Form and Content 3

Katie Wrobel

Typography II

Section 001

The work I chose is the cover of a calendar designed by Jonathan Davies and was found on www.behance.net.  Behance.net is a network for creative professionals to showcase their work, get others to know them and their work, and network with others in the industry.  The content of a calendar is obviously the months of the year.  The form of this cover includes words whose meanings and colors represent each month.  The form of these words relates to the content because the words accurately represent the twelve months without directly listing them.  The piece is visually interesting because the words stand out on the white background and the concept of the calendar is successfully shown without over-designing the page.  It is a very simple design but works well that way.  Each word relates to the season it is representing, as does the color chosen for each word.  A number of principles of design are found in this piece.  The artist achieved a sense of balance between the words with the top and bottom words starting as cooler colors and working their way toward the center by getting warmer.  The contrast of the bold, capitalized, colorful letters against the white background makes the words pop out at the viewer, drawing them in.  There is unity in the use of one font and size for all of the words as well as variety in the change of color and word length.  The type relates to the image because this is a calendar cover and the words on it convey the separation of time through the year.  It is separated into twelve segments like any calendar, but the idea of choosing adjectives and colors in place of the names of each month is innovative.

Form and Content 2

Katie Wrobel
Typography II
Section 001
The work I chose is from Communication Arts Interactive Annual 14, September/October 2008, pages 152-153. The context in which this work is presented is in the self-promotion section of the magazine. This piece is a webpage design for Jam3media. Jam3media is an interactive studio specializing in Flash and database-driven websites. The content of this webpage consists of images from various portfolios; the connection this content has to the form is that the size of the images is reduced and they are placed together in a Tetris-like pattern to form words of either the webpage name or of the artist. On each artist’s page, their work is what forms the squares that spell out their name. The piece is visually interesting primarily because of how efficiently the work is compiled. Viewers can browse the site and see each artist’s work in the tiles of their name. The mosaic design is aesthetically pleasing in how it contrasts the background. The slight mirrored effect under the mosaic design of each page is another interesting element. The primary principles of design used here are unity and variety. There is variety in how each image is separate and even unrelated, yet there is unity in how they are all used together to form a design. This image is a great example of the gestalt principle as well. Emphasis is also evident because the mosaic word on each page is set off from the black background, drawing the eye straight towards it to examine the portfolio pieces that the word is comprised of. Balance is also achieved in placing the mosaic words in the center of the page and anchoring them with the slight mirrored effect. The type relates to the image because the sum of the images is what makes the type exist.