OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Extended Practice: Series proposal

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1/ Licence to print money   

Extended Practice: Series proposal 

IT was suggested by tutors that to extend the concept further I could mock up designs of how the rest of this brutalist inspired series would look. From this I established I needed to base the rest of the notes on particular notable examples of brutalist architecture within the United Kingdom, my research on brutalist architecture helped me to identify appropriate buildings to base my designs on from which I concluded; Spaghetti Junction (Birmingham) Balfron Tower (London), US Embassy (Dublin) and Bank House (Leeds) these particular examples would work well together as they all have unique and engaging physical structures which will create engaging designs, further appeal for these buildings are that are staggered across the UK from the south, midlands and north creating a holistic celebration of British architecture. 

I established that the back design would remain the same across the series to create a sense of consistency due to the iconic imagery used within this design that is representative of the celebration of the movement as a whole, this would leave engaging unique front designs that create a breath of design for the full series, experimenting further with colour and scale to establish easily identifiable individual banknotes that holistically represents my interpretation on the future of physical money. 

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Exhibition Piece: Feedback and Evaluation

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1/ Licence to print money   

Exhibition Piece: Feedback and Evaluation 

It was identified through my research that the the best hope for tactile 'real' money to remain viable within society is for it to be used as a cultural exchange celebrating each nation to ensure its cultural heritage can be largely celebrated and continued. From this I established a concept of taking inspiration from the architecture of the exhibition space; a grade 2 listed brutalist building, Bank House, creating a cultural celebration of this brutalist movement within the aesthetic of the new bank note. This provides contextual relevance to the exhibition itself and applies the ecology of its surroundings to inform the aesthetic.

The design and development of the resolution was centred around this brutalist design taking inspiration from the form of the building with the use of the transparent windows that connote the unique shape of the building and the marbled stock informed by the physical building materials. Further brutalist design informs the geometric patterns on the reverse bank note inspired by key brutalist buildings paired with negative space to create a strong engaging focal point for the design. As well as aesthetically engaging the design is also fictional considering a host of issues that would come into play if considering the real-life validity of the design. The use of a braille translation and serial numbers provide contextual detailing within the banknote design and the large text placement ensures the values are easily identifiable with both typographic and numerical values clearly shown. 

This design transcends beyond the celebration of brutalist architecture as a means to evoking a sense of culture, the design uses a range of regional inspiration to further this sense of national pride. The use of the Yorkshire rose etched into the transparent windows creates clear reference to Yorkshire, paired with the colour scheme of Leeds to evoke a sense of regional pride within the banknote design and further relation to the ecology of the exhibition venue. I am pleased with the resolution of the design, the tactile nature of the screen printed resolution works effectively with the aesthetic of the design. The multiple elements within the banknote design pair well using a cohesive blend of paper and plastic to create an engaging resolution. The use of two different greys used within the exhibition mount helps explicitly highlight the transparent windows within the design which will engage the exhibition audience. Overall the design is bold and sits strongly within the mount to present my engaging representation on the future of the banknote. 

Engaging with feedback regarding this final design I received positive comments from students and tutors who were engaged by the informed use of materials and design decisions to create a highly refined engaging resolution to the brief. Comments included that they liked the research conclusion celebrating culture and the use of inspiration taken from the physical venue creates strong contextual links to the exhibition with the  use of colour and stock being appropriately informed to more subtly reflect these design inspirations. Tutors suggested that physically extending the series through digital mock ups would add further contextually as to how this concept would work as a full set to fully resolve the problems highlighted within the brief. 

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Production: ScreenPrint

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1/ Licence to print money   

Production: ScreenPrint

For further contextually with the ecology of the building I chose to print on GF Smith Malmarque Marble White stock as although the brutalist design movement is renowned for its use of concrete the bank house building which inspired my design direction is covered in marble therefore this stock is appropriate to reference to the form of the building informing this design decision whilst providing further aesthetic benefits to the final resolution. 

The final design was a 4 colour separation which is the most ambitious screen print project I have undertaken thus far within the college using blue gold and grey for the imagery and spot varnish for the lines on the front design. It was difficult to align all of these different elements perfectly however managed to produce one of each design (front and back) that was produced to a high quality standard. I put metallic powder in my gold ink to give it more shine, the down side to this was it thickened up the paint and blocked the screen however still managed to get two good prints before the screen completely blocked. 

With a range of finished prints I analysed the quality of them and selected the most precise prints of each design to cut out and present within the exhibition. The result of these prints worked well on the stock and the contrasting blue and gold colours complemented each other nicely with good contextual authority. From this I carefully cut the transparent windows for the kiss cut acetate to be placed behind, I used spray mound to carefully bond the printed design to the laser cut plastic creating the final resolution. 

