Jade Elouise Connolly

Unit X - Graphic Design

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

I am going to get these photographs printed for my portfolio.

PROUD!

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

Reflection - 15/05/15

I’ve definitely learnt more in Unit X than I have in other Unit’s this year. I’ve learnt more technically, but also about myself as a designer. I’ve learnt that I’m very picky and I don’t have much patience for when it’s clear that people aren’t bothered about working. I let things like this upset me far too much - at the end of it - it’s their issue, not mine. I think I need to remember this for future group projects. Although, I can’t help but worry that their ‘efforts’ will affect my grade.

Overall however, I’m chuffed with how the final piece has turned out and I am extremely proud of my contribution to it; three pages, choosing the paper, bookbinding three of the zines, creating the straps and helping to produce the set - it’s been a lot of work in a short space of time but it has definitely been a learning curve and it just makes me more excited for what is to come in September!

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

Feeling inspired by both The Poundshop and Lord Whitney, we decided that we would use what time we have left after finishing the zine to create a set and photograph it to make a print. Han managed to get her hands on a wooden crate/box/thing that we rested a chopping board on, and Dan bought some cute little paper plates. We wanted to make it look like meat packaging - which it does without the white banner (first photo).

I actually really like the white strap around the zine as well though - I feel like it compliments the thread from the bookbinding really nicely.

I’m super happy with how things have come together now. I feel like this wraps up our project perfectly.

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

I tried to create a lovely little strap to go around the middle of the zine.. But the printer decided to eat all of my paper so white paper will have to do for now. I will have to see what it looks like. DAMMIT... I really wanted this paper! :(

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

And then I have this to deal with when I’m trying to work too... Today is full of procrastination and not a lot of productivity (other than Dan’s skills at turning clingfilm into a flower..) #dantheman

SOMEONE SEND HELP!!

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

Trying to work, but there’s a dog staring at me.. Wtf?

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

My boyfriend and I went down to Federation House and it was fab to see all the work displayed. I was really happy to see only a few of my postcards left by the time we got there - and only a tiny bit upset that I wasn’t able to get any for myself - I felt bad taking the last ones.

My highlight was probably seeing the photo of Tash dressed in the crab costume that we made in the Lord Whitney exhibition though..

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

My postcards and stickers are looking so so cute!

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

IT’S EXHIBITION DAY!

I’m far too excited to see what everyone else has done. My flatmate is on the Photography course and her work looks amazing.  Yeyeyeyey!!

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

Myself, Beth and Tash went down to bookbinding once the zines were all printed and finished. This was so much fun - I definitely want to do it again.

I think I’ve found my calling in life.

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

HOLLAH

The group agreed to my paper - this makes me happy!

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

I went down to the magical land of A4 & More and found this lovely Lorenzo paper. It’s totally smooth but gives a pretty nice textured finish when printed on. I’m going to suggest to the group that we use this as it would be a cheaper alternative to printing on the risograph but it keeps us away from printing on crappy plain paper. It also has a lovely blue tint to it which compliments our colour scheme massively!

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

A little bitchy, I know...

I wish Melissa would come into Uni more so that she could see everyone else’s work. She keeps on submitting things that don’t particularly ‘go’ with the style of what we are creating. It’s starting to hold us back from finishing in time for the exhibition.

I feel like this looks really rushed and I wouldn’t submit this myself. Han and Beth have both agreed but no one is brave enough to say anything to her about it. It’s frustrating because she would probably change it if she saw the rest of the work that we have all produced. The way that it’s not aligned and it’s kind of chaotic just doesn’t compliment the rest of the zine. I feel really bad saying this but it’s important because her pieces are the first and last pages of the zine.

Feeling very frustrated!

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

BLOODY PAGINATING!!

Above you can see some little glimmers of how our pages are all coming together slowly as everyone is starting to get them finished. At the moment we don’t really know how we are going to print - I’d really like to use the risograph but I feel like it could get quite expensive considering we have 28 different designs for the one zine.... 

*I NEED A MONEY TREE*

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

Okay, so I gave a call out in our group Facebook for some Crit on my design but they’re all too busy other than Han so she gave me a hand. Han also agreed with what I thought about it having to be legible so she gave me the idea of trying out a patterned background. I chose to tile my illustration at a size where the detail wasn’t lost but there is enough individual illustrations to be seen as a background. I also placed a slightly transparent white circle behind the blue circle with the type in order to dim down the illustration behind it to make the text more bold and obvious in the design.

This will be my submission for the middle page of the zine!

EXCITING TIMES

[jadeelouiseconnolly]

I was worried that the type would take over the illustration and it has. I’m really struggling with the placement so I am going to speak to someone in the group tonight to see what they think. 

After all, Eike did say to “work with people and learn from them.” 

It’s a shame really because I do really like this design, and I find it easy to read because I know what it says, but I have to take into account people who are seeing this for the first time. Would they be able to read it? I showed this to my friend Robbie G who is in 2nd year Graphics and he said that he also liked how it’s kind of illegible, but the message is too strong for me to leave it like this incase people don’t make the effort to work out what it says.

This is starting to give me a headache.