Showing posts with label studio brief 1. Show all posts

OUGD503: Research For Type Triathlon Brief

by Roxxie Blackham on Wednesday, 12 February 2014


Brief
To create a hand-rendered typographic design piece using serif, sans serif and script lettering.
The final design must include a photograph as the background and submitted on instagram..

When it came to researching for this brief, I had a look at submissions for the contest last year, as well as submissions that were from this year's competition (you could view what other people had created on instagram during the time period)



I noticed that a lot of the photography used in the background wasn't always relevant to the quote or typography.


I quite liked it when designs were using photos to incorporate their typography - so using this photo as a dividing line..



A lot of the time the submitted designs reminded me of something you'd find on tumblr and seemed to be made to look pretty, rather than with a purpose or idea behind them..



I really loved this submission, because of how detailed the typography was within the word "wanda". Although, I'm not really that sure as to whether the background is considered a photograph or not..



I thought that this University of Wisconsin design seemed a bit cheesy and not that well thought out. I didn't really like the furniture used, as it didn't serve much purpose, and the layout of the typography seems like the designer just thought "oh, I'll put everything in the centre of the page".. There doesn't seem to be much consideration..





I think that the above design just got a bit too carried away! They didn't really stick to one idea and tried to shove as much typography into the page as possible.. It really annoyed me that they didn't even try to make the "almost always" work, and it just ended up a scruffy mess!


I like the idea behind this submission, as I didn't think about using a quote from a film, and using one from Finding Nemo was quite nostalgic. Although the swirly furniture and quality of the lettering was pretty poor, I really liked the concept and image of Dory.


Even though this design was really complex, it worked well as they had considered layout and you can tell that time was spent perfecting the lettering, unlike previously complex designs!


What I found interesting about this submission was the fact that they chose to use imagery within their lettering to add to the design, rather than just using an image in the background.

OUGD503: Research for Secret 7

by Roxxie Blackham on Thursday, 16 January 2014

Research into existing album artwork for Massive Attack








I found that a lot of Massive Attack's existing artwork was either highly illustrated or quite conceptual. It was all a bit weird and definitely male orientated. This made me think about how I could make something a little bit prettier and maybe encourage a female audience to buy the single, bringing a new audience into their existing fan base.

Karmacoma

I found the song really relaxing and quite hypnotising. It was quite a strange song, a bit creepy in a way.. Especially with all the samples from films used within the song. The music video was particularly strange and made me feel slightly uncomfortable - it felt like being stuck in a mad house or something out of The Shining.


About The Song...
(Taken from Wikipedia)

 "Karmacoma" is a single by British trip-hop collective Massive Attack, released as a single from their second albumProtection in March 20 1995. It is a rap featuring vocals from band member 3D and guest artist Tricky. Tricky also recorded his own version of "Karmacoma," renamed "Overcome" for his debut studio album, Maxinquaye.

 The melodic refrain (e.g. 0:54) is taken from the opera Prince Igor by Russian composer Alexander Borodin, and also includes a sample of Tuvan throat singing used by The KLF in "Dream Time in Lake Jackson". The bass line sample featured is the same bass line used by Serge Gainsbourg in the song "Melody" from his 1971 album Histoire de Melody Nelson. The "Napoli Trip Mix" of the song contains samples from Roberto Paci Dalò's record "Napoli", released in 1993. The Startled Insects wrote the music for this track (Tim Norfolk and Bob Locke).
The music video for the song premiered in January 1995 and was directed by Jonathan Glazer.

Description[edit]

The video shows a hotel corridor and the occupants of the rooms along the corridor. The band are in one of the rooms accompanied by Tricky and an actress. 3D, Daddy G, and Tricky are all dressed in uniforms that say "Texmex" on the front. Mushroom is sitting on the couch with a hand on his stomach, where he apparently has been shot and his shirt is bloody.
The rest of the occupants are shown intermittently throughout the video, and are all engaging in eccentric activities. Some of the scenes cross over from being weird to being supernatural and magical.
  • A man is in the corridor, holding a gun in one hand and a plastic bag with something in it on the other. He's walking backwards and pointing the gun at everything he sees, in a clear state of paranoia and distress. He's sweating and mumbling under his breath, desperately attempting to memorise the room numbers for reasons unknown. At several points he is menaced by two mysterious, identical twin girls (in homage to the 1980 film The Shining), who, at one point, hold up the missing letter 'k' from another tenant's typewriter. And at one point he glimpses a double of himself, pointing a gun at him.
  • A man with long, unkempt hair and beard is sitting in his room (actor Olegar Fedoro resembling Charles Manson), staring directly into the camera and speaking in a dazed manner. "I am a... dangerous person," he announces at one point. Later: "All those guys I killed... nothing personal." (He bears a strong resemblance to the man with the gun from the corridor, although it is unclear if they are actually intended to be the same person.) At the video's end he tells the camera, "I want to be free... and I am free." (These three lines are all Charles Manson quotes.)
  • A man in one of the rooms is covered with oil among cameras and mirrors, apparently performing some sort of bizarre artwork. The oil comes from his navel, apparently, and his finger goes impossibly deep into it to extract the oil.
  • A middle-aged man with a moustache is in a room with two women dressed in red satin robes. He asks "Who's gonna be a bad girl, then?". One of the women answers apathetically, "I am".
  • A man (who resembles the protagonist of Eraserhead) is seen with a typewriter, writing "Karmacoma" over and over again on a sheet of paper, though the letter 'k' does not appear. When the man in the corridor realises the two girls have the 'k', it immediately cuts back to the man with the typewriter, who does not look at another man who appears in his room, burning sheets of paper.
  • A boy watches TV news in which the journalist covers his half face with his hand. The boy repeats what he sees. As this is happening, a woman dressed in campy, old-fashioned clothing is talking on the phone about the boy.
  • A man plays golf in the corridor.
  • A man attempts to drown a miniature copy of himself in a bathtub.

