Ad Review

To me, this is just a fun ad. It brings back a since of nostalgia from watching the old Herby movies when I was a child. The front of a VW always has such a friendly look and reminds me of a face. It seems to me that it has almost become an iconic image of a car, that anyone, anywhere can recognize as a classic VW.

This ad gives a since of action as the VW van is flying over the horizon of the hill and is floating through the air. The colors are fairly muted and earthy which make the dark red van stand out just enough to know that it is the center of attention. There is a repetition of the sides of the bridge that are on both sides of the image that draw you into the picture giving it a sense of depth, and a sense of closer from keeping your eye from falling off the page. The image is almost divided in half horizontally by the bridge and the sky, which continues to give a sense of uniformity in the image. The van flying through the sky is just high enough in the clouds that it keeps the image from being too bottom heavy.

This ad mainly appeals to my emotions. From the nostalgia of the VW van to the idea of flying, I get enjoyment from viewing this ad. The asterisk about the right corner of the van ads more emotion to the van. It reminds me of a thought accent that one may see in a cartoon. It give the van more emotion to wonder what the van is thinking? What thrill is it achieving?

Finally, I get down to the bottom white part of the page where I receive information about what the ad is about. The asterisk points to the thought that VWs should not attempt this dare defying action without using Genuine VW parts. So to me, this old van has been revitalized by the use of these genuine parts and potentially achieve anything. I believe it is a well down and fun ad that engages the viewer to feel many emotions which leads to the connection that if they want to live these thrills and keep their VW alive, then they should only use genuine VW parts.

Review of Dillard's "Seeing"

Annie Dillard wants the reader to see the way that she sees. In Dillard’s essay “Seeing”, the reader is immersed into multiple perspectives of incredibly vivid imagery that makes the reader feel what Dillard feels. The reader’s emotions and thoughts are constantly being played with which keep him or her immersed in her writings, and ultimately making the reader feel what Dillard feels which leads to wanting more of her emotions by seeing what she sees.

 In the beginning of the essay Dillard talks of how she use to hide a penny and give an unsuspecting pedestrian a route in which to find this small, hidden treasure. Her playfulness in this first story brings a sense of childhood nostalgia to mind. I want to feel the excitement and emotions that she is feeling as she is a child hiding this penny and watching people find something so small and possibly unimportant. This first story will leave the reader hooked as it did me, wanting more of this seemingly simple knowledge that Dillard has to offer.

 Dillard then begins giving some examples of seeing the little things in the world that is going on around us. For example, she gives the image of seeing small cuts of grass in a field that a mouse has slowly munched down over and over to reach the grain at the top of the grass. Most people wouldn’t notice seeing this little pile of nicely cut chute of grass in an area that seemingly would have consumed such a small action, but to see this small pile of grass and to know what action went on to create this minor detail is a feat in itself. It’s something so simple, but Dillard’s writing makes me want to see this feat in action, and to see this minute detail.

 After having my imagination stirred and enhanced, Dillard throws in a story about surgeons who removed cataracts of blind victims, which gave them back their sight. My emotions from this part of the essay are being played with in a different manner, instead of playfully imagining, I am given something harsh from my present reality. The excerpt she gives talks of how the once blind is given sight for the first time, and they have no idea what to do. This new sight is sometimes seen as a burden now or a curse and the items once only known to touch seem completely different by being seen. Something that I take for granted everyday is something that few don’t even have. My emotions now take me to a state of gratefulness for having the ability to see things the way I do, and possibly see things further as Dillard does.

 Dillard’s “Seeing” brings a whirl of emotions through my mind that have made me want to see the little things in life as she does. Through her employment of imaginative stories and vivid writing, she consumed me the reader into her thoughts on “seeing”. Emotions are a powerful concept and Dillard successfully used a play on these to persuade me to her argument.

1st Post

Being a graphic designer is basically communicating a message in a visual way. Designers influence peoples lives everyday by creating an ad to promote an item or an event. They will also design the box in which that item comes in to make it all the more appealing. Everything from consumer items to logos or posters has had careful thought and design put into it. 

Commonly, most people think that graphic design is only on computers, and that is its only domain. There is so much pen and paper that goes into design before it hits the computer, if it even goes that route at all. Its a creative process of researching and stretching one's mind to come up with a compelling idea for a design. For a lot of people if they initially work off the computer at first, it can become a sink whole in which they look to see what the computer can do for them with jazzy brushes and crazy typefaces. One can get lost from their original idea if they don't start to dedicate themselves to a sketch before diving into the world of digital design.

Careful thought into typography is also an important part to design. Each typeface has a unique appearance that can evoke different emotion that can give the viewer a different perception on the subject at hand. So, when designing something, the typeface used can be just as important as the lines or color in the composition. A typeface can scream alert just as much as the color red can. 

Having the ability to create a work of art in a way that is seen by many people in a mainstream setting is something that I strive to do as a potential designer. To say that I created an image so compelling that it made someone buy that item is really incredible to me, and it makes me excited for what my field has in store for me. I have always been interested in the design of things and I am excited to start designing myself. I have already learned so much and I am excited to see where my studies will take me in the field of graphic design.