.

I have moved !

2009-09-30T21:24:00.001+01:00

I will now be blogging over here.... Hope to see you there!

Back for a final year.....

2009-09-21T22:00:00.000+01:00

Going back after summer is always a daunting time and i know this year there is going to be even more pressure as it is my final year. Alongside university briefs i will need to create my own website, contact people in the industry that i would like to produce work for or with, produce an interview ready portfolio and carry on with my personal work. I think at some point, personal work and uni work will merge into one and make things easier, but for now they are separate things that need to be addressed in different ways. Over this summer i have contacted a few designers in relation to my work, my dissertation and just purely for chats. I think this will need to be an ongoing thing throughout my final year, so i can build up some contacts and relationships with potential employers and maybe even future clients! I will also need to find some more work experience through university holidays, before i finish my final year, to help me decide the direction i want to go in design. On another note, I dont want all my hard work over summer on my personal mrYen blog (promoting my shop, getting work created for it and building up followers and contacts) to be wasted so i will try and keep it going alongside university blogs/briefs/deadlines. Lets see how this year works out.......

Creative Startup Toolkit

2009-09-21T21:59:00.011+01:00

I love the design of this guide for creative start up businesses. It is an educational tool for entrepreneurs and graduates that are based in the creative sector and consists of four booklets covering everything from accounting to marketing your business and inside the booklets are branded stickers and foldout worksheets. Images from this website. (images can be clicked to take you to the website)

Hand drawn Typography inspiration

2009-09-16T16:05:00.008+01:00

I have recently come across Linzie hunter's hand drawn typography and i think it is amazing. These designs are something i would love to create myself. I would like to try my hand at creating an illustration for an editorial piece or something serious like how to invest....

A-Z of Birds - Illustration

2009-09-03T19:04:00.003+01:00

Something i have been working on over summer - an A-Z of Birds that i have put into an A6 booklet. {more summer updates coming soon}

Summer blog

2009-09-02T10:53:00.003+01:00

Check out the summer blog i have been posting on, here
You will find birds, doodles, illustrations, work experience diary posts, hand drawn typography, collaged typography, dissertation research and some inspirational links and images.

Enjoy!

Hand Drawn Typography

2009-09-02T09:34:00.000+01:00

I have loved typography for a while now and when i had the chance to study it at University for a few months, i took that chance but it wasn't what i expected. It was serious, hard nosed straight talking type. No hand drawn, no experimental type and no playing with letters and typefaces. It was a few months of solid layout, alignment, simple decisions and subtle changes with type, along with cold, hard facts, rules, regulations and restrictions. So once i had the basics down it was the old adage of "rules are meant to be broken" So having learnt a few rules im now ready to break a few! I recently bought the book (that has been on my amazon book wish list for a while now!) "Hand Job - a catalog of hand drawn type", by Michael Perry and have realised this is the kind of typography i originally fell in love with and so i will be sticking with this for a while!

Bookmarks!

2009-08-29T11:30:00.000+01:00

So many bookmarks, so little time!

When browsing the internet for gems of inspiration i always find alot of things i would like to have a go at creating myself and alot of things that inspire me, so i just click the bookmark tab and thats it saved for me later on when i want to refer to it again, when i want to blog something or when i need to reference it. wrong. I might have bookmarked it but i always forget about it and i have decided it is time to create categories to put things into, give things tags so all related things are safe together and sort my bookmarks out!

So i did this mammoth task today and it took a good few hours to do, i will be updating this blog with my latest findings from the last two months now as soon as i get a quiet evening.

Work Experience......

2009-08-29T10:40:00.004+01:00

This summer i did a three week placement at the Leeds Guide magazine, which i really enjoyed !

I kept a blog diary, uploaded some scans of my work in the magazine and uploaded some photos of a brochure i created for Opera in the Park (client - Leeds city council) which you can see here on my summer blog.

PLUS - i got interviewed for the magazine and had photos of me and my apartment in it too!

Long time, No see.

2009-08-17T11:00:00.012+01:00

I have seriously neglected this blog for a long time now and it is time to start it up again. I have been constantly searching for inspiration, designers who are producing similar things to what i myself would like to produce and designers who use similar materials, techniques and processes to what i use and admire.

I will be updating with:

My Dissertation topic and the feedback i got for it.

Links of Inspiration. (mostly paper based or print/typography based)

Links of people who use paper and create things that i love.

Links of design and illustration i find inspiring.

My summer blogging over at my mrYen blog, the etsy shop for that blogs creations and what I've been doing over there.

And finally ...

Updates on briefs i will be doing and why (such as illustration briefs that will develop my drawing skills more and my Leeds guide for work experience that i chose to do to get more skills in layout and typography)

End of year Evaluation

2009-06-09T23:29:00.004+01:00

1. What skills have you developed through this year and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

This year i have greatly developed my illustration skills, using traditional media and my newly favoured media, using paper. I have started to experiment more with paper in my own time as well as creating things for certain briefs, like the O2 YCN brief. I think i have applied these newly learned skills in an effective way as i think the O2 brief was a success, using origami in a useful and creative way. I also think my postcards from the edge were successful as i think they fulfilled the brief in an unusual way that would appeal to my target audience. I feel i have made improvement on my type and layout skills also, through doing the typography elective module and through making myself focus on briefs that are based on type and layout i have faced my weaknesses and have started making an improvement on these.

2. What approaches to generating work and solutions to problems have you developed and how have they helped?

When generating work i have started to illustrate things with paper cut designs or by using illustrator. I have also started to set up separate blogs for each brief, which can be easily updated and are more accessible to the reader, as everything is in the same place. Using paper or illustrator to generate ideas has helped me get my ideas out quicker and when using illustrator in particular, it has helped me to quickly make small test pieces and slight variations., where as using paper has helped me to fully explore a single idea and carefully consider every decision as if i do something wrong i have to start the whole thing again. I think contacting designers for feedback on my work and a work placement was very informative and helpful. I wish i would have done this sooner, that way i could have been more prepared when sending my portfolio out for experience placements.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

I think my strengths at the moment are my illustration skills, my concepts and ideas, my blog of visual research and blogs that record my development during a project. I have put all these aspects, as well as the briefs i think were successful into a digital and printed portfolio that i can send out to designers and companies to look for work experience. These portfolios will help me capitalise on my strengths as i can get my work out in to the public and get a different, professional opinion on it, that will help me create more professional work and work that has more credibility in the public. A big strength of mine, i think, is my paper cutting skills and i think i have developed these skills greatly. This is something i would like to utilise in the third year and apply to my future briefs.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how could you exploit these more fully?

