supergraphics brief

UNIT 4: Orientation towards Routes | Brief 1
Brief Theme: Intentional Experimentation
Learning outcomes (see course handbook): 13, 14, 15
Culture swap
BA [HONS] GRAPHIC DESIGN
DESIGN & INTERACTION
1
Date of the brief: 23 Jan 12
Explore and explain something from your culture to someone from a different place.
Culture, in this brief, refers to “ideas, customs, and social behaviour” (from the Oxford
Dictionaries online: oxforddictionaries.com)
As an undergraduate of a central London university, you could be in the most culturally
and contribute by explaining something from your own. This is a great opportunity to
explore the notion of culture and what it could be.
The brief
features from each other’s culture. E.g., slang, dress codes, drinks culture, family rituals,
school cultures, hobbies...
Produce a piece of work explaining this part of your culture – it could be a celebration,
a nostalgic look, a critical view; however you feel about it.
The outcome is open (can take any form) to allow an experimental approach to ideas,
and connected to your idea and intention.
purpose the design has.
References
The purpose of this brief
An experimental approach to a cultural
difference:
To explore and explain by experimenting with different approaches and media.
Considerations
a critical or mixed view.
Avoid stereotypes and think hard about what is unique about your background. It
doesn’t matter if you and your partner are from different sides of the world or different
sides of London: there will be an interesting point of difference about your culture. You
may choose a seemingly trivial topic but you must treat it thoroughly and produce a
substantial piece of well researched and thoughtfully designed work.
The Cockney Cashpoint:
http://huff.to/zvCVuQ
Experimental approaches & media
The work of Daniel Eatock, e.g.
http://bit.ly/w4v37Z
Stanley Donwood’s CD cover using
food dye:
Eye magazine article: http://bit.ly/ztjSY5
Image of it: http://bit.ly/yo47Yv
For the briefing Read/watch all the references and bring your notes and thoughts on
them. Start a list of interesting things from your culture that others may not know much
about and bring this.
Tom Phillips “A Humument”
http://humument.com
For the interim/working crit Bring all the information you have gathered for the content
of your piece e.g. photos, drawings, AV recordings (e.g. on your phone) notes and
written elements. Please prepare at least three different ideas for potential solutions and
Common People, Pulp
how you have experimented with different approaches to gathering and presenting
information.
For the final crit
to organise this in advance.
Schedule
Interim crit
Final crit
Brief set by
Ruth Sykes
A track to work by
Recommended books on culture
TS Eliot
Culture and Society, Raymond Williams
UNIT 4: Orientation towards Routes | Block 2
Brief Theme: Process and systems
Learning outcomes (see course handbook): 13, 14, 15
Attention to detail
Date of brief: 23 Jan 12
Communicate the found relationship between a collection of objects
Information design translates research, statistics, and generally
complicated data into a digestible visual format. Your data, for this
brief, is objects and focuses on the understanding and organisation
of them.
Both collectors and designers are often considered obsessive, and
attention to detail is crucial. This brief requires you to be obsessive
about a collection of objects, and to be obsessive about how you
catalogue and communicate their essence.
Develop an infallible technique and then
place yourself at the mercy of inspiration
Zen Maxim
Good design is a lot like clear thinking
made visual
Edward Tuft
Reference:
I saw a man he wasn’t there.
An essay by WIlliam Owen
You will need to ruthlessly compare and contrast every item within
your collection. The relationships you discover may be obscure but
An avid collector Curtis James
you must be able to justify and explain them in a visual form. Part of the
http://www.notkindacool.com/
rationale of this brief is to demonstrate how imposing order on objects
View Pinterest to view others collections:
can reveal their underlying relationships.
http://pinterest.com/
David McCandless, author of Information is Beautiful states, the real
David McCandless
challenge can be “seeing the patterns and connections that matter,
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visua
then designing that information so that it makes more sense or tells a
lizations/
story”
Considerations:
The brief: Produce a piece of graphic communication that visually
describes the relationships within your collection. The format is of your Think about the importance of collections
in preperation for the briefing discussion.
choice but must be an informed decision and relate to your collection.
