Tuesday, 17 December 2013
Elmwood (live)- Submission boards and result.
Unfortunately I wasn't successful with this application and upon reflection the boards do need improving massively as they have been obviously rushed and the boards show them no development work and my way of thinking. In this situation it would have been better to show this as I could have shown them the potential of my problem solving abilities and production values. The range of products that I could have produced could have been expanded if I had more time on it too but overall I am happy with the concept and still think that this is a strong portfolio piece I can include to show to others and can be added to later if I feel it needs to be improved for that.
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Interim evaluation.
Overall the start of the year has not been as successful as I had first planned when coming back after the summer but slowly has improved in the last few weeks. Better late than never. It has highlighted yet again that my time management and motivation at times is too poor and having completely changing my dissertation idea has hindered the 603 module massively.
Notepads
This was the first brief which I completed and the first live brief which I was given. It was a short turn around opportunity which had a specific audience that was a new challenge but a good opportunity to test out some print and foiling skills. The clients were people that I work with part time and because of this friendship I was given free reign on the design and formats as long as they were suitable for the job. My final concept was a series of small notepads that could be used for a variety of roles and were specified simply by a variety of related sayings. These sayings were all similar with slight differences according to their use and the feedback received was positive and caused a good conversation among us in the office because they could all relate with the individual terms. I was pleased with the finished foiling and feel it gave the simplistic design added interest without being too garish and distracting which suited the audience and context. Although the colour scheme isn't exactly navy and white of the company it was close enough to please but could have been re worked with better stock for the front covers. I am disappointed with some of the perfect binding because it is beginning to fall apart after only slight use and this may need re doing after Christmas for final submission.
Christmas postcard
This again was another quick turn around brief set by Lizzie and I was pleased with the outcome as I felt it completed what the brief asked for. My chosen song suited typographic style as it allowed me to look at layout and lyrics. The finished design is simple and legible which is suitable for the small format which it needed to be printed onto. Looking back I am disappointed that I didn't investigate a variety of lyrics and just went with my first idea, although it did work it was limited. If I had enough time I would have expanded the brief and range but with Christmas approaching it feels pointless and I don't want to be working with Christmas designs at Easter. At the time I had collab work to be developing so made this priority and moved on from the postcard.
Dr ME
This was a live brief which was also a collab and quick turn around which at first seemed challenging but by the end became enjoyable and a good opportunity for experimentation. The outcome which me and Josh developed had a visual aesthetic which was very different to that we would both normally produce but we were equally as pleased with and enjoyed the process. The concept which we worked on was linguistic pairs and how collaboration of two things are only seen when both elements work as one. The creation of the icons using paper and tearing was a different technique that we both took time to grasp and was unsure to begin with if it would be successful or not. Once scanned, laid out and re coloured digitally the whole visual became so much better and I was pleased with the final outcome. Re colouring allowed us to create the checkerboard visual and emphasise the concept of two opposing things coming together to make one. I am disappointed that I am unable to see the flag in context at the exhibition after going through the trouble of printing and mailing it.
Elmwood
Again this was a brief which I hadn't planned for at the beginning of the year because it was only briefed a few weeks ago, this was my third live brief of the year. My chosen profession to brand was accountant. I struggled with the concept massively to begin with, experimenting with the obvious, and looked at various solutions until I was finally pleased and ready for the interim crit, even if it was at last minute. For the crit I presented two ideas but it was clear that the concept of 'account-ants' was much stronger and created the friendly, fun approach to accounting I wanted to promote with the brand. Upon feedback from other crits I kept the strap line of 'strength in numbers' because it was the most appropriate for the ant visual and the meaning of them but developed the actual visual looking closer at ant structure. My final concept was to display the ant queen as the queens head on the coin which the ant would then carry. It was simple iconic visual that would work suitably at different scales ready for the different applications and be quickly understood. Although this is very different to the traditional accountant branding I feel this is exactly what the brief asked for. For the actual submission to Elmwood I will explore further applications and use of the brand that are more appropriate but have run out of time for this module submission.
