Alternative Techniques

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.

They Used to Call it the Moon

I recently visited the Baltic, inspired by the industry talk I attended by Founded, who created the brand identity for the gallery. One of the exhibitions currently being showcased was, "They Used to Call it the Moon" which is a group show, bringing together artists from all over the world.



The exhibition explores the presence of the moon with the use of film, photography, collage and sculpture. It is a platform for discussion and ideas, including in depth knowledge and experiences from scientists, environmentalists, astronomers, artists and writers about the future possibilities of the moon.

I knew nothing about this exhibition before I stepped inside. I think, after visiting, what makes this exhibition so great is that there is something for everyone. My boyfriend is not very interested in modern art, or art as a whole: but he really found this installation quite exciting, due to it having quite a scientific background, and therefore it can be of interest to people who don't really get, or enjoy art.

I personally found that this exhibition created a talking point, drawing focus on something we often all over look. It truly creates an atmosphere, with a self-playing piano adding eery music in the background, clocks showing the current time on different planets in relation to our time here on earth, a capsule, envisioning a solitary man's journey into space, celestial cartography, and a documentary that ties it all together.

Drawing inspiration and creating art on events, current or past is something I find compelling. Within my first year of this course, I was given the opportunity to research a London story, fact or fiction, and illustrate such. I chose to illustrate the Suffragettes and all they had done for me as a woman, and other women across the UK. I found it extremely difficult to do: putting a story into one image is tough, which is why I found this exhibition inspirational. These artists found a way to illustrate the world of space travel, and managed to capture the haunting, lonely ambience, allowing you to feel even a small margin of what those, who experienced the exploration, had.

Original lunar maps, photographs from the NASA Apollo missions and works from director Stanley Kubrick's archive were also on show.
You can see more here, and here.

Alternative Techniques

Within this brief, we are required to participate in the D&AD New Blood Awards. A competition brief is something I have not yet tackled, and therefore I have little to no experience working on one in comparison to a client brief. Though quite similar in their format, there is quite a big difference: working with a client is limited, and the focus is constantly on meeting the requirements of the client. A competition brief on the other hand allows me the opportunity to push my design boundaries and to really dig deep into the brief, and get into the depths of creativity and imagination.

With this being something incredibly new to me, I created a SWOT analysis to aid my plan and targets, and evaluate my strengths and weaknesses to make my work the best it can be.

Strengths
This brief allows me to work as a pair. This could be viewed as a strength as it is not only myself, but also another creative combining to create a solution. I also believe I have learnt a lot of organisation skills in my previous projects which will aid me.

Weaknesses
Product design is something I have not yet tackled and therefore it may be quite difficult to understand. I want to challenge myself and add something different to my portfolio and therefore I feel it’s essential to undertake a brief I wouldn’t usually choose. Working as a pair may also be a weakness as it is difficult to combine ideas and create one solution. We may also clash and therefore have different directions we want to take. I would also like to strengthen my weakness by using Illustrator within this project, and gaining more skills on the program.

Opportunities
I have the opportunity to work on a competition brief, which in turn could allow my work to be viewed by many in the industry. I also have the opportunity to work as a pair, which will allow me to experience what it is like working in the industry.

Threats Working as a pair is a threat as it is not just solely me: I am reliant on another, and managing our time whilst also meeting outside of college hours could be difficult. This could be easily rectified by creating a plan and scheduling meetings which is similar to industry work.

My goal from my last module was to experiment with sketchbook work and create a sustainable plan. I will check in soon and update how it's going!

The Entrepreneurs Forum

In my last module, we were given 5 briefs and told to conduct a sketchbook of ideas, including a final idea and scamp, for each. Following that, we were then told to choose our favourite brief and idea, and expand it digitally. This module was Digital Skills Application, after all.

I decided to continue The Entrepreneurs Forum, in which I was to create a brochure for a conference for the organisation. As Editorial is the area of design I would like to go into, I felt it appropriate to choose this brief. I also felt it was my strongest idea, and there was a lot I could play with and use to show my digital skills. I created a moodboard in my research and scamp phase, which you can see here.



