Love the tags: Design Journal by Emma Mills

# External Context Part 02

I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to research too much into D&AD already because I already knew who they were, and how famous they were! What I did need to understand more though was what the New Blood was and after reading through their website and remembering last years festival, I realised how impressive the standard will be. How highly competetive the competetion is and how much work I need to do! Looking at the small really helped me to understand what exactly I will be submitting. As great as it is to be creative, sponteaneous and challenge the briefs I still needed to know what was being asked of me and organise ideas or ways of presenting them. With it being an international competition I needed to make sure I had a note of how and what to submit, doing this early on helped me structure my thoughts and be ready to start creating specific outcomes!

Above all, from the previous project I have learnt to use my time wisely. I am usually quite organised as a person however with everything going on at once I found it very hard to prioritise certain thing’s at certain times. The previous project I feel did go quite well, however I felt as if I didn’t put in as much time finalising the video as much as I should’ve done. I feel as if because I did so much work for it and it changed so much I found it hard to keep the momentum going as I started to feel burnt out and gave up or finished with the project too early. For example with the timing of the video, it was a little off but what I found after trying to adjust so many times is that it is so hard to get it perfect and I will have to try my best but it pretty impossible to get it 100%. What I also found was that the design of the typography was very bold and strong but I may need to adjust the transition of it, as it was jumping and a bit too cutting. These very small adjustments are thing’s that could’ve been changed if I gave myself enough energy and enough time. I’m hoping that in this project I will fasten up the pase a bit so that I give myself more time to work on the final outcome! The way I will do this is by working quicker and more consistantly.

Eventhough this part of the unit is very much based on the final product, I feel the need to have to jot ideas down and to still do research - the same amount as I would do for any other project! It may take slightly longer but I feel as if research is one of the most important parts of a project if not the most important because otherwise I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a project to work anything from? Not just primary and secondary factual research but also conceptualising activities such as mindmapping - Once I start mindmapping that is when I really start to get into a project, however with this brief I realised I had to do more than one!

Typo

ography

This very powerful article in Creative Review really opened my eyes into the many different things I could look into through this project. This project is helping to raise awareness of the refugee crisis something which is highly publicised and talked about on the news in the past year or so. I wonder how I could make this project in some way help better a communities future - how could I create a campaign which make a difference? Will I take a deep or surface approach? Should I look into some quite serious or something quite light hearted?

A very key part of research also requires to know what is happening in the world. I felt that culture is a very broard spectrum to understand and to research into so watching the news and reading the paper was a way I thought may good research in terms of what is actually happening now - what are the social issues that need to be addressed right now? Are their any causes which stand out to me? I found this article about ‘essex girls’ which was interesting, wasn’t sure if it was a project idea however I found it an interesting read and with defintely use this kind of research in the future for upcoming projects.

Six Fundamental Patterns of Cultural Difference Different Communications Styles

Different Decision-Making Styles

The way people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is language usage. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the English language, the meaning of “yes” varies from “maybe, I’ll consider it” to “definitely so,” with many shades in between.

The roles individuals play in decision-making vary widely from culture to culture. For example, in the U.S., decisions are frequently delegated -- that is, an official assigns responsibility for a particular matter to a subordinate. In many Southern European and Latin American countries, there is a strong value placed on holding decision-making responsibilities oneself. When decisions are made by groups of people, majority rule is a common approach in the U.S.; in Japan consensus is the preferred mode. Be aware that individuals’ expectations about their own roles in shaping a decision may be influenced by their cultural frame of reference.

Different Attitudes Toward Conflict Some cultures view conflict as a positive thing, while others view it as something to be avoided. In the U.S., conflict is not usually desirable; but people often are encouraged to deal directly with conflicts that do arise. In fact, face-to-face meetings customarily are recommended as the way to work through whatever problems exist. In contrast, in many Eastern countries, open conflict is experienced as embarrassing or demeaning; as a rule, differences are best worked out quietly. A written exchange might be the favored means to address the conflict. Different Approaches to Completing Tasks When it comes to working together effectively on a task, cultures differ with respect to the importance placed on establishing relationships early on in the collaboration. A case in point, Asian and Hispanic cultures tend to attach more value to developing relationships at the beginning of a shared project and more emphasis on task completion toward the end as compared with European-Americans. European-Americans tend to focus immediately on the task at hand, and let relationships develop as they work on the task. This does not mean that people from any one of these cultural backgrounds are more or less committed to accomplishing the task, or value relationships more or less; it means they may pursue them in different ways.

Different Attitudes Toward Disclosure In some cultures, it is not appropriate to be frank about emotions, about the reasons behind a conflict or a misunderstanding, or about personal information. Keep this in mind when you are in a dialogue or when you are working with others. When you are dealing with a conflict, be mindful that people may differ in what they feel comfortable revealing. Questions that may seem natural to you -- What was the conflict about? What was your role in the conflict? What was the sequence of events? -- may seem intrusive to others. The variation among cultures in attitudes toward disclosure is also something to consider before you conclude that you have an accurate reading of the views, experiences, and goals of the people with whom you are working. Different Approaches to Knowing Notable differences occur among cultural groups when it comes to epistemologies that is, the ways people come to know things. European cultures tend to consider information acquired through cognitive means, such as counting and measuring, more valid than other ways of coming to know things. Compare that to African cultures’ preference for affective ways of knowing, including symbolic imagery and rhythm.

I then started to look at typography as a form of initial research - I may not know which culture, community or country I will be focusing on but I could still look into something I know I will be working with which is Typography. This practical decision I made wasn’t one I’d usually do before just because I usually heavily research into the subject matter or concept first because that in effect is the most important. However this time I wanted to see if there was any conceptual element of typography I wanted to challenge? How far away from the brief can I potentially go? Is this me thinking ‘outside the box’ or ‘inside the box’ because I am looking at the most obvious element or problem to solve of this brief set by D&AD?

These pieces of research aren’t exactly deeply conceptual pieces - but are very helpful in terms of understanding how campaigns and poster design or any kind of projects can be typography led. These are a selection that I particularly like for many reasons. I really admire the work done here by MTV’s new show Teen Mom’s. It is interesting how each mum has got a different name ofcourse but written in different styles - I love how fun it is and how they almost have their own logos . Aizone campaign designed by Sagmiester and Walsh is a favourite of mine, eventhough this may be dated now back in 2014, the style is still very much a iconic shift from minmal typography to bold, ‘artistic’ or more adventerous I guess? How they have painted the work on a new kind of canvas aswell is really interesting I love tactile side of the project and the unique context or way of showing work, not just done on illustrator or photoshop. Similarly LDF is using typography but almost through it’s counter forms and using it as image by zooming into very unique and intrguing sections of the letters.

I really love Anthony Jamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; typography work because It also challenges this idea of what typography is. Making these typography pieces as works of design in themselves. These visually pleasing shapes and patterns creating the type is really interesting and I really love how professional looking it also is. It almost reminds me of water, or acrylic paint, oil paint? A liquid which forms a lette ron the top too images and the other being a type symbol crafted almost in an architectual way through linear and a mixture of different depths giving it almost a 3dimensional effect which is visually really striking and elegant. These case studies make me question what exactly I can do with typography, however how something like this be translated into a campaign? Could my concept being along the lines of typography and culture? A unique and inspiration combination of the two?

Node Berlin Oslo creates a contemporary cover that speaks the personality of each city through typography. This varies from block typefaces to represent London, a serif to portray the historical class of Vienna, to a more a relaxed written typeface describing Los Angeles. In this particular project the designer has made a really nice touch to make it very much like a campaign through itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contrast from print to digital. Eventhough they started off as guides, designing a digital outcome both opens up to many more consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and also creates a more widespread and up to date campaign. I personally love the different typography identities for each country and feel they really work. In terms of this idea of culture/countrie/communities too I thought this particular project would be really interesting as you can see here Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve noticed how they have very simply chosen specific colours and looks - different fonts to excecute or commincate different countries and therefore different cultures.

The flat graphic of the different apps visualises the idea really well because it shows the different countries but also a distinctive similarity between each one in that the styles are still somehow similar - coming together to create this campaign. Not necerssarily the colours or the typography but the execution, layout and this flat graphic style and cold simple yet stunning visual. I really enjoyed looking into this piece of work and it has inspired me to look into more ‘culture’ and ‘country’ typography based projects.

