Evaluation:
I have found this to be a very interesting project that I have thoroughly enjoyed, including getting to know my partner better. Once again, I tried to research more in-depth before I started to produce visuals so that I would have a more solid and valid concept behind my typeface. From looking through Caitlin's blog I managed to gather numerous image that helped inspire my final outcome and those, in conjunction with our extended questionnaire, meant that I knew what I was doing throughout the project.
Not using digital means of producing the type really brought the whole process back to its origins and is something I find fascinating as it allows you to be much more creative and free when designing. Through producing numerous design sheets containing my design process I could clearly see where my design had come from which helped in the thought process of where to take it; I was always progressing with my designs rather than constantly finding problems and hitting creative walls.
I think that my overall typeface works very nicely as a set and each letter form individually looks very unique and structured, this was due to careful planning and a strong structure. It also worked effectively when placed on a name badge, successfully portraying the under water effect I was trying to achieve.
Alphabet Soup Typeface - Power Crit
We had a power crit in which we were put into groups of 6 students alongside 2 tutors. We presented all of our ideas and work in order to get feedback to enable us to effectively progress with this project.
- Defining Ideas - When I went into the crit, I had a fairly broad range of ideas and examples to present without really knowing where I wanted to take them. Through talking with my peers and tutors, I have narrowed my ideas down to the one which was seen as being most effective and successful. I am now going to progress with this idea until eventually producing my final outcome.
- Possible Modification - From the idea chosen and statements that were made, I have decided to experiment with the way in which I adjust the existing font; I will be continuing to explore similar ideas to that chosen with slight changes in the ways I approach it.
- Variations - Another idea I have got, due to looking through my own work, is to experiment with changing the way in which I alter each letter; perhaps making my alphabet more aesthetically pleasing.
OUGD 402 - Study Task 3
For this session we got into our groups and displayed all of our images chosen from the last task, in which I had to choose a minimum of 5 images of design based around: Simplicity, Structure and Layout, Style and Aesthetic, Creative Use Of Type as well as Meanings and Messages. We chose our favourite example from each category and answered five qualities that make good graphic design.
Function: Aesthetically Pleasing and Interesting
Design context: Photograph
Tone of Voice: Relaxed. I find the image very calming due to the greens within the image
Message, Idea, Concept: Doesn't have a message
Intended Scale or Place To Be Viewed: Would have to be fairly big to enable the audience to take in all the smaller details
Function: Aesthetically Pleasing and Interesting
Design context: Photograph
Tone of Voice: Relaxed. I find the image very calming due to the greens within the image
Message, Idea, Concept: Doesn't have a message
Intended Scale or Place To Be Viewed: Would have to be fairly big to enable the audience to take in all the smaller details
Function: Put across the artists message, possibly to inform or educate?
Design context: Graffiti style but possibly digital
Tone of Voice: Humourous and playful
Message, Idea, Concept: Message is fairly straight forward
Intended Scale or Place To Be Viewed: Fairly large, like common street art to ensure it is noticeable and legible
Function: To express the artists feelings and emotions
Design context: Painting
Tone of Voice: Energetic
Message, Idea, Concept: Not sure it has a particular meaning or concept
Intended Scale or Place To Be Viewed: Quite large, possibly made for gallery viewing
Function: To attract and demand attention
Design context: Music/CD Artwork
Tone of Voice: Quite serious and mysterious
Message, Idea, Concept: Putting across their music and style of art
Intended Scale or Place To Be Viewed: CD artwork
Function: Entertain?
Design context: Interactive art, it engages the audience
Tone of Voice: Playful and intriguing
Message, Idea, Concept: Literal example of its message
Intended Scale or Place To Be Viewed: Possibly A3
We then went through all of the groups examples and listed all of the possible varieties for each of the categories.
