Summative Module Evaluation

Summative Module Evaluation

This module provided a great platform for understanding the different areas of design and production, as well as the processes that accompany them. An introduction into a specialist understanding of the development and production of design for print and screen based media, allowed me as a designer to expand my skill-sets, including hands on approaches and more digitally aware methods. Examples of said practices include embossing, foiling, the coptic stitch binding method, use of After Effects and Photoshop Animation, thus infiltrating both the publication and motion graphics side of design. 

Both briefs were targeted at generating design to solve a problem, and made considerations for a client. How can type, colour, layout and format choices all effect the delivery and application successes of the final product? These were all considerations that had to be explored in practical, technical and conceptual terms. The target audience, unique selling point (USP), user experience (UX), and distribution of production on a commercial level, are all aspects that were judged, fuelling and impacting upon the varying decisions made. In addition, I felt the brief swap for Studio Brief 1 allowed my design to be more focused, stripping back over complicating aspects and allowing a strong concept to carry the design.   

Research for this module definitely drove its development. For Studio Brief 1, this research took the form of more visual introspective into the materials and concepts behind various publications. Studio Brief 2 investigated deep into existing visual responses to music both in video form and for live performance, as well as various approaches and technologies of stage design, and the meaning of the relationship between musician and audience. All research was used constructively to form the basis of the initial idea generation and design development, aiding the justification for each design decision.

For improvement in future modules it has definitely been learnt to improve time management of practical applications. If a brief is to be displayed printed, the designs should not be left digital until last minute. Certain aspects of the project needed to be trialled in a physical sense, and were left too late to amend final inaccuracies. Moreover, having time to properly mock up the final stage designs would have allowed the visualisation of the final idea to hold stronger when pitches. As I did not know the technologies to do this, I would’ve had to seek help with the available resources, and due to time restraints was unable to. In future briefs I definitely want to explore collaboration more, seeing how letting in creatives of different areas can impact and build not only my skill base but the end formality and professionalism of the work.

Evaluation for Studio Brief 2: Design for Screen

Screen Evaluation 

The design for screen brief provided a platform for me as a designer to expand my skillset and knowledge of appropriate software for industry. Having no prior knowledge or experience with After Effects and Photoshop animation, I can now comfortably use these forums to develop and present audio visual experiences and motion graphics. Although it is important to note that as After Effects was self taught for this brief, learning shortcuts or how to tidy the composition workspace would aid my progression with it.

Personalising the brief to something that would motivate me did not only make this project highly enjoyable, but also allowed the productions to be something of individual worth. It also meant that a lot of work was churned out, and a refinement process could select the better more relevant imagery with a greater sense of justification. I particularly enjoyed developing the imagery from stills to their final animated form, in some respects bringing my own depictions to life.

The acknowledgments of animators of more contemporary practices to old fashioned ones was a real driving force for the progression of the project. The stylistic approaches of Becky & Joe, as well as Norman McLaren, fuelled the visual literacy of the concept by their visualisations of music through varying artistic techniques. Wireframes and storyboarding allowed the project to develop on an industrial level, considering stage productions and the constraints for which the designs would be placed in, as well as how they would be delivered to the user. Additionally, the logotype design was a strong point of the project, with it directly reflecting the ideology of the band and aiding their digital/online presence.

The less successful aspects of the final production would be the lack of coherent story through the background visuals. Certain parts needed smoother transitions, and were relatively jolting, making the music sound tense and off balance at parts – particularly at the green flower part in ‘Skiptracing’. Nonetheless, the response from people who viewed the videos was that the visuals are very befitting of the music, and almost everyone has described it as 'trippy'; so in this way the audience response is very relevant, seeing as psychedelic pop music should adhere to the 'trippy' aesthetic (psychedelia is defined as music, culture, or art based on the experiences produced by psychedelic drugs - that being geometric imagery or depictions out of a realistic visual).  

