Welcome to project 5: the Profile Unit. The objective for this project was to feature a unique member of our community. I achieved this through an essay in English class, a Magazine and profile portrait in Design class, and this website in Web/Audio class.

I decided to write my profile about Setare Fathi, who founded the preschool I attended while growing up. Writing the essay required four interviews and many trips to Twinkle Twinkle preschool. While there, I used one of Freestyle’s Canon DSLR cameras to take photos for the website, magazine, portrait, presentation, and media feature. After the essay was completed, I used Adobe InDesign to create a magazine which used the essay as the body text. I then placed photos into the article to create a graphical style which was consistent across each page. Then I created a color scheme which was implemented in the magazine, presentation, and this website. I chose red because of the dynamic nature which is reflected through the children, the preschool, and Setare. I also chose the neutral color white because it was more calming and would reveal drop shadows placed on nearly every object on the website. In the mean time, I learned how animate websites using jQuery in Web/Audio class. I implemented this in my new Project Listing Page as well as on this website in order to create visual appeal and interest. Finally, I designed a presentation based off of the graphical style of the magazine, and discussed what the profile project from a web designer’s perspective.

Setare Fathi is a unique woman with an amazing past. Originally from Iran, Setare moved to California when she was 13 years old. In 1992, she started Twinkle Twinkle daycare, and has worked there ever since. In order to gain a better understanding of what motivated her, I interviewed Laura Read and Chrissy Valaga. Laura is a staff member at Twinkle Twinkle, and provided valuable insight into the subject. Chrissy is a parent and volunteer at the preschool, and gave her perspectives on what drives Setare. Click on the magazine to read the full article about Setare.

 

The Doorway (Portrait)
Setare Fathi stands in the front entrance of Twinkle Twinkle daycare.
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Lunchtime
Setare and Laura outside with the children during lunch.
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Garden Gate, Part 1
The preschool has a lush garden in front of the entrance.
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Business
Laura and Chrissy discuss matters in Setare's home 'office.'
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The Playroom
The playroom is empty at lunchtime, but is usually bustling with children and staff.
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Home
Setare sits with her students on the steps of her home.
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Playtime
With the gates closed, Setare's driveway is a play area for students.
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Story Time, Part 1
Setare reads a stories to the students every day.
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Afternoon Playtime
Setare helps a child in the backyard playground.
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Playground
Kirk and Setare in the backyard playground.
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Birdhouse
The front yard garden is filled with decorations.
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Story Time, Part 2
Laura reads a story to her students in the playground.
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Family
Setare talks with a parent in the afternoon.
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Kid's Eye View
The playground is still busy at 5:00, as seen from the play structure.
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Garden Gate, Part 2
Setare stands by the gate at the end of the day.
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Photography is a key component of the Profile unit, and is used in every part of the project, including the website, magazine, portrait, presentation, and media feature. Using Freestyle's Canon DSLR cameras, I captured hundreds of photos of life at Twinkle Twinkle as well as Setare's portrait shot. Using the images as reference, I created the red and white color scheme which is found throughout the entire project.

The media feature is a short video which includes photos, narration, and interviews in order to understand Setare's importance in the community. In order to create the media feature I utilized Adobe AfterEffects, which is a powerful and comprehensive program used to create animations or add special effects to movies. AfterEffects is a step up from Adobe Flash, which was used for last year's Narrative animation. Although neither program is easy to learn, AfterEffects has a much higher learning curve and took many weeks to understand.

The final part of the Profile Unit was a 5-7 minute presentation about Setare and how I have grown over the course of the project. I was careful to make sure that the presentation had the same graphical style as my magazine and website by using the same color scheme and photos. The presentation includes an audio clip of Laura Read, and also briefly visits this website to show the website design.