A very obtrusive Times Square. This is typical New York, large scale billboards cover the city.
An interactive advertisement that flashes at you as you walk by, as if there are real paparazzi’s taking photos of you.
Toilet advertising! Is this a bit too far?
The Osbourne Bull large metal models are found throughout Spain in remote places. The Bull is seen as Spain’s unofficial national symbol, and here used to advertise the Brandy de Jerez Liquor.
Using barns for billboard space.
Obviously these billboards are destroying the natural beauty of the landscape.
Using a retired tractor and cart for advertising space.
Synopsis of study
For the Extended Major Project, I intend to investigate advertising and branding, focusing on location and positioning in unexpected places. The majority of advertisements are located in urban areas such as cities and towns. These adverts are normally obtrusive – they generally have to grab people’s attention away from the numerous other ad’s surrounding each other. We’re now used to seeing billboards everywhere, it doesn’t bother us. It’s a city, it’s normal. The focus of this project will be to look at the complete opposite: the countryside. There are hardly any advertisements in rural areas. This could be because there are less people that will see it, and therefore not worth the investment. Another, more major reason would be because it could ruin the scenery, the whole point of preserving rural areas. I want to see if there’s any way to create unobtrusive advertisements and branding to be placed in rural environments.
This would involve researching into processes and materials that would fit in with said environment. Initially, investigating all methods of advertising used in the city to see if any would work in a rural environment. Equally, research will be undertaken to see if or what kind of adverts already exist in rural areas, which would involve spending time exploring nearby countryside in Dorset or Hampshire. Scouting for possible locations where ad’s could be positioned, with photographic evidence. Furthermore, investigations into what kind of brands might want to advertise in these locations, whether it be well established popular brands, or local businesses.
Additionally, investigating environmental branding will be essential, as well as looking at land art, environmental artists and sculpture artists such as Andy Goldsworthy and Richard Long for inspiration of what is possible and seen as acceptable, or art forms. Currently, unsure of what will be submitted for assessment, it may be a final outcome, or a series of experiments undertaken during the project. To be presented print-based, including at least one publication and possibly a series of posters. Plus a publication containing research.
Proposed Time Plan
Week 1: 8-12 Feb
Explore the city: investigate current methods of advertising in cities and urban areas. Could these be applied to rural environments? Why are they only used in specific places? Are they obtrusive?
Week 2: 15-19 Feb
Explore the countryside: look at advertisements currently in place in rural areas – The New Forest, and other countryside areas of Dorset and Hampshire. For example, farm shop signs, etc.
Week 3: 22-26 Feb
Investigate rural art and artists – what’s been done before? Are they just conceptual pieces? How can this be made into something permanent? Experiment with materials, seek which processes can be used to design unobtrusive advertisements for the countryside. Scout possible locations for advertisements.
Week 4: 1-5 Mar
Determine whether a final outcome can be made from all the research, or whether to submit various experiments.
Decide what kind of brands I want to use as candidates. Well-established popular brands (Coca-Cola, etc) or focus mainly on local businesses? Brands that are pushing eco-friendly attitudes? Create mock adverts for chosen brands.
Week 5: 8-12 Mar
TBC
Week 6: 15-19 Mar
TBC
Week 7: 22-26 Mar
TBC
EASTER VACATION / IN VALENCIA
While in Spain explore the local countryside for any rural design. Differences between UK? Might have different approaches.
Week 8: 12-16 Apr
TBC
Week 9: 19-23 Apr
Design publications/chosen outcomes/whatever final pieces decided.
Finish designing research publication.
Week 10: 26-29 Apr
Producing + Printing of publications plus any other work.
DEADLINE 29 Apr
Themes I am thinking of for EMP…
- Graphic Design seen at speed/on the move (billboards, ads you see whilst driving, on the train, etc)
- Words with no pictures / Can typography be more effective by itself, than with images?
- Logotypes / Trademarks
- Packaging [wine / italian food range ]
- Shopping Experience
- Branding
- Obtrusive Branding/Ads [ how ads and branding are everywhere we look - could this be made to fit in with the environment? ] see logorama-themovie.com —- however ads need to shout out at you – how can this be done in another/new way?
- communicating ads, communicating in different situations – different ways of communication of ___ (posters, whatever)…
- No Images, Just Type. — design using only typography
- The future of magazine design
- Branding a town or city
- Investigating the differences between living in the countryside and living in the city — find similar families, people. E.g. The New Forest vs. Southampton.
- Advertising in rural areas/countryside —- without ruining the environment.
I will document practice for my Extended Major Project and Evaluation, Career Planning and Enterprise here on the blog. Towards the end of the project, I’ll be creating a publication to hand in with the EMP. A selection of blog posts from here will be put into the book. Please check back soon for progress updates.
I’ve finally got the DVD for DEADSIDE grad film that i did the titles for a few months ago. I worked alongside Ben Clark on the main title. which we shot on film, and edited in After Effects.
Check the videos out below:
brief: Design a system/service that helps Waterstones shoppers to make more informative decisions without having to rely on staff.
This was a group project, I worked with Gareth and Paul. We had to identity a problem and write our own brief – we targeted the book store, Waterstones.
