James Meacock Semester Two Overview

J A M E SM E ACOCK.BLOGS POT. COM

J A M ES M E ACO CK I SSU U. COM/MODEBOY

O

nce there was a young boy, who at the age of five wanted to study medicine with the idea of making the sick both happy and healthy.

This did not happen as at the age of six he realised he was scared of both blood and needles. So he did the next best thing he came to the University of Cumbria and studied Graphic Design.

When it come to the briefs I realised that I can be quite flexible. With a limited briefs it is nice to bounce along the lines and with the more open freelance briefs it is nice to spread out ideas and play around and see what kinds of ‘happy accidents’ unfolded and develop making for more exciting design.

This year I have found a new form of style within vector, a total u-turn to how I used to design it is clean and useful to communicate any ideas within the Graphic Design world. Vectors formed most of my majorly interesting projects.

The designs looked simple/detailed yet amazingly fresh and contemporary.

Vectors have since become an integral depart of my designs next to the idea of love, no comic sans, cake before hate and unicorns.

My main strength comes from individuality and attention to detail with clients.

Although not the brightest or most brilliant (sometimes I have wished he was becoming a doctor as the book would tell me where I was wrong unlike in design) but with the response from public approval and an idea of love and ending the hate in the world I have become more involved in society. Now I am an active member of Homotopia and contributor to SCENE magazine and am trying my best to make the world sparkle through unique design / kind words.

Problems arise for anywhere and everywhere, its working against them or with them which resolves a problem. Or else I would never have any work done (problems include book binding, the broken canon printed, lining up back to back printing and snotty comments) and an internal judgement of typefaces.

LOV E LIFE COCKTAILS PASSION SANS SERIFS ENDING HATE REAL

PROJE CT VALEN TIN ES DAY P I T CH AND S YN C PRES EN TATION DA NI E L L E WHAN S TATION ARY RORY BA CHELOR S TATION ARY M E RRY WIVES OF WIN DOS R CI R CLE BAR POS TERS I Q U E A / EXTOYFRIEN DS FA G U E (DIS S ERTATION )

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M ARRI AGE / CAKE POS TERS

P ROJ E C T VALENTINES DAY Valentines card which went on sale around Liverpool & were designed to make every Valentines day happy.

- PER SO NAL ID EA, W E N T ON SAL E AROUN D LI VE RPOOL. - SO ME PEO PLE FOUN D THE M RUDE, I MAGI N E !

- GAY PEO PLE O R PEO PL E W I TH A SEN SE OF HUMOUR.

EL FE L LD IA OU EC SH SP NE ND YO A ER ED EV LOV

SOURCE, my initial thoughts for this came from my own sad life having always being single on valentines. With this the traditional iconography of different male romances and settled on four types.

- Sexy Cupid - Submissive Gimp - Blow-up Doll - Serial Killer The style, developed from stationary in more high end stores and places such as Paperchase or Waterstones, but with a ruder twist on the designs.

TRANSFORM, the ideas evolved with iconography such as human hearts, roses and an plastic six packs added the humour and the test group at university all felt special. The trouble was towing the line and not becoming to vulgar or over the top. The colours remained the same as I wanted clean tones.

PRODUCTION, the main production of the cards was out of my hands being produced and sold in shops in Liverpool. Some where printed at university with ease.

REALISE, the fact that the idea was sold and actually made a small profit within the general public shows the idea was realised as a successful. The fact that they brought joy and laughter to men and women was what really made me feel good about this project.

P I TCH AND SYNC Presentation for a London/Amsterdam based &musical inspired advertsing company.

- DANDAD B R IEF FO R A MUSI C ADVE RTI SI N G COMPAN Y. - M AKING A B R IG H T ID EA F OR AN URBAN ADVE RTI SI N G COMPAN Y. - COMPANIES W H O WANT TO ADVE RTI SE TO A Y OUN G DE MOGRAPHIC.

ES IR SP S IN E & AG S IM VE LD MO U C HO SI S S MU A

SOURCE, ideas came from locations and the bright ideas displayed in advertising. The landmarks of these locations became a more contemporary flare an enflamed with an idea of excitement and domination like the company plans to do!

TRANSFORM, the idea evolved and became more colourful and more elaborate with my vector style and used patterns as a visual metaphor for personality with some pieces and refined them to a more clear idea rather than a mix of four ideologies which seemed a bit all over the place design wise and where only linked in style.

PRODUCTION, these pieces have been transformed into small moving adverts to appear next to videos on youtube and become viral.

However to conclude and have something solid to actually present I mocked up a presentation pack to give to a prospective client if technology was not available.

REALISE, the piece produced seem to encapsulate the ideas of the company which I found out through intense research and research into campaigns launched and their musical backgrounds the piece was light airy and believe it could be used in reality.

