A Graphic Design Opportunity That Went Downhill

Hello Again Readers! You know I wrote on my last post about a graphic design opportunity that did not turned out the way I wanted and will give you an explanation on what happened. So here's what happened:

On October, I was walking on my way to Computer Graphics Class when I came across an ad that stated that a group of senior film students needed a graphic designer to help them with advertising their senior film project "The Old Sodbury". Their ad also stated that they will not pay me but they will include me with IMDb credits for the amount of work I would do for them. As soon as I saw their ad I contacted them right away and they schedule to meet up with me in person. I was so excited but at the same time nervous because they might not like my artwork but i was still willing to take a chance. I met up with the two film students, Kristina Ivanova and Imran Shailkh, the ones that are in charge of the film project. I showed them my artwork and they told me right away to design them a flyer for their funraiser to raise money for the film project. They wanted to make their flyer and send it in the next day. I was kind of worried about that part because for me it takes more than a day to design something that looks good, but i took the challenge anyways because i really wanted to show them that I'm capable of being their designer. So as soon as my meeting was over, I started working on the flyer right away. Took me countless hours to make the flyer, I even had to wake up really early the next morning just to give it a couple of extra touched and at around 7 or 8pm, i submitted my work. Kristina said it looked good and she will have the flyers printed out the next morning and will pass them out to everyone. For a moment I was so happy and was thinking that becoming apart of this team will have more doors opening to me. Or so I thought....

A few days later, I saw on their Old Sodbury facebook page about the upcoming funraiser and they used a completely different design that was clearly not mine. I figured they might have used two different designs to advertise their funraiser: one for facebook and one to pass around to people. I also emailed them to see what else do they want me to design next. Never got a reply from either one of them. Then the very next day as I was on my way to class, I saw the exact same flyer that was shown on facebook. It was not my design at all, meaning they have never used my design to advertise their funraiser and they used someone else's artwork as their way of telling me that i was not good enough for them.

Once I discover this, I felt deeply angry but at the same time hurt because they didn't bother telling me right then and there that they didn't want me as their graphic designer; they had made a fool out of me. They had made me waste a great amount of my time and just made me go through so much trouble for this. I wrote both to Kristina and Imran about how they made me waste my time for nothing, how they have made me upset by using someone else's artwork without consulting me, how it was very inconsiderate of them to do that and unprofessional of them, and they really did let me down as my first clients. I wrote at the last sentence that if they're going to use someone's artwork and not mine, then they shouldn't bother contacting me again. They never did. I was pretty hurt by this, what really  bothered me the most is that they didn't  coming up to me and say they didn't want me; I would have been disappointed if they did say that wanted no part of me but at the same time accepting of their decision, would not have wasted time, and would not be hurt and angry. What they did was very selfish, showed me that they were cowards for not coming forward, and even unprofessional. If you come around these two film students, do not trust them with your artwork because they will turn the tables on you when you least expected it.

Although this opportunity went downhill for me, i have learned a few things: 1. Don't trust senior film students with your artwork 2. It was a sign that I am meant to work with people that are trustworthy, very legit and are way better than those people that made a fool out of me. I just need to find the right people. Anyways I shall keep looking for more opportunities so I could succeed in my goals as becoming a graphic designer. Wish me luck!

Also: here was my design for the funraiser (first photo) and the design they have used to promote it (Second photo). My flyer might not look as great as the one they used, but at least it's my work and that's what matters to me.

What Has Been Happening With My Life The Last Iime I've Blogged?

Hello Readers. Sorry I have not been posting for about 8 months but I've been sooo busy with all the stuff that's been happening in my life, I've been too lazy to write. Let me give you a recaps about what been happening with my life as an amateur graphic designer and as a person during these 8 months of non blogger:

May: Passed all my classes with flying colors and scored a graphic design job at school, but unfortunately didn't get the job. Oh well gotta keep trying.

June: Making some graphic design work on the side and found out that I was going to be an aunt because my sister became pregnant ^_^

July-August: Enjoying summer vacation, worked full-time temporarily at my part-time job at the time, visited the Big Apple (which not as amazing as I thought)  and fighting to get 5 classes (which I succeeded by the way).

