Graphic Means.
Friday, 27 February 2015 • Graphic Means, Inspiration
So, lets face it. I've rambled on far too often about my love for editorial design on this blog, I think it's probably embedded. It's my favourite area of design, and has always been the pathway I want to take. So when I was scrolling through my twitter feed quite recently, and I saw a link to a video about Editorial Design, I immediately clicked it. I can't help it, it's my calling.
Thanks to Sarah Hanley, who I featured earlier on my blog here, I came across this wonderful video on the world of editorial design before computers became readily available. It's a subject I've hardly thought upon: the lengthy process that once was. Primarily done by hand, with the occasional aide of some quite difficult machines using a variety of different ways to layout type and images on a page, Graphic Means explores the different methods used, and gives an insight into the people who used them.
I think it's important to look at this traditional methods because they are historic: without them, and without those who used them, Editorial and Graphic design as a whole would be massively different. It may even be a lot less advanced. These people and skills are the framework of what we now know to be design. And we may never learn the skills or have the experience they have had, nor will we ever really experience that transition between hand to digital, so this educational video is a must.
Another thing I'd like to quickly point out: the crew behind the making of this video are all women, and that is a huge rarity! Though it will not make any difference to the quality of this film, as I expect it would be brilliant either way, I do think it's important to support my fellow females.
Above you can watch the trailer, or you can visit the video's kickstarter here. They have managed to reach their goal in order to make the documentary, and I for one will most definitely be purchasing a copy.
Friday Favourites: Videos.
Friday, 20 February 2015 • Favourites, Friday Favourites, Inspiration
When deadline day is right around the corner, I find my motivation begins to lack. I believe this to be due to second guessing my ideas and not feeling my work is "good" enough, which happens quite often after staring at what I'm creating for hours on end. To give me that push I desperately need to keep going, I like to put on inspirational videos in the background, especially talks. TED talks are my favourites, as they aren't long enough for you to get bored of, but aren't short enough that the point doesn't get across. I had the app through my a Levels and used it to give my head a break from revising for exams: more recently, I've been listening to talks about design. Here are some of my favourites.
Paula Scher: Great Design is Serious, Not Solemn
Last year, I came across Paula Scher's work when researching for my editorial and typographic module. I found her maps, created using layers of text, visually stunning and really caught my eye. She has quite rapidly become one of my favourite designers, so when I found this talk, I couldn't help but listen in. The talk focuses on her career and her idea of "serious play," which she describes her work to be.
Paul Bennett: Design is in the Details
In a world where we are always looking for the next big thing: the next design or advertisement that will shake the world, Paul Bennett takes us back to basics and talks about how design doesn't need to be about grand gestures to be successful, but can instead focus on the little things in life. We often overlook the obvious, and as a design student, this is something that really resonates with me.
David Carson: Design and Discovery
Similar to Paula Scher, I looked at Carson's work when researching for my editorial and typographic module. His work has often been called "revolutionary," and it is his use of negative leading, slanting, layering and overlapping letters which set him above and beyond other designers of his time. He created a signature style, and his text was often illegible, but he stated, "design helps you define the language of the page," which allowed him to get away with breaking the rules of layouts. His work was often chaotic, but in an organised manner. Carson's Ted talk is entertaining due to him sharing his life stories and discoveries which ultimately lead to his design. "Great design is a never ending journey of discovery." And his encouragement towards the end always makes me want to create.
Don Norman: 3 Ways Good Design Makes You Happy
In the industry, your main priority is not just creating something visually stunning, but also meeting the client's requirements. I watched this whilst I was struggling to feel inspired for the D&AD John Lewis brief, and it was extremely relevant for the brand, who aim to create an emotional connection with the customer. I felt I had a better understanding of how to accomplish that and what to focus on: and also feel I've learnt a lot of things that will help me in future briefs.
Stefan Sagmeister: Happiness by Design
Another of the designers I looked at in my Editorial module, can you see a pattern here?! Stefan Sagmeister focuses on the concept of his designs, rather than the style: though it's his use of different mediums and extremes that has made him so famously known. He creates art that we can imitate, become attached to, and are raw and intimate rather than disconnected, which is mainly what graphic design has become in this day and age. In this talk, he takes the audience on a journey through the moments of his life that have made him happy, and relates these incidents to his relationship with his career.
