Illustration lecture

From the lecture I learnt many new aspects of illustration that I didn't know previously. Below are some things I picked up and found interesting.

I understood that Illustration is a strategic image making within context of usual communication to convey a meaning or concept.

Previously thinking that illustration were just quick or detailed sketching of different information, however if an illustration doesn't have a context, it isn't an illustration.

Looking into work by Chris Ware, This interested me as it was almost like a story, it gets people involved, reading and walking though his stories like a book.

This got me interested in illustration as it gets the public involved, and interested in the many different stories that are involved with illustration that he created and makes people read and look through.

Visual Literacy - The Language of Design

Today we had a lecture on Visual Literacy, the language of Design. Below is the notes i managed to create from this lecture.

Semiotics:

Semiotics is the study of different signs, and signs processes.  Semiotics is closely related to the field of linguistics, which is the study of the structure, and meaning of language. Semiotics also studies non-linguistic sign systems, visual language and visual literacy. The shortest definition for semiotics is the study of signs, but there is a much wider definition than that. Sign? you might ask... well there are signs everywhere, it is basically a sign in everyday life, such as road signs, pub signs, star signs, however there is a lot more thought and this goes a lot deeper.

Visual Communication:

The process of sending and receiving messages, by the means of type and images. it is based on understanding symbols, gestures, signs and objects. It is affected by different audience, context, media and different methods of distribution.

Visual Literacy: 

Visual literacy is the ability to construct a meaning from images and type. It interprets images of the present, past and a range of cultures, and also producing images that effectively communicate a message to an audience. Visual Literacy is the idea that pictures can be read.

Seeing images with other images could alter what the image is perceived as something else, for example  the + next to a X can be perceived as a mathematical equation

However next to other symbols such as Buddhism symbol, it could be recognised as a cross.

Visual Syntax:

The syntax of an image is when it refers to the structure and visual organisation of elements in an image. It is basically the building blocks of an image and how we read it. 

elements included: 

framing - format - scale - colour - font - stroke - weight - shape - composition - layout - motion - light - rhythm - space - depth - texture - text - words - tone - shade - line - mark - direction - editing - manipulation - simplification - emphasis layering - hierarchy 

Visual Semantics:

The different semantics of an image is when an image fits into a cultural process of communication. It also includes the different relationships between form and the way in which meaning is created.

Study Task 5

Georgia 

Georgia is a transitional serif typeface, it was designed in 1993 by Matthew Carter and hinted by Tom Rickner. Created for the Microsoft Corporation, as a serif companion to the very first Microsoft sans serif screen font, Verdana. Georgia is designed for clarity on a computer monitor. with a range of sizes. It is effective at a small size because of its large x-height. 

Georgia is very similar to times new roman, however includes small differences. Having a greater X height at the same size. Georgia's serifs are slightly wider and have flatter ends. 

The font was designed by Matthew Carter, son of the english typographer, Harry Carter. Matthew designs the early 1.0 web fonts Verdana and Georgia. 

Designed specifically for Apple and Microsoft computers. The typeface was only realised until november 1996 with a font collection based for web products then later coupled up with a font pack released with Internet Explorer 4.0. Designed for the period were clarity for web-based prints were low resolution was desperately needed. He designed many other fonts at this time such as Tahoma, Verdana and cascade script. The font was produced and it was a highly legible font that had character and charm. The font was influenced by the the "Scotch Roman" typeface. The classification is Serif and Old Style.

The reason why I like this font is because I find it interesting how legible the font is when it is so small. Due to the X height, it makes it easy for reading on screen and allows clarity throughout sizes. As it is used in the internet 4.0 package, it is well known without realising, it allows people to computer pages simply and text becomes a lot more legible. This makes it a successful font as it is manages to be legible at a range of different sizes. 

The connotations behind this font would be a internet based font, and people would notice this and recognise it as being an internet based font. 

