Well, it looks like a got a head start on my header in the first assignment of the Intermediate Customization course. I already added a site logo. But there is still something for me to do.
For this assignment, I took the time to rethink my header. How can that be done? Well, as the course syllabus outlines, I would have to answer a few questions. These questions were presented as three bullet points.
First Group of Questions
Here are the following questions from the first bullet point:
What was the last book (magazine or movie) you paid for? How did the cover (or poster) convey that it wasn’t a book from a different genre? If it appealed to you when you picked it up, how so? If not, why not?
Um … let’s just say I got something in the mail.
Here’s a scan of the latest Game Informer cover:
It’s a gaming magazine. These types of magazines set themselves apart by the subject matter, typography, and size.
- The cover of course features artwork connected to a video game (in this case, Horizon Zero Dawn).
- The typography is actually a series of painted letters for this cover, but Game Informer’s technical font was mimicked.
- Magazines differ in size, but gaming magazines generally have shorter dimensions than letter-sized paper.
Furthermore, something needs to be said about the artwork. While there are movie posters that feature paintings and even watercolors, you can often see that type of artwork for video games. Also, the complimentary colors or orange and blue are used to signify that an action game is being discussed. That is similar to movie posters, even if many graphic observers think that pairing is overdone. But the color scheme works here because there is a tetradic mix if you include the reds and greens.
The Game Informer cover appealed to me because of the technique. There are contrasts between the lighter colors of the sky and person and there are greater contrast with the whites and dark tones of the machines. Additionally, I like the crosshatching and the in which the visuals are blended together.
The Second Group of Questions
There are two questions to answer here.
If your blog had a book cover (or movie poster) what would it look like? Describe it in simple terms, or make a quick doodle. Why did you make the decisions you did?
Hmm…
If I had to make a book cover for my blog, I would want it to address the type of topics I have and want to talk about. It would ideally be busy and consist of symbolic and representative graphics.
The thing is it would take me some time to make that type of cover. I would want it to be perfect and I have little comfort making a purposely messy design.
I want to do this type of design for my header. First, it would give me an excuse to make something. Second, it would add a personal touch. While the picture of Delicate Arch in Utah is nice, I have long intended to change it eventually to something that is uniquely me.
The Third Group of Questions
And here are the questions from the third bullet point:
Does the subject of your blog have its own existing, popular “iconography” attached? Think knitting needles (crafts/knitting), typewriters (writing), dog leashes (dogs), ribbons (crafts, pretty things), blood spatters (crime/horror). If there aren’t any, how could you best represent the topic of your blog visually? If there are, how could you put a fresh twist on the familiar imagery?
To be honest, my blog doesn’t have its own type of iconography yet. But if I had to pick something for a new header, it would be the head of a thinker.
A thinker would be the one image that could represent all the themes I have in this blog because there is a lot on my mind. I don’t want to address one type of topic, but I want to talk about many things that interest me.
Now, putting a new spin on the imagery for my header could be difficult, as many icons with the imagery have done various things I would like to do. I don’t think that’s a problem, as I would want to draw in various influences in making a new banner anyway.
Some Inspiration for My Header
There are a few users in the WordPress blogging community that I can think of when it comes to headers.
One is IdyaGurl (Idea Girl), who runs Vivid Concepts.
The header for that website is simple, but the background of it is meant to support the logo. The logo consists of a light bulb creating negative space within a computer mouse. Rays of light are represented by lines, but there is a gradient behind the rest of the logo to reinforce the concept of light.
The setup is highly appropriate for an artist/designer.
Wendy Weir, who runs Greater than Gravity, has a header that shows her with her family as of the time of this posting. The header works well for her because she is an open person who has let people take a peek into her inner thoughts and share wonderful stories of her loved ones.
One of my favorite banners so far has to be the one for Nerdy Life of Mine. The design consists of a silhouette of a super hero against a background of comic books. The header features some logos and typography dominating the right side.
The banner is highly appropriate for the lover of comics and sci-fi stories, Jason Bucky Brooks.
I appreciated the old banner on the website, but I’m digging the new one more and more the more times I see it. I would like to make a header like this, with a nice contrast and mixture of art and typography.
I have some ideas kicking in my head. But before I can make a full banner, I would think about making some thumbnails first.
Shmaltz and Menudo 