Personal Module Evaluation
The second module of the year was actually my first one as part of my chosen specialism of Graphic Communication. The module, titled ‘Defining Practice’ involves two separate briefs, the first being titled ‘Ways of Seeing’ with the second called ‘Typography and Isms’.
This personal evaluation will be written in two parts to summarise the two separate briefs in accordance with the learning outcomes required for each one. Both of the briefs had set guidelines of what the outcome should be in relation to the space I had to work with, however they were both very open in terms of what I could base my work on.
The first brief - ‘Ways of Seeing’ required me to produce an inspiring three-dimensional display that communicated an engaging message linked to ‘vision’ and ‘seeing’. I had a space of 2.2 meters [height] x 1.6 meters [width] x 0.5 meters [depth] to play, explore and create a display within. The project from the offset showed me the importance of having to work within a defined space, however this was my only boundary that I had to bare in mind. The rest of the project was fairly broad in terms of what I would fill the space with. My initial research looked at the two words ‘vision’ and ‘seeing’ and with this I completed a task set by my tutor where I was able to experience what it was like to see the world with a visual impairment. My initial work in terms of designs and research into appropriate practitioners was based on Dyslexia and Colour Blindness in children. However after further research and a crucial interview with a family member my take on the project changed. After talking to my tutor and fellow students I soon began to follow a new direction with my project now focussing on the cultural and social differences between the Western and Middle Eastern world. This concept allowed me to explore a multitude of pathways from proposing displays that would show the audience what it is like to see through a Burqa, to looking at what life is like for a woman who wears a Burqa or any kind of religious garment.
The research on appropriate practitioners often sparked my imagination for a possible display. Looking back over the vast collection of designers and artists whose work I was inspired by at one point or another during the project, three played huge roles during the final stages. William Podlich who captured what life was like in Afghanistan before the Taliban was my starting point when my project took a new direction. Through photography he has been able to keep alive the image of a country that was developing and with this I began to experiment with designs that were similar in style to Taha Zaker who uses distorted images. My project was developing well at this point until I found my most inspiring artist – Marie Rim. Rims work was very controversial but it was her ‘Burqa fittings across America’ project that captured my eyes. Further research into this project soon produced what I found to be one of my best ideas ‘Burqa Vs The West’ - with a display showing a silhouette of a woman in a Burqa, which had written words and phrases to create the image. The writing consisted of how a woman [who wears a Burqa] felt emotionally knowing what people around her thought of her.
After further talks with my tutor and peers, as well as the continual development through thumbnail sketches, drawings and sketch models I was soon lead to my final concept named ‘Labels’. I wanted to take a different approach to the briefs requirement of basing the display on ‘vision’ and ‘seeing’. My final concept looks at perception and how we perceive one another. My design portrays at how we as a society subconsciously place labels on one another based upon cultural and social differences. Using the quote “The labelling must stop” communicates this element of the display. This is presented using a series of typographic labels hanging above the main feature of the space. Underneath this the audience see two women who live very different lifestyles holding two boards that read the quote “we live our lives differently yet we are all the same”. Therefore giving an overall message that the labeling must stop - we should open our minds to a world that is culturally diverse. Using women as an example of this diversity the presented quote within the display puts forward the true reality that we are all equal, just because a woman has chosen to lead her life based on religious or cultural beliefs does not give the right to judge others. The overall display suits a wide target audience, from young children to senior citizens – this is due to the fact that we live in a extremely culturally diverse society.
I am really pleased with the final outcome for the ‘Ways of Seeing’ brief. Not only has my knowledge on designers become richer but also my skills in terms of hand drawing and technical abilities has improved immensely. I have delved into the various Adobe software programs’, which has enhanced my work and allowed me to visualize my designs much better.
The second brief for the module required me to create my own 21st century ‘ism’. This little project was typographic based and allowed me to develop my knowledge and understanding of this area within Graphic Communication. I began by exploring past existing ‘isms’ of the 20th century which lead me to brainstorming potential pathways to produce an A2 Typographic poster. My chosen ‘ism’ was based on the popular alcohol beverage of Gin. Gin is a drink that I myself and many of my peers and relatives enjoy so it was something I had good knowledge of and even from the offset I was visualizing possible ways of presenting my new ‘ism’. This project, although being significantly smaller is scale compared to the other brief I was working along side with, has taught me a lot and has allowed me to experiment with new techniques I have not worked with before. Early on in the project I learned new skills such as print making where I produced a series of experimental outcomes, which gave me a starting point within the project. The project has also taught me a lot about the importance of composition and the impact kerning, leading and tracking have in the graphic design world. Once I had researched letterforms that I felt related to my ‘ism’ I began tracing and drawing over existing designs to produce my final overall typography. I further edited and manipulated letterforms by using appropriate software such as Adobe Illustrator. My final design is quite regal in its appearance, a somewhat appropriate word to associate with gin. Gin is also quite a fun drink and is one that has stood the test of time. I created a series of thumbnail sketches to plan how I would compose my poster. Once a suitable composition was selected I began to experiment with textures not only for a background for the poster but also for my type. I soon settled on diluted splashes of colour. Limes and yellows were my key colours of choice. My background was created using gin infused with limes, lemons and mint leaves (enhanced with a bit of food colouring). The texture for the typography was produced by ‘dot work’. The gradient of ‘dots’ resembles the fizzing of tonic water in the signature classic – Gin and tonic. This also adds an element of transparency to the type allowing for the background of colour to interact with the type – much like how a gin cocktail mixes together to produce a beautiful flavor. My final A2 poster was produced using Adobe InDesign were I was able to play around with the composition until I was happy with the layout.
Overall, Defining Practice has been a truly rewarding module to undertake. I have developed my theoretical skills on the history of visual communication through the lecture series where I have then feed this new knowledge back into my practical work. My technical skills have also come a long way. I have completed the training towards my accreditation in Adobe Illustrator and have made arrangements for me to take my exam before the end of the month. After which I will swiftly begin my work towards accreditation for InDesign. The project has not only developed my technical skills but it has also broadened my knowledge of artists and designers who I can make reference to again for future projects during my time in university and my future career. My understanding of typography and its principles has also heightened my interest into this field of work. Overall, I’m really pleased with the progress I have made in this module.
Word Count : 1450
Adobe Accreditation Progress//
I will be undertaking my exam for Adobe Illustrator within the next two weeks, where after completion I will be swiftly working towards accreditation in InDesign.
Final Outcome//
I have printed my A2 Typography Poster which has been displayed along side a 1:10 scale model and an overview ‘client’ poster for the Ways Of Seeing project. Sketchbook work and developmental progress throughout this module has been documented in detail on my blog, which has been linked on the cover page of this evaluation document. I have also linked the separate blog address where I have written short essays based on the lectures given every Monday.
Posted | Monday 18th January 2016