Design Practice: January 2010

Headline type.

After pondering what sort of type to use for the headlines of the stories, I found a poster rolled up in my room that is basically the alphabet in different type faces, I felt that the mixture of different, hand-drawn typefaces would be quite visually engaging. As a whole, it looks similar to the image below but with all different colours;

(Solid colour...)

I chose to use the outlines of the lettering as this gave me the option of using different textures etc. within it once taken on to the magazine...

...However, Once I placed it on to the magazine, I decided I didn't think it worked too well.

After doing this, I think it has helped me decided that I will use one typeface as it will be more llegible and relate more to original magazines.

Tablecloth / Table cloth...

In the feedback from the last crit...It was suggested that I look at other textures for the tablecloth, just as other options. I looked at some different ones, but the examples below are the ones I focus on most;

- The first one in the top left hand corner - I didn't chose to develop this one much further because I thought it looked too much like a beehive pattern, which it is really...its from the inside of an envelope.
- The rest of the examples are the same pattern (from a wage slip) just in different colours.
- I think I am going to pursue the last one (bottom right hand corner) as its quite subtle, so doesn't ditract attention from the magazine and it still 'fits' with the other colours etc.

Change of colour...

As was suggested in the crit, I have looked at other colours to use in my title sequence...taking main inspiration for the Juno title sequence:

I think the colours work really well because they aren't too 'in your face' and they seem to compliment the hand-drawn feel of the sequence.

Scale/Frame/Format - Eye Chart Rationale -

Brief -
Make an eye chart using biro pens as the content instead of letterforms - the biro's will be scaled up and down.

Who needs to know? -
People who will be stood 20ft away.

What do they need to know? -
What a biro looks like at different scales.

What will they respond to? -
A2, different colours and scales.

What research is required? -
Primary: Biros.
Secondary: Eye charts.

Title sequence music...

I have taken a long time trying to decide what music I was to use for my title...
I didn't want a very lyrical song...but I can't really find a song without Any lyrics that stood out to me.

I (think) i've finally decided on the following track;
'Can't Stop the Rock'

However...I don't know if its by Apollo 440 or Fat boy slim...because depending on where I listen to the song, it changes the artist? Unless one of them is a remix but I can't tell.

Anyway, it will be a 50 second clip from this.

After effects...

In the last workshop with Mike, I made sure I used it to learn the two main things I needed to complete my title sequence; How to nest a composition and how to create a 'drawing effect' like something is being drawn on screen.

I was surprised by how simple the two were and I really think it will help in the completion of my title sequence and hopefully have the desired effect that I was going for.

This is a really short test to show how it will
sort of look on the completed sequence;

Youtube has cut off the end of the video, but as a whole
it just says 'Top 10', on the Actual animation the type will
look better but this was just to get the hang of the process.

Type as image Feedback -

Brief: (Has the problem been solved and why?)
Works well.

What is working?
The llegibility - The intention was for it to be hard to read and in context it will be seen from a distance where it will be difficult to read.

Issues raised:
Doesn't need to be spot varnished as I thought about - This may be too much.

Quote #2 - Maybe this is because they don't really like your friends (2)

So, here is the finished piece...
I'm not sure whether the speech bubble is classed as adding an image? But I'm gonna be a little daring and leave it on there!

I added the off white background
to this because, when printed I don't
want it to be on bright white.

The colour of the speech bubble above is
actually just the original colour of the paper
that I scanned it, so I tried in various colours
like this one below but I just didn't think
any of them worked as well;

So...I intend to print the first image (without the coloured background) on to A1 matte; I made sure I worked at A1 resolution to keep the quality!

Below is a close up to show the detail of the textures etc. as you can't really see from far away which once again, I think is nice; working with how it can look different depending on the distance you're viewing from.

Quote #3 - A big effort doesn't always mean a big effect.

This final quote was taken from the heading of 'This column will change your life'.
I did take me a Long time to think of an effective idea for this piece...and then when I thought of an idea, after working on it for a short time I realised due to the time we had...it was pretty unrealistic to think I could pull it off well.

- The original idea was to fill a page with lines and where they 'intertwined' it would reveal a letter, but would be hard to read (so you have to put effort in to read it)...I can't explain it very well and make it sound how I wanted it to look but the size of the quote etc. made it way too hard to do seen as it was something I would have had to experiment with because I wasn't sure to how to do it.
ANYWAY!

I decided to make it more realistic for myself...but still effective of course.

- I still really wanted to focus on making it difficult to read; Make the audience put more effort into realising what it says, and it doesn't really have an effect except they know what it says...
- I chose to work with dots/circles, as depending on the range you're viewing it from they can optically merge together or appear completely seperate which I find interesting.
- The reason behind the gradient was 1) because I wanted to use colour and 2) this could help in terms of effecting the llegibility.

Bigger dots;

Smaller dots;

Typeface - Helvetica bold.

- I then applied a layer of text and affected one of the gradient layers to reveal the text, but I didn't want it to be really easy to read -

From the above, I prefer the second one as I think the 'optical merging' works more effectively here.

I wasn't sure whether a full page of A1 covered in dots was too much, so I simply removed the background dots layers and left the type;

For printing, just having the full opacity just made it look like a typeface made of dots...so I lowered the opacity so that you really have to focus to read it.

I haven't totally decided which one I want to print yet, but I just hope they actually work optically when printed out A1.

Fingers Crossed.

