Hey Roz, are you hiring? HA!

Print design, the final frontier. No no wait....sorry, I just heard a commerical for Star Trek and couldn't help myself.

Some of the tools of the trade include a deep consideration of the aesthetics of page layout (which can also be applied to Web layout) and the utilization and/or art direction of illustration and photography....typography is the heart and soul of design. Without typography there is no written message, just image.

Where to begin, eh? It seems to me that my goal, as Roz says we should always keep in the back of our minds, rests with me in print design. This is where I'd like to end up...and honestly, this is where I see myself in the very near future. There's something about working with print that seems so unique to me, as opposed to web design where everyone and their brother seems to reside.

I, myself, enjoy web design, but I don't think I'd want to spend my days creating web sites. Ok, ok, the truth is that I don't know what tomorrow brings...and hey, I may very well get bored with print at some point in the future, but right now, my passion is with creating a tangible piece of work...and watching it grow...and in a sense, watching it come alive--eventually to be printed.

Page layout? Love it. Grids? Oh yeah, I can thank some professor named Pattie Bell Hastings for drilling that into me.

As far as typography is concerned, I am forever in love with the shape, form, direction, and use of type. Both typography classes I took in my time at Quinnipiac served as the greatest examples of the detail I wished to focus on. Even though all detail is important, there was something about typography that always stuck with me.

My point in all of this...I really believe designing for print mediums is where I belong.

Corporate Literature: Roz doesn't go into much detail, probably because there are very few limitations. I could see myself working for a corporation, especially after my time at IBM, although I'm still not positive what this particular area includes.

Information & Systems Design: You'll have to excuse me while I spend a very small amount of time on this because, really, it bores me. As Roz mentions, System design is most appropriate for designers who thrive on analytical and organiational systems and typography. Heh...just doesn't sound like it's for me...and quite frankly, it's something I'd PREFER to stear clear of.

Annual Reports: You know, for a while now I've heard about the importance of Annual Reports, although it wasn't enough for me to go out and do any research on it. Shame on me, because I'm deciding now that this may be a direction that I wish to go. Too bad the "Interactive Digital Design" program at Quinnipiac showed us NONE of this. I'm actually really disappointed with the lack of exposure we've had to this, because with the way Roz words it, I tend to wonder if it's going to affect my ability to find a job.

I love the idea that corporations are using something that is more information and research based as a design status symbol. It makes me really excited to know that something I'm interested in...well...that people feel the need to use it to stand out. It proves to me, yet again, that I am in the right profession.

As a sidenote and tangent, when I was asked at the end of my IBM internship what I had learned, my first and most profound answer was simply that, I'm in the right profession.

Editorial Design: Referring to magazines, I could understand where the design process is limited in this. Once a magazine is established, as mentioned, the creative boundaries become fairly rigid, leaving room for a designer only to work within a style. All the while, it seems appealing to me. Just because I have to conform to one set of rules or design boundaries doesn't make the idea less ideal. For the most part, the break down of job listings here in Editorial design is what I've learned in my time at Quinnipiac, including publishers, creative/art director, designers, et cetera.

In this segment, I liked this quote the best: Designers are hired because of their ability to understand the subject matter and visually realize the magazine editor's focus.

Book Design: Anyone else bored yet? Considering I read minimally outside the realms of bowling and design, I have no interest in this. The layout of the total book is a subject that requires insight into the character and purpose of the book. And it is, therefore, not for me. Even though the author could just tell me about the character, I'm not intrigued. Sorry Roz, but thanks :-)

Catalogs: Cool beans. I love...yes, LOVE the following quote: If a designer is interested in photogrpahy and art direction, as well as a more editorial approach to design, this is an excellent venue. While I could use some explanation as to what an editorial approach to design is, I certainly love my photography and KNOW I would love art direction. This is something I'll have to look into a bit more.

Overall, even with money as the least important factor at this point in my career, I am very happy to hear that the needs and scope of the design industry, particularly print, have broadened...

Now, as far as Environmental Design is concerned, I'm going to have to be honest and say that I wasn't impressed.

I really don’t have too much to say on the topic of Environmental Design, but the one thing that did seem to click with me was that We have seen in the past five or ten years an increasing sophistication brought to environmental design due to the increased sophistication in understanding the user and the way people respond to the spaces they are in whether as workers, travelers, purchasers, or learners.

That quote seems to put the whole notion of environmental design in perspective for me, and because of it, I can appreciate the need for this area of specialty.

Now the only questions are…how on earth do you become an environmental designer? And how to you jump right into this particular profession right out of college? Is it possible? And who needs a oreo’s and milk break??? ME!

And now, with oreo’s in hand…well…sort of…
Onto Chapter Three of Designing A Digital Portfolio.

Audience. Not so much the final frontier, but certainly a frontier all its own.
When we design, we should be looking at who we want our portfolio to speak to…or at least that’s what I’m getting out of it. Here’s a quote, just to spice things up a bit: Find out what niche you're most effective at and make this the focus of your portfolio. Since this is what you're best at, it will most likely something that interests you anyways…

So is that basically telling me that I should keep my portfolio focused on print design, with perhaps a touch of Flash? I think so. I don’t know, though, I feel like if I limit myself to just two things, my web skills won’t be shown off at all. Is that the trade off? Seriously, I don’t know the answer to that.

Design Engine was the only other thing I planned on mentioning. It’s cool stuff, actually. I went and roamed around for a while, and once I have a little more time….say, Friday, I’ll take a much more in-depth look at it. Four years and it comes down to this…I’m kind of excited.

See, that’s the other thing I wanted to mention. I’ll make its own post.
Time to null my brain with the one hour of television I allow it per week.

Really, really excited to see where all of this goes.