What is Graphic Design - Editorial

A D& AD winner in 2010 designed by Chris Dixon. 'The cover story for this issue was about Attention Deficit Disorder and distraction. We used a variety of typefaces for the main headline, and wove the secondary headlines in between each line to visually create a distracting experience.'

As a magazine cover the function is to be both aesthetically pleasing and also attract readership. I think the message is presented cleverly and would stand out in this age of image driven front covers.  The magazine is a specialist one so is targeting a specific audience.

Another 2010 D&AD winner

' Schampus Magazine is a low-budget quarterly, published by Gruene Jugend Hessen, the Hessian Youth Organisation of the Green Party. Its purpose is to inform members, pupils and students about political topics and events at the Green Party. With a voluntary editorial department, lots of text and non-professional images, the design needed to make the publication visually entertaining. It couldn’t look like a political publication, because they’re considered dull. We played with type, used strong graphic elements and changed the images into graphic illustrations. The design is modified for every issue to suit the main topic.'

I like the Modernist feel the layout and type has.  I think it would appeal to a young audience.

What is Graphic Design - Designers

Arjen Noordman

Arjen, born in Netherlands, received an MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art works mainly in America.  His website demonstrates a wide variety of the functions of what Graphic design is including:


Print

The problem was to promote an Art exhibition and also provide an Exhibition brochure.  I think the Type and image is well balanced as are very strong.  The colour blue is used to connote water.  The strong imagery has been used to attract a particular audience of Art lovers.  The typeface is reminiscent of eighties 'system' type and is deliberately meant to appeal to both a middle aged and younger audience.

Interactive

On Procession website

Website concept on which potential participants could download the request for proposals and submit videos of the art parade after it had happened.

The use of bright colours and tints are used to attract the user to interact with the website. The designer also designed the font, brochures and other promotional material.  this created a strong brand image for the event which was promoted by the Indianpolis Museum of Art.  

Brand ID

This is a clever logo as it connotes both strength and love.  The fist denotes power whereas the heart softens the message.  It was the logo for a conference . This was before I had read the website details: 'RISE: Social Work in an Era of Change is a grassroots collective of social workers and activists in NYC. RISE hosts an annual interdisciplinary conference intended to empower students and recent professionals to become effective agents of social change. It focuses on creating strong coalitions,'

The audience is the social workers and students.

Speaking from experience- After effects light glow

As I would need to spend £300 to buy the Trapcode Particular plug in to create the Swirls effect I have decided to look for a different effect for the 'Magic' message.  The same tutorials has another which shows you how to create an Illuminating title with colour casting in 3D 


http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorial/light_glow/


The effect he created was like this:

Speaking from experience - animte hand written text

I have successfully ran through the "Swirls' tutorial so now need to work out how to animate "magic'.  I found this tutorial online:


http://layersmagazine.com/animated-handwriting-in-after-effects.html

Speaking from experience- Type animation

I like the way the font changes in time to the music yet still flows with the lyrics.




As I have been searching for ideas for type I have also been looking at After Effects tutorials on how to create certain effects  This one is amazing but maybe a bridge too far at the mo.  I would love to be able to create the 'MAGIC" using this effect at the end of my moving image.


After effects tutorial

Speaking from experience- Balloons. /What is

I have got an idea for the animation using balloon shapes and letting go.  Some Balloon research, spotted this on Vimeo - really clever!

Balloons - MTV Brazil from Dulcidio Caldeira on Vimeo.

This is an example for Graphic Design used for both entertaining and promoting (MTV in this case)  The potential audience is obviously mainly music lovers but I think with the image choices (eg Ozzy Osborne) it is aimed at a wide age range.  The initial interaction is obviously through Brazilian TV in this case however more and more this type of clever moving image are going viral through the internet.  This works two fold for the brand in terms of advertising.






Funny In Fifteen from Blue Zoo on Vimeo.

TV idents are getting more and more innovative and are a type of "Graphic Design' in their own right.  There function was originally a image for the presenter to introduce the next programme on TV however they are now an important part of the branding of a TV station.  Again the viral aspect escalates the brand into new audiences online.

Speaking from experience - An RSA video

I was looking for ideas about what drives us out of our comfort zone and also what motivates us.  This guy promotes the theory that once tasks become more complex and creative, money is no longer a motivator.  He presents a convincing argument that Purpose, mastery and self direction all motivate us.


I particularly like how the artist blows up the purpose I may be able to us this idea in my animation.  Maybe blowing up fear of failure and letting it go.

This talk is about Ideas and how the Internet has created a 'space' for idea generation.  I particularly like the way the whole animation is actually an illustration of a light bulb.

This also made me think about the positives of experimenting - Ideas generation, innovative




What is Graphic Design?


