OUGD406 Studio Brief 01 - Professional Practice - Secret 7 - Response

Unfortunately for this competition none of my designs were chosen, I am a little disappointed as I tried my best to come up with an interesting approach. However just taking part in the competition I have gained a lot from, it has improved my time management and idea generation. As well as making me feel more confident to experiment and put my designs out there for people to see, even if I did not get selected this year I aim to have another go next year as I found it really fun.

I had a look at the gallery of the chosen designs and I noticed there seemed to be a high level of illustrative responses. Maybe this is something I should have considered as it appears to be something they like within the designs. I have also noticed that colour plays a big part in a lot of designs, this is something I should have considered more as maybe my designs were too 'black and white'. 

When looking at the chosen designs I came across a design which had a word of the song in, I thought this was against the rules but obviously I must have misunderstood them.

Overall although I wasn't successful I am happy with my outcomes and the way in which I have worked during this project, I was able to get everything done within good time.

OUGD404 Studio Brief 01 - How do you read? - Design

After collecting all the information I need for my colour theory leaflet I was able to start designing how it would be laid out. Unfortunately the information did not fit on my original idea of a tri - gate fold. So, I decided to turn it into a 'z' fold so that I could utilise more of the space. On a previous project when doing a front and back print I have had problems with the crop and fold marks lining up accurately, I hope that when I come to test this for print I do not come across the same problem.

Each page is 14cm x 14cm square. This will make the total length when put together 42cm which is the same size length as A3. Therefore I will print on A3 so that there is less waste.

I applied a 3cm bleed and used rulers to apply the appropriate crop and fold marks.

Typeface: Avenir Next
I used this typeface because it is bold and modern, the curves of the letters add a friendly yet informative tone.

Front cover:
I wanted the front cover to be colourful, striking and interesting. I wanted to play around with the position of type to produce a more interesting composition while also looking at how size can also help make more of an impact. I think this has worked reasonably well and the cover is compelling.

The rest of the pages:
I kept the title central at the top of each page. The body text is kept in one long column, flushed left across the page. Images were placed appropriately to work with and around the text. I only wanted to use one column as there is only a small amount of space to work with and didn't want the design to become too cramped.

Final Design:

I decided to do a test print to see how it would physically look.

This proved to be really successful as I was able to fully visualise what It would look like and I was able to see how the information properly flowed.

OUGD406 Studio Brief 02 - Licence to Print Money - Traditional Print Methods

Traditional Print Methods:

Letterpress:
Relief printing using a printing press, a process by which many copies are produced by repeated direct impression of an inked, raised surface against sheets or a continuous roll of paper. A worker composes and locks movable type into the "bed" or "chase" of a press, inks it, and presses paper against it to transfer the ink from the type which creates an impression on the paper.

+ Letterpress has the ability to create bold crisp prints with high quality ink.
+ The handmade quality of letterpress creates a sense of intimacy and craftsmanship.
- Due to the multi-step process and custom plates, letterpress can be expensive.
- Multiple colours with letterpress is far more time consuming than in other processes since each colour requires another run through the press.

Screenprint:
A technique of printing where a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. 

+ Perfect for larger designs consisting of one or two colours.
+ Ideal for printing onto cotton and poly cotton clothing items.
+ The ink is heat dried, therefore garments can withstand the roughness of machine washing.
+ Durable
+ You can print on a large variety of materials - no limitations.
+ Effective and economical
- Each colour is applied separately, making the cost higher per additional colour.
- Separate screens are required for each individual design. So, for each additional colour, a new screen will need to be used.
- Not the best option if your design consists of several colours.
- Coated fabrics cannot be screen printed.
- Longer turn around time if many colours are used.
- Time consuming to set up and clean.
- Impractical for the production of a single item.

Digital Print vs Press Print:

Digital

• Less expensive
• Lose colour accuracy
• Lose colour range
• Cost of proofing 
• Can be faster
• Limited paper choice
• Limited finishing choices
• Limited choice of material sizes, styles and formats

Press Printing

• More costly
• Excellent colour accuracy
• Brighter colours are available
• Cost of proofing
• Press printing can take longer than digital
• Types of paper
• Fine line screens are available
• Wide range of finishing techniques
• Innovative formats, shapes, and sizes are possible

OUGD404 Studio Brief 01 - How do you read? - Colour Modes

Colour Modes:

RGB:
Refers to Red(R), Green(G) and Blue(B) the primary colours. An RGB image contains 3 channels made up of red, green and blue. It's used by all computed monitors, it is also recommended by adobe for editing colour images. Used for on-screen digital designs.