Study Task 4

Looking further into advertisements and trying to understand the different types of media, I looked into different television advertisements. Adverts that would be played to you during breaks of films, after programs are finished, and whenever the TV companies get chance to blast different adverts into the face of there viewers. I started to look at different types of advertisement such as makeup adverts, fast food advertisements, and car adverts, and how they try to draw you in, look further into the product, then actually purchase what they are advertising. I looked further into the LYNX company, and how they get people to purchase there deodorants and body sprays. I looked into the adverts “billions” which involved hundreds, even thousands of women, running towards one man, that is using the LYNX body spray. It was first aired on ITV in 2006. 

The advert starts off with a single woman running through the forrest, she is dressed only in a bikini, which could suggest it isn’t set in modern day timings, She is running through the forrest at a frantic rate, whether she is hunting food, or chasing someone, the answer is yet unclear, but as the advert progresses and the running gets faster, we find out that she isn’t the only female running through the forrest frantically, she is sprinting with other women in bikinis however we still don’t understand what they are chasing or racing each other to get, the race seems to be aggressive and the women seem to be fighting and pushing past each other to actually get to whatever they are chasing, like some competition. We then see several more shots and angles of hundreds, maybe thousands of women running, swimming, jumping, all wearing bikinis and frantically trying to get to this point and the viewer still has no idea what they are in a race for. The scenes get quicker and a lot more half naked, bikini covered girls get shown on stage, until there is a shot, of a single man, using the LYNX body spray, that is being used to track all these women. It has become obvious that all these women have been in competition to get to this one man, who is wearing the body spray, the last shot is of this man, standing in the middle of a beach, with “billions” of women, frantically running to get to him. Then there is a cut away, to some text that says “Spray more, get more. The LYNX effect”.

The cultural codes behind this text is telling all men, that if they use this LYNX body effect, no matter who you are and what you look like, thousands of women will be attracted to you, and drawn towards you for this smell. Not only is it women, its what men perceive models to be, each women in the video was slim, heavy chested, and all wearing bikinis, it shows that these type of, attractive, skinny, models, would come running after you, purely because of the smell that is being released. 

There is some mythical meaning behind this advert, it suggests that the man is in charge, that the woman comes running after the man, sprinting to him, adoring him, and shows that having this spray, makes you more powerful, and will draw the women towards you. Going back to the time where men used to be the leader of the house. they used to be admired, and women had no rights, this could symbolise a time like that, where men were in control of women, and whatever they said, the woman had to do. Almost like the spray, whenever they spray, the woman has to instantly run and get to them. 

The denotation behind this advert is that it is a body spray, it will stop you sweating, it gives a nice scent out and it will make you feel better about your body. The denotation for a woman would be a nice smell, shows the man is well groomed, and also could seclude the man into a category that shows he only uses the spray to try and get girls. So ironically, the smell that is used to pick up girls in the first place, could then be changed to make it seem like they are only using the smell to pick up women. 

The connotation behind this advert is that the body spray will draw women to you no matter what you look like, it brings them from far and wide just because they have smelt you. It doesn’t matter what you wear and what you look like, as long as you wear this certain type of body spray, you will attract many female models, and they will come running after you, when in effect, this will not happen at all. The connotation for a woman is a lot different, they would almost find it repulsive that these men would want thousands of models running towards them and wouldn’t admire men thinking they could get anyone they wanted that easily. 

The text at the end of the advert says “spray more, get more.” this would appeal to men as they see that the more they spray, the more women the will get, making them buy more and more canisters to make them more attractive to the females. The text is instructive and gets the point across simply, It is informing and manages to get males to buy more, because all men obviously want “more”. As lynx uses the word “more” it plays on the sexual part of a males brain. After seeing all these women in bikinis and running to get to this man, then using the text “get more”, the male would be interested in whatever is classed as “more” as they have just seen thousands of women in bikinis running towards this one man, and even a bit of jealousy gets portrayed as men want to be this man, they want this to happen to them, and the only way this can happen to them, is buying this spray and using it on there body. 

