GCOM@SCC

Welcome back... It's 2012!

2012-01-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

The GCOM department is excited to begin a fresh, new semester. We hope you are too.

The Mayans may think this year marks the end of the world, but we think it's still just the beginning, and it will be another great year in your design education. So brush our the cobwebs in your creative caps, put them on, and we'll see you in class!

—GCOM faculty

2011-11-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

CalSTRS in West Sacramento is hiring an entry level Graphic Designer 1. They have a One Day File-In-Person date of December 14, 2011.

Get the job details here!

Learn more about CalSTRS here.

Wed. Nov. 30th Special Event: Learn How to Transfer to Sac State's Graphic Design Program

2011-11-15T08:07:00.000-08:00

Join Sacramento State Department of Design Chair John Forrest along with GCOM alumni and current Sac State Junior Bill Smith for an informative brown bag discussion on what it takes to get into their program.

Sac State has one of the best public university graphic design programs in the state of California. Find out how to be a part of it!

Snacks will be served.

When? Wednesday, November 30 at 12:15pm in Room T-100!

The debate over data visualization

2011-10-26T05:39:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting post on The Guardian's DataBlog addressing the pros and cons of the data visualization trend. Be sure to watch the video link.

2011-10-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

TWO Design Internship openings... for MONEY!

2011-10-02T10:49:00.001-07:00

News from the Los Rios Internship & Career Services: Unify Corporation AND The Faculty Assoc. of Ca Community Colleges Educ. Institute are both looking for paid graphic design interns.

If students are interested, they can contact either May Yang, (yangm@scc.losrios.edu; 558-2069) or Wendy Slobodnik (slobodw@scc.losrios.edu; 558-2383) to apply.

Or visit the LINCS office in Rodda North room 147— Counseling room, in the back next to International Student Center.

You can find out more about these internships in the graphics below, or by visiting the LINCS web page, where you can find other internships as well.

Special student price for Crocker event!

2011-09-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

Click on image for more detail.

The student price for Licensing in the Digital Age is now only $10 (at the door with current student ID; this special discount is not available online). This special price includes admission to the entire Museum.

Hilarious Design Parody

2011-09-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is a brilliant commentary on "mediocrity." Be sure to watch the "Designer" video.

Mediocrity.com

And take special note of the pervasive color scheme. LOL.

But what is this site selling, you might ask... look closely at the actual site address!

Wacom's newest product

2011-08-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

Check out this new digital sketch pad, due for release next month. Technology is so cool!

Remembering Brainstorm

2011-08-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

Back in May, at the end of the Spring semester, GCOM hosted our annual Brainstorm Student Design Showcase. It was and excellent event full of amazing student work. And now, after 4 months, we're finally getting around to publishing some photos!

Join our GCOM@SCC Facebook group and check them out.

(And let's take this opportunity to thank Sean Brainerd and his two stellar student Jessica Blizzard and Ali Gerriets on all the work they put into this event.)

Congratulations to student Laura Lee

2011-08-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

Laura Lee won a total of $350 in the California State Fair this year with her "Personal Sustainability" book that she designed, produced, and hand-bounded in GCOM 345 (Advanced Graphic Design Production).

Her awards included:

First Place
Outstanding Award
California Graphic Arts Education Association Award

Congratulations Laura from all of us here in GCOM!

Brainstorm student winners announced!

2011-05-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

The Brainstorm event was a great success. The department displayed nearly 300 pieces of student work and the show was attended by an estimated 150 students and guests.

Congratulations to our faculty curated winning designs:

Best of Show: "D'lish branding design" by Charles Henderson
Gold Award: "I love Meat" book design by Anna Cisneros
Silver Award: "Jungle" video game design by Nick Williams
Bronze Award: "Type Poem" poster by Nellie Coats

And our student-submitted "Non-Class work" winner:
"Japan 2011" commemorative poster by Lori Llanillo

See you all next Fall!

—your GCOM faculty

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Brainstorm this Friday!

2011-05-10T14:21:00.001-07:00

2010-2011 Student Design Showcase
4-7pm, COS 108-110

Stop by to view a collection offaculty-curated student workfrom the last year, along with entries from the "non-class" work competition. See which design will pick up "Student Design of the Year" and the "Popular Choice Award" during the Awards Reception.

Brainstorm will also feature a "Jeopardy" inspired design competition in which 3 competitors will be challenged to answer a range of design questions. There will be separate student and faculty competitions. Join us for great design, music, food, a chance to see your friend and favorite faculty match wits, and a chance to win some great prizes.

