Visual Communication in Context

Thank You

   With only one week to complete this project I found it very hard to settle quickly on one idea before I began exploring it. I decided to use a hand drawn approach to make the 'thank you' more personal and directed to its intended audience, the author Haruki Murakami. I feel I answered this brief, however I would have liked more time to make the book longer with more quotes.

Business Identity

   I found this brief particularly challenging because of the extent we were asked to 'think outside the box'. The idea was to create something completely different that represented the name we were given, that would instantly gain the attention of the people who receive it.

   I found Lise Meitner interesting and challenging at the same time. Her life and achievements gave me many different avenues to follow, however, her biggest acheivement was the thing she was publicly least proud of. I decided to use this to my advantage and keep it hidden within the business card, yet it could still be seen.

   I enjoyed exploring different paper colours and textures to find the right materials for the stationary, eventually deciding on a cream linen effect paper. I also added a graph paper pattern to the design which gave the set the right feel and pulled the pieces together.

Graphic Systems

   I enjoyed this project and the challenges it brought. It was interesting researching into different book covers and graphic systems, as they are often overlooked and taken for granted. Like many other areas, it was difficult creating something original as so many book covers exist, however this made it easy to find what worked well and what did not. There are many trends associated with the book cover designs. Currently book covers tend to have very simple covers with clean designs and large typography.

   This project made me appreciate the importance of knowing the audience I am designing for and the most effective way to display different levels of information. I have found this project extremely challenging in terms of time deadlines but I feel that I kept up and produced work that I am happy with. Were I to have more time I would explore several of my other ideas in more depth.

   From this unit I have realised how difficult it is to print true to colour. I have had a lot of difficulties with colours appearing very different on screen to the actual colours that are printing. This has meant that I have had to print several documents repeatedly to find the right colours. Also text has been lost against backgrounds and gradients have become more harsh and less gradual. This has taught me the importance of leaving enough time to make sure my colours are correct before I handing files over to potential clients, and also to constantly check my work as I go along.

   I have also had difficulty with time management in this project, something I have not had trouble with before. Having several smaller projects within short spaces of time has meant that I must be constantly working to make sure my designs are on schedule for Critiques and finally the hand in. This has meant my whole design process and idea generation has had to be sped up. As I constantly try to make my work to the highest quality possible this is not something I felt very comfortable doing. This year I have also been working on other projects and live briefs which has meant juggling course work with other briefs. I am aware that I will need to learn better how to prioritise in order to get everything done. This year I have also been bearing in mind that I need to make my work of a quality which can be used in my portfolio, and that the work should represent myself and my ways of working.