Mounted Placards

Revised Digital Infographic

I moved the origin text boxes to the sides so as not to clutter the infograph when I brought in the secondary text. Michael and I were talking about the white space at the top feeling  empty, what do you think? I tried putting the text boxes above the grid line, but they appeared awkward in the space.  

New Placards

Final Placards

Revised Placards

Revised Placards

Digital Placards

Digital Placards

Project 4 Image Concepts

Image concept 1: Healthy Living

Corn

-biofuel

-agriculture

Cotton

-clothing (organic?, yoga?)

-spa -> bath towel?

Hemp

-accessories (purses, wallets, hats...)

-food (hemp seeds, hemp oil...)

Image Concept 2: Culture 

Corn

-Mexican food

-Mexico (origin)

Cotton

-India (origin)

-sari

Hemp

-hippie->1960s?

-China (origin)

  

I know we talked about separating culture into two different categories, but I would also like to explore a completely different concept...but I'm stuck. Do you have any suggestions?

Project 3 Statement

Throughout the simultaneous process of designing both a magazine spread and the information graphic to be incorporated into it, I uncovered how the two could be integrated smoothly to work as a system. While choosing an appropriate color palette for the information graphic I looked to both the color of the icon set as well as the colors presented in the photographs contained in the article. Originally I attempted to place the information graphic within the text of the article, but soon realized that it would need to be independent on its own spread. My initial problem was to clearly communicate the origins of the Raw Renewables set. The map format for the information graphic provides a visual analysis of how far these icons have come since their beginning. Through visual hierarchy within the display of the icons the origin and path of the icon is clearly communicated.     

Final Information Graphic

Revised Digital Infographic

Infographic with more labeling and clearer icons. 

Digital Infographic second round

The current infographic with labeling and color icons.

Digital Infographic

Due to way I have developed my infographic, I eliminated wood from the map because the display of information would have made the infograph to complex and illegible. The reseaerch was also completely different in context compared to the other icons.

Icon facts: edited by Morgan

Corn, also known as maize, was present as early as 1500 BCE. The plant was domesticated 9,000 years ago in central Mexico. Corn is widely grown throughout the world with the United States being the largest producer. China, Brazil, France, Indonesia, India, and South Africa also contribute.

Wheat originated in Southeast Asia in an area known as the Fertile Crescent. Five thousand years ago wheat cultivation had spread to Ethiopia, India, Great Britain, Ireland, and Spain. 

The cultivation of cotton began in India where cotton has been growing for 6,000 years. The Harappan civilization exported cotton to Mesopotamia during the 3rd millennium BCE. 

Cai Lun developed papermaking in China during the early 2nd century. He is regarded as the inventor of modern papermaking. The process has spread quickly to the Middle East and Europe by the early 16th century. 

The use of hemp dates back to the Stone Age. Pictograms of hemp fiber appeared on potshards in China that were over 10,000 years old. Hemp is cultivated nearly everywhere in the world except the United States. Hemp is imported from Russia, China, North Korea, Hungary, the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Poland, France, and Italy.

Western North America contains coniferous forests in southern Alaska, western Canada, and the western United States. The region also includes the intermountain deserts, shrublands and grasslands of the western United States. 

Eastern North America contains both broadleaf and mixed forests located in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. The area also includes the grasslands of the Great Plains and southcentral Canada as well as the coniferous forests of the southeastern United States. 

The eco-zone that includes South America contains more tropical rainforest than any other region. This includes the Amazon rainforest. The region contains the most important reserves of biodiversity. 

The Afro-tropic eco-zone contains semi-arid grasslands as well as broadleaf forests. 

The European-Siberian region contains coniferous forests as well as mixed and broadleaf forests.

The Mediterranean Basin includes mediterranean forests and woodland shrubs. It is one of the most endangered regions. 

    

Prototype progress

The entire map. 

Close-up of the origin icon, larger and encircled. 