Weaknesses that i have identified are my type and layout skills. I think doing the typography elective module has helped me understand the basics more, i just need time to put these understandings into practice. As i know these are major skills needed for a graphic designer, and this is where i am lacking in skill, i have decided to use my work experience placement to help overcome these weaknesses by getting a placement at a magazine, where i will focus on only type and layout. I think doing this will be of great benefit to me as a designer in the long run, as i will have professional help and opinions on what i am doing wrong and how to change which should hopefully develop my understanding of type and layout.

5. Identify five things that you would do different and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

1. Create more publications in response to briefs as this is something i would like to focus more on in the third year. This is also something i will be looking into when researching my dissertation as i am focusing on the value of handmade publications.

2. Utilise the skills i already have to create work for briefs instead of always looking to develop new skills. I feel this would help me solidify the skills i already have instead of knowing a little bit about everything, as i would like to have a clearer specialism in the third year.

3. I would put more effort into creating my own time management techniques and planning further in advance for things like when to finish a brief or when to have work ready for print, to give me time to rectify any issues that could appear.

4. I would make more of an effort to keep more of a record of my development work as i progress through each brief, this way i will have the opportunity to fully explore ideas and evaluate what works more effectivley than other ideas.

5. I would look more at designs already out there and try to get feedback from professional designers/companies as i think this professional advice is invaluable and will be a great help to get an outside opinion on something i am working on so i can alter and tailor my designs in a more professional manner.

6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:
Attendance = 4
Punctuality = 5
Motivation = 4
Commitment = 4
Quantity of work produced = 4
Quality of work produced = 4
Contribution to the group = 3

new paper cut quote!

2009-06-09T00:44:00.000+01:00

Here is another of my paper cut quotes for the Alice in Wonderland Series i am starting!

Recent personal work...

2009-05-25T13:46:00.000+01:00

I have started a series of hand cut designs using typography and focusing on quotes from Alice in Wonderland. I have decided that as i want to create a series of hand cut quotes on paper which look simple and elegant, that i could use quotes that were slightly absurd and strange, to contradict the style/aesthetic of the design. The first quote i have created is the quote " What is the use of a book, without pictures or conversations" and i have more quotes lined up to start cutting!

Current Brief Work....

2009-05-13T23:01:00.002+01:00

Head over to my module blog to find out more....

infographics

2009-05-04T08:30:00.001+01:00

This link is to some amazing examples of infographics that are really interesting. I think its amazing how design can be applied to things that would usually be bland and mundane to show them in a visually engaging way, that both displays the information to its best while also being aesthetically pleasing. Below are my favourite examples from the link above.

TigerPrint Spring Floral Competition.

2009-04-27T11:50:00.002+01:00

Below are my entries that i have submitted to TigerPrint's recent competition for a spring floral design that focuses on mothers day or easter. You can find them here on their website and you can check out the rest of the designs too.

poladroid

2009-04-26T11:20:00.004+01:00

poladroid. I love this little application. you can find it here.
(my original photograph here)

a little sneaky peak

2009-04-24T12:16:00.002+01:00

this is a little sneaky peak at something im planning. more details later...

coca cola beijing

2009-04-17T08:58:00.002+01:00

I love the graphics and illustrations in this, it reminds me so much of Japanese T.V.

David Pearson

2009-04-08T18:59:00.004+01:00

I was looking through random blogs that i follow and found a link to this website. All this book imagery is perfect! i love book design so much, and as its the Easter holidays i have time to make some of my own books/notebooks. I love the consistency and repetition of these images below and i would love to have a collection of these books....

I also love how you can see the development of the logo.

Layout & illustration

2009-04-08T16:31:00.005+01:00

After developing these invites for the fashion show at University (the brief was based on Victorian curiosity) I have really started to enjoy experimenting with layout and illustration. My designs weren't chosen though.

Pentagram

2009-04-07T10:08:00.002+01:00

last video i promise.. this video is explaining the various partner set ups that Pentagram has had over the years and the opening sequence of infographic 'family tree' imagery is really interesting aswell as the way it has been animated, so simple but effective.

Stefan Sagmeister

2009-04-07T10:00:00.001+01:00

another short designer film...

Paula Scher

2009-04-07T09:48:00.003+01:00

This mini movie is Paula Scher talking about type as image, really interesting stuff!

Typography Evaluation OUDG204

2009-04-02T00:34:00.005+01:00

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

In this module i have greatly developed my understanding of typography and the rules and formalities of it. Every week after sessions in the mac suite i developed ideas in my own time based on what we did in the sessions. I think creating a CV, logo, business card and letterhead was most useful, to create this it was easier as i applied what i had learned in the sessions. I have found it useful in other areas of my design, such as designing posters and leaflets. Having this underlying knowledge of type is always there now so i can use it in all my work.

2. What approaches to generating work and solutions to problems have you developed and how have they helped?

When generating work for my type journal i developed work i had undertaken in the taught sessions and i looked at and analyzed type design, layout design and illustrated text that i found interesting or relevant to what i was being taught. This analysis has helped me to solve problems in other areas of my design work and in my personal interest in design too. By looking at typefaces and fonts i now understand what makes a font appropriate and the best way to use it efficiently for what i want it to communicate.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

I think the strengths in my work are more to do with typefaces and fonts, by analyzing fonts i have come to understand their uses and effectivness and I will capitalise on this by looking at hand drawn fonts and trying to devlop my own skills in creating similar work as this is an area i am more interested in typography.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how could you exploit these more fully?

I think my weaknesses are in layout and i think i need to improve this in my other areas of design too. I could exploit this by choosing to do something solely layout driven to make me focus on that and that alone so i would have no other option to design a good piece of layout.

5. Identify five things that you would do different and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

1. Keep up to date with work so i dont get a backlog of work.
2. Experiment more, drawing fonts and typography to gain a better understanding.
3. Develop my own typeface for the experience of developing one from scratch.
4. Look at more illustrated typography as that is something i am more interested in.
5. Experiment more with waht i look at for reference material so i get a wider view of things.

6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:

Attendance = 4
Punctuality = 5
Motivation = 4
Commitment = 4
Quantity of work produced = 4
Quality of work produced = 4
Contribution to the group = 3

FaceOut Books

2009-03-26T09:53:00.003Z

Fred emailed a link to this blog called FaceOut Books which focuses on creative publishing {book cover designs} This is something i would be really interested in doing for work experience. While at college we had to redesign a book cover for a crime/thriller book of our choice and i chose a book by Tess Gerritsen called Bloodstream. I redesigned the cover which i have blogged about before here but i never put the cover up that i liked most. Below is the cover design i found most interesting as it wasn't as obvious as the other covers i created and it focused on a more subtle but necessary detail from the book, the weather.

Mike Perry

2009-03-25T19:18:00.003Z

Having focused on the typography module instead of image i have realised i am not really interested in hard core typography {only serif or sans serif fonts, and all the fine tiny details} but i have found a love of hand drawn typography. I came across mike perry and i instantly liked his exploration of different ways to illustrate type. If you got to his website, here, you can find a link to download a CV of his selected works. Below are a few examples, from the downloaded CV, that i found really interesting.