Functions:
- Publishing
- Branding
- Typography
- Advertisement
- Aesthetic Quality
- Audience Interaction
- Campaign
Design Context:
- Collage
- Packaging
- Ambient Media
- Logos
- Events Posters
- Gallery
- Newspaper
- Magazine
- Film Posters
- Books
Tone of Voice:
- Playful
- Informative
- Humour
- Serious
- Emotive
- Quirky
- Light-hearted
- Mature
- Contemporary
- Laid Back
- Thought Provoking
- Fun
- Scientific
- Atmospheric
- Intelligent
Message/Idea/Concept:
- Inform
- Humour
- Self-Explanatory
- Identification
- Factual
- Promote
- Intelligent
- Use of Type
- Communicate
- Temporary Adoration
- Energy
- Safety
Intended Scale or Place To Be Viewed:
- Magazine Advert
- Billboard
- Screen Print
- Slideshow
- Exhibition
- Web
- Leaflet
- Poster
- Vinyl Cover
- Decoration
- Restaurant
- Shop
- Packaging
- Poster
- Logo
OUGD 402 - Study Task 2
In our blog groups, we each presented our selected 10 images from the previous task and went on to explain why we had chosen each one. During this process the rest of the blog group took notes on the various reasons people had selected the designs they had.
Barney - Logo Design due to portraying a business through one image:
As a whole class we then gathered a list of current design practices from the most common areas of interest.
We then had to choose 5 criteria from this list and gather numerous examples for each. My selected 5 are:
Barney - Logo Design due to portraying a business through one image:
- Simple yet iconic
- Made by young and inspiring artists
- Iconic and well known
- Development of the Apple logo - progressively more simple
- Internationally known, simple design having a big impact
- Progression of the Pepsi logo - again becoming more simple as time goes on
- Modern 2012 logo - face of Britain
- Originally designed from a stained glass window and hasn't changed
- Main British logo, shows everyone is a part of it
- Ebay logo shows how they had one idea and just went with it
- Pattern Matters - Infographics and the craft of it
- Bee Raw - Simple and clean, minimalist design
- Otilia Erdeyi - Reinventing old products
- Tomas Nilssen - Depth and detail and use of infographics
- Kyle Been - Controversial, changing the tone of voice
- Jakub Konvica - Drawing, use of detail
- Black and Eiffel - Simple, showing something in a new way
- Jonathan Gerken - Simple and playful idea
- Facts on Wool - Photography and dedication
- Sandwiches - Digital Media
- Shepard Fairy - Likes design process, simple
- Patrick Thomas - Bold
- Success
- Barcelona Cathedral - Historic
- Stefan Sagmeister - Commitment
- The Fall: Mark E. Smith - reinvents himself
- Stuart Lee - Funny, comic genius
- Quentin Tarantino - Knows his audience
- Muhammed Ali - 'Greatest'
- Into the Wild - Freedom
- Magazines - Editorial
- Textures and patterns
- Hayden Williams
- Hand drawn, digital and paint together
- David Carson - Experimenting
- Collage - Vintage and retro
- Music and Events posters - how they're made
- Alex Trcuchut - Clever typography
- Emma Summerton - Clean photohtaphy
- Destination - Work from abroad etc.
- Product Branding i.e. Coca Cola - How branding works to persuade
- Web Design - Persuasive, making people want to buy etc.
- Photography - How to incorporate into design
- Point of Sale - Selling things etc.
- Logo - Showing the company and can make or break
- Posters - Grab attention, uses many elements
- Brochures - Lay-out, working with the client
- Graphic Illustrations - Vectors, varying medias such as drawn and digital
- Fabric Design - Different textures
- Typography - Current trends
- Book - Complex patterns, medieval style
- Typewriter - Beautifully designed
- Branded well, minimal
- Olly Moss - Reworking Saul Bass, simple yet striking
- Bauhaus - Photo montage
- Architecture - Pushing boundaries
- Wim Crouwell - Modern and bold designer
- Luke Ramsey - Detailed illustrations
As a whole class we then gathered a list of current design practices from the most common areas of interest.