Call for Entries!!

2011-05-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

SHOW US YOUR BEST ‘NON-CLASS’ WORK
Did you do a great freelance or personal design project this past year? This is your chance to show it off and get the recognition you deserve. Print, Web, Motion, Interactive, Digital Imaging or Illustration, Animation, or 3D model — they're all acceptable, but there's only one catagery - "non-class" work.

ALL ENTRIES DUE MONDAY 5-9-11*

All entries must be created between Jan. 2010 - May 2011.

Print entries must be printed and trimmed, or in finished form (brochure, CD cover, etc.)
Flat print items under 11 x17 should be mounted on black poster board or foam core.
Digital illustration, imaging, or 3D model should be printed, trimmed and mounted.
Motion, Intereactive or Animation should be devilered as digital file on CD or flash drive.
Web entries: e-mail URL to buttond@scc.losrios.edu
All entry materials must be turned in to the Brainstorm Box in the Design Lab office.
All entries must include your full name, e-mail, clients name and month/year produced.
Failure to not follow the above instructions may disqualify your submission.
*SUBMISSION DOES NOT GUARANTEE EXHIBITION IN SHOW

Upcoming ADAC Events: Jeff Toll of BKWLD and Wordpress

2011-05-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

GCOM friend—former Student Design Awards Judge—and BKWLD creative director Jeff Toll will be speaking to ADAC this Friday, May 6, 2011, at 6pm, at the AIA Central Valley building, 1400 S Street, for their Words of Wisdom series. Free for members, $3 for student (non-members).

Mark your calendars!

Sunday, May 8 (Part 2), May 15 (Part 3) - WordPress Design Workshop - RSVP Required.
For more information, please visit: http://adac.org/wpworkshops/

Help a local high school win $50k for art programs!

2011-04-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Design students at Sacramento New Tech HS made it to the semifinals for a VANS Custom Shoe Design Contest!

Please take a moment to vote in this popularity contest and help them get into the finals. If they win, they will receive $50k for our art program, and the shoes may be put into production.

http://www.vans.com/customculture/
(Sac New Tech HS / bottom, left on screen)

Out of 400 schools, they made the cut.
They are 1 of 10 schools from California.
They are the only Northern California school.
They are a computer design class, not traditional media.
They are talented and deserve recognition.
And please forward this to anyone in your network that might be sympathetic to our cause.

New GCOM Advising / Course Sequence sheets

2011-04-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

Having trouble deciding what GCOM classes to sign up for in the Fall? Well help is here!

Here are two brand new GCOM Advising sheets based on our new 30 unit A.S. Degree and our four new Certificates: Graphic Design - Print and / or Web (21 units), Interactive Design (18 units), Video Game Design (21 units), and 3D Animation (12 units).

These give you a four-semester look at what we believe would be the best order to take your courses.
For more personalized information, feel free to set up a meeting with Robyn, Tom, Pat, Don or Chris.

Graphic Design / Interactive Certificate Sequence Sheet

3D Animation / Game Design Certificate Sequence Sheet

Many new changes for GCOM in the Fall

2011-04-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

The Fall 11 schedule is now available on line, so you should start planning you classes and be ready to register as soon as you day and time arrive.

But the Graphic Communication department will be going through some important changes in the Fall, so please read this message to be prepared.

COURSE NAME CHANGES
In an effort to better represent our department philosophy and align our course names with many of the 4-year institutions our students transfer to, beginning Fall 2011, our core GCOM classes will be undergoing a name change.

course # / old name new name
313 Beg. Page Layout using InDesign Digital Layout I
314 Adv. Page Layout using InDesign Digital Layout 2

330 Beg. Photoshop Digital Imaging I
331 Adv. Digital Imaging for Print Digital Imaging 2
332 Adv. Digital Imaging for Web/Multi. Digital Imaging 3

340 Beginning Illustrator Digital Illustration for Graphic Design I
341 Adv. Digital Illustration Digital Illustration for Graphic Design 2

380 Beg. Interactive Design Interactive Design 1
383 Intermediate Interactive Design Interactive Design 2
390 Beg. Motion Design Motion Design 1

(note: similar name changes are likely to take place for these courses in the following school year: 343, 345, 360, 361, 362)

NEW LECTURE / LAB CHANGES

For many years nearly all of GCOM’s graphic design and web design courses have been offered as a scheduled Lecture with the Lab portion listed as TBA — allowing students to complete their lab work on their own schedule at home or in our Design Lab.