Paula Scher: Great Design is Serious, Not Solemn
Last year, I came across Paula Scher's work when researching for my editorial and typographic module. I found her maps, created using layers of text, visually stunning and really caught my eye. She has quite rapidly become one of my favourite designers, so when I found this talk, I couldn't help but listen in. The talk focuses on her career and her idea of "serious play," which she describes her work to be.
Paul Bennett: Design is in the Details
In a world where we are always looking for the next big thing: the next design or advertisement that will shake the world, Paul Bennett takes us back to basics and talks about how design doesn't need to be about grand gestures to be successful, but can instead focus on the little things in life. We often overlook the obvious, and as a design student, this is something that really resonates with me.
David Carson: Design and Discovery
Similar to Paula Scher, I looked at Carson's work when researching for my editorial and typographic module. His work has often been called "revolutionary," and it is his use of negative leading, slanting, layering and overlapping letters which set him above and beyond other designers of his time. He created a signature style, and his text was often illegible, but he stated, "design helps you define the language of the page," which allowed him to get away with breaking the rules of layouts. His work was often chaotic, but in an organised manner. Carson's Ted talk is entertaining due to him sharing his life stories and discoveries which ultimately lead to his design. "Great design is a never ending journey of discovery." And his encouragement towards the end always makes me want to create.
Don Norman: 3 Ways Good Design Makes You Happy
In the industry, your main priority is not just creating something visually stunning, but also meeting the client's requirements. I watched this whilst I was struggling to feel inspired for the D&AD John Lewis brief, and it was extremely relevant for the brand, who aim to create an emotional connection with the customer. I felt I had a better understanding of how to accomplish that and what to focus on: and also feel I've learnt a lot of things that will help me in future briefs.
Stefan Sagmeister: Happiness by Design
Another of the designers I looked at in my Editorial module, can you see a pattern here?! Stefan Sagmeister focuses on the concept of his designs, rather than the style: though it's his use of different mediums and extremes that has made him so famously known. He creates art that we can imitate, become attached to, and are raw and intimate rather than disconnected, which is mainly what graphic design has become in this day and age. In this talk, he takes the audience on a journey through the moments of his life that have made him happy, and relates these incidents to his relationship with his career.
We Are Creative.
Thursday, 19 February 2015 • exhibition, Inspiration, we are creative
The place where I study, Newcastle College, recently unveiled a new exhibition held in our building. The exhibition showcases the staff members work, including my current tutors. Though I knew that my tutors were talented, there wasn't really a platform where I could see their skills, beyond what they had shown as examples. I think the idea of this exhibition is great as it has given me more confidence in who is guiding me, and also allowed me to see just how talented my tutors really are.
A lot of people are quick to put down college courses, stating that they are the easier option to university courses, and I couldn't disagree more. My reasoning for going to college over university, studying a foundation degree, was due to the price of studying at a university. With college tuition being almost £3,000 less, it seemed more viable for me, as I was worried about the amount of debt I would be left with after finishing my degree. I've personally found that the course is much more supportive than what you would receive at university. With friends currently studying at university, and undertaking the same degree, they have admitted before that they hardly see their lecturers, and the opportunity for one on one support is just not there. My tutors on the other hand are always around to speak to, and always offer help when asked. The availability of one on one support is constant.
Another reason people prefer university courses over college courses is the misconception that the standard is just not the same. But you can see here, with some staff having studied the same foundation degree I am currently doing, that they are clearly skilled in their subjects, and it is inspiring to learn from them.
With Newcastle College hosting a variety of different creative courses, from textiles, graphic design, photography, product design, interior design: the opportunities are endless. And it is great to know that no matter what direction you decide to take with a brief, there will be someone who has expertise in that method, who can help you.
