Visual Language - NYU ITP

Duban Morales
Assignment 03
Date 09/30/2024

Expressive Words

Duban Morales
Assignment 02
Date 09/23/2024

Airline Ticket

In my redesign of the Delta Airlines boarding pass, my primary focus was to refine the user interface to enhance readability and accessibility for all parties involved in the travel process: TSA agents, Delta agents, and most importantly, the passengers. Recognizing that both TSA and Delta agents frequently interact with boarding passes and are familiar with various layouts, I strategically prioritized the arrangement of information to cater primarily to the needs of the passengers. I aimed to make the boarding pass easier to use by clearly displaying essential information such as departure gate, boarding time, and destination. I hope this redesign not only makes the boarding process smoother for passengers but also ensures that all necessary details are instantly accessible, reducing confusion and enhancing the overall experience at the airport.

Episode Response

Reflection on Abstract: The Art of Design – Jonathan Hoefler: Typeface Design

In Abstract: The Art of Design, Jonathan Hoefler breaks down typeface design in a way that feels both methodical and artistic. He starts by explaining that when creating a typeface, the first letters to design are "H" and "O." It’s interesting because the verticals of the "H" and the roundness of the "O" give you a sense of how the entire typeface is going to flow. I didn’t realize that the challenges lie in letters like "J" and "S," which seem simple but disrupt the consistency you're aiming for.

What stuck with me is how Hoefler talks about typefaces as systems. It’s not about making one letter look good on its own, but about how all the letters work together as a whole. He also touches on how typefaces designed for print need to be revisited for digital use, which opens up opportunities to refine and make them even more sophisticated.

One of the coolest parts was seeing how he pulled inspiration from the past. For his typeface Decimal, he went back to designs from old watches and maps. There’s something about that blend of history and modern design that gives his work a timeless feel. His project with Tiffany & Co. also showed how important it is to make a logo work across different materials while still keeping its character intact.

Duban Morales
Assignment 01
Date 09/16/2024

Movie Poster

Prey (2022) is a science fiction action thriller that serves as a prequel to the Predator franchise. Set in 1719 on the Great Plains, the film follows Naru, a young Comanche warrior who dreams of becoming a great hunter. When a mysterious threat—the Predator—arrives on her land, Naru sets out to confront it, believing it to be a test of her skills. As she tracks the alien hunter, she must rely on her intelligence, survival instincts, and connection to nature to protect her people. The movie highlights themes of survival, tradition, and the clash between indigenous culture and advanced technology.

The Predator possesses infrared vision and an invisibility cloak. I aimed to capture these elements, along with the open land and forest environment of the time and location, in the poster. For the font, I chose a simple design to represent the early life of the period.

Reading Response

Title ‘Good taste’ is a myth by Leyden Lewis - https://www.fastcompany.com/90657120/good-taste-is-a-myth

  When I was in architecture school in Los Angeles, we mostly learned about Western architecture, and what the author is saying is true. In our architecture history classes, we rarely studied architects from outside Europe. I was fortunate enough to have professors and classmates from all over the world. Recognizing the lack of diversity in our curriculum, my classmates started a club to teach us about minority architects from other parts of the world that later on became a class anyone can take.

  After completing our second year, we were able to take "topic studios," where professors presented their studio themes for the semester on the first day, and we could choose which one we wanted. I chose a professor named Puyan, who had us research mosques. The one assigned to me was from Istanbul, Turkey, from the 17th century—or perhaps it was much older, I can't quite remember. The interior of the mosque was filled with intricate mosaic patterns in shades of blue and white. Everywhere you looked, there were stunning details reflecting the local culture and religion.

  This relates to what the author in "Good Taste Is a Myth" refers to as an "aesthetic gravity well." While I generally agree that no single aesthetic should be considered the "right" one, in the case of religious architecture, I would disagree. Places of worship often require a standardized form of representation to honor the respective religion. For example, many Christian and Catholic churches incorporate a cross into their design, whether in the floor plan or in sectional cuts, as a central representation of their faith.