Reflective Summaries from Studio Practice Briefs

OUGD403 - Logotype

Overall I found this project very insightful into the different elements that need to be considered when designing something that will be used in the public eye. I had to learn to consider things like where the design will be seen, who it's for and what it's representing, being objective about the descisions I was making and considering every different aspect of the logotype individually. 

My redesign for the Gregg’s logotype worked effectively as it encompassed all of the design elements I had set out to achieve when I started the brief, making Greggs seem a lot more healthy, fresh and appetising. I was successful at keeping the design legible on all scales so it could be used on a variety of products for Greggs aswell as on all the signage and advertisements.

I believe adding a bespoke element such as the 3 lines instead of an E created a unique and engaging logotype, which is easy to spot on the highstreet and define as Greggs, setting it apart from it’s competitors. Although some people felt the colour scheme I used was a bit ‘dark’ and ‘intimidating’ I beleive when used in context this design would further allow Greggs to stand out from other similar food stores on the highstreet and is also a modern yet timeless colour that will stand the test of passing fashion trends giving the design lasting values that are clear, simple and enduring.

I believe for this project using a digitally rendered type was the right process to use for the making of my logotype as it allowed me to easily play around with the colour, size, shape and kerning of the letters and enabled me to easily test it’s legibility across a range of platforms.

Overall I think my final outcome was successful and the majority of the feedback I received agreed with this.

I think I have successfully updated their branding, given Greggs a fresh lease of life and created a logotype that will appeal to a wider target audience than the current one does, which in turn would hopefully attract new customers to their shop while remaining not too radical for their pre-existing customers. It would also hopefully show that Gregg’s is a bakery that prides itself on quality food rather than just being a supplier of cheap sausage rolls.

OUGD403 - Typeface

This was a brief that I felt really threw me in at the deep-end. Before this project I had never used illustrator before so it was a very steep earning curve for me and taught me how quickly I could pick up new techniques. 

Overall I think my final design and outcome was extremely successful as I manged to create a serif typeface initially based on helvetica, a lead typeface that worked successfully when used as part of a body-text and is legible on all scales.

All my peers agreed with the design decisions that I made and the reasoning behind my design decisions translated well to a large target audience.

I managed to create a typeface that is also a lot slimmer than regular typefaces yet remains legible on paper, which in turn should reduce the amount of paper when used in large quantities and help protect the environment - which was one of my initial design considerations.

Furthermore my design successfully resonates a mix of both classic and contemporary features related to ’Education’ making it translatable and accessible to a variety of people from all different age groups and levels of intellect. 

This project was valuable in teaching me the basics of illustrator as well as the traditional design principles and history relating to typography.  All of these are valuable lessons that I will relate back to throughout second and third year. 

OUGD405 - Wayfinding

This project was one that I found difficult to get into for a while as due to the nature of the building's architecture I found it hard to start generating ideas for an innovative and interesting wayfinding system. I noticed that many of my peers were focussing on creating interesting vinyl wall stickers for their buildings, however the light had nowhere that a wayfinding system like this would be possible, so I felt my creative options were restricted. 

However I soon got over this initial set back by realising as a designer I had to find the most appropriate design solutions for what was possible in the building, so took the Light's existing way-finding system and aimed to improve it in as many ways as I could. 

Reflecting on this project,  I believe that I managed to created a successful navigational system that would be easy to use and read by visitors of all ages both local and international.

Referring back to part of my earliest research the key elements that every navigational system should contain include a comprehensive, clear and consistent visual communication system and concise messaging, showing only information that is relevant to the space, removing excessive information to create a clear visual environment. 

I believe I encompassed both of these elements in my design successfully and therefore created a practical yet stylish navigational system that could be enjoyed by all. The new design would stand the test of time and fitted in much better with the beautiful architecture the Light has to offer, which were my main aims throughout the project. 

OUGD405 - Public Information Leaflet

Overall I found this brief a lot more interesting than the way-finding project as it gave me the opportunity to be a lot more creative as there were no restrictions caused by factors such as existing architecture etc. I was able to be much more adventurous with the colour scheme, content and layout of the leaflet as I could start from scratch. Initially I felt that the content of the leaflet could be a challenging aspect I had analyzed the rabies public information videos which were now very dated. I was unsure how I could make the topic relevant at this day in age. However after thorough investigation and research I discovered the risk of rabies was a much bigger threat than I had previously imagined, and therefore managed to create an interesting and engaging leaflet for the public. 

Overall the public information leaflet effectively communicated the keys facts, details, figures, and statistics of the risks rabies would cause if the disease were to enter the UK. 

The tone of voice is authoritive yet helpful and informative. 

One design flaw that I made was a small grammar error on the first page reading ‘estimates’  rather than ‘estimated’ which I only noticed once the final doccument was fully printed and produced. This goes to show you can never proof read your leaflet enough times or get enough people to check over the design for you as tiny errors like these are easily overlooked when you have been starting at the same design for hours on end, yet nothing decreases the overall impact of a publication faster than a spelling mistake. 

If I was to re-do the leaflet I would ensure all the information was 100% spelt correctly as there is no margain for error when it comes to displaying information to clients and the public. 

Some of the information in the leaflet I feel could have been worded better, therefore next time I will ensure that all paragraphs and sentences are as well articulated as possible as content is just as important, if not more important than the way in which it is presented eg. design, layout and colour scheme. 

Other than that I believe the colour scheme and overall design of the leaflet is extremely effective and printed out exactly the way I had envisioned it. 

This project was also a great introduction to elements like G.F. Smith paper stock and the colleges facilities such as the print room downstairs. 

OUGD406 -  Secret 7  

The secret 7 brief was a really enjoyable one for me as it allowed me to explore my own illustrative style without being restricted to considerations like 'what would the client want' as I was designing it for myself, to showcase my style as an indiviual. 

I was able to do a range of responces using drawing as my main outlet for creatiity as I have missed just being able to draw, rather than having to use the computer to do layouts / typefaces etc. so it was nice to be able to create a purely illustrative responce. 

Everyone liked the raw simplicity of my sketches and said they were reminiscnet of Jean Julien and Quentin Blake who are artists that have both inspired me in the past.