Studio Brief 1 - Design Is About Doing - Secret 7"

Teen Vogue Magazine:

On creating Lorde:
"I came up with the name Lorde after looking through aristocratic titles. 'Lord' is a super masculine word, so I added an 'e' to make it feminine. [Her real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor.] I like the musician James Blake, but I also listen to Drake and Nicki Minaj. For me, rapping is a barely contained dream. When it comes to career goals, if I think of myself as cool in five years, then I'm doing all right."

VH1 Interview

Lorde’s obsession with aristocracy carries over into her smash single, “Royals,” which was just covered in concert by Selena Gomez. While Gomez lives the life of a rich and famous teen pop queen, Lorde wanted the song and music video to reflect her humble roots and the humdrum lifestyles of average teens.

Lorde explained, “I guess I just wanted to portray the side of being a teenager which isn’t like super glamorous or whatever. Half the time it’s really boring and terrible. You don’t want to be there.”

Interview Magazine

AGE: 16

HOMETOWN: I'm a Kiwi. I'm from a beach suburb called Takapuna, which is on the north shore of Auckland in New Zealand. I go to Takapuna Grammar School, where I'm studying for an International Baccalaureate. It's busy!

THE REAL LORDE: My name is Ella, that's who I am at school, hanging out with friends, while I'm doing homework. But when I'm up on stage, Lorde is a character. My friends actually find that really difficult to digest, separating me from the theatrical character they see on stage [laughs]; but they're getting used to it. When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought ‘Lord' was super rad, but really masculine—ever since I was a little kid, I have been really into royals and aristocracy. So to make Lord more feminine, I just put an ‘e' on the end! Some people think it's religious, but it's not.

FINDING TIME FOR HIGH SCHOOL: My parents are really onto it; they know what young people need. My mum takes my iPhone off me at night, because I need to do homework and sleep, otherwise I'd spend all night on Facebook and Instagram. I'm in year 11, my second-to-last year of school. I love learning, but at the same time I love being in the studio and learning new things there. My parents are pretty good; they understand what I really want. If I do decide to leave school at the end of this year, that's a bridge we'll cross. But I do, one day, still really want to go to University, to study media and film probably.

FINDING A CAREER IN MUSIC: As a young teen, I went to a lot of David Lynch films, I read a lot of strange books, I loved to go to the museum all day. I was that kid. I liked to hang out with people older than me, I didn't really know what I wanted to do—writing and singing was just a hobby. But sometime in the last 18 months, working on The Love Club with Universal, I was just like, "This is what I want to do." Now I'm travelling to New York because of it! I've watched so many movies [about New York], but I've never really travelled, I've never even been on a plane, so I'm very excited.

THE DEBUT EP: Around the middle of last year I started listening to a lot of rap, like Nicki Minaj and Drake, as well as pop singers like Lana Del Rey. They all sing about such opulence, stuff that just didn't relate to me—or anyone that I knew.  I began thinking, "How are we listening to this? It's completely irrelevant." I basically just wrote what we were all thinking. I tend to start with a full set of lyrics, and then my producer, Joel Little, and I work on the music collaboratively. As I've become more musically competent, we'll start with a beat, but everything revolves around the lyrics. I wanted to put the EP up for free because being teenager, and not having a credit card—I mean, who has a credit card at 16?!—I just thought people my age would appreciate it.

DEALING WITH HER RISING FAME: That's the good thing about starting off in New Zealand, there is absolutely no concept of  "celebrity" or fame. "Famous" people here, likeShortland Street actors, you all have mutual friends on Facebook, you know? Yeah, people are starting to recognize me now, which is kind of weird. But in New Zealand, it's easy to hide from that stuff. I think I'm really lucky to have a great family... I go to a public school, and you know, it's been a really hot summer here... and when I walk into class and my entire back is covered in sweat, I'm like, "I'm definitely not that cool." I think growing up in New Zealand, it's easy to keep grounded. But I have two sisters, one older and one younger, and it's fun for them. I've started to be given all this free stuff, so I give it to them. [laughs]

DOWNTIME: I go out a lot. But bearing in mind the drinking age, which is 18 in New Zealand, I just spend a lot of time not being asleep.  I go to house parties in the suburbs. I love photography; I'll sometimes go down to this quarry in Auckland that they've leveled out to create this kind of manufactured Pleasantville suburb called Stonefields. My friends who can drive (I'm not allowed to get my license yet, they've raised the age here) take me there sometimes; we fool around and take lots of pictures. But at the moment, I'm concentrating on the new album. I have a really cool idea for a song, so even though it's Saturday, I'll be going into the studio to figure that out.

