OUGD404 Design Boards

OUGD404

TYPE This module explored the importance of type in poster design, cover design and publication design. Scale if something particularly important throughout all three applications. If the type is a small size a serif font is more appropriate as its serifs make individual letters more distinguishable and therefore easier to read.

Size of type can suggest hierarchy. A larger or bolder type holds more importance than roman or light type. This can be seen in the cover designs, where the title of the book is the focal point.

Kerning, the space between characters, can be used to make text more legible or for stylistic effect. This has been applied to the text in the Natural History Museum posters.

Several different typefaces have been used throughout the publications as each typeface has its own specific character and provides a certain atmosphere. Gill sans is used in the NHM posters as it complements the logo.

Baskerville is used in the book covers as it is classic and refined. Minion Pro was used for the body text in the Pantone my street booklet because it is easy to read in block writing and Gill Sans is used as the title font as it complements the body text. Futura was used I the IKB booklet as it is a trendy, contemporary type that reflects the content of the booklet as IKB is also trendy currently within graphic design.

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COLOUR Colour influences feeling and mood.

This has been considered when applying it to design work. The posters for NHM use bright colours to generate excitement and the book covers use warm colours in order to be inviting and provoke emotion. The colour scheme in the Pantone my Street booklet are taken from nature and sit well together because of this. The colours are muted and dull which reflects the weather and mood of the photo from which they are taken. There is little contrast between the colours used in the book covers and the Pantone booklet. They sit next to each other on the colour wheel, therefore, work well together as they share similar undertone. On the other hand, the NHM posters use complimentary colours which sit across from one another on the colour wheel and contrast. This makes more of a visual impact, which is important in poster design as it has been created to be seen. The Pantone my Street booklet documents the interaction of colour and how placing two colours next to one another can affect how they are perceived.

Another thing that effects how colours are seen is the colour model being used. If viewed on screen, this is RGB. If viewed as print this is CMYK. This was considered when printing the IKB booklet as it is very difficult to recreate the properties of Klein Blue in digital print. Using the nearest pantone colour to IKB (286) helps combat this.

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LAYOUT Ambitious layouts are not always the most successful. Content such as images and amount of text must be considered when designing layouts. White space in layouts must not be over looked, it can help frame content as well as improve the flow and aesthetic of the publication. Grid systems allow for consistency within multipage documents. The Pantone booklet is curated from several different grid systems. This creates a better flow through the book and helps place importance on image or text depending on the situation.

Grid systems can be used to create a tone. For example, a corporate publication would use a very strict, complex grid system to give a sensible, professional feel. Where as, a zine may use a very lose grid to reflect a more relaxed publication

Images to the left show the first grid system used. It lacks consideration of gutters and margins which makes it look cluttered. It follows a strict grid that followed the folds of the document, meaning the grid also included diagonals.

Images to the right shows an improved layout with greater consideration for negative space and grids.

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FORMAT Vast improvements have been made to the Pantone booklet by altering the format. By creating a multipage publication, it made the information flow better and the greater dimensions allowed for greater creative freedom with the content, placement of text and images. Format effects scale and orientation. For example, the IKB booklet was portrait oriented, it was important that it was also formatted in portrait to ensure it read and bound correctly. Format was important in the poster design as the brief specified that it must fold down from A1 to A4.

By considering format it was found that if the A1 poster was portrait, the A4 folded poster would condense to landscape. This in turn effected the design of the poster. The Pantone my Street book contained some picture that filled entire pages, in this instant it was important that the document was formatted to allow bleed so there is no white boarder around the image when printed. It also allows for errors when binding the booklet.

Formatting a publication also includes considering the stock it is printed on.

Through trial and error, it has been found that the stock must not take away from the content but it can add depth and grandeur. However, stock can affect the resolution of colour. If the stock is coloured it will affect the outcome of the colours printed onto it.

Texture of stock can also effect printing quality.

When printing the booklet publications creep was added to make sure pages in the books remained proportioned.

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EVALUATION This module has encouraged the exploration of type, layout, colour and format. The formal lectures on colour and type in this module and those previous have introduced theories and rules to help understand the elements and apply them to the work produced.

A greater understanding of layout and format was gained through trial and error rather than lectures. Researching existing layouts and formats also helped broaden the awareness of these elements.

Elements made during this module show principles of communication, however some are more successful than others. For example, the Romek Marber timeline poster clearly communicates the life and career of Marber.

The book covers, on the other hand, show some elements of the story but don’t give a notion of the feel of the book or the essential topics that they are based on.

An individual approach has been used in respect to all outcomes from this module. This is seen in the Natural History museum posters, where the brief has been interoperated in a way that will emphasis the skills of the designer.

The ability to analyse and improve work has been well documented throughout. This is shown in the Pantone my Street and International Klein Blue booklets. The first outcome was improved upon to create publications that had a greater understanding of layout and format and explored typography in more depth.