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Project 3: Research and Development

November 19, 2017 / / 0 Comments

I started off the brochure project by researching on brochure design and applications of graphic elements.

This book, titled The Best of Brochure Design, offered an insight into the process of making brochures.

I looked into handdrawn illustrations as a reference for its organic and friendly outlook.

I then looked into architectural brochures for their geometrical composition, clean simple lines and efficient use of emphasis.

I was also rather inspired by this brochure taking reference from Mondrian’s composition. Its bold outlines and 3 tone colors resonated strongly with me.

I then went on to research on graphic elements that I could use for my brochure.

The use of media and color interested me; I also wanted to find a way to engage the audience appropriate to the context of Ng Teng Fong hospital.

This use of die cut and fold for a tailor in Australia made me sit up and think about the ways I could make the brochure memorable and convey the associations of arts and health to the audience.

Overall, some of the examples left an indelible impression on me as I began to explore the various ways of incorporating design elements into my brochure.

 

Draft 1:

The first idea I had for the brochure was incorporating the nurse’s uniform into the brochure. As the attire represented the hospital, I thought it would be able to convey the principles of the Arts and Health programme. During the consultation, Michael and I agreed that incorporating the vest of the volunteers would further enhance the idea of arts collaborating with health; volunteers working with hospital staff to improve the welfare of patients.

The first draft of the brochure was done via grid formatting, and it was clear that there was not enough flow after consulting with Michael. The grid, instead of being a liberating tool, became a limiting factor for the brochure.

The exterior had the following issues:

  1. The front cover had 2 logos which competed with each other for hierarchy.
  2. The grid on the second page was too obvious, and the titlehead could not be seen clearly.
  3. The negative space of the back cover made it look barren and awkward.

The interior had the following issues:

  1. Having the uniform on the outside and the hospital vector illustration on the inside makes it look jarring and incoherent; should stick to one central idea.
  2. Bottom too image heavy; need to shake up the composition by placing elements more dynamically.
  3. Looks too plain.

When I printed out the first draft of the brochure, I started off with the left flap of the brochure as the front cover. However, as one can see from above there is a misalignment of the “collars” as I used a larger gutter for breathing space on the right flap for indication to flip over.

I sought to resolve those issues in my second and final draft for the brochure.

Project 2: Final design

October 23, 2017 / / 0 Comments

I added more branches laterally across the composition to integrate the text and the art. I chose Gill Sans as it was a san serif type, and was less rigid and formal than the other typefaces that I experimented with. I extended the clouds to the edges, with butterflies near the periphery of the poster. Overall, I think the composition is well balanced after a few rounds of editing. The text integrates well with the art and the overall feel of the poster is serene, yet with an element of excitement and unexpected fun.

Project 2: Research and Development II

October 23, 2017 / / 0 Comments

I started off this project with a few moodboards based on a few different themes. I wanted to deviate from the common portrayal of arts in posters, with an element of storytelling.

Moodboard 1: art and music

Moodboard 2: enjoyment

Moodboard 3: fairytale

Thereafter, I came up with drafts of all 3 ideas based on the mindmap i created

Enjoyment
Arts and music

Fairytale
The first draft was too immature, and the visual narrative was quite misleading; is Jack climbing the beanstalk to visit the hospital? Or is he painting a heaven? With these questions in mind, I then decided to create a cleaner composition.

I decided on the fairytale as a theme for my poster. Using Jack and the Beanstalk as a reference point, I used illustration to portray the idea of “creating your own adventure”, with the patient or volunteer identifying with the character Jack painting a mural that comes alive, filled with passion and immersing himself into the environment of the hospital.

 

This is the composition before I added in colour. I felt that there was a flow to the image, with the overlapping forms and the visual narrative. The font I initially chose was Bebas Neue, but I eventually realised it was too geometric for a fun composition.

