My Parents Versus Design Ranch: An Analysis of the Non-Designer Perspective by jaker0108

MY PARENTS VS DESIGN RANCH An Analysis of the Non-Designer Perspective Capstone Project by Jake Riedel

MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH An Analysis of the Non-Designer Perspective

MY PARENTS VS DESIGN RANCH An Analysis of the Non-Designer Perspective Capstone Project by Jake Riedel

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION A Battle for the Ages Design Ranch My Parents

01 02 03

THE PROJECTS The Unicorn Theatre The Women’s Foundation The Modernism Exhibit

04 10 14

CLOSING AND CREDITS Conclusion Index Works Cited Colophon

18 20 22 23

JAKE RIEDEL | CAPSTONE PROJECT

A BATTLE FOR THE AGES After a semester of researching the Kansas City design firm, Design Ranch, I was tasked with creating a project utilizing what I had learned. While I found Design Ranch’s story interesting and their work impressive, what intrigued me the most was the critique that I had conducted with my parents over a selection of Design Ranch works. Originally, this critique served to fulfill the required interview section of my thesis which I had heavily procrastinated. I was nervous about reaching out to Design Ranch because I knew I wasn't in a great head space to put my best foot forward. My heavy class load and the ragged nature in which I was attempting to satisfy my existing commitments caused me to doubt my ability to nail that ever important and solitary first impression. With the deadline fast approaching, I decided to conduct an interview that captured a viewpoint polar opposite to my subject. Experts are hard to reach, while amateurs are often a quick phone call away. This book, which contains the abridged interview, will provide an analysis of the non-designer perspective. I was fascinated with the ideas that my untrained parents grasped immediately, and equally shocked by the design concepts that seemed to be completely lost in translation. Not everyone in the world is cool, and according to Zippia, only 0.04% of Americans are graphic designers.

How will EVERYONE ELSE see and understand YOUR NEXT PROJECT?

MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH | Introduction

DESIGN RANCH Design Ranch, founded in 1998 by Ingred Sidie and Michelle Sonderegger, continues to leave me astonished with their keen eye for typography, and varied style set. Ingred and Michelle, both having worked for Willoughby Design in Kansas City previously, took a major risk leaving their established positions to start their own business. However, as Ingred stated in a 2016 interview with Fine Folk, “We wanted to build a firm that would never compromise on quality of design.” Design Ranch’s beginnings were humble, with their studio stuck between a restaurant and a building that changed owners constantly. Offices were cramped and hours were long. Even so, nearly twenty-five years later, their desks sit in exactly the same spot. In 2006, rather than moving elsewhere, Ingred and Michelle chose to celebrate their success by having a new building constructed on site to replace their former studio space. Mirroring their own interest in modern aesthetics, it would take major influence from the international style. This building, designed by the arena construction company 360 Architects, became known as The Ranch (FIGURE 1).

Today’s Design Ranch team is as tight-knit as they are talented, with employees eating lunch together every workday. Ingred and Michelle hold down the fort with fewer than fifteen designers at any given time. “The Girls,” as Ingred and Michelle are affectionately referred to, employ a Yin-Yang approach to design, filling in the gaps in each other’s talents and shortcomings. “Ingred can pull together ideas and concepts faster than anyone I know,” Michelle told Matthew Porter of Comnarts.com. “She helps us focus on the big picture. She does not get bogged down in the details like me.” In regards to Michelle, Ingred told Porter “She fleshes out details and makes concepts come alive. Her attention to details makes our work shine. She filters out the unnecessary and arrives quickly at the solution.” The duo’s chemistry, along with their close relationships to their designers, is what makes Design Ranch such a powerhouse. Further enforcing Design Ranch’s status as a major player in Kansas City’s design sphere, is their placement in the “Nine Best Kansas City Graphic Designers” list from Expertise.com. Within their recommendation they boast of Design Ranch’s versatility. “From fashion industries to medical institutions to restaurants, Design Ranch works with brands of all sizes and industries.” With regards to customer service, the firm was given an “A+” in responsiveness, friendliness, helpfulness, and detail, earning a four and a half out of five stars when all twenty-one customer reviews are averaged. Design Ranch has clients all over the United States. They work with companies in their own backyard like Boulevard Brewing Company and d’Bronx, all the way to giants like Target and Lee. There seems to be no market that Design Ranch hasn’t worked in at least once. They do extensive brand identity photography for Buckle, print and advertising work for The Kansas City Art Institute, and branding for Hallmark. The list goes on.

