Throughout this module I have learnt a great amount about objectivity and subjectivity in Graphic Design. Research and further reading has helped to increase my knowledge about these subjects and has informed a lot of my work throughout this module, in particular, wayfindings. It has allowed me to further link my work to research and contexts, which has proven useful in explaining many of my design decisions. For example, the use of objective designs throughout my wayfinding project was based on the beliefs of Otl Aicher and Wim Crouwel who suggested that the use of grids in design benefits the clarity of information, as well as creating structure for a universal language. Research such as this will also allow me to better explain future design decisions in suggesting how it's objectivity or subjectivity informs the design.
I have also realised that the process in producing a piece of work is just as important as the outcome. I have explored various methods of working throughout this module, all of which have been very beneficial in producing an interesting and well-developed outcome. One such process is known as ASCII art, a graphic design technique which uses text-editing programmes to create images pieced together from a variety of set characters defined by the American coding system. This process formed the main basis for my final object outcomes, and has shown me a new technique for creating design which could possibly question what Graphic Design can be.
I have also learnt that the research leading up to such processes does not always have to be obvious. Obscure facts and research can help better inform your designs, because it makes you think more about the processes, context and design decisions behind your work, whilst also producing abstract and interesting outcomes. For example, my postcard designs were not based on facts about my initial object but focused more on tool used before the development of the electronic calculator and their seemingly obscure purposes.
Similar to the first module, this module has allowed me to further improve on both new and existing skills. For example, InDesign is a piece of software which I had no experience of prior to this module. Inductions and workshops have allowed me to gain a basic and better understanding of the use of grids within layout design. This new skill was extremely beneficial in helping me to produce initial mock-up designs for independent zines, the use of grids within my objective wayfinding pictograms and in the layout of my object postcards. It has also allowed me to produce appropriate layouts for publications dependent on the stitching technique needed to bind the content together.
Overall, this module has been very engaging. It has taught me a variety of new skills and graphic design techniques, such as using alternative software to create work (e.g. Microsoft Word and Excel), book-binding, and layout and grid design within InDesign. Contextual research, such as the debate between Wim Crouwel and Jan Van Toorn (objectivity vs. subjectivity) will also help me to understand my own and other designers' work better in terms of it's desired purpose and structure. Furthermore, the module has taught me that the process in producing a piece of work is just as important as the outcome itself, as it allows you to explore ideas using new and engaging techniques, which will all be valuable in the production of my future work.
Monday, 6 February 2017
OUGD405 - Studio Brief 02 - Final Crit Evaluation
During our final crit, a number of strengths and weaknesses were discussed. It was suggested that overall the designs were very strong, however one improvement I could make was to print the designs onto coloured paper to gain an interesting texture, rather than selecting the image on screen. This would also mean that I wouldn't have the problem with the printer interpreting the colour differently from on screen. Although this would overcome the problem, it would also mean that both sides of the postcards would be printed the same colour. This could become a potential problem, as the reverse colour needs to be able to work with ink-pens or pencils for the messenger to write out their greetings, and the texture should not obstruct their writing in any way. If I were to do this, each side would therefore need to be printed and bound together to recreate it's originally intended contrast, with the reverse side slightly flatter than the first.
Another potential improvement was to change the typeface in which I used for the main facts used as part of the main postcard designs. In order to make it more standardised with the ASCII image and further text on the reverse side, I should change the text to Courier New. However, I had initially experimented with this in the process of choosing my typeface and the kerning of this font proved to be difficult to manipulate to be in relation to the measurements of a slide rule. If I were to try and do this, the text would be too narrow to read and so compromising the clarity of the information. Nevertheless the use of kerning was regarded as clever, as it has clear and direct reference to initial research and the context in which it has been used.
Overall, it was suggested that each of the designs had a good use of context which made them coherent. The audience was also very clear, with many referring to their potential use in Science and Maths Museums. Initially the chosen colour palette was questioned, however after brief explanation, it was said that the colours work well to convey their chosen meaning and did not obstruct the design in any way. Again these had direct links to contextual research and inspirations. The overall design is not too complicated and the size is appropriate for it's intended purpose, although I could have potentially experimented with A5 as well as A6.