CYMK:
Refers to Cyan(C), Yellow(Y), Magenta(M), Black(K), which are the secondary colours. The CYMK colour scheme is generally used when the image or the graphic created is to be printed on paper. This scheme is based on the light absorbing quality on paper. 

OUGD404 Studio Brief 01 - How do you read? - Chromatic Value

Chromatic value:
Is the 'brightness' of a colour, whether it is light or dark and how close a colour is to white.

Hue:
Different hues are caused by different wavelengths of light. The property of colour that we are asking about (what colour is that?).

Chroma:
This property of colour tells us how pure a hue it is. In a colour with high chroma there is no white, black or grey present. These colours will appear very vivid.

Saturation:
Tells us how colour will look under certain different lightings, this can also be called intensity. Think of saturation in terms of pale or weak, pure or strong.

Tints, Tones and Shades:
If white is added to a hue it is called a tint.
If black is added to a hue it is called a shade.
If grey is added to a hue it is called a tone.

OUGD404 Studio Brief 01 - How do you read? - The Colour Wheel

The colour wheel - primary, secondary, tertiary and complementary:

Primary:
Used in paint and pigments, primary colours are red, yellow and blue. All other colours are derived from these 3 hues. 

Secondary:
These colours are formed by mixing together primary colours. Green, orange and purple.

Tertiary:
Are browns and greys, they contain all three primary colours and are made by either mixing all three primary colours or a primary and a secondary.

Complementary:
Colours that are opposite one another in the chromatic circle (colour wheel).

OUGD406 Studio Brief 02 - Licence to Print Money - Research

Exploration of banknotes design:

The first banknote appeared in China in about 618AD, they named this practice fei-chien or “flying money.” The oldest surviving paper notes were issued during the rule of the Ming Dynasty, between 1368 and 1399. The Ming dynasty’s 200 Kwan note is nearly the size of a legal document. The note was manufactured from recycled gray mulberry bark paper.

Even the designers of this banknote designed it to be coherent and accessible to as many people as possible. This Kwan note shows two strings each holding 10 coins, so that even people who could not read would understand the banknote. The pictures as well as the written denomination code and legal description are surrounded by complex patterns, dragons and clouds, which both enhance visual appeal and protect against forgery. By clearly supporting key content with the graphics, the ancient Chinese currency notes remained accessible yet appealing to the eye.

This is something that I need to remember when designing my banknote, the content needs to be easy to understand and interact with all people.

In the 1860's the dollar became the sole currency for the US during the civil war. The first US dollar resembled a formal certificate and featured a portrait of Salmon P. Chase. The dollar was printed in green because that represented stability and growth. This has however been criticised as green and black is hard to view for the visually impaired.

The US Educational Series banknotes (1896) was the subject of controversy due to the classical female figure depicted on it. (Shown below)

Intaglio printing is among the features that have given US currency its distinctive appearance over the years.

The dollar has only really undergone subtle changes with no major redesigns. In 2009 Richard Smith started the Dollar ReDe$ign Project. Anyone could submit, it was done to help stimulate the US economy.

Examples:

These are two really interesting responses to the dollar that are completely different from the original design. After looking into the US dollar I feel that redesigning can be potentially harder than designing from scratch

Banknote designs:

Norway

Snøhetta’s concept is inspired by the impact Norway’s extensive coastline has had on the country’s identity, heritage and industry. Digital meeting analog, and pixel on paper becomes a metaphor for the long boundary between land and sea. Pixellated mosaics informed by different coastal details such as fishing boats and oil rigs divide the denominations. I particularly like this design because compositionally it is laid out in an accessible way that is pleasing to the eye. The use of colour within the design provides and interesting visual appeal that draws you into the beauty of the note. 

 

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 10 Dollar note

Captures and reflects the spirit of the city: future-facing, vibrant and intense. I particularly like the geometric feel it has which provides a captivating design.

Seeing these examples has made me realise that I can take my design anywhere that I wish. But a reflection of where the banknote is from is evident within all the designs I have looked at. The key things I want to reflect through my design is accessibility and heritage.