Happy with the outcome of the screen printed designs I then considered its arrangement within the exhibition, with strict measurements to adhere too of 21x26cm landscape I considered the banknotes placement within this available space. Taking informed inspiration from the renowned use of concrete within the brutalist movement textured grey stock was chosen for the mount. The use of two different greys helps explicitly highlight the transparent windows within the design which will engage the exhibition audience. Overall the design is bold and sits strongly within the mount to present my engaging representation on the future of the banknote. 

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Colour Development

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1/ Licence to print money   

Colour Development 

With the final designs developed though an informed design process, I felt confident with my resolutions for the exhibition. One last amendment I made was altering the colour scheme, Designing with red in mind I took this through the process of development however when evaluating my final design found it would be more appropriate to play on the regional identity of the notes inspiration. Basing the design on the grade 2 listed Bank House in Leeds using the Leeds City colours of Blue and Gold would add further contextual insight to the design decisions as well as further aesthetic finesse, using the gold to connote the value of money and contrasting this with the deep blue to create a bold and engaging colour palette for the design. 

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Reverse Design Development

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Reverse Design Development 

Taking on board tutor feedback I started to experiment with how I could implement brutalist  inspired architecture into the reverse design, this resulted in taking images on the buildings and creating simple geometric shaped that were abstractly inspired by the form of particular buildings such as Trellick Tower in London and the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth. 

Inspired by the Tricorn Center, Portsmouth 

Inspired by the Trellick Tower, London

I implemented these within the reverse design using a singular colour to create a negative space pattern that was engaging in the sense of an abstract visual focal point that contextually referenced the celebration of brutalist British architecture. I embedded these brutalist inspired patterns in with some more generic geometric patters to fill the whole design which worked well in using the negative space to create a strong and engaging design treatment for the reverse design.

Reflecting on this design it was established by myself and other students that this reverse design looked like two separate components that didn't work together in synergy to amend this I ended the brutalist pattern down to meet the transparent windows blending the two components to come together in a more visually engaging manner. This also filled the space more effectively to create a large block of colour which wasn't evident within the front design to make the banknote pop. 

Final Reverse Design

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Reverse Design Experimentation

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1/ Licence to print money   

Reverse Design Experimentation 

Restricted with the transparent windows that would effect both sides of the design I sketched a range of reverse designs however found this to be the most appropriate using the large numerical value on the reverse design to contrast the written value placed on the front.

Articulating this digitally worked well in creating a large legible value that would be easily identifiable, this extends into a long thin shape that I further experimented with using negative space in different ways to create some interesting geometric patterns, these started to connote a skyline through the process of development with I thought was cool linking back to my concept of architecture. Engaging with feedback as to where I could take this design direction it was suggested by tutors that I could develop simple geometric buildings that referenced notable brutalist buildings, I liked this concept however was unsure how the direction would remain simple and identifiable therefore further development is needed to ensure this treatment is bold and engaging. 

 

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Development Feedback

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Development Feedback

With a developed design takins shape I showed this development to a range of students and tutors for feedback regarding any areas for more detailed developments, I found this feedback to be positive showing with the majority of responses praising the design concept and treatment taken throughout my design process. Tutors commented on the informed design development using the form of the building as contextual inspiration for the exhibition which can be developed into a contextual series celebrating brutalist architecture. The main element that people talked about was the combination of paper and acetate which tutors and students found engaging and innovative, combining the materials to create new focus points through the use of material and texture to engage the audience and simulate how composite materials can be used within design. 

From this feedback attention was then drawn to the exhibition it was suggested by tutors two nots should be displayed to fill the available space, though a further discussion it was established I should create a back to the note as this would further accentuate the transparent windows featured on both sides of the design. As the front design is fairly busy it was established a less separate elements should be used on the reverse design to create a well balanced resolution that would display aesthetically within the exhibition. 

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Laser Cutter Experiment

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1/ Licence to print money   

Laser Cutter Experiment

My initial later cut experiments used the iconography of the Yorkshire Rose to further this sense of national/regional pride within the connotation of my banknotes, the alternate patterns were then security features using a repeat pattern of the note value which was inspired by the holograms of the current english bank series. When testing this, I initially set the laser cutter to engrave the design however the design was to intricate and material too this therefore the laser cutter wouldn't handle this detail within the small components. 