Another potential improvement was to change the typeface in which I used for the main facts used as part of the main postcard designs. In order to make it more standardised with the ASCII image and further text on the reverse side, I should change the text to Courier New. However, I had initially experimented with this in the process of choosing my typeface and the kerning of this font proved to be difficult to manipulate to be in relation to the measurements of a slide rule. If I were to try and do this, the text would be too narrow to read and so compromising the clarity of the information. Nevertheless the use of kerning was regarded as clever, as it has clear and direct reference to initial research and the context in which it has been used.
Overall, it was suggested that each of the designs had a good use of context which made them coherent. The audience was also very clear, with many referring to their potential use in Science and Maths Museums. Initially the chosen colour palette was questioned, however after brief explanation, it was said that the colours work well to convey their chosen meaning and did not obstruct the design in any way. Again these had direct links to contextual research and inspirations. The overall design is not too complicated and the size is appropriate for it's intended purpose, although I could have potentially experimented with A5 as well as A6.
OUGD405 - Studio Brief 02 - Final Object Rationale
The production of a series of postcards aims to show homage to several Ancient tools used for calculation before the development of the electronic calculator, in showing some of their obscure history and how some are still very relevant today.
A different tool would referenced in each postcard, including the Slide Rule, the Abacus and Napier’s Bones. These postcards would feature an interesting or obscure fact about these tools which aims to engage the audience with their history.
These postcards will have direct references to designer Kenneth Knowlton, computer-graphics pioneer and developer of ASCII art, and ‘A Digitial Suicide’ by Liam Scully. This is a body of work by the London-based artist, whose choice of materials and creative processes have clear links to coding and mathematics. The approach towards the production of each postcard design will be informed by much research into these artists/designers, providing links to new graphic design techniques, such as ASCII art and concrete poetry.
The audience for this set of postcards is a wide range of people. Their aim is to help others engage with various methods of calculation rather than always thinking about the use of an electronic device. They give small lessons into the history and development of the electronic calculator from such tools referenced in their design and shows how we underestimate these within society today. The audience and clients would include Science and Maths Museums for potential use in exhibition promotion.
A different tool would referenced in each postcard, including the Slide Rule, the Abacus and Napier’s Bones. These postcards would feature an interesting or obscure fact about these tools which aims to engage the audience with their history.
These postcards will have direct references to designer Kenneth Knowlton, computer-graphics pioneer and developer of ASCII art, and ‘A Digitial Suicide’ by Liam Scully. This is a body of work by the London-based artist, whose choice of materials and creative processes have clear links to coding and mathematics. The approach towards the production of each postcard design will be informed by much research into these artists/designers, providing links to new graphic design techniques, such as ASCII art and concrete poetry.
The audience for this set of postcards is a wide range of people. Their aim is to help others engage with various methods of calculation rather than always thinking about the use of an electronic device. They give small lessons into the history and development of the electronic calculator from such tools referenced in their design and shows how we underestimate these within society today. The audience and clients would include Science and Maths Museums for potential use in exhibition promotion.
OUGD405 - Studio Brief 02 - Final Designs
For my final printed material, I produced a series of three postcards. These are double sided with the main design on one side and a brief column of information on the reverse, which includes a box and series of lines usually found on a typical postcard layout for stamps and addresses. I chose to print these in A6, which is the standard size of a postcard.
Each image symbolises a planet; Moon, Earth and Uranus, which each have links to the facts I have chosen to work with. The Slide Rule was used by NASA engineers to aid with planning for the Apollo 11 moon mission, which has clear and direct links to the moon. The Abacus was first developed in Ancient Greece (symbolised by the Earth) by the Ancient Historian, Herodotus. Finally, the third design symbolises the planet Uranus. The inventor of Napier's Bones, John Napier, gained a reputation as a Wizard. This idea of magic and intelligence has links to the planet Uranus within astrology, as well as being the planet symbolic of his star sign. I chose to create these links to planets in order to keep the postcard designs standardised in their design and layout so that they clearly work as a series of three.
