WEEKLY PLAN//SELF EVALUATION//OUGD602

evaluating last week:  I feel really disappointed with the amount I got done last week, last week felt like a bit of a set back in terms of trying to stay on track with everything.  I felt quite distracted and a bit all over the place with what I was doing, I feel as though I have a lot of things I need to do for certain briefs that make them fully completed, and so without doing them (things such as printing, boards, photographs etc.) I am unable to cross lingering tasks off.  Now this week needs to be even more productive, certain things are being transferred to each weekly list which needs to stop.  Emily and I have booked a photography studio to photograph our secret 7' designs, which will be reprinted at our print slot on wednesday.  
last week
24/02/2014 - 02/02/2014

Its quite important that I get the things done on the list this week as it just adds to the next list and I feel all these things finally need to be out of the way for me to be able to progress with another brief.

• print secret 7" sleeves
• photograph 7" sleeves
• clean screen (unsung heroes and heroines)
• correct Meantime print format
• print Meantime sleeves
• photograph Meantime sleeves
• window teabag display (rosy lee)
• design rosy lee book
• blog development for rosy lee

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• secret 7" boards
• Meantime boards

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• screen print unsung
• start dialogue brief

this week // 3/03/2014 - 09/03/2014

This is quite an extensive list and I don't expect everything to be completed for it by the end of the week, however to have a lot of it done would make things easier.  I have written down everything that needs to be completed in the near future just so I have an idea roughly of everything that needs to be done in the next two weeks.

• blog secret 7' mistakes
• blog zine primary research
• weekly plan - evaluation (ppp)
• look up studios to visit
• photograph secret 7'
• photograph meantime (sleeves and tee shirts)
• boards (secret 7')
• boards (meantime)
• development of Rosy Lee (blog)
• Rosy Lee book
• tea in hyde park publication
• dialogue (development, starting point)
• dialogue final design (deadline, this friday)
• develop drinks club logo
• collect unsung heroes primary research
• map conversations 

BRIEF 12: SECRET 7//PRINTING PROBLEMS//OUGD603

secret 7" printing problems

Printing proved to be harder than Emily and I first anticipated.  We went to Leeds uni as they have a slightly wider range of stocks to choose from, we chose a thick matt stock as we thought this would be best for a record sleeve out of the available options.  However when printing them downstairs it was very disappointing as the vibrant colours and texture on the two sleeves didn't show up as well as on screen at all.  We considered more of a gloss finish as we felt this would allow the colours to show more, however, James said that would't work as the sleeves needed to be folded.

We then reprinted using the matt stock from the print room which improved the printing quality massively.  James said this was because the matt in the print room has certain chemicals that allow for the colour of the ink to show more vibrantly.  So for future reference, anything with eye catching colours should be printed on this stock.

We then faced other problems with the way we wanted to print the text.  Originally our idea was to use the vinyl cutter to create some stickers for the text to go on.  There were two sleeve designs, one with white text placed on the front of the sleeve, as part of the same print, and one with a sticker and the text on.  Surprisingly the coloured pattern didn't wash out the white text on the first design, however, we wanted to use the vinyl Emily had got from Sydney Beaumont.  This was another problem as we were told that no ink could be printed on to the vinyl as the inks used in the print room were water-based.  We then tried printing off plain circular stickers to work as the actual record sticker but the vinyl cutter wouldn't cut through the vinyl - apparently picking vinyl for certain vinyl cutters can depend on brand, finish and type and so not all will work with certain cutters.

The last option that could be tested whilst in the print slot was to print the text onto clear vinyl and then stick over the vinyl from Sydney Beaumont.  We faced more problems as the vinyl cutter wouldn't cut through.  We now need to cut the circles out by hand which proved quite difficult as you don't really get that professional finish.  Emily and I now need to discuss what the next option should be and how to resolve this problem.  Even though the brief is yet to be complete because of it I feel I've learnt quite a lot in the print room today, costly mistakes that wont be made again.

