BMX

I made a little bmx video the other day. Using my skills with final cut and after effects. Not really graphic design but i think it is quite creative and adds greater depth to my skills plus I really enjoy doing it!

Untitled from gusto on Vimeo.

(Long overdue) Blog Update

Well I should have probably updated this about 2 months ago but better late than never.

The summer has been amazing; I should probably start from the begining. On the day we handed in our final project of last year I got a phone call for a friend in York asking if I wanted some work over the summer, at a place called company of cyclist, doing some graphic design work, some phoography and a bit of other random work. Although I kind of wanted a break after working pretty hard that term I thought this was a good oppertiunity and took it. It turned out to be good experienec and well paid. Some of the photos I took for them got printed in this brochure which was pretty exciting.



Then I went to Lismore for a week with some mates which was definately a highlight of my summer, perfect weather and a chance to spend some quality time with my best mates.


After scotland I went down to London for two weeks to do a placement at 19-77 which overall I would say was an awsome experience. Living in London was loads of fun and made me think I probably want to go down there when I graduate. They also used a lot of the work I did for them which was really exciting.

I designed this album cover of KPM which is a music library, they changed all the colours and stuff and made it lookn a bit garish



This is what it looked like before they made me change all the colours

When I got back from London I spent 2 weeks at home doing nothing and got so unbelievebly bored, that starting a new internship in York came as a massive relief. I am at the end of my first week now and it is going well.

I've set up a new blog to documnt stuff I like HERE

PPD Evaluation

I have found the PPD module this year really useful. Jane was really helpful in terms of getting a placement and gave me lots of good advice and confidence to go and approach companies and be quite forward and direct about asking for a placement. As a result I got a placement relatively quickly and easily over Easter and was able to concentrate on other things.

I think getting a placement and talking to a few people in the industry really gave me confidence to approach other companies about doing design work for them or other more peripheral jobs related to design. As a result as well as the 2 placements I have in London in July I've also secured a few days a week at a design practice in York in August and September and I managed to get paid work over the summer at place called Get Cycling as their in house designer. I have done a few photography jobs for them as well, which is really exciting and great experience.

Doing the presentation was a chance to reflect on the year. I feel that I enjoyed the second year more than the first year and I kind of found my position as a designer, in terms of what I like to do and what I'm good at. When I came to actually sit down to work on the presentation I realised I knew exactly what I wanted to say and I think I covered all the points well in the time I had to say it. The only thing I would have done differently would have been to give myself a bit more time to make the slides look a bit more polished.

I still have some more work I want to do over summer, working up some of my favourite pieces from second year for killer portfolio pieces, but overall I am really happy with how second year went and feel like I learnt a lot from it. I intend to keep my head in the graphic design world over summer as I can honestly say I have a real passion for it now, I find myself looking at all sorts of design/type blogs and thinking about what I can do next. I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running in the third year with a hardworking but relaxed attitude and doing some work that I am really excited about.

OUGD203 Evaluation

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

I think I have really improved my time management skills during this module. I’ve never had to juggle 3 projects simultaneously and it really forced me to consider how I was going to get the most out of my time. I think I have also improved my organisational skills during this project, I have realised how useful it is to be organised in the way you work and how much time you can save. I think I have used and honed a lot of the typography skills I gained during the type elective especially in my Crisis direct mail and the brochure I did for the type factory.

2. What approaches to generating work and solutions to problems have you developed and how have they helped?

During this module I have tried to be very structure in the way I work, generating a range of initial ideas to start with then developing one until I am happy with it and then producing the final piece. That sounds obvious but by making sure I stick to it rigidly it stops me getting bogged down with unnecessary work.

I also found it very useful doing first hand research on the ground for my crisis brief by actually going out and talking to a photographing homeless people. I felt I found a lot more about them by doing that than simply by reading on the internet and it made me more determined to get the project right.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

I think I am good with type and layout, and enjoy doing it. I like to keep my work fresh and engaging. I also think it is always important to have fun and enjoy the work you are doing and I hope that comes across in my work.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how could you exploit these more fully?

