Real Problems and Graphic Solutions Workshop - OUGD505

In todays workshop a group task has been given for the day. In small groups we have been given a topic to research and produce an outcome for. The subject we had been given within my group was 'MONEY/ECONOMY'. We began this task researching this in general. 

After we each researched into a particular area of money and finance, we collated our information to decide on a particular area of interest that could look further into. We created a brainstorm of our findings, thinking about what area we were all interested as well having something that had enough room for expansion to conduct further research and ideas. We had decided, as the upcoming elections are something that is a major factor in peoples lives at the minute, we would focus our interest into that subject matter. A discussion was had about how inaccessible information is about the different parties and what they stand for. There is so much mis-leading information out there that certain people get overwhelmed by voting, which leads into the public not wanting to vote. This is what we wanted to think about and change. 

We proposed we would create a website, with each parties financial spends, what they stand for, what they would change etc. This website would be accessible to the public as they could then select what matters to them. After they have selected their interest and what they stand for, the website (based on the persons results) would suggest what type of party would be the most suitable for them. This is no way reflects and makes the decision for the viewer, however it is more of a guide that has easy information which makes the election more understandable to the general public. 

Appropriation & Subversion Workshop, Study Task 1 - OUGD505

The first study task was looking at appropriation and subversion. The workshop looked into how different artist and designers take on famous works and re-design and apply these in different ways. Using the styles and techniques, the task within the workshop was to design our own piece of work, thinking about a topic or issue we wanted to focus on. Using newspapers and magazine we re-created a similar design aesthetic that was shown to use within the workshop. This made an opportunity to think of design in a new way, using hands-on techniques and materials compared to digital work. 

Within the piece of work that has been created, biodiviersity and the environment were the main focus of the piece. This was due to this linking to the biomimicry research that was being created in the 505 module. Development began by exploring news articles within the magazines and newspapers that were available to use. Focus was put on things that are in danger within the world, while trying to show elements of global warming through the weather imagery. The text included on the piece tried to explain the meaning, copy such as 'of things that I can't see' tried to explain if we carry on the way we are with the environment, we will no longer be able to see certain animals and eco-systems as they will be extinct. I found this workshop to be rather interesting due to being pushed into moving away from the digital side, which is always something I enjoy.

Blogging Seminar/Workshop - OUGD505

We have recently had a workshop based on blogging. This was to get an idea of how to write more professionally and correctly when writing our blog posts. Our tutors explained to get out of the habit of writing in first person as this suggests a more informal tone. Writing like this suggests an opinion rather than a fact, in doing so it creates less confident within work and critical writing. When explained, this made perfect sense and something that needed to be addressed to both past and future blog posts. In doing so will make my work and analysis more confident and clear. 

TASK 1 (Re-write a post of you work in third person).

After discussing ideas and concepts with peers I have finally decided what my campaign is going to be.  Through all of my ideas I have wanted to focus on the idea of personality within my campaign. This is the main element within my site and so think it is only fitting that I incorporate it with my print based media also. From this I have merged this idea with my previous idea of questions. The idea being the slogan of the campaign 'What's Your Coffee Saying About You'. I think this plays on the idea of something being said about you personally and so feel it creates intrigue to the viewer, without coming across as negative. I want to apply this slogan across all media so there is consistency across the campaign. I want to make the campaign more like a teaser. I want to explore the idea of using the content with my site without too much explanatory information into what this is. I think this adds to the idea that something is being said about you and so you want to find out what it is (hopefully making them go on the website). I am thinking of using the quotes as well as the key personality traits that are discussed on my website and using these as the content on my campaign. People will not know what they are describing until they go on the site, creation further intrigue. 

WOULD BE CHANGED TO:

Through all of the ideas it is only fitting if a personality theme is used across all of the campaign. This is so both website and print campaign have a coherent link across both web and the print based media. The idea behind the whole concept of the campaign is ‘What’ Your Coffee Saying About You?’. This plays on the idea that something is being said about your personality, creating intrigue to the viewer, making them want to visit the site. This slogan will be applied across all media to create consistency to the campaign. It will be a sort of ‘teaser’ campaign, exploring the idea of not relying too much on explanatory information into what it is about. The content within this campaign will be quotes and key personality traits that are shown on the website. Viewers will not know what these are describing and adds to the idea of something being said about you, creating further intrigue. 

TASK 2 (Find a blog entry with a design decision based on preference/aesthetic and re-write using only objective justifications such as communication, research, audience, contextual, literature). 

I have now began development on my napkin design. I was unsure whether to continue the theme of having quite a lot of content on the napkin (the same as my cup) or have single words. The single words would be in keeping with the same idea of the teaser campaign. There would be a personality word or quote, and again viewers will not know what it is about. I have tried applying the different texts but felt it did not work as well as it did when on the cup. From then on I tried single words to see if that worked better.

WOULD BE CHANGED TO:

Development has begun on my napkin. Different texts have been applied in a similar way to the previous cup experiment, however due to size of the napkin and legibility issues this would not work as well as a single word experiment. The type would look far too chaotic and not appeal to the viewers, as they would see it as too overwhelming.

Describing: Using adjectives to discussing the appearance

Analysing: Discussing the deeper meaning of a design

Evaluating: How and why you have done something
Contextualising: To look at something depending on the context. Historical context. Framing the work within a particular context.

Theorising: To form a theory about something

Narrating: Application of a narrative.

TASK 3 (Choose a post with lots of small design decision/stream of images. Summarise/evaluate all of these images).

Here are the developed final outcomes for the coaster designs. The same layout and typeface has been applied throughout all six designs.

TASK 4 (Write the next blog post that is getting published on blog with the techniques we have learnt today).

To start of this brief the client was asked to show what the look and feel of Best Buds was. They were asked to show their logo and business card as some sort of starting point. However the card that was given had no sense of a business. It had no original identity, the name of the business was written in a bland and uninteresting way. The client thought the card was 'modern and contemporary' which gave some indication this is what they were aiming to do, however the outcome was unsuccessful. As Best Buds had no solid identity, this gave creative freedom as to what could be designed. The client was open to any suggestions as long as long as it had feminine qualities as well as being 'modern'.