Week 10B

Today in class we were given a demonstration on InDesign and how to create our publications. Then we got into groups and talked about our articles and content. Some feedback/ideas that I got were:

• on the app article, link the apps to the app store
• on the recovery drinks article, use big images - like the whole page and add small blurbs of text on top
• out videos of the 5ks in the popular 5k article
• change my title from "Go The Distance" to just "Distance"

Week 10 Outside of Class

Outside of class I created all of the titles for my articles.

• "How to Prepare for a 5K"
• "Popular 5Ks"
• "Which Clothing and Gear is Right for You?"
• "Recovery Drinks"
• "Fun and Exciting Running Apps"

How to Prepare for a 5K:

Preparing for a 5k can be very easy and simple if done correctly. Training should be done three days a week with one day of rest between each training day. Day one of your training week should be fast and high-energy. Run a short distance at a fast pace. Start at a small distance, a quarter of a mile is recommended for beginners, and slowly add more distance until you can run a full mile. Day two should be a moderate day. Run a mile at a moderate pace and slowly add distance until you are running a full 5k (3.2 miles). Day three should be your slow day that builds up your endurance. Start by running two miles and slowly add distance until you are running three or four miles. You can also add in some weight lifting into your routine to help strengthen your muscles to prevent fatigue during the run. Warm up and cool down are essential to stay healthy. Before your 5k (and your training exercises) you should warm up by jogging for three minutes and then sprint for three intervals of 30 seconds. This warm up should be completed five minutes before your race. Cool down consists of stretching. Runners should focus on hips and hamstrings when they stretch.

Stay hydrated. Make sure to drink lots of water before, during, and after the race. Women are recommended to drink 72 ounces (9 cups) of water daily. Men are recommended to drink 104 ounces (13 cups) of water daily. Make sure you are drinking this much water leading up to the race to prevent cramping and fatigue. Eating healthy is also important. Fatty, unhealthy foods make you feel bloated and heavy. Stay away from these types of food before your race and on the day of the 5k. About two or three hours before your race you should consume a 200 to 400 calorie meal to give you energy. Do not experiment with new food or drink the day of the race. Experiment with different foods during your training period and find a meal that is right for you, then repeat this meal the day of the race. The day before the race make sure you get to sleep at a decent time so you can have a full nights sleep for the 5k. Lack of sleep will slow down your performance.

Lastly, make sure you are properly equipped for your 5k. You will need a pair of sneakers that are comfortable to run in. Athletic shorts, pants, or capris are needed, along with a shirt. Find ones that are comfortable and do not cause hassle. Cell phones and music players are optional. According to your preferences, you may want to bring along your cell phone to keep track of time or distance, or a music player to keep you going.

Popular 5ks:

Themed 5ks are becoming more and more popular in today's world. Some of the more trendy 5ks out there now are The Color Run, Run For Your Lives, The Electric Run, and The Warrior Dash. Each one provides a unique experience filled with fun and excitement.

The Color Run is a 5k where volunteers throw colored corn starch onto the runners as they pass by. The goal of the run is to finish the race as colorful as you can while having a blast. After the race, runners participate in an after-party filled with music, dancing, free souvenirs, and color throws. The Color Run raises awareness for homelessness and pairs up with local charities. The Color Run invites local businesses to set up booths at the after-party and make a donation to charities in the city that The Color Run is located that day.

Run For Your Lives is a 5k where runners go through a series of obstacles while avoiding zombies. Each runner is given a belt with 4 flags attached to it. The goal of the 5k is to finish the course with as many flags left on your belt as you can. Along the course, "zombies" will be chasing the runners attempting to steal their flags. If runners cross the finish line with at least one flag they are labeled "survivors." If they lose all their flags, they are labeled "infected." After the race, runners are invited to participate in an Apocalypse Party filled with music, food, beer, and merchandise. A portion of proceeds from each race are donated to the Kennedy Krieger Institute to help kids battle brain injuries  and disorders.

The Electric Run is a 5k that is held at night. Runners are encouraged to deck themselves out in neon apparel and anything that blinks, lights up, or glows. The race consists of lasers, lights, music, black lights, and lots of neon colors. Participants are enveloped in rave-like music, colors, and lights as they complete this 5k. The goal of this race is to just have fun and dance your hearts out. At the end of the race, runners are invited to participate in an after-party filled with lights, lasers, neon colors, loud music and merchandise. The Electric Run selects a charity in each city to donate a portion of the proceeds to.

