(B2) Sticker Trail: Research

Finalised Brief:

Community projects:

Wanting to look at other community project companies, organisations and campaigns so I can understand the way they work better and the types of projects they work on as I'm currently not very well versed in this area.

We Belong here: https://www.webelonghere.co.uk/

Left Bank Leeds: https://www.leftbankleeds.org.uk/

East Street Leeds: https://www.eaststreetarts.org.uk/

Leeds has so many different community organisations and projects happening, it was great to research and find such a wealth of stuff happening in Leeds in such a range!  I feel the project can sit well within these projects as it's directed towards a specific group of people. 

Isometric Studio  - Happy Family Night Market

https://isometricstudio.com/happy-family-night-market

Happy Family Night Market  is an annual, one-day festival that reimagines contemporary Asian American identities through food, art, music, film, and workshops. The organizers approached Isometric to create a new visual identity, spatial graphics, and marketing materials that balance the sheer joy and excitement of the event with a critical approach to Asian cultures and multiplicity.

• What I really like about the branding is the incorporation of images and digital design, there is a contrast between the two but the use of colour creates a connection and prevents either element from looking out of place. 
  - When thinking about this in terms of the Sticker Trail the individual elements can combine to make a number of outcomes.
  - The inclusion of images works well here, and this is something that needs considering within the brief. How to add imagery of varying kinds to the designs? 
• The colour scheme within the project creates a sense of cohesion between the elements, this is considered within the choice of imagery also. 
• The typefaces allow visual consistency across all aspects.
• The folding design is really interesting, it adds another layer of interest the work and helps bring the physicality of the photography in with the digital elements even further. 
  - This would be something to consider within the brief, especially now as events that are presented online can be perceived as online events having more physical elements to the project would work in communicating that the sticker trail is an event taking place in real life. 

The Museum of Us

https://oldkentroad.org.uk/museumofus

The Museum of Us was a free exhibition and series of workshops, events and tours, celebrating the area’s people and history.

• The Museum of Us has a similar idea of applying a digital graphic to a physical image, the graphic they us is consistent in all elements apart from colour, this helps develop a more playful style to the design.
  
• The branding really suits the concept, it presents real people in real life, the photography has a raw, open and honest feel about it which draws the audience in. This appropriate application of simple elements is what propels the design forward, nothing is over complicated it showcases the concept simply and effectively. 
  - This is something to consider in this brief, try to avoid going too over the top and over thinking, when an idea is simple sometimes a design that is more simple works perfectly. 

General Imagery:

Using organic shapes within the design could be an interesting visual.

Need to think about:

- What would these represent?

- Would they need to represent something or is a more ambiguous nature preferred?

- How could it be linked to Chapel Allerton or the idea of a trail/hunt?

Really interesting idea of shapes, using a variety of shapes within the design can create a fun and playful aesthetic. 

- These could then be translated to the stickers people go looking for.

Again another unique shape that also incorporates a stylised typeface (like CA spaces typeface). This image is able to hold large amounts of information, this is something that I need to consider when designing the sticker elements. 

Moodboard, establishing a tone for the project:

Keeping the tone light and playful, don't want it to be too overpowering as the branding needs to accompany people's artwork for the nominations but then be visually interesting when applied to promotional materials. Want it to appeal to a wide range of people and not be too gendered. 

- Main thing throughout the project is to be aware of the context it will be situated in. 

(B2) Sticker Trail: Formalising the brief

What do i need to find out for call with Sarah (CA Spaces):
- Want to clarify what they need
- Discuss branding with them, what have they liked so far, what guidelines to follow etc. 
- Understand the nature of the project to be able to design effectively.

CALL NOTES:

• Call out on social media and email, would need visuals for this that incorporate the branding. Try with CA spaces colours but it’s not essential if this doesn’t work.    
• Once nominations are in (depends on how many they want) create images and vinyl sticker.
• Morely heros, application form has a space for drawing:
• - Some people may send digital files
• - Others may was photo or text only
•  2 aspects: - Call out visuals
  - application form, have a look at Morely heros form.
  - stickers at the end (50 stickers).
• On the side:
  - Those who submit a photo then something could be done with a group of artists (2) Kat and Soph.
  - Send over sophie’s Instagram to sarah.
• Because of public health, would like sticker next to it with coronavirus advice. - could be a standard template or different information next to different stickers.
• Will send over faces of Farsley template.
• Thinking of having a map. Area size Chapel Allerton (but more south) check insta website for living advent map(this folds out to A4). My design can be much more artistic.
• Call out going after Christmas, need to come up with timeline  

To clarify I need to make:

- Sticker template

- Call out design (email)

- Nomination application design

- map

- instagram promo

- Any extras

All should be cohesive with current branding (can change colours if I want).