{also i have had his book Hand Job: A Catalog of Type, on my amazon wish list for ages! i think its time to buy now!)

Really interactive posters!

2009-03-18T13:34:00.002Z

People always want work to be interactive, but these posters really are interactive... I have always loved to focus on materials when designing and i think this is something i would love to try and recreate within my own work.

ToDryFor.com

2009-03-10T18:20:00.001Z

I am thinking about creating a whole series of repeat patterns using found text. Last year for a university brief i collected letterforms from around my environment and i collected quite a bulk of it too! I think i might create a whole series of repeats for the whole alphabet or maybe just vowels. I found a website today called "ToDryFor.com" and they produce designer tea towels,they say that if designers would like their work to be used they should get in contact and i think when I've completed my series i will get in contact! From looking at their designs it looks like my designs would fit in quite nicely and i would love to have my work being sold! I would like to go and visit their studio too, so when summer rolls around i think i will get in contact for an interview and a little tour of their studio.

Zoe Bradley

2009-03-07T09:39:00.003Z

I cant remember where i found this amazing women but i love all her work with pleats, folds and paper structures! I think her main interests are in fashion and that is what a lot of her portfolio is based on but the thinking behind it and the techniques used are something i would like to develop as skills of my own. I love the simplicity of her designs and how you can really see the structure and feel of the paper. I find it inspiring to see that not only does her work look visually engaging but it can have a commercial purpose, so it is not just a "hobby" or something that has no place in the design world, it has actual purpose.

Contemporary mothers day competition.

2009-03-07T09:31:00.002Z

I entered the TigerPrint competition to design a card for mothers day and now all i have to do is wait to see if i won. I hope i do win, as i could get £200 and an opportunity for work experience!

Shmap!!

2009-03-07T09:25:00.002Z

A while ago i was contacted by "Schmap Leeds Guide" to say that i had a photo shortlisted to be included on their website. It was a photograph of a sculpture at bretton sculpture park and i got an email yesterday to say that it has been included and is up on their website with a link back to my flickr account!!
Its only something small but ya gotta start somewhere!

Magazine Layouts

2009-02-26T13:07:00.000Z

here

john dilnot

2009-02-19T17:16:00.004Z

I have been sorting out my studio at home now for about a week and today i came across something i had saved ages ago (from 2006 !), but forgotten about, knowing i would want it someday. It was a little programme from an exhibition called 'made' at the YSP. I had underlined this guys name and i couldn't remember why so i googled it and found his website. I knew instantly from his cards, prints and little handmade books why i had saved this for so long! I love his organised illustrations and the repetition in his work, but also the cluttered, crazy artist boxes he creates. I find them really inspirational and even more so as i have just been given a choice of 3 YCN briefs, one of which is a Christmas card design. I would love to try this brief especially so i can create some screen prints, illustrations and little paper sculptures or pop up designs for them! anyway here is John Dilnot's website.

the guardian...

2009-01-26T21:17:00.006Z

I bought the February issue of CR - Creative Review and it covered an article about the guardians identity and re-branding. I buy the guardian newspaper mostly on a weekend and very rarely through the week. Mostly because it takes so long for me to read a newspaper, as i want to read everything not just a few articles. I can't remember what it used to look like before the re-design (which was carried out by Mark Porter - the guardians creative director) but ever since it has been redesigned in 2005, i think it looks really friendly and approachable. The bright colours, the typography (the font used is Guardian Egyptian TE4 Text Bold) the advertisements, the website and the whole feel of the identity just makes me wish i had designed it! I think the typographic headlines for the supplement papers are a bold interesting, graphic success alongside the layout of the newspaper.

Typography Thursdays

2009-01-23T08:31:00.002Z

A while ago i started a few typography Tuesday posts, but as i have know taken typography as a specialist option and its on a Thursday i think i will dedicate Thursday to be the new weekly post about typography.
After my second session, which focused on layout of a print advert that you could see in the yellow pages for example, i realised i have to learn so much and i know the tiniest thing about typography. I was given a space of 60mm by 30mm to fit about 15 lines of text in, a border and to make it stand out from the rest of the adverts on the page. Oh and 20 minutes to do it in! I know i need to think of hierarchy, fonts, kerning, leading, weight, placement, empty space and probably more, but that's my downfall, i always forget some of these things. I don't know if its panicking as i had 20 minutes, if its simply forgetting or just not thinking and considering every little thing while designing. I like how Graham (the tutor) always says "there is no right or wrong way to design, just more or less effective ways" This makes me feel better for a while and then i start panicking again when i realise to make effective designs i will need to learn so much more! I think its time i bought some layout and typography books, checked out some websites and seriously start trying to improve or at least fill my brain with info i know will be useful when i eventually remember it when designing!

CISMA

2008-12-24T11:19:00.002Z

While looking at creative review website i came across how the January issues cover was produced/designed by CISMA here and below is a promo video they made for themselves.

Cisma's Lambe-lambe 2004 from CISMA on Vimeo.

Use Both Sides

2008-12-24T11:13:00.002Z

I found this website and i think their concept is really interesting...

Taken from their website:
"This campaign has a simple objective: to give paper another chance.
We hope to convince everyone that we can - and should - use both sides of paper.
It's very simple. After you print, don’t dispose of the pages, just because the printout didn’t come out perfectly or you printed something you didn’t need. The other side of a sheet of paper is still a blank page, waiting for your thoughts, ideas, notes or even the order for the new intern’s coffee run at 5pm. It's also very good for phone numbers, notes to a mate in the office and drawing caricatures of people during meetings.
Whatever you do, keep in mind that by using the other side of a piece of paper you cut your consumption by half - at least - and everyone will win: the trees, the penguins, polar bears, your boss and even the printer technician who gives support to your ever-malfunctioning printer. It's a win win win.
Joining the movement is simple. Watch the video and make some posters - with used paper, of course. Paste them around your office, take a photo and add to our gallery.
Thank you for participating. Use. Reuse. Recycle."

You can see more at their website here and facebook group here

Typogateaux

2008-12-17T21:28:00.004Z

Here's the cake before being 'typogrified'(its chocolate sponge with peppermint butter cream icing) :

and here is the ampersand cut out.

richard sarson

2008-11-30T00:00:00.001Z

see more here

infographic dream!

2008-11-29T23:01:00.003Z

This website is a dream for people who love infographics

End of module self Evaluation - Design for print

2008-11-25T13:34:00.004Z

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

In this module i have developed my knowledge of print processes, such as litho, flexo, screen printing, pad, gravure and letterpress, colour management, layout, typography, letterpress and research. I think i have effectively applied them by experimenting with layout designs, both on and off the computer, by researching things more in depth, like visiting an actual printing company, by using the correct colour modes when setting up and printing a document. I have learned new skills such as letterpress and a variety of colour modes and how to create images using methods like duotone, monotone, greyscale, RGB, CMYK and Spot colours. For example during the Colour4Print brief i learned how to set up documents in the appropriate colour mode and this has helped me to better my designs, as when i choose a colour i know its pretty much going to look the same once printed.

