Project one: Amtrak train route map

My selection for this project will be the California Zephyr. After seeing some imagery about the trail/trip and all the scenery I think it has a loot of potential for the use of color. Still, I also would like to experiment with a 2 or 3 color based concept. I am also thinking maybe focusing on the fact that Amtrak was a very symbolic company for the US without forgetting about the highlights of the ride.

I am not sure yet if I want to use a modern typeface like Futura or keep it classic and vintage with something like Goudy Oldstyle. I guess we'll have to find out what works better.

Design quotes research

Regarding design not recognized as a form of art:

Design is the method of putting form and content together. Design, just as art has multiple definitions; there is no single definition. Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design its so simple that is why it's so complicated.  - Paul Rand

Regarding attachment to ideas:

Never fall in love with an idea. They’re whores. If the one you’re with isn’t doing the job, there’s always, always, always another.   - Chip Kidd

Regarding targeting an audience for a design:

Don't design for everybody. It's imposible. All you end up doing is designing something that makes everyone unhappy.  - Leisa Reichelt

Regarding the relevance of graphic design:

The life of a designer is a life of fight. Fight against the ugliness. Just like a doctor fights against disease. For us, the visual disease is what we have around, and what we try to do is cure it somehow with design.  - Massimo Vignelli.

Regarding designers as leader thinkers:

There is no design without discipline. There is no discipline without intelligence.  - Massimo Vignelli

Design is not the narrow application of skills, it is a way of thinking.  - Chris Pullman.

Intro to Semiotics

Semiotics:

Is the relationship in which an object is translated into a sign, image or symbol to be interpreted by people in a particular way.

Sign: 

A visual element that represents something other than itself

Signifier:

Is the object, or visual element that indicates to a specific concept or idea

Signified:

Is the concept or idea that is wanted to be transmitted.

Icon:

Is the visual representation of a concept which resembles the physical qualities/features of said concept.

Index:

Is a connection between a visual element and the idea that this object is trying to communicate.

Symbol:

Is a glyph, depiction or representation that has no connection to the concept/idea that it communicates but it is understood since society has stablished its meaning.

Syntagma: 

Its a sequential relationship of objects

Paradigm:

A situation in which different patters can be used, but this patterns cannot be used together.

Code:

Its a kind of alphabet or language stablished by a culture.

Polysemy:

The quality of an visual element to communicate different meanings which coexist within it.

Project 1: Topic Research

The topic: Education in 3rd world countries (AKA countries in development)

The key of the topic is mentioning how the lack of access to a good education or to any kind of education at all influences the development of the countries in development. 

The lack of education causes many disadvantages for any society and in the case of countries like Africa, Afganistan and even in some parts of china ignorance allows many issues to raise. Issues such as spreading of sexual diseases, crime, violence and and poor economy, high illiteracy rates which causes misinformation of individuals. 

Some of the reasons that cause education to not be provided or be difficult to provide are things such as inadequate budgets, lack of schools and/or teaching staff, students lacking the economic resources, overcrowded classrooms among many other reasons. 

This not only affects the individuals but the society as a whole. The lack of education prevents society from progressing into a system that allows individuals to have decent and human life conditions. 

There are many solutions to fix this issue and many countries and organizations are working on it, but the resources dedicated to allow the access to education for the people that lack of it are limited, and the people in need are many. 

I believe that education is the key to the future, and that educated, selfless individuals are the ones that turn that key to open the door into this future.

I could giver more details about each of this issue and its solutions but for the time being I will just establish the general idea to later choose which aspects I want to focus on and elaborate better information on them.

The signs:

Some of the signs that can convey this topic could be objects such as school supplies, or the map of whichever region we are trying to touch, or maybe even the figure of the earth. Maybe a broken pencil that has been fixed with tape, maybe a children walking barefoot with his/her backpack, or a children going to a marginal school, a chalkboard, an open notebook. It seems that the main focus of this topic lays on the children, so maybe I want to focus on signs related to them. Also if I am allowed I might combine some of this elements to better depict the idea that I am trying to convey.

Sources:

http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-education-around-world

http://www.bmz.de/en/what_we_do/issues/Education/hintergrund/bildungsituation/

http://www.waxmann.com/fileadmin/media/zusatztexte/postlethwaite/nestvoge.pdf