Responsive- Collaboration research

We wanted to get some imagery from our target audience of young professionals, so we took our opportunity during our Wednesday morning lecture with Graphic Design, Illustration and Animation.

We passed around a simple questionnaire asking what imagery reminded people of their childhood, and I compiled the following mood boards so I could visualise their responses.

Responsive- Penguin Book Adrian Mole

OUTCOME:
Overall, I'm fairly happy with this design, and I think it has been a great experience in learning to respond to a live brief with strict guidelines. I have also learnt a lot about time management, and how to balance this module with my others.

Responsive- Penguin Book To Kill A Mockingbird

OUTCOME:

Overall, I feel like this was an interesting and informative lesson in type and suitability of the brief. Although I feel like I could have developed this further, and perhaps used a typeface more suitable, I feel like I was heading in the right design direction with my work, as it is unlike anything I have done before.

Responsive - Penguin Book In Cold Blood

OUTCOME:

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this design, as I think I could have developed the design, as it looks far too ameuter at the moment. In the future I need to ensure I leave myself a lot more time to complete projects so that I don't rush it to be finished and not adequately develop it.

Responsive- Collaboration idea generation

Today we had our first proper meeting with everyone in our collaboration group, and I was feeling a bit behind the other groups, but the meeting was really helpful.

Some research into the company:
Support St Clare hospice charity – for adults with life limiting illnesses
Don’t test on animals
All products are recyclable/made from recycled products
Pro EU
GUCC abbreviation used

Environmental concerns:
Use local suppliers for packaging, ingredients and transport
Efficient hot steam use to reduce water usage
Melt and reuse any unused chocolate
Miss shaped become samples
Aim to further reduce packaging and waste once they grow as a company

Ran competition for ‘funniest childhood story’
Likes character and humour
Have knitted character ‘mascot’

Core themes:
Environmentally friendly
Easy and cheap to produce
Humorous and fun
Unique and personal

Some thoughts I had before the session:
- Where does the chocolate originate?- they want it to be local, but are pro EU, 'British' may have bad connotations
- Handmade
- Environmentally friendly
- Want to recreate childhood for adults - think of style- accessible
- Important to be practical- arrive on rolls
- Could be based on factory/people who make it?
- Would be nice to have element of blank space to fit with style
- All in the crafting
- Pick theme- like they have with photos of kids
- Screenprint/letterpress?
- 'Adult' shapes made into playful kids imagery?
- Kids imagery with adult colours
- Could we use edges cleverly, perhaps pattern on them- isolating?


Also, I managed to make a (very) rough mock up of the packaging we are designing, which helped us to visualise how and where we could create artwork and how our designs could work:

We discussed our ideas, research and came up with a loose action plan before we meet later on in the week.

- Could we consider a strong link to St Clares, the charity they support?
- We were all keen on using pattern rather than images, as this would offer a more 'luxurious' and ambiguous outcome
- Could focus on things kids don't like to make sure they don't open it (adds humour)
- Could we include an element of personalisation into the actual outer box? e.g. if given as a gift
- Could construct patterns to be reminiscent of chocolate bars? e.g. strips/grid pattern
- Have half of the cover ripping off to reveal the patterned chocolate (a bit like Charlie and the Chocolate factory style) with cover being simple and fitting into their theme
- Potential for using colours from their range to tie together whilst still being colourful
- Simple design will keep costs down (and be more environmentally friendly)

Things we highlighted:
- 'Allude to the mystery of what might be inside'
- Not sure where GUCC sits- says it's not for kids yet has children on the wrapper, we thought this could be to make it appealing to everyone, but ascertain that it is for adults and is luxury, therefore setting it apart from mainstream chocolate companies
- Chocolate seems to have a strong 'retro' trend at the moment, we would like to subtly nod to that whilst still maintaining the companies ethos
- What do we want the content to be- not just random patterns
- Chocolates are personalised

We struggled on this last point for a while, before deciding to make a questionnaire for our peers to see 'what items or activities remind you of your childhood?' which we will hopefully be able to pass around during tomorrow mornings lecture. This will hopefully provide imagery from which I will be able to develop more abstract patterns


Tasks:
Nicky- Look into design of the white space on the cover
Anna- Research into competitors packaging, and report on where Grown Up Chocolate Company sits within the industry
Megan- Mock up some designs to see how the grid idea works with placeholder pattern

Quick pieces I made using scrap colours and gouache:

What and why?
- First looks less like chocolate, needs more cross lines to suggest form
- Using coloured paper softens them, but will not be used on final designs- will this be an issue?
- Think a mix of gouache colours would work best, as it is rather playful and childlike, yet has the sophistication needed for a luxurious adult product
- I think the last image works best, as it separates the lines and makes it more reminiscent of personalised chocolates

We also made a list of questions for me to ask at my visit to GUCC:
-How would the bars be personalised? - What consistencies will there be?
- What is the printing process and what elements are done in house for packaging?
- Will there be a signature child photograph involved in the bars design/could it be on the box?
- To what extent does our design have to differ from your current guidelines? - We noted it's a special addition
- How will the flavours be customised/ added to the bars?
- Are you open to elements of personalisation within the box? Either done in house or left for buyer to fill out? e.g. a to/from label

Overall I thought it was a really useful meeting, and that everyone's viewpoints were considered to create an action plan which is achievable and has good prospects. I'm really looking forward to the remainder of this project.

