OUGD406 - Studio Brief 02 - Final Crit Evaluation

The process in laminating the two final designs was considered as well thought-out, which makes the designs more authentic and reminiscent of aircraft safety instruction cards. Despite this being considered one of the strong elements in the final designs, it was also considered by some that they may not have had laminators in 1919. Although clearly linked to the idea of flight and current existing aircraft instruction cards, for this reason it can be suggested that this lamination process does not do much to effectively communicate the event in its time period.

To focus on this piece of feedback, one improvement would be to screen print a clear layer of varnish over the entire designs rather than laminating them. This process would give the prints a more authentic and almost ‘rustic’ texture, which would overcome the problem that there may not have been laminators in 1919 . This would also create more links to traditional print, whilst keeping a similar aesthetic to that of current laminated instruction cards in the clear layer protecting the main design underneath.

Through this final feedback, it was also considered that another strong element of the final designs was the paper stock used to print on. It was suggested that the off-white coloured paper worked well to effectively communicate the 1900’s era, which enhances the authenticity of the designs. This paper was used double-sided in printing two different designs on either side. It was stated that this decision makes the print more engaging for the audience to look at and interact with. However, a small lack of consideration can be seen in this design decision in terms of curation of the event. As a result of the print being double-sided, this means it would have to be hung differently in the exhibition which may not do justice to the overall design. To overcome this, the designs may have to be separated or interchange which side is shown on each day.

The simple designs also work well in communicating the era and were considered reminiscent to those of aircraft instruction cards. However, this decision meant that registering each individual element of the designs was slightly difficult due to the thin weight of the lines compared to block areas of colour. This meant that some designs were slightly misaligned. Despite this, some can be representational of the cheap production of existing instruction cards in terms of process, therefore a few minor imperfections can be considered to almost enhance the ‘personality’ of these designs.

One of the initial requirements for this brief stated that the print must be celebratory of an event that has taken place in Leeds, which may have helped shaped the city. It is felt that the final designs effectively communicate an idea of celebration in terms of content. The information conveyed within this print includes the models of aircrafts used during the two chosen events, model specifications, materials and details of flight destinations. Collectively, this information celebrates the work of aviation pioneer, Robert Blackburn, which helped to shape the aviation industry in Leeds and affectively led to the production and opening of Leeds Bradford airport by Blackburn himself.