The visuals created were done at low-cost and relatively quickly compared with industry. Being more comfortable with the programs would allow me to create more developed imagery using varied medias and techniques off of what was used. Hence, moving forward in order to enhance user experience in this context, I would consider telling the bands story through a visual narrative. How can the designer get the message of their songs across? By using the platform created, and developing a relationship with the client, the designer can then depict and visualise the musicians story telling goals. This is something that was initially intended but strayed from during the progression of the project. In this way a perfect environment for the different variations of creativity and 'art' can fuse together to enable an epic immersive experience that considers the viewer’s experience with the client’s concept/intentions. 

Evaluation for Studio Brief 1: Design for Print

Publication Evaluation

The design for print brief saw a variety of successes and downfalls, all of which however contributed to the development of design decision, reasoning and building skill sets for future projects.

Swapping briefs and working alongside another person was a great experience for getting an idea of the trials and tribulations one runs into within the profession. Receiving the content for a publication that not only I had no emotional connection to, but had no idea about (music production software), allowed me as a designer to focus solely on the aesthetical goals of the publication. That being the type, colour, layout and format, and how this can be designed to best befit the target audience. Hence, not knowing anything about the topic made me focus more on purely the visual outcomes, and the reasoning behind each design decision. This is most likely the reason behind the spreads being the more stripped back than anything I have attempted before. The simplicity in the design reflected on the idea that it was being led by a simple yet strong concept, thus keeping it clean and to the point.

A definite success of the project was its initial design stage. With a smooth transition from research to logo design and typographic choices that all best reflected the concept of creating this ‘mini laptop’ that would enable and ease of understanding purely its visual communication. Nonetheless, it was a lack of time management and the subsequent stock choices that let the end product down. Trying out the initial goals earlier on would have allowed for a stronger evaluation of how the selected materials responded to the finishes initially desired. Moreover the Coptic stitch bind was a tricky process that stopped the implementation of the spine design. This was not necessarily a downfall, as it worked perfectly for the intentions of the book whilst still creating a relevant aesthetic; however the time spent designing the bind could’ve been directed to other aspects of the publications development.

The inside pages utilised research constructively, appropriately using Lucida Grande and a stripped-back colour palette of a black border for the screen. The binding method appropriately allows the book to stay open on each page, and be propped up next to/ or resting on a laptop, as to fulfil its purpose as a point of reference. Added features for greater marketing that would attract the underground youthful target audience includes the stickers for personalisation of each consumers publication, with imagery that reflect their interests and subculture, as well as a foiled finish that will stand out on store shelves.

Developing considerations for the book on a commercial level, the publication would have to be bound with ring binders or ‘tough spiral’ in order for it to stay open. These could be more square in shape, rather than circular, to fit the aesthetic more. As such, this would mean that the paper stock would go up to 300gsm rather than 115 to prevent wear and tear.  I would also work on getting better pictures from the client, as the ones in place back depth and context. Possibly having some pages that utilise the idea of being online in the music world, simply to build a stronger aesthetic and depth to the book – for instance a breakdown on the software of how a popular song was made.

Preparing document for print including using InDesign and setting single signatures for the Coptic stitch, a 3mm bleed and crop marks for trimmings. There was minimal consideration of Pantone and CMYK as the book was mainly monochromatic, with small areas of colour whose shades were not vital to the success of the book. The final publication was cut using a laser trimmer for efficiency after being bound. This technique works well for perfectly bound books, but as this was bound with Coptic stitch, the pages were not securely positioned for trimming all at once, causing a really imperfect final trim of the book. With more time, this could’ve been redone learning from this error and trimming the pages before binding, however a lack of time and access to the necessary resources (such as the digital print suite) meant the mistake could not have been altered.

The overall experience was extremely constructive. Not only learning the practical techniques of how to emboss and foil with confidence, as well as how to bind a Coptic stitch; but even the initial tutorials on typesetting rules, theories and practical uses I found to be a useful insight into preparation for industry. The primary research provided with visiting professionals allowing us to see the way in which stock choices and finishes influence the feel and class of a publication, as well as the category it would sell under/to.  Both Village and G.F Smith presented a huge range of possible outcomes, and being able to feel and investigate the variation of publications allows one to personally understand how stock choices and finishes can influence the buyer at the designers discretion.