The main points we focused on, after questioning shoppers, staff, and from observation…
• They would like to know what similar books are available to what they are reading at the moment
• Unsure whether to buy certain books – customer reviews would help them make a better decision
• Customers have trouble locating specific books
• Dislike having to ask staff and wait to see if a particular book is in stock
Our Solution
• A digital touchscreen with a database containing all books in-store.
• To be used by customers as a quick reference source.
• Allows customers to easily type in any book/author/isbn they are looking for and get fast results
• Product pages include customer reviews and ratings from the Waterstones website
• A map system showing roughly where each book is located in the store
• Displays similar books that readers may enjoy
Screenshots of the interface
As I planned from the previous post, I used the idea from my ‘True’ brief to put together this advertisement for Elixir Anti-Rust strings, that would be featured in ‘Total Guitar’ and ‘Guitarist’ style magazines.
brief: Take a statement and convince us graphically that it is true, or at least likely to be true.
I’m not gonna lie, it took me a hideously long time to think of an idea for this brief, as it is so open. Seems I have been stuck in a creative block during summer, i’m guessing thats why we’ve been given this straight away – to get us thinking! Below is my entry. I based my idea on the fact that guitar strings go rusty after a period of time, and how it usually really annoys me: rusty strings always mess up my hands!
I want to expand this into another project – I can totally see something like this in ‘Total Guitar’ or ‘Guitarist’ magazines advertising for string manufacturers (for example, Elixir Anti-Rust strings).
Nice website for tons of quotes on design at quotesondesign.com.
A really great graphic designer from NYC, Sara Elizabeth Berks has some wonderful works over at her website.
Yes, I know, Ive been slacking off with this blog. I’m going to get back on it now, with the start of my third and final year at university. I haven’t done that much design work this summer, as I have mainly been relaxing at home. However, I spent a great three weeks in June with the design team at marketing comms agency Carswell Gould in Southampton. I really enjoyed my time there as it gave me an insight into what really goes on in a studio, and I experienced working on a diverse range of projects. I’m glad I will be graduating as a graphic designer, as I will definitely be happy working as one – if I can land a nice job that is! The end of school is so near! Bring on a very busy next couple of months…
Incase have some amazing packaging for their bags and cases range. View more at Lovely Package.
Via Lovely Package
Some useful information regarding graphic design and the ‘digital revolution’ at Britannica.
“I don’t mean that the pool of creative advertising talent is shrinking, I mean the way creative people go about creating is different. It’s more than exchanging typewriters for computers or art tables for graphic design programs; it’s a complete shift in the creative process.”
“you didn’t have to be an “artist” to become a graphic designer.”
“With computers, it’s different. It’s more than just typing on a computer screen. Now you are free from linear thinking.”
“Technology is often criticized for taking us further away from the natural order of things. But in my experience, technology brings us closer.”
full article at Direct Creative
Back in 2005 Adobe acquired their competitor Macromedia for a tidy sum. read…
“With the emergence of computer-aided design, the relationship between the tools and the finished product has been obscured by a black-boxing of the design process.”
“The designer who also knows about software can reclaim an intimate relationship with the production of their work by modifying, creating, intentionally misusing, extending and breaking existing programs.”
interesting essay at Adobe Design Center’s THINK TANK. read in full here.
“Most designers face budgetary challenges as often as they face creative ones. At times like these, designers take notice of software that helps enhance design while saving money. For new start up shops that can’t fork over the bucks that Adobe requires for licenses like Photoshop and Illustrator, or for designers who just like to try new things, meet Aviary.”
read article / go to Aviary website
finally started proper work on the title sequence for grad film ‘Deadside’. we got a sheet of 5mm acrylic and today got the letters laser cut using the uni’s tool. it looks great. next it will be sprayed black and we can start experimenting with various materials to get some cool effects. will keep the blog updated with progress.
“Almost everything that is designed is influenced by the latest developments in technology. Peter Davies investigates how designers react to emerging technologies and explains how they can be integrated into the design process to give products that essential competitive edge”
read article at Design Council.
looking on the Adobe website, they have an “about Adobe” page with this interesting video.
view it here.
So i’m writing a paper on software giant Adobe and how their apps have influenced the graphic design world. Why are Adobe the sole leaders in our industry? Why aren’t there many successful competitors? What would design be like today without this technology? without computers? These are just some of the questions i intend to investigate further.
research ideas/comments welcome!
Today me and the group went up to London to visit The Chase, a graphic design company. We had a very helpful and interesting discussion with Oliver Maltby about the company, working as a designer, and what it’s like getting a job/work placement. He also very kindly showed us through some of their work! very inspiring! The visit has certainly got me thinking about what’s to come…
very cool self-promotion mailers from FreshThrills. check out two more photos at designrelated.com.
a new book from Victionary, entitled Simply Packaging. check it out (click look inside).
very cool geometric book from kapitza containing nice pattern designs, you even get a cd included with 100 pattern fonts, pretty good! check out the book at kapitza and a review at The Designers Review of Books.
great post at All Graphic Design News on invitation design.
Jaime Jasso is a mexican digital artist, check out his work on HERE.
go view 30 inspiring type treatments over at I Love Typography!
