Information Graphics Research

Infographics are used to portray information in a graphic form, mainly of a simple nature. 

One of the main programs for this is Adobe Illustrator. With the bold colours and graphic form, it makes facts look more interesting.

Surface pattern research

computer generated surface patterns can be created on various pieces of software.

A good example of this would be Photoshop, in this you can create a repeat pattern as 

ones with different themes.

Pen Tool: Vector

In illustrator i used the pen tool and followed the guide to create the lettering for the word vector.

Fish logo design

Gaining inspiration from an image, we used the natural shapes of our chosen animal to create a simple graphical logo. After sketching the designs we scanned them and imported them into Illustrator. Using the pen tool which we covered in a previous session, we traced the design and filled them in with block colours.

Using the pen tool in Illustrator

One of the main design tools used in illustrator is the pen tool which is used to create lines based on a contour. This technique is used alot in creating outline because it creates a smooth crisp line that can be a continuous curve. 

Expressive Text

Expressive texts can manipulate how we see certain words. The ways the at the letters are shaped can portray different meanings. I used the envelope distort tool in illustrator to change the shapes of the words. Then I adjusted the opacity tool to create letters that fade out. 

monogram designs

Typography is a key part of info graphics. It can connect with a consumer with an eye catching display which sticks with them. 

We were set the task of creating some of our own monograms using our initials. We used illustrator to create the monograms. 

Computers in design - Google Sketchup

Google Sketchup is a commonly used modelling software which allows users to create models using an advanced but free setup. The software allows you to create 3D images from a 2D plan. The wide range of functionalities and surfaces make sketchup ideal for using in a designer situation. 

Scanning, adjusting size, contrast and colour of patterns

In this task we had to use one of our pattern pieces, scan it and manipulate the colours to give an effect similar to some of Andy Warhol. 

After adjusting the size of the scan, I used the hue and saturation tool in the image menu to change the colours. After i did this three more times I arranged them on a new canvas.

Repeat Pattern

After scanning one of our pattern designs we opened them up in photoshop and cropped them so they were 400x400 pixels. To turn this into a repeat pattern we used the define pattern tool and when it came to filling the background on a new page we selected the design.

I played around with different colour effects to brighten the image up.

Photoshop Surface Pattern

Using Photoshop, i created several different surface patterns from images of guitars, drums etc. 

The first step in creating them was to find the images and open them up in photoshop. After this, i needed to select the object and turn it into a paint brush. To do this i used the quick select tool to select the background then I in versed the selection and then used define brush preset tool to turn it into a brush.

Using the paint brush menu, i adjusted the scrollers which manipulated the size and orientation of the brush strokes. 

Perfume bottle design

Following of from the visual communication outcome, we were tasked to recreate out bottle in Cinema 4D. 

To create the complex shape i first created an outline of one half and lathed it to create a rounded shape. Because my bottle isn't symmetrical i used a tool which broke it down to each individual point in the shape. I then moved some of the points so it flattened of part of the bottle.

I used colours, reflections and transparency to create a glass effect. Finally i added a light source.

iPods in Cinema 4D

 

 

The aim of this task was to develop out skills using Cinema 4D to create and arrange a selection of iPods.

To create the basic shape we inserted a cuboid and adjusted the dimentions so it was the right size. We then inserted into the box, the douhnut (the wheel) and the rectangle for the screen. In the material editor we used pre saved images of the wheel and screen to give the iPod some realism.

After adding colour to the object we could then group it, make copies and move them around the make some form of display.

Basic Cinema 4D Concepts and Techniques

The aim of this task was to get to know a new piece of software which was Cinema 4D. This is a 3D program which can allow you to make 3D models, images, scenery etc.

To start off we made three different shapes and used colours, textures, reflections and lights to give the objects a scence of realism.

To do this we first had to insert the shapes and adjust them to sit level with the floor. Next we used the material editor to add reflections and set the overall colour for the objects. After doing this for all the objects and the floor, the next step was to add a light source and shadows. We did this through the object attributes manager.

Perfume bottle

We were set the task of creating a perfume bottle in Cinema 4D. To get the shape, we took a photo from the internet and traced around the outline using the akima spline tool. After getting the general shape we used the lathe nub tool to give the bottle some shape.
I uses orange and blue to colour both the bottle and the lid and adjusted the reflectiveness and transparency to create a glass effect.