The Warrior Dash is a 5k that test runners' strength and stamina with 12 extreme obstacles. The goal of this 5k is to just cross the finish line. Some of the obstacles include the Cargo Climb, the Great Warrior Wall, and the Warrior Roast. Runners will be running through mud, water, and fire; and climbing ropes, wall, and chains. At the end of the race, runners are invited to participate in an after-party filled with music, food, beer, and festival attractions. A portion of proceeds from each race are donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to help kids battle cancer. 

Which Clothing and Gear is Right For You?:

Compression vs. Not:

Compression clothing is a very popular style in the running world. However, it may not be for everybody. Compression clothing does cut back on wind resistance and can help cut down on running time. Conversely, some people do not like compression clothing at all. Some say that it is uncomfortable and a hassle. Compression clothing can feel tight and may tend to ride up causing runners to keep pulling at them. Some say that compression items are unflattering but if purchased in the correct size should be fine.

Support Sneakers vs. Running Sneakers:

There are millions of styles of sneakers out there it can become tough to decide which is best for you. The first question you should ask yourself is whether you need support sneakers or running sneakers. Support sneakers have more support in the sole for runners who need that extra sustenance. However, because they have more support, they are heavier than running shoes. Running shoes are very light and flexible because of their lack of support. Their soles and sides are very thin to make them as light as possible to help runners cut time off of their record. People who prefer the heavier support sneakers over the light running sneakers are people who have foot pain/problems, abnormally high/low arches, abnormal running patterns, or wide feet. If you find that your feet tend to hurt after running, support sneakers are probably the right match for you.

Recovery Drinks:

It's not just the workout but the recovery that will have you well on your way to your fitness goals. There are hundreds to thousands of sports drinks and protein powders out there all claiming that they are the best thing to consume after a workout. However, the best recovery drinks could be right in front of your eyes.

Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk is not just an indulgence, but a recovery drink too! This is because it has the recommended 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein needed to replenish your body and restore muscle glycogen. It also has calcium, crucial for strong muscles and bones.

Protein Smoothie
For a healthy option you can make yourself, consider this post-workout smoothie.

INGREDIENTS
3 oz. plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup chocolate milk
1/2 cup water

It has a blend of everything your body needs to recover, including Greek yogurt, chocolate milk, and bananas. Since a long workout can be really taxing on your body's immune system, there are blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries for an antioxidant boost.

Water
If you exercised for under an hour, water is the perfect (zero calorie) recovery drink. Water does not have the protein or carbs as other drinks, so be sure to drink it with a post-workout snack.

Sports Drink
Sports drinks are ideal because they have been formulated with the nutrients needed to recover. They are a great option because they replace the sodium lost through sweat during a workout. This is important in order to keep your muscles and nerves functioning properly. Be wise about sipping sports drinks, as they often contain over 100 calories per 16 ounces, and a few sips can put a calorie dent in your day.

Coconut Water
Similar to still water, coconut water is a great recovery option for workouts under an hour. While it doesn't have sodium, it is extremely hydrating and contains other nutrients like magnesium and potassium (crucial for proper organ function). Coconut water also contains high levels of disease-fighting antioxidants.

Fun and Exciting Running Apps:

There are hundreds of apps out there geared towards runners. However, most of them are very practical and just help keep track of times, distance, and calories burned. Most of them are very plain and boring. Cruise Control, Missile Wars, and Zombies, Run! are running apps that are fun and exciting but also help you achieve your running goals.

Cruise Control

Combine musical motivation with a personal running coach and you have the Cruise Control app. This smartphone system, costing $4.99, scans the music on your iPhone to find songs with an appropriate tempo (or beats per minute) for your workout. At the beginning of each run, simply activate your goal (free run, pace, heart rate or cadence) and the app will use its patented algorithm to speed up or slow down your tunes in real time. The beat will help you regulate your footfalls, which will help you achieve your goal.