Using the colour scheme of the Forum, found on their social media sites, I created a brochure which gives the impression of reprinting: this being my initial idea.



I also initially wanted the conference's name, "Fortune Favours the Brave" to be printed on a vellum cover sheet. As I was fading the images to make the colour stand out, I felt this would be appropriate and tie the brochure in together. Unfortunately, I soon found that no where will actually print on vellum, as it is extremely difficult and could risk breaking the printer.I think if I were to continue this module further, and expand it as a portfolio piece, I would try and find a way, or explore other ideas to give the same effect.



Throughout the brochure, I used black and white images to highlight the colour of the text. There were two pages - the middle spread, and a quote from one of the speakers, where the images were in colour. I felt this broke up the monochrome and made it look a little more interesting.



The main speaker, George Clarke, was given a full spread, unlike the other speakers who were given sections. I felt this added importance: as the headline speaker, his segment was the longest. I experimented with drop caps and fonts to create something that highlighted the professionalism of the brand, and let the colours do the talking in terms of making it fun and exciting.



Throughout the brochure, I used a serif font as the body text font. On the speakers page, I felt it looked to similar: used both on the subtitle's and body text was repetitive and looked quite boring. I used the title font as the body text instead, and found it added a new dynamic to the page.



Possibly my favourite page is the quote. I wanted something to break up all the writing and monotony, so I decided to add a quote from one of the speakers. Using an image of lightbulbs, which I felt was appropriate due to the symbolism of ideas and information, I created a bokeh effect, added a gradient and turned the shadows the shade of purple that was used throughout. I love the simplicity of it.
 

As this module was Digital Skills Application, it was more fitting to revisit InDesign to create my sketchbook. Although I work well this way, I do want to continue to explore with my sketchbook work (on paper!) and continue to expand the skills I learnt within the last module. Sketchbooks are there for you to be able to jot down, scribble, note take: they don't have to look pretty. They are there as a reflection of your thought process and a place to keep everything together: I need to remember and use this to my advantage. In the last module I found my idea generation was better due to using sketchbooks, and therefore it is beneficial to me and my work to continue this. My goal in the next module is to use a sketchbook again.

The Entrepreneurs Forum

Whilst completing my work based learning module, I created moodboards for each sketchbook I was required to create. I found this way of researching was a great help: I was able to keep the ideas I had and the inspiration and influence I had found within my research at the front of my mind. The moodboard above was created for The Entrepreneurs Forum.

Now moving into my digital skills application module, I feel it's important to keep this focal as I won't be conducting much more research, solely moving my final idea into it's digital form. My idea is to experiment using reprinting techniques.

Below I have created a SWOT analysis in which I am able to gather my thoughts around this module, and what I wanted to achieve following:

Strengths: After creating sketchbooks on certain briefs, we have now been given the opportunity to continue on from what we researched and create a final outcome. I believe this will be a strength as it will allow me to bypass research and idea creation, and allow me to focus solely on the final outcome. I have chosen to continue The Entrepreneurs Forum as I believe I am quite strong when working on InDesign.

Weaknesses: My skills on Photoshop are still quite limited, although I believe I am better with this program in comparison to Illustrator. I would like to gain a better understanding of editing images using curves and the likes, but believe this is partly my weakness in this module.

Opportunities: I have the opportunity to work on a live brief whilst also expanding my knowledge and skills of different programs that are essential to the project. I also have the opportunity to be in contact with the marketing director of the Forum, which allows me to grasp a greater understanding of the brief whilst also working with the client, which is great experience for working in the industry.

Threats: Malfunction of computers is a threat on this module and therefore it is essential to back up all work as it’s created. Resolution will also need to be kept in mind as it is important to create a high quality body of work.

My goal with this module is, instead of using mockups or mounting the spreads on card for presentation, I will actually create the brochure. I think this will challenge me as I haven't yet done such: and will allow me to gain knowledge and research into the world of printing. Having stuck with the college printers until this point, it would be great to see what companies work in Newcastle, and also use websites such as the newspaper club and ex why zed, and have a higher quality print. When I finish university and move into the industry, I won't be able to rely on college to create my prints, and therefore it will be great experience for me.

