Wander: An Exhibition by Adam Menzies and Buttercrumble:
'Wander challenges the viewer to see interiors in a new light and explore the senses around you. The works displayed are an exciting and contemporary curation of colourful surrealism with a graphic mixed-media aesthetic.
Adam Menzies is a talented illustrator from Bradford who has worked with Vice, LADbible, Awesome Merchandise and Leeds City Council to name a few.
Buttercrumble is a creative design duo made up of twins Abigail and Chloe Baldwin. Based in Leeds, their Wander Illustrations depict overheard conversations in Leeds Victoria Quarter.'
Today I went to this exhibition at The Old Red Bus Station in Leeds city centre, the venue is somewhere I know as being a location for nights out, so I was interested to see how the work would be displayed. The exhibition was in the bar area, placed on the walls behind tables of people. As it was a Saturday the bar was particularly busy and it was quite hard to see some of the work as people were sat in front of it. The lighting was very low and there was also a red light which drowned out the detail of some of the work.
However, I thought that the work displayed was really interesting I particularly liked the interior illustrations by Adam Menzies. The bright bold colours and attention to detail made the work really visually appealing. Buttercrumble's work took a more muted approach with colour, but was humorous and the use of mixed media was compelling.
If the work had been displayed more clearly in better lighting I think that would have made a huge difference. Although it did work with the social vibe of the bar, it could get lost within the lighting and others might not even know its there.
Evaluation of Design Production - Studio Brief 02:
I have found this brief to be extremely engaging as I have not done any digital design work previously. Although the basic principles within design are still there, there is also a lot to consider and understand. This has felt quite overwhelming at times, as it has become clear that understanding the process, roles and collaboration, are extremely important to produce a good design. Thinking about the user experience has also added another layer to the design process and requires a different way of thinking that I have had to come to grips with.
Being clear and concise with design was one of my main objectives and I think I have achieved that by keeping layouts simple and not overcomplicating anything. It needed to have some level of attractiveness to gain interest from a student based target audience, but I believe that the simplicity with colour aids the bright attractive images, it helps support the content. I also believe that I have tried to make the design as accessible as possible by adding different navigation methods such as swiping, tapping, scrolling and voice control.
I have struggled with learning all the information because there are so many different considerations and things to be aware of. I have enjoyed this process, and I think now that I know these bits of key information it will aid me on another project to do with digital design. Time consideration and lack of confidence is also something that I have struggled with, at times I felt out of my depth, I wanted to create a working mock-up or animation to show features. This is something that I can learn from, and if I needed help, not being afraid to ask, as this is the only way I will develop. As well as the fact that collaboration seems to be a big part of digital design.
Overall I have enjoyed this project as I have felt like I have learned some valuable skills and I am aware of the impact digital design is having. I think that I have reached out to my target audience keeping it easy to use and navigate, as well as the different ways to interact with the app. Communication was key within my design and working with type size was important to effectively show the hierarchy of information.
If I was to do this project again I would try and get as much feedback as possible within the different stages of the app, this is extremely important for the app to develop. Trying to mock up a working/animated/navigable prototype was something I shouldn’t have shied away from and will be a very good skill to have. But I am happy with what I have learnt and hope to tackle similar briefs with a better understanding and a quicker more thorough approach.
Evaluation of Design Production - Studio Brief 01 - Design for Print:
Although I initially struggled with the brief I think that I have come up with an interesting concept to work with and something that I enjoyed doing. One of the things that I found hard with regards to collecting the content for the book, was having the confidence to go up to strangers and asking them to do it. This could have broadened the type of people I was getting which therefore would improve the content. I hope in the future I will have the confidence to ask people as this will give me more confidence within my work. I found this project interesting as I could research into the number of different print processes. Having a basic understanding of them will be beneficial and prepare me for when I must work with real printers. Overall I believe that I have achieved my aim of creating a publication which works cohesively with the content. I have also achieved my objective of understanding the different processes involved in the production of a publication.
I think what I found most challenging was working with a content that required a simple design. This made me less confident with what I was doing as I didn’t know how far to take it, whether I had put enough into it, or how effective it is. I think that this confidence will come with time when working more with simple designs. One issue that I came across when working with double sided prints on a laser printer is that there may be a slight misalignment, this is something that I need to be aware of. I also struggled with cutting the publication down accurately, I think that I need to take this process more slowly and carefully, because getting it wrong just causes the quality to go down but also costs time and money if it’s wrong.
