06
BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN
LEVEL
Module Code
OUGD303
Outcomes
Module Title
FINAL MAJOR PROJECT
1
FINAL MAJOR PROJECT STATEMENT OF INTENT Name: Jonathan Finch Blog Address: j-finch0912fmp.blogspot.com Rationale “Print-driven design focussed on identity and promotion with primary considerations for typography, colour and finish”. – The core of my practice is based around high-end design for print - whether it’s for a visual identity, a range of promotional material, publications or packaging. – After realising that contextually I enjoy looking at branding and identity I have started to make this more prominent in my work. I found that I like working with typography and custom lettering and have tried to use this as a starting point for when I’m undertaking an identity-based brief. – Colour is another important aspect to me and I think it’s important for me to investigate the affect it can have on a brand/identity or the consumer. Being confident in my application of colour will help to add impact to my work as sometimes I feel I limit myself too much with colour but contextually I enjoy work that uses many bright hues. – Since identity is what I’m most interested in then I will research into the role of identity and branding and what its core functions are. What does a stationery set need to do? What deliverables are appropriate for that particular context? What is important to state is that I don’t like branding for large corporate companies, but smaller businesses that tend to use a more creative identity. – I also want to continue my work across promotional material and publications which will involve developing my type and layout skills further with a more concerted effort to pick up more technical skills in these areas and gain a better understanding of InDesign. – I am going to aim to keep developing my brand identity skills but look to explore different contexts for the briefs which would lead to more surprising resolutions. – Packaging is an element of print that I have investigated on a basic level but isn’t my primary focus however, it should be an important consideration when working in branding and promotion. – Web design is an area which isn’t of much interest but again when working with brand identity it is important that I understand how my work could be applied to a web/digital format. – In order to design for a range of budgets I feel I should explore how to achieve highimpact, good quality print that doesn’t necessarily involve large production costs. – I intend to establish some industry contacts through freelance work, live briefs, studio visits and contextual research that would ideally lead to an internship.
– I also want to show my work to such contacts I make through a printed folio as well as my personal website in order to receive feedback and advice. – Finally I will conduct further in-depth research of studios and designers I like, looking not just at what they produce but who they work for and within what contexts to help inform the work I want to do. Subjects / Themes Design For: – Boutique businesses that allow more creative independence & innovative designs and concepts. The resolutions for this context are often high-end print material that fits with my position statement / Retail branding, Identity and promotion / Publications and promotion for travel industry and entertainment & media / Food & drink - restaurants, bars, café’s. Themes: – Desirable aesthetics with a luxury feel underpinned by a strong concept. Using my interest in identity, promotion and publication to produce high quality print work / I want my work to reflect a simple and honest approach but have a highly effective and engaging quality / Contemporary culture; Cities, Architecture, Photography, Food & Drink, Entertainment & Media. Design Disciplines / Creative Development Primary Considerations: – Visual identity & Branding (Logotypes, Identity that is applied from stationery right through to interior) Typography (More type as image / Custom Lettering) Promotional material (Poster Art, Publications, Campaigns) Secondary Considerations: – Editorial & Layout, Packaging, Image Production. All of the above would mainly be resolved through print but I should keep up an awareness of how my work would need to translate to web and digital, especially relevant when applying a brand identity over a range of deliverables. Practical Skills / Workshops – what, why and when? – I want to gain a better understanding of client/contact relationships and how they work and expectation each has of the other. This can be achieved through attempting more live briefs. – I also want to learn more about professional artworking and readying work for print. I did this to a degree during some freelance work I did last summer but I’ll need to know more about it since I want to specialise in design for print. This can be done through the professional printing of the photography yearbook I’m working on but also through contacting printers etc directly. – Typography is a key part of my practice but more the type as image and custom lettering side of it. My technical type skills are OK but I think they should probably be a little better just with regards to layout and hierarchy / organisation of content. I still intend to create my own working typeface as part of a resolution to a brief so learning Fontographer would be necessary to achieve this. – Image is an area that has slowly decreased in my work. At the present time it only tends to appear through photography or given content. As part of my brand identity work I want to try and look at how image can be included in different ways, from photos to vectored patterns, which should prevent my projects becoming too similar. (Type & layout led)
– My software skills are of a decent standard but I’m always concerned that I still don’t know some of the basics - particularly with regards to InDesign and I aim to focus on improving these skills during my FMP. – The photography of my finished products is something that I’m increasing paying attention after studying how other studios and designers present their work. I don’t think my photography is bad but sometimes it’s difficult to get the shots that I can visualise in my head. Perhaps collaboration or at least advice from a photography student would be beneficial. – Decision making can still be a little slow and tortuous and times. If I can improve this I’ll be able to work more efficiently and have time to use different processes in my work which I keep intending to do but rarely get round to doing. Further skills to improve: Grid & Layout, Logo Design, Identity Design, Physical Production Skills (different print finishes), and Publication Design.
