Knopf and has been there ever since. After reading the book he begins to "visually solve the problem," which can take up to 10 minutes or 6 months.

                                                 

John Gall.....

Is the vice president and art director for Vintage and Anchor Books, the pictures above are his book cover designs. He studied art and design at the Rutgers University. His company designs about 200 book covers a year and he oversees all of it and 10%-20%  of the designing he does on his own. He likes to play with shallow three dimensional space and also a small set of classical typefaces.

Various Book Covers

  

   

All of these book covers have great interaction between the type and the image. They compliment each other very nicely. They are all very interesting to look at and grab your attention, which is always key with book covers.

Graphic Design - Reading Number One

This reading made me realize how important the role of signs were in the human world. This theory is called "semiotics" which comes from a Greek word and translates as "interpreter of signs." Semiotics is extremely diverse and cover almost everything that has to do with human  communication. Signs have also shaped different societies in different ways because they are so many different meanings and understandings. Logos are very similar to signs because they are meant to be identified and communicate messages. A good logo has great identification and ownership, so the audience can automatically read it in their mind as a symbol for a certain company.