Coeliac type
Towards the beginning of the year I was approached by Mike wanting to collab on a type based project after how well we worked together last year during the responsive module. After some thinking I realised that I would need a display typeface for my coeliac publication next year so this was an opportunity not to be missed and he agreed. The concept was to create a typeface that would be suitable for a young audience but also convey a visual representation of the disease. The final typeface we designed achieved the concept we set out but from feedback we both realised that it could be used for other areas outside the health sector so this is the approach we took to the specimen booklet and font name. 'Involved' font, in my eyes, was a success and I am excited to use it now within my actual publication. Some areas will need improving though before final module submission in May because the printing and binding of the final specimen booklet wasn't to the standard which we hoped for and effected the final quality of the visual. We also ran out of time to package the booklet and posters and create the stickers.
78violet
This was an individual brief which I had wrote at the beginning of the year but fell massively behind its original schedule due to the inclusion of the other briefs and because of this it isn't fully complete yet and some more promotional material will need to be developed in the new year. After seeing how well the experimental and different approach to aesthetic took with the Dr ME brief I thought this would be another opportunity to try something different to the norm. As the band is changing its image and name with the re emergence into the industry I felt it was fitting to try using experimental visuals. The final concept for the logo was to represent the two individuals coming together to create a third voice by laying the third word across the two numbers above. This concept is mimicked in the CD packaging by the two parts coming together to form the whole cover. The visuals are based on experimental photos of flowers with reference to one of their singles lyrics. I am disappointed with the lack of progress on this brief so far but know it couldn't be helped because of the demand of dissertation research.
Coming back after Christmas I hope to finish and alter all the elements which I have outlined for each of the briefs at the speed at which I am finally working at now before moving on with anything new. Upon reflection I can see that the initial 8 briefs which I had wrote I haven't completed much of them because of live and collab briefs which have popped up instead. These are briefs which I will have to start and focus on and also have further collab and competition to look forward to in the new year.
Notepads
This was the first brief which I completed and the first live brief which I was given. It was a short turn around opportunity which had a specific audience that was a new challenge but a good opportunity to test out some print and foiling skills. The clients were people that I work with part time and because of this friendship I was given free reign on the design and formats as long as they were suitable for the job. My final concept was a series of small notepads that could be used for a variety of roles and were specified simply by a variety of related sayings. These sayings were all similar with slight differences according to their use and the feedback received was positive and caused a good conversation among us in the office because they could all relate with the individual terms. I was pleased with the finished foiling and feel it gave the simplistic design added interest without being too garish and distracting which suited the audience and context. Although the colour scheme isn't exactly navy and white of the company it was close enough to please but could have been re worked with better stock for the front covers. I am disappointed with some of the perfect binding because it is beginning to fall apart after only slight use and this may need re doing after Christmas for final submission.
Christmas postcard
This again was another quick turn around brief set by Lizzie and I was pleased with the outcome as I felt it completed what the brief asked for. My chosen song suited typographic style as it allowed me to look at layout and lyrics. The finished design is simple and legible which is suitable for the small format which it needed to be printed onto. Looking back I am disappointed that I didn't investigate a variety of lyrics and just went with my first idea, although it did work it was limited. If I had enough time I would have expanded the brief and range but with Christmas approaching it feels pointless and I don't want to be working with Christmas designs at Easter. At the time I had collab work to be developing so made this priority and moved on from the postcard.
Dr ME
This was a live brief which was also a collab and quick turn around which at first seemed challenging but by the end became enjoyable and a good opportunity for experimentation. The outcome which me and Josh developed had a visual aesthetic which was very different to that we would both normally produce but we were equally as pleased with and enjoyed the process. The concept which we worked on was linguistic pairs and how collaboration of two things are only seen when both elements work as one. The creation of the icons using paper and tearing was a different technique that we both took time to grasp and was unsure to begin with if it would be successful or not. Once scanned, laid out and re coloured digitally the whole visual became so much better and I was pleased with the final outcome. Re colouring allowed us to create the checkerboard visual and emphasise the concept of two opposing things coming together to make one. I am disappointed that I am unable to see the flag in context at the exhibition after going through the trouble of printing and mailing it.