Typeface: Shrikhand

Colours: 

• FFDD75 (yellow)
• 02725F (green)
• 283A7F (dark blue)
• EF5DA2 (pink)
• 199BB2 (teal)
• EFEEE6 (light cream)

Looking at branding and designs on instagram

Use consistent colour palette (with additions where appropriate)and the same with typefaces used. Website used a slightly different typeface for body text (sans serif typeface) so seems like there is some wiggle room. 

To be thinking of when writing the brief: 

• Needs to suit a range of ages, the trail may be a fun activity for children to do but adults need to be interested too so they can get involved. Should try and appeal to a wide range of people (all genders and ages) who are wanting to be involved in the community.
• Should be mindful of existing branding, needs to work with the brand but still stand out as something exciting and new. 
• Should avoid looking too festive (as it's happening in the new want to avoid connotations of christmas otherwise people might think it is over).

(B2) Live brief: CA Spaces Sticker Trail

Initial request from CA Spaces:

CA: "We wondered if you would be interested in working with us? We are hoping to do the @facesoffarsley model of project in the new year, but need a graphic designer.... do you think you could be interested?"

ME: That sounds great! Do you have any more details of what the project entails? ☺️

CA: "We have templates from farsley, so it would be updating the colours text to fit our branding, then we would do all the leg work of getting nominations, say 50 for example. Then you’d come in taking eg a kids drawing of someone dropping it into the sticker template and then adding on the text eg. “Aunty Sukbir makes the best cakes”. It may be they’d be a few additional posters etc required too, for example there’s a COVID reactive funding pot at the mo but in order to be eligible we’d need to have posters as part of it promoting how to follow COVID guidelines etc."

ME: That sounds fantastic, so you would need an overall sticker template (coherent with your branding), then these be updated with personalised images and text for roughly 50 stickers, and finally a poster design advertising the project (potentially including covid guidelines). Have I got that all right? :)

CA: "Pretty much yeah! Then may be we’d also have lots of stickers that promote “wash your hands” “get tested” “hate Boris” etc around too."

- Really interesting brief, would need to get more information, do research and figure out how to design for the project.
- Need to understand exactly what they want from me, then work on brief sheet. 

Project Evaluation

PRACTICAL:
- The hierarchy of the publication was an element that stood out, the page organisation allows the audience to find the information they need with ease, little cognition allow more attention to be focused on learning the content. 

- The addition of colour made the design more visually engaging for the reader but also worked as a strong tool to assist navigation of the book.

- When physically printing the final publication the perfect binding when slightly wrong, the spin ended up moving position so the bleed didn't fully cover the back. This is something that if I were able to have done myself would've been avoided, however, despite this the bind works well with the publication. 

WORKING THROUGH THE MODULE:
- I felt my work ethic throughout the module has been good, I struggle with written work but as I found the content I was research to be interesting I believe my essay provides an investigative perspective on the topic of book design.

- My practical relates to the essay well as the themes from one feed into the other, when I began to have questions about use of colour or imagery when developing the practical I researched and found answers that were then included in the essay (and vice versa). 

- I could've spent more time at the beginning of the module looking into different ways of answering my essay question through a practical outcome, however I think the direction taken successfully demonstrates the principles I've learnt practically.

ESSAY RESEARCH AND SOURCES:
- The approach to research has been mostly digital this year due to Coronavirus, however, I feel I used a range of sources throughout my research.

- The main source of information came from psychology journals and studies, these provided evidence to support my essay points and were a valid source to use. Other sources came from websites and design blogs, these are still valid but perhaps hold less weight as there has been little investigation done into how they found this information. Some of the websites referenced did have a referencing list to support the points they made. 

Final Essay - Full

Project Statement

DRAFT:

How did it go well?
- The balance between practical and essay felt even throughout the project, I was able to research theory and have it flow through to the practical with ease so they could progress in unison.
What have you achieved?
- Because of this module I’ve learnt a lot about how design can impact the psyche and how designers should be aware of this when making design choices, this is something I’m really looking forward to bringing into future projects as I feel it applies to many areas of design.
How have you achieved this?
- My time management has been a strong tool throughout the project, I believe I have been well organised throughout which has led to an essay and outcome I’m proud of. - Having an inquisitive nature allowed me to look for answers naturally, wanting to understand more about how my choices influence others and then refining practical choices accordingly.
What things did you explore that were really important in the essay?
- Throughout the easy theories such as cognitive load, as well as the way humans naturally navigate publication were key to the development of a practical. By developing a thorough understanding of how people use and interpret publication I was able to apply my existing design knowledge along with new principles to produce an outcome that’s successful both visually and psychologically.
How did the design outcome resolve or comment on the question?
- The design outcome demonstrates the theories and principles discussed within the essay and highlights how design can impact retention for the better or for worse.

