Target Audience

This entry will focus on a thought I developed after my digital media lecture this morning... So far, an important consideration I must make in all of my RTA classes and all productions I create is being aware of TARGET AUDIENCE.

Things to keep in mind when designing: typeface, size, colour, graphics, content. I learned this in week 3 but we talk about target audience in every class. Anyways, the choices you make in these elements will attract a certain target audience/demographic.

Let's see 3 examples... of cd cover designs! (I'm currently in a musical mode).
Let's compare three album covers which all feature a close-up of a female artist.

1. Hole (Courtney Love)

1. Typeface - Album from 1994 but the typeface reminds me of the 70s, retro feel
2. Size - Close up of face expressing happiness, bliss, excitement.
3. Colours - Warm colours - makes me feel happy, fade colours give it an older feel.
4. Graphics - Only focus on courtney love's face - which greatly contributes to target audience. She's wearing a crown, holding flowers, her make-up seems to be smudged. Mouth open hide in joy.
5. Content - Well balanced design.

Personally, through the design of this cover I could see that the target audience is:
teenagers who like to have fun, party, who are or wish to be free spirited. Looks like a party. It looks like her makeup is running - showing intense emotion. A 70's feel attracts a broader audience - people who enjoy older rock hits. It's appropriate that Courtney included these retro elements since many of her songs are inspired by classic rock artists and she puts her on grungy attitude on top of it. Her confidence shines through her photo - her music was quite different among the other music in the 90's, especially since it was coming from a girl. The cover is well-balanced - the graphics are quite extravagant and eye-catching and the title does not clash with t because it's simple with a girly edge that reflects the feminist elements in her music.


2. Taylor Swift

1. Typeface - Delicate, feminine, twirly
2. Size - Again, just her face. Natural makeup, rested facial expression. Typeface is a good size.
3. Colours - Very natural
4. Graphics - Butterflies, background patterning
5. Content - A lot of detail/textures going on but it's pretty balanced. I just don't like the background because her curly hair doesn't blend well with the background - she's clearly put out and pasted on top of it.

All of these elements are very feminine so they will attract that audience. Taylor showcases herself with natural hair and makeup and the overall effect is purity, innocence - therefore, I believe that most of the audience would be young, perhaps in their preteens and early teens. The nature feel in the cover found in the water, earth, butterfly elements and her slight glowing tan reflect her country music genre, attracting country fans. Very innocent. I think it is mainly aimed for girls and teenagers, but it is obviously open for anyone to listen.


3. KE$HA

1. Typeface - Bold, hard, scratchy, edgy.
2. Size - Typeface is also capitalized and in yellow - very noticeable.
3. Colours - Dark elements contrasting yellow/warm colours
4. Graphics - Random touches of lines and specks to add to the edginess
5. Content - Below

Her expression is a lot different compared to taylor swift's innocent smile and courtney love's huge grin. Ke$ha's expression is serious, sexual, and shows power and attitude. It's also edgier than the other two. However, I also see similarities between courtney's and ke$ha's. Kesha and Courtney shows dominance while Taylor seems vulnerable.
Anyways, the combined elements of this cover show that the album is aimed for edgier teenagers who perhaps are also free spirited, independent, want to rebel, and/or enjoy hard partying/clubbing/concerts/etc.

The idea of target audience connects through all of my classes this term - audio production, media writing, english, digital media, media tech theory, and even biology.

-Karoline
(week 4)

CRAP.

THE "CRAP" PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

(Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity)

Hey! Today I will be analyzing images that embody certain CRAP principles of design.

1. CONTRAST

One of my favourite movies! I recommend it.

This is the Shallow Hal movie dvd sleeve.  I think this is an awesome example of effective contrast. Contrast is found in the colours used - mainly blue and yellow (primary colours), the font size and width in the title. I'm glad they stayed consistent in the font because it's an uncommon typeface for a movie. The font works for the movie content though. A nice play with lines (horizontal/vertical/diagonal). There is contrast between textures (ex. brick wall vs the rest, smooth). The two featured characters even contrast with each other in shape and colour (clothing, hair). Overall, there is a nice emphasis of contrast elements in the overall design that makes it successful! There is also effective repetition of the typeface and colours used. The paragraph alignment of the words in the description section gives it a humorous feel since it is usual and informal and also draws attention to the humorous image it is working around.

2. REPETITION

I browsed through Abercrombie today at the eaton centre - the first time in years!

This is why I chose Abercrombie to represent "repetition". 

Design is effective when one aspect is repeated throughout the page(s). This can refer to typeface, shape, stroke thickness, colour - anything visual. Throughout the website, the title logo"Abercrombie and Fitch" is placed and hidden everywhere in their website and posters, the font size varying in shape. I know that it's the title and it should be everywhere, but the fact that the size varies and the amount that is shown also varies, shows that it is repeated effectively throughout and ultimately, keeps it interesting. I've got to say that the proximity of the website is great as well. Very easy to navigate. Also, obvious black/white colour repetition and font size bring contrast to the pages. One may argue it is boring but I think the black and white is a classic contrast and it gives the website and brand a classy, high-quality and elegant feel. The makers were probably aiming for this even though a lot of their clothing is casual.