I can be disorganised so I have to make and extra effort to stay on top of things. Sometimes I feel that I am not that confident at working with colour creatively and fall back into my comfort zone. This is something I would like to work on in the future.

5. Identify things that you will do different next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

With this module I realised that the presentation boards require a lot of work and I shouldn’t just look at them as something to do quickly when I have finished all the other work but I should actually plan time to make sure I can get them right and printed well.

I think I could have bitten off a bit more than I could chew with the type factory. Giving myself so much to design, I feel I didn’t get everything finished the way I wanted. Next time I will set myself more manageable goals, I can always take them further if there is time.


6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:

5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor

Attendance 4
Punctuality 4
Motivation 5
Commitment 5
Quantity of work produced 4
Quality of work produced 4Contribution to the group 4

Screen Printing

This is the final screen print for the ISTD 3 Minutes brief. It was my first time doing screen printing and I learnt a lot of stuff. I am really happy with how they came out.

A1 poster on black stock with white and brown ink




I made a fastening to go round the poster.



Above are 2 other colour variations I tried out. Pink and brown ink on white and black stock. I'm not really happy with how the pink came out. If i where to do it again I would spend a lot more time and care mixing the colours.

Signs of the Times

I came across this interesting piece of work by DJ Stout while browsing the pentagram site. Good research for my crisis brief.

Biodegradable Plastic

I recently bought some new shoes and they where packed in this biodegradable plastic. We have to start thinking about our dissertations at the moment and we are supposed to do our dissertations on something relating to our design practice. I plan on doing my dissertation around sustainable design. This could be an interesting material to work with in the future.

Typography Elective Evaluation

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

I think I have a gained a real understanding and appreciation of type. I feel that I look at typefaces and the way type is set with completely new eyes as a result of this module and consequently the way I approach the setting of type in a specific project has been dramatically improved. 

I am much more knowledgeable in the more technical aspects of type such as column width, point size and leading and the effects they have on legibility. I think I have been able to apply these new skills effectively in all the exercises we have done in the lessons but also this knowledge has informed my general graphic design practice outside of the typography module a huge amount.

I think I have gained a much greater understanding of the more creative and experimental aspects of typography. I like to think I have applied this knowledge well and can effectively communicate an mood or image through type.

Before I started this module I wasn’t certain that I wanted to do the typography elective, but now I am very glad I did do it. I think it has confirmed to me where my interests lay within graphic design and also where and how I want to specialise my skills and the way I work in the future.

2. What approaches to generating work and solutions to problems have you developed and how have they helped?

Using letterforms to create patterns was a way of generating images that I had never really considered before, it has a huge amount of creative potential and I have started to use it in some of my projects.  

I have always known that things like capitals, bold type, italics, serif and sans serif typefaces communicate a certain style or mood but now I feel as though I really understand why these communicate in different ways and as a result I have much more control over them and am able to use them to communicate in a much more precise manner.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

I think I have a good eye for layout. I think I am quite knowledgeable about typefaces and good at identifying them. I like to think I that I carefully consider things like point size, leading, typeface, column width and words per line etc. and use them appropriately when setting type for a particular project.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how could you exploit these more fully?

Sometimes it is hard to remember every aspect of typography that we have learnt about when setting type and I will realise that I have put too many words on a line or set the leading too tight, I like to think that I am getting faster and better at noticing these mistakes.

5. Identify things that you will do different next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

Be slightly more experimental with my work. Now that I more confident with the technical aspects of typography I think I could afford to be a little more experimental and creative.

Time manage slightly better so I don’t have so much to do at the end of the project.

Experiment further with the exercises we do in lessons.