The layout of the type was adjusted so that the kerning fitted in with one set of measurements found on a typical slide rule, which was used on the Apollo 11 moon mission, as well as for other slightly abstract purposes. The typeface I used for this was a simple default type produced specifically for certain software, such as text-editing programs so keeps it's links to the process I used in the production of the postcards. In addition to this I wanted to make sure the type was clear and easy to read, especially if the kerning was to be manipulated in an abstract way. This gives the overall design a small, quirky element which does not distract away from the context in which it is being used, as well as not over-powering the main design for which I had already used text to form the image (ASCII art).
The background colour was inspired by my research into the artist Liam Scully, as well as the colour scheme for one of my initial mock-up zines. Scully used pink thermal ECG paper within his body of work 'A Digital Suicide' which has clear links to graphing calculations as well as coding, which he took from the meta-data of his previous Facebook profile. In addition to this, I also felt the colour complimented the overall design well. I wanted to use quite a pale colour so the ASCII images would not be lost amongst the colour or so that it would not over-power the image too much. This pale pink colour I felt was a happy medium, as it enhances some of the design through it's transparency, making the image clearer to understand and interpret by bringing out the different shades in text properties.
Through the printing process, I also found that this colour printed a slightly paler shade than it appears on screen, however this does not compromise any of the design and still produces a simple contrast between the front and back pages of each postcard.
Taking ideas from the standard layout of a postcard I used this to design the reverse side which also features a small passage of text that explains each fact further. In order to link these passages of text to the main design, I used a simple red circle giving it a purpose similar to that of an asterisk. These are also used overlayed onto the ASCII designs to map out certain areas of the planets. For example, the first features a series of blue and red pinpoints. The red symbolises the Apollo 11 moon landing, whilst the blue symbolise the areas landed during the other five moon missions. The second pinpoints a rough idea as to where Greece is situated within the world and the third pinpoints where the Aquarius constellation would normally be situated within the month of October. I have used each of these to provide further direct links between the image, fact and information, therefore producing a coherent series of designs.
Each image symbolises a planet; Moon, Earth and Uranus, which each have links to the facts I have chosen to work with. The Slide Rule was used by NASA engineers to aid with planning for the Apollo 11 moon mission, which has clear and direct links to the moon. The Abacus was first developed in Ancient Greece (symbolised by the Earth) by the Ancient Historian, Herodotus. Finally, the third design symbolises the planet Uranus. The inventor of Napier's Bones, John Napier, gained a reputation as a Wizard. This idea of magic and intelligence has links to the planet Uranus within astrology, as well as being the planet symbolic of his star sign. I chose to create these links to planets in order to keep the postcard designs standardised in their design and layout so that they clearly work as a series of three.
The layout of the type was adjusted so that the kerning fitted in with one set of measurements found on a typical slide rule, which was used on the Apollo 11 moon mission, as well as for other slightly abstract purposes. The typeface I used for this was a simple default type produced specifically for certain software, such as text-editing programs so keeps it's links to the process I used in the production of the postcards. In addition to this I wanted to make sure the type was clear and easy to read, especially if the kerning was to be manipulated in an abstract way. This gives the overall design a small, quirky element which does not distract away from the context in which it is being used, as well as not over-powering the main design for which I had already used text to form the image (ASCII art).
The background colour was inspired by my research into the artist Liam Scully, as well as the colour scheme for one of my initial mock-up zines. Scully used pink thermal ECG paper within his body of work 'A Digital Suicide' which has clear links to graphing calculations as well as coding, which he took from the meta-data of his previous Facebook profile. In addition to this, I also felt the colour complimented the overall design well. I wanted to use quite a pale colour so the ASCII images would not be lost amongst the colour or so that it would not over-power the image too much. This pale pink colour I felt was a happy medium, as it enhances some of the design through it's transparency, making the image clearer to understand and interpret by bringing out the different shades in text properties.
Through the printing process, I also found that this colour printed a slightly paler shade than it appears on screen, however this does not compromise any of the design and still produces a simple contrast between the front and back pages of each postcard.
