Typing to Myself

Intro Design Summary

Written by

Eric Nguyen

in

,

What I’ve Learned about Design

Doing The Vignelli Canon reflection showed me that design is more about asking what is appropriate rather than what looks cool. Massimo Vignelli wrote, “Design means to be in control of every detail” (p. 74). I didn’t really think about it like that before. I used to choose fonts or layouts just based on what looked interesting to me or just whatever the common theme was, but now I’m starting to see that every small choice affects how people understand what they’re seeing.

Doing the DesignBlitz also made me notice how even everyday objects are designed with intention. Like the Honey Nut Cheerios box I analyzed. Its heart-shaped cereal pieces connect to the message about heart health. I believe this design choice led people to feel trust or comfort toward the product and company. On a larger level, society seems to rely on design to communicate things quickly without words like for street signs.

What Was Harder Than I Expected

More challenging than I thought was finding a way to make the fortune cookie movie quotes feel both real and meaningful. For example, in the Fortune Cookies assignment, I needed to choose quotes from The Lion King movie that could actually feel like a real fortune. I began thinking about what a person would feel reading them in real life. I didn’t want it to feel forced or cringey. Also, with The Lion King Paid Escort edit, I struggled with balancing humor and meaning. I didn’t want it to be just a joke.

What Was Easier Than I Expected

Creating the edits for the assignments was easier than I thought. Using tools like Paint.NET and Adobe Lightroom Classic felt pretty straightforward since I’ve already gotten used to them. For example, making the fortune cookie quotes with the scenes from The Lion King or isolating the apple and butterfly from the other elements in the orchard photo came together smoother than I expected. The technical side didn’t slow me down much which was a relief.

What Drove Me Crazy

The very one thing that really drove me crazy was dealing with copyright restrictions for the third assignment of part IV. At first, I found this perfect photo of a pigeon standing out in the foreground, in front of all the other pigeons. I added a glowing white outline around it and blurred the background, then added the text “be the pigeon that stands out from the flock.” I thought it looked great. But right after finishing, I discovered the copyright license on that image which didn’t allow me to use it the way I wanted. That was frustrating because I had already put a lot of work into it. I spent hours searching for a good replacement but couldn’t find anything that fit or had a forgiving license. Eventually, I remembered a childhood memory at the orchard and started searching for apples instead. That’s when I found the perfect Creative Commons image with a license that let me use it freely (as long as it’s non-commerical and appropriately credited). It felt like a lucky break after a long struggle. This whole experience showed me how important it is to understand copyright early on…

What I’ve Enjoyed

What I enjoyed most was seeing how simple edits could create an emotional meaning. In the “One Memory in Color” assignment, I left one apple in bright red with a yellow butterfly on top while the rest turned grey. When I finished the edit, I felt so triumphant and satisfied with how it turned out.

Final Thoughts

This week made me realize design is not about making things flashy or trendy. It’s more like quietly telling a story in a way people can feel without needing an explanation. Like Vignelli said, “Good design doesn’t cost more than bad design. The opposite is quite true, very often” (p. 94). I think good design feels honest. That’s something I want to carry with me, whether in class or later on in life.

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