Study Task 3

Uncle Sam Range and Saville Lumley Poster Comparison

The Uncle Same Range image was an advertisement created in 1876, created by Schmacher and Ettlinger for an Uncle Sam Cooker, however Saville Lumley's poster was created and printed in 1915 during WW1. Both of the pieces have unique persuasive purposes, and are aimed at specific people, however they both clearly promote two different points.

At first inspection of the Uncle Sam Advert, it looks very much like a painting rather than an advertisement for something, this is because there is so much going on in the advert, However looking at it more closely, 3 things in the advert stand out in particular. The cooker, the man sitting next to the cooker (presumably Uncle Sam) and the big globe sitting at the table. With a further inspection to the advert, I notice a lot more symbolic images that show an American theme running throughout the advert. From the bald eagle sitting on "Uncle Sam's" shoulder, to the american flagged curtains. Everything in the picture is patriotic towards America, however the main icon is situated in the middle of the image. He shares some of the qualities of one of Americas most important and powerful president, Abraham Lincoln. Representing both leadership, authority, and strength. Therefore all viewers of the poster will feel inclined to buy it as they are american and they now feel that "if the cooker is American, I must also have it". In Addition to the patriotic feel through out, the big bold font and capital letters used makes it seem commanding and persuading to make you buy the actual cooker. As the globe is also sat at the table, I personally believe that this is symbolic of America basically mocking the countries, as they do not own a Uncle Sam's cooker, so that therefore suggests that other countries food is not as good. Other simple hits such as the clock in the background being set on the year 1776, which as all Americans would know, is the Independence Date for America. 

Whilst the Uncle Same Range plays at the patriotic side of all american viewers, making them need, want and indulge in buying this cooker as it is the most american cooker on the market, and all americans must buy and use this cooker. Using a completely different way of advertisement, the Saville Lumley poster is a used to play on the guilt and manages to manipulate people. Commissioned by The British Parliamentary Recruiting Committee and published in Britain in 1915. It produces guilt that is then used as motivation to join the war. Saville Lumley managed to create on of the most memorable World War posters. Using guilt as emotion makes people so easy to manipulate. There is a little girl in the poster that has turned to her father and asks him, "Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War." There is no actual reply to this question, however with the clearly obvious look of sorrow and shame, it shows he clearly did nothing for his country in WW1. As the girl is assumed to be researching into a history book about the war, and the boy is clearly playing with toy soldiers. This is clearly showing that the war will be remembered long afterwards, having toys made of the soldiers and books written about them, therefor making men feel persuaded to go fight for there country so they feel remembered, and admired (even wrote and made figures about), If they don't go to war, there family will be ashamed when they realise as books haven't been written about there bravery and toys haven't been made about them, therefore playing on the mens guilt and sorrow levels and making them feel horrible. As the text of the poster is written in a sort of childish font, the viewer tends to read it out in the child's voice, and if the viewer has children as well, they will automatically read it out in there voice. In addition to the father figure actually looking straight at the viewer which would clearly relate to the viewer as there is eye contact being made. 

Both pieces make the people look like they are comfortable, well dressed, and quite happy, therefore suggesting that they live a nice lifestyle with not many problems, The adverts will be aimed at the middle class/upper class, as these will have enough money to buy the cooker, in addition, the fact that there was a racist image (a black slave cooking food), shows that there is a wealthy upper class way of living, as they had slaved and had a higher class. With the Saville poster, the middle class would also have the least amount of men going to war. Majority of the people going to war would have been lower/working class. So making the middle class feel guilty would get them involved and make them go to war. Both posters work on the patriotic side of the citizens, however in 2 very different, and very clever ways. I believe they both work for the purpose they are meant to do, it would defiantly get the point across for each of the subjects, and works effectively without causing too much upset. 

Study Task 2

College Prospectus Analysis 

The College prospectus is the most important part of getting people enrolling onto a certain course, it gives out different signals, meanings and presents the whole ethos of the college. The best was of getting people into a college or university is by having a creative and interesting prospectus. This years prospectus was created for leeds college of art, even having its own text for the titles. However below, I will list whether I found this a successful prospectus, that would make someone want to go to this university. 

