BA (Hons) Graphic Design
Leeds College of Art
Module Code
OUGD603
Level
Module Title
Extended Practice
06
Extended Practice Statement of Intent Name Thomas Squire
Blog Address Http://www.t-squire1114.blogspot.com
Statement of Intent Graphic Design is a skillset and using this skill set I will be focusing on building a range of user experiences with Digital outputs with an emphasis on processes driven by user interface and experience design as well as iconography.
Subjects & Themes The theme within the briefs that I will be working on this year is innovation through use of digital technologies as an output for graphic design practice. A greater proportion of my briefs focus on use of digital technologies to provide an audience with new and interactive experience at the point of inception between the product and user. Although branding is not a primary focus of my practice the this year a select few briefs focus on developing this skill as ultimately all experience are enhanced through the use of “branding� however I will still be focusing my work in this area towards how these brands are crafted to work in the digital space as well as across print based outcomes.
Design Disciplines & Creative Development There are three main skills in which I feel I need will need to develop and build upon for the successful accomplishment of the briefs I have chosen to under take this year and this is Typography, Layout and Illustrations these are the three broader skills within Graphic Design however they will be used more specifically within my briefs in the form of Layout or type and image within a user interface, Iconography and illustration for aesthetic and communication purposes. These skills will develop and flow as I undertake each brief.
Practical Skills & Workshops Within the briefs I will be developing my own creative practice that allows me to explore my own ideas but my weekly placement at Numiko will ultimately be influencing the practical skills that will enable be to produce ideas to a professional specification and quality. Form the start of the this year I will be embarking upon After Effects training which I will complete by the Christmas break this will enable me to visualise my ideas in create context that still image based representations of my work. Furthermore I will be attending both the Typography and Web workshops that will be running this year as they are both extremely relevant to my practice. The Web workshops will help to solidify my understanding and use of web technologies and the typography workshops will hopefully build upon the deep foundation I have built within the first and second year.
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Brief 1
Flexible Thinking
Deadline
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“How would you change people’s lives with Samsung Flexible Display technology?” [Taken from Samsung’s Official brief which closed October 6th 2013] Flexible displays are a new technological advancement developed by Samsung which explicitly means displays which are in devices we use everyday can now be flexible like paper and can be folded, rolled and are bendable. The new format and functions this technology provides will dramatically impact the end user experience and ultimately offer users new experiences previously not possible. This brief questions how do these new experiences look, feel and function. Consider how existing smart devices such as phones, tablets, and computers can be enhanced or reinvented by flexible displays and how as a result new user interface conventions can be introduced. This brief must primarily focus on the aesthetic design of elements that the user will use to interact with the new technology.
Brief 2
Nada
Deadline
Christmas 2013
Develop a brand concept for an upcoming range of healthy pasta based products aimed at women aged between 18-50 who are trying to loose weight or eat more healthily. This brand concept should be developed with the ethos of pushing what a food brand is and what a food brand can become. Focusing on not only brand identity and packaging but how can such a product use mediums and formats available to push a lifestyle concept to the target audience. This brief should become an experimentation and research brief into a what a brand is and what is can be become and how brand can function in modern society. Which should influence future practice in the ideas behind digital brands which should be adaptive within a digital space.
Brief 3
Detour 2.0
Deadline
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Using Detour 1.0 as a framework to develop the web application aspect of the product and enhance the feature set of the existing mobile application. Build upon the existing design language to create a consistent product experience. This brief should pull on all aspects outlined within my statement of intent and in particular focusing on solidify a digital brand to compete in a crowded marketplace.
Brief 4
A Type Specimen for the Future
Deadline
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Design a Type Specimen that showcases at least one font family from each section of Monotype’s chosen new and classic releases. The specimen should utilise media outputs of the printed page and digital formats but ultimately language and communication are key to how we engage with the visual and textual world. This brief should create an experience that is live and being used in the real that responds to the producing a Type Specimen in an innovative fashion that really questions the mediums of print and digital as well out understanding of Type history, a typeface and it’s use across these mediums.
Brief 5
It Happened on this day
Deadline
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We want you to consider how best to interpret the project theme. Is it what happened through the centuries on a specific day in the month/year or could it be the story of one particular day in time? The ‘Big Bang’; Battle of Hastings; the first pulls of Gutenberg’s 42-line bible’; Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan Show; assassination of JFK; Liverpool’s European Cup win in 2005 or the atrocity of 9/11 – you are spoilt for choice. [Taken form ISTD 2012 Brief] Consider a subject matter or topic within this given theme and use the technology provide by the iPad to communicate a message in a new innovative way to a specific audience. This brief will focus on the user of typography to communicate both information as well functionality as this will brief will need to use editorial convention in the digital space to communicate functionality rather than implementing a traditional user interface for the content. This digital editorial publication needs to feel like an experience of a piece of media not just a printed publication in a digital form.
