David Gaskell / 503 / Evaluation Adidas Originals Atoms for Peace Bacardi BJT Christmas Card Custom Lettering Elements Frozen Stars Hell Fire Holland Garden Centre HP Photography LCA Alumni Lego Marriott MW Photography NEST No Fly Posters Penguin - The Big Sleep Punctuation Mark Roskilde Festival Royal Court Theatre Secret 7 Student Union Ted Baker The Skeleton Project Three Minute Theatre Trek UGG UK Greetings UK Greetings ZL Deliveries Module Evaluation
Adidas Originals Visually represent a clash of culture in any medium you deem appropriate.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
I chose to do this brief as it gave me the opportunity to work at and improve image making skills. The second reason I took an interest in this brief was how ridiculous the task was, the idea of Adidas being interested in culture, and a clash of culture at that made me laugh for many an hour. The brief was issued by Talenthouse, and thus the winning entry will be decided by the person with the most Facebook friends, not the most appropriate/stunning response.
I treated this brief as a quick brief, and set myself a 3 hour window to complete it. The process was a quick one, making a few quick sketches then going to the computer. I wanted to show extremes of culture, and take the idea a bit further than grandads wearing trainers. I wanted the outcome to be an image only poster, this was an self imposed restriction to force me to work on my illustration skills. I chose to clash stereotypical Russian, American and Japanese culture. I did this by customising the hammer and sickle design to include a baseball bat and eagle, the japanese culture is shown through the sunshine effect.
I completed this brief within the 3 hour window I set myself, in that regard this brief was successful in helping me learn to manage my time. I am happy with the outcome but there are changes I would make to it looking back. The logo could be more legible on the baseball bat and the imagery could jump off the page more.
Atoms for Peace Design a mixtape for the Atoms for Peace AMOK album.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
A brief I was made aware of in a module briefing in late January, issued by Dazed & Confused. The brief came with a set deliverable and aesthetic style defined within it, this made the design process easier. I intended to treat this brief as a quick turn around one, completing the brief in a 30 minute window. I approached the brief in this way to give me a rest from a much chunkier brief I was undertaking at the time.
The graphic style given to work with comprised of thick line illustrations. This was something I needed to include in my response. As the brief was to be completed in a very short time window I went down the optical illusion route. This fitted as the music is pretty messed up and made my eyes hurt.
The only thing I can really say about this brief is that I answered it adequately, there is nothing memorable on show here. In all honesty I was considering not including this brief in the evaluation document and to put it down as a bad memory. I am only included the brief in here as a way to make me reveal my dirty little secrets.
Bacardi Produce an in-bar solution that will attract more 18-24 year old males to drink Bacardi.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
This was a brief I had considered answering as my main individual brief of the design responsive module, however I answered it as a quick brief towards the end of the module. The brief was very specific in the problem it needed solving, yet open in the form this could solved. This is as close to a well defined competition brief I have ever seen and another reason I chose to answer the brief.
This brief took 3 days to complete. The outcome is a concept pitch, as I do not have the technical skills needed to realise the design. I avoided the trap of the design masturbation that is packaging design, an answer which has no connection to the brief itself. I thought about the problem for a while and came the conclusion that a conversation started is the most needed thing in a bar environment. This directly influenced the augmented reality approach I took, an idea that is low cost to implement across the globe, and will have equal impact on each culture it passes through across the globe.
Looking back on the brief I realised this should have been undertaken as a collaborative brief. This would have enabled me to team up with somebody who had the technical abilities to help me realise the concept. This is something I will take into consideration on all future projects, the need to collaborate with people throughout the college will help me through the rest of second year and in my third year.
BJT Design a logo to be used by an electronic music group.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
I found this brief on Talenthouse at the beginning of the Christmas break, it was different to many Talenthouse briefs as it had set requirements a restrictions to work to. The main reason I chose to respond to the brief was the chance at a quick turn around brief.
The brief came with strong guidance which helped me complete the brief within a 30 minute window I scheduled for it. I wanted to keep the logo clean and simple. and most importantly one which could be expanded into artworks and other materials.
I put my work ethic through this module down to this brief. Responding to this brief gave me momentum going in to the christmas break, which broke the slight depression I was feeling about the design production module at the time. Without this brief I can’t imagine I would be submitting 32 briefs, most of which I am proud to show.
Christmas Card Create a design to be used by the college as the official Christmas card.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
This brief is the first brief I completed as part of the design responsive module. A quick brief, which took me 30 minutes to complete. The reason I chose this brief was to attempt to get a ridiculous Christmas card past the marketing department. The brief also gave me an opportunity to avoid research and make something with my hands.