            

3. ALIGNMENT

This is also one of my favourite movies!

It is important to align items on the page appropriately to create visual cohesion. Find a common alignment! Also, typeface should stay consistent. Centre alignment should be avoided. This is because it's more difficult for the reader since new lines start at different areas each time. 

However, I believe that the centre alignment works for this movie poster. The sentences are simple and short. All the lines are around the same length, making it easy to read for the reader. A possible reason as to why this centre alignment was used was to reflect the robot boy's mind. He is like any other young boy... simple and he has the same feelings but is unfortunately trapped in the life of a robot which complicate the plot and evokes many conflicts in the movie. He is so much more than he is perceived to be and experiences strong feelings. Therefore, the simple arrangement may also show what he is perceived to be by others. Anyways, that is up for debate but bottom line, in terms of design, I think the alignment of type is effective and all other elements work together to create this successful poster. I believe the poster is very simple yet intriguing. Great contrast found in the poster, between the font sizes and colour (silver on top of black). I personally find silver on black a bit dull but I believe they chose silver to demonstrate the "metallic" feel of the futuristic setting of the movie.

4. PROXIMITY

Grouping related items together - Promixity. In other words, Organization! Doing this will create overall cohesion and organization between content and the overall design of the poster/image.    

I like this wedding menu. I think it's well balanced and the visual tone is effective. The different font sizes and grouping makes this an easy and pleasent menu to read. I really like the image around the top because I find wedding menus to be quite boring without a pop of colour like in this one. There is one thing I would change though - the typeface isn't consistent. It's not that bad but it kind of bugs me. I also believe that the font used for the food descriptions are too fancy and swirly - It's hard to understand, especially when the font is used a few lines at a time! The message gets lost.

.........................................................................................................................................


The CRAP principles have taught me a lot. I was making some mistakes in the past that I will now know how to fix and I feel confident to go even further with my designs. I believe that the principles ultimately helps you achieve balance. This results in pleasing aesthetics, simple and smooth navigation. These elements should be taken into consideration as the success of designs are crucial in attracting the public. You want the public to remember you!


- Karoline 
(Week 3)

My Digital Footprint!

This week I learned about digital footprints.

A digital footprint is basically one's online identity formed through their digital traces or memory of their time online. The internet is a constant and rapidly growing media - a enormous network filled with accessible data, and because of this accessibility, it allows future employers to determine the apparent type of person you are! They can look you up on google and search through what you have made public: such as various social media networks and your interactions within websites. This could determine whether you get hired somewhere - so shouldn't you be careful?! YES.
This class taught me so much: it made me aware and has motivated me to take action in making my online identity the best it could be! And I'm excited to start!

What I found....

What I liked!
So I looked myself up on google. Luckily, I'm one of the few Karoline/Karolina Podolaks out there so I did find some information about myself. I've found a few articles about a few photography contests I won (not to brag... hehe), a couple youtube videos I made by myself as well as with friends, samples of poetry for a CD I was recorded in. I also found the URL to this blog and credits to my fashion photography. Check it out if you'd like! I also found a few pictures of myself on images thanks to myspace (I totally forgot I even had one...)
Unfortunately, google results vary between Karolina Podolak (Birth name) and Karoline Podolak (What I go with) so employers would most likely only see what I was credited for as "Karoline".

What I didn't like...
I found links to comments I made on facebook groups which were pretty random. So I just wanted to clean them up. I logged on and deleted most of them, especially ones from when I was in grade 9/10, which were pretty obnoxious.
Funny story: I found a pair of parrots in my backyard two years back. I wanted to give them back to their owners because they were gorgeous birds, so I announced a post about these parrots on a regional lost and found pet website. Well, the owners of that website distributed my post to a bunch of other related websites. So when I looked my name up on google about 2 years ago, there were about 10 links to my "FOUND 2 PARROTS" announcement on different websites! People were even discussing about my post! I had to contact each website and ask them to take the posts down because I found their owner long ago!
The original post is on there though... pretty funny actually: http://www.parrotsnow.com/found-2-parrots.html

Anyways, to improve my digital footprint/online identity, I'm going to take these steps:
1) Create a flavors.me portfolio!
2) Create a google profile
3) Buy my own domain name!
4) Start a youtube channel. I'm really excited for this. I'm going to upload classic rock covers (me singing and playing the guitar), vlogs, fun video projects/skits, and some interesting secret talents I have.... (You'll see!)
5) As stated before, delete some of my activity on Facebook so it doesn't show up on google. My activity isn't bad or anything - I could just do without it. I know it's always going to be in Facebook history but at least it'll be off google... at least I hope so.