A lot of people are quick to put down college courses, stating that they are the easier option to university courses, and I couldn't disagree more. My reasoning for going to college over university, studying a foundation degree, was due to the price of studying at a university. With college tuition being almost £3,000 less, it seemed more viable for me, as I was worried about the amount of debt I would be left with after finishing my degree. I've personally found that the course is much more supportive than what you would receive at university. With friends currently studying at university, and undertaking the same degree, they have admitted before that they hardly see their lecturers, and the opportunity for one on one support is just not there. My tutors on the other hand are always around to speak to, and always offer help when asked. The availability of one on one support is constant.
Another reason people prefer university courses over college courses is the misconception that the standard is just not the same. But you can see here, with some staff having studied the same foundation degree I am currently doing, that they are clearly skilled in their subjects, and it is inspiring to learn from them.
With Newcastle College hosting a variety of different creative courses, from textiles, graphic design, photography, product design, interior design: the opportunities are endless. And it is great to know that no matter what direction you decide to take with a brief, there will be someone who has expertise in that method, who can help you.
Pinterest Picks
Wednesday, 18 February 2015 • Inspiration, Pinterest, Pinterest Picks
My most recent Pinterest Picks have all featured navy. I go through phases with colour palettes and at the minute, I am really digging this.
In my first module this year, I created a new cycling jersey design for Donkey Label. I was inspired by topography and cartography, introducing the linear aspects of maps to the jersey. Looking at the middle business cards, which features a similar linear pattern, I do wish I had continued to expand my own into a final outcome. I think over my summer break I might do this.
Using typography as furniture to a page to add energy and a new dimension to the layout, as seen in the top left editorial piece is really compelling and something I would like to experiment with in the future.
Finally, the bottom right image, Cos use such a subtle and simplistic logo, embossed into the business cards. Paired with a simple colour palette, and a beautiful typeface, the brand is pretty great.
John Lewis
Thursday, 12 February 2015 • John Lewis, Work
D&AD, standing for Design and Art Direction, is an organisation which celebrates design and advertising. Founded in 1962 by a group of London based designers and art directors, the charity exists to promote excellence in creative communication. D&AD host an award called New Blood, which allows students, recent graduates and young adults to address a real life brief. Set by real clients, New Blood is a way of getting your work seen and judged by some of the top creatives from around the world. There are many briefs to choose from, allowing any creative discipline the opportunity to tackle: from copywriting, photography, product design or graphic communication, there is something for everyone.
My college recently allowed us the chance to choose a brief from the 2015 list and tackle. Working as part of a pair, my partner and I decided to choose the John Lewis brief here. What drew me to this was that it was something I had yet to experiment with: the aim of the brief was to create a new, innovative home delivery system and packaging.
After much deliberation and a lot of ideas being thrown away and developed, we decided to take something old and reinvent it to work with the company's brand. A Furoshiki wrap, traditional to the Japanese culture. Although other businesses have already used this, such as Lush and Feel Unique, we decided to create our own spin on things.
Something mentioned within the brief was the idea of creating an after life for the package: a way of keeping the brand in the home, something to act as a gift from the company to the consumer. The brand felt it important to continue to create an emotional connection to the customer, as this is what their brand is built upon. The Furoshiki wrap, with it's multiple uses, allows the customer to experiment and be creative, whilst also keeping John Lewis in their home.
Wanting to create something current, we researched into current fashion trends. Finding inspiration through iridescence, floral and deconstructed geometrics, we create a pattern on one side of the wrap. The other side, used for the outside of the packages featured the John Lewis motif and their signature green colour.
The material will be a lightweight, fair trade cotton, which sustains the John Lewis brand and creates a balance between the sleek packaging design alongside creating something ecologically and environmentally friendly. The cotton will be treated using bees wax, which is a natural and safe way of water proofing, and also adds quite a nice scent. Looking into printing techniques, there isn't yet a way of being extremely environmentally friendly, but using screen printing alongside inks that are phthalate-free is what we decided to do.
We also looked into different ways of holding a bar code for the delivery process. We wanted to create something that would aid the security of the package, and looked into different tags such as shark tagging which has gps tracking. Sticking with the theme of creating something on trend, we decided to use a copper pull tag which keeps the Furoshiki knot in place, and also allows the package to be identifiable for the delivery driver.