1: PHOTO OF THE RANCH

JAKE RIEDEL | CAPSTONE PROJECT

MY PARENTS My parents, Jenny and Chris, agreed to take part in a structured critique of Design Ranch's work. Jenny is in her early fifties and works in finance. Chris is approaching his late fifties and retired from his position teaching pre-engineering in 2019 (FIGURE 2). In addition to their ability to provide an untrained perspective, and being easily accessible to me, I chose to interview my parents because they live near Kansas City Missouri, and are a good sample of the kind of viewers Design Ranch’s local projects may attract. During my time as a student, I have found it important to consider the reactions of a wide array of people, rather than just the market I was targeting. There is no shame in catering to your target audience, but it can be fun to show your grandpa your punk zine just to see his reaction. Everyone's opinions on anything, whether they are the intended audience or not, are valid and should be taken into consideration.

EVERYONE'S OPINIONS on anything, whether

2: JENNY AND CHRIS

they are the intended audience or not, ARE VALID. HOWEVER, you don’t always have to listen.

MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH | The Projects

THE UNICORN THEATRE Design Ranch’s continued work for The Unicorn Theatre was one instance in their portfolio that grabbed my attention immediately. With 2017’s material, they employed a clever mixture of black ink paintings, and a whimsical serif font on colored paper, which made for eye-catching posters and print. This informal manner of presenting imagery gave the work a playfulness that mirrored the theatre’s identity. The Unicorn Theatre hopes to “enhance the Kansas City community by developing and producing highquality, thought-provoking plays that have never been seen in the region.” They strive to address social issues by “shining a light on diversity and inclusive stories which include race, religion and gender identity.” With this in mind, Design Ranch went to work. Everything was printed on vivid lime, cherry, orange, and grape paper, only using black ink with the exception of the booklets. According to their portfolio, Design Ranch wanted to make print material “as captivating as the performances themselves.” Confirming my suspicions, they detailed their use of a “bold, black brush stroke,” which when paired with neon papers would “portray the theatre’s urban and edgy vibe.” They then pasted a wall of posters inside The Unicorn Theatre to “give the patrons a show before they even made it to their seats” (FIGURES 3–5).

3: CAMPAIGN FOR THE 2017 UNICORN THEATRE

JAKE RIEDEL | CAPSTONE PROJECT

When shown The Unicorn Theatre’s 2017 design campaign, Jenny immediately remarked that the work was lighthearted. However, as she studied them, she noticed that the drawings seemed somewhat serious.

JENNY: I feel like that maybe the pictures and the colors are fighting each other a little bit. But that little man is smiling so I don’t know. It seems as if Jenny has made the rapid judgement that because the pictures are black and messy, they are most likely negative (FIGURES 4&5). As a result, She has come to the conclusion that the color palette and the perceived emotional tone do not match well. The color associations on display by my subject here are: Neon is happy, black is sad and angry. While this isn't always true, and I personally do not share Jenny’s complaint, these color associations are important to keep in mind. 4: CAMPAIGN FOR THE 2017 UNICORN THEATRE

5: CAMPAIGN FOR THE 2017 UNICORN THEATRE

MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH | The Projects

6: WEATHERED WARNING SIGNS PASTED ON WALL

Chris took major issue with the treatment of some body text that described the unicorn theatre’s function.

