Statement Of Intent by Jonathan Finchy

BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN

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OUGD303

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FINAL MAJOR PROJECT

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 like working with typography and custom lettering and have tried to use this as a starting point for when I’m undertaking a branding 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. – 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 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. – 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 top specialise in design for print. This can be done through the professional printing of one of the yearbooks that I should get to work 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 better just with regards to layout and organisation of content. – 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: Yearbook Pitch

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Brief 2: Fashion Branding Collaboration w/ Ailsa Marrs

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Rationale: Create a complete visual identity for fashion student –––––– and apply it to appropriate printed material and then extend it into a look-book publication of her work. Brief 3:

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Brief 4:

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Brief 5: Design Context Publication

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Contextual references / Designers / Studios / Companies (specific) Mind Design, Here Design, Mash Creative (UK) Anagrama, Face (Mexico) Quadradao (Brazil) Heydays (Norway) Bond Agency, Tsto (Finland)

Lundgren & Lundqvist, Gabor Palotai (Sweden) Kiss Miklos (Hungary)

RESEARCH ACTIVITY:

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RESEARCH ACTIVITY:

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RESEARCH ACTIVITY Details

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RESEARCH ACTIVITY Details

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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 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? 1

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