Quote #1 - Time to Move on (2)

As I mentioned before, I wanted to add some sort of background to this one...so I did.
I wasn't sure which colours I wanted to use, so I tried a few...but in the end, I took inspiration from the colours on the Juno title sequence (possibly because they're the sort of colours i'm working with in Design for screen module)

The image that is appearing on here isn't quite right, its slightly more green on my photoshop and hopefully will be when printed...
I didn't think the solid, flat colour in the background looked completely right, so I added a bit of texture and I think that works better with the texture of the shoelaces;

Unfortunatly, due to the resolution of the photos, I can't print it at A1...and keep the quality (this is why the work is in landscape...I originally was working portrait A1 but thought the background was a bit 'too much'...so I cropped it). SO, after that confusing explanation - I intend to print it A3 and mount it towards the top of an A1 board.

Quote #2 - Maybe this is because they don't really like your friends

My second quote was taken from the small facebook article;
- The typeface I based it around was Klavika, which relates it to a context (I'm not sure if its the Official facebook typeface but from research, people say its the closest they could find...)

Prelimary drawn type;

Instead of using really flat colours, I wanted to give it some texture so I used scans from various envelopes and then altered the colour to make them as close as possible to the facebook colours as I could;

Original scans;

Altered colours;

And...this is how its looking so far :)

Quote #1 - Time to Move on

My first quote is taken from the Tim Downling column.
After a few ideas, I went with the following:
- I knew I wanted to use a italic typeface as it kind of shows movement and I was keen on the idea of using a script typeface because its a smooth action and lends itself to portraying movement.
- The idea behind the shoelaces is - To move, you can walk...to walk, you usually wear shoes or trainers...a lot of which have shoelaces in them...So, it may be a little farfetched but I think it looks pretty good!

Developing;

Photos to use;

Edited;

This isn't the final, I intend to have some sort of background on it. x

Moving around test...

This is just a quick test of how I would move the magazine around on After Effects.
I'm not sure why it speeds up half way into it? It doesn't on the After effects timeline, but I didn't spend a particularly long time on it...its mainly to illustrate the 'idea' i'm going for.

Also...I think i'm going to change the colours. Like suggested in my feedback, I might take inspiration from Juno and try about with colours of a similar tone to that.

DVD menu

Well, this isn't the final menu screen that I will be using...but this is what I used for the workshop.

I definately want it to look very much like my title sequence, but I need to work on it a bit more.
The workshop was great because and will help me to develop a more suitable / better looking menu screen.
x

Storyboards

These were the initial/rough ideas I had for a 'theme' or 'look' for the title sequence.
- The intentions for the first one were for it to look like a newspaper, and the camera would pan around the paper to reveal different stories and the picture next to the story would animate.
- The second one was supposed to look like a wall full of different shaped photo frames and the camera would do similar to newspaper ideas; move around to reveal different stories.

Problems:
- The problems I had with the first idea were; if its celebrity stories, would a newspaper be the most appropriate media? The look of a gossip magazine would be more appropriate.
- The main problem with the second idea was that its been done before. The other problem was; is it likely that someone would have pictures of celebrity moments on their wall...in photo frames? Probably not.

In terms of developing my work; I pretty much took the initial idea that I had and developed it some more. Below is my (very) rough outline of my 30 frame storyboard.

...and then below is my final 30 frame storyboard.
I don't think Im going to use any photographs in the final piece, but for my storyboard, having an image there worked better to illustrate my point rather than an empty shape.

The 30 frame storyboard only shows the movement of the camera, below is (once again...Very) rough storyboards for what animation will happen in each frame.

Notebook so far...

Type as image Rationale -

Brief -
Produce 3 A1 pieces that include one quote (per sheet) chosen from the articles we have previously worked on from The Guardian.

Who needs to know? -
LCA Students, staff and visitors.

What do they need to know? -
The tone of the article and that we, collectively, are good designers.

Why do the need to know? -
To relate the quote to a certain context and be impressed by the course.

What will they respond to? -
A1 sheets presented in the corridor and assuming they're all design students good design.

What research is required? -
Primary:
Secnodary: Other examples of type as image - Books: 'Hand Job' - Michael Perry and 'New typographic design.'

Editorial images in context -

Regardless of how hard I found some of them...I'm really happy with the end resolution, especially when they're put in context.

My weakest one, if I had to chose, would probably be the photograph (sorry Nan...lol)but I wanted to try different ways of image making.

Why Illustration?

One thing that was raised in the crit was that I need to identify why have chosen to use illustration instead of all photographs?

- The main reason is because the images that I have got for reference are either off the internet or stills from videos and the image quality is pretty low therefore I don't think it would look particularly professional when used on the title sequence.

- Second reason - It was somewhat inspired by the fact I always used to draw on magazines.

- The last, not so valid reason is that I feel it would be more visually engaging.

However,

After the crit...and looking at some of the images I have, I think I am going to mix illustration and video stills; on the video stills I will work in some illustration or textures so that it isn't just a sequence of photographs.

Crit Feedback

Thankyou for my feedback!...

I would definately say this is the probably the best feedback I've got, Not because it praises me and says everything is 'nice' but because it is actually going to help me.

It was really informative and helpful, thankyou again.

News Years Resolutions

This Column Will Change Your Life

I found it really hard to 'visualise' something for this piece but in the end I decided to work with the headline 'A big effort doesn't always mean a big effect'...and the fact that the article talks about humans being bad with numbers etc...therefore confused.
- From this...I came up with the 'Thankyou for your effort' - 'Effect = 0' and then by wrapping them up in the lines, it makes the message look somewhat confused.
- I chose the colours based on the colour of the headline so that the page worked.