VISITING PROFESSIONAL//DITTO PRESS TALK//OUGD602

ditto press
Today Ben from Ditto Press came in to talk to us about his work and studio, which I found to be really interesting and engaging, especially because the work shown is exactly the kind of work I would like to be involved with post uni.  Ben spoke about a lot of interesting projects he's done and how he started out and got involved with graphic design.  I think for one of the publications I'm making this year it would be really beneficial to use ditto's printing facilities, I want to look into what could be the best options for either my contemporary culture zines to be printed there or my personal manifesto.

about ditto press:

Ditto Press is an independent publishing house and printing company based in London, specialising in the arts and creative print.

PUBLISHING
Our publishing schedule covers artists books and literary work. 

PRINTING
The UK's first and largest Risograph printers, stencil printing remains our specialism and we have a great reputation for precision and attention to detail. Additionally we offer a large range of creative print and print-design services. 

Ditto is owned and staffed by designers and artists, so we're no strangers to odd requests. We do our best to help out whatever your intentions, so feel free to give us a call or send us an email.

brief

Ben also set a research based brief:

Think of a way to collect/archive/ display your research.  There is no point in research if it doesn't lead to a useful outcome.  Everybody works in a different way, we want you to find a methodology that works for you.  For example: a hard drive full of weird photos off the internet is an asset, not an incidental factor.  Find a way to celebrate it, present it and make it work for you.

books from ditto

Something that I feel I've not explored as much as I should of whilst being on the course is printing and finishing techniques.  This is something I'm actually quite interested in as I really like print and feel exploring these areas further could be really beneficial to my practice.  Whilst doing some research and actually feeling the variations of stock and finishes available its inspired me to try and do some of these things for some of my final outcomes.  Things such as laser cutting certain areas of a front cover or embossing and binding techniques are all worth exploring for briefs such as 'the collected writings of Rosy Lee,' contemporary culture and the personal manifesto.

Hard back binding could be a nice finish for the collected writings of Rosy Lee.

Really like this printing, the colour and visual texture, this is the kind of printing I would quite like to try for the collaging on my personal manifesto.

I like the layout of this and I think I could use this to inspire my direction in the Unsung heroes/heroines brief.  Since third year I've been quite keen to try using handwriting scanned in as part of a design, I think this hand rendered approach contrasting with set digital typefaces looks really nice together.  I also think a hand written design would work as its more evocative of emotion and is far more personal which, I feel, is quite an important aspect of the brief.

Whilst becoming increasingly interested in zines this year I have also noticed that a lot of hand rendered type is included in certain styles of zines which I think makes more of an impact.  Im eager to try hand rendered type laid over some photography for my personal manifesto brief as I feel this would communicate me personally and as a designer.

This could be a potential way of displaying some of my research for the brief that has just been set.  My basic idea at the moment, based purely on initial thoughts, is to research conversation/language/words etc.  This could be an interesting way of documenting, recording time and place of conversation and displayed exactly how the words were spoken.  Photographs of places where the conversations took place could be interesting as different areas would result in different dialect being spoken and different topics being addressed.

TUTORIAL//BRIAN HINDMARCH//OUGD602

Tutorial with Brian:
I found this tutorial to be really helpful as Brian gave me some good references to help progress further with my work.  We discussed my new brief 'the collected writings of Rosy Lee' which I needed some help with as I was stuck on layout and needed some help picking appropriate typefaces for the publication.  We also discussed my unsung heroes poster and at some point will go over the arrangement to try and improve it.  

notes from tutorial:
memory...proust! = disappearing history

your choice and appropriateness of type - i.e layout and arrangement for 'unsung heroes'
-could proof read and discuss 'visual syntax'
-i.e not only face choice but fine detail - editing, layout, punctuation and abbreviation

apollinaire: typography/calligraphy 
ref. 'OnKarwa 
'John Clare'
Ellen Lupton - thinking with type
type: Lucas Van der Groot - 'thesis' hybrids, superfonts - combination of serif and san serif

Plan:
After talking to Brain and looking at his suggestions, I feel this will help bring some new ideas and definitely some new inspiration for the two projects that we spoke about.  I have looked up On Kawara, and I think he will be a really good source of inspiration for the 'unsung heroes' brief.  As for my next step with the project, after progressing further with it I feel I want my final outcome to be focused more on type rather than image - and I also need to be careful of not designing something that looks a little too like a display of old photographs.

