OUGD504 - Brief 3 - Final Critique

OUGD504: Brief 3: Type In Context

Final Critique

I presented my final publication to a group of students and tutors for feedback as to whether they feel I have produced a successful resolution to the brief. There was a largely prositve response to my publication with comments including 'looks like something you'd buy' and 'really professional finish'. Students liked the use of black and white imagery and loved the context of the publication using a selection of letters to spell out Australia, they further commented on the innovative idea to vectorise the letterform from the photography and place it in the corner to further highlight the context however one student said he would have liked me to draw more attention to this. When questioned about the first page that was initially a cover design I explained it was inspired from travel stamps which was then commented that it was a great source of inspiration and added a further context to the design. 

Some of the students said they found the illustrations too distracting and felt it should have left them out, taking on board these comments I see how the sporadic nature of the illustration may look busy and distracting however through the my tutor agreed that during the development process without the illustrations the spreads looked far too minimal therefore if reproducing these spreads I would probably look for an intermediate between the illustrations not being as distracting yet the spread not looking too minimal. Overall the majority of the feedback was positive and students liked the concept and execution of my publication, I take on board the comments regarding the illustrations being potentially distracting however I feel it adds a fun and engaging element to the spreads that make them individual and will ensure the publication remains engaging from start to finish. 

OUGD504 - Brief 1 - Final Critique

OUGD504: Brief 1: My Design Process

Final Critique

I put a lot of thought into the development since the interim critique I was looking forward to gaining further feedback from a range of students and lecturers in my final critique I presented my mock ups and explained the limited facilities meant I could only present a sample of what the final resolution would look like if printed professionally. I also presented my concept and talked through my content being appropriate to my resolution. 

Some of the key feedback picked up during this critique were that students felt I only needed to foil the cover as this would still give a bold engaging aesthetic yet save on cost as it would be expensive to foil the whole leaflet. When I questioned this they felt they felt the inside would not look bare without colour and felt the aesthetic would work well in a monochrome palette as shown on my scale mock up. 

They liked the cyclic process of the folding technique and loved how this was reinforced through the visual elements within my leaflet. Students felt my design was heavily informed by my research making the content even more engaging and the concept far stronger. I was happy with this feedback as I really tried to create an informed design that enhanced the content sourced from the design council. Finally they felt the content itself was very informative and had a good tone of voice that ws instructive and straight to the point. They liked how the content was so generic making it appropriate to a range of creative disciplines and was informed by research from a credible source making it more factually accurate and worth while information. I was pleased about this as I was initially worried about not creating y own content however this reinforces how my content is effective and appropriate as it has real life application being versatile and substantiated by evidence. 

Following the critique I had a development that would allow me to create a singular resolution as my target audience felt it would be appropriate to only foil the cover this would make it feasible to screen print the foil onto the design which would allow me to print the resolution to scale and physically apply the foil which removes toner complications that arose in my development. I chose to screenrpint the title and diamonds on the back cover to create an engaging cover and bold first impression and a solid statement on the reverse. I then planned to reprint my leaflet and screen print these finishing details to create my final resolution.

Studio Brief 4 - Final Critique

Studio Brief 4 - Reflective Practise - Speaking from experience  

Final Critique 

I presented my finished resolution to a group of students and tutors in my final critique. They responded really well to my resolution and gave me good quality feedback. They felt the resolution was appropriate and unique because it was a physical product which was great way to show how diverse graphic design can be. They told me the outcome will provide a confidence boost to new students by telling them they can be anything. The group really liked the bright colours and get they would stand out and be very appealing to the first years. 

One student said they felt the statements were very inspirational and will make them want to pick it up in freshers and keep it. The whole group thought my outcome was very professional and thought DIN was a great type choice. My tutor mentioned that it was great to show new students that a type only outcome can be really effective as this is rare to see in prospective students portfolios and first year students, it is often mostly image based. He thought this was good as it might inspire new students to experiment with type only designs. 

Finally he added that if I still had my screen developed that it might be a nice addition to print some posters of the designs to put inside the bags as he felt it might be a nice addition to have something new students an put up in their rooms. 

I was very pleased with this feedback and agreed with the points made. I like the idea of having something inside the bags to reinforce the concept and will see if I have enough time before submission to screen print some posters. 

Design Principles - What is a Book - Final Critique

Design Principles

What is a book? 
Final Critique

For the final critique I was asked to identify a range of questions that I wanted to find out about my final resolution.  I firstly asked if the book appealed to students as they were the target audience, I received very positive comments that embodied my concept and design direction well for example;

‘The cover works well with the dark aesthetic and the off white stock really complements it, love the spacious layout’ 

'Yes - really works, it's got quite a dark aesthetic with the black thread bind, relation to death which is mentioned in your title - the screen print and embossing is ambiguous and effective' 

'yes i like the size the most. A big book on type would be not be fun at all but this works. very professional, it would make me trust the content. 

