OUGD504 Studio Brief 01 - Front cover ideas - Type Alignment

Front cover ideas - Type Alignment 

For the front cover of my publication I am going to emboss the title of my book - 'HELLO'. Im not going to have any other information on the front, I want it to intrigue and still have that journal/notebook quality. I don't want anything to distract from what the main point of the book is, embossing will leave a nice texture that adds to the handcrafted nature. This means that the position of type is important to convey the right message and attract the reader.

I sketched out 9 possible type positions and went round and asked my peers for some feedback.

People felt that number 1 with the central position was a classic position and that the design would work well being the central, main focus. Number 3 was also a popular choice as it makes you want to turn over the corner of the page and find out what's inside. Number 4 was very similar in that you would initially turn to page, the placement feels inviting and friendly. One person did like the was that number 5 was placed as they found it playful and fun. With number 6 the eye reads left to right so it is automatically drawn here, however this seems more successful in number 7. Which also relates to where you would start writing on a page. 

From this feedback it is clear that the corners seem to be the favourite as they seem to be inviting you into the book. This is positive as with little information I need something that will be attractive and intriguing enough to make people want to open up and see whats inside. My personal favourites are 3, 4 and 7, I think that they coincide with the content and have a more direct link then some of the other placements. I will need to test out these 3 placements on the card itself before I make my decision.

OUGD504 Studio Brief 01 - Stock Choice

Stock Choice:
For my publication I want to choose a stock which isn't too thick, but so that you won't be able to see through it. I went into Fred Aldous in Leeds to have a look at what type of stock they had to offer and I have picked a few that I like. 

CAIRN ECO KRAFT 
A1
100gsm
47p 

I like this stock as it has a nice texture and colour, it relates to a handcrafted and personal feel that I am going for. The issue I have is the weight of the paper, I would want to use this for the cover of my publication, but it may be to flimsy and not hold up to wear and tear. Screen printing or embossing/debossing would work well on this as it would have a rustic feel.

CAIRN ECO KRAFT
A1
170gsm
57p

I found the exact same paper again but in a heavier weight, I think this will provide more structure and have a better feel to it. I want it to feel like a notebook or sketchbook and I think the texture coincides with this well.

CAIRN STRAW WHITE
A1
120gsm
87p

I would potentially use this stock for the main content of the publication, 120gsm has the right weight and feel, pages have enough give to be turned easily and mimic an actual journal/sketchbook etc. The texture on the paper will provide more interest then lot's of stark white space. I would use this paper to help add more to the design, it helps it feel more handcrafted.

OUGD504 Studio Brief 01 - Further Photo Edits

Further Photo Edits: 
Taking on board the feedback I gained from Nic I have decided to get rid of the background on the images. I did this in photoshop by adjusting the curves and making them greyscale.

OUGD504 Studio Brief 01 - Feedback

Feedback:
After speaking to Nic today about my images he didn't believe that keeping the background would work. He said that it would look like a smudge and wouldn't leave the right effect. He then showed me on photoshop how to get the image without a background. This will really help make sure that it looks the best that it can.

OUGD504 Studio Brief 01 - Time Management - October 24th-30th

Time Management - October 24th-30th:

OUGD504 Studio Brief 01 - The Handwritten Letter Project by Craig Oldham

The Handwritten Letter Project by Craig Oldham:

This project was created after a conversation about how personal a letter can be, in an age of junk mail and automated responses. This is similar to my own project as it is looking at the personalisation of writing and communication. The letters in the book provide interesting content on their own, from designers and creatives.

The book is clearly successful as there are now editions of the original book as well as the response for the wealth of content and people wanting to get involved. This makes me more confident about my own publication, as personal things like this seem to connect with the reader.

'The new edition documents the project’s correspondence chronologically presenting each letter on its own dedicated page or pages. “Section-sewn into signatures and bound with an eight page double gatefold cover, this new book presents letter after letter, message after message,” says Oldham. “It’s the most complete resume of the HWLP to date,” he adds.'

Dedicating each handwriting to its own page or double page is something that I want to do within my publication as in Oldham's book the layout is clear and the personal touch comes through. Section-sewn binding is something I am also considering because of the direct link with the content.

RESOURCE:

WEB
- https://www.creativereview.co.uk/hand-written-letter-project-a-new-edition/

- http://www.handwrittenletterproject.com/about/

OUGD503 Penguin Random House UK Student Design Award 2017 - Research

Penguin:
Produces books for the mass-market, reprints that are cheaply published and therefore more affordable. They are paper back books that have got to be attractive and stand out on the shelf.

Size, dimension and format:
- A format the original (181x111mm)
- B format (198x129mm)
- Occasionally A5

Grid Systems:
- Renowned for order and grid systems within their designs (Horizontal).

- The Marber grid (1962) was consistent and had no visible identification of the grid.

Other design considerations:
- The price was never printed on the book itself (dust jacket).
- In 1938 the use of illustration through wood engraving and the vertical grid.
- 1948 reform of the horizontal grid (Jan Tsichold).
- Variations in logo.
- A colour swatch was developed.
- Abram Games cover experiment 1957-8, full colour and illustrations given own place.