 

This was draft 1 of the poster. (the colour is a bit off after uploading jpeg to OSS) The feedback I got was that the background was a bit too dull. I decided to explore more exciting colours for the background. I decided to stick to the current narrative as I liked the idea of the squirrel having been painted by Jack, decides to give back in love. In terms of the composition, the type also does not meld well with the art, which was something to consider. The type was too big and rather distracting. Again, the serif fonts felt too formal for the informal design.

Assignment 3: process and final

October 16, 2017 / / 0 Comments

Task 1: Type as Image

Font: I decided to use experiment with Rockwell and Lucida Grande as they were serif and sans serif fonts respectively and I wanted to test the contrast between both fonts.

Final image 1:

I started off by burning the edges of the paper, before the lower right leg of the A came right off. It looked good contrasting the organic forms with the rigid serifs of the letterform. I also played with inverse and it had an old school charm about it, almost similar to American Horror Story.

 

 

 

 

Next, I threaded strips of  X through each other, creating a crochet effect. It didn’t look as good in inverse as A.

 

 

Final image 2:

On top of the above 2 manipulations, I also cut Q into close strips, creating a feathery effect. Although a lot of people liked this design during consultation, I felt that the A was still better because it could invoke a feel from a different era. The T was cut vertically before cutting off segments of the stem and reorganising them together.

There was also the simple manipulation where I folded a piece of paper in half, and inversed the image. That looks possibly like a logo.

I also played with close-ups of type, namely Rockwell. These experimentations produced some beautiful abstract forms.

Task 2: Type as patterns

Font: I chose Giddyup as I liked its playful spirit, with its twirling tails and thin squiggly strokes.

Final pattern 1:

I made this pattern out of the letter Q, rotating it and creating a clover shaped pattern.

Final pattern 2:

I made this pattern out of the letter S, layering over a black background and working with greys. I created an alternate pattern of grey and darker grey to give the pattern a sense of depth.

I also experimented with Didot, making this HDB-like pattern made up of Hs.

 

 

 

 

 

This series of mask-like patterns were made out of Museo 700 Fs.

I also played with Futura Cs, tiling them up and playing with scale.

Task 3: Type as emotions

Font: I chose Futura as it was quite a versatile font yet not as ubiquitous as Helvetica. I used Regular and Bold in my compositions.

Final image 1: Confused

I stacked the different letters atop each other in a haphazard way, similar to the way a confused person thinks; with logic jumbled up and lacking any coherence. The negative space between the letterforms also adds interest.

Final image 2: Arrogant

I wanted to represent the way a character is larger than life, having excessive confidence, even referring to himself in third person. Its an overbearing presence that could easily be seen as arrogance.

Final image 3: Depressed

I wanted to portray the image of someone jumping off a building, or doing that mentally. Depression often entails “falling into the depths of despair”. In this image, shrouded in the darkness, the last vestiges of hope are extinguished, with the o barely visible, almost like a life extinguished.

Final image 4: Friendly

This was a fairly simple concept. I used italics for this emotion as it mirrors speaking breezily and in a lighthearted tone. The arc of words resemble a wave, as though the ‘hello’ is beckoning to a friend.

I also explored other variations which were hit and misses.

Project 2: Research and Development I

September 25, 2017 / / 0 Comments

I started off doing some research into vintage ads because I liked the simplistic style and technicolor aesthetics, and hoped to find some inspiration. I found an illustration magazine and among its pages were the following posters.

I liked the muted color palette and the simple, clean forms of the artwork. It was direct and sent a clear message.

I like this poster the most because of its composition, art direction and message.

The poster’s message is simple: wear and share your Nike Airmax sneakers. Being a sneakerhead, I like the way Nike has implied a community. Indeed, the brand builds communities around sports. The poster does exactly that.

By using a limited color palette with teal, red, white and black, it is able to create an immediate visual impact with space-themed aesthetics. With balls in orbit, one can easily interpret them as footballs, tennis balls etc. It has enough ambiguity to be playful. The shoe is smack in the centre, like the sun, pulling everything into its orbit.