Pentagram’s poster for ‘Whiplash’ is a simple and yet very unique use of typography and concept or communication. Using the typography effect to communicate the idea or subject matter is very cool. The black and white is something I really admire as it works really well contrasting with the type making it bold and clean most certainly not boring. A kind of project like this, typography based sometimes doesn’t need colour! Sometime’s typography is enough and can be the main design element of a poster like this. If colour was added to this I feel as if the impact would not be as effective, it gives it a ‘classic’ look and it’s simplicity is what makes it unique and more interesting. Simialrly their work for the Beau Arts Ball plays on this idea of typography but instead breaks it apart and adjusts it to make it almost image based and no longer something to just read - but something to look at more closely and interpet.

I really love this piece of work, I found it really humourous but also really well executed. In this particular project I can see a relation to this idea of a culture - this example being the ‘rich’ and very high up class of Hollywood or someother probably American or Australian community. The huge big group photo is really something I found it great how imaginative it all is but how it is still highlights a kind of reality - one that we may not be involved with -an eye opening to this man’s exotic and glamourous life. The graphic’s also add to this idea of cheesy, maybe tacky looking vibe? The class of colours are really nice and really gives the project an edge. I really enjoyed looking at this piece as I could see all the different ways of showing a culture or group of people but also how it can work with graphic elements such as typography - whether you visually like this work or not you can’t deny that it has a fun, unique edge to it that unfortutenatly many campaigns out there don’t have.

In order for me to understand how much work they were looking for and to what standard I decided to look into Craig Owen - the partner for the monotype brief. One particular piece of work I really like was his website - how the different categories were sectioned into different parts. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but see a relationship between this piece of work and the D&AD brief layouts - thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definately a huge similarity. This block of text look is really nice and I actually really like it because it looks quite weird in a wacky way? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not as simplistic as some typography pieces I have seen - this almost mechanical look kind of gives it more character and a unique but very appealing style! Whether I use this piece of research or not I dont know but what I do know is that I could definately try a similar form of this in my poster - if it is relevant to my concept.

This previous winner’s project is a very deep and interesting issue which everyone is aware of but not necesarilly thought or questioned about as much as it should do. Not only is the concept so strong it also really visually really expressive and unique. The painting on someone’s face is both expressive and violating which is why I think this works so much - it highlights the importance of this opressing issue and how shocking it is. The shock factor is very key to this project - the concept is so strong and so important to address that the graphic don’t necessarilly have to be worked so hard. Surely the least about of design is the best design possible? I forgot where I got that quote from but I do feel this work represents this idea really well - it does’nt have to be complicated it just has to communicate the message effectively. To me the concept has to be really strong but how can I get the right balance?

Again this is so simple bit so effective and i really love it! It does require quite a bit of design here more so than the other maybe but it has come out so clean and still really impressive. The simplicity of it however does make me question what it is about which is why this student may have chosen boards to explain their idea. I struggle with this because on one hand I love the graphics and the way it looks but I don’t know what it is trying to say - does the message need to be so clear? Do I want to present my idea on boards? Or should I feel the need to do so? Maybe a video will represent the information better? Or do I do both like some of these project have done? Maybe I don’t need to use these boards and video’s to explaing my idea but to present in different ways - through contextualing it and show how it can be used in professional environment but also in the real world - how it applies to my chosen culture.

Both of these projects are giving me a huge about of inspiration and also making me feel anxious as i believe these to be very strong and I’m finding it hard to imagine me coming up with something as good as these. I can see why these both won an award - the pub culture idea is brilliant I am so impressed with it and really love how clever it is. It’s great how the designer has played on this idea of typography in a very different way to the other’s. The mats are a real nice touch they are visually really interesting but also very relevant to the culture chosen - this may be a different brief but it is very similar in that it has taken a new take on type and used it to communicate an idea. #domindthegap is really good too, it’s a simple idea but effects a lot of people and using this hashtag already shows the idea or concept it is challenging - you instantly know what they are trying to say when it is represented in this way.

Why Is Islam Misunderstood Extract from the Muslim Youth Foundation Misconception #1: Muslims are violent, terrorists and/or extremists. This is the biggest misconception in Islam, no doubt resulting from the constant stereotyping and bashing the media gives Islam. When a gunman attacks a mosque in the name of Judaism, a Catholic IRA guerrilla sets off a bomb in an urban area, or Serbian Orthodox militiamen rape and kill innocent Muslim civilians, these acts are not used to stereotype an entire faith. Never are these acts attributed to the religion of the perpetrators. Yet how many times have we heard the words ‘Islamic, Muslim fundamentalist. etc.’ linked with violence.

Politics in so called “Muslim countries” may or may not have any Islamic basis. Often dictators and politicians will use the name of Islam for their own purposes. One should remember to go to the source of Islam and separate what the true religion of Islam says from what is portrayed in the media. Islam literally means ‘submission to God’ and is derived from a root word meaning ‘peace’. Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion doesn’t dominate everyday life in the West, whereas Islam is considered a ‘way of life’ for Muslims and they make no division between secular and sacred in their lives. Like Christianity, Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled forcibly from their homes. It lays down strict rules of combat which include prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees and livestock. NOWHERE DOES ISLAM ENJOY THE KILLING OF INNOCENTS.. The Quran says: “Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors.“ (Quran 2:190) “If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things.” (Quran 8:61) War, therefore, is the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous conditions laid down by the sacred law. The term ‘jihad‘ literally means ‘struggle’. Muslims believe that there are two kinds of jihad. The other ‘jihad‘ is the inner struggle of the soul which everyone wages against egotistic desires for the sake of attaining inner peace. Misconception #2: Islam oppresses women. The image of the typical Muslim woman wearing the veil and forced to stay home and forbidden to drive is all too common in most peoples thoughts. Although some Muslim countries may have laws that oppress women, this should not be seen as coming from Islam. Many of these countries do not rule by any kind of Shari’ah (Islamic law) and introduce their own cultural standpoints on the issue of gender equity. Islam on the other hand gives men and women different roles and equity between the two is laid down in the Quran and the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her own right, with the right to own and dispose of her property and earnings. A marriage gift is given by the groom to the bride for her own personal use, and she keeps her own family name rather than taking her husband’s. Both men and women are expected to dress in a way that is modest and dignified. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: “The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife.” Violence of any kind towards women and forcing them against their will for anything is not allowed. A Muslim marriage is a simple, legal agreement in which either partner is free to include conditions. Marriage customs thus vary widely from country to country. Divorce is not common, although it is acceptable as a last resort. According to Islam, a Muslim girl cannot be forced to marry against her will: her parents simply suggest young men they think may be suitable. Misconception #3: Muslims worship a different God. Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. Allah for Muslims is the greatest and most inclusive of the Names of God, it is an Arabic word of rich meaning, denoting the one and only God and ascribing no partners to Him. It is exactly the same word which the Jews, in Hebrew, use for God (eloh), the word which Jesus Christ used in Aramaic when he prayed to God. God has an identical name in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; Allah is the same God worshiped by Muslims, Christians and Jews. Muslims believe that Allah’s sovereignty is to be acknowledged in worship and in the pledge to obey His teaching and commandments, conveyed through His messengers and prophets who were sent at various times and in many places throughout history. However, it should be noted that God in Islam is One and Only. He, the Exalted, does not get tired, does not have a son ie Jesus or have associates, nor does He have human-like attributions as found in other faiths.

