OUGD406 - Speaking from Experience : Further Research

Equipment illustrations

I want to create a digital desk which illustrates all of the equipment which the first years will need to have everyday. I began to research this after finding a digital survival kit during my initial research stage.

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I really like these pencil illustrations, they are a fun way of illustrating something which is quite a boring object. The style I have in mind for my illustrations is something along these lines or something which is really stripped back and simplistic. I could use a style quite similar to this throughout my pack as I think it will showcase the creative range of the course. 

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Another option I have is to produce something which is slightly more hand rendered than digital. I found these really cute illustrations which could work really well for the concept, I think they work well for larger objects as there is not much detail within each but for the objects I wish to convey it might be difficult to include all of the intricate details I hope for. 

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A way for me to include the detail whilst also keeping my drawings hand rendered I could draw them completely by hand. Zoe More O'Ferrall is an illustrator who I admire hugely. I think her attention to detail in her rough little illustrations is really interesting and skillful. Though I love this kind of illustration I do not think it matches the tone of voice I hope for. 

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Another style I have in mind is almost information graphic style. I like these illustrations because they are so simple which I think makes them very memorable and unique. I think I would prefer to produce something in this style as it reflects my personal tastes and interests. 

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My preferred style is something like this which I found on Designspiration I like the digital aspect to these illustrations and think tat the detail is really interesting and cleverly done. 

Stickers

I want to create a set of stickers which will be helpful for students within crits and when constructing mock-ups etc. I found a really cool example of stickers which are already in the industry. 

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These stickers come from a designers survival kit which I found on Behance. I think they are really useful and handy to have within a crit. I think I would change the language as the students might not need stickers about web design but these could be updated and altered in the future. 

Folder/Box concept

Though I plan on producing a desk type base I wanted to research into folders and boxes as a back as I have reservations about the desk idea. 

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I think a folder would be much more efficient to carry around rather than a desk which cannot really be moved. I have looked into really simple folders as I think they are best suited to my project. I like this simple folder and how there is a slight amount of text included on the flap. This could be quite nice to put on the side of my folder and I would hope that it would make my kit more welcoming. 

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I could produce something which is a lot more technical and organised. I like this folder with organising compartments, this would be great for the students to use alongside the survival kit. I think if I was given something like this I would use it all of the time to keep paperwork and drawings in. Though I like this concept it would require a higher level of skill and stock to produce. I also feel that the content of my kit would be overpowered by the large folder. 

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Alternatively I could produce something completely different which could also be used along with the kit. A stand alone carrier would be better for home storage rather than for the students to carry around with them but I think that they would choose a separate piece of the kit for a different day. I like the concept of this but I would have to make it quite small for my kit not to look too small inside. 

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I really like the idea of creating a cross between an envelope and a folder and think it could be really effective and look interesting. I would like to experiment with this idea and make my own alterations to cater perfectly for my kit. 

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My initial idea before I changed my idea to printed kit was to produce a box which would contain the content. I could still do this though it would have to be quite small and thin so to not look like my work was lost inside it.  I like the idea of printing onto the box and also putting a belly band around it with the information about the content printed onto it. 

Flashcards

I am designing a set of flashcards which will answer some of the burning questions which the first years might have. The design of them will be simple and have some resemblance to a deck of playing cards. When researching this I came across the following pieces of design.

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I found this deck of cards on Designspiration. I really like the effect of opacity which has been applied to this design. I would like to design something like this as I think it adds a aspect of fun to the card idea. I could possibly design a whole set of flashcards which can also be used as a deck of playing cards. I think doing this would be quite tricky as I may find that I will be repeating myself with the content. 

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Like with most decks of cards the reverse is usually a pattern of some kind. I want to make mine very relevant to my topic. I think black line illustrations of some of the equipment which will be used would look very effective. I will have to experiment with this idea as it may look too cluttered and unfitting with the front of the cards.

Mac Tips 

I want to create a small version of mac computer which contains some information about software and shortcuts. I want it look very similar to a mac and open up like macbook computer. 

I found this business card idea which is going to be my main inspiration for my mac tips leaflet. I think doing this would help me to relate to the students. 