Finally, the Furoshiki wrap will not be as sturdy as a box, so we decided to again look into creating a box to protect the packaging. Deciding to draw all focus on the wrap itself, the box is made out of recyclable material and is quite minimal and plain. Personified with a message, "Hello, I've been waiting for you." The box is another way of engaging the customer and creating a connection. It can be returned to store or click and collect stores in order to receive some of the delivery cost back, which encourages an environmentally friendly process and allows John Lewis to promote recycling.
I think what I loved about this brief was that it was so new: it was open and allowed me to explore my strengths in graphic treatments and push my weaknesses. It was a completely different experience undertaking a competition brief when compared to a client brief, but being able to expand passed the boundaries of the brand and focus on a design that is something which the brand may not have traditionally considered made the brief more exciting. I think I also learnt a lot about myself in this project, in terms of being fascinated by other cultures and their ways and finding inspiration through that, but also how my weaknesses (such as using illustrator) are not going to hold me back. I think the final design holds a balance between the minimal, sleek and strong brand, with something that is sustainable, eco friendly and fashionable.
My college recently allowed us the chance to choose a brief from the 2015 list and tackle. Working as part of a pair, my partner and I decided to choose the John Lewis brief here. What drew me to this was that it was something I had yet to experiment with: the aim of the brief was to create a new, innovative home delivery system and packaging.
After much deliberation and a lot of ideas being thrown away and developed, we decided to take something old and reinvent it to work with the company's brand. A Furoshiki wrap, traditional to the Japanese culture. Although other businesses have already used this, such as Lush and Feel Unique, we decided to create our own spin on things.
Something mentioned within the brief was the idea of creating an after life for the package: a way of keeping the brand in the home, something to act as a gift from the company to the consumer. The brand felt it important to continue to create an emotional connection to the customer, as this is what their brand is built upon. The Furoshiki wrap, with it's multiple uses, allows the customer to experiment and be creative, whilst also keeping John Lewis in their home.
Wanting to create something current, we researched into current fashion trends. Finding inspiration through iridescence, floral and deconstructed geometrics, we create a pattern on one side of the wrap. The other side, used for the outside of the packages featured the John Lewis motif and their signature green colour.
The material will be a lightweight, fair trade cotton, which sustains the John Lewis brand and creates a balance between the sleek packaging design alongside creating something ecologically and environmentally friendly. The cotton will be treated using bees wax, which is a natural and safe way of water proofing, and also adds quite a nice scent. Looking into printing techniques, there isn't yet a way of being extremely environmentally friendly, but using screen printing alongside inks that are phthalate-free is what we decided to do.
We also looked into different ways of holding a bar code for the delivery process. We wanted to create something that would aid the security of the package, and looked into different tags such as shark tagging which has gps tracking. Sticking with the theme of creating something on trend, we decided to use a copper pull tag which keeps the Furoshiki knot in place, and also allows the package to be identifiable for the delivery driver.
Finally, the Furoshiki wrap will not be as sturdy as a box, so we decided to again look into creating a box to protect the packaging. Deciding to draw all focus on the wrap itself, the box is made out of recyclable material and is quite minimal and plain. Personified with a message, "Hello, I've been waiting for you." The box is another way of engaging the customer and creating a connection. It can be returned to store or click and collect stores in order to receive some of the delivery cost back, which encourages an environmentally friendly process and allows John Lewis to promote recycling.
I think what I loved about this brief was that it was so new: it was open and allowed me to explore my strengths in graphic treatments and push my weaknesses. It was a completely different experience undertaking a competition brief when compared to a client brief, but being able to expand passed the boundaries of the brand and focus on a design that is something which the brand may not have traditionally considered made the brief more exciting. I think I also learnt a lot about myself in this project, in terms of being fascinated by other cultures and their ways and finding inspiration through that, but also how my weaknesses (such as using illustrator) are not going to hold me back. I think the final design holds a balance between the minimal, sleek and strong brand, with something that is sustainable, eco friendly and fashionable.