I am thinking about using hemp or raffia to trace the evolution of the icons, but I am afraid that it is going to become illegible. Is it possible to use it just to trace the circle around the origin? 

Final Paper Prototype

Paper Prototypes: Round 1

Project 3 Research Phase

While researching my icons I focused mainly on time and location. I often found that each icon was connected to another in origin by time and location.

TIME:

Wood has been an essential building material since humans first began building shelters, houses and boats. Until the late 1800s almost all boats were made of wood.

The use of hemp dates back to the Stone Age. Pictograms of hemp fiber appeared on potshards in China that were over 10,000 years old. Hemp fiber was also used to make clothing, shoes, rope, and paper.

Corn, also known as maize, originated as early as 1500 BCE. The plant was domesticated 9,000 years ago in central Mexico.

Paper making was developed in China in the early 2nd century by Cai Lun. He is regarded as the inventor of modern paper making.

Wheat originated in Southwest Asia in a region known as the Fertile Crescent. 5,000 years ago wheat cultivation spread to Ethiopia, India, Great Britain, Ireland, and Spain. 

The cultivation of cotton began in India where cotton has been growing for 6,000 years. The Harappan civilization exported cotton to Mesopotamia during the 3rd millennium BCE.

LOCATION:

Wood is present in some form everywhere in the world.

Hemp is cultivated nearly everywhere in the world with the exception of the United States. Hemp is imported from Russia, China, North Korea, hungary, the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Poland, France, and Italy.

Corn is widely grown throughout the world, with the United States being the largest producer. China, Brazil, France, Indonesia, India, and South Africa also cultivate corn. 

Paper making originated in China, however it quickly spread to the Middle East and Europe by the late 16th century. 

Wheat originated in Asia, but its production has spread to India, the United States, Russia, France, Canada, Australia, Germany, Pakistan, and Turkey. 

Cotton clothed the people of ancient India, Egypt, and China. Cotton textiles were woven in India with impeccable skill. The Moors were the first people to introduce cotton into Spain. Evidence of cotton cultivation and use has also been found in South and Central America as well as England. 

COMPARISON (how each is consumed):

Wood is considered to be the most consumed material. During the mid '90s the average person consumed roughly 4 pounds of wood a day. This amount exceeded that of cement, steel, plastics, and aluminum. 

The bast of hemp fibers can be used in products that are 100% hemp but it is often combined with other fabrics. The inner two fibers of the hemp plant are more woody and are used in non-woven products.

Corn has many different uses especially in food production. It is the main ingredient in tortillas, tamales, and many other Mexican dishes. It may also be used as a cereal grain. 

Paper has many types and weights for different usages. The typical weight for printing paper is 20 pounds while card stock and other craft paper may range in weight from 68 to 110 pounds. 

Wheat is yet another staple food. Wheat is the primary ingredient in flour which is used in baked goods, pasta, and couscous. It is also used in the fermentation of beer and other alcohol products.

Cotton is used to make a number of textile products including terrycloth, denim, chambray, which is used to make blue work shirts,  corduroy, and cotton twill. Fabric can also be made from the recycled or recovered cotton. The cotton seed can be used to produce cottonseed oil. After refinement it may be consumed by humans like any other oil.  

Sources: wikipedia.org, encyclopedia britannica online   

 

Raw Renewables Statement

Beginning with the icon development I was working on only one icon at a time individually and had not looked at them as a whole set. Once I began to see them together, I recognized that on some of my icons I needed to loosen up my stroke to get across the organic natural feeling I was going for. With the help of the connotations, I was able to come up with both a cohesive color system as well as a theme for the Raw Renewables set. The color is rooted in the hues found in organic fibers such as hemp as well as agriculture. When scaling to the one inch size I found issues with the small details in my icons being to jagged. I had to simplify these areas in order to get a smooth effect.

Revised Connotations:

organic 

agriculture

raw

rough

renewable

recycle

fuel