6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: 

5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor

Attendance   4

Punctuality   5

Motivation  4

Commitment   5

Quantity of work produced   3

Quality of work produced   4

Contribution to the group   4

New Blog

I set up a new blog for the Professional Practice Module >>>>> CLICK HERE

Music in Mountains

This is my final outcome for the Music in the mountains 1 day brief. I am fairly pleased with how it turned out, I am happy that I didn't use cheesy cliches like musical notes or mountains to communicate "music in the mountains". I think the coloured tiles give the vibrant and fun feel I was going for however I don't know if the logo is "musical" enough.

I am happy with how the type itself has turned out as this was my first attempt at making a typeface from scratch.

Typographic poster

I made 2 typographic posters for my typography elective one for Calisto MT and one for Garamond. I had to analyse the typefaces in relation to number of different criteria and pick out one of their unique or defining characters.

Media Blog

I have set up a blog for the design for digital media module. It will be where I am posting over the next few weeks. Click HERE.

Sticks and Stones

Sticks and Stones Magazine was produced my a friend of mine Robert Loeber. Normally I'm really reluctant to read any of these online "zines" mainly because I waste too much time on the internet anyway. But once I started reading this I didn't stop until I'd finnished it. It has interviews with Yokoland and Alex Bec amongst other features. I checked out some of Alex Becs other work and was really impressed, I did his hand lettering style.

Module Evaluation

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
I have improved my skills on Illustrator in this module and I think I applied them to fairly good effect on my poster designs, although I think I could have pushed myself to use Illustrator in a slightly more creative way. I have really improved my skills with Indesign in this module, using it to layout my A2 boards for the “what is good” project and my A3 spreads for the Colour 4 print brief, I have grown to really like the program and I think I can use it quite effectively. In a way I think I have stayed within my comfort zone a bit too much during this module, sticking to things I already know. For my next module I want to move away from Illustrator and relying on my computer so much.

2. What approaches to methods of research have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?
I really treated the summer brief as a research project which I really enjoyed, it allowed my to take loads of photos using my film camera which I learnt a great deal from. I also did things like recording all the songs I played over summer and documenting typography from all around my house. Unfortunately we weren’t able to use a great deal of this research to inform the development of our designs as we moved on so quickly. I also carried out questionnaires to gage people’s views on politics for my “good” brief. I made a lot maquettes to research and inform the development of my point of sale. I spent a great deal of time reading and researching different print methods, colour models and the costs of printing. That was really useful and informed the development of many of my designs especially in terms of the use of colour.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
I think that I am good at using type but I have definitely further improved my skills in this area during this module. I think I am also quite good at dealing with fairly complex issues and ideas that other people might shy away from in their projects, such as political policies and creating a questionnaire to help people learn more about politics, that was quite difficult. I think I am fairly good at identifying my target audience and being able to make work appropriate to them.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these more fully?
It is very easy to stick to what you know and do best, which I think I may have done to a certain extent during this module. In the next module I intend to move away from the computer screen a bit and use a lot more photography and things like that, I want to push myself to experiment with new methods and techniques. I can be a bit indecisive when it comes to making important decisions about the direction of my project, which I think can slow the progress of my work down a lot. Towards the end of this module I had become better at quickly making good decisions about which direction to take my work in, I hope to keep this up in the next module.

5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?
1. Not use Illustrator vector graphics so much, I don’t think I am especially talented at using vector graphics but I always seem to come back to them because they are easy and usually look pretty good. However things like photography and typography may offer a more appropriate and visually effective solution.
2. Be more committed from the beginning of the module, so I don’t have to rush so much to get it all together at the end.
3. Try to time manage better so that if two deadlines clash again I will be more aware of it and more prepared.
4. Be more effective with my decision making so that I don’t waste so much time wondering if I am doing the right thing, I would be more effective with my time and get more work done.
5. Work harder, although I have worked very hard this module I think there is room for me to more constantly put in the hours.

Your Vote is Good

These are my final A2 layouts for the what is good brief

First Things First

This is the 500 word essay I wrote for my critical studies presentation, I think it expresses my views on the First Things First manifesto quite well.

