Studio Brief 1 - Animal Farm Initial Ideas

After researching into the influences for Animal Farm and the time period in which it represents, it has been possible to gather appropriate avenues in which the project could potentially be taken. The reflection of the Russian Revolution of 1917 is present throughout the book and has previously been used as a style for the book's cover design. Many of the designs are however more reflective of a style that was introduced during the second world war, around the time when the book was written and released.

• Idea 1 - Create a poster style cover that is reflective of the WW2 propaganda aesthetic, used in Russia. Russian constructivism / typography. Heavy use of red as the designs primary colour. This could be done using simple graphite pencil sketches as well as paint for the red areas.
• Idea 2 - Reflect the styles found in Russia around the time of the 1917 revolution. This would mean choosing a style found within the Avant-Garde movement, preferably the Suprematism movement.
• Idea 3 - Try to recreate the style of Russian Realism, as the style was used as a way to control the art movements during the 30s. This idea would be reflective of the context of Animal Farm as the book shows how the powerful can control a population, similar to this art form.
• Idea 4 - Use existing posters for a collage or take elements from each to recreate a Russian style cover.

These ideas can also be explored using a range of different media including the traditional methods found during the Russian Revolution and WW2. This may include the experimentation of oil painting, printing or hand-making a design. An alternative approach to the production would be to digitally replicate this style and turn it into a book cover. It will also be necessary to first look at layouts that are appropriate to this context. One layout that has already previously been tested, was the Marber Grid. This layout works well for the context as it would be used in the design process of a Penguin book. Penguin books are known to have previously used this grid for their cover designs of classic books.

Depending on the idea that will be pursued for the cover, the layouts will differ in style. For example, if the idea is to create the design as a Propaganda poster, there will need to be large typeface and possibly prominent figures included in the centre of the page. If the idea would be to use a Suprematism design then it will mean a more lenient structure will be necessary. Many of the styles of art found during the period of the Russian Revolution showed a structure of hierarchy and power. For example, many posters used figures, such as Lenin, as the focus point of the design. They would likely be seen larger in comparison to the other people shown on the design, as it would establish their position in power and demonstrate their ability to rule and command.

Design Process

brief

• analyse 
• interpret
• history 
• context

Research

• user/audience
• purpose
• function
• client
• contexts
• histories
• meanings
• social / political

ideation

• concepts
• message
• type choice
• layout 
• colours
• production

(grounded in research)

Development

• Iterative changes
• experiments
• innovation
• multi media
• testing 
• evaluation
• feedback 
• communication

(grounded in research)

Prototypes

• 3 x developed outcomes 
• testing
• feedback
• evaluating

(grounded in research)

Final Outcome

• Developed through iteration
• user-focused
• fulfils the purpose
• meets the brief
• justified in relation to the research
• conceptually driven
• innovation.

Reviewing OUGD504

Did you analyse and interpret the brief?
 - For studio brief 1, the brief was first interpreted as an individual exploration. This meant that working with the client was not first considered. Therefore the brief was not as detailed or specific in regards to working with the clients ideas.
- For studio brief 2, the brief was more thoroughly explored. This meant that the approach to the project was more detailed and involved more possibilities. This was also a brief that allowed for personal preference when it came to what type of project you would be creating.

Did you think about the context of the brief?
 - For studio brief 1, the context wasn't fully considered, which meant the design research and development was less in depth than it could have been.
 - For studio brief 2, the context was more thoroughly explored. This allowed the research to delve deeper into the possibilities of the project.

Did you outline the problem?
 - Studio Brief 1 outlined the problem of finding a way to create an appropriate cooking book for healthy eating.
 - Studio Brief 2 outlined the issue of the amount of young voters who were not registered to vote.

Was the research meaningful and thorough?
 - Studio Brief 1 showed more research into the brief that would be provided to the other person, whereas the received brief from the client showed more thorough research.
 - Studio Brief 2 had more in depth research that explored different avenues and possibilities as to ways of solving the problem.

