COLLABORATION
Instructor Feedback
Instructor feedback plays a significant role in the education of designers in master's programs, as it provides them with valuable insights and suggestions to improve their work. As novice designers, students often need guidance and constructive criticism to refine their skills and produce high-quality design projects. According to a study by Lee and Hannafin (2016), feedback from instructors is crucial in helping students develop their design thinking abilities and gain a deeper understanding of the design process. Therefore, designers in master's programs can benefit greatly from receiving feedback from their instructors, as it can enhance their learning experience and prepare them for professional design work.
1. Continue to Grow
The designer received instructor feedback that they could have done more with the time available for a refinement opportunity. The feedback suggested that there were multiple Optional Challenges that the designer could have tackled, each of which would have added to the designer's skill set and portfolio. The feedback also emphasized the competitive nature of the design field and the importance of being as well-rounded and skilled as possible to succeed.
The feedback made the designer realize that they could achieve more in the program and were letting themselves down by not taking full advantage of the opportunities available to them. The feedback also motivated the designer to work harder and to be more ambitious in the designer's goals.
As a result of the feedback, extra time was scheduled to complete optional challenges as the classes progressed and helped the designer realize their full potential and achieve more in the master's degree program.
2. It’s Okay to Be Unrestrained
The designer received instructor feedback that they could be more expressive in designing by suggesting that the designer explore different compositions and layouts that are not as standardized or boxy. This would allow the designer to express their own creativity and personality in the designs, while still being objective and meeting the needs of the brand.
The feedback also emphasized the importance of creating designs that were distinctive and stood out from the competition. This would require the designer to be more expressive in their designs, while still being objective and ensuring that the designs were effective and met the needs of the brand.
The feedback mentioned the importance of using "interesting and differentiated compositions" and "distinctive flavor and style." This gave the designer specific ideas about how to be more expressive in creating designs for the Las Vegas Enforcers, while still being objective and ensuring that the designs were effective and met the needs of the brand.
The designer took the feedback to heart and began to explore different ways to be more expressive in their designs and later experimented with different compositions, layouts, and colors. More attention to the "personality" of the led to the creation of the Las Vegas Enforcers brand.
3. Don’t Forget the Mission
The critique reminded the designer not to forget the goal of creating designs and ensuring that the user/consumer is at the forefront of the end goal because it emphasizes the importance of providing the user with all the necessary information to act. In this case, the user is listening to a radio ad about Lucky Dog Rescue Orlando, and the critique suggests that the Companion Display Unit (CDU) should include the website URL so that the listener can easily access more information about the organization. This would help to ensure that the user is able to take the desired action, which is to learn more about Lucky Dog Rescue Orlando and potentially donate or volunteer.
The critique also reminds designers to consider the user's experience when creating designs. By including the website URL in the CDU, the designer is visually reinforcing what the listener is hearing, which can help to create a more seamless and informative experience for the user. This is important because it can help to increase the likelihood that the user will take the desired action.
Las Vegas Enforcers 30 Second Radio Ad Script
[Heroic background music starts]
Announcer: Calling all fanatics and ice hockey lovers! Come watch an intense sporting spectacle that will leave you at the edge of your seats! Prepare yourself for the Las Vegas Enforcers, the team who returns the ice to desert!
[Music intensifies]
Announcer: Feel the rush and immense energy as the Las Vegas Enforcers showcase their supernatural skills as face-off against the Utah Grizzlies. Witness their unrivaled strength as they unleash unstoppable goal shots and deliver bone-crushing hits!
Announcer: Join us on February 30th at the Orleans Arena for an epic showdown! Hurry!
Claim your tickets now at L-V-ENFORCERS-DOT-COM!
Las Vegas Enforcers
[SFX: explosion]
BRING the BOOOOM!
The critique also helped to improve the overall design of the Las Vegas Enforcers radio ad. The ad was redesigned to be more visually appealing and sonically informative. The colors were made brighter, and the text was made larger and easier to read. This made the ad more attention-grabbing and easier for the user to understand.
Overall, the critique helped to improve the Las Vegas Enforcers radio ad by making it more informative and user-friendly.
Outside Resources
Collaborating with outside resources such as other designers, clients, and industry experts can be highly beneficial for designers seeking to improve their work and gain valuable feedback. Designers who work in isolation risk becoming too subjective and limited in their approaches, which can lead to a lack of innovation and growth. By collaborating with others, designers can expand their perspectives and gain insights into different design practices, technologies, and market trends. According to a panel of experts featured in a The Futur (2020) Live session on design collaboration, seeking feedback from others can help designers identify blind spots and weaknesses in their work, leading to more effective and successful design outcomes. Therefore, designers who embrace collaboration and critique from outside resources can enhance their skills, build their networks, and create more impactful designs for their clients and audiences.
4 & 5. Recruit & Out-source
The designer collaborated with others throughout the degree program to record voice-overs for projects by reaching out to friends, family, and colleagues who had experience in voice acting. Online searches for voice actors were also conducted to find someone who specialized in the desired tone for the project needs.
