Friday, 12 December 2014

Wedding Thanks / Photos / Layout

OUGD603 / EXTENDED PRACTICE
WEDDING THANK YOUS 
PHOTOS AND LAYOUT DEVELOPMENT.

I really won't to include gold foil into these wedding thank you's not only because I used foil on my actual wedding invitations, gold is the colour of Kader and I's wedding bands.

Through some of my research I found an image that was a photograph that had been foiled on to and i thought this would be a great way to integrate this into my photographs. Having the Thank you message in gold would ensure that it stands out, and having this actually on a photograph would communicate were this message was coming from.

I collected some suitable images and started to look at how these images and the thank you message could be combined.



I created this thank you message using the typefaces - 'Wolf in the City' and 'Bebas'.

I started overlaying this type over different images.


I really like the combination of this image and the message. I like how the seats are empty and all you can see is the scenery as this photo was taken before the ceremony. I like that fact that this could convey that the occasion was made by everybody being there, this is symbolised by the fact the chairs are empty. I also like the airiness and lightness of this photo and reminds the recipient of the day.





This version could use white foil which could add something different to the aesthetic.


 I also printed them out to get a feel for them on a printed format.

I had the idea of taking some of the patterns and shapes that are a part of our garden furniture and seeing how I could use this as part of the photographs

I applied the layout and type to the tests.

I didn't really like this visual, I felt it seemed a little irrelevant and random.

I tried the type on an image of Kader and I just after we had said our vows. I really like how this combination shows us and the message because then it appears that we are giving out the message on a more personal level.


I liked this concept of use being in the opening image and being a part of the message being communicated so I tried it with another images from the day.

This is my favourite image. I think that the fact the photograph is landscape gives it a higher end, classier feel and also because we are a part of the image, this again makes the message seem more personal.



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I decided to test the foil out on my favourite image to see whether this idea would actually work and have the desired effect I was looking for.


I absolutely love the outcome to this foil experiment. This is definitely the image I want to use for my first image.

I looked at how this, along with the other photographs could be presented in the fold out idea.

  I liked the idea of having the inside gaps cut shorter so that when the fold out is initially opened, the first thing that is seen ifs the message. Then when these shorter flaps are opened up, this reveals the whole image.


I really like how this fold out works in regards to the packaging for delivery as well as the way the thank you message and photographs are presented.

Tuesday, 9 December 2014

SM / Research / Group Crit

DSM / VISITING PROFESSIONALS
THE BRIEF / CITY COUNCIL
RESEARCH.

The first thing that came to my mind when I thought about the city council was 'well what do they actually do?' I asked around a couple of people that were sat around me whether they had a clue and, even though some had a vague ideas such as, road maintenance or council own housing? Sam told be that her sister is working as a social worker for the council so this is something else that I wasn't really aware about.

After asking around a few more people just to get some raw, primary research, I decided to concentrate on Leeds city council and look at what there responsibilities are and also how these are related and  to the public.


Leeds City Council is the local authority of the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of five in West Yorkshire and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England, and provides the majority of local government services in Leeds. Since 1 April 2014 it has been a constituent council of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Leeds City Council is responsible for providing all statutory local authority services in Leeds, except for those it provides jointly in conjunction with other West Yorkshire Authorities. This includes education, housing, planning, transport and highways, social services, libraries, leisure and recreation, waste collection, waste disposal, environmental health and revenue collection. The council is one of the largest employers in West Yorkshire, with around 33,000 employees.

EDUCATION
HOUSING
PLANNING
TRANSPORT
HIGHWAYS
SOCIAL SERVICES
LIBRARIES
LEISURE & RECREATION
WASTE & COLLECTION
WASTE DISPOSAL
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
REVENUE COLLECTION

I felt that their was such a range of facilities overlooked by the council, it was hard to get a grasp of the services available.

Due to this initial thought of confusion, My first idea for this brief was just to make the Leeds city council a lot simpler and a lot easier to follow.

I looked on the Leed.gov website to se if I could get a grip on the categories and services provided by this particular council.


 This is the home page of the leeds council website and even at fist glance there is a lot going on an it isn't the nicest webpage to look at.

As you can see there are three main categories that the services are plot up into.
RESIDENTS  /  LEISURE  /  BUSINESS

However once you dove into these subject there are loads of subheadings.



RESIDENTS 



LEISURE



BUSINESS

I feel that many of these categories are present unnecessarily and clutter the page making it difficult to see what it is you want. 

IDEA FOR BRIEF
I feel that for this brief, I would like to make the Leeds city council a more accessible and understandable facility as it is something that influences many aspects of our lives. I feel that the council should be something that is almost like a 2nd nature to us in knowing how we can manage it and we can benefit more from it through knowledge.

To make this happen, I was thinking to create a booklet that has all the information needed regarding every aspect of the services the councils provide but have this presented in a simple, visual format that is understandable.