After looking at all the information I have found about Lorde, that I believe is relevant, I came to the conclusion that she is quite a strong character and fairly mature for her age. Her opinions are strong and her determination is apparent, her headstrong characteristics are reflected in her stage name, it could come across quite arrogant but it seems she is strong willed and persistent in getting her message across.

I remembered I had looked at this book last year so I went back to the library to see if I could find some good examples inside. 

Ochs, M (2005). 1000 Record Covers. Germany: Taschen . p526 p622 p528.

These two caught my eye due to the range of similar colours used alongside each other. The simplicity of the designs allows for a lot of colour as it doesn't overcrowd it, I'm not sure I like the orange and the pink next to each other in the Pet Shops Boys cover it feels as though they are too similar and begin to merge into one, it is hard for our eyes to distinguish between the two. 

This ties in with the research for my essay with the key theme that 'sex sells.' This is a good example of how something doesn't even have to connote the song but can just be shocking or appealing to a certain audience. Flash is a rock band and the target audience of this is males, they would find this visually attractive and would pick up on it immediately. 

Hypgnosis: Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd - Storm Thorgerson

One of the most famous album cover designs known to majority of people, designed by Thorgerson 1973. Although I understand why this is a good, clean design I wouldn't say that it was one of the best that I have seen. I say this mainly because I feel that it is quite 2D with little visual depth, it doesn't make me want to go pick it up or question the designs meaning. I like that there is only a slight bit of colour used, that catches my attention as it contrasts the dark background, similar to this the white also offers a stark difference that allows it to stand out more. It feels slightly bland, it would be interesting to see how it would look on different types of stock that have more texture, I feel this would make it more interesting.

Hipgnosis: Brand X - Unorthodox Behaviour - Aubrey Powell/Peter Chistopherson 

Consistency throughout a design is something that I really like and seems to be something that often catches my eye. The lines running up the design almost create a steady constant rhythm, broken by something that draws the intrigued audience in. It makes me question who that man is and who he is hiding from or looking for? My eyes are first drawn to the character behind the blinds due to the broken symmetry, followed closely by being drawn to the title and song title. This hierarchy happens quickly and all information is gathered easily it is not confusing but clearly presents all key information with an interesting design behind.

Rafale - Rock it, Don't stop it

Usually if I saw an album cover with this many colours I would be put off immediately but because of the simplicity of the design and the simple block colour background I think it works really well. The colours feel warm and friendly with just hints of cold and dark colours, this could be a connotation of the song perhaps. Again symmetry is something I find makes a design more visually pleasing to the audience and this is a great example of it due to the simple dome shape used as a base. The title in the center at the top makes it easily readable, I like the chunky font used, it is dominant and feels simple and in keeping with the theme. 

Warpaint - Chis Cunningham 

Composition is a key element I believe to creating a successful album cover design, I either prefer the design to be way off centre perhaps in a corner or dead central and the main focus of the 7 x 7 area. In this case we are drawn straight to the woman in the centre, the three overlapped photos enhance the depth and layers and make it feel more creative. The use of opacity here makes it slightly confusing but easy to decipher the figures as its surroundings are very simple with little distraction.  It seems as though just three colours have been used here but overlapping them has created a whole spectrum in between this, the colours are bright and quite warm with connotations of happiness, this slightly juxtaposes the dark womans' expression in the center. 

Peter Saville - Unknown Pleasures (Joy Division)

The use of lines is something I really appreciate, they can be so simple alone but make something much more complex when used together. The points at which the ends of the lines stop creates a defined edge with using any vertical lines, this almost creates an illusion of shape. There is no exact symmetry in the shape of the 'mountains' but I think overall there is a general match of either side. I feel as though this could have been made a lot more exciting if the lines were coloured or even if the background was a different colour, although I think the composition and layout is good I don't think I would be drawn to this in a shop if I hadn't ever seen it before. 

Art director: Richard Robinson, Photographer: Mads Perch

The bright colours were what attracted me to this design in particular, I love the mixture of colours and how they seem to blend into one, I think this is a rare occasion where lots of colours together work. I haven't listened to the song because I wanted to look at these album covers and base my opinion on only the design, in this case I would presume the song is bright and happy, I also think that it may have some hidden message or theme due to the blurriness. The blurriness is continued in the typography, as it is broken and disjointed, I like how it is still readable but an average typeface hasn't been used, it makes it look more creative and appealing.

Repetition is something that seems to catch my eye often when looking for inspiration in design, I like a flow or continual use of an object or shape to create a pattern. I immediately thought of the moon cycle when I saw this, it looks like it shows the positioning of them moon orbiting although I am unsure why there is a break. Alternatively a second connotation led me to believe that the break was there so that the letter 'C' was created, a faint shadow around the edge also highlights the presence of the letter 'O'. These are the two letters which represent the words 'Out Cold.'

