Week 4 Blog - Mini Art School

Mini Art School Project 1 of 2

Mini Art School - Part 1 of 2 : Creating Patterns

Please see the above video for my execution of the Create Patterns exercise from pg. 147 of the Design Basics Index textbook. I broke a few rules by incorporating a low-tech method to design the patterns as opposed to just a Vector graphic software but it was in the name of creativity. Also, I gained an appreciation for the tool I initially found difficult.  Overall, this was a good lesson for experimenting with the design elements, specifically patterns.

Also the Develop and Design elements of the ADDIE model resonated here.  For example if the exercise I require the use of a specific tool, I can allot time to co-test and prototype the features with the students before they start working on own  student-led interests. The learning curve involved in learning a new app within a group setting might be more constructive. Also, students might want to focus on features that the instructor might overlook, so learning and prototyping together is a good way to exhibit better practices in experimentation and designing a concept.

Krause, J. (2004). Design Basics Index: A Graphic Designer’s Guide to Designing Effective 

        Compositions, Selecting Dynamic Components & Developing Creative Concepts . HOW       

        Design Books: Cincinnati, OH.

Hodell, Chuck. (2011). Chapter 3: Instructional systems development and the

             ADDIE model. In ISD From the Ground Up: A No-Nonsense Approach to Instructional

             Design (3 rd ed.). American Society for Training and Development: Alexandria, VA.

Mini Art School Project 2 of 2

Website compare

I executed a website compare of  two prominent art museums in the NYC area: the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum. The exercise is aimed at analyzing how two organizations with similar goals use visual communications in their websites, particularly the use of a grid structure. Each website leverages the grid structure in the lower portion of the website. This section documents recurring events, services and logistical details about the museum. Both organizations stray from using grids in the upper portion of the site which highlights the most prominent exhibitions.  However, the Metropolitan's design appears to have more unity in terms of text, spacing, and clear focal points.  There is a clearer flow among the different sections of the website.  The Guggenheim has information in sections, although not grids. The upper portion reads like a story article, and the different font styles, and sizes distracts. Although there are more interactive elements that allows the viewer to hear audio files and view the exhibition spaces. 

Golombisky, K., & Hagen, R. (2010). White Space is not Your Enemy: A Beginner’s Guide to
       Communicating Visually through Graphic, Web & Multimedia Design . Focal Press: New York,
       NY.