Did you arrive at some ideas through research?
 - Studio Brief 1 allowed for more idea generation, as there were more opportunities to work in groups, as well as working closely with the client.
 - Studio Brief 2 was explored through the political research and the app stores. This brought about ideas for the interface's layout and colour schemes.

Did you generate more than 1 conceptual idea?
 - For Studio Brief 1, the conceptual ideas included creating a book suited for travel, a book that would be waterproof and a modern take on the traditional cooking book.
 - For Studio Brief 2, conceptual ideas included the creation of a games app, the creation of a political app and a combination of the two.

Did you generate multiple visual/creative solutions?
- For studio brief 1, more visual idea generations could have further led to more innovative design. However after researching the different competitors, several solutions could be proposed.
 - For Studio Brief 2, there were more visual solutions that were proposed during the early stages. Later in the project these ideas could then be finalised and used for the layout.

Did you develop several possible solutions? 
 - Studio Brief 1 included limited solutions to the problem. More idea generation early in the project could have led to alternative solutions in terms of the approach.
 - Studio Brief 2 showed that the app could be explored both as a political app and an interactive game. However other ideas could have been proposed in order to find alternative solutions.

Did you go through an iterative process of experimentation and improvement?
 - Studio brief 1 lacked much experimentation as the cost for printing the publication was expensive. However, it could have alternatively been beneficial to first try the different paper types and binding methods before arriving at a final outcome.
 - Studio Brief 2 showed there were more experimentation moments. However, to improve on this a digital wireframe of the app would have helped the outcome to show more detail.

Did you proposed number of possible solutions as prototypes?
 - Studio Brief 1 could have been tested in terms of the printing and the binding for the publication.
 - Studio Brief 2 could have proposed a digital wireframe of a working app prototype.

Did you test and experiment with your production process?
- Through peer review and critique it was possible to gather feedback on what layouts and type were appropriate for studio brief 1.
- Studio Brief 2 included more experimentation as the app features were reviewed and a certain wire framing could then be established.

Did you leave enough time to ensure your final outcome was as good as it could be? 
 - If time management was more controlled during studio brief 1, a better outcome could have been produced. This would probably have included the use of a hardback cover and different binding.
 - The only thing to improve on studio brief 2 would be the production of a navigable app as a result of the wire framing layout.

Studio Brief 1 - KFC bucket design idea generation

Initial ideas

To begin ideas for the design of the KFC bucket, it is first necessary to look at the key intentions of the company. This way the brand's image and aspirations are incorporated in the design.

• Togetherness - The brand is known for having products that are shared among people. By looking at design that is made for families or other groups, it may be possible to get inspiration for the new KFC bucket.
• Food content - KFC are passionate about the food they sell and show their customers that the chicken they use is regulated and humanely maintained. 
• Heritage - The brand is reflective of its history in southern USA. Marketing this geographical location can be appealing to audiences, as it allows them to visualise the heritage of the food.
• Simplistic - The design is always simple, using just a handful of colours from the same colour scheme. Trying new colours may bring uniqueness to the design.

Having looked at some previous designs for the KFC bucket, as well as the advertisements for the company, it is clear that the brand likes to keep the design simple. This limitation of colour use and imagery allows for the food to be the focus presentation when served in it's packaging. This will mean that creating a design that it simple, but enticing will be the best option. Some food and drink companies use design as a way to mimic certain flavours. This helps the customer visualise the taste of a product, from the subtle shapes and design choices, shown on the packaging. One example of this would be the use of sharp edged shapes, such as a star, as it is almost representative of sharp flavours. This is mostly found in foods that contain spices, or in drinks such as larger, as they have zesty, sharp flavours.

This inclusion of shapes may give the audience a hint as to what the product tastes like. Particularly in the case of KFC, their chicken recipe contains 11 different herbs and spices. The design is also likely to be celebratory of the brand in a way that will attract a wide variety of audiences, but primarily the target audience of 18 - 34 year olds.

As shown here, the design for the bucket involved the use of the 3 main colours used throughout KFC's branding. In addition to the main colours, other shades of the red were added to give the designs variety and mimicked an image of different flavours. The choice of the small stars in the design were used as a way to visualise a sense of Southern American influence. 

