Micro-Aggression

My 6th grade math class my teacher, Mr. Cassidy, was an all around awful person who, despite being married would talk about how hot the student's moms were. We had a deaf student in my class named Chris and Mr. Cassidy would talk to him in a very patronizing tone and treat him like he was dumb. This was a form of micro-aggression because he was assuming that since Chris was disabled he was not intelligent. He would also treat the girls differently than the boys. Mr. Cassidy would talk to the boys in a normal voice, but he would call all the girls "sweetheart" and speak slower and softer to them. He was assuming that since they were girls they needed more help and had to be treated like delicate flowers.

5 Book Covers

I like how this cover's main focus is the bird and you kind of have to search for the title of the book. It makes it more interesting because the book seems more mysterious. You want to know why the bird is there and what the book is about. There are many interesting angles, as well. The sideways authors name and the upside down bird create and interesting combination. 

This cover caught my eye because of how large the image is. It takes up the entire cover and even looks like it may have been cut off. This makes it intriguing because you feel like you're missing part of the story and want to find out more. The fact that it's a comic makes it seem more fun and less boring. 

I like how casual this cover looks. The handwriting font compared with the notebook paper binding makes the cover seem like the language in this book won't be dense or confusing. I also like the little drawing. Again it is mysterious and I want to find out about this sneaky guy.

This appeals to me because I like to do line drawings of girls. I think this is really cute and aesthetically pleasing. I like how everything is arranged in a little column in the center of the page. It draws the eye in and is very neat. 

I chose this one because I just really like handwritten font look. This cover is simple and complex at the same time. It is a simple idea executed really well. 

All of the covers I like have a hand drawn element and are also kind of mysterious.

My Favorite Book's Cover

This is one of my favorite books, but I feel like the cover does not do it justice. The story has so much color and life and adventure and large characters, but the cover is kind of bland. It looks like it was just slapped together, like they found a picture of cowgirl and just randomly put it on. It isn't terrible, but it doesn't make me feel anything. The picture just looks like clipart to me. 

Poster Before and After

<-Before
















                   After->

Justin said my first poster was "trash". I really hope he likes my new one. My entire life depends on his approval. If he doesn't like my poster I don't know what I will do. Please Justin Williams, like my poster. Is it avant garde enough for you? To be honest Justin, if you don't like this version of my poster I might as well drop out of school and just move to Vietnam. So, please, say you like it.

Logo Reflection

The most challenging aspect of creating my logo was trying to incorporate all the elements of the GWC organization. I wanted my logo to make the viewer think of technology and women. I made a girl because females are the primary focus of my club, and I surrounded her with code because that is the other aspect that this club explores. The most successful part of my design was probably the girl.She looks smart and peaceful, like I wanted. And also kind of ambiguous-like she could be a number of different races.

MY FEBRUARY STAY-CATION BY MEREDITH STRATTON

I didn't do anything at all this vacation. I'm not just saying that either... It's kind of disgusting how much time I spent in bed watching T.V. I basically wore the same outfit everyday, too. The most exciting thing that I did during my break was do my laundry. This sounds sad, but I was okay with it. Although I would feel kind of dark when I'd check Facebook and see all my "friends" in warm and exotic places, overall I was okay with just chilling at home. I spent a lot of time talking to my cat, Louise, and I have included her picture below. Please note that you can see my laptop in the background, no doubt playing some dumb rom-com. I really don't have anything to say. I honestly didn't do anything. I am comfortable with my choices though. I had a vacation last year, so I guess I really don't need to go anywhere for another 6 years when maybe I'll have saved up enough money.

6 Typefaces

Slab Serif

Sans Serif

Modern

Script

Decorative

Girls Who Code Concept Board

If I Were A Font

I think that I would be this font, called Exotica. It is kind of weird and funky, but still looks classic and fancy, which I think fits who I am. I am kind of different, but not in a scary or unapproachable way. It mimics my style, as well, it is pretty and reminds me of nature but is also retro and cool. I like all the little details, and I am a very detail-oriented person, so I appreciate the complexity.

Research For Girls Who Code

Questions For Anna Weddell, student President:
Q:What does GWC mean to you?
A:It's about female empowerment, and being able to express yourself.
Q: What exactly is coding? Is is like binary code?
A:It's like if binary code was translated into English. It is basically computer language.
Q: How do you want GWC to be represented?
A: In a fun way that emphasizes women and technology

(Please note- I am paraphrasing, we had this conversation in person, and my notes were not exact)

Summary: Girls Who Code is an organization that teaches girls how to code. It was formed in 2012 and its mission is to inspire females and help them achieve their dreams. They want to "equip high school girls with the skills and resources to pursue opportunities in computing fields".

Themes: Women, computers, coding.

Some Nice Logos

This is the logo for Penguin Books. I like it because it is very simple but recognizable, as well as cute. I own a lot of books and so I see this this logo a lot. It is very easy to figure out what this product is since it is such a unique design. The design is very clean, as well. It only uses 3 colors and there isn't any intricate detail. At the same time, though, a penguin is such an original and distinctive design that this logo still stands out.