Taking ideas from the standard layout of a postcard I used this to design the reverse side which also features a small passage of text that explains each fact further. In order to link these passages of text to the main design, I used a simple red circle giving it a purpose similar to that of an asterisk. These are also used overlayed onto the ASCII designs to map out certain areas of the planets. For example, the first features a series of blue and red pinpoints. The red symbolises the Apollo 11 moon landing, whilst the blue symbolise the areas landed during the other five moon missions. The second pinpoints a rough idea as to where Greece is situated within the world and the third pinpoints where the Aquarius constellation would normally be situated within the month of October. I have used each of these to provide further direct links between the image, fact and information, therefore producing a coherent series of designs.
OUGD405 - Studio Brief 02 - Design Development: Type
During feedback, it was suggested that within the layout of my designs that I create a grid system based off the measurements on a slide rule. However, after consideration, I felt that this may abstract the image too much and would make the overall design too complicated. Instead, I used these ideas within the use of type. The below image shows one set of measurements you would find on a typical slide rule. This was used as a guide to set the kerning of each individual word, and as a result created a slightly abstract and obscure layout of text. Initially it was difficult to adjust the kerning of words and letterforms due to the set amount of space on certain typefaces, therefore this took some adjusting of the sentences across the slide rule and of the slide rule itself. As another result, I had to use a typeface which was fairly minimal and clear to read. The images below show examples of how this worked, which I am fairly pleased with as it will give the overall design a small, quirky element which does not distract away from the context in which it is being used.
OUGD405 - Studio Brief 02 - Design Development: Image
These three images show my final developed images to be used in my final designs. Originally, after the group crit, I had intended to produce a large scale poster to promote the new mathematics exhibition which has been opened at the Science Museum. However, in the process of creating these images, it became apparent that blowing them up too large would cause the text to also increase in size so much that the images would no longer be clear as to what they represent. As a result of this, I decided to produce a set of three postcards instead.
The process to create these images as well as the images themselves were inspired by ASCII art. Using my existing knowledge and research into the graphic design technique, I produced these using the text-editing program, Microsoft Word. To keep the images clear and simple I chose a limited number of characters within the ASCII coding system, which I used to represent light, mid-tone and darker shades of colour. The characters I chose to work with were '!' for light colours, 'C' and 'E' for mid-tones, and 'M' and 'W' for the darker shades, which worked based on the form of the characters and how much pre-set white space is around each of them. The type I chose to work with was 10 point Courier New, as this was the standard type used in the production of ASCII art, whereby the properties of the typeface allow there to be a clear contrast between lighter and darker tones.
As part of the process I used an image for reference and worked within a fixed square which I set myself so that each image would be of a standardised shape and form. Using the limited set of characters I had chosen, I started to recreate the basic shapes from each planet (Moon, Earth and Uranus), as to not over-complicate the images. This means the eye does not have to over-work to be able to understand and produce an image from the set of text.
Each image symbolises a planet; Moon, Earth and Uranus, which each have links to the facts I have chosen to work with. The Slide Rule was used to aid with planning for the Apollo 11 moon mission, the Abacus was first developed in Ancient Greece (a country here on Earth) and the inventor of Napier's Bones gained a reputation as a Wizard, where this idea of magic and intelligence has links to the planet Uranus. Another reason I chose to create links to planets was to keep the postcard designs standardised in their layout to create a series. As part of the next design stage, these ASCII images will be used accompanying the facts they reference, along with an appropriate use of colour and a small passage of text explaining that facts on the reverse side of each postcard.
The process to create these images as well as the images themselves were inspired by ASCII art. Using my existing knowledge and research into the graphic design technique, I produced these using the text-editing program, Microsoft Word. To keep the images clear and simple I chose a limited number of characters within the ASCII coding system, which I used to represent light, mid-tone and darker shades of colour. The characters I chose to work with were '!' for light colours, 'C' and 'E' for mid-tones, and 'M' and 'W' for the darker shades, which worked based on the form of the characters and how much pre-set white space is around each of them. The type I chose to work with was 10 point Courier New, as this was the standard type used in the production of ASCII art, whereby the properties of the typeface allow there to be a clear contrast between lighter and darker tones.
