End of brief Evaluation.

Overall I've really quite enjoyed this brief. Originally when we were proposed this brief I was a little anxious about what was in store, in the previous brief with a collaborative partner decisions were shared and direction was taken forward together. For this brief it felt at first like the complete opposite.. What do I like? What do I want to produce? What limitations do I have? The first time you write a brief feels very weird, calling all the shots and making decisions with noone to tell you different.

At the end I'm quite surprised with the results, I'm quite proud of what I've achieved with the time I've had and with few limitations to what direction I can take. A strength to the brief has been the ability to create and experiment in some cases so much more than I would. I had a small set of guidelines to produce typefaces which would eventually promote skype and was left to it. I think writing the brief yourself makes it much more personal, and much more important to achieve in. The nature of the brief mean't I wasn't by a mac all of the time and sketching to try and visualize ideas, it was more of a case of trial and error throughout the brief. If something worked, I kept it and tweaked it, if something didn't then it was reattempted or stopped altogether, making progress and developing stronger ideas gradually.

I think that was one of the weaknesses of the brief throughout the 5 weeks, I knew how long I had to produce a body of work but the brief was very open ended, knowing I had to produce typefaces but with fewer other restrictions. Should I have set time scales to produce certain amounts of type tests for certain dates? Would I have produced worst typefaces because I would of felt rushed? or more possibilities to have a wider variety? should this of been one of the considerations to direct the brief throughout?

Crits and feedback sessions were really varied in quality throughout, the 'show and tell' crit we had wasn't as expected, not with the actual feedback I received but with how people used the time. In the partners I received only 3 pieces of feedback from the entire group whereas we (my pair) made the effort to give constructive feedback to each member of the group which felt alittle selfish. I did enjoy the initial concept crit for deciding briefs and the final crit format. Both felt like very professional environments and I came away with really useful feedback for both.  

Since beginning the brief and as I have progressed, the idea of directing my own brief and creating my own projects seems so much more inspiring to direct what I produce, I'm realizing so many things i want to produce that I haven't considered before- more identities, merchandise, skateboards, DVD covers. I think I'm going to enjoy writing my own over summer.

Final Boards

Open publication - Free publishing - More skype

Final Crit.

Beermat final.

The board layouts.

Just layouts. the content is on the blog and will be selected and laid out properly, instead of rushed for the crit.

Placement.

SCREEN. train type.

Combining the banner designs and layouts allowed for designs to spread across the screen and attract more attention. The variety of banner sizes helped with placement of type and logo. The phrase did not fit into the rectangle where as the skype logo does perfectly. Selecting websites that are relevant help with the placement including National rail and Lonely Planet - the travel website shown here. 

Change platforms, delayed, but still moving.

Long story short, I was not happy. With the other two resolutions near completion, I didn't think the train ticket type represented the quality and I decided to recapture the typefaces. Changes are subtle but the typeface this time was scanned instead of photographed to control the quality and eliminate variations between images. the process was suprisingly effective, only taking around 2/3 of the time of the original which was a bonus and is definitely worth it.

Playing with the formats once again, it had been recommended to me I change the layout of the letterforms as one continuous sentence to make it much more readable. This allowed for a variety of placements to let the typeface have its full potential.

Bringing people together, with skype and coffee.

The dust is settling.

Dusting placement! Its all coming together now.. to create the advert for the coffee/dusting typeface, another placement and contextual reference was required to create the right effect. Because the typeface needed to be applied to something, I chose white napkins laid out for the text to sit on top which i feel worked quite well (at the bottom) but also include a coffee and mobile device of some kind that you can use skype on.

After experimenting with a few layouts came to the decision to use a close up portrait, to draw attention to the key objects in the scenario. The additional strap-line wasn't as crucial so just 'Social' was added above the skype logo (decided as the dusted version with the same technique)

The final typeface over the different attempts was the helvetica typeface, so it was much more readable and had a more authentic quality. The mistakes that give the unique and natural look have been detained and sit quite well on the advertisement.

To the pub.

Tweaking some layouts at The Packhorse pub, where I managed (and my helpers) got a table with a good amount of natural light to photograph and work on different layouts. Zoomed out, close up and directed shots to allow for variations depending on possible additional advertising formats. My favourite of the images was the bottom image because of the additional interaction taking place. I didn't want to the image to feel set up so my two models were left to their own devices, sip drinks chat and interact with the surroundings. I feel the results came out quite well.

From previous crits, the addition of another strapline was advised to re-enforce the designs, so one has been applied after some development.

'Plan your night over skype, and bring people together'

Purely as an addition, and not to draw attention from the main focus. 

Beermats!

I have a bottlecap typeface and need a way of applying it to the advertising in context still. Then another sweet idea as a turning point into developing the brief was to use beermats. Bloomin' beermats!

The ideas developed with the beermats to work on a variety of different formats, at first I only thought of displaying the composition created on a set of six and applying to a composition but ideas continued further with another element for the range. 

The coffee/dusting typeface forming has a disposable element with the dusting/business style cards to share, so why not beermats? It seems to make sense utilising something right in front of you which would just end up being disposed off anyway, could skype information be recorded onto the cards?

Lots and lots of tests.

Lots of cards were developed working with different layouts and logo treatments, including the treatment above with bottle-caps in century gothic and how it works on the scale format (94mm² 15mm radius)

Stock was important for the beermats to have an authentic quality to them, I found the cartridge paper mounted onto mount board gave a realistic card to work with.

I did experiment with different stock choices and see if off white or white worked best. Although off white worked better for beermats as an individual product, I decided on white purely for photographic quality in placement.

 

Obviously to get an authentic image, ill need the right location for a product shot. To utilise the beermat designs, an over head view to view the entire design and allow for ease of alterations. Just playing with a sample of layouts before one was decided and then off to be taken at a suitable pub. Pub for research and  development? Oh go on then.

Subtle additions

Had a wicked brainwave for the card distribution for a dusting layout. To add another dimension to keeping the business cards, including small cut outs on the cards to act as dusters for your own drinks. Not an essential piece to the design,  but hopefully to tie everything together a little better.

For placement of a dusting typeface, because the idea of gossiping and chatting is beginning to form with the coffee/dusting type, introducing the design to layout, as a supplement may be the right way to go, in magazines or newspapers found in coffee shops. The keep the cards included, I though about making them part of the design, possibly tear out cards to share among people you meet and know with your skype details, Thus, bringing a possible solution to the brief.

A possible layout, very simple, just advert one side, and cards the other. I think a small explanation next to the cards just to direct people will be required, but not to draw attention away from the designs.

All aboard.

New typeface. working with train tickets to encourage and promote travelling skype, possible mobile devices and how skype can be used on the move and not just on your home computer. This typeface was medium driven and arranged to a rough scale unlike the bottlecaps type, following a subtle template.

I'm a little undecided about the typeface as it is, the letterforms were photographed and then edited in PS to remove the background. In places it does look a little untidy and size of letters could be a little bit more consistent. Although not to waste the composition, I applied it to a variety of different locations in placement to see how it works in an environment. 

I'm quite happy with the placement. I feel the typeface itself will be enough to give the right impression across and where the composition will be place is key to the design. train stations, transport and other travel spots, including screen.