This same treatment of body text caused Jenny to make a rather unflattering comparison which I was not expecting.

CHRIS: That text is boring and I don't even want to read it. It's too close together, it's boring, the font style is terrible and its not interesting at all!

JENNY: That writing in the green one reminds me of a disclaimer. Like it has to be there rather than wants to.

Okay wow, let's slow down a bit here. In the back and forth that followed we were able to attribute some of the frustration to the designer’s choice to set the whole body in bold, and rag it (FIGURE 7). I think it was this decision that gave Chris the impression that another typeface was in use. Generally, it is better to reserve bold for moments of emphasis. However, rules can be intentionally broken to create interest, so I would never accuse the designer of making this decision out of incompetence. It shocked me that this piece elicited such a reaction from Chris. In addition, I was unsure what spacing Chris found to be insufficient, and I believe the issue could more easily be attributed to the crowded feeling that using all bold can create. Here is some text set in all bold. Look how crowded it looks in comparison to the next paragraph. Temodis volorporepra quiassitae audisquature vit eum ilicidis entotaquat odit ma niam doluptati. Here is some more text set in a light font weight that employs the bold weight for emphasis. Tat ut aliquas rem lab int modit ipiciliam fugia poriae. Nam doluptatiate digenditi quist erume ide voluptas et magni menis aut pelit arumend.

While I find myself not necessarily agreeing, I found this critique very eloquently put by Jenny. This section of design has a kind of undesigned feel to it which gives it a rawness. I think that can be off putting and seem lazy to someone who is unaware of the intention. 7: UNICORN THEATRE MISSION STATEMENT

JAKE RIEDEL | CAPSTONE PROJECT

Jenny and Chris both complained about the spacing of the typography, though it was hard to tell which spacing they were referring to.

CHRIS: The fonts are too close, and they are too close to the edge. JENNY: I just feel like everything is too close. They

could

have

meant

word

spacing.

In addition, the use of underlines for emphasis left something to be desired for Jenny.

JENNY: Why are they underlining? Some typographers have a harsh aversion to underlines, and these individuals are not without reason. In his excellent internet based book Practical Typography, Matthew Butterick describes underlining as "another dreary typewriter habit.” He backs up this claim by citing that "typewriters had no bold or italic styling so the only way to emphasize text was to back up the carriage and type underscores beneath the text.”

Or maybe they were referring to letter spacing They have also been referencing the leading whichcould means the space between

However, we are distanced enough from the days of underlining out of necessity that an underline is not a death sentence for your work. It can be used to reference the process of typing on a typewriter, or just as a way of adding an undesigned or brutal feel to your piece.

lines of text. The comment about the type being too close to the edge is easy enough to decipher. As they are individuals who generally work with one inch margin word documents, I can completely understand their frustration. What is fascinating about the average Joe is, while they may think that they are not artistically or creatively inclined, they will pick up on things they may not even fully understand. It is a lot easier to figure out what isn't working in graphic design than what is. Regardless, I still firmly believe that the issues of spacing here are created by weight choice rather than typesetting.

Now does the underlining work well at creating emphasis in the Unicorn Theatre piece? I personally don't think so, but the designers were not off their rocker for thinking it could work. As for our critics, it fell flat.

8: BROTHER ANTIQUE TYPEWRITER

MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH | The Projects

Chris appreciated the choice to use colored paper and then employ those same colors in the typography of the booklet (FIGURE 9).

CHRIS: I like the different shades of color. Chris finds the color palette pleasing, and it can be assumed what he means by “shades” is the different neon colors present. In addition, Chris praised the decision to invert the color relationship on the booklet, pivoting from black on neon to neon on black. Clients and audiences may not always use the correct lingo (TABLE A), so it is important to ask for clarification on what they are referring to.

