Part 5: Layout Learning Log
Project - Magazines and Books What to I think I will be exploring here?
- I will be looking into the layouts of magazines and books. - In previous exercises I have looked at how magazine pages have been constructed but I haven’t constructed them myself. This project, I think, will make me start looking at this and the compositional methods that could be employed in order to make these more successful. - There is also the possibility of researching how a layout can help establish a style. A style doesn’t always have to be established by the same fonts being used, layout is a large factor within this and I hope developing an understanding for this is something that I will be able to focus on throughout this.
What skills do I want to develop?
- If my assumptions are correct, this is going to be more about developing my layout skills in terms of understanding. At the moment, although I know what looks right, I can’t necessarily tell you why and understanding grid systems in greater depth will help with this. - Previously, the book covers exercise was something that I struggled with so I am hoping that since Part 2, I will be able to notice a development in my skills and continue to do so throughout this assignment as well. - Also with a previous exercise in terms of magazines, it really helped me to focus on how readable something is in terms of type and I think developing this understanding for making something more readable through the layout will help me as I continue through the design process.
What do I need to make sure that I focus on during my research?
- What layout systems are used through various different mediums, photographs will also appear in magazines so looking at grids and compositional methods in other mediums will help strengthen my understanding. - How grids are enforced to make a series or sequence whethter this be across multiple book covers or whether the grid is just employed in different ways across an article. - Also consider how something is printed and what layout considerations have been made in order to make sure that the document prints correctly.
Horizon line is placed across the upper horizontal line with the boat being positioned slightly below centre (the figures head is the exact midpoint) and the boat is exactly on the lower horizontal line.
Compositionally, this painting seems very soft and easy on the eye but nothing seems to sit exactly on the grid for the rule of thirds. The autumn trees are both contained within the first and third vertical sections. But the line of hills in the background do not sit on the upper horizontal line which is something that I would have expected.
Again this painting doesn’t exactly follow the rule of thirds but the horizon line on this occasion is closer to the upper horizontal line and this rests easier for the eye, it divides the image into sections that you don’t know exist.
The extensions of the barn owls wings are given their own section which works perfectly for your eye as it leads your eye from one edge of the frame to the other. The log is then positioned exactly on the second vertical line which positiions the owl in the centre third and just the wings in either section to the left and right. This composition works perfectly and showcases every feature of the owl.
I always looked at this photo thinking that it was really strongly composed however, after putting this grid on it I’m not so sure. The horizon line is exactly in the middle of the frame and as there are no key focal points within the image, there isn’t much else positioned at a point of interest. I guess this is why it works to have the horizon line straight along the horizontal middle but my opinion has now changed as it seems to have become even less interesting.
This image isn’t your typical rule of thirds image. What is clever here is that, apart from the green lanscape and building all being contained within the bottom third of the image, each section of the sky seems to have it’s own colour change as part of the section. This all blends together when you view it but as individal segments, this works really well.
“Visual communication carries its message and meaning through the organisation and arrangement of disparate design elements. The clarity and immediacy of any message is further achieved with visual unity by the use of the grid. It is a useful and purposeful tool for any graphic designer. A page grid provides a framework for composition through its network of
horizontal and vertical intersecting lines that organise and divide the page into field and interval, thereby creating a guide for establishing proportional relationships between the composition’s design elements.� (page 265 of the Language of Graphic Design)
Point missed in the information pack - not only are margins important on the outer edges because this is where you fingers hold the page, but the inner margins are also important for printing. You need these margins to be in place so that important information doesn’t end up going into the binding. Looking at how something is bound can really effect the designs but typically with newspapers they are just folded so there isn’t as much concern. Whereas, with some magazines they can be staple bound (again not too much of an issue) but if they are perfect bound, then there needs to be some consideration as you won’t be able to see every aspect of a full bleed image or text that goes right up to the edge.
Exercise - magazine pages
Measure the size of the pages, the margins, the text columns and the gaps in between them. How many columns do they use? Is it the same on every page? Can you identify the fonts they use? Do you have it or one with similar properties? How do they use photographs and illustrations? How much ‘white space’ on the pages is there?
Once again, using the calculation given to us in the information pack, the size comparisons didn’t seem quite right within the article. They appeared to be a couple of points out so this top one is what the calculations suggested and the bottom one is what I think it should be instead.
Experimenting with other grid systems
Although the original is heavier on the left hand page, the regular structure works. However, here it isn’t so formulated which means the balance isn’t achieved.
Too much blank space.
Still a little all over the place.
Getting better although small image on left hand page appears a little high.
Hierarchy of the text doesn’t work, the quote should not be the same size as the title. Simple change of the positioning of the white panel creates a break for the eye from the text and the edge of the page.
Both images sitting on the edge like this creates a very one sided grid, separating the text and images in such a way is uneasy for the reader.
I knew script and curvy fonts wouldn’t fit with the very formulaic structure but I didn’t realise that a font like this, that blends a bit between the two styles would also have this impact.
Slightly softer font choice, makes the reading easier of such a large quantity of text.
Final Grid Selection with fonts
Now to add images...
What have I learnt at this point? - Although layout does need to be considered as a key focus, it needs to be considered alongside the other elements as once the images were added into these layouts, they changed quite a bit so it is better to consider it as a whole as what is communicated to the audience can change so adjustments need to be made accordingly. - Grids can appear in multiple different forms, they don’t just have to be columns and incredibly formulaic. - Text boxes don’t have to line up with other text boxes, the more subtle grids sometimes work the most effectively as there is any easy flow for the eye between various elements. - Using dividers can create effective closure between sections to know when a point has finished but the boxes (as proved in the original layout) don’t have to be fully closed off. The eye will know that this is an individual section through the use of the boxing technique, however, it doesn’t have to be fully boxed to portray this idea to the audience. It makes the discussion seem more open ended, open to development but something that has to be explored by the audience instead of it being elaborated within the article. - The boxing off of text also frames the argument within a context. - Although I knew a grid structure was important, I didn’t realise how much it can affect a layout. Previously designing grids and after finding so many structures within WIRED magazine for layouts that I liked, I realised how this view of the writing can impact your interaction with the text. It really does enhance the rhythm that you read the text at, as well as enhancing the message that you are reading. It is more likely to be remembered if you enjoyed reading it and it was an easy text to read due to the grid structure.
How are book covers constructed? What techniques are used to convey a message?
- Typography is the main element of most covers, even if an image features, the text is more dominant. - The choice of font determines the genre of the book. Peter James’ books use a strong dominant font that, with the combination of the word choice, makes it clear that it is potentially a crime novel or thriller. - Most of them use quite a limiting tonal range in order to keep the focus on the actual wording a title. Keeping it simple helps to convey a clear message and allow the audience to focus on what the book is about. - The imagery that is used assists the title in conveying a message, everything points towards the same message and the proximity of the text helps with this message as well. For example, above, ‘The tattooist of Auschwitz’ has more distance between the title and the author compared to ‘Little Fires everywhere’. Fires can easily spread and you would think this would be partly reflected through the spacing of the text, however, there is more spacing between ‘fires’ and ‘everywhere’ than there is between the whole title and the author’s name. With ‘The tattooist of Auschwitz’, as Auschwitz is such a loaded word, the eye is given a little bit of time to process this by then putting the author’s name further down the cover.
What about different publishing houses?
Publication House - Disney Hyperation
How has a series been established here?
- Same font is used on each cover (the colour varies between each one to fit in with the individual colour themes) and it is positioned in the exact same place on each one to help with the identification of the series. - Eoin Colfer is also positioned in the same place. - The style of illustration is the same across each cover, the only one that I would say is a little different is the fourth cover, although the style is the same, the focus is normally on Artemis and in this cover, as well as the second, it isn’t. However, this doesn’t effect the perception of the series on the covers, only the fourth one and this is also because the background, and the slightly less saturated colours that provide some blank space, do not appear as strongly.
Both of these series were published by Puffin house however, in appearance they look very different. Although this is important to note, this isn’t the primary focus of the research point. The change in styles reflects a change in the way book covers are designed over the time difference between the two sets as they were both published in the UK.
What characterises these as a set? (top images)
- The illustrations all have the same style. Artemis’s face is the focus of most covers up until the final cover. - The text is all positioned in the same place with a figure appearing out of the O of FOWL. - The font used it always the same for both the author’s name and book title. - The text used is from the same font family which helps with the ease of reading but helps establish each cover, alongside the set. - The images are primarily in white (with one feature colour) before a gradient is applied to introduce this colour further down the page (this is altered once again on the last cover). - ‘Criminally Good’ features on every cover as a tag line - not something that commonly features on book covers.
What characterises the second set?
Once again the same methods are used for the text, same font families, the position remains the Both published by Puffin Books. same on every book up until the last cover and the illustrations all share a similar style with the drawings working out from the centre point on each occasion. The illustration style changes for the last cover and instead of working it’s way out, Artemis’s figure establishes a kind of authority through the body language used. - The structures of the book aren’t as similar on this occasion (in terms of the way the colour is arranged on the page) but this isn’t to say that the series struggles to establish itself as a set as the rest of the characteristics as mentioned above help to do this.
These covers were the ones that are featured on Cornwell’s website but they all have very different styles. The same font is used but each one has a different allignment, one is italicised, there is no consistent size of the text and considering that these are supposed to be a series, in order to help with identifying which books are in the series, it would have been helpful to have at least one element of continuation between each book. The only way it is known is through the small wording that always features saying ‘A Scarpetta Novel’. This isn’t one of the main pieces of information so it never features heavily on the cover, instead t is something that as an audience you are forced to try and find whereas it would have been easier for the audience to make the designs easier to link so that the audience’s eye could naturally identify it instead of having to read each layer of information.
paperback and hardback designs are the same.
hardcover - Chaos is embossed.
paperback. - colours don’t seem as striking.
Another design published for the cover.
