Advanced Typography: Project 1/ The Troublemakers Manifesto Colloquium - Collateral

Advanced Typography: Project 1/The Troublemakers Manifesto Colloquium - Collateral 

23/09/19 - 07/10/19 (Week 5 - Week 7)

Sia Man Sheng

0333877

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LECTURE NOTES

Lecture 02: Typographic Perception & Organization
23/09/19 - week 5

This week lecture were presented by group 3 from week 1 presentation on the topic "Typographic Perception & Organization". 

Form & Contrast

• Size: bigger is more obvious and attracting attention, vice versa.
• Weight: Thicker line stroke results in larger in line weight. Hence, more contrasting to each other.
• Form: Distinction between uppercase and lowercase as well as expanded versions within a typefamily.
• Structure: Distinction between various typefamily.
• Texture: refers to the way of type look as whole up close and from a distance.
• Colour: At least 2 colours exists while second colour is less important.
• Direction: Perpendicular, Diagonal or Randomly placed in different directions.

Gestalt

• Proximity: where elements place close to each other to perceive them as a group.
• Similarity: which is most suitable to use in differentiate overlapped object.
• Closure: Partially missing while readers still can perceive the outline when look as a whole.
• Continuation: Refers to visual path.
• Pragnanz: things that is complicated will perceived as one where our mindset will automatically simplify it.

Creating Visual Hierarchy

• Size
• Typeface Weight and Pairing
• Colour and Tint
• Space and Texture
• Composition (e.g. rules of thirds, rules of odds)
• Leading Line (Diagonal, Z-shaped & S-shaped)

FIgure 0.1 Original Slide on the topic "Typographic Perception & Organization" 

Lecture 03: Typographic Composition
20/09/19 - week 6

Environmental Composition

• Metaphorical purposes and visually represent the text.
• It is conceptual 2D artwork that interact with existing object: (1) objects form grip and text fits into it, (2) Object implied on the text to form a mutual benefits information.

Environmental Grid

• Extract lines and grids from the diagram/ environment(it could be anything, just need to extract grids base on it)
• Then, use the lines extracted to allocate your objects

Alternate Methods

• Suitable for artwork with limited text
• It helps designers who are not prefer to work on grid
• Use type as grid (alignment edges and points)

FIgure 0.2 Original Slide on the topic "Typographic Composition" 

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INSTRUCTION

In this project, we are to develop a key-artwork or signature artwork that will be used across the different collateral with the given title: The Troublemakers Manifesto: A Design Colloquium.

Week 5: 26/08/19
Define: Troublemaker
According to dictionary, Troublemaker could be define as a person who habitually causes difficulty or problems, especially by inciting others to defy those in authority. But in this colloquium, troublemakers represents designers, every designers has their own beliefs and principle that they believe in, it might be seen not welcoming or out of your knowledge. Hence, the manifesto aims at providing a platform for these troublemakers to present their perspective and being challenged or questioned. The final outcome of the colloquium is to bring positive impacts to the community.

FIgure 1.1 Visual Research on Troublemakers

Brainstorming

FIgure 1.2 Notes and Sketches done during research

I was thinking of things to represent Troublemakers and the meaning behind them at first. Things I considered is does it brings a lot of problem/ argument to the community and what is the influences of it. Hence, few options have come out which is fast food(brings a lot of problem), clown(unexpected idea come out all the time), wrecking ball(break the boundary/limit, challenging, new things come out after all), dogs in formal suit (representing argument) i and superman.

First Attempt: Clown- "Unexpected" concept
When thinking of this title, I thought of designers are the one who always have something crazy going on in their mind, unexpected, explosion ideas. Hence, I selected clown as the target to work on with insertion of many elements going vertically and giving a rhythm to it to show the craziness. While making it look like a shredder to show that something (troublemaker manifesto) by removing the surface covered.

FIgure 2.1 Source Image(First Attempt)

FIgure 2.2 Inserting source Image (First Attempt)

FIgure 2.3 Masking(First Attempt)

FIgure 2.4 Adding white rectangle(First Attempt)

FIgure 2.5 Adjusting Tone(First Attempt)

FIgure 2.6 Adding title as background(First Attempt)

FIgure 2.7 Final Outcome(First Attempt)

Second Attempt: Wrecking Ball- Break boundary/ Impactful
Second attempt is to show the concept of  "breaking through" as designers always challenge themselves as well as other designers and after all, there might be causing a huge impact o the community.

FIgure 3.1 Background (Second Attempt)

FIgure 3.2  Insert Wrecking Ball (Second Attempt)

FIgure 3.3 Masking (Second Attempt)

FIgure 3.4  Big title as foreground (Second Attempt)

FIgure 3.1 Repeating title as texture (Second Attempt)

Third Attempt: Axe- Break Through
After seeking advice from Mr. Vinod, I am still going on to further discover on the concept "break through".

FIgure 4.1 Inserting Title (Third Attempt)

FIgure 4.2 Masking (Third Attempt)

FIgure 4.3 Adding Crack Effect (Third Attempt)

FIgure 4.4 Alternate Title (Third Attempt)

FIgure 4.5 Inserting Axe (Third Attempt)

FIgure 4.6 Adding Shadow (Third Attempt)

FIgure 4.7 Splash Effect (Third Attempt)

FIgure 4.8 Final Outcome (Third Attempt)

Refinement
After seeking advice from Mr. Vinod, I was being advised on to go for artwork only playing with typeface but no image. Still the concept of "break through".

