#10
Name_ Ross Francis Student ID_ 102181 Level_ 06 Module Code_ OUG603
Brief Title Type Of Brief Skills
Collaborators Nature of Collaboration
LCM
Brief
Live poster brief for Leeds College of Music event
Create a poster, programme and social media package for the LCM Steinway showcase in London.
Art Direction, Copy Writing, Screen Print, Concept Generation, Layout, Illustration, Typography, Professional Engagement Joel Burden Joel and I conducted research and concept generation independently. We ended up using a concept Joel put forward that seemed to perfectly solve the problem of the brief. We developed a design direction together put produced layout possibilities independently. We screen printed the poster, and I created a video of the entire process for the Leeds College of Music blog.
Background
LCM is a conservatoire with All-Steinway status. Steinway is an internationally recognised brand of piano. LCM students are handpicked through out the year to perform in the Steinway showcase. The showcase that will be advertised is a Spring Classical showcase. Leeds College of Music holds these showcases every 2-3 months to maintain a presence in the south.
Considerations
The tone of voice has to be friendly, forward thinking, but with a direct reference to the traditional values that are at the core of the Leeds College of music brand. Traditional core but with a contemporary edge.
Solution
The solution to this brief was to build a design around the copy ‘210 Years In The Making’. This concept combined the ages of Leeds College of Music and Steinway and Sons, in order to give the event an assumed sense of grandeur. The visual style acts as a metaphor for this combination. The modernist typography from the time Leeds College of Music started, and the art-deco style imagery from the 19th century when Steinway and Sons started.
Evaluation
This went reasonably well. I was very happy with the final product and the presentation, however the brief seemed to last a lot longer than was necessary. The concept stages were long and drawn out, and the layout of the poster seemed to go through various stages of development, and although it was quite an arduous process, it seemed like it paid off in the end. I feel that to be fully happy with this brief I needed to work and act on the development stages far quicker. In addition to the development stages taking longer than expected the print and production of deliverables also took longer than expected. While the development stages were down to poor scheduling and slow design development, the print process took longer due to the problems that occured during printing. The design was difficult to produce using screen print, and would be suited to a more professional process. The registration was difficult to master and the inexperience with such unpredictable paper stock meant that we spent a longer than expected getting the desired result. Since the beginning of the year I have started to gain a renewed confidence in my layout abilities, my copy writing, and my application of typography, I think the visuals produced for this brief have set the standard for my future work, and I feel like I have started to develop a consistency between the quality of the idea and the quality of the final work. I am aware that I am still a bit hit or miss with my briefs as a whole, but with this realisation it provides a platform for future work post university, where I will be continuing my personal development with freelance and self-set briefs. I engaged in a lot of correspondence with the marketing department at Leeds College of Music in order to make sure they were happy with the direction of the brief. This meant I had to produce industry standard mockups to propose to the marketing department. This engagement came with benefits and allowed us a budget for the print. This allowed for more expensive stocks to be used and allowed us to gain experience selecting, ordering and working with more exclusive paper stock.
Research
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
What did I do?
Why did I do it?
What more could I have done?
The primary research I did for this brief included meetings with the marketing department at Leeds College of music, and a look into their usual print ephemera. In addition to this I looked at how music is represented in a graphic format in order to understand how the atmospheres created by sound can be put down on the printed page. I looked into other commissioned works by Leeds College of Music, and took an in depth look at the the Steinway company and the anatomy of a piano.
I thought it was fundamentally important to hold meetings with the marketing department, and keep in regular contact via email. I did this as a form of research in order to understand what was needed from me, and how I should approach the brief. I looked into other music posters, that had an appropriate high end feel, in order to understand how a problem like this is tackled. I looked at the previous submissions to gain insight about what was expected, and how to surpass it in order to answer the brief well, and above expectation.
I think that the research I did for this brief could have been improved by experiencing the some more events that were in this style. As it stood I only attended one event, and I did not really get a feel for the music straight away due to the fact it was a new environment and I did not feel comfortable. I feel like I did sufficient research in a primary and secondary variations, and I did what was within my power. I would have loved to have visited Steinway, in order to get some more direct input.
LCM Brief #10
Design Direction
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
What direction did I take?
What influenced me?
Why did I take this direction?
The direction taken would be a juxtaposition of old and new as per Leeds College of Music’s guidelines of ‘classical innovation’. The direction taken would be drawn from our concept of combining the ages of the institutions and giving each a visual representation on the poster. Modern typography taken from the era where Leeds College of Music was conceived, and the Art Deco flamboyance from the period that Steinway was established. The direction became a mash of two completely different worlds, the organic and the machine led.
I was influenced by swiss typography found in the Knoll posters by NB studio and more prominently in the modernist period... This means Muller Brockman. I looked at the work of Studio Mirko Borsche who have worked frequently with classical music, and I was particular drawn in by the work of Studio Dumbar that created a variety of posers created for a classical event, consequently. It was exceptionally coincidental that our own poster concept could be seen in a very similar visual execution as a professional studio. Great minds think...
I took this direction because this was the direction where the concept led. This was a very concept driven process where we determined a concept and then produced a visual that fit perfectly within the concept. I am sure there could have been more visuals as possibilities but the subtle suggestion of these two era’s seemed a fitting visual metaphor.
LCM Brief #10
Development
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
How did I develop the brief?
What problems did I have?
Was it successful?
Developing the brief from outset was a long line of potential possibilies for concepts. Once the copy was determined and the overall standpoint on the problem was developed, it was very quick to determine a visual direction, and produce the art work. The development of the visuals took a an extensive but quick process of thumbnailing and layout. the typography took a while to finalise as it was a mixture of type and illustrative manipulation. After this the poster was screenprinted, on som bespoke Curious Skin Absynthe stock.
The layout took a few attempts to perfect (all attempts can be seen on my blog). The issue was maintaining and ensuring legibility over the illustration. We really wanted a flow to the illustration that spanned the whole format, however compromises had to be made due to the registration needed for the print. We ordered some bespoke stock that was very bright green for our spring time aesthetic, and the stock, although made for screen print, was untested. The prints took a while to dry, and so the print process took some unaccounted for time.
Overall the client, being the Leeds College of Music marketing department, were exceptionally happy with the result, going as far as calling it a ‘sterling effort’. The prior research of expectations and the thorough grounding of the concept led to a more convincing and strong visual than anything put forward to them by previous students. A lot of time and effort was put into this brief and it was certainly successful. There were some slight registration issues, but the overall product was perfect for the context. I very much enjoyed working on the brief, and for this particular client.
LCM Brief #10
Presentation
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
LCM Brief #10
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
LCM Brief #10
Poster
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
LCM Brief #10
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
LCM Brief #10
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
LCM Brief #10
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
LCM Brief #10
Print Detail
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
LCM Brief #10
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
LCM Brief #10
Poster and Flyer
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
LCM Brief #10
Flyer with Vinyl Sticker
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
LCM Brief #10
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
LCM Brief #10
Ross Francis 102181
Extended Practice OUGD603
LCM Brief #10