http://myf.org.uk/about-islam/misconceptions-about-islam/

Misconception #4: All Muslims are Arabs The Muslim population of the world is around 1.2 billion. 1 out of 5 people in the world is a Muslim. They are a vast range of races, nationalities, and cultures from around the globe–from the Phillipines to Nigeria–they are united by their common Islamic faith Only about 18% live in the Arab world and the largest Muslim community is in Indonesia. Most Muslims live east of Pakistan. 30% of Muslims live in the Indian subcontinent, 20% in Sub-Saharan Africa, 17% in Southeast Asia, 18% in the Arab world, and 10% in the Soviet Union and China. Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan make up 10% of the non-Arab Middle East. Although there are Muslim minorities in almost every area, including Latin America and Australia, they are most numerous in Russia and its newly independent states, India and central Africa. There are about 6 million Muslims in the United States. Misconception #5: The Nation of Islam is a Muslim group. Islam and the so called “Nation of Islam‘” are two different religions. Islam and Farakhanism differ in many fundamental ways. For example, Farakhan followers believe in racism and that the ‘black man’ was the original man and therefore superior, while in Islam there is no racism and everyone is considered equal in the sight of God, the only difference being in one’s piety. There are many other theological examples that show the ‘Nation’s teachings have little to do with true Islam. There are many groups in America who claim to represent Islam and call their adherents Muslims. Any serious student of Islam has a duty to investigate and find the true Islam. The only two authentic sources which bind every Muslim are 1. the Quran and 2. authentic or sound Hadith. Any teachings under the label of “Islam” which contradict or at variance with the direct understanding of fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam form the Quran and authentic Hadith should be rejected and such a religion should be considered a Pseudo-Islamic Cult. In America there are many pseudoIslamic cults, Farrakhanism being one of them. An honest attitude on the part of such cults should be not to call themselves Muslims and their religion Islam. such an example of honesty is Bahaism which is an off-shoot of Islam but Bahais do not call themselves Muslims nor their religion, Islam. In fact Bahaism is not Islam just as Farrakhanism is not Islam. Misconception #6: All Muslim men marry four wives. The religion of Islam was revealed for all societies and all times and so accommodates widely differing social requirements. Circumstances may warrant the taking of another wife but the right is granted, according to the Quran, only on condition that the husband is scrupulously fair. No woman can be forced into this kind of marriage if they do not wish it, and they also have the right to exclude it in their marriage contract. Polygamy is neither mandatory, nor encouraged, but merely permitted. Images of “sheikhs with harems” are not consistent with Islam, as a man is only allowed at most four wives only if he can fulfill them stringent conditions of treating each fairly and providing each with separate housing etc. Permission to practice polygamy is not associated with mere satisfaction of passion. It is rather associated with compassion toward widows and orphans. It was the Quran that limited and put conditions on the practice of polygamy among the Arabs, who had as many as ten or more wives and considered them “property“. It is both honest and accurate to say that it is Islam that regulated this practice, limited it, made it more humane, and instituted equal rights and status for all wives. What the Qur’anic decrees amount to, taken together is discouragement of polygamy unless necessity for it exists. It is also evident that the general rule in Islam is monogamy and not polygamy. It is a very tiny percentage of Muslims that practice it over the world. However, permission to practice limited polygamy is only consistent with Islam’s realistic view of the nature of man and woman and of various social needs, problems and cultural variations.There is no doubt that the second wife legally married and treated kindly is better off than a mistress without any legal rights or expermanence. Misconception #7: Muslims are a barbaric, backward people. Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the simplicity of its doctrineIslam calls for faith in only one God worthy of worship. It also repeatedly instructs man to use his powers of intelligence and observation. Within a few years, great civilizations and universities were flourishing, for according to the Prophet (pbuh), ‘seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman‘. The synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas and of new thought with old, brought about great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, architecture, art, literature, and history. Many crucial systems such as algebra, the Arabic numerals, and also the concept of the zero (vital to the advancement of mathematics), were transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam.

Throughout my years of studying Visual communication, I have always found Graffiti a very interesting topic of interest. While do my mindmaps this idea really stuck out to me and after asking for some advice also I thought that I could maybe look into what I could actually do with it? Is Graffiti culture still viewed today as something criminal and should be treated as a social issue? I have been really lucky to already travelled quite a bit around the world and found that whereever I went - without thinking about it I had always looked at it’s Graffiti - what it says about the countries culture? How much of it is there? For example in Rome there is a huge Graffiti ‘problem’ in rough areas of the city and it looks out of place and quite frankly wrong and frustrating. A beautiful city like Rome with so much history and heritage - It felt like graffiti was shamed upon there and it was always in places of the city you would rather not be! However in London, along the southbank or under waterloo bridge > The Vaultsare just a few examples of places that you will see a tremendous amount of graffiti that is all in the same place, so therefore looks almost like it is meant to be there. Does this mean British people more specifically Londoner’s particularly find graffiti artistic and creative instead of a criminal offence?

One idea I came across was this idea of ‘Graffiti Culture’ as a subject matter. While do my mindmaps this idea really stuck out to me and after asking for some advice also I thought that I could maybe look into what I could actually do with it? Is Graffiti culture still viewed today as something criminal and should be treated as a social issue? Grafitti is art etched, marked, or painted onto public surface named from Italian “graffiato” meaning “scratch” and Greek “graphein” “to write” which is usually illegal and associated with vandalism/criminal behavior. Contemporary graffiti originally started in Paris during the riots in the early 60’s and emerged again from hip hop culture in NYC in the late 1960s. It’s original existence or use was for cultural and social change and to ‘speak out’ against issues that were emerging in society at the time. However Graffiti has become part of more ‘mainstream’ culture and is frequently used in media and advertising - it is now almost a source of inspiration and a new ‘trend’ instead of a cause of concern through out society. Urban art has become a new source for inspiration and taken form in new ‘upbeat’ and popular areas for e.g. places in South East London like Brixton, Hackney or Shoreditch and many more. This subject matter couldn’t be more perfect for this kind of project as not only is it such a culturally changing phase or trend it has dramatically influenced and inspired my own work, it is something that I have always admired and find very interesting therefore this idea really feels like a good start of something.

Bricklane, South East London

Copenhagen Train Station

Roskilde Castle Street, Denmark

Temple Street, Dublin, Ireland

Hackney Road, London

Shoreditch High Street, London

Old Street , London

Old Street, London

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York

Semiotics and its three levels of Denotation, Connotation and Ideology to analyze graffiti on walls:

Denotation In this picture here is Graffiti on the side or back of a building. Graffiti is a form of self expression done through spray painting on different foundations such as trains, buildings, billboards ect.. This form of expression is done as of to get a meaning acrossed to the public. Graffiti is a rebellious form of art. It is done with a very steady hand and takes alot of talent to throw up a piece such as the on you see here above. A lot of graffitiest work on their piece at nite, because if they did them in day they would get caught. Connotation Graffiti artist like throwing up tags and huge pieces because its a race against the clock to try to get finished before they get caught. It has more of a meaning behind it because its not done on paper but rather on a government owned building or a taxpayers property which makes it more meaningful and more rebellious. I think that they do it because they love that rush that they get from it as well as how Graffiti goes against the norms of society and what is right and what is wrong. Graffiti is like telling the people "yeah that's right I did this so what!?!" Graffiti is a very powerful form anarchy and aggressive self expression. Ideology Society views Graffiti as mischief, which is a criminal offence. Society views graffiti as a eyes sore and does not really understand or get the statement that's trying to be conveyed. Graffiti can also be asscociated with gangs thus society believes if they do not crack down on graffiti crime rate will go up. Graffiti is also typically associated with the lower class. Graffiti is considered in society as a major form of vandalism and anyone found doing it usually ends up in jail for defacing property.

Brick Lane, South East London

Graffiti a very interesting topic of interest of mine sure but what exactly is my BIG idea? How can I start to conceptualise some ideas which will really interest d&ad and do the brief great justice? Visually it is really nice ofcourse but where do I go from here? These images helped me lay out the different avenues i could go down - how can they lead to some interesting topics or ideas? I started to look into them in more detail and to try and pick out some potential ideas out of them.

Looking at Graffiti as a culture really interested me, is there still stigma against these artists personal? Does it still evoke emotion anymore eventhough it is much more common? Graffiti has definately morphed or changed throughout the years but what exactly am I trying to say about it? Is this street art or graffiti? What is the difference?

You could even argue that the doodle man from the d&ad festival last year I worked at is a form of graffiti? Does Just because he was hired and was allowed to doodle all over the wall , is it still vandalising a space? It is still actively changing itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meaning and what it is. It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just a blank wall anymore - it is something beautiful? Or ugly? It is subjective but this idea of him transforming it is objective and true whatever way you look at it, better or for worse.