The use of stars could also be seen in a different way, as Synaesthesia allows for the design to entice the viewer into thinking about the flavours, without them having to see the food. The decision to use red stripes or banners was to give the design a celebratory feel which would be attractive to most of the targeted audience. The inclusion of the brands Colonel Sanders logo was also necessary, as it is a staple part of the brand's image and is frequently re-used.

Studio Brief 1 - KFC bucket design research

Research into KFC

• Founded in Kentucky, USA, KFC has been one of the world's leading competitors among popular fast-food restaurants, since 1930. It's iconic fried chicken has been known across the world, yet still to this day the recipe remains a secret. 

• Colonel Sanders is the founder of the company and has become an iconic, recognisable figure for the brand. His face is feature on the majority of KFC's product branding and advertisement. For example, the logo used on the packaging for the food shows the face of Colonel Sanders.
  

• When looking at the design for the brand, it is clear that throughout the different platforms and avenues that the company advertises their products, the same style is applied. This includes the simple colour choice of red, white and black. 
  

As far as the design goes for the company, it remains minimalist and reinforces the same patterns and colours throughout its branding. For example, the KFC website features a white backdrop with the red and black used for text or pictograms. This simple reinforced use of the colour scheme allows for the photographs and videos to become the main focus. This means that the only other colour use is through the showcasing of the food itself.

Many of the advertisements for KFC show a sense of togetherness, friendship or family. This way they are marketing their products to a wider range of people and they market their food in a way that shows it to bring people together. An example of this would be the marketing of the KFC family bucket, as its purpose is to provide food for all the family and is to be shared. This marketing strategy is clever in the way that it can provide an enticing 'want' from the viewers, while teaching them that it is better to share with one another when eating together.

Here are several examples of the marketing advertisements by KFC, that feature the marketing strategies.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGpeQkoS3ps&list=PL5D0EC821DD42D261&index=7
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI22NT5LhJA&index=8&list=PL5D0EC821DD42D261
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtgPcYc81co&index=9&list=PL5D0EC821DD42D261

 The next step was to look at existing or previous designs for the KFC bucket. This way, several ideas could then be established as to how the company wants to target their audience. As shown here, the KFC buckets are reliant on the red, white and black colour scheme that the company uses through its branding. These colours give the viewer a sense of origin of the company, including Kentucky where the recipes originated. By doing this the company is representing its heritage and using this as a driving force for the brand.

It may also be beneficial to look at ways in which the origin of the brand could be incorporated into the design elements of the project. Looking at original design for KFC's packaging, that would have been used in the past will allow for an idea of how the brand has changed over time.

Here is an example of an original KFC bucket from 1969, along side a retro version of the bucket. With the original, we can see that the company used the face of the colonel in a 50s/60s illustrative style, with typeface that reflects the time period. The modernised retro version of the bucket uses the original style and reuses the illustrative design, while remaining minimal when it comes to the colour scheme.

Studio Brief 1 - Animal Farm - Design exploration

To begin creating ideas for Animal farm, it is first necessary to look at the design used during the Russian Revolution of 1917. This will include the art movements that were present during the time, the colour and layout schemes used in the design in this era and the ways in which they were responsive to society, in Russia. Looking at the methods of production at this time will further provide an understanding of the ways in which the art was distributed and presented. This will include the printing methods and where the designs would be published. Once an understanding of this background context is established, it will then be possible to gather appropriate content to use in the design stages of the project. 

To begin exploration into the design, looking at pre-war art was one way to understand where the art movements had come from. The most notable movement of art in Russia between 1890 and 1930 was the Russian Avant-Garde movement. Although it is believed to have existed prior to 1890 and beyond 1930, the Avant-Garde movement included several other movements within it. Kazamir Malevich is known to be one of the prominent figures of the Avant-Garde movement, when he founded the Suprematism art movement, around 1913. Other figures include El Lissitzky, Marc Chagall, Alexander Rodchenko and Vasily Kandinsky.