As part of the process I used an image for reference and worked within a fixed square which I set myself so that each image would be of a standardised shape and form. Using the limited set of characters I had chosen, I started to recreate the basic shapes from each planet (Moon, Earth and Uranus), as to not over-complicate the images. This means the eye does not have to over-work to be able to understand and produce an image from the set of text.
Each image symbolises a planet; Moon, Earth and Uranus, which each have links to the facts I have chosen to work with. The Slide Rule was used to aid with planning for the Apollo 11 moon mission, the Abacus was first developed in Ancient Greece (a country here on Earth) and the inventor of Napier's Bones gained a reputation as a Wizard, where this idea of magic and intelligence has links to the planet Uranus. Another reason I chose to create links to planets was to keep the postcard designs standardised in their layout to create a series. As part of the next design stage, these ASCII images will be used accompanying the facts they reference, along with an appropriate use of colour and a small passage of text explaining that facts on the reverse side of each postcard.
OUGD405 - Studio Brief 02 - Research: Liam Scully
Digital Suicide is a term that refers to the elimination of one's information online, in particular social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. Over a period of 18 months, artist Liam Scully committed a 'digital suicide' by deleting all his information on Facebook. It was found by Scully that Facebook recommends you to download your data file from this site so that it is possible to access all the information again if you ever want to. 'A Digital Suicide' is a body of work by Scully in response to his 'past-life' on Facebook. He prints every page of this meta-data from his profile onto pink thermal electrocardiograph (ECG) paper and then draws, paints or collages onto this paper recreating posts and images included within this data. The time spent producing each image can vary from 30 seconds to 20 minutes, depending on the mood evoked from the data, which he had previously uploaded to his Facebook profile. Liam Scully's aim for this project was to spend his time reliving his time on Facebook through the act of drawing where he would have before wasted this time spent online. The artist stated "I am fond of the idea that these reclaimed life fragments can now be dispersed among people's personal collections, where essentially they become the property of other people".
I have already used ideas from Liam Scully's 'Digital Suicide' within one of my mock-ups, where I had printed coded text images onto pink paper. I will continue to work with these and similar ideas in my final design process, and will also consider printing directly onto graph paper itself rather than simply interpreting the colour.
I have already used ideas from Liam Scully's 'Digital Suicide' within one of my mock-ups, where I had printed coded text images onto pink paper. I will continue to work with these and similar ideas in my final design process, and will also consider printing directly onto graph paper itself rather than simply interpreting the colour.
OUGD405 - Studio Brief 02 - Research: ASCII Art
ASCII art is a graphic design technique that uses images pieced together from a variety of set characters defined by the American coding system. ASCII stands for American Standard Code for Information and Interchange. Computers are the only device which can understand numbers, so an ascii code is used for the numerical representation of a character, such as 'a' or '@', but the term is also used loosely to refer to text based visual art in general. This technique is produced from a text-editing program and requires a fixed-width font for presentation, however in it's early development would have originally been created using a typewriter and typewriter fonts. The typically used typeface for this is Courier New. Unlike concrete poetry, ascii art often uses free-form languages, meaning the positioning of the characters on the page is fairly insignificant, whereas concrete poetry often uses text and words which relate to the image as a whole.
Ascii art first came about when early printers would typically lack in their graphics ability and thus the characters were used in place of graphic marks. The first known examples of ascii art come from computer graphics pioneer and artist, Kenneth Knowlton in 1966. This technique can be seen in his body of work 'Studies in Perception I' which would mainly depict portraiture. In general, ascii art was also used to print large banners so that the division between images was clearer, and was even used in the early development of emails when images could not be embedded into them.
I will use this technique in the process of my final designs to create an image through the use of text. The idea of this coding system will create another link between the image, fact and this system, in that coding is a part of mathematics and complex calculations.
Ascii art first came about when early printers would typically lack in their graphics ability and thus the characters were used in place of graphic marks. The first known examples of ascii art come from computer graphics pioneer and artist, Kenneth Knowlton in 1966. This technique can be seen in his body of work 'Studies in Perception I' which would mainly depict portraiture. In general, ascii art was also used to print large banners so that the division between images was clearer, and was even used in the early development of emails when images could not be embedded into them.
