Jazz Studies- the research phase for the Jane Monheit postcard

A designer is a planner with an aesthetic sense.

— Bruno Munari

My first “assignment” of the semester is to create a promotional postcard for the upcoming performance of Jane Monheit at the University on October 16^th. A small blurb about her (as well as all the artists for the coming semester) is here on the Cultural Programs page.

As for the research, I have been listening to her music, reading her bios, and looking up information about her and her music. Now, first I would like to mention that I have never really listened to jazz for any real length of time before. Usually my Pandora playlist features Owl City and the Postal Service; nevertheless, I have LOVED listening to Monheit’s music. Even as I type now, I am listening to a tune from her newest album Home. If you would like to sample a little of her music, visit her website here or her myspace page.

As I mentioned before, I have been doing quite a bit of research on her and her music as to better understand what the audience will experience at her concert, so I can infuse that in my design. In order to organize the information I have gathered to best inform my design, I have created a short creative brief adapted from one that my professor has us fill out at the beginning of each project.

Target Audience: Students and professors of the university as well as community members [this will most likely be the jumping point for each project]; more specifically, those who enjoy calm musical performances. Monheit’s music appeals to a wide range of listeners, so the target audience for this project also includes a wide variety of people.

Adjectives to describe performer: Light, airy, soulful, clean, fresh. This list was compiled from a combination of listening to her music (primarily her more current music) as well as looking through the current image she is trying to project. The university’s exact quote of her style (found within the blurb on the schedule page) is as followed “Monheit is a smooth, elegant, stylistic vocalist, with a repertoire ranging from standards to contemporary jazz”.

Colors: Light colors; blues, greens, and neutrals. These colors were influenced from her music as well as her current website design which I feel really does replicate a feel for her music. I would also like to add pops of deep colors to really describe her vocal range.

Images: Her picture will most likely be the most appropriate image to use. Other than that, I am currently thinking of more possible graphics to include.

Along with research I have conducted about the performer herself, I also have begun looking at classic Jazz posters and promotional pieces. I would like to create a postcard that combines the feel for these classical images with a contemporary and modern flair because she often discusses her music in reference to classical jazz songs and to most effectively represent her style and performance.

Welcome!

Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.

— Robert L. Peters

My name is Kira Cheshier. I am currently studying Art, International Studies, and German with a minor in Women’s Studies at the University of Wyoming. As the title of the blog suggests, I will be recording my progress and development of my graphic design work as I intern for the Cultural Programs at the University of Wyoming. To begin, I will give a brief overview of what I will be doing this semester as well as how I plan to go about designing.

This semester I will be designing the promotional work for the artists who will visit the University through the Cultural Programs. Mainly this will include postcards and the occasional program, as well as anything else I am asked to do! My plan at this moment in the semester is to listen to each artist or group who will perform and get a feel for his or her work and his or her performance style. This, of course, is the initial research step in any good design. Next I will focus on the concept for each performer’s promotional pieces. And last I will sketch, doodle, and find inspiration from my research and experience to create the actual piece. In order to evaluate myself before I turn in the postcard or program, I have created a list of questions to ask myself to critique the pieces. The evaluative questions I have created are:

1. Does the piece speak to the artist? When the audience views it, does it give them a hint about what they will experience at the performance? Does the piece make them excited for what they will experience?

2. Are the design aspects of the piece coherent with the concept and performer? Is the hierarchy easily identified? Does the typography work (readability mixed with concept)? Is the composition pleasing? Does the color pallet represent the concept and compliment the overall composition?

3. Does the piece target and speak to the appropriate audience?

4. Does the piece incorporate the appropriate information regarding the performance in a readable and easily accessible format?

5. Does the piece match the restrictions and guidelines of the Cultural Programs and any other organization involved?

So, with these aspects in mind, I continue forward with the task of designing pieces, which will be viewed by a larger population and audience than I have ever designed for. Gulp.

Please stay tuned for the exciting adventures of a graphic design intern! I hope you enjoy the following posts!