Creative CV
Wednesday, 11 February 2015 • Creative CV, CV, Inspiration
A Curriculum Vitae, or more commonly known as a CV / Resume, can be literally translated as "course of life." It's a summary of you: your experience, your education, your skills. It's an advertisement, selling yourself with any relevant information, through a piece of paper.
Just like any job, a designer will need a CV. Working freelance may mean handing your CV to a possible client, whilst applying for agency work is usually very similar to applying for any other job. You hand in your CV, you catch the attention of someone, and you are invited to an interview or internship. So it is still an important aspect of your career.
A CV in the design world is much different to a CV in most other fields. When I designed my first creative CV, whilst applying for an internship at a local magazine, I kept that CV to apply for retail jobs with. A lot of people told me I was crazy handing out such a CV and said it looked unprofessional, to which I now completely understand. A CV needs to be tweaked with depending on the nature of the position your applying for.
With an area such as design, it's important to show your creativity whilst also showcasing your skills alongside. Below are a few of my favourite CVs which really utilize one's skills and advertise a personality.
Things I personally think are important to include for my own CV are:
Contact Details
An obvious one, I know. When working at my current job, I found that employers take note of your address and work out how easy it is for you to get to the area. My manager stated that this is due to a reliance on public transport and if something were to go wrong, would you be able to make it on time and if not, at all? It's also a good idea to have as many contact details as possible, such as email, mobile, and home phone in case of a job offer and one has been detailed wrong, or doesn't work.
Education.
Another obvious one, but you'd be surprised by the amount of people who actually do not include this on their CV. As I am studying design, I feel it would also be valuable to include the different modules I have covered thus far, such as Brand Identity, Competition Briefs, Work Based Learning, Brochures and Editorial Design, Illustration, Typography, etc. As other courses follow different modules, such as moving image and web design, I do think it's necessary to include what I have studied myself. It would allow the potential employer to have a good understanding with where I am at with my design.
Experience
Though most of my own work experience is not relevant to design, I do think it's important to include this within my creative CV. Showing you have a good work ethic, have experience in other industries and also showing that you are loyal to companies, such as not jumping from job to job and sticking with a company for a while is a great example of who you are as a person. Any relevant placements or jobs should also be highlighted and eye catching, and there should not be a huge amount of irrelevant jobs detailed.
Skills
For a creative CV, it's important to add your skills to the position. For example, applying for a job that involves moving imagery, I would find difficult as I have no relevant experience in such programs, and therefore both I and the employer know I am not tailored to the position. However, skills do not make a designer and you should be able to show and explore your idea generation within your CV and also within the interview, should you get one.
Interests and About.
Areas of interest should also be detailed within the CV. This helps the employer know whether you are right for their role, and whether my style and work would suit the position. An "About Me" of such should also be written to explain who you are as a person. Maybe your current interests don't suit the position, but you as a person might: and vice versa.
Handles.
A sign of the digital age, but also quite an important aspect of the industry: Social Media. Twitter is now used as a backbone to employment, looking at how you present yourself and your attitude. It needs to represent the best of you, and really highlight your characteristics. Other's to include would be a blog, online portfolio such as Cargo Collective and Behance, Linked In and Instagram.
Just like any job, a designer will need a CV. Working freelance may mean handing your CV to a possible client, whilst applying for agency work is usually very similar to applying for any other job. You hand in your CV, you catch the attention of someone, and you are invited to an interview or internship. So it is still an important aspect of your career.
A CV in the design world is much different to a CV in most other fields. When I designed my first creative CV, whilst applying for an internship at a local magazine, I kept that CV to apply for retail jobs with. A lot of people told me I was crazy handing out such a CV and said it looked unprofessional, to which I now completely understand. A CV needs to be tweaked with depending on the nature of the position your applying for.
With an area such as design, it's important to show your creativity whilst also showcasing your skills alongside. Below are a few of my favourite CVs which really utilize one's skills and advertise a personality.
Things I personally think are important to include for my own CV are:
Contact Details
An obvious one, I know. When working at my current job, I found that employers take note of your address and work out how easy it is for you to get to the area. My manager stated that this is due to a reliance on public transport and if something were to go wrong, would you be able to make it on time and if not, at all? It's also a good idea to have as many contact details as possible, such as email, mobile, and home phone in case of a job offer and one has been detailed wrong, or doesn't work.