Accidents Will Happen : Barry McGee Hits Houston Street, New York

Accidents Will Happen : Barry McGee Hits Houston Street, New York really caught my eye. The idea of the whole wall being the same colour and full of these ‘tags’ instead of street ‘art’ really interested me and really helped me understand how there are different kinds of graffiti out there - which are there for different reasons or evoke different emotions. I also really liked the visual nature of this piece - it all being in the same colour red really brings it all together in a very clever and intriguing way. I love big it is aswell - how much of an impact it has on me the audience - it almost makes the work even more impressive because of the size of it. Working with graffiti is very different to other forms of communication or design or ‘art’ I have discovered - it’s on a much larger, flat canvas but also the work is much bigger, bolder and maybe more expressive?

Looking into the differences between tags and messages helped me understand more clearly the different aspects or different topics which come under researching into Graffiti culture. I decided to keep going with all the different possibilites I may have. There are many different possibilites but what it all comes under is this idea of communication whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s through tags or messages in graffiti - it is expressing a view of some kind - a piece of information. What kind of information is this? I still had so many more questions still felt as if I needed to research further.

I figured what better way of understanding Graffiti - was to look into the most iconic and possibly “the most famous british ‘artist’ in history in the 21st century”! Whether I believe Banksy’s work is incredible or not doesn’t really matter but what is important or at least interesting to me is how he has become a celebrity, a expert or legend in the field of urban art. How has he done this? This element of putting work in unordinary places is really interesting and what’s even more fascinating is how it came onto the streets and then eventually into the galleries. This documentary film “How to sell a Banksy” was really fascinating and an eye opener - because I was obviously aware of who or what Banksy is - how he is portrayed in the media but never in a way like he had been shown like this before. This man took one of his works and planned to sell it for a decent amount of money - eventhough it was ruined and so incredibly damaged it still sold for £25,000! How can this be? How has Banksy become such an iconic figure in the graffiti world? He has almost become a brand? A brand where his identity is a secret, almost like a superhero?

“Empty Graffiti is a project that plays with the idea that Graffiti seems illegible at first sight. Out of this knowledge I started a fictional graffiti project, with meaningless pieces in sans serif type. As the common graffiti pieces don’t communicate a direct messages I was wondering what would happen if very clear words would be placed on the streets telling you just what the message content is and furthermore telling you nothing. A somewhat surreal outcome was the result.” https://www.behance.net/gallery/1317797/Empty-Graffiti

I had mega inspiration envy when looking at this piece because this idea is something I have never seen before, something fresh and unique! The way this artist has recontextualised the specific graffiti words is really cool! It helps us focus on what the messages are actually saying. I like the unqiqe take on it how it is questioning a form of something - transforming the style and making it into something new - I find this kind of work really inspiring and I could maybe try this somehow - or at least incorporate it into my final poster design and final campaign concept! Not sure how but I feel this very outside the box kind of work really pushes the boundaries and helped me see this graffiti concept ina whole new way - it is much broader than I imagined and I am keen to look into it even further!

After gaining more insight into what and how graffiti really is I started to create a moodboard which I found helped me understand what I have looked into already and what my next step shall be. It also helped me visualise the subject matter in a clear presentable way - I could tell anyone that my project will touch on this idea of graffiti culture but without images - it can be hard to explain but also to contextualise my train of thought - what kind of graffiti? What is my take on it? Positive, or a negative issue which needs to be sorted? I can see how differently I could approach this - My selection of images shows both graffiti in a negative and a positive light - I also love the typography poster as it almosts represents both. I like the play of visual language here, how they have made it look really nice and designed but it says a negative stance - that all graffiti is vandalism and a form of crime that must be punished!

Looking at graffiti as a community or culture also really interested me. It reminds me of my trip in early September to Copenhagen in Denmark. There is a whole twon there called freetown Christianna. A beautiful town filled with amazingly creative spaces - graffiti and street art. I found that the community there was very different to the one of the center on Copenhagen city. It had a very relaxed vibe to it. It is frequently refered to a town where everyone smokes weed non the less however it is an atmosphere which is so different but yet still so much part of the city in Denmark. It has almost become a tourist attraction as well as a hangout for young people who just want to relax and enjoy life. The graffiti adds to this whole pleasurable experience if you like - surrounded by colourful walls and bright buildings, so much culture and so much going on! It is a huge contrast to the rest of copenhagen - Copenhagen is very clean, very â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;edgyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and modern and it is hard to imagine such a place like within a city like that!

Using tags as symbols of ‘visual identities’ Tags as a form of branding - how do they differ to logo design in contemporary Graphic Design. Graffiti ‘tags’ or ‘throw ups’ are frequently reffered to and treated as a symbol associated with rebellious culture, vandalism and criminal behaviour - by youths who feel their views are not heard and like to ‘cause trouble’. However in the past 5-10 years Graffiti and street art has become part of more ‘mainstream’ culture and is frequently used in media and advertising - it is now almost a source of inspiration and a new ‘trend’ instead of a cause of concern through out society. Urban art has become a new source for inspiration and taken form in new ‘upbeat’ and popular areas for e.g. places in South East London like Brixton, Hackney or Shoreditch and many more.

Graffiti in an Art Gallery? Does the graffiti say something differently depending on where or what the context is? How can we read it differently? Does it now become ‘art’ because it is in a gallery. This concept will challenge the idea of graffiti and what it is and to see it as not just as vandalism but as a visual communication which can differ to different people in different areas and spaces. What would happen if I swapped paintings from a gallery with graffiti from the streets?

Vandalism as a form of communicaiton Design is nothing but language: If you don’t have anything to say: Please don’t use it. A concept that stems from this idea that design is about communicating an idea, and if it has no meaning then there’s no point in doing it! Graffiti culture has been viewed and sometimes a ‘waste of space’ but what is really fascinating is the impact, vandalist art makes, but what does it mean? Does it even mean anything? Can I use semiotics or gestalts psycology theory to understand strangers pieces of art? Or is it all just for self expression, and only the artist may truly know what it is meant to say.

I found it was now time to start really narrowing down my research what was I going to focus on now? I found that all of my concepts were quite similar but because of the same subject matter - not exactly the concept ideas. I originally thought it meant that my concepts were not different enough but when it came down to trying to explain them I found it was hard to distinguish the three because they do feed into eachother in many many different ways!

Alot of theory and visual imagery I discovered throughout my research was from these many book. I Here I have scanned each one in and really liked the way they looked. The books/magazines I looked at vary between theorists, design magazines and graffiti books I also looked into Hebdidge early on in this project. I found all of these readings really helpful in someway or another in this unit, whether that be through my concept ideas or visual language techniques I understand now that I really do love to research - reading books is great but I was now at the stage to start gaining some primary research. This subject matter of Graffiti isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t something you research in books - itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something you will find in the big wide world and I was reading to get out and study it.

Explaing my concepts in a short space of time really helped me determine which route to go down. The fact that I was struggling to explain 2 of my ideas rang alarm bells in my head but at the same time helped me focus onto which one I understand the most - and therefore has the most potential! The comments I got from my peers was that all 3 are very theoretical and after hearing this was when i realised why I may have been so stuck! It is definately not a bad thing for a project to have a theory related to it but when it embodies the whole idea or concept it is hard to explain in your own words. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like explaining what someone else has said about something- This theory of looking at tags as a form of idenity is really interesting and I will look into further but what I am lacking in now is primary research I have made first hand! In order for me to understand the culture better I need to go out there and see it! This was the stage where I decided to get my head out of the books and venture out into the actual graffiti world! How can I understand this topic in a book? I can relate to the theories and understand them but to make something out of my findings, I need to get out there and find my muse!

Southbank State Park & The Vaults, Waterloo, London

Martin and Mano Like graffiti- from France- Brittany- place got their attention. Commercial tv, arty, - martin,

John Amateur photographer, inspiring, the designs unique. Was watching a program, how extra ordinary this country is, how themes are incorporated in each place, caravan gallery programme , white space displayed with work Particular piece, green + pink, creative, interesting, certain feature, looking at it from an angle, not just straight on.