•   Suprematism - This movement included the use of geometric shapes, produced using a limitation of colours. The most famous of these being Malevich's Black Square, in 1915. This piece was representative of forms floating weightlessly through infinity. The point of the movement was to create art that would depict its own world, rather than reflect our own.

Black Square - Kazamir Malevich (1915)

http://www.tate.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/grid-normal-12-cols/public/images/malevich5.jpg?itok=UNiDJF4D

Beat the whites with the red wedge - El Lissitzky (1919)

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/6c/11/28/6c1128c2ab13092560d298c60ea8a6b4--red-wedges-russian-constructivism.jpg

•   Futurism – It is thought that the literary group Hylaea created this art movement, in 1912. Futurism was expressive art, which often concerned the fascination with speed, relentlessness and dynamism of modern machines. This type of art was commonly found in Russian literature, with many of its artists using poetry as a platform of expression.

Portrait of Ivan Kliun - Kazamir Malevich (1913)

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjz4s6ViZbYAhXNRt8KHUzFAVIQjBwIBA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fuploads7.wikiart.org%2Fimages%2Fkazimir-malevich%2Fportrait-of-ivan-kliun-1913-1.jpg&psig=AOvVaw1rK8GENvVfl_eY_cSgFmiN&ust=1513772773923995

•   Neo-Primitivism – Derived from several other modern art movements, Neo-Primitivism was a combination of styles such as Cubism, Futurism and traditional Russian ‘folk-art’. Notable figures of this movement include Marc Chagall and Aleksandr Shevchenko.

Rain - Marc Chagall (1911)

https://i0.wp.com/www.guggenheim.org/wp-content/uploads/1911/01/76.2553.63_ph_web.jpg

On a whole, the Avant-Garde movement was a wide variety of possibilities for Russian art during the early 20^th century. Today we can still see mannerisms of these styles in modern graphic design. One of the most notable uses of these early design theories was the propaganda.

We can often recognize the style of this art, by the heavy use of red as its primary colour. This minimalist colour scheme was reflective of the proletariat of society and would show the power that working class people of the Russian Revolution had. Often, the red colour would be paired with either white or black for startling visual combination. However, it is also known that sometimes yellow, blue and green would be present in the style.

Russian Constructivism is an iconic form of design and ever since the time period in which it was created, this style has been reinforced in different ways over the last 100 years. Today, the style exists in popular culture and is widely used for businesses that wish to project the aesthetic of the Russian Revolution. The style is also easily identified by the disparate typeface, which uses varied sized letters that would not have been composed in the same manner as the traditional forms of Russian design. The letters for this style of design would have also been taken from different sources, combining serif font with sans serif. Constructivism was also present in architecture throughout the 20^th century, influencing some of the greatest movements, including the Bauhaus.

Avant-Garde eventually became replaced by a new style of art in Russia, around 1932. This was when Russian Realism would be introduced, suppressing the existing individual practices. In its place, Russian Realism reflected an ideal image of Russia during Stalin’s reign. This would also show authority over other forms of art, ushering them out in a way that would show them to be inferior to the new style.

Methods of production
Many of the styles found during the Avant-Garde period would have been painted using oil on canvas. This was particularly the case for movements such as Suprematism and futurism. On the other hand, the style of the propaganda during the 40s would have been produced using different printing methods. These methods included chromolithograph, intaglio, lithograph, silkscreen printing and more. These prints would have either been distributed as posters in public places or they would have been handed out as leaflets and pamphlets. Occasionally, these leaflets would have been dropped from planes so that they could quickly be disbursed to a wide area.

Studio Brief 1 - Animal Farm research

Animal farm summary

George Orwell wrote Animal Farm and had the book published in 1944. The book is basically an allegory for the Russian Revolution of 1917, and a reflection of how the overthrown capitalist government was replaced by a different hierarchy in the process. The imagined world of Animal Farm is a dystopia, were the events and setting are far worse than the reality of real life.

