Blog Post- Book Cover Final

(Couldn't open xcf file on my computer, I will put it up on a school computer)

The purpose of my cover was to make it somewhat confusing for the audience so that it does not reveal significant ideas of the story. The front page is simply a flag with the title "A Totally Normal Mall Experience." I made this design simple so that it could attract many types of audiences and would not only be targeted towards one type. However, it might not attract viewers who are looking for action and excitement because the cover is very plain and does directly catch ones eye. In contrast, the back cover is large image of a gun point towards where the flag would be released on the front cover. The two ideas contrast greatly because the gun image is so bold and powerful, while the flag with the simple title has no message. I think the gun in the back will intrigue viewers to want to read the story because they are confused whether it is going to be simple or violent. It gives away that the story is in fact not a "normal" mall experience and that there is some twists involving violence.

The main focus of my design would be the gun, even though it is on the back cover. I made the gun very big so that it sends a powerful and bold message. The front cover is very simple and plain, which I did not want this to be the main focus of my design, so I made the back cover have a very focused theme of violence and suspense. I think putting the gun directly on the front cover might have been to obvious of a main focus and would give away the story too quickly, so by putting it on the back it contrasts with the simplicity of the front cover and makes the viewer question what the main focus of the story actually is.

I used a very bold and large font to emphasize the work "normal" on my front cover, because I wanted the viewer to question why the word was distinguished this way. Since the story and the main character's mall experience is far from normal, I emphasized the word using different font type and font size to attract attention to the abnormal aspect of the story. The font type I chose also was not what most consider the "normal" font, like Helvetica, which puts even more of an emphasis on it. I used script for the rest of the title because it is such a traditional and well-known font that contrasts with the abnormal aspects of my design. I also made the font size of the rest of the title much smaller so the focal point would be the word "normal" only.

The back cover, which is the image of the gun, relates most the short story. I chose to make the back cover represent the story more than the front because this is again an abnormal approach which fits with such an abnormal story. The gun represents the suspense and violence within the story, along with the killing that takes place. My front cover and back cover are directly connected, if one were to open both next to one another, because it is the gun shooting out the flag that displays the title. I got this idea from the old toy guys that shoot out a flag because I thought it related back to a mall more than just a gun alone and a separate title. I think the front cover being connected to the back cover makes the overall design more unique and interesting for the viewer.

I really like the colors on this cover. I think the design is very simple with the pedals and the font, but the colors all work nice together to make it stand out.

I like the contrast between the really bright hot pink color and the grayish background. The color and the ball shape really catch ones eye and make a clear focal point. Since the hot pink color is so bright, the rest of the picture is very dull which I think is an interesting approach. It makes me wonder what kind of mood the book will have.

I like that the picture is so detailed and looks like an actual picture. The cover and title don't seem interesting but the picture caught my eye. It looks like the book would be about the suburbs or a farm, and since the picture is very detailed it gives the audience a clear idea on the books content.

I like this book cover because it is a clear representation of Wall Street and New York City in general. I like that the point of view looks like its from a person staring up at the buildings because many people that come in the city look up at the building in awe. I like that the picture is very clear as well and also looks like it could be an actual picture. The focal points for me are the buildings as well as the American flag, which represents a sense of pride in America and specifically New York City.

This book cover catches my eye because of all the different colors and circle shapes. I like that there are several different colors and they are all bright/ neon. This makes the book stand out against many others. I also like how the middle of the circles are all black, so this is the focal point where the title is. I like the contrast between the really bright colors and the black.

I do like the cover because I think it's unique and catches ones eye, but I don't think it is the best representation for the storyline. The image of a woman-like figure's eyes and lips in the background does not really make a statement or intrigue one to read the book. The lighted up image of Gatsby's house on the corner does not capture ones attention that well, but in the storyline it is very significant. I think his house should be made more glamorous, big and the focal point on the cover. I also think there should be a more accurate image representing Gatsby and maybe one including Daisy, to represent how the book is about romance. What I do think the cover does a good job of is representing the sad mood of the story due to Gatsby's unhappiness with his life.