Elmwood
Again this was a brief which I hadn't planned for at the beginning of the year because it was only briefed a few weeks ago, this was my third live brief of the year. My chosen profession to brand was accountant. I struggled with the concept massively to begin with, experimenting with the obvious, and looked at various solutions until I was finally pleased and ready for the interim crit, even if it was at last minute. For the crit I presented two ideas but it was clear that the concept of 'account-ants' was much stronger and created the friendly, fun approach to accounting I wanted to promote with the brand. Upon feedback from other crits I kept the strap line of 'strength in numbers' because it was the most appropriate for the ant visual and the meaning of them but developed the actual visual looking closer at ant structure. My final concept was to display the ant queen as the queens head on the coin which the ant would then carry. It was simple iconic visual that would work suitably at different scales ready for the different applications and be quickly understood. Although this is very different to the traditional accountant branding I feel this is exactly what the brief asked for. For the actual submission to Elmwood I will explore further applications and use of the brand that are more appropriate but have run out of time for this module submission.
Coeliac type
Towards the beginning of the year I was approached by Mike wanting to collab on a type based project after how well we worked together last year during the responsive module. After some thinking I realised that I would need a display typeface for my coeliac publication next year so this was an opportunity not to be missed and he agreed. The concept was to create a typeface that would be suitable for a young audience but also convey a visual representation of the disease. The final typeface we designed achieved the concept we set out but from feedback we both realised that it could be used for other areas outside the health sector so this is the approach we took to the specimen booklet and font name. 'Involved' font, in my eyes, was a success and I am excited to use it now within my actual publication. Some areas will need improving though before final module submission in May because the printing and binding of the final specimen booklet wasn't to the standard which we hoped for and effected the final quality of the visual. We also ran out of time to package the booklet and posters and create the stickers.
78violet
This was an individual brief which I had wrote at the beginning of the year but fell massively behind its original schedule due to the inclusion of the other briefs and because of this it isn't fully complete yet and some more promotional material will need to be developed in the new year. After seeing how well the experimental and different approach to aesthetic took with the Dr ME brief I thought this would be another opportunity to try something different to the norm. As the band is changing its image and name with the re emergence into the industry I felt it was fitting to try using experimental visuals. The final concept for the logo was to represent the two individuals coming together to create a third voice by laying the third word across the two numbers above. This concept is mimicked in the CD packaging by the two parts coming together to form the whole cover. The visuals are based on experimental photos of flowers with reference to one of their singles lyrics. I am disappointed with the lack of progress on this brief so far but know it couldn't be helped because of the demand of dissertation research.
Coming back after Christmas I hope to finish and alter all the elements which I have outlined for each of the briefs at the speed at which I am finally working at now before moving on with anything new. Upon reflection I can see that the initial 8 briefs which I had wrote I haven't completed much of them because of live and collab briefs which have popped up instead. These are briefs which I will have to start and focus on and also have further collab and competition to look forward to in the new year.
Elmwood (live)- Final solutions.
After slight changes based upon feedback received in the interim crit I have finished the final solution for Elmwood and branding of an accountant. I have chosen the concept of 'account-ants' and 'strength in numbers' which is used to change the boring perceptions of the profession and create an image which is fun and approachable. I have chosen a dark green colour to keep the brand looking professional, positive and money related. The logo visual I have kept simplistic with the use of one colour but still created an image which is recognisable at different scales. Feedback from the crit suggested that I change the image within the coin to the queen ants head. This then replaced the queens head on the coin with something which related further with the other ant visuals and ant structure but also worked with the reference to money. I have gone ahead and shown how the logo could be used and manipulated across various applications and stationary that an accountant would use which gives good context to the logo and highlights that it is suitable in a variety of formats. For the hand in for Elmwood I do plan on expanding this further into other elements which are relevant and more interesting after reflection on this.