Out of the list of logos this one caught my eye for the longest. I paused at it because I thought it was really interesting and I wanted to stop and figure it out. I like that it is kind of subtle, but still really pretty. I like how gentle it looks, it isn't in your face or harsh. I also like how nature is incorporated in way that goes along with the product being "organik". When I look at this logo I want to know more about what it is representing. It looks very soft and peaceful and I like that.

Portrait Transformation

Before

and



After

My concept was me being god. I felt like it was kind of narcissistic to be editing a picture of myself, so I decided to just run with that and make myself god. I feel like it was a very Kanye move. Also I really like myself, and I feel like I am the queen or lord of my own universe.

Shape to Symbol

Reflection
My concept was light, and I wanted to show the sun moving across the sky. I kept it simple because I wanted my symbol to stand out and I didn't want the image to be too cluttered. The most frustrating part of this project was trying to draw using a computer. I have never really used photoshop before and so I didn't really know what I was doing. I found it really difficult to be precise with the paint brush tool and I couldn't draw as clearly as I am able to on paper. I got a hang of the tools after a while, but at that point it was too late to really fix my gif. I feel a lot more confident using the transitional layers now. At first I was confused by them and didn't really see the point, but now I understand how they can help and I know how to use them. I wish I were better with the paintbrush. I can't make any straight lines with it and it makes my drawing look very amateur and childish. I just need to master neatness. I would like to use photography in photoshop next. I feel like I could be more precise using pictures because it doesn't require the skill or attention drawing demands.

GIFs of Me Disappearing

Concept Board

Tadanori Yokoo was a prominent Japanese artist in the 1960’s. He made a lot of posters that used colors and simple images to convey messages. Yokoo also made movies and music. Yokoo was influenced by pop culture, mysticism, psychedelia, Indian culture, and various writers and filmmakers. He has themes of nature in his work; waterfalls, the rising sun, mountains, etc. He was sometimes known as ‘the Japanese Andy Warhol’ because of the bright colors and pop influenced style he used. Yokoo influenced the people of his time because, in the words of Yukio Mishima, “[his] works reveal all of the unbearable things which we Japanese have inside ourselves and they make people angry and frightened”. His work made people think, and moved along the graphic design movement away from modernism and to pop.

A Good Example of Graphic Design

This is my copy of Brave New World. I was about to order it online about year ago, but then I saw this copy in Barnes and Noble and had to buy it. I may have spend $15 more than if I bought it on amazon, but to me it was worth it. I just liked how textured this copy was. The cover is a really soft paper with these metallic bumps, on the pages are all uneven. I am a big fan of books, and if they are pretty it's even better. This cover is very simple, but I still like to like at it- I think that is why it is an example of good graphic design.

Sweet Inspiration

                                        http://www.kumiyamashita.com/light-and-shadow/

   I found this artist's website a few months ago, and I probably have looked at her shadow pieces a couple times a month since then. I find it really striking, because it is such a simple idea, but the visual presentation is complex and beautiful. She manipulates paper, wood, and simple objects to make different shadows that look like people. 

I especially like this technique, because it seems like something nobody has really done before. It is not only innovated, but it looks nice, too.

Letter Project Reflection

First Draft:

Final:

   





   

   Our first task after choosing our letters were to make twenty thumbnail sketches to get our ideas down. Then we chose and drew two drafts, from which we chose one. I started my process after my draft with redrawing my design in pencil on the final paper. After I redrew it, I traced my design in marker. Then I colored in the parts I traced. I thought that the thoroughness of the process was very helpful. It was good to draw twenty thumbnails because it forced me to really stretch my imagination. 
   I came up with my first concept (the UFO), because I was thinking about how weird the letter Q looks, and I associated weirdness with aliens. I represented this concept because the cow and the alien are both kind of odd. The girl's face is just something I doodle a lot, so I thought it might be a sweet idea. 
  The most challenging aspect of this project was keeping everything clean and neat. I am just a naturally messy person so it was tough to keep inside the lines and not smudge marker everywhere. 
  I am not really satisfied with my project. I am kind of a perfectionist, and I would have rather done this work at home where I could concentrate in peace. I am kind of uncomfortable doing it in school, so I couldn't make my project the best it could be.
  If I could change my design, I might choose something that was more of a natural O shape, so I would not have to warp the design so much.

Yo, it me

Hello FRIENDS, 

It is your new bff, MEREDITH! 

A few fun facts about me:

• I love life!
• My favorite movie is Labyrinth, because David Bowie in spandex. 
• My favorite musical artist is Shaggy, 'cause he is BOOMBASTIC.
• I love to eat at the "cartman", he's so cheap! Plus he gives me free food! MY FAV!!!
• You should expect to see a lot of bloggin' on this blog. Just BLOG, BLOG, BLOG.