Education.
Another obvious one, but you'd be surprised by the amount of people who actually do not include this on their CV. As I am studying design, I feel it would also be valuable to include the different modules I have covered thus far, such as Brand Identity, Competition Briefs, Work Based Learning, Brochures and Editorial Design, Illustration, Typography, etc. As other courses follow different modules, such as moving image and web design, I do think it's necessary to include what I have studied myself. It would allow the potential employer to have a good understanding with where I am at with my design.
Experience
Though most of my own work experience is not relevant to design, I do think it's important to include this within my creative CV. Showing you have a good work ethic, have experience in other industries and also showing that you are loyal to companies, such as not jumping from job to job and sticking with a company for a while is a great example of who you are as a person. Any relevant placements or jobs should also be highlighted and eye catching, and there should not be a huge amount of irrelevant jobs detailed.
Skills
For a creative CV, it's important to add your skills to the position. For example, applying for a job that involves moving imagery, I would find difficult as I have no relevant experience in such programs, and therefore both I and the employer know I am not tailored to the position. However, skills do not make a designer and you should be able to show and explore your idea generation within your CV and also within the interview, should you get one.
Interests and About.
Areas of interest should also be detailed within the CV. This helps the employer know whether you are right for their role, and whether my style and work would suit the position. An "About Me" of such should also be written to explain who you are as a person. Maybe your current interests don't suit the position, but you as a person might: and vice versa.
Handles.
A sign of the digital age, but also quite an important aspect of the industry: Social Media. Twitter is now used as a backbone to employment, looking at how you present yourself and your attitude. It needs to represent the best of you, and really highlight your characteristics. Other's to include would be a blog, online portfolio such as Cargo Collective and Behance, Linked In and Instagram.
Alternative Techniques
Sunday, 8 February 2015 • Alternative Techniques, John Lewis, Sketchbook, Targets, Work
As I mentioned within my SWOT Analysis, and also my evaluation of my last module, something I wanted to continue experimenting with was my sketchbook work. I found it difficult last year to work with paper, with one of my lecturers calling me a "paper-phobe." It wasn't that I didn't like to use paper for my ideas: I used scrap pieces and kept them in a messy organised pile on the edge of my shelf. I was just too much of a perfectionist. I wanted all of my work to look perfect.
This year, my first module was to create 5 sketchbooks. That seemed like a nightmare at the beginning, but it really worked and I soon found myself reaching for my sketchbooks to jot down ideas and notes instead of using scrap paper and never including it in my progress. Within the module following, I reverted back to InDesign as it was easier and quicker as there was no idea generation.
Within this module, I wanted to use a sketchbook again in hopes it would aid my final outcome: and also, continue to expand my annotation and paper use. And that it did.
Below I have included images of my research stage within my sketchbook. These pages were at the beginning, middle and end of my sketchbook: when using in design, I added all research to the beginning and never truly reverted back to integrate them within my idea generation. With this new way, I found myself realising there were aspects I needed to research again, and more thoroughly research to aid my ideas, such as materials, and ecologically friendly methods. It really helped my process be a smoother one.
As you can see, it was necessary for me to research into all kinds of areas: ecologically friendly packaging methods on the market, ecologically friendly materials and delivery systems, the brand itself and it's target audience, D&AD past entries and winners, competitors, other companies which had used our idea, and fashion trends.
Though I won't go too into detail right now on the idea, as I would like to save that for my final outcome blogpost, I have shared below my idea generation and process.
Though I am working as a pair, our research was conducted separately and we came together to discuss our ideas and communicate them back and forth. We also scheduled many meetings away from our college studio days, as a way to keep in touch with one another and make sure we were both on the right track. It was tricky, but it was worth it as having two heads instead of one meant we didn't get stuck on a bad idea and try to make it work: we were level headed, and told each other straight which direction we wanted to take, and both evaluated whether it was a good one.
