Nell Hamilton Trotter Award

I have been so honored to win the Nell Hamilton Trotter Student Leadership Award at Georgia State:

http://artdesign.gsu.edu/university-awards-graphic-design-student-michelle-parkos-highest-student-leadership-award/

Nell Hamilton Trotter Award

Spring 2015 Recipient

It is my pleasure to announce the Spring 2015 recipient of the Nell Hamilton Trotter Award.  Presented during Commencement to a graduating senior, this award recognizes commitment to student involvement and is the highest student leadership award presented by the University. 

Michelle Parkos is a Graphic Design major in the Ernest G. Welch College of Art and Design from Norcross, Georgia.  An enthusiastic Panthers fan, Michelle was a Charter Member of the Georgia State University Marching Band. One of her most memorable moments was marching with the band in the 57^th Presidential Inauguration Parade for President Barack Obama.  Michelle’s love of music expanded to her involvement in the Kappa Kappa Psi Music Service Fraternity where she served as Charter Member, Historian, and eventually Vice-President. 

From her first days on campus, Michelle has been actively involved in leadership development.  She was a participant in the Emerging Leaders Freshman Learning Community, which introduced her to a variety of involvement opportunities on campus.  She later served on the Lead Team as a mentor for first-year students.  She was also selected to serve as a mentor for the Panther Leadership Academy, the annual student leadership retreat for campus. Most recently, she has served as the President of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society as well as represented the University as a member of the 1913 Society.

Michelle has worked to promote the fine and performing arts through her involvement in the Graphic Design Club, School of Music, and the Undergraduate Advisory Board for the College of Arts and Sciences.  She has also used her graphic design talent to create high-quality promotional materials for the Student University Center and Leadership Development programs.  Finally, she has participated in numerous art shows and recently coordinated and curated a Bachelor of Fine Arts Program Exhibit.

Michelle will be remembered by her peers as a genuine and sincere leader who actively sought opportunities to support and mentor her fellow students.  She carries herself with the utmost integrity as a true role model for her peers.  Given her love of Georgia State and her college experience, it is no surprise that Michelle plans to utilize her graphic design talents at a university after graduation.  

Please join me in congratulating Michelle Parkos as the Spring 2015 recipient of the Nell Hamilton Trotter Student Leadership Award.

First Job!

Bought my first ever red and black G as I am proud to announce I will be working for UGA as a Sr. Graphic Designer for the Division of Development and Alumni Relations!

7 Deadly Sins

 Wrath

 Sloth

 Pride

 Lust

 Greed

Gluttony

 

 Envy

7 Deadly Sins

Michelle Parkos

Spring 2015

When this project was first announce, I immediately thought to reach out to my friend Austin. I had known him through the GSU marching band and he had worked with Cirque De Soleil in the past. On Facebook, he posts pictures of himself in crazy face makeup and random makeup textures that he plays with. At GSU he is a theatrical design major and eventually wants to work for a film company of Cirque De Soleil as a set designer or makeup artist.

We worked together over this past month to design these personas and what each Sin would be developed as. Austin had many different techniques and supplies already, so we designed the Sins based on what supplies he had.  One of the main techniques used was liquid latex as well as the latex with toilet paper. He also had a prosthetic nose and fake eyelashes. Another technique that I found very interesting was the use of a glue stick to hide eyebrows. He would coat his brows in layers of glue in preparation to cover his face in latex. He had to make sure that he shaved each time and that he didn’t get the latex on any hair, as it would be pulled out and be very painful.

Overall this process was very interesting for me to see and learn more about makeup design. I had no idea that liquid latex was the most common supply used. I also enjoyed working with Austin because this project will benefit his portfolio as well as mine. He can use this work to show off what techniques he can successfully use to market himself to Clique De Soleil

Love is Love Campaign

Michelle Parkos

Personal Voice Project

Human Rights Campaign

HRCAtlanta.org

Love is Love.

Objective:

To show how love is love no matter what sex you are and that everyone is equal. I am very passionate about equality and want to show that through this advertising campaign. The purpose is for awareness for the HRC group and to boost membership. This is an opportunity for all types of couples to be highlighted. Through my video, I was able to show great diversity, but if expanded, it could be shown further. 

Audience:

Younger Generation, 19-27

Deliverables:

1. Print Posters

2. Post cards

3. Buttons (and other items)

4. T-shirt

5. Live-Action Videos

Analytics: 

I reached out to the Atlanta HRC circle, however due to the tight deadline, they were unable to be involved. I also reached out to the Georgia State Alliance group and met many of the members. I connected with them several times over the timeline and make new friendships in the process. Luckily, I was able to interview 2 couples from this group. I will be altering my materials for them to use as promotional materials on campus for Alliance.  Hopefully in the future, I can pitch this idea to the HRC Atlanta circle and see if they are interested in using the campaign.