Software for Packaging workshop

- Before you start, think about size and appropriateness, especially with regard to the printing ability
- Use Illustrator

MAKING GUIDES:
Make layer called 'guides'
Drag rectangle over whole doc (Use rectangle tool on left)
-> Object-> path -> split into grid (use preview to check)
Tick add guides-> OK
Double click guides layer-> tck template - OK

MAKING NET:

Main box:
Make layer called 'net'
alt & click with rectangle tool -> choose size and it will align centre with where you clicked
alt & drag will copy -> hold shift to keep movement straight
(Can use object -> transform -> move to move specifically - click copy) -> can then cmd & D to transform again

Tabs:
Rectangle tool & click - make flaps (just change height/width, depending on which side adding to)
Direct selection tool (white cursor) ->click on top corners -> curve corners -> can drag handles to anchor to make straight edges
-> copy into place
Select both tabs -> Rotate tool (change to reflect)
Hold alt & click on line to reflect on -> Horizontal/vertical -> click COPY

Select all, copy and paste onto new layer (edit -> paste in place) rename 'folds' then hide layer

Open pathfinder (window -> pathfinder)
Select all -> Unite (first option)
May need to zoom in to check accuracy (could make extra rectangles to join up)
Lock net layer


MAKING FOLDS:
Select all and lower transparency to show folds less
-> stroke -> dashed
Select fold and group


COPYING ARTBOARD:
Unlock layers
Copy artboards using alt & drag on artboard tool
Rename whilst copying
Can now turn folds/net lines off on one side if wish


IMAGE AND EXTRA:
File -> place image (place below net and fold layers)
Use targets (circle at the end of layers) to select all
Change net/ fold layers to no fill
Think about image placement and visibility
Create new layer 'crop and score marks' -> use pen tool to note fold lines and leave them off to the side of net -> turn off fold lines
Make sure you score/fold before you cut


PRINTING/LAYOUT:
Remember to print long edge binding
Remember to scale lid up (if using paper 5% will do)
Can save as pdf for sending to people who may not have adobe
Can include details in areas to be cut off (e.g. sizing, contact details)


Overall I found this workshop insightful and really useful. Although I am already fairly confident with illustrator, this was a really good method of learning how to quickly and professionally make high quality, personalised nets, which will be particularly useful for my 505 module.

Responsive- Penguin Book To Kill A Mockingbird development

DESIGNERS:

Maxim Leurentop

David Watson

REFLECTIONS:
- Leurentop's work holds a strong position between digital print and handmade, which is a strong juxtaposition which I would like to exist in my design to reflect the conflict within the book
- I also love the overlay and mixing of layers, as I feel it is a beautiful way to show the primary information in a complex manner without being overcrowded
- Watson's work seems reminiscent of the time in which the book was set, with an almost newspaper feel to it, which I would like to extend to my design
- Also, I feel that the empty space allows the words to breathe on the page and ensures the composition is not crowded. I need to ensure I consider my text placement thoroughly



MY WORK:

INTENT:
- Main aim was to reveal the beautiful writing inside
- I wanted to avoid the obvious iconography of the mockingbird as much as possible, as I feel this has been overdone with the past covers
- To create a bold, simple and dynamic cover for a timeless classic

HOW:
- By roughing to get a broad idea of composition, I moved into designing on screen to quickly develop a design, as I was running short on time
- Through using simple black and white, with just a splash of colour, I could echo the prejudice and racism of the time
- By playing around with typefaces and kerning I could create a letterpress esque feel to it

WHY:
- I wanted to show an old style but modern side to the book, as it is such a timeless novel
- I also found reading the book to be incredibly useful, as it struck such an emotional part of me, and I really wanted to show off the beauty of the book without over complicating anything
- Using the black and white made the type fairly illegible, so I had to change my design ideas slightly to compensate

REFLECTIONS:
- I feel like my main struggle with this is legibility, which needs to be incredibly clear on a book design
- I'm fairly happy with the direction this is heading in, as I feel like I have changed my decisions a lot throughout this process in order to make it suitable to the brief
- I still really like the idea of using mirrored type to subtly hint at the wings of the mockingbird, but I don't think I will pursue it, as I really want to go with a design completely different to the mockingbird iconography

Responsive- Penguin Book In Cold Blood development

BOOK INSPIRATION:

REFLECTIONS:
- The cover of Georgian London uses strong compositional devices to split up the colour of the designs and creates a dynamic line of sight horizontally
- Georgian London also uses a fairly simple colour palette and grid system, which I feel I could put into my work too to show a more basic, simplistic time.
- The use of negative space on the SWB cover is a beautiful cohesion between different elements, which I would love to use in my design
- I also like the use of colour only in the design then the bold black text in order to firmly place it on the page.



