Let’s start at the beginning, my passion photography. Below I have divided my photos that I’ve taken – what I applied within my photography and below how this helps me as a designer.
Photography
Pop colour
Colour Theory/Psychology
Attention to Detail
Different Perspective
Story telling
Visual Communication
Creativity
Hierarchy
Communication
I have always had an interest in revealing the unseen within my photography which has made me wonder whether I would be good at logo/brand design.
At the moment I still an unsure but when I start to create my presentation I will think further about what I want to do and discover the opportunities provided to me.
Atomic habits are small, repetitive actions that require little effort or motivation to carry out, but which lead to big changes in our everyday lives.
I’ve never heard of James Clear so for a starting point I explored his social media as I believe you can understand someone deeper by their personal instagram.
On his story he was promoting his journal/planner. Which made me think of designing the front cover with the appearance of a planner.
When it came to the compete brief I was nervous about what category or genre I could design for as I am a thinker not a maker so I thought about my passion and future plans regarding advertising and thought about using my photography mixed with design elements for the competition brief.
Having never professionally studied graphic design I thought about how typography and graphics design is a key element within advertising so I wanted to specialise in this and learn new tools and expand my knowledge on what I know about design.
I have always wanted to participate in the BBC Maestro Paula Scher course, and with perfect timing the course was on sale and price was reduced so I thought this was a perfect opportunity to sign up and do the course.
Graphic Design – organising information in ways people can read and understand it. A designer is pushing boundaries to discover new ways of something that has be done a million times and making it look fresh and interesting.
Best graphic designers need to understand scale. They also don’t need to be amazing drawers but need the ability to draw and communicate their ideas. Your hadn’t when drawing shows somebody else how you’re seeing and the most important thing being a designer is SEEING.
Starting point: a notebook and a pencil and THINK – thats where everything starts (Paula Scher).
2. Origins of Type
Making connections.
This is Paula Scher poster.
This poster is influenced by Japanese typography. The poster was for a show in Japan.
When she began to design it she made the connection to what she knew of a certain type of a game at the time called Pachinko.
The lettering lit up.
You find that you make little connections all the time and history helps you do it.
The photos above show paintings in caves or carved on stone. There pictures are a narrative. These various works became the way people in the times communicated with each other. That was their language.
As these things develop – we began to see the human interaction with the letter forms and the ability to know that we are hearing something that is actually a story.
Writing, reading and sharing information began by recording it.
Without that history you are floating in space and nothing is connecting you the profession.
Analysing history and finding out the way you would do it now.
3. Crests, Flags, Symbols and Logos
Flags – they are all designed and used as representation. They have beautiful form, bright colours and the way they were made. The scale of flags compared to people.
Colour and form are great – they are powerful and legible. We can see visual language – seeing information.
Signs and symbols we use to communicate universally. An example are code signs that are used in buildings and streets to let people know how they are meant to behave.
This sign shows how the body is supposed to behave.
Arrows are very prevalent in signs as they are the simplest form of direction and order. You read them, understand them and follow them. Signs can also be designed specifically for specific places.
4. Type
Illustrate with type – create messaging and sensibility with typography… it can look scary, romantic, calming, intense. We use it to express different types of emotions.
I am interested in advertising which is an area that I have wanted to have a go at which I feel like this would the best opportunity to challenge myself and give it a go. So I will probably look at advertising relating to this.
Fiona Neil Design Research Journal 