Wrap-Up Post

Ugh, I thought this was due at 5pm today (Friday). I suck. Nonetheless, I do have an opinion on what GRA 217 taught me this semester, and it taught me a lot. Looking back on it now, I feel like a lot of the stuff we learned was really basic, probably because it's now so ingrained in my head as a given that I don't even think about it anymore. Good design is about space, and balance, and cleanliness, and unity, and when you think about it, that's what life is like

Even keeping images in separate image folder means something in the grand scheme of things. This class, more than anything else, more than typography, more than color relationships, more than using programs, taught me about order -- as Thom Yorke says, "Everything in It's Right Place." After spending dozens of hours per project in the labs and staring at a computer screen, it's pretty evident to me that you need planning for things to work out, and you also need to be open. It's about striking a balance between white space and clutter to find that perfect, functional, visually-appealing DESIGN.

At first I thought it was about creativity, and I heard an inordinate amount of idiots in the labs with me whine and moan about how their creativity was being stifled. It's really not about that. It's more about communicating a message in a functional way. Making it interesting is secondary, and, usually, functionality is already plenty interesting.

At least that's my take on it. I had a great semester, and hopefully I can take a graphics elective or something down the line.

-- Eric V-B