FINAL PROJECT STATEMENT:

During the project elements of the process involved human participants, for these activities informed consent was acquired from each participant and evidenced with documentation. The balance between my practical and essay felt even throughout the project, I was able to research theory and have it flow through to the practical with ease so they could progress in unison. I believe I have been well organised throughout which has led to an essay and practical outcome I’m proud of.

Throughout the essay theories such as cognitive load, as well as the way humans naturally navigate publication were key to the development of a practical. By developing a thorough understanding of how people use and interpret publication from my essay I was able to apply my existing design knowledge along with new principles to produce a publication that’s strong not only visually but form a psychological perspective as well. The design outcome demonstrates the theories and principles discussed within the essay and highlights how design can impact retention both positively or negatively, the practical is a direct result of the information found while writing the essay and could exist in the real world successfully.

During the module I’ve learnt how design choices impact the psyche and how important it is for designers to be aware of this to ensure their outcomes are effective for that audience. This is something I’m really looking forward to bringing into future projects as I feel it applies to many areas of design that I’m wanting to look into further.

Documenting Final Outcome

Blue highlight = essay research influence

Scans of Final outcome:

Choices made within publication:

BODY TEXT PAGES:

• Grid
  - 32 field grid allowing 2 columns of body text to fit on the page orderly. Allowing more content on each page meaning parallels between information can be made. 
  - Having more content on the pages make them more likely to look different to one another, so the individual reading can create a stronger visual map of the text as well as develop more defined spatiotemporal markers. 
  
• Line
  - Creates visual consistency across all new subheading pages, while adding to the hierarchy of the page, allowing the reader to easily recognise the format to navigate the publication without excessive cognition. 
• White space
  - The end of a subheading section is followed by the next section on a new page, this means at the end of each subchapter there is a large amount of white space, making it very clears to the audience when sections end and begin. Helping the reader navigate the publication. with ease.
• Hierarchy
  - The titles are capitalised and bold in different ways to emphasise specific elements (thinking to Foster and Cole's (2007) research into visual cueing). Here the structure can assist in the navigation, important sections of the text are highlighted making it easier for the reader to understand the text while scanning.
• Navigation
  - Dots on the side to help identify chapters while flicking through, noticed this was a common form of navigating when doing my user journey primary research.
  - Page numbers, having the title of the chapter accompany the page numbers so when the reader flicks through they can understand the chapters from this also. 
  - The colours for the chapters are represented within the text by numbering the rules, with the same background colour corresponding to that chapter. This helps the reader find a specific rule with ease but also reinforce the visual colour coding of the publication.

CHAPTER PAGES:

• Navigation
  - The title follows on from the navigation dots on the side of the publication, while the placement of the chapter helps the reader understand the text in way consistent with the body text it is presented in a very different visual format for the audience to differentiate between the two.
  - Subchapters are included on the page to help the reader further in understanding the publication. 

CONTENTS PAGE:

• Grid
  - Text is central on the page to look most visually balanced. 
• Colour
  - Use of colourful bars behind the chapter titles links strongly to the chapter pages developing a visual consistency through colour, strengthening the navigation of the publication.

COVER:

• Colour can be used in a different way on the cover compared to the content pages, use of high contrast ads vibrant colours to catch the audience's attention. 
• Information presented in clear and direct so there is little confusion about the purpose of the publication, the department for transport icon is clear on the cover to ensure the reader the content is government approved. 

Video Navigation:

Production of Outcome Final Images

Publication will be perfect bound with paperback cover, appropriate for the format of the publication as it is something to be handled and navigated with ease, simple common book not an artefact.

 

The navigation of the publication is very successful, colour code for chapters works well as does the hierarchy and page design. 

Slight issues with binding, as print room staff can use the perfect binder I wasn't able to do it myself, a small error was made meaning the spine of the cover is not central pushing the design forward on the cover. 
On the inside pages they're glued at a slight angle, meaning some of the bleed didn't reach far enough.
- These are small errors that can be altered on a second print. 

Scans of physical publication:

Printing and Alterations to Practical - Issuu Upload Link

Made alterations to text block pages, need to print covers and bind to see how they work on the page.
- Test which covers, thinking about how they impact the way the audience perceives the book.

Traffic light cover:

- Comes across as much more childish with the traffic light colours as the vibrant colours in circular shapes is very youthful.
- I want to like this version of the cover but it isn't working too well for the publication it comes across too childish especially as the audience of the book are adults. 
- The imagery spanning across the spine is a nice detail but if wanting to add text the colours could become difficult to handle, making the text less obvious. This spine detail can be achieved with different designs also. 