Due to changing administration directives and state regulations, beginning in the Fall 2011 semester many of our core classes will be scheduled with a required scheduled Lab section with the instructor.

As an example, our current Beginning Photoshop class is scheduled as a weekly 2 hour Lecture class, for which the student is expected to complete approximately 3 hours of assigned Lab work per week on their own.

In the Fall, the 2 hour Lecture will be immediately followed by a 1.25 hour in-class Lab. The students will be expected to attend and use that time to produce class work, along with an additional 1.75 hours of TBA Lab time.

Some of these classes may be scheduled in a “hybrid” modality, which means the instructor may be choose to make some Lab time flexible or online.

However, not all GCOM courses will change to the scheduled Lab. Some of our advanced, principles, and distance ed courses will continue to only have unscheduled TBA lab.

The GCOM faculty believes that offering scheduled Lab classes with the instructor, especially for our core introductory courses, will provide a more engaging and enriching educational experience for our students.

NEW DEGREE / CERTIFICATE INFO

The Fall 2011 semester will also bring changes to the requirements of our GCOM A.S. Degree and our Career Certificates. If you began taking GCOM classes before Fall 11, these changes may not directly effect you.

More information about the degree and certificates will be coming soon, as soon as they are fully approved.

Engineering vs. Design (Liberal Arts) degree - who gets hired?

2011-03-21T08:02:00.000-07:00

Bill or Steve, who's right?

Read this interesting article from TechCrunch for an interesting and surprising perspective from an engineering professor.

http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/21/engineering-vs-liberal-arts-who’s-right—bill-or-steve/

And visit this New York Times "Room for Debate" section for a variety of other perspectives.

Design Articles for your e-readers

2011-02-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

Smashing Magazine has just released a new collection of graphic design articles for e-readers. Check them out HERE.

The Modernism of Mac

2011-01-31T22:00:00.000-08:00

Here's nice little essay on the Apple design aesthetic — Is it retro? Is it modern? Is it even there?
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GCOM 490 Studio Class moved for Spring

2011-01-18T07:17:00.000-08:00

IMPORTANT NEWS: If you were enrolled in, or planning to sign up for, our capstone real-world design class, there has been a change to how we're offering it.

It had to be cancelled due to low enrollment, but our GCOM students will still be able to take the class by signing up for the PHOTO 490 class. The time is the same and our instructors, Sean Brainerd and Dre Diaz-Vaughn will still be co-teaching. We will also be able to credit the Photo class units toward your GCOM degree or certificate.

This is a great class that will be working with Photo students on some excellent, high-profile design projects. Teamwork, portfolio pieces, and great for the resume... how could you miss out on that?

For more info, contact Sean at volume11creative@gmail.com

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GCOM 490: From Theory to Practice

2010-12-13T14:21:00.000-08:00

Looking to expand your portfolio and experience? These former students speak about the amazing benefits they received from GCOM 490 which will be offered this Spring Mondays and Wednesdays from 1-3pm.

ADAC Holiday Mixer

2010-12-09T11:41:00.000-08:00

This Art Directors and Artists Club event is a great way to meet and network with creative professionals.

December 13, 2010

6-8 p.m.
AIA Central Valley Building

1400 S Street, Sacramento

Free to members, $5 non members, $3 students.

Featuring a silent auction to benefit the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.
Attendees are welcome to bring donations for the Food Bank to the event.

Spring 2011 Outreach Cover Design Winners Announced!

2010-11-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to GCOM students Karen Adams and Rich Palmer, winners of our Outreach Cover Design Contest for the Spring 2011 Semester. We had about 70 entries total, and Karen's composition was chosen for the Davis Center, and Rich's was chosen for the West Sacramento Center.

Rich relocated from Connecticut in the summer of 2008 and is currently a second semester, Music , Audio Production Major at the Sacramento City College Branch. He is an aspiring music engineer with the hopes of one day owning a Post Production and Multi Media Facility. Rich has a wide variety of interests such as graphic design, video editing, photography and music production.

Karen recently launched a small graphic design and communications business from her home in Davis. Her new pursuits build upon a 20-year journalism career that took her from newspapers in Southern California to the Washington Post and finally the Sacramento Bee. In 2006, she began taking classes at SCCʼs Graphic Communications Department, which gave her the skills and confidence to reshape her career. She can be reached through www.coffeebreakdesign.net, a website she created as a class project.

