Lecture Comments & Reflections
Responses to Chapter 1 – ‘what is a design brief’
I can connect with this with being a designer who runs their own business. When an existing or new client provides the brief it is so important that it hits all the points that need to be answered clearly. There have been times where I have been given a very loose brief (and not questioned it) and the outcomes where not what they expected at all. This is where I think it’s ‘we’ rather than just ‘me’ and you work with your client to get the brief right. This helps both sides understand what is going on and what is expected. There of course might be times where things slightly go off track but these should be discussed first between both sides.
For me I don’t think I have come across ‘a perfect brief format’ I have been given a variety of formats from Powerpoint slides, to online documents to verbal briefs (which are not advised) As long as it’s clear, outlines the goals and expectations in a structured and clear way then I don’t think the visual format matters.
Design Development (weekly Challenge)
Interests from module 1 (GDE710)
Throughout the module I pushed myself to really explore new avenues and dive into what Graphic Design could be. Consistently using materials both digital and analogue to experiment and push each weekly task. Points which stood out for me are using both music and design together (Particularly typography) this was also an area I wanted to learn more about. Other areas which have cropped up are experiential, giving the viewer an experience, to think, to play, to create, to communicate.
Characteristics: Playful, experimental, expressive, communication
Project Idea 1 – Sound and type. What if the words we see, overhear and digest are re created as sounds and visuals?
Spawn from ‘type and page’ & ‘Skills and making’ in module 1. I want to create a project which takes the mediums of sound to compliment typography/a designed element. We don’t all take in information in the same way, and we all see and hear information in different ways. What if a set of words / headlines / stories where accompanied by sound to tell there story? (sound created by the viewer?) Played in tandem with the piece of work (scan the printed area) or within an exhibition space.
What would the words / headlines / stories be? I want them to be from the public, collected thoughts. Positive, negative, opinionated. I think the beauty will come from the rawness. Powerful emotions may occur on more known topics.
Influences and research – Shapes for Sounds, Ran Zheng Look/hear project.
Visual inspiration from DIA. The organic matter which makes up the typographic forms gives me an idea on how I can mix headlines with sound. The fluidity of the central form surrounded by more constructed type gives a good balance which is accessible still. However could my project push this even further? Does legibility need to be key? What if legibility was removed? would this then not become design as it’s not communicating clearly?
Project Idea 2 – Revive and highlight local
Covid has had an impact on so many sectors and one of those is the high street. Even before covid the high street was disappearing. Those local towns suffering another huge blow. Council’s in places not putting money in the right places, not looking at the people in the town and what they can do creatively to enhance its outlook. What if a revival campaign was created in conjunction with local designers to highlight local towns, re vive there creative pasts and create a destination exhibition.
Project Idea 3 – Re imagine the book cover (type)
I’m not a huge fan of reading books, however during the weekly task of type and page I took an excerpt from a book and re imagined it as a book cover? I instantly was intrigued and wondered what if I re imagined the book cover . What if I took excerpts from books and responded to them in. a typographic way (taking into consideration how we read the words)?
Project Idea 4 – What if sound became the poster
Let the sound display on the poster. Let the beats, movement, jumps, drops, high notes show as design on the poster. These accompanied by the sounds of the poster. This project idea is to further develop my interests in sound and design but also how the viewer consumes this medium of work. Instead of print work can it just be sounds and visuals?
Final Outcome
Chosen Area to discover for self initiated brief: Sound and Type – What if the words we see, overhear and digest are re created as sounds and visuals?
Project Question:
In what way can environmental news we read be presented through sound and typographic design to engage people in a local geographical location?
Overview:
We are consistently overloaded with news headlines across multiple different media platforms, informing our decisions, creating debate and forming opinions. News is all around us and even more so with the development of technology, making it harder to get away from the news. This news ranges from local to national to global headlines. Less is focussed on environmental information and projects, it almost gets pushed to the back and forgotten about.
Aim & objective:
The aim of this project is to explore how environmental news which isn’t presented through news outlets (TV, social media, newspapers, Internet) can engage and have impact on a local geographical area when presented in an abnormal and out of context format.
This project will help raise awareness of environmental issues on a local level, with the hope to engage, inspire and have impact to those living in the geographical area.
Audience:
The primary audience for this project will be those living in the immediate geographical area of Trowbridge, Wiltshire who consume news daily. The audience will be those who are looking to engage and have a voice on issues which could help change their local area and beyond.
Anticipated Deliverables:
The deliverables for this project will potentially be focused around a more digital campaign response. Digital posters accompanied by sound files to allow for viewing. This anticipated outcome may divert into printed materials and digital location spots once research on demographic and location has been thoroughly considered. The demographic will be key to how the project is presented.
Peer Feedback on proposed question:
Emma makes an interesting point around people’s main senses. This is an area I am going to research going into week 2. Could peoples sense have an effect on how they consume news? Emma also raises the question on how the sound is going to communicate, this will come from how I read the headlines and interpret them. Louder and more prominent headlines could be accompanied by louder, large sounds, where less ‘urgent’ headlines could be quieter and in the background for example.
Changing my focus:
I have shifted my focus slightly after refining my question. I initially spoke about re presenting just ‘news’ but this felt to broad and have now homed in on what I want to present. This being environmental news, the news which isn’t shown, the positive news of projects such as rewilding, taking cars off the roads in pedestrian zones, allotments, recycling, news which we can all be part of. To strip back the negative and politically led news, peel back and see what else is going on. We are always bombarded with news (which is negative and fuelled to get a reaction)
My question changed from:
In what way can the headlines we read and are exposed to be presented through sound and typographic design in a local geographical location.
New proposed question:
In what way can environmental news we read be presented through sound and typographic design to engage people in a local geographical location?
Research
Shapes for sounds: a visual history of the alphabet.
Ran Zheng – Look / Hear Project –
What most excites me about Ran Zheng work is the way the project is pushing what graphic design can be. Sound and typography working in conjunction with each other to create an experience which is viewed differently by all. What inspired me the most was how the project would be taken in different by all? Even with the same sounds everyone is going to view and listen in a different way. I asked myself how can I add an element of this into my self initiated project?
One thing that does pop up for me is when the digital space wasn’t around how did we look at design with sound in mind? Have we become so overwhelmed by sound now that it’s all to much?
DIA – https://dia.tv/
References
- https://www.brainpickings.org/2011/06/21/shapes-for-sounds/
- https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/why-type-should-be-heard-as-much-as-seen/
- https://dia.tv/
Weekly Critical Reflection
What went well
Continue to work on
Prompts for next week:
James Shaw 