Project Infinity Remix

Project Infinity was a game created by last year's AP class. It's goal was to encourage collaboration --

Collaboration: to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor
[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collaborate]

-- and show how others benefited from your work. When everyone's work product is posted on their blog classmates can compare work and gain a deeper understanding of the assignment. The whole point of posting assignments is so that the learning doesn't stop once your homework is turned in. Posts can be remixed and improved after the initial posting.

Now it is our turn.

What do we want our legacy to be? How will we as the class of 2013 collaborate?

To start we can design a new look for Project Infinity 2.0

Here are the contendors:

 Graphic 1 by Jason and Christa

 Graphic 2 (simple or complex version) by Isiah

 Graphic 3 by Joshua

 Graphic 4 by Valerie

 Graphic 5 (and icon) by Ryun Hee

To vote for your favorite graphic comment to the post with either 1, 2 simple, 2 complex, 3, 4, or 5.

Happy voting! :)

UPDATE (11/19/12): A voting poll has been added to the right side of the screen. You can vote for multiple images in the poll, although is it recommended that you vote for your top two or three choices to prevent ties.

Getting Started: General Graphic Design Resources

Here's a collection of resources for getting started with graphic design.  I'm far from an expert myself, but I've found all these tremendously helpful:

Graphic Design Forum

My personal favorite graphic design related website.  There's plenty of professional designers who post on there, and it gives a better idea of what the field is like than anything else I've found.  As with any forum, it takes some getting use to the "culture" but there is virtually unlimited information to be found  here.

Some areas of interest within this forum:

The Crit Pit:

This is the area where work is posted for critique.  The critique can be pretty brutally honest at times (hence the "wear your heavy sweater!") but it is generally constructive criticism.  Most of the stuff posted is by newer designers, so you can learn a lot just by reading over peoples' feedback and identifying common themes.  Before you can make a good design, you have to recognize it!

Basics of Logo Design:

Isiah pretty much covered this in his What Makes a Good Logo? post, but I figured I'd throw this up as well.  It deals with a lot of the same concepts.

The Ultimate Resource Thread:

It's exactly what it sounds like.  There's a ton of information here.  Have fun!

The Soap Box:

This isn't as much as the process as it is the profession.  For anyone looking at graphic design as a profession, this is a good place to get an idea what the ups and downs of it are.

Web Design Ledger

This is a blog dedicated specifically to web design.  It typically has a solid mix of tips, resources, and showcased designs.  Since some of it deals with the coding side of web design, not all of it is applicable to graphics.  Nonetheless, it has quality content.  Perhaps it will even pique your interest in web design.

I Love Typography

Typography is essential to good graphic design.  I Love Typography is a blog devoted entirely to it, and it's much more interesting than you might expect.  In particular, check out this introductory post.  It, along with part two, contain the basics of typography.

Inspiration

Here's some nice sites to check out if you're stuck on a design, or just feel like browsing.

Designers Go To Heaven

Type Everything

Creattica

Resource suggestions in the comments are welcome!

"What Makes A Good Logo?"

A slightly more didactic topic, I came upon a fantastic article that cleanly summarizes the basic theory behind graphic designs (more specifically the nature and characteristics of a good logo)

The original article can be seen here: http://justcreative.com/2009/07/27/what-makes-a-good-logo/

This website explores that the composition of a good logo is often comprised of 5 different characteristics:

1. Simple
2. Memorable
3. Timeless
4. Versatile
5. Appropriate

Simple - to summarize what the article describes, a good logo is often characterized by qualities that are clean and neat. Yet, they are capable of expressing the company/ group's name with elegance. Consider this as an introduction into "Minimalism" theory or beliefs, because this quality essentially goes hand-in-hand with keeping a logo simple.

Memorable - a memorable logo is characterized with qualities that are easily recognizable. These are essentially capable of taking any form, and the viewer or audience will still be able to see the original logo made.

Timeless - A logo that is timeless will be capable of withstanding the tribulations of time. A logo that is timeless will hold its symbol into eternity for future generations to view. Essentially a quality of being culturally durable that would allow it to span the mercurial nature of social fads.

Versatile - Being versatile basically means: "will this logo work across a large spectrum of mediums?" A logo capable of changing from one medium into another is the basis that defines versatile symbols.

Appropriate - Is the logo appropriate for the purpose that it's serving? For example, a logo for a beer company wouldn't use bright colors reminiscent of childish activities, nor would a children's brand label use racy and sexually tense images to advertise products. It simply isn't appropriate.

I didn't expound deeply into the subject, however, the website has more information if you'd like to know more. It's also brilliant because it gives other resources for you if you want to know even more!

(all logos viewed in this post do not belong to me, nor am I affiliated with their respective owner. Credits belong to their respective owner who owns copyright.)