Robyn Waxman lecture -- Monday, Nov. 15

2010-11-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

Hey students!

GCOM professor Robyn Waxman is doing a lecture for ADAC titled "The Next Generation of Design -- The F.A.R.M Story".

This lecture will be Monday, November 15 from 6-8 p.m. at AIA Central Valley Building, 1400 S Street, Sacramento.

Lecture description:
The Millennials (ages 18–30) are technologically savvy, participatory, positive, reluctant to criticize, and experiential. They have respect for the law and for authority, yet demand transparency and feel entitled. Many Millennials are interested in participating in sustainability movements, but... only in a manner that nurtures these sub-cultural nuances.

Design is experiencing a paradigm shift. Designers are experimenting with more interactive ways of engaging participatory culture and democratizing making. The methods in which design engages the world is expanding. My work seeks to examine the role of the next generation of designers in catalyzing their generation’s social and environmental movements.

The F.A.R.M story will serve as one way to rethink traditional activist mediums (the poster and the protest) and the role of the design activist, in an effort to more fully engage the next generation of design.

Q&A will follow after the lecture. Refreshments will be provided.

Admission is free for all ADAC members, $5 for the general public, $3 for non-member students.

If you are interested in joining ADAC, please come to the lecture and you can sign up for membership on the spot. Student membership is $29 yearly.

Hope to see you there!

Student Newspaper Designers Win First Place!

2010-11-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

GCOM students, along with Journalism and Photography students at the Express student newspaper, won 8 top awards from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges NorCal conference this week.

The cover design work of student Victor Quintana, Casey Mar, and David Kitchell won First Place for Front Page Layout.

Mar also won a First Place for Advertisement design, and Kitchell also won a Third Place for Photo Illustration. GCOM student Lori Llanillo won a Second Place for Illustration and a Third place for Informational Graphic.

Both the print and Web versions of the Express shared General Excellence awards in their category, and the Journalism and Photography students won seven more awards, including two First Places.

Great work students!!

ADAC Kickoff Event: November 1

2010-10-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hello?!

We’re here. Where are you?

What is the state of design in Sacramento?
How can we come together to make a stronger community?

We have some ideas. We want to hear yours.

Join us for an evening and lets see what we can come up with together. It’s time you became involved in a serious endeavor to connect, strengthen and promote design in this city.

This is a volunteer run organization. An organization rich in history and unique in accomplishment. The design community needs you to step up and help maintain this legacy as we forge into the future determined to make an impact.

We will be outlining a renewed vision for ADAC, present plans for the coming year, and provide you an opportunity to speak with us and each other about what we can accomplish together.

Refreshments will be provided.

Admission is free and all are welcome.

Hello!? 11/1/10
Monday 6-8:30 p.m.

AIA Central Valley Building
1400 S Street, Sacramento

Email president@adac.org for more information.

You can also visit http://adac.org for more info.

2010-10-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

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. Using Photoshop, Illustrator and/or Modo, create a cover concept or illustration for one of the outreach location's Spring 2011 class schedule and submit it for consideration by Friday, October 29.

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.

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

Vote for the new SCC logo (designed by the GCOM 490 class)

2010-09-22T13:37:00.001-07:00

Attention students! You will be receiving a link via your iMail account today to an SCC Logo Survey. You will have until next Wednesday to give your feedback and choose the logo concept that you feel would best represent the school.

Though there is an official Sacramento City College (the scratchy logo below), there is no consistent use of the logo on any of the school's collateral. (The school's web site uses a different SCC logo on it's home page).

GCOM 490 was commissioned by President Jeffery to concept new logos for the Sacramento City College. They were designed and developed by current and former GCOM students Charles Henderson, Christie Garcia and Lori Llanillo. The GCOM 490 class will pick the project in the spring to begin work on phase two of the project that will include the design of collateral pieces and brand photography.

Here is a sneak peek at the logos on the survey.

Former GCOM 490 Student Update: Priscilla Garcia

2010-08-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Happy summer everyone!

Here's a quick update from one of GCOM's former star students. You may recognize her from her GCOM 330 tutoring days or when she was the GCOM Club's president. But Priscilla Garcia shares what she's doing now and how taking GCOM 490: The Graphic Communication Learning Studio helped her land a killer job at the Sacramento News & Review.

GCOM 490 will be offered this fall Mondays and Wednesdays from 1–3pm. Sign up today!

