Studio Brief 2 - Development

Studio Brief 2 - Individual Practise - The Leeds Library Book Cover

Development

Following the feedback received in my interim critique it was established that there was great support for my first concept that was based on the ecology of Leeds Central Library however as discussed in the critique there was still a number of modifications that would improve the design. Firstly as suggested by a second year student I removed one of the boarders surrounding the text, Listening to their feedback I agree that one boarder looks more subtle and effective in creating a design that will blend subtly within the environment of the library, in retrospect I found the two boarders to be too bold in contrast to the simplicity of the exhibition space.

The second proposed development was a bi-product of explaining my concept during the critique, I showed a picture of one of the mosaic patterns I found particularly aesthetically pleasing when I conducted primary research and went to visit the Library. A number of students present within the critique expressed their interest of the yellow colour found within this image station they liked the colour and thought it could look effective juxtaposed against the green present within my original design.

I felt this was a point worth experimenting with as a number of students agreed with the initial suggestion even though I was initially doubtful if this colour palette would work. I used the colour picker in photoshop to replicate this colour but found it to be too dark, I then adjust this to a similar colour that was lighter which I felt looked more natural and contrasted the green within the design well but not too starkly. 

I felt this new colour palette worked surprisingly well despite my initial hesitations, I will present both variations to a range of students and lecturers in order to determine which colour variate they feel is most appropriate. I then added the the author and publisher to the cover design to complete the design, I incorporated the publisher logo into one of the mosaic segments as an innovative way to implement the logo subtly within the design which I feel works well. Overall I am happy with the development of this design, I will now conduct further research as to which colour variation a range of students find the most appropriate in relation to the aesthetic and content of the book before presenting my final design in the final critique which I can then prepare for screen printing. 

Design Principles - What is a Book - Informal Critique [2]

Design Principles

What is a book? 
Informal critique [2]

Similarly to my first informal critique I wanted to hear peoples thoughts and opinions about this design direction before I developed it across my entire publication. I asked a similar range of questions to the first informal critique I conducted. The range of students I asked all liked the typesetting with reference to the dictionary, they felt it was contemporary, appropriate and highlighted my knowledge of typesetting design. 

I then asked if they liked this concept and felt it was relevant.  I received a range of really positive responses from this with comments including 'I think thik this design is really cool, its contemporary and minimal with the text and white space then really creative with the burst of colour from the image.' another student said 'I think you've done well to balance the whole design as the big image doesn't look out of place against the subtle background.' From this I was happy that this design direction was appropriate as other students commented on the sinister hints they picked up from the design. 

I then asked them if they personally liked the design and would purchase the publication. In my last critique I found that a number of my target audience didn't like the style of my design direction personally however I found this time that it wasn't the case.  There was a much more positive reaction to this design direction with people commenting on how they liked the aesthetic and felt it was appropriate. 'It looks well designed and id consider buying it' said one student another said 'I like the simplicity of the design, its not overcomplicated, the white space works well and even the bold illustrations fit into it well which i love'. This made me more content with this design direction as clearly it was appealing to my target audence. Based on this feedback I then decided to develop this design throughout my publication as my final design concept. 

Studio Brief 2 - Interim Critique

Studio Brief 2 - Individual Practise - The Leeds Library Book Cover

Interim Critique 

Having developed my initial ideas into sophisticated concepts I felt confident in resenting these to a group of students during the interim critique for this brief. We were accompanied by second year graphic design students for this critique which I found extremely useful to gain their opinions as they were vocal and gave really insightful feedback based on their experience on the course so far. I started by presenting the original book to the group, explaining the context of the book and the my opinions towards the design of the original cover. I presented my three concepts to the group of students explaining the concepts behind these designs and the how this informed my design decisions. 