FIgure 4.9 Adding frame (Refinement)

FIgure 4.10 Adding shadow (Refinement)

FIgure 4.11 Adding background colour for frame (Refinement)

FIgure 4.12 Adding words (Refinement)

FIgure 4.13 Peich Font (Google Font)

FIgure 4.14 Arrangement in another way (Refinement)

FIgure 4.15 Creating variation of colour and size to distinguish outside the box (Refinement)

FIgure 4.16 Design 1 (Refinement- Think outside the box)

FIgure 4.17 Design 2 (Refinement- Think outside the box)

FIgure 4.18 Final Outcome (Breaking Through)




FIgure 4.19 Final Outcome-PDF (Breaking Through)

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FEEDBACK

Week 06 - 30/09/19

General Feedback:
Never only narrow down from one idea, please have several idea although the first one is already perfect. May using keywords to develop words, visual or sketches through mind-mapping as much as possible and try matching them. It will getting more difficult as keep on refine it as mentioned by Mr. Vinod "travelling on same route is not easy because there is no new things happen".

Personal Feedback:
For first attempt, clown is not crazy, it doesn't represent designer who bring about change and is not appropriate to use in this topic. For second attempt, Mr. Vinod likes the strong concept but is not visual appealing, is not attracting. Besides, I should include "The" in the title.

Week 07 - 07/10/19
Personal Feedback:

The concept is there but just not exciting, remove the axe and try to look at the lyrics of the song "Break on Through" by The Doors. Mr. Vinod suggested me to show the break through effect using only manipulation of letterforms, maybe can work the letterform "O".

General Feedback:

In term of exercise eportfolio post, for typographical system, outline around the artwork to know the boundary clearly, pdf must be final, visible. Finding type exercise, please according to the reference, letters has tobe place on the same baseline, toward the end, show the first and final attempt of that exercise. For lectures, all lecture slides has to be uploaded summarized it. 

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REFLECTION

Experiences:
First time ever experiencing frustrated until a extreme level like I don't want to continue anyway due to the keep on rejecting on my artwork and not producing good quality idea. Actually I did take some break which is always assign the typography works as he last one to do that after I have done all my other subjects' works. And everything start to get worst, less Idea coming out, getting more and more frustrated although I know that sometimes idea are not that easy to have the expected outcome of what I want especially after Mr.Vinod shared his own experience on finding idea, I started to think of myself, slow my steps, take a deep breath and look at my work again. Things starts to become better now. 

Observations:
I observed that friends around me are actually improved a lot if compare to previous semester. This really impressed me. Although it is not look visually good but they have a really strong idea and concept that makes the whole artwork alive. However, I did observe some people become more lazy and produce a average work at the end. And there is some people keep on producing unsatisfy artwork although they really really hardworking and has spent a lot of time on it, just the outcome not as good as other. These kind of phenomenon make me alert to avoid lazy and keeping good time management is crucial as well as knowing that good idea is always not a thing that could get inspired easily. When there is nothing, it is nothing there.

Findings:
It is true that no idea coming out is really frustrating and might cause slightly depression in myself. However, I am still clear about that I want to overcome this obstacle as there will be more and more like this happen in the future. One effective way is that I always find friend in the same programme is important, Wen Yi and Joe always come to me and ask how is my progress. Although I felt stress when showing work to them but still, they are really good in giving some other advice that sometimes sparks me with some incredible idea. I think I will remember this kind of feeling forever as it serve as the basic requirement to work as a good designer.

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FURTHER READING

Figure 5.1 What is Typography by David Jury

What is Typography by David Jury

As we are going to work on the final project hence, I am looking at information regrading graphic communication in this book. It is crucial to know the target audience before convey a message to them. As different people might look things differently. For example, Special Large print books were designed for children  with weak sight but medical discouraged people with poor vision from using their eyes for "close" reading since it will be harmful to them.

Nowadays, we can see fly posters, sticker or graffiti everywhere, some of them are designed by designers, some are not. Some of the "nondesigned" typography will have been made with commercial or political intent, some will be serendipitous, or caused by neglect. For example, the hand-drawn notice attract attention because we seem to be naturally drawn to anything that is unexpected. A hurriedly drawn price sign on a market stall seems like working well without feeling inappropriate due to the product of its fresh fruit. But if a permanent sign is hurriedly done, its informality will be perceived to be inappropriate.

Figure 5.2 Typographic Design： Form and Communication 

by Rob Carter, Ben Day and Philip Meggs

Typographic Design: Form and Communication by Rob Carter, Ben Day and Philip Meggs

Focusing on the typographic message in this book as I need this to help up my final project which is to conveying a message through poster. Typography message are effective, could be clearly communicate and are etched into the mind and memory are those characterized by absolute clarity in form and content.Typography could be describe as a language of potent visible signs, a language capable of educating, persuading, informing, and entertaining while maintaining lucidity and aesthetic beauty.

With the proliferation of typographic messages littering the environment, most are missed or ignored. The message that are noted has to be appropriate to the needs of both message transmitter and message receiver in order to achieve effective qualities. Some people think that printed and broadcast message has only little impact upon their audiences. This is false. Instead, they have a long-range effect upon the audiences, influencing change within the context of social, economic and political events.