Censorship[edit]

Some of the scenes in the video were censored in some countries and a second copy of it was made that excluded them.
  • The man with the moustache stands on top of a mattress and sticks his tongue out. He has a big pointed piercing in his tongue.
  • The actress that accompanies the band is resting her head on 3D's shoulder. She then lifts her head, looks straight into the camera and blood spills from one of her nostrils.
  • The man with the gun passes along another version of himself, the second man points the gun at the first. Cut to a different angle, where the first man is alone and pointing the gun where the second man was a second before.
  • The man covered in oil is shown with his index finger stuck inside his stomach. He slowly removes it until it's all out, without leaving a wound or a hole of any kind.

Lyrics
[Tricky]

You sure you want to be with me
I've nothing to give
Won’t lie and say this lovin's best
Well leave us in emotional pace
Take a walk, taste the rest
No, take a rest

[3D]

I see you digging a hole in your neighborhood
You’re crazy but you’re lazy
I need to live and I need to
Your troubles must be seen to see through
Money like it's paper with faces i remember
I drink on a daily basis
Though it subtle cools my temper
It never cools my temper

[Tricky]

Walking through the suburbs though not exactly lovers
You’re a couple, 'specially when your body’s doubled
Duplicate, then you wait for the next kuwait

[Tricky & 3D]

Karmacoma, jamaica' aroma [x4]

[3D]

You sure you want to be with me i’ve nothing to give
Take a walk take a rest taste the rest
Take a walk take a rest taste the rest
Take a walk take a rest a taste of rest

[Tricky]

Don't want to be on top of your list
Monopoly and properly kissed
We overcome in sixty seconds
With the strength we have to together
But for now, emotional ties they stay severed
When there’s trust there’ll be treats
And when we funk we'll hear beats

[Tricky & 3D]

Karmacoma, jamaica' aroma [x4]

[3D]

Deflowering my baby, aiyee my baby me
I must be crazy, see i'm swazy
Digging a hole in your neighborhood
You're crazy but you're lazy, must be lazy

[Tricky]

Don't wanna on top of your list
Monopoly and properly kissed

[3D]

Deflowering my baby, aiyee my baby me
My baby
Deflowering my baby, aiyee my baby me
I must be crazy, you must be lazy

[Tricky & 3D]

Karmacoma, what?, jamaica aroma [x4]


kar·ma

  [kahr-muh]  Show IPA
noun
1.
Hinduism, Buddhism. action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in thislife or in a reincarnation: in Hinduism one of the means of reaching Brahman. Compare bhakti (  def 1) , jnana.
2.
Theosophy. the cosmic principle according to which each person is rewarded or punished in oneincarnation according to that person's deeds in the previous incarnation.
3.
fate; destiny. Synonyms: predestination, predetermination, lot, kismet.
4.
the good or bad emanations felt to be generated by someone or something: Lets get out of here. This placehas bad karma.

co·ma

1  [koh-muh]  Show IPA
noun, plural co·mas.
a state of prolonged unconsciousness, including a lack of response to stimuli, from which it is impossible torouse a person.
Origin: 
1640–50;  < Greek kôma  deep sleep




Mandala (Sanskrit: मण्डल Maṇḍala, 'circle') is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the Universe.[1] The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T.[2][3] Mandalas often exhibit radial balance.[4]
The term is of Hindu origin. It appears in the Rig Veda as the name of the sections of the work, but is also used in other Indian religions, particularly Buddhism.
In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants and adepts, as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.
In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any plan, chart or geometric pattern that represents thecosmos metaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of the universe.



OUGD503: Design Responsive - Secondary Research on Valentine's Day Card Live Brief

by Roxxie Blackham on Saturday, 11 January 2014


I quite liked the idea of making a love heart out of typography, and thought that this was really effective and could work really well on a Valentine's Day card.


I've recently produced quite a few typographic cards, so thought I'd look into some typography that was similar to what I produce to see how I could make it look right for a Valentine's Day card. I loved the above design, because it's really similar to typography that I love to render.