The brief deliverables were fixed, it required one christmas card design. I didn’t need to do any research for this brief, unfortunately I know all too much of the virgin birth and coronation street specials. I was trying to communicate the feeling of waking up on christmas to an empty house, with tears dried in your stinging eyes. At the time of making this card I felt my christmas would pan out this way. Fortunately it didn’t.
I did this brief to break away from teh tedium and misery that was the design production module, something I will be writing a lot in this report. I like that I used my hands and the design on the card didn’t touch the computer. I am happy with the model, it looks depressing, almost as depressing as christmas. If I could do this brief again, the concept would be the same, the only thing I would change is the colours. I would paint the model, that would make it clearer that the type is formed from a decapitated father christmas. A man, who for seven years brought me a letter calling me a dissapointment.
Custom Lettering Design a typographic poster.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
I stumbled across this brief when researching sign lettering back in January. It is an open submission brief set by lettercult. com, it asked for any custom typography. I chose to deliver a quote poster, as they are strange creation. I looked on this brief as a quick turnaround brief, allowing myself a maximum time of 3 days to complete it. I chose this brief as an opportunity to experiment with type as image.
The biggest challenge in this brief was deciding on a quote to use. I wanted the quote to be uplifting, but not ‘motivational’, nothing makes me sick quicker than a motivational quote. I opted for ‘Life’s too short to work so hard’, and went about designing a poster that is ridiculously hard to read. The poster was designed purely on the computer, with only very quick sketches to guide the layout. In total it took 2 days to design this poster.
I enjoyed this brief, overall I am happy with the design of the poster, and have received positive feedback from it. If I were to do the brief again I would tighten up the alighnment and finish of the design, there are a few inaccuracies I am unhappy with when I look at the poster now.
Elements Design an installation to be featured in an exhibition about hip hop.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
The brief asked for a design that represents the history of hip hop. I took this brief on as I wanted to design for a subject I know very little about. The brief was very open with no set deliverables, which gave me the opportunity to challenge my indecisiveness.
The project took me 3 days to complete. The outcome was a concept pitch for typographic installation, this outcome came about as I wanted a design the visitors could interact with. Process was simple, I made custom type for the installation, using heavy slab serifs to help the type stand. The model was 1:20 ratio, the full size of each letter will be 900mm high x 600mm deep. The audience will be able to write messages on the type which will create evidence of expression come the end of the exhibition.
Looking back on this brief I have a few things I would change, the installation would be white, this would be easier for the audience to use. I chose the colour red to represent passion, this did affect the function of the design. I like how I chose a different outcome than a poster, this challenged me slightly more and as a result I developed a lot during this brief.
Frozen Stars Design a range of materials required by the client to promote a short film they are directing.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
This brief was assigned to me shortly before the birth of Christ. It kept me busy over the festive season. The brief was promoting a film preproduction, for this reason there was no footage or imagery from the film to work with. This made the brief more challenging that a standard film poster brief, trying to capture the essence of a film, without using the film in any way was a difficult problem to solve. I set aside up to 7 days to complete this brief, including any amendments needed.
The communications I was having with the client were difficult, she would change her mind daily, which cause some frustrating moments. In the end I found imagery that was ambiguous yet related to the film, this took a few days to conceptualise and no time at all to actualise. The brief has more deliverables than a poster, there were facebook page designs, and designs used in a presentation given to potential backers of the film.
After the initial teething pains at the beginning of the brief it began to run smoothly. There was an open exchange of ideas between myself and the client which made it an absolute joy. The poster has received postive feedback from many who have seen it, and negative feedback from many others. The most important thing is the client has asked me to design the post-production poster for her, which is progress.
Hell Fire Design a label for Leeds Brewery’s Hell Fire bitter to be used at Creative Network events.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
The brief was to design a beer label for the Creative Network events held around Leeds. There was one deliverable, a beer label, for that reason I treated this brief as a reasonable quick one that would be completed in 3 days.
My aim going into the brief was to keep the design simple, through research I learnt that simple beer labels are the most effective. I used custom type for the label, creating a ‘HF’ ligature that could easily be made into a bottle opener. The brief took me 2 days to complete in total, this was not quick enough and was a kick up the arse to get me working quicker.
Looking back on this brief there are a few things I would change, first is I would treat this as a morning brief. I would change the colour, and have black on white, this would give the design a bigger impact on the shelf. What I like about the outcome is the simplicity and boldness of the label.