Logo Reflection

1. My logo design represents the School of Rock because it includes the popular instruments a drum and a guitar that symbolize the music. The stripes in the background are similar to the lines on a music sheet. Furthermore, the font I used for the word "Rock" is very big and bold so that it is the main focus of the logo. The font for the words "School of" is much simpler and a little smaller because I didn't want those words to distract away from the word "Rock."

2. One of the most helpful processes for me was creating the concept board because it allowed me to gather all the images I wanted to use for my final logo, such as the drums and guitar. It was also a good inspiration for me to see the type of font and format I wanted to use to represent a club based on rock music. Another helpful process was creating the two rough drafts on paper because I was able to experiment with the different designs and see which one I would be able to put onto Gimp to recreate on the computer.

3. The most challenging aspect of the logo project for me was making the logo simple yet exciting enough to draw people's attention. My first draft of the logo had a lot of small details and several instruments, however, I was told that there was too much going on that it distracted away from the actual logo. So I had to pick only the most important pictures to include and I had to make the text simple enough yet interesting enough to attract people to the logo.

4. I am satisfied with my final logo because I think it is a good representation of the School of Rock club by including the two main instruments they use. I also think my logo is successful because everything looks unified and

Top 13 Memorable Moments of 2013!

1) Going to Atlantic City with my best friends Susie and Amanda during the summer. We had a lot of fun going to the beach and jet-skiing.

2) When I went zip-lining in Costa Rica when we went on vacation last spring break.

3) Going to my cousin's wedding  in March because it was the first wedding I had ever been to and was beautiful.

4) Celebrating my niece's 3rd birthday together since she lives in Italy and I barely get to see her.

5) Taking my last SAT in October because it meant the end to all my time spent studying and I would never have to take it again.

6) Touring the University of Miami. Even though I didn't there it was the first college I toured and got me really excited to tour more places.

7) Staying out all night with my best friends because we all forgot our keys and were locked out.

8) Volunteering at a nursing home during the summer because I heard so many stories from people and really felt accomplished in helping the elderly.

9) Eating macaroons for the first time because now I'm obsessed.

10) Seeing Luke Bryan in concert because he's my favorite country singer.

11) Getting my first job at Brandy Melville.

12) Going skiing in Vermont with my family during winter break.

13) Getting accepted into my first college :)

School of Rock Summary

School of Rock is a music program where students with different musical talents join together in a band. The club at different locations in the school at 3:15 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students can play instruments like guitar, bass, drums, piano or sing. The club also encourages students to try learning to play new instruments, even if they don't have great skills in it going into the club. School of Rock allows students with a passion for music to work together and combine their talents in a band. It is a great way for students to share with each other their personal musical skills and teach one another to explore new instruments. Students can either join one band, several smaller groups or simply work solo. They can finally perform their talents at the Winter Showcase.

Aim: What do you need to know?

1. I'm going to design a logo for the Cooking Club using pictures of healthy foods.

2. What are the easiest and most difficult dishes has the club made? What is the most favored food by the club members? What type of cooking tools do you have access to and utilize? What inspired you to make this club? Do you try different dishes from different cultures?

3. Unique, fun, healthy, quick, simple.

4. I can represent pictures of healthy foods, like vegetables. I can also incorporate simple tools to show how it focuses on quick and easy recipes. I can use typefaces to represent the adjectives used above and describe the names of some example foods they cook.

Summary:
Cooking Club is a club where quick and easy recipes are created for students to practice at home. People can bring their favorite recipes and share it with others so they can experiment with it individually. No actual cooking is done at the club, so it is primarily based on recipes created at home and then shared with the class. The club values healthy cooking, such as fruits and vegetables. It encourages students to experiment with more healthy alternatives of eating by trying fun recipes. It is great for students who already enjoy cooking as well as those with little experience that want to learn simple recipes to start cooking.