PROJECT REPORT OUGD503 // Responsive
D&AD: Collaborative Practice Penguin Design Awards Dialogue L-Smith Photography Razzberry Jam Healthcare Icons CDF Logo and Branding MF Logo and Branding Zephyr
D&AD: COLLABORATIVE
OUGD503 // Responsive Lizzy Gosney // Jamie Pudsey
Branding & Identity Exhibiton Wayfinding Promotion Web
D&AD: British Council: Dressing the Screen: The Rise of Fashion Film
Dressing the Screen: The Rise of Fashion Film is a new international British Council exhibition.
Creative Challenge
Create a bilingual identity for the Dressing the Screen exhibition. Reflect the high-fashion and moving image nature of the exhibition through the physical graphics, way-finding, web presence, brochure and print design.
Deliverables
• Examples of exhibition title / signage, section texts and captions. • Design for a Private View Invitation (consider specifications for print, papers, finishes). • Catalogue Design – show the front and back cover and up to 3 sample layouts (again consider specifications for print, papers, finishes). • Design for the film titles and credits which would appear on screen.
Creative Solution
In reponse to the British Council brief, we created an exhibiton identity through the use of coloured string. The blue and pink string was tied manually, then photographed and edited digitally. The reason for this was to showcase an idea which emcompassed both digital and hand-crafted material - just like film and fashion. The two colours were used to represent the bilingual element of the exhibition- pink for English and blue for Russian. The thread was used in a literal sense to tie all of the different elements together. We thought this was important due to the broad range of deliverables outlined in this brief.
What have I learnt?
During this brief, I realised how important it is to re-write certain briefs in a way which better informs what you intend to do. As this was a collaborative project, I had to manage my time carefully in order to fit around another person’s schedule. Working as a duo had benefits such as two sets of ideas, although this sometimes also slowed the process down. Although we got off to a slow start initially with this brief, we were pleased with the end result. This project proved a large body of work can come from one simple turning point idea.
PENGUIN DESIGN AWARDS OUGD503 // Responsive
Individual Practice Competion Brief
Penguin Competition Brief: The Outsider’s Book Jacket The Outsider’s is a classic Teenage rebel story about two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy.
Creative Challenge
Design a whole new look for The Outsiders, in order to bring this classic to a new generation of readers. Your cover design needs to include all the cover copy as supplied and be designed to the specific design template (B format, 198mm high x 129mm wide, spine 17mm wide).
Creative Solution
I chose this as my main individual brief because I have always admired Penguin’s work, and they are a company I would love to work for in the future. During previous research into Penguin book cover designs and the Jan Tschichold composition rules, I became aware of various layout elements which are valued by Penguin such as the commonly used horizontal grids.
Deliverables
- Have an imaginative concept and original interpretation of the brief - Be competently executed with strong use of typography appeal to the broadest possible audience for the book - Show a good understanding of the marketplace - Have a point of difference from the many other book covers it is competing against - Be able to sit on the shelves of a supermarket or ebook store as easily as it sits on those of more traditional bookshops
I focused my design on the subtle inclusion of the horizontal grid system, with a modern twist. I kept the design simple, yet bold. The main colour is a bright red to represent the violent nature of the story. The main feature of the design is the eye peering through a keyhole. By keeping the illutstration minimal, it is ambiguous as to whether the eye is looking in, or looking out.
What have I learnt?
As this was my main individual responsive brief, it had the bonus of being used for all of our Responsive peer feedback sessions. This helped me make some of the most crucial decisions such as layout and aesthetic throughout the project. I really enjoyed coming up with a modern and minimal approach to this Puffin Children’s Prize competition. Although I was pleased with my final bookjacket (shown above), I was aware my design was slightly controvercial in comparison to existing Penguin book covers. This could have been avoided had I spent more time on my initial research into exisitng Outsider’s book jacket concepts.
DIALOGUE
OUGD503 // Responsive
Design for print Illustration Typography
Dialogue Brief
Yoke is a duo based in Leeds with an aim to create an exhibition space that spurs dialogue between creatives.