At times the nature of the objects collected
For the briefing: You must choose a collection of objects before the
can encourage prejudice (my neighbour
briefing. Read all the references and make notes on them. Try and find
collects human hair) other times it is the
your own resources that relate to the project in preperation for the
process or act of collecting itself; bird
group discussions.
watching or train spotting for instance.
For the interim crit: Bring documentation of your collection (photos,
Please bring: a sketch book (minimum A4),
drawings, scans, film) and all of your sketches, maps, ideas that
and drawing materials to the briefing for
describe how you have organised, arranged and studied your items.
the hands-on-workshop. You will also need
You should have a clear idea of what you aim to produce for the final
to use the photocopier.
crit and will need to present a visual description of the form, layout and
There will be a mini-lecture with examples
planned outcome.
of mapping, visual organisation, data
FInal crit: You must present your finished piece and all documentation
mapping and a look at some of the more
of your collection and the systems and processes you have applied
unusual collections...
and explored.
Schedule
Briefing:
Monday 23 Jan | 10.30 – 16.30 | RED 1
Interim crit: Friday 27 Jan | 10:30 – 16.30 | F Yellow 2
Final crit:
Friday 03 Feb | 10:30 – 16.30 | F Yellow 2
Brief set by Kira Salter
BA [HONS] GRAPHIC DESIGN
DESIGN & INtERACtION
Publish and be damned
1
To use text and image to create an identity for new art, design or culture magazine
Using text and images together is one of the
lifelong skills that you will need to survive as
a designer. This brief will inspire you to create
designer, copywriter and as an art director. You will
spend two weeks learning some proper practical
skills whilst exploring a subject that you are
passionate about and author yourself. The results
will be amazing.
The juxtaposition of text and image is the very
cornerstone of the graphic designers professional
practice. How can you use text and image in an inventive way to create an
original and strong graphic identity for a new [cross-platform] art/design/
cultural magazine.
tIMEtABLE
Week One
Bring your favourite magazine to
Other days and workshops to be
start.
The brief:
Create an identity for a new art, design or cultural magazine.
The purpose: The purpose is to see if you can take an idea for a
magazine and translate it into a visual language and format. Forget
consumer magazines. The best new magazines are self-published and are
creating waves in the business. See the illustrated Fire and Knives and the
digital magazine Flipboard made for iPad. You too can be inventive and
come up with an even better idea for a magazine.
First research current magazine design before the session and then create
a visual proposal for a new art/design/culture magazine. It should be
exciting and irreverent. You should invent the content and include your
own images with text. You should write the headlines and coverlines but
don’t panic! Start by using dummy body copy instead of writing your own.
There is no need to write the articles. That is not the point. Focus instead
on the real task: to create a unique visual identity for the ‘pitch’ for a
magazine. (No one expects you to write and design the entire thing in two
weeks.)
Considerations: The working title is ‘Left side’. (Just to get you started)
You will need to present a pitch for both of the following:
References
www.eyemagazine.com/home
www.magculture.com
www.editorialdesigners.org
http://themagaziner.com/
http://www.stackmagazines.com/
content/blog/
http://ok-parking.nl/
Books
Magculture: New Magazine Design by
Jeremy Leslie
Layout by Gavin Ambrose
coverlines, barcode, date plus
InDesign workshop:
Lynda.com for InDesign tutorials. Start making work right away.
Magazines
Print: Eye, Fire & Knives, Wired,
Wallpaper, Monocle. Digital: Port,
Guardian, Flipboard
Monday 20th February | 10.30am to 12.30pm 2pm to 4pm | Room F204
Thursday 23rd Feruary | 10.30am to 12.30pm | Green K202
Thursday 1st March | 11.00 to 16.00pm | Green K202
Brief set by Cath Caldwell
BA [HONS] GRAPHIC DESIGN
DESIGN & INTERACTION
The brief
References
other items in the We Are What We
Do Shop:
http://bit.ly/tfpEuh
The purpose
Tidy Street
http://bit.ly/eShkDP
British Heart Foundation, “Hands
http://bit.ly/wGw9F7
Considerations
http://bit.ly/lsHHoG
For the briefing
Recommended sources
Hidden Persuaders
For the interim/working crit Bring all the information gathered from your
typography will work.