- Creative Use of Type
- Visual Quality
- Tone of Voice
- Attention to Detail
- Simplicity of Design
- Meaning or Message
- Audience Engagement and Interaction
- Style or Aesthetic Quality
- Use of Media and Method of Production
- Relationship between Form and Format
- Visual Content
- Use and Choice of Language
- Structure and Lay-Out
We then had to choose 5 criteria from this list and gather numerous examples for each. My selected 5 are:
- Structure and Lay-Out
- Meanings and Messages
- Simplicity
- Style and Aesthetic
- Creative Use of Type
OUGD 402 - Study Task 2 - Design based on Structure and Layout
This design merges two photographs whilst using text and the contrast between black and white to make an aesthetically pleasing design that forces the audience to really look at the work. I like the structure of the design, the way in which it has been considered, balanced and designed. The use of black and white within the text and the imagery works very well, enabling the text to be legible and the photographs to be distinctly separate.
This is a fairly simple design that focuses on the use of simple shapes and collage to produce a more interesting design than just the photograph alone. Triangles have been cut and pasted in various places to form a pattern within the design, creating visual interest and disguising the individuals identity.
This is a design that has then been almost cut up and transformed with the use of block shapes of colour; the shapes creating a pattern that almost hides the original picture at first glance, forcing the viewer to look closer. I like the use of colour within the design, the red from the original image really standing out from the rest of the piece.
This is a very simple collage that consists of one photograph that has been cut into numerous pieces before being put back together. I like the layout of this image and think, due to the way in which the images have been placed so close to each other, it seems very compact and compressed.
This design, named 'Coastal', I find very aesthetically interesting and pleasing due to the simplicity of the entire design. It is made up of simple shapes, a basic layout and various colour schemes that work seamlessly together.
This is an example of landscape photography. However, I find this one very interesting due to its geometric appearance and structure as well as the colours within the image. There are many straight lines and smooth curves within the image that make for a very structured and rigid quality; the colours often emphasising certain curves and elements of the image such as the plane, which has become the focal point due to the high contrast the blue has with the rest of the photograph.
OUGD 402 - Study Task 2 - Design based on Meanings and Messages
I like the way in which, in this design, the message and the style of creation work perfectly together; the design involves the audience by using the word 'you', making it seem more personal. Graffiti is technically a crime and obviously therefore frowned upon, especially by parents. This makes the whole concept much more effective to me, its visually interesting as well as thought provoking.
I think one of the reasons that I am such a fan of this design is due to me being at art college, meaning I have some links to were the artist is coming from. I like the way in which, as previous, the message and the visual appearance work so well in conjunction with each other, this time it appears to have been scribled down as though it wasn't considered or actually 'designed'.
This is mainly a photograph that contains some college as well as a small portion of text in the top corner and along the bottom. However, I feel that the text plays a big role in the visual success. The contrast between the photograph and the hand-rendered text works very nicely. The part of the text that is crossed out is very interesting and when this happens within design, much like in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, it often causes it to become much more prominent than the text that isn't crossed out. I think that this causes the message to become much more apparent within the design.
I like this as it is simple and straight to the point. It has linked Coca Cola, a common household product, to Cocaine, the highly addictive drug. The reason this is so visually intriguing to me is because of this link and the way in which it has been achieved. Using the easily recognisable text from Coca Cola, which some people may see as being an addiction itself, to put across a much more serious message is something I find very interesting.
Once again, text has been crossed out within this design but here it has been used for a different effect. This time the designer has taken a well known phrase, this being the part that has been crossed out, and replaced it with his own interpretation of the saying. He has used a combination of different shades for different parts of the text, making it clear which part is which.
OUGD 402 - Study Task 2 - Design based on Simplicity
I like the geometric shapes used within this design and the way in which they create a sense of depth and make the design appear to be 3-D. There is a very broad range of colours used within the image, yet they dont particularily clash anywhere which I think shows the layout has been considered and designed effectively.
This cut-out style design I find appealing due to the simple shapes and the use of block colours and slight textures. The overall shape of the design resembles that of a human like figure, the warm colours being used to outline the figures face. I like how the artist has managed to utilise such simple shapes to create such a strong representation.
