This week’s homework explores our ability to visualize solutions to a problem. Often there is not just one design solution, but many. This exercise is designed to help us practice generating many solutions quickly and explore Gestalt principles at the same time.
Process Instructions: (time required: approximately 2 hours over 2 days)
Rhetorical situation
Purpose: Create at least 36 thumbnail sketches of luggage tags using your initials as possible within a given time. The luggage tag needs to have your initials.
Context: You want a clearly identifiable label with your initials. Think of it as your “logo” or brand.
Audience: Someone needs to be able to recognize your initials on the tag from a distance. Use your understanding of line, shapes, and color to grab their attention.
- Research different outline shapes for label or luggage tags. Explore different arrangements and shapes you might use to represent your initials. You may want to try the word association exercise from class.
- Develop as many different thumbnail sketch concepts as possible in 30 minutes. Each thumbnail sketch should be no larger than 2″ x 2″ (they can be smaller). Aim to fill up the whole sketchbook page. Try to spend no more than 5 minutes drawing each one.
- The next day, combine your research with your initial ideas. Explore different layouts combining shapes and initials. Generate at minimum 36 thumbnail sketches, at east enough to fill a whole page. The thumbnails should be big enough to see details in lettering. Here are some exploratory ideas:
- Choose a variety of regular shapes for outlines, such as a circle, square, hexagons, to enclose your initials.
- Allow your initials to follow the shape outline. Aim for a wide variety of outlines, shapes, and colors for your initials.
- Vary the sensory forms. Remember last week’s topics and focus on line properties, division of space, texture, color, orientations, patterns, continuity, and contours for the elements. Try out different arrangements of the elements, sizing them up or down, using occlusion, symmetry, relative size, and shading.
- Post pictures of your thumbnail sketches. Include at least one overview picture and one detail picture. Please answer the reflection questions in the submission form below.
Note: Please ensure that your photos are rotated and sized appropriately. Photos must be easy to read. No credit will be given for upside down, blurry, or small photos.
Fill out this checklist AFTER you have completed your assignment and posted it in your Portfolio Blog before the deadline, Thursday, Feb. 20 @ 11:59pm.