AUDIENCE / PURPOSE: The intended audience for this fictional YouTube channel is people who are looking for humorous, unique opinions on the town of Isla Vista and what goes on inside of it. IV is objectively very small; it is only one square mile! But, it packs almost the entire student body of UCSB into its borders, and has created a culture of fun, vibrancy, and togetherness that I feel is rare for a college town. Due to the fact that we are trying to appeal to people within Isla Vista, as the two people who make up the show are upperclassmen at the school and are commenting on their experiences in Isla Vista and UCSB, I thought it would be smart to use a background picture of the two hosts in casual, beach clothing to represent the common style that exists in IV. In addition, this style likely strikes a chord within potential listeners, who also wear this type of clothing in IV when the weather allows! I am trying to communicate through this YouTube channel banner a sense of fun and easygoing-ness that will be presented by "The Harrlz and Lucas Show" whenever it is released each Friday. The advertisement adequately represents the bright and enthusiastic demeanors of the hosts, and people who are looking for this type of person to listen to will be drawn to the show.
Image: I utilized several of the tools and tricks that I learned through tutorials, both in class and online, to create an image that I am genuinely happy with and proud of. First, I used File Place to perfectly place my image of Harley and Lucas onto the dimensions of the Illustrator file, and subsequently applied a filter on it to give it more of a cartoonish look. This was done because the two hosts are mainly coming from a comedic angle, so showing an image of them like this aligns with the overall tone of their fictional show. Next, I created a logo for the show, that also provides the same sense of fun and youth that the show will create. I also added blue, translucent rectangles behind the text to make it easier to read, and also add more vibrant colors to the illustration. The fonts chosen for this project had to be playful, in addition to easy to read for potential listeners to understand the text. I am very happy with how the image in itself turned out; much more than I was on my Photoshop project.
Process: The process went quite smoothly when creating my illustration project. I feel the individual additions I made to my project went together really well, and as I added each one (filter on the photo, font, logo, messages, rectangles, etc.) they seemed to blend more and more into a real, believable banner that a successful YouTube channel would want to use. Originally, I was going to use a picture of myself, in an effort to make a banner for a fictional channel for me. But, after giving it more thought, I have always loved this photo of my friends being interviewed, and after stumbling upon it, I had to use it and create the "Harrlz and Lucas" show. Everything came easily after finding the image, and the process was probably the easiest part of this project because I genuinely enjoyed doing it.
Learning:
- Illustrator / Canva: I learned that it is much easier than I thought to make attractive, as well as eye-catching illustrations. I am not an artist by any means; I have actually always been a bit disappointed in my lack of ability to create impressive images. However, when we first were introduced to Illustrator, and I made my personal logo, I was very impressed with my creation and this gave me new confidence in my abilities. I think I have performed really well in this portion of the class and will be looking forward to using Illustrator more going forward.
- Design: I think the most important thing I learned about design was how important symmetry and centering things in an image are. There were many times while creating different illustrations that it simply wouldn't look right, and I wasn't sure why. Luckily, Illustrator gives so many tips about where the center of images are, which allows users to place texts and other effects in perfect positions that are appealing to the eye.
- Communication: I am a Comm major, so I have learned a lot in my time at UCSB about communicating and the most effective ways to do it. This project has taught me a lot about how to create an image that effectively translates a desired effect or feeling. The image, fonts, and logo I created all provide the same feeling to the viewer: one of playfulness, warmth, and humor. I think it is a perfect combination for this project and one that would actually make people want to check out "Harrlz and Lucas'" YouTube.
Myself: I actually really like to create images! I did not know this about myself because I have always been so bad at it. But, with a little bit of guidance through tutorials and the tips within Illustrator, it cam be fun!
Next: Next project, I will be more active in class with the tutorials. The past few weeks have been very busy for me, as I have been interviewing for full-time jobs next year and, after securing one in Oakland, looking for apartments to live in this Summer in San Francisco! Sometimes my job and apartment search would lead to me not being focused enough on my schoolwork, but I am happy that I am mainly done with that process and I can fully focus in class and stay up to date. I am stoked!