This is the essence of the poster – Airmax is the centre of the universe. And the emotion it elicits is that of awe and amusement; that something worn on the feet can be celebrated in such a way.

The big bold custom typeface enhances legibility the poster. Together with vector illustration, flat bold colours and good contrast, it generates visual interest with the space-themed illustration first before giving clarity in the big bold type.

Overall, I feel that the playful approach makes this a very effective ad as it conveys the energy of the brand (Just Do It) as well as the call to action (AIRMAX DAY). The execution was bold and forthcoming, combining a limited palette with a bold illustration style and even bolder typography.

Organic type: Exploration and Final

September 25, 2017 / / 0 Comments

As the definition goes, organic type would have to do with something derived from living matter, away from the neon signs and corporate influence. I wanted to totally deviate from that line of thought, so I went the opposite way. Zen.

I went back to nature to look for inspiration. Focusing on nature and plants (as animal carcasses would be taking organic type to an extreme) I looked at how I would be able to bend an organic form into a manmade form aka type.

I started off by gathering leaves and twigs. What would add visual interest would be these tiny fig leaves that would fall along with the twigs. Having dried up, they had a tanned, crisp look that i thought would go well with the dried twigs.

Before consultation, this was what I came up with. I split the thickness of twigs between the 2 words; with NATURE having the thinner twigs and BECKONS consisting of the thicker twigs. I thought it would emphasise the word BECKONS. What I didn’t realise was that it looked strange as the 2 words didn’t appear unified. Furthermore, the awkward space between the 2 words made the phrase look disjointed. Fortunately, the plus point was that the leaves did add interest.

The application of the first round of exploration also yielded much to be desired. The type was not the focus on the picture in the office desk on the left, and the structure of the words on the bottom ad were also haphazardly placed.

This was the result post-consultation. I mixed up the different densities of twigs and came up with a hybrid typeform. This looked a lot more unified. However, there was still work to be done regarding the space between the 2 lines of words. Angeline also suggested that I play with the texture of the twigs, shaving some off to reveal the orange bark beneath.

Above is the result of shaving off a piece of twig. It looks absolutely beautiful, with a touch of wabi sabi, with imperfections enhancing its beauty.

Having explored with the twig densities, I spruced in a few more leaves intermittently which resulted in a pattern of foliage. The shaved twigs gave the twigs a lot more life. I also corrected the spacing between the 2 words, bringing them closer. The result was a more unified typeform.

My choice for the single letterform would be N, as it has 3 interesting features.

  1. The leaves and twigs bend inwards slightly, giving the form a lot of holding strength and visual unity.
  2. The overlapping forms do not interrupt one another, allowing the viewer’s eyes to travel from left to right, inviting participation.
  3. I love the right terminal, almost similar to a serif font. Gives credibility to an organic type.

To establish credibility, the first potential partner I would pitch to would be World Wildlife Fund. This could be a jacket for conservationists and scientists.

These 2 ads are based on the notion of relaxation and adventure in the outdoors.

This project has really surprised me in terms of the ability to morph something from nature into a legible, engaging typeface. I will definitely seek inspiration from organic type in future.

Vernacular Type: Exploration and Final

September 24, 2017 / / 0 Comments

For this project, I started off with a night shoot, exploring the unseen nightlife of Tanjong Pagar. What got me inspired was the song by rapper Jay Z, Heart of the City. The gritty, groovy track with its smooth lyrics felt very apt for the series of night shots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcWAvBb65bc

^ that’s the song if you wanna listen.

I started off with Guoco Tower, an office building just outside the train station. I like the sans serif typeface and the illuminated background.

Times New Roman, usually seen on road processors but adorned on the signage outside Maxwell Rd.

Love the Tron Legacy vibes.

Japanese Restaurant near Guoco Towers.