Jess Jess- very visual, here for my own research, fashion world on shoots, editorial, unique, ideas for makeup, introducing vibrant colours within the makeup. Two eyes, painting

Angelia and Darro Really into graffiti, tourists, looking for banksy artist, from Italy-Florence, studying art, walking past and it caught their eye, taking photos -

Christopher Like the view, skateboarding, into the art, the colours, the graffiti, brings colour to London. Under bridges would bring so much colour, technician on break, comes here on lunch

Drummond Works for company- told to come here, promoting show, tourists down to art and the London eye, major part of London. One of fav bits of art in London, watching the kids do their work, interesting, entertainment watching kids fall off skateboards, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an urban feel vaults graffiti better, into street art, more self expression,

Dan and Nich (Flesh and Chrone) Made up word, likes the way it looks, no meaning just went with the flow. Free style, by flesh- insta page. Check insta page Flesh- name, tooth taken out, bit of flesh hanging down, nick name ever since

Gregg Footballer busker- lives in Glasgow, any space to practise ball, which isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wet. Usually perform where there are people- busker - gregor personally think of the art, quite cool, arty, more self expression, what comes to mind first, everyone is different, different opinions

I found it very interesting talking to the general pulic about the spaces in London however I also wanted to see what more of the graffiti artists had to say as well! I collected all of the tags that I had came across and made a note of them and also photographed them, I really liked looking at the two like this together. You can see the difference between looking at them as they are and also looking at them as words this idea of the chosen tags as nicknames was really interesting but what can I do with these tags? Could I try recontextualising them somehow?

Playing around with this idea of the tags being â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;namesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or nicknames was really fun! I could see a relationship to my research before and tried to fit these tags into these name cards to see how it may looks. I love how it has come out but at the same time noone really knows what it is or what it says because it is so different different to the normal context of which the tags are usually in. I have stripped back all sign of them being graffiti pieces therefore it is quite hard to distinguish what they are at first sight.

Hello my name is

joker

tabs

pacer

Hello my name is

cows1

faze

cherie

Hello my name is

sucre

ong

maro

Hello my name is

sucre

swt

zog

Hello my name is

ďŹ&#x201A;esh

geak

chrome

Hello my name is

kelly

zelda

pen

I also then simplified the idea even more and totally stripped them of the style to see how they would look just as they are! I maintained still this idea of still using the colours to see what I could get from this. It still however composes the same issue - that it is hard to understand without some kind of background knowledge to it. I feel like it looks good but what is it actually saying? What is my actual concept? What am I actually trying to say about these tags - that they are names? Not sure it comes across like this in these posters as such but a really good experiment that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m glad I tried out in the end!

joker

tabs

pacer

cows1

faze

cherie

sucre

ong

maro

sucre

swt

maro zog

ďŹ&#x201A;esh

geak

chro me

loki

geak

shopp

kelly

zelda

pen

#whats your tag? #timetotag

#legalisear t #legalisear t

#legaliseart #legalisegraďŹ&#x192;ti #legalisethetags #legalisethetags #legalisethetags

#legalisethetags

Iris Truscott “A campaign to help the graffiti community would be amazing, as many of us want to share the joy of painting and the freedom of expression it brings. There is a huge problem with councils reducing the amount of legal walls and places were we can congregate and really enjoy each others company and talents. A huge legal wall or location is needed where there is no fear of police to encourage artists to come out from behind their sketchbooks and show us what we are all capable of. Painting graffiti is not and does not hurt anyone, but there seems to be a lot of police attention on it, which doesn’t help the stigma that surrounds it. I believe that we want to thrive as a collective of inspiration, creativity and community.”

“Like with any sport there is competition and individuals that play to win and others that play to be a part of something beautiful. And I would love for that to be understood by more members of the public, we are not all under one umbrella. We may share one hobby but we are individuals and we are just trying to express our emotions how we know how!”

Graffiti culture is certainly evolving rapidly

and with this public perceptions also change. There has been an increase in the use of graffiti in advertisements and targeting of specific audiences for particular products, again this is stereo typing to some extent but it is also effective in targeting those ‘alternative’ personalities, by this I mean less mainstream and in turn maybe less successful during school and work as I’ve found it can often be our struggle to fit in to regular society that makes us look elsewhere to express our creativity and individuality. I don’t think it’s fair to say that all graffiti artists are drop outs or struggle to fit in with societal norms at all as many of us do have regular jobs, study and ‘blend’ in with everyone else. Although as with any groups there will always be common ground and interests that bring us together and we often end up mixing in circles other than graffiti related ones.

1) Do you call yourself a graffiti artist or graffiti designer? Why?

I would call myself an artist rather than a designer, I feel it’s such a creative process and there’s more freedom than what I attribute to a designer. This is a new perspective however as when I was first introduced to the graffiti scene I was told about all the ‘rules’ of styles and techniques that was intimidating. More recently I have been exploring the endless possibilities and that fact that I need not follow someone else’s ‘rules’ as that is there own perspective and journey. 2) Do you have a tag? If so do you use it almost like a designer or artist would use their logo or name to represent their identity?

I do have a tag, I have had several and finally landed on one that I felt suited me, it does have meaning to me and Most artists once they have settled on a tag will use this as a trade mark to stamp to their work, although there is also comfort in your letters, and they develop style with time. So sticking with one tag can be important in developing confidence and in some cases ‘street credit’ using your tag to mark lucrative places, although I don’t personally ‘tag’ this way 3) How did you get your tag? Or name? Is it through a nickname you once had/have does it have a story behind it?

My tag is arco, I am bilingual and in my second language ‘arco iris’ means rainbow and I really enjoy the fluidity of the letters and the fact that no one would be able to guess the reason behind why I have chosen that as my tag (at this point I will ask that you don’t include my real name in your work, although I often only paint on legal walls I would rather not disclose my name etc as I would be easy to find on social media etc) 4) Do you feel sometimes misunderstood or misrepresented as a graffiti artist? Do you feel as if there is still a stigma there? That all graffiti artists are school drops out or do it for fun and can’t make a living out of it?

Graffiti culture is certainly evolving rapidly and with this public perceptions also change. There has been an increase in the use of graffiti in advertisements and targeting of specific audiences for particular products, again this is stereotyping to some extent but it is also effective in targeting those more alternative personalities, by this I mean less mainstream and in turn maybe less successful during school and work as I’ve found it can often be our struggle to fit in to regular society that makes us look elsewhere to express our creativity and individuality. I don’t think it’s fair to say that all graffiti artists are drop outs or struggle to fit in with societal norms at all as many of us do have regular jobs, study and ‘blend’ in with everyone else. Although as with any group there will always be common ground and interests that bring us together and we often end up mixing in circles other than graffiti related ones. 5) And finally if I were to design a campaign to help the graffiti community how would you suggest I do it? Is there anything in particular graffiti culture represents to you? Is it missing something? A sense of community?

A campaign to help the graffiti community would be amazing, as many of us want to share the joy of painting and the freedom of expression it brings. There is a huge problem with councils reducing the amount of legal walls and places were we can congregate and really enjoy each others company and talents. Although there are some individuals that consider graffiti to be a one man, ego driven battle to mark territory in an almost animalistic fashion. I also see the innate root of this behaviour in wanted to dominate and display signals of being ‘the fittest’ as it were and the survival of marking dangerous locations. Like with any sport there

is competition and individuals that play to win and others that play to be a part of something beautiful.

And I would love for that to be understood by more members of the public, we are not all under one umbrella. We may share one hobby but we are individuals and we are just trying to express our emotions how we know how.

#legalisetheart

After speaking to Iris about I had a whole new insight into what problems the graffiti culture feels needs to actually be addressed. I found this piece of research so helpful because it meant that I felt more confident that my campaign can actually be used in the real world - it will actually make a difference. And most importantly is more relevant to the cultures needs, which is the whole part of the brief ! There is no point in me designing a campaign which wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t amount to anything, this was the key to my development in this project and when I really started to strategically plan what my concept is!

#legaliseart More legalisation, less vandalism

#legalisethewalls

#legalisecreativity

Legalising more graffiti walls is something which has definitely started happening ofcourse but I found that this hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t changed enough. That there is still a negative stigma put on this culture which is still seen as an issue. Some graffiti artists use tagging to mark terrioritry and is used within gang culture sure, but there is a whole other community out there that just wants to express their creativity and uses it not for criminal purposes but for a chance to idenitfy themselves - these tags signify people - creative people.

thec eilin g

# legalise

Looking back on my previous research I decided to actually try it out myself and start mocking up visuals. I found that I could really see and understand the ideas I had much better and was a better way of analysing where I am.

