Final Group Crit - Cell Phone Symphony posters

To improve ...

- Rationale could be made clearer when describing the performance. Make this shorter and snappier

- When talking about the Phone number you could point out this is how you've linked it to social and technological interaction which is a mandatory requirement.

- Could explore further with colour. 

- You could try and make the dots not look like a grid exploring different layouts in relation to the atmosphere of the performance

- Might be interesting to make the colour of the type the same colour as the graph

- Black dots could be hard to see from a distance

- Embossing the dots could be considered 

Positives ...

- Variations are interesting 

- Neon paper is really effective and links well to the lights of the performance

- Evidently lots of development work

- Choice of type and colour draws eye to the design

- The low contrast of the grid is an interesting feature

- Design relates closely to the event

- Production is really good. I like the textured use of vinyl stickers

- Black/neon poster is cool and interactive. It is high impact due to the florescent colour

- Orange paper stock looks good and could work!

- Yellow background works best currently as it is easiest to see and understand the concept of it. However, yellow text against black background works well

Overall, in order to improve the final outcome of the poster the conventions of a typical poster could have been broken. The poster design could also have been made more interactive to link to the social interaction of the performance. A range of different grid layouts could also have been experimented with in order to gain more variations of final outcomes. In connection, a gif could have been created resembling the graphical image moving/ flashing to represent the different phone lights.

Design Development for Final Cell Phone poster

The following poster includes overpowering, clustered typography which takes away from the impactful graphical imagery. In connection, it was decided to simplify the poster design leaving the graphical imagery of the dots the main focal point. This was due to the dots best representing the performance. The dots represent the performance well as they were formed from 11 digit phone numbers. The different brightness of the dots also represent the different phones and dial tones used within the performance. In addition, the dots also represent the only light given off during the performance was from technological devices such as phones and computer screens.

                                         

The following development of the poster shows simplistic typography to enable the graphical image to breath and be the main focal point. The type has been aligned with the image to stress a boarder and the use of negative space around the poster design. This represents the performance being in a large, dark spacious room with the seats for the performance centred in the middle of the dark room.

During the design development process different paper stocks were tested on to see what was most effective and suited the purpose of the poster best.

Out of the following paper stocks experimented with it was decided that matt black and neon yellow worked best and were most relevant. It was decided that the black paper stock related really well to the dark room of the performance. However, due to the type being in neon yellow vinyl this took away from the image on the poster. Whilst the other yellow paper stocked poster was highly vibrant and catchy impacting/ contrasting with the graphical image on the poster. 

Publication 1 - Group variation development

As a group decision it was decided to make a publication out of collaged faces. The name of the publication was called 'Manipulate Me?' This was due to the faces already being manipulated by a range of different processes such as collage, mark making, tearing pages and using different imagery.

Initial Idea 1 - The first publication produced is related to the title of the publication 'Manipulate Me'. The idea behind the following publication is that it is interactive for the reader. In relation, tracing paper has been placed over the already manipulated faces so the reader is able to draw/ collage over the face in order to manipulate the faces further. Parts of the front page of this publication have been cut out in order to match one of the process such as cutting to create the following imagery within the publication. It also adds to the fun element of this light hearted, humours publication. This is also why a yellow front cover has been choosen.

Initial idea 2 - The following publication looks at the boundaries of breaking a stereotypical publication, therefore, folded attached squares have been merged together. This gives off the desired look of different, abstract shapes when the publication is held at certain angles. This relates to the playful imagery the publication contains and is an interactive, fun design. 

Fanzine Factory Workshop - 1 day brief

The following fanzine was put together between myself and nine peers collaborating using different processes. The fanzine was formulated by us all using collage, mark making and imagery during the workshop in order to create a fanzine each. Whilst the workshop was taking place we all did a page each within each others fanzine to create a diverse, unique set of publications. After this process we explored each others final fanzines in order to put a fanzine as a group together. We found that within most publications there was a humours, funky, manipulated face. Therefore, as shown below we gathered all these pages together out of each others fanzines and scanned them in to order to create a group fanzine called 'Manipulate Me?' 

During the workshop many questions were explored such as: 

- If you were working by yourself what would have happened differently? 

Similar techniques and methods would have been shown throughout the fanzine leaving the final outcome not very diverse with a set, simplistic, similar style throughout. 

- What is your comfort zone and how could you break out of it? 

My comfort zone for this task was collage with patterned papers. Therefore, in order to break this I began to tear pages and mark make on them to break the boundaries. 

- How have you responded to the previous pages created? 

Images of 'funky faces' from each others fanzine were gathered and scanned in. They were then ordered and put together as a booklet. 

