Design Process - Wayfinding System research

Starting off my investigation into the Leeds rave scene of the 1990s, I decided to look at some of the venues in which popular events at the time were held. One Venue that interested me in particular was the Corn Exchange, as it is a well known and iconic building in Leeds. However, many people don't know that in 1992 an event by Orbit and Ark took place in the Corn Exchange. Being an old and historic building in the city centre, there were complications during the scheduling of the event by local authority, as it deemed events such as this unsafe for the venue's structure.

Beginning my research, I began to study pictures and plans of the Corn Exchange from the past and then compared them with the Corn Exchange today. Other than the purposes of the building, not much has been changed physically, meaning we can still recognise the architecture and layout of the building as being traditional and historical. This may prove useful later in the project when gathering first hand sources to use for the aesthetic of my work.

Next I began looking more in depth into the events held at the Corn Exchange during the 1990s. I came across an article by Steve Hulme, a tour manager and musician, who explained how the event Orbit and Ark at the Corn Exchange came about. Before organising the event, Steve had directed other events, including Yorkshire Television's 'Calendar Fashion Show', which were big successes for him, as he had arranged the DJ's to play these events, which gave him a sense of how the Corn Exchange may hold a certain amount of people.

After looking at the events held in the Corn Exchange, I looked at further information into the DJ's that attended the Orbit and Ark event in 1992. I found set lists from the night that include music from Rob Tissera, Dave Angel and Paul Oakenfold. This gave me an opportunity to listen to some of the tracks played that night, giving me a more clear understanding of what aesthetic would best suit my designs in relation to the genre. Furthermore, I found a particular playlist of Paul Oakenfold's on Soundcloud that played the set list in order, showing each song mixed with one another.

For the aesthetic design approach to the project, I looked at work from the 90s that reflected the type of designs that would have been used for posters for events such as this. The first artist that was an inspiration for the designs was David Carson, as his work showed how text can be manipulated and resized in a collage fashion. This would also be combined with imagery and variation of colour. This designer could my attention in particular because I imagined my designs being able to work alongside the photographs I had taken. It would also give me the opportunity to explore the project typographically to see which designs would best suit the aesthetic, meaning a choice of typeface would be essential when designing. 

The other artist that inspired the project was David Rudnick, who's work showcased a variety of 90s designs, particularly focused around the rave culture of the time. This artist inspired several designs because the aesthetic used by Rudnick were reflective of the designs previously used in the Corn Exchange Orbit and Ark event posters. In this way, my work in the project could have used elements of the style to communicate the style to the intended audience, which would be recognisable to people familiar with events such as this.

 Work by David Carson

Work by David Rudnick

Design Process - Wayfinding System Rational

Proposal

The idea behind my sign system will be to create a series of direction treasure hunt posters that will guide the audience to the location of a 90’s themed event in the Leeds Corn Exchange. People that have been used for inspiration include: David Carson, David Rudnick and Steve Hulme as they all have been involved in 90’s culture including design aesthetic and music. My wayfinding system will address subjectivity through creating my own designs and using colours, which I deem appropriate for the context. It will also address objectivity by adding directional sign systems that are universally recognized.

When comparing my ideas to the opinions of Wim Crouwel and Jan Van Toorn and their debate, I would say that I agree with Jan Van Toorn more, as Wim Crouwel believes subjectivity is something that should not stand between a designer and the audience they are communicating to, where as Toorn believes that subjectivity is something essential to the designer in conveying their ideas and opinions to the audience.

In terms of the visual language included in my designs, I will explore the aesthetic and the subject typographically. This will mean that I will need to look at designs from previous artists to get an understanding of the type of posters I will be designing. In terms of the requirements for the posters, they will need to reinforce the idea of 90s culture, including reference to rave culture and acid house music. The idea behind these treasure hunt posters was to mimic how warehouse raves in the 90s would be held secretively and the only way to find them was to ring a telephone number for further instructions on where to go. The narrative to these posters will be that one poster leads to another in a series of clues to where the venue of the event is. To do so I will be creating a collage of imagery, taken from photographs to allow the viewer to interpret the next clue in the sequence. The intended audience for my work will be people who are interested in 90s music and culture, including adults who have experienced the 90s rave scene and young adults that enjoy the retro style of today.