Hollands Garden Centre Menu redesign for the cafe based at Hollands Garden Centre in Bolton.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
A local cafe asked me to redesign their menu. The brief came with set deliverables and they asked for a simplified and easier to use menu. This brief was a quick brief, taking me no longer than an hour to complete.
Throughout designing this brief the budget was behind each decision I made. Reducing the menu from a double sided A4 with a fold to a double sided A5 with no fold will reduce printing costs for the cafe. To go with the reduced size I used a simple to column grid, basing the type sizes on the fibonacci sequence helped create a balanced hierarchy.
I am happy with what I achieved with the design, making the menu easier to use will help the cafe. It was also fun to use try out the skills I have been learning in the type workshop. I wouldn’t change anything about the menu at the moment.
Cafe Menu Starters
Breakfast Toast Add beans/egg for £1.20.
£1.25
Toasted Tea Cake
£1.50
Breakfast Barms Each additional filling is 50p. Bacon / Sausage / Egg / Black Pudding / Grilled Tomato / Mushrooms.
£3.00
Grilled Breakfast Sausage, bacon, fired egg, black pudding, beans tomato, mushrooms, toast. With tea or filter coffee.
£6.00
Big Breakfast Everything in the grilled breakfast, but more of it.
£8.00
Sandwiches Ham / Cheese & Onion / Tuna / Mixed White or Brown Bread.
£2.50
Soup of the Day
£3.25
Jacket Potato Cheese Beans Coleslaw Cottage Cheese Tuna Mayo Chilli Con Carne Coronation Grilled Chicken
£3.25 + £0.30 £0.50 £0.50 £0.75 £1.00 £1.00 £1.50
Toasties Cheese & Onion Cheese & Tomato Cheese & Ham Cheese & Steak
£3.50 £3.50 £3.50 £4.00
Quiche Served with salad & dressing.
£4.00
Pate & Toast Chicken liver, cream and cognac pate served with toast and salad.
£4.50
Greek Salad Tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onion, olives, seasoning & feta cheese on a bed of iceberg lettuce.
£5.00
Chicken Caesar Salad Grilled chicken, parmesan and crutons with caesar dressing on a bed of iceberg lettuce.
£5.00
Chicken and Bacon Salad Grilled chicken & bacon with a touch of mayo on a bed of peppers, onion, tomato & iceberg lettuce.
£5.00
HP Photography Design a visual identity, logo, business card and website, for a photography student.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
An ongoing brief in which I will be giving a photographer a visual identity. The initial deliverable was a logo design, this grew to a business card and website. At time of submission the only finalised design is the logo. The other material will be developed over the summer.
This brief has been a story of two-sides, the logo part was finished quickly, taking a few hours to design. The brief slowed down a lot after that point and changed to an identity I will be developing over the summer months.
I will start by saying I am happy with the way the logo looks, it has a direct relation to the type of photography the client is most interested in. The logo has a aperture elements which can be exploited over various promotional material to be made over the summer.
LCA Alumni Design a visual identity for Leeds College of Art Alumni.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
This brief was a live brief set by the marketing department at the college. The brief is a standard identity brief, which I deconstructed and had to change as the specific audience require more than the brief wants to give them. As the cash reward for this brief is ÂŁ100 I treated this as a one day brief.
Looking at the brief and considering the audience led me to change what I will be delivering. I designed a logo, and a typeface. For the monthly newsletters I supplied a grid and logo placement, but decided against a list of standardised typefaces and sizes. I felt it would be more effective to supply the audience with something new every month, or the emails will quickly become a bore and find themselves in the bin.
I feel I achieved a lot with this brief in terms of personal development. I worked fast and thought about the audience and what would be effective, rather than follow the assigned brief like a lemming jumping over a cliff. Through this brief I realised how important it is I learn how to use fontographer, as supplying the typeface as a functioning font would be more effective. Overall I am happy with what I produced.
Lego Create a campaign that distinguishes Lego from their competitors.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
This brief was a long journey, intially to be answered as a collaborative brief this came to an end when my then partner failed to attend the sessions. After that there was a point where I forgot about the brief, then I decided to complete it as an individual brief. I treated this brief as a slow one, the problem was complicated so I allowed for a lot of thinking time, giving myself a total of 14 days to complete the brief.
I came up with a number of potential outcomes for this brief, the problem was difficult so it was a case of coming up with multiple concepts and rejecting the ones that weren’t relevant. The success and reputation of the company allowed me to approach this brief differently than a standard product advertisement. I wanted to use the product in the advert, but at the same time use a message that will have social impact. I used ‘life is what you make of it’ as it relates directly to the product, and gives a message that could help people make the changes in their life.
