GCOM Instructor in Fast Company magazine

Our very own design guru instructor Robyn Waxman is currently featured in Fast Company magazine in their "Case Studies in Sustainability" series. The article reports on her FARM project at the California College of the Arts last year.

Check it out here: http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/alissa-walker/designerati/productive-protest-urban-farm-grows-activism-millennials

GCOM + PHOTO Clubs Second Saturday Show in January

The GCOM Club (GCOM 490: Studio + Club) students will be featured in a Second Saturday Show, January 9, 2009, from 6-10pm at Beatnik Studios.

Joint projects will be featured by showcasing GCOM and PHOTO Club students' collaborative efforts to reproduce iconic advertising.

Local art directors, designers and photographers are welcome to see what these up-and-comers can do.

Visit gcomclub.com/ransom for more info.

Academy of Art at SCC

As part of a Transfer Information Workshop, the Academy of Art will be on campus this Thursday 12/03/09 from 1:30 – 4:00 PM in Rodda North 258 hosting.

Students will be able to get information on transferring to the Academy of Art University, get general questions answered about programs and transfer requirements, fill out applications, and also register for spring, summer, and fall 2010 classes.

If you are interested in atttending, please RSVP through the AA website at www.academyart.edu.

Mac Designer Jon Ivey on PBS

How does the design of your cell phone, toothbrush or couch impact your life? Did you ever stop to think about it? Director Gary Hustwit (HELVETICA) looks at our complex relationship with manufactured objects, the people who design them and the creative process behind their work. Step inside the offices of the world's most influential product designers to see how these objects influence us—oftentimes without us even knowing it.

In this clip, Apple's Jonathan Ive gets obsessive about design

OBJECTIFIED premieres this week on Independent Lens, a weekly series airing on PBS. It will be on KVIE this Friday, 11/27 at 8pm.

For more info and additional broadcast times on the OBJECTIFIED, click here.

Logo design from hell?

There's a lot of talk about the new AOL logo that's just about to be launched as part of a rebranding.

Most designers and critics seem to think very little of it.

What do you think?

Read about it here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2009/nov/23/digital-media-aol-reactions-to-new-logo

The GCOM Student Design Awards are coming.

Save your final GCOM projects from this semester for the Student Design Awards next semester.

The 2010 GCOM Student Design Awards will recognize the best student work of the 09-10 school
year.

The competition is open to GCOM@SCC students who were or are enrolled in one or more GCOM classes during the Fall 2009 and/or Spring 2010 semesters.

Entries will be judged by local art directors and designers and entries that win gold or silver awards will be display at Brainstorm: the GCOM Student Showcase in May 2010.

Check out the some of the work from last year's Student Design Awards here. Check back for more.

GCOM students win 5 awards

The Sacramento City College Express newspaper — both print and Web versions — garnered an impressive 15 awards at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges NorCal regional conference held in San Jose Nov. 7, 2009.

Page designers, GCOM students who lay out the Express pages and design graphics as part of Don Button’s GCOM 319 course, won top awards. Designer Bill Smith won two second place awards for Informational Graphics and Inside Page Layout, and two Honorable Mention for Inside Page Layout and Photo Illustration. GCOM student Thanh Nguyen won an Honorable Mention for Photo Illustration. The entire design staff also shared an Honorable Mention for Front Page Layout.

On the editorial side, Journalism and Photography students won a total of 9 awards. The most prestigious, was General Excellence in Online Journalism for the SacCityExpress.com web site.

Congrats to everyone!

GCOM faculty speaking at PechaKucha

Profs Robyn Waxman, Don Button, and Aaron Winters will be speaking this Saturday at a the final night of a 3-night PechaKucha marathon. November 7, 8:20pm at the MARRS Building at 20th & J.

What is PechaKucha? Good Question. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of "chit chat", it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.

Robyn will be presenting her FARM Master's Thesis project, Don will be telling the history of public skateparks in Sac, and Aaron will be doing something cool featuring his own work.