2. What approaches to generating work and solutions to problems have you developed and how have they helped?

I feel my research into printing processes was quite important as going to visit a printing company helped me to understand things such as costing, machinery, processes, stock and preparing documents to print. I feel that creating a plan of certain things such as what needs to be designed, printed, mocked up and developed has created more of a focus for my work and i feel i can undertake these things in an quick ordered manner.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

I think the strengths in my work for colour4print was my exploration of imagery available through drawing by hand instead of using the computer for all of my work. I think this hand made aspect helped me to understand colour more at a basic level as i was working hand on with it. I think another strength from the colour4print brief was my organisation of my work and methodical exploration of designing my imagery for my Double page spreads. For design4print i think my strengths were my final layouts for my leaflets front cover. At that stage in my project i found myself to be extremely focused and able to get things done at a much quicker pace. I also think that my ability to change my ideas so easily and adapt to new themes for my work is a strength as this shows flexibility and a willing to do what i need to do for my ideas/project to reach their full potential. I will capitalise on these strengths by taking my adaptability and determination into future projects and now i have a basic understanding of printing processes and colour management/models i can utilise these in future projects too, making my work more professional and more to industry level.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how could you exploit these more fully?

I think a weakness in my colour4print brief was my limited research, and i feel i could have looked into processes and colour modes in more detail. I also feel i could have explored more examples of each colour mode to choose final imagery that was maybe more interesting. In my design4print brief i feel my weaknesses were not making decisions quick enough and this caused a knock on effect into my designing process. I feel that i should have also got to know my target audience more at an earlier stage in my brief. I think if i did this it would have made my project progress at a much quicker rate and maybe my findings would be more substantial. I also think that my final products would probably have looked better photographed in context (with someone elderly actually interacting with my product) but due to lack of time management and organisation i didn't manage to do this.

5. Identify five things that you will do different next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

1. Organise my ideas and aims earlier in the brief. I think this would lead to a better quality outcome as i would have more time available for experimentation, research and development.
2. Develop and experiment more with thumbnail sketches at an earlier time in the project so i can choose the best designs and create a more considered project.
3. I would like to explore the printing facilities more as i feel i didn't take full advantage of them and by doing this i would hope to have a deeper understanding of printing processes to apply to my work.
4. I would have interacted with my target audience to gain a better understanding of their problems and the way they think about certain things.
5. I would explore more ideas rather than just focusing in on one initial idea pretty much straight away as this would create a greater range of ideas available to choose from

6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:

Attendance = 5
Punctuality = 5
Motivation = 4
Commitment = 4
Quantity of work produced = 3
Quality of work produced = 3
Contribution to the group = 3

Critical Feedback from Final Crit: (presentation boards)

2008-11-22T00:19:00.002Z

From my crit, people mentioned that i had too much text on my final presentation boards and in between my fourth and fifth board there was a jump in the story of my project. Also it was mentioned that it would be good for my products to be put into context in a photo or shown in a photo studio setting. The hierarchy of the images i used was also questioned, as some images of others work or references were larger than my own, drawing attention away from my work. I will need to work on the hierarchy of my imagery and I will change my boards according to criticism received.

Typography Tuesday

2008-11-18T17:42:00.003Z

I thought before i do any more of these posts i should upload some basic information about type and i thought this image below showed the basics pretty well! Im really enjoying the type workshops and the guy who teaches us makes it really interesting and fun, instead of just being told facts, we experiment and experiment and walk around to see others ideas and examples. always a good thing. anyway here's the basic info:

Idea Change - Interim Crit

2008-11-14T16:15:00.004Z

This was the best crit i've had throughout the whole project. The feedback i got was that my designs were too clinical and impersonal. People mentioned my audience would be hesitant about approaching my designed products as they looked too technical. After showing my previous inspiration for my initial idea of my book of simplicity quotes, people thought this style of design would suit my audience more as the vintage colours and photos would be from my audiences era and they would feel more comfortable with this style. They also said that they wouldn't be as patronizing as i thought it would be.

I'm quite glad that people thought my designs were too impersonal as i didn't really put myself into my designs because i thought it would make them inappropriate to my audience, so now ive had feedback that my designs are too clinical and impersonal i will incorporate my previous inspirations adapted to my current designs, to create something fun and interesting that will make the golden oldies wanna become silver surfers!

Typography Thursday

2008-11-13T23:58:00.005Z

Today I had a full day of typography and its been great!

To start i had a typography workshop and experimented with layout, hierarchy, size, font, weight and spacing. Then in the afternoon i got to set my own metal type for a letterpress induction. The image below is the type i chose to use - 18 pt Times.

The image below is my name and blog address in 18pt Times.

Below is the letterpress.

After having a full day of typography I've started to get quite interested and have started reading the book Type and Typography

Here are some of my prints

I think the one below came out best

Print Visit

2008-11-07T17:13:00.000Z

Me and Jane went to my dads printing company PrintForms LTD to look at the variety of processes they do and to look at Offset printing in action. The best thing to do is just show the pictures (i have videos but they are not that long and they were filmed side on for some reason?!)

for more photos visit my Flickr and view the set named "PrintForms"

Logo and Identity colours

2008-11-06T00:22:00.004Z

For my final logo and colours for identity, i decided to use upper and lower case for my company name as i thought that elderly people would trust something more if it looked more traditional, as using upper and lower case suggests. I also decided on the name 'Silver Tech' as i thought it sounded really professional and modern while using the silver as a reference to the phrase "silver surfer". As i am primarily creating an information pack full of leaflets that inform my elderly audience about technology i thought this reference was quite fitting. I will apply this corporate identity to all my products, information pack and leaflets. I decided to use a grey on the text, as if it was silver i think it would loose its legibility for my audience and this would defeat my point of making things easier for them. I then used a blue/green colour for the circular shape as it seemed a technical modern colour but not so vibrant that it was offensive or not of interest to my audience. The circular shape and placement of text are derived from my sketches i did in relation to technology. As i wasn't focusing on a specific technology i didn't want to emphasize a certain type of technology in my logo design and so my final logo was inspired by a power button, but i stylised it by turning it on its side and the text representing the line in the power button as you can see below...

The final logo and colours are below

Typography Tuesday

2008-11-04T17:38:00.004Z

Just a little post to start with this week and next week it will be a typography Thursday as i will be having a letterpress induction on Thursday and i will definitely be uploading some photos! The image below is a mixture of my two favourite things, type and paper. I can't remember where i found it but when i do ill post it.