The design that appears on her website.
first edition. published by g.p. Putnam’s sons The harback cover below is published by the same people that published the hardcover
later edition published by Berkley.
what steps have been taken to establish a set within this publishing house? book for Scarpetta so
- Cornwell’s name is made prominent through the combination of two text sizes and this features across the series ni terms of arrangement. It isn’t always in the same place but the allignment continues to be central. - The same font is always used for the book title. - The title always features in the same place - interesting hierarchy as the publishers know the author’s name will sell the book so this is larger in size whereas as seen on other books, normally the title is larger. - Images don’t share much in common in terms of style but neither of them are very obvious, they are suggestive and build up the suspense of the storyline. Hardback published by Little Brown. paperback published by Sphere
The cover designs have obviously developed throughout the editions and the publishing houses. Each publishing house has their own style that they apply and it is interesting to see what has made the cut over the years. The main structure still exists, Cornwell’s name, the book title and then one single image that doesn’t give much away about the story but enough to create some interest. The fonts change between publishing hosues as this helps to establish their own style. Each one places emphasis on Cornwell’s name more than other publications have done before but this is probably due to the established nature of Cornwell’s name. The most recent designs play with weighted fonts and using the same font family across the two main pieces of information, the title and Cornwell’s name. This is usually separated as it creates a distinction between the elements however, with these covers it works incredibly well. Also with all the paperbacks, instead of just keeping the title in the same place, all information is positioned in the same way and the main text is kept centrally within the frame. This means that all the images have a similar composition so that the centre of the frame is quieter in terms of nose levels. Using repetition in this way, something that is incredibly consistent across the series helps to establish an identity not only for the publishing house but also Cornwell’s books.
Sphere published the most recent Cornwell paperback versions so what kind of style is applied to the rest of Sphere’s publications? After further investigation, Sphere publishing is part of the Little Brown Group, this explains the similarities between the designs but it also highlights an internal development in terms of what the company see as being effective and ineffective within their designs. As is evidenced by the covers also designed under Sphere publishing, there isn’t a style that is applied to every book cover. It is important to create an identity for each book, it needs to establish itself within a competitive market and designing every book the same, unless they need this purpose like they do in a series, this kind of approach doesn’t fit. In terms of basic concepts, each book has the author’s name, the title and a single line of information. this information is sometimes a quote and other times it is somthing directly about the book. Having this line of information is a large indicator to the audience whether they are gaining the right kind of message from the other components within the design. It is repeating the message in a more explicit way and helps make the initial understanding a little bit deeper. Although this method doesn’t help with making more universal connections to the book or wider interpretations of what the plot could be about, it helps gain interest from the reader as it becomes more explicit. Looking at the covers like this shows that every cover has different demands, there is no set way that a cover should look like and it doesn’t mean that there should be a certain amount of spacing between the elements. What it also emphasises is that the way each of these is done, will change the way the audience looks at the cover and whether they want to read the book. For example, the Micro-Resilience book uses three block colours, a few circles and the rest is text. It looks like a very formulated and focused book which is exactly what you would expect after reading the second bit of text on the cover. Whereas, the ‘Shadows on the Nile’ cover uses whimsical font that mirrors a handwritten note, combined with a painting of the scenary in order to establish the setting of the book. However, the font choice for the author’s name suggests there is something a bit more to this story, it isn’t flowing, it is has strong sharp lines and when you consider the word ‘Shadow’, as a reader you begin to question what shadows could lie beneath something that at first looks so picturesque (the painting element really coming into play here).
Exercise: Judging a Book by its cover As you are working remember that your design is intended to help a reader know what the experience of reading the book will be. Is it a serious text book or an off-beat funny novel? Are the readers expected to be young women or older men and does this matter? Is it an ‘easy read’ or ‘literary’? Does the publisher have a house style you need to be part of?
Introduction - taken from https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/311175/the-husbands-se-
cret-by-liane-moriarty/9780425267721/readers-guide/
At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died… Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret-something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive…Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all-she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia-or each other-but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.
Liane Moriarty’s ‘The Husband’s Secret’
Guilt
Secrets Grief
History Trust?
Betrayal Timing the Berlin Wall
Liane Moriarty
I know Liane Moriarty’s books have had multiple covers so I wanted to see what kind of style emerges across the different titles but also the differences in terms of how the cover itself develops. This was a secondary thought though to the visual communication techniques that I was trying to identify. Any imagery that is used within the cover is simple, with a shallow depth of field which is where the title is then featured. A book cover needs to convey one simple message, it is supposed to tell you something about the book and in doing so it is supposed to encourage you to then read the book. The visual language of these covers has developed across a period of time and the most recent covers (the furthest cover of big little lies) don’t communicate this message effectively. Having read the book, the only reason this image makes any sense is because of the link to the TV production. What has this image got to do with ‘Big Little Lies’ book? Nothing, this scene was not written about in the book. These covers have introduced the realism element back into the design as for covers like the furthest right on ‘The Hypnotist’s Love Story’, this has an element of realism but it is unlikely. Your eye is never naturally going to be able to stop a motion like this. The only way we know that a shattering object can look like this is because of slow-motion images that have previously been shown to us as an audience.
What benefit does it have to introduce more realism to a cover?
Realism on the cover makes you believe in the story more, it makes it seem like this could really happen. Obviously some of these stories would never happen but using a cover like this gives it this perception. The covers that are similar on this page to those of the most recent ‘Big Little Lies’ book seem to idealise the persona even more. They look obviously staged and almost barbie doll like. This allows for any personas that you imagine as an audience to be placed within the shoes of the person on the front. This approach for a book cover is very interesting, it isn’t used much on covers that share a similar genre so does this make them stand out for a good or bad reason? Personally, for me, it is a bad reason, I don’t like the covers and I think this is partly due to the TV production. Sharing this style is interesting, but doesn’t convey the message that the covers once did.
Learning points so far - the visual language and communication techniques of a book cover: - Form is a key focus, it should catch the reader’s eye from the shelf before it can even start trying to convey a message. - The words are the path to follow with book covers. This is the main message that you are trying to communicate to an audience so as a designer, it is my role to try and help the audience visualise what this title could mean within the context of the book. Although some of these covers may not make sense just yet, after you read the text, it makes it so much clearer and this is because the text often leads the design process. - “The visual-verbal connection must be present and strong. A good book cover should also reward the reader there should be a little bit of mystery to allow for personal interpretation, and enough depth in the image so the reader’s experience of the cover changes and grows as they make their way through the text.” https://bearbooks. se/tag/new-visual-artists/ -This one single message that needs to be conveyed to the audience should be highlighted through every single choice. The spine may seem like a small thing but even this needs to indicate what the reader should be focused on. - Double meanings aren’t a bad thing, this will allow the audience to be intrigued by what the meaning could really be behind a cover. - The title is typically bigger than the author’s name. Although an author’s name can often sell a book, the style of the book cover will help identify the author without having to even find the name. This obviously only happens once the author is established and written a few books. - Creativity isn’t something that is required here, it is more being clever with your choices. Extravagent fonts will get you nowhere with a crime novel. - During the process, try and separate yourself from a designer and a reader. Critiquing work as a reader is more important, the designer part will slip through on some occasions but it’s best to look at something in terms of how you would read it if you were to find it on a shelf - SOMETHING THAT I REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON.
Using other people’s images to try and get a better idea of what kind of photo would work on this cover.
Key points to take forward:
- Having enough blank space to put the necessary text is important. Blank space provides a space for the reader’s eyes to ‘breath’. It also allows them to fill in their own gaps of the story so that they can guess what will happen or each time they pick it up, this space becomes fuller as they begin to understand the storyline more. - Full bleed images work best. Thinking about it, I have not seen a cover for a similar genre that uses white space, as in literal blank spaces on the cover, the blank space is encorporated into the image. - Adding a filter on this images to reduce the saturation works really well, it makes the image seem more whimsical and works well for using slightly lighter weighted fonts (helps for the communication between the elements on the page and not just communication to the audience). - At the moment, I am not sure if the scale of these images is quite right. Something to experiment with during my photos is how close up I make the rings to the camera.
Continue to consider how secrets are presented on the cover.
Initial Photographs
Develop Shoot
A selection of the photos, not all of them.
From a photographic perspective what does each element of the photo communicate? - Red can communicate love but also love and hatred. Using this as part of some of the photographs is a perfect connotation. It suggests the secret being hidden is a dark one. - To further enforce the thought that this is a dark secret, the lighting has been dimmed down, it keeps a very muted but dark tone to the image. It is almost sinister and it makes the text appear strong. - Using shadows was something that I first tried to avoid but the shadows also indicate that there is something hidden away, there is something hidden in the shadows. - The space between the rings is also used to infer something. In a way it suggests that there is another woman in the marriage however, there isn’t, it isn’t a typical chic flick in that respect. This portrays something that is against the message of the book, maybe only two rings should be used? This could be a man and woman’s or two woman’s, it depends on the context as to which combination would work best. - The effect that I am trying to mirror from one of the previous covers hasn’t quite been achieved. This uses a heavier filter than just reducing the saturation, it is something that I can continue to experiment with once I have the final selection of images. - A letter could still work really well as a concept with the rings, whether a hand is in this shot or not is yet to be determined but this could elevate the cover a little more which is needed.
Personal pointers: - Using a different camera meant it took a while to get it right and the photos still weren’t quite as I had hoped but this encouraged experimentation that I perhaps wouldn’t have done and it was these photos that turned out the best. - Nothing is right first time so I will continue to experiment, introducing the letter element could be really interesting as this is the starting point for the book. Although three stories intertwine I think this is the main focal point and highlighting its power on the cover will only emphasise this.
Learning points for visual communication: - Every little element needs to communicate the same message. Although the concept of marriage and secrets is portrayed here, the main thing that anyone will take from the cover is the fact that there are three rings which means someone else must be involved, but there isn’t in terms of there isn’t an affair. - Using text within images needs to be done carefully. Using a dictionary, when you can’t decide on the surrounding words isn’t an ideal situation because this can confuse the message even further. - A block of colour is a good separation method but it isn’t used on book covers. Books tend to use blank space within an image as this unites the two elements but there is still the fore-ground and background differentiation that the viewer’s eye will understand. Here, they appear to be two entirely different elements which doesn’t portray a cohesive story or an well-written book.
Just typography book covers was something that I thought I would find easier than I did. Although i could get the text right, it was about trying to add depth to the cover as it looked a little dull and wouldn’t have that intrigue that a cover needs for the audience to pick it up from the shelf. It required a different focus that played purely on the words through typography. Secret in a way was an easy word to pick up on so I played with the visual language and connotations had with a top secret stamp that is used so frequently. Playing on common visual language methods like this helped with the design but still kept it quite flat.
The yellow doesn’t hold much significance within the story told but it adds further contrast to the book cover which is needed. Equally the slight brush patterns in the background, representing the dust from the letter, help to add some slight variation to the otherwise black and flat background.
