Sunday 12 December 2010

What If...Self Evaluation.


What problem did you identify?

Our group had reasonably similar statements when initially put together, circulating around the idea that Leeds is flourishing with prospects and oppurtunities for though seeking a metropolitan lifestyle, developed from the research we gathered in the "collection 100" research brief. We decided that we wanted to take this positivity and apply it further to our "problem", which was "What makes Leeds a fun and vibrant place to live?", going on to decide that we should attempt to promote these fun and vibrant aspects to people whom live outside of the city, or may move in (such as prospective students).

What evidence did you find to support your decisions?

We collected quantative and qualitative survey-based repsonses, photographic documentation and secondary source opinions on particular aspects of Leeds.

What methods did you use to gather your evidence and what form(s) did it take?

We collected various forms of research- both quantative and qualitative.
Kirsty organised an online survey to find out what people felt the most important aspect of Leeds was, to which we recieved 97 responses with mutliple-choice answers (including nightlife, shopping, entertainment, education and business).
I also posted a paper-based survey (with the same questions) among my student halls to which I gained a few responses, as well as going out to the city, documenting places photographically and experiencing the entertainment facilities (which we would go on to focus on) to give a genuine and truthful review.

What methods of research did you find useful and why?

The research we undoubtedly found most useful was the online questionnaire/survey. The vast number of responses we got in such a short space of time was really satisfying as it gave us a great springboard for analysis to develop our project further.

How did these inform your response to your problem?

They led us on to being able to discover which aspect of Leeds required most advertising and promoting. In our case, the two aspects of Leeds deemed as least important were business and entertainment, therefore, we decided upon entertainment, as we felt this would offer the most scope and oppurtunity to develop to a particular audience (we chose students).

What methods did you encounter problematic and why? How did you overcome this?

The paper-based research was perhaps the most problematic. I had originally intended to also go into the public and ask people's opinions in relation to the questionnaire, however, after a few hours I found that people were very un-recptive and un-willing to answer my questions (particularly on a snowy winters day!). The paper-based questionnaires were troublesome because of the lack of responses we recieved- of course, as it was voluntary and we didn't personally approach these people, the responses were going to purely be generated from good will and dependent on whether people had time in their lives, etc, thus, we gained very few responses.

What research could you have carried out that would have proved more useful?

I think perhaps just directing our questionnaire at a more specific audience- perhaps asking both student Loiners (natives of Leeds) and prospective student Loiners- gaining both a concieved and pre-concieved viewpoint to find out whether our entertainment promoting would have longevity and stand the test of time once the students had infact moved to the city.

List 5 things that you learnt about the design process in the past two weeks:

1. Defining different types of research to a more defined level- seperating primary and secondary source research into being either quantative or qualitative (numerical, statistical, factual or opinions-based).
2. How communication with the public through face-to-face interaction and online networking can really enrich your work as you develop a much wider overview of thoughts and opinions.
3. How to interact properly within a design group- how communication helps with branding and consitency through your designs.
4. How to create a simple stop motion video.
5. How to successfully utilise my skills, whilst complementing others in a group working environment.

List 5 things you would do differently next time:

1. Communicate even more- that way we could have perhaps developed our ideas and research further.
2. Designated roles and "responsibilities" within our group at an earlier stage.
3. Express opinions to the group at an earlier stage to ensure that everyone's opinions and thoughts are considered in the design process.
4. Constantly plan and organise myself so I can ensure I don't hold back progress of the group in any way.
5. Be even more involved in the public sector- don't be afraid to confront people (in a positive way, of course!). The worst they can do is make you turn away.

Tuesday 23 November 2010

End of Module Self-Evaluation.



Module Code: OUDG101
Module Title: Design Principles

End of module self-evaluation.

Name: Sophie Wilson

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

Although I know I will always be critical of my work (and rightly so!), I must admit that I am astounded at just how much I have learnt through this module so far. Before I enrolled on this course, graphics, admittedly, was fairly new to me in terms of practice and theory especially- I had no idea how to use specific graphics-orientated software, such as adobe illustrator, and had never learnt the basic anatomical features of typography. Through these past two months I have learnt more about this practice than I learnt throughout my entire two years at college.