This shows that some of my main concepts such as a minimal design and sinister concept are coming through to my target audience with no prior explanation which is extremely encouraging that I have portrayed this message through visual communication. I feel this shows I have been successful as it greatly appealed to my target audience. 

I then asked if before submission I should glue the first and last pages to the covers as I felt this could make it look more professional however 58% of the responses said they liked the pages unglued, reasoning behind this included; 

‘No, the gap nicely emphasises the amount of white space in the book’

‘No. I think it may ruin it’ 

'Yes, it will tidy the book up nicely'

I ultimately decided not to glue the covers based on target audience feedback I was also apprehensive of ruining the design and did not want to use adhesive as I have had a number of bad experiences with it. 

Finally I asked if they felt the book was educational to evaluate its purpose, I also asked if students could see themselves using it to learn/refresh their memory of type? students reacted positively saying; 

‘Yes! the definitions are easy to find so it would good quick reminder when working’ 

'more content would have been nice’

‘I think examples within the actual content would make the definitions easier’ 


I feel my target audience reacted extremely positively to my final resolution making it a successful outcome as it is aesthetically pleasing and fits its purpose well. I think the content is simple and direct however would consider including examples if I were to undertake the project again. 

I feel my final outcome was largely successful as demonstrated by the positive feedback I received from my final critique. I feel this was largely to my constant feedback and referral to students which informed my design decisions. I was initially disappointed that I couldn't use my initial stock selection however feel that the print room alternative worked equally well as it made the images more vibrant and as commented in the final critique complemented the cover well. I am extremely happy with the final design direction of my publication I feel the aesthetic is simple and contemporary which appeals to my target audience  I like the sinister juxtaposition between the typographic definition and illustration as I feel this makes the content more engaging. This is reinforced though feedback from the final critique which demonstrates how the design is appropriate for the target audience. 

I feel the overall brief was successful as I  followed a clear design process that worked well for me to  collate research and gain a range of inspiration. I kept to my rough time plan well which ensured sufficient time for designing and the production of my resolution. This was an initial concern for me as due to the extended timeframe of the brief. 

Design Principles - What is a Book - Final Cover Design

Design Principles

What is a book? 
Final Cover Design

Having agreed and responded to tutor feedback I then re-designed my cover using only the spot varnish for the text. Unfortunately over the Easter break my screen had been washed meaning I had to start the whole screen print process again which is unfortunate. I followed the same process debating the geometric shape first them applying the spot varnish via screen print. I got the technician to assist me, we were able to create a fairly exact outcome for the first attempt but were unable to reproduce this due to the spot varnish drying too quickly on the screen. I washed it and re-applied this first method with worked for second singular print . 

I was far happier with this outcome that my first attempt of screen printing as it feel it will improve the overall quality of the book. The design is subtle and tasteful with the use of intricate processes such as debossing and screen printing that will appeal to the target audience. The design is consistent with the minimal aesthetic of the book and reflects the sinister context subtly with the use of stark two-tone black and title 'Death By Type'.

Studio Brief 3 - Final Critique

Studio Brief 3 - Collaborative Practise - Leeds Library Exhibition Branding 

Final Critique

We presented out final concept pitch to the programme leader and a range of second year student. I thought our presentation went well as we created a formational presentation that highlighted our collective body of work as we articulated our design decision and we also compiled a comprehensive budget tier system to aid our presentation. 

Overall the feedback we received was mixed as a group they loved the concept and felt it was unique to place the focus on the students as opposed to the work however they were unsure if the concept was strong enough for members of the public. 

They felt the design of the flyer was inconsistent with the rest of the collateral with the use of chevrons

It was suggested that there was too much text on the invitation which makes it off putting and unappealing to read

Most students felt hanging the work at an angle would not work and would be irritating however they lived the concept of vinyl decals around the space at 45 degree angles

They liked the alternative invitation however felt it may be unfeasible to produce due to the accuracy of folding the time consumption and print budget. 

I agree with the feedback given and feel as though it was overall quite positive as they loved our collateral they especially like the continuity between the design (except the flyers) and were particularly impressed by our attention to detail with the budget tiers. I feel the changed they suggested would be easily amenable if our propel was selected as to be produced.