Design Principles - Studio Brief 2 - Book cover rationale

Rationale
In response to Romek Marber and his grid system a series of book covers were created to demonstrate the ways in which Penguin Books produced some of their publication designs. This would mean looking in to the background of the books that would be designed, so that ideas could be gathered on way to communicate them. The books include A Clockwork Orange, A Rage in Harlem and A Christmas Carol, all of which needed to be analysed in a way that allowed appropriate colours and typefaces to be applied.

Design Principles - Studio Brief 2 - Book Cover Outcomes

Outcomes
After developing the ideas of the book covers into several different designs and receiving feedback, it was clear that in order to reach an outcome, there were elements that needed changing. Therefore, the approach to the designs were changed, so that the book covers could in some way relate to one another visually.

As a result of this, separating the text from the imagery was one way that helped to improve the design of the covers. In this case, by making the background a flat red colour it was easier for the other colours to then contrast it. Using the Marber grid also allowed for the text to be better positioned on the page, with the title of the book clearly standing out, due to the black backdrop. By identifying the title and author in white, this would show correlation with the white text found on the street sign. The street sign had also been changed so that the directions displayed on it may be familiar with the viewer, as they are areas found in Harlem, USA.

 For the back page of the design, it was important that the text would be more visible, and one way that this was done was by enlarging it and using the ClearviewHwy font, the same as the front page. The street sign was also made to look less recognisable, so that the attention of the viewer is drawn to the text. As a result of the changes made to the book cover of A Rage in Harlem, it was possible to receive a feedback on the final outcome. The feedback showed that the new ideas were more successful than the developments, as they separated imagery from text using the layout, which made the pages more legible and appealing aesthetically.

A Clockwork Orange

After rearranging the text at the top of the page, using the Marber grid, the design could then start to look more modern and up to date. The font had also been changed after feedback showed the title was not as legible as anticipated. Instead of using Dirty and Classic, Garamond was used as it was a clear and classic serif font. This would be suitable for this design, as the idea was to make it look minimalistic and simple, while including elements of the traditional styles used in Penguin books.

The illustrations have also been simplified further, so that the colours used reflect the visuals of the text. For example, by limiting the illustrations to just black and a white, it was possible to allow the attention of the viewer to be drawn to both the imagery and the text equally. 

As for the back page design of the book, the Marber grid was removed and replaced with parallel lines to act as a music paper stave, with the music notes running along the lines. As a result of this the design looks more simple and less chaotic on the page.

A Christmas Carol
 For the outcome of A Christmas Carol, the background colour was changed to a traditional green colour which could be associated with one of the 3 main colours of Christmas. This also made the illustration and the text more visible to the viewer, as well as keeping with the modern aesthetic of the other two book covers.

I think that by limiting the designs in this way it was possible to communicate a more modern visual representation of classic books. 

For the back cover of the book, the colour has also been changed, however the Marber grid has remained as a way to demonstrate the information included on the back, about Romek Marber. Feedback from peers showed that after creating the designs in this way, the process was reflective of the skills learned during the initial stages of design principles. For example, after creating a colour booklet for studio brief 1, it was possible to identify colours as having certain meanings as well as ways that they can be represented. One example of this happening was through the use of red in the cover of A Rage in Harlem, as the colour identifies as being dangerous or representative of conflict.

Design Principles - Studio Brief 2 - Development of book covers

A Rage in Harlem
After gathering initial ideas about ways to create the cover, the silhouettes of the cutouts were then compiled together in order to create a backdrop for the front and back covers of the design. By showing the colours being fractured in this way, it was possible to describe the conflict within the book. This also added a more updated aesthetic to the cover design as it focuses primarily on digital enhancement.

After both the front and back covers were created the other layers could then be applied over the top. This included the imagery of the street sign, the text on the pages and the Marber grid to position them.

This would be the font used for the design as it is frequently found in USA street signs and in particular the ones found in Harlem, USA.

Here is the result of the additional imagery and text on the front and back covers. After creating these designs it was possible to gather feedback from peers on what areas have succeeded and what areas would need to be improved in order to reach the final outcome. Several suggested that the text should be positioned differently and an alternative could be made separating the text from the street signs in order to make the designs look less frantic.