And it's FREE,

For all the info on the 3-night event, go here and click on the dates on the right: http://pecha-kucha.org/night/sacramento/newsletters/990

GCOM and PHOTO Club students on Good Day Sacramento

GCOM Clubber Lori Llanillo and Kevin Fiscus from the PHOTO Club were featured on Good Day Sacramento yesterday. They are creating Got Milk? ads featuring Julissa Ortiz, Tina Macua and Mark S. Allen of the show for their joint projects in the GCOM/PHOTO 490 class.

Just another reason to join the class next semester ... you get recognized!

See the video here and see the photos on the Good Day Blog here.

Outreach Cover photos for West Sac

If you are creating a design for the West Sacramento Outreach schedule cover, it has now been decided that the cover should include a primary image of the new building.

HERE are some images of the new building you can download.

You can use these photos for reference OR you can use the large rendering as is OR adapt or stylize the rendering to fit your design.

Call for Outreach Schedule Designs

This is your chance to get a published and printed design for your portfolio. All GCOM students are welcome to submit designs.

Sacramento City College’s Davis and West Sacramento Outreach Centers need your design and artistic skills (The Downtown center is closing). Using Photoshop, Illustrator and/or Modo, create a cover concept or illustration for one of the outreach location's Spring 2010 class schedule and submit it for consideration by Friday, October 30.

Each cover needs to follow a specific theme. All the important details are on THIS FLYER (click to download), which is also posted in the Design Lab and T-100 classroom.

You can also see examples of past student-designed published covers HERE.

For West Sacramento, HERE are some images of the new building you can download.

You can use these for reference, use the large rendering as is, or adapt the rendering to your design.

Any questions about this can be directed to Don at buttond@scc.losrios.edu or Tom at cappelt@scc.losrios.edu

Better Signs of Trouble?

Graphic designers’ ideas for an improved terrorism alert system. Check out this link at The New York Times website for a VERY interesting slideshow from some very notable designers. Interesting and insightful, and yes, a bit tongue-in-cheek too.

Paul Rand stated, a designer's job is to manipulate form and content...content is the idea, and form is what you do with this idea.

My thoughts: Was this really a good idea at all? The entire idea may be flawed.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/09/09/opinion/13opart.html

Get your Infographic on

If you don't love Infographics, you should. And here's your chance to take a stab at one—design one portraying CEO compensation, do it well, win some cash and get recognized. For more info visit the GOOD Magazine Blog.

GCOM Club: Projects you'll want to design, Be featured in a Second Sat Show

If you're still looking for a class and have already taken at least two of the Beginning GCOM classes (313, 330, 340, 360 or 400), enroll in GCOM 490: GCOM Studio + Club.

This class is like no other in the department. You will be working on real projects that will give you branding, advertising and marketing experience. Not to mention that you'll be teaming up with a PHOTO student to design your own advertising campaign that will be featured in a January Second Saturday Show.

Contact Andrea Diaz-Vaughn at gcomdre@gmail.com for more information, come by T100 on Mondays/Wednesdays at 3pm or in enroll in GCOM 490 today.

Welcome Back to School GCOM Students!

While you're getting settled into your new schedule, we would like to remind you that there are two great GCOM classes that still have room, if you've got a few classes under your belt and you're ready to do some serious, real-world design work!

GCOM319: Print and Multimedia Publication Design (M/W, 4pm–6:30pm)

AND

GCOM490: Graphic Communication Studio (M/W, 3pm–5pm)

For more info, scroll down to the previous posting, or call Don at 396-1134.

It's not too late, but you better hurry!

Three New GCOM Classes Available

The Graphic Communication has some great NEW & RETURNING COURSES for you to consider!

GCOM319: Print and Multimedia Publication Design

Formerly the Newspaper Design class, this is now a full multimedia publication focus: web, magazine and newspaper design and production. This class works closely with Journalism and Photography students to produce the student newspaper, Express, it's web site, SacCityExpress.com, the student magazine, Mainline and it's web site, and the annual Sussurus literary journal. This is one of our "real-world" classes that provides a true vocational work experience environment, and is highly recommended for students looking get a job in the graphic or web design field. It's Mon/Wed 4:00 - 6:30 schedule includes lab time and is very flexible.