Front Cover

As the front cover is the first thing that people will pick up and instantly judge, it needs to be the best design on the prospectus. The design used is an almost hexagon shaped pattern with different colours for each shape, these colours have an opacity lowered to make the background image visible through each shape. The background image is a picture of peoples exhibition work from the previous year. This gives the viewer a clue as to what level of standard needs to be expected when on this course. I believe the front cover works well as a design, it gets people interested and makes them want to look further into the course and find out more about the college. The text is central no the page so people are drawn to read the information out and the image is just the right opacity, too powerful and it would take the meaning away and people would just focus on the image, instead of looking at the text and recognising that it is a college prospectus.

Layout 

The Layout of the prospectus is something i really like, I like the way that it keeps the same style as the front page of the prospectus, and that it links in throughout. This is a good idea as people reading will have an easy and clear understanding of where to begin and what parts they have to start with. looking through this, i didn't have any problems with reading the information and i believe the layout of the text clearly helped me go through the information and understand it.

"Floating" Images 

One thing i noticed when looking through the prospectus, was the different images that have been displayed in the prospectus. They are not very well presented, when looking through the page, they have no order, layout or design. They seem to be thrown onto the page without any meaning. If this prospectus needed improving, I would take the images, and give them some sort of layout and design. This would mean that people would look at the images in the correct order and actually take some us full images from the images such as studio spaces and different areas of the college.

Coloured Inserts

Another thing that I believe is a weak design to the prospectus, is the Coloured inserts into the prospectus. When flicking through the prospectus, These Inserts stopped me having a smooth look through it, this is because these inserts are a different size to the other page, if they wanted this to be improved, I would either make the inserts the same size as the other design pages, or even take them out all together. There is no actually need to these inserts they just seem to be there to fill some space. They could be re edited and then re produced to make them a lot more useful to the reader. 

Colours and Text On Pages

One thing that I really like whilst going through the pages, is the colour scheme, the colour scheme is designed so that each different subject is a different shade of colour, this clearly shows the changeover from one subject, to  a different subject. making it a lot easier for the reader to know when the information for one subject has finished, and when the information for the new subject has started.

In conclusion, I believe this prospectus works well as there are a lot of strong advantages for this design, with a few improvements to the suggested design that I have stated above, the prospectus could be a lot better. This would do its purpose of getting the information across to the viewer about the college and entice them in so they want to come to this college and no other colleges. 

Study Task 1

5 Things That Inspire Me...

1- Something that doesn't inspire me... Cy Twombly... 

No matter how you look at it, perceive it, analyse it, it is still scribbles. I cannot understand how these pieces of "art"can be sold for such expensive prices, when it seems to me like he has given it to a 6 year old and let him doodle all over the page. It inspires me to create something amazing and something that actually has a purpose.

2-  Glennz Tees Designs 2008-09

With the creative designs, and very clever outcomes, these designs inspire me to create something equally as clever, making the customer/viewer look further into my designs and figure out what the true message behind the design is. 

I absolutely love designs like this, they get you thinking, imagining, and really makes you figure out what the message is, when the person actually understands this, they get excited as they have managed to figure out the task.

3 Creagent

Creagent is a nordic design broker that connects business needs and design talent. Bond created Creagent's identity and website. The identity is based on a set of pictograms and slogans that communicate the value of design.

These slick designs and well created icons make you look further into the designs, and as they almost have a revolution, it makes you find out more and get involved. 

4- ALPHA TV (motion graphics)

The main concept is a fresh and modern identity based on colours,shapes and typography. They also had the challence to keep our  style and aesthetic in a way that the Alpha channel content wouldnt be affected and of course the viewer could grasp the information quickly and directly.

I believe when graphics mixes and alpha channel with a different pre made video to make them work injunction with each other, it creates an amazing piece of motion graphics. It draws you in and makes the viewer watch all the way through. 