Although the same visual focuses exist on this cover, they exist within a different capacity. Contrast is more controlled within the lighting of this photograph and because it is a photograph, depth naturally comes to the imagery. The composition also had to be thought aabout before taking the photos. I knew that I wanted to use a white envelope and the text should also be white so there needed to be enough blank space within the image so the text could fit in this gap. And it had to fit so that the text could have enough impact on the page.
The book was originally designed to be similar to that of a stereotypical chic-flick but Moriarty creates it with far more depth and it becomes difficult to guess the storyline. This in my opinion takes it beyond that typical genre as they are often very predictable. The same target audience exists of younger women but the cover needs to reflect that it isn’t going to be love and flowers. Avoiding an illustration style that portrayed this was important and therefore, I went with photography whereby I could experiment with what the light decided to show or hide to the audience. The Hidden is a massive theme in this and I wanted the lighting to really show this. I did try and employ some of the house style features that I had identified within Penguin Publishing however, I was able to identify that book covers within the same publishing house vary a lot in order to give each book it’s own identity. The logo always features so I made sure this featured in two of the most common areas on the cover. Other than this, there are no specific colours, fonts or spacing used between the covers. In terms of success between the two covers, the cover with the photograph on it is more successful in my opinion. I think this covers have more interest, the idea of a hidden secret is more deeply explored and the cover has the intrigue that is required in order for an audience member to pick up the book having not heard of the author beforehand. The use of yellow, although is a very small part of the storyline, provides the perfect accent colour for the cover, adding some contrast and further depth to the style. Although there are aspects of the other cover that are successful, I personally wouldn’t find the book interesting enough to pick up from the shelf. The use of the typical red band round bold Impact text is something that does portray a well hidden secret, one that shouldn’t be known to the audience. In this respect, the employment of this within the cover is a strong, universally understood component of visual language. However, other than this, I find there to be no focal point that helps to further employ the message. This is the benefit of having an image. The message can be employed in an additional way instead of just a single colour background. Although I did struggle with the image that was used, once I used the envelope encasing the ring, I realised that this provided the stark contrast between the light and dark, what used to be and what is now.
What have I learnt from having to create these two different book covers? - Depth doesn’t have to be created by stark contrast, texture can also help as it mirrors that created within photogarphy without having a photograph. - It works to have different alignments on the same page, but only if you are ok for them to be read as two separate components. - Each small component indicates something different about a storyline and it is important that, what looks like completely different elements, in fact is seen as one to convey one single message. - The continuation of a pattern is important to flow over the whole design (front, spine and back) however, there is more information to read on the back page so the pattern needs to not be too overpowering that is is hard to read. - Previous visual language techniques are a successfuly way of communicating a message on a cover that isn’t using imagery. The use of a red box around the word secret is a very small move but it has many connotations to go with it. Sometimes these techniques help to further a message but sometimes I also need to be wary of them as a designer as they could communicate the wrong thing depending on the context.
Project: Information Graphics What to I think I will be exploring here?
- How graphics can be used to portray information and direct the eye around this information. - How to visually present a large quantity of information without having to have long lines of text. - Effective ways to break down information so that it is easier to understand.
What skills do I want to develop?
- I think this could be the perfect exercise for me to put into practice the concept of reducing the amount of information that I put on a project. The aim of this is to present it visually so I will not be able to put long lines of text and instead be forced to present the information in a different way. - I want to start using grids within programs. I know how to do this but I want to put it into practice where instead of just using it to line a few things up, there is a full grid system that is created, if it is appropriate.
What do I need to make sure that I focus on during my research?
- What layout techniques are used but not only in terms of grid structures but how the text is laid out next to the graphics, what stroke thickness there is, how the eye is led around the frame etc. - Different information graphic display methods. In my head I have that they are all bus timetables, the tube maps and pie charts but I want to challenge this preconception that I have to see what other ways information can be portrayed to an audience. - Colour palettes. I imagine these to be quite varied and will be used to clearly direct your eye around the frame, I want to see how colour is effectively used and controlled in this kind of scenario as it is something that I usually use very freely.
Note: With the information graphics, I didn’t feel the need to explain the concept as the principal with these is that you should be able to establish this from the graphic itself. Some of them did need a little explaining but others were made perfectly clear.
This seems to be an example with a lot more writing than other examples. The numbers have been enlarged to make sure these are the aspects we remember but there is also a lack of direction through colour with minimal graphics.
Exercise: Giving Information Infographics does what it says on the tin. They are graphics that show information to an audience in a more visual way instead of writing out data. It can show anything from data (statistical), information or knowledge. Showing it in a more visual way like this can help to highlight trends and patterns within data not only for the person producing the work but also the reader. One of the most commonly known information graphics would be the London Tube map. Common types of information graphics would be these kind of transport designs. This is a stereotype that I had before starting this assignment. However, it soon became apparent that this isn’t the case. There are far more types of information graphic. As the purpose of each project is to portray knowledge and information, I didn’t want to look too much into a project as I researched it because this goes against the point of the graphic itself. I wanted to work out what I could figure out from the information provided.
Project created for Wired magazine that looks at the primary colours that featured on each cover.
Peter Orntoft
This one to the left was quite hard to work out what each colour meant however, after reading more about the project, it becomes clear. A group of 250 people of different ages and different cultures were asked what colour they associated with different emotions. The larger the area, the more people who selected this colour.
What are the national colours of each country? This includes the colours on the flag and those used during national ceremonies.
“The Curtain is an experimental RAW data visualization. Through the cross over editing with raw data, like image editing with Audacity, I was able to get heart beating sound tracks from the original photographs. Then I printed the sound tracks out as digital still images.� Once again this is not a traditional style of information graphic, the information shown isn’t even clear to understand apart from the data bending method.
Would this be appropriate? Is this really information that would be presented on an infromation graphic? Would be helpful to see the original data used.
“The Dandelion Mirror is a psychological measurement device featuring non-contact sensor technology. The biosensor-based unit is able to measure a person’s temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure, through a webcam, and thereby check their current state of health. The data measured are then visualized, in the shape of a ‘growing’ virtual plant which mirros each user’s health.” Wang, S. (2017) Infographics: designing and visualizing data. Barcelona, Spain: Promopress. This is one of the most interesting examples of information graphics that I found. Although as a reader it is difficult to interpret and work out why each one appears differently, the structure and the concept are there. For the purpose of this project, and looking at my tendancy to overcomplicate projects, I think trying to create an information graphic like this would not achieve the aim that I need this project to complete. It is an intriguing structure to
Common characteristics between these information graphics: - Most of them use a Sans Serif font, it keeps it straight to the point and isn’t too decorative. The example on the opposite page does use a Serif font as the title but most others use a Sans Serif in order to keep it straight to the point and not complicate the reading any more. - Clear hierarchy. It is very clear where you are supposed to read next. - Not overcomplicated. The information is kept concise and shown in a more visual way, visual symbols are important here. The symbols that are used are more universally understood codes, they are not ones that rely on personal connections. It is very clear what the symbol means within the purpose and everyone will obtain this reasoning. - A lot of these examples have lots of colours but red always seems to feature. Red is a colour that always demands attention and your eye is immediately drawn to it so with the purpose of information graphics, if there is one important piece of information you want the reader to remember put it in red. This is what appears to be the case with the graphic titled ‘Where you money goes: the definite atlas of UK government spending.’ - A key is provided so that the audience can understand what they are reading clearer. - A definitive border is provided for most of the graphics. This gives the eye a slight break, the eye isn’t reading from one edge of the page to the other. Having a shorter line length makes the text easier to process and it doesn’t seem so overpowering to the viewer. It makes the information seem contained. -Geometric shapes work best as they too are based on ‘mathematical formulas, they relate to point, line and plane’. By using such structures, instead of organic or random shapes, the information appears more organised and coherant as this too is also based on mathematical formulas. This doesn’t mean that all of them have to have this kind of structure but it helps in the organisation of information and is the most common way of presenting it. Poulin, R. (2011) The language of graphics design: an illustrated handbook for understanding fundamental design principles. Gloucester: Rockport; Rotovision.
Different ways of presenting the same information - but this is very simple data to be analysing
What have I learnt about visual communication with this exercise? - Order and uniform through the presentation of information is an important part of the flow. It makes the information easier to follow and easier to then find the information again if needed. - The information needs to find a balance and although it may seem like there is only one way to show this information, my personal variations of the same information show that the information can be presented in many different orders. - Scale makes it easier or harder to read. The larger the sections, it almost appears like there is too much information although it has reduced the amount of information being presented. - This selection of information, and the information that I looked at, is very visual and colour based, other information would perhaps have different learning points. - Text choices aren’t as important here for any other purpose than readability. I wanted to use the same fonts as the brand to make this connection but this isn’t an important choice, the focus is on the information and how it is presented.
Exercise: Birthday List
There were very few examples of birthday lists like that indicated in the information pack. Instead I found a lot in bullet journal examples.
What visual language techniques are used on these examples? - Linear structure or at least formulaic. It is easy to follow in the order per month. - There is equal spacing between each month no matter how many birthdays are per month. - Colour coding for each month on some examples but each month is highlighted in some ways. - In terms of lettering, some are made to mirror fancy script fonts because this is part of the beauty of bullet journals whilst others are put in capitals in compairson to lower case lettering. As mine will be created digitally the flow will be slightly different but it will be interesting to explore the same structure with Serif or Sans Serif fonts as well.
To the left is the basic structure that I started with, I decided that sending a text wasn’t something that I often did, it was more of a facebook message and sometimes I will do presents but only small ones in contribution to a larger present so I thought it this were to be something that I wanted to do then I would add these options in. As there was a lot of space left over, I thought that I always struggle for present ideas but lookig at this now, the section for plans is too small. Too many birthdays and not enough space to write a plan for each.
Instead of focusing on the content, this part is about LAYOUT so, in order to provide a distinction between these two sections and make sure the focus was on the birthdays and what had to be done on each one, I started to look at ways of turning the sections into more defined areas. Fonts were also experimented with at this point.
Is the key needed twice or is it clear to understand that the columns will still be the same?
