Monday, 30 April 2018

OUGD506: COP - Project COP link


Link to Practical

This project was heavily influenced by my essay which looks at the success of Scandinavian design. The brief I set was to design and create a piece of editorial design for young and upcoming designers to showcase their talent. The reasoning for this project is to show peers and young designers the range and level of talent worldwide. At the core, this project aims to inspire. I feel like students can learn a vast amount from different cultures globally, just like I did on my trip. This will be a collaboration project working with other design students who I met. I worked with all of them, getting them to send me a range of designs and works they made. I communicated with the designers throughout the project. Not just for the content of the magazine, but also their opinion on designing aspects. Like I discussed in the essay, I feel Scandinavian design is made up of a range of key principles which create this design style.

At the core of Scandinavian design, the functionality of any piece is key to success. With this project I wanted a way for the magazine not only to stand out in the crowd, but also function to its maximum capability. This is why is focused on designing for more than one sense. I incorporated using QR codes, allowing the audience to have a more personal connection with the designers. This also means that people will pay more attention to the content. Instead of flicking through, I hope they take the time to listen as well as look.

I have a taken a minimalist approach to this project. I have repeatedly peeled back any unnecessary clutter from the design and layout of the magazine. I have focused on using negative space to my advantage, letting the works speak for themselves. I have paired this with a bold but friendly heading type, which is cleanly matched with a light and legible font for blocks of text and page numbers. I have used a ripped paper effect throughout the zine to add a sense of texture. This is also meant to represent a rip rout of each designer’s sketchbook. This rip effect contrasts nicely with with the clean cut lines of the heading type and use of block colour on some pages.

Using 5 selfies that each designer sent me I created collages, these are cut out style portraits. I have created a unique layout for each designer, portraying them differently through the how the imagery is aid out. I used these portraits to introduce each designer. I have used colour to differentiate between the designers. I felt this was a good way to not only guide people through the magazine, but also a way to show the designers personalities and characteristics. I have used Scandinavian inspired colours. These are slightly muted colour pallets. Saying this I have tried brightening them up a little, something I researched and which is more common in contemporary Scandinavian graphic design.

I hand made every aspect of the magazine. I initially intended to approach the final outcome like a newspaper. After attempting printing and trials, it soon came to my understanding that I wouldn’t be able to print in this way. This made me make adjustments and try create it with a classic magazine approach. I used a kettle stitch and then perfect binding, giving me opportunity to create a thicker more professional front cover. This worked nicely producing a clean minimal cover. Part of the cover is also cut out allowing the cut out type to show through to the magazine below below. This also links in nicely with the aspect of touch and texture.

Researching and gaining knowledge of key aspects to create Scandinavian style design helped me hugely in this project. I feel the overall aesthetic of my outcome immediately draws links with Scandinavian design. This project through the contextual and practical practise has reinforced my connection with this type of design, inspiring me to carry on working with a Scandinavian ethos.





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