natalie: April 2012

Monday, 30 April 2012

EMP - Layout research

As I am doing a book on maps, birds, and walking... wouldn't the obvious colour choice be green?

Layout research, how should I start to think up my layout for my book? So when I decide on my final layout I can have a strong colour and layout through out. I have decided on my colour palette being light green, light blue, white and red. I want my book to be quirky but have a simple edge.

I don't want to over complicate things; I want the illustrations and the text to flow with the colours. I aim to do this by keeping all the colours the same, even on my illustrations.

All of the research on this post has been partially chosen because of its colour choice. I want to see how green has been incorporated with book design on examples that I like. I have found that all of my images have a very simplistic design, which is perfect for what I am trying to bring to my designed book!

The white works realy well with the green, looks fresh and approiate.

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I really like these simple icons representing the 'Lord of the Rings.' The colour palette is fresh and current, which will attract my target audience.

I have found this book that has a very simplistic colour palette and layout. The book is mostly white, having the imagery being the main focus. The imagery is in full colour. I have noticed on this design that the body text is not black, I prefer this. I want to experiment with the text being maybe a dark grey.

This idea is brilliant! I love how they've incorporated the pop-out tree into the design. This design reminds me of the research I did on the origami birds. It has made me want to involve the pop-out birds again.

EMP - Colour choice

I have selected my colour choice based on a mixure of research and photographs!

I have selected to show some of the imagery that has had a big influence on my choice in colours. These images have been found from radom search for inspiration and the photographs from walks I have been on.

I have chosen to show these apples because when I saw them they sparked a familiar reaction. A reaction that reminded me of nature and natural colourings. The green had a strong link with grass, nature and the red reminded me of direction, the dotted line that can be found on a map to show a route.

These examples of maps done by the AA have a very significant colour choice, white and light green. I really like this colour palette, its fresh and approachable and is simplistic enough not to over complication text.

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Here are some maps that have in particular caught my eye; they both show the previous statements that I discussed with the green and the red. These images have also drove me to consider blue in my colour scheme. I would feel like it would like on every map be the colour for the sea.

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This pattern above is magical, again I drawn to the green against a neutral colour. I really like how this pattern has a naturalistic element with all of the leaves and vines.

EMP - How my work will encorage change!

The reasoning behind my final EMP project is to make aware of a area that is lacking in a comunity and giving my own peice of design to enourage extra interest in the environment, birds and design.

My work will help social and cultural issues by enouraging young adults to take up walk and bird watching. I do not believe that my work will offend anyone, as it is a nutral and healful why of displaying information in a well designed book.

All I want is to bring a smile to your face and keep you healthy at the same time!

EMP - Target Audience, young Adults from 16 - 19

I have been devling into different areas, but always focusing my work on the the out doors. In particular on birds and walking. I want to combine these two elements together to projuce something new for a younger audience.

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Attract a new generation!

For my research not many young adults are invloved with the environment. I find this partically in areas of the united kingdom like Bournemouth. I live in Bournemouth, and considering that we live on the coast and have a rich amount of walks and wildlife not far out of our reach. I want my book to encourage an interest in the subject!

Thats why I have decided to focus my book at the RSPB, as a new designe way of getting a younger audience interested.

I want to prove my design will spark interest in a younger audinece. I will aim to do this by giving simple and accessable information, a well considered and designed book. I wanted to attract this age range due to the interlect level. I believe that this age range can be driven to the chosen walk or drive.

As for facility purposes I will be talking about parking and the easy root around the walk.

I have found a sceme set in Bournemouth, attracting the same audience and age range that I would like to partically aim at. This sceme is aimed at forgein students but I think theres a big market to defiantly expand a group for local students for explore their own area and history.

bournemouth-young-adults-facts-sheet-2012.pdf Download this file

Students have the freedom to explore Bournemouth on their own. There is no supervision but our English-speaking IP Guide is available if problems arise. Of course, the counsellor will give students all the necessary information in a Welcome-Meeting and a Town Walk. He will also organize a visit to a disco once a week and offer additional trips and activities on request which are not included in the package.

I want by book to attract both genders. As I believe walking and bird watching can be enjoyed by all.

EMP- Final Time Plan

As a class we have been given an extension for our EMP and portfolio development. The deadlines have been extended a further week. We have been sent through an updated time plan for us to work to. I just wanted to take this chance to update how I will use this time most affectively.

3rd May, Week 14- EMP

· EMP project realisation : sign up tutorials / Indepantant study

· PCP porfolio reviews

· Sketchbook development / blog

· Refine final peice

4th May,

· EMP realisation: independant study

· PCP Porfolio reviews

· Sketchbook development / blog

· Refine final peice

8th May, Week 15- EMP

· EMP hand-in: 12 noon, practice body of work, except final repost and other physical items.

· Design and make Display book

· PCP development

10th May,

· Design and make Display book

· PCP development

· Sign up tutorials / Independant study

11th May,

· Design and make Display book

· PCP development

· Sign up tutorials / Independant study

14th May, Week 16- EMP

· EMP 2nd hand-in : 12 noon, Final report and all other physical items.