Tints

Color + White

Shades

Color + Black

Tones

Color + Gray

Color A: COLOR TERMINOLOGY

9: CAMPAIGN FOR THE 2017 UNICORN THEATRE

JAKE RIEDEL | CAPSTONE PROJECT

An insight that I gained was the lack of an intuitive understanding of how photography changes color that people outside of the arts may have. This is not a critique of my interviewees, rather it is an acceptance that something that is obvious to designers may not be obvious to the public. The instance in question was Chris’s frustration that the poster colors in a photograph did not match another element that was made digitally. In actuality, the issue was with the way the camera captured the color, because in real life they were identical (FIGURES 10–13). Once I mentioned that it was probably the lighting of the photograph, both Chris and Jenny came to the conclusion that they had no further issues with color in the campaign.

Jenny thought that the blurb describing the theatre should be a bulleted list, which I silently, but firmly disagreed with. However, she also provided a very intriguing idea on how to emphasize words without the use of bold or underlines. She suggested that, much like the imagery, the important words could be childishly brushed in (FIGURE 14). This was something that I had not thought of and really impressed me.

10: MISSION STATEMENT DETAIL

11: COLOR (C=32 M=00 Y=71 K=00, #ADFF4A)

14: HYPOTHETICAL DESIGN AFTER JENNY'S SUGGESTION

This is NOT A CRITIQUE of my interviewees, 12: POSTER WALL DISPLAY DETAIL

RATHER it is AN ACCEPTANCE that something that is OBVIOUS to DESIGNERS may not be OBVIOUS to the PUBLIC.

13: COLOR (C=42 M=18 Y=67 K=00, #94D154)

MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH | The Projects

THE WOMEN’S FOUNDATION Another Design Ranch project that I found interesting was the work they did for the twenty-fifth anniversary Women’s Foundation gala. According to Design Ranch’s report about the work, the foundation was looking to “target a younger, more diverse audience.” Taking inspiration from women’s suffrage movement posters, Design Ranch created a bold and striking concept. Making use of fluorescent ink, impactful typography, and portraits of known figures in the modern fight for equality, the works are elegant and cutting edge. The campaign’s typography consists of a condensed typeface similar to, if not exactly, Univers. The word spacing is often extremely large, and it almost seems like they justified the type without letting any adjustments be made to the letter spacing. This tactic would leave huge word spacings similar to what we see in the final product here (FIGURES 15&17). I find it incredibly interesting that once you know the rules of design, you can break them in order to create visual intrigue.

I find it incredibly INTERESTING that once you know the RULES of DESIGN, you can BREAK them in order to create VISUAL INTRIGUE.

15: CAMPAIGN FOR THE WOMEN’S FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY

JAKE RIEDEL | CAPSTONE PROJECT

Though Jenny initially noted that pink usually has a lighthearted feeling, these works struck her as very serious.

Chris and Jenny were able to identify the market Design Ranch was attempting to target with ease.

JENNY: I think the color could make it lighthearted but the style is serious.

CHRIS: Older people would not take the time to read it because there is a lot you have to figure out.

Once again we are seeing color association at work here:

JENNY: This belongs in an industry or to a company that is forward thinking.

Pink is Lighthearted. As our conversation continued, we discussed other associations that pink may have to a viewer including—and most prolifically, gender. In the end, we were all able to arrive at the point Design Ranch was leading us to. Pink can be feminine, but it is also powerful. After some discussion about seriousness, I was able to pinpoint some areas in the design that created an aura of seriousness for my subjects:

What followed was an interesting conversation revolving around younger people, and those more versed in design’s willingness to forgo perfect legibility in order to create intrigue. In a world where young people are bombarded with media at all times, it can be beneficial to make the viewer work a bit to understand what is happening.

ALL CAPS IS SERIOUS. Bold is serious. ALL CAPS AND BOLD IS EVEN MORE SERIOUS! Large letter spacing can be a bit serious. Is large word spacing serious?