One of the most valuable things I have come to learn and practice is the direct, industry-influenced deadlines and projects set- never before having week, or two week projects (they would, in the past, have been at least a couple of months!)- i have definately begun to understand and appreciate how important time management is in this field of work, and not only practice this, but now anticipate it- I have begun to really enjoy the challenge of this time management pressure, and although my outcomes have not always been as successful as I would have liked, I can definately say that I have learnt something from them, and this is really helping me to develop my work.

2. What approaches to/methods of research have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

I feel that I have really broadend my outlook and view on design- now, more than ever, I am on a constant look-out for design and craft- developing a personal taste, through my design context blog, and everyday life, and am always evaluating what colours work, which don't- it now feels like a second nature!

I have always enjoyed the research process- discovering new designers, scouring through back-editions of magazines, and reading up in library chronologies, so for me, this particular area of study is certainly a pleasure and not a pain!

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capatalise on these?

I think my determination and comittment is one of my greatest strengths with the quantity of work I produce- although I will undoubtedly always feel that there is something more I could have done, always a design experimentation that I didn't quite have time to do, I feel very pleased with my perseverance in my projects, and I hope that my skills experience will soon catch-up, and therefore, follow suit.

4. What weaknesses can you identify and how will you address these more fully?

As aforementioned above, I think that my greatest weakness is the quality of work I produce. Although I of course try my hardest at all times in the final product(s) that I create, I certainly feel that my experience of software is lacking in comparison to the rest of my form group. I have taken certain steps towards ammending this, such as personal sessions on the adobe illustrator workshop, teaching myself a vast amount of what I now know, and these sessions, and personal practice have made me feel a lot more confident with my future progress, and I hope that this feeling continues, and becomes evident within my work.

5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time, and what you will expect to gain from doing these?

1. Consider and plan my processes before I persue them: I have found myself "re-visiting" a lot of design ideas mid-way through projects- if I give more consideration at the start, this will save a lot of time in the long run.
2. Practice my software skills: Practice during any free time I will have to develop a deeper understand and practice, again, this will definately prove a time-saver in the long run.
3. Develop more of a self-evaluation throughout my projects: this will help me to realise problems at an earlier stage, and be able to produce a higher quanity and quality of work within the resolutions. 
4. Experiment more with methods and techniques- both in practice and free time, to develop and understand what I believe to be a personal style, and to gain experience of all the processes available.
5. Develop work directly inspired by others: whether it's a personal like or dislike, this will give me a much wider view of the practice and tastes in graphic design, and help to keep my mind more unbiased and open to new ideas and aesthetics.

6. How would you grace yourself on the following areas? :

5= excellent
4= very good
3= good
2= average
1= poor

Attendance: 4
Punctuality: 4
Motivation: 4
Commitment: 5
Quantity of work produced: 4
Quality of work produced: 3
Contribution to the group: 4

Friday 19 November 2010

Alphabet Soup: Typographic Re-Design.


In response to feedback, I have begun to re-evaluate and revise my Alpahabet Soup typography design, inspired by Chloe's personal tastes and interests.
Although the critiqueing gave me the feedback and opinions that perhaps my designs were too elaborate (and therefore not communicating as effectively as they could), the basis of the design was still solid and promising- particularly the letterforms which I based my designs upon- and therefore, decided to go back to this point, and reviewed and analysed a few more font series of the same style (traditional, serif) to work with.

The font above: felix titling font through adobe illustrator- classic, bold- unusual curvature to the glyphs- the question mark and ampersand don't really look as if they come from the same series?

Arabic Typesetting typeface- fluid, smooth lines- really like this typeface, though perhaps too much empahsis on the serifs- quite bold in comparison to the curvature of the bowls, counters, etc?...


Andalus Regular- A bit too "OTT" in the italic style of the glyphs.
 