The RSA -  'For over 250 years the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) has been a cradle of enlightenment thinking and a force for social progress.  Our approach is multi-disciplinary, politically independent and combines cutting edge research and policy development with practical action. '


The RSA holds events and has speakers who debate and discuss many important political, cultural and social problems and topics.  The RSA are using stop motion to further promote their important messages to a wider audience.  The simple imagery makes the speakers (often academics or politcians) more accessible and entertaining to a wider audience.  Theses animations can be found on the RSA website but have also due to their popularity gone viral on site such as YouTube

Indesign - More Layout design editorial

I like the simplicity of th layout above.  There is lots of white space which provide a high end feel.

Repeat Magazine

I particularly like where they have used a diagonal grid like below.  The whole magazine has a high end feel probably because it is a Design based Mag. On further investigation this is actually a College brief!

Speaking from experience - more type sequences. /What is

Making Future Magic: iPad light painting from Dentsu London on Vimeo.
'This film explores playful uses for the increasingly ubiquitous ‘glowing rectangles’ that inhabit the world.
 We use photographic and animation techniques that were developed to draw moving 3-dimensional typography and objects with an iPad. In dark environments, we play movies on the surface of the iPad that extrude 3-d light forms as they move through the exposure. Multiple exposures with slightly different movies make up the stop-frame animation.
 We've collected some of the best images from the project and made a book of them you can buy: http://bit.ly/mfmbook'


Read more at the Dentsu London blog:

http://www.dentsulondon.com/blog/2010/09/14/light-painting/

and at the BERG blog:

http://berglondon.com/blog/2010/09/14/magic-ipad-light-painting/


What is Graphic Design?


Graphic Design is innovative and breaking down barriers.  This company is exploring how the media landscape is changing.


http://berglondon.com/  Berg describe themselves 'as a design consultancy working hands on with companies to research and develop their technologies and strategies, primarily by finding opportunities in networks and physical things' 


They developed the Making Magic concept into an an iPhone app called Penki

The function of this is to have fun and playful.  the audience is possibly young people interested in animation and graphics.

Speaking from experience -more ideas

I am thinking how to translate the benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone.  On eof these is growth.  I was looking at some Google images of growth when it gave me an idea of maybe making the text 'grow'

Speaking from experience - further development

I have hit a wall with the FEAR idea and whilst I would like to produce a typographic image I am not sure how to encompass everything my research is pulling out just with the word FEAR.
IO have started to think about maybe mind maps/roads signs which give people directions to the 'best' way or where the magic is ie out of your comfort zone into experimentation.  I then remembered the research I did on Tube maps for the collection 100 brief.  The idea of 'Zones' fits in with a tube map as in 'comfort' Zones.

I found this Comfort Zone matrix which has given me some general ideas however I am going to list all the workshops we have done, maybe these could be my 'tube' lines on the map.  I will record further development on my Design Practise blog.

As part of this development there are benefits of returning back to researching Info graphics as well.

Indesign - Researching innovative editorial design

I am really struggling with the Layout and grid especially the thumbnails so I took Lorenzo's advise and started trying to find some innovative editorial design.  This is what I have found so far (I have focussed on Music as my Chris indesign double page spread has a music infuence.)

Speaking from experience - research

A theme developing from the research is 'comfort zones' and stepping out of them. I found this poem on the Internet, a bit twee but very true nevertheless!

I used to have a comfort zone
where I knew I couldn’t fail,
The same four walls of busy work
were really more like a jail
I longed so much to do the things
I’d never done before,
But I stayed inside my comfort zone
and paced the same old floor
I said it didn’t matter
that I wasn’t doing much,
I said I didn’t care for things
like diamonds or furs and such
I claimed to be so busy
with the things inside my zone,
But deep inside I longed for
something special of my own
I couldn’t let my life go by
just watching others win,
I held my breath and stepped outside
to let the change begin
I took a step and with new strength
I’d never felt before,
I kissed my comfort zone good bye
and closed and locked the door
If you are in a comfort zone
afraid to venture out,
Remember that all winners
were at one time filled with doubt
A step or two and words of praise
can make your dreams come true
Greet your future with a smile,
success is there for you!

Images for Comfort Zone

Ideas  -
Graphic design public enermy number one - The Comfort Zone. 

The biggest barrier to your design potential is your comfort zone.

Does Fear Keep You In Your Comfort Zone?

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” ~ Brian Tracy

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent in doing nothing.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

A year spent making mistakes is a step nearer the Designer you have the potential to be, a year in your comfort zone is a step away.

Instead of Fearing failure fear your comfort zone (me)


“A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.”

Scare your self out of your comfort zone.

Speaking from experience - Evaluation of survey results

Results of survey - The highlighted words provide common themes which are brought up.

Stephanie Lawson I think i've stayed very safe, kept in my comfortable zone when approaching briefs. I know what I'm best at and tend to stick to it, I really really should experiment more though!