What have I learnt at this point about visual language and communication? - Linear structures make the information easier to follow and equal spacing between each section makes it easier on the eye. Although the other examples had every month, because I had preplanned this, I didn’t want to have months with no names so I decided to use the space better within the a3 sheet to make the information easier to read. - Don’t put unnecessary information on something even if it makes the appearance more linear. Why would I put boxes on this that I knew wouldn’t be ticked off? - Think about what information you need to know before you plan something. Haivng the column for 21st birthdays after the tick boxes makes no sense, I need to know that they are 21 before I go and buy them a card, or write a message or buy a present. - Make it interesting but also useable. Although I like the grey, black and pink colour combination, I had to consider whether I would still be able to write on this. What colour pen do I usually use? Will this show up once I have ticked something off? Yes, because I use a black ball point pen. - There is a very clear grid system that is in place here, everything fits in together with equal spacing. As this was designed for me, I am the client in the way, the grey box provides the perfect way to take the grid slightly off centre and make it a little more interesting because I find such structures quite boring unless they are made interesting in some way. This isn’t breaking the grid, it is shifting it slightly and adding some interest in a small and simple manner. - A visual hierarchy is established within the columns as the font chosen had a bold option which meant that each month could be highlighted more to the viewer.
Project: Publicity and Marketing
What to I think I will be exploring here?
- I will be looking at how different layouts are employed in publicity and marketing scenarios.
What skills do I want to develop?
- I want to develop my understanding for how the grid system is used outside of magazine layouts as this has been my primary interaction with grids at this point. Doing this within letters will be particularly interesting as this can often contain some very important information so it will be intriguing to see how the structure changes for these. - I want to be able to understand more about graphic design in advertising and how other techniques, not just layout can change our perceptions of a company. I guess this goes back to the colour psychology points in previous exercises but I want to go beyond just colour. - This is going to also make me separate myself further between designer and consumer to see the designs in both lights and what works. - I would like to try and develop my sketching skills in some ways. Over the module I am getting more comfortable with this and with the remainder of this module I would like to develop this further if possible.
What do I need to make sure that I focus on during my research?
- What layout systems have worked before and perhaps what hasn’t. - These exercises may require me to get more feedback on the designs that I have done in other parts of this section. Gaining feedback from the target audience will provide vital to make sure that I am on the right tracks with this. - Mock-ups are going to be an important part of the process. Although I have used these a little before, within some of the circumstances that could arise, I think they will prove more effective than they have done before.
Posters Research Point
This project was about trying to get people to visit America, how has this been achieved? - Limited colour palette, it is attractive and shows America off to its best in a simple style that doesn’t overcomplicate the landscape.
- People are eliminated. This gives the audience space to place themselves within the setting, placing themselves within the poster will make them want to visit America even more. Giving the series ‘a face’ would have hindered the campaign. - Repeating the same colours on each poster, along with similar fonts (not exactly the same but this does add some interest) helps to keep the concept at the forefront of the audience’s mind. However, for this to be effective, the campaign has to have a very wide outreach where they constantly see the posters. - With the lack of people, there isn’t the possibility of showing off empowering body language that shows the effects of being in America, instead this has been eliminated and replaced with focusing on the rule of thirds. This helps to ease the eye over the poster and makes it seem a lot easier to visit America.
How do these posters portray the messages of war?
- Heavily weighted fonts are key here, they demand attention and portray the seriousness of a situation. - Emphasis on YOU as the audience. Lots of pointing at the audience with direct connection to them as an individual. This is dont through a figure pointing, placing the audience member within the poster, emphasis on the word YOU (underlined or capitals) and then emphasis of the people as a collective. - One message that was particularly highlighted during the second world war was in regards to the importance of women. They seemed to feature heavily on a lot of posters to show that everyone had a part to play. This shows the importance of imagery. The text itself doesn’t highlight their role, but the images change the way in which a selection of text is viewed.
Using red as their main advertising colour has played to Coca Cola’s advantage over the years. What are the benefits of using red here?
- It has the appearance of being nearer than it actually is which means that you can nearly feel the bottle in your hand. Placing a product within the consumer’s hand without it physically being there is a clever idea as they then also get the taste of Coca Cola meaning they crave it and go and buy the product. - 29% of companies use red because it helps to stimulate appetite so using red so dominantly in the advert above functions in multiple ways to the point where you can feel the cold bottle of Coca Cola in your hand. - Blue also features in a few adverts at this has the associations to being cold (most people do drink Coca Cola cold) and it has an element of secuirty, suggesting you can always trust Coca Cola to be there when you want a cold drink. This all helps build up a unified identity for the brand but it doesn’t always feature on the posters. I wonder why red was picked over giving the sense of security and cool.
Looking at a collection of posters like this for the same company helps to highlight how design has changed over the years. One of the key things that I noticed was the varying amounts of text. For example, the 1942 war poster has paragraphs of text! This isn’t a funcitonal poster but with the officer returning home, you feel like it is a significant possession, you need to own that glass bottle. It is an important part of the celebration for your family returning home, and with this importance, you feel like as an audience you should read the text alongside it. There is no set text layout that has made it work. Scipt fonts, Serif and Sans Serif have all been used over the years. The heavily weighted fonts for 1970 and 1974 are the least effective out of them all. They are too heavy and over power the curved logo of Coca Cola. Especially in 1970, the harsh lines contradict the soft, artistic painting approach that has been taken towards the artwork. In a way, this romanticised approach to Coca Cola was continued into 2016 when the soft lighting and bokeh effects were popular in advertising. This time minimal text is used, and the slogan is instead played in a light Serif font that has a more established visual hierarchy against the logo. Advertising since this point has taken on a more minimal approach. There is less text, more emphasis on the red and the concept of sharing when you gave a glass of Coca Cola. One thing I have noticed is that they continune to advertise coca cola in a glass bottle although most people will drink it from a plastic bottle. This is an interesting approach as it brings back connections to the original Coca Cola, the sweet taste and your personal connections that you have to the brand. When chilled, you can feel the cold more from a glass bottle than you can a plastic bottle so this helps to bring back these summer connections to drinking Coca Cola in the sun. This has all been very clever and it is clear to see that there has been more investment into understanding what the consumers are like and what works within advertising. Obviously all these posters were effective during the campaign otherwise the company wouldn’t have celebrated over 100 years but the company is now showing more of an understanding to their consumers making connections to each individual element of a poster. They are also showing that they are understanding exactly what connections can be made so the posters are kept simple, knowing that the understanding is built up from the personal assocications to the signs and symbols within the poster.
Exercise - Posters and Flyers
What visual language techniques are employed by these posters?
- As colour isn’t relied upon here, all other visual communication techniques are hightened in a way. Text is focused on for some posters, trying to play with the merging of the fore-ground and background distinction that is so apparent in other posters. - Otherwise, the text is never too ornate, it is often a Sans Serif or a very minimal Serif font. Black and white is a classic colour combination so to be in keeping with the clean cut lines of the black and white combinaton, more minimal fonts have been selected. - Contrast is an obvious focus with this colour limitation however, some decide to utilise is more than others, or at least make it more prominant than others. Doing this softens the message for the eye but in doing so, sometimes the impact of the message is reduced. - Texture has been introduced in a lot of these posters in order to add a point of interest to the designs. As everything has been reduced down so much, textures and patterns are something that can easily be used to guide the eye around the frame. - Breakages within the design are also frequently used. Because of the minimal designs, even the smallest differences are highlighted and if the breakages are used successfully it can provide a focal point but used too little and unintentionally, it just looks like a mistake so this method would have to be used carefully.
What kind of typefaces are used? - Bold, strong Sans Serif fonts seem to be common. - Ones that don’t have much differentiaton between capitals and lower case letters in terms of height. - Other fonts are obviously used, some do occasionally use a Serif font but this doesn’t seem to fit with the style of the posters on a general basis. - Equally, on a photocopier, bold dark lines are easier to print compared to lighter, more curved fonts. Scripted fonts would therefore be a little difficult to read once printed. Other common features: Geometric forms, music illustrations (although a little cliche), black with an accent colour combinations and clear divisions between sections.
Visual communication techniques employed and what I have learnt: - Clearly contrast is going to be a key feature here. I decided textures can sometimes be a little difficult to print so I would rather use the contrast in simple geometric forms in order to create an impact. - Although I already knew, visual hierarchy needs to be carefully considered in order to show the audience where they need to read next. On this example there was a lot of text that the client wanted on there and so it was important to establish a) what would get someone to read the poster? (The rhetorical question) and b) what other information did they need to know? Sizing was the clearest way on this poster to establish the difference between what information was important and needed to be remembered compared to the more detailed information. - Ideally the DO YOU WANT TO SING? Would have led down to the important information, but the layout of this didn’t work and the space provided wasn’t enough, hence the visual hierarchy has been relied upon in another way. - Using round geometric structures makes the grid seem less formulaic which softens the eyes to the harsh contrast that features across the poster. This takes it away from the more mechanical grid structures that can be seen in advertising and commercial work. - Putting images of singers on the posters helps to put the audience into someone else’s shoes and put them in their place on the course without even realising it to start with. - Emphasis of the word SING in a different colour as well as increased font size makes this a completely different part of the visual hierarchy and transforms the layout. It bleeds over the grid that is already quite flexible but in this case it works.
In a smaller area, there is the possibility to make the adveritising seem more personal. As less information needs to be shown on this part of the flyer, it has the potentional to make it mroe interesting. The grid structure here appears more simple and a little more rigid as no components bleed over different sections. However, placing emphasis on certain words again adds height to the main section of the grid. Changing the typography also has an impact on the grid as the zoomed in music note still has the function of softening the harsh lines and contrast that appears on the flyer, however, more curved fonts being used for YOU reduces this impact to the point where the note almost becomes invisible and therefore, its impact on reducing the harsh tones is lost.
Once again, with the reverse of the flyer, the layout can be more simple than that of the poster. There is still a lot of information to include but this now has the purpose to provide information, instead of catching someone’s attention (that’s the aim of the other side of the flyer). Therefore, the grid selected is that of a more functional layout that differentiates the different levels of information that is required by the audience. Although there is obviously this slightly altered function, the information still needs to look interesting enough to read. The contrast provided by the circle in terms of using different text colours worked well previously and in the right positioning here also worked well. It was important to use the contrast carefully though as the text still needed to be readable and clear to any reader. The form of the circle also softened the linearity that was on the previous designs.
