Journal Thirteen

I use my laptop every single day for millions of reasons, and I think it represents many different inventions that are accessible through a laptop/computer. I used a laptop instead of a desktop because it is portable and lighter, but it still has the abilities to do everything a computer can. It is a source of entertainment, communication, and has applications and programs that can help a person in almost anything.

One reason I chose a helmet as a great invention is because my parents would not let me ride passenger on a motorcycle without it. It also is such a blessing after I have experienced riding with one versus without one, and it is so much better with one. It makes it so bugs don't squish against my face, the wind is not in my eyes, and it makes me feel and is so much safer than going without one.

Phones in general were a great invention, and like the laptop, now they are more accessible to people who need them on the go and easily accessible. I know I rely on my phone to keep me updated with my calendar, contacts, and entertainment when I get bored. Most importantly is the communication aspect because it is a pretty remarkable thing that I can talk to someone in real-time without being face to face.

Last semester, I had to use a printer everyday and I really did end up despising it afterwards, but now I realize how helpful it is. The things you print (documents, pictures, etc.) would be so much harder to produce, and mass produce at that, without a printer and it always does exactly what you want it to if it is working well.

Shoes are great inventions, though I'm sure humans could have developed so they were not needed, because they protect our main source of transportation and make it easier to use our feet more often. Plus, I love shoes and being able to have them in so many different styles is fun.

I find security very important and this is why I think locks were a great invention. It keeps out things you do not want in and keeps things safe that mean the most to a person.

Lightbulbs are just fantastic. I love candles and controlled fire, but they are so convenient and definitely revolutionary because they are everywhere and a necessity nowadays in any environment. They light up the dark and are for the most part reliable until they burn out.

I think hygiene is very important and keeping healthy, and I think a toothbrush is something that people use daily to prevent and keep their mouths clean and healthy so they can keep using them to survive. We need good gums and teeth to maintain ourselves, I think, and a toothbrush is a simple invention that helps us do that.

I began wearing glasses in 4th grade and they were embarrassing, but they helped me see so clearly. Now, I think anything that improves vision is a great invention, but contacts help me see and if I could not see, I would not be able to carry out any day-to-day functions as well as I do now. They also are less obtrusive and noticeable than glasses. I really cannot live without my contacts, or at least anything that keeps it so I can make out objects.

It is very important to document events in our lives and a camera, especially a digital camera, has made so much possible. Including video cameras, we are able to literally keep a little bit of time with us wherever we go and take it whenever we want to. It is a way to look back on experiences and a way to save memories that are too precious to even forget the little details.

Journal Twelve

This ad by Adidas does such a great job of advertising all of their products in a humorous way. The cat is tipping a fishbowl which would make the laptop wet, unless someone with Adidas attire is there because they can get there in time to stop the catastrophe. This ad works because it reminds people that throughout their days, so many little things can happen where swiftness is needed. It also humorously tells people that Adidas can aid in being fast. Adidas is advertising themselves as a company to all audiences. It is targeting adults with the importance of stopping an electronic disaster, but it can satisfy all audiences with the humor in "being fast" in this situation to "being fast" as with sports.

Journal Eleven

This ad was put out by Dove Secret and it plays on the myth of the vulgarity that is usually drawn all over bathroom stalls. Many times, this graffiti is used to talk negatively about other people. Dove used this myth to their advantage by using it and turning it around so that the impact is so much greater about saying something nice about someone, such as "Kara B. is a lovely person!!!," versus what is normally put. The denotative value of the ad is that it is obviously graffiti written upon a bathroom stall wall. The connotative value is that it is contrasting to what people are used to seeing on this same template. Overall, with the use of the myth about the upsetting bathroom walls, Dove is trying to say that this doesn't have to be the case and that someone should not follow the norm of negativity, but break through it and actually be nice when someone isn't around.

Journal Ten

I found that music magazines have an abundance of example with color themes! This example is advertising guitars from Dean Guitars. The ad uses color in a variety of ways, including for the background and the center of interest. The complementary colors of orange and blue are split diagonally across the page in a celestial design for the background. This contrast between the bright twisting colors gives the ad a surreal feeling to it, and implies that this product could be “out of this world,” as cheesy as it sounds. The foreground shows the large guitar with a monotone purple design of different values, ranging from black, to the hue of purple, to white. I think the purple could easily imply the importance of this guitar, since purple has traditionally represented royalty, mystery, and even good judgment.  All of these meanings come in handy when a person is selecting a guitar to choose from. Also, Deans Guitar logo, which is in the upper left corner, has a small spot of red illuminating the back of the logo, much like a shooting star and keeping unity with the background pattern. The red could stand for passion, which is what all great musicians have. Overall, the ad uses four simple colors, but it uses them in very symbolic and contrasting ways, but it makes the ad appealing to the viewers. The different colors draw attention to the ad, much like I was attracted to the picture. The colors are also saturated and vibrant which automatically makes a person feel energized. Something I also noticed about the ad is that it uses colors that are typically seen in light shows, such as at a concert. I think these colors would spark the interest of people who like to attend concerts, which would appeal to the culture of young people who like to have fun at shows. The ad was aided by the use of color by attracting an audience and keeping their attention with the different colors used so it would not be boring to the eye.