For more info, contact Don Button: buttond@scc.losrios.edu

GCOM490: Graphic Communication Studio

Graphic Communication Studio will introduce career-driven design students to producing, creating, and completing real-world graphic design and Web design projects. Students will have the opportunity to develop a portfolio of completed projects. Students will also experience deadlines, the client-designer relationship, and strategies for presenting concepts and design work. This class meets Mon/Wed 3:00 - 5:10, schedule includes some supervised lab time and is flexible credit. For more info, contact Andrea Diaz-Vaughn: diazvaughn@gmail.com

GCOM332: Advanced Image Editing for Web/Multimedia, Using Adobe Photoshop

This new advanced digital imaging class will focus on some of the newest and most exciting features of Adobe Photoshop CS4: 3D modeling and texturing, video frame editing and effects, simple animation, and web graphics and web site prototyping. This class will be an excellent experience for any students focusing on animation, game design, and motion or web design. It is being offered as an Interactive TV course, which gives you the option to attend class in person, watch a live public access TV broadcast, or watch a streamed video online (which is great if you have a work or class conflict).

For more info, contact Don Button: buttond@scc.losrios.edu

GCOM390: Introduction to Motion Design using Adobe After Effects

This is our highly anticipated first offering of After Effects, the exciting and dynamic industry standard in motion design for web, interactive, broadcast and film graphics. This course is being offered with a scheduled, back-to-back lecture and lab. For more info, contact Don Button: buttond@scc.losrios.edu

Brainstorm: the recap

Brainstorm turned out to be a successful event thanks to the all the participants and attendees.

A special thanks goes out to all of the generous event sponsors (see below), the GCOM Club for organizing the event, Pat Crandley, Don Button, the Mac Lab, and our Student Design Awards judges John Forrest / CSU Sacramento, Graphic Design program, Taras Garcia / California Restaurant Association, 2008 Best Print Award Winner, David Jayne / Sacramento News & Review, Darcey Self / Sol Design Group, Jeff Toll / BKWLD.

This year, we had three Show Off competitions that included one for faculty, print design and 3D modeling. The GCOM chair Don Button picked up his second consecutive award in the competition for this version of Tag Yourself (a typographic self portrait). John Conley's poster design inspired by the theme Man vs. Nature was voted the best Show Off print design and Israel Lopez's 3D model of a stapler proved to be the most realistic of the newly introduced category.

The Student Design Awards awarded two bests of the year and a popular choice award voted by Brainstorm attendees. The Animation of the Year Award went to Cody Tibitts for his spiked heart. The Print Design of the Year Award went to John Conley for his book cover design and digital illustration for Timeline. The Popular Choice Award went to Carol Klippstein for her Calendar design and digital illustration.

Other winners of the Student Design Awards include:

Gold
Charles Henderson
Cody Tibbitts
Craig Dutton
John Conley
Peter Duong
Richard Yang

Silver
Amee Phelps
Andrew Clementi
Andrew Clementi, Suzanne Cabral, & Carol Klippstein
Bill Smith
Carol Klippstein
Charles Henderson
Christie Garcia
Deborah Frost
Israel Lopez
Joel Michael Smith
John Conley
Maricela Alvarez
Patrick Moore
Peter Doung
Priscilla Garcia
Rachel Cate
Richard Rennie & Suzanne Cabral
Richard Yang
Spring Salter
Steve Nyholm
Susan Klienhandle
Victor Campos
William Leung

Show Off Sponsors
Wacom Technology
Luxology
Digital Tutors

Award Reception Sponsors
Evan's Kitchen
Palermo Ristorante
California Pizza Kitchen

Printing Sponsors
Blue Moon Printing
The MAC Lab

Raffle Sponsors
Mohawk Fine Papers
Sacramento Music Circus
Rosebud Designs
Sol Design Group
Peach Pit Press
Subway
Raley's Bel Air

It's our annual event so if you didn't make it or were not able to participate, don't fret, we'll be back next spring! If you're interested in helping organize, join the GCOM Club by signing up for GCOM 490 this upcoming semester or email gcomclub@gmail.com for more info.

