Researched Design: A combination of in depth information and design that follows.

One of my favorite quotes is from V for Vendetta. The premise of the movie is a corrupted government. But the quote, stated by one of the main characters investigating a mystery, says this:

"One thing that is true of all governments – their best records are tax records."

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was the president that started the IRS, then called the Bureau of Internal Revenue. The BIR came about because of the debt accumulated from the civil war. And here I thought only mass produced tinned food and clothing, aka consumerism, where the only things to come out of that abysmal war. The problems the USA has have been made by the USA.

“...truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror...” — V

But moving past that the IRS has also done some other interesting things.

“In addition to the income tax, Congress specifically charged the BIR with enforcing another Progressive-era reform: Prohibition. The BIR was also highly involved in enforcing tax laws relating to narcotics crimes and in convicting "Public Enemy Number One," gangster Al Capone”— How Stuff Works, website.

I knew about Capone, but prohibition?

Fascinating.

So I have a newer version of my tax forms. I mainly updated the header and footer. Then a few tweaks here and there to clean it up. I am open to suggestions!

I am super excited for June!!

Currently my sister and my brother in-law live in Morocco working at a Western school. Well for graduation my sister is going to come over and shortly there after I will go over to Morocco.

Morocco!! So exciting!

I be leaving June 14th from Columbus and getting back July 13th. I wanted to do a whole month because it may be the last long trip I can take for some time. I am just so excited. It makes graduation bearable. Slightly sad, that.

Seniors in the Honors program at CCAD are required to complete a capstone project their last year. Students choose the subject, submit proposals, and delve deep into their projects.

Mine? Tax forms.

Here is the run down of this project.

It's simple. Redesign the U. S. Federal 1040 EZ income tax form. Seigal + Gale's design from the 70's (which has been modified year after year for tax laws) is outdated and hard to use. I want to clean it up, make it visually appealing, and test my concepts.

I have three stages:

Stage 1: Research and Sketching

What is already being done in this industry, analytical study of the effective and ineffective parts of the 1040 EZ form, and sketching concepts.

Stage 2: Design and Mock-ups

I have created 25 potential concepts for this project and have narrowed down my design to three for refinement.

Stage 3: Testing and Final Solution

Testing the effectiveness and clarity of the designs with a group of volunteers and adjusting my design to the results.


Currently I am in stage 2 looking at three potential testing designs, from out of 25 comps I created.

Monday will officially mark the beginning of the end of my CCAD career. Graduation in May will open up the conundrum of the "big girl job" and the "real world." I am horrified and excited all at the same time.

Here is one of the stories that has lead me into graphic design and more importantly deeply researching design.

When I was a little Chemster of about 10 my daddy gave me a parking ticket. It was orange with bold black text. I remember he wouldn't let me have it at first, hiding it in his amazing treasure chest of trinkets and recipts. I was so enthralled by this piece of paper.

Skip a few year down to the Pioneer Career and Technology Center, in Shelby, Ohio. Bright eyed and excited to create art and learn how to run offset lithography presses. While at the Vo.Tech. I had the overwhelming need to make more of that one ticket. 10, 20, hundreds! So I set about recreating it so that I could have many copies of this wondrous form.

Please excuse the terrible alignment, I was young and unintelligent in the ways of margins.