Brief 14:
Design Context Book
Nathan Bolton
NB Manifesto
Design Context Publication: Brief Overview
Nathan Bolton
Brief
Concept
Audience
You will be required to undertake a period of focused, in-depth and sustained research into an area of graphic design appropriate to your design strategy. You should apply a range of research methods in the investigation of issues, practices, practitioners and companies relating to your own particular area of study. This should culminate in the design and production of a Case Study in the form of a book (or print based delivery), interactive dvd or web site.
As stated I think that I have two clear areas of design which make up my practice. On one hand there is the pure Graphic Design and on the other there is Print Making. Within both of these areas there are different elements which influence and inspire me, throughout the publication I want to display these and show the sort of work which I think is relevant to me.
The audience would be designers within their 20’s. I feel as the product is about me, it would appeal to other designers within the same age bracket, as it is about the current design industry.
Along with the influences and inspiration, I have continually been researching into different things centered around print throughout the majority of the year, I want to bring this research into the publication to show that there is theory and understanding behind my own practise.
Tone of Voice
Background Information
Purpose
Deliverables
As a designer I am someone that likes to work within pure graphic design areas such as editorial & publishing, branding, packaging. But I also like to do print work, producing screen prints, letterpress and working within craft. As two different areas of design, I think I bring them together well, using the knowledge and skills learnt through graphic design to bring a well considered approach to print making.
The purpose of the publication and project is to show who I am as a designer and display the inspiration and influences that have helped create my own practice throughou my time studying. This will show an understanding and put my work in context within the design industry.
1. 2 x Design Context Publications
The publication will be informative, with a serious tone, but with the use of imagery is will be a visually stimulating.
This is also a good project for myself as I can collate all the research and imagery I have been collecting throughout the year, to make a product which documents everything about me and my practice.
Design Context Publication | 01
Research The research of the publication was to get some initial ideas on the kind of layouts to think about when it comes to creating the publication layout. I want to have a very visual publication with headings, quotes and smaller copy worked in and around the images. I don’t want it to be a heavy read, just small chunks of information throughout to show the understanding of the different elements I have been looking at throughout the year. Some ideas that show the style & layout that I am looking at creating throughout the publication. These have a more crafted style but yet still all fit within a grid on the page. I want to work more type within the spreads and have the different elements of the content overlapping each other. This gives a basic understanding and illustrates what I am looking at creating.
Nathan Bolton
Design Context Publication | 02
Collating Content The content of the publication is split down into two main categories: 1. Graphic Design 2. Print Making Within both of these categories I will use a collection of images that show my influences and inspiration, along with the images I will use research from articles, facts and statistics to build up the content on each of the pages. This will show a mixture of what I have been looking at visually, but also the theory side to get a better understanding of the subject areas and give my practice a clear context. Within each of categories, I have further split it down to 4 design areas. This will make up the two chapters of the publication.
Nathan Bolton
Design Context Publication | 03
Print For the front cover of the publication, I wanted the idea of having the two different sectors of design come together in one design. Through all the print work that I do there is always a digital counterpart, this could be along side it, but every piece of print has to be designed initially in a digital format. This is how I can mix the two areas together, from learning the fundamentals and skills through digital design work I can apply this to the print side of things. This could be such things as layout techniques, grids or type, it also comes down to actually printing the work - I like everything to be in place, in line and it has to be a good print to move on. Everything is underpinned by the skills of a graphic designer - just like everything in layout is underpinned by a grid. Using woodblock letters, I printed a range of letters and scanned them in to use them digitally within the front cover design.
Nathan Bolton
Design Context Publication | 04
Develpment of Publication Before putting the pubication together and setting out the content, I have worked on some preliminary layouts and set the typography and colour palette for the publication. Jean Luc is the typefce that will be used, this is a bold type that will stand out when over laid on top of the images within the spreads. The colours choosen are those of my branding, as the publication is about me and my practice, using the branding colour is relevant for the publication. The layouts of the publication spreads result in a very visual aesthetic and design. Using different sized images, the layout will be built up to create an interesting composition and one that will lend itself to headings and body copy being inerted.
Nathan Bolton
Design Context Publication | 05
Publication Layout The layout of the publication is set within these four layouts. Throughout the layouts images have been grouped together that show similar work and of similar colour. This creates a consistent aesthetic on each of the pages. I have used different sizes and formats with the images to create a more visual and interesting page design. With body copy, heading and fact & statistics added to the pages, this creates a design which shows my influences, but also shows an understanding of the subject area and how it reflects within my own practice. The interviews are taken from my context of practice research, they are all based around the idea of the relevance of print within the digital age. As my practice is based around print, this ties in well with the content of the publication and also gives views of designers within the industry.
Nathan Bolton
Design Context Publication | 06
I’m a Graphic Designer but also a Print Maker
I decided to get the publication printed professionally through a book printer. I wanted to do this to get the best possible outcome and felt that this would create a better product and one that looks much more professional. The book is perfect bound with a softcover. Using the orange of my personal branding, this starts the conversation of communicating me as designer. The detail within the letterpress letters on the front cover has printed very well and shows the authenticity that you create when doing it yourself. As a cover design for this product it matches the content and concept of the whole publication, tying everything together to complete the printed publication.
Nathan Bolton
Design Context Publication | 07
I’m a Graphic Designer but also a Print Maker
The publication has a visual aesthetic but mixed with the body copy it makes it more interesting and gives it some realy content which has context when matched with the categories and images within each of the pages. This design style within the publication spreads showcases my inspiration and influences well. From looking through and reading the information it shows a clear understanding of where my practise has developed from and the style of work that I have been looking at throughout this year.
Nathan Bolton
Design Context Publication | 08