Andalus Lowercase Regular- I prefer this lowercase style to the uppercase above, but I still find the italics a little uneccesary and elaborate for Chloe's traditionalist, straight-forward personality.
Century Schoolbook lowercase- definately my favourite typeface, and, of course, the lowercase version that I used for Chloe's original, though, unusually, this is the first time I have used it (Chloe originally stated her preference for uppercase- but perhaps it is time I went against her request, for the purposes of experimentation, of course!)







After several experiements with the century schoolbook lowercase typeface, I am pleased with my final design I have created (directly above), in a style which, in reflection, I believe suits Chloe a lot more than my original design, and infact refelecting on this re-evaluation experience- a classical style with two very different sides- shown in both her personality and used in my colouring contrast of black and white tones, weight of line, etc...


End of Module Self-Evaluation.


Module Code: OUDG101
Module Title: Design Principles

End of module self-evaluation.

Name: Sophie Wilson

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

Although I know I will always be critical of my work (and rightly so!), I must admit that I am astounded at just how much I have learnt through this module so far. Before I enrolled on this course, graphics, admittedly, was fairly new to me in terms of practice and theory especially- I had no idea how to use specific graphics-orientated software, such as adobe illustrator, and had never learnt the basic anatomical features of typography. Through these past two months I have learnt more about this practice than I learnt throughout my entire two years at college.

One of the most valuable things I have come to learn and practice is the direct, industry-influenced deadlines and projects set- never before having week, or two week projects (they would, in the past, have been at least a couple of months!)- i have definately begun to understand and appreciate how important time management is in this field of work, and not only practice this, but now anticipate it- I have begun to really enjoy the challenge of this time management pressure, and although my outcomes have not always been as successful as I would have liked, I can definately say that I have learnt something from them, and this is really helping me to develop my work.

2. What approaches to/methods of research have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

I feel that I have really broadend my outlook and view on design- now, more than ever, I am on a constant look-out for design and craft- developing a personal taste, through my design context blog, and everyday life, and am always evaluating what colours work, which don't- it now feels like a second nature!

I have always enjoyed the research process- discovering new designers, scouring through back-editions of magazines, and reading up in library chronologies, so for me, this particular area of study is certainly a pleasure and not a pain!

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capatalise on these?

I think my determination and comittment is one of my greatest strengths with the quantity of work I produce- although I will undoubtedly always feel that there is something more I could have done, always a design experimentation that I didn't quite have time to do, I feel very pleased with my perseverance in my projects, and I hope that my skills experience will soon catch-up, and therefore, follow suit.

4. What weaknesses can you identify and how will you address these more fully?

As aforementioned above, I think that my greatest weakness is the quality of work I produce. Although I of course try my hardest at all times in the final product(s) that I create, I certainly feel that my experience of software is lacking in comparison to the rest of my form group. I have taken certain steps towards ammending this, such as personal sessions on the adobe illustrator workshop, teaching myself a vast amount of what I now know, and these sessions, and personal practice have made me feel a lot more confident with my future progress, and I hope that this feeling continues, and becomes evident within my work.

5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time, and what you will expect to gain from doing these?

1. Consider and plan my processes before I persue them: I have found myself "re-visiting" a lot of design ideas mid-way through projects- if I give more consideration at the start, this will save a lot of time in the long run.
2. Practice my software skills: Practice during any free time I will have to develop a deeper understand and practice, again, this will definately prove a time-saver in the long run.
3. Develop more of a self-evaluation throughout my projects: this will help me to realise problems at an earlier stage, and be able to produce a higher quanity and quality of work within the resolutions. 
4. Experiment more with methods and techniques- both in practice and free time, to develop and understand what I believe to be a personal style, and to gain experience of all the processes available.
5. Develop work directly inspired by others: whether it's a personal like or dislike, this will give me a much wider view of the practice and tastes in graphic design, and help to keep my mind more unbiased and open to new ideas and aesthetics.

6. How would you grace yourself on the following areas? :

5= excellent
4= very good
3= good
2= average
1= poor

Attendance: 4
Punctuality: 4
Motivation: 4
Commitment: 5
Quantity of work produced: 4
Quality of work produced: 3
Contribution to the group: 4

No News Is Good News: Message and Delivery Final Design.