September: Beginning of the new semester.

October: Found a graphic design opportunity with a bunch of senior film students, but unfortunately did not turned out so well (I'll explain why in another post)

November: Got a job interview for a part-time job and got the new job 3 days later and left my old part-time job. Finally moved up. Woohoo!

December:  Fall Semester is over and got in to 4 classes, waitlisted in 1 class that I really need the most for my major, which is graphic design II, if I want to have a better chance at scoring an internship program for next fall semester and going to find more graphic design opportunities.
As you can see here alot has happened the last time I posted up something and this amatuer artist is trying to find ways to get out there. Hopefully writing this blog helps. So keep on the look out for more posts and hope you enjoy my stories and artwork. :)

Sexism: Sociology Blog

  What is sexism?

Sexism is one of the major issues that affect our society and socialization. So what is sexism defined as? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, sexism is discrimination and prejudice based on sex, especially towards women. In other words, sexism shows disrespected behaviors because of a person’s sex. Very much like racism, sexism can cause society issues such as hate crimes, stereotyping, and domestic violence.

 The Difference Between Sex and Gender

Most people think that sex and gender mean the same thing, but it is not necessarily true. Sex is something biological, while gender is something that involves culture. Sex is biological because it is something that we are genetically given at birth. Males and females receive different genitals, reproductive systems, and secondary sex characteristics (facial hair, voice change, breast development, widening the hips. etc) Males also have XY chromosomes while females have XX chromosomes. Gender is considered cultural because it is a socialized behavior made for society based on sex. In other words, gender is based on masculine and feminine behavior.

Gender Roles (“Blending In” With Our Sex Norms)

Gender roles are socialized expectations of what is acceptable, normal, desirable, and conforming for males and females in groups and organizations. In other words, males and females express how masculine or feminine they are to their society. For instances, males are expected to like the color blue, act tough and aggressive, play video games, and more. Females are expected to like pink, spend their time shopping, talking about love and romance, wear make-up and many more. Gender roles also relates to different responsibilities for males and females. According to an article, “Family Change and Gender Differences: Implications for Theory and Practice”, written by Rachel T Hare-Mustin, it states that men are expected to work to provide for their families, while women are expected to become first morality and goodness by putting their family in need first instead of their own needs (taking care of their children, cleaning their homes, grocery shopping, etc.) Overall, gender roles involve different interests, attitudes, and responsibilities.

 History of Gender Discrimination

Discrimination is one of society’s biggest issues because some people from the society judge others based on ignorance and their beliefs.  Gender discrimination can lead to legal problems and can prevent a person from doing what he or she would want to do. For instance, a man would not let a woman rent an apartment because of her sex. The man does not find the woman responsible enough to let her rent the apartment because he believes that women cannot live well on their own.  An event like this would most likely cause the woman to sue the man because he showed gender discrimination by not allowing her to rent the apartment. Gender discrimination also occurred during the early 20^th century. For example, women were not allowed to legally vote until the 1920’s. Women were not allowed to vote before that time because many men believed that politics was considered a “masculine business”. Nowadays in our society, gender discrimination is less frequent, however it still people in society that express discrimination based on a person’s sex.

Gender Stereotyping

In our society today, we often hear things that are not necessarily true, which would be defined as stereotyping. We often hear stereotypes that are based on sex, race, gender, religion and other topics. Gender stereotyping is one of the most common stereotyping that exists in our society today. An example of gender stereotyping, “men are always the abusing partner”. Although some male partners are more likely to abuse their spouse and children, not all males are violent towards their love ones. In fact, some male partners happen to be victims themselves of abusive relationship by their girlfriends or wives. Therefore, the stereotype of males always being the abusive partner in a relationship is not necessarily true. Another stereotype would be that “female’s menstrual cycles impaired their abilities”. It’s true that menstrual cycles are sometimes painful, however women can’t always blame menstrual cycles for their actions. A woman’s behavior can make her act in a way she shouldn’t act for personal reasons, whether she’s on her period or not. According to an article “Atomic Stereotyping” by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Curtis D. Hardin, it states that gender stereotyping can operate instantly in judgment. Meaning that society judges gender without knowing the facts first because of stereotypes that they hear from others everyday. 