Name: Priscilla Garcia
Semesters enrolled in GCOM 490: Fall 2008 throught Fall 2009
Current professional status/occupation: Designer at the News & Review
Best thing about being a graphic designer: If you're going to spend 40 hours a week working, you might as well be doing what you love, and I love graphic design.
Lessons from GCOM 490: You don't get real-world experience in the other GCOM classes but GCOM 490 allowed me to experience the full process of working with a client, and also other designers and photographers. It's one thing to communicate graphically, but a professional designer must be able to communicate with their client, their photographer, and their collaborators. Plus, you can't turn in projects late like any other assignment. Working with clients helped me learn how to manage my time and set realistic deadlines.

I didn't feel confident with my portfolio. But taking GCOM 490 gave me to the opportunity to work on full-scale real-world projects and studio photography.

GCOM 490 taught me the importance of networking, it's not just what you know, its who you know! In my 3 semesters in 490 I met so many local professionals from different industries and through this class I was able to get an internship at SN&R. Before the summer was over, I was hired as an employee, not just because I was capable of the job, but because I was a motivated GCOM 490 student with professional references from my teachers.

Other GCOM classes/instructors that really propelled you: Missy's Graphic design production class helped me understand basic principals of design and the creative process

Super cool infographic

2010-06-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

Check out this great (and very, very tall) INFOGRAPHIC showing the heights and depths of the planet Earth.

Avatar Days explores online avatars in the real world

2010-06-03T04:59:00.000-07:00

Avatar Days from Piranha Bar on Vimeo.

Check out this great short using 3D and motion capture.

BRAINSTORM Today!

2010-05-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

Swing by the Student Center TODAY to see the winners of the Student Design Awards and to witness the infamous Iron-Chef like competition, the Face-Offs. The goodness starts at 2pm. See the schedule below!

May 17, 2010

2pm - 7pm

SCC Student Center

Schedule

(may be subject to change)

2pm Welcome

3:00pm Student Graphic Design Face-off

John Conley
Brian Graham
May Kim
Slavic Palenyy

3:45pm Faculty Design Face-off

Don Button
Pat Crandley
Jenn de la Fuente
Chris Seddon
Aaron Winters

4:30pm Student 3D Design Face-off

5:15pm Student Motion Design Face-off

6:00pm Student Design Awards/Reception

See who and if anyone claims the top award in each category!

ADAC Event: What's Next?

2010-05-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

ADAC (the Art Directors and Artists Club) presents What's Next?, a panel featuring four Sac State graduates speaking about the different paths they've taken in the design world since graduating five years ago.

Hans Bennewitz, Christopher Lee, Rob Martin and Jeffrey Tanhueco will spend the evening recounting very different paths taken post graduation. Design degree in hand they have found homes for their particular design talents in Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Come hear their stories of trial and tribulation and ask questions as this panel of young award winning and published designers share their relatively new found wisdom.

Event info:
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
6-9 p.m.
AIA Central Valley Building
1400 S Street, Sacramento

Event open to ADAC members and non-members.
Free admission for members, $5 for non-members, $3 for student non-members.

More info:
http://adac.org

Refreshments will be served.

It's a great event, particularly if you're a student about to finish school, but it should also be entertaining and informative.

GCOM 490 gives students access to the local design industry

2010-05-10T16:16:00.000-07:00

Photo - GCOM 490 from White Bay Pictures on Vimeo.
Take a peak at one of our joint classes with the PHOTO 490 class.

The Creative Agency at Sacramento City College (GCOM 490) offers you the opportunity the use the skills you've learned in previous classes in real world context. Collaborate with equally talented photography students. Work for local clients.

This is the only class where students get their work critiqued and receive meaningful feedback from industry professionals such as former Art Director at The Sacramento Bee, Garth Nearents and current Art Director at Glass McClure, Darcy Self.

Refine not only your design eye, but also improve your interpersonal communication and project management skills as well-- all valuable assets in your design career.

Come be part of The Creative Agency. In addition to the fall and spring semesters, GCOM 490 will now be offered this summer from June 7 through August 7, Mondays and Thursdays from 3-5pm.

For more info information, please email Andrea Diaz-Vaughn at diazvaughn@gmail.com.

Academy of Art at SCC

2010-05-07T05:20:00.000-07:00

The Academy of Art (San Francisco) will be on campus this Monday, May 10 from 10am – 1:00pm in the quad.

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 fall 2010 classes.

For more info, visit the AA website.