This design appears to be made up from one long, free and expressive brush stroke. The use of black on white makes the design become very bold and apparent. I like the way in which you can see the direction that the brush was moving throughout the stroke, giving the design great depth and form.
This is another design made from simple geometric shapes. Once again, a broad range of colours has been used without any real clash showing consideration and a sense of balance. Although the design is composed of many triangles, there are still some visible straight lines and block shapes across the piece which gives the design appear to have a sense of direction.
This is a very simple design composed of two layers; a layer consisting of black lines which is sitting on top of an orange background layer. I like the playful vibe this image gives off which is caused by the almost childish appearance due to the layers not matching up perfectly.
This is another very expressive design made up from natural brush strokes, this time incorporating colour. The colours bleed into each in a way that seems very natural and organic, giving a great sense of life and energy.
This is a very energetic design made from the use of a bright and vibrant yellow on top of a plain black background. In comparison to the black, the yellow is very harsh and sharp which is echoed through the shapes used.
OUGD 402 - Study Task 2 - Design based on Style and Aesthetic
I find this design very visually stunning due to the use of photography in conjunction with digital to create a mysterious and intriguing figure. I like the organic and flowing feel of the textures used in comparison with the crisp and harsh silhoutte of the figure.
This photograph is something I found a while ago and has stuck with me since. I love the colours within the design as it gives an overwhelming sense of euphoria, warmth and freedom; the hand being raised in the image only reinforcing these feelings.
This image has very strong visual links with other works from this designer; Das Playhaus. I really like the organic colours that appear to bleed into each other and feel that these create a sense of freedom and life.
I came across this and just really like the warmth of the photograph, something about this makes it visually appealing to me.
This is a design created by and for a band called 'Wu Lyf'. I love this design as it is very similar to all of their other works as well as their music; a strong use of collage, block shapes and text. I like the wat in which the design is fairly monochorome apart from the use of red which instantly grabs your attention. I also like the use of repetition within the design and think it gives it an overall sense of balance.
OUGD 402 - Study Task 2 - Design based on Creative Use of Type
This is by a designer called Bram Vanhaeran, this particular design taken from his 'An Idea Everyday' project. For some time I have been inspired by his work ethic and attitude; an individual that is constantly working and trying to improve his own practice which I find very admirable.
I like this design because of how coherent the text and image are, flowing together very nicely. The use of only one colour and mainly big, bold shapes makes the distortion of the text possible whilst keeping it readable.
I like this image as it is a literal representation of the what the text is stating. I like the contrasts used within this design; the contrast between the clean cut text on top of the natural curves of the paint and the contrast between the modern sans serif font in conjunction with the more traditional serif font.
This is a very clever design, another example of the design actually doing what the text is saying. The message within the design is 'There are two sides to every story' which has been echoed through clever design that engages the audience.
I like the text used within this piece as it has a very natural and hand-rendered feel to it which works very nicely in conjunction with the use of photography. The colour scheme used for the text is very similar to that within the photograph, slightly subdued which ensures the text doesn't overwhelm the design. The style of the text, slightly crazy and strange, fits in perfectly with the content of the photograph which I feel gives the piece it's aesthetic value.
Studio Brief 1 - Visual Thinking - Alphabet Soup
Evaluation:
From starting with the word 'compact' I decided the best way to generate ideas would be through researching into the various meanings the word 'compact' could have. This instantly gave me ideas on how I could portray these in various ways. This method of working, researching into something thoroughly before starting to produce visuals, is something I find very useful.
In terms of initial ideas, I feel as though I could have produced a wider range of ideas given more time. Overall, the concepts I had produced some strong visuals that work nicely and effectively portray the word 'compact' in one way or another.
From starting with the word 'compact' I decided the best way to generate ideas would be through researching into the various meanings the word 'compact' could have. This instantly gave me ideas on how I could portray these in various ways. This method of working, researching into something thoroughly before starting to produce visuals, is something I find very useful.
In terms of initial ideas, I feel as though I could have produced a wider range of ideas given more time. Overall, the concepts I had produced some strong visuals that work nicely and effectively portray the word 'compact' in one way or another.
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