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Brief 6
Chameleon
Deadline
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Design a user interface which can be a adaptable, scalable and customisable so that said interface can used within a range a business but still feel completely bespoke to a business. Employ forward thinking ideas of design without designing and invisible design to create this interface. User experience and innovative approach to application design should be taken into consideration to push the boundaries of what could potentially be possible.
Brief 7
Portfolio of Jessie Leong
Deadline
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Up and coming Fashion and Commercial Photographer Jessie Leong needs to promote herself and her skill set to wide ranging industry in which she wants to work, an industry which is heavily accustomed to digital media. Making use of digital technologies design and a build a portfolio website to showcase Jessie Leong’s creative work to her industry and make this available and easily accessible to all those wanting to see her work. Work with existing brand guidelines to consider how the brand and be moved into a digital space, if moving the forward is required then do so. With the screen as the medium there are endless possibilities create something new in a space filled with stale “portfolio websites�.
Brief 8
Leeds College of Art End of Year Show
Deadline
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The competition invites Leeds College of Art students to design the concept and promotional materials for the annual end of year show that takes place in June 2014. Rethink the end of year show and what it could potentially become move past creating an identity for the but the event but creating an experience for those attending and consider how spaces can be used and designed to enhance the experience.
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Module Code
OUGD601
Module Title
Context of Practice 3
Level
06
What do the changing facets of YouTube mean for the future of the platform? (Working Title) Context Research Theme & Overview My Context of Practice research at Level six will be a in-depth look at the YouTube platform. I will primarily be exploring and investigating it’s current and future presence within out society in term of how the service is impacting content democracy and aiding the growth of user participation and creation within our society but also how this contrasts with YouTube’s role in the distribution of traditional media such as Music, Television and Film. I will also be investigating the changing role of the audience from a docile consumer to one who both contributes and creates. This will ultimately lead to re-envisioning of the service and this will form the practical aspect to the research project.
Research Activity
YouTube HQ Visit
Deadline
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To gain a deeper understanding of how the platform it’s self views it existence and use with society I intend to visit the YouTube office in London to collect a body of primary research direct for Google (Owner’s of YouTube) to form a first party perspective of YouTube’s place in society. This primary research will be conducted in the form of transcribed interviews. As possible back up these interview could take place over Skype.
Research Activity
“YouTuber” Interviews
Deadline
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To gain a contrasting perspective on the platform I plan to reach out to a number of “YouTuber’s” (Those who are content contributors to the site) and conduct in depth interview to gather there opinion and point of view on the service. Due to the wide ranging geographical locations of these people I will conducting these interview via Skype.
Research Activity
Iterate & Test
Deadline
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My academic research will also be accompanied by practical and experimental research which will be used to test and trail new ways of thinking about the platform. This is will be conducted through the production of ideas which are then user tested and built upon as a result of this feedback. This will be an ongoing process throughout the project in which frequency of this research activity will depend on the success or failure of new ideas.
Bibliography
Books
[Book] YouTube - Online Video and Participatory Culture / Burgess, Jean & Green, Joshua (2009) [Book] The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet Is Killing Our Culture / Keen, Andrew (2007) [Book] Making is Connecting / Gauntlett, David (2013) [Book] Ephemeral Media: Transitory screen culture from Television to YouTube / Grainge, Paul (2011) [Book] The YouTube Reader / Snickars, Pelle (2010)
Bibliography
Journals & Articles
[Journal] Out of Hand: You Tube Amateurs and Professionals / Salvato, Nick (2009) [Journal] Sharing, Trading, Creating Culture / Benkler, Benkler (2009)
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Bibliography
Online References, Websites & Articles
[Online Article] Introducing Gen C: The YouTube Generation / Google (2013) http://www.google.co.uk/think/research-studies/introducing-gen-c-the-youtube-generation.html [Online Article] YouTube Superstars: The generation taking on TV - and Winning / Lewis, Tim (2013) http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/apr/07/youtube-superstars-new-generation-bloggers
Bibliography
Films, Events, Exhibitions & Conferences
[Video] The Virtual Revolution. Part 2/4: Enemy of the State. / Hanly, Francis (2010) [Video] RiP!: A Remix Manifesto / Gaylor, Brett (2008) [Video] Good Copy Bad Copy / Christensen, Ralf; Johnsen, Andreas & Moltke, Henrik (2007)
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