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.