I learned how to shoot footage with a shotgun microphone and how to thoroughly edit sound via Adobe Audition. 

Timeline:

March 9 Launch

March 18-23 Shooting

March 30 Due (originally)

April 3-4 More shooting

April 6 Final Due

Promax BDA Self Promotional Video

Promax BDA Student Story Challenge:
If you were to produce a :30, :60 or :90 spot promoting your own personal brand, what would your story be? What images would you use? What would be your soundtrack? And what words would best promote you?
Take a minute.
Think about who you are.
What do you love?
How are you unique?
What makes you the talent you are?
Storytelling is at the heart of all marketing and promotion, so now, give us your story.

For this project, I wanted to focus on the big picture of design and myself as a designer more than how I design or what I design. I feel that the “why” and the “how” are more interesting to me as a person. I wrote a poem about myself as a designer and wanted the visual to key into the words of the poem as they are read. This piece is focused on the words and the meaning more than the visuals. The visuals I have included for this piece show design on a large scale. I focused on a shot of driving into Cincinnati that I took one weekend visiting my sister. I wanted to use this footage because the architecture and skyline are very interesting and well designed.  I also chose images to overlay that show other forms of design. I focused on: signage, architecture, teamwork, product design, labels, packaging, banners, political statements, etc.
As a student at Georgia State, I have been heavily involved on campus and in the design world. I strongly believe that as a designer, it is necessary to know how to work with people, voice ideas, and have integrity. I have learned so much from my experiences and failures over the years and I feel that this poem and video capture my feelings as a designer.

Voice-Over: Asante Farquharson

Frou Frou Music Video

Frou Frou, Let Go
Music Video

I used an iphone 6 in slow motion to shoot water scenes.

Kneads Flour

Designers: Michelle Parkos, Rebecca Price, Kody Dahl
48-Hour Repack 2015
Kneads Flour Design Rational

Flour packaging is currently dominated by the crumpling flour sack. Whether made from paper, cloth, or plastic, this form shares the same range of issues. The initial opening is
typically challenging to accomplish without that infuriating flour cloud rushing out like a genie out of a lamp - and for paper bags, this cloud seems to appear every time the bag is reopened. Some have attempted to solve this with a ziplock solution, with stiff folded-paper closure, or with a plastic bag housed in cardboard. Unfortunately, all of these designs tend to simply change the direction that the mess travels in, instead of regulating it. These packages also often have issues with resealability or longer-term durability, not to mention they occupy considerable shelf space.

*The current state of flour storage is a powdery nightmare for those who aren’t avid bakers but enjoy occasional delicacies from the oven, and for those who need a tablespoon here and there to thicken up gravy or brown some meat.*

Kneads is working to reach new flour buyers and improve the powdery nightmare for three distinct groups of people.

1. Health-conscious shoppers. These people work hard to eat well and take care of
themselves, and they earn a reprieve from the kale every now and then. But they probably don’t want to keep a huge quantity of that gluten-filled temptress on hand, because healthy habits should be safe from a moment of weakness.

*Most likely found at: Whole Foods or a local farmer’s market.*

2. Space-conscious shoppers. These people live in small spaces and tend to buy food in small quantities, big-city style. They get enough for a dinner or two at the most, and space in their cupboards is limited. They don’t have loads of space for flour, which they probably don’t use extensively in large quantities. Their flour is primarily used in sauces, or for browning meats, and their consumption rate is, on average, measured in tablespoons.

*Most likely found in: Your friendly neighborhood large city*

3. New bakers. These people have made the decision to graduate from pre-made mixes to higher-quality, individual ingredients, but they aren’t up for the 4 dozen cookie challenge
quite yet.

*Most likely found in: College towns, places where macaroons are becoming very trendy.*

To meet the needs of all these prospective flour buyers, Kneads is conveniently portioned for a-la-carte consumption. One cup is a convenient baseline quantity for both baking and stove-top cooking, and this size point keeps space usage efficient. Consumers get what they need, and they don’t have stale flour occupying space in their cabinets. Kneads’s package stands out on a shelf full of traditionally branded, large packages, and in order make the packing fully recyclable, biodegradable, and aesthetically pleasing, we have researched and verified the usability of a compressed spent-grain material.

One cup - as much as you...knead.