With this exercise, I found it really interesting to see how I responded to just being able to just black and white. These two colours are the fundamentals to most designs and I am accustomed to using them both quite freely. When put next to each other, the two colours have a strong amount of contrast next to each other which has been used effectively in many designs but I found it incredibly overpowering when these were the only two colours I could use on a design. Understandably, this isn’t much different to grayscale and it is possible to have grey tones to act as a medium between the two however, within these designs it didn’t work to have this medium tone and instead it was a case of balancing these heavy tones next to each other. Contrast is something that I am comfortable working with and I have started to appreciate it in smaller amounts so based on my often chaotic work I used to do, this should have been easy, but this time I was going backwards with a more informed knowledge of effective visual design concepts and how to guide the eye through the chaos. Although the visuals may still seem quite busy, the eye is more clearly led around the frame based on the visual hierarchy that has been established. This has been done through quite a simple technique of varying text sizes. Adding more fonts and more varying fonts to the poster like I had done before in order to create a visual hierarchy would have added even more contrast to the frame and there would have been no areas to pause for the eye. At this point, it would have become more and more visual noise instead of anything informative. Although it is a very simple technique, using the circle across the designs helps to soften the harsh lines of the design even though it is this circle that adds the most contrast. Had this contrasting colour been added in the form of a square, the harsher lines would have made the contrast seem harsher. This simple trick on the eye also leads the eye more naturally round the frame in a curved motion instead of changing direction when it is met at a point. With this exercise for me there were two key points that I noticed in my learning: 1 - balance is incredibly important. It needs to be achieved in varying ways between lots of different elements. Some elements can be more complicated than others but it needs to be met with some more simplistic parts of design in order to balance it out. 2 - A3 for a poster seems like a large space but it really isn’t for the amount of information! A poster needs to achieve a lot more than I sometimes give it credit for, especially with what this client wanted. It was about creating a layout that worked not only to fit everything on, but establish a hierarchy that guided the eye in the right way and it also needed to grab the attention of the audience to make them interested in the course.
Project: Branding
What to I think I will be exploring here?
- I will be looking more specifically at how layouts are used within branding. For example, creating a branding style or in house style that is used across all marketing and publicity for a company. - In a way this is a development on the previous exercise but creating a style that gets seen across multiple different formats. - Logo designs could also feature within this.
What skills do I want to develop?
- If my assumptions are correct, and logo designs do feature, they have often been something that I am scared to attempt as I don’t know where to start so I hope I am able to develop my skills in creating logos that then influence the rest of the branding. - I didn’t get to practice my drawing or sketching skills in the last exercise so this skill carries forward. I hope that I am able to use this method as a way to start projects. Considering these are two skills I want to develop and relying on this as a starting point could take a little work but this is something that I have identified needs work.
What do I need to make sure that I focus on during my research?
- Focus groups could again be something to focus on. Gaining feedback from the target audience will prove vital in developing the designs and avoiding cliches. - Not just looking at one way that a company has enforced the branding style but how the style resonates throughout all components of advertising.
Branding Research Point
Behance showed me a project that eliminates the name of the company and instead replaces it with the name of the font. The way in which I now viewed the logos was really interesting as some of the letters aren’t featured in the company name so without looking at what each logo was, I was simply trying to use the base elements of each logo to identify the company name. Some were easier than others but by viewing the logos in such a reduced manner, it is interesting to see exactly what the eye remembers and whether the wording really helps to identify the brand (job the memory) or whether some of the most commonly seen logos really can just rely on some of the most basic elements.
For this research point, instead of just listing words, I wanted to look at the symbols that first came to mind and try to draw out similarities. Why are these the logos that I remember, what makes them so successful? - Simple layout. If a logo is too complex, then the audience will find it difficult to remember. You want something that the audience can immediately identify and if there are too many components this becomes harder and harder as the logo isn’t supposed to require so much reading. - Simple colour choices. The majority of the colour combinations are done with two colours which makes it easier to identify. Having too many colours makes it harder to place within advertising contexts and can suggest that using the company is complex. However, there are benefits to using colours within logos as they can help portray a sense of security, luxury or warmth. - There is a clear message. Keeping the logo simple, with everything pointing to the same message, means it is clearer and easier to understand. - They are explicit, there is no inferences that are relied upon for you to be able to read or understand the logo. - Although they are explicit, they can still have multiple associations made with it. Having something that can be open to personal connections is important as it makes the brand more personal to each person as their experiences with it inform the way in which the logo is viewed.
Exercise: Chance Housing Association
This exercise specified that this should be a logo that is targetted at first time buyers and although the age for this can vary, I asked people aged between 20 and 25 for their opinion of these logos. I found that these were most influenced by logo choices and wanted to work out what they thought worked best before I started designing my own logo. - Wallers seemed to be everyone’s favourite for the fact it wasn’t cliche like many of the others. - The font choices put many people off of the other ones, in one person’s opinion they were poorly selected and seemed to target an audience within a higher age range. - The point about target audience appeared a few times but this is understandable as many agents will see this group to be the ones with money to buy the houses. - Hilton & Hyland looks posh and expensive. In one person’s opinion, they would look at the houses trusting the agents opinions and high standards but they probably wouldn’t buy from them due to costs. - The keys used within Reeds Rains gave some people the idea of security and feeling safe with their choice. - Chancellors uses luxurious colours yet uses a very simple shape, with a slight twist in terms of having curved corners. This suggests a high standard of service with perhaps not the same cost as Hilton & Hyland. - Interestingly, red appears a few times but doesn’t appear to draw in anyone’s attention like the colour has previously done, this time it is purple. - Important to note that it isn’t just the colour, on purple bricks the colour choice doesn’t make the logo more appealing to the target audience, it is the combination of fonts and simple illustration used with this.
This designs all seem very upper-class and as though not only is the service going to be expensive, but the price range of properties that these companies show you is going to be equally as expensive. To first time buyers who are just trying to get their foot on the ladder, this may seem a little overwhelming and make them avoid the company. So what makes them appear this way? - A couple of them use either Didot or a similar looking font. As established in other parts of this module, this font looks the most expensive and will therefore enforce this opinion about the company even when the font is the main feature of the logo with a black font, it is very simple and clean. - Illustrations are kept at a minimal. It helps to keep up the appearance of being clean and simple and there being no faff in terms of service. - If illustrations are used, they are used to mirror the fonts or add something that the font doesn’t have. The Williams & Williams logo for example, the slanted roof mirrors the slant of the capitalised W, it doesn’t go at the same angle or in the same direction but this doesn’t have to be the case in order to mirror the effect. Also, the font isn’t particularly weighted therefore, the slant is done at a heavy weight for the illustration in order to add some contrast. Although this should take your eye away from the text first as part of the visual hierarchy, it actually makes the eye want a slight break and therefore, the text is where you are first guided to. If this isn’t the case, your eye naturally still goes down the frame and you aren’t going to miss the name of the company. - Colour combinations are kept to a minimum. It isn’t about trying to create depth or contrast in a way. Soft but definitive and established colour choices are used to keep a limited palette that would sit well on all advertising.
What have I learnt at this point? - As logos are going to be looked at in many different contexts, contrast is not an element that should necessarily be focused on, the form is something that should be developed with more of a focus from the start. - The heights of a font are particularly important, they can change the way a logo appears. One logo that I designed looked good in the first sketch but once I recreated this, the effect wasn’t so good. - Spacing that is provided from computer mockups gives a better idea of the real impression of a logo. By hand, the spacing between letters specifically is less easy to control when making sure something is designed at full width. - It is important to consider how each individual letter appears and what I expect from it. Creating digital designs are helpful to work out full phrasing but being able to design each letter individually by hand helps to identify when a font works or doesn’t work digitally. - Spacing between lines is something I will need to consider, I set up a default of 1cm for most of these and for some this was too far away. Equally considering the position of where the letters line up will need to be considered in terms of readability.
All the pointers that I looked at previously were important to consider at this point. The height of lettering, the capitals/lowercase lettering combinations, the spacing between lines of text and wording all quickly transformed these logos. When the C was in a different font, it was also important to consider the slant, the curvature of the tails and the space between the C and the following H. Each component quickly transformed the logo and it was important to continuously go back to each sketch to consider the style that I wanted to employ from the start.
- Implementing the word visually and in the text elements helps to reinforce the message, it makes it easier to remember the logos, especially for different types of learners. - I especially like the ‘Piece’ one. The simple alteration between using capitals and lower case makes the message subtle, it took me a minute to notice it and having more subtle messages like this, instead of making the text and illustration really obvious can have more powerful impacts. - The contrast helps to identify the empty space that doesn’t fit the ‘stereotype’ that is expected of how the text appears. Because the lowercase i still fits the stereotype of what we expect, this is why it appears to be more subtle. - The font choices also help to identify the form of the font. With ‘Charge’ the curves of the charger shape are mirrored by the typeface to further enforce the identification.
The point was raised about feeling safe with your choice of estate agents through the use of keys on the logo of Reed Rains. As I haven’t yet decided on an illustration, I thought it important to see how this could also be applied through text choices and colours. The Independent declared that Times New Roman is the most trustworthy choice. A study done by SoloPress of over 1,000 participants found that it was the most trusted font and The Independent put this down to its common use in academic articles. A second investigation undertaken by Alessio Laiso at A Medium Corporation found that Baskerville was considered the most trustworthy. These results obviously all vary based on what fonts the participants are given to compare the fonts against.
Going back to earlier investigations into colour psychology, blue is a colour that portrays a sense of trust, logic and calm. This is everything that you want an estate agents to be. You want them to be trusting, show you the logical options for you budget as well as having a calm and pleasant experience in what can be quite a stressful situation. The combination of blue and the key illustration for Reeds Rains would suggest that this would be the most trusting company to go with but what makes it interesting, is the fact that nobody that I asked actually picked this estate agents. Equally, in the logos that seem to portray a higher class kind of proporty, style and service, only one of the companies also uses blue. Is this because it seems like a cliche or stereotypical choice? Has blue had the connection made to social media too much that companies try and avoid it? Blue being the choice for trust is quite ironic as Facebook isn’t very trust worthy. The data collection that takes place and the information they store about you is very personal and goes against the whole idea of it being trustworthy. Although blue seems to be the obvious choice, I think I will need to experiment with different colours because I don’t want the logo to become bland and expected, this will not benefit the company in any way. The reputation of trust can be built up over time so it may be more interesting to play with the word ‘Chance’ in the colour choices and possible illustrations, this will provide something slightly different for the eye as the font choices at the moment are not expected either. The choices have gone against the investigations that I found (shown on the opposite page). The study shows that trustworthy and appealing don’t always go in hand, neither does the portrayal of easy to use. Trying to balance all of these within one logo is realistically not going to be achieved but it is the overall house style that can be developed that will help portray all three. All final choices should be run past the same people that I asked in regards to the original logos to see if they think that these choices have been made successfully. They can judge them against the criteria of trustworthy, easy to use and appealing then further developments can be made.