I will use this technique in the process of my final designs to create an image through the use of text. The idea of this coding system will create another link between the image, fact and this system, in that coding is a part of mathematics and complex calculations.
OUGD405 - Studio Brief 02 - Group Crit
The main piece of feedback I received from this group crit was that I needed to focus the theme of my work on one clearly obscure fact, which linked directly to the calculator, rather than the idea of mathematics in general. After a brief explanation of some of my research, it was suggested that I take ideas from the tools used before the development of the electronic calculator, such as the slide rule. It was found that the slide rule helped NASA engineers send the man to the moon on the Apollo 11 moon mission and so I should create a piece of work based on this idea of space and the slightly obscure uses for such tools. The text images based on ascii art was well regarded and was said that I should continue their use within the next stage of my process towards my final design, whilst digging further into research of the graphic design technique. Rather than a zine, it was suggested that I produce a large-scale print of the moon using this technique and produce this within a grid created with the aid of a slide rule itself.
Another element of this idea that was well regarded were the prints on the front and back covers of the zine. It was said that I could develop this idea further and produce an independent zine featuring a variety of prints from the individual parts of various dismantled calculators and to explore the effects this may produce. However, initially, the pale pink colour of these cover pages was questioned, but after explanation it was considered as a good link towards coding and mathematics in relation to the calculator.
Feedback on my other mock-up and initial idea was that I also needed to give this more of an obscure element to make it more engaging. For example, one peer suggested that I only use inappropriate words, reminiscing on school days when students would create such words from the calculator. This would give the theme of the zine a slight twist in that it would be more of an urban dictionary than a regular one and make it more entertaining to flick through. If I were to continue this idea, I would also consider reducing the size of the text and making the images standardised throughout the booklet by either focusing directly onto the word from the calculator screen or ensure they are all of the same orientation and colour.
Another element of this idea that was well regarded were the prints on the front and back covers of the zine. It was said that I could develop this idea further and produce an independent zine featuring a variety of prints from the individual parts of various dismantled calculators and to explore the effects this may produce. However, initially, the pale pink colour of these cover pages was questioned, but after explanation it was considered as a good link towards coding and mathematics in relation to the calculator.
Feedback on my other mock-up and initial idea was that I also needed to give this more of an obscure element to make it more engaging. For example, one peer suggested that I only use inappropriate words, reminiscing on school days when students would create such words from the calculator. This would give the theme of the zine a slight twist in that it would be more of an urban dictionary than a regular one and make it more entertaining to flick through. If I were to continue this idea, I would also consider reducing the size of the text and making the images standardised throughout the booklet by either focusing directly onto the word from the calculator screen or ensure they are all of the same orientation and colour.
OUGD405 - Studio Brief 02 - Calculator Print Experiments
These prints were created using two different parts of a dismantled calculator, the face and the buttons panel. I used these two sections in order to create a print which looked like the whole calculator, as these elements are only those which can be seen when it is put together. I treated these a bit like mono or lino prints in that I rolled ink directly onto the parts and then printed directly from these onto paper. If I were to experiment with these further, I would look at creating a series of prints from each individual part of the dismantled calculator rather than just two of it's elements.
OUGD405 - Studio Brief 02 - Mock-up Idea 2
My second initial idea was to create a zine based on obscure facts about the calculator and relating themes, which I found out during object research as well as further research. The facts would be accompanied by text images which relates to the facts and, take inspiration from concrete poetry and ascii art, which is a graphic design technique that uses images pieced together from the set of characters defined by the 1963 ASCII coding system.
The typeface I have used for this piece of work is 11 point Caslon, which I thought was quite a sophisticated typeface which would relate to the idea of mathematics and intelligence.
The colour scheme uses Pantone 2016 colour of the year, rose quartz as the main base colour. This is a pale pink colour and can be seen to relate to the work of Liam Scully in his series called 'A Digital Suicide', whereby he coded his social media accounts and printed these onto pink ECG paper which he then worked on top of. This also relates to the idea of mathematics, as ECG paper is a type of graphing paper and his use of coding reflects the style of ascii art used within this idea and mock-up. This colour was slightly distorted when printed through creating slight and subtle white lines across the colour, which would have been caused by the fact many Pantone colours cannot be recreated using CMYK, an element I had not considered previous to this. However, this could be used to add to the effect of graph-like paper.