The most important lesson I learnt in this brief is that you can’t make somebody want to do work, or even attend college. I learnt this the hard way, and it effected my module in a big way, this makes me happier that I completed the Lego brief on my own. The only thing I would change about the advert is to have made it out of Lego, finances meant I was unable to do this, and the design suffers for it.
Life is what you make of it.
Marriott Create a campaign that convinces 18-24 year olds that Marriott is the place for them to enjoy their holidays.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
I was first attracted to this brief as the problem it tries to solve is well defined. I didn’t want to spend too long on the brief and set aside 3 days to complete it. A big reason I answered this brief was to develop my limited writing skills.
I kept the visuals simple and used the audiences association with ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ signs to add an extra layer to the communication. The biggest challenge I faced with this brief was writing the copy. I struggle as a writer (as you have probably picked up through this document). I used print as the media, specifically bus stop adverts.
The parts of this brief I am happy with is the simplicity of the visuals. From showing them to people the hidden message has been understood instantly, which gives me hope my writing skills are improving. The only part of this brief I would want to change is to make it a collaborative brief, with a photography student, using photography in the advert would improve it vastly. You live to learn it seems.
MW Photography Logo design for an established photographer who thinks it is okay to exploit students.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
This brief arrived through the email, I was disgusted at the obvious disrespect the hopeful client had for design students. The feeling of disgust turned into offence when I realised he was offering a mighty £50 to design his logo, money we probably supposed to spend on drugs and second hand condoms. With these feelings in my head I made up a logo in 5 minutes, treating the brief with the respect he showed the college at large.
As I completed the brief in 5 minutes there isn’t much to summarise. The logo is the man’s initials, using thick lines which are suitable for embossing.
This brief was to a very quick turnaround, the positive I can take from it is that I worked quick, and made a pathetic offer of payment ‘economically viable’ if I were to be running my own studio.
NEST Design the cover for the third issue of NEST magazine.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
The brief was sent out via email to the college, it asks for a cover design for the third issue of NEST, the college magazine. The theme of the issue is Mexico, focussing on the Cinco de Mayo festival. I treated this as a 1 day brief, giving me the opportunity to work on my lacking illustration skills.
Presented with the topic, and after researching the festival I decided to face the cliche imagery. I decided on using a candy skull, and a sombrero hat that is also the home to a 5 second old chick. The process was fast, making a few sketches and putting them into illustrator, in total the brief took 5 hours to complete from receiving the brief email.
This brief has shown that I am becoming able to work quickly, and decide on an idea in a short amount of time. This confirms an improvement in time management I have achieved this year, no doubt down to me not using facebook anymore. Overall I am happy with the outcome, it is an illustration I enjoyed making and hope it will be selected as the cover.
No Fly Posters Uninvited contribution I made to the ‘No Fly Poster’ project which is running in Manchester.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
I saw this project on twitter and sent my response it uninvited. I wasn’t particularly interested in the poster being shown, I wanted to work quick and break the monotony and depression that was the design production module. This was a quick turnaround brief, I allowed myself 2 hours to complete.
This brief was intended as a quick brief, for that reason I didn’t do any research, and progressed with the first idea that came to mind. I completed the poster with the 2 hours I set myself, so it was a successful brief.
I like the outcome as the image is intantly recognisable and communicates, however the finish is a inconsistent and spending an extra hour or two focussing on details would have been beneficial to me in the long run.
Penguin - The Big Sleep Design a cover for Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
I was attracted to this brief as it come with the prize of a four week internship, and ÂŁ1000 which will help me with accomodation of living costs whilst on placement if I win. I allowed myself a day to complete this brief, wanting to create something without being bogged down in weeks of research and subsequent blogging.
After reading the blurb, watching the film and reading reviews of the book online I had a concept and direction in a matter of seconds. I made a simple, typewriter style layout and separated the design to be made into a jigsaw. The brief was completed within a day, showing my time management is improving.
Many positives came out of this brief, first of all I am happy with the book cover I have designed. I designed it within the time I scheduled myself.
Punctuation Mark An open brief available on Jonathan Barnbrook’s website. The brief assigned was to design a punctuation mark for an emotion that is currently without a punctuation mark. Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
This was a brief I found online, there is no prize or submission deadline. I chose to answer this brief as a 3 hour brief, to break the monotony and pain of the design production module. This, combined with my liking of typography and in simplifying complex things such as emotions.
This brief could have been a never ending trap if I hadn’t decided on the emotion/attitude I wanted to turn into a punctuation mark. I overcame last years indecisiveness and chose to visualise sarcasm. From there, the outcome of a crooked exlamation mark seems obvious to me.