Deliverables
Creative Solution
Creative Challenge
My initial thought was to focus my posters on these three categories: -type as image -type and image -type only
- A3 Landcape or portrait - Vector or halftone images - Black and white - 300 dpi
The theme of the exhibition is ‘dialogue’ where each creative will submit a design that will be used in a blind collaboration. Contributors must be open to their submissions being manipulated through the use of print and the match making process, that will pair the two submissions together. This will create a series of screen-printed artworks that will be displayed throughout the running of the exhibition. Submissions can take any form of the theme. It could reflect directly on past conversations, forms of interaction or it could spread further afield to what you think communication is today.
For this brief, I thought it would be fun to explore a range of responses to the term ‘dialogue’.
The final typographic poster consisted of a series of open quotation marks and close quotation marks. These filled the A3 portrait frame as large ‘figures of speach’. The series of quotation marks were all copied and pasted upside down on top of the original quotation marks to represent a series of conversations between sets of two people.
Dialogue Brief (Continued)
The final type and image poster followed a similar concept to the typeas-image speech marks. The poster mainly focused on two speech bubbles intertwined. The speech bubbles have been generated from two conversation points/people marked as ‘A’ and ‘B’. This is a visual representation of the phrase ‘A and B converstation’. and represents a flowing and overlapping conversation. The concept behind the typographic poster was the most simple. The design consists of a bold statement on the nature of language itself. The quote was taken from Steven Pinker, who is experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, linguist, and popular science author. The quote was written in Franchise Bold in order for it to be legible against its paired print.
What have I learnt?
Considering this was another quick, turn around project, I was really pleased with the outcomes and the feedback my designs received. Usually, I wish I had had more time to complete a quick brief like this, however I think the pressure and fast-pace had a good impact on my work ethic in this particular project. This was probably one of my favourite briefs.
L-SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY OUGD503 // Responsive
Branding & Identity Logo
L-Smith Logo
Design a modern, unique and easily recognisable logo for L-Smith Photography
Design Solution
This was a week-long brief for a Client who specialised in sports photography (mainly football). The client wanted his logo to be modern, bold and work effectively at a range of different sizes. The main request for this logo was to somehow include the aperture blades of a camera lens. As a result of this, the aperture blades work as the main feature of the logo and also form the logo frame. The final logo was produced in black and white in order to keep the text as legible as possible. The black and white is also used as a subtle reference to a black and white football - although this is very subtle and would not be noticeable if the Client were to move into a new field of photograpy
What have I learnt?
This was my first piece of commercial work outside of the University environment. Working with my first ever Client was nerve-racking to begin with, but I began to grow more confident throughout the development stages working with the client and combining our ideas. This was my first experience of sending files to present to a client which was also really good experience. Generally I was pleased with this project, however I made the mistake of not arranging a payment and assuming I would complete the logo for free. Once I had finished the logo and proven to myself I was capable of producing a final outcome which suited the Client’s needs, I was disappointed in myself for not being more confident originally. In terms of experience gains and lessons learned, this was definitely of my most valuable projects.
INFOGRAPHIC ICONS OUGD503 // Responsive
Infographics Illustration
Pharmaceutical Company Infographics Re-design a series of icons to be used for a major pharmaceutical healthcare company. The icons can take the form of photographs or illustrations but they must be clear and informative.
Creative Solution The main focus of this project was to keep the icons as simple as possible in order to covey a clear, direct and easy memorable message. As the final icons were going to be produced at a small scale, I decided the best format would be illustrative infographics. The final icons were generated in a shade of orange taken from the company logo. There were six final icons in total. To keep the design consistent, I created each logo to the same same dimentions with the same colour. The fianl icons were designed in Illustrator as vector images. This avoided any risk of pixelation when saving or re-sizing each icon.
What have I learnt?