· PCP 1st hand-in: 12 noon, all unit requirements, except portfolio.

· Refine portfolio

18th May, PCP 2nd Hand-in : 12 noon- Portfolio

EMP - Time Plan!

Here is an updated version of my time plan. I need to keep on top of my work load as I have not much time left on my project. I have re-organised my time plan to suit were I am currently in my project, forgetting about past dates.

EASTER BREAK

13 Apr, Week 11- EMP

· Look at layout and paper options

· Design and concept group tutorials

· Sketchbook development

· Develop Layout of final book

18th Apr, Week 12- EMP

· EMP final outcome realisation

· Tutorials

· Create final EMP book

· Typography realisation

25th Apr, Week 13- EMP

· Development of final piece

· Sketchbook development

· Blog development

· Colour realisation

· Print final peice

2 May, Week 14- EMP

· Development of final piece

· Sketchbook development

· EMP practice body of work hand-in noon

9th May, Week 15- EMP

· Development of final piece

· Sketchbook development

· EMP Final report

· EMP report hand-in 12 noon

EMP - Time Plan!!

I am making a time plan so I can accuratly manage my time. So I can get all of my work done!

I have based my time plan on how how much time I think personally it will take me to complete curtain tasks. I will try and keep to the plan as closly as I can, this will help me complete all of my work in time. I will ned this so I can get my book designed and compleyed so that when it comes to printing I will have enough time to print. As the pritning process could easliy be forgotten and needs enough time to be resolved if done wrong.

I have made a visual time plan that will guide me through my process.

19th Jan, Week 1- EMP

· Introduction to brief

· Mind mapping ideas

· Researching

25th Jan, Week 2- EMP

· Group Tutorials

· Mind mapping ideas

· Initial ideas

1 Feb, Week 3- EMP

· Research

· Presentation

· Mind mapping ideas

8th Feb, Week 4- EMP

· Learning agreement completion

· Research

· Sketchbook development

15th Feb, Week 5 – EMP

· Development tutorials

· First hand research

· Questionnaire

· Sketchbook development

· Illustrate

24th Feb, Week 6- EMP

· Research and development group tutorials

· Design and concept group tutorials

· Sketchbook development

29th Feb, Week 7- EMP

· Design and concept group tutorials

· Sketchbook development

· Illustrate concept

7th March, Week 8- EMP

· Illustrate concept

· Design and concept group tutorials

· Process feedback from critique

· Looking at processes on how to make my final outcome

14th March, Week 9- EMP

· Testing initial design concepts

· Design and concept group tutorials

· Process feedback from tutorial

21st March, Week 10- EMP

· Research and development group tutorials

· Design and concept group tutorials

· Sketchbook development

· Illustrate

· Realisation of final outcome

EASTER BREAK

13th Apr, Week 11- EMP

· Contact printers

· Design and concept group tutorials

· Sketchbook development

· Project development

18th Apr, Week 12- EMP

· EMP final outcome realisation

· Tutorials

· Development of final piece

25th Apr, Week 13- EMP

· Development of final piece

· Sketchbook development

2nd May, Week 14- EMP

· Development of final piece

· Sketchbook development

· EMP practice body of work hand-in noon

9th May, Week 15- EMP

· Development of final piece

· Sketchbook development

· EMP Final report

· EMP report hand-in 12 noon

EMP - End pages

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Thursday, 26 April 2012

EMP- Final Typography

typography_.pdf Download this file

EMP- My Final Images

birds.pdf Download this file

Sunday, 22 April 2012

EMP - Books with Holes

I have been researching books that have the feature of a hole in the middle. I am a huge fan of this technique and always find these books more interesting. A hole in a book gives the book and extra dimension, something unexpected. I really like the thought of being revealed something on one page to then get a glance of what on the next. I also love the way you can see the paper in the book over lap, it has a hand crafted feel that I find more magical than an ordinary book.

I have always had it in my head, if you making a book, why not make a hole in it? I always visualise books with holes in. I want to involve holes in my design; I think it will especially attract a younger audience.

The image above you can see a beautiful book with a hole in the middle. It is telling a narrative of Alice in Wonderland, the hole has cleverly integrated the feeling of falling down a hole. This way of telling a narrative by making the book layered and have the change to reveal what coming next, gives the reader the chance to experience all the illustrations together.

Here is another book showing a great example of the use of a hole! This book is called 'The book with a Hole'.

What I love so much about this book is the simplistic of the idea and how it attracts a younger audience. This large book has a large hole in the middle; as you can see in the image below, bit enough for a young child to poke his head through. This is a fun element to the book, giving the child not just a story but also the change to be involved.

The hole is surrounded by different illustrations that you can get your head involved in. brilliant!

Below is another example of a book with a hole in the middle, this time again showing a layering affect. By cutting a larger hole at the front and then slowly introducing smaller pages as the book reads on. Gives you a sneak preview of all the pages, and you will see the back page of the book first, which is a very different method from a normal book were the last page is a surprise.

