For this project I wanted to create a sort of confessional of all the thoughts that would run around in my head when I was silent that I didn't want to have. I wanted to create a space for all these unwanted 'silent' thoughts. After juggling around a few ideas of boxes etc. I thought that the best format would be a throw out book because of the unfolding value, which I felt linked with my concept. I hope that the book conveys my message well.
Ok, so its 1 day left and im still to design my window display for Ted Baker, at least ive managed to complete the window sticker to go on the front! I have a lot more work to do to complete the project but im sure ill get it done! Im hoping my design for the sticker will inspire me to think up something relatively awesome :s well see!
Among everything else I still have to do, I need to start designing my Ted Baker window display. After asking a lot of people about what they felt Britishness was, I noticed that a lot brought up tea. A very similar subject to my Fedrigoni brief, but something that has some oppurtunities. Not sure where this project will end up going, I just know I have to hurry up! only 7 days to go...... O god!
For my Invitation I started trying to get together designs that may work involving cupcakes and tea pots, and the just weren’t busy enough, so I started using the text I had planned to put in my invitation as the basis of the design. I’m really chuffed with the final design I just hope that it cuts out on the laser cutting machine tomorrow, If not I will use it as part of a poster or maybe a full poster... Wish me luck!
A graduate of the design and art direction degree at Manchester came to talk to us today. Helen Murgatroyd is interested in drawing and printmaking and is currently doing a printmaking MA at the Royal College of art in London. It was good to get some information from someone who didn't go on the commercial route after university and instead she carried on studying what she loved. Even after setbacks.
I wasn't to sure on some of the reasoning behind a lot of Helen’s work but after looking on her website I thought she had some beautiful drawings.
In her third year Helen worked a lot on the idea of mapping, and the different ways you could map movement particularly among human movement and movement in the kitchen. Her sketches were rough but showed the idea well. A lot of the work that Helen did wasn't at all commercial or even graphic design so it was mentioned to her that she should do something to validate her work to fit the 'graphic design' bracket. I really related to this as I feel that I am less graphic 'designee' and more art and crafty. If I can some way find a way of validating my work as a successful piece of design I may be in with a chance of getting through my third year.
Overall I thought this presentation was quite useful for me especially as I have been feeling as though I maybe on the wrong course. Although I think Helen felt uncomfortable in talking to such a large group she got her point across and I thought a lot of her work was very nice.
Hamish spoke of his journey through university, the starting of his company with two other friends and the work they had created pre and post computer. His lecture was very interesting and thorough, he talked of the techniques he had used and gave us tips on professional and technical practice. I have to say I did prefer the pre computer part of the lecture. I found it interesting the way Hamish and his team had created these wonderful pieces and the aspect of change from when the piece was created using collage and when it was printed.
A lot of the work shown was that created by hamishs’ company 8vo. Most predominantly they created work for factory records and the Hacienda in Manchester. The posters and album covers that they designed were all worked on at full size, they used collage processes and real type that was usually hand drawn. Because in this period of 8vo it was pre computer it was hard for them to save the different designs and mistakes they had created. It was this element of surprise that meant they never really knew how the work was going to turn out. I suppose that this is linked to the comment made by Hamish about liking to find their work, out in the wild and on the streets to see how it looked lined up against the other promotional pieces that would wallpaper the urban sprawl.
The next piece that Hamish showed us was an album cover he created using sheets of glass to collage layers of imagery and text. This ‘collage’ was then photographed and that would be the basis of the album cover.
The next part of Hamishs’ presentation was about the magazine they created called octavo. This was also pre computer. This was to be the international journal of typography.The first issue was released in 1986. The predominant typeface used in the magazine was univer and the magazines principles were all about breaking form and content. It was this that lead on to the point which I found really useful, which was about making mockups on all the work you make. Hamish told us to not always trust our computer screen. I couldn’t agree more. 
In 1989 8vo bought their first computer. Because it was so expensive they could only afford the typefaces that were already on the computer. This is when they had to first start working with Helvetica, when really they didn't like it at all.
The main points that I took from this lecture were those about form and content and about collage. It was nice to be given an insight into how graphic design worked before the trusty computer. I will definatly take on Hamishs’ advice about creating mock ups of the final idea before completing them to final piece standards. A lasting comment that I noted down was that, design is all about content, but sometimes its nice to work on something without content. Sometimes it is this ideal I like to work with, Why does they always need to be a concept?