Studio Brief 2 - Final Critique

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

Final Critique 

Following the development of my concept from its initial idea to a sophisticated concept I feel I created a successful resolution to the brief. I presented this resolution to a group of students and lecturers to gain summative feedback towards my final design. Prior to the critique I prepared a short presentation highlighting the inspiration behind the concept and the two colour variations I was previously undecided between. I presented my concept which received very positive feedback the lecturer said that I 'had a strong concept which took great initiative to look at the exhibition space and surroundings to create a really unique concept' I was extremely happy with this feedback as the main focus of my design was it's concept.

I then asked to conduct a vote to see which was the most popular colour palette within the group present in the critique, I found that it was roughly 50/50 with 7 saying the preferred the yellow variation and 6 preferring the blue variation, however it was suggested that during the screen printing process I could experiment with both colours and re-evaluate this decision based on the outcome of the finished screen prints. I felt this was really good advice as I can determine the strongest variation based on the final outcomes. 

I was given some minor suggestions that would make the screen printing process more successful for example it was suggested that I printed on A3 paper with the excess of the cropped mosaic segments printed too which could then be cropped down to A4 size allowing for a bleed margin incase of unintentional offset etc. Another questionable factor was that the subtitle was too small to be reproduced via screen printing  I suggested making the whole are of text larger to keep the square formatting which students said was a good idea as they liked this square formatting of the text and the choice of typeface especially as it relates to the libraries signage.

Overall the group thought my concept was extremely strong and was an appropriate resolution to the brief. I am happy with the outcome of this concept and am looking forward to screen printing the design to achieve a high quality finish.

Studio Brief 1 - Final Critique

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

Final Critique

In preparation for the final critique for this brief we were advised to only present 1 or 2 designs as I had developed 3 sophisticated concepts I performed an informal critique before the final critique to see which designs other students found the most engaging and felt had the strongest concepts. I asked the majority of my year group as well as a range of lecturing staff and found that the abstract brain concept and the digital window concept were both really strong amongst this group. I collated this feedback from a range of face to face discussion and asking people to like their favourite designs on a Facebook group created for Graphic Design students. Based on this feedback I decided to present them both in the final critique to gain further feedback which would then ultimately help me to decide which design to submit to as the final resolution to the brief. 

Following this I presented these two concepts in the final critique. Similarly to the interim critique this method of feedback was not standard of other critique's I have taken part in during my time on the course so far. This critique paired us up with another student and analyse another students work following the analytical framework of 'D.I.E.T.' (Describe, Interpret, Evaluate, Theorise) this ensured we discussed the work in-depth looking at it from a range of perspectives and justifying our opinions to our pairs. I think this worked well as it ensured I thought analytically about the work and provided some high end feedback. 

DESIGN 1

I feel this pair interpreted this design well, this shows I have clearly communicated my concept as this is clearly the message I was trying to portray. This is encouraging as it has so clearly been understood without any prior description.  I like the evaluation as they have linked all of the concepts to the message I aimed to convey, this shows that I have succeeded in attaching connotations to my design for them to so clearly and successfully evaluate the design. In theorising the design they have identified some issues they would change however I critically disagree with these comments. They felt the image has been compromised due to the type and felt it looks flat however the primary aim of the type was to subtly blend in with the style of the image at a first glance and become legible when analysed more closely, I feel the image succeeds in doing so and do not feel the type would benefit from a thicker stroke or texture as suggested. I am happy with this feedback as it is largely positive and shows I have clearly communicated my intended message. 

DESIGN 2 

I think that this pair missed some of the message behind this image in their interpretation, I feel they clearly identified the obvious components of the squares forming a window and linking this to the lyric in the track 'people turn the tv on, it looks just like a window' they stated the colours seem bright and happy and could be seen as trippy however I sourced inspiration from the colours used within the music video and supported by their bold confident aesthetic, similar to that of St. Vincents music. Their evaluation states the design is successful however I think they are missing some of the symbolism in regard to the evidently artificial and digitalised landscape emphasising our dependance on digital technology. This stereotypical image is the kind of generic image one would find if they googled window and shows how we can come to accept this as fact through reinforcement from the internet. They raised several questions within theorising this design most of which I have addressed throughout my response for example the colours are taken from the confident nature of the artist and colours present in the tracks music video and the images are typical of a basic window scene found on the internet. I like one of their suggestions to change the squared window to that of a TV screen to reinforce the song lyric more evidently however I would look at changing this to app icons similar to those found on an iPhone to reinforce the digital reliance. I will look at developing this as a result of feedback before submission of a final design. 

Studio Brief 2 - Final Critique

Studio Brief 2 - Design Processes, Research

Final Critique

For the final critique I presented my research to 1/3 of the group and a lecturer. I felt my presentation went well, I presented my books for students to look through at their leisure whilst I verbally explained the concept behind my collection and how I collated my research. 