This was another new experience of working externally from a University environment. The process involved meeting the Client for a informal briefing, to then continue contact and devlopments via e-mail. It was great experience to get an insight to meeting and working first-hand with a client. Going for a meeting was scary to begin with, but it has taught me that working with clients in person has a lot of benefits. In terms of experience, this was a big turning point for me. Although this was a small brief, the benefits have been huge in building my confience both as an individual and also a Graphic Designer.
CATHERINE DES FORGES LOGO & BRANDING OUGD503 // Responsive
Branding & Identity Editorial
Catherine Des Forges Promotional Pack Create an identity for a selfpromotional project including logo, layout, and colour sheme.
Creative Solution
This was a two-day project helping a client with a template and logo for their self-promotional pack. The client was a young Children’s Illustrator and Surface Pattern design. The promotional pack was going to be used to send to new potential employers. The key elements she needed were a logo, an online portfolio template, a CV and cover letter. In order to reflect the client’s personality as well as her practice, I used a young and friendly, lowercase typeface for her logo. The next design feature is the inclusion of an example of the clients work to support the logo. Three of her handdrawn jewels were placed below the logo. The same three jewels were then repeated as a sequence for the portfolio, CV and cover letter templates.
What have I learnt?
Although I only had two days to complete this last-minute brief, I had the benefit of working with the client throughout the whole development process. This was highly beneficial as I was able to save time and get her instant feedback and suggestions from start to finish. The project itself wasn’t too time-consuming because most of the work belonged to the client. This was good practice for editorial and layout which is a pathway I feel least confident in. The outcome was simple, consistent and well executed based on two opinions put together.
MEGAN.ENE.FRASER surface.pattern.design
MEGAN FRASER BRANDING OUGD503 // Responsive
Branding & Identity Editorial
Megan Fraser CV & Cover Letter Create a clear, consistent, and appropriate layout for a logo, CV and cover letter.
Creative Solution
This project was a similar process to the previous Catherine Des Forges Promotional Pack brief. The client needed a simple layout to be applied to her selfpromotional pack to be sent to potential future employers. The client had already created a logo she was pleased with, however it had been created in Photoshop, resulting in a pixelated logo which was too small when placed onto her documents. For this project I recreated the same logo in an Illustrator document in order to resolve the scaling issues. This was then placed into a CV and cover letter format using the templates and fonts I thought were most appropriate to the client. As a finish touch, I used a sample of her work as a page border at the bottom of the page.
MEGAN.ENE.FRASER surface.pattern.design
What have I learnt?
This was a one-day brief, the layouts and logo were almost finished. It was just a case of me applying my Graphic Design knowledge using the most appropriate programmes to produce the client’s work to highest possible standard.
RAZZBERRY JAM LOGO OUGD503 // Responsive
Branding & Identity Proposal (pitched idea only)
Razzberry Jam Logo (Proposal) Create a new logo for soul/jazz band Razzberry Jam.
Creative Solution
This logo idea was created as a pitch/proposal for a client who wanted a new logo and identity for their soul/jazz band. As a friend of one of the band members, I had heard their music a couple of times in the past. The logo reflects the fun, energetic and vibrant nature of the band and their music. The final colour is a dark pink/ maroon shade to resemble the colour of berries and jam. The logo type was created in Illustrator connecting the R and the J together to resemble the flowing rhythms of their music. The white line through the middle is used to represent a 1950s, retro aesthetic, also similar to the band’s style and overall feel.
azzberry
am What have I learnt?
The Razzberry Jam logo was one of my first experiences of designing for a client outside of the University environment. As there was no fixed deadline with this project, I became aware of both the benefits of not feeling rushed to a final outcome.However, I also became aware that a fixed deadline is generally beneficial for me, as I am not always good at planning my time effectively. I had a lot of fun with this brief, although it was a shame the client no longer needed the logo.
ZEPHYR LEARNING OUGD503 // Responsive
Branding & Identity Proposal
Zephyr
Zephyr Learning
Zephyr Learning is looking for a new identity. Create a new logo which is corporate, current and relevant to the company.