I am happy with the outcome, I feel I handled the openness of the brief in a decisive manner. As with what I could have done to develop the brief, I could have shown more than one emotion, designing a symbol for envy, greed and prentence.
Roskilde Festival Open brief to design the official t-shirt for the 2013 Roskilde Festival in Denmark.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
A brief that gave me the opportunity to design the official 2013 Roskilde Festival t shirt. I decided to answer the brief as a victory would introduce my design to almost 200,000 eyes. I allowed myself 1 day to complete this brief.
I wanted to include the history of the festival in the design somehow. I did this by showing the birthyear of the festival. The design is hand rendered typography, I did this to give me control the proportions of the letters. I created monospaced letters as this allowed me to align the words as for the ‘I’ to be placed across both words.
The brief was completed in the time I allowed myself. I am happy with the design, and enjoyed overcoming the challenge presented in trying to balance the past and the present in the design. If I did this brief again I would give the design a subtle 3 dimensional aesthetic, as the one seen on the opposite page looks very flat on second viewing.
Royal Court Theatre Inform the Royal Court Theatre audience of the work done behind the scenes to develop industry talent.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
This was the main brief I undertook for the individual practice part of the module, I was first attracted to the brief due to the perceived freedom of the brief. At the time of taking this brief I was going through a minor obsession with installations and 3 dimensional graphics. This being the main brief I left aside an inordinate amount of time to complete it, all of 3 months. This would later reveal itself as a hindrance rather than help.
This was the most difficult brief of the module for me, a lot of this was self imposed, giving myself such a long time to complete the brief didn’t help matters at all. I have realised through this module that if a brief goes on for longer than two weeks I find it difficult to maintain focus. This is something I will need to consider when progressing with my ‘practice’. Eventually I designed seven drink coasters to communicate the information in the theatre bar. This was a subdued, yet appropriate response to the problem at hand.
I learnt a lot through this brief, most importantly to read a brief thoroughly before agreeing to do it. Another important lessen I learnt was that having a long time to work on a brief is a negative for me, I like the ‘rush’ of a tight deadline, rather than feeling months drain away and doing the work in the last two weeks anyway. Positives I took away from the brief are; the relevance and effectiveness of the media I used, and how much I enjoyed doing the custom typography on the coasters.
Secret 7 Design a record sleeve for Laura Marling’s ‘The Beast’, design was not allowed to include the name of the song or the artist. Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
When Secret 7 came around this year I was unable to resist. I chose to design for Laura Marling as she is my girlfriend’s favourite female vocalist (how sweet of me). I gave myself up to two days to complete the brief. I decided to take part in the Secret 7 brief to work on my illustration skills, which is a skill I am intent on improving throughout the rest of second year and throughout third year.
Upon listening to the song and reading through the lyrics, I stumbled across an idea of being safe in bed. Safety in bed is important, but infected humans is never my prime concern, I am far more scared of bed bugs. Combining my fear of bugs with the song lyrics I created a bubblegum condom image of a bed bug. That is the project in a nutshell.
The brief was completed within the 1 day time slot I had scheduled. Again proving to me that my time management is improving. I am happiest that I created a design that has multiple layers of meaning, and avoided the cliche of bear images, any mythical beasts or heaven forbid, a crying woman. I am reasonably happy with the outcome, but feel I could have completed the design quicker, and to a higher standard.
Student Union Create a design to be used on the Leeds College of Art Student Union 2013/14 clothing range.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
I took this brief on as I wanted to challenge myself to design a hooded top. I wanted to avoid doing surface decoration and instead make a design that could be interacted with and ‘used’ by the kind person who bought it. I allowed myself up to 2 days to complete this brief, as the brief required transferring a concept across a hooded top, jumper and tote bage.
The design I came up with was typography based, using a wordsearch helped me create an interactive hooded top. The design had to work as one colour. I had a little bit of extra fun hiding many personal messages within the design was an amusing way to spend a couple of hours. If you can find any of the hidden messages I will buy you cornetto.
I didn’t learn any new skills in this brief, but feel I took a personal route in answering the brief. I am happiest that I thought of a way the design is interactive and customisable, this makes a change from the passive designs currently used on the hooded tops today. If I could do the brief I would submitted a screen printed hooded top, rather than the design proposal I submitted.