Coeliac type (collab)- Booklet printout.
Once Mike had finalised the changes which we discussed about the layout of the booklet we decided that it would be best to print out a rough mock up on the laser printer before spending a great deal on the actual print.
From this we could see that the front cover needed slight adjustment so that more negative space was left where the bind was in order for the illustrations to be clearer and displayed centrally. We felt the text was too high up too and needed to be moved down slightly so that it wasn't as dominant on the page but without reducing legibility. During the process of this we decided that the stock needed to be suitable for handling so a heavier weight supplied in digital print was perfect.
I was pleased with the final outcome of the specimen booklet and feel it achieves the child friendly and fun approach we have had in mind all along. The bright primary colours which we have chosen have printed out much better than I expected and because of this the type and illustrations really pop off the page and add much needed interest to the simplified layout. The spacing of each page works well to display the typeface at its best and it can be easily understood in an understated way. Binding and cropping hasn't gone as well as we had hoped and some are lop sided and mis judged, because of this we have decided that further work will be done on this in the new year. At the last minute we have also realised that other promotional material and packaging that we set out to achieve hasn't been completed in time for submission and feel that it is needed to finish off the overall visual to a higher quality, so again is another element we will work on later. Due to restrictions with printing and lack of resources left we have been unable to add the vinyl we wanted.
Monday, 9 December 2013
Edge typeface- Final solutions.
Final product range includes:
- Edge typeface (regular and outline)
- Type specimen booklet
Coeliac type (collab)- Brief alterations.
Looking back at the work we have produced already we have realised that the initial brief we wrote has changed slightly now and needs refining so have gone ahead and re wrote.
78 violet- Inner booklet ideas.
A suggestion in the latest crit was to include the inner booklet within the CD packaging but to make sure that it was small enough to work within the CD format I have chosen and also cheap enough if the whole thing does become a throw away piece.
I identified that a hot dog booklet format was perfect for a cheap and small way to display the information and also allowed me to include a poster which typically fans love and is often included within the CD.
To work out the layout and positioning of this I created a small paper mock up to help. Peer suggestion came with the shape of the pages and it was suggested that the shape mimic the square of the CD cover and logo. After trailing this with the paper I realised that it worked well with the CD format however effected the pull out poster and this is now too long. To overcome this it was further suggested that I include a small section of text or tour dates at the bottom which would be of interest to be displayed by the audience with the poster.
Based upon the paper mock up I created a suitable document to mimic this ready to place the individual page images within. Looking at this layout and my primary research of their existing booklets I decided that the majority should be image based with little text. As the band has recently undergone a new name change and trying to attract a new and slightly different audience it is relevant to include information of the individual band mates, so this content will dominate the small format.
I have looked at including the section names across the imagery so that there would be more room on the individual pages for more content but this hasn't worked as planned because legibility is too reduced.
Removing them worked much better but the layout needs working on much more before submission.
Friday, 6 December 2013
Coeliac type (collab)- Type specimen booklet.
I came to the conclusion earlier in the week that my role in the creation of this typeface hasn't been as great as Mike's but this is not a bad thing as I will be later be using this within another brief whereas this is one of his bigger briefs.
As a result of this he has mainly worked on the design and layout of the specimen booklet. But we both agreed that the name 'Involve' for the font would be suitable as, following feedback from the last crit, it was suggested that the typeface could be used for other sectors besides healthcare so we have named it something which isn't too specific to that.
Once he had the basic layout set out on InDesign I then suggested a few areas to re arrange and change which we both felt improved the visual and the way in which the type would be viewed page by page.
I also suggested the possibility of using vinyl on the front cover for some of the cell illustrations to add visual impact but also to stimulate touch sensation as I know sensory engagement for children is important. This will also be great practice for myself as it is a skill I'm not familiar with but will want to use on my later Coeliac publication.