I found the typography on this card design really pretty and girly and well rendered, however I didn't really like the rest of the design around it.


I thought parts of these designs were really cute and effective. I like the colour scheme and the simple typography as they compliment one another and work well together.


I looked at this card design, because I found it really amusing and thought that it was quite a silly card, although it would only be popular amongst typographers and designers.


I thought that the typographic skill was really interesting on this design, and really appreciate the time and effort that would have gone into creating the letterforms! It's quite a cheesy saying 'let's make out' but I think it really works well!


This caught my attention as it looks like it has been foiled onto the paper, which looks really pretty and makes the design seem luxurious.


I loved this print when I saw it, because of the simplicity and colour scheme. It also helped make me think of my final design idea, as I started thinking about drawing sweets and love heart candy.


Initially I thought about drawing lots of haribo love hearts, but I wanted to include typography somehow...

Then it clicked! Love Hearts sweets!!!





I love the simplicity of Love Hearts and how recognisable they are with everybody that comes across them. I decided that they would be a good base to start with for my design, so I chose to focus on the sweets that say 'I LOVE YOU' on them, as I thought that they would work really well for the card design.

You can check out my design process for these cards at: http://r-blackham1215-dp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/ougd503-design-responsive-live-brief.html

OUGD503: Research into The Stowawayz Live Brief

by Roxxie Blackham on Tuesday, 3 December 2013

The Brief:

The Stowawayz are a contemporary acoustic band, situated in Oxfordshire. The band consists of two teenage girls, playing guitar, ukulele and singing. The band currently perform covers of existing songs, but are planning on writing their own music in the next few years.

The brief is to create a logo that represents The Stowawayz' music that can be applied to business cards and social networking sites.

Considerations:
- The logo needs to follow a nautical theme
- Use of one or two colours in the scheme
- Use of an image that represents the music they play
- Consider the fact that the logo will be printed as well as used online

Research into existing business cards:


I really love how the edges of these business cards are green - this helps to make them stand out from other business cards, and reflects on the overall colour scheme.


I found this business card design interesting, due to the vintage feel to the card (with the framed, scripted lettering, and patterned borders). I also really love the colour scheme of a blues plus stock colour. The entire design looks really elegant and feminine.


I don't particularly like these business cards, but I was interested in the swirly pattern on the back of the card. It reminded me of phone lines and lost looks like the letter L.


I looked at Abbas' business cards, once again for the coloured edges on his cards. I really love this idea, but I'm not entirely sure how you go about doing it.. This could look really nice with textured stock.


I thought that these business cards reflected the design styles of Isabelle Mascetti really well as it featured patterns from her work. This also meant that she wasn't giving out the same business card to everyone!


I really love the vintage style to these business cards and the use of the pictured borders around the typography.


I really like the simplicity and use of colour in these business card designs. I like how the lines of colour are visible down the edges of the business cards. 


Once again, I found the coloured edges of the business cards really interesting. I think the colour red is bold enough to help make the cards stand out, especially against the textured, white stock.


I think that the complete simplicity of this design works really well, especially with such a minimal logo design in the centre of the business card. It also helps to showcase the style of work that this Graphic Designer will produce.


I looked at this business card, because of the little boat logo that they've placed on there - it made me think of nautical design styles and how we could make a sailor theme logo for the Stowawayz's business cards. I was also enthused by the coloured edges of the cards.

Research into existing nautical designs:


I really love the animated and hand-rendered style to these nautical designs. I think the colour schemes also help to reflect the sea and sailors. 


I really love how typographic this packaging is for Young's salmon. I think that each typeface has been chosen really well, as they're very nautical and sailor themed. I love how the stock looks a bit like paper used to wrap fish and chips, and the pictograms are suitable and reflective of the theme.


I love the simplicity of this nautical illustration. The fact that it is just simply lifework makes it simple, clear and concise. This also means that it works really well with one colour, which means that it isn't too "in your face" and is pleasing to the eye. I've also noticed that it's really symmetrical!


The use of an anchor works really well as a shape to work around with typography. I think this logotype would also suit being printed onto materials, for example t-shirts.


I love this illustration/print. The nautical theme has been produced really well - the typefaces chosen are really effective and help to bring the design together. I also love the colour scheme, especially the blues and blacks.


I think that nautical illustrations work really well when they're printed. They also seem to follow a particular design style, with simple vector lined illustrations, printed in very few colours.


I really love the vintage sailor style to this logotype. This is exactly what I was thinking of producing when it comes to designing a logo for the business cards for The Stowawayz. I also love the use of colour and simple anchor and rope illustrations within the logo.


Even though this logo reminds me more of a surf shack or cafe on the beach, I think that it works really well. I love how "curvy" and happy the design feels - you straight away think of going to the beach and sitting in the sunshine when you look at it. I think the colour scheme works really well, and the typeface helps to make the design cute and charming.