As I was sat designing these, I was actually sat with a friend so that I could get constant feedback on my work and it was interesting what I was finally picking up about fonts. Previously, I was always saying it isn’t right and I didn’t know why or I didn’t understand fonts having a target audience but with some of these designs I started to say, it’s too tall, too squashed, it looks like it should be on an accountants logo and not something targeted at younger, first time buyers. Earlier feedback suggested that this age group is not wanting the cliches and stereotypes of logos, they are wanting something that is better quality, interesting and the fonts aren’t boring or once again stereotypical choices. Also the logotypes were interesting for their examples, but for the word ‘Chance’ there aren’t such basic symbols that can be identified with the word. Chance is an undescribable term, dice can be used but they do not fit in with the design, as shown by some of my sketches. Trying to play on the housing aspect of the logo becomes too stereotypical in my opinion, I will ask for some responses but this becomes expected and doesn’t differentiate itself from other logos as well as some of the type options do.
Having focused on the form previously, it was important to know consider the colours. Although it is hard to say what contexts these will be viewed in at this point (in terms of size and paper colour), it can be assumed that white paper can be used as a basis. Therefore, using yellow wasn’t probably the wisest choice. Having said this, yellow is a spontaneous colour and plays with the idea of chance. Bearing in mind that the page will probably have black text on, having the logo also all in black won’t make it stand out and in any advertising material, black would be quite bland and once again, blend into the rest of the content. Yellow was an alternative way to using the dice. Using dice was something that I considered a bit of a cliche, I wanted to avoid using any stereotypes within the advertising any this seemed a suitable way, playing with colour psychology more. However, after considering the readability of any yellow elements, it became clear that this wasn’t the best choice. The yellow rectangle was an alternative to this as the rectangle isn’t an important thing that needs to be understood.
What have I learnt from these developments? - Sometimes priorities need to be taken over which will portray the message best, illustrations or colour choices. Colour psychology is not a universal language, not everyone understands why a colour has a certain impact on them so sometimes it is best to defer back to the easiest way to understand a work, through images. - Readability is important on something no matter how small it is. On a logo, this will be something that is read quickly but it will be the thing that is remembered the most so making sure that each individual element portrays one message and can be clearly understood, - Don’t just consider how this is going to be viewed on screen but also where it is going to be seen. The rest of the exercise requires various mockups of where the logo will be seen but if this weren’t the case, creating mockups would be beneficial.
In order to see what typically works and is used during advertising, I looked at stocklayouts. com, this gave me a more general idea of the structure of letterheads before I started designing.
Typical characteristics: - large margins around all edges - logo and contact details at the top of the page (header) - some put details at the bottom of the page, I can see the logic with both but got to see what fits with the style. - Something else is needed other than just putting the details, the page needs something else with it.
The grid structures vary a lot more than anticipated across the page. Some spread the information out a lot, some cramp the pages. There is no regular structure to follow with my own examples but the more simple yet well structured examples work most effectively. The logo being positioned in the centre is slightly disconcerting in my opinion, the structure fails from this point in terms of being very methodical. Margins always need to be considered and applied equally around the page.
What visual communication methods have been utilised here? What points do I need to consider? - Often the simplest grids work most effectively especially when there is so much information on a page like there is with this letter. - Consistent margins around the page make the reading easier and gives the eye a break form reading such a large block of text. Previously I have been told to consider the line lengths on projects but with letters I think it would seem out of place to start trying to break this down. Letters are known to use the full width of the page with margins as well. - Although full width text often is something that that I opt for, using it on here would have made the letter format very boxy and seem a lot harsher on the eye to read. For something that has such a large quantity of text, I thought it better to soften the edges slightly and not opt for this alignment. - Using the same box that I had used on the logo as a border to the letter did seem like a good idea but when I asked for feedback I got told that it actually makes the letter appear uninviting. If this is just an enquiry letter, it can seem too much and put people off purchasing through this agency. - At one point I did consider red as an alternative choice to the previous colour choices however, once put into the letter format, having red in such a block text at the top of the page made me think of a notice letter, demanding for some money or like an eviction notice. This kind of visual language is not something that I had considered until it was put within the structure of a letter. Therefore, although the contrast of red and black was effective, the visual signals that this portrays does not work to my advantage when advertising.
Visual communication consideration points - These designs really made me consider which part of the logo helps with readability and which part of the logo is important for the branding. The fonts were clearly going to help with the way in which the company is branded which means the same fonts should be carried on to the business card however, I wasn’t sure whether the dice or the C should be the focal point. - Orientation is something that I personally always like to play with but with this purpose, I don’t think it is entirely appropriate. It makes the information harder to read quickly, instead everything should be on a horizontal plane that is easy to read from left to right. - Line length is something that I wanted to consider here although as it was an address, I thought the default was to have a new line for each line of the address. Having this as one block text is rarely done and it would make it harder to read therefore, it wasn’t something I even tried as there is an obvious reason that it hasn’t been done on other designs. - To consider the branding and the business cards being clearly linked, when putting the C next to the details, enough needed to be seen that it is clear what this addition is but I didn’t want the C to be so visible as I found these designs often became confusing, where is the rest of the text instead of just having a C randomly placeed on the page. - Also, looking back on the designs now, having the woman’s name so closely to the C, although they are two separate elements, because they are the same fonts, it appears that these need to be linked in some way when they don’t. This once again reduces the readability so these designs, having thought they worked, don’t prove so successful at this point.
Baskerville
Times New Roman
Revisiting some of my research made me reconsider the choices I had made. Baskerville and Times New Roman are seen as more trustworthy, as is the colour blue so why haven’t I used any of these? Chance isn’t an important part of the logo to portray, this is only reinforcing the words, not wanting the logo to be trusted by its customers. Equally, chance has been enforced through the dice image. Everything is portraying Chance and this isn’t the right message to be portraying to the audience. If it gets too much, the audience may be thinking that it is a chance to go with this housing association or that the options they have can be a bit hit or miss so maybe this message needs to change and portray the trust concept more. This isn’t to say that the dice still can’t appear on the logo, but I think that trying to use chance as the main message isn’t the way to go with the advertising. Portraying trust in more subtle ways is far more respected and not only will it be viewed as trustworthy by the customers, it will be viewed as competitive by other estate agents.
What have I learnt about layout and visual communication with this exercise? - That yes it is important to portray one message with all advertising, but it needs to be the right single message otherwise it can change the whole perspective of a company. - Having a well structured grid makes the information easier to read and although some letters have varying grids that don’t seem to follow one clean-cut structure, it reflects on the way the letter is then interpreted. - Business cards need to look professional and be easy to find the information. Changing orientations does add interest but it isn’t done on other designs for a reason, it becomes harder to read and someone’s name is an important bit of information for the document. - Although the font may not be the first choice that you would have picked as a designer, but connotations of the font cannot be changed and these connotations are more powerful that anything with a designer. - Sketching is an incredibly important part of the design process - it is one that I only seem to do on certain exercises but when I do, it proves incredibly effective and I produce results that I wouldn’t have thought of digitally. Creating these designs digitally afterwards reminds me of what I was trying to achieve and focus on the smaller elements of each letter. - Something may look good or go with the house style (using a square around the page) but now that the proportions and the purpose have changed, the impression given has completely changed. I sometimes forget to evaluate it as an individual item as part of a series so although the rectangle border worked, it was incredibly uninviting and I didn’t realise this until I asked for someone else’s opinon.
Exercise: The French Hen
What kind of pub is this? - Local pub serving mainly pints and spirits. - Anyone and everyone drinks here. - Large branch of pubs so can be found anywhere. - Cheap alcohol
for any kind of drinker, does encourage the binge style of drinking in some ways. What does the logo indicate about this? - The two different styles of logo show how it is appealing to both ends of the spectrum in terms of age. - Although ornate, the second logo doesn’t suggest a high class establishment, what reduces this? - Blue suggests trustworthy, you can always rely on wetherspoons to be there when you can’t find anywhere else to eat or drink. - The first logo suggests it is quick and easy to be served here and this works well as this is the apps logo meaning it is easy to use and not much effort to get served (literally order to table without having to move). What does the logo suggest about this pub? - Typical british pub, good beer and family food. - All ages welcome but suggests it is more of a pub than bar. - Old style writing and advertising suggests it can be trusted like Wetherspoons. - Black is used which doesn’t always have good connotations, why use this so dominantly on advertising?
What does the logo suggests about this pub? - It is a twist on the traditional british pub signs but still features the traditional illustration (instead of just typography). - The circle seems to be used more having just noticed it - what does a circle suggest? Inviting? Well-rounded? - Again black is being used as a dominant colour. Why? Why use black when it suggests something about being anti-social? - Most of these signs also use capitals, no lower case lettering. This gives a sense of authority but the harsh lines on here, although create contrast to the round form of the logo, could work better with some extra softness to the lettering.
What does this logo suggest about this bar? - It is clever to notice the crossovers between the bar and pub logos. This still utilises the use of black, capital lettering and the circle form but what makes this seem more interesting and current that some of the other logos? The fonts? The spacing between the lettering? The simple reduction to just black and white? - The placement of this sign, in terms of the boarding it is placed upon, can change the perception of this logo a lot. I think although the logo can create a perception of a place, it is also based upon where this logo is viewed, it’s backdrop and the interior of the bar that can be seen from the window.
Differences between these logos and the last? - Most of them have black writing - suggests sophistication within this context. It is less about being trustworthy here and more about the experience. - Circle is still emphasised whether this be as a separate form or within the lettering itself. - The fonts vary between script/decorative fonts and Sans Serif fonts. The Sans Serif works but these often seem less inviting so how does this work? Is it the combination with the circular form? Is it the blank space that also features? Spacing between letters? - Some feature more ornate details (Victors and the Botanist especially). This has often been used to connect it with a more classy establishment but it is clear from the other logos that it doesn’t have to be ornate to be considered for the more acquired drinker. Are these logos appealing for the same target audience that I am designing for? Yes. Why? They seem a little more considered and go against the stereotype of designs for British pubs. Although there are some similarities, in fact quite a few in terms of structure, they manage to appeal to the more sophisticated drinnker. The simplicity of the designs helps with this and avoiding the illustrations that are often evident on pub logos. These illustrations are kept minimal if they appear at all, often just featuring varying geometric structures instead.
The brief specified to avoid using any cliches or stereotypes within this logo but what kind of cliches and stereotypes already exist that I need to avoid?