Brainstorm Schedule

As you guys are preparing your final projects for the semester, keep in mind that Brainstorm: the GCOM Design Showcase is taking place next Tuesday, May 19.

See the schedule below and we hope to see you there (some instructors are giving extra credit for attending—check with them individually)!

2pm Student Design Showcase / Animator's Ball Opens

3pm Welcome

3:15pm Faculty Show-off: Missy Anapolsky, Don Button, Tom Cappelletti, Jenn de la Fuente and Chris Seddon

4:00pm Design Show-off: Victor Campos, Andrew Clementi, John Conley and Richard Yang

4:45pm 3D Show-off: Andrew Forrest, Isreal Lopez, Codi Tidbbits

5:30pm Student Design Award Reception
presented by Evan's Kitchen and Palermo Ristorante

Student Design Award Judges:
John Forrest / CSU Sacramento, Graphic Design program
Taras Garcia / California Restaurant Association, 2008 Best Print Award Winner
David Jayne / Sacramento News & Review
Darcey Self / Sol Design Group
Jeff Toll / BKWLD

Reminders for this week

GCOM Students! As we wrap up the semester, there are a few reminders you should keep in mind!

It's almost submission time for the GCOM Student Design Awards Competition! Submissisions will be accepted this Wednesday, May 6, in T100, from 3–5pm. No late entries will be accepted. Entries that win gold or silver awards will be display at Brainstorm: the GCOM Design Showcase featuring the Animator's Ball on May 19 in the SCC Student Center and again at the GCOM Fall Open House. Best designs of the year will win cash and prizes, not to mention bragging rights

To see rules and guidelines for submissions, download the entry form here.


The GCOM Club is also still recruiting students to participate in our annual Show Off competition! News just in, the winners of all three Show Off competitions will win a grand prize Wacom Bamboo Tablet! If you are interested in competing, please email gcomclub@gmail.com.

P.S. Please check out our sister club SCC Photo Club at this months Second Saturday May 9th, "Iconic. Again." at Beatnik Studios 2421A 17th Street.



Peace & Love – priscilla garcia : club president

It's what designers do ...

With Swine Flu upon us, people are looking for all the information they can get on the illness. Media is all over it, which bring us to this post.

As designers, your job is to help get the message to the audience effectively through composition, graphic elements, type, color, etc.

Here's a perfect of example of taking the epidemic and creating something good of it. Check out the infographics showing the outbreaks and how Swine Flu is spread.

And don't forget to wash your hands!

GCOM Club web design launched

Check out the Go Green California Business web site, designed by the GCOM Club. The site sponsors hired the GCOM Club in the Fall 2008 semester to design this for them. Jenn de la Fuente, Priscilla Garcia and Vitaliy Zavorotny made up the group responsible for the site design. And Jenn actually landed a full-tim job with the site's sponsor because of it.

Congratulations to them on their outstanding work!


If you are interested in joining the GCOM Club and working on real projects like this site and more, register for GCOM 490: GCOM Studio + Club for the fall semester (MW 3–5pm in T100) or contact Andrea Diaz-Vaughn at diazvaughn@gmail.com.

The Student Design Awards are here!

Get your projects ready for judging! The Student Design Awards rules and guidelines for entries is here.

The 2009 GCOM Student Design Awards will recognize the best student work of the 08-09 school year. The competition is open to GCOM@SCC students who were or are enrolled in one or more GCOM classes during the Fall 2008 and/or Spring 2009 semesters. There are three categories: Print, Screen (web or interactive, HTML or Flash) and Animation (2d or 3d).

Submissisions will be accepted on Wednesday, May 6, in T100, from 3–5pm. No late entries will be accepted.

Entries that win gold or silver awards will be display at Brainstorm: the GCOM Design Showcase featuring the Animator's Ball on May 19 in the SCC Student Center and again at the GCOM Fall Open House.

Download the entry form here.

Questions? Email Andrea Diaz-Vaughn at diazvaughn@gmail.com.

SHOW OFF!

The GCOM Club is recruiting competitors! Show off your stuff! Win cool prizes!

GCOM's annual "Show Off" Competition calls for 4 competitors go head-to-head in a 30-minute design challenge (competitors will also be given 15 minutes to brainstorm prior to challenge).