TUTORIAL WITH BRIAN//OUGD602

4/3/2014 tutorial with Brian
Speaking to Brain today was really useful as I got some more great references and some nice ideas for other projects.  I explained my new idea about a french fold manifesto and an extended idea for my Rosy Lee brief.  I also asked about the best way to try and use my handwriting as part of my design, this is something I want to try for my unsung heroes brief as I feel this could possibly represent the design in a more successful way.  Brian suggested the high quality scans would work best.

issues discussed at tutorial:
'tea in Hyde Park' - develop a series of small books? use 'imposition' technique i.e. 1 sheet folded, print both sides (as per page layout)
'journal' quality day book - self referencing

*dialogue - mapping, 'the art of conversation'  reference: Massin (use of speech and typography)
William Burroughs
Sartori in Paris 

action:
International Book Fair (sat 8th) !!

reference: 
situationists
Walter Benjamin - circular walk

plan of action:  I feel I am engaging in quite a few briefs at the same time which is actually starting to get a bit hard to juggle as I feel like I'm constantly thinking about all these projects and ideas but not being as productive as I should be.  My aim this week is to finish off two briefs (dialogue and the collected writings of Rosy Lee.)

VILLAGE BOOKSTORE//LEEDS//ZINE RESEARCH//OUGD602

village bookstore, corn exchange
I had wanted to visit village bookstore for a while as I had looked on their site and it seemed like exactly the kind of area of graphic design I am interested in.  As the academic year is rapidly coming to an end I feel like I am finally understanding all of what I did in the first two years and what kind of designer I would like to be, what areas I am interested in etc.  Especially in third year, after cop I feel I've been able to take my practice in the direction I want to, this is keeping me motivated and engaged, only being slightly worried about timescale.

I initially went to the village bookstore to get some ideas for my contemporary culture, in terms of layout, printing method, stock etc. although when coming out, I'd found that it had inspired more briefs that I hadn't even considered and given me some new ideas.

zines and publications:

I think for me to be happy with the final outcome of some of my zines created this year, I need to look into printing and what would be the best way to go about this.  Stock will be important and will need to be appropriate, usually I would go for a textured stock, however I feel this isn't the right style for a zine.  I was considering using textured stock for my Rosy Lee publication but I have decided against it as I feel the texture of the paper will allow the printed photograph to become even more distorted than it already is (initially distortion due to layer of material from teabag)

Whilst in the bookstore I saw a lot of nice finishes and final touches that I thought could really benefit a few of my zines.  Things such as belly bands, boxes, sleeves/envelopes, that all made the overall presentation of the publication/zine a lot more visually engaging.

BRIAN HINDMARCH//'BOOK HAPPINESS' TALK//OUGD602

Brian Hindmarch, 'Book Happiness' talk:

The printed book and the mechanics of a book, of writing, reading and speech, has acquired significant changes.

Books - vehicles of ideas

• visual allure
• allusion to speech
• fluidity and acceleration
• tactile movements 
• disciplined freedom
• a trace that remains after movement has departed 
• a snapshot of emotion
• gesture
• pace/pressure

Alphabet

alpha beta = cow + house

pictographic: pictures of things

logographic: sounds made by words

I found the talk with Brian really interesting as the main focus was on something Im not only really interested in but try and use a lot within my design practice, books/reading/text etc.  It was interesting to learn a bit of new knowledge and was also motivating for the current brief I am working on as I've recently felt quite stuck on it.  The 'collected writings of Rosy Lee' brief has been something I've been working on from last week which I'm enjoying but am finding difficult to overcome in terms of text and layout.  This is why hopefully having a tutorial with Brian will help to give me some ideas and a bit more direction.