Good update - Logo design

2008-11-04T00:18:00.002Z

While trying to think of a design for my corporate logo i have been sketching things to do with technology to play around with and adapt.....

My company name is SilverTech and i decided to experiment more with the technological inspiration of the power button and the representation of WiFi technology.

Now to develop and finalise my logo.

FTF 2000 Manifesto. Commercial work for a designer?

2008-11-03T15:44:00.006Z

In relation to this manifesto, my opinion is that for me to make money as a graphic designer i will have to do commercial work. I don't see anything wrong with doing commercial work, such as advertising mundane products. I see them as experience and an opportunity to learn. This manifesto is obviously written by people who have earned a fair bit of money to keep them in their comfortable lives and you can guarantee that they probably have undertaken commercial work in their time to get where they are today. I don't think commercial mundane jobs should be shunned as they are the times you gain experience and learn what you can and can't do, as well as earn yourself money to survive. I think this kind of graphic snobbery is ridiculous, as a designer it is my job to make what I'm doing interesting no matter the job........ So bring on the fish finger packaging design! It's all experience.

Alternatives to regular print

2008-11-03T14:07:00.003Z

After doing some research about disabilities with my target audience i have discovered that other companies who create similar things to what I'm designing have alternative methods of communicating their information in their leaflets and information packs. They distribute braille, large print text and audio versions of any of their documents you require. So in order to design my own i have sent off for some to look at the designs of. I have received my audio and large print version of a booklet entitled " The internet: Its easier than you think"

The image below is the audio cd of the leaflet:

The image below is the large print version of the leaflet.

Stranger than Fiction

2008-10-31T15:57:00.009Z

These are stills from the intro sequence to the film 'Stranger than Fiction' which came out in 2006. I can't believe i didn't go and see it as these stills look really interesting (probably the fact that i hate Will Ferrell in anything he does) You can see the intro sequence here

i love the infographical style illustrations over the real life film and I really like the part of the intro where he puts the plates and crockery in the dishwasher. I think the movement and illustration is simple and effective. I love the simplicity of it and the precision of how things are represented and categorised.

The end title sequence also looks interesting with more of a relaxed illustration feel to it and more vivid colours. I think the graphical use of colour and image works well for that style of illustration and i think the use of colour makes it more interesting to watch, as the colours interact with each other.

You can watch the end title sequence here too

Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T15:57:00.004Z

I thought i should have something Halloween themed for today and this illustration seemed appropriate to my recent print process briefs and i thought it was a fun illustration. Dan Mumford and his work here

Typography Tuesday. A weekly thing to come.....

2008-10-28T15:55:00.002Z

Ive decided to start setting up certain posts for things like this on a regular basis, that way i am always looking at something new and inspiring. I decided to start a Typography Tuesday so i can update my type journal on a regular basis and just because i like type! I will be looking at the history of type, fonts, typefaces and the basics of type. This will help me learn and it will give me a head start before i elect to focus on type later in the year!

Hero

2008-10-27T20:07:00.003Z

I love the film Hero and i want to include it now as part of my PPD research, while were focusing on colour for production. Fair enough its not production for print but its production for film. The use of colour, tone and movement are all really interestingly used to portray a certain feeling or aesthetic and i thought i would mention it now how much i like the film with this video tribute somebody has posted to Youtube. If you haven't seen this film... you should.

FTF 2000 Manifesto. The original 1964 manifesto.

2008-10-27T15:46:00.003Z

To start with this manifesto was first released in 1964 so the whole economy and society were at a different level than what we are at today. The 60's were an era of political change and this was a wide spread phenomenon in every area, not just graphic design. This influenced peoples beliefs and people started to question everything they did, in relation to ethics and morals. The list of 'demeaning' things a designer could be wasting their time on in the original manifesto were quite trivial and they were not loaded with guilt ( cat food, stomach powders, detergent, fizzy water etc.) These are followed by quite a strong statement:

"By far the greatest time and effort of those working in the advertising industry are wasted on these trivial purposes, which contribute little or nothing to our national prosperity"

First of all, this statement is quite specific to people in the 'advertising industry' whereas now graphic designers design advertisements, packaging, posters etc and the lines between job titles can often blur. Secondly, i think saying that these products "...contribute little or nothing to our national prosperity" is not necessarily true either, as they are obviously going to make money from these products selling (due to designers creating the designs) which in turn will put more money back into the economy, to hire designers again and create a circle of work. Supply and Demand. If they are mentioning this meaning in the way that they "contribute little or nothing to our national prosperity" in reference to aesthetically pleasing design, then the only people to blame would be the designers themselves for not creating inspiring designs or innovative designs. I think this manifesto leaves a lot of questions open and from the small number of designers(22) who signed this manifesto in 1964, many designers were not comfortable with alot of the grey areas unmentioned. Hmmm...

First things First 2000 - A Manifesto For Design

2008-10-27T15:15:00.004Z

After Speaking about this manifesto in Critical Studies and now it being mentioned in studio sessions i am now going to try and question what it is saying and it is already starting to make me think about my design ethics and my stance in Graphic Design. It makes me think about what i would and would not design.

What is my price ?
In other words, what do i value? and where are my priorities?
For example, would i create designs for a brand of cigarettes, knowing full well that they cause cancer and kill people? I have to start asking questions like, "If i dont design them someone else will" .... does this mean i should do it. Other questions such as "should designers actually do commercial work?" and create things like packaging for dog food for example. Is it the case of, yes, we should design dog food packaging but make sure we do a good job and make it really interesting and innovative, s someones got do it so it may aswell look good. Or is it a case of no, designing dog food packaging is a waste of a designers time and skills. I will have a weekly post on this manifesto and i will ask myself these questions and answer as best as i can. The manifesto is below.

Idea Change...

2008-10-23T21:18:00.000+01:00

After a crit about my good project with a group i asked people:

"what do you think elderly people need help with once they retire?"

People responded by saying that elderly people they knew, struggled most with technology and always needed help to understand instructions for technology.

I then asked.....

"How do you think my audience would want to interact with my product?"

People responded by saying that my audience would prefer something to handle, sit down and read while being simple and easy to understand.

These responses changed my idea from a retirement pack to an informative pack that simplifies technology for my elderly audience. I will create an information pack that has several brochures/leaflets about different forms of technology, such as how to use the internet, mobile phones and digital T.V all in one pack.
Now to get researching technology and the elderly and start designing!

Idea change...

2008-10-22T18:00:00.001+01:00

Since speaking with Fred my idea has changed from a book of quotes to a retirement pack for the elderly. This retirement pack would be more appropriate to my audience and i think if they have recently retired, it could be something that inspires them and helps them to simplify their lives now they have a lot of time on their hands. I will create a company and a corporate identity that will promote and distribute the retirement packs, while creating leaflets and information packs to inform them of ways to simplify their lives, for example how to use technology such as the internet or how to de-clutter their house.

effektivedesign

2008-10-21T17:38:00.000+01:00

I love this guys work, i thought his recent work was quite appropriate to what im doing at the moment with design and colour for print.

