OUGD505: Design Practice 2 - Study Task 1 Initial Thoughts

As I have now handed in the previous module (504) I have learnt a lot about myself and the type of work I like to produce. I think that having a brief which is so open as this is a great way for me to look into something which really interests me as opposed to something which I am not.

I started out with this brief by writing out a few of the things which interest me personally. I know from previous projects that choosing something which does not interest me (Hitchcock OUGD401) does not lead to a resolution which is as successful as something which I have produced which I am really passionate about.

I drew out a quick mind map of a few ideas. In the previous research over the summer holidays I looked into the Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson specifically. I chose this because they are my favourite films and also because I find him very inspirational. The first idea I wrote down was film because I have always had an interest in it. I also wrote web design and way-finding because these are the areas of graphic design I wish to work with when I leave university. I am also very interested in celebrity culture and regularly visit gossip websites, with this I also have a keen interest in TV and Series particularly within the USA. I also added music to the list because I have such a wide range of music interests. Out of the list I think that Film offers me the most interesting options and I can also merge in celebrity culture at the same time. 

I next drew out a mind map for all things film.

I brainstormed some of the ideas of areas of film I could look into for this brief. Out of the options I think I would like to look into the awards. I think this is the most appealing to me because it allows me to look into celebrity culture also. I can look into the fashion and the speeches plus all of the gossip which comes with an awards ceremony. All I have to do now is choose an awards ceremony to look at in detail.

I wrote down as many different awards ceremonies which I could think of and found that they are all very different. I think the one which will have the most information and history is the Oscars or the Academy Awards. I also think that with the upcoming ceremony in February it would be a relevant subject to cover and I could produce something which might be used in conjunction with it. 

OUGD504: Design Production - ISTD Existing Museum Websites

As I am creating a website for my ISTD brief I carried out a quick search of all the museums I could think of to see what information they had on the homepage and what other pages they had on the website. I have a rough idea of what I want to put on my website and I think that my search will confirm this.

National History Museum:

There is a clear grid on this page and the layout has cleverly been designed to show lots of information in subtle way. I think that it is very appealing as it draws in the eye, I also think that the proportions of image and type is very level which is good for the user.

National Science Museum:

The science museums website is much more minimal which is something which I want to achieve when I design my website. I think the use of a large image banner along the top of the page is very interesting and sets up the user for a visual experience rather than reels of text. 

Royal Armouries:

The Royal Armouries website is a mix up of the science and history museum, the image to text ratio is consistent and the page reflects the aesthetic of the museum. I think this is important with this kind of establishment and I will take this into consideration when designing my website.

The Design Museum:

The design museum website surprised me, I was expecting something a little more interesting that this. I think this type of design is for a specific type of museum and I do not think that Type Factory fits this aesthetic.

The V&A:

The V&A museum is one of my favourites, I think the use of more image than text is very pleasing. I want to try and achieve this kind of aesthetic when I design my website. 

Eureka:

The Eureka website is definatley designed for children, it is clear with the use of colour and images. I think that the colour of a website says a lot to the user as they make a snap judgement within a few seconds of being on the page. 

Source for all websites

OUGD504: Design Production - ISTD Print Research

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Now that I have put together a few ideas for my logo I can now look into different print options for my museum. I found this branding for a design company and really liked the laser cutout effect on the envelopes and business cards. I think I would like to try out this idea with my work as I think it could add a really nice effect to the museum. I also think it would be a great way to use stock as a colour instead of printing in multiple colours. 

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I also looked at other museum branding and print paraphernalia which I could produce. I know I want to create a web focused project but I need to produce some items for print as I think my project needs it. I looked on Behance for some examples of museum branding which is already being used in the industry. I think a small brochure is needed to give guests an idea of what are exhibitions are on at the time. I also want to propose the signage for the museum which will just be as simple as the other print products and consistent throughout the project. 

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I also need to think about creative ways to advertise the different exhibitions which are on at the time. This can be as simple as adding some text with a larger image behind it, I found this example on Behance and I think it is a great and simple way for me to add to my print section of my project and it also looks very professional.

OUGD504: Design Production - Design for Print Research

Now that I have decided on my concept and my target audience I now have to think about the aesthetics of my book. I want it to be simple and organised but I also want it to appeal to teenagers. I want the cover to be minimal and to the point so to reflect the content of the book. I carried out some research on the web and also some primary research about different aesthetics I could use.

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This book I found on Behance, I chose it because of how simple it is and also how organised the content is. I know I am going to have a lot of content to go in my book so I have to make sure that it is organised correctly. I also liked this book because the grid system was clearly shown within the development and consistent throughout the publication. I think the colour scheme is a bit dull and boring for my target audience but I also think that not adding too much colour is the best way to combat the design looking overcrowded and messy. 

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At the other end of the spectrum this designers guide is much more tailored to my target audience's favoured style. I do like the simplicity of the design and I think that the colour makes the design interesting to look at. I think when it comes to designing my book I have to decide from the off what colours I am going to use and how many colours are the correct amount for the publications purpose. 

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One of the main reasons why I choose to work in less than 3 colours is down to cost, I want to get my book printed professionally because I think it will add the professional edge which I want to my book. One way I could combat the use of colour is by using a coloured stock. This would make the book brighter and lighter which in turn would stand out on a bookshelf and make the audience pick it up.

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The simplicity of this fashion manual I find really appealing. I think that due to the amount of information which I will be having in my book I have to keep the content consistent throughout. I particularly like the vector illustrations as I think it makes the design more interesting. I know I will use these illustrations as inspiration for my final resolution.

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The concept of having the book as one fold out sheet of paper which can be used as a poster in a class room or similar. I think that this would be a great way to display the information though, I don't think that all of the information would fit on one sheet of paper. I would have to create several posters, I do like this idea but I think that it would be more useful to have as one publication for a person/group of people to have as a resource.

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I looked at other ways to include the poster within a booklet to have the best of both ideas. I found this book on Behance and I liked the use of colour and also the concertina effect. I think this idea could work very well but I am still liking the idea of making one publication instead of the poster.

Source

I liked the concertina effect of the previous example so I looked for some other concertina books. I found this example which has been cut into a rounded shape, I think it could be really interesting to cut my book into a shape to make it stand out.

GF Smith book

When GF Smith visited LCA they showed us a collection of small books which I really liked the idea. I think I could create something like this which would make it unique and more special on a bookshelf among other publications. I think I would like to develop this idea more and experiment with the idea. 

Flatmates handguide

On the other hand I have found a book on Behance called the Flatmates House Guide. I like the concept of having a perfect bound book which details the processes all within one booklet. I think this is more realistic idea as many people are creating several books which would make my design less unique.

Phaidon book

I like the minimalist cover of the Phaidon books as they give the title of the book in a direct way. I think this would be an idea for the cover of my book.