After this we have discussed possible stock options ready for print next week. We have gone with a neutral bulky newsprint for the inner pages to reflect the colouring book appearance for children we have been hoping for all along and a thicker card stock or waterproof paper for the cover so that it is more durable when handled.
As a result of this he has mainly worked on the design and layout of the specimen booklet. But we both agreed that the name 'Involve' for the font would be suitable as, following feedback from the last crit, it was suggested that the typeface could be used for other sectors besides healthcare so we have named it something which isn't too specific to that.
Once he had the basic layout set out on InDesign I then suggested a few areas to re arrange and change which we both felt improved the visual and the way in which the type would be viewed page by page.
Previous ideas
Changes made after discussion
I also suggested the possibility of using vinyl on the front cover for some of the cell illustrations to add visual impact but also to stimulate touch sensation as I know sensory engagement for children is important. This will also be great practice for myself as it is a skill I'm not familiar with but will want to use on my later Coeliac publication.
After this we have discussed possible stock options ready for print next week. We have gone with a neutral bulky newsprint for the inner pages to reflect the colouring book appearance for children we have been hoping for all along and a thicker card stock or waterproof paper for the cover so that it is more durable when handled.
78 violet- CD development.
After looking at existing CD packaging and taking a net off the CD provided with the book I now have to manipulate the cover design onto this format. I have chosen a packaging format which is different to a regular case and works well to emphasis the concept of two individuals coming together to make one.
When I first placed the cover onto the net I could see that the size was slightly off and the splitting of the logo as wanted for the concept wouldn't work. But with slight adjustment and scaling I managed to make it work without much hassle.
Because of the detailed visual of the front cover I have decided to keep the back very simple so that the song list would be highly legible. I have mocked up how the cover would split with the CD within but have been unable to print this out practically for interim submission which I am disappointed about, this is because I am still considering suitable stock which to use.
78 violet- Cover development.
After experimenting with various visuals I have picked one to use for the front cover of the CD and began to work on how the logo is displayed and interacts with this.
I have altered the logo so that it has screen as its opacity because the initial blocked out logo is too blunt on top of the image. To begin with I was worried that would reduce legibility too much but confirmation from the crit suggested it was still readable. The inclusion of the illustration didn't work as hoped so I have removed this because it was making the visual too cluttered and reduced the legibility of the logo when placed behind. I have altered the hue slightly so that the colour was more representative of violet to have a direct link to the band name. Overall I am sort of pleased with the outcome but feel it could need further work but this is something I will decide on later when I have looked at a printed version. Similar to the Dr ME experiments I hope that the final visual will come together better within the later stages of the design.
Progress crit feedback.
Coeliac type
- Use the typeface that it is based on for the body copy for publication
- Use typeface for headers only because of size of squiggles
- Don't need to specify colours as it could be applied to different things such as science museum
- Maybe suggest a few colours- limited colour palette
Elmwood
- Ant with pound works well
- Colours make is seem more sophisticated
- Light hearted which works well as accountants are normally seen as boring, but this is exciting
78violet
- Legible- works well
- Good concept for CD to pull apart and join together
- Maybe do two versions- limited editions
- One to keep and one to throw away
- Find a way to bring CD together again- stock? magnet? velcro?
Thursday, 5 December 2013
Elmwood (live)- Further developments.
After the interim crit with Steph from Elmwood I looked at changing the logo visual based upon the feedback which I received. The main suggestion that I felt was most appropriate to change was the design within the coin to an ant queens head. This was something which never crossed my mind before the resemblance between society structures so worked well to present a visual which was recognisable to the audience and also still worked well with the fun approachable feel I was going for. Was simple enough to replace within the images I had already created previously.
Again, this new design still works on a small scale and can be used as an ant trail across the other applications as also suggested. Thinking about other visuals further another suggestion that was brought up at the crit was the possibility of including the type within the ant imagery. I found that this wouldn't work well for the logo as it made it too long and over complicated but would be appropriate to use as titles within the applications such as notepads and invoices and this would then mimic the ant trails. I would have to watch about scale with this though as the type would still need to be legible.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)