MY WORK:

INTENT:
- My main aim was to make something which reflected the true horror of the story in a quite physical way
- I wanted to show the 'four gunshots and a cut throat' used the kill the family
- Also, I wanted the design to feel aged and weathered, as if it had been the original

HOW:
- By using my own made textures from a previous project, mono print textures, burnt and ripped paper, I used photoshop to try different compositions of the key elements I had crafted
- I also tried using some hand drawn type to make the cover feel more handmade, but I don't think this worked, as I feel it looks too amateur
- I tried mixing hand drawn elements with digital type as if from a typewriter, which I think gives a clearer effect overall

WHY:
- I wanted the feel of the book to be from 1966, when the book was published
- Also, I wanted there to be a subtle hint at the exact details of the murders from the outside to reveal how gruesome the attack was
- By having a design which flows across the whole spread, I feel it gives a rustic, realistic feel to the design

REFLECTIONS:
- I feel like the hand drawn type is not done very confidently, and I would like to try either redrawing it or typing it
- The colours are a bit too jarring think, as they may be too vibrant to reflect the coldness of the book
- Also, the legibility of the tagline is not good, I think I need to make it bigger and bolder

Applied Illustration- Changing Faces Research

Changing Faces is a charity who work with people with facial disfigurement.

Their two main services are offering links to counselling and skin camouflage creams to people who are distressed by their appearance due to a physical abnormality.

They recently went through a rebrand by Visible Futures, and now have adopted this asymmetrical butterfly motif, which I think is a lovely metaphor for transformation and altering the perceptions of normal beauty.

On their website, the advertisement for skin camouflage is extremely clinical and emotionless, which reflects the process of how people receive them, under a prescription from a GP. I want to focus on making this process and use of these products more pleasurable, as I have been in their situation and know how mentally draining it can be to have to go through such a sterile process. I was luckily able to have emotional support, and I want my packaging to reflect that support in little rays of sun on the bleak experience. 

The website also offers a lot of emotional support for people struggling with any kind of facial disfigurement, below is a quote from someone who benefitted from the use of camouflage creams:

"Project a positive image of life with a disfigurement, to celebrate their differences. It makes you feel everything is going to be ok"

"More people should be prouder about what makes them different instead of dwelling on the negatives"

Applied Illustration- Study Task 2

Atelier Bingo

Maxime Prou & Adèle Favreau are two illustrator/ surface pattern & graphic designer from France. They love experiment with screen printing and other graphic techniques to create colorful and abstract works. 

They sell their works in the form of prints mainly, and also have publications and run several exhibitions.

I really like their work because I find their regard for straight line alongside rough torn line and interesting mix of media. I also love their colour choices, I think throughout this project I need to really consider my colour choices throughout.

Louise Lockhart

Louise created her own brand, the Printed Peanut, and began to make and sell her own packaging, activity packs and good, mainly through her online shop, but also through retailers and other fairs etc.

She is one of my favourite illustrators, I love how she uses slight miss-alignment and overlap which ensures that the piece doesn't feel flat, and lifts from the page.

I would love to use either traditional print methods, or manipulate my designs on photoshop to mirror the themes and feel of handmade media.

Ophelia Pang

Ophelia Pang has been creating pictures all her life but never attended any art or design school, she took mechanical engineering at university and developed her artistic career later on. She started working on Ipad, and developed into painting later on.

She sells most of her work through her online shop in the form of prints.

I really love how she uses solely shapes to convey meaning and intent, as well as invoking a very visceral feeling in the audience.

Linda Linko

A Helsinki based visual artist known for her bold visual style. Her work varies from paintings of black and white simplicity to wild and colorful collage art.

In her own words, she likes to explore form with black, and color with odd tones and random textures. She sells her work mainly at exhibitions and has participated in several exhibitions, for example in Helsinki, Stockholm, London, and Los Angeles.

I really like how much blank space she uses in her paintings, as I feel she is not afraid to let her work breathe on the page, and expresses them with a bold commitment to shape and colour.

Hannah Rampley

Graduated from Leeds College of Art Printed Textiles, and is now an artist in residence in Edinburgh. I found her work via her website, through which she sells decorated homeware goods.

I really love her gentle overlap in the prints, and how she allows the lower layers to show through to create a multi layered image which documents the transitional effects of each element.

Applied Illustration- Updated Proposal

Updated Version of my proposal following feedback:

Applied Illustration- Proposal Feedback

We had a feedback session on our proposal drafts, which was a really useful opportunity to discuss our ideas and expand on our knowledge within our chosen topic.

INITIAL PROPOSAL:

PEER FEEDBACK:

NOTES ON AMENDMENT: