OUGD406 - Studio Brief 03 - Collaborative Practice Evaluation

The work produced within this group was effective in communicating the key themes of our exhibition concept. The colour scheme and typefaces were consistent across both printed and digital media. The accompanying printed material was a strength of the group, along with the wayfinding and the social media presence. As a group we were organised, working efficiently together and taking into account each others strengths and weaknesses. We communicated well, kept accurate records of our ideas and our progress, and resolved issues quickly and efficiently. There was a slight lack of communication between members during the initial design stages, leading to a variety of different design directions being pursued, but this was rectified by the group planning to meet regularly to discuss new ideas and evaluate feedback before continuing with the designs work and planning of the exhibition. One member of the group was not present during the first meeting and initial idea generation stage of the project, but this absence was made up for with the quality of work they produced and the ideas they contributed. Discussions within the group were always structures and informative, and always relevant to the project’s progression. Although due to time constraints we were not able to present a new name for the exhibition in time for the academic submission, this is a problem that will be resolved in time for the next presentation to the sponsors of the exhibition. Personally, this group has been the most connected and productive group I have worked with so far this year.

OUGD406 - Studio Brief 04 - Final Design

The final printed poster:

When screenprint the posters I had a number of setbacks. A screen that I had reserved and freshly coated was taken on the day I had scheduled to do my printing, meaning I had to strip and coat a new screen, which too an extra day to locate and do. Although I was a day behind with the printing I managed to print the first layer of the posters, the pink silhouettes of the hands. Because of the now shortened time span I had to create the posters, the prints did not come out as intended, with most containing patchy areas. I then did not have time to screenprint the second layer of detail, but instead finished the posters by hand. However, these errors worked in favour of the project, as the misprinted shapes added an extra element of texture that added to aesthetic of the print, and the hand finished details helped to portray the idea of using your hands to create work, and that sometimes a hand-finished product can be more personal. In a peer critique the hand-finished details had the most positive reaction, with many saying that they preferred this outcome to the print to a screenprinted version. It was noted that the colours were engaging and would be appropriate for students of varying ages and genders.

Throughout this module the use of physical printing techniques has been prevalent and I have expanded my used of screenprintng and letterpress within my work. I feel confident that next year I will be able to continue using these processes and push my knowledge and skills within these areas even further.

OUGD406 - Studio Brief 03 - Feedback From the Second Presentation

Within the second group presentation we presented updated versions of our exhibition work, but again feedback was mixed. The group had worked on a new concept for the internal appearance for the exhibition space, looking at the use of stock exchange graphs on the walls as a way to guide viewers around the space and around the work, but tutors and peers felt that this create a sense of business within the space and that it would distract from the work on show. Again, the wayfinding, invites and social media sites were strengths within the group, and there was positive feedback for the idea of working with local breweries to supply a bar at the exhibition opening night, but again the presentation of the publication could have been strengthened with a physical representation.

Logo designs, used interchangeably throughout

the branding for the exhibition - Ed Harland

Wayfinding for the exhibition, using the same stacking motif as the logos - Ed Harland

 

Two sets of poster designs, to be used alternatively

in the promotion of the exhibition - Ed Harland

 Double-sided envelop used with the physical invitations - Thea Koutas, Joe Turner

The physical invite that will be sent to a multitude of design

studios, both local and national - Joe Turner

A feedback card to allow visitors to leave comments

about the exhibition - Joe Turner

A list of design studios, both local and national, that we will invite

to attend the launch of the exhibition - Beth Phillimore

The Get Rich Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages used to promote the event - Alec Beddall

The stock exchange graph concept applied to the interior of the exhibition space

From this presentation we were selected to put together a professional pitch for the sponsors of the exhibition. For this next presentation we will

OUGD406 - Studio Brief 04 - Poster Designs

In the critique I had asked peers what would encourage them to use a new medium and most had answered they would be experiment with new techniques if they saw an example of what it was possible to produce. For this reason I chose to screenprint my posters so as to encourage new students to consider different methods of print production.

From my initial sketches I created a series of paper-cut hand silhouettes that I would use to expose the shapes onto a screenprinting screen. I then created additional layers of detail on tracing paper that would make up the second layer of the screenprint.

Possible poster layouts

OUGD406 - Studio Brief 03 - Further Publication Designs

After receiving feedback from the first group presentation, the slight change in concept for our exhibition did't require a change in the design of publication, and so I created some more sample designs for the publication. I extended the designs to example a variety of ways that the work would be curated on the walls of the exhibition, including the positioning around the windows.

As discussed in a group critique, I added an additional arrow to the layout, as the volume of work presented in the one space would be relatively large and there was the potential need for some kind of system to allow a viewer to follow the path of the work within the booklet.

Considering the reproduction of this publication, in order to mass produce a run of books to be used within the exhibition, both on the opening night and throughout the rest of the exhibition time, digitally printing the publications would be the fastest and cheapest printing method. The promotional posters for the exhibition will be screenprinted, and although the booklets will lose the tactile nature of this type of production when digitally printed, it would be the most viable option for producing a large number of professional publications.

OUGD406 - Studio Brief 03 - Feedback From the First Presentation

As a group we presented our concept for the exhibition and all of the work we had produced for it, including the logo, the wayfinding, and the publication. Feedback from this first presentation was mixed. The tutors and peers liked the designs we had made, but felt that our name and concept was not as firm as they could have been. As our logos and wayfinding reflected a stacking motif, they suggested that as an alternative to the blueprint theme that we look at the stock market and stock graphs for the internal exhibition appearance. The logo and wayfinding were particularly successful, and one of the strongest they had seen presented, however the colour scheme needed finalising as we had each used slightly different shade of blue within our work. The physical invitations, guest list and social media sites were all strong points of our presentation. The publication design received positive feedback from both tutors and peers, but could have been better represented with a physical example. It was also mentioned that we had not fully referenced how the internal look of the exhibition would appear.