Michael Bierut 10 Footnotes to a Manifesto

Michael Bieruts essay 10 Footnotes to a Manifesto is a response to the First Things First Manifesto 2000, which was published by Kalle Lasn and Chris Dixon in Adbusters in 1999. First Things First 2000 itself was an updated version of Ken Garlands 1963 First Things First manifesto. The journalist Rick Poyner rewrote the statement updating the references and sharpening the argument but keeping the original sentiment largely intact: that graphic designers should reverse their priorities and instead of using their talents to generate demand and sell commercial consumer products should focus their attention on projects with a more worthy social cause.

Michael Bierut breaks down his critique of the manifesto into footnotes. In his second footnote he picks up on the overall make up of the 33 signatories to the manifesto. Most of them have made their reputation doing cultural work at the fringes of commercial graphic design, for clients like museums and publishers. Specialising in work for the cultural elite, they have resisted manipulating and selling to the average man. Therefore Bierut (2000) stingingly points out “A cynic, then, might dismiss the impact of the manifesto as no more than that of witnessing a group of eunuchs take a vow of chastity.”

First things first says that graphic designers shouldn’t waste their talents selling commercial junk however Bierut (2000) counters this by saying that “Good design is not simply an esoteric ideal but a tool that can be used to ennoble the activities of everyday life” In fact the history of graphic design is full of people who have transformed humble products into something beautiful and intelligent.

The First Things First Manifesto 2000 states that “too an extent we are all helping to draft a reductive and immeasurably harmful code of public discourse” by this Adbusters (1999) are referring to “a mental environment so saturated with commercial messages that it is changing the very way citizen consumers speak, think, feel, respond and interact.” Bierut (2000) counters by saying that “humans have always used the market place as a place for communication and culturalisation” he backs up his point of view with a quote from Susan Nigra Snyder and Steven Izenour (1999): “If your model is the cultural mish-mash of the everyday landscape then commerce is the very glue that holds it together” Micheal Bierut makes the point that if the best designers where to be removed from this landscape what would happen? And who would benefit?

Matt Soar (2002) calls Michael Bieruts response to the Manifesto “ stinging and facetious” I believe that the only reason it could be seen as stinging is because of the weaknesses and over simplification of the Manifesto. Monika Parrinda (2002) says that “(the manifesto) is ultimately reductionist in the way it sets up socially responsible work as something separate – something in opposition to the commercial sphere of graphic design”

According to Micheal Bierut the biggest promise of graphic design is about common decency and identify and treating the ultimate end user of our services, the public, with respect. Soar (2002) actually concurs with this viewpoint “at the very least designers should perhaps work to address their many audiences as citizens rather than consumers.”

Paul Rand

I have been reading Michael Bieruts book seventy nine shot essays on design. I read about Paul Rand who I'd never heard of but apperently is godfather of american graphic design. I had a little search around the internet to find out a bit more about him and i came across this video, in which he says some pretty interesting stuff about graphic design.





Nice monochrome prints by Crush

Wow

I saw this just now and thought it was amazing


Reel / 2008 from Universal Everything on Vimeo.

More Printing

A nice example of a CMYK print from Studio Mikmik

Another nice CMYK print from Ill Studio

This site FormFortyFive has some nice work on it and looks like it is updated a lot

Tings and Tings

Right its sunday and I've been a bit lazy this weekend but thats all about to change. I'm working on my "Good" project trying to get the concept right which is coming on pretty well. I also submitted my poster to Don't Panic which in the end I was pretty happy with, I spent a large amount of time feeling pretty demoralised with it just beacuse I spent ages tracing it and colouring it and then I thought it was shit. So I'm glad I got it to work half decently in the end.



For the "good" project i have decided that having your own opinion is good. So I am trying to promote people to think for themslves and be more interested and open minded towards other peoples opinions.

I was looking at the Adbuster website and particualy like their One Flag campaign I really like some of the abstract designs and how they represnt diversity and unity like this one by Kate McIness.


Tou can see more of the entries and read about them by scrolling towards the bottom on the link above.