Design Practice Blog: OUGD406 Design Practice

I started by identifying a problem I had encountered over the past year:

Finding inspiration and researching the possibilities of graphic design.
I had mentioned this in a tutorial I had with Simon Harrison.
My problem was that I felt like I had become too focused on modernistic design.
I needed to become aware of a wider range of design to inspire my route away from this modernistic design.

I also wanted to do something I hadn't done all year, I hadn't made any form of booklet this year as of yet so I set to incorporate this into my brief.

This is the brief I wrote:

Concept development:

I wanted to create a concept behind the publication that was personal to me, what best to take a quote for the manifesto we created for a PPP session;

'Design is to be a lifestyle and to be fully immersed within it is almost compulsory'

I paraphrased the quote to 'Staying Immersed'.

Staying immersed within design inspiration and information can only surely be a beneficial thing.

I have also encountered a almost rejection of modernism, I was once only interested in the movements inspired work however I now see it as a restriction.

For this reason, I wanted to use a serif, ornamented typeface.

Taking inspiration from the sources I had discovered this year would only be used to retain my concept:

I would like to use a similar typeface, in keeping with the formal tone of the word 'immersed' seems fitting.

A smaller cover reveals a small section of the image, I think this aspects is more likely to attract the target audience of first year students.

I rarely have used colour in my work this year.
A gradient would be, personally, a select choice to express my inspiration.
The gradient idea also fits with staying immersed within a liquid, the other definition of immersed.

The contrast of serif typefaces and minimal covers is something I have become found of.

I started by adding the gradient which increased as the reader became more immersed.
The typeface Ovo.
4 images and 4 rectangles of body copy on half an A4.

The typeface Ovo:

I had not used a serif typeface all year and Ovo fit with the formality of the word 'Immersed'.

Format:

The brief states to consider the ergonomics and media/ approach of the publication;

I am going to create an A5 booklet, as this is the common stock, A4 in half.

I have considered ordinary paper however, the last ability of this is questionable however the price of printing on thicker matte paper from digital print could cost a lot @75p per A4.

Stapling as a bind will be the most efficient, cost effective and durable.

Content:

I have included places, blogs and other material that I use myself, the collection is of my curation.

I have focused on tumblr as I believe this to be an under used resource.

In the production and research of the publication, I have myself become more immersed in design culture. Talking to the people who run the blogs has been a first and could be beneficial in the future.

I have talked to people who run the tumblr blogs ranging from Leeds to Singapore.

Initial design and development:

I began to notice the gradient looked somewhat cheap and began questioning its use.

The rotation of the title and other headlines was only realised when I noticed it would fit better with the concept of being immersed. Although not fully immersed within the blue layer, I wanted to portray the immersion I had when first starting the course;

The blue rectangle representing water could be printed on however, as the inspiration I showed earlier includes, a section covering the front page creates intrigue. I decided the blue to be a separate layer that would bind around the book.
Preferably blue acetate but I have found this hard to find but I will keep trying. Blue card could be used as an alternative although it would not be opaque, it will be little compromise.

The rotation began to run through the book creating a stronger concept visualisation;

Reading horizontally did create an aspect of confusion, first year students really don't need!

I am very happy with the final outcome,

The feedback from the crit was positive and the only negative mentioned was the material but this has been taken into consideration I am planning on getting the design printed on thicker stock as I not intending to create 60+ copies.