Here is one of my all time favourite childhood books 'The Hungry Caterpillar'. This could be the reason for my love of holes in books. This book is so clever in the way it tells its story of a small caterpillar and how it eats its way through loads of fruit. The book shows a piece of fruit on every page with a hole in, representing the caterpillar eating his way through the book. This hole creates a sense of curiosity and a slight feeling that the caterpillar is real because he bit thought the page. Well, that’s what I used to believe when I was younger.

A beautifully illustrated book that has influenced my work and how I producing books.

Display_Book.pdf Download this file

Above is an example of a book I made about my work. I wanted to show this again because it shows how I have involved a hole in my design. I wanted to make a metaphor for my process to getting to my final resolved illustration for a book cover. This illustration you could see on the last page, I liked the way that all the way through the book you could see my research and process and at all times my end result was in the middle. I had thought the hole was very appropriate as my illustration was a rabbit down a hole, I felt like it gave my illustration depth and texture.

Saturday, 21 April 2012

EMP - Book Layout

I have made and considered many options for the layout for my book. I have drawn out this layout in my sketchbook, but for clarity I wanted to make a digital version. This digital version has the current layout that I want to set my book out to.

I am very glad that I have made this layout, as for a while I have been guesstimating how I would want my book to look as I go. By creating this layout it has given me the option to exactly plan how I can make all of the pages in my book correspond. I have confidence now that my book layout has a consistent theme.

Some features that my theme has so far are that I have a continuous use of ranged centre text. I have decided to use the font Gill Sans Light. A choice of a certain shade of green C:15 M:0 Y:16 K:0. That I am going to have a series of cut out holes in my book, to reveal the page behind. All of the series of maps, birds and inspiring posters have a repetitive theme. This starts with the map then the facing page has the name of the bird with a cut out hole and information below. Turn the page and the page with the hole on has the title of the map and information below the hole. The illustration of the bird on the opposite page.

In this layout I have also involved all of the copy I current want to include. By involving most of the copy that I want to include in my book, it has given me a better idea of spacing.

lAYOUT_.pdf Download this file

Thursday, 19 April 2012

EMP - A real time wind map of the USA

An invisible, ancient source of energy surrounds us—energy that powered the first explorations of the world, and that may be a key to the future.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/3bxw3g/:1kZ!WKa9T:Db7+Rft@/hint.fm/wind/

Tuesday, 17 April 2012

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Monday, 16 April 2012

EMP - What to do and how to do it

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EMP - Hengistbury Head Hike

I have collected the feedback from the Hike and made a graphic from the information and illustrated portraits of the explorers I took on the walk. I wanted my explorers to say how they feel, what they can see, what they can smell.

All of these results are aimed at an article in my book, adding to the inspiration factor to the book. I wanted a young group of people to share how they felt whilst on a walk. So when the reader can get an idea of what walking could be like and all the good points to a walk.

Untitled.pdf Download this file

EMP - Birds of Dorset

At this point I have drawn near to 30 birds. I have jumped between the two mediems, of fine liner, watercolour and pencil.

EMP - Progress of my book design

Somethings wrong?!

I wanted to illustrate this book but for some reason I have lead myself down a pth of mix medias. I am not sure if is it working for me at this point.

designed_book.pdf Download this file

Looking at the book I have done so far:

I need to refine my hand rendered fonts, especially that front cover. I will illustrate all of the titles inside the book then I ca transfer them on to the front cover design. The birds need to become more exciting with the information flowing around them, the same with the maps.

Making the inspiring posters hand rendered type. More personality put in them.

I really like the way it is heading and the overall meaning but I feel like it is lacking execution. I am finding it hard to carry on with the design, to be honest I am finding it boring. I need to find a new way of show casing these maps, birds and posters!

I either can go all graphics or all hand rendered. I do not consider myself as a graphic designer, more as an illustrator. So I want to start to think how I can make my book completely hand rendered.

I must think of this as a new beginning and with only three weeks left I must concentrate and get it done! I will just say know that I will be keeping my body text to a favourite standard font, I will delve into that on another post.

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I have had an idea on how to incorporate the 'You Are Here' in my book. I love how delicate these bookmarks I have found are. They give the book a sense of class, as only quite important books are known for having a ribbon bookmark. If I did make a bookmark I would defiantly have to make a attached disk with 'You Are Here' on. Then you can keep your place in the book.

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EMP - A few maps I have collected

Park in southampton

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Bournemouth Coast

One of Ikeas floor plan maps.

These are a few maps I have collected out and about. I wanted to get a sense of what kinds of maps are look like in the current world. These three maps have a distinct blue to them and green, this suggests an outside feeling and translates a calmer map.

All of these maps state the current area that you the viewer are looking at the map 'You Are Here'. I will be testing this out, as my maps will not be at the destination in particular. I could play with ways that I could incorporate it in to the design in a subtle way.

I want to keep to the colour scheme mentioned above, as it has an obvious and successful relation already with the public.

See the full gallery on Posterous