2009 April | StephenEmlund.com Blog

blackcat billboard idea #5
I tried getting the cat to look like it was ripping through the billboard. I spent 30 minutes playing with placement of the cat over the rip. It just wasn’t looking right… then I realized that the cat tail needed to go because it was ‘flattening out’ the depth of field. Thoughts on this one? Does the background type/texture need to be more latent? I was careful not to overlap type on type and not have anything behind the large type.

blackcat billboard idea #6
For this one I tried using the same concept but simplifying it. So there is still a texture, cat, ripped paper but they are used differently. Also the leading of ‘Blackcat County’ is tighter here with the ‘t’ of ‘Country’ connecting with the ‘c’ of ‘Blackcat’. The previous one has more generous leading. Should the type/texture be even more latent? I’m just not sure how noticeable the texture will be from the road.

I invite everyone’s critique and thoughts – even if you’re not a designer.

iconnect launches

April 10, 2009

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Stephen Emlund

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My Full-Time Job

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iconnect.atsu.edu launched today. Now the ATSU community can stay connected through the various social networks that are integrated into iconnect. I spent about 2 1/2 months on the design and development of it, I also worked with Lee in Communications & Marketing. She had a great vision for what iconnect could be and worked to get meaningful stories and content on the website. You can follow iconnect on Twitter and also follow ATSU news releases on Twitter

If you work at ATSU, look for something special in your mailbox that has something to do with iconnect.

There’s another ATSU publication that will be hitting the web really soon. Can’t wait!.

Finding my work in a few cool places

April 6, 2009

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Stephen Emlund

Filed under:
Motion Graphics, My Life, Website Design

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I was recently browsing a few of my past Visual Communication professor’s websites. I found my work highlighted in their ‘student work’ section. Check them out here.

http://bethsteffel.com/html/studentweb5.html (live site here)
http://bethsteffel.com/html/studentweb6.html (live site here)
Beth now teaches in San Bernardino, CA at California State University

I also found my ‘yes we can’ Obama video on Gary’s website.

http://www.garyrozanc.com/index.php?id=403 (see the whole series here and here)
Gary just started at Truman last Fall and is probably best Viscom professor I’ve ever had.

It’s humbling to see your professors highlighting your work on their website. Always a nice surprise when I randomly come across it.

Someone once said…

April 5, 2009

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Stephen Emlund

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Someone Once Said...

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Simplicity is not the goal, It is the byproduct of a good idea and modest expectations

—Paul Rand

This Week in Design

April 3, 2009

Written by:
Stephen Emlund

Filed under:
Billboards, Branding, Design Concept/Ideas, Logo Design, My Full-Time Job, Print Design, Redesign, The Design Process, This Week in Design, Typography

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Logo for the Student Government Association at ATSU – This is to be used on their brand new website that I posted a few weeks ago. Will be in WordPress – should be come out nicely!

iconnect – a website that connects the ATSU community through various social networking all in one place. I can’t wait for this to launch – The URL has been blurred out since it’s not live yet. This is a magazine ad that will be in Still Magazine soon.

Financial Aid videos for ATSU – the most extensive use of web videos at ATSU to date – I think… Again I can’t share the URL since it’s only for a select set of users. The previous and next buttons use jQuery to ‘slide’ to the next video. An example is here.

So I decided not to include the other 10 million design projects I worked on this week – so I collaged them into a small space. This week included an iconnect magazine ad, blackcat billboard ideas, newspaper ad for meadow heights, SGA logo, iconnect subpage design, creative improv subpages, financial aid video slideshow, blackcat illustrator recreation and a bunch of programming.

I’m.

Exhausted.

Blackcat Billboard idea

April 1, 2009

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Stephen Emlund

Filed under:
Billboards

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I haven’t come up with more than one variation based on the critiques yet. This is one idea that is more balanced and uses some background texture. I still want to try more type variations and have the cat ripping through the billboard (the ripping idea is thanks to this cool dude.)

As always – give me your feedback and critique – Is the background too much? Any ideas for the type? Is it timeless? Will it look dated in a few years?

Someone Once Said…

April 1, 2009

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Stephen Emlund

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Someone Once Said...

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“What I’m trying to produce is the visual equivalent of the chord change that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.”

-Rian Hughes
{source: http://quotesondesign.com/rian-hughes/}