16: WOMAN STANDING NEXT TO WALL

Photos are not inherently serious. Straight faces are pretty serious. Direct eye contact can be serious. Are posed photos more serious? Is confidence always serious? Is this woman confident?

17: CAMPAIGN FOR THE WOMEN’S FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY

MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH | The Projects

18: CAMPAIGN FOR THE WOMEN’S FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Chris noted that the color scheme was eye-catching.

CHRIS: I just think working with the white black and pink is trying to get your attention.

Additionally, the colors are highly saturated and bright, giving them an energetic and eye-popping presence. Correct color saturation and color brightness (TABLES C–E) play a large role in how effectively colors can convey a specific message.

This understanding of color is based on a few aspects, the first being the palette’s use of colors, which are highly contrasted. Contrast ratio (TABLE B) is the way designers calculate the level of contrast between two colors.

C: #FF0055 WITH INCREMENTAL REDUCTION OF SATURATION

Contrast Ratio Formula: Contrast Ratio (CR) = (L1 + 0.05) / (L2 + 0.05) L = relative luminance

D: #FF0055 WITH INCREMENTAL REDUCTION OF BRIGHTNESS

B: CONTRAST RATIOS

L1 = 1 CR

L2 = 0.25 3.5

L2 = 0 21

L1 = 0 CR

Perfect Great Okay Poor

L2 = 0.25

E: #FF0055 WITH INCREMENTAL REDUCTION OF SATURATION AND BRIGHTNESS

5.98

Perfect Great Okay Poor

19: CAMPAIGN FOR THE WOMEN’S FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY

JAKE RIEDEL | CAPSTONE PROJECT

Also relating to contrast, Chris took issue with the treatment of one of the images within the campaign.

Jenny and Chris both agreed that they did not care for the pink poster that contained only white text (FIGURE 21) .

CHRIS: The only one I don’t care for is where the lady’s whole face is pink.

JENNY: I don’t think it works as a stand-alone because it is hard to understand.

Monotone image processing in Adobe Photoshop allows a designer to use only one color to render an image. When monotone is in use, the darkest values are represented by the full color of your selection, and as the values become lighter, more white is introduced.

CHRIS: It is hard to read so it is not interesting to me. 22: TYPOGRAPHIC POSTER

F: VARIOUS COLORS

G: COLORS FROM TABLE F REPRESENTED AS MONOTONES OF #EE3B78

When a photo of a person with less contrast between their hair and skin color is processed (FIGURE 20), there is less contrast in the image and the final product can seem underwhelming. I believe this is what Chris found problematic. That being said, it is possible to process people of color’s photos this way, which I have done (FIGURE 16). However, you have to bump the highlights if you want your photo to retain high contrast. 20: MONOTONE IMAGE ONE

The designer’s decision to employ large word spacing in order to create an undesigned feel has left my critics wanting more. However, as a designer myself, I enjoy getting the chance to break the rules and leave huge rivers in type to create intrigue. This is a matter of taste, and an example of why knowing your target audience is important. Considering Design Ranch’s goal was to reach a younger audience, my parents’ confusion is less important.

21: MONOTONE IMAGE TWO

MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH | The Projects

THE MODERNISM EXHIBIT The final Design Ranch project that I would like to address is the modernism exhibit, which was displayed at the Johnson County Museum in 2018. According to Design Ranch’s website, this exhibition entitled “What is modernism?” was compiled to “create a cultural exhibit to showcase midcentury art and architecture in the Midwest region.” To quote directly from one of the exhibit’s displays, “Modernism is a broad concept that describes ideas and attitudes about architecture, city planning, art, music, literature, film, dance, politics, and perhaps most importantly, lifestyle.” The museum staff employed Design Ranch to create the exhibit and it’s printed material in a populuxe style. Wikipedia defines populuxe as “a consumer culture and aesthetic in the United States popular in the 1950’s and 1960’s.” The term was coined from a clever combination of ‘popular’ and ‘luxury.’ The style is meant to evoke a sense of luxury with “pastel-colored plastic in curved and angular shapes and metalized plastic trim that simulated chrome.” This idea blends well with the classic typeface Helvetica that was used throughout the exhibit. Helvetica is clean, standard, and emotionless. The use of Helvetica alongside a restrictive color palette allowed Design Ranch to keep a consistent hierarchy. Ironically, while according to the exhibit, modernism “represented a break from the past, a fresh way of looking at things,” this Swiss inspired treatment is very familiar and almost becomes paradoxically vintage to today’s designers. Nevertheless, Design Ranch replicates the style perfectly and proves that whatever you call it, the Helvetica, black, white, and red combination is still a force to be reckoned with (FIGURES 23–26).

