This document provides summaries of 14 design projects completed by Sydney Houser for her Comm130: Visual Media course. The projects include designs for a magazine cover, spiritual poster montage, letterhead, business card, brochure, website mockup, photodesign, infographic, and volleyball serve receive lineup explanation. For each project, Sydney provides a description, date, course information, objectives, and process details. The projects covered skills in programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and coding HTML and CSS.

1. PortfolioSydney Houser

2. Contact Table of Contents
Magazine Cover
Montage
Letterhead
Business Card
Brochure
Coding
Web Page Mockup
Photodesign
Infographic
Extra Project
Sydney Houser
300 E Round Grove Rd APT 936
Lewisville, TX 75067
720.436.1028
shouser12@gmail.com

3. Magazine Cover
DESCRIPTION
Design a magazine cover that showcases a self-portrait as well as 3-5 articles about yourself.
DATE
May 4, 2016
COURSE
Comm130: Visual Media
INSTRUCTOR
Emily Kunz
OBJECTIVE
To share a little bit about myself.
PROCESS
I sketched several layouts on different pieces of paper until I got the one I liked the most. I knew I wanted my
articles on the left side and balanced by my name on the right. I wanted my name to stand out the most as well. I
chose my background picture of my husband and I because that fits the title “Housewife” and edited it in Preview
so it would fit and 8.5×11 page paper without being pixelated. I opened InDesign and created a page that fit all the
requirements. I uploaded the picture to fit the entire page in InDesign. Next, I created text boxes where I wanted
them to go, just like on my sketches. I then typed my title in Garamond (Oldstyle). I used the dropper and used the
color from my skirt to create the color of the title. I then added the text I wanted for my 3 stories/articles and the
bar code.

4. DESCRIPTION
Design a spiritual poster montage using the blend of images and type.
DATE
May 25, 2016
COURSE
Comm130: Visual Media
INSTRUCTOR
Emily Kunz
OBJECTIVE
To inspire people to visit the temple.
PROCESS
I love the temple and when I think of creating cool pictures, I knew I wanted to include the temple. I got
online and looked up some quotes involving the temple and when I read the one I used, I knew what to do.
In Photoshop I combined all the various pictures I used to create the montage effect. I used a variety of
layer masks and the brush tool to create the gradual blended effect. Then I added the quote I found and
played around with different fonts. I chose Signpainter Housescript for the word “Temple” and Myanmar
Regular for the rest of the sentence. I made sure to abide by the design principles such as alignment, rep-
etition, and flow.
Montage

5. DESCRIPTION
Create a letterhead for a company/service/organization and establish a visual identity across documents.
DATE
June 1, 2016
COURSE
Comm130: Visual Media
INSTRUCTOR
Emily Kunz
OBJECTIVE
Create a document that workers can use within the company.
PROCESS
I first sketched out some ideas for the logo on paper and researched what other businesses used for
theirs. After sketching, I opened up Illustrator and started creating some of my sketches digitally. I came
up with some options, and consulted my dad who used to do this stuff for work, and he helped me figure
out what I wanted my logo’s to figuratively say. I liked my new ideas much better and was able to create
them in Illustrator. I chose the illustration logo and then created my letterhead. I made sure to follow the
rule of alignment and repetition and colors.
Letterhead

6. Business Card
DESCRIPTION
Create a business card for a company/service/organization and establish a visual identity across docu-
ments.
DATE
June 1, 2016
COURSE
Comm130: Visual Media
INSTRUCTOR
Emily Kunz
OBJECTIVE
To have business cards that can be passed out to customers.
PROCESS
I took my final logo and placed it onto a card sized page in Illustrator. I wanted my background to be
bright and fun so I created the sprinkles as a background. I placed all of my information on the back of the
card so no fnothing on the front of the card was distracted from. I changed the font of the information on
the back to purple to stay with the color scheme and matched the font to that of the logo’s.

7. Brochure
DESCRIPTION
Design a brochure for a comapny.
DATE
July 7, 2016
COURSE
Comm130: Visual Media
INSTRUCTOR
Emily Kunz
OBJECTIVE
To allow potential customers get a quick feel for the company.
PROCESS
I first created the logo in Illustrator. Then I went into InDesign and started to design my brochure. I wrote
my body copy and added filler text body copy so I knew how I wanted it to fit. Then I found pictures on-
line that fit what I was looking for and placed them into my brochure. I created an image for text to wrap
around in Photoshop as well to fit requirements. I then exported the brochure document as JPEGS.