   Hate Motives Leads to Sexual Assault 

Hate crimes not only occurs in the United States, but they also in many parts of the world, especially poor countries. Rape and sexual assault are considered an act of hate, especially towards. Reason believing why rape is considered a hate crime is so that the rapist would feel more powerful than the other due to the sex. Women would most likely be victims of rape because they are believed to be weak and helpless. Children can also be victims of gender hate crimes, especially little girls.  Rape isn’t the only way to express a hate crime towards gender; hate crimes can be express in other different ways such as hateful speeches, domestic violence, vandalism, and many others.

  Sexism Advertisements

Commercials, billboards, and advertisements are ways of getting a product noticed so people will purchase the merchandise. However, there are some advertisements that involve sexism and it could attract the audience’s attention in so many ways. An advertisement can seem funny to some people while other people may find it offensive. Take the Dr. Pepper 10 commercial for example. During the commercial, the actors said things like “so you can keep the romantic comedy and lady drinks” and “it’s not for women. Some people believed that the commercial is expressing sexism because it makes it sounds like all men love action movies and like the aggression when it is not always true. Some women love masculine things and some men love feminine things. Other people do not find the commercial offensive at all because they believed that it was funny and shouldn’t be taken so seriously. Overall, a picture says a thousand words, so advertisements need to be used wisely.

   Denial Of Access To Jobs and Careers

Finding a job is really hard nowadays in our society. Getting a job might be harder for others because some companies refuse to hire someone due to their sex, especially towards women. During the 20^th century, only 30% of women worked outside of their homes, while 50% of women today work in many different career fields. In general, a person who is responsible and talented can obtain a successful career, including women. However in some companies, women receive lower payment than men even if they have better skills, education and training. Even though this is the 21st century, there are still women that have to stay home and take care of their homes and children. Whether an individual is male or female, a person has the right to receive a job based on their education, skills, and responsibility not on the sex and gender.

Works Cited

Hare-Mustin, Rachel. "Family Change and Gender Differences: Implications for Theory and Practice." Family Relations Issue 37.1, pp. 36-41.1988. Website.

Banaji, Mahzarin, and Curtis Hardin. "Automatic Stereotyping." Psychological Science, Issue 7.3, pp. 136-141. 1996. Website.
Hammond, Ron and Cheney, Paul. Introduction of Sociology. 2012. Self Published Book.

Wacom Bamboo

Every time I go to my graphic design class, I sit next to this girl who plugs in some kind device that lets her draw pictures and I can see her drawing on the computer. At first i though it was her ipad, but it wasn't. It was a basically like a digital sketch pad and i though IT LOOKED SO COOL! I've been meaning to ask her what was the exact name for the device, but kept forgetting for some reason. Then when I went to go buy a donut from some film artists' bake sale, they ask what was my major. I said graphic design major and they asked me if I used a "wacom" before. At first I was confused because I've never heard of it. But then, they explained to me that it was digital drawing sketchpad that will make your drawings look so cool. It's called the "Wacom Bamboo CREATE tablet". I did lots of research on it and it looks so cool because it contains cool features like digital painting, photo editing, illustrating, and sketching. having this device would make designing more fun and easier for me. Here's what it looks like:

It looks like an ipad but this made specially for making digital drawings.  Hopefully someone will buy this for me for my birthday in two months. I'll be soooooo happy if someone does lol. Well, that's it for now. Got to get back on studying and designing my posters. This is me saying "Peace out"! LOL.

