Final

My final is now finished and ready to handin. I am pleased with my results asides from a few type issues. 

digi output bureau and critique

I researched digi output bureaus and came to the conclusion that The Big Picture would be the best bet. They told me to format my brochure in a single page pdf with a 3-5mm bleed. I created the bleed on Indesign, and when my final brochure is complete i will make into a pdf.

We had a critique, and i realised that i needed to alter a number of things on my brochure, including type and utilising grid. These elements will result in a better composition overall for my booklet.

Critique and mock up booklet

Today in class we had a critique of our mock up brochure. I found this critique extremely productive, and i feel like I'm in a steady direction of what I'm doing. It was interesting as well seeing what everyone else had done. To get a good idea of the stage we're at.

Developments

I have been experimenting with dropping my compositions into a grid, and following the typography set of rules, to create successful spreads. However, i feel like i may need to revisit the type and neaten it up a bit better. Besides from that though, I'm happy with the results.

Workshop extra page

Today in class we thought about the extra pages in our booklet, We talked with our peers about how we could effectively utilise these pages, to create visual flow for our spreads. I considered a photography based last spread, but then realised if i focused on that too much it might create too much of a contrast between the balance of illustration and photography, and full on photography.

Critique and Type

Today in class, we had a critique on our spread compositions. I found the advice from my peers extremely helpful and productive. This allowed me to carry on with my assignment with much more confidence than before and a strong sense of direction.

Learning about type also helped a lot in developing my spreads. I also began working on my 3 features further. making their aesthetic more cohesive with the look I've chosen.

Mock-ups

This week, i re-looked at the brief and my workbook to further understand what was required. I played with different mediums and researched more artist models to draw from. From doing this i believe i am creating much better compositions and mockups than before.

Grids and composition

Today we focused on grids as an essential tool to structure our compositions. We began this exercise by ruling grids on magazine compositions. This will be a very important technique to ensure my designs are neat and controlled.

Visual language, style and aesthetic

Today in class we looked at artist inspirations and examples to draw from in creating successful compositions. We mainly focused on the moods and feelings the design inspirations portrayed and how how we can effectively translate that into our own design.

We also had a critique, where i got a good idea of where i'm at.

Visual cues, inspiration and patters

Over the week, i found some inspiration for the aesthetic of my brochure. This consisted mostly of Mexican and southern american designers. The colours, line and textures were all interesting and visually effective.

I struggled with the visual cues and pattern exercise at first, but when i created mood boards it made it a lot easier to come up with ideas. Also drawing from my artist inspiration and design books. What i learnt from this, was to gather as much information, visual examples as possible before i jump right into a process like this.

I also made some quick compositions on photoshop, incorporating pattern and inspiration from design book layouts.

Compositions

Last night, i photocopied, cut and pasted different composition ideas. I created about 15 pieces, and selected 2 i thought were the best. In class today we had a critique which i found extremely helpful in developing these ideas further. I also played with patterns relating to my locations and how i can create emotive responses through colour.

Visual Resources

Throughout last week, i spent a lot of time collecting visual resources for my project. This involved sourcing secondary research and primary research. The secondary research i gathered were reviews online and menus from the locations. I began my primary research by visiting my locations and documenting the vibe/feelings/emotions i gathered from the place. This helped me differentiate the locations to begin further research. I visited the bars the next day, around lunch time(when they are most quiet) to take photos. I also wrote up a questionnaire which i asked the manager of each place to fill out. Along with a few pictures, all this visual research proved to be very useful to me in gathering a further understanding of my locations. The class critique helped me realise which visual imagery i collected was strong, or unnecessary.