BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN PREPARATION & PROPOSAL – Part 1 Name Ben McKean
LEVEL
Module Code
Module Title
OUGD303
Final Major Project
06
Date 07/01/2012
REVISED POSITION STATEMENT AND RATIONALE An editorial investigation of type and layout with a focus on the culture sector. My design practice revolves around a typographic investigation of layout and format with a focus on working across a range of media. In terms of layout I am interested in how the benefits of print and digital offer different possibilities, where concepts such as hierarchy and grid systems fall within them, and producing them to a professional standard. Within typography I have a keen interest in letterform, how it represents speech and how it works as communication. I strive to manipulate and produce lettering relevant to the context, whether it is increasing legibility for signage, working on a font that needs to be legible at minute sizes for information design, or working on the relationship between a brand and its typeface. I work on selecting correct fonts relevant to the period of history, context or subject matter relating to briefs informed by my interest in typographic theory. With ever updating technologies I aim to incorporate the functionality and usability of new media to aid communication without relying on it, whilst maintaining a passion for print which is still very much existent in society and will be for some time. THEMES / SUBJECTS GENERAL THEMES: What Themes/Subjects will form Information Design the basis of your work for the final Authorship major project? This should include Ethical/ Political (Integrity) Theoretical and non design based Print and Digital content and concerns. Information design (Documentation) An overarching theme, which could be applied to my area of work, includes communicating large amounts of information to the audience. Using text and layout effectively. Authorship is an area of interest, which has become the basis for my dissertation. The consideration of how the audience digests the information in regards to its origination. This also ties in with communication theory and assessing the effectiveness of the design based on the response of the reader. Ethical/ Political (Integrity) Within modern graphic design, designers are almost forced to have a standpoint on ethical debates, even if that means taking a backseat. With current issues such as global warming and economic crisis part of my design awareness will have to be informing myself about these issues which may affect my design production and outcomes. Print and Digital The future of print has become uncertain due to the growth of new medias, particularly looking at books and periodicals and the innovation of digital formats. How businesses and magazine industries use digital technology has still not been mastered. A research led area of my design practice will be informing myself on the changes within technology and how best to use it. ‘The newspaper industry is struggling to figure out ways to get readers to pay for online news, while also facing the possibility of an entire generation for whom “news” is merely a feed on their Facebook page.’ Turning Pages: Editorial Design for Print Media (2010
SPECIFIC SUBJECTS: Postmodernist design A brief exploring the incorporation of styles looking at th examples from the end of the 20 century, Considering bricolage and the affect of using a pastiche/ homage of the postmodern idea in contemporary design. D&AD Brief Rankin I have already identified a potential brief which lets me explore this area showing my awareness of design movements. I will treat this as a small brief as photography (which is the nature of the brief) is not at the centre of my design strategy. However it is for the context of magazine, which is something I am interested in exploring in more depth, so this, brief will help me to develop skills useful in art direction. Photography Photography is a feature within the ‘Rankin’ brief I am considering. I am also interested in other photographers and photography as documentation, the investigation into photography and production will be relevant to the editorial design I am interested in. Typography ‘The Typographic Circle’ D&AD brief I am considering, the nature of the brief involves the investigation of legendary typographic lecturers. Current Affairs Will news end up being an entirely online-based subject? What the future of print media and newspapers be for news stories? Part of my investigation will investigate this and work towards utilizing the possibilities of new media whilst embracing print medias qualities and using both effectively. DESIGN CONTEXT Identify areas of professional/ creative practices that will inform the contextualization of the work that you produce. This should include specific designer’s, studios, practitioner’s and products as well as broader creative disciplines and methods of Production / Distribution.
STUDIOS: Salut Public Studio 8 Julia Onlab TwoPoints Colophon APFEL Bibliotheque Hight & Irons
DESIGNERS: Pol Perez Marie Lusa Paul Pensom Ruth Ansel
AUDIENCE/CONTEXTS: Informative Educational Culture Sector PRODUCTION /DISTRIBUTION METHODS: Periodical Publications (Magazine, newspaper) Catalogue Design (And supporting exhibitions/ signage) Book Design Bespoke Print Websites Posters/ Promotional Material DESIGN DISCIPLINES What areas of graphic design practice do you intend to investigate in relation to the practical and conceptual production / distribution of work in response to selected briefs.
Editorial Design Branding
DESIGN SKILLS What practical design skills do you intend to further develop and apply during your final major project. What do you intend to use the skills for. Consider extending the use of skills that you already have in order to deliver work of a professional standard as well as identifying new skills that you will need to develop.
Typographic Design Typographic development and the using existing type effectively in its original or customized state.
Layout Design Investigation into print and digital layout and the relationship between them. Art Direction Management of project areas, specifically within editorial which requires the combination of areas such as photography, content, text, typography, format and production. Photography Improve product photography for photographing work, also experiment (potentially using ‘Rankin’ brief with conceptual photography). Knowledge of photographic settings, lighting and preparation for print. Web Design Improve knowledge of HTML, CSS and PHP in order to keep up with relevant media. Design investigation will dictate the relevant media. Format Investigate and experiment with print formats.
PROPOSED BRIEFS List any briefs that you have already identified as possible starting points for your Final Major Project. You should include possible competition and Live briefs as well as identifying briefs that will allow you to develop a significant body of research and development in relation to your stated Themes/subjects, Design disciplines and production / distribution methods
Collaboration With Niall Hargrave Content and brief to be discussed. Collaboration With Aaron Skipper Content and brief to be discussed. Yearbook In design teams, design and produce the yearbook for a Graduating year at Leeds College of Art Leeds Book Fair Content and brief to be discussed. Typographic Circle (D&AD Brief) Design a supplement for The Typographic Circle Rankin (D&AD Brief) Make a 2d photograph come alive using the cross-over between texture and photography.
Design Context Publication Produce a publication based on my design context investigation. Design Thought Prints based on the position of my design practice and what I admire. This could tie in with my design context publication brief.
KEY TEXTS. List a selected number of books, articles and texts that are central to your proposed area of practice. These should include a
BOOKS Book I’m currently reading about ‘one of the most influential designers of the twentieth century’: Munari, B (1966) Design as Art, London, Penguin
combination of design and nondesign based books, theoretical texts as well as visual publications.
Typography Lupton, E (2004) Thinking with Type [Second Edition], New York, Princeton Architectural Press Lupton, E & Miller, A (1996) Design Writing Research, London, Phaidon Press Limited
Editorial/ Magazine Design Messeguer, L (2010) Typo Mag: Typography In Magazines, Barcelona, Index Book Klanten, R. Ehmann, S. Bolhofer, K & Schulze, F (2010) Turning Pages: Editorial Design for Print Media, Berlin, Gestalten Web Design Murphy, C & Persson, N (2009) HTML and CSS Web Standards Solutions: A Web Standardistas’ Approach, New York, Murphy Persson Branding Evamy, M (2007) Logo, London, Laurence King Publishing Postmodernism (Specifically for Postmodernism Brief. Adamson, G & Pavitt, J (2011) Modernism: Style and Subversion, 1970-1990, London, V&A Publishing BLOGS AisleOne Bitique Crap = Good Eight:48 It’s Nice That Spiekerblog The Culture Vulture The Import VVORK We Love Typography ADDITIONAL COMMENTS