Update on Milton Glaser Layout and Logo Design

Two weeks ago, my class did a critique on our magazine layouts and I had to do so man changes toward my layout because there were a few thing that i had to improve on: providing less hyphens, having better quality pictures, making the paragraphs less cramped, and other stuff. Here is what my redo layout looks like now:

For this assignment, I got a B-. My professor said that I can redo the layout and turn it in at the end of the semester if I wanted so I'm going to try my best to make time to redo my layout. Moving on, my next project contain two parts: creating a logo for my imaginary restaurant and an advertising poster.My restaurant is called "Looney Spoons!". Sounds familiar? It's an animation theme family restaurant where families can enjoy seeing the old cartoons and the new cartoons. I had to make 10 different looks in order to decide which logo I want to do. My decision came down to this: 

I'll show you my poster for the restaurant later because I'm not quite done with it yet. As of now I am currently making decisions on what to put in my poster. On top of that, I have to create a movie billing for my next project (writing that you find in most movie covers that list the actors, producers, etc) for the next class session. Also gonna bring snacks for next class because we're going to be watching a movie relating to our movie poster assignment. Now I can't wait for Tuesday and hopefully will gain more ideas for my current posters by then >_< 

Milton Glaser Layout

Sorry for not being able to blog for a few weeks. I've been busy with school, work and such. Anyways, I am making my first official graphic design project. My class is doing a magazine layout for an artist of our choosing and I'm doing Milton Glaser. Have you ever seen the "I LOVE NEW YORK" logo? That logo was made by him. He is such an amazing graphic design artist and am happy to be doing my project on him. Here's what I've done so far:

Feel free to comment on my work and give me suggestions on what can I do to improve my work if you have any. But please, no rude comments. I hope all of you like my work. Let's hope that the person interviewing me likes my work too. >_<

Computer Business Card

For my next project, my dad wanted me to do a business card for his friend that does computer repairs. This took me like almost 2 hours to make (which is probably not that long compare to the real professionals lol). It first started out so plain looking, but after doing a lot of brainstorming it wasn't really all that difficult to create anymore. Behold, the finish masterpiece. Let's hope my dad's friend likes it. :)

Singing in the McD's Drive-Thru

Aw man I wish someone can order their food like this in the driv-thru! XD

Junior's Painting

Since my dad is trying to promote his own interior design business, I wanted to help him out by designing a flyer for his business. Here is what I came up with:

As a second year graphic design major, I'm still learning the basics of designing. This advertisement may look simple, but for me it's a start. I was really surprised that my dad loved this advertisement. He loved it so much that he showed it to one of his friends :D. His friend was also impressed, so impressed that he now wants me to make a computer repair design for his business card! Can you believe how major that is? My dad said that he'll give me more details tomorrow. I'm so happy for the opportunity that my dad has given me. I'm really looking forward to designing the next design already. Let this be the beginning of something big!

Introduction

Hey everyone! This is my very first blog ever so let me introduce myself by answering some questions that you might be asking:

My name is: Cynthia

How old am I? Age: 19 (people keep thinking I'm 12 years old because of my "babyface" and small size lol)

Am I in college?: Yes I am. Go to CSUN

Majoring in: Graphic Design

In 5 years, I want to be: Graphic Designer, Web Designer, or Logo Designer.

Favorite Hobbies: Eating, internet surfing, hanging out with friends, read and watch anime, and creating artwork.

Favorite Movies: Where the Heart Is, I Am David, Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle, and In Time.

Favorite Anime: Shugo Chara, Peach Girl, Full Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, and more (can't really remember what else. There's so many lol)

Favorite TV shows: Degrassi (best teen drama show ever!), American Dad, King of the Hill, iCarly, Adventure Time (only cartoon I like nowadays)

Favorite Food: Pizza, chocolate, burgers, sushi, and so much more (I have a high metabolism, so I pretty much love all food :D)

Why did I decide to start blogging?: I find blogging an interesting way to express myself by writing about what goes on my mind. I also wanted to start a blog in order to get people to notice me, my artwork, and show everyone who I am as an artist and as a person.

I'm planning to blog more often whenever I get the chance to (I am a busy person after all lol) and promise you guys that my postings will be interesting to read.  So stay tune for what's to come because I will have so much to post and I hope you enjoy them all! Like the cast from "All That" said on their series finale (I miss this show :(), that's all that! For now... :)