Parking lines cover: 

- Had a slight issue with the back of the page as I didn't fold the initial crease on the cover correctly. 
- The overall impact is much more striking, high contrast and vibrant colours catch the audience's eye (relating to research). 
- Is recognisable as to related to road markings but is less obvious than the traffic lights.
- Feel it could be more exciting and visually intriguing however the purpose of the publication is to educate, the information in the book is the same as the original (just designed more effectively). The cover needs to stand out to grab the attention of the audience, and this cover achieves this.  

Notes on how to bind:

Prepping for digital print
Lots of changed to the file so it can be printed in digital print:

• Have to add in bullet points by hand as when you create outlines from text the bullet points are removed (super time consuming)
• Needed to alter weight of the type so when the outline is made it doesn't make the text any more bold.
• Take page numbers off of master so I can create outlines of these
• Ungroup numbering so it can be made into outlines. 
• Add in underlines as these are removed when create outlines of text.

Made these alterations and sent to digital print.
- Kept the original version with correct font size to get digital versions of.

Issuu version of publication:

 https://issuu.com/ec267099/docs/_normal_-for_issuu-final_highway_code_

Further Refinement to Pages - CoP Practical

Blue highlight = essay research influence

From crit Ryan suggested having the numbers of the rule correspond to the colour of the chapter, further pushing the inclusion of colour as a coding system.

With no colour:

- Isn't as clear where the rules are since they don't jump out as much.

- Adding colour may cause distraction in some cases but not here as it will be consistent across all content pages so will serve as a navigational tool over an aesthetic one. 

With colour:

- With colour works well, makes it very clear where the rules are, making it easier when scanning the page for a specific rule. 

- Should do this for the rest of the pages.

- May have issue on yellow pages should change the colour or have the text in black. (ALTERATION ADDED HERE, MADE YELLOW INTO ORANGE, ENOUGH DIFFERENCE FROM RED BUT MROE CONTRAST WITH WHITE TEXT OVER THE TOP)

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Thinking about the 'law text':

Black at 40 tint

Black at 70 tint

Red at 40 tint

Red at 70 tint

Find the inclusion of colour makes the text stand out too much (this is what's used in the original publication but they make the text much smaller to compensate). 

The italics work well (as decided earlier in project) and the lighter tint on black is most successful. 
*black at 50 tint is best

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Working on the must/must not points: 
- The must/must not points are key for that specific section but not for the rest of the text, they don't need to add to hierarchy of the spread but add to the hierarchy of that specific section. 
- Have been highlighted as key parts of the rule so need to emphasise these but in a way that isn't distracting.  

Colour - This is used in the official Highway Code publication. When used it jumps out on the page, could make it distracting but does the job in terms of making it more memorable. Could have at a lighter tint?

Red text

Underline - Potentially is less invasive, stands out when reading that section of text but doesn't stand out on the page as a whole. 

Regular underlined

Semibold underlined
- Provides a little more visual emphasis on these words.

Bold - Mentioned by Foster and Coles (2007) that bold is prefered form of cueing, may create a visual competition with other hierarchy, see how it looks in varying weights.

Semibold
- Doesn't stand out too much, it is similar to the rest of the text.
- Stands out slightly when reading the section but not as much when the whole page is viewed as a whole (has a similar impact to underlining).

Bold
- Has a much larger impact on the spread visually, the words really stand out.
- Creates a slight visual distraction to these sections of text. 

Which to use? 
- Underline works the best, it provides emphasis on the word without creating a visual distraction on the spread as a whole. 

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Final tweaks:

Page numbers - feeling too similar to title of chapter, doesn't stand out enough

Just increasing the weight had a good impact, it make the number the focus which will assist the reader when flicking through the publication to navigate. 

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Updates to title pages made up updates to contents page:

Want the contents page to fit with the new title pages, having the tabs be consistent:

Flat end is a little odd, doesn't work.

- Chapter 4 is making it look a little visually odd, makes the page unbalanced. 

- Need to rethink the structure of the inclusion of colour. 

Makes more of an impact, but influences the legibility of page numbers (especially for chapter 4).

- Could do with having rounded edges on the other side too. 
- Text on the red section goes too close to the page number, this could become confusing for the reader, could do with finding another way to present this. 

All rounded edges works well, it fits with the design.

-The lines create a sense of hierarchy and further the use of colour for coding (which is then consistent throughout the publication) relating to research that colour can establish code by labelling, or provide clarity between items (Olurinola and Tayo, 2015).

- Feel like the design of the contents will now help with the chapter pages, stop them from looking as abnormal.