Wednesday, 22 August 2012

DP3 / Life Online - Primary Research

The idea behind this brief was inspired after a visit to this exhibition at the Bradford Media Museum, so I went back to get some photographs and write down some notes. I got some more websites to look at, and it also made me think more about what I am actually trying to achieve.


Opte Project - They created the above image of the web


____________________________________________

Before the internet

This section is about life before the internet... This wasn't that long ago but you can't imagine a world without it now.


Diaries before blogs ... Photo albums before online photo sharing


Sending letters before emails ... Telegrams before instant messages


Encyclopaedias before search engines


Record players before iTunes


Videos before youtube


Traditional games before online gaming
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How the internet was created

- ARPA scientists created the first ever computer network in the 1960's.

** ARPA was formed to prevent Russian enemies getting ahead of them technologically again, after Russian satellite launch of Sputnik **

- It was Joesph Lickliders ideas (a computer science researcher)
- The first message sent through the internