Progression on a Real Project, The Beginning!

My last post I mentioned that I was continuing with my education. Well this week marks the first visit to classes. One of the things I noticed when we were all sitting in my Advanced Graphic Design II class was that there was a new item to go with the many projects, discussions and drafts we will be working with. The item is a progress book.
In this book you track your progression on the project, from roughs and research through drafts and composites up to the final piece. So I decided why not share this one project's progression with my readers. This could be helpful to anyone who might get stuck or just isn't sure how to begin on a design. So here I am with my trusty laptop and speedy typing.

Project: Poster to encourage people to vote. 

It's for the school itself, so there's a possibility this poster will be seen around the different campuses. 

Step 1

Rough sketches and research and details of the job

During class we were given our job sheet. This sheet of paper details the size, colors used, materials they want us to use (my teacher throws some oddball requirements in just to keep us on our toes... this one is "The entire project, except the final piece, will be done by hand. Including color separations, only to be scanned in and printed for submission. Also added requirement a slogan or call to action must be included") as well as the wording that is required for the campaign. We asked questions about colors, the paper to be used (as it's a screen print) and the process for screen printing. I think I had about 2 pages of notes on just the details of the project written in my form of shorthand.

After class I had a meet up with some friends at a local taproom. While enjoying a tasty beverage and killer sandwich I pulled out a little notebook (I always have one in my bag and it's a good idea for any designer to keep one with them as well) and pen. While munching along with a couple of sips of said tasty beverage I started doodling (how I generally warm up for doing rough sketches, like stretching before a race) and gradually the sleeping turtles, flowers and spirals turned into rough ideas for my project. Since I hadn't started my research yet, I was just working on some ideas that had sprung into my brain from the discussion in class.

So I start my research by looking up the topic of the poster: Voting. What's the history, what are the demographics of those who do vote vs those who don't? Why don't some people vote? How do you vote? How many ways can you cast your ballot? What happens if you aren't in town or near your precinct for election day? What if you are in the military stationed overseas? And how do you register to vote? Who can vote and how do you get that chance back?

These questions I want answered before I seriously start fleshing out the ideas circling in my head. So I started by asking my friends. I promised if they don't vote I wouldn't nag them into it, as there are those out there that just don't feel like it. I want to know why and how something could persuade them to cast their ballot. I also asked what they thought of the current slew of material out in public trying to inspire and encourage others to go to the polls come November: Do the items they see work? If so, how? And if not what would encourage them to go out?

After I get my answers back from them I will compile a report (in my handy dandy notebook or this case spreadsheet and create an info graphic because I learn better with images) and use that to help me iron out my ideas. I am also checking sites about how voting is done, how the ballots are counted and how many different ways there are for people to vote. When I have that information I will again compile it and add more sketches to my journal.

This information will be brought up before my classmates, as will the sketches, and be discussed. They will give their opinions on these which will also help refine my roughs (the sketches). From this point I would move on to stage 2 which is composites of my idea for my poster.

Since I just started on the roughs/research/details part of the project I don't have any images to share, however, I will be posting them in my next segment here.

So, if you look at the posters and such encouraging you to vote: What would make you feel more like voting? When you see these posters do you think they work? If not, why? If so, how does it work?

For me, I see a few and think they aren't aimed at my age group, or that they contain too much information sometimes that makes the whole process seem much more complex than it really is. What do YOU think?

Mind Blank, jumpstarting ideas

I am a little late in updating the blog (as you probably noticed). In deciding what to talk about I thought, why not discuss what you do when you find you are stuck in a design or piece of art.

I recently worked on a design for a website. Updating a design is, to me, harder than designing from scratch. You see what the client has and have to expand, making it better. But what happens when the design they have isn't so bad? Of course you are given what the client wants (which in this case was way too much information) and have to come up with something to blow their mind. I started strong on the design, and when I hit the layout part of the content I hit a brick wall of pixels. My mind went blank and I just sat there staring alternately at my computer screen and sketch book. Asking my roommate and friend their opinion really didn't help much, though I appreciated their insight. I walked away from the project for a day and tried to go back, full of vigor only to look at what I had already and realize that the wall was still there.

For most of us we can't afford to have a block, a wall that is in our brain preventing us from even a bad idea. So what do you do to jump start your ideas again? Getting the creative juices flowing, as it were, can be really hard or pretty darn easy. Sometimes I walk away from the project, other times I will grab some markers or crayons and just do random doodles (which is how I came up with Fred in my Flash class, I should tell you about him someday). I have a plastic envelop which has clippings, papers, and all sorts of other things that I will go through when I am working on something. Sometimes it helps, other times all I do is waste a bit of time going through the fat file.

How do you get out of the block? Do you even experience it or is it something that is purely in my head? What do you do when you hit that wall of pixels or shall we call it the "wall of mental anguish"?