Working from this initial experiment I refined the design to its basic components using a much simpler design of the Yorkshire rose. I had to re-deisng the alternate pattern as the typographic repeat was not legible at this small scale, re-visiting the original holograms on the current banknotes I was inspired by the large numerical value that would be distinct and had more change of being produced legibly using the laser cutter. Re-testing this new design I had to alter the settings to ensure the laser cutter didn't cut through the material and found a manually increased speed on the kiss cut setting worked in etching the design into the acetate that created an effective contrast against the more modular aesthetic of the paper banknote. 

I further experimented with the laser cut component of my design adding colour to the engraving by rubbing etching ink into the engraving and wiping the excess from the surface however found this wasn't as effective as the transparent effect the etching provided by itself therefore disregarding this stage of testing as the transparent etching was softer and complemented the paper design more appropriately creating a nice link with the spot varnished lines. 

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Banknote Development

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1/ Licence to print money   

Banknote Development 

I developed the analogue changes made to the the initial experimentation test piece which came to life digitally, the lines focused the eye towards the geometric pattern, although they look distracting at this point would be spot varnished when printed to add subtle detailing in the background of the note pattern. When printed it was identified that the note description was far too small to be easily legible, reflecting on this it was developed into a single line of text to sit directly underneath the 'five pounds sterling' title which allowed for larger point size. Another typographic addition to this development is the Bank of England logo as the concept of my banknote is a celebration of culture therefore the bank of England logo adds to the celebration of Britain and adds a sense of legitimacy to the contextuality of the design.

To further the contextuality of the design I implemented a braille translation into the top corner of the bank note for the visually impaired making it more accessible if it was required to be established within the real world taking my design decisions beyond the aesthetic for the exhibition.  

Braille 

Printing another test piece I was satisfied with how the elements came together within the note, there was continuity between the different elements following the long thin form of the note. I reviewed the window proposal that was informed by the form of the building however this development established all the window boxes could be cut out and filled with two alternate, intricate patterns that would add an extra element to the banknote and increase the ambition of the final result. 

FEEDBACK 

Asking for feedback my development thus far was praised for its design, the use of typeface was questioned however explaining the long thin structure of the letterforms reflects the style of high rise brutalist buildings this was accepted. Tutors liked the informed concept taking inspiration from the form of the building and were excited to see how the juxtaposition between paper and plastic linked with one another in the resolution. They suggested agitate would be the most appropriate material to experiment with as it would work best with the paper without getting too thick. 

Intern Workshop

Intern Workshop 

Alec Dudson editor-in-chief of Intern Magazine came into the studio to give a one day workshop focusing around publication design and inspiration. The task was to split into groups and identity a gap in the publication market for a new innovative publication, then create a quick pitch generation exercise that would present our chosen concepts back to peers, tutors and Alec.  Alec's enthusiasm really shone through as someone passionate about his work, this probably comes from intern being his brain-child however he's copiously thought himself about all aspects of the industry and the key thing I took from the session was his critical insight into the commercial considerations of the industry.

My groups concept was a termly student publication that was split into two strands a national and regional context sections. This allow the magazine to create a national reputation but also make the experience more personal focusing on key university cities to create a more focused appropriate insight to the different sub-cultures within each university city. Feedback responding to our pitch was positive with Alec commenting on the use of advertising that could fund the full magazine, through effectively re-selling adverting space 4 different times to local businesses within each university city.

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Initial Experimentation

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Initial Experimentation

Based on the initial feedback I started experimenting with different aesthetics for my bank house inspired banknote. I took inspiration from my research into Icon magazine and found art-inspired imagery of the exhibition venue that was more aesthetically engaging that standard landscape shots. Experimenting digitally I overlaid squares over the imagery to create a 2D digital pattern correlating to the form of the building. 

Developing this further I experimented with a 3D perspective and started to build up layers similar to the structure of Bank House. However this further development was later refined to a single layer as this would complement the dimensions of the physical bank note and not overcomplicate the structural pattern. The pattern is clearly representative of Bank House creating clear links to the exhibition and identifying it as a celebrated brutalist building. 

Placing this within the physical note dimensions for the first time I started to build up a picture of how the individual elements would work together cohesively within the available space. Creating the text 'five pounds sterling' further enforcing the celebration of British culture using 'sterling' within the language, this typography complements the form of the bank house inspired pattern through the similar long and thin arrangement of the text. This is accompanied by a small description 'in celebration of renowned Brutalist architecture' to simple contextualise the design for the purpose of the exhibition. 

I developed quite an analogue process for development in response to this brief printing test pieces and physically drawing on details and design developments to see how these looked on a scale model before trailing this digitally. This process aided the development of the design as it allowed more creative freedom than being restricted to digital processes. I added lines protruding from the geometric pattern and felt spot varnish would be an appropriate finishing method for these to not distract from the text but to create more refined detailing on the note that could double up as security features to prevent forgery. 

