6 Jeff Smith BFA: directionoflava.com

www.directionoflava.com

You already saw one Lava identity that I created...this was a logo design that stemmed from that same  project but didn't really fit the mold for what I was doing.  I liked this logo so much that I used it to create an identity for a completely different company and used that identity to create a website for Internet Design class.  The company is a computer software company and the website is currently up and running.  Feel free to click on the link or scan the QR code and check it out.

7 Jeff Smith BFA: Graduation Invitation

My wife graduated in December and she asked me to design her graduation invitation.  She had specific ideas of what she wanted and one of the examples she showed me had a large letter U that was made up of a bunch of smaller U's.  I took inspiration from that to design the W that is on her graduation invitation.  

8 Jeff Smith BFA: Buck Camo

Studies

This was a project for Visual Communications class.  We had to choose an animal and reduce the animal to the basic shapes that are true to the animal's form.  I chose to do a buck deer and this is my reduction.  We then took that reduction, reduced it some more, and created a logotype and a company name. 

9 Jeff Smith BFA: Photography Final

These are a few of my best shots from my photography final.  The top image was a self-directed piece that I ended up using for a final.

10 Jeff Smith BFA: Elite Masonry & Construction Lettermark

Studies

Elite Masonry & Construction is a small business on the East Coast.  In Typography class, our assignment was to create a lettermark for a company whose current lettermark or logo needed a little work and I chose Elite.  Our objectives were to create a lettermark that could be printed in black and white or color, was well-constructed, used typography to portray the company's message without using imagery, and had colors that represented the company.  I chose the deep red to represent brick which is a common construction material and also to make the chimney stand out.  I chose a neutral, yet unique shade of brown to represent neutral color schemes and building materials often used when constructing houses.

11 Jeff Smith BFA: Sketchbook Images

These are a few sketches from my sketchbook from my Drawing I class.  In these sketches I experimented with transferring part or half an image to a piece of paper and then finishing the rest of the image with charcoal and conte.

12 Jeff Smith BFA: Woodcut

We made woodcuts in Print Making I last Spring.  The black and white print was a requirement, but I was able to experiment with color as a self-directed project.

13 Jeff Smith Application Essay

Jeff Smith
Visual Communications Emphasis


Throughout my portfolio building process I of course had the BFA in mind, but also the opportunity to apply for a scholarship.  I take pride in being able to support my family and a scholarship would be a great aid to that responsibility.  As I was preparing my portfolio for this application I was able to do a lot of self-reflection and comparison between my old and new work.  It is amazing to look at my portfolio from last year and see just how much I have learned over the past several months.  I feel that I have improved in many areas and that my portfolio has more breadth and depth than it did just a few short months ago.

Many hours spent studying the history of design the last few semesters has enabled me to not only gain a better understanding of our design history, but to recognize evidences of that history in today's world.  My teachers have taught me how to apply these principles learned from history into my own work and it is evident that it has made my work stronger.  I've done reports on individual designers such as Margo Chase (and created a company identity inspired by her work), I've completely dissected a typeface from ascender to descender, and I have sketched the same object hundreds of times just to understand it's organic form.  Each of these tasks have helped me appreciate the work of early designers and enabled me to better understand the principles and elements of design.

One thing I've been introduced to this semester, thanks to my teachers, is how being a designer in the real world will actually be.  I'm currently working on a project with Mark Biddle and a couple of other design students. It has been an eye opener to how working in design teams will be.  I am grateful for that real-life experience and knowledge that is shared with me every day.  I look forward to continuing my education here at Weber State and a scholarship will help keep my education on track.  Thanks for reviewing my portfolio, I hope you enjoy it.

Jeff Smith