I have also learnt lots of different techniques of bookbinding and finishing techniques like embossing. These are useful skills to have because I can apply them to other projects. What I enjoyed doing the most is seeing my idea being made and having it as something real to hold in my hands. I now understand the processes involved and the time and effort it takes to produce a successful publication. If I was to do it again I would change the front cover as I feel like that could be improved to make it more noticeable. I would also take greater care when cutting down the publication to ensure there is quality control. As well as that I will make sure the bind is tight or I would use glue to keep it together. Overall I have created a successful publication which could be produced on a small run.
Noma Bar:
Biography
Israeli-born Noma Bar studied graphic design and typography at the Jerusalem Academy of Art & Design before moving to London in 2001.
Describing his craft as visual communication, combining the skills of artist, illustrator and designer, Noma states he's "after the maximum communication with minimum elements”. His two stunning and highly acclaimed books, The Many Faces of Noma Bar and Negative Space have become a must have for the design industry. He has exhibited worldwide, including solo shows in London, New York and Paris.
In September 2011 his London Design Festival exhibition “Cut It Out”, was selected as one of the highlights of the festival. The project was nominated in the graphics category for the Design Museum, Designs Of the Year 2012.
Noma's work has become well known throughout the world, winning various industry awards. more recently the prestigious Yellow Pencil award at the D&AD Professional Awards 2012 for his series of Don DeLilo covers, created with London design studio It's Nice That.
(Taken from Facebook page)
I am really fond of Noma's work for the strong use of symbols to create visually intriguing images. The use of negative space is used so effectively to provide two messages within one image. Colour is bold and bright, producing strong outcomes that immediately engage. What I like the most is how clever and playful he is with his designs, sort of like an optical illusion, you want to work out what it represents.
However, Noma is quite a popular and famous designer so contacting him for an interview could prove to be extremely difficult as he is probably very busy. I want to give it a go because I will never know unless I try, so that next step would be working out how to tackle opening a dialogue. On his website he has given two phone numbers and an email address so I already have a means of contacting him.
Studio Brief 02 - Creative Presence
CREATIVE REPORT:
Building on my continued familiarisation with the creative industries and prompted by the need for even more engagement with professional contacts, I am required to seek out an industry practitioner or practice who I will base a report on.
The completed report should utilise my skills as both a creative and a researcher and make use of material drawn from at least one personal interview with an appropriate spokesperson to then culminate in an insightful overview of a contemporary industry figure or organisation. My interview can be carried out in person or via phone, Skype or email.
Supporting sessions will offer guidance regarding the approaching and interviewing of subjects.
I should aim to subsequently develop a report that is engaging in terms of both its style and content. The completed report should be submitted as a digital Issuu publication posted to my PPP blog and needs to communicate my interview subject's route into industry and identify where their creative practice is currently situated.
IMPORTANT: I will be responsible for any online content uploaded and/or distributed as part of this module. I need to ensure that all material is original, belongs to me and complies with the guidelines for online activity outlined as part of the general Mac suite induction. If I am unsure about any content that I intend to upload I need to discuss this with my tutor.
Evidence of research into appropriate online social/professional/creative networks. This should include evidence of engagement with networking activities, online presence and contribution to identified sites.These should be included as links on my PPP blog.
Responses to this brief should be recorded on my PPP Blog and should be labeled with the module code and appropriate 'Studio Brief 2'.
It is my responsibility to ensure that all work for this brief has been presented and labelled in line with these guidelines by the submission deadline. Work that is incorrectly labelled, posted to the wrong blog or is in anyway unclear or inaccessible will not be assessed.
DELIVERABLE:
A 500 word Creative Report published as a digital Issuu publication posted and clearly label to your PPP blog.
NOTES:
- This needs to be started early, as it could take some time to get the information.
- Look into a few different people - keeps options open and fallbacks are there.
- Identify people of interest - background research - how can I start the communication?
- There needs to be structure to the interview - pre planned questions.
- Questions with more substance and value.
- Set a goal - what do I want to gain?
- Look at books of collections of interviews for inspiration.