DESIGN 1 

I presented the concept behind this design and asked the group what they thought of this design. The reactions to this design were extremely positive with comments including 'I love it, it so contemporary' and 'this has a super strong context which will work well'. I then asked if they could suggest any ways in which I could improve this design, this is where I the second year students were able to help, they suggested multiple improvements  founded by design principles they had learnt in the second year for example they suggested the the design would look more effective with only one boarder surrounded the text which I agree with in retrospect and will consider this if developing this into my final concept. They liked the text size and felt it worked well in comparison to the mosaic segments balancing the design well. When asked about my colour choice I showed them the image from the library from which my inspiration was drawn a couple of the students said how they liked the yellow in this image and that I could look at incorporating this into the design as a yellow and green colour scheme would give stronger connotations of ecology and environmental design.  I am happy with the response to this concept and will take on board this feedback if  I choose to develop this design into my final concept. 

DESIGN 2 

I explained the concept behind this design stating the inspiration and how this has informed the design decisions of this image. Similarly to the first design there was a largely positive reaction to this design with students saying they loved the pattern and felt the colour choice was 'spot on' I further explained that the yellow would be produced in gold ink when screen printed which received positive feedback, one of the second year students had previously worked with the gold ink so was able to give me a good insight of how the final resolution would look by showing me examples of his work that featured this gold ink. There was no real negative comments towards this design however it was stated I could use the typeface used throughout the Library signage (DIN Mittel Neu) as a more informed use of type within this design. 

DESIGN 3 

I again explained the concept behind my final concept and referenced these to the design process I went through to create this sophisticated design concept. Students said they liked this design and thought was engaging and aesthetically pleasing however I got the impression it was subservient when compared to the two other designs due to the intensity of positive feedback received regarding the first two design. When I asked for feedback they liked the concept however felt the colour of the typography was inappropriate and made it difficult to read especially from a distance. I agree with this feedback and would strive to rectify this in order to create a successful outcome if I chose to develop this into my final resolution. 

I received a host of other invaluable feedback from the second year students for example they advised to not go too small with the typography as this will not reproduce as cleanly when screen printed. In regard to screen printing they advised me to put crop and bleed marks on the positives when printed as this would make it easier to align the different layers of the screen and would make the finished design easier to crop. I then asked which design was the groups favourite I feel the overall favourite design was DESIGN 1 due to its highly contextual design and bold aesthetic. DESIGN 2  was also popular with the group but based more towards the aesthetic. I have decided to carry design 1 forward into further development and to ultimately produce as my final resolution to the brief as I feel the concept is far stronger and will the suggested changes I feel it will produce a strong aesthetic that when matched with the innovative concept will produce a really high quality resolution to the brief that I would be happy to exhibit within the public domain. 

Design Principles - What is a Book - Further Initial Ideas

Design Principles

What is a book? 
Further Initial Ideas 

As a result of the inspiration from Geraldine Georges I wanted to create a design concept that had a similar style to her bold abstract illustrations. I felt this design direction could work well as it is more sophisticated and I feel will appeal more to my target audience of designers.  I wanted to take inspiration from Geraldine Georges work however add my own twist onto it making my illustrations unique and more fitting to my concept. Similarly to my first design direction I wanted to create a mock up that  I could test against my target audience to see if they felt the design direction was successful before developing it throughout my publication. 

I started by taking inspiration from this particular example of Geraldine Georges' work. I liked the cohesive blend of illustration and photography that is subtle and engaging. I started by creating image illustrated in a similar style I felt the eyes looked as though the face was crying.  I wanted to accentuate this and felt it could work well for the illustration of the widow page. I overlaid a similar illustration make on illustrator over a photograph to make a similar effect.I overlaid a similar illustration make on illustrator over a photograph to make a similar effect.

I wanted to layer up some more illustrations around the photography, I wanted to add a more sinister aesthetic to the image as this would be more appropriate to my context. I took inspiration from another students tattoo and decided as it was a mock up I would manipulate the tattoo instead of hand rendering my own imagery. If developed this design direction across my whole publication similarly to Geraldine Georges work I would combine a range of photography, texture and hand drawn illustration. 