For the front and back covers, I experimented with creating a print directly from the face of a dismantled calculator which reflects the themes of the zine. This was situated behind a cover of acetate which gave it a slight transparency. Originally I had also experimented with printing directly onto the acetate, however the ink was gradually rubbed off. This booklet would also be an A5 size and was bound using a saddle-stitch technique.
The typeface I have used for this piece of work is 11 point Caslon, which I thought was quite a sophisticated typeface which would relate to the idea of mathematics and intelligence.
The colour scheme uses Pantone 2016 colour of the year, rose quartz as the main base colour. This is a pale pink colour and can be seen to relate to the work of Liam Scully in his series called 'A Digital Suicide', whereby he coded his social media accounts and printed these onto pink ECG paper which he then worked on top of. This also relates to the idea of mathematics, as ECG paper is a type of graphing paper and his use of coding reflects the style of ascii art used within this idea and mock-up. This colour was slightly distorted when printed through creating slight and subtle white lines across the colour, which would have been caused by the fact many Pantone colours cannot be recreated using CMYK, an element I had not considered previous to this. However, this could be used to add to the effect of graph-like paper.
For the front and back covers, I experimented with creating a print directly from the face of a dismantled calculator which reflects the themes of the zine. This was situated behind a cover of acetate which gave it a slight transparency. Originally I had also experimented with printing directly onto the acetate, however the ink was gradually rubbed off. This booklet would also be an A5 size and was bound using a saddle-stitch technique.
OUGD405 - Studio Brief 02 - Mock-up Idea 1
Based on my typographic exploration of the calculator, my first initial idea was to create a dictionary-like zine based on words you can create using a basic electronic calculator. This would include primary images of a variety of words spelt using the basic numbers and characters available on the calculator front, accompanied by a definition of the word and it's corresponding numbers that make it up.
This mock-up shows a basic idea of how I would layout the zine, with the image on one side and text on the other, which would be in the form of dictionary definitions, taking ideas from the layout of online dictionaries. The typeface used was Baskerville, as I found this was a common typeface used for dictionaries as well as long passages of text, which would make the definitions clear and easy to read and understand. The booklet would be an A5 size and bound using a saddle-stitch technique.
This mock-up shows a basic idea of how I would layout the zine, with the image on one side and text on the other, which would be in the form of dictionary definitions, taking ideas from the layout of online dictionaries. The typeface used was Baskerville, as I found this was a common typeface used for dictionaries as well as long passages of text, which would make the definitions clear and easy to read and understand. The booklet would be an A5 size and bound using a saddle-stitch technique.
Sunday, 5 February 2017
OUGD405 - Study Task 04 - Typographic Exploration
My first initial idea for this task was to look at how the type on calculator screens could be used themselves and to experiment with creating various words using the limited amount of numbers and symbols present on a calculator face. Words included those such as, 'sorry', 'hello', 'illegible', 'sizzle' and even 'asshole'.
Based on these initial experimentations, I then looked at how they could be recreated and digitalised using functions within Illustrator. This allowed me to see further how each letterform is produced and the elements it's made up from which I could then work to recreate myself using a similar structure. For this next stage I used a pre-set grid from excel that I could use to create hand-drawn type which gave it a digital and pixelated aesthetic where individual parts of the letterform are broken up into similar length lines.
Based on these initial experimentations, I then looked at how they could be recreated and digitalised using functions within Illustrator. This allowed me to see further how each letterform is produced and the elements it's made up from which I could then work to recreate myself using a similar structure. For this next stage I used a pre-set grid from excel that I could use to create hand-drawn type which gave it a digital and pixelated aesthetic where individual parts of the letterform are broken up into similar length lines.
