DP: Week 5

SX: Practical Final [ivan + matthew]

Alonso Jacobs SX Practical Presentation by Ivan Alonso

Kansas City Art Institute is deserving of a signage system that conveys clarity and the sophistication of a higher-level education campus, while allowing the institution to speak for itself: culture, work, and architecture. The core idea of the wayfinding system pays homage to the “A” in the institution’s two-line signature. Just as the off-kilter “A” speaks to a moment of the unexpected, this system adopts that idea with the addition of slight bends to the form. The accomplishment of a clear and sophisticated system comes across through the typographic treatment and cleanliness of the materials while adding some flare with the three-dimensional aspect of the bend.

DP: Week 4

I was enthused on the amount of feedback I received on the little survey I posted in the studio.

The most starred include:

• Love more
• Today is the day
• Make it count.
• Love & Kindness
• Compliment More.
• Smile.

I set up an illustrator file with a series of visual tests to explore with the projector. I ran around campus with my computer, projector, sketchbook, camera and Tylenol cold and flu (I am a little under the weather). I started by comparing sans serif to serif typefaces and the typography held up pretty well in both cases. Color seems to take well to multiple surfaces as well.

From here I plan to take one of these messages and iterate 5 different comps that function on different levels of appeal. i.e. Clinical vs Emotional & formal things like script vs sans.

SX: week three-ish

We have continued to develop our wayfinding system. We wanted to further explore and refine the consistency of the bend as it is applied to our system. As we have progressed in our application, we have given more attention to the readability and clarification of the type. We are focusing on a cleaner aesthetic to stress the function and purpose of the system. We have also started to align our type with ADA regulated requirements. We want the bend and conceptual elements to be a dynamic moment within our system while still working strongly to not distract or compete with the architecture and student work around campus.

DP: progress calendar. tenative schedule

DP: Week 3

This is some of the language seen in my 3 week presentation proposal. I printed these out and hung them around the studio to get some feedback and possible suggestions. I am asking people who walk by to mark the ones that resonate and in the blank spaces write comments, suggestions, or new phrases. We will see how it goes!

Feedback from my critique that I found particularly helpful include:

• Considering the "Work Day" of Troost Avenuers
• Early Morning vs. Late Night
• Including pedestrians and Cyclists in my audience (would need temporal reconsideration)
• Moving projection vs Stationary projection. Not to be confused with motion.
• Color Contrast testing with the projector
• Ambient lighting
• Documenting implementations with date, time, and intersection
• Flat surface vs Non-Flat surface
• Sequencing of implementation by week or by hour

Thanks Design Seniors & Professors.

This weekend will be all about testing the projector. I will be taking a look at typography, color, size, and spatial relationships. Some things I plan on specifically testing is black vs white vs colored backgrounds and type, Type size, environmental canvas (the surface itself/building), and sans serif vs serif legibility. I will be back on Monday or Tuesday with a post.

DP: Week three presentation

Alonso Degree Proposal w3 Presentation by

SX: week 2. Similar Ideas, New Additions

Week 2. Matthew and I better articulated what we meant by our gallery concept. We wanted a signage system that conveyed the sophistication of a higher level education campus with clarity and allow the campus itself (work, culture, and population) speak for itself. In saying that we ideated on how to reference the existing core graphic without blatenly cutting it out of every sign or printing it in each design. In addition to the core graphic we took a closer look at the concept of our schools brand and decided to play off of the "A" in our two line signature. The off kilter "A" is said to knod to our odd art school culture. To pay homage to that idea, we decided to add slight bends to our system. To expand the idea of the bend within the system, we have placed certain directional elements and overhead way-finding on corners of building interiors. We hope to accomplish our gallery-esc direction with the typographic treatment and cleanliness of the materials while adding some flare with the three-dimensional aspect of the bend.

G A L L E R Y

aluminum and steel
practical typography
simple iconography
reductive qualities 
limited color pallet

E S S E N C E

The Bend
mixture of materials
placement  (corner or edge)
   

DP: Week 2 increase the peace

My plan for week two was to understand attitudes, observe habits, and find potential spots.

This week I took the bus around town so that I could observe everyday people in their habitat while also looking at the city itself. The bus ride was a quiet one at times. There were people that were having a hard day, people that were doing the daily routine, and people trying to stay out of the cold. Its a great example of Kansas City itself. It is a very eclectic town.

I wandered into a pretty sketchy neighborhood on the east side because a bus wasn't coming around for 35 minutes. I didnt think too much of it because personally I am kind of used to it. Later in the night I was watching the news and realized that homicide after homicide was being reported and crime after crime. I know our world isnt perfect but I am sure we can try harder than this. A reported 22 homicides have taken place in the first month of 2013. Its a bloody start.

Generally, the east side of kansas city has a reputation of poverty, crime, and violence. Although there is more to the east side than these generalizations, it is a problem that made my soul hurt. Getting back on the bus, this time on the troost max I dove into the neighborhood a little.

Four people I talked to siad they were on their way to work. Two were running errands. One man told me about his extra long day filled with obstacles and stress. It seemed like most people were just trying to survive. Doing what they can to make ends meet looking at like day to day. People that are trying that hard to give the next generation a better day shouldnt have to worry about so much crime and violence. I watched an interview with a girl from paseo academy that had a friend murdered for being in the wrong place at the wrong time earlier this January. Its really unfortunate. Because of this I think I can tweak my DP to still be about optimism and hope in the community while trying to bring awareness to the rising violence in our communities.

Before this I thought of wordings like:

Everything will be okay
Love thy Neighbor (reference to the bible because of the number of religious people in the area)
Have a good day
Today is yours
Youre making it a good day
Remain positive
stay humble
stick em up, no mas homicide
Hows it goin? (a simple hello and hows it going seemed to brighten peoples day)
Survive KC

Implementation:
Projector showing stats
Posters wheat pasted showing crime rates
booklets in the news paper vending machings

Here are some photos from my trip on the bus for a quick minute