Ted Baker - Collaborative D&AD Brief. Introduce Ted Baker to a new country. This was a collaborative brief.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
The brief was the opposite of the Lego brief, it started as an individual and became a collaborative. The briefs asks you to introduce Ted Baker to a country where it currently doesn’t have a store. As a collaboration we allowed ourselves two weeks to complete the brief. The outcome would be a proposal for a exhibition cricket match to be played in Dehli.
The collaboration ran smoothly, there were a few panics and hurries come hand-in day, mainly down to me having personal problems and not bein able to focus for a couple of days prior to hand in. Overall this was a successful collaboration, we were both on the same page and communicating throughout. Design wise we split the responsibilites. I was responsible for the uniform designs and my partner the digital side of the project. This was an even balance of work which helped us avoid stepping on each others toes.
The collaboration was enjoyable, the brief was completed within the time we allocated and we communicated well throughout. Clearing issues we disagreed on with a 5 minute chat, rather than a both of us strutting off in a mood. If I had the opportunity to work on the project again I would like to start earlier and have time to check over the work before submission. Time management within a collaboration is a completely different challenge to managing your own time. This is something I will develop throughout the rest of my education at the college.
atley 1 billion people, this event aims to highlight Ted Bakers introduction to India.
e ground for maximum camera exposure.
Feroz Shah Kotla Ground
Board 2
The Skeleton Project A live brief I was given after cold calling a production duo. I was asked to design a logo, leading to promotional work for their 2013/14 tour. Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
I got this brief through cold calling potential clients. They asked me to design two logos for them. The Skeleton Project is one of them, TREK is the other. I was given an open brief, the only guidance I had was the wanting of a hand rendered aesthetic. There was no set deadline for the logo design, so I set myself a 3 hour limit to design the logo.
As the client asked for a hand rendered aesthetic I made the logo with masking tape. This was a welcome break from the computer, and has convinced me to say good bye to the computer in many of the briefs I undertake in the future. The logo was well received by the client.
The biggest thing I took from this brief was cold calling a possible client to be sent a brief. The design process was really quick and simple, I was given a good set of outlines by the client and completed the design within the 1 hour time window I allowed myself. There isn’t anything I would change with this brief, both myself and the client are happy. The brief taught me to ask for more. There is nothing to lose in asking, afterall, it’s only graphic design. Nobody really cares about it at the end of the day.
Three Minute Theatre Design a logo for the Headway project the Three Minute Theatre runs to develop new theatrical talent.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
A simple logo design for a theatre group in Manchester. This is a live brief I gained through cold calling the theatre. This was the first time I did something of that ilk in the module and I felt like I had made progress by doing so.
I was asked to design a logo for the headway project the three minute theatre. The headway project is a start-up type initiative, taking unsolicited scrips and producing the shows. The three step process the scripts go through before being produced is the biggest influence of the logos aesthetic.
I learnt a huge lesson in how to/not to communicate with clients. The communication was stunted and this affected my ability to time manage the project. It has made me realise that in the future I need to allow time for feedback in my project plan. I am happy with the look of the logo, but feel the brief could have been handled in a more professional manner on mine and the clients behalf.
TREK A live brief I was given after cold calling a production duo. I was asked to design a logo, leading to promotional work for their 2013/14 tour. Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
Another live brief I went out and got off my own back. The brief came from the same people as ‘The Skeleton Project’. Similar to that brief I was given a solid outline for what was needed; a logo that be applied to various materials with limited or cost. I had a pretty open deadline, but set myself an hours window to design within.
For my design I stayed with the hand rendered aesthetic I used for ‘The Skeleton Project’ logo. I chose to make a stencilled typographic logo as this will be low cost to apply to a range of materials. The client really like this logo and we will be developing the project further in the coming months.
The lessons learnt in the three minute theatre brief helped me greatly during this brief. The communication was open and I set parameters for the project before I began working. Lessons learnt from this brief are; talk to the client, they are more than happy to help. You don’t need to research a logo, if the clients brief is good enough it will lead you down the right track. I enjoyed working away from the computer in this brief, and will be doing this more often in my practice.
UGG ‘Give men permission to buy UGG’. Develop a campaign that makes men think it is okay to buy and wear UGG.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
I chose to answer this brief as it is very challenging. The brief had no set deliverables and required a shift in customer perception. As the brief was quite difficult I didn’t impose a personal deadline and instead worked to the March 14th YCN deadline.
I generated a concept of ‘this man does not wear UGG’ very early on in the project, then struggled to manage my time and decide on an aesthetic/process the designs will be produced with. This process was lenghy, changing the imagery I would several times, from a man wearing high heels, lipstick, a bra to using a mannequin then finally arrived at my cross dressed moustached man. After finalising the visuals the artworking process was quick and simple, taking a matter of hours.