Once the designer had found a few potential voice actors, a script was sent for the project and asked participants were asked to record a sample voice-over. The designer then listened to the samples and selected the voice actor who they felt best captured the desired tone.
The designer then worked with the voice actor to in person to finalize the script and record the final voice-over for each ad. On the spot feedback was provided to the voice actors throughout the process, and the voice actors made sure to adjust their performance accordingly.
Pleased with the results of the collaboration, the participants were able to create voice-overs that perfectly captured the desired tone for the project needs.
To listen to the voice actors click the buttons below.
6. Reaching out to Professionals
Monique Atkins, owner of DR Graphix of Chicago, IL, provided informal feedback to the designer for assets needed for the Las Vegas Enforcers brand. Atkins offered her thoughts on the overall branding direction, provided feedback on specific assets, and shared her own experiences working with local sports teams. One particular statement that Atkins shared that stuck with the designer was that it might not be possible to incorporate all of a clients visuals in an asset such as a jersey. She also suggested that I use the logo located on the envelope design for the letterhead as well as rearrange the visuals for the stationery package to be aesthetically pleasing.
Atkins' feedback was taken into consideration and some changes were made to assets of the Las Vegas Enforcers. The primary logo was simplified and more of the team's colors and mascot were incorporated into the branding. Though the stationery package does incorporate designs created for the team, not every asset has all visuals created for the team.
Connecting with Peers
Collaborating with peers in the design industry is a valuable way for designers to expand their perspectives, learn new techniques, and improve their work. A key aspect of collaboration is receiving feedback from peers, which can help designers identify strengths and weaknesses in their designs, refine their ideas, and enhance their problem-solving skills. Peer feedback also provides designers with a fresh perspective on their work, enabling them to see their designs in a new light and discover new solutions to design challenges. Therefore, designers who seek out collaboration with peers and embrace feedback can enhance their skills, develop their creativity, and ultimately produce more impactful and successful designs.
7. Attention to Detail
The feedback was specific to an earlier project, in that it pointed out specific areas where the artwork was close to the edge. The feedback also suggested how the designer could fix the issue. This made it easy for the designer to understand what needed to be done and how to do it.
The feedback was constructive in that it focused on the positive aspects of the work, such as the colors and the overall design. The feedback also offered specific suggestions for how the designer could improve the work. This made the feedback helpful and motivating, rather than discouraging. This allowed the designer to make changes to the work before it was finalized and improve the overall attention to detail to produce better work in the future.
8. Brandbook Evaluation
The designer missed the whitespace and crowding problems on the 6th page of the Las Vegas Enforcers Playbook because they were focused on other aspects of the design, such as the overall layout and the use of colors.
However, Azahar’s feedback helped the designer to see the problems with the whitespace and crowding, which tied back to the earlier peer critique that stressed “pay attention to the detail.” The designer was able to assess the feedback, which was a great observation made by the evaluator. The solution was accepting the evaluation and making the correct changes to the white space between caption boxes and visuals.
Overall, the peer feedback was helpful to the designer in correcting the whitespace and crowding problems on the 6th page of the Las Vegas Enforcers Playbook. The feedback was specific, actionable, and timely, and it helped the designer to identify and fix the problems with the layout of the page.
Spacing and crowding correction
9. Design Discussions
Discussions with peers enhanced the designer's work on the Las Vegas Enforcers brand. The designer shared work with peers and asked for feedback, which allowed him to get other perspectives on work and identify improvement areas. Peers offered suggestions, which helped the designer to see new possibilities for their work and to make it even better. A group effort of contemplated on different aspects of the brand, which helped ensure that the brand was cohesive and met the needs of the team.
For example, the designer's peers encouraged them to create a cereal box for the Las Vegas Enforcers. They felt that this would be a great way to reach a wider audience and to promote the brand. However, focus on creating team and employee uniforms for the team became the driving factor as it would have a more direct impact on the team.
The designer's work on the Las Vegas Enforcers brand was enhanced by discussions with peers. The designer shared work with peers and asked for feedback, which allowed them to get other perspectives on their work and to identify areas that could be improved. The designer's peers offered suggestions, which helped the designer to see new possibilities for their work and to make it even better. The designer and peers collaborated on different aspects of the brand, which helped to ensure that the brand was cohesive and that it met the needs of the team.
Overall, the discussions with peers helped to foster collaboration and to create a better brand for the Las Vegas Enforcers. The designer's peers offered valuable feedback, and they helped the designer to see new possibilities for future assets. The designer's decision switched to focus on creating team and employee uniforms. The decision aimed to create a strong brand for the team.
Self-Evaluation
Self-evaluation is a crucial process for designers seeking to improve their work and create effective design solutions for their clients. Designers who work as freelancers or in small teams often lack the resources and feedback of larger design firms, making self-evaluation an essential skill for their professional growth (Kay, 2019). Proper self-evaluation involves analyzing key elements of a design project, such as functionality, usability, and alignment with client objectives, as well as considering theoretical design concepts and asking critical questions about the design's message and purpose. By developing the ability to evaluate their own work objectively, designers can identify areas for improvement, refine their skills, and produce successful design outcomes.