State Graphics Job recruitment

2010-04-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

The California Department of General Services is advertising a one-day filing opportunity to apply to take their Digital Composition Specialist test. Passing the test makes qualifies you for potential job openings in various state agencies.

This test may not happen again for over a year, so it's a good idea to take the opportunity now.

The one-day filing is on May 12, 2010

The written test date will be August 21, 2010.

All the info is available HERE.

Time to enter the Student Design Awards

2010-04-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

The 2010 GCOM Student Design Awards will recognize the best student work for the 2009-2010 school year. The competition is open to GCOM@SCC students who were enrolled in one or more GCOM classes during the Fall 2009 or Spring 2010 semesters. All entries will be on display and the results announced at the Brainstorm Student Showcase on May 17.

Download the INFO FLYER & ENTRY FORM

or pick one up in the Design Lab or any of the GCOM classrooms.

SCC Outreach Cover Winners Announced!

2010-04-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to GCOM students Loren Hill and Tristan Corrales.

From a very competitive field, Loren Hill's design was chosen for the West Sacramento Center, and Tristan's was chosen for the Davis Center.

There were so many excellent entries!

Brainstorm Student Showcase - May 17

2010-04-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

GCOM@SCC and the GCOM Club present Brainstorm: the 2009-2010 Design Showcase featuring Student Awards and Face-off competition.

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" design competition in which four students will be challenged to create an original design in 30 minutes. There will be four different Face-off competitions: one for design, 3D modeling, motion and a faculty Face-off competition.

May 17, 2010

2pm - 7pm

SCC Student Center

Schedule

(may be subject to change)

2pm Welcome

3:00pm Student Graphic Design Face-off

3:45pm Faculty Design Face-off

4:30pm Student 3D Design Face-off

5:15pm Student Motion Design Face-off

6:00pm Student Design Awards/Reception

Adobe CS5 is Here!

2010-04-12T12:25:00.001-07:00

Adobe released new versions of their software today. Check out whats new in Adobe CS5!

Adobe Creative Suite 5

The Creative Process model

2010-03-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

At least a dozen GCOM student attended the Hugh Dubberly lecture and Sac State last week. The reviews we've received were glowing.

Everyone who went said how happy they were that they did, and found it truly inspiring.

Dubberly's firm has created a beautiful poster modeling the Creative Process. The students who attended each got a copy, but you can all download the PDF online.

Hugh Dubberly @ Sac State - This Friday

2010-03-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

After print, TV, and user-centered design—what comes next? Hugh speaks about five trends in computing + five trends in design practice and what they mean for our future.

March 19th, 6:00 pm
Mendocino Hall 1005

CSU, Sacramento
Free Admission

Hugh Dubberly is a design planner and teacher. At Apple Computer in the late 80s and early 90s, Hugh managed cross-functional design teams and later managed creative services for the entire company. While at Apple, he co-created a technology-forecast film called “Knowledge Navigator,” that presaged the appearance of the Internet in a portable digital device.

For more event information and a parking pass, click here

For more info on Hugh Dubberly, click here

The Design Lab Wants Your Feedback

2010-03-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

Got a complaint? Just want to say thanks? Well, we want to hear from you.

We want to have the best lab possible. If you have any comments or suggestions click this link and fill out the form.

Amazing!!

2010-03-03T12:21:00.001-08:00

Check out this craze Rube Goldberg - inspired machine, all shot in one take.

And here's the INFO & VIDEO on how it was done

Design a Schedule Cover... NOW!!

2010-02-22T07:40:00.000-08:00

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. Using Photoshop, Illustrator and/or Modo, create a cover concept or illustration for one of the outreach location's Summer/Fall 2010 class schedule and submit it for consideration by Friday, March 19.

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.

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

Cogswell College Open House

2010-02-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

DON'T MISS THE COGSWELL POLYATECHNICAL COLLEGE OPEN HOUSE!

FEBRUARY 27th, 2010
Schedule of Activities
11:00 - Check-in and choose your schedule
11:15 - Welcome from Cogswell's President
11:30 - Learn About the Admissions Process

The Admissions team will review the application process including tips on putting together your portfolio
Special session for transfer students.
12:00 - Financial Aid FAQs

Financial Aid can be a confusing process.