Another analogue development I made was inspired by my travel to Australia over the summer, their banknotes are produced from a plastic composite that features clear panels that adds an extra layer of depth to the design. This use of clear panels would be effective within this concept as the building is covered in large windows which would be reflected through these clear plastic elements. This would further create aesthetic detailing within my design allowing it to stand out within the exhibition however it falls back on contextual inspiration taken from the form of the exhibition venue. These panels could be etched into to add refined details too small to screen print and would act as further security to prevent any forgery from a more commercial perspective. 

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Initial Feedback

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1/ Licence to print money   

Initial Feedback

From my initial paper sketches I then asked tutors and students for feedback regarding the success of the concepts which helped in providing further direction as to which design treatment was the strongest in articulating my concept and would be most effective within the exhibition format.   The feedback received was fairly positive however tutors suggested that the contemporary aesthetic of treatment 1 would have a short lifespan due to the ever evolving nature of contemporary design therefore would be less effective for a series of banknotes that need to remain engaging over their long circulation period. 

It was suggested that treatment 2 was by far the most appropriate in terms of my concept which is a celebration of British brutalist architecture as highlighting examples from the country will evoke a sense of national pride and increases its lifespan being used as a celebration as opposed to a trend. Using the form of the exhibition venue to display within the exhibition provided a further sense of context relevance for the purpose of the exhibition which will be clearly articulated, this can alter be extended into a set of banknotes inspired by key brutalist buildings around the UK to holistically celebrate the breath of brutalist British architecture. 

From this feedback It was established that design treatment 2 was the most appropriate to develop further therefore will experiment wit different aesthetic based on the bank house design treatment in order to create a successful exhibition piece that translates appropriately into my design concept. 

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Initial Paper Sketches

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1/ Licence to print money   

Initial Paper Sketches

Through the process of research and refining my concept to a focused theme I started to sketch quick design treatment around the centralised focus of the brutalist design movement. These were not limited of thought out merely initial articulations of ideas that could later be defined through more focused critical thinking. 

TREATMENT 1

This design treatment takes inspiration from the aesthetic style of ICON magazine and other art based architectural magazine images, the contemporary aesthetic will re-establish the brutalist movement and re-engagement it with contemporary culture. The note design could be extended within a range of geometric brutalist inspired patterns to create a close synergy within the set that celebrates the movement changing public perceptions of British architectural history. 

TREATMENT 2 

Taking the ecology of the exhibition literally I took inspiration from the exhibition building itself a recently grade 2 listed brutalist monument in the centre of Leeds. Using the bespoke design of the staggered windows creates a geometric pattern with a sense of contextual integrity that more accurately celebrates clear examples of British Brutalist architecture. This could be easily extended as a set with other notable examples of British Architecture from around the UK creating a true celebration of regional and national pride within the series of banknotes. 

TREATMENT 3 

Geometric shapes forms the basis of this design treatment informed through brutalist architecture, this treatment adopts the style and re-invents the use of shape and texture within contemporary geometric patterns that can be easily extended across a series of notes. the boarders and block patterns with create a sense of clear consistency and the large typography elements make the notes clearly legible especially for foreign tourists with the bold use of numerical values. 

OUGD505: Studio Brief 1 - Extended Research: Icon Magazine

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Icon Magazine

Through my research of Brutalist Architecture I  started taking inspiration from architecture photography particularly within the Icon magazine which became a strong source of architectural inspiration which works well at blending art and architecture into an engaging aesthetic. Established in 2003 by Marcus Fairs it recently celebrated its 150th issue with a further redesign, this refined the content and created an engaging aesthetic that could be translated into a potential design direction. 

Icon article on brutalism http://www.iconeye.com/opinion/review/item/12444-concrete-concep I particularly liked the aesthetic used within the imagery for this article, the modular imagery can be developed into an engaging design direction that represents the moment in an contemporary aesthetic. 

OUGD505: Study Task 4 - Vote

This study task was entered around re-engaiggng a particular demographic with voting, this 18-22 year old demographic felt unengaged and ill-informed from the policies to want to being engaged with the process of voting. Our concept took inspiration from a university based feedback incentive which provided free pizza and beer in return for feedback, this unsurprisingly was particularly with students and allowed the university to receive a good range of accurate feedback. Developing this within our concept we prepared a partnership between YouGov and Dominoes to create a promotional campaign to promote voting through a range of limited edition pizza boxes. The concept was praised for its originality and understanding of the target audience as a viable means to engage this student dominated demographic with British politics.