10. Color Scheme
The designer of the Las Vegas Enforcers brand decided to decrease the colors of the official team color palette from twelve colors to two color palettes for several reasons.
The first reason was to create a more cohesive and unified brand. Having too many colors can make a brand look cluttered and confusing. By reducing the number of colors, the designer was able to create a more streamlined and visually appealing brand.
The second reason was to make the brand more memorable. Studies have shown that people are more likely to remember brands that use a limited number of colors. By narrowing down the color palette, the designer made the Las Vegas Enforcers brand more memorable and easier to identify.
The third reason was to create a more versatile brand. A limited color palette makes it easier to use the brand across different mediums, such as print, web, and apparel. This makes the brand more versatile and adaptable to different needs.
The article Superhero Color Theory: Primary Heroes by ComicsAlliance was referenced when deciding to reduce the number of colors in the Las Vegas Enforcers brand color palette. The article discusses how the use of primary colors can create a strong and memorable brand identity. Incorporating the primary colors of yellow, blue, and red into the Las Vegas Enforcers brand color palette succeeded in creating a bold and visually appealing brand.
The primary color palette of golden yellow, navy blue, and red is used for the Las Vegas Enforcers' primary branding elements, such as the logo, uniforms, and merchandise. The secondary color palette of orange, light blue, and dark red is used for accent colors and to add visual interest to the brand.
The use of a limited color palette has helped to create a cohesive, memorable, and versatile brand for the Las Vegas Enforcers. The brand is now easily recognizable and adaptable to different mediums, which has helped to increase brand awareness and reach.
In conclusion, the designer's decision to decrease the number of colors in the Las Vegas Enforcers brand color palette was a strategic one that has helped to create a stronger and more memorable brand. The use of a limited color palette has made the brand more cohesive, versatile, and memorable, which has helped to increase brand awareness and reach.
11. Logo Selection
Initial logos for the Las Vegas Enforcers 1. Flash Bang Logo (Primary) 2. S-N-D Logo 3. Employee Logo
The designer eliminated the "search-n-destroy" (SND) logo from the Las Vegas Enforcers brand because it changed the visual title of the team. The SND logo also made the team's name read differently, due to the use of the mascot and additional graphics.
Reflection on the "flash bang" logo's effectiveness and usability as the Las Vegas Enforcers’ primary logo was conducted. The flash bang logo featured a stylized image of a grenade flash bang that increased the size of the logo. Additionally, the flash bang logo was not very usable and legible for most traditional media when transformed to smaller scale.
Ultimately, the decision to create a simple word mark logo for the Las Vegas Enforcers team. The word mark logo features the words "Las Vegas Enforcers" in which “Enforcers” is stylized in a bold, sans-serif font. This logo is simple, effective, and easy to use. It accurately reflects the team's name and identity, and it is a versatile logo that can be used in a variety of contexts.
Official logos for the Las Vegas Enforcers 1. Wordmark 2. Flashbang logo 3. Employee Logo 4. Big Boom! (Mascot)
12. LVE Uniform Creation
For research, professional hockey team uniforms, as well as uniforms from other sports were observed and noted on, but none stood out or reflected the dynamism of the Las Vegas Enforcers.
Prototypes/sketches that were created for the Las Vegas Enforcers’ uniform were basic or commonplace for uniforms of hockey players. However, the designer then realized that they could use elements created for the brand to create a uniform that was both unique and reflective of the team's identity. He then incorporated the primary colors of golden yellow, navy blue, and red into the uniforms, as well as word-mark logo. The designer also added some subtle details, half-tone dot patterns and jagged shapes found in comic books on the shoulders, to give the uniforms a more dynamic look.
The result was a uniform that was both stylish and functional. It was unique enough to stand out from other hockey uniforms, but it also reflected the team's identity and dynamism.
The away jersey for the Las Vegas Enforcers uses the same primary colors, font, and design elements as the home jersey. This helps to create a sense of continuity, consistency, and familiarity between the two jerseys, making the team's identity more recognizable, cohesive, and memorable.
The use of the primary colors golden yellow, navy blue, and red helps to create a sense of continuity between the two jerseys. These colors are used in both the home and away jerseys, which helps fans to easily identify the team.
The use of similar design elements, such as the jagged shape pattern on the shoulders, also helps to create a sense of familiarity between the two jerseys. This pattern is used in both jerseys, which helps fans to quickly recognize the team.
Overall, the use of the same primary colors, font, and design elements in the away jersey as the home jersey helps to create a strong visual identity for the Las Vegas Enforcers. This identity is recognizable, cohesive, and memorable, which will help the team to build a strong fan base.
Reference
Kay, K. (2019, September 25). Keys To Proper Self-evaluation of Your Design Projects. YourStory. https://yourstory.com/mystory/proper-self-evaluation-of-your-design-projects
Lee, J., & Hannafin, M. (2016). Design thinking: What is it and how do we teach it? Currents in Teaching and Learning, 8(1), 5-17.
The Futur. (2020, September 23). The Power of Collaboration: Leading Designers on Working Together [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/live/aNu000cQZmU?feature=share