28 April at 17:30 · Sophie Wilson i think i have experimented more than i expected too- but a lack of skills or software knowledge has probably held me back a little- a lack of confidence to "go for it"

28 April at 17:39 · Kirsty Cave i dont think i had until this last module where im challenging myself to try more, although i thought making 100 pairs of glasses was a big achievement. I think i was worried incase things went wrong...now i have enough confidence to make mistakes x

28 April at 21:15 · Kirsty Alderson I have definitely not taken enough risks. I've stuck to my comfort zone because I just never feel that confident. In desperate need of more self belief!

28 April at 21:20 · Sarah Pritchard I think I have experimented a bit, but at the same time have stayed quite in my comfort zone, kind of like what Steph said, I know what I'm good at doing so tend to stick to it. A few things held me back, 1 not having enough confidence to just go for it and make a huge mistake, and the fact of the deadlines and what not. Just an excuse really haha.

28 April at 21:21 · Sophie Wilson ‎^100 percent agree :P argh, we all need to be told we're fabulous just once ;) yknow...for the confidence ;D

Baljeet Kaur Samra I don't think I did as much as I could cause sometimes I'd rather play it safe than making a mistake.. But as fred says, its good to make mistakes, but learn from them!

28 April at 22:35 · Christoffel Van Niekerk Yes i did, and some of them paid off and one of them i had to actaully start again completely, Ive learned a fair bit from my mistakes, and i think its important to slip up every now and then.

29 April at 10:19 · Lisa Whitaker Cheers for the replies so far guys. i appreciate your honesty. Just for the record I think I have took some risks however like some of you I have lacked confidence with some software to push it too far. I also think I care too much what people think about my work x

29 April at 10:30 · Bethany Yates yes, but maybe not as many as i could have, i experimented in areas i was already comfortable with but didn't really try things i'd never done before, like screen printing and digital things, i think it was just not having the confidence to approach workshop staff for the help.

29 April at 18:25 · Joe Warburton nah not at all, my work's always digital and i don't think ive drawn one proper thing (apart from sketches).. i do wanna step out of my comfort zone and try something new but im a bit anal about work and i always think its gonna turn out crap

29 April at 23:50 · Charlie Crosby ‎1. not always, some times i did experiment but i think i could always try more things.

2. i think failing to be successful is a massive fear that holds me back and acceptance that i have to sometimes hold me back even further. Also time can be a factor if you dont have lots then you can do much.

Claudia Griffin i didnt at the beginning but now am starting to after hearing feedback in tutorials and now I feel like I know a lot more about gd, just being scared about making mistakes i think

Sadie Thompson I feel like I have experimented more and taken more risks in comparison to how I worked on my foundation, which is good. If anything what held me back from experimenting more is the constant stress of a looming deadline and knowing you dont have much time to make mistakes which might hinder your final grade, because the course is so full on.

Emails from 2 and 3 years

Charlotte Riley

1. On reflection, do you think you experimented/took enough risks with your Graphic Design?

- No

2. If the answer is No, what held you back?

- I think it was fear of getting it wrong. I have taken some risks and some paid off but the ones that didn't work made me feel like I'd wasted my time. I don't regret the decisions I've made, I just sometimes wish I'd pushed past my comfort zone a little more.

Chloe Galea wrote:

1/ Probably not - i could have made better work if i had more confidence to experiment or do exactly what i wanted and not trying and second guess the course.

2/ Lack of confidence in my ability and lack of understanding of contempoarry design - what's good experimentation, whats just rubbish, etc!

Paul Mitchell wrote:

1) no

2) Feeling the need to 'keep up' with others on the course meant not wanting to have a brief completely fail so played too safe on some, slightly scared to make the wrong decision. Also being less skilled with the software definatly meant things just took longer, so more time cursing Adobe and less time to be creative. I still think, for me, the first year was the hardest of the course.

Adam Townend wrote:

1. I did take risks but I didn't see them as risks as such. When you get out into industry you appreciate how much of a comfortable environment now. Taking risks means making mistakes and we are all encouraged to do so. Taking risks and making mistakes in the industry costs, so use your time now to make the mistakes and learn from them.

2. The benefits of taking those risks and putting yourself outside your comfort zone means you find that you have new skills you never thought you'd have and you can potentially unearth a new direction for your work. Experiment now so then you can drive your own learning.

Arthur Carey wrote:

1. On reflection, do you think you experimented/took enough risks with your Graphic Design

yes.

2. If the answer is Yes, what have the benefits been?

being able to produce a diverse set of responses throughout my first year - some appropriate, some less so - has allowed me to get to know many areas of the college/technicians/skills i would not have learnt if i had not embarked on "risky" projects.

in second year i still take risks in every project as doing something in my comfort zone (where there is no financial incentive) seems like a waste of energy and a waste of this time to experiment and develop/learn more about myself and ultimately seek to realise my own practice by summer 2012.

