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

For this task I will need to design and produce a small publication (booklet, leaflet, etc.) that collates material which, in turn, can communicate key design principles to a reader. From the study tasks we have looked into design principles of image, layout, composition and colour. Within my publication I am going to explore colour theory further and highlight key points and facts to readers. I have chosen to take colour theory further because understanding the basics will aid a designer greatly with colour mixing and the impact certain colours have.

Colour Theory Research:
Because this is only a small publication I only have a small space to put the information on, therefore I need to pick out the most important and useful to the reader, so that I appropriately utilise the space. I need to be aware however of not overcrowding or putting too much information on, as it will be uninteresting and reduce readability.

Information I aim to include in my leaflet:

• How we view colour - physical, physiological and psychological.
• The colour wheel - primary, secondary, tertiary and complementary.
• Chromatic value - hue, chroma, saturation, tints, tones and shades.
• Colour modes - RGB and CMYK
• Colour context

Type of fold:

After experimenting with folds and having a look at different types of folds for leaflet and brochure designs I have decided to do a square tri fold. I think the square shape will be easier to work with layout better than a rectangle as it has an even surface area producing a more ordered design. It will also allow me to experiment with the overall design of the leaflet more. This design has 6 sides for me to work with however, I don't think I will have any important information on the front cover other than the title.

Paper Choice:

Coated or uncoated?

Coated paper comes in a variety of smoothness, like matte, semi-matte or silk and gloss. With these types of papers the ink doesn't get absorbed by the paper fibres but stays at the top giving brighter colours and gives the paper a somewhat glossy finish (EXCEPT MATTE). This would work well with my design because I really want to show the vibrancy of colour as that is what my leaflet is talking about and I think coated would reflect that well. However I need to be careful not too have long bodies of text because with a coated paper it reflects light and could make it difficult to read.

Uncoated paper has a rough, natural feel to it, the printer ink gets inside the top layer of the paper and sinks into the fibres beneath. This type of paper would create a nice texture and feel but wouldn't have as much vibrancy with colours.

Thickness and weight

Generally I want a sturdy paper that isn't flimsy in your hands as this would be handled often as it is a leaflet. However I don't want the paper too thick because it would be expensive and harder to fold.

Imagery:

Primarily I will probably be using colour swatches, a diagram of the colour wheel and possibly a diagram of how we view colour. Depending whether I can find the appropriate images I might do my own illustrations of the diagrams. Another thing that I could consider is real life images of contrasting colours as I think that would be visually interesting to see them used in different contexts.

Type:

I am more inclined to use a sans serif typeface as I feel it reflects a more clean, simple, modern look. Serifs would draw attention away from the colours, I don't want the typeface to be boastful or distracting as it is about the use of colour.

Layout:
I really want to give the publication a clean look, so I aim to really utilise the white space so that the colours really pop out on the page. I will probably have a system of about two columns as I think it will help organise and present the information effectively and clearly.