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