Critique

Experiment of Typography

This piece of graphic design art, more specifically typographic art, is..to put it simply, very good. In the description of the this pieces, the designer stated that he was only allowed to use text in black and white. As the words “cyber” and “urbanization” are repeatedly used in the design, it is clear that the designer’s intent was to bestow upon the viewer a sense of cyber and urbanization. The designer achieved his goal in doing so as the design follows axis to create a very technological look and feel.

The designer used text in a very geometric way with text going in straight lines diagonally across the center of the page with slanted texted going vertically down the page. The slanted vertical text going down the page really adds to the overall effect of the piece as it adds a profound depth and impact to the words “cyber” and “urbanization.” The designer also used reversed text that gives the piece variety and gives the eye continual movement from one aspect to another.

My gut-level reaction to this piece..I just wanted to dive right into it. The gray, slanted, vertical text really makes the piece what it is as that is what draws me in. Even in the grey bar with the curved edge adds depth as it also softens the very technological feel of the piece. This typographic art makes me feel smart and happy. Smart because of the tech feel and happy because it’s very pleasing to my eyes.

The designer also uses a variety of sizing in text to create a hierarchy and visual rhythm throughout the piece. It guides the eye from the center of the piece to spiraling around it, eventually ending on the outskirts of the design. Given with the designer only had to work with, he did a very good job with this typographic piece.

Creativity & Knowledge

Creativity and knowledge have a strong link with each other – but at the same time, they differ greatly. Wikipedia defines creativity as “a mental process involving the discovery of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the existing ideas or concepts, fueled by the process of either conscious or unconscious insight.” In this way, creativity directly links back to knowledge in the sense that “new ideas or concepts” are knowledge – as anything that one knows as facts can be considered knowledge.

During the process of creating, we are constantly using our knowledge to create. If we had no idea how to draw a human face and the proportions of a body, how would we be able to put our creativity to work if it involves the result of realistic human beings in the picture? Knowledge, essentially, allows for us artists to execute our creative plans.

Not only does knowledge allow for us to be creative, but creativity is basically another form of knowledge. As a Yahoo! Answers user has put quite perfectly, “Not all individuals have a creative nature or the ability to see things differently.” So just because an individual has knowledge does not necessarily mean that they are creative. In order to be creative, we need to be able to cleverly and skillfully manipulate the knowledge we have into something that no other would think of.

Following that path, creativity and knowledge are different. They are not two separate entities as they need each other, but they do have their own characteristics. As stated earlier, creativity involves personal brain activity to mold and shape new ideas and concepts. Knowledge is all about facts and just knowing what is correct. Creativity involves a process that consists more of just memorizing and storing information in the catacombs of our brains. This process varies from person to person as the process can consist of anything that will help an individual get the creative juices flowing.

However, knowledge can also need creativity as well. Extending creativity’s definition to the simple terms of being able to think in a different way, knowledge needs creativity in that we need to be able to link different pieces of information together and, thus, creating a new piece of knowledge. One such example is in the medical field – being able to link together symptoms and diseases to appropriately diagnose a patient.

Bringing this to a close, creativity and knowledge are not standalone entities but rather form a team that will allow individuals to become unstoppable in whichever they choose. It is only dependent upon the individuals’ willingness to work hard and the knowledge of which how to apply their creativity.

What are art, craft, and design?

ART

Art allows for freedom of expression. This expression can either stem from emotion, belief, or thought. Thus meaning that there are no rules in which an artist must follow in order to create a work of art. For example, the only reason why an artist may paint a flower next to a tree may not be because there is a rule that says you must, but because it is based on the artist’s personal views and emotions. Just like how an artist may paint based on their emotions, a viewer may also interpret based on their emotions, as well. Art gives room for not only the artist to be free but the audience as well.

Art is abstract – although a piece of work may seem concrete on the surface, the feelings in which were put into it and can draw from it are far from the practicality that the naked eye perceives. It can be anything and everything.

Essentially, art is the result of any one person’s ideas, thoughts, and emotions in physical form.

CRAFT

While craft does maintain an element of art within its object, it still carries its own characteristics. Craft is more meticulous and requires more attention to the process in which the object is being made. Craft is also specific to physical form that can be touched and felt, whereas art can be any type of form.

Art is to be put on display; it is for the viewers’ eyes, ears, and what have you. When an individual creates a type of craft, there can also be that option of just putting it on display (i.e. a sculpture) or there will be a specific purpose for the new creation. Take the chair as an example. Yes, the chair was an invention, but it was also a craft. Thus, the craft had an intended purpose: to be sat on. And while crafting the chair, there were specific steps in which the inventor took to successful create a stable object that can be sat on.

Of course, a chair can still be considered art. However, it is only the aesthetic beauty that the chair has that will be the art aspect and the practicality and function that is the craft.

DESIGN

Design is about how thing fit together, how things look like on a page, and the logical arrangement of elements. When a graphic designer is designing, he or she must consider the ‘elements of design’ that includes such terms as balance and unity. And, say, an architect (a designer of buildings) must consider the depth of a room, the measurements of the beams, and so on and so forth. Art is still an aspect in design, only which, design is not as free for a designer to roam like an artist is with a canvas.

Designed work has a specific purpose – usually targeted at an audience to get a blatant message across, or for commercial uses such as advertisements. In design, objects, words, and anything else on the page, has to make sense. There should be a reason for everything that’s there whether it be to emphasize a word or add balance to the design overall. And the target audience is especially important in the process of creating the design. One must be able to recognize the target audience’s interests so to create an effective piece of work.