8. Coding
DESCRIPTION
Code a custom webpage with HTML and CSS.
DATE
June 15, 2016
COURSE
Comm130: Visual Media
INSTRUCTOR
Emily Kunz
OBJECTIVE
Learn CSS/HTML
PROCESS
1. First I created my logo in Illustrator. I chose a company that my sister and I eventually want to open. I
resized my logo to be no longer than 500 px on the long side. I created my HTML file and started adding
my content and tags. Then I created my CSS file and made sure to link it in the HTML code. I made cus-
tomizations in my CSS to match the colors in my logo and changed the fonts to what I preferred. I created
the background by creating a repeating pattern from my business card and then used that image as my
background in my HTML code. I then made sure to validate my HTML and CSS.

9. Webpage Mockup
DESCRIPTION
Design a website homepage using a grid.
DATE
June 22, 2016
COURSE
Comm130: Visual Media
INSTRUCTOR
Emily Kunz
OBJECTIVE
Convince people to come enjoy our yummy treats!
PROCESS
I first picked an idea of what I was going to use for the basis of my website. I chose to use my cupcake
business that I previously created. I then started sketching an idea of how I wanted to lay it out. I knew I
wanted a handful of different treats that would be offered at the cake shop. After I sketched it on paper, I
then jumped into Photoshop and opened the 12-column grid. I started to create my wireframe to get me
started. I made it very basic because I wasn’t sure how I wanted to align my text yet. I only knew where I
wanted the main content! After my wireframe, I started to add the actual content. My final design ended
up being a little different from my wireframe as I added a footer with new information like I had previ-
ously done in my draft.

10. Photodesign
DESCRIPTION
By using photography and design skills, create a project that encompasses a consistent color scheme from
the image.
DATE
May 19, 2016
COURSE
Comm130: Visual Media
INSTRUCTOR
Emily Kunz
OBJECTIVE
To show people they can enjoy the city lights.
PROCESS
I was in downtown Dallas flying my friends drone and loved the way the colors of the city looked. I flew
around a bit looking for an area that had a good variety of colors and took some pictures. After looking
at the examples and the Visual Focus book, I chose a tetradic color scheme and then picked the picture I
felt really encompassed that. I increased the vibrance. I changed the color of the sky a to make it a little
more blue and pulled the purple out to be a little brighter. I then added some sharpness all over on all the
buildings to really get some depth and contrast. I created a new 8.5 x 11 inch document in Photoshop and
added the photo. I added the bars on the top and the little ones on the bottom and then the text. I tried to
keep a good flow throughout the design. I tried to make the color bars look like a little row of buildings as
well.

11. Infographic
DESCRIPTION
Create an infographic that organizes data in a visually pleasing way.
DATE
June 8, 2016
COURSE
Comm130: Visual Media
INSTRUCTOR
Emily Kunz
OBJECTIVE
Learn CSS/HTML
PROCESS
I started brainstorming some topics and ended up with the idea of something that could help my husband
and his company sell. I contacted Aptive Pest Control and got some information from them and used their
pictures to make it tailored to their company. I then sketched out the design I wanted so that I could fit
in a lot of information without it seeming like too much. Next I opened up Illustrator and started on my
Infographic. I created the pie charts and uploaded the pictures.

12. Extra Project
DESCRIPTION
Create a visual explanation of the serve recieve line up for a coaching clinic that is some what appealing to
the eye.
DATE
July 12, 2016
COURSE
Comm130: Visual Media
INSTRUCTOR
Emily Kunz
OBJECTIVE
Create a design for a company that they can re use for coaches throughout their club and clinics.
PROCESS
I knew what I needed to create so I started by sketching it out on paper so I knew exaclty what the ro-
tations looked like. I then opened up Illustrator and drew out each court and labeled where each play-
er would go on the court. I drew in the lines so they knew where each player would go as soon as the
ball is served. I took their logo so that this design is specifically for their club and added a gradient to
the top of it so it wasn’t too distracting to the eye. I created the first set of courts for a 5-1 serve re-
cieve and the second is a 6-2 serve recieve. That will make no sense to those who dont play volleyball.