(B9) Home: Ideas, Research, Reflection and Updating Brief

 THINGS TO THINK ABOUT THROUGHOUT PROJECT:

• Places that don't feel the same as they use to.
• Which areas have a sense of "conflict" between logic and feeling.
  "preoccupations with logic of space tend to suppress the feeling of the place."
• Renewal of a city
  - Kelham island
  - Gentrification
  "historically the renewal of a city was experienced as a mental and emotional transformation, an improvement of the spirit, a rebirth of psychic energies."

KEYWORDS FROM TEXT:

• Renewal: rebirth, revival, regeneration
• Logic: sense, sanity, rationale, philosophy
• City: center, capital, place 
• Change: awareness, perception, reaction, sense
• Imagination: artistry, fancy, ingenuity, insight, thought, vision, originality

A BOOK ON BOOKS NOTES:

• Jeremy Jansen pg 21
  'A designer should have sensitivity for the narrative of the content, image(s), and/or text. (S)he should have an understanding of how the book functions as an object.'
• 'The book as an object - including its size, binding style, papers, inside, outside etc. - should be experienced as one idea.'
  - This is a really important thing I need to keep in mind, since coming back to uni after christmas and having limited access to uni and facilities I've left the physical production of books to the end. I think these considerations can still be made throughout the process despite whether I make the book or not as they will be integral to the success of the book.
• The book becoming the work itself. Design choices being made in relation to the concept of the book, these choices include narrowing down the imagery that will be presented, tailoring the content to fit the concept. 

• Wang Zhi-Hong pg 30
  '[A book designer must always consider if his/her work] coveys an authentic and unique personal perspective, and whether the techniques used are appropriate'.

• Éditions du Livre pg 50
  'The design of a book is the body of an idea, It allows readers to enter a world that will give them pleasure or emotion.'
  - This is very much what I want to achieve with this publication. The design and photographs combined will provide an overarching sense of the content of the publication and the message/theme it's discussing should be clear. 

NOTES OF PLACES IN SHEFFIELD:

Places to photograph:

• Meersbrook - view from park: I remember looking at that view for the first time over Christmas, I had never been there before in all my time living in Sheffield. I was looking at the city from a completely different perspective and it didn't look familiar, even though it was the same place. 
• Crucible square in town: Feels the exact same, hasn't changes, visually recognise it. Visit frequently, is a space where I lock up my bike. 
• Train station: Again feels the same, visit it frequently so recognise smaller changes. 
• Western Bank Library & Arts Tower: Arts tower is an iconic building in Sheffield, feel as though since it's part of the skyline and has always been visible from may locations around Sheffield it feels constant. Western bank also feels the same, views with the park etc. 

Feels as though there should be some more personal locations, places that resemble something to me that might not to others. These are places that remain constant, places we place memory and information that reflect on that spot that doesn't exist for others. 

- Tree in bingham park
- "Dancing stage"
- Allotment

FURTHER READING ON BOOK DESIGN:

- Binding makes it feel more personal and human
- Different sized paper can be used
- Has a sense of investigating that transpired through the production technique.

- Idea of direction being the focal point.
- Composition of text within the image and on the page is really effective. 

- The interactive elements that are tied into the book are really interesting, it brings the content to life in a new way. 
- Is something like this appropriate for the brief? 

- Photography taking centre stage but is enhanced by the design.
- Should this be the direction to go in with the project?
"there can be no good book without good content" - hesign international.

UPDATING THE BRIEF:

- The original idea for the brief was to present Sheffield in a new way as many people would see the city centre and think that this is all the city was, but to me it was so much more than that.

- However, after researching into the project and finding Eugene Victo Walter's essay introduction I've realised what is best to continue with is exploring a sense of the city. This encompasses the original idea but explores it in a way that is more suited to my practice. 

The new brief encourages an exploration into how and why we have a particular sense of a place. It encourages me to speak to others to understand my position to the city and learn more about how other's view Sheffield.

Reflecting:

Realising throughout research that starting a new project over easter break isn't going to be the best way for me to work throughout the holiday since I don't have access to university at the moment, it will make much more sense to finish B4 over easter (give self a deadline), work on PPP as well as complete design boards from previous projects, while gathering the photographs over easter with Felix since the concept for the publication has been decided. Then when I come back to uni I am able to crack straight on with the production of the project.