The exhibit was comprised of type displayed on walls, with smaller sections of wall displaying plaques with information. Some walls were painted red while others remained a clean white. All photos used were presented in black and white to further adhere to the strict color palette. In addition, the use of black and white images creates an understanding that the subject matter is historical. Furniture and sculpture were also available to view within the space with relevant information displayed alongside. I remember once being asked to choose a modern typeface for an entrylevel typography class. I selected Helvetica because I was under the impression that because it was sleek and clean, that it must be modern. Throughout the course I learned that Helvetica, while indeed sleek and clean, is not necessarily modern in today’s world. To designers, it references the Swiss design of the middle 20th century. This period is far in our rearview mirrors today, and though Helvetica is still a powerhouse of a font, it is not of our current time. This can also be said for mid-century modern homes. People quickly call them modern, ignoring the important mid-century distinction. I am no expert on modernism, and the goal of this thesis is not to become one. I only bring this up to further explain why Jenny exclaimed “definitely modern” when seeing images from this exhibit which made use of a nearly sixty year old typeface. 23: PHOTO FROM THE MODERNISM EXHIBIT

JAKE RIEDEL | CAPSTONE PROJECT

Throughout our conversation, I challenged Jenny and Chris to articulate what made the modern style of this collection different from the Women’s Foundation which they had described the same way.

My parents were able to grasp the concepts pretty well, and the discussion even enhanced my understanding of the distinction.

JENNY: I would call the Women’s Foundation stuff more edgy and futuristic. This is for sure an older modern.

This is traditional. This is Modernism. THIS IS MODERN BUT DIFFERENT. This is traditional type setting. Nos se acipsum quo mos rectem aut est peres erum reptatur?Aximi, ut ut autendit, cullam sequasin nobis sita eum voluptibus que velibus excest ad ut etustio nsequi quo coratem et officid essequam This is modern type setting. Nos se acipsum quo mos rectem aut est peres erum reptatur?Aximi, ut ut autendit, cullam sequasin nobis sita eum voluptibus que velibus excest ad ut etustio nsequi quo coratem et officid essequam. THIS IS MODERN TYPE SETTING. BUT DIFFERENT NOS SE ACIPSUM QUO MOS RECTEM AUT EST PERES ERUM REPTATUR? AXIMI, UT UT AUTENDIT, CULLAM SEQUASIN NOBIS SITA EUM VOLUPTIBUS QUE VELIBUS EXCEST AD UT ETUSTIO NSEQUI QUO CORATEM ET OFFICID ESSEQUAM.

This was a more challenging discussion than we had previously because modernism is suggestive of both an ideal and the concept of the contemporary. We agreed on the work’s status as representing an idea of modernism which is not contemporary to those of us in the year 2022. I believe that the Swiss designed the boundaries, and the pushing of those boundaries is what makes a work forward-thinking. The adherence to those boundaries makes a work safe. Beginning with the Swiss boundaries is what makes something modern, whether they are pushed or not.

CHRIS: The first one had all caps, this one has uppercase and lowercase. It’s just a different feel. The modernism exhibit chose to employ both upper and lower case, capitalising nearly every word in a title and using traditional sentence structure in the body. The Women’s Foundation works used almost exclusively capital letters, which Chris favored but admitted were harder to read. This distinction is another example of adherence to, and rejection of, Swiss boundaries.