In the first competition, students will design a poster using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and/or InDesign followed by the second competition where GCOM instructors will go head to head to design a poster. This year we are introducing a third competition for our 3D students! Students in the first Show Off must have taken (or be be currently enrolled in) at least two of the following: GCOM 313, GCOM 330 and GCOM 340. Students in the 3D Show Off must have taken (or be be currently enrolled in) either GCOM 401 or GCOM 402.

The Show Offs will be featured at Brainstorm: the GCOM Student Design Showcase featuring the Animator's Ball May 19th at the Sac City Student Center.

Contact the GCOM Club by May 6th if you are interested in participating at gcomclub@gmail.com.

May 19: Brainstorm: The GCOM Design Showcase featuring the Animator's Ball

GCOM@SCC and the GCOM Club present Brainstorm: the 2008-2009 Design Showcase featuring the Animator's Ball.

Stop by to view all the award-winning Student Design Competition entries and see which design will pick up "Student Design of the Year" and the "Popular Choice Award" during the Awards Reception. You will hear more about the competition next week so stay tuned.

Brainstorm will also feature an "Iron Chef-like" live design competition in which four students will be challenged to create a design in 30 minutes. There will actually be three different Show-off competitions: one for design, one for 3d modeling and one featuring faculty.

And don't miss out on the Animator's Ball showcasing the best animations from GCOM students and other local animation students.

Date: May 19, 2008
Time: 2-9pm
Location: SCC Student Center

Schedule (may be subject to change):
2pm Welcome
2:30pm 3D Show-off
3:15pm Faculty Show-off
4:00pm Design Show-off
5pm Student Design Awards/Reception
6:30pm Animation Guest speaker
7-9pm Animator's Ball

Contact gcomclub@gmail.com if you would like to participate in the Show-offs. Visit gcomclub.com or animatorsball.com for more info.

Little Red Riding Hood

Check this out! Awesome design and fantastic animation!

Slagsmålsklubben - Sponsored by destiny from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo.

GCOM Field Trip to BKWLD April 17

All GCOM students are invited to join a field trip to BKWLD, a local interactive design agency on Friday, April 17th. The vans will leave the SCC campus at 2pm and return in the late afternoon.

Space is limited, so if you are interested in going, RSVP with the GCOM Club president Priscilla Garcia at 479-3878 or e-mail at gcomclub@gmail.com.

Graffiti Animation

Check this out! You will never see graffiti the same way again!


MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Great event on campus this Thursday

The Cultural Awareness Center, International Studies Program & Staff Resource Center Present

ART AS POLITICAL COMMENTARY
Art, Identity & Social Justice

When: Thursday, March 19, 2009 12-1PM
Where: Cultural Awareness Center

Artists not only document social change; they promote, inform, and shape it. Whether through music, plays, paintings, songs, films, media, textiles, jewelry, photography, poetry, sculpture, spoken word, and dance – art is powerful.

For art is the intellectual underpinning of social change; and nowhere is there more potential and more need for art than here and now.

Join Artists:
Mitra Fabian, Richard Macias, Jose Montoya, Khali Keyi & Angela Alforque, with David Rasul as Moderator

As they discuss how art intersects with social change, justice, politics, healing, community organizing and activism.

Sketch-Up Contest

Google is sponsoring a 3D modeling competition! If you are a Sketch-Up user, and you should be :), make sure you check out this great event. Check out the official Google Sketch-Up Blog for more information.

Google Sketch-Up Blog

Fast Company's Masters of Design for 2008

A Dutch superstar, an unyielding architect, a force for good, a style soothsayer, a digital visionary and 71 perfect products. 

That’s what you’ll find here in Fast Company's fifth annual report on the intersection of business and design. 

Plus you'll also find slideshows, Masters of Design exclusive video, expert design blog, and an invitation to join the FastCompany.com Design Topic Group.

Check it out here: www.fastcompany.com/design/2008

Now Showing in the Lab - Maricela Alvarez

Artist Maricela Alvarez

SWARM

Journal material and foundational pieces

www.maricelaalvarez.com

February 23 through March 20

Call for Outreach Schedule Designs

This is your chance to get a published and printed design for your portfolio. All GCOM students are welcome to submit designs. 

