Visual Identity - Brief

BA (Hons) Graphics Year 1 Unit BA1b

Date: 21.09.15 to 02.10.15

Project: Visual Identity – Stationery design 

The brief in a sentence
Create a visual identity for a club or society (listed below) without using a logo. The outcome will be produced as a set of stationery, and utilise the creative opportunities the stationery elements present.

Context
This assignment introduces you to stationery design and the idea of visual identity. It is designed to help you to continue to develop your knowledge and understanding of visual communication and the relationship between word, image and format. It also encourages you to expand your conceptual and realisation skills.

The challenge
A visual identity can be so much more than a logo, this assignment asks that you consider all the elements of the materials that you are working with and explore format, colour, texture and the visual language associated with your subject to create an all encompassing visual identity. Whilst the majority of these organisations can be seen as idiosyncratic or eccentric, they do exist and can therefore be taken seriously. Consider one of the clubs, societies or associations listed below and design a stationery range for one of them.
We do not want you to give emphasis to a logotype, instead, try to make visual and physical connections between the organisation itself and the physical properties of the stationery range you design.

The Audience
The audience should be the members of the group or society you have chosen, your research should inform your understanding of them, and the values of the society.

Things to consider
Connecting your ideas to the physical possibilities presented by the stationery format.

The Ballroom Dancers Federation. 
Marbles Association.
The British Housewives League. 
The Dangerous Sports Club. 
Tunneling Society.
Entrepreneurs Society
The Polite Society.
Circus Fans Association.
Association of Headmistresses.
British Association of Plastic Surgeons. 
The International Society of Idiots 
Knitting Society
Northern Society
The British Astronomical Association
The Debating Society
The Assassins Society
Tea Appreciation Society
Curry Appreciation Society
Collectors Society
The National Button Society
The Sleep Society
Society of Women Engineers.
Association of Anaesthetists.
The Letterbox Study Group.
The Society for the Preservation of Useless Objects 
The Mathematical Society.
The Poetry Society.
Anarchist Society.
Society of Cartographers.
The Folklore Society.
The English Spelling Society.
Morris Dancing Society.
The Village Green Preservation Society.

Backpackers Club.
Software Preservation Society.
Origami Society
Society for Story Telling
British Mini Golf Society
Association of British Launderers & Cleaners 
The Cacophony Society
The Shouting Society
Abstaining Motorists Association. 
Association of Amusement Parks and Piers. 
The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association
Live Music society
Parkour Society
The Line Dancers Society
The Ancient Order of Froth Blowers
Idea Society
Role Play Society
The Inventors Society
Society of Dyers and Colourists
The Puzzle Society
Association of Good Motorists.
Association of British Climatologists.
Badge Collectors Circle.
The Society for Clean Air.
Ergonomics Society
Philosophy Society.
Ergonomics Society.
Pylon Appreciation Society
Competitive Eating Society
The Victorian Society.
The Heraldry Society.
The Model Makers Society
Gin Appreciation Society

Assessment

For assessment, you will be required to submit the following:
• All visual research, analysis and development specifically relating to this project
• The stationery range should include a letter, envelope, compliment slip and business card. Your stationery should be presented as fully realised visuals.

Books

• Ambrose, G. & Aono-Billson, N. (2011) Approach & Language, AVA
  
• Bergstrom, B. (2008) Essentials of Visual Communication, Laurence King
  
• Marshall, M & Meachem, L. (2010) How to Use Images, Laurence King
  
• Johnson, M. (2002) Problem Solved, Phaidon
  
• Ingledew, J. (2011) The A-Z of Visual Ideas, Laurence King
  
• Twemlow, A. (2006) What is Graphic Design For?, Rotovision
  
• 
  
• Jury, D. (2006) What is Typography? Rotovision
  Periodicals
  Computer Arts Creative Review Eye Magazine
  Internet
  http://www.designweek.co.uk http://www.creativereview.co.uk http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog http://typewi.se http://www.septemberindustry.co.uk http://www.trendlist.org http://typocircle.com/learn http://itsnicethat.com http://formfiftyfive.com http://www.designweek.co.uk http://www.dandad.org/ http://www.istd.org.uk/ http://www.ycn.org/ 
  

Unit BA1a Feedback

I can not belive I got a First in my first ever hand in at uni!
I am so over the moon with it. I would never had guessed in a million years I would get above 70% especially not on my first hand in!

I attended my feedback section where Rob was very happy with my work. The only things he mentioned was I needed to used more bolds and italics within my work, not just different colours. To make my labels smaller in my portfolio and to not leave blank pages for booklets, just put them over the spreads of the pages.

So so happy!

Illustrator Induction 2

I always really enjoy the digital workshop that we do. Digital work is one of my strengths and something I really enjoy. 

In this workshop we learnt how to create specific effects in Illustrator like making something look speckled or adding a shine to create a button. We also went over how to image trace a drawing and warp letters. 

Another really good workshop where I learnt techniques that will be really handy for future projects 

The first hand in!!!

Oh my god!
Hand in was so stressful! I've been working day and night for about a week and a half to get everything done how I want it.
I'm so happy it's all done now and we get a little break before we start unit 2.

I'm one of those people who think there work is never done. Even now there are things I would change. If I had my way I would carry on changing tiny things for weeks just so it would be perfect in my mind.