- Within generalised alcohol advertising, there is the assumption that women drink clearer alcohols whereas men drink the darker drinks like beer. This wine bar is targetting both men and women suggesting that they can both like the same drinks and it doesn’t have to follow such a stereotype, so why should the advertising follow this as well? - Wine is considered a more feminine drink so the logo needs to appeal to both genders to avoid anyone making this stereotypical judgement about the place. - The instinct is to use blue, red or white when France is mentioned but this needs to be avoided as the ‘French’ aspect of the name isn’t something to be focused on. Instead using a shade of magenta (red and blue mixed together) could be an effective alternative. - Avoid berets! Agains don’t want to focus on the French aspect too much and how many people have you actually seen a Beret in France that is French? - I want the logo to portray the sophistication that the brewery is going for, using cliches within the advertising will not help emphasise this idea of sophistication. - Maybe if the company are wanting to change the perception of drinking and this ‘binge drinking’ culture, using too many similar techniques to previous logos and signs will not help to differentiate itself. Geometric shapes work well so what if different shapes were used instead?
What have I learnt about visual communication here?
- I need to remember that visual hierarchy isn’t just about different elements and considering the text as a whole, individual words need to be considered, ‘the’ and ‘hen’ do not need to have the same authority so it was important to change the sizes of these. - Although shapes are good for containing elements, especially on signs and menu designs, sometimes it is important to expand outside of this because it becomes too contained and can suggest that the company is uninviting, when you want it suggest otherwise. - Perceptions can be played with in terms of what order information is given to the reader (changing it to read Hen the French from left to right) but when a logo is going to be glanced at in passing, it needs to be clear to read and easy to remember, having something in a mixed up order is going to be harder to remember. - Contrast is important but within this scenario, and a limited tonal palette, it is best to keep the contrast to a minimum as once again it creates a more pleasant reading.
Creating mock-ups takes digital designs into a different perspective, as a designer you can start to visualise them within the real world and how they will appear within the desired context. I have tried varying mockups on the following pages and some of the designs did need some colour changes for them to appear better, for example changing the black text to white. These changes are minimal and it is still clear that it is all part of the same branding. However, considerations would have to be made as you don’t want everything having black text and then only one having a different variation. Where it would work well is having different variations on the menus. So the food menu having black text but the cocktail menu having white texxt. Changes like these within a branding are acceptable but changing it around too much creates an alterate identity which hinders the original.
What have I learnt from creating the mockups? - Designs can appear very differently on print and creating mockups are an important part of the process. It doesn’t require physical printing out of practice tshirts but something as simple as this method will indicate quickly whether a design is going to work or not. - Although originally the more contained logos appeared better, having no border works better within the mockups, they seem more inviting and give the logo space to breath on the page. This leaves space for the visitors to hyperthetically fill the space with their own memories. - It is ok to change the logos slightly as long as the visual hierarchy and form stays the same. It is ok to do this for the sake of readability but to change it to much within production of different items means that the branding is inconsistent and this is something that the targeted audience will not appreciate. - Perspective makes a massive difference when creating these as the logo won’t always be viewed front on.
What have other people said about these designs? Bearing in mind the target audience in terms of the people I ask. - The designs work really well, the majority of people prefer the 2nd, 3rd or 5th designs. Some suit the target audience more but others appear more French. - There is nothing in the brief to say that this is a French restaurant, it is just the name so maybe the designs that are considered French should be discarded. - The window display needs a border, it suits the purpose better and it also looks more professional on the workers clothing for the bar. However, signs above the door, because they already have the border, don’t necessarily need it. Although changing the colours was an acceptable change I don’t think that erasing a vital form between different purposes would be inkeeping with the branding of the company. - A possible solution to this would be to make the border almost matching to the background it appears on for some designs (like the menu). The border would still exist and be inkeeping with the branding but it isn’t dominant and making the logo seem cramped. When printing this, it could almost be indented instead and this would also be in line with the branding designed.
Which designs are perhaps too French? What characterises French design in the first place? I found an article that outlined the 10 things that are evident in French design, which are: - Drawing skills and illustrations - Pictorial approaches - A clear visual story. - Cliches are not acknowledged. - Unconventional imagery. - Artistic typography. - Distorted imagery. - Artistic influences (painters and artistic styles or periods). - Emotion (both within the images but also an emotive response). - It creates a talking point. But how many of these can be evidenced in the examples I have found of French design? https://www.canva.com/learn/french-design/
These designs seem to line up with everything that the article said. There is definitely a pictorial approach for many of these (only some of the logos are exceptions) and the artistic style employs bold colours with sometimes some unconventional imagery. Considering all of this and the logos style as well, which logo designs seem would be focusing on the French element of the logo?
This one definitely does focus on the idea of French too much in my opinion. The others don’t so much, perhaps the top right on the opposite page but from the pointers outlined, this one is the most dominant. It plays on the cliches of a French Bistro too much and this is something that is avoided in all design.
The bottom right design actually creates an effective balance between each of the other logos and the expanse outside of the rectangle doesn’t make it seem closed off and uninviting like it has done on other designs.
ASSIGNMENT
I decided to go with the second brief whereby I would be designing a series of advertising for Abigail’s Party production. Although the first brief would have enabled me to experiment doing book covers again, something that I have previously struggled with, I wanted to try a themed project whereby I wouldn’t just have to be showing a selected amount of information, but there was a theme to the project. In this case it is the 1970s which features very bold and geometric designs, something that I used to handle by going all out. But I wanted to show myself how far I have come over this module and highlight that I can now hold back on the designs so that they aren’t so busy and full on. Doing this in the format of a poster, flyer, advert and programme cover shows that I am also getting better at designing things with different purposes, something that I sometimes struggled with at the start of the module. The layout potential of brief 3 would have been interesting to explore in such great depth and try creating infographics with something a little more mathematical however, there still wasn’t this theme that I had been hoping to work towards. A magazine layout is something that I have worked my through a lot during this entire module and before I undertook this course so I wanted to test myself by creating something that I am not always comfortable with and test myself in a slightly different manner. What skills do I want to develop with this assignment? - In a way I want to avoid using any cliches with this project, but I know that sometimes the cliches are what characterise the identification of an era. For example, the 1970s are bold geometric patterns, flares and flower designs. Although this is a cliche, it is a cliche that works. So perhaps a better way of phrasing this is making sure that the cliches are controlled and not too overpowering. They need to be used well and with style so that the posters are appealing instead of cheesy. - Indesign and photoshop are my preferred software and I have struggled to get to grips with Illustrator over this module when I have tried to use it, so maybe this assignment would give me a chance to experiment with it a little more as it is a programme used a lot in industry as it is easier to keep images at a higher quality on this program.
Plot:
In her suburban living room, hostess Beverly prepares for the arrival of her guests in the living room. Laurence, her estate agent husband, returns home late and makes some work calls. New neighbours Angela, a nurse, and Tony, her computer-operator husband, arrive. Beverly explains that Sue, another neighbour, will be joining them, as her daughter Abigail is having a party. Laurence leaves to finish some business and Tony goes to help him start his car. Beverly advises Angela regarding her lipstick application. Sue arrives and more drinks flow. Tony returns. Music from Abigail's party becomes audible and the conversation turns to Abigail and the problems of parties. Beverly asks Sue about her divorce and her ex-husband. The conversation moves on to living together and children. Beverly keeps topping up the drinks. Angela talks about an ill child at work, to Tony's irritation. Angela reveals that Tony used to be a professional footballer. Beverly goes outside. Tony offers round nibbles and the conversation lulls. Beverly returns with details of what she can see of the party. Tony offers to check, but Sue doesn't think it's necessary. Beverly tops up the drinks. Angela admires the furniture. Laurence returns and reports that the party is getting lively. At Beverly's insistence, Laurence reluctantly agrees to check on the party later. Speculation continues about Abigail's party. Laurence suffers from indigestion after eating some olives, then demands Tony has a cigar. Beverly and Laurence argue about what music to play. Laurence concedes and puts Demis Roussos on. As the evening progresses, Beverly and Laurence grow increasingly annoyed with each other; Laurence grows increasingly irritated by Tony; Tony becomes increasingly friendly with Beverly; Sue becomes more worried about Abigail. Angela remains oblivious to the growing tensions. Everyone gets progressively more drunk. Beverly turns up the music and starts dancing. Laurence jumps up, switches it off and goes with Tony to check on Abigail's party. Beverly apologises for Laurence and suggests they get drunk. Sue is sick in the downstairs toilet. The women complain how unsympathetic men can be to their aliments and discuss their husbands' respective faults. Angela reveals that Tony has a temper. Laurence returns alone and goes to make a sandwich. Beverly goads him and he returns pointing a butter knife at her, before making a humiliating retreat to the kitchen. Tony returns with a wet shirt and reports there’s nothing to worry about.
Beverly plays a Tom Jones record. Laurence turns it down and then snubs Angela when she asks him to sit down. Laurence unsuccessfully tries to assert himself by introducing more serious topics. Beverly asks Laurence to turn the music up. Laurence physically stops Beverly from getting near the record player. Sue seeks brief sanctuary in the lavatory. Beverly and Tony slow dance together. Angela and Laurence dance together separately. Laurence dances with Sue and discusses holidays. Everyone sits down. The conversation returns to Tony’s football career and Beverly inspects his legs. Laurence asks Sue is she likes Art and shows her various pictures. Beverly says Laurence has banished the picture she likes upstairs and goes to get it, much to Laurence’s distress. Everyone tries to leave. Laurence put on Beethoven’s Ninth and asks everyone to sit down. Laurence has a heart attack. Angela arranges him in the recovery position. Beverly arrives with the picture. Tony phones for an ambulance. Beverly gets in the way, flicking cigarette ash over Laurence. Things become increasingly heated and chaotic. Beverly orders Tony to phone again for an ambulance and screams down the phone. Sue tells her to shut up. Beverley shouts back. The music from Abigail’s party becomes audible. Sue phones Abigail, but someone else answers. Meanwhile, Angela attempts resuscitation. Laurence dies. Beverly starts crying on Tony. Angela suffers cramp in her foot and Tony goes to help her. Sue shouts to Abigail down the phone. Beverly sobs. Additional notes: Set in Essex. In terms of accents, not all of them have Essex accents. Laurence doesn’t have a specific accent which makes him sound more educated. However, he is in the lower middle class and is constantly trying to establish himself in a higher position to Tony. Sue, although possibly made to feel like an outsider in terms of being the only single one during the evening (Beverly also asks Sue about it), is probably the highest in terms of class out of the group. By being questioned about it within a new group, this could be done in order to try and gain a position of authority over Sue. Also upon arrival, Sue brings a bottle of wine and hasn’t eaten. This hints that she has the expectation of being fed for the evening whereas the others don’t arrive with such an expectation. There seems to be a lot of direction from other characters, insisting on actions considering this group have never met before. Doesn’t seem to be much friendliness, they all seem to get quite irritated by each other. The title suggests that something is going to happen at Abigail’s party but in fact we are within the main space from the start.