I then decided to layer these up the imagery and implemented bursts of texture to add an extra layer to the image and give it a collage aesthetic. I like how the image is expressive and in a relatively post modern style yet still has a structured quality with the geometric shapes balancing the design. I like the aesthetic of this design as I feel it works well referencing the inspiration of Geraldine Georges work while adding a sinister twist with the use of dark colours and conventionally sinister imagery making it appropriate to my concept.

I then trailed a double page spread layout design.  I feel this design works well as it has a vast amount of white space that  I find aesthetically pleasing. I have included the dictionary style typesetting that recede popular feedback during my informal critique. I feel my imagery works well within this design as it is in essence structured expressionism. The geometric shapes work well to contain the bright textures and bold illustrations that then balances well with the other minimal elements of the page giving a contemporary aesthetic that I think will be popular with a target audience of designers. 

Similarly to my first design direction I will ask students for their feedback towards this design direction as they are my target audience. If they feel this direction is contemporary and engaging then I will develop this concept across my whole publication.

Studio Brief 2 - Idea Development

Studio Brief 2 - Individual Practise - The Leeds Library Book Cover

Idea Development

Having created a range of initial ideas the next stage in my design process was to narrow down these designs so I could then develop the strongest concepts in sophisticated designs that I could present in the interim critique. I firstly asked a range of students for their thoughts on my initial ideas on an informal basis, this gave me some really good feedback and gave me a chance to explain the background behind my book and where the inspiration for each design had come from. Following this I then took their feedback on board and selected the designs I felt had the most potential to become a high quality resolution to this brief. I selected designs 3 to develop into sophisticated designs as I felt these had strong concepts that would make for an interesting resolutions to the brief. 

DESIGN 1 

I chose to develop this design due to its innovative concept, based on the design of the Leeds Central Library, where the final outcomes will be exhibited this concept it truly representative of the book which focuses around ecology. I firstly decided to create the mosaic segments using illustrator as this would create vectors that I could later re-size without impairing the quality of the images. I took reference from the Leeds College of Art logo as well as internet images of mosaic segments to ensure my designs has a sense of realism and did not look too random. From this I then arranged the segments around the page in a seemingly abstract pattern as if they had been thrown. I kept the background of this design white to adhere to the white walls of the exhibition space. I chose my colour scheme based on the colour palette found around the Library. I experimented with different variations however I found the Blue to work the best as this closely resembled a ceiling mosaic that I found particular engaging. 

I then started experimenting with the typeface for this design. As I wanted the design to fit into its environment as much as possible I took pictured of the signs present around the library in the hope I could identify the typeface used and incorporate this into my design. I started by uploading the image for the sign to http://whatthefont.com which is a specialist website that analyses typography and can identify the typeface or typefaces of a similar variety. This allowed me to identify the typeface used consistently throughout the Library to be DIN 1451 Mittel Neu, I typed this into google and found that it was freely available to download. I think the use of the consistent typeface will greatly improve the aesthetic of my final outcome as the concept of the design is to fit into its environment. 

Top - Library Sign Picture      Bottom - Typeface

This created by developed design. I am happy with the outcome of this design as I feel it works well in keeping to the theme of the Library and would fit into this environment well if chosen for as my final resolution to the brief and is ultimately displayed at Leeds Central Library. 

DESIGN 2

Similarly to design 1 this design was also inspired by the ecology of Leeds Central Library. I took the inspiration from a view looking out of the exhibition space into the library, I saw three terracotta archways which I would aesthetically pleasing and felt I could develop into a successful concept. I found this design relatively simple to develop as I could use the pen tool in illustrator to create the lines in a digital medium. I re-drew my initial idea and called it into illustrator,  I then used the pen tool to follow the lines, this was harder than anticipated as I wanted to create perfect curves however this was not achievable in the short shape of time. I think these lines look ok at a glance but there are a number of imperfections that can be seen when analysed closely. If I developed this concept into my final resolution I would obvious address there issues but felt they were appropriate for the interim critique. 

