Golan Levin/ Cell Phone Symphony - Research

- Golan Levin is an American new media artist, composer, performer  and engineer. Levin likes to create artifacts and events which explore supple new modes of reactive expression. He is known for liking to manipulate sounds and images . 

- Cellphone Symphony was an event in 2001, which involved Levin getting 200 members of the audience holding their phones each programmed with a different pitched ring. Levin then dialled the phones from the stage via a computer. This created a symphony of ringing sounds. 

 'Through performances, digital artifacts, and virtual environments, often created with a variety of collaborators, Levin applies creative twists to digital technologies that highlight our relationship with machines, make visible our ways of interacting with each other, and explore the intersection of abstract communication and interactivity. Levin has exhibited widely in Europe, America and Asia.' http://www.flong.com/bio/en/

Golan Levin Projects...

The Foundation partly supported the development of Dialtones (A Telesymphony), a concert performance in which all the sounds are wholly produced through the choreographed ringing of the audience's own cellphones. Before the performance, the audience's cellphones are programmed at special Web kiosks where individual phone numbers are registered. Individuals are then given specific seat numbers and a new ring tone. During the concert a group of musicians plays the cellphones by dialing them up with specially designed visual-musical software created by the artist. Dialtones (A Telesymphony) was first presented at the Ars Electronica Festival (Linz, Austria) in September 2001.

http://www.fondation-langlois.org/html/e/page.php?NumPage=229

One day 'Cell Phone Symphony' workshop for poster designs - Group Crit

Question asked by peers ...

- Why did you use Helvetica ? 
Helvetica typeface has been used so the visual imagery side of the designs are the main focus instead of the type. Helvetica has also been used due to it being a universal typeface which is able to be understood by everyone. This is due to the sounds given off during the performance being able to be understood by everyone therefore the type represents this.
- Why not try some handmade elements? 
I agree, within my designs further collages, photographs, sculptures could be created so my poster designs do not look flat and boring or overly digital. This would also help break the typical conventions of a poster and would be fascinating for the viewer.
- Why these colours and how do they relate to phones/ music? 
The colour black has been used mainly within the following posters to represent the darkness of the room used during the performance. Small elements of white has then been incorporated into the poster designs to represent the small amount of light given off during the performance.
- How do the posters translate to the audience ? 
I feel the two last posters translate to the audience most as they include triggering, graphical imagery using the different dots. If the viewer is to look at this poster design for too long it will be straining to their eyes. Therefore, this relates back to the brightness of a phone screen and represents technology.

Feedback.. 

- Use your own typography
- Use outlined shapes/ text only
- Don't limit yourself to single colour
- Use more negative space as designs need more 'breathing space'.
- Be more experimental with text
- What do the blurry dots show as they look good?
- You could include further information in the first designs
- Could do more interesting/ abstract designs like the last one

GROUP CRIT FEEDBACK on 3 set variations for my initial ideas

'Try to snip a nugget of interesting information from your books and work with that' 
- This process could work in relation to my work however, I want to be very fashion related within my deigns. However, this process could be done in a more abstract/ obscure way.

' I like the black and white colour scheme as it gives no stereotypes in relation to colours and gender.'
- I believe this keeps my book covers sophisticated and helps them look like part of a set.

'Expand on photography' 
- I believe this element could be taken further within my design process and could help keep a selective set look part of each other.

'Try not to have too much going on in your design subtle is sometimes best' 
- I believe I need to work on this within my designs and make use of negative space so my designs do not look over complicated to the audience.

The following involves Images which were digitally taken and turned into threshold images on the following designs. The designs were inspired by a Belvedere sophisticated, photo-fashion book filled with threshold, abstract fashion related image. The idea behind the following design was to try and connect closely to a fashion related aesthetic. The use red typography has been used in contrast to the black and white imagery in order to represent fierce but classy, sophisticated women. 

The aesthetic of ‘female fashion’ is shown in the following book covers. This was done by creating 3D figures of objects associated with the books such as a shoe, the female symbol and a bra whilst turning them into repeat patterns.The female symbol was used due to Girl Boss being based around encouraging other women to become successful business women as well as their own boss whilst relating to fashion. A bra was used to represent Alexa Chung ‘IT’ due to Alexa’s exaggerated underwear desire and due to it being an iconic item for women. This enabled the designs to not look as flat and as digital as the previous set of initial ideas. The black and white colour scheme was carried out throughout the designs to correspond with the books being about fierce women. Peer reviews also encouraged to push further the black and white colour scheme from previous book covers and claimed these colours held class and were fashion related.

The design for Sophia Amoruso ‘Girl Boss’ main focal point is a scanned in image of a receipt. This is due to Sophia being known best as the co founder of Nasty Gal the clothes label. As the book is a biography with a purpose to persuade and encourage women to be successful and ambitious such words have been listed on the clothing receipt in order to represent this. To make the receipt look realistic a generic receipt font has been used within the design. However, for other information on the book cover ‘Didot’ has been used to stimulate the fashion connection due to this being the font being used in many fashion magazines. Alternatively for the cover of IT by Alexa Chung a scrunched up t-shirt has been used as the background for the cover. This was done in order to instantly connect with fashion and to connect with Alexa’s casual but effective style. A t-shirt was also used due to Alexa recently bringing out her own iconic t-shirt range. Alexa’s early style inspiration was the Spice Girls. For this reason their names have been listed on the front cover of the book in a polka dot font, to match the font on the front of the Spice Girls album cover. Lastly, shoelace packaging has been used as the image for Tamara Mellon ‘In My Shoes’. This was done in order to symbolise new shoes due to Mellon being the co founder of Jimmy Choo. All book covers remain pink to imitate the original book covers and female, girly vibe.