24: PHOTOS FROM THE MODERNISM EXHIBIT

MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH | The Projects

What follows was an interesting argument between my interviewees about the merit of a red body text’s pairing with a black title or heading (FIGURE 23).

JENNY: That is the opposite of what it would normally be I would think. CHRIS: But the black is the most important thing. You are trying to get someone’s attention. JENNY: I don’t think so. CHRIS: I just know one thing, and I don’t understand the laws, but if the black was red and the red was black it would not be as interesting. As a designer, I am taught that red has a connotation with urgency. Due to this, I am of the belief that using red as the body text color is a hierarchical error. However, Chris fought hard for the red body text, and his opinion is just as valuable as my own if not more. According to Arts.gov, only 1.9 million of the nearly 330 million citizens of the United States identify as artists. Fewer still are college educated. Assuming that a large percentage of the people viewing the exhibit would be consciously aware of the traditional design use of red would be foolish.

If the body text being red excites Chris, who am I to say that he or the designer are foolish.

Title in Black This is some body text in red. Tat ut aliquas rem lab int modit ipiciliam fugia poriae. Nam doluptatiate digenditi quist erume ide voluptas et magni menis aut pelit arumend.

Title in Red This is some body text in black. Tat ut aliquas rem lab int modit ipiciliam fugia poriae. Nam doluptatiate digenditi quist erume ide voluptas et magni menis aut pelit arumend. 25: PHOTOS FROM THE MODERNISM EXHIBIT

JAKE RIEDEL | CAPSTONE PROJECT

27: PHOTOS FROM THE MODERNISM EXHIBIT

Chris was able to summarize the typographic goals of modernism very clearly.

CHRIS: It says all right, here is the topic and here is the information.

Jenny and Chris were both able to acknowledge that the design of the postcards had a different feel (FIGURE 28), though they actually preferred it.

JENNY: I like them, they seem more edgy than the rest of it though.

The Swiss style is concerned with legibility over all else. It is a clean way to convey a message. Jenny once again brought up the Women’s Foundation designs, this time as an example of style over legibility. Both Jenny and Chris cited their age when justifying their preference for legibility over style. 26: PHOTOS FROM THE MODERNISM EXHIBIT

CHRIS: I agree. The addition of a third color, the exclusion of capital letters, and the playful letter spacing seemed to break the established language of the exhibit. Though this was possibly intentional, it is always important to stick to the rules you set for yourself. My parents noticed, and your audience will notice. 28: POST CARDS FROM THE MODERNISM EXHIBIT

The SWISS style is concerned with LEGIBILITY over all else. It is a clean way to convey a MESSAGE.

MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH | Closing and Credits

CONCLUSION The designer begins a project, which is pitched by a client. Their work is critiqued throughout its progression by fellow designers, finalized, and delivered to the client. In this traditional process, the layman is not a player. The client will usually not be a designer, however they are most certainly not the audience. They have their own biases and are mostly concerned with the consistency of their brand’s identity. The non-designer perspective must come instead from someone who is not trained or involved with design in any way. Throughout this book, I have attempted to highlight areas where communication may be hindered due to this perspective, as well as areas where such a perspective can bring new ideas to the forefront. I would venture to guess that most firms don’t have the resources to pay my dad to sit around and be untrained. However, it is my sincere hope that this analysis allows you to better understand how the non-designer may view design works. How you may or may not adjust your work in response to this information is up to you. 29: THE RANCH INTERIOR