Our Director of Financial Aid will lay out the process for you and make it easier to understand.
12:30 - Snack Break and Raffle
12:45-3:00 - Experience Cogswell's Programs and Campus

Choose from four Academic Program sessions,
Join our faculty as they talk about each program and show a sampling of student work.
Choose from engineering, animation, game or audio
Each session will last 45 minutes
Take a Campus Tour,
Have your Portfolio Reviewed, or
Meet 1-on-1 with an Admissions Counselor

Following the Open House
3:00 to 5:00 - Art Exhibit and Artist Reception in the Gallery at Cogswell

RSVP to MSMITH@Cogswell.edu

Happy 20th Photoshop!!

2010-02-18T07:16:00.001-08:00

Today, Feb. 18 is the 20th Anniversary of the first public release of Adobe Photoshop.

To celebrate, the National Association of Professional Photoshop users are offering a one-day only free 6 month membership.
Sign up now for great digital imaging benefits.

Also, they have a link to a live video stream of tonight's anniversary celebration at 7:30pm pst.

Click here: NAPP Photoshop 20th

Photoshop geeks rule!

You can visualize anything!

2010-01-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

The Flowing Data web site is a great source of inspiration for GCOM students to learn about information visualization. And just to show you that charts and graphs never have to be boring, here's the very excellent Engineer's Guide to Drinks.

Download the full PDF here.

GCOM 490 Second Saturday Recap and Photos

2010-01-18T10:29:00.001-08:00

A big thanks to everyone who came to the GCOM 490 Second Saturday Show at Beatnik Studios. The GCOM 490 class (the learning studio and club) received a lot of support and attention. Check out more from the photo booth from that night at gcomclub.com

AND if you are looking for some real-world design experience before you venture off into the working world or to a 4-year university, think about joining GCOM 490 this semester. We meet on Mondays/Wednesdays from 1-3. We will be working on an advertising campaign that will include tv spots, print ads and outdoor boards as well as two other identity projects.

GCOM 490 Second Saturday Show this Saturday

2010-01-07T00:29:00.000-08:00

Join the GCOM 490 class together with the PHOTO 490 class at their Second Saturday Show this Saturday, January 9, at Beatnik Studios (2421 17th Street by Broadway). Good Day Sacramento dedicated a segment this morning to our show. Check it out here!

If you're interested in getting real-world experience working with clients and photographers, GCOM 490 is the class to take. For more info, contact Andrea Diaz-Vaughn.

See work by:

GCOM Students
Maricela Alvarez
Andrew Clementi
Christie Garcia
Priscilla Garcia
Charles Henderson
Kolton Kammerer
William Leung
Lori Llanillo
Kevin Scott

PHOTO Students
Nellie Coats
Lindsay Davis
Kevin Fiscus
Adam Jantz
Heather Leggett
Rachel Lomeli
Louise Mitchell
Ron Nabity
Jessica Nicosia-Nadler
Andrew Nixon
Trachell Oliver
Priscilla Ouchida

GCOM Instructor in Fast Company magazine

2009-12-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-07T15:23:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-02T07:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-11-23T09:40:00.001-08:00

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.

2009-11-17T22:57:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-09-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-25T14:36:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-09-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-19T07:04:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-04T16:34:00.000-07:00

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 ...

2009-04-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

Check this out! Awesome design and fantastic animation!

Slagsmålsklubben - Sponsored by destiny from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo.

GCOM Field Trip to BKWLD April 17

2009-03-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

Artist Maricela Alvarez

SWARM

Journal material and foundational pieces

www.maricelaalvarez.com

February 23 through March 20

Call for Outreach Schedule Designs

2009-02-24T12:51:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-24T10:45:00.001-08:00

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.

2009-02-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-26T09:31:00.001-08:00

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!

2009-01-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

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.

Enter the Media Arts Competiton

2008-11-25T16:37:00.000-08:00

The Multimedia & Entertainment Initiative is pleased to announce the 2009 Media Arts Award Competition, now in its 10th year. Last year more than $35,000 in software and special prizes were awarded to 50 community college and high school students.

This is a very important state-wide competition, and GCOM always tries to enter some or our students work. Last year, our own Vitaliy Zavorotny won for Graphic Design Promotional Materials. In fact, the competiton poster you see here was designed by him as well!

The winners are showcased at an award ceremony and featured on a DVD. A prize in the contest would look excellent on your resume.

If you are interested, you can get all the info at www.cccmei.net/mediaarts/

In order to enter, you must also contact a GCOM instructor to submit the forms for you. So, we're waiting for you to come to us!

Info Graphics Master to Speak...