Brief 1: Photography Yearbook
Deadline
Rationale: Design and produce the 2012 yearbook for the Photography course as part of a design team with - Chris Starkie, Pav Adamek, Roz Stoughton and Sean Perkins. Brief 2: Boutique Travel Agent Identity
Deadline
Rationale: Create an identity for an upmarket travel boutique and apply it across a range of deliverables. These should include the basic corporate stationery set leading through to extra print collateral and shop interior elements. Brief 3: City Publications
Deadline
Rationale: Produce a series of short publications based upon cities I have visited. Content will include photographs I have taken combined with experimental typography and layout. Brief 4: Event Brand Identity Collaboration w/ Steph. Oglesby
Deadline
Rationale: Create an identity for a contemporary culture festival and apply it across a range of mainly printed deliverables including a publication, posters, tickets. Other resolutions should include, infographics, signage and some sort of digital presence. Brief 5: Identity based brief - Context yet to be decided
Deadline
Rationale: Produce a brand identity with resolutions focused around high-end print. Brief 6:
Design Context Publication Create a substantial publication based on my contextual influences which should then be professionally produced and printed. Brief 7: Vanessa Gate Fashion Branding Collaboration w/Ailsa Marrs Create a complete visual identity for fashion student Vanessa Gate and apply it to appropriate printed material and then extend it into a look-book publication of her work Brief 8: Hello Poster Show (Live Competition) - hellopostershow.com Let your creative prowess run wild in creating a poster that fits into the broad theme of FORCES OF NATURE. Craft a tenacious composition revealing the fierceness that is mother nature. Contextual references / Designers / Studios / Companies (specific) Mind Design, Here Design, No Days Off, Golden (UK) Homework (Denmark) Say What Studio, Benjamin Varin (France) Anagrama, Face, Manifesto Futura (Mexico) Quadradao (Brazil) Heydays (Norway) Bond Agency, Tsto (Finland) Lundgren & Lundqvist, Gabor Palotai, Kurppa Hosk (Sweden) Kiss Miklos (Hungary) Mucho (Spain) Alva (Portugal) Working Format (Canada) Studio Lin, Triboro (USA) Deutsche & Japaner (Germany) Raw Color (Netherlands) Fabio Ongarato, Maud (Australia) Inhouse (New Zealand)
RESEARCH ACTIVITY: Interviews
Deadline
Details Find existing interview with studios to include in my design context publication. RESEARCH ACTIVITY: Publication
Deadline
Details Look into formats / scale / stocks & finishes / structure for my design context publication.
RESEARCH ACTIVITY: Email Interviews Details
Deadline
Look to conduct email interviews with studios that I want to specifically contact of ask questions to in order to include them in my design context publication. RESEARCH ACTIVITY: Brand / Identity
Deadline
Details Research into what exactly each of these areas of graphic design involve so that I am able to explain what I want to do more easily. RESEARCH ACTIVITY: Print Production
Deadline
Details Look into printing techniques, costings, materials, stocks - What is possible? What is viable?
BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS / TEXTS - (Harvard Refernced) Typography Sketchbooks (Stephen Heller) Logology 2 Graphic Design Theory (Helen Armstrong) More Than A Name (Melissa Davis) Build-On: Converted Architecture & Transformed Buildings Ava Basics - Colour MAGAZINES / JOURNALS / ARTICLES – (include publication date and details)
IdN (International Designer’s Network) - Published bi-monthly CA Collection - Published bi-monthly Eight:48 Magazine G Star Raw Magazine - Published Quarterly Article Magazine Huck Magazine Port Magazine ON LINE REFERENCES / WEBSITES / ARTICLES (include specific urls) Anagrama.com Heydays.com Collate.com Bpando.com Opentype.info Lovelystationery.com Logodesignlove.com Identitydesigned.com Sepemberindustry.com OTHER REFERENCE MATERIAL (Films, events, exhibitions, conferences) Leeds & Manchester Book Fairs Leeds Print Festival Catch-Up Leeds Manchester Print Fair Stack Magazines: Printout
ACTION PLAN – use this section to identify specific tasks that you need to complete in order to resolve the brief. Brief What do you need to do?
Deadline
1
Make a final decision on my 5 core briefs to work on through my FMP
Fri 3rd Feb
2
Conduct research for content and structure of my design context publication.
Ongoing, should be complete by Easter
3
Decide on a structure for my design context publication.
Fri 10th Feb
4
Initial ideas and concepts for the photography yearbook.
Mon 20th Feb
5
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