Graphic Exchange - http://visualadvice.com/

2008-10-20T22:36:00.004+01:00

a portfolio of a guy { i dont know who } from this website here I really like the cut out typography and typographic layout.

Book of Simplicity

2008-10-14T10:18:00.001+01:00

My idea for the good brief is to create a book of quotes, that represent the word simplicity by using photography. There will be a quote for everyday for a whole month, then the materials for the book and the printing process will be very important in the design decisions as this will also need to represent simplicity. Following are some of my favourite quotes i am thinking about using in my book 'simplicity'

"Simplicity in character, in manners, in style; in all things the supreme excellence is simplicity."
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth

"Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires."
Lao-Tzu

"Simplicity of all things is the hardest to be copy."
Steele, Sir Richard

"Simplicity is natures first step, and the last of art."
Bailey, Philip James

"Out of intense complexities intense simplicities emerge."
Churchill, Winston

"The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity."
Horton, Doug

"Simplicity is the seal of truth."
Proverb

"There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness and truth."
Tolstoy, Count Leo

"Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depends on simplicity."
Plato

"By two wings a man is lifted up from things earthly: by simplicity and purity."
Kempis, Thomas

Colour Inspiration

2008-10-14T10:00:00.000+01:00

I am really inspired by the colouring of vintage photographs and i would like my photographs for my book to be of a similar tone and colour. I really like the sepia tones and duotone colour schemes that they produce and i think this is reminiscent of simpler times when there were no colour photographs, also i think using duotone photographs would give my book a simpler classic look that would appeal more to my audience of mature adults who are looking for inspiration to simplify their lives.

iTunes Visualiser

2008-10-12T12:07:00.002+01:00

Ive just updated my iTunes and i never look at the visualiser that moves with the music but after looking at the new version i thought they produced interestingly graphical patterns...

What a good brief!

2008-10-11T15:43:00.003+01:00

Ive been given a brief to communicate something that i think is 'good' and i can produce it for any audience i find appropriate, using any printing method that i am currently researching for another brief. If it is too costly or difficult to get produced i can still cost the job to see how practical and expensive it would be and figure out alternatives if it would be too impractical or expensive. I always find briefs like this, that are quite open and vague, difficult to get started and find it hard to focus on one idea. I think to start this brief off i will make a huge list of things i like/find good or interesting, then once ive made this list i will try to justify my reasoning for each good thing which should hopefully give me some idea about which direction to take this brief.

Colour Processes - Channel Experimental

2008-10-09T09:53:00.002+01:00

More experimentation on photoshop, playing around with spot channels and moving colour channels to experiment with the way it makes an image look. I quite like the 'mistaken registration' effect.

Update

2008-10-08T17:04:00.002+01:00

Not finished but crit ready [once printed out]

Hand to Eye......

2008-10-08T16:59:00.005+01:00

Ive had this illustration book for a while now (and ive liked the images below for ages) and i finally can mention this image in reference to something that im actually doing for this DontPanic brief. I love the use of illustration using thread and sewing and i think the juxtaposition of the Apple sign embroidered is really interesting. I included the other image as i just like how it looks like one continuous thread for the whole illustration. by Lizzie Finn.

[ Machine ]

2008-10-08T01:30:00.003+01:00

I've been given a live brief, to design a poster for the free student art pack thingy from DontPanic.com The theme i have to design an image for is the word machine and my idea is to create the word machine out of sewing to represent sewing machine. I started sewing tonight and it took ages! this is as far as i have got....

i moved onto the i as i had left over thread and didnt want to waste it and it wouldnt have been enough thread for the h. Ill update with progress tomorrow.

Colour Processes

2008-10-07T21:15:00.001+01:00

-/+ Subtractive and additive colour.

Additive color involves light emitted from a source (such as a computer screen or t.v) The additive reproduction process usually uses red, green and blue light (RGB) to produce the other colors. Combining one of these additive primary colors with another in equal amounts produces the additive secondary colors cyan, magenta, and yellow and combining all three primary lights/colors, in equal intensities produces white. Varying the strength of each light/color eventually reveals the full gamut of those three lights/colors. (the full range of colour available while using RGB)

Subtractive color explains the mixing of natural colorants to create a range of colors, where each color is caused by the mixture absorbing some wavelengths of light and reflecting others. The more colour added the more light subtracted and you will create black.

Monotone

Monotone printing is using one colour of ink, but to be more creative you could use different strengths or tints of the same colour. As only one ink is used you can utilise the colour of your substrate as an additional colour to include more colour for less of printing price and for wanted effects.

CMYK and Spot colour
CMYK or Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black) is the most common method of printing and is often printed through the common process of offset litho printing. The K comes from 'key' and not the k from 'black' as black is the colour used for registration and to mask all the other colours together, mis-registration can cause bad trapping and you will see areas of print that have substrate showing where it shouldn't be or it can create a moire effect. CMYK is a subtractive colour model and the more of colours you place ontop of each other, the darker the image as less light is being reflected. The colours in this processes are often called process colours and to produce colours outside the range of CMYK you would need a Pantone (the most common printing reference for colours) reference number of your chosen colour (which would be a spot colour) This separate colour that isn't achieved through CMYK is specially mixed to your specification using the Pantone referencing system. You can create extremely vivid and metallic colours or dull and subdued colours using these specially mixed spot colour inks. They can also be applied to only specific areas of your print job as they need their own individual printing plate.

RGB
RGB is an additive colour model where red, green and blue light are added together in a variety of ways to reproduce a certain amount of colours attainable by this method. common use of RGB is through monitors for computers and T.V's. A good example of RGB is a website as it is specifically made to be viewed on screen. Colours in RGB tend to be very vibrant as they are made for screen viewing and the light behind the monitor enhances the colours.

Greyscale
This method creates more detailed imagery than a black and white mode (also called bilevel or binary images) as it includes various tones in between black and white giving a richer quality of image.

Duotone & Tritone
Duotone is a generic name for mulitone printing which can be done with two, three or four inks. Duotone is also a term for images using colour separation printing scheme. Any printing that only uses two colours (duo) or three colours (tri) has a similar effect.

Spot foil/varnish

This metallic spot foiled invitation was for my end of year exhibition at college. I've kept it since then because i realled liked the simplicity of it and i think the way the foiling has been used is clever and effective. The scan doesn't do it any justice but it does look really professional and simple in reality.

I really love the cover of issue 115 of Computer Arts Projects magazine which was focused on Print. The cover (see image below) has certain parts spot varnished and i think it looks really interesting and professional, not to mention expensive!