JAKE RIEDEL | CAPSTONE PROJECT

30: DESIGN RANCH LOGO

MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH | Closing and Credits

INDEX Figure 1: Photo of The Ranch Design-ranch.com Figure 2: Jenny and Chris Jake Riedel Figures 3-5: Campaign for the 2017 Unicorn Theatre Design-ranch.com Figure 6: Weathered Warning Signs Pasted on Wall Cottonbro Figure 7: Unicorn Theatre Mission Statement Design-ranch.com Figure 8: Brother Antique Typewriter Julia Kamm Figure 9: Campaign for the 2017 Unicorn Theatre Design-ranch.com Figure 10: Mission Statement Detail Design-ranch.com Figure 11: Color Jake Riedel Figure 12: Poster Wall Display Detail Design-ranch.com

JAKE RIEDEL | CAPSTONE PROJECT

Figure 13: Color Jake Riedel

Table A: Color Terminology Jake Riedel

Figure 14: Hypothetical Design After Jenny’s Suggestion Design-ranch.com & Jake Riedel

Table B: Contrast Ratios Jake Riedel

Figure 15: Campaign for the Women’s Foundation 25th Anniversary Design-ranch.com

Table C: Incremental Reduction of Saturation Jake Riedel

Figure 16: Woman Standing Next to Wall Marlon Schmeisk & Jake Riedel

Table D: Incremental Reduction of Brightness Jake Riedel

Figures 17–19: Campaign for the Women’s Foundation 25th Anniversary Design-ranch.com

Table E: Incremental Reduction of Saturation and Brightness Jake Riedel

Figure 20: Monotone Image One Design-ranch.com

Table F: Various Colors Jake Riedel

Figure 21: Monotone Image Two Design-ranch.com

Table G: Colors From “Table F” Represented as Monotones Jake Riedel

Figure 22: Typographic Poster Design-ranch.com Figures 23–28: Photos From the Modernism Exhibit Design-ranch.com Figure 29: The Ranch Interior Design-ranch.com Figure 30: Design Ranch Logo Design-ranch.com

MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH | Closing and Credits

WORKS CITED Porter, Matthew. “Design Ranch.” Communication Arts, January 18, 2012. https://www.commarts.com/features/design-ranch Cannon, Susan. “The Ladies of Design Ranch.” Finefolk, March 22, 2016. https://finefolk.com/blogs/news/113087940-the-ladies-of-design-ranch “Design Ranch Website.” Design Ranch. Accessed October 9, 2021. https://www.design-ranch.com/ Expertise. “9 Best Kansas City Graphic Designers.” 9 Best Kansas City Graphic Designers | Expertise.com, August 3, 2021. https://www.expertise.com/mo/kansas-city/graphic-designers Sidie, Ingred. “Ingred Sidie - Owner - Design Ranch | Linkedin.” linkedin. Accessed October 9, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingred-sidie55a4326. Sonderegger, Michelle. “Michelle Sonderegger - Owner - Design Ranch | Linkedin.” linkedin. Accessed October 9, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/ in/michelle-sonderegger-06996719 National Endowment for the Arts. “Artists in the Workforce 1990–2005.” Arts.gov, 2015. https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/ArtistsInWorkforce.pdf Wikipedia. “Populuxe.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, January 1, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populuxe

JAKE RIEDEL | CAPSTONE PROJECT

COLOPHON Student/Author: Jake Riedel Editors: Bailee Davis & Jenny Riedel Printing: Blurb Project: Senior Capstone Thesis Project Title: My Parents Versus Design Ranch Instructor: Professor Matthew Gaynor Course: VCD Capstone 2 School: Kansas State University Semester: Spring Year: 2022

This project is dedicated to DESIGN RANCH— whose unknowing participation was very appreciated, to my design professors at Kansas State—MATHEW GAYNOR, MERVI PAKASTE and DANIEL WARNER, and finally, to American artist RAYMOND PETTIBON—whose influence penetrates every facet of my creative output.

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MY PARENTS VERSUS DESIGN RANCH An Analysis of the Non-Designer Perspective This book hopes to provide an analysis of the non-designer perspective. Not everyone in the world is cool and only 0.04% of Americans are graphic designers. How will everyone else see and understand your next project?