The next stage in developing this design was to choose an appropriate colour palette, I found this to be a seemly obvious choice as I was trying to tailor the design to the aesthetic of the library. I chose a terracotta orange for the lines, I searched for the pantone reference online to ensure the colours were realised. I then used a softer orange for the background as I felt the white background was too stark, this subtle orange was softer and made the imperfections of the lines less obvious. 

Finally I added the typography to my cover, Similarly to design 1 I used the typeface that was consistent with signage of the library, I feel this was the most appropriate typeface to fit into the environment of the Library, I also chose a light grey for the text as this was similar to the colour used on the library signage. I feel this is affective as it doesn't take the away away from the design too quickly. Overall I am happy with the outcome of this design however if I developed this into my final resolution I would ensure there are no imperfections with the curved lines. 

DESIGN 3 

Design 3 was inspired by the physical structure of silk. I loved the pattern this created so wanted the design to be very eye-catching and striking. I started by drawing over the pattern  from its original source as the original image was very noisy. Once drawn out accurately I scanned this image into illustrator and used the pen tool to re-create one of each shape into a digital vector that I could then manipulate by adjusting the anchor points to create a well rounded shape. I then copied these components to create the pattern that was identical. I was happy with the outcome of this pattern as I feel it looks very structured and aesthetically pleasing. 

I converted this vector into photoshop so that I could apply text and experiment with the colour palette. I wanted the design to be bold and eye-catching I also thought about the pattern referenced silk so wanted to use colours consistent with the fabric, this carries connotations of bold pinks, golds and blues. I instantly thought of Indian Culture which is famous for its glamorous silk clothing. I chose a bold pink for the background as I felt this would instantly catch the eye of the reader I then complemented this with a yellow for the pattern as I felt this worked well, also if I screen printed this design I could use metallic gold ink which would work well and add an extra layer to the design. Finally I added the text to the image, I kept the same alignment of the text from study task 3 as I felt this worked well, I used white for the typeface as I didn't want to confuse the already bold colour scheme. 

I am happy with the outcome of this concept and feel it would work extremely well if screen printed with gold ink as this would ensure the cover grabs the eye of its audience. The next stage in my design process is to present these three sophisticated deigns to a group of students and lecturers to hear their feedback and help me to identify the strongest concept to develop into my final resolution to the brief. 

Studio Brief 2 - Initial Ideas

Studio Brief 2 - Individual Practise - The Leeds Library Book Cover

Initial Ideas 

Having collated a vast range of research from a number of different inspiration sources I feel that I would be able to create a range of  initial ideas that contained strong initial concepts from a range of perspectives that can ultimately be developed into a successful resolution to the brief. I drew inspiration from a range of sources from my research including architecture, cells, ecology and materials. I feel this creates a holistic range of initial ideas that will represents my assigned book through a range of different perspectives. 

DESIGN 1 

This concept is inspired by the design of Leeds Central Library, I felt that the book would be ecological if it looked constants with the environment where it was to be exhibited. This design is taken from a tiled section of the library that featured intricate tiles that I thought looked similar the the style of mandala designs. If developed I could create my own mandala design to make the design unique and personal however I am unsure how this would screen print as mandala designs are typically small and intricate. 

DESIGN 2 

This design is taken from the vast array of mosaics present with the Library. These were one of the first significant features I notices as it adds an exceptional detail to the whole building as they were filled the floors and ceilings. I chose to merge this intricate mosaic with the simplicity of the gallery space, this resulted in a design I think works well in fitting within its environment. The use of white space will suit the gallery environment while the mosaic segments contextualises the design as it fits within the environment of the Library. 

DESIGN 3

I was inspired by the view from inside the gallery space looking out to the rest of the library for this design. I could see a clear 3 terracotta archways mimicking each other from inside the exhibition space, I found this aesthetically pleasing and wanted to develop this into a concept. I looked closer at the terracotta pillars and found the were intricately engraved with an abstract leaf pattern. I combined the abstract curves of this pattern with the view of the arches to create this curved design consisting of 3 lines representing the terracotta archways.  