Journal Nine

Find three existing logos and explain the color significance.

The first one I chose is the Monster Energy Drink logo. The color chosen for the "m" is a highly saturated green, one of the additive primary colors. I think it is arguable whether this logo is monochromatic or analogous. The color could either be a lighter green from having white added to it, or it could be the hue of yellow, which is right beside green on the color wheel. Whatever the case, it gives a 3-D effect to the logo with the different values acting as shading. The bright green color is also vibrant and exciting, which is well-suited for an energy drink.

The second logo is the Chili's logo. This restaurant can be recognized instantly by the complementary colors green and red, which are also the colors of a traditional pepper or chili. I think this logo used the colors well because the bold, flat, additive primary colors are appealing to everyday people. Whenever someone sees a red chili with a green top, this restaurant is bound to come to mind so it was a great use of ordinary colors.

Lastly, I selected the Ebay logo. This could either be considered double-complementary, though the "a" has more of a yellow hue than an orange, but I think it is more combining both the additive and subtractive primary colors. I think this logo, much like the Google logo, uses different primary colors to show that they are a diverse company, with Ebay being a place anyone can buy or sell just about anything! It is instantly recognizable and the transparent colors overlap each other to give it texture.

Journal Eight

I found this picture in the magazine Photography (September 2008) and Digital Photo, and I could not get the issue because there was a sticker over the date. This Olympus Camera ad takes up two full pages and the denotation is of a very clear picture of a butterfly. We all know how small butterflies are, but this picture magnifies the butterfly into great detail and the focus is centered on it. This initially would attract anyone because of the detail and the bright colors, but it would be focused on more by the target audience: the photographers. Though the butterfly could be a signifier for the myth of beauty and an icon, the photo is also a signifier of great photography. This could follow the myth of beauty, because everyone wants his or her pictures to come out as wonderful and picturesque as possible. This ad almost gives the audience the impression that if they have this camera, their pictures can come out beautiful each time with the great detail and beautiful colors of the butterfly. Along the bottom and right side of the ad are more pictures and information about the camera that took the stunning photo. This appeals to the target audience of photographers because they are very low key with white lettering and smaller photos so they do not take away from the big picture, but add to the message. It is there to aid people who want to know more about this camera, but it does not get in the way of the image. It also has a photographer’s point-of-view about the camera that has only good remarks about this do-all camera. The image can appeal to anyone and grabs the audience’s attention because it has an icon that people see often, but from a different view. You can look at the legs, eyes, and powdery wings right in your hands. Overall, this advertisement was very successful in attaining the audience that it was targeting by having an appealing photograph and supporting details to help aid a person in deciding whether or not to purchase the Olympus camera.

Journal Seven

 

I found the Pro-Mark advertisement in the Modern Drummer (February 2010) and also in the February 2010 issue of Revolver. It was very difficult to find advertisements that were featured in two magazines, and this was one of the ones I found. At first, the denotative picture shows a clam, Buddhist-like man with his legs crossed, dressed in plain black clothes, and without shoes. It looks as if he is meditating, but the connotation reveals so much more. There is a startling yellow color that contrasts vividly with the background, and it is paint dripping down his hands from his drumsticks. The drummer is sitting right in the middle of the symmetrical layout and it brings all focus to him. At first, someone would not really understand the meaning until it is found out that the slogan for the ad is “Feel the color of music.” At that instant, a person can almost feel the cold, wet paint running down their fingers by looking at the magazine. I believe this advertisement is connecting the feeling between a musician and their feel for music by showing the peacefulness on the face of the drummer. The drummer and the colorful drumsticks are signs. The drummer is a sign for the targeted audience: people who play drums and want to feel “one” with their drumsticks. The drumsticks signify the musical instrument while the bright paint dripping off of them would be a symbol for the feel of the drumsticks to the person who is using them. This advertisement would be appealing to the viewers because it has a sense of peace encompassing it. It is playing with the viewer’s emotions by depicting that the musician will feel “one” with their correct drumstick and only feel bliss. This advertisement is very successful because it strikes a musician’s creative interest with the calmly bold advertisement, but it also speaks to the musician because each can relate to the sense of peace a person feels when able to practice art. Overall, the advertisement twisted the ad and the slogan together very well and the simple image got the point across to the target audience.