Flash! AaaAaah!

This week has been a busy one. Finally finished and handed in my essay about Paul Rand, and his impact on the design world. It was hard to find things to write at first but in the end I had to stop myself from going over the word count! Fingers crossed for a good mark for that. 

Next was our case study, I handed this in a while ago and we've been going through listening to everyones presentations each week. This week was my turn! I did bits wrong and felt very under pressure but it's done now. It was an interesting project really, we had to choose a design company and find out about what they do, how they handle briefs and clients etc. I chose the company I had been to for a few days in summer for placement, as I felt I already have been around the studio and I would be less nervous asking questions. I found out all sorts of technical stuff like pricing and how they do timings which is really helpful. 

The next big thing was our hand in for our Motion Poster. I ended up choosing Seasonal Affective Disorder so that I could focus on a specific area. Although it was stressful not only designing a poster to inform but also be very simple, getting Flash to work was tough. It was a shorter project than normal but because of all the strikes at uni we've been having lately disrupting our lectures, we were given 3 days extra to finish everything off - I'm so glad for this! 

I'll try my video on here.. But if it's not working then take a look at my Behance: https://www.behance.net/gallery/Motion-Poster-about-Seasonal-Affective-Disorder/14478437

And here's my printed poster: 

As it's not my style to use simple flat vectors I really struggled to cut everything back, but in the end I think it worked fairly well. I'd like to go back to Flash and try some new little videos, maybe in summer I'll have a go at going back through my old projects. 

We have a trip to London planned for next tuesday (for the unlucky people who aren't going to Tokyo in reading week) and then I'm going home for a few days! Then it's straight back into a new project: Web Design. We have a mini project to do before then, to create a website using the tutorials left us, one of the old table style websites. I should be able to work this out fairly easily because of what I do at work but it will be good to jog my memory and get a head start really!

Results and new project!

Sally reminded me that I was due an update so here you go!

We got our marks emailed to us this time with feedback, I got 63 for my book project! They felt my development was lacking and bits and bobs, but my final piece was presented well..

Our new project to create a motion poster lasting 20-30 seconds about an awareness campaign of our choice.

I think I'm going to do ways of cheering yourself up after a bad day, and look into having S.A.D as it's got to be a campaign. I've done a bit of Flash (last year with my our Interactive CVs, but I've done nothing like this before so it will be a learning curve for sure! 

Happy New Year!

Like my very first New Years post it is a day late! But happy 2nd January everyone!


I finished and handed in my book cover project before I left for Christmas and here it is:

Although a lot of designers would love the chance to use only black, white and red I felt that I wanted to try and add in the night sky, plus a lot of people had also chosen The Night Circus so I felt I wanted to make it stand out. I added stars around the title and the blurb as they have a big part in the book and I thought that although I wanted to stick to something simple it should include some delicate details.

I kept with black and white for the spinning wheel, with silver details like the stars. I used negative space to make the tents in both day and night. The title can also be taken out and flipped over to reveal both The Night Circus and Le Cirque Des Réves (as in the book).

I decided to make a box, and line it with fabric to make it feel more luxurious as it is a special edition project. I chose red for the ribbon to help the book out easier. Also you can see above - a scratch card would be included to win prizes.

As normal there are some things I'd change, as I had problems with printing and had to take it to another printers with no time to spare unfortunately the colour blue isn't quite what I imagined (I wanted more of a midnight blue) and also the type needed more work, more of a circusy feel.

I loved this project, maybe because I felt I could show more of me in it as I could see it as a finished product that you can pick up and feel. 

I even think my critique went better than usual, although I was last on the day I got some good, and some constructive comments and overall felt quite positive about it. Marks to come soon!

Results!

I got my results back today for the typography project - I got 63 which I'm so happy about, I was so worried!

He said that I had some good ideas but lacked on the development side, I should try and push ideas further and combine them with others to get more back. Also that I need to get used to 'arguing' (can't think of a good word) about how good an idea is, get better at talking about my ideas that I think are good. Basically being more confident in my work and being able to tell people why they are good.




So continuing with my book cover project, I've managed to finish the book - it was really good if not a little confusing with the changes in time and characters but when it all comes together towards the end it's worth sticking with.


A song I'm listening to at the moment:
Ludovico Einaudi - I Giorni - but any of his songs really!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htr2EVvkr1Q

New Project: Book Cover Design

So our second project of the year is to take a Puffin/Penguin book of a big list and design a cover.

I went down every book on the list and read every synopsis - it took hours as there were so many books to choose from!!

I have chosen The Night Circus as the story seems so interesting.

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway — a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love — a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

It already has a beautiful cover, so I've really got my work cut out.

Deadline: 10th December 2013

Uni : Round 2, new room, new project and more!

Can't believe it's already November! Loads of things have happened already this new academic year.

1. I now live in what I'd say the best room of halls, the corner on the 21st floor, the lifts are annoying but the view sure is worth it.  (I'll post photos another time)


2. Our first project - to design a typeface.
It was a really hard project but I got through. Here's what I came up with -

We had to choose an instance, and I chose time Timetraveling In Switzerland. I chose it for a challenge as you may have realised Swiss Minimalism isn't my style. At all.

But there you go, I worked hard for 4 long weeks and managed to finish in time, and do my presentation in the Critique (also majorly scary, but I'm hopefully getting better at them as time goes on)

I chose to use geometric shapes to represent the Swiss minimalist style, and the circles come from clocks - which Switzerland are famous for. The clocks also represent time, and movement; combining both sides of the instance.

Grade to follow!


3. I revisited the company I went to work experience with, to ask them questions so I can complete the case study I have to do this year. It was great going to them as I have spent some time around there and so I was less nervous and could just have a chat with them. I feel I've learnt a lot from the things we spoke about and I think I'll be able to make an informative presentation when it comes to it (Deadline in Jan)


4. I started running - i'm not lying either! Me and Sally are doing the Couch Potato to 5k thing - and I have some top of the range bright pink running shoes to do it in style! (They are pink because I'm poor and so I got the kids version!



So I've not really had time to stop!



A song I'm listening to at the moment:
Tom Rosenthal - Take Care
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8hN7fJMl6g&list=PL556AD65488CF7D69

Summer 2013

This might be a long post...

So starting from the beginning of summer

We acquired a new kitten! His name is Charlie.. He's a babe, but he sure is bonkers!

I turned 20! I got a onesie and loads of CDs which is great!

I went to YNot Festival with a few great friends. I saw loads of the bands I love, including being on the front row for Dry The River! I also found loads of new bands.

Went with the fam to Scarborough and did loads of awesome things:

Me and Adam went for a bike ride on the beach at sunset which was lovely!

Beach with the family making sandcastles and digging holes

We went indoor go karting, swimming and mini golf!

Then we came home and Adam and I went Snowboarding and took our parents outdoor go karting.

But that was all in one week! The rest of the 4 odd months has been spent at work doing all sorts from design to meeting with customers. I have two weeks left and then just a week to pack and then i can move in! I have my room number now so all i need is my timetable and i'll be away!