Visual Research: Theatre posters
What key visual communication methods are used on theatre posters? - Bold intriguing font that adds more interest to the advertising. - If there are well known performers these are often put as the second largest font to attract attention to the show because of the name. - Block colours are a primary focus in the background so that the images are highlighted. - Some indication of when the show is happening is important but other text often features. The visual hierarchy of this is clear with more information being put in smaller text as this is only additional aspects that are required. - Realism is highlighted through the photography and illustration style used, it highlights that you are going to be watching something live in front of you and that what you are seeing is real compared to at the cinema where there is still this kind of separation. - A lot of the ones I have selected, it may just be these examples, but they use bold primary colours to attract the attention of the audience. When used in the underground this works as these are the posters I remember seeing on my travels so the use of primary colours will be a must. - Sometimes quotes are used, this encourages people to know more about the storyline that develops onstage in front of them.
The 1970s - Barbara Brown Textile design
The 1970s - Fashion
What characteristics are evident within the 1970s? - Bold bursts of colour - Geometric designs - Colour overload, it isn’t done as small accents, every area is covered within a room especially, posters have a bit more of a structure. - Structure, the designs are fairly repetitive and well structured which is why they work. - the poster designs and some designs within the fashion examples seem to portray a sense of minmalism but others go in the complete opposite direction. When asked to describe the 1970s, many people that I asked said ‘bold, geometric patterns’ and ‘hippy clothes, flares etc’. For this reason, although some of this suggests otherwise in terms of design, I think with these posters the bold and geometric patterns should become a focus. Its difficult as many theatre posters have a key figure on the front to sell the tickets and give the performance a face, however, this cannot be done with this brief.
More research questions: What fonts were used in the 1970s? What portrays this era? How are dates presented on posters? What layout is used? What hierarchy is created?
Although the colours were taken from a images from the 1970s, the colours didn’t pop, they didn’t have the impact that the 1970s are known for so the colours needed to change. It was also important at this stage to establish what space was needed for text and how it would be arranged in terms of hierarchy. Finding a font with varying options was important as I wanted to try and not add more visual noise to the work and keeping one font for this chunk of text would be helpful.
After gaining feedback, everyonem as expected said the flower designs were what reminded them most of the 70s. Although this is a key focus of the production, I don’t want it to be so dominant. I continued to experiment with this but the designs became hard to balance and the focus was on the patterns instead of the dates of the production.
These designs and the design process taught me that nothing can ever be fully discarded, it’s always good to go back and revisit designs as they can often be reworked. Everything takes a little bit of tweeking to get right as the designs develop and it’s interesting to see what really works to portray the 70s vibe. From the start I had expected to use a 70s themed font, afterall it is the font that has been a strong focal point on other theatre posters that I looked at, however, here, the themed fonts didn’t add anything to the design and instead took the focus away from the imagery and rest of the design. For this reason, a basic Sans Serif font was used instead. Although there are quite a few styles of text on this poster, they all balance well in terms of sizing and creating a visual hierarchy. None of them are too overpowering or contradict each other and add a different element of depth to the visual noise that was the 1970s. The imagery to use alongside the pattern was a little difficult to select as this was either going further into the 70s theme or it didn’t portray the themes that it needed to in terms of the play. As a result, rereading the brief reminded me that everything within the story is based in the living room and the sofa. Showing the audience the setting of the play on the poster is an interesting advertising technique. It allows the audience to already be placing people and storylines within the production that they think could take place here. This builds up the experience they have and although the storylines won’t match up, the title and the use of this sofa provide an interesting starting point for the production. With this project, as always, it was about constantly making small changes to see what would work and what wouldn’t. Sometimes I had to leave the designs and come back to them so that I would notice a small something else that didn’t work within the design. Contrast has been a big thing in my designs for this module and this time I didn’t want to create contrast. Part of the reason the 70s worked so well was because although everything was bold and busy, it was coordinated. Taking this aspect away from the design would make everything clash too much again so used the red as a feature tone throughout the designs and drawing on different aspects of the pattern to provide the colour palette worked effectively within the design. I was also very conscious that this would appear a little cramped but with enough spacing around each element, the work clearly has space to breath and a hierarchy is established throughout the poster.
A6 double-sided flyer
The area of the poster is a lot bigger than that of the flyer, yet there still needed to be the same information on the two. Achieving a balance between the elements was harder to achieve with this flyer and what I had thought to be the important aspects on the poster, and therefore the elements that I had made smaller for the flyer, were in fact the other way around. I had wanted to make a small feature of the sofa and lamp as this wasn’t important information for a flyer to feature. However, one suggestion that I received during feedback from my peers was that this was actually too small and it made everything seem to big so the proportions needed balancing out better. The pattern proved to be the focal point once again but this time it features in segments so that it doesn’t become too overpowering. It was interesting to see though how the balance changed from having the text above the pattern to positioned centrally as no colour choices seems to compliment both components.
What visual communication points have I learnt from here? - Patterns don’t have to be shown in full to still give the impression that is needed.
- Size proportions are important as keeping them the same between different formats not only keeps consistency but if they are changed, the text choices could now seem too bold and the hierarchy is adapted when it needs to remain the same in order to flow. - Although a colour palette is good to have, sometimes you need to explore outside of the colour palette (inverting the pattern) to work out what really works within a design, whether you need to add more colours to the colour palette or whether something actually does work and you hadn’t realised. - White space is ok to have, even if one of the main colours is off white!
Magazine Advert
What difficulties did I face with these designs? What communication methods did I have to adapt or comply with? - Once again it was a case of making sure everything was in scale with this design. Personally, I thought that the dates should be the main focus of the advert so that the reader knew when they could go and see the show. But it quickly became apparent that you can’t just have the title and dates, there needs to be something else to the design in order to encourage some interest within the production for those that perhaps haven’t heard of the play before. - The style and everything else had obviously already been laid out for the other designs. I knew what font choices and elements needed to be put on the design, it was just a case of achieving the balance. - The text allignment of the title is something that perhaps changed the most. Although I wanted everything to stay in the same place, sometimes the text seemed unbalanced because the proportions of everything else was changing. The text still says the same but sometimes the position and position of the surrounding colour blocks changed. - This sounds like a small change but it had a large impact on the way scale was perceived. Sometimes elements seemed to be more cramped and for a small advert like this, that isn’t ideal as it makes the audience think there is a lot to read and understand when really this is just dates. - Compromies had to be made in terms of changing the text allignment in the main bulk of text as well otherwise the column widths didn’t work. This is just a small change and although the ease of reading has been reduced slightly, in terms of the overall components and how hard it would be to read if the design was continued, then it is a compromise worth making.
Programme Cover
Flyer
advert
programme cover
This assignment tested me in more ways than I expected but it also reflected how much I have learnt over the course of this module. The 1970s feel part of the brief was why I wanted to do this assignment, I thought having to design something to a theme was the perfect way for me to see how well I can now balance different design elements to all communicate the same message without going overboard in the ‘visual noise’ of a design like I used to do. I was quickly able to identify that the font was the main area that I wanted to show the 1970s vibe and therefore began with this. For this assignment, unlike many others for this part of the module, I didn’t see it necessary or benefical to create sketches as the design was going to rely heavily on fonts and patterns that would have taken too long to just sketch out. I knew the most effective way for me to create early mock-ups would be through digital designs. The font ended up being something that I didn’t quite get right until the rest of the graphics were confirmed. This highlighted to me how everything still needs to be thought of as a whole and each individual message needs to be changed slightly as other changes are made. Had I tried to start with the graphics, I think these wouldn’t have come so naturally. The patterns fits really well around the text and considering that this is the more important information, this is the way it should be. Through the selection of font for the main text, it was clear that I am starting to know my own FontBook a lot better. I can quickly name fonts that I think would work and try them to see whether they do. I am also becoming more aware of individual lettering and how the way the tail sits of the ‘g’ may not be right for the positioning of graphics underneath. All of these things are something that I have definitely started to understand more and more. Originally I would have said that a design didn’t work but I didn’t know why, I would make uninformed choices about what to change in the hope that it got me closer to the look that I was hoping to achieve. Now the things that I am picking up on are much more specific, maybe the spacing between lettering isn’t quite right, I don’t like the height of the numbers in comparison to the text or the allignment and positioning of the text. Developing my eye in this way isn’t something that I have noticed or could have guaranteed at the start of this module. The way my designs are now informed through technical knowledge and understanding my personal research process a lot more is helping me to produce results that don’t only fit the brief more
effectively, but they are also designs that I enjoy. With this brief, trying to produce something with a theme is one thing that I still wasn’t comfortable with. Over the course of the module I have definitely had some hurdles in terms of formats that I struggle to design with but I hadn’t get been given something so heavily themed. I hate using the cliches within design as I find they become too expected and instead of appreciating the message that is being portrayed, in my own head for sure, I just think I have already seen these designs before. This is what I am always cautious of with a themed brief, that it will just become something else that people have already seen. As a result, I wanted to challenge my own perceptions and try and create something that maybe did play with the cliches a little (as these obviously work for a reason) but also challenged these perceptions and encouraged the reader to actually read the information and pointers that were being presented to them. I believe that I have achieved exactly that with this brief. The designs aren’t so overpowering with the bold geometrics or flower patterns that you want to look away from the poster, but they are balanced effectively together to show that this is a 1970s production without being too overbearing. The assignment also encouraged me to create a advertising theme. This is very different to the format of the Chance Housing Association where fonts and house styles also had to be encorporated but this was using the exact same information and showing the different ways it could be presented at different sizes and with varying purposes. Understanding what becomes important within each design is something I knew needed to be done at the start of the module but I never fully understood how it would change so much. Although visually I understood the changes, when designing it, I didn’t realise how the visual hierarchy can change so much because of the space and you have to make sure, as a designer, that it doesn’t change too much as the same information is important, and it is important to keep the same style going, bu tyou have to achieve this in different ways and different formats.