Here, I scanned one of the envelopes I previously constructed and traced it into a vector design for an Illustrator template for my designs- simple, economical.


After placing the elements of my envelope design in situe, I intially had some difficulty entering anchor points to delete certain lines (so that they wouldn't be visable in print). Therefore, I deleted all the lines with the intention of tracing the outline once printed from my pre-constructed paper envelopes.
However, after printing I realised how difficult this would be to align accurately, and decided to attempt to work my way around this problem...


My design placed in the correct envelope situe with lines still present.
I printed this off for a tester, but was dissatisfied with the results- when folded, the two oxfam logos are uncentral, and to ammend this, the web address would be unaligned, and therefore wouldn't look very consitent with my poster design...


Thus, I removed the logo on the back fold section, and was much happier with the results when printed, a far more subtle and sophisticated design.


In attempts to ammend the issue of the black lines appearing come print, I coloured the lines with the same pantone colour as the newsprint swatch, as I had used in my other designs, therefore, come print, being unoticeable.


And here, my final design- with the newsprint pantone background colour, and full mailing address, ready for print, and then to have been sent by tuesday/wednesday, to be delivered to my tutors by friday morning, on the concluding day of this project brief.




For my reversable-side fold-out poster, I obviously wanted to keep my design continious to my mail shot design, therefore, I decided to promote a sample few beneficary gifts that would be available for purchase from the 'oxfam unwrapped' site.
"Goat Couple: £50.00 Here's the "buy one, get two for twice the price" offer." was undoubtedly my favourite example on the site and I thought that the double vector design composition of the goats would symbolise the fact that the gift is shared, loving and unselfish.



I went on to design other elements of the gift selection and developed my original hand-rendered illustrations, including fresh water, chickens, and essential medicines- centre aligning for a bold composition with consistency in colour and my style of design.


Again, like my mail shot, I concluded by adding the newsprint background colour, and I am really pleased with how much of a visual affect this has given- the colours seem a lot less offensively bold as they were on the white, and I am sure that the texture of printing on the newsprint paper will just make it all the better!


The final element of my 'No News Is Good News' task three project: the A4 newsprint mailing list to accompany my mailshot designs- each with a specific address on to companies or individuals of whom may share an interest or services relative to my chosen theme of beneficiary gift donates in third-world countires.


The final part of this 'No News Is Good News: Message and Delivery' project- my arrived mailshot.

So pleased that it arrive efficiently and on time to the University for the project hand-in on Friday morning, if a little battered, bruised and grubby! Thank you Royal Mail!

Friday 5 November 2010

No News Is Good News: Feedback and Critique.



Annonymus #1, #2 & #3:

What statement/fact/question is being communicated to you? (this might not be what is intended of course...)
#1: James Caan offered a family 100,000 rupees to adopt their baby.
#2: James Caan has offered 100,000 rupees to adopt a baby.
#3: Entrepreneur James Caan offers 100,000 rupees to adopt a baby.

Is this being communicated in a clear and focused way?
#1: YES.
 #2: YES.
#3: YES.

What could be developed further?
#1: ensuring the text and image remain consistently cut; maybe by using a thinner stock to cut out of?
#2: i think it's very clear but I think more time and care could be taken when cutting out the letters to make it more neat, which would make it clearer.
#3: Although I like the mannual approach I think it could work well digitally.


Have the posters been kept "simple and to the point?"
#1: YES.
#2: YES.
#3: YES.


Is a statement, fact, or question being posed?
#1: fact. it has been kept short and simple, but to the point and the use of the full stop at the end of the statement demonstrates clearly that it is a fact.
#2: There is a fact being posed clearly and has been kept simple- I think the use of the '£' sign is a very simple but effective way of stating the fact shown.
#3: The fact is clearly posted in the posters- when all are together in a series.

Has the restriction of two colours plus stock been met?
#1: yes.
#2: yes.
#3: yes.


Are the two colours plus stock appropraite to the solution?
#1: they are the colours (black, green and white) that are generally associated with money. in particular bank notes.
#2: yes.
#3: yes.