Sacramento City College’s Davis, West Sac and Downtown Outreach Centers need your design and artistic skills. Using Photoshop and/or Illustrator, create a cover concept or illustration for one of the outreach location's Summer/Fall 2009 class schedule and submit it for consideration by Monday, MARCH 23.

Each cover needs to follow a specific theme. All the important details are on THIS FLYER (click to download), which is also posted in the Mac Lab and T-100 classroom.

You can also see examples of past student-designed published covers HERE.

Any questions about this can be directed to Don at buttond@scc.losrios.edu or Tom at cappelt@scc.losrios.edu

The Future of Computer Animation

As many of you know, the Oscars were held this past weekend and the award for Outstanding Visual Effects was presented to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  Check out this amazing behind the scenes look on how Digital Domain created the visual effects and animation for these ground-breaking shots.  

Check out the Design Guy Podcasts

The Design Guy is now up to 36 podcasts! Check them out and even subscribe to the iTunes podcast here.

This may be the best creative podcast, period. Nuggets of wisdom, brief, to-the-point, and spot on. All students and aspiring designers in any field would do well to subscribe to these free audio gems, and listen!

"The show that explores timeless design principles and explains them simply. We discuss graphic design in particular, and design in general, to equip you with lessons in process, inspiration, and practice. Get a new concept under your belt in mere minutes and unleash your creativity."

Clear and Effective Communication in Web Design

Smashing Magazine has a nice article on creating clear and effective web designs, with some great examples.

From the article:

Communication is one of the foundational elements of a good website. It is essential for a positive user experience and for a successful website that truly benefits its owners. All types of websites are affected by the need for good communication in one way or another. Regardless of whether the website in question is an e-commerce website, a blog, a portfolio website, an information website for a service company, a government website or any other type of website, there is a significant need to communicate effectively with visitors. 

[read more @ smashingmagazine.com]

GC Club officers, date for Animator's Ball + Student Show anounced

Save the date for this year's end of the year Student Show and Animator's Ball on Tuesday, May 19. It will be the GCOM event of the year and we'll be awarding the best student designs of the 08-09 school year. More details to will be posted on this blog.

Also, congratulations to this semester's new GC Club officers, elected by their GC Club peers.
President: Priscilla Garcia
Vice-president: Chris Hickey
Secretary: Mallory Knight
Treasurer: Nikki Chao

For more info about the show/ball and/or the GC Club, please email gcClubSCC@gmail.com or talk to Don, Pat, Tom or Dre.

The Office t-shirt design contest

The Office is holding a t-shirt design contest. For those of you who love the show, here’s the perfect opp to fuse your creativity with something you like. Deadline submission is this Thursday. Here’s a link to the contest.

The very best price on Adobe CS4!

Don't buy any Adobe applications before you check the prices here.

This Student Pricing program is specifically designed for California Community College students and faculty, and there is no where else that can offer a price this low.

The prices on various CS4 applications and packages hard hundreds of dollars below retail.

Check it out here: www.uscollegebuy.com

Sign up for Newspaper Design this Spring

GCOM 319: Newspaper Design needs talented and creative students!

In this unique, real-world class, you will work with student writers, editors, photographers to design and produce the bi-weekly Express student newspaper. Learn page layout and design, typography, and project planning from professor Don Button, an art director with over 20 years of publication design experience. We use InDesign and Photoshop, so this is a great alternative to Advanced InDesign. The Express is a highly-regarded and award-winning newspaper — this course and the job experience you gain will look great on your resume, and the published designs you create will stand out in your portfolio.

GCOM 319 is a 3 unit, class transferable to CSU. Prerequisite: GCOM 313 or 316 with a grade of C or better, or page layout experience.

GCOM 319 meets Monday and Wednesday, 1:30–4:10 pm.
This includes the lecture and lab components.
If you have a schedule conflict with another class, it may be possible to get a waiver.

Sign up now!! If you have any questions, please e-mail Don or call him at 396-1134.