A Clockwork Orange

After gathering initial ideas for A Clockwork Orange book cover, several of the silhouette designs were then altered to be included in the development. Shown here, is the silhouettes of the watch, however it has been added one of the cutouts shaped like a machine cog. By positioning these silhouettes in this way, it make the image look like the gears within a watch. Also the musical notes have been altered so that they can be positioned over the lines of the Marber grid, similar to how they would be shown on music sheets.

When looking for a typeface to use for the cover, the first idea that came to mind was to either use a classical and traditional font that showed formality or to use a chaotic font which was reflective of the violent nature of the characters within the novel. The alternative was to mix both ideas and find a font that could display both at once. Therefore, I chose Dirty and Classic for the development stage. However after the critique, it was clear that the font would need to be changed so that it was more legible and more minimalistic.

Here is the developed book cover, which allowed the Marber grid system to be a part of the design. After receiving feedback on the design it was clear that a new approach would have to be taken in order to make the book appear modern and updated.

A Christmas Carol 

For the cover of A Christmas Carol, the use of illustrations using basing shapes was the first idea. However, this would be changed so the the design could include the use of the cut-up paper techniques. As a result the illustration of the candle would then look more hand drawn rather than digital. By choosing to visualise a candle from Victorian Era, this would reference the object that would have been used during the time that the book was written, as well as the mention of the object in the story.

By using Broken Planewing font, it was possible to reference the time period in which typefaces such as this would have been used. Also it shows the viewer how the cover would be taking inspiration from original cover designs of the book. However, after peer critique, it was evident that the font would need to be changed in order to look more modern and up to date.

Here is the developed design for A Christmas Carol, showing the use of Broken Planewing font and the colours associated with traditional Christmas designs.

Design Principles - Studio Brief 2 - Initial Ideas (2) book covers

After researching each of the book covers that would be re-designed, certain ideas came about on ways that the project could be approached. The main idea that came about, was to use the Marber grid system to structure the designs and create a more modern but minimalsitic approach to the covers. Therefore, I began by first using techniques used in the Design Process module, by cutting up paper and re-arranging it to use in the designs.

A Rage in Harlem

For A Rage in Harlem, referencing objects, or locations that were associated with the story was one way to approach the design element. The idea here, was to visualise Harlem street signs as well as a gun, which depicts the violence within the book. To gather further ideas for the book, I looked at ways in which the colour scheme and typography should be approach. To do this I found several examples of street signs in the United States, and the fonts that were used on them. The most popular was a font called ClearviewHwy which is found on most highways and street signs, as it is a clear and legible font that is easy for drivers to read. In terms of the colour scheme for the cover, looking at the themes of the book would allow an approach that reflects the recognisable meanings behind certain colours. For example, as the book includes instances of the character being in danger and there being conflict between characters, this would be best represented by the colour red. The Colour red would be most suitable for this design as it is universally recognised as having relation to danger or conflict.

After arranging several shapes to resemble street signs and guns, they were then scanned and edited digitally to create silhouettes. By creating the designs in this way, it was possible to keep glimpses of detail, while displaying a use of minimalism. After that, the designs were then placed onto the Marber grid to see which way would work best as a cover design.


A Clockwork Orange
Using the same technique as before, it was possible to create several depiction of clocks, classical music notes and silhouettes. These were then scanned and edited digitally, so that they too could be used for the minimalistic design of the book cover. By visualising a timepieces and clockwork, this would show the viewer relation to the title of the book. Also, the use of music notes was a reference to the main character's obsession with Beethoven's classical music.

A Christmas Carol

As the idea was to make the cover as modern and as minimal as possible, for the cover of A Christmas Carol, several cutouts were used for a silhouette. These would also be scanned and edited digitally over a background using traditional christmas colours, such as gold, green and red.

Design Process - task 2 Final outcome

After digitally enhancing the designs for task 2, I was able to determine which designs would work best in communicating objectivity from a subjective word. As the recent designs showed variations of triangular shapes to communicate quick movements, I felt that this technique should include the variations of colour also. This was because several of the designs that were experimenting with colour showed how the subjective word can also be determined by the type of colour scheme used. For the word I had chosen, it meant using bright and sharp colours that oppose one another when situated side-by-side in a design. Adding these colours to the sharp movements of the experimental pieces and it shall communicate ecstasy even better.
As you can see in several of the designs, I had adapted the circle shape from the experimental stage, while including the triangular contrasting shapes within them. This way it made the designs movements look more captured within the symbol. I also used triangles from different stages in the experimental phase, by overlapping them to create contrasting designs. It was also suggested in a peer critique session, that the circle would almost act as a literal meaning for ecstasy as the design within the circle made the symbol look as though it were the drug of the same name.
Overall, I think that the designs have been successful in communicating objectivity from subjectiveness, because the designs were recognised by peers when assessed in the critique and their response was that they visualised the designs as the ecstasy drug tablets.