Synopsis

Inspired by the ideas of animalism and the philosophy of a recently deceased pig named Old Major, the animals on the Manor farm form an uprising against Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones, the owner of the farm, and his men are chased from the farm by the animals. This rebellion is led by Napoleon and Snowball, who become prominent figure of the uprising. The seven commandments of the animals are also painted on the barn.

The pigs on the farm prove themselves to be the most intelligent and take control of supervising the animals. Napoleon becomes power hungry, which is shown when he steals apples and the cows milk to feed the pigs. Another pig, Squealer convinces the other animals on the farm that the pigs are correct in their moral decisions. Later comes The Battle of the Cowshed, in which Jones and his men try to reclaim the farm but are defeated due to the tactics of Snowball. In the fall, Napoleon opposes the proposed plans of Snowball, to build a windmill, which will provide the animals with electricity and therefore more leisure time. When the decision is due to be held to vote among the animals, Napoleon makes a pack of dogs chase Snowball off the farm forever. At this point Napoleon takes full control, telling the animals that there will no longer be debates on decisions.

Napoleon then later claims the idea to build the windmill was his own and that plans to build it will go ahead. For the next year, the windmill is under construction with Boxer the horse proving to be one of the most useful animals for the task. Meanwhile, Jones decides to move to another part of the country. Napoleon hires a solicitor to begin trading with neighboring farms, which goes against the principles of animalism. Snowball is blamed for the toppled windmill, which is destroyed in a storm. The animals are then ordered to start rebuilding the windmill.

Napoleon is later seen as a dictator on the farm as he starts to force "confessions" from the animals. The animals are then fed to the dogs in front of the other animals as a show of force and power. The pigs move into the farmer's house, sleeping in the beds and eating the majority of the food available to the animals. Once the windmill is completed, Napoleon sells timber to Jones. Fredrick, who pays for the timber in forged bank notes, then attacks the windmill with his men but is defeated after it is exploded.

The seven commandments of animalism are then revisited, with some rules being altered as the pigs disobey these commandments. After a few years the farm expands when Napoleon purchases two fields from neighboring farm, owned by Pilkington. Life on the farm has also worsened for all the animals, except for the pigs that are in control. The pigs then continue to take the form of their human oppressors, by walking on their hind legs. The seven commandments of the farm are reduced to just one: "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others".

The book ends with Napoleon, the pigs and Pilkington playing cards in Jones' house. Both characters argue when they try to play the ace of spades. As the other animals watch from the window, they cannot tell the difference between the pigs and the human.

Key points

•   The book reflects the Russian Revolution of 1917, but also the personal views of George Orwell. He believed that the problem of poverty lay in socialism.

•   George Orwell believed that people could only share the rewards of production and distribution if the state controlled them. This theory is reflected throughout the book.

•   The animals in the book, particularly the pigs, show human characteristics in their actions.

•   The time period in which the author grew up and when the book was written would have been during a time of conflict in the world. It was also a time when many dictatorships were around, which is reflective in the book.

•   Animalism is reflective of capitalism in real life.

•   The story centres on power, uprisings, betrayal, greed and hypocrisy. 

•   The main animals in the story are the pigs, which are most representative of greed in capitalism.

•   Squealer, the pig could be seen as a representation of propaganda and false information provided to the general population. This is similar to how governments lie to their people in order to remain in power.

Commandments

•   Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.

•   Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.

•   No animal shall wear clothes.

•   No animal shall sleep in a bed.

•   No animal shall drink alcohol.

•   No animal shall kill any other animal.

•   All animals are equal.

References to explore

•   Capitalism - Typography used in 1917 Russia

•   Communism - Russian typography/design

•   Propaganda

•   Farm animals

•   1917 design/1944 design

•   Design used during the war

•   The windmill in the book

•   Napoleon

•   Hierarchy

•   Commandments

•   Previous covers of the book.