Syoz

IF S Su MLAK

LDN

COWS1

SPACERO onm

A S TI N KTfDV

TAB

f12 TB

E E

K $ SS V R STAY ALIVE

S.B

H A S NS A h h NA N DL

ZOGEh S E

SWT

LDN

Jay

TAB

VIZ

oeroandib

E R F F Pa A D P Z ce Ea

Eventhough the idea is really interesting I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really see any potential in this idea and found that it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exactly link to my concept either anymore - it is looking at graffiti in a different light but not exactly in a good way - it is stripping all the goodness and character out of it.

jaso

This changing of the graffiti tags wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t linking to my concept anymore because this visual is almost mainsteaming them, or taking away any of the character there is in their pieces. It may have been an amusing idea at first but it definitely didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really communicate where I was going in the project - it was almost a step backwards which is not where I wanted to be. I found that it was a really fun exercise but it was the total opposite of what I was trying to say. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to change the culture in any way or mainstream them in any way but to change the way other people see them.

https://legal-walls.net

1430 legal graffiti walls around the world, Only 6 of those are in London

After talking to Iris this idea of legibility of graffiti really interested me - how many walls or places are there? I found this website that mapped them all out dated in 2016 so it is probably as accurate as it could get. The idea that 1430 legal graffiti walls around the world and there’s 6 of them in London - doesn’t sound like a lot to me. However if you take into account all of the cities there are in the world 6 is quite a large number compared to some places however ..

It often happens that some people start to recognize the tag as not only a stain on the wall, but as people that speak, fight and travel. For instance, I understood that I was finally entering into the culture, when this form of recognition started to happen to me. Even nowadays, I often find myself smiling at the wall when I see a tag that I recognize

the tag is not only the externalization of the writer’s identity, but in addition the only expression of their identity that is presentable in the graffiti world. Being someone in graffiti language is ‘making a name’. Without the tag, the writer does not exist. Since it is strongly believed that identity is something people create rather than what people are, the tag is the identity that writers create to introduce who they are to the world.

In the gaurdian about 10 years ago there was an interesting article about how we should look inside the Egyptian pyramids, where many workers left their “tags” thousands of years ago.

This idea stems from this idea of the difference between legal graffiti and illegal graffiti. What I found on the rough part of streets or on the side of trains and the tracks was totally different to what I found in the legal areas of London and Denmark. The legal graffiti was very developed and less ‘scribbly’ the blow ups or ‘throw ups’ they are supposedly called are made up of 3 or 4 colours and are crafted in a way you’d think the artist had spent much more time on it. If there were more areas in London or around the world will there be less illegal graffiti out there? If they had a place to go then maybe they’ll chose to do it legally? This is obviously a big idea which may seem a little niave as illegal graffiti will not be ‘cured’ over night but it is at least a step in the right direction!

Dennisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is really cool - I love the positive messages he writes in his work - it is very much like graffiti however he has done it with chalk. What I found looking at his work was a really nice response by people on the streets, as your can see in these pictures - there are people everywhere intrigued in what he is doing, maybe because of the positivity? Maybe I could see this opportunity to do the same? Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make my campaign more relateable? Less governmental or political looking? Maybe this is a better tone of voice that will work more effectively?

Dennis is definitely working with his strengths here - I really love his typography work it’s really nice change to positive messages in design there always seems to be a sense of seriousness. This interestingly almost links to my part 1 idea, maybe I am trying to make the design world more approachable? I feel like this approach is far more effective and works far more because it’s a different approach to what someone who is in a more professional position in the industry to I am maybe this new mindset is what D&AD is looking for? And why they open up these opportunities to students? Because they see things in different ways? Maybe I should embrace it because that’s what may differentiate myself to the rest of the crowd? Because at first I thought being a student i have to think in a professional way - a more experienced designer’s mind set? But maybe the execution I do but not necessarily the idea?

BECREATIVE is the exact kind of phrase that could represent my campaign really well. This kind of message which represents or at least embraces diveristy as speaks to everyone, no matter who you are â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;beâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; I really like the abruptness of the message and also the simplicity because it is so understandable. Not only are his messages great but I also love the vectorised kind of look he is going for - the bold and bright colours really contract well together - it really give it an edge! I hope to maybe try this in my final posters when I get to them!

Urban interventionism, as a form of artistic expression within a specific spatial urban context, can take many different forms. The intriguing question here is not reflected in the sheer notion that the phenomenon of urban art incorporates a certain cultural happening, but rather it is the question of the ways in which the intervention itself is being executed. It is in this crucial part of the creative process of urban artists where meaning is created. What is more important, it is in this part of the creative process where meaning is embeded in the cultural fabric of a particular urban community. Ideology or ideological viewpoint shouldn’t be regarded only as a “distorted” approach to percieving the world. Rather than thinking of it as a set of meanings which try to missrepresent the perception of our surroundings, one should consider the notion of ideology which is embeded in one’s cultural identity. In this regard, every aspect of our interaction with the world, and especially cultural interaction, is an ideological one. This becomes intelligible in the actions of an urban artist. There is a clear cultural context reflected in the artist’s “object of transformation”, which coincides with the ideological approach of the artist’s intervention (reconceptualisation) of the said object. Thus, the artwork becomes a product of embedding ideological meaning into the structure of a certain cultural (urban) space. This is the notion which presupposes both the aesthetics of the artwork as well as its perception in the eyes of the public. But, what about the incentive to intervene?

To paraphrase many urban artists, one does not live to create, but creates so he/she could live. Herein lies the greatest power of an urban intervention – it is an artistic impressum on the life of the community. This is the essence of the work of artists Lek and Sowat and their practise of Urbex. This is a method of taking over a spacial context with rich symbolic structure and inscribing new meaning by the power of artistic intervention. What is more interesting, Lek and Sowat bring together even more artists which come from different fields of practice, therefore creating a situation of contesting ideologies. Different influences in the spacial context create an amalgamation of ideologies and an intriguing situation of interventions within intervention – the space is transformed through interaction of different ideological inputs. Other times, the intervention can be selfevident. For example, with the one of his installations of 150 fake security cameras on one wall in Madrid, urban artist SpY’s piece overstated the hegemonic nature of Western societies. Is Urban Art Always an Intervention? If we consider the symbolic level of urban artwork, the answer to this question would indubitably be Yes. Even a piece on a gallery wall with understated aesthetics could say that the nature of street and urban art is of intrusive and intervening connotations. Even if we don’t take into consideration the aesthetics of the artwork itself, the incentive alone for transforming a cultural space represents an urban intervention. For, urban art defines itself through symbolic resistance

Dans le Entrailles du Palais de Tokyo - A Graffiti Temple In September of 2012, artists entered the basement of the Palais de Tokyo and transformed many of the hidden rooms and unused locations into gorgeous art. The piece, entitled Dans Les Entrailles Du Palais Secret, features artists Lek and Sowat, in addition to Jay One, Outsider, and many more.

As much as I needed my branding to look creative and relevant to the subject matter, I still needed it to look polished. Here I have layed out all of the insppiration I looked at in research to develop my branding - I struggled quite a bit getting the balance right. The balance between a polished professional looking type design but it to still look like a graffiti campaign which will highlight creativity and positivity.

I also decided to look into House of Vans branding because they may be a shoe brand but in the past 5-10 years it has become much more than that. Not only is the style of red with black and white really unique and edgy - in a good way, the overall visual voice is very up to date and coinsides with my chosen culture in a way. Skateboarders, Graffiti artists come togther in the Vaults in london which gave me the idea to look into their branding as because of this I found it really relevant. I didâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nt look into them just for this reason though, I think their branding really works. It has a very creative edge to it which contrasts really nicely with the almost ubarn â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;voiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or style that they speak through the brand.

I love the combination of the black, white and red in their branding it gives a very urban feel to the company. The simplistic but also edgy and fun element of this brand is something I definitely want to try and portray in my branding for the campaign because it is a very similar target audience and would really work with my subject matter.