Naomi Farrar

1- No, I feel I did not take enough risks.

2- I think what held me back was believing that I had more time constraints than I actually did. Also feeling I didn't have enough experience to use the resources available in college myself.

Of 20 responses 10 felt they did not experiment enough, only 3 felt they had the rest felt they either had a bit or were starting to.

Comfort zone/comfortable/plaay it safe mentioned 10 times

Time mentioned 6 times

Confidence mentioned 7 times

Fear/scared mentioned 4 times

Speaking from experience - quotes about risk, fear

Many great ideas have been lost because the people who had them could not stand being laughed at.  ~Author Unknown


The fear of being laughed at makes cowards of us all.  ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960


Prudence keeps life safe, but does not often make it happy.  ~Samuel Johnson


This nation was built by men who took risks - pioneers who were not afraid of the wilderness, business men who were not afraid of failure, scientists who were not afraid of the truth, thinkers who were not afraid of progress, dreamers who were not afraid of action.  ~Brooks Atkinson


Don't fear failure today or you risk not being the Graphic Designer you can be tomorrow. (me)


Of all the people I have ever known, those who have pursued their dreams and failed have lived a much more fulfilling life than those who have put their dreams on a shelf for fear of failure.  ~Author Unknown


“To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.


“Fear of failure must never be a reason not to try something.”


“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” Michaelanglo

Remember no-one can make you inferior without you consent

No pain, no gain
Nothing ventured , nothing gained
Pride before a fall
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Variety is the spice of life
experimenting is the spice of the first year
You pays your money ad you take you choices.
Its best to be on the safe side - not

I have found this artist called Craig Damrauer who used equation to get messages across or 'quantify the world.'

Speaking from experience - Other students ideas

Posters



Particularly like:

St Martin's second years advise to first years.

Sinking in slowly

Just pondering around this question . How do you assess the success of your first year?  Cant be by how much you earn, not by how many firsts you get instead count the number of risks you take.  Every risk you take now is free and contributes to the  Designer you can be. 

Don't tick boxes, make them.

Taking risks now costs nothing v Taking risks as a Designer can cost £1000's

Don't play it safe

Wondering about screen printing a really nice screen printed poster as people may put it up (as opposed to hundreds of leaflets get in freshers week )

Speaking from experience - Primary research

I have posted some questions for research to the first years on our Facebook Group and also on the Course board to get feedback from the 2nd and 3rd years.  These are the results so far:

The responses I have received from the board have been via email so  will keep these anonymous

Hi Guys

Please can all the second and third years answer a couple of questions about your experience in the first year:

1. On reflection, do you think you experimented/took enough risks with your Graphic Design?

2. If the answer is Yes, what have the benefits been? 

    If the answer is No, what held you back?

I would appreciate your feedback as this contributes to my primary research for the Speaking from experience brief.  If you would rather email me than post on the board my email address is lw96197@students.leeds-art.ac.uk

1. On reflection, do you think you experimented/took enough risks with your Graphic Design?

yes.

2. If the answer is Yes, what have the benefits been? 

being able to produce a diverse set of responses throughout my first year - some appropriate, some less so - has allowed me to get to know many areas of the college/technicians/skills i would not have learnt if i had not embarked on "risky" projects.

in second year i still take risks in every project as doing something in my comfort zone (where there is no financial incentive) seems like a waste of energy and a waste of this time to experiment and develop/learn more about myself and ultimately seek to realise my own practice by summer 2012.

1) no

2) Feeling the need to 'keep up' with others on the course meant not wanting to have a brief completely fail so played too safe on some, slightly scared to make the wrong decision. Also being less skilled with the software definatly meant things just took longer, so more time cursing Adobe and less time to be creative. I still think, for me, the first year was the hardest of the course.

1. I did take risks but I didn't see them as risks as such. When you get out into industry you appreciate how much of a comfortable environment now. Taking risks means making mistakes and we are all encouraged to do so. Taking risks and making mistakes in the industry costs, so use your time now to make the mistakes and learn from them.

2. The benefits of taking those risks and putting yourself outside your comfort zone means you find that you have new skills you never thought you'd have and you can potentially unearth a new direction for your work. Experiment now so then you can drive your own learning.

1/ Probably not - i could have made better work if i had more confidence to experiment or do exactly what i wanted and not trying and second guess the course.

2/ Lack of confidence in my ability and lack of understanding of contempoarry design - what's good experimentation, whats just rubbish, etc!

So far the results have been quite varied.  For those that feel they did not experiment enough Confidence  or lack of it seems to play a big role.  The question seems to be How to persuade someone to apparently lose face to then go on to reap the benefits in the future?