Action plan/Evaluation

Year Book: Meeting 2

Second team meeting, just concentrating more on the concept and focusing on possible ideas for layout. We've narrowed it down to one word: 'Dedication'. Now trying to extrapolate from there possible applications to images and layout. After some research we're feeling small, unobtrusive text, overlayed onto the images, possibly at 90 degrees. (see context)

We also had a look at a few sample packs and tried to see what kind of stocks etc would be most suitable. We watned a more matt finish to the cover but some of the stocks wefound didnt hold photographs particularily well. However, we did find a silk coated stock that looks really nice without being too glossy, called Regency Satin. We've emailed a printers for a price quote as well, just to text the water.

Quick test with the QR codes, they're well easy to make and easier to use, just trying different sizes on my ancient 3G iPhone, pretty much the worst camera on a smart phone, to see which is the smallest it could pick up. The 20mm was the smallest, any smaller and nothing happened, though even the 20 was difficult. We decided the 25mm would be much more appropriate and easier to use.

Stock Sampling

Just trying out a few paper samples from suppliers, Adam ordered a few and I ordered the Regency we'd seen on another booklet. We thought it would be important as part of our pitch to not just show layouts and covers and such, but that we've thought about other elements like stocks, colours etc.

Random Bits

Layouts

Some quick context examples for our upcoming yearbook pitch. We decided we should all go find some examples of how we want the yearbook to look so next week when we meet we can have a starting point to jump off from rather than just working with a blank piece of paper.

Architects

I'm always looking at cool T's and interesting ideas for future designs. Ever since I bought my Architects T at their gig last year, I've been looking at their other merch available, and so much of it is so detailed but still singular colour - the kind of print possible with simple 1-screen prints. 

Also I really like the use of hand-drawn type that typifies the majority of their T designs which I'd like to imitate should I get the chance to do T's again.

Action plan/Evaluation

Tutorial

Just had my tutorial with Lorenzo, it was very useful, very informative.


There were 3 main issues i need to address:


1) Clarification of message.


For the last module i lost a lot of marks due to my work losing some of its meaning and message as time went by. The purpose of my work, the 'why', wasn't as evident as it should be, and maybe this needs to be something i address right from the offset and make very clear and understand where my work is going.


2) Design Context book


I really didn't know what much about how to approach this. I guess i needed to review my notes from Fred's workshop to get to grips with it, but Lorenzo discussed how i need to start now with a general focus, the whole titles/chapters thing, and get it up and running now.


3) Concept/proposition


In my briefs the concept/proposition section i don't think i'd ever really gotten hold of. We discussed how maybe we, as students, never really understood how to write briefs properly. Consequently my briefs were a little scattered. The concept/proposition section should be the 'why' of the brief, and the mandatory requirements is literally what is to be produced - infographics, logo, ID, packaging, poster etc.


Generally i think it went well, and just discussing the briefs i've got helped me to understand a little more what they are to be about and how to take them forward.

Layout Ideas

Now this is a website, but could quite easily be transplanted into print as a set of spreads. Text is minimal, and despite the relatively small size of the images the focus is very much on them.

Inspiration

This has probably been my main source of inspiration when planning this yr book pitch, mainly because of the clarity and simplicity of the full bleed image which so perfectly takes centre stage on the spread. The type has a specific form too, though it moves on the page, and i really like the overset text on the image.

Yearbook...It's Personal

Just thought I would state my reasons for doing this yearbook pitch. Not that I need to explain myself to anyone, but I have a couple of very specific reasons for going for the yearbook.

First off, at the end of last year before Christmas when Fred told us the yearbook pitch would be up for grabs, I initially thought of trying to find someone to do it with but decided against it, simply because in general I kinda shirk away from this kind of thing. It's a lot of pressure and effort and I generally prefer to do my own thing. But Adam came up to me and asked me (after I'd volunteered) if I'd join him and Luke in a group and on impulse I said yes.

Now thats not my reason. I volunteered because I knew it would provide useful experience and provide an insight into dealing with printers, clients etc. I started to pull out because I talked myself out of it. The reasons I kept with it were:

1) I need to stop being a coward and start doing this stuff, and

2) I know how I work. We'll get lots of time to complete many briefs, I'll mess around not getting anywhere for a while and when it comes to crunch time I'll churn the work out. Provided we win the yearbook with out pitch, I will, quite literally almost, be forced to do meaningful work from the outset. Which is what I need. Deadlines, pressure, time constraints. So for me, the only way to overcome one of my weaknesses in the way I work is to be forced to do it.

Which is a good thing.

Long Briefs

I've looked up a few more briefs and my list so far looks like this:

B1 - Meanwood Valley Urban Farm (dead, map&inforgraphics)
B2 - SEGA (competition, event&promotion)
B3 - SamplePhonics (live, logo&identity)
B4 - Finding Pluto (self, publication & infographics)
B5 - Yearbook (collaborative, publication)
B6 - Umbro (competition, promotion, type as image)
B7 - Fakery/context (comp/self, type as image, message)
B8 - Oxfam (competition, infoG, image, message)

Currently still writing them but will post the full details and briefs as soon as possible.

The main consideration now, i think, is how much time i expect to give over to each brief, which are long/short/medium, and where i can push the smaller ones into something more substantial. They all seem, to me at least, medium-large, with few small ones so maybe i should find myself a couple of single day briefs to crack out as well.

Year Book: First Meeting

Class is in session! Our dream team consists of myself, Luke Hallam and Adam Townend. Just started off discussing quick ideas, the main concept we're trying to get across and what needs to be included.

The concept was a tricky one. We spent a long time deliberating not just on what it should be but how we could effectivly communicate that across the layout and photography. Dunno if we've quite cracked it yet, but we want to show how much time and hard work have gone into the course, kinda following Fred's hours/minutes/seconds thread. 2 things we are sure on is first we want full bleed photos, not jst small boxes or cut outs but some nice full bleed stuff. Second, my GENIUS idea, is each student having a QR code on their page for those with mobile devices to scan and link them to the students own personal site or webspace. See, genius.

Action Plans

Tom Bucher

Oliver Tomas

New Work Magazine

Some really nice layouts for New Work Magazine. Now I'm not a massive fan of stuff like this, mainly because it is more about the layout design than the content (which in my mind is counter productive) and is a bit pretentious, however, as an example of a way to push the limits of what layout can be (within a standard frame ie. A4) it really works.

Neil Doshi

Not really pertinent to any of my briefs, but I'm interested in these t's because of the patterns and colours. It's difficult to design hand painted t-shirts and screen print them because in screen printing you use single colours, and without doing a 4 colour-way screen print (which would take FOREVER) it's nigh on impossible to get these results, meaning they're most likely digitally printed. In my opinion it's a lot more difficult to design for screen printed t's because of this, as you have to be aware of the limitations of the process and design specifically with that in mind.

Christina Couceiro

One of my main aims this module is to use photoshop more, not just because it's a useful skill to have, but because I think when used in conjunction with other skills and processes it can be a very useful tool for more rounded design. 

Also I'm a big fan of the way Couceiro uses geometric shapes full of colour to add impact to her work. I've used shapes a lot in the work I've done before and want to do more of it, so to use it in conjunction with more photo-image based layouts would be interesting to me, specifically when it comes to my general idea for my Finding Pluto brief, which would concentrate a lot on this kind of design.

Brandon Schaefer