After this amount of research I started to then start visualising some ideas, I learnt that I need to start designing slightly earlier. In projects as sometimes I do over do the research and do bombard myself with lots of information that stresses me out as I dont know what to do with it. Not only did I start to look into fonts I also looked into many name ideas, after asking my peers for what they think and also asking Iris again I came to the agreement of LoveTheTags - as Iris said it looked better and i decided that it presents my idea better. Love It Tag It is catchy and fun but my campaign isâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nt about tagging anything - Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not telling non graffiti artists to tag anything I am suggesting we should love (not hate) the tags that are already out there! Why? Because even in 2016 theres a whole community of graffiti artists out there that are still judged or assosiated with gang culture and therefore I am using this project to help them get their voice out!

lovethetags loveittagit 2016

2016

bringing graffiti to you everyday life

love

LOVE

ags git

love the tags

love it tag it

LOVE IT TAG IT LOVE IT TAG IT After this amount of research I wanted to then start visualising some ideas, I learnt that I need to start designing slightly earlier. In projects as sometimes I do over do the research and do bombard myself with lots of information that stresses me out as I dont know what to do with it. Not only did I start to look into fonts I also looked into many name ideas, after asking my peers for what they think and also asking Iris again I came to the agreement of LoveTheTags - as Iris said it looked better and i decided that it presents my idea better. Love It Tag It is catchy and fun but my campaign isâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nt about tagging anything - Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not telling non graffiti artists to tag anything I am suggesting we should love (not hate) the tags that are already out there! Why? Because even in 2016 theres a whole community of graffiti artists out there that are still judged or assosiated with gang culture and therefore I am using this project to help them get their voice out!

lovethetags

Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

Bringing Graﬃti to the everday

#lovethetags

Bringing Graﬃti to the everday #lovethetags

#lovethetags

lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the everday #lovethetags

love

Bringing Graﬃ

#love

Referring back to my very early on research into MTV Teen Moms typography. I subtly wanted to almost try and use this kind of look into my branding - something very calligraphy like, something really fun and very much like the style that is going around right now - bold colourful. I tried to experiement with colour also - eventhough I really liked the blue it looked too conservative, I tried to look at the MTV moms colour scheme - eventhough it is totally different to my concept I very much admired the style and recognised how highly creative it is, like mine needs to be!

#Lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to you Everyday

#Lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

# Lovethetags # Lovethetags Lovethetags

# Lovethetags #Lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

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Lovethetags

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#lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

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#lovethetags

Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

lovethetags

#Lov

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#Lovethetags # Lovethetags

#lovethetags

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#Lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

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raﬃti to the Everyday

vethetags

ing Graﬃti to the Everyday

#lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

Lovethetags Lovethetags Lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday #lovethetags

Lovethetags

#Lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

#Lovethetags #Lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

BRINGING GRAFFITI TO THE EVERYDAY

#Love the tags Bringing Graffiti to the Everyday

#Love the tags

#Love the tags Bringing Graffiti to the Everyday

Lovethetags

These were all the different ranges of ideas I came up with, I found that some were a bit unprofessional looking and others had too much going on or looked to ‘edited’. The different ideas I had for symbolising or artwork for my campaign varied quite a lot! I started to really like this almost toolbar or highlighted look, it was professional looking but also gives that hands on tactile experience which is what graffiti is! The 3D looking toolbars looked pretty cool but I found they were way too designed and had too much going on with them. As a style I do think they look good but not for a logo and definately not what I needed my logo to look like.

#LoveTheTags

#Lovethe

#LoveTheTags

#lovethetags

#LoveTheTags

#Lovetheta

#LoveTheTags

#Lovethetag

#LoveTheTags

#LOVE THE T

#LOVETHETAGS #Lovethetags

I found that despite my research I was struggling a little with the branding but I did start to see some potential! The typeface: Yellowtail I found created the best visual relevance to what I was trying to create. It gave me a chance to make the words look polished and creative but also still handwritten and have a urban charm to it. It is also a key represenation of lots of aspects of my previous research, and combines all the visual qualities that I enjoyed or saw potential in. Colour was something I now needed to focus on which will help bring all the branding togetheroriginally I really loved the red idea but it reminded me a lot of kellogs logo which isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the look I was going for in the slightest, however just changing the colour really changed that. I tried a royal blue however that looked really conservative kind of blue - which also contradicts my message and tone of voice entirely, yello seemed to be a nice balance so I started to work with that.

These were all the different ranges of ideas I came up with, I found that some were a bit unprofessional looking and others had too much going on or looked to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;editedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The different ideas I had for symbolising or artwork for my campaign varied quite a lot! I started to really like this almost toolbar or highlighted look, it was professional looking but also gives that hands on tactile experience which is what graffiti is! The 3D looking toolbars looked pretty cool but I found they were way too designed and had too much going on with them. As a style I do think they look good but not for a logo and definately not what I needed my logo to look like.

ags

#Lovethetags

#lovethetags

eTags

#Lovethetags

#LOVE THE TAGS

lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti

to the Everyday #lovethetags

#lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

Lovethetags

Bringing Graffiti to your Everyday

Lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

#Lovethetags #Lovethetags Bringing Graffiti to the Everyday

Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

#Lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

In order to see which logo will work best I started contextualising it - to see what it looks like against Graffiti. I found that it was really working but mostly the last one was chosen by all of my peers in the crit which was interesting as that was my personal favourite too. I needed a reason for my choice not just because it ‘looks nice’ I asked Iris what she thought and she also approved of the font choice: “It’s graphic and graffiti enough, it’s pretty cool!”

#lovethetags Bringing Graﬃti to the Everyday

#Lovethetags Bringing GraďŹ&#x192;ti to the Everyday

After having a commissioned Graffiti artist let me down I really didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where to turn and had a breakdwon by this point. So what I did instead of giving up I had a mental break from it all and started again in terms of visuals: I had a concept ready, How do I communicate it? I started to spray paint because I literally couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think of anything else i could try. While I was doing it I thought in my head that it could make an interesting poster through a strong photograph. I tried to make it more interesting by adding a number of colours to it but when I started asking for feedback on this I knew what they were going to say - it is not the right tone of voice. It is definitely not what I was trying to say. I am a graphic designer not a graffiti artist so it definitely doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look right.

I also gave stencil art a go. Which I guess was fun but at the same time I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel as if it was coming out the way I wanted it to. However I really do feel as if this helped me realise that graffiti art is in fact an art and not everyone can do it, so I went on a rampage to find a replacement and waited to hear back from people. What I also did realise was that to take a more professional approach I should really pay them and properly commision them, that way we are both as a partnership happy. I really canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do this myself and this exercise reminded me of that.

In the mean time of me trying to find an artist I was playing around with this new exciting idea which I really thought was working. I felt as if it really signified the plural of ‘tags’ really well and highlighted the idea best way I could think of possible, however this was a back up idea and since I was having such a bad time finding someone who wouldn’t let me down I started developing it further. It wasn’t until I went out to re shoot these letters (so that I could develop poster further and create a more effective outcome) was when I heard back from 2 artists. I looked into their work and decided to organise to see them both! As late in the project as it may be I still thought it was worth it and decided to just go for it.

# ovethetags Bringing GraďŹ&#x192;ti to the Everyday

#LoveTheTags Bringing Graï¬&#x192;ti to the Everyday

I organised to see them in the weekend as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll give us much more time so while I was preparing for the shoots I was playing around with the different ways I could represent my back up idea. Through the different backgrounds different vibrancies. I really liked above all the right hand one on this page and the yellow backgroudn but found this one on the right blended in too much - and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bring out the letters enough. The yellow on the other hand really did and I then started to contextualise it as you can see at the bottom here, stickers showing where they can graffiti, by showing sections of the poster - relevance and also abstraction quite fun and playful but still recognisable to rest of the campaign so far!

The first artist was called Tom who is a graffiti artist will 3 years of commision experience, I really liked his style as if was quite unique I thought. He may not have much experience but I could see some potential in his work and was also really suprised how quickly he could do it! He told me that it was because he used to do it illegally and therefore was used to having to paint fast. After then becoming a mechanic and doing well for himself in Bristol he now does it as a hobby and says it brings back memories of his youth (he isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that old) but he is now 25 and working full time, where as back when he started at 17 he did it more so as a full time activity with his group of friends for fun.