Considering my decisions and plans, I think we should all take action to create our own positive digital identities. We have the power to do so and who knows, this can help with our careers! You'll look great and plus young adults who are active and knowledgable in social media platforms are great resources for many industries. However, when it comes to opening up about your personal matters - don't do it. And NEVER share rude and negative thoughts and comments - it's offensive anytime and will get you nowhere. Besides that, take this opportunity to flourish your online identity! Leave a good mark.

I feel in control.


- Karoline
(Week 2)

* I got this image from: http://optimizedstrategies.com/publications/how-to-guides/10-steps-powerful-online-digital-footprint/ - Thank you!

Volunteering at the 26th Gemini Awards!

One thing has become very apparent to me since I've started RTA: Donna sends a lot of emails. Some of the emails are about important RTA info and events and a lot of them are amazing volunteer experiences! As soon as I got the e-mail about the Gemini Awards, I replied ASAP - I want all the volunteer experience I can and this sounded fun and it sure was!

So, during the first few days of school, I was already granted a volunteer position for the 26th Gemini Awards as a stand-in and audience intern - It was an amazing experience. I volunteered the 6th and 7th of September (the actual show), therefore, I actually got to join the crowd and watch the show. All that just a few days into the RTA program.. Well, what a great start and taste of the industry I got!

I got to meet a lot of great people: fellow volunteers, CBC workers, guests and even some of the artists. It was my first time inside the CBC building and the set was incredible. I hope to volunteer next year. Honestly, I hope to volunteer and hopefully work for related events as much as I can throughout my studies at Ryerson.

FUNNY STORY: 

All celebrities had a specific seat assigned to them, so the cameramen would know where they were if they won. Therefore, before the show, the seats designated to specific celebrities had a photograph of the celebrity on it. At one point during the day, I was sitting in a regular seat beside one with a picture of Rick Mercer on it. I rested my arm on this chair, so my arm was basically on Mercer's head. I was just in a gaze, daydreaming about something I forget, until I felt someone looking at me. It was Rick Mercer himself, giving me a funny look! I laughed and took my arm off his head (well, the photo) It was a funny moment. He came in early like some guests during the rehearsal process.

another funny story....

During the show, Tom Green was in a room full of cheese worth a total of $7000! At the end guests ate cheese and so did the volunteers! There were so many leftovers that I brought home a block of $200 cheese along with other cheese my family enjoyed. Hey, they had to go somewhere - I didn't want them to throw it in the garbage! 

Anyhow, as you can see, I really enjoyed these few days and I am so thankful!

-Karoline 

http://country94news.blogspot.com/2011/09/its-not-whole-lot-of-info-but-according.html - thanks for the picture of Rick Mercer!

http://ohinternet.com/Tom_Green - thanks for the picture of Tom Green!

Welcome to Digital Media class!

Hey!

I'm Karoline and I'm a first year Radio and Television student at Ryerson. I will be writing posts in my blog every week to further and apply my knowledge gained in my digital media classes in labs and lectures. Though my program is radio and television, one would think that I would only be taking classes specific to RADIO and TV. However, this is a required course since the media industry is also digital: and especially in this age, digital media is growing rapidly.

Before the lecture, I had some vague thoughts about the actual term: "digital media".  Initially I imagined a course that solely focuses on digital design. However, and I say this with a feeling of embarrassment, (considering I'm a media student) I forgot about the connection with the term "media"! As you can see, I didn't know what to expect from this class.

My views did change after class! And though through the weeks I'll learn so much more, for now I've come up with the following. I became more aware of how incredibly relevant digital media is in this age - and that it is growing incredibly rapidly. It is a culture and global society that we are all getting exposed to, especially in the city. The lecture made me more aware that we truly are a global village. Borders between countries and regions are fading during this age of communication. Information is now distributed and communicated to others through the use of various digital platforms. And I was right - design is also important. (I'm  especially excited for my first assignment which involves design) I have begun to view the term: digital media through a larger perspective - as there is also so many other ideas associated with the term such as transmedia, infographics, motion graphics, and so on. And this was only my first day!

Like I said, it's only been a day - but - attending the lecture and understanding the course syllabus proved to me how fortunate RTA students are to be enrolled in this class. The course content changes year to year in order to keep up with the quick growth in this industry. It is great that RTA students are learning material relevant to the world around them, so they could prepare for careers in their future. The course is up to date, based in the present, which is a crucial if one may wish to pursue a career which involves communicating the present.

And I want to learn more about Marshall McLuhan! I found it so interesting that he created so many theories years ago yet as time passes, he is becoming more and more relevant and is truly proving his points. To be honest, I was a bit confused about some of the theories we were introduced to in class today but I'm sure my questions will be clarified throughout the weeks.

Anyways, this is my first blog post EVER, and I'm probably sounding very boring right now... I'll try to get a hang of this!
PS: I am supposed to only write about 3-4 paragraphs but it's hard to keep it at that... I could turn this into 3-4 but they would be fat, boring looking and painful to the eye (at least in my opinion..) so I broke it up into smaller portions.

Thanks for reading & Gone for now!


Karoline
(Week 1)