Brief:
Design a front, back and spine for one of the three paperback books:
- To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
- In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
- The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 - Sue Townsend

Once the judges have selected the shortlist, the Art Directors will give the shortlisted entrants feedback and further art direction on their submissions. Shortlisted entrants will then be invited to resubmit their work, taking on board all the comments, before the final round of judging.

The Penguin Random House Student Design Award is open to anyone studying on a Further Education or Higher Education course (part time or full time) in any subject and at any level. 

There aim is to nurture and encourage anyone who is interested in following a career in design, which includes but is not exclusive to students on design courses.

Entrants must be aged 18 or over by July 2017. The competition is open to amateur designers not currently or previously employed in the graphic design field.

Enter a maximum of one design in each of the categories.

All entries must be submitted digitally via a link which will be available on this site from Wednesday 18 January 2017. 

The closing date for entries is 12:00 (GMT) on Tuesday 7 March 2017.

Shortlisted entrants will be announced on this website by Thursday 27 April 2017.


The shortlisted entrants will be contacted by Thursday 27 April 2017 with feedback and further art direction on their covers, and the closing date for resubmission of their work is Friday 12 May 2017.

All entries must be supplied digitally via the link which will be available on the site from Wednesday, 18 January 2017. Entries submitted in any other way, including by email or hard copy, will not be accepted.

Entries must be supplied as a high-resolution PDF, 300 dpi, CMYK.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk/about-us/design-award/

OUGD504 Studio Brief 01 - Feedback

Feedback:

On Friday I spoke to Simon Jones about the direction my publication is taking, he told me to not to make it look to cheesy and obviously designed like a notebook, as this would draw away it's charm. He said also to keep the photos as they are, as when they are printed on the paper it should look like it's just been written. Or I could consider creating a contrast border.

Simon has told me to consider embossing/debossing or foiling for the front cover, which was something I was planning to look into. He has also told me not to use a stark white stock but something possibly with a simple pattern/texture. Lastly he thought that the size of A5 for my publication is appropriate and links in with the content.

OUGD503 YCN and D&AD Further Research

YCN and D&AD Further Research:

YCN (You Can Now)

Tone of voice
- Student friendly, briefs are easier to understand
- Inspiring
- Playful
- Creative
- Tactile
- Expressive
- Vibrant
- Social influence
- Understated
- Reserved
- Respectful
- More student focus

D&AD

Tone of voice
- Corporate and commercial
- Structured 
- Clean 
- Dense
- Visual, lacks information
- Systematic
- Capitalists
- Serious but with a creative edge
- Intimidating

Consistencies in award winning work:

- Nothing is open to interpretation
- Placed in context
- D&AD felt like a real commercial brief, YCN more hypothetical
- Campaigns - could work in different contexts
- Impeccable presentation
- Idea and concept driven
- Simple, clear (not complicated)
- Innovative 

OUGD503 Checklist of what to do when responding to competition briefs

Checklist of what to do when responding to competition briefs (Penguin Books):

- Look at the judges - practices / styles / interests / professional backgrounds / previous competitions / social media / instagram / who & what they follow. (Although I personally do not think that you need to go into this much detail, I want to design something because I enjoy doing it not because I'm hell bent on winning.)

- Read the book / watch the movie / listen to the audio etc.

- Historical context - design movements

- Chronology of covers

- Read the T&C's 

- Read submission details

- Target audience research

- Status / Regard

- Key points in the book

- Obvious / ambiguity 

- The cover has a hidden meaning (only the informed know)

- Look into using different media

- Look at previous winners

- Important quotes

- Current trends in design

- Look into author intentions - themes, influences

- Book reviews

- Look at the rejected covers and why they might not have won

- Identification of a unique approach 

- Genre / competitions 

- Identify obvious responses 

- Free associations 

- Tone of voice

- Advertising collateral 

- Analyse your own visual style 

- Analyse the field of product 

- Visual research - won awards - blogged about - covered in design process

OUGD503 D&AD Briefs that I would be interested in responding to

D&AD Briefs that I would be interested in responding to:

- Fur For Animals

I am potentially interested in tackling this brief because it is doing design work that will make a difference in the world, for a good cause. Doing work like this inspires me, as I am aware of the scale of people this could reach and how my work could convince people to make a change. Doing an awareness campaign is also impressive because if successful, it shows that you have communicated clearly to such a big, diverse audience, making me believe that I could tackle anything.

- Arjowiggins

I find this to be a really interesting brief as it does tackle a current issue within the design world. Taking a purely digital idea and turning it into something on paper requires a really strong concept. I think if I chose this brief it would really help push the limits and help me to really think creatively and outside of the box. The experience of this brief would be beneficial to push my practice further.

- Hasbro

I think that this brief is really challenging, and I think that I would really enjoy that. I personally love board games, I always have from a young age, I feel that with this brief I would be able to connect and engage with it really well. It is also really exciting that there is the potential for your game to be made and sold globally, you would definitely be remembered for it.