Richard Branson’s famous Virgin Group also has a fitness club here. Love the V and the upward swoosh of the logo.

A bar.

Another cafe-bar.

Yet another cafe. But this one’s quite cool as it has the concept of mini trains / traintracks everywhere in its interior.

Every wannabe Instagram influencer should join this club.

Draft has a bar along the stretch too.

This is a Korean street food restaurant. The custom fonts can take some time getting used to though.

One of my favourite, the neon signs with fluorescent lighting reflecting off the black boards, creating an intriguing and arresting image of nightlife.

As i walked farther, I came across a creative agency with the name CRE8. Awesome stuff.

Like the icon and typeface of this patisserie. Very art deco, a tad bit flamboyant but matching the luxurious interiors as well.

Finally, a neighborhood jewellery store with a good old storefront sign.

I decided to go with Heart of the City as I think it reflects the mood of Tanjong Pagar. It is, after all, a business district laden with eateries, pubs and pockets of entertainment at night. As with any financial district, nightlife is often nearby due to the affluence and decadence that surrounds the place. The use of light to enhance the visual imagery of typography is something I could perhaps explore further. I’ll be going back to Tanjong Pagar soon for a day shot.

The electric night scene of Tanjong Pagar left a deep impression on me as I walked through the streets, bathed in a neon hue. I tried to soak it all up, and then it hit me. Tanjong Pagar wasn’t just a place for you to drink alcohol after a hard day’s work in the CBD, it was also a place where you could simply get lost in, drinking in the vibes of the place.

The first composition more balanced and structured than the second. The word BEAMS is larger than the rest, as it is the focus puller of the entire phrase. THE and NEON and almost like an afterthought, but positioned with negative space in between. This separates “neon beams” with ‘drinkin the”, splitting the phrase into smaller chunks, enhancing readability. There is also a bit of space in between the horizontal blocks of words, splitting them up and making them more readable as well. Overall, this is a balanced, symmetrical composition.

The second composition is more dynamic, with NEON BEAMS rearranged in a more chaotic fashion. With the irregular positioning, some of the unique features of certain typefaces can be seen. The O of NEON looks almost like an eclipse with its organic, minimalistic form. This enhances the visual meaning of the whole word. BEAMS is also arranged in a jagged fashion, with A jutting out as the “peak”. I wanted to activate the negative space between NEON and BEAMS as well, thereby creating a tension that would add visual interest. Overall, this is a more asymmetric composition that has more energy and tension. One can almost feel the electricity of nightlife here.

The letterform that I have chosen is M. Notice how the M is almost made up of 2 Vs. I have a love for anything that is art deco, and this letterform just screams ART DECO. I’m a sucker for anything that looks stylish and lavish. Its simple angular forms also gives it strength. It would look good on its own as a logotype too.

In summary, I have grown to appreciate the use of type in our everyday lives, and the invisible influence that it has on branding and community building.

Task 3: Final Designs

September 12, 2017 / / 0 Comments

From the previous 2 designs, I reduced the number of elements in the logo and sought to combine both ideas. The biggest challenge I faced were to incorporate elements of the previous 2 drafts into the final versions.

I started working with a pink background as i felt it would complement well with the teal vests given to volunteers.  The lighthouse made way for a more abstract form that resembled the sails of a ship. I morphed the pencil head of the previous logoform into the tip of a brush. I retained the eye in the logoform to make it come alive, imbuing it with a life of its own. This created movement and dynamism in the logoform.

In greyscale, the colours are more muted, but it was still very visible and contrasted well with the background. The form can be analysed objectively from colour, and the way the brushtip rode the skateboard with an upward movement made it fun.

I made another draft in a different color, without the eye.

This design looks less ambiguous after the removal of the eye, and thus won’t be misconstrued as a bird. As blue is the color of wisdom and reliability, it will complement well with the bold, energetic orange, pink and purple of the logoform and type, symbolising vitality.