Module 13

“The details are not the details. They make

the design.”
– Charles Eames

ERIKA CARDON ART 130 | INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN | 1

AC T I V I T Y | T Y P O G R A PH Y: S H A PI N G T E X T B LO C K S

Poster Body Copy Vertical Text Block Three Column Text Block

Use this text to create each of the text blocks on the right.
Make sure your text remains inside the white text block
What Our Eyes See Artist Reception on Satur- San Francisco Museum of
Work by Josef Albers What Our Eyes See day, November 3, 6-9 pm Modern Art
guidelines and that all of the information is visible.
Work by Josef Albers RSVP for reception to 800 151 Third Street (between
235 8456 or exhibits@ Mission and Howard
November 3 -
November 3 - sfmoma.com Streets)
Title of Exhibit December 31 December 31 San Francisco, CA 94103
Work by [Artist Name Here] Artist Reception on
November 3 - December 31 Saturday, November 3,
Artist Reception on Saturday, November 3, 6-9 pm
6-9 pm RSVP for reception to
800 235 8456 or exhib-
RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or
its@sfmoma.com
exhibits@sfmoma.com Text Strips Text Block
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art San Francisco Museum
151 Third Street (between Mission and What Our Eyes See | Work by Josef Albers | November 3 - December 31
of Modern Art
Artist Reception on Saturday, November 3, 6-9 pm
Howard Streets) 151 Third Street (be-
San Francisco, CA 94103 tween Mission and
Howard Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94103
RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or exhibits@sfmoma.com
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Poster Logo

Add this logo to each of your text block designs on the

right. Make sure it is also inside the white guidelines.
151 Third Street (between Mission and Howard Streets) | San Francisco, CA 94103

Horizontal Text Block

What Our Eyes See | Work by Josef Albers

November 3 - December 31 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Artist Reception on Saturday, November 3, 6-9 pm 151 Third Street (between Mission and Howard Streets)
RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or exhibits@sfmoma.com San Francisco, CA 94103

ERIKA CARDON ART 130 | INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN | 2

P R O J E C T | P O S T E R S: FI N A L R E FI N E M E N T S F O R P O S T E R 01 (CO L L AG E )

November 3 - December 31 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art November 3 - December 31 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Artist Reception Saturday, November 3, 6-9PM 151 Third Street (between Mission and Howard Streets) Artist Reception Saturday, November 3, 6-9PM 151 Third Street (between Mission and Howard Streets)
RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or exhibits@sfmoma.com San Francisco, CA 94103 RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or exhibits@sfmoma.com San Francisco, CA 94103

E S SEE SEE Y E SS EE
OU R E Y U R EYES OU R E
WHAT WHAT O WHAT

Modern Art
San Francisco Museum of
31
November 3 - December n Mission and Howard Streets)
151 Third Street (betwee
November 3, 6-9PM
Artist Reception Saturday, San Francisco, CA 94103
a.com
235 8456 or exhibits@sfmom
RSVP for reception to 800

JOSEF ALBERS JOSEF ALBERS JOSEF ALBERS

Refinements Refinements Refinements

1. Refinement (…). 1. Refinement (…). 1. Refinement (…).

2. Refinement (…). 2. Refinement (…). 2. Refinement (…).

3. Refinement (…). 3. Refinement (…). 3. Refinement (…).

ERIKA CARDON ART 130 | INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN | 3

P R O J E C T | P O S T E R S: FI N A L R E FI N E M E N T S F O R P O S T E R 02 ( T Y P O G R A PH Y )

November 3 - December 31

Artist Reception
Saturday, November 3, 6-9PM

RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or

exhibits@sfmoma.com

EF josef

WH
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

151 Third Street

JOS
(between Mission and Howard Streets)

San Francisco, CA 94103

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albers

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josef
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November 3 - December 31 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art November 3 - December 31 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Artist Reception 151 Third Street Artist Reception 151 Third Street
Saturday, November 3, 6-9PM (between Mission and Howard Streets) Saturday, November 3, 6-9PM (between Mission and Howard Streets)
RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or San Francisco, CA 94103 RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or San Francisco, CA 94103
exhibits@sfmoma.com exhibits@sfmoma.com

Refinements Refinements Refinements

1. Refinement (…). 1. Refinement (…). 1. Refinement (…).

2. Refinement (…). 2. Refinement (…). 2. Refinement (…).

3. Refinement (…). 3. Refinement (…). 3. Refinement (…).

ERIKA CARDON ART 130 | INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN | 4

P R O J E C T | P O S T E R S: FI N A L R E FI N E M E N T S F O R P O S T E R 03 (PH OTO G R A PH)

JOSEF JOSEF ALBERS

JOSEF what our eyes see
ALBERS ALBERS
what our eyes see what our eyes see

November 3 - December 31 November 3 - December 31

November 3 - December 31
November 3 - December 31
Artist Reception
Saturday, November 3, 6-9PM A r t i s t R e c e p t i o n

RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or Saturday, November 3,6-9PM

exhibits@sfmoma.com RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456
or exhibits@sfmoma.com
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 Third Street
(between Mission and Howard Streets) San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
November 3 - December 31 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco, CA 94103 1 5 1 T h i r d S t r e e t Artist Reception Saturday, November 3, 6-9PM 151 Third Street (between Mission and Howard Streets)
RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or exhibits@sfmoma.com San Francisco, CA 94103
(betweenMission and Howard Streets)

San Francisco, CA 94103

Refinements Refinements Refinements

1. Refinement (…). 1. Refinement (…). 1. Refinement (…).

2. Refinement (…). 2. Refinement (…). 2. Refinement (…).

3. Refinement (…). 3. Refinement (…). 3. Refinement (…).

ERIKA CARDON ART 130 | INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN | 5