However, I am not completely sold on the briefs for D&AD, none of them have really grabbed my attention enough to get me excited about it. After looking further into D&AD it also doesn't seem like the best award for me personally. The briefs aren't something I can fully connect with, and I don't particularly agree with certain things they do, such as charging you for the award.

OUGD503 YCN and D&AD

YCN:

'Established in 2001, YCN is a curated, creative network. We help creatively minded people and organisations to make relevant new connections, to learn and to do.'

Members of YCN range from professional designers and artists to students. They help agencies, publishers and brands around the world to connect with and commission their Members for various projects and purposes.

The YCN Student Awards uniquely shine a light on emerging creative excellence. The programme runs closely alongside leading Universities, Colleges and Art & Design Schools around the world.


The YCN Student Awards are based around a collection of live creative briefs, written each year by diverse partnering organisations — united in the value they place on creativity.

The briefs that YCN has to offer all seem really exciting and definitely something that I could engage with. Working with big companies and big brands is also more appealing, although that comes with more pressure.

How work is judged:

Work submitted in response to each brief is closely examined by a team from the organisation that wrote it, often alongside the agencies with whom they work. They are asked to draw up a shortlist of the submissions felt to be the most outstanding from all those received in response to their brief. The originators of these submissions are awarded with a Commendation. There are no first, second or third place style nominations, if you have been Commended this means your work has been chosen as one of the most outstanding entries to that particular brief and you will be Commended alongside a selected number of other entries for your brief.

Student Awards Ceremony and YCN Student Annual:

The Annual YCN Student Awards ceremony will see all those Commended colourfully honoured in a prestigious setting. Recent venues have included Shoreditch Town Hall and the Barbican Centre. The YCN Student Annual will showcase all work Commended as part of the programme.

Eligibility for the YCN Student Awards:

Anyone studying full or part time at any University, College or Art & Design School throughout the world is welcome to enter. Additionally, those to have graduated from any such institution within 12 months is welcome to enter — as long as they are not working full time in a creative role. You do not need to be a Member of YCN in order to enter. For any questions around your own individual eligibility email hello@ycn.org. 

Entry Details:

• The deadline for submitting work is 11.59PM GMT.
• There is no entry fee to submit work.
• You do not need to be a Member of YCN to enter.
• You can respond to as many briefs as you wish. You may also submit more than one response per brief.
• All submissions must be in the English language.
• You may submit work as an individual or as a team. Teams can consist of as many people as you wish.
• Logos and other information listed in individual briefs, can be found online in Project Packs that accompany each brief.
• All entries must be submitted via the YCN digital uploader.

How to Show your Work Digitally + Sending Supporting Physical Elements:

All entries must be presented digitally, via our digital entry uploader. You should demonstrate your work in as much detail as possible. The best way to do this is to present it all in a single PDF with lots of big visuals and supporting written descriptions. Any related digital elements (such as films or animations) can be supplied alongside this PDF.

You may submit supporting physical items if you wish. You are welcome to post or hand deliver to YCN items to support your digital submission. Each should be clearly labelled with your name and contact details. Item labels can be dowloaded here. Our address is YCN Student Awards, 72 Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3AY. 

Project Packs and Typefaces:

Each brief is accompanied by by a Project Pack that contains any extra materials you will need, which may include logos, brand guidelines, previous campaigns etc. For copyright reasons, typefaces are not supplied with a majority of the briefs, so please use a typeface that is similar or that is complimentary to the brand's aesthetic. 

Images and other Materials under copyright:

If you have used images or other materials as part of your submission that may be under copyright, please make clear where you have acquired them when completing your submission.

Further use of work:

It may be that the organisation to whose brief you respond wishes to discuss with you the further development and use of your work. Organisations and agencies involved in the awards recognise the importance of including originators in further development or implementation of work. YCN will encourage full communication between parties and assist in discussion at all stages.

D&AD:

D&AD celebrates and nurtures outstanding work in the design and advertising industry each year with its international creative awards. A D&AD Pencil is recognised the world over as a shining symbol of the very highest creative achievement.

As well as the Professional Awards, D&AD aims to cultivate new talent, ensuring the next generation of creatives gets off to a flying start. Winning a D&AD New Blood Award puts people under 24 on the path to the brightest of creative futures with the ultimate industry leg-up.

Eligibility Criteria:

Anyone between 18 and 23 years of age inclusive on 1 January 2017 can enter the New Blood Awards. They are also open to students and recent graduates of any age. Student entrants must be enrolled on a recognised full or part-time higher education level course, anywhere in the world, on 1 January 2017. To enter as a recent graduate, entrants need to have graduated from a recognised course on or after 1 January 2015.

Entering the contest:

Entry is open to individuals working alone or groups of up to five persons working as a team.

Entrants can download and respond to as many briefs as they wish; they may also submit more than one response per brief. 

All Responses must be the original work of the entrants. Entrants who incorporate any images, writing, music, or other creative material belonging to someone else must obtain the other party’s permission.

FULL T&C'S

https://www.dandad.org/en/d-ad-new-blood-awards/