OUGD603 - Brief 9 - Making London Event Proposal

Shannie asked to hear a proposal for what we would like the event to be like. Therefore, I used the brief, along with my own personal experiences to really define what I would like the event to be. Through this, she has chosen me and Connell as brand partners to collaborate with.

OUGD603 - Brief 9 - Timeplan & Project Management

OUGD603 - Brief 9 - 'Making London' Brief Analysis

After receiving an email from Alec offering an opportunity to collaborate with Shannie from The Elephant Room, I instantly sent an email to Shannie's personal account asking about further details. We had already stayed in touch after her talk during employability week which can be seen in the blog post OUGD602 - Lasting Impact with Creatives, so we were already on good terms to start working together.

OUGD603 - Brief 8 - Evaluation & Reflection

After a writing a very open self set brief, I found it extremely hard to develop some guidelines and boundaries to work towards. The addition of a hypothetical client really helped to form a strong concept relevant to the identity of the chosen brand. It gave me the ability to embed characteristics within my designs, in the case of The North Face, I aimed to portray the resilliance, durability and overall quality of the products.

When I first thought of using different materials such as metal within my design, the concept was almost dismissed as I thought it would be too hard to produce. However, I aimed to not limit myself, and after some communication with a metalwork factory, I found that my concept would be possible to produce. Speaking to experts in different respective fields really helps to educate myself on what is possible outside the practice of graphic design. I now know the possibilities of technical software such as ‘Solid Works’, and ‘Key Shot Pro’, which are mainly used for 3D modelling and product design. This new knowledge will be useful for future projects, if I were to design product packaging. I found the production process equally as enlightening as the printing process at facilities such as Pressision or Evolution Print. It is good to have a knowledge of these processes as it will help me to realise their potential and limitations within future projects.

Collaboration with the Bradley Metalwork factory was exciting for both myself and the company owners. It was an unusual request to what they usually produce for clients and the staff seemed really enthusiastic about producing art instead of their usual product containers. The project has really opened their eyes to producing work for the creative industries in the future.

OUGD603 - Brief 8 - Final Resolutions

With the digital renders giving an accurate representation of the whole finale piece, some detailed macro photography was taken in a studio environment to showcase subtleties in the final product.

I hope to soon book out a larger photography studio to capture the full poster as the product photography suites had backdrops which were too small.

OUGD603 - Brief 8 - Work in Context

The final posters will be presented and photographed in various contexts. These synarios will include on snow, dirt, sand and water to resonate with the typography on the poster. It will also show the posters resiliance to these elements.

These could then be transfered to billboards and online advertisements whilst the metal posters themselves could be showcased within The North Face stores.

OUGD603 - Brief 8 - Key Shot Pro - Digital Rendering

The 3D rendering from Solid Works allowed the design to also be edited using Key Shot Pro. This software allows for digital rendering and was a good opportunity to show my design in context.

OUGD603 - Brief 8 - Design Production

After formatting the digital designs from Illustrator into Solid Works to be read by the laser cutter, I used the facilities at Bradley Metalwork Factory to produce my designs onto metal sheets. They were then painted, adding a polished finish to the final resolutions whilst also rounding off the sharp edges of the metal.

OUGD603 - Brief 8 - Solid Works Software

After producing the design in Illustrator, I pulled the design into software called Solid Works. This mainly deals with product design however, it was used to format my design for metalwork machines. From Illustrator, it was exported as a Decal and then sketched over, this allows the machines to recognise where to cut.

OUGD603 - Brief 5 - Project Evaluation

Having the option to choose from a large diverse range of music artists allowed me to diversify my own skills. Designing for Classical music gave me the opportunity to seek contextual and time appropriate research, which was different to anything I would usually design. As the piece was a homage to the original musician, it was important to aesthetically propagate the typography and design within 1940’s New York. 

As the brief was stated to be 27cm x 27cm in dimensions, I started to think in three dimension about how to add depth and layers to the design. By lifting the musical notes onto a separate layer, they become emphasised and appear to float above the staff lines behind. Utilising musical notes is also a subtle way of incorporating one of the musicians songs within the design whilst staying time and genre appropriate to 1940’s Piano Jazz Music.

In terms of the finishing techniques, this is the first time which I have incorporated glass and framework into one of my designs and therefore have gained new knowledge about these processes.

The exhibition was also a great opportunity for my work to be seen within a public environment, and to be published within a book.

OUGD603 - Brief 5 - 27 Club Exhibition

After my competition submission for the 27 Club, an exhibition was held showcasing all of the designs. This also included a printed publication to further boost the publicity of the artists involved.

OUGD603 - Brief 1 - Exhibited - Work In Context

The final piece was exhibited alongside a set of headphones and a small MP3 player. This allowed the viewer to simultaneously experience the audio alongside the visual response. Keeping the piece purely black and white focuses the viewers attention towards the shapes and movements of the brush strokes. By keeping the canvas monotone, the production methods and design decisions are completely derived from the musical sound waves, and not a representation of my personal emotions towards the piece. Any use of colour would have been a representation of what I perceived listening to the music and not a pure expression of the musical tones.

OUGD603 - Brief 1 - Final Resolution Studio Photography

After production of the final piece on canvas, I photographed it professionally within a studio environment. The use of props helped to relate the piece aesthetically to the desired target audience and incorporate audio alongside visuals within the final images.

OUGD603 - Brief 1 - Production Process

Using the sound system at The Old Red Bus Station, I produced a piece of artwork which utilised the sound wave vibrations of music. To do this, I placed my canvas in-between four large speakers with a metal frame hanging above. This metal frame was then used to hang a paintbrush off using fishing wire. The vibrations from all four speakers moved the paintbrush in a unique which in turn created a 'sound signature' on the canvas. Black paint was used to record the 'sound signature' as this created the highest contrast between the white background and focuses attention on the subtle markings within the paint instead of irrelevant colour.

A back up canvas was also taken to ensure that the results were to the highest quality.

OUGD603 - Brief 1 - Timeplan Update

Having completed the design and conceptualisation stages of Brief 1 near the start of the year, I have had some production delays due to venues and equipment not being available. Therefore, I have set an updated time plan to get the final piece produced.

OUGD603 - Brief 1 - Venue Booking

To create the piece of art, I would need a large space with a large sound system, therefore, The Old Red Bus Station was reached out to as a possible workspace.

OUGD603 - Brief 8 - Digital Designs

Digital designs were created with the concept of turning them into metal posters, resembling the durability, strength and resistance of the North Face Products.

OUGD603 - Brief 8 - Metalwork & Product Design Factory Visit

After visiting Pressision printers and Evolution in Sheffield, I realised how much I learnt from understanding the production methods of a product. Therefore, I booked to go and visit Bradley Metalwork Factory to gather a better knowledge of other machines such as Plasma and Laser Cutters which I could possibly use within design in the future.

The machinery which I looked at really allowed me to get a better understanding of how metalwork could be utilised within a creative practice. Some of the painting and decoration methods used also gave me a better understanding of how paint and patterns can be applied to certain materials other than paper.

I have taken this knowledge and applied it to this brief.

OUGD603 - Brief 8 - Advertisement Campaign Research

To find a suitable client, I researched various brands which relate to my own fashion taste. This way, the project is more relevant to my professional practice and could be a good portfolio piece were I to apply for a job in a similar company in the future.

Many of the sporting labels seem to promote speed, endurance, athleticism, fitness and urban living whereas brands such as The North Face or Berghaus, aim to embody durability, warmth, exploration and quality. There are a few concept driven campaigns for The North Face which I have attached below, I found these particularly inspiring as they have more meaning and depth within the final designs.