From this feedback we decided as a group to focus on the physical presentation for the exhibition, with particular attention paid to how the work would be curated on the walls.

OUGD406 - Studio Brief 04 - Use Your Hands Sketches

Moving forward with the idea of creating a collection of posters rather than a zine, I began to experiment with the content for the series. The emphasis of this project is to encourage new students to use alternative methods of production from digital means, and so the entirety of the content for this project will be made by hand.

I wanted the posters to have an illustrated feel and so as a starting point I began to create a series of drawings based around hands:

OUGD404 - Studio Brief 02 - Suggestions For Tenderness Publication

Suggestions For Tenderness, the finished publication:

 Front and back covers featuring tracing paper dust jacket

Extracts from Suggestions For Tenderness

All thirty copies, finished and bound

Reactions to this publication were very positive when it was presented during a final critique with peers. It was agreed that the theme of the book was uniquely and effectively presented through the illustrations and that the handwritten typeface added a naivety to its appearance that played well with the idea of closeness and intimacy through everyday physical acts. The idea of tenderness was conveyed through every aspect of the book, from the illustrations to the lengthy and labour-heavy printing process and even through the dust jackets. The physicality of the book was also commented on, as the weight pages and the translucent qualities of both the pages and the cover give a lightness, and almost a surreal quality, to the publication. To fresh eyes, the changes in the colour scheme and the minor technical problems I had had during printing were not apparent, and many noted that it did not impact on the content or the message of the publication. Despite the fact that the books had been mass produced in order to create a large run of them, the nature of Risograph printing meant that the hand made qualities and imperfections had been preserved, which helped to retain the integrity of the publication.

This module overall has pushed me as both a graphic designer and as a publication designer. From here I will continue to pursue my interest in publication design into the second year, and test the limits of what I am personally able to produce, and also what the boundaries of a publication could be.

OUGD406 - Studio Brief 04 - Reflective Practice, Speaking From Experience

Brief: Produce a graphic response/ graphic product /piece of work that makes a statement, comment, observation or gives advice about your experience on your first year of this course. Remember what it was like starting your first week: what might you say, do or give to next years graphic design students to make the transition into the student experience more welcoming? Work with any appropriate media or format and develop and identify the content will be entertaining, advisory or informative.

Thinking back to my first few weeks of university life I discovered that there were a certain set of problems that come with moving to both a new university and a new city. These problems can be divided into two categories: working and living. Within a new city there are obviously issues with navigation and finding your way around, and within the university there are anxieties about getting involved and being comfortable working there. From this starting point I made a variety of sketches from some initial ideas:

Looking at the problems that are specific to starting a new course, one of the most challenging aspects for me came when a new brief was set. Particularly in the first few projects there was a looming pressure to create the same kind of work that everyone else was creating - to use the same colours or the same typefaces, or to follow the 'minimal' and 'Swiss' design trends. Coming from a more fine art background I wasn't as familiar in designing in this way and found myself unwillingly drawn to creating work digitally rather than by hand. As a way of discouraging this herd-like behaviour in new students, my first idea was to create a short zine entitled Use Your Hands that actively encouraged stepping away from the computer and getting physical with the projects. Even if the end result would ultimately be digital, it would still encourage students to use their hands to sketch and draw and measure out as a way of experimentation.

Another problem that is common for new students is the reluctance to start making work for fear that it won't be right - the 'blank first page' problem. To solve this, another idea was to supply new students with pre-worn notebooks that had slightly bent corners and had the first page crossed out. This would hopefully encourage students to get past this fear of creating and just create.

Moving on to look at the challenges of a new city, navigation is always a common problem that new students face. Finding my way around Leeds was challenging for me when I first moved here, and in particular, finding my way to and from the university. From my accommodation block there were about a dozen different possible routes, all of which overlapped and intertwined in a seemingly infinite number of possibilities. As a new student I was given no guidance as to which were the best routes, but ultimately as I've discovered, each one takes exactly the same amount of time anyway. As a response to this I could create a tongue-in-cheek zine full of different written directions that only contain the words 'left' and 'right', with no indication as to the starting point or the destination.

Another aspect of university life that is only discovered once you move is that some days are just really normal. Sometimes nothing exciting will happen, even if you want it to, and it's quite easy to find yourself working a nine to five day and having the sudden realisation that that's basically what life is sometimes. It wasn't an alien concept to me before I moved but it only really became a reality during my first term, and I found it to be quite unsettling at times. To reassure other possible new students that the normalcy of life is actually very real but nothing to be alarmed of, I could produce a short written zine responding to this concept.

Feedback from a critique highlighted that the Use Your Hands concept would be the most engaging, and would also be the most encouraging for new students coming from a range of creative backgrounds. It was suggested however that the idea might work more effectively as a series of handmade posters, so that it could be pasted on a bedroom wall or in a studio, and therefore have a longer lasting effect. From the feedback I will continue with the idea of Use Your Hands, and investigate ways in which a poster series could be created.

OUGD406 - Studio Brief 03 - Publication Mock-up's

Once the contract had been drawn up, the group started to create mock-up's of the logo, wayfinding, printed material, and internal design of the space. I created a couple of designs for the front cover using the logo we had confirmed as a group, and a series of potential layout ideas for the accompanying publication, using a blue colour scheme a fine detailed lines to adhere to the blueprint theme:

 Two potential cover designs, both using a vibrant blue

with white logo and exhibition information

Example of how the exhibition publication would appear, providing a map of the work positioned on the walls and a short 140 character description to accompany

A collection of all the printed material that will

be used within the exhibition