The first was the idea of a newspaper that would detail the history of the station as well as including details about the station's design and the content of the lettering. Would include mainly text but also a small selection of photographs and possibly some sketches to draw links with a traditional newspaper cartoon. Many of my peers liked this idea and suggested I take into consideration the many aspects of a newspaper when designing my publication. Particularly on trains and metros, newspapers can have a multitude of purposes. They can act as reading material or a surface for writing on, an object to be folded, torn or rolled up, or an object to be left behind, and the pages may even be used to protect against dirt or rogue food and drink - there are many many levels of interaction with a publication such as this. They can carry information far further than the station on which they were distributed, but there is also an element of the disposable, particularly with a format of publication that is typically reproduced on a daily basis. These are just some of the many interesting facets that could be incorporated into my design and the information and layout displayed.
Idea 1: Newspaper
The second idea was to create a glossy commercial magazine that would highlight the culture of Paris. Focusing particularly on the culture of the city that surrounds that station, the magazine would feature a different event (music concert, exhibition, book launch, party) for each letter of the alphabet, with all the relevant details. The target audience for such a publication would most likely be locals to the area or even a well-adapted tourist. During the critique it was pointed out that the content might could have the potential to feel long winded if I do every letter in the alphabet, but this could be rectified by only presenting a selection of the letters, with the view that the rest would be covered in later issues of the magazine. It was also felt that due to the
Idea 2: A Commercial Magazine
The third idea was to play off the idea of coffee table books and the concept of books have an ornamental appeal. From this I would create a 'boxset' that would include a publication and a selection of ornamental ceramic sculptures. The publication itself would focus on the history and design of the station, and the ceramic pieces would be representational of the station itself — either flat tiles to represent the tiles featured in the actual station (these could double up as drinks coasters), or more conceptual sculptures of the train carriages or objects that could be found at the station. Peers liked the concept of ornamental books and accompanying ceramic pieces, however many struggled to suggest an appropriate target audience, which lead me to conclude that the publication, if produced, would not have a solid context and therefore would not be the most appropriate outcome for this brief.
Idea 3: A Boxset
Finally, the fourth idea was the creation of ceramic counterparts to accompany the publication, in whichever form it was created. This could include ceramic 'sheets' that text is printed on, or ceramic sculptures covered in letters or text. A large majority supported this idea as it was a unique addition to the project, and it was suggested that a combination of a newspaper and a series of ceramic pieces may in fact be the strongest response to this brief.
Idea 4: Ceramic Pieces
From this crit I have concluded that a newspaper would be the most appropriate publication — it's relevant to passengers that use public transport, it would have simple but effective distribution, and would be the best platform to present the required information through. To move forward with this project I will investigate further the practicality of creating my own newspaper, looking at the printing and binding methods, and also whether ceramic pieces could work alongside a publication such as this.