Spot colours are used so that a specific colour in a design will print. If the colour is outside the range or gamut of the four colour process. Special colours have a greater intensity and vibrancy as they print as a solid colour rather than one that is composed of half tone dots. pot colours are made from various based elements mixed according to a specific recipe. Spot colour inks can be bought pre-mixed or mixed by the printer. Often used to print money and passports because the spot colour cannot easily be copied.

Printing Processes

2008-10-07T07:47:00.011+01:00

Offset litho

The image above illustrates the offset lithographic printing processes. To print using offset lithography the inked image is transferred (this is where the 'offset' part of it comes from) from a printing plate to a rubber blanket and then onto the printing substrate. The advantages of this printing processes are that:
*you can reproduce the same image quality throughout the whole print job
*It is quick and easy to run a job through once the printing plates have been set up for printing.
*the plate for printing lasts longer than on direct Lithographic printing as the lack of contact between plate and substrate lowers wear and tear.
*the more you print, technically the less you pay (the majority of price is due to setting the plates up for print appropriatley and ink and paper price is much cheaper)

With these advantages there are obviously disadvantages too and these are things like image quality to compared to gravure or photogravure.

To print using this process you can have your job 'web - fed' or 'sheet fed' depending on your content, size of job and your budget.

Rotogravure (Gravure)

Rotogravure or gravure ( see image above ) as it is commonly known is a type of intaglio printing process. In gravure printing, the image is engraved onto a copper cylinder because, like offset and flexography, it uses a rotary printing press. The vast majority of gravure presses print on reels of paper not sheets. The printing plates are engraved digitally by a diamond tip or laser etching machine and this creates small wells (or 'dots') where the ink sits in. The depth and size control the amount of ink that gets transferred to the substrate and it is noted for its remarkable density range which is a process of choice for fine art and photography reproduction due to the amount of detail it gives.

Flexography

Flexography or flexo printing is commonly used for printing labels and packaging. To print using flexo you create a positive mirrored image as a 3d relief on a rubber maerial and then the ink is deposited on the surface of the printing plate (or printing cylinder) Then the print surface rotates which makes contact with the print material which transfers the ink.

Pad printing

Pad printing is a printing process that can transfer a 2-D image onto a 3-D object on is commonly used to print things onto uneven surfaces such as pens, letters on computer keyboards and calculator keys.

Colour Processes - Examples

2008-10-06T23:12:00.006+01:00

The first example of printing i wanted to show was the October issue of Computer Arts Project magazine cover. This whole issue is dedicated to print and explains experimentation and certain things related to print. I really like the spot varnish effect. I think it looks really professional and slick. The image I've scanned and uploaded doesn't really show the spot printing, but certain magazines in the word PRINT, the title of the magazine and the trainers in the bottom right of the cover all have been spot varnished. I will have to explain this issue in a post all its own as it was so good and informative.

This piece of print design was designed by the college and it was an invitation to an End of Year Show for my final year at college. This is an example of a spot colour and the circle is metallic gold with a black stock. I liked the simple design and impact the gold has against the black.

This duo-tone image has been in my folder of inspiration for a while now and I've finally got an opportunity to talk about it. The scan doesn't do it any justice, but it has a sort of blue/grey colour range. I like the frame around the portrait and i think the vintage image is strong and memorable.

This second spot varnish example is a bookmark promoting the college which I've had for a while too. I like the spot varnishing so much i had to include it twice!

I don't really think this is an example of moire, but its still a good little optical design that you can never focus on one place for too long as your eye constantly wants to move around.

This final image is a promotional printed piece advertising stock types and colours. I was drawn to the bright vibrant colours, which was probably what they wanted to happen.

Colour processes - PrintForms LTD.

2008-10-06T20:49:00.007+01:00

Having my dad working in the printing industry, owning his own printing company, its always pretty easy to ask about litho printing, papers, ink and processes so my research on Offset litho should be pretty good, even though growing up i took his job for granted and just liked it for all the good quality free paper!

At my dads company - PrintForms LTD they use offset litho printing and they print CMYK and the CMYK plates can be used for four spot colours if the client wants/needs. They also have a two spot colour machine that uses Pantone colours and can have metallic spot colours (gold and silver) Whilst asking about general things to do with the processes i found out that reflex blue ink never dries!! it has to be sealed in using varnish - to make it dry, or oxidising ink. High gloss finishes also need to have an oxidising formula so it dries quickly too (as soon as it comes out of the machine) PrintForms can print short to medium sized jobs and can print 320mm deep 450mm wide and oversized A3+

On a printing note..........
Ive mentioned these badges below on my blog before and i think now is the perfect time to re-mention them. They were created by Effektivedesign

These are the badges before they are cut out and stuck to the metal parts, i just liked the CMYK line up.

Everybody should use this website!

2008-10-04T16:16:00.001+01:00

Its so easy and simple to use as a to-do list.
NowDoThis

Alphabet soup.....update - RGB mode

2008-10-02T09:36:00.006+01:00

These images are of my Alphabet Soup imagery I've designed to play around with for the Colour for Print Brief i have been given. I created these in Illustrator and each image is in RGB mode at full Pure R G or B for each respective colour. I thought i would put the RGB experiments up on my blog as on screen is best for RGB, so here ya go........

Alphabet soup

2008-09-23T23:00:00.000+01:00

My theme that i discovered from my summer project was derived from specific parts of what i collected, which was type from things i had come into contact with, which i then categorised into letters of the alphabet. Having to come up with a strap line or sentence to describe my theme was quite difficult for me and during a mini crit somebody suggested the phrase alphabet soup and i thought it would be a fun idea to try and come up with imagery for it. This will be my theme for my exploration into experimenting with colour and print processes.

Who am i as a designer??..........Your asking me??

2008-09-22T16:58:00.002+01:00

What a question?!
What does it mean to me? At the moment i honestly don't know. I could list products i think it is such as posters, packaging and magazines but i don't think that is what the question is about. I think its more about things like communication, message, audience, meaning and delivery and where i stand on these things, my beliefs and my methods. For a while I've always thought specialising in something meant limiting yourself but have realised it doesn't necessarily mean so. I have to think more about the context of my work and my audience as this is what is vital in graphic design and i don't focus on it enough. This year is going to be a steep learning curve........but one that I'll enjoy!

Me through the ages...

2008-09-12T19:23:00.003+01:00

This site is amazing! i could spend hours playing around with peoples photos! Here are a few years of me.....

New camera!!

2008-09-07T14:17:00.004+01:00

I got my new camera and I've already been playing around with it! Take a look at some of my pics here.....

Creating a blog header...........

2008-09-03T23:30:00.003+01:00

My sister needed a blog header as her old one wasn't that great so i said i would create one for her. It only took a few minutes and i used her photos from New York. Heres the finished product...

and here is a link to her blog.

Short feeble first attempts at stop motion.....

2008-09-03T11:15:00.000+01:00

Alphabet Ice

2008-09-03T00:20:00.003+01:00

While out buying my new lomo cameras i found these little gems. These should come in handy for the summer brief and just fun for playing around with!