Why are the two colours plus stock appropraite/innapropraite?
#1: appropraite.
#2: the use of green works as there is a connection between the colour green and the bank notes.
the black and white works with the cut out letters as it makes it stand out- maybe it could be reversed to the black underneath with the white on top.
#3: The green is a clear relation to money and the black gives the posters dramatic impact.

Do the posters work as a set or series?
#1: yes.
#2: yes.
#3:-


Why do they work/don't work as part of a set or series and could this be developed further?
#1: consistent colour scheme, typeface and imagery throughout.
#2: they have continuity between all 3, but I think with the text and image poster the text and image poster could be changed slightly from the first 2 posters but still kept in the series, but just be more varied.
#3: There is an obvious relation throughout all three posters making them work well as a series.


Is it clearly evident which poster is TYPE, IMAGE, and TYPE AND IMAGE? (If it is unclear offer possible solutions)
#1: yes.
#2: yes, it is very clear which is which.
#3: I feel that the use of type, image and combination of both is very clear in all three posters.

Are the posters "memorable, immediate, high impact and clear?" (give as much feedback as possible)
#1: i think that they could be made a little crisper (possibly by scanning them into a computer and adjusting certain intensities), this could then give them more of an impact when first seen.
#2: i think the posters could be clearer if the cutting out was neater- I also think the '£' signs that have been cut should maybe be all white- not black and white.
i think the use of green is good and makes it more memorable.
i think if there was less on the text and image poster it would be more high impact and immediate.
#3: All three posters are clear when together but I'm unsure whether the image poster clearly shows the action of buying a baby? If it was alone it could possibly be mistaken for someone giving a baby too much money? I think that the mannual approach gives quite a personal feel but still try it digitally.


Do you feel the brief has been fufilled to it's full potential?
#1: unsure.
#2: unsure.
#3: yes.

Further feedback...
#1: the white typeface against the black background certainly ensures that the typeface is clear and readable. the figure of the baby could possibly be clearer; due to it being hand crafted it is a little distorted in places. alaso, due to the lack of detail some people may be uncertain as to what it is they are viewing.
#2: i think more could be done to make these posters better- the lettering could be neater and maybe the layout re-thought as the text and image and image posters are very busy- however I do think it's a good set of posters and I like that they are hand-rendered.
#3: I think in some places the cutting out is a little rough, especially the hand in the third poster- can imagine that was quite difficult.




I will be the first to admit that in the past I have not always been the best person to take critism- often getting "attached" to my work, and feeling very disheartened when hearing it's negative points.
It's amazing what a couple of months at Leeds College of Art can do for you.

I was genuinely delighted when I recieved this feedback, and kind, constructive words. I imagined (as you often do when staring at your work for far too long!) that there would be far more wrong with it that needed ammendment, but every single point raised by the three annonymus persons were factors of change that I also have considered in these final stages.

Throughout the weekend, I hope to have the time to be able to respond to this feedback, and re-design and re-craft my three posters, focusing on these particular points of change:


*take more time and care over my cutting- time was an issue throughout the week, but with the weekend I can indulge in patience! Also- use an appropraitely sharp blade!
*use only white '£' signs in my designs (with the exception in the green 'rup££s')- a much greater contrast with the black background, and help the poster to become far more bold.
*make the image 1: more obviously a baby- work on my silhouette design carefully, more distinctive. 2: more obvious that the baby "is not/for sale"- perhaps add a price tag around it's foot?

No News Is Good News: Final Outcomes [[also known as: 'A few blisters later...']]


This series of photographs show my final outcomes from the week long 'No News Is Good Nes' visual communication project. After my stages of development, I have gone on to produce hand-crafted papercut 420x210mm x3 posters in accordance to the project brief.


The image above shows my text-only poster, with my developed 'Old Sans Black' font (found via http://www.dafont.com/) which i went onto fill the counters of- appropraite to my paper cut aspirations and also in a child-like, bold style that I think suited my theme best of all.


Above, my image-only design, showing a hand showering down cash notes onto a baby, a metaphor of "throwing money at you", such as James Caan attempted to do to the parents of the Pakistani child.


And here, the two combined: text and image.


The series of three poster images. Considering how long each poster took to make (around four to five hours each- that'll teach me to use a blunt knife!), I am generally pleased with the outcome- and certainly think that it is one of the most considered pieces I have created during my time on the course so far with regards to general layout and presentation.
Undoubtedly, the design is not perfect, as aforementioned, I realised oh too late just how innapropriate the sharpness of my knife blade was, and as a result have ended up with a lack of detail in some places, and therefore, some of the edges look quite scruffy. I would really like to attempt to re-create these posters to a professional level, and will try to do so within the next couple of days before further commitments are added to the workload!

As well as my opinions, I was lucky enough today to have been part of an annonymus group critique, in which I recieved some really constructive, and a positive response to my posters (which I shall blog in a new post!), which has certainly surpned myself on to work even harder and achieved the best possible set of work that I can, time given.

Saturday 16 October 2010

alphabet soup task 2 evaluation.


Personal evaluation from my alphabet soup task 2 project:

Referring to the typeface you have designed answer the following:

Which personality traits did you choose to respond to and apply to the typeface?
I found myself initally quite confused as to which direction my typeface should be taking. Even from the brief conversation I had with Chloe on the first day of briefing, in those short ten minutes, I was mentally bombared with lots of different personality traits that Chloe had- each not very specific or dominant, therefore, I had my pick as to which I should focus on.

When it came to designing the typeface, I decided to settle on perhaps the most fun and creative choice- her free-spirited personality combined with a subtle elegance, also relating to her rural upbringing in Cambridgeshire- which was a really prominent, and obviously important factoe in her life.

What are the reasons behind the design decisions you have made from the typeface?
Really, in hinsight, I perhaps involved too many elements within my typeface, and as my tutors rightly put it "tried to please everybody".
I decided to try and encorporate several elements of Chloe's personality and personal tastes- using uppercase, serif letters as she requested, with a classic font (based upon Century Schoolbook) and a bold style to reflect her personality.
I went on to fill the typeface with a natural texture reflecting roots (inspired, initially, by mangrove roots), woodgrain, bark, etc- to represent her countryside up-bringing.
I then us

In what ways are the results effective?
I think, in context the design works, but perhaps not so much in aesthetic terms as I originally would have wanted to- I am going to work on experimentation and development of the series to see how I can progress with my visual communication.

alphabet soup, task 2: the final outcome.



The picture above shows a section from my A1 typographic final outcome sheet, designed and inspired based upon the personality of classmate Chloe Wilkinson, as I have stated in previous posts.

After many, many hours of hand-drawing and tracing my letters, I was very pleased and relieved to have finally completed the sheet ready for our presentation crit at 1.30pm on the 15th october.

It was great to work with five other pairs to see the variety and thought process behind each typeface, and I felt genuinely inspired by what people had created.


 Different scales of scanned (originally hand-rendered) and printed name badges- the top used for the 4.5x9cm badge scale.
I was very glad to see that the type mainted both it's readability and legibility, despite the increasingly reduced scale.

When it came to our presentation, I got some really useful feedback from Chloe, fellow classmates, and my two tutors, Amber, and Jo alike- all the comments completely justified, with many of the points I could understand, or had even anticipated being mentioned before the crit- issues that I could ammend with the typeface, or try to improve for the module hand-in date in November.

The main points and issues raised were:

-the type looked a little hair- like, perhaps not communicating the concept of nature's textures as effectively as i could.
-try to define the style- take a step back from my thought process and try to make the concept less complicated. simple is often more effective!

actions to be taken are:

-experiment in lower case, to see how versatile the font is
-work with other textures: wood, vines, grass, feathers- think natural!
-try both a more feminie style font, as well as a bolder, more masculine font- really EXPERIMENT!
-control the contrasts!


throughout the next week i am looking forward to playing around with lots of different styles and directions in which my typeface may take, and seeing how much further i can push myself out of the comfort zone and into a new mindset brimming over with creativity!