OUGD406 : Speaking From Experience : Binding Options

As I plan to include a small booklet in my pack I have to consider binding. I have never bound before and therefore find it very difficult to decide on the best binding technique for a product. I went to a local binding store and asked them what kind of binding they would suggest I use for my booklet. They were very helpful and suggested that the most efficient way for me was to wire bind. I have therefore booked an appointment to get my booklet wire bound before the deadline.

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Other options available....

Saddle Stich

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Japanese Binding..

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OUGD406 - Speaking from Experience : Survival Kit Content Research

I am planning to make a survival kit for the new first years. I want to supply them with the knowledge which can only be obtained once their first year is finished. The content of my survival kit will be mainly digital but I will propose a kit with the physical objects inside.

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I plan to create a small info-graphic which states the facts and figures of the course, such as how much time should be spent blogging, in college, designing etc. The style I would be aiming for would be something similar to this. I would like to number each fact and include a simple statement with an image, I think this would ensure that the students would read it as it will not be complicated and full of text. 

OUGD406 : Speaking From Experience : Primary Research

For my primary research I asked two questions to the current first years. The answers helped me to decide what content I should include in my pack.

Firstly I asked what equipment they thought was the most important to have everyday. The answers mainly consisted of Mac, Pen, pencil, ruler etc. This helped me to decide what I should be drawing and illustrating throughout my pack.

 I then asked for their favourite/most handy shortcuts which the first years will not know about. I hope that by supplying them with this information it will avoid any moments where they spend 1 hour doing something which a tool could do in 2 seconds.

The answers from these posts formed the content of a majority of my pack which proved very helpful primary research.

OUGD406 - Speaking from Experience : Concept Sheet

For our newest brief we have to produce a graphic response/graphic product/ piece of work which makes a statement, comment, observation or gives advice about your experience on our first year on this course. As this is a broad brief I had to brainstorm lots of different ideas until I came up with the idea of creating a survival kit. We were asked to fill in a sheet in which we describe our concept and responsibilities within the brief. 

Since filling in the sheet and presenting my idea to the course I have decided to make some alterations. As my initial idea was met with some criticisms (do I want to promote drinking etc) I have decided to make a general survival kit for the course. Instead of containing actual items the kit will consist of print based leaflets, flyers and flashcards which will help students with the course and sessions. I will also include some necessities such as a pen, pencil, ruler, magic tape etc which I will design the packaging for. 

OUGD406 - Speaking from Experience : Initial Research and Concept

Produce a graphic response/graphic product/ piece of work that makes a statement, comment, observation or gives advice about your experience on your first year of this course.

Initial ideas..

• Survival kit
• Money management advice
• Things you will need..
• Interactive game
• Map of college
• Map of Leeds
• Film
• Magazine

We were given the option to collaborate with people from our year. I am unsure at this moment whether this is something I would like to do. 

First Year brainstorm - 

• Expectations
• Feedback
• Exploring
• Fast Pace
• Attendance
• Ideas
• Independence
• Enthusiasm
• Learning
• Identity
• Skills
• Friends
• Preparation 
• Learning
• Maturity
• Discovery
• Signature

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I like the idea of creating a digital menu of the equipment which the first years should have. I found this example on Behance and thought it really encompassed the concept I had in mind. I think this idea could work on its own as well as a secondary menu for a box with the physical objects inside. 

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I want to create a pack with the physical object inside as I think it will appeal to the students and makes it interesting. When looking at survival kits on Behance I came across a wide variety of options. This one is probably one of my favourites as it includes both print based and physical content. I also think the two colour production would work well as it links to the briefs and limits which the first years will have.

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As I think that most of the group will be producing something like this I have another idea in mind. This idea is a different concept all together. I want to create a hangover kit which would be for students who stay out all night and come to uni in the same clothes. The content would be a pair of socks, mouthwash, toothbrush etc. This is probably a delicate subject as I shouldn't be promoting this kind of behaviour but I think it could be really interesting and engaging. 

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When searching for designers specific survival kits I came across this brightly coloured set of printed material. Possibly the most significant content in this is the stickers set which I think is a brilliant idea and would work really effectively for this brief. The idea I get from this is to create a set of stickers which can be taken into crits and when making mock ups etc. This will be a interactive way of making sure your work is at a professional standard. 

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This is possibly the closest to the idea which I started on, I think it could work really well and be successful but would not perhaps have much design to it. I think to make my idea look like a sufficient amount of work I will need to produce a publication to go alongside it.