OUGD405 - Study Task 04 - Word Images
For this task I created a series of text images using the text editing program, Microsoft Word. These worked in a similar way to the Excel images in that I was altering text and pre-set shapes to create various images. For many of these I worked in a slightly more literal sense, for example, creating the forms of two models of electronic calculator, a calculator watch and the symbol for pi. Some of these did not work as well as the excel images, as the text was harder to manipulate because it did not have a set structure or grid to initially work with. These images take ideas and form from concrete poetry, which can be defined as 'poetry in which the meaning or effect is conveyed by visual means, using patterns of words or letters and other typographical devices'. However, in the future I will take similar ideas and processes from ascii art which uses text and coding to create images, which I feel will form clearer images.
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| Fig 1. The first abacuses were developed from beans, stones and bones. |
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| Fig 2. Pocket and scientific calculators. |
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| Fig 3. Casio calculator watch uses words from one of the films it appears in. |
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| Fig 4. The decimals of Pi. |
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| Fig 5. The symbols for Pi using decimals from it's form. |
OUGD405 - Study Task 04 - Excel Images
For this task, I created a series of excel images which link back to my initial object research. I experimented mainly with creating abstract forms, taking inspiration from Danielle Aubert's process and style of work. The facts I decided to work with were also more abstract and not explicitly directed to the electronic calculator, but methods of calculations which were used before it's development and gadgets, such as the Casio calculator watch, which were produced after the electronic calculator.
The images below show how I had originally started working in a more literal sense, taking ideas from a previous task based on typography using small individual squares to create the overall image. To do this I had to alter the grid by narrowing the columns.
These images represent the Slide Rule. These come in various forms, such as the traditional 'ruler-like' form (a measurement stick) and it's circular variety. This image takes elements from both of these forms. I formed the image through the use of block colour within individual cells, using pre-set shapes, as well as manually typing text within each of the cells to represent measurements present on a slide rule. I kept the background grid apparent on these images to represent it's use in creating accurate measurements and guides.
These images represent the Abacus in a more abstract form. The first shows the basic frame of an abacus which would have been made from wood, metal and/or wire further on in it's development. The second images uses representations of the beads used within the frame which slide on poles or wires. It shows how they would traditionally be placed in columns and each bead would be slid into place to aid with calculations.
These images are representational of a business calculator. This is an electronic calculator which is attached to a reel of paper that prints calculations onto it as you work. This is typically used within businesses, such as accounting where it is important to keep a record of all calculations. The numbers in the drawings represent these lines of printed calculations. The rows and columns, however, reflect the form and colours of a typical calculation table used in addition to the calculator.
These images are based on my research into the appearance of the Casio calculator watch within popular culture. The images are symbolic of Marty McFly's hand and wrist from where he is wearing the watch in the film 'Back to the Future'. One of these versions includes dates and calculations which are also present in the film, such as how many years they go into the past.
The images below show how I had originally started working in a more literal sense, taking ideas from a previous task based on typography using small individual squares to create the overall image. To do this I had to alter the grid by narrowing the columns.
These images represent the Slide Rule. These come in various forms, such as the traditional 'ruler-like' form (a measurement stick) and it's circular variety. This image takes elements from both of these forms. I formed the image through the use of block colour within individual cells, using pre-set shapes, as well as manually typing text within each of the cells to represent measurements present on a slide rule. I kept the background grid apparent on these images to represent it's use in creating accurate measurements and guides.
These images represent the Abacus in a more abstract form. The first shows the basic frame of an abacus which would have been made from wood, metal and/or wire further on in it's development. The second images uses representations of the beads used within the frame which slide on poles or wires. It shows how they would traditionally be placed in columns and each bead would be slid into place to aid with calculations.
These images are representational of a business calculator. This is an electronic calculator which is attached to a reel of paper that prints calculations onto it as you work. This is typically used within businesses, such as accounting where it is important to keep a record of all calculations. The numbers in the drawings represent these lines of printed calculations. The rows and columns, however, reflect the form and colours of a typical calculation table used in addition to the calculator.
These images are based on my research into the appearance of the Casio calculator watch within popular culture. The images are symbolic of Marty McFly's hand and wrist from where he is wearing the watch in the film 'Back to the Future'. One of these versions includes dates and calculations which are also present in the film, such as how many years they go into the past.
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