Deception is something that I believe captures the audience, it is a trick that makes them look deeper into the design and appreciate the quality of it. In this case the birds wings seem to overlap onto one another making it slightly confusing to decipher which wings belong to which birds. This is my favourite design that I have seen so far, I like the central positioning and the white space around it. There is no colour but the black and white brings a strong presence and the white connotes peace and sincerity, this compensates the lack of colour. It would be interesting to see how maybe just one colour would look added into the design and if this would throw the balance of illusion. 

Studio Brief 1 - Design Process - Frame (Photoshop)

Debenhams 

I believe that Debenhams sells quality products at a higher class than most stores, I figured that to look at their presentation of the photo frames and the backings used would prove useful when comparing to that of a lower standard. I think that both internet sales and store sales should be compared regarding the presentation and how they are put across to the public to see which I think is the most affective. Here looking at the website I find that first of all it seemed quite plain and the red glared in comparison to the clinical white background. The colour separation did however make the price and reductions clear I just feel the typeface used was boring and so is the colour scheme, I think a serif font would have been more appropriate to demonstrate more class and character.

These photo frames have a regal, sophisticated connotation because of the gold reflective outer that represents shiny expensive gold. The photo backing is particularly plain and neutral with a minimal pattern that doesn't seem to communicate much to the audience or represent the frame its self. the benefit of a plain background however is that the dimensions are bold and are the first piece of information that my eyes are drawn to.

I personally feel this photo frame has little personality, it has a strange texture, something that I believe would not fit well into many living rooms. The backing photo is slightly more interesting than the previous example, I still find that it doesn't necessarily communicate to a specific audience but I feel that the interlinking pattern shows relationships, something that is often portrayed in the image put into the frame.

These very simple photo frames were displayed quite inconveniently, stacked oddly and not showing them off particularly well. The simple and modern frame is contrasted by the stark yellow photo backing image, I think this makes it look quite cheap and the only benefit is that the writing stands out from afar.

The backing photo here is my least favourite in the Debenhams range, the grey background itself does not fit in with the colours of the frame but the neon writing tops it off as a disaster. The neon is unnecessary and the readability is limited unless studied at close range. The frame is unisex from my point of view but the backing photo seems feminine and therefore narrows the audience to which it could be sold to.

Tk Maxx

Compared to the higher end website of Debenhams I prefer this one of TK Maxxs', the images are spread more evenly and there is no text overlapping the images clouding the view. I think that orange works much brighter than red as it has much warmer and friendlier connotations and brings a more inviting feel to the page. The layout is easy and description is minimal, something I think is quite minimal, the actual frame should sell itself.

On the other hand the photo frames being sold within the store are arranged haphazardly and in a very unorganised manor. There seems to be no structure or plan, more of a jumble sale feel of odd bits, this makes it look unprofessional and an effort to search through to find one you want.

Here is anther example of how the frames are badly presented although the image on this one was clear at least. The idea of a woman sleeping represents only tiredness or boredom, neither of which would encourage to buy the photo frame, I think the idea was to communicate peacefulness and tranquility. 

I like the backing used in this photo frame, although it doesn't engage it is still in keeping with the theme of the frame. The colour and texture of the paper represents that of parchment paper which has historical context to compliment the old style frame. I understand why the brand name would need to be in large text but I think the dimensions should be visible also as they are more important to the buyer.

Man Ray

These photograms created by man ray are some of the more famous photograms ever made, I was introduced to them a few years ago but only this week have I come to appreciate them more through coming across my own difficulties. I thought that they were fairly simple and even a little boring but now my view of them has changed as I look more in depth and understand how complicated they are. I particularly the textured feel of the top one, it looks almost as though there is a thin mesh covering over the objects, this breaks down the image so it isn't an overwhelming large block of colour. 

Unlike the first image the composition of the second image is uncomfortable and doesn't sit well, I can't see how the rule of thirds or any other simple guidelines have been used, it looks strange to me and takes away from the crisp clear objects which in themselves are very interesting. 

"Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask 'how', while others of a more curious nature will ask 'why'. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information."

- Man Ray

Anna Atkins

Anna Atkins seems to focus on creating the 'perfect' photogram, the leaves she has used here look to be picked fresh rather than dead on the floor, this gives a really precise image as the leaves have no defects. I may try a combination of dead and alive leaves and compare the results. 

Anna Atkins

This is what I am aiming for when creating my images apart from mine will be black and white not colour, which I personally think distinguishes objects a lot clearer using this process. Seeing the structure of the leaves reminds me of ghosts due to the opacity but also has connotations of sturdiness and fragility, a strange juxtaposition. 

Anna Atkins

I like the composition of this photogram, the feathers don't sit within the border they float of the edges on all four sides using the page well and allowing space. The audiences eyes are drawn to the edges of the page rather than focusing in the same spot, the eyes travel in an anti clockwise direction due to the pattern the leaves are placed. 