Profile: Sarah Hanley

"Be fearless, make mistakes, and most importantly, be passionate."

I recently attended a talk by Sarah Hanley, the creative director of Newcastle based design agency Sumo. Hanley studied the same course as what I am currently studying, and therefore it was extremely beneficial to hear what she had to say, and also quite reassuring.

Hanley admits that whilst a student, she wasn't the best designer on the course. She wasn't the best on computers either, but she had good ideas and utilised others to help craft them. This worked in her favour, and made her more determined to work hard in order to succeed. This was shown in her first project following graduation: when working at an agency, she went into her first client meeting for Nestle's After Eights with more ideas than Nestle's junior designers, going above and beyond the brief.

Hanley also spoke of her experiences as a woman in the design world. What used to be a mans profession, she began to see women starting to become creative directors, and realised it wasn't enough to just be a designer.

When Hanley joined the agency Sumo, they had a small staff of three. Now growing into a highly established agency with a strong client base, working for places such as the National Trust, Sunderland City Council, Newcastle University and the National Museum, the agency has stuck to being quite a small knit group, with seven members of staff. 

"It's about the client. You are not designing what you want to design, you are meeting needs."

Hanley offered up some advice for new designers trying to find their footing in a world that is beginning to become quite crowded: "The future is learning on the job and discussing with peers. It doesn't matter if there isn't a job there. Do a placement, and think that there could be. I would create a job for the right person: you need to stand out, and show your passion."

Similarly, she gave advice on working in an agency, and how to get yourself known: "No generic emails, or group emails. Get to know everyone, ask questions and become part of the team: Tea is a great way."

There are a lot of misconceptions about designers, with many believing that you need to be from London and live in London to succeed. Similar to what Founded said, though getting experience in London is beneficial, with the use of the internet and pdfs, it's no longer necessary to live there. And the North East attitude of diving in, having fun and being all in works in our favour -- a lot of Londoners are sensible and afraid to be brave and foolish.

Hanley told us to utilise social media. Be social, get on twitter, start following agencies, retweet designers, have an opinion, share active designers, share things you like -- emerse yourself into an online representation of you.

I personally felt quite inspired walking away from the talk. It was a great experience to hear from someone who had gone far since doing the same course as I, and also to hear from a woman. So far our industry talks, last year and this current year, have been from men, so it was great to be able to connect fully with a person and see that it really isn't about your gender, more about your quality of ideas and how willing you are to succeed. I think Hanley offered a great insight into the design world, and also into placements and how the industry works.

You can find more on Sarah and her incredible agency, Sumo here, here, here and here. 

Friday Favourites: Magazines

Magazines are something I've been interested in all my life. As I child I often stole my mum's fashion magazines to pick out my favourite pages and advertisements to decorate my bedroom wall, and later, I collected issues of Company to dress up my book case. Editorial is an area of design that I'd love to go into, and with W H Smiths walls being covered in issues of all genres, there's a huge variety to choose from. Here are some of my favourite design magazines.

Computer Arts

Computer Arts describe themselves as "the worlds leading magazine for graphic designers." Available in print and digitally on iPhones / iPads, it's a magazine full of insight and inspiration. From tutorials, the work and behind the scenes of studios, interviews with other designers, and the latest trends, Computer Arts has something for all walks of designers, showcasing the best of professional advice.

Print Magazine

Print Magazine is a bimonthly magazine. It is dedicated to visual communication and design, and was founded way back in 1940 by William Edwin Rudge. Since then, it's become a valuable and established 'zine. It covers everything from publication and book design, animation, branding, exhibitions, street art and posters, offering every angle of design and trends: but what makes this magazine so special is the way it looks at design. Offering social, political and historical contents for all design, you can see how design has changed and why it matters.

Eye Magazine

Eye magazine is both beautiful and collectable. They describe themselves a journal rather than a magazine, and publish quarterly over the year. Bringing together the best design and writing, Eye magazine is for professional designers, students, and anyone interested in critical, informed journalism about design and visual culture. Eye often post "Eye before you buy" videos on Vimeo, where you can see what the collectable issues look like before you purchase. It was on their channel that I found this video, called Pureprint, where you can see the magazine through all it's processes and stages.