W HA N STATIONARY Stationary for a contemporary jeweler who has a regard to the morbid.

- STATIO NARY FO R A CON TEMPORARY J EW E LER. - H AD TO EMU L ATE THE J EW L ERS I DE AS. - CLIENTS W ITH AN I N TE REST I N J E W E LRY.

RY NA IO UL AT S O ST VE AL HA ON D RS UL PE SHO

SOURCE, I drew the original skull image when on my A2 level art course and with the third years jewellers graduating and being close with most of them. I thought this was perfect for Danielle who creates somewhat morbid pieces.

TRANSFORM, the image was evolved repeatedly for the various stationary but was first rendered as to shrink and enlarge it without pixilation or distortions became highly decorative and a very tricky dverse logo which emulates the jewellery.

PRODUCTION, Simply done just slight issues with paper stock and sizes with the jeweller being picky by millimetres.

REALISE, the pieces show how a simple idea from the past can be reworked into a logo for someone with a contemporary professional standard which works as a brand identity.

BA C HE L OR STATIONARY Stationary for a contemporary furniture maker who replicates art and life.

- STATIO NARY FO R A CON TEMPORARY F URN I TURE MAKER. - H AD TO EMULATE THE MAKERS I DE AS. - CLIENTS W ITH AN I N TEREST I N FURN I TURE .

ST LD OU SH K RY OR NA W IO IC AT M I M

SOURCE, the pieces for this project were emulated by the furniture created by the designer and was developed through a new typeface found in my research which emulated the personality of the designer.

TRANSFORM, the pieces evolved as I looked at the pieces made and worked around them as to emulate the ideas of the collections in order to flow from wood to paper.

PRODUCTION, very time consuming finding the right paper stock and the designer insisted on using his own logo for his finished pieces - Not featured in my work as it ruined his work visually.

REALISE, the pieces show how a close relationship with a furniture designer and by knowing a personality and an idea a design can become more effective through personal and intimate details of what went on and how the emulation of pieces helps establish an idea of unity between furniture design and graphic design

M E RRY W IVES OF WINDSOR Poster for a second year BAPA performance production, was not chosen to be used but still beautiful

- SH OW PO STER FO R A SE CON D Y E AR PRODUCTI ON .

- DISAG R EEMENT W ITH DI RECTOR OVE R COMMON SE N SE .

- AUDIENCES W ITH AN INTERE STI N G I N SHAKESPE ARE AN D THEATR E.

DE SI L CA RI EO T TH ES S B ER OW GN KN LY

SOURCE, I was commissioned to do a second year BAPA poster for a modern interpretation of Shakespeare. I was paid for this piece despite the fact it was not used. The director wasted a lot of my time, but the cast and crew were very happy with the designs. I looked at traditional dress and themes addressed in the play, hence the antlers and the heart with the idea of poaching.

TRANSFORM, having not only been involved with the design I was involved with the P.R. and as such (having ranged the production piece to an educate younger children and amuse families) I refused to address the new concept of sexualised boobs and left the director to his bizarre musings despite my rational talks with him.

PRODUCTION, did not go into production but did go for the show.

However paper stock was important as it set a tone for the time and era the play was set in.

REALISE, the piece shows how that how modern good design shows how it can still be relevant even for something which has stood the test of time in theatre and how a flexible vector style can be adapted to fit a variety of pieces be it cards or posters.

C I RC L E BAR POSTERS My favourite place in Carlisle as me for promotional work, try the cosmopolitans or zombies.

- FR EELANCE ADVE RTI SI N G F OR A COCTAI L BAR. - HAD TO APPEAL TO A O L DE R DE MOGRAPHI C ABOVE STUDEN TS. - STU D ENTS AN D THE F UN L OVI N G PUBL I C.

= VE G LO IN + D N AN IO ST SS ER PA U N D

SOURCE, Circle bar is my favourite place in Carlisle, it became a safe haven in second year when work got too much. As such I became close with the staff and manager and have celebrated two birthdays there. This deep understanding of circle inspired me towards their new promotional work I had a lot of information on them and a vague idea of what they wanted to say with the promotional pieces of work (students welcome but mainly an older audience) which was useful.

TRANSFORM, I took a lot of meets with the manager and the staff all had their input on these pieces but I generally (as far as they were concerned) hit the nail on the head.

PRODUCTION, the printing was a toil and made me regret doing this alone as I had so much cropping trimming and sorting to do! The designs were the simple part of this but ferrying around after clients is a huge part of my job right now so it paid to be on good terms and be consistent with follow up emails and changes.

REALISE, with this piece my stylised vector fashion is growing and becoming a solid interesting piece of legible simple design, but must be avoided or else it could become samey.

I QUE A CATALOGUE A mixture of real life inspiration, layout design packaging & proof I may have slept with the alphabet.