Anna Atkins

The first thing I noticed about this image was that even though it is 2D there seems to be a perspective, the dandelion head looks further away and its stem looks to be protruding from the page. I personally would have let the stem come off the bottom of the page without seeing the end of it but I think this works surprisingly well. The leaf piece that is layer horizontally I think is slightly unnecessary and the image would still be successful had this not been placed here, it would have looked mrs simple but striking in my opinion.  

Alphabet Soup (1)

I decided that it would be a good idea to watch 'Helvetica' - the documentary by Hustwit so that I felt I knew about Helvetica, its origin and how it became what it is today. I really enjoyed the film, I was surprised by how much it kept me engaged as my preconception would be that my attention span wouldn't last the whole 80 minutes.

I felt much more inspired after watching the movie and constantly took notes on what I thought were key comments or facts throughout the film. Something that I picked up on that I found particularly surprising was the amount of contrasting feelings about this typeface, some designers that thought the world of Helvetica and then there were those who despised it. From the opinion that it can influence the audience with its rhythm and simplicity it is deeply contrasted to being described as predictable, dull and overused. I feel like understand both sides to the argument but I don't feel like I have had enough experience to judge yet. There were a lot of inspirational quotes from many of the designers throughout this film, all which I felt applied to me and my work, 'just because something is legible, doesn't mean it communicates.' I love this phrase by David Carson and it will be one that I remember and take into consideration when creating work.

How did W.W.II have an impact on graphic design?

100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design

 'It felt like the dawn of a new age.' I think it is safe to say that the ending of the war brought to us the beginning of a new graphic design era, one that was so different no one expected it, but just embraced it, sans serif fonts became very popular and using the grid system became the norm.

100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design

From the research that I have done I feel like graphic design became more widely recognised and came into its own within this era, it began to reach out to more people than ever in more ways of communicating than before the war. Even the younger generation as I found out were engaged via interactive magazines that reached out to them, this gives a communal feel and makes me feel as though the spirit of coming together as a country was enforced much more at this stage. Now that I have informed myself a lot more about Helvetica and the history of it and its era I feel that I am well prepared to begin this project with valuable information and necessary facts.

I went to vernon street and loaned Geometry of  Type out of the library after the session just so I could go over what I had learnt and revise the definitions. I found the book really useful, it was very clear with minimal text which made it easy to read.

Alvin Mendosa

The fragmentation of this type has the connotations of something broken that once was whole, this is what I aim to reproduce in my body of work for this piece. I want to create something that looks out of place or uncomfortable.

Neville Brody

Friday 11th October - Interim Crit

The crit for me was really helpful, I felt as though I'd hit a bit of a standstill with ideas but immediately the group gave me new and interesting ways to take my letterforms forward.
- use pins and cotton
- Red and blue, create the 3D effect
- Look at lace making
- Photocopy, test out 3D
- Look at other dimensions
- Anamorphic type

I really like the idea of using pins and threads to represent the dynamic lines that I have been using, this inspired me to play around with some more ideas. Anamorphic type is something I may experiment with too, time depending this could be something that takes my work from 2D to 3D and bring it away from just pen and paper.

This is a piece called 'Boundless' by Lauren Goldblum, I like how it seems completely continuous and there is no break in the entire sentence of the string yet trails off at the edges in several places. I am quite an organised person I don't particularly like how the letters are different sized from a visual perspective but as this as a whole is to represent construction I believe there is a good reason behind this. Goldblum also experiments with light when photographing to create shadow, I feel this is something I could also apply to my work.  

The deception of this design is what I particularly like, the design looks like it is made of a 2D print and a 3D object but it is the clever positioning and angle calculation within the design that makes it seem this way. The illusion it creates is that of a combination between dimensions, if I could create something like this as a typeface, perhaps looking into object and shadow this could look effective.

How does 3D work? I decided that the most common dimension 3D was something I should look into, a read up on how it works and how our eyes perceive things differently and how this relates to our eyes being two inches apart. 

Lo Siento Design

Barcelona-based graphic design studio LoSiento has been exploring 'four dimensional' lettering for at least a year now, honing their craft alongside client projects. As in the iconic cover of Douglas Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach, the 3D object is an ambigram—i.e. it reads from multiple perspectives.

With the word I have been given being dimension I felt it would be appropriate to look into how other designers have taken dimensions further than 2D or 3D. One thing that fascinated me about these 4D creations was the precision, I can imagine it must have taken a lot of time to work out how to physically create something that was visible from different angles. I think the contrast of the hectic physical dimension is contrasted well with the white stock, it needed to be simple as not to over complicate these pieces, it draws attention to the function rather than the form.