P R O J E C T | P O S T E R S PR E S E N TAT I O N
Artist’s Portrait and Name
On the following pages I’ll
be presenting posters that
advertise an exhibit on Josef
Albers at the San Francisco
Museum of Modern Art. The
exhibit will focus on what our
eyes see.
Brief Biography
Josef Albers was born in Germany in the late
1800’s. A natural born teacher, he taught
in a primary school prior to attending, and
later becoming a master at, the Bauhaus.
When the Bauhaus was forced to close as
the Nazi Party gained power, Albers and his
wife Anni came to America. After coming to
ERIKA CARDON
America, Albers became the head of the art
department at Black Mountain College, and
later the head of the design department at
Yale.
About the Artist’s Ideas and Philosophy
As a teacher Josef rarely used a textbook,
but rather preferred his students to learn by
touching and seeing for themselves.
Josef was fascinated by colors and noticed
that the mood of a painting could change
based on the colors in it. The same simple
shapes set in bright reds and oranges felt
vibrant and alive, whereas in more muted
colors it felt calm and quiet. He could also
change the way a color looked depending
on what surrounded it - this was the basis
for his Homage to the Square study.
As a teacher
Josef rarely used
a textbook, but
rather preferred
his students to
learn by touching
and seeing for
themselves.
About the Artist’s Work
Albers spent much of his career studying
how colors interact with each other. He
spent a great deal of time observing how
he could make one color look like two
by separating it with another color and
surrounding either side with different
colors, even different hues of a color. He
also spent time working with optical illusion
- creating them with both color and lines.
About the Exhibit
The ‘What Our Eyes See’ exhibit will explore
Josef Albers work with color and how colors
can effect other colors. Bright, dull, different
hues...they all create different feels. In
addition, we will explore optical illusion,
which he also spent time with.
ART 130 | INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN | 6
P R O J E C T | FI N A L P O S T E R 01 (CO L L AG E )
November 3 - December 31 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Artist Reception Saturday, November 3, 6-9PM 151 Third Street (between Mission and Howard Streets)
RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or exhibits@sfmoma.com San Francisco, CA 94103

Y E S S E E
For the collage poster I used Josef
Albers profile as my background and
WHAT OUR E
overlaid it with my version of this work
that Albers did, playing around with
different hues of red.

For his name I used a font he created,

with a much simpler font for the rest of
the poster.

One of the colored bars falls over Albers

eyes, drawing attention to them.

ERIKA CARDON JOSEF ALBERS ART 130 | INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN | 7

P R O J E C T | FI N A L P O S T E R 02 ( T Y P O G R A PH Y )

S E F
For the typography poster I played
around with my version of a structural
constellation. Albers liked to play with
his structural constellations, creating
J O
optical illusions, where expected lines

S
were missing, or planes changed.

BE R
AL
S E E
E Y ES
T O UR
WH A
November 3 - December 31 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Artist Reception 151 Third Street

Saturday, November 3, 6-9PM (between Mission and Howard Streets)

RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or San Francisco, CA 94103

exhibits@sfmoma.com
ERIKA CARDON ART 130 | INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN | 8
P R O J E C T | FI N A L P O S T E R 03 (PH OTO G R A PH Y )

For the photography poster I recreated

JOSEF
this work that Albers created showing
the Bezold effect. The red in the top
and the bottom is the same, but the
ALBERS
white mortar on the top makes the
red pop, and the black mortar on the
what our eyes see
bottom dulls it.

November 3 - December 31
November 3 - December 31

Artist Reception
Saturday, November 3, 6-9PM
RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or
exhibits@sfmoma.com

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

151 Third Street
(between Mission and Howard Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94103

ERIKA CARDON ART 130 | INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN | 9

P O N D E R | M O D U L E 13
When visually communicating an idea
it’s important to make sure that idea is
clear and understood.
What did you learn about the design process from
this project?
I learned that it is hard!
I learned that there are many steps that go into the
design process. Like with the other projects we began
by using words to play with our theme to help create
ideas. When we had an idea of where we were headed,
we started to sketch. We then started to create, and then
refined those creations.
There are many steps that go into the design process,
and at the end those steps are small and simple but often
create a large effect.
Is it easier for you to come up with ideas or to create
beautiful final images? Explain.
It was much easier for me to come up with ideas than
it was to take those creations from my mind and create
them, even not beautifully. For some, it was a lack of skill.
For others, as I started to create, what I actually saw and
what I saw in my mind were very different, causing me to
change my idea.
ERIKA CARDON
What did you learn about paying attention to details
from this project?
Like I mentioned above it was often the tiny little details
that made a huge impact on a poster. Changing a font,
November 3 - December 31
Artist Reception Saturday, November 3, 6-9PM
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 Third Street (between Mission and Howard Streets)
RSVP for reception to 800 235 8456 or exhibits@sfmoma.com San Francisco, CA 94103
changing the size of something, scooting it a little this
way or that way. Details are what finish a project and
Y ES SE E
U R E
WHAT O
make it feel completed.
What was the most important thing you feel you
learned about design from this project?
To take my time.! I want to come up with a great idea
and create it on day 1. I’ve learned that while technically
possible, it is pretty unlikely, especially when just
beginning to develop design skills. The design process
takes time. Planning out a project, working on it, walking
away, coming back with a fresh mind, making tiny tweaks
- these are the steps that usually go into a good design.
Details are what finish a project
and make it feel completed.
JOSEF ALBERS
I don’t really know which poster I liked the best, so I just picked one...
ART 130 | INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN | 10