Missile Wars

Remember childhood summer days playing Sharks & Minnows (or Marco – Polo)? Now you can play the grown-up running version of tag with the free Missile Wars app. Grab a couple of friends and head to an open area, such as a nearby park. Have each person open the smartphone app and identify surrounding users. Someone then launches a missile and the target must run for safety within 60 seconds. Take turns launching and sprinting for an impromptu speed session, that’s sure to leave everyone sweaty.

Zombies, Run!

Zombies, Run! is an iPhone app that mixes the fun of zombie games like Dead Island and Left 4 Dead with fitness/running apps that are usually somewhat boring. What better motivation to keep you running than the fear of having zombies attack you and eat your endorphin-heightened brains? The goal of the game is to rebuild civilization after a zombie apocalypse. To do this, you actually have to go out and run around in the real world where you can collect ammo, medicine, batteries, and spare parts that will let you build up and expand your base. You’ll get clues, orders, and stories through your headphones. You can even pretend you’re running around at night avoiding zombies when you’re actually running on the safety of your gym’s treadmill. You’ll get to hear the frightening moans and gurgles of the zombies that are right on your heels, making sure you keep running for your life.

Week 10A

Today in class we critiqued our mood boards.
Critiques that I got were:

• my concept was too broad - need to think of other ideas for articles instead of just popular 5ks
• I need to add more textures to my mood board
• more pictures to represent the look/feel of the magazine added to mood board
• do an article on how to prepare for a 5k

I decided to change my articles and now do
- "How to Prepare for a 5k"
- "Popular 5ks"
- "What Clothes To Wear"
- "Recovery Drinks"
- "Running Apps"
- and maybe "The Anatomy of a Shoe"

In class I redid my moodboard.

I now used more generic photos that give the mood of running and exercise.

Week 9 Outside of Class

This weekend Jamie and I went to Barnes & Noble and looked at different types of publications.

We found this magazine that included pictures within the article. 

This magazine had layouts that were made up almost completely of pictures, with just a tiny bit of text.

These two magazines utilized one big picture on one page and all text on the other.

This magazine used a big picture like the ones right before this picture but instead of having it take up one whole page, it takes up the top half of both pages, and uses text in the bottom half of the publication.

This weekend I also finished my mood board.

I decided to switch the name of my magazine from Heart & Health to Go The Distance because I wanted to have my magazine be a magazine focused just on running instead of all of health. I felt that my concept of popular 5k's would be better in a magazine focused just on running. My mood board consists of possible typefaces for the title of my magazine, photos from each of the 5k's, titles/logos of the 5k's, and color schemes used in each of the 5k's. Each article's color scheme would reflect the one used by the corresponding 5k.

I figured that each of my articles will just be titled the name of the featured 5k. So one would be titled The Color Run and another one will be The Electric Run and so on. Each of the articles will explain what each of the 5ks are made of and what the objective of the run is. Also, it will describe what the run raises money for or if it is for a charity.

Week 9B

Today in class we critiqued our layouts. Most people just told me small things to fix. Things such as: possibly playing around with the shortcake in the big image to smooth out some of the lines, flip the flour scoop so it interacts with the text, and possibly put an actual weight number on the scale and have a strawberry on the scale.

Week 9A

Today in class we briefly talked about the readings. Then we were introduced to our next project. My 50 word POV for my project is:

- I would like to create my layouts on different popular 5k runs. Each of my articles would be on a different 5k and explaining why each run is unique from others. These articles would be part of a health and fitness magazine. Some of the 5ks I was thinking about were: The Color Run/Color Me Rad, Tough Mudder, Run For Your Lives, Electric Run, and Race For A Cure.

The title of my magazine is Heart & Health.

I also read Tablet Usability by Jakob Nielson. These are my notes:

• Flat design and improperly rescaled design are the main threats to tablet usability, followed by poor gestures and workflow.
• Although tablet-specific applications have plenty of usability flaws, the problems are mainly the same as those that plague traditional application design: difficult features, a mismatch with user workflow, and poor instructions that people don’t read.
• we advise most companies to stick to their website and invest the resources in improving web usability, which still suffers badly in most companies
• don’t make your tablet app a scaled-up phone app
• The two main threats to tablet usability are: 
• Flat design. Why not allow users to easily see what they can do? We need a golden middle ground between skeuomorphism and a dearth of distinguishing signifiers for UI elements.
• Rescaled design. Whether shoehorned down from a bigger screen or grotesquely exploded from a phone screen, too many Android designs simply don’t fit the tablet’s actual screen size. (Poorly rescaled designs are less common on iPad and Windows tablets, probably because of smaller device diversity.)