Design Principles - Studio Brief 2 - Initial ideas (1) for book covers

After researching the ways in which grid systems can be applied to design and the Marber grid system's use in Penguin books, initial ideas were needed to start the design process. The first step was to look at different existing Penguin books that have been designed, including ones that use the Marber grid in their layout.

Books looked at

• A Clockwork Orange
• A Christmas Carol
• A Rage in Harlem

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

A Clockwork Orange is a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess, about a violent gang that terrorise the streets of a dystopian future. A Clockwork Orange was met with controversy for its depiction of graphic "ultra violence" both in the book and in the 1971 film adaptation of the same name. When looking at the cover designs previously made for A Clockwork Orange, we can see that there is an clear use of minimalism for the portrayal. In this way, creating a version alternative to this or in a similar manner could work for the book cover design. Another approach could be to use a colour swatch to identify certain colours and use them for the design element of the project.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol is an 1843 novel by Charles Dickens, about a man named Ebenezer Scrooge, who tries to make right the wrongs in his life after being visited by ghosts of christmas past, present and future. The book itself is well known as a classic christmas story and has been approached in many different ways in terms of a book cover design. Many of the designs that had been looked at, tend to show an aesthetic of the Victorian Era, including traditional typography and typical colours associated with Christmas. One way to approach this would be to add a more modern look to the cover, while referencing traditional imagery used in other book covers.

A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes

A Rage in Harlem is a 1957 novel by Chester Himes, about a man named Jackson who loses money he borrows from his boss. In an attempt to retrieve the swindled money, Jackson approaches his brother who informs two Harlem police officers  Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson to track down the swindlers. Many of the design covers for A Rage in Harlem show a particular use of photography or images of the streets of Harlem. As the idea for my own covers would be to create minimalistic design, it could be possible to include elements of the original design ideas. For example, the use of Harlem street imagery could work well for communicating the design ideas.

Design Principles - Studio Brief 2 - book cover research

When creating the book cover designs, it was crucial that research was done first to find out the ways in which design should be applied to a context. The main thing to consider when starting a design is the layout that will be used as a guide for the designs and text. This way the designs that are created can better suit the context in which they are placed. There are different grid systems that are used for different contexts, so that the designs or information are displayed in a way that is recognisable to the viewer.

Grids
Grids are used as the foundation for a layout in which different sections can be applied. There are different grid systems that are used to display text and imagery, in a way that best suits the theme or aesthetic of the subject being designed.

•  portrait and landscape
• grids define and reflect proportion
• The golden ratio determines the most pleasing set of proportions for an element, and is simplified to the 'rule of thirds'.
  

there are 4 different types of grid used in design:

Manuscript/single column Grid - characterised by large text margins, and are commonly used for continuous blocks of text. Typically, the manuscript grid can be found in books, essays and blogs.

Column Grid - shows a sequence of columns running vertical down the format of a layout. They can be useful for discontinuous information being displayed on the page, as found in newspapers. The column grid is usually found to be separated using gutters, which are thin spaces in between the horizontal rows. These are also commonly found to be thinner than the outside margins, as this allows the attention of the viewer to be drawn to the centre and legibility is easier.

Modular Grid - similar to the column grid, the modular grid shows even divisions marked by rows. The modular grid can be used as a way to control more area than what is possible in a column grid and is commonly used for displaying small squares of information or a series of uniform images. Typically this is found on websites that offer products, and they use it to show several items at once on a page.

Hierarchical Grid - These are used to position certain subjects based on their importance. For example, as the layout is commonly used for webpages, it can be used as a way to promote one image larger than another to show its importance. This also means that the column widths can change, as well as the positioning of the flowlines.

 examples of vertical column grid systems that can be used for layout.

 examples of landscape column grids

 columns and rows

 example of a manuscript grid system

example of modular grid systems

different elements of grid layouts including: columns, rows, margins, images, paragraphs, gutters, folios and modules.