This brief was a positive experience for me, I tried out a few process and played around with possible outcomes. Lessons I have learnt from this brief is the importance of planning a photography studio session, having shots sketched out and take considerations for delays. On the positive side of lessons learnt I realised how if you believe in the concept it is worth working through the creases and seeing the project through to the end.
This man does not wear
UK Greetings Create a new range of greeting cards for an audience of your choice.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
I had undertook this brief as part of collaboration before completing it as an independent brief. As this was the case I had a firm graps of the issues and challenges surrounding the brief. For this reason I set myself a fairly tight 3 hour deadline to complete the brief within.
I aimed my cards at 18-24 year old males, choosing birthday cards and using scratch card technology. Keeping the design simple, and type based speeded up the process. I didn’t take me long to develop the content, I wanted the keep the cards short and snappy, the time I have spent working on my writing skills is paying off slowly.
I worked within the tight deadline I set myself, and came up with a designs I am happy with, these are the positives of the brief. The negatives/things I would change about the brief is the production of physical cards, rather than digital mock-ups. In many ways, I had tied my own hands with the limited time I gave myself to complete the brief on deadline day. Overall I consider this a successful project.
UK Greetings - Collaborative Create a new range of greeting cards for an audience of your choice. This was a collaborative brief.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
This brief is the main collaborative brief I undertook as part of the module. I was in a group with Lizzi and Suzanne. I joined the group late after a disaster start with my first collaboration, working in a group with someone who refuses to work is more difficult than I ever imagined.
Joining the group late gave me a lot to catch up on. However, Lizzi and Suzanne were accommodating in answering the questions I had to ask. The only issue I had was the concept was set when I joined the group, with absolutely no movement on it a possibility. Once I accepted this the brief unfolded nicely, we encountered last minute problems due to lacking time management as a group.
Negatives from this brief include me joining late, the rigidity and fixed approach by the group, many ideas that put forward were rejected outright without any form of communication. This was frustrating and has taught me that, during collaborations communication is the most important aspect. Positives from this brief is I now know just how much I can compromise, I don’t plan on making this a habit, as I can’t say I am very proud of the outcomes to this brief. I consider myself responsible for this, and need more practice working collaboratively.
ZL Deliveries Logo, business card and banner design for a fruit and vegetable merchant based in Manchester.
Introduction
Summary
Evaluation
A live brief for a fruit and vegetable seller in the Manchester area. This was the first time in the module I collaborated with a client on materials that were to be used in real life context.
The design process was truley collaborative with the client, they new what thet wanted to say, but didn’t know how to say it. They wanted to keep a vernacular feel to the logo and include a sheep in some way. This is an ongoing project with more promotional materials to be added as and when needed.
Positives I took from this project was working with a client, sharing ideas and signing off designs very quickly. Negatives of this project include not knowing the future plan, this makes planning time for the project next to impossible. This will be discussed with the client as and when the project is progressed with.
Module Evaluation What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
I have learnt so much in this module it is difficult to into words. The two biggest skills I have learnt from this module is decision making and project management. There hasn’t been a moment in this module that I have been working on less than two briefs at once. Decision making has been important throughout this brief, from the first session where we selected and deconstructed a brief, to searching online and deciding on potential clients to cold call. Working to tighter deadlines has improved my decision making, not pondering design decisions for days like I did last year. I have improved my ability to collaborate in this module, there are still improvements to be made but group work this year was much more enjoyable than last year. As part of this module I have realised there is no such thing as an ideal brief or deadline for a brief, the old ‘I would have done this. but I didn’t have the time’, has changed to ‘I should have done if I managed my time better’. This is a change of attitude that is almost empowering (not in a feminist way) but in a way that it is up to me what I can do, not the date on a brief. Probably the biggest lesson I have learnt in this module is that you can’t make people want to work. This was a difficult part of the module as I was left abandoned in a workshop without a partner. Fortunately I remembered these words of advice, ‘if it looks like shit, smells like shit and tastes like shit. It’s shit.’ This gave me the confidence to change group and the module looked brighter ever since.
