Movie Poster

The poster I chose was Breakfast at Tiffany's.  It was one of my favorite movies of all time.  The movie was a classic and loved by millions.

Homework Assignment

How to Ruin a Great Design

I agree with the article.  Design is a matter of interpretation, but when it comes to items that are unsafe, unethical or don’t work properly, then that’s a different story.  Traffic signs are probably one of the items that you don’t want to have poor design.  Drivers become accustomed to the layout and design of traffic signs that even a minor change like a capitalizing one letter could make it unsafe for them. Changing design or advertisement is very hard for some people to accept.  I know when they got rid of Gus (the second most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania (lottery) they made a lot of people very angry.  Some people even stopped buying lottery tickets.  Sometimes leaving a design as it was meant to be and not changing it, is a good thing.  I say, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” 

1st Project

Functional

I created an attachment for a 13" laptop computer.  It would enlarge the screen from a 13" screen to a 27" screen.  When the laptop is opened, it would slide and snap in place to create more of an area to do computer work.  The image on the screen would then be generated on the attachment.  People who like the portability of a laptop, but the convenience of a desktop computer, now has the opportunity for both.

Non-Functional

I created a digital grandfather clock.  The grandfather clock would look the same as a traditional grandfather clock, but would display the time and date in big, bold, green letters/numbers.  The grandfather clock will still tick and the pendulum will still swing.  The clock will chime at every half hour.  People would like this product, because the time is easy to see, glows in the dark, and looks attractive in their house.

What is your computer experience?
My computer experience goes back over 30 years ago.  I took Basic programming in college.  When I got my teaching job, I taught basic word processing, spreadsheets and desktop publishing.  Our school had primarily Apple Macintosh computers.  Over the years, I have purchased over ten computers (desktops and laptops) trying to keep up with the ever changing technology.  I taught myself most of the Adobe software programs.  I love working on computers and could not picture my life without one.

What is your major class?
I am pursuing the Web Design Development certificate program.

What do you hope to get out of this class?
I know how to use the design programs, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, etc., but I don't feel comfortable designing a page myself.  I can follow a tutorial and create a finished project, but I would like to be able to look at a picture and figure out the best way to design it.

Who is your favorite artist?
Probably my favorite musical artist are the Beatles.  I grew up with them and still enjoy their music today.

Write a five line story?
The best story that I know very well is the story of me.  I come from a family of teachers and knew I was destined to become one.  I started teaching 32 years ago at Eastern High School.  I taught every business course they offered, but loved teaching my computer classes the best.   My favorite topic to teach was web pages using html, so I thought I would like to learn professionally how to create them. After spending many sleepless nights wondering if I was making the right decision, I finally decided to retire.  I know that I'm not the kind of person who can sit home and watch soap operas and eat bon bons.  That is why I decided to return to college.  So that is what I am doing, reinventing myself.