•   The Marber grid system

Studio Brief 2 - Collaborative practice research

Once several briefs had been researched with the project partner, it was clear that the best option for a collaboration was to choose the YCN Bumble brief. In this brief, the task is to 'Create a new campaign targeting students, which promotes Bumble as a complete social networking app where users can not only find a romantic partner, but also a friend or a business partner.' This will mean looking into different existing apps as well as campaigns, that encourage people to meet online or the ways in which advertising can be used as a tool to reach the intended audience. In this case, the audience will be students that are looking for friends or relationships online. Therefore research into student activity may also be necessary.

To start the research, looking at Bumble's creators, original app and purpose will provide an idea of what the brand wants to communicate with its audience. It will also provide an idea of the aesthetic used to appeal to their audience and how this may be reinforced during later stages of the project.

Whitney Wolfe Herd - Founder and CEO of Bumble
Originally starting off as one of the co-founders of Tinder, Whitney Wolfe began her career in technology when she became vice-president of the marketing sector for Tinder. It is also noted that she came up with the idea to name the app Tinder and use a flame for its logo identity. During the 2 years between 2012, when she joined Tinder and 2014 when she left, Wolfe was credited for her involvement in growing the user base for the app by popularising it on college campuses. It is alleged that she left the company after conflict with other executives and later filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the app, for which she received $1 million in compensation. It wasn't until Andrey Andreev, the founder of dating app Badoo, contacted Wolfe in the attempt to partner with her when creating the Bumble app. In December 2014, she then relocated to Austin, Texas and together they started the app, with the unique principle of allowing only women to make first contact with matches on the app. It is believed that this system was created in order to prevent unwanted harassment from male users, when contact is first made. The app has since been expanded, when in March of 2016 Bumble introduced the BFF feature, which allows users to make friendships with other users. 

Reviews of Bumble
Bumble has received mixed reviews on the Google Play store, as many believe the idea of a women friendly approach has decreased the chances of matches. On the other hand, many reviews from women show that the principles of the app are more appealing to them, as this gives them more of an opportunity to filter out the people they do not want to match with. These reviews are evidence that males may need to be enticed more than women, when it comes to promoting the app to the public.

App Layout / Design

By looking at the layout and design of the app, it may provide an idea of what aesthetic should be taken and how to approach communication with the audience. Looking at the content will allow for insight into the features of the app, as well as what could be improved about the app. Furthermore, it will be easier to understand how to approach the advertising campaign and how it can be applied to public space.

As soon as the app is opened, the aesthetic of the company is clearly visible within the first few pages of the introduction. The idea for Bumble, centres around themes of connectivity, much like a beehive.

The app straight away provides the user with a selection of navigations to choose from, whether they want to seek out dates, new friends or if they wish to network with professionals. The idea of a match expiry also establishes that female users have more control over the app than male users.

Much in the same way that Tinder is constructed, the Bumble app shows users the photos of the potential matches or the professional work they have. This allows the users to quickly swipe through the profiles and find a match quicker.

Studio Brief 1 - Individual practice

As part of the individual practice brief, it was first necessary to look at the different briefs available for this module. Researching the briefs also allows you to understand how to manage the time between briefs.

Potential briefs

• RSA - Fair Play brief. (re-design the packaging and advertising for a toy)
• Penguin student design award - Adult fiction cover award for Animal Farm
• YCN - Action on hearing loss
• YCN - Bumble (An app aimed at students where users can find romantic relationships, friends and business opportunities)
• YCN - KFC - recreate the bucket design for the company.

Ideas

Penguin student award.

• This type of brief is recognisable and has previously been done before. Therefore, it will be more manageable when it comes to the process and structure of the task at hand. Choosing this brief will also allow for thorough feed back during peer critique sessions, which will in turn help with the design and context of the brief.

YCN - Action on hearing / KFC

• These two briefs are also smaller in their tasks and offer a more narrow direction in which to explore the brief. For the action on hearing brief, it may be beneficial to look at existing medical logos and design, as a reference to the process of the brief and for further inspiration on how to tackle it. For the KFC brief it would be beneficial to first look at the previous designs for the bucket, competitors of the company and their core intentions. This will help to build up an idea of what the brand wants to communicate to their audience.