Final major project: London Science Museum Quirkology Exhibition

The brief was from the London Science museum who were putting on a Quirkology exhibition. They needed an identity and several promotional items designed. I designed a series of posters, an item for sale in the gift shop, signage for inside and outside the museum, an exhibition ticket, and a 20-page programme.

Quirkology is defined as a peculiarity of character, mannerism or foible. The subject itself is inspirational. One of the quotes I found during the research stage was: ‘Sometimes I pretend to be normal but it gets boring so I go back to being me.’ Quirkiness is about being different and unique and I needed the tone of voice to communicate this. The logo helps to do this, setting the theme for all the other media to follow. The overall style is very strong and visually stimulating, something that the audience will relate to, and find interesting and appealing, encouraging them to understand what quirkiness is.

During the development stage I researched designers and artists that could offer insight and inspiration for my working process. I learned that a good designer never stops learning and a design needs to fulfill a purpose or there is no point to it. This is something I kept it mind as I progressed through the development. I kept each of the medias unique in their own right, but still connected them to the other designs with a quirky tone of voice. One of the designers, Jonathon Barnbrook, gave very influential advice. He believes that the creative process should be hard because it pushes one to try even harder. If it comes easily, then it means you are not pushing yourself to your full creative potential. When it comes to design it is okay to struggle and to take a step back and ask for feedback from peers. This is something I utilized throughout the brief but ultimately I made my own decisions. 

The visual communication of the outcomes are very strong and effective. The knowledge I have learned will impact my future as a designer and my learning throughout the degree course has given me the skills and confidence to build up a career in graphic design for myself.

A big part of the research stage was learning about the audience – the moodboard above shows who they are. It was important to understanding what they needed to see from the designs in order for the message of quirkiness to be effectively communicated.

 The above images show work in progresses for the theme of the media.

These are some of the final outcomes for the brief. The designs clearly show a quirky tone of voice, and the dynamic style makes them stand out and entices the viewership to take interest in the exhibition.

Competition Brief (YCN): British Music Experience

The British Music Experience (BME) is an interactive music museum. The brief asked for a campaign that communicated the richness and essence of the museum. It was important that the design could be versatile enough to be used across a wide range of media. It was specified the audience was anyone with an interest in music, and so the design had to be something that could speak to people from any demographic.

Music has a direct access to human emotions. No matter what a person’s background is, emotion can be understood and recognized. Color is another element that portrays emotion and it can be universally understood.

The brief was left relatively open and the solution took on the form of a leaflet. The style implemented is fun, bold, and dynamic, with a mood that is enthusiastic and exciting, connoting the richness of the BME.  The media has the ability to reach and attract a wide range audience. Each layout contains something new but connects strongly with the surrounding elements.

I thoroughly enjoyed working on this brief because I love and enjoy music, and therefore I felt an automatic connection to it. The design outcome looks very professional and strong, and during the working process I learned valuable skills that I could take with me into other design projects.

Unlike the other brief's, the activities for this module was left open for me to decide. Thus, the first activity i instigated was to build up a timetable, in order to manage my time effectively and make sure the deadline was met.

The above image shows a painting that is emotionally moving. It proves how colors can influence a person's emotions and get the viewer to really feel what the artist wants to show.

The above image shows the final concept as work in progress. This is the orginal image that influenced my final design.

At the end of the brief I was left with two strong solutions. I loved how the characters in this design each represented a different music genre, and I felt this portrayed how music brought different cultures together. I rejected this idea because the outcome was not as legible and exciting as the chosen design, shown below.

These images show the final solution in a variety of media, showing how the design could be versatile over a range of materials.

Competition Brief (ISTD): Imbalance - Depression

The word imbalance indicates that something is uneven and therefore is considered wrong. The brief asked to show an imbalance in the world through typography, and imagery to complement it. At the beginning of the module I got to choose between two brief, and I decided to choose the Imbalance brief because of its relation to my chosen discipline of editorial design. The idea of taking a concept and turning it into a visual analogy was fascinating.

After extensive research I found the audience to be mature, sophisticated and cultured. I found that the audience would relate to a contemporary tone of voice, something simplistic in nature but strong in information.

Depression is a mental disorder that causes a low mood, low self-esteem and takes the enjoyment out of activities for sufferers. The concept of the design was to have the connotation of the imbalance in depression within men and woman. Originally the idea was to go for a detailed infographic, but as the development process progressed, a simplistic and light way of showcasing the imbalance seemed to relate better with the target audience.

I chose the color palette by the universally known male and female colors, giving the viewer instant recognition of who the statistics refer to. Adding to the effectiveness, of the design outcome, is the typography, which is authoritative and reliable, making the audience understand that this information is trustworthy and they should pay attention to it. The statistics are bold and confident and the eye is immediately drawn to them, the accompanying imagery makes the design more aesthetically pleasing.

The brief was very enjoyable to complete because the subject is something that would appeal to a wide range of people and it has the ability to make a difference.

During the research I came across this painting by Ruth Batke, and I was inspired. The art is called ‘I can feel your pain.’ And, the viewer gets drawn into the pain and suffering the painting connotes. It really speaks to the heart.

The moodboard above shows the targeted audience in a visual manner.

A mindmap is a great method for generating ideas. It is very free and spontaneous and allows for all ideas, good and bad, to be written down and then reflected upon, taking forward the stronger routes.

The image above shows a second solution for the design brief. I had a hard time deciding which design to take into the concluding stage, but after an in-depth analysis of the visual communication of both designs, I found the final outcome to be much stronger.

This is the final solution for the Imbalance Depression brief.

The strength of the design comes from its versatility and its ability to be made into a campaign that would work across a variety of media, as shown by the above images.

Negotiated Project: IBC Boxing Calendar

The aim of the brief was to research the following five sports; boxing, curling, football, tennis and underwater rugby. The calendar was for fans and followers to use and enjoy on a regular basis, helping them to keep track of upcoming events.

I have always had an interest in sports but never actually followed one sport in particular until four years ago when I discovered boxing. I originally did not know whether to design a boxing calendar or base it on another sport, but my appreciation and connection to boxing helped me ultimately choose this sport. This brief allowed me to get ‘real life’ experience because, the Islington Boxing Club gym I am a member of, was looking for a graphic artist to design a calendar for them.

I chose to use hand-drawn illustrations so the tone of voice was more personal and so it stood out from other sports calendars in existence. The boxers loved the comic inspired style of imagery and it made the finished project strong and effective. The identity link of the club is very present in the design.

One of the most important parts of designing is understanding where design comes from and the theory behind it all. One of the ways to understand it is by looking at past ideas and bringing past influences and inspirations to inform one’s design decisions. During this brief I looked for inspiration that would inspire innovative ideas. And one main source of influence was from the IBC - understanding the club’s needs were crucial to the development of the design and the comprehension of who they were was the strength during the brief.

The images above show the target audience of the brief. Creating a target market profile helps to put the audience into an organized and understandable manner. The bottom image is of the IBC amateur boxers.

This was another style of imagery I experimented with. The top image is drawn from conte pastels and the bottom in oil pastels. The style is very dramatic and bold, and would demand attention.

These were the final comic inspired drawings for the calendar. Each one is different but the style is the same throughout, linking them all together and creating one coherent message. The IBC boxers absolutely loved the drawings of themselves and felt it shows them in a natural manner.