Our idea generation was done quite separately. Keeping tabs on each other meant relaying our ideas to one another, but we went separately when it came to our sketchbooks. I think this was a good method to take as it meant we could both equally explore our own ideas before relaying them to our pair. I believe our final outcome is strong because of this.
Finally, I have really enjoyed working with a sketchbook. As this was my target for this module, I'm glad I have stuck to it as I feel my creations have been better for it: it's a lengthier process than jumping to the screen, but it's not as exhausting, and I found myself getting less bored and procrastinating less due to not having the distractions of the internet.
My other target was to work with a plan and follow it: I believe my partner and I both did this. I used the wanderlist app, a recent stumble upon, to keep a to do list that I could regularly update and check, and remember to actually write! (Thank god for smart phones and my addiction to checking it.) I also used my calendar app to keep updated on when my partner and I were meeting, what we needed to have done by a certain time, etc. It was really helpful for my time management and I even managed to schedule a weekend away from the whole project to celebrate my birthday in, right before deadline day. This is usually a time I am cramming and rushing to finish.
Overall, a big success, and I will be posting about my final outcome soon. I believe setting a target truly helped me within this module, so for my next module, my target is to continue to experiment with illustrator and use it as quite a big aspect of the project in order to gain more experience.
This year, my first module was to create 5 sketchbooks. That seemed like a nightmare at the beginning, but it really worked and I soon found myself reaching for my sketchbooks to jot down ideas and notes instead of using scrap paper and never including it in my progress. Within the module following, I reverted back to InDesign as it was easier and quicker as there was no idea generation.
Within this module, I wanted to use a sketchbook again in hopes it would aid my final outcome: and also, continue to expand my annotation and paper use. And that it did.
Below I have included images of my research stage within my sketchbook. These pages were at the beginning, middle and end of my sketchbook: when using in design, I added all research to the beginning and never truly reverted back to integrate them within my idea generation. With this new way, I found myself realising there were aspects I needed to research again, and more thoroughly research to aid my ideas, such as materials, and ecologically friendly methods. It really helped my process be a smoother one.
As you can see, it was necessary for me to research into all kinds of areas: ecologically friendly packaging methods on the market, ecologically friendly materials and delivery systems, the brand itself and it's target audience, D&AD past entries and winners, competitors, other companies which had used our idea, and fashion trends.
Though I won't go too into detail right now on the idea, as I would like to save that for my final outcome blogpost, I have shared below my idea generation and process.
Though I am working as a pair, our research was conducted separately and we came together to discuss our ideas and communicate them back and forth. We also scheduled many meetings away from our college studio days, as a way to keep in touch with one another and make sure we were both on the right track. It was tricky, but it was worth it as having two heads instead of one meant we didn't get stuck on a bad idea and try to make it work: we were level headed, and told each other straight which direction we wanted to take, and both evaluated whether it was a good one.
Our idea generation was done quite separately. Keeping tabs on each other meant relaying our ideas to one another, but we went separately when it came to our sketchbooks. I think this was a good method to take as it meant we could both equally explore our own ideas before relaying them to our pair. I believe our final outcome is strong because of this.
Finally, I have really enjoyed working with a sketchbook. As this was my target for this module, I'm glad I have stuck to it as I feel my creations have been better for it: it's a lengthier process than jumping to the screen, but it's not as exhausting, and I found myself getting less bored and procrastinating less due to not having the distractions of the internet.
My other target was to work with a plan and follow it: I believe my partner and I both did this. I used the wanderlist app, a recent stumble upon, to keep a to do list that I could regularly update and check, and remember to actually write! (Thank god for smart phones and my addiction to checking it.) I also used my calendar app to keep updated on when my partner and I were meeting, what we needed to have done by a certain time, etc. It was really helpful for my time management and I even managed to schedule a weekend away from the whole project to celebrate my birthday in, right before deadline day. This is usually a time I am cramming and rushing to finish.
Overall, a big success, and I will be posting about my final outcome soon. I believe setting a target truly helped me within this module, so for my next module, my target is to continue to experiment with illustrator and use it as quite a big aspect of the project in order to gain more experience.