DESIGN 4

This design was an extension of design 3 as I took similar inspiration from the terracotta archways however this design focuses more on the intricate pattern engraved into the pillars. I thought this pattern was intriguing and would catch they eye. This design combines the white space of the gallery with the intricate pattern that I feel works well. If developed I would look at the range of colours I could use to complement this design in order to make it bold and eye-catching. 

DESIGN 5

This design was inspired my the physical structure of silk as I found through my research. I loved the pattern that the compounds made and felt it would create an extremely aesthetically pleasing design. I created a band with the pattern that would wrap around the cover this still left a range of white space that could then easily be filled with text. 

DESIGN 6

Design 6 is a variant of design 5 using the bold pattern that originated fro the structure of silk. I decided to make the pattern full-bleed to represent how the pattern would occur in continuing layers in real life. I like the bold aesthetic of this design but am unsure how I would make the text legible when it came to developing the design.  

DESIGN 7 

I was inspired by the architecture of Lace Hill in Armenia for the concept behind this design. I liked shapes they had created for the strutted that referenced back to Armenian lace, I feel this design works well for lace hill and is a prime example of how a man made stretch has been designed to fit into its surrounding environment. 

DESIGN 8 

I think this design is very eye-catching and has a range of colour choices that could work well to ensure a successful outcome. This concept is based on an image of a magnified cell I found during my research. I loved the intricate shapes this made however I am unsure how this would work when screen printed as the circles in the design are extremely small and I feel this would not reproduce very well through a screen printed resolution. 

DESIGN 9

Design 9 was inspired by Shepard Fairey's work as he has been a great contributor to social change which is another theme within the book, through this works such as the Obama Hope Poster and his efforts to aid international co-operation. I took the imagery from within the design from a tiled section of the Leeds Central Library (found in my research) and accompanied this with the book title in a similar style to Fairey's work. 

DESIGN 10

This design was inspired by the natural themes discovered within my research. I liked the intricate merging of cells to form the bigger picture in this case the leaf. I have used a three column grid of which the left intersects making it the focal point of the picture, I also feel the thin column for the text will look contemporary and stand out against the standard contentions of cover layouts. 

DESIGN 11

I looked back over the designers I had researched and took inspiration from the style of covers they produced. I found that many of the designers stuck to simple illustration and impacting typefaces. For this design I created this extremely simple yet bold illustration combining a tree and recycle symbol to give instant connotations to the reader regarding the books content.  I feel this design would work well with a bold colour scheme that will instantly grab the eye of the reader. 

DESIGN 12

My final designs was inspired by the exhibition I researched by the Royal College of Art. Their designs were inspired by sustainable man-made products the design that inspired me the most, involved turned plastic into a new material with a consistency similar to candy floss. I liked the seemly random nature of this concept so recreated it using a range of abstract lines to represent the candy floss type substance. 

I will now look for the strongest concepts to develop into sophisticated designs by asking other students and lecturing staff which connects they find the most engaging as well as how well I feel these concepts can be developed. 

Studio Brief 1 - Submission

Studio Brief 1 - Design Practise, Professional Practise - Secret 7 

Submission

Based on feedback from my final critique I decided to develop my second design as suggested by transforming the squares of the window into app icons to make the design more contextual. I started by rounding off the corners of the squares in illustrator before reapplying the colours to create a new variation of the design. I feel this design works well and applying an extra layer of meaning to the design my further contextualising it to the track. 

