From the course: Graphic Design Foundations: Ideas, Concepts, and Form

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Fused metaphors: How-to

Fused metaphors: How-to

From the course: Graphic Design Foundations: Ideas, Concepts, and Form

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Fused metaphors: How-to

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- I was first introduced to the idea of using metaphorical images and symbols rather than scenes during my first year at design school. Lou Danzinger brought in examples and gave us the assignment, Pan Am Airlines in Hawaii. I sketched many scenes of people in Hawaii dancing with hula skirts and sun bathing on the beach. When I presented these in class, Lou simply looked at me in his thoughtful way and said, "No Sean, you're just not getting it." The problem of course was that I had no process. Lou suggested I write a list of 10 symbols to represent Pan Am and then 10 for Hawaii. I concentrated more on the idea and if the symbol communicated. I arrived at a solution I didn't expect. This seemed counterintuitive to sketching design solutions, but by writing words I stepped away from fixating on how it would look. Today, I still follow this process. Let's start with a catalog cover for UCLA Extension programs. The…

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