Crit with Lorenzo and Joe

Today I had my first crit since returning from the Easter break. I was a little worried about this one, due to the sheer quantity of the work I was proposing to complete, I think it was only when I began to prepare for this session that I realised certain deliverables were perhaps not pheasable.
In my brief I had proposed to produce a website that visually deals with questions about how things work, akin to websites like Yahoo Answers, but a visual response rather than verbal. This would not be the main focus for the FMP however, with the actual focus going on the content, which would take the form of several example responses. In this way, the website would act simply as a context for the main body of work I am proposing to produce.

My suspicions were proven correct as both Lorenzo and Joe pointed out that to produce a fully developed website alongside the content (which is really the main focus) is no small task- however to do the plan and mockups for the website is achievable, especially as I had already began to sketch how the website would operate. I had organised the questions I had received as part of my primary research into three catergories;

Objects
Systems
Actions

Members of the crit group then suggested that each example should correspond to each one of the three catergories, therefore making at least 3 example responses a key part of my deliverables.

The crit was useful in this key respect as it allowed me to direct my focus on these delivables, and with less emphasis on getting bogged down in software I know little about, I am able to focus on what I know best and get work done.

I will post the feedback form from this crit soon.

Research: Design By Pidgeon

Great Aussie design agency. I am particularly impressed by their type work, which is of the highest quality, both in design and presentation.





Design By Pidgeon

Full Typeface Posters

I completed the full typeface for the logotype brief. In order to present the typeface as a piece of work on it's own (although of course it serves a commercial purpose aswell) I have decided on producing a series of posters. I have started work on 2 of these, and would like to produce a third that perhaps contains little more than one or two extra large characters from the typeface.

Typeface (Mocks)

Began mocking up the typeface into various commerical contexts, such as business calendars (some of the mockup work for this in particular is shown below). For something I have spent a great deal of time and care over I wish to resolve the work in many ways, including presenting the typeface as a piece of work on it's own, possibly as a range of posters. More soon.

Research: James Provost - Business Card Design

Just a great bit of seasonal business card design from one of my favourite technical illustrators, James Provost. Promoting himself, energy efficiency, and giving someone a christmas card all in one go. I know it's April now, but...

Group Tutorial

Just had my group tutorial. Essentially it was a point at which we could evaluate our progress thus far, and for me it was a chance to discuss my initial thoughts on how i wanted my FMP to run post-Easter. I had been going through Statement of Intent and felt that in all honesty I hadn't strayed too far from what I originally set out to do. The brief I wrote looked into the subject of 'How things work', and while I have not yet directly addressed this issue in great detail, what I have done however was explore the different visual languages within the development of 'explanation'. I had stated that I wanted to explore technical illustration, which I have done to some extent in the diagrammatic work for the NSM brief, narrative, I guess I haven't done enough of this yet (bar Skype perhaps), video/motion graphics - the NSM flash banners earlier in this blog, and ICM have begun to explore this, and even branding - the logotype work exhibits this. However I am going to have to resolve all 4 of these briefs before we come back from Easter so I can focus entirely on my grand, 'comprehensive brief'. For this, I had identified the problem of 'people don't understand how things work', what I hadn't identified however was what 'things' are. I had started collecting lists off people, of objects, systems and actions which they were confused about how they work, and from these I started brainstorming ideas of whole an entire project can be developed from one or more of these 'things'.

Ultimately I want, to use the word again, a 'comprehensive' brief that explores fully the various methods of how these 'things' work via various methods of delivery. What was discussed in the tutorial was the fact that the brief does not have to be comprised of a whole load of interrelated briefs based around the same subject, but can be one brief that is delivered in various ways (print, web etc.) and this can be how it is made 'comprehensive.'

I have already started to develop ideas of what this grand brief will involve, however I will refrain from blogging about it in great detail until I have resolved the work already in progress. The plan over the next 3-4 weeks is therefore;

- Resolve briefs in progress;

NSM

Logotype

ICM

Skype

- Initial concepts for post-Easter 'comprehensive brief' realised and delivered

- Initial concepts for design context design developed and realised (delivered?)

I mentioned that I had been considering developing some more skills in Flash for the next brief (on the back of what I had already begun to investigate), however Fred stated that there really is not enough time for developing software skills such as this, which is quite frightening to think about- where did all that time go? Not good, but alas I will just have to find methods of delivery that are possible in the time available.

Whilst each of us spoke, the others had to write questions for the person. The one's written for me are shown below, mainly for self-reference.











^ Whoa! Someone wasn't paying attention. What brief are they talking about?

F*@%!!

Just lost three hours work because the mac I had been working on upstairs crashed. Had nearly completed all the upper case letters on my typeface. > : ( Anyone using the macs in 201 beware.