My formulated fanzine 

  

Groups founded connection between everyones fanzines

Steve Hockett workshop

Steve Hackett Intro - From the workshop I gathered Steve Hockett is a jack of all trades and follows his heart and does what he loves as his job.He taught me that imperfections can produce the best, most interesting work! He paints paintings, makes posters, designs logos as well as creating fanzines. 

The following work was created in the workshop. A group task was formulated where one would start off with a quick, rough sketch of an object/thing. This would then be passed onto the next person in the group to replicate the drawing. Results showed that this method was inaccurate and changed/ manipulated the image into something that looked completely different from the original. However, it was a really effective, interesting process.

The 'WHOA' design by Steve hocket connects to the process above showing different forms of production form different outcomes. Here is an example of one of Hockett's design where a digital print gives of a slick, polished finish. However, the sewed rug incorporates the same design but the production method forms a different outcome with rugged edges.

During the workshop the following processes were then carried out by peers to create zines which told a story without being too perfect within the design process and thinking about different ways things could be formulated. From this really quirky, cool, fun and playful designs were mocked up.

Cell Phone symphony initial ideas - Group critt

Given Feed back... 

- Boundaries of typography could be developed/ broken

- Stick with the poster that gives off the biggest connection to technology  and social interaction which seems to be either the text message poster or the poster with the digitally dotted grid system.

- Dotted grid sytem alone has a really strong impact behind it. It is also straining to the eyes similar to a phone screen. 

- Least favourite poster is the hand written typography poster on the coloured card due to it not really connecting to the performance. 

- Experiment further with layout 

- Experiment further with different colours and paper stocks/ textures

- Be careful your use of typography does not take away from the images used within your designs.

- Try to break the boundaries/ conventions of a typical poster design

Overall, after the group critt it was decided that the poster with the most potential was going to be developed further. The chosen poster design for this was the design which incorporated the dotted grid system. This was because this design had an interesting concept behind it as it was formulated from a set rule, which related to 11 digit phone numbers. As the dots are of all different sizes they also clearly represents the different phones used within the performance. In addition, the different brightnesses of the dots symbolises the different phones lighting up at different times once being dialled. For this reason this graphical image has a connection with the auditory experience of the performance. Socially this poster design is engaging due to the graphical image being straining to the eyes but eye catching. However, in relation to peers comments during the development process the typography is going to be simplified so the focus is not taken away from the graphical, triggering image.

5 initial ideas - Cell Phone Symphony

Initial Idea- 1 

The following initial idea signifies 'rubbish'. This is due to letters not being a form of communication in modern day society as they are seen as 'old fashioned' and are often thrown to the side or put in the bin. This is due to technology taking over and text messages along with emails being the new, modern form of communication. Therefore, the following poster designs are playing on the obvious due to being iPhone and phone symbols collaged together and scrunched up to look like rubbish. The posters have been written on in handwriting to signify that letters are often turned into scrap pieces of paper and are often used to write odd notes on. 

Initial idea- 2 

This poster has been designed in the form of a text message from 'Golan Levin' himself. This is a persuasion technique as it makes the reader feel like they have been directly invited to the performance by Levin himself. For this reason it makes the viewer feel they are of importance. One would also argue that this poster breaks the typical conventions of a poster and is modern. This is due to the poster being a screen shot of iPhone text messages giving it a direct link with technology. This  directly links to the performance being based around mobile devices and is a familiar design to most people due to many people owning an iPhone.

Initial idea - 3 

The following posters have been designed in relation to music notations. The different, vibrating, abstract shapes represent the different phones and sounds given off during the performance in order to produce harmonious sounds. In relation to this, contrasting colours such as black and white have been used. The key information in the poster has been put in red to signify an alert about the event to the public. It also helps the information stand out amongst the busy design. 

Initial idea- 4

This specific design features handwritten, quirky styled typography. A typographic hierarchy has been used within the design to outline the most important information. This is why some text is larger than others. Scanned in coloured pink and yellow paper has been overlapped so the design does not look overly digital or flat. Therefore, this gives the design more character and a fun feel to it in relation to the creative event. However, this design does not have a feeling of technology within it or an auditory experience.

Initial idea - 5

A set rule is behind the following poster designs. The rule was created from ten, eleven digit phone numbers. For this reason the bigger/ more dominant the dot on the poster, the higher the number. The dots on the poster have been placed on a black background to represent the darkness of the room used during the performance. The dots also represent small lights which came from the mobile devices during the performance. The title of the performance has been overlapped to represent the different sounds playing together during the performance and collaborating together.