- UN IVER SITY PAPER TOY PROJ ECT E LOVE D TO A HI GH STAN DARD .

- SEEMING LY W ITTY Y E T HAVI N G I LLEGEN T DE SI GN .

- PEOPLE W ITH A SENSE O F HUMOUR W HO HAVE HAD A SH*T PARTNER.

MI ST U EF US BE YS N A CA Y W ES AN AK IN M L

SOURCE, IQUEA was an adaptation of a first year university project of paper toys which I never got a chance to do due to a course transfer.

The original seven ‘ex toyfriends’ were based on my most outlandish conquests in my six years of dating. The original idea was to cut them open and extract revenge, very destructive. But then came the flat pack idea of how men furnish your life and some are as thick as two short plans. So with a clever use of words IQUEA was born! Twenty six flat pack men based on my personal dating history for details of source see accompanying handbook with real life images.

TRANSFORM, this project evolved so quickly it was unreal, starting small as a bit of fun while I had a broke knee, to a collection of pieces that were simply toys, to an editorial piece written entirely by me and because it began and is immensely personal it had so much effort put in almost like an alphabetical time line.

PRODUCTION, binding was tricky but worth it as not to look badly made and with the textured paper I chose it added a more rustic texture not seen on screen. Back to back printing is tricky with university repo graphics but it was easy adjusting to the new copier machines that replaced REALISE, the potential for these pieces are huge. They could be transformed into anything such as stationary, house should items or merchandise note the stuffed pieces and examples in wood.

This could be developed in no time at all due to most of the heavy lifting done in print already made. So the main thing would be manufacturing them. The printed pieces, I am really happy with and have actually earned me a placement (along with my writing abilities) with a top gay magazine who were impressed with my ideas thought and blog.

FA GUE (DISSERTATION) Editorial piece words and images from my extended essay (on media spending and the gay subculture)

- EXTEND ED ESSAY TURN ED E DI TORI AL PI ECE. - CON FIRMING / D ISPELLING S OCI AL I N ACCURACI E S I N A STY LI SED WAY. - M AGAZ INE R EAD ER S, SO CIAL SCI E N TI STS AN D THE GAY SUBCULTU RE.

CH AR E SE EC RE PI OF IS S TH AR DE YE MA

SOURCE, this piece was based on my third year dissertation based on gay magazines. All words and images were featured in my extended essay all eight thousand words. My passion for publishing and deep interest in the gay subculture really helped me commit to the piece and as far as research into formats go three months over summer with a scanner bottles of red wine and four hundred combined back issues of fashion and lifestyle magazines gave an idea for layout.

TRANSFORM, with the essay being set in stone it had to be reworked and formatted into different section and set type and look good as opposed a justified type essays which are spiral bound. I also put myself on the cover from a photoshoot I did in first year and the title was reworked to mimic VOGUE the largest publication ever.

PRODUCTION, easily printed with a really nice shiny but paper stock was tricky as I was not sure how to make it look between academic or to make it look more fashionable. I opted for a simple paper stock and went for a healthy combination and stitched them together.

REALISE, this piece was put on issue two weeks ago and although quite dry with the written words and a topic that does not interest most people but it has had a hefty amount of views and has been book marked repeatedly which is pretty cool. More than I expected from a big essay despite how much time I spent on it.

W E DDI N G / CAKE POSTER Pro-love posters for gay marriage.

The idea that love is delicious and hate is not.

- PR O -CAK E AN D GAY L OVE POSTERS. - IGN ORAMCE AND MAK ING SOME THI N G SE EM SI MPL E/ALLURI N G .

- T HE WOR LD , PEO PLE W H O THI N K GAY I S A CHOI CE AN D CHRI STI A NS .

KE CA A VE! KE LO MA T T OU N’ TH CA WI

SOURCE, the idea for these posters came from my love of baking the idea being that you can’t make a cake without love and you cant have a good marriage without love, so who cares if the ingredients are a little different. Imagine if the religious people who picket dead soldiers funerals made a cake I can imagine it to taste horrible due to lack of love. Personally my cakes are pretty god because I make then with love and for people I care about. Colour was obviously important so in my view the more garish the better!

TRANSFORM, with the essay being set in stone it had to be reworked and formatted into different section and set type and look good as opposed a justified type essays which are spiral bound. I also put myself on the cover from a photoshoot I did in first year and the title was reworked to mimic VOGUE the largest publication ever.

PRODUCTION, details on these were tricky I had thousands of tiny dots all over the images and multiple patterns and shades on a page so it had to look fresh when printed and look striking so pixilation or glare was abolished by matt heavy paper and an epson printer.

REALISE, in the case of me versus the GOD HATES FAGS people I come out better on both accounts as my designs are so much better and my idea was love as opposed to hatred.