Creative Solution
The main specifications of this brief were to keep the logo simple. The client wanted wanted to drop ‘Learning’ and keep the logo as ‘Zephyr’. The final logo uses the typeface Cronos Pro Bold in a bright red shade in order to stand out effectively. The company name ‘Zephyr’ is written with a capital Z. The main feature of the logo is the white line through the middle of the capital Z to define the L shape within the Z itself. This meant that there was still a presence of ‘Zephyr Learning’.
Z
Zephyr
What have I learnt?
This project took place over one month. The logo variation changed a great deal over the month period. Over the course of this brief, I learnt about the benefits of working to specific needs and specifications from a client. This made me realise that specific requests from a client can be beneficial in the sense that they offer direction. The nature of this project also highlighted the limitations and restrictions when working producing work for someone else. The key thing I have learnt from this is that it can be tricky to find a balance of designing something which you think works, as well as incorporate all of the elements the client wants. In terms of experience this was another crucial learning curve. I was faced with new challenges which were difficult to resolve at times, but the overall process has been highly beneficial and taught me a vast amount about working with clients.
Module Evaluation Overall, I have really enjoyed this module. I have been faced with a wide range of challenges - some more difficult than others. This module has really pushed me to become more involved with the design industry and introduced me to working with clients as a ypung professional. I have noticed a large growth in my confidence as a result of the broad selection of projects I have completed. The past few months have taught me that hard work really pays off and with enough patience anything is possible. I have found it stressful balancing so many projects at once but the stress was eventually overcome by practicing working with a systematic, realistic and mature work ethos. I have become better at learning to prioritse certain projects over others. During the course of this module, I have started learning about the complicated rules and agreements of Copyright and payment when carrying our projects for clients. This is something I had not thought about too carefully last year. I want to learn more about
the business side of the design industry. I also made the mistake of agreeing to design a logo without discussing a payment plan at the start of the project. Once the project was complete, I realised it had taken a lot of my time, and I should have sorted out a payment in the beginning. Beginning to interact with clients and designers outside of the study/University environment has been scary and intimidating at times, but each invidividual project has given me a vast amount of experience. I have gained a lot of practice with contacting clients and ensuring they are given the amount of time and patience they need. This has probably been one of the most intense modules yet. This was my first experience of managing nine briefs as well as two other modules. This meant I had to work systematically within my own work, and collaborative work. Through a series of group crits and peer feedback sessions, I have had the oppurtunity to share my
ideas and developments. These sessions have also been really helpful. Some of the suggestions made to me during the feedback sessions have had a large impact on my final project outcomes. One example was The Penguin Design Awards brief, where I took part in a competition to design a new book jacket for The Outsiders by S.E Hinton. My original focus was to produce a design specifically based on the story plot. It was then pointed out to me in a feedback session that the target audience would not necessarily be people who had read the book yet. Therefore I started thinking about a much more literal interpretation of the book title. For this reason, my final bookjacket was then applicable to a much broader audience without losing its connection to the story. One of my most beneficial experiences during this module was an informal business meeting with a client. This is something I had never done before. This was a great experience as I much prefer speaking to people in person as opposed to over e-mail or the phone. I generallly prefered the
projects where I was able to work first-hand with the clients. Sometimes sending and receiving designs and feedback over e-mail slows down the design process and is very time consuming. Meeting with clients enables them to give honest, upfront feedback and saves time for simple jobs such as choosing a specific colour or typeface for example. My attitude towards working with clients and contacting new members of the design agency has changed massively due to this module. I feel more able and confident in myself as a Graphic Designer, but also as an individual. I have overcome a range of fears and many of my previous concerns feel overcome. This module has also taught me that I have a long way to go. I am aware that I have only just seen a glimpse of the design industry and the way it works in a professional environment. However, I feel confident that with determination, patience and persistence, I can see myself getting the results I aspire to achieve.
OUGD503 // Responsive Module Briefs & Evaluations Lizzy Gosney BAGD_Level 5