One day brief creating book covers and using Christmas tasks

Group Crit Feedback... 

- 'The collages or models and stripes breaking up the image work really well.'

I agree with this statement, however I think this design is slightly too busy. 

- 'Black and white colour scheme is effective and useful for linking the covers together and makes the book look serious.' 

I feel the black and white covers work well and keep the book sophisticated and dominate to its audience. 

- ' Black and white makes the covers consistent.' 

I like the consistency of the covers, I feel the colours scheme makes the covers look connected even more as a set.

- 'Cutting up the images makes them look similar and makes them look part of a set.'

I think this is because the images are of a similar style, however I do believe the images being set out in the same style/media adds to the effect and makes the look part of a set even more. 

- 'Explore adding colour to make them stand out more - colours which appear to women as this is the audience.' 

I want the books to be based on feminism therefore I don't think a colour connotation is necessary.

- 'Girlboss cover looks a bit erotic.' 

Thus is true but it is showing that women are free to do/ dress how they want.

- ' Haven't stuck with the task 3D task - use this context and make it 3D then edit.' 

Further 3D elements could be taken further in the future in order to be more obscure and effective with my designs. 

- 'Combination of the excel and photographs is nice.' 

Out of al the following designs this is a personal favourite I feel it is effective. 

Marber Grid

Marber Grid - The layout that changed book covers forever 

- 1961 was designed by polish graphic designer Romek Marber for Penguin book covers that became the most loved layout of all time

- Typographic information is included within the top third of the page, and he allowed for over two thirds of the cover to be used by the illustrations. This gives the covers artwork the space needed to capture browser's attention and sell the book.

- This became the standard layout for Penguin entire range of paper backs.

task 5

Existing book covers for IT, #GIRL BOSS and IN MY SHOES

-Use of pastel pink. Highly stereotypical in relation to a book on a female with a target audience of females.
- Self portrait picture of who the biography is about (Alexa Chung). This is highly the obvious and used in a simplistic manners.
- Calligraphy typography represents pretty, girl females.
- Full coloured designed booked with an image of an eye reflects insight into the fashion icons life.

'A truly one-off collection of Alexa's personal writings, drawings and photographs, It covers everything from her thoughts on life, love and music to her favourite looks and how to decide what to wear in the morning. With wit, charm and a refreshingly down-to-earth attitude, this gorgeously-designed full-colour book is a must-have for anyone who loves fashion, music and just about everything Alexa Chung.' http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG10112495/Alexa-Chung-reveals-cover-of-debut-book-IT.html

- Again with this biography the use of a stereotypical girly, pastel pink colour has been used. 

- Self portrait has been used to replicate who the book is about. 

- Universal book cover therefore everyone is able to understand what the book is about, which is an empowering, successful business women reflected by the image of a woman with her hands on her hips. 

- Use of bold sans serif type making the titles clear to the audience. The title of the book is at a larger scaler in comparison to the rest of the type on the book such as the author. 

- Hot pink and black contrast creates/ highlights the main focal points to stand out such as the shoe or the title. 

- Illustration technique, sketchy drawing of shoe used to resemble the key part of the book. 

- Image of Tamara Mellon automatically indicates to the reader that the book is a biography about her. 

- Different coloured text used to separate the hierarchy of the information on the cover given to the audience. 

- Typography used to list the key parts of the book. Not aesthetically pleasing to the reader. This is dull/ boring on the grey book cover. Again here different coloured text is used to break down information. 

Task 4 - Graphic music scores

GRAPHIC MUSIC SCORE - ' Graphic notation (or graphic score) is the representation of music through the use of visual symbols outside the realm of traditional musicnotation.Composers often rely on graphic notation in experimental music, where standard musical notation can be ineffective. ' 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_notation_(music)

The following music scores have been inspired by 90s patterns in relation to the Spice Girls. The is due to the Spice Girls introducing feminism and GIRLPOWER. This was also one of my chosen books 'IT' early inspirations for Alexa Chung when she first discovered her love of fashion. The Spice Girls first introduced her to feminism. Due to all the chosen books IT, IN MY SHOES AND GIRL BOSS being based on empowering women, feminism and female power, the Spice Girls were well suited to them all. Therefore, the following designs have been created in relation to them on illustrator resembling funky patterns in relation to the Spice Girls 90s era.

Task 3 - Taken photos relating to the books

1. The following images have been taken in order to represent female confidence. This is due to all of the following books being based on making women feel good, powerful and confident. The model and underwear used within this shot also relates to the fashion aesthetic featured within all of the books. The image of the body also relates to Alexa Chung being a model and a huge lover of underwear.  

2. The second set of images feature threshold portraits of a girl featuring her hair. This is due to the following books having a female target audience, therefore, the images instantly connect to the female audience. The images of the heeled boots also instantly connect to Tamara Mellon being the co founder of Jimmy Choo.