2008-11-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

Don't miss a great opportunity to see this special GCOM guest speaker presentation:

Nathaniel Levine

Sacramento Bee

visual journalist, graphic artists and digital illustrator

Friday, December 5

1pm in T-100

Nathaniel is an award-winning visual journalist who uses Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, and 3D applications to create 2D and 3D art, maps, charts, and interactive animations for both the printed newspaper and the Sac Bee web site.

This presentation will be very informative for all students interested in graphics, 3D, publication and journalism. There will also be plenty of time for question and answers.

See some of Nathiel's work here:

Interactive version of the map above
Interactive nail gun graphic

Folsom Auto Mall Logo Design Contest: Win $750!

2008-11-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

The Folsom Auto Mall is hosting a logo design contest for design students. The designer of the winning logo will win $750. The logo must be created in as a vector-based file (Illustrator) and the deadline is December 1. For more details, visit folsomautomall.com. For feedback on your design prior to sending it in, feel free to contact your GCOM instructors. (PS design a logo that better looking than this flier!)

Outreach Cover Winners!

2008-11-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the GCOM students whose work was chose to grace the covers our our three Spring 09 Outreach Center Schedules.

Downtown Outreach Center: Karen Adams

Davis Outreach Center: Debi Flory

West Sacramento Outreach Center: John Conley

Good job designers!

Friday 11/21 Field Trip to Eagle Press

2008-11-13T10:12:00.000-08:00

All GCOM Students are welcome!

What: A Field Trip to Eagle Press
(hosted by Eagle Press Sales Rep, Dave Feldpausch)

Eagle Press is a medium-size sheetfed, web, and digital commercial printer, and part of the nationwide Consolidated Graphics network of companies.

When: Friday, Nov. 21 • 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Where: Eagle Press • 8111 37th Avenue • Sacramento, California 95824
(we will meet at printer - plenty of parking - see map / directions below)

Why: Real World Knowledge of Commercial Printing Operations!

Please RSVP to Tom Cappelletti at cstudio@gmail.com

Driving Directions:
From HWY 50:
Take Power Inn Road South past
Fruitridge
Left on 37th, Eagle is on the left.
From HWY 99 South of Sacramento
Take Fruitridge East
Right on Power Inn Road
Left on 37th, Eagle is on the left.

View Larger Map

Head Modeling Contest

2008-11-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

Animation Magazine is sponsoring a 3D head modeling competition! The Face-2-Face Contest features nearly $10,000 worth of prizes to help you in your creative craft. Each main category - Film and Game - will offer a First, Second and Third prize sponsored by Dell and Image Metrics. In addition, all entrants will enjoy great exposure to the entertainment industry in general, and more specifically, to some of the best creative's in the business, our judges.

Act fast. The context ends December 5, 2008.

Here's the link for more info: Animation Magazine Face-2-Face Contest

The Magical CNN Hologram

2008-11-06T08:37:00.000-08:00

Those of us who watched the election coverage on CNN were dazzled by their awesome visual effects and animations. From real-time interactive 3D maps to a computer animated charts, CNN brought their "A-Game" for their election night coverage. Here's a link to how they accomplished the awesome Hologram Effect for their correspondents: Link

AISFA San Fran welcomes Richard Williams

2008-10-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

The San Franciso Chapter of AISFA is welcoming master animator Richard Williams on Sunday, November 2 at the Balboa Theater in San Franciso. Richard has been in the animation business for over 50 years. He created the Oscar-winning A Christmas Carol, directed the animation in Who Framed Roger Rabit?, created the memorable opening titles for feature films like The Return of the Pink Panther, Casino Royale and has directed numerous other award winning commercials, films and animations.

Richard Williams is the author of "The Animator's Survival Kit", which is the required textbook for GCOM 400 and 401. He will be presenting a 2-hour lecture on the principles of animations and illustrating them with excerpts from his new DVD set, The Animators Survival Kit Animated.

For more information on the event, please visit the AISFA San Francisco Chapter website at: www.asifa-sf.org

GC Club Greeting Card Fundraiser

2008-10-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Graphic Communications Club is printing holiday greeting cards to raise money for GC Club activities including our annual Spring Show, and we're calling on all GCOM students to help us generate design ideas. This will be an excellent chance for GCOM students to have their design ideas become a finished product which can be added to their portfolio. Designs must be submitted in PDF format to gcclubscc@gmail.com no later than November 10, 2008. Students will be able to submit as many designs as they wish. Five designs will be selected to be printed.
The card dimensions will be 4 ¼" x 5 ½" single-fold.
Templates are available.