5-  Rebird

This is a short production collaborated for the project "Resonance". The reason why it inspires me is that it is a futuristic piece of graphic design, pushing the boundaries of graphics and making something so futuristic that it draws the people into the video and makes them awe inspired watching it. 

Evaluation

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

one skills I have developed during this module is the ability to take a brief, and explore a range of ideas and develop through a range of experiments and research before coming to a final idea, this allows me to produce a vast amount of ideas that I could work with and develop. I believe this is a good skill that I have developed further from the other modules as in the past, I would have picked the first idea I had without developing it or refining it, however as I now explore ideas I have a lot more ideas flowing. The other skill I have found useful is the aspect of thumbnailing, creating many thumbnails also produces many a range of ideas to develop and develop. 

2. What approaches to/methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

At the beginning of the course, I initially just jumped onto the computer and started work, I didn't experiment, I didn't look further into my ideas before developing. I have recently taking the approach of having a little notepad that I carry around with me and with every idea I have, I just jotted it down, and wrote my development in this booklet, as I always had it on me, I found it easy to develop my idea further, and produce more and better work just by throwing it into this notepad, it was very useful to me during this last module.

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

Strengths on my work is the ability to produce clean graphics with the use of colour and design, I will capitalize on these by doing the same design process I have used for this module and develop it and use it in the next module, making sure I create the best design to my standard and this will develop more completing more work and design.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?

Weaknesses that I can develop in my work is still the ability to manage my time, this module was a lot better than previous modules however I still need to work on my ability to manage different briefs at different times, this will benefit my work as each brief will get a certain amount of time and I wont be giving a brief more work and leaving a brief until last minute. This needs to be worked on to get the most out of my time.

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

1- More regular crits to allow more feedback and give me more room for improvement.
2- Time plan for different briefs to allow a more steady paced work production.
3- Tutor feedback, after the course I will not be able to receive feedback from them so I should get there opinion while I am still here
4-Create more and better quality design boards so the work is easily portrayed and informed on there.
5- Take more breaks instead of doing constant work and becoming run down.

Studio Brief 04 - Speaking From Experience

I printed my designs in A3 in digital print. The designs were printed on matt stock. 

I am very pleased with the outcome of my designs. The colour when printed turned out really crisp and produces a poster that is both aesthetically pleasing and allows the first years to have a clear and precise knowledge that this is where they have to go to get the website information.

The print outs will be situated in the first year zone and presented to them when they join, they can access the site and I will be able to see if the website is being used by offering a survey on the website and also monitoring the popularity and views that are placed on the website. I believe they will use it and it will also be a good experience for me to have due to the followers it will have and the effort needed to keep this website running, it will also get me closer to the first years and maybe they will approach me in person and ask instead of using the website. 

Studio Brief 03 - Screen Print (Poster)

FINAL POSTER DESIGN

Studio Brief 02 - Communication Is A Virus

Below is the presentation we produced for Creative Commute, We decided to all take part in the presentation and it ran very well. The work we produced really worked at the end of the brief and we produced a concept that was interesting and everyone was interested in taking part in the tasks.

When we spoke about the booklets everyone lit up with excitement obviously showing they were a hit and that everyone would be up for using them.

We also got some good feedback as to where to take our concept further and make it more interesting..

One idea we wanted to take forward was having some sort of story that people would add to each day and create a leeds college of art story, having different talents working together to produce a final outcome, this would be both interesting and interactive for the students. 

Studio Brief 01 - Design is About Doing

BEFORE THE CRIT

AFTER THE CRIT

The crit went well as we all discussed our project and how we went through we created the design. Below is a picture of my work put up with everyone elses. I found it interesting seeing other peoples work and the work progress they went though.

This shows my design in the middle, I enjoyed putting them up and seeing them with other peoples work. 

I decided to mock my work into a vinyl frame to see what the outcome would be like, below is the design. 

I like this design and after submitting it to secret 7, I will get a response when the artwork is moderated.