For the final crit
Schedule
Brief set by
Century of the Self
Adam Curtis
UNIT 4: Orientation towards Routes | Block 4: Intentional experimentation
Learning outcomes (see course handbook): 13,14,15
Supergraphics
BA [HONS] GRAPHIC DESIGN
DESIGN & INTERACTION
1
17 - 27 April 2012
Communicate messages in a 3D environment
Everyday as we walk around London we are bombarded by thousands of
messages all competing for our attention. Designers need to be able to
create new and relevant methods to communicate and ensure that their
message is getting through. For this project you are going to experiment
with different messages and mediums for great communication.
The brief:
Choose an issue that you feel strongly about: it can be serious like
domestic violence; lighter, like good manners; or humorous, like promoting
eccentricity. Decide what you want to say about it: do you want people
to do something, or to make them smile. Create experimental ways of
communicating this message in the 3D environment.
Cuprocking
Considerations:
Remember to consider the scale that you want to work. Experiment with
reading text at different distances to make sure that you are working at the
correct size.
Consider the materials you use: its more inventive to not break the law
and avoid using permanent marks, instead try chalk / paper / tape / what
are communicating. Eg Chewing gum ‘Keep Britain tidy’
Consider how you are going to present your work: photographs / samples
of materials / tiled print-outs / scale model. Try to show the impact of your
communication.
References
In addition to reading the references, take some photos of graphics in the
environment, print out and bring in to college for Tuesday.
Bring your initial ideas about what issues you are interested in. Also bring a
sketchbook, a ruler & drawing materials. By the end of the day you will have
chosen your issue and have started to experiment with messages and mediums.
You must bring at least 3 actual experiments of messages in the environment.
These could be samples in small scale, or photographs of real events.
your concepts / images in the way to best explain your idea. You must produce at
least a part of your design at 1:1. (use tiling instead of expensive print outs) Bring
samples of materials used.
Schedule
Tuesday 17th April | 10.30am | Graphic Design Studio: Orange
Interim crit Friday 20th April | 10.30am | Graphic Design Studio: Orange
Final crit
Friday 27th April | 10.30am | Graphic Design Studio: Orange
Brief set by Emily Wood [email protected]
Gander, R.(2007) Loose Associations
http://bit.ly/zQPCw1
Brooks, T & Shaughnessy, A, 2010.
Supergraphics: Graphic Design for
Walls, Buildings and Spaces. Unit
Editions.
I am here: Fugitive Images
www.iamhere.org.uk
Studio Myerscough
www.studiomyerscough.com
Gail Porter projected onto the Houses
of Parliament. BBC News. 11.5.99
http://bbc.in/gK8505
Seeper. Art & technology collective
(Seeper.com)
UNIT 4: Orientation towards Routes | Block 5:Process & Systems
Learning outcomes (see course handbook): 13,14,15
BA [HONS] GRAPHIC DESIGN
DESIGN & INTERACTION
6 - 16 March 2012
Create a signage system to somewhere or something that captivates or intrigues you
The brief:
Find somewhere or something that you’d like other people to
know about. This could be a place, an event, a thought, a thing,
a route...in London, in cyberspace, in your head etc. Create the
signage system, without using the traditional ‘sign on a post’, that
takes people there, and navigates them during their visit.
The purpose:
With GPS, google maps, smart phones directional signage will
no longer be necesary. Instead consider what else signage can
provide; an overview, a more subtle feeling, or the space for the
viewer to change their mind and go somewhere else instead.
Your signage must do much more than simply showing the way.
