OUGD403 Message and Delivery (Studio Brief Three)

For this task, we have to research a story in a newspaper in great detail, and also take into account the layout and audience of that said newspaper. I went to the shop and bought The Independent, Daily Express and The I. I didn't plan on buying both The I and The Independent, however there wasn't a lot of choice there, so I thought i may as well buy it to see if it is any different from The Independent, as it is an overview of what has happened through-out the week.

I have scanned over each newspaper and I am quite stuck whether to gather research about a headline called "Doctors transplant first 'dead heart'" or to research into a headline called "I'm 'open-minded' about 9/11 attacks, says Russell Brand". As the story about Russell Brand was featured in all three newspapers, I decided I would watch the video of his interview on newsnight, which is what the headline is based upon. The video can be seen HERE. After watching the interview, I have decided I will definitely consider this article for my research as there are quite a lot of articles on the topic about his interview, and I think it would also be interesting to talk about how the media blows everything out of proportion. I think the story about the dead heart transplant would also be interesting to look at, however I think personally I am more interested in the interview with Russell Brand, and I think there's quite a lot to say about it.

In the group crit, the people I was with agreed that I should look into the Russell Brand story more and see what I can find out about the conspiracy theory and facts about 9/11. I think I will also look into how the media is quite corrupt, which ironically is what Russell Brand said in the article!

OUGD403 Newspaper Layout (Study Task Three)

For this task, we were divided into groups and were given a specific title from an article that was in the news that week. My group was given the title "Oscar Pistorius begins jail sentence". I think this was a really interesting topic to create a newspaper spread for, as there was multiple opinions within our group about the verdict and we had a debate about whether we thought the sentence was long enough.

To begin our design, we decided we will look into newspaper spreads that already exist about the trial. Below are the ones that I found. I think they are all very basic layouts, which is obviously needed for a newspaper as they are informative, so there needs to be a lot of text. We decided as a group, however, that we didn't want to stick to the basic newspaper layout in the traditional sense.

To begin our layout for our newspaper, we decided we would start drawing some basic layouts. These are below. I think they are really successful in the use of columns, however we have decided as a group that we are going to use an 8 column grid for our article. 

We researched into the trial and also the crime and discovered multiple interesting facts about case, such as there was 4 bullet holes in the bathroom door and also many quite gory pictures of the crime scene had been released. We decided we would focus on the gun used, which was a 9mm pistol. We used that as the outline for our text box and created the layout below, which is the finished product. Below is the final piece with grids and also without. I think this task was really successful as we only had a short amount of time, so our research had to stay concise and relevant.

As a group, we presented this to another group in a crit. They said the layout of the double page spread was definitely successful. They questioned why we used the specific grid, and the main reason was that we wanted an 8 column grid, and the gun looked best when it was split up with the grid, as the gun without the grid made the type not stand out as much. They also asked which way the spread should be read, but we made it so the information made sense whichever way it was read, as each paragraph is mainly a fact about the court case. 

OUGD404 Anamorphic Typography

We brought some cardboard into uni and were split into groups, in which we were told to create an anamorphic letter, focusing on depth of field and gradient. To begin this task, we had to figure out a letter to use and decide where we would split the letter.  We decided we would use the typeface 'Myriad Pro' as a starting point for our letter, and we chose a lowercase 'a'. below is how we decided to split the letter.

We then created this letter out of cardboard and painted each piece a different colour of grey, so when we hung them they would have a kind of gradient. Below are some photos of the process. Our letter was definitely unsuccessful as we didn't consider the perspective of the letter, and therefore the parts got a lot bigger as the got closer and closer to the viewfinder. Other than that, however, the gradient and placement of the letters was successful. It was also successful as it only looked (almost) right from the viewfinder, if you stood anywhere else it was quite difficult to tell what the letter was.

OUGD403 Type Development (Studio Brief Two)

To develop my typeface further, I began drawing grids around the letters I had already created to try to work out a grid style I could use, however I found this unsuccessful for my project, as each letter is quite individual with seperate slants and doesn't even use specific angles, so a grid is quite useful for designing my type.

Instead of using a grid, it will be a lot more successful for me to use measurements, which should be just as easy as using a grid, especially using the rulers on illustrator.

These weren't very helpful grids, so I decided I would creat them using Illustrator. I decided I would create the grid all on top of each other so I would only need one grid for my type. This is the grid once I had created it around the letter 'A'. I decided I wouldn't mark the diagonal lines and curves as the grid would get incredibly complex, and by the looks of it it would already be very complicated to follow.