I also read The Best Digital Magazines Available for iPad. These are my notes:

• the horizontal and vertical layout of an iPad creates a cross and the middle of that cross is the "safe zone" which will be viewed from both orientations
• some of the best digital magazines are those by:
• Popular Science
• Wired
• Business Week
• and New Yorker

Week 8 Outside of Class

This weekend I read My iPad Magazine Stand. Here are my notes:

• There’s still a lot that we don’t know about the iPad and its forthcoming competition
• Anecdotally, publishers report heavy demand for advertising space, and in some cases apps have sold out of their ad inventory through the end of the year or even further.
• That’s an encouraging indicator, but I think it may be more a sign of a bubble than the creation of a real market for publishers’ apps
• But even with an Apple-operated newsstand, I’m just not sure I believe these people will turn to publishers’ apps to occupy their tablet time.
• The Adobe promise, as I understand it, is that publications can design for one medium and, with minimal effort, have their work product viably running on tablets and other media.

I also read The State of Magazines on the iPad: A Giant Mess. These are my notes:

• The biggest problem for me has been the immediacy of the reading experience
• Takes too long to download an issue
• Another issue I have with magazines is that the iPad's display is just a tad too small to display a magazine in all its glory.

I finished my layouts.

And I got it printed and mounted, but with great difficulty.

I went to Staples on Saturday morning to get my layouts printed. I dropped my files off at 10 and went to pick them up at 2. When I picked them up at two I noticed that my middle layout was not printed correctly. Everything that was pink printed out brown.

The guy printed it out again but the same thing happened. He told me that it was my file. Something was wrong with it. So I payed for the two prints that were correct and left.

Then I went to Office Max to see if they could print it correctly. They printed it successfully the first try. But then I noticed that their paper looked different than the paper from Staples. So I told Office Max to reprint my other two spreads so that all three spreads looked the same. I paid for my prints and left.

I went home and mounted all of my spreads onto my matt board. Then Sunday morning I was helping Jamie mount her project and I asked her to look at mine. She noticed that on my impact layout the word "DIET" was missing. After having such a rough day on Saturday I had completely missed that the word was missing. So I drove back to Office Max and asked them to reprint it. However, when they reprinted it the same thing happened. The guy told me that something was wrong with my files. So I went BACK to Staples and asked if they could reprint it. I couldn't use my original Staples one because the paper that it was printed on was a little different. So luckily, they were able to print my impact spread again with the word "DIET" included.

Week 8B

Today in class we had a Skype talk with Chaponry. I found the talk very interesting. His prototype was very interesting and seems very useful. I also found it interesting to hear him say that a salary for a designer in San Francisco could be close to $80,000. Then the rest of class we had a mini lecture on digital publication.

Week 7B

Today we had all of class to work on our layouts. This is what I got done.

I started working on my third layout. I got the flour scoop translated and put the shortcake on the last page.

I also started translating an IV bag. I'm not sure if I am going to keep this because it's not turning out the way I want it.

Week 7 Outside of Class

Outside of class I worked on fixing the things in my impact and secondary layout that was suggested in the critique.

I adjusted the kerning between the "I" and the "E" in "Diet." I also moved the page numbers from the middle of the page to the corners.

I changed the typeface from Times New Roman to Cambria. I also changed it from 10 point to 9 point. I simplified the whipped cream and the shortcake cubes to give them the same feeling and illustration look as the impact page.

I also simplified the scale as well.

Zurb Conference

On Thursday night I went to the Zurb conference with speaker Matt Kelly. I found his talk very interesting. I really enjoyed his introduction when he asked all of us to go to the website that he projected. Then he asked which animal each of us was seeing on our screens. I really liked how he used that demonstration to show that there are many different ways to view content – on a mobile phone (with many different sizes and resolutions), on a tablet, or on a desktop/laptop screen.