What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process? I approach briefs in a compleletely different way than I did before the module, learning how to deconstruct the brief has helped enormously and I start every project by doing this. I am also learning to work quickly and complete briefs in small windows of time. Working to short, self-imposed deadlines rather than long drawn out affairs. Looking back at the briefs I have completed for the module I can see that I prefer designing for print rather than screen. I realised going over the briefs I have completed in this module that if and when it is appropriate I used custom typography, I really enjoy type design and it is something I will continue to keep a part of my practice. At some point in this module I stumbled up ‘method designing’, in practice it is similar to method acting, where you live the project for up to a day. At my lowest point in this module I spent a day dressed as a Lego brick in Leeds city centre. This, for some strange reason was around the time my girlfriend left me. I found this method of research very informative, however it does not lead to a functioning social life and I sure I will end up on crimewatch/news if I continue this in my design practice. To summarise, the most important lesson I picked up in this module is the importance of saying yes, rather than ‘I don’t have the time, and doing an extra brief wont improve my grade anyway’. The importance of enjoying the briefs, and how much of a difference that can make is obvious to me know, the design production module was a world of tedium, full of patronising workshops and grade hunting language. This module was completely different, the feeling of autonomy made me smile.
What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
Idea generation/connecting existing elements has been a strength of mine this module, this has been a strength of mine in most modules but when paired with the decision making improvements I have made the benefits are starting to show. I will capitalise on this by setting myself shorter deadlines that force me to think fast and get ideas down on paper. Designing imagery that communicates on two/three or more levels has revealed itself as something I can do during this module, this is something I can improve on greatly, but at the same time, something I will keep with me as I develop my practice. I would like to think that typography is a strength of mine, however, this could be wishful thinking. I want to focus on typography in my work over the coming months, I need to develop my type and layout skills. The type workshops in the 505 module have helped me a lot recently, and continuing to practice the theories taught by Phil will help me improve every aspect of my work.
What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
Throughout this module it has became clear to me how much I struggle when it comes to putting together design boards. I would really appreciate that focusses on how to prepare boards, what to include in them and what to leave out. At the moment it is pure guess work and I think it shows. As a solution I will allow more time to work on design boards, I think practice, practice practice is the only solution to such a problem. TIme may not be a solution, I would reallly appreciate a class that helps me learn how to put together design boards. I struggle so much with them I get confused when even thinking about design boards. Please help me with this, I need to learn how to put together concise and informative design boards. The next point isn’t so much a weakness as something I am doing too little, I need to start collaborating more. Collaborating with people who aren’t on the graphics course would have helped me a lot on some of the projects in the module. Photography is a weakness of mine, the workshops helped, but cameras freak me out and confuse me. This affects the way I document my work, and doesn’t reflect positively on me. I need to work on this and will be forcing myself to practice photography through the rest of my life.
Identify 5 things you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
Collaborate
I will with people from courses other than graphic design. This will give me a wider variety of skills. Even collaborating with somebody of a course that isn’t seen a ‘creative’ would be most beneficial, considering my brother is an engineer there is an opportunity staring at me that I have yet to grasp.
Read
Read more books, I read quite a lot at the moment, roughly two books a week. This can be improved on, I should be reading books about ‘Fine’ art and furniture design, rather than graphics, spacial and advertising books.
Working Away From the Computer
Do a project away from the computer. I am doing this for a non college related project at the moment, and have worked this way on a couple of briefs in the 503 module already. I enjoy this way of working as it removes the idea of perfection, a crippling concept if there ever was one.
Method Designing
Similar to what I did in the Lego and UGG brief. Living a project for a day, then taking a couple of days away from it is a festering ground for ideas. I will be doing more of this, the benefit will be spurts of inspiration on fun projects.
Self Initiative
On a few occasions in this module I have contacted potential clients and asked to do work with them. This was fun to do and made me feel like I was pushing myself further than making up logo design briefs, a pathetic task if there ever was one. Using my initiative with give me more confidence and a more varied portfolio in the future, as an endless stream of college work must be boring for prospective employers to see.
Marks out of 5
Attendance - 4
There were a few slips earlier in the module, I called it the 504 blues, a feeling of complete depression that made getting out of bed difficult. Once that module attended, my attendance picked up and the module was thoroughly enjoyable.
Punctuality = 4
Same story as with my attendance...nearing perfection with it now. This was an issue of mine earlier in the year
Motivation = 4
Post 504 I realised the opportunities this module offers. That gave me motivation which has yet to cease.
Commitment = 4
This module has been a marathon, not a sprint, commitment and motivation have remained high throughout.
Quantity of Work Produced = 4
I have submitted 32 briefs, yet feel I could have done more. I could have completed a couple of self set briefs.
Quality of Work Produced = 4
I am happy with almost all of the designs I submitted, they can all be improved upon vastly, but as a starting point and base idea I feel they all show promise.
Contribution to the Group = 4
I contributed a lot throughout this module. Self initiated crits with a small group of my peers helped throughout the module.
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