OUGD603 - Brief 02 - Bowling Together Book

Book

Directions for the written findings were simple, as its main purpose was simply to outline key themes and findings of the research, and present the academic report in an accessible manner. It was only specified that it should not look like a standard research paper.

The writing itself was nearly 4,000 words, and so the simplest way to present this volume of information was to format the text as a small booklet. This would allow the information to be broken down into distinct chapters, and therefore provide greater accessibility to non-academics.

As discussed with the client, the cover design would simply show the logo and brand colours for the project. Garamond was used throughout the book, as it is one of the most legible typefaces for copy, and Helvetica was used as a secondary typeface to highlight quotes. The book was formatted to A5 size so as to amplify the idea of accessibility and to keep printing costs within budget. It was printed in house at Goldsmiths and saddle stitched.

OUGD603 - Brief 01 - About Honey Evaluation

Evaluation

About Honey aimed to create a magazine to fill the current void of queer and lesbian publications in the commercial magazine industry. Using found imagery to present a unique narrative of a largely erased history, the magazine bridged a gap between the traditional zine platforms used for LGBT self-representation, and the strict binary of men's and women's magazines. Accessibility for the zine community was maintained through design that was consistent with traditional zine aesthetics. Accessibility for wider audiences was increased through a conscious awareness of on-trend branding techniques, and the aesthetics of current successful independent magazines.

Working collaboratively maximised productivity during the initial research phase and then construction of the magazine spreads. Working individually to create the branding was more challenging, but meant that the ideas behind the branding remained cohesive throughout. Type and colours treatments were appropriate for the intended audience, and created a unique visual style for the publication. Risograph production methods were low cost and effective in terms of the scale of the project, and also created a link between traditional zine culture and independently produced magazines. Conclusive feedback deemed the magazine successful in its ability to re-establish a queer timeline within a straight history, and present a fresh perspective for a new generation of LGBTq+ youth.

About Honey was exhibited at the European Lesbian* Conference in Vienna, in September 2017. It was well received by both the audience and the organisers of the event, and 150 copies were distributed in total over the two day event.

OUGD603 - Brief 01 - About Honey Final Publication

Final Publication

Portfolio images of the completed publication. The magazine is packaged in a black plastic zip lock bag to simulate both the material of fetish latex and the heavy packaging that is often used for adult magazines.

OUGD603 - Brief 02 - Bowling Together Posters

Posters

As a keepsake of the film screening and any subsequent talks, it was requested that a series of posters be made, featuring a variety of slogans or mottos. Taking lines from the film resulted in a list of possible phrases:

• Unluckiest man in the game
• Never give up!
• There's always next week
• There's always another game
• Aim towards the pins
• Non stop round the clock

The client suggested that to keep the cost of printing the posters within the budget for the project, the posters could be double-sided, with a different slogan on each side. After a review of the budget it was decided that two double-sided posters could be produced. With this in mind, the client picked four slogans that could be used:

• Unluckiest man in the game
• Never give up!
• Non stop round the clock
• There's always another game

To differentiate between the posters and the more generalised branding of the project, a secondary typeface was selected. Quartzo is a heavy sans-serif typefaces with thick stroke weights. It's gentle diagonals create well balanced letterforms and it's decorative ligatures (see: 'R' and 'O', and 'T' and 'O' together) create a bespoke finish to type treatments. The full colour palette was used across these designs.

Working to the same specifications as the first three posters, the type treatment on the final poster resulted in a landscape configuration. Despite this, feedback from the client was very positive. It was agreed that the new typeface remained true to the original branding of the project, and presented similar aesthetic qualities to the existing brand, and was therefore still successful in its use.

Peer feedback suggested reworking all four of the posters in order to maintain continuity throughout the designs. However the client decided that although it was not ideal, the designs for the other three posters worked well and the landscape poster did not negatively impact the integrity of the series overall.

After some further design work was done on the website and other aspects of the project, the client then suggested that only two posters would be printed for the screening of the documentary, and that there should be continuity between the colours used on the posters and the colours used in the wider project. Two posters were selected, and the key project colours (red, white and black) were used:

The posters were printed A4 size so as to remain compact, and to comply with the project's budget restrictions.

OUGD603 - Brief 01 - About Honey Print Production

Print Production

The production of the publication continues to draw from queer zine heritage, and was printed on a risograph printer. Risograph printing provides a unique print quality that is often associated with the zine community, but is also capable of producing high quality single or multi-colour prints. Economically, it is cheaper for small print runs than using a commercial print firm, and it is also one of the most environmentally friendly forms of commercial printing with a high print speed of 100 pages a minute.

The initial print run of About Honey issue 1 was 300 copies, and was printed in black and red. Stock choice was 80gsm recycled Evercopy Plus to further the environmental nature of the printing process. The publications were bound with a saddle stitch so as to reflect the DIY binding of many of the zines created during the original movement. Due to a lack of personal access to a risograph machine it was arranged that the printing would handled externally by Leeds-based risograph print studio Footprint.

OUGD603 - Brief 02 - Bowling Together Logo

Logo

To create the logo, very little guidance was given in terms of form or type treatments, but it was advised that it should be in keeping with the look and style of a bowling alley. However it was suggested that a neon theme could be explored.

The bowling alley documented in the film was Rowans Tenpin Bowl, an American bowling alley located in Finsbury Park, North London. To gather a sense of the styles and aesthetics of this bowling alley, screenshots were taken from the film to help inform the design and colour scheme.

Initial discussions about the logo quickly revealed that the possibility of using neon signage as a source of inspiration could be considered cliché and gimmicky. However, the client was still keen to represent the aesthetics of the bowling alley, and so a range of primary designs were created:


Primary Designs

         1

          2

          3

          4

          5

Client feedback on these primary designs concluded that moving away from the neon concept was the correct decision. Of these designs the client was most enthusiastic about design 4, due to the clear, legible typeface. It was noted that the spherical nature of this logo felt highly appropriate to the context of a bowling project. Peer feedback also agreed with this. It was felt that design 1 replicated an 'American aesthetic' well, but within the context of a more academic project it would not be the most appropriate solution.


Secondary Designs

Moving forward from this feedback, a selection of secondary variations were created. A circle motif was incorporated into the logo

It was stated by the client that the Rowans name should not be used anywhere on the branding as they were not officially part of the project. Peer feedback on these design were postive towards the new circle motif as it both represent the shape of a bowling ball and the concept of 'togetherness', but it was also noted that such fine details could be lost at smaller scales. Client feedback on these designs also reflected this, and it was agreed that the original variant was still the most successful logo design. However the client also gave positive towards the stroke outline variation of the logo, and suggested this could be used as a secondary logo where appropriate.


Final Logos

Colours 

From the film it was clear that although based in London, the bowling alley still very much retained its American heritage. A range of colours were selected from the film screenshots, all bold but with warm undertones. These colours not only represented Rowans, but were also reminiscent of the colours commonly used across American football, basketball and baseball - American team sports that pride themselves on community and togetherness.

This palette not only creates a distinct brand for the project, but also allows for a continued relationship between any of the design produced for this project, and the origins of the project's research.

Final Logo in Situ