Overall I am really happy with my submission. There have been lot of things learnt along the way and I'm looking forward to the rest of the year!

Now time to sleep!

Reflective Journal Statement

Jemma Rayner

Reflective Journal Statement

BA1a

I have really enjoyed this unit and the term so far. I’ve found the projects both challenging and inspiring and have learnt a lot of new skills in a short amount of time.

Last year I was on the year 0 course at NUA. I really believe that this has prepared me for the demands of year 1 and without the foundation I might not have coped so well under the pressure.

The first project, One Word Poster, was a good starting point. I found the large group crits helpful as we could all see each other’s work and hear advice about different element for future reference. I started to manage my time between the main project, tasks and extras such as lectures and keeping my reflective journal updated. I played about with a couple of ideas but chose to use the word ‘zone’ as I could make a really strong composition with it. I was scared of white space before this project and always tried to fill the page. I now realise that white space can be powerful and that less is more. I really enjoyed this project and I am very happy with my outcome.

I found the second project, Typographic Collection, more challenging, as I had not done anything like this before. I went through four ideas before I chose to look for the letter A around uni and home. I started to think about how I could make the collection different as everyone had gravitated towards doing a classic style booklet. I found it helpful talking to a tutor who showed me different styles of booklets. I decided on an A3 sheet folded down to create a pocket size collection. I learnt a lot about InDesign though trial and error as well as the inductions. This was only the second time I had used the programme, the first was for the Baker’s Dozen summer project. This was also the first time I had used a DSLR camera properly. I went to the induction and learn how to control all the settings in manual mode. Workshops and inductions like this are really handy to learn skills that are related to graphic design.  I found keeping up with the tasks a lot harder over this two week project as there were just so many and my time management skills where tested. Thankfully I caught up and was happy with my outcome.

The final project, Type and Image booklet was really enjoyable because I had the freedom to create whatever I liked as I was my target audience. I hired out a DSLR camera from uni and took over 250 good quality photos of Yarmouth. At the time I had no idea what narrative I was going to base my booklet on so I just took as many photos as I could. I started quite slowly with this project, as I didn’t have a clear idea of where I was going with it. I started with the idea of creating an old looking booklet and making the photos look old but I didn’t really know how to not just create an old fashioned ‘come to Yarmouth’ piece. I went to my first crit with only a couple of edited photos where I was given the advice not to copy the old style booklets, because it would just look bad, but to take pieces from them. I decided to make it postcard size as in the boom of the British seaside holiday everyone would send postcards. I found a poem online which had won a competition all about how Yarmouth isn’t great any more. I picked out images from my photos that fit each line of the poem and continued to edit them the way I had planed. The project all came together really fast after I started to roll with a strong idea. I am proud of the photographs in this piece and these are defiantly the main element of the booklet.

Overall I have really enjoyed this unit and all the things that going along with it such as the workshops, inductions and lectures. I look forward to the next project where I can learn more new skills and continue to challenge myself.

Unit BA1a Contextual Studies

I am really proud of myself for completing the contextual studies research report. 

I chose to make the report into a booklet, as it kept all the information together in one place. It's not the best designed booklet but it is clear to see and navigate through with all of the titles in a bold red. I put in lots of extra research on top of the tasks we were set to really broaden my understanding of my subject. 

Writing essays is not my strong point as I am dyslexic and struggle in all aspects of writing. This is probably why I am so happy with the outcome of this piece. I want to start the next contextual studies project soon so I don't leave it all to the last minute, as I did with this one! 

The Medium is the Message - Brief (Directed Study)

BA (Hons) Graphics Year 1 Unit BA1a
Group Project

Date: 09.11.15 to 26.11.15

The medium is the message

The brief in a sentence
Working in a group devise or select a message you wish to communicate and choose a medium that is appropriate to that message

Context
In an infamous lecture given to Playboy magazine Marshall McLuhan argued,
“every human artefact can be seen as a medium of communication”. Anything that has been altered or intervened by human activity has the potential to be used as a medium. In turn, that media will significantly interfere with and affect any intended message or content. Hence the aphorism: “the medium is the message”.
This assignment is designed to encourage you to explore alternative methods and media to communicate ideas effectively. Understanding the connection between what you want to say and how you are saying it.

The audience
The audience will be determined by the message you choose to communicate – who are you speaking to and why do they need to know what you are saying?

Things to consider
The medium should be appropriate to the message and the message must successfully communicate to its desired audience. You will be required to document your group process and present your final outcomes back to the whole year. The outcome can be moving image, large format, 3 dimensional, interactive, whatever is appropriate.

Expectation
An appropriate and creative response to your chosen message. 

Type and Image Booklet - Final Crit

My final crit on my booklet was an interesting one!
I had made all my prototypes and had decided on what my final booklet would look like. I didn't have my crit until the afternoon so I had all morning to go into the print room and put together the final copy.
Well, I printed out the booklet and the cover, foiled the cover and started cutting it all out with a scalpel when I realised The booklet had been printing out the wrong size! I must have ticked scale to fit and it was about and inch too big all the way around!
I went to the crit with my prototype and the miss sized booklet.

I was told everything looked good and Emma liked the paper stock I had chosen.
I was given the advice to shorten the title to make it pop more.

Overall I was very happy with my feedback. It just proves that you should always go to a crit even if your work is in a mess!