Considerations:
you are directing people to. Do you want to give them a sense of
what’s in store ... or keep it a secret? Do you want to get them
excited about their visit, or generate some other emotion? Is the
Consider the environmental context of your signage. What’s
around it, does it need to stand out, or can it be quietly waiting to
be found.
Bring an example of signage without signs to share with the group.
References
Bring visual research into signage and your area of interest.
going to achieve it.
Start considering materials that it will be made from .
Ie real size, real materials, real situation??
Schedule
Tuesday 6th March | 10.30am | Graphic Design Studio: Orange
Interim crit Friday 9th March | 10.30am | Graphic Design Studio: Orange
Friday 16th March | 10.30am | Graphic Design Studio: Orange
Emily Wood [email protected]
The Theory of Dérive:
http://bit.ly/aeUTih
Gander, R.(2007) Loose Associations
http://bit.ly/zQPCw1
Crow D (2003) Visible Signs Lausanne
CH.AVA
Auster, P. The New York Trilogy
[following the shapes of letters around
New York]
Sinclair, I. Lights Out for the Territory
[Chpt1 Skating On Thin Eyes: The
First Walk]
Please bring: a sketch book
(minimum A4), and drawing materials
workshop. You will also need to use
the photocopier.
UNIT 4: Orientation towards Routes | Block 5
Brief Theme: Intentional experimentation
Learning outcomes (see course handbook): 13, 14, 15
Visualise the sound of music
Date of brief: 16 April 12
Visually translate/describe/convey/communicate a piece of music
This project requires visual exploration and experimentation.
It is influenced by data visualisation: a method of creating images,
diagrams and animations that communicate specific messages.
They can be representational or abstract but provide the user
or viewer with a greater understanding of a specific part of the
subject. In theory, they offer simple visual explanations of generally
complicated information.
The brief: Produce a piece of graphic communication that visually
describes the sound of music. The format is of your choice but must
be an informed decision and relate to your visual experimentations.
How: Choose a piece of music or a song and visually explore and
experiment with creating your own data visualisations that
communicate an essence of or all of the song.
As a designer you should develop a compulsive need to order,
organise and classify, this means getting to know your subject matter
and discovering every detail. You must listen intently to your chosen
song or piece of music, You need to dissect your song and work out
the intricate detailing found within it, timings and layering of sounds
for instance. You can be as precise and exact as you wish to be and
use as much or as little of the song/music.
Musical scores are visual instructions, a form of infographic that
instruct musicians on how to play their instrument. They are detailed,
exact and precise, but they are visually non-descriptive of what the
song, as a whole, will sound like when played. This project is an
alternative to musical scores and should communicate not how the
song should be played, but how it is heard.
For the briefing: Read all the references and make notes on them.
Try and find your own resources that relate to the project in
preparation for the group discussions. You must consider which song
or piece of music you wish to use.
We will have a mini-workshop on the briefing day and will be
responding, visually to the following songs:
The Simonsound – Bad love
Yiruma – First Love
Please bring drawing materials and a sketch book with you.
For the interim crit: Bring all your experimentations with you. If
possible, bring your song/music. You should have an idea of your
planned outcome for the final crit.
Final crit: You must present both your finished piece and
documentation of all your visual experimentations to the group.
Schedule
Briefing:
Monday 16 April | 10.30 – 16.30 |
Interim crit: Friday 20 April | 10:30 – 16.30 |
Final crit:
Friday 27 April | 10:30 – 16.30 |
Brief set by Kira Salter
RED 1
RED 1
RED 1
Reference:
The oramics machine, an early 1960's electronic
synthesiser, translated drawings into sounds via 35mm
film strip and was seen as one of the most significant
devices on the history of electronic music:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/9671950.stm
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/Oramics
http://soundandmusic.org/projects/oramics-iphone-app
Numerical Sound based project
http://www.danieleatock.com/projects/numericalsound/
Michel Gondry – Daft Punk, Around the World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9MszVE7aR4&ob=a
v2e