New Camera.....

2008-09-01T21:23:00.001+01:00

Ive ordered my new camera and i have to wait to pick it up, im too excited to wait and i want it now! So here's a picture of it until i get it!

Lomo Fish eye and Holga.

2008-08-30T21:50:00.000+01:00

Ive wanted these camera's for a while now and thought it was about time that i got them, they were quite cheap and im developing a photography addiction so i thought i should get some good equipment.

This is my Lomo Fish Eye

.....and this is my Holga

Fish Eye 1, originally uploaded by __GirlFriday.

I will hopefully be able to produce amazing images like this, from Flickr, using my new lomo fish eye camera.

happy birthday, holga!, originally uploaded by pamelaklaffke.

And also something like these amazing shots, from flickr. These were taken with a Holga.

Collage

2008-08-28T15:45:00.008+01:00

just thought id put something up here work related as i haven't posted anything of the like for a while so here is a collage i did in relation to my summer brief.........

Bargain!

2008-08-27T15:34:00.005+01:00

I went looking for old books at the charity shop today for imagery to create personal collages and found four interesting books. All for only £2 ! They all have good imagery and text to be put to use and they have a quality old smell and aged pages.

Billie Holiday and Collage

2008-08-27T00:43:00.004+01:00

I recently bought 'The Best of Billie Holiday' and i can't stop listening! With 50 songs, its a good playlist to work to and that's just what i have been doing. I've liked Billie Holiday for a while, with my favourite song being 'Stormy Weather' but all 50 of the songs are really good as background music to get my work done, so I've been feeling rather productive by creating lots of collages using my stored up materials that I've wanted to put to use for ages. I started researching into ephemera and vintage printed imagery, looking on Flickr and Etsy. I really would like to start my own collection of printed ephemera and i can see myself become more and more interested towards the print side of things. I can't wait to start letterpress workshops and using the print rooms when i get back to university. Ive also become really interested in collage and materials over summer, I've been keeping an eye out for any particularly nice pieces of typography or paper to store and use when i get the right personal project or brief!

Do it for real.....

2008-08-19T17:08:00.005+01:00

here. ........I think to do things for real is always the way to go as it will look like what its supposed to, for instance, you could produce faux comic sans chalk typeface on a fake chalkboard or put work and effort in and produce actual handwritten chalk on a REAL chalkboard, we all know that the real thing looks more professional. It shows effort, dedication and professionalism. So next time your thinking of 'faking it' just think about putting in that extra effort that really does make a difference!

THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IN MY LIFE SO FAR.

2008-08-17T23:40:00.000+01:00

1 down 5 to go!
The first book I've read is Stefan Sagmeister's book.
Well having seen the website and having put an order in at amazon for my books to read for this summer, i decided to buy the book "THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IN MY LIFE SO FAR" by Stefan Sagmeister. I have already read the many mini books you get and played with the front covers of the books and the box that holds them. This is my favourite cover (click on it to get a better look):

New Books came today!

2008-08-16T21:28:00.004+01:00

Can't wait to start reading them!

Things i have learned in my life so far.com

2008-08-09T16:42:00.004+01:00

THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IN MY LIFE SO FAR.

I like the variety of how the letters are created and would like to try this in my own work for my summer brief, but i would make mine more legible.

Tokyo Signwall

2008-08-09T15:56:00.003+01:00

I found this image here.

I really like the variety of type and the unity of black and white from the photo. Might try and incorporate this into my summer brief somehow.

us design studio

2008-08-06T15:35:00.003+01:00

Looking at us design studio website, i can't remember how i came across them, i found this piece of brochure design that they did for Kingston Universities graphic design show for 2007. I thought it had quite an old skool look of DIY magazines or zines and from the 60's and a really interesting use of colour. I think i would like to categorize my summer into books, as I'm interested in book designs and formats, and then organize my summer work into a blue book and an orange book depending on how and what i have produced.

W-I-P (work in progress)

2008-08-04T16:50:00.004+01:00

Found this guy Joe the dreamer Davis on FFFFOUND! and i really like his interactive homepage. He created an interactive site that is all about a cup of tea. You click on the highlighted words and it creates a more in depth explanation which turns into a mini story about making tea. When i first saw it on FFFFOUND! i didn't realise that it was interactive and i thought it just looked like this.....

When i first saw this i thought it was quite simple and striking if a little on the boring side. I decided to create my own version using my chosen colours and a record of something i did during summer. I could do this for whatever i do during summer and have a full typographic representation of my summer.

The Rules of Life

2008-08-02T23:46:00.002+01:00

I set a challenge to myself to read a book in a day and my sister recommended a book entitled 'The Rules of Life' I sat down in the early hours of the morning until the evening and i read it from cover to cover,if you ever get the chance to read it you definitley should. It is mostly common sense and good manners, which it doesn't try to cover up, and a good reminder of how to get along in life. I am generally a pessimistic person (why does negative sound really strong a word compared to pessimistic?) and this book took the edge off my annoyances and pet hates for a day, made everything seem easier and made me feel more in control and aware of my actions. I will definitely be buying this book for my own bookshelf so i can re-read it in times of stress!

Buy it here at Amazon.co.uk

Typography experiments

2008-07-30T10:58:00.008+01:00

Been meaning to put these up for a while now, they have been building up in my yoono account. I have been collecting images that inspire me in relation to my summer brief and these images are solely about ideas i have towards typography for this brief.

I thought this image was quite inspiring and made me think about collecting type from all the newspapers, books, magazines and anything else i read over summer. I could then organise them into categories, for example by colour, letter or size.

This image inspired me to experiment with hand drawn text. I could represent words that i say frequently, or experiment with layers, size and words to create a typographic collage.

I like this image and i would like to create letters from found objects of blue or orange and arrange them into letters 'B' and 'O' I could even try and create a whole alphabet and base each letter on objects that begin with that letter.

IDEA !?!

2008-07-20T23:18:00.002+01:00

I finally have my ideas for my summer brief and i can actually get started! I've left it late starting and its something i didn't want to do as i don't want to leave it until the last minute and stress over it. Not mentioning much, but its actually something I'm interested in and something i think will have a final set of work that will work quite well together. I'm excited!

Orange and Blue

2008-07-10T00:13:00.003+01:00

I have decided to focus my ideas, experiments and findings on an orange and blue colour scheme. I chose orange and blue as it is a perfect colour scheme for a summer brief. I will research into colours to find out their associations and then experiment with ways of recording and the things i record. I will try to update this at least twice a week with my experiments and ideas.

Typography Sweets!

2008-07-03T14:14:00.004+01:00

I bought sweets today and saw sum ABC Letters I played around with them for a while and thought this would be something interesting to utilise in my summer project. Here is a little preview of my experiments...... (more here)