Having developed this design further I could then make an informed decision as to which design I felt was the most appropriate resolution to the brief. I obtained final feedback from a range of students as to which design they felt was the most appropriate and found that both designs were equally voted for as the most appropriate resolution. This left it up to me which design I would submit as the final resolution to the brief. I chose to submit design one as the final resolution to this brief as I felt it had a stronger concept behind the design. Although design 2 is equally aesthetically pleasing I felt the concept of design 1 was stronger and is a more unique and interesting interpretation of the track.  I then submitted this design to the secret 7 competition through the website. I feel this design is an interesting and unique interpretation of the track however I am unsure if it will be successful in being selected for the secret 7 competition based on the high volume of entries from designers all over the world however I am satisfied that I have successfully create  an engaging outcome for the brief and am happy with my resolution. 

Studio Brief 2 - Research - Inspiration

Studio Brief 2 - Individual Practise - The Leeds Library Book Cover

Research - Inspiration

Ecology

As part of my research I was encouraged to look at influences beyond the realm of book design. I started by research further into the concept of ecology to better understand its concept and hopefully become inspired by this and introduce a sense of this into my concept. The literal definition of the word is 'the branch of biology dealing with the relations and interactions between organisms and their environment, including other organisms' to me this gives connotations of the environment including sustainability, cells and green conservation. The other range of connotations that this gives me is how something fits into to its environment, looking at adhering to its atmosphere. I liked the cell structure of this leaf, the seemingly natural and unstructured lines all join up to for the bigger organism. I feel I could incorporate this pattern into my designs as I feel it is eye-catching and clearly relates to the topic of ecology and by extension the book itself. 

Similarly to the leaf (seen above) I also liked this magnified image of a cell structure for similar reasons. I love the interconnecting circles that have a natural quality to them. I think the use of colour here is particularly strong, the tonal blues complement the stark electric blue that makes this image vibrant and pop. 

Having researched natural forms such as cells I was inspired by the image above to see how objects can have really intriguing chemical make-ups, following this I started to research the physical structure of materials to see if any other unique patterns could be identified. Most of the materials I researched for example paper and cotton formed no distinct eye-catching patterns however I found that silk had an extremely interesting physical structure that I felt could be developed into a unique aesthetically pleasing design.  I then further explored these material theme experimenting with other material and found that similarly to silk the physical structure of lace had been previously used in architecture for a natural structure in Armenia inspired by lace called 'Lace Hill'  

http://www.archdaily.com/58797/lace-hill-forrest-fulton-architecture/ this is a good example of how design can take inspiration from nature and create some unique and eye-catching designs. 

Physical structure of silk

Moving away from the environmental inspiration I had previously been researching I decided to look at the other concept of ecology identifying how things fit into their environments as this brief is being exhibited in the Leeds Central Library I decided to visit the exhibition space to observe the surrounding with the concept that I could tailor the design to the buildings architecture and design to ensure that my resolution fits into the environment in which it will be displayed. The library is a beautiful building with a vast range of unique design features that I feel I can take inspiration from, This included the large terracotta arches, the vast display of mosaics present throughout the building and stained glass windows. I felt this was a good concept that I could develop into a range of strong resolutions that I would be happy to display in a public environment. 

Finally I came across a project that was undertaken at the Royal College of Art as part of London Design Festival which was in celebration of 40th Anniversary of Papenek's seminal publication, Design For The Real World. This exhibition featured work from recent graduates  focused on Human-centered sustainable design. I found the results of this exhibition inspiring to see how other students have interpreted Papenek's book from different perspectives for example students submitted works from Textiles Arutecture and Product Design courses. This gave me a better understanding of how the resolutions does not always have to be a linear result of the text itself but can be inspired by other components. One of my favourite pieces from this exhibition was  'the polyfloss factory' which transformed plastic waste into a new material with multiple future applications inspired by candy floss, I think the concept is original and quirky and could be developed within the medium of Graphic Design to create a Bold and interesting concept. 

Having carried out a range of research from a breath of different background I now feel I can comfortably create a set of initial ideas that will have a diverse range of concepts and inspirations behind then which I can then develop and present to a group of students in the Interim critique for further feedback as to which designs they feel have the strongest concepts and will make the best resolutions to the brief.