I found it very interesting that there are 10 mobile devices for every one person on Earth – that means there are more mobile devices present than people. I did not know that it was this big of a number.

He explained what responsive design was and what works and doesn’t work about it. He also talked about what’s great and not great about it.

Then he went on to talk about a case study and the process that his team went through. The process comprised of: Define, Ideate, Prototype, Build, and Analyze.

What I really enjoyed about his talk was comparing what he was talking about to what we are doing in class. He mentioned Mobile First, which we are reading for class. And he talked about wireframes which we are creating in our Intro to Experience class.

Week 7A

Today in class we talked briefly about the Zurb conference. Then we had a small critique on our layouts. Some of the feedback I got was:

• watch edge tension on the first page of the secondary layout
• move the page numbers to the corner
• smaller body copy
• simplify images on secondary layout
• tracking between the "I" and the "E" in "Diet"

This is what I fixed today.

I simplified the whipped cream.

I simplified the scale. I only simplified the top of the scale since that is the only thing going to be in the layout.

I switched my typeface from Times New Roman to Cambria.

I also simplified the shortcake cubes.

Week 6 Outside of Class

This weekend I finished my impact spread and my secondary spread.

I added a subtle background to the pink on the left of my impact spread. I also added a symbol for my page numbers to go into. Then I made my whole secondary spread. I used a two column grid system on both sides of the page and think I will most likely carry that pattern through the whole document.

Week 6B

Today we had all of class to work on our layouts. This is what I got done today.

Week 6 Outside of Class

Outside of class I read pgs. 68-73. Here are my notes:
The Grid System:

• The benefits of working with a grid are: clarity, efficiency, economy, and continuity
• Before anything else, a grid introduces systematic order to a layout, distinguishing types of information and easing a user's navigation through them

The Anatomy of a Grid:

• A grid consists of:
• Margins - the negative spaces between the format edge and the content - can be used to focus attention, serve as a resting place for the eye, or act as an area for subordinate information
• Flowlines - alignments that break the space into horizontal bands - help guide the eye across the format
• Gutters - interstitial spaces that exist between columns and rows and modules - "the gutter" refers to the margins toward the inside of the spread
• Modules - individual units of space separated by regular intervals that, when repeated across the page format, create columns and rows
• Spatial zones - groups of modules that form distinct fields
• Markers - placement indicators for subordinate or consistently appearing text, like running heads, section titles, folios, or any other element that occupies only one location in any layout
• Columns - vertical alignments of type that create horizontal divisions between the margins
• Rows - series of flow lines defined by the existence of modules

Column Grid - Articulating Text Structure:

• Information that is discontinuous benefits from being organized into an arrangement of vertical columns
• The width of the columns in a column grid depends on the size of the running text type
• If the column is too narrow, excessive hyphenation is likely, making a uniform rag difficult
• If the column is too wide, the reader will have difficulty finding the beginnings of sequential lines
• Traditionally, the gutter between columns is given a measure, x, and the margins are usually assigned a width of twice the gutter measure, or 2x
• Margins wider than the column gutters focus the eye inward, easing tension between the column edge and the edge of the format
• The column grid also has a subordinate structure - the flowlines, vertical intervals that allow the designer to accommodate unusual breaks in text or image on the page and create horizontal bands across the format
• The hangline is one kind of flowline - it defines the vertical distance from the top of the format at which column text will always start

Modular Grid - Text and Image Architecture:

• Because very complex projects require even more precise control, a modular grid may be the most useful choice in such situations 
• A modular grid is, essentially, a column grid with a large number of horizontal flow lines that subdivide the columns into rows, creating a matrix of cells called modules
• Each module defines a small chunk of informational space
• The degree of control within the grid depends on the size of the modules
• Smaller modules provide more flexibility and greater precision but too many subdivisions can become confusing and redundant
• Modules can be the width and depth of one average paragraph of the primary text at a given size
• The margin proportions must be considered simultaneously in relation to the modules and the gutters that separate them

I also worked on my impact spread layout.

I was told to stack my text and mix typefaces for my title. I played around with that and came up with this version. I also had another option seen below. I like the texture of "diet" in this one but kinda like how "diet" is skinny in the one below because it is a diet. In this one I also added a little more detail to the shortcake in the picture.