This book would be similar to the yellow pages, something sent out on request and kept in the home and used when questions need to be asked ore services from the council are needed.



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PROGRESS CRIT
DSM & CITY COUNCIL GROUP

Before each of us talked about our ideas for this project, The guys from SM talked about what they think about the project as well as the ways it can be interpreted.

Each person discussed their individual ideas and then everybody chimed in giving opinions and other possible ideas to enhance the initial.

I told the group my idea and concept of taking what the council is already but making it a simpler and more accessible place. Helping those in the community understand what the council is and does. Everyone seemed to like this idea and agreed that making the council simpler would be a good idea.



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Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Bone Broths / Live Brief / Design Boards & Evaluation

EXTENDED PRACTICE
BONE BROTHS CO.
DESIGN BOARDS / EVALUATION
















The last board shows how the brand can be applied to multiple and relevant products according to the type of brand Bone Broths is. It shows the reach of the aesthetic and how much potential there is in the visual presence.



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EVALUATION

I really enjoyed working on this project and using skills and awareness I have learnt through not only design practice but also in ppp regarding how to manage payments. I feel that I have gained a lot more confidence in this side of the business.

Even though a few of the decisions made by the company owners are not what i would have gone with such as the packaging type and the logo design, I feel that learning how to make personal favour sacrifices helped me to understand that I am providing a service for someone else. This company is their vision and something they have put their lives into of along time in order of it to come to fruition and its not my business to alter or tamper with that. I feel that as long as they are happy then i am and these issue are not too much skin off my nose anyway.

I feel that this is the packaging the company should have gone for. The logo is simple yet balanced and it bring more attention to the detail in the pattern behind. I feel that the shape of this logo works better with in the shape of the label in raged to the packaging shape overall. The straight edges of the label, logo and type lying over the top of the sketches looks a lot cleaner and professional.

As a good will gesture to theses guys for taking me on and putting their faith in me, i quickly made up some business cards that could be used for the brand.




I feel that this is a good way on keeping the company sweet and will keep me in their mind when they need any other work or if anyone they know need any work doing. I also am genuinely happy and grateful that they allowed me to work for them as i have learnt so much in the process.

The also wrote me a recommendation:


"When we first started our company, we knew in order to be successful we needed to build a premium brand. This would all start with our logo and packaging design. Caitlin was able to do just that. Caitlin created labels and package designs that positioned as the premium brand within our food space. She did such an amazing job that we are now co-packing for another company due to the simple fact that our packaging was 100x better than theirs. This will equal thousands of dollars for us, and this would not have been possible without Caitlin."





Monday, 1 December 2014

Visiting Professional / Intern Magazine / Workshop

VISITING PROFESSIONAL
INTERN MAGAZINE / ALEC DUDSON
TALK & WORKSHOP.

I was looking forward to this workshop. In the first year and a little at the beginning of the second year I really didn't think I was interested or even good t publication design, however after a few projects that have been publication based as well as a couple of workshops I found that I did actually really like the process of putting a publication together. Because of this I was eager to find out more on what this side of graphic Design takes as well as listening to someone that has had many experiences in the field. 

I am also currently in the process of researching material for a publication I am looking to create for one of my briefs and it will be really interesting to gain ideas and new ways of thinking as I approach this project.




Alec first started out by talking about his early experiences and how he got were he is today. He explained how he had always had an interest in magazines and publications and got involved with a small magazine at university with couple of friends that relied heavily on hand rendered content.

He then had a placement in Italy with a magazine called Domus which concentrated on architecture. Even though this was an un-paid placement, he felt the experience was valuable due to the fact that the travelled and worked in a different country as well as tips he picked up.




He then moved on to a new placement with Boat magazine. This magazine is based on travel and features a different city in each issue. Agin this was a great opportunity for travel and learning skills of researching primary material through photography and interviews.This to was an un-paid internship.

He explained that many of these independent magazines where not looking to employ a part or full time contributed even though he had gained a lot of experience through various placements. This lead him to looking in setting up his own magazine.




Intern magazine was created through a gap in the market that catered to young creatives looking to make a way in the industry. The first issue included photographers, illustrators, designers and writers all sharing stories and experiences they have encounter along the way.

Because he had no investors yet for the publication, he created a kick-start fundraise to gain interest and investment in his product to help pay for various things such as printing, stock and distribution. 



I really liked the way in which Alec had decided to include credits to his sponsors through a simple and balanced layout that kept the 'adverts' in-keeping with the aesthetic of the magazine. This way the sponsors get a little something back in return yet it does not impede on the flow and character of the publication.






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THE BRIEF
We were asked to get into groups of our choosing to come up with a concept for a magazine. this should also be accompanied with a concept for a kick-start campaign that would be used to gain interest ad investment for your magazine.

Our group was made up of:
Mel Gater  /  Sam Walker  /  Mel Hardcastle  /  Daisy Conway  /  Amy Hill