I received some positive feedback from the lecturer saying my presentation was 'concise' and 'bang on the 2 minute limit' We then talked about how I could take this forward into brief 3. Some students offered suggestions such as 'a collectors guide' however I think this may already exist and would not be innovative but I will research this option during studio brief 3. 1 student said 'I've never seen one of these 50p pieces' which I found strange as they have been in circulation for a number of years however this could have highlighted a potential problem in the awareness of these coins is not broadcast to a mainstream audience. 

I feel my critique was successful and largely positive although I feel I will have to think creatively as to how I can use this research to inform studio brief 3. 

Studio Brief 1 - Final Critique

Studio Brief 1 - Design Processes, Frame Shape

Final Critique 

I framed my final pieces in order to demonstrate them in context I felt this was more appropriate than photoshopping my final designs into context as it would also help me with my presentation in the final critique. I presented my final set of designs to a group of students and staff in order to evaluate my performance during this brief. I explain the concept of my design and stated what influenced my design decisions. 

Overall the reaction to my outcomes was very positive. Students gave feedback such as 'I like how you've used your own pictures to make it personal', 'it looks minimalist and contemporary which I think works well' and 'I like the type as it works with the style of the images'. I was questioned about what type of shop I would sell my designs I felt the most suitable type of store would be a relatively upmarket homeware store for example Selfridges or looking at boutique stores with bespoke unique products. 

I am happy with my outcomes, I feel they work well as a set and looked aesthetically pleasing, the use of a contemporary imagery with sleek typography and the use of white space all worked in unison to create a range of successful designs. 

Studio Brief 3 - Final Critique

Studio Brief 3 - Message and Delivery - Research

Final Critique

For my final critique I decided to present my information on A3 boards however later I found that the presentation could be delivered through a projector so I presented these boards digitally with accompanying notes summarising each of the aspects I have researched. I feel the presentation style was appropriate as I thought the best way to present extended research would be to show the information clearly in set columns, this also gave the information added academic connotations. Full information from these boards can be found here; Studio Brief 3 - Research

Board 1

Board 2 

Board 3 

I felt my presentation went well, I summarised the relevant information in a succinct and hopefully engaging manner, Some of the feedback I received was largely positive for example it was clear to see I had undertaken extensive research that covered a wide range of topics. A student said she liked the presentation because 'The columns remind me of a newspaper layout' they also said they liked my focus on the ambiguity and bias of the media. However a member of staff said I could have improved it my just adding key information to the digital presentation and elaborating verbally on this as a text heavy publication is not ideal to present. I agree with this feedback however I felt the only way to evidence my extended research was to display it throughout the presentation.

_________________________________________________________________________

I chose to elaborate on this constructive feedback to see how my presentation would have differed if I had only included key information on the digital projector. Here is an example of how one slide may have looked; 

Revised presentation style

I agree with the feedback given as this new style would have made the presentation more aesthetically pleasing and inviting as text heavy document do not normally attract an audience, If I were to conduct this research again I feel I would use a similar style to this for the presentation and include a physical handout detailing the my full body of research for my audience to read at their leisure. 

Studio Brief 1 - Final Critique

OUGD401 - Alphabet Soup
Final Critique

For my final critique I prepared a number of design sheets each documenting;

• The name of the design 'Design 1' etc 
• The concept behind the design 
• The final 10x10cm Design 
• as well as a digital version of what the design may look like in context 

This helped me to present my ideas to the group efficiently and effectively. Specific comments were made about the presentation of my concepts, The lecturer leading the critique said he like how the designs were clearly labelled for extremely easy referencing, He also like the use of the design in context as it allowed the group to see what a potential design would like as a word. He did mention however I could have included a brief research paragraph documenting the research and development of each concept. 

Design 1

Design 2

Design 3

Design 4

Design 5

Design 6

Design 7

Design 8

Design 9

Design 10

I feel the group reacted well to the designs, they were engaged and responded positively when I presented my concepts. Although a little shy at times I received some good quality feedback. Overall the two most popular designs were; Design 7 and Design 9, I feel this is because they are both sleek modern minimal and effectively convey my assigned word 'Empty'. Some of the feedback included one student saying the design is 'simplistic but effective' another student reiterated this saying 'it's simple and conveys the message well'. I was given some constructive criticism that I could remove the crossbar of the 'A'  in Design 9 to create a totally void empty space, although it is too late to alter this concept now I could look at implementing it in Studio Brief 2, which is informed by Studio Brief 1. Finally the lecturer added that it would be easy to adapt digitally with the potentially for a good quality outcome. 

Based on this feedback I have decided to choose Design 9 to be carried forward into Studio Brief 2, this is because the design is modern and minimal, clearly conveys my assigned word as well as keeping to its origins of Futura and it has been popular with myself, students and lecturing staff.