I was ofcourse slightly worried or nervous at the idea of them maybe not producing something I liked or was’nt what I was trying to say - as like them I am also an artist and have a creative eye but ofcourse I am a designer not a graffiti artist so i made sure that they did it in their own styles and approach the task in whatever way they wanted to. Just to get a mutual understanding they both asked me for a rough idea of what they wanted so instead of me explaining in words I sent them a moodboard. It was almost like a brief but a very very unformal one and would still be left up to much interpretation. They agreed and loved the idea and found that they really wanted to play around with the overall style by adding different aspects like peace signs or mugs (people at the end of the tags) to show friendly and positive outcome. I am really happy with the way they both came out and also really loved how differently they came out too!

Positive Graffiti: -that says ‘LoveTheTags’ Maybe a slim looking heart where the v is? -Bold, bright and fun colours, Colours like pinks, blues, yellows, oranges etc? -Quite developed creative lettering, maybe with a ‘free love’ kind of vibe? maybe 60’s hippie/ 70’s like? But not too cheesy! Basically just an element of fun and love! -Obviously I really admire your style already! So I’m sure this will work!

After looking at the Graffiti pieces I realised or that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t usually write in small caps and therefore thought Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d try adding a capital L. I liked the way it was positioned and found that it really worked with the yellow marking and type for the strapline. It gives it more of a sense of a logo design and I felt looked even more like a graffiti subject matter logo! Because it looks more like a statement or a word - it brings it all together in more of a professional way but also it reads better!

In the end I decided to just focus on the professional tag because not only did it look for developed but it also called for a better video. The transformation from start to finished was much more empowering and dramatically different. It has only a little to do with my personal preference - as I do really love the colour choices and the layout etc. I found that the artist himself was very for the campaign idea and he really enjoyed talking to me about it. Unfortunately he wasn’t comfortable with me videoing him or recording his voice which was a shame as I really did think it would’ve really benefited my video however I didn’t want to push it. It also is a very visual subject matter and in fact the actual speaking voice of the artist isn’t essentially relevant because what makes them special is the skill of communicating their voice to through creative means and through their own work.

#lovethetags Bringing GraďŹ&#x192;ti to the Everyday

As much as I tried to form a similar layout as my past idea with his work it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really look right. I again felt as if i was mainstreaming his work in some way - making it look more graphic which again was not my approach or tone of voice at all! It was not what I wanted from this campaign and actually found that a poster of his work in context worked much much better! In terms of the poster design - I know I had a lot of work to do however I was very eager to try this timelapse video as soon as possible and to really start to get it right! As my last video was good but not great I was very eager to learn from the mistakes I made in that one and try it differently in this one.

I made the video with the combination of After Effects and Premier Pro which was a huge thing for me as I had never even opened these programmes before. However once I watched a few tutorial I really managed to get the hang of it and actually it was nowhere near horrundous as I thought it was going to be. Ofcourse it was hard work and at times really frustrating because I initially didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how to do anything and was starting completely from scratch but what I learnt was that I needed to spend time on it and I did have to spare now! I found that using premier as the final video was easiest but all the visual effects such as the calligraphy type at the end for the logo and the fading of the subtext easiest on after effects. Bringing it all together onto premier was the best decision instead of photoshop like the last one because I was working with a long film of footage as it took Sean just over an hour to do this so photoshop wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eactly the best fit and I would use that more for slideshow video animation.

I did play around with the colour for the branding as well just quickly because I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sure whether the yellow was too harsh or too immature? It also put me off a little bit the fact that it is the same colour as d&ad but once I started trying other colours I realised that the yellow really was the best fit for a number of reasons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxvU2PDXRJw

In terms of the music for the video I started off with something very pop but I thought sent off the right message of positivity and love. However as much as it sent off the right tone of voice it wasn’t very professional sounding and gave a more cheesy vibe to the video instead of of a winning video kind of feel. So I tried it with 3 more different song choices - music that I already knew of. I tried to get instrumental versions of the songs as i thought that looked more professional but the song i chose in the end was actually far more relevant than the other two. The soulful and relaxation vibe of the song really worked with the urban look of the video as well! It had a bit of voice singing but because they were singing about the ‘colours of freedom’ it brought even more relevance to the campaign and eventhough it sounds more professional it still sounded very much like the tone of voice I was trying to communicate.

Now the video was coming along I needed to make sure I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forgetting about the poster designs. After having a little break from all the madness I was looking for inspiration just for fun and I came across Shillington School of Arts blog which had a really nice collection of work for poster design, branding and art direction. This piece really intrigued me as it really zoomed into the typography - I really loved how abstract it looked and how bright the colours are. I also came across an advert for a talk in Sydney hosted by many well known designers - including Vince Frost. Eventhough I am unable to go to the talk unfortunately, it reminded me of how important it is I look at WHY I chose to make these creative decisions in my work and will use this while writing my evaluation.

… Why? It’s the question that separates style from substance. Why that format? Why that font? Why that image? A good answer means good thinking: an idea at the heart of the work. That’s what Why? Is all about: great ideas in design. Inspiring and conceptual work requiring minimal explanation, because the best ideas need nothing more.

Bella Thomas a Shillington Graduate from Sydneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work for nike. campaign really caught my eye for the similar reason as did the other shillington piece. I feel this could potentially work for my poster designs. While I was talking to Sean about him work after he was finished he pointed out his favourite parts to me. He talked about how he loves zooming into it and seeing the virant and rough textures. He talked about how as much as he likes to work on big canvases he likes to walk up to it and really look at each section in detail. This idea or approach really influenced this idea for me and this bit of research reminded me of this experience, doing a series of these would really work for a campaign!

What I then found really helped was starting to put all this togther on concept boards. It was then when i started to do this was when it all started to come together, the posters, the video the third outcome, the urban intervention. The poster designs were coming along but the next stage was putting it all together in their right categories and how to make it look nice and professional! I decided I need to look into past winners boards to see how they had done it and see how I could do mine to a professional and relevant standard.

#3 Urban intervention The third outcome is a key representation of the concept for the campaign. Instead of mainstreaming the taggers or putting them on a pedestal the idea is to bring graffiti to the everyday life. This urban intervention will highlight the emergence of graffiti in mainstream culture but also address a new step - the taggers as a form of beauty instead of brutality. Giving the graffiti taggers specific places they are able to graffiti on particular benches, bins, magazines or books, a particular train that goes from Canterbury to London for example. These areas will be highlighted round stickers with the hashtag symbol that will show where these places are. Posters of the campaign movement will be dotted (haha) around London to promote awareness of the exciting and unique campaign.

#Lovethetags Bringing Graf fiti to the Ever yd ay

Vectorising these close ups came across at first really nice but when I zoomed into them they looked very fake and lost the authencity. I decided that strengthening the contract and vibrance of the images looked far better. Eventhough they were edited, they still looked like the originals and if anythign highlighted their features even more so! Vectorising totally transformed them alltogether and in the end didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even look anything like the originals!

Celebrating Diversity Recognising Creativity and Embracing Originality

Just like in the last project I made sure there was some kind of information for the viewers to understand - the 3 snappy parts of information I found were not essential on the poster and worked far better in the video therefore the mystery will be what draw people in and the lovethetags logo will be where they can find more information just like how graffiti tagging works!

Slides Research - How do I commicate my idea to people whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never seen it before?Bold titles? Mock ups and written information

#Lovethetags

#Campaig Branding

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I did originally think that the 3 posters - or however many there will be would add up to the final poster or all work together to created one big poster. I However as great as the idea is it wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nt exactly look right and actually the abstractness of the other images looks far more intruging and actually work better with the concept more because sure itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about bringing the community together but it is also about highlighting the artists favourite sections and promoting personal and individual creativity to the everyday - bringing everyone to witness it.

I found that having the logo right at the front of the poster now worked so much more because of the abstraction of the poster ideas I felt as if it worked far more now. However with this very versitile design, I figured I could definitely play around with it from billboard designs to poster designs on the streets!

http://www.advertisingaphasia.com/wpcontent/uploads/2015/08/maxresdefault.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvaINbLvoBA&feature=youtu.be

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Lovethetags: Campaign for the Graffiti Community 2016

#Lovethetags - Commercial Video 2016

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