Soldier Show Materials

I am blogging this week about a project that I was assigned and I have not started the creative process other than a little brainstorming and research. 

Usually my boss designs “The Soldier Show Program” and promotional materials but with so much being put on his plate he asked me to take it on this year. The theme for this year’s show is “Carnival.” A poster was provided (pictured) to give an idea of what the Army Entertainment Division is envisioning. As you’ll see it is somewhat of a vintage look.  The old paper and the distinctive display typeface is probably what I will use for one of the versions that I provide for direction. I have been asked to provide a minimum of four cover options. 

In the beginning of a project there are two things that I do to get ideas. I research the subject. Get down to the basics.  I usually go to the dictionary to see how it’s defined and what other words relate to the subject at hand. Carnival is defined at dictionary.com as “a traveling amusement show, having sideshows, rides, etc.”. Merriam-Webster has festival and celebration as a couple of the synonyms for the word. This information I’ll use to determine the best visuals. I’ll also search on the internet or even go to the library to see what else has been done for other carnival program covers and materials. Please don't misinterpret my research. I look for how other designers chose to approach the same subject but I would never recreate their creation. One of the names that stands out for me through the little brainstorming I’ve done is Cirque du Soleil which is a “dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment.” This company in my mind sets the standard for this type of entertainment. The way they put together so many aspects such as costumes, music combined with acrobatics is absolutely breathtaking. How else do I say this is what I am using as an inspiration to develop this piece? It will be a starting point. Let's just see if it will make the cuts. I’ll be sure to share with you as this project progresses.

Link to Cirque du Soleil site

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/

"The Customer is Always Right."

I  received direction today on the Fiesta Medal which was the focus of my blog on February 4^th.

Believe it or not, the choice was not even a version that I submitted. The decision was to use the medal created last year and just change the date to 2011. I didn’t create this medal but I have the logo to set up the file.

This reminds me of other projects that I feel took a wrong turn. Of course that’s my opinion. As I mentioned in the earlier blog  “ in the end it isn’t my choice.”  I wanted to share a few other projects that fell off the deep end. But I’ll spare you and just share one.

First, let me add the images of last year’s medal and the one I preferred.

Six years ago, I was contracted to develop the materials for a United Cerebral Palsy fundraising campaign. The campaign’s theme was “Tapestry of Life.”  The logos went through so many versions from a diamond shaped cloth look to a silhouetted tree symbol inside an solid color oval that flowed out into the negative space. The client was attached to using the images taken of the people that benefitted from their programs.  Most of the time, I would say that’s the way to go because it is more compelling to see images of people. It gives a warm inviting feel which we used on the brochure. But I didn’t agree that the images needed to be used  in the logo. This type of logo is difficult to reproduce and has other limitations.  The logo I preferred was symbolic of fabric threads interlacing. This could be used on promotional items and had more flexibility on the sizes that it could be used without losing readability. The word, tapestry is what inspired me to create the “preferred logo.” I envisioned the interlocking strands in fabric that were symbolic of the many people that touched and made UCP what it had become in the City of Birmingham.  (UCP logos included below)

But in the end the client was happy and that’s what is important.

Heritage

Writing about the Fiesta Medal last week gave me the idea for this week’s blog.

The Fiesta Medal was inspired by the chosen Fiesta Poster for 2011. The San Antonio Fiesta made me think of heritage and culture. I have a couple of projects that were inspired by my own heritage. The most recent is a bilingual child’s book about an adventure of a little girl named Gabriela. Her grandmother she calls “Abuela” gives her a magical ring for her fifth birthday. Now that the ring is in Gabriela’s possession she begins to have dreams where a little tree frog called “Tito” takes her to the island of Puerto Rico. She always enjoyed her grandmothers’ stories about her homeland and now she gets the opportunity to visit and experience this place for herself.

In the book, I used many symbols known for the island. The tree frog is called a “Coqui” it is only found in Puerto Rico. They say that people have tried to take them to other parts of the world but the frog never survives for very long. I also had Gabriela experience Puerto Rican foods and the island’s hospitality.

My illustration for the book was a cut paper style yet created with the computer. I discovered the medium of cut paper while studying for my bachelor’s degree. I developed the style when I decided to create a Puerto Rican Dance Company that traveled to schools around the United States teaching about the island’s culture for my senior project. I developed informational brochures, posters, newsletter, bookmarkers and calendar. At that time, the entire project was created with cut paper and given the tropical Caribbean look using colors and images.

In 2007, I decided to try to recreate the poster using the computer software Adobe Illustrator.® Take a look at the image, so you can see the before and after.

My inspiration about my heritage comes from my parents they were born and raised in Puerto Rico and they have always instilled in me to never forget where I came from.

Fiesta 2011 - "Souvenir" Medal

This week I had a project that I had completely forgotten about until my boss asked me about the status. “Ummm, I’m glad you mentioned it because that one had gotten away from me, sir.”

I explained that I had a few revisions to make on the truck wrap layout and then I would “start on it.”

The project is a Command Medal for Fiesta 2011. How could I forget it?! This project allowed me to be a little more creative. Or maybe it was not having to use Army Green or Camo that was so appealing.  What inspired the options that I submitted? There were several things. Of course, the City of San Antonio’s landmarks, a coworker’s collection of past medals and finally, the 2011 Fiesta Poster. 

The poster is the one that inspired my favorite option of the four that I provided. It is the one I’ll share here.

 Fiesta Poster Link

I’ve provided a link to the Fiesta poster and an image of the medal option so it can be compared.  I used the round wreath look that the poster has and added ribbons at the bottom which gives the medal more dimension. I love the way the artist used the ribbons to symbolize the water from the riverwalk. Using bright colors was another element that I utilized to help depict “fiesta “. To distinguish San Antonio I included the Alamo and the tower in the center. A requirement was the use of the command logo which I placed above the wreath. The other options provided the usual Army image. Yet there was an option that I included where I used the flag, family, environment and community icons from the IMCOM logo within the shape of the state of Texas. I wouldn’t mind if either design is chosen.  In the end it’s not my choice.