I then created the letter 'B' and the letter 'C'. It really started to take shape, however it was very complex and I decided I would leave the grid and create it at the end once I had finished creating every letter.

I decided I would create my type by using the original font 'Futura' on Illustrator and editing it to fit my theme. These are some printscreens I have taken whilst developing my typography and letterforms. 

The whole process of developing the typography was actually quite simple once I got into the swing of things, and wasn’t too time consuming, which is why I decided I was going to create lowercase, numbers and punctuation as well. This would be good as it will give me a bigger body of work and a complete typeface, which I’m actually really looking forward to seeing. These printscreens explain how I created the letterform ‘M’. I think taking print screens of my design process was really useful to document how I went about creating the typeface, as it is quite hard to explain using just words and no imagery. 

To design my typeface, I made a grid around the original font (Futura), that would fit the new typeface. The basic rule was that the stroke thickness would increase by 25% on each stroke. I think it was really useful using the grid lines as it meant I would get the exact same slope as the original typeface, therefore it would be neat and legible. 

I then used the direct selection tool and edited the typeface so that it would then fit within the guides. The grid I created was very helpful as the selection tool would snap to the grid, and therefore it was already precise, I didn’t have to check fully. I am going to do this method for the rest of the letterforms, except the letterforms with curves, for which I will use a counter cut out from the letter and move it so it would fit in its new place, then use the direct selection tool to make the strokes neater and more slick.

OUGD403 Grids, Layout & Composition (Study Task Two)

To be able to create a legible typeface, and infact be successful in graphic design in general, we have been told to go away and research into key theorists and systems used in the development of grids used within layout and composition.

Below is the Fibonacci sequence ratio 8:13 that links to the golden section. This particular grid is not only valid in design, but also in nature. 1.62 forms the basis of paper sizes and its principles can be used as a way of creating balanced design. The results of using this specific grid are generally beautiful, for example it was used by Egyptians and also Greeks.
Some examples of the ratio I found online are below.

This is the Fibonacci ratio. 

These photos are evidence of the ratio in nature. I think this does actually show that the theory could be successful as both photographs do have an element of beauty.

It is also said that the apple logo was designed using the golden ratio, however the designer said he didn't base it on the theory. However, it is still important to graphic designers as the logo is incredibly slick and marked a breakthrough within product design, which shows even though the ratio wasn't used, it fits and it is incredibly stunning. 

The rule of thirds is a 9 section grid, mostly used within photography, however can also be applied to page layout and sometimes website layouts.  The rule states that the focal point of the image should be overlapping the mark of a third of a page.  This is an incredibly key rule for photographers, so much so there is a grid already on my camera for guidelines. I have tried this out myself below.

In my opinion, I think the rule definitely works as the cactus looks a lot better in the photo it is hitting the third line, whereas the photo when the cactus is very central looks quite weird, like it is missing something from the background.

Canons are types of grids that measure and describe proportions, margins and print areas. Below is an example of a canon grid, this one is the Van De Graaf canon. To break this down, the diagonal grid markings explain where the photos or text boxes should be placed within the two pages. I think this design actually works, and is incredibly slick and means the work on the page wouldn't be overcrammed. An example of this within working design is below.

I think the use of the canon (below) is incredibly successful, as the use of the grid makes the layout work, as the focal point of the image (left) is within the rectangle, and this is similar with the type on the right hand side. 

Jay Tschichold created a canon that is incredibly similar to the Van De Graaf canon, and is entitled the Golden Canon. The circle on the left shows the type area's height, and the diagonal grid shows the width.

This website HERE is particularly useful, as it basically goes through quite a lot of grids and explains why they're effective and why they're useful. As it is all on this website, I am going to add this to my favourites on my macbook so I will be able to access the information really easily. I then decided I would make my own grids on some social networking websites and some newspapers. Below are the grids that I created for both Facebook and Twitter, and funnily enough the grids are incredibly similar, which makes me question whether there is a style to follow to create a successful social networking network, or if it's just the easiest way to navigate one.

I am now going to create a grid around a few front covers of newspapers to see if they follow a specific grid or not. Below is a grid around The Daily Mail and The Independent. The Daily Mail's front page is quite different than The Independent, as it has adverts. This could also be because The Independent is considered quite classy, and is more about politics and things that matter in the world, whereas The Daily Mail is a mixture of sport, politics, local news and other articles.

OUGD403 The Anatomy and Terminology of Type (Studio Brief Two)

Typeface: A typeface is an artistic interpretation or design of a collection of alphanumeric symbols. It may include letters, numbers, punctuation and symbols. It is often grouped together in a community containing individual fonts for italic, bold and other variations of the original design.

Font: A font is a collection of letters, numbers, punctuation and symbols used to set text. Font refers to the physical embodiment (whether its a metal set or computer file), whilst typeface refers to the actual design. Put simply, a font is what you use, a typeface is what you see.

I have made a little info graphic of the basics of cap height, x-height and baselines. I find this a lot easier to understand visually as it's a lot clearer to picture where each letter fits in within the lines.

I have highlighted the difference between a sans serif font and a serif font above. Serif fonts have an extra stroke found at the end of the main strokes of some letterforms. For example, a sans serif font is the font Futura, and a serif font is the font Baskerville.

An italic type is a type that takes its basic shape from a form of handwriting, and it is usually narrower than the original type. They are commonly used for emphasis and are generally used in serif fonts. An oblique type is the original type that is pushed over slightly to create an italic style, and then edited slightly, such as they are often narrower than the original.

A Diacritic is a mark added to a letterform. In the Latin alphabet, their function is to change the sound value to the letter they are added to. In other alphabetical systems such as Arabic, they may indicate sounds which are not conveyed by the basic alphabet. 

A superscript is a letter, figure or symbol that is placed or printed above the normal line of type. This is generally used when writing time and dates, e.g, the 8th - the TH would be a superscript.

A subscript is a letter, symbol or figure that is placed or printed below the normal line of type. This is used a lot in the Periodic Table, to show elements and compounds.

Kerning refers to the process of adding or subtracting the volume of space between specific letters or characters. Below is an example of a word that has a big kerning.

A counter is the enclosed circular or curved negative space of some letters, such as 'O' and 'S'. An eye is similar, although the eye refers specifically to the enclosed space in the lowercase 'e'. A loop/lobe is the enclosed negative space in a double-storey 'g'.

A bowl is the curved part of the character that encloses the circular or curved parts (counters) of some letters, for example 'd', 'b', 'd' and 'B'

A tail is the descending, ofen decorative stroke on the letter 'Q' or the decending, often curved diagonal stroke on the 'K' or 'R'

OUGD403 Vector Type (Studio Brief Two)

For study task two, we have to develop our type created from the previous brief and make a fully functional vector type using Adobe Illustrator.

We will have to create vector images as if we created a bitmap image, for example by using Photoshop, the image would be made out of pixels, and when enlarged it would become blurry and pixelated. Vector images, on the other hand, is similar to a mathematical image, in the sense it can be enlarged and recalulated and will still be smooth and clear to read.

In the group crit, I showed the people in my group my final idea for my typeface and they agreed that it's a relevant typeface for the word 'mature', and also that it would definitely work as a full typeface. Below are the letterforms that I designed for my typeface. I found it quite difficult to design some of the letters as predicted, such as the B, P and O. However, I have figured out that when I follow a specific measurement and specific rules, the letters do follow the pattern. I also found the F quite difficult and I think it might need refining, however the general shape is pretty close to how it will be once I have illustrated it.

OUGD403 Final Crit (Studio Brief One)

I found the final critique really helpful as my peers chose the same letterform that I was leaning towards. That letterform can be viewed below. I think this will be quite a simple typeface to develop, so for this reason I plan on developing both upper and lower case. I think it would be a lot easier to create this typeface if I draw out every letter by hand and then scan it in and then trace over it using Adobe Illustrator, which will make it neater and a lot more slick. For the group crit on Monday, I will have a couple of these letterforms drawn out so that I can show the group the beginning of a working typeface.

OUGD403 Type Development (Studio Brief One)

Below are the letterforms that I am now considering taking forward. I think the letterform directly below could be successful, however it is quite complex and I'm not sure how it would work with the rest of the typography.

I really don't think the letterform below will work at all, as the angle of the cut outs are only really relevant to the letter 'M', I think the other letters will need different angled slants, which I believe will make the letterforms not work as a typeface.

I think the letterform below could definitely be successful, however I might struggle on other letters, such as letters with curves and counters. I will only really be able to tell if I experiment with other letters.

I think the letter below could definitely work as a typeface, however it doesn't look too different to the original typeface, and I don't think it will really fit to the word mature as closely as I would like.

I think the letterform below could definitely be successful as it's really simple and would be easy to edit the other letterforms to the same style. I also think its effective as you can tell it's still Futura. However, the letter does look scarily close to Futura Condensed, which would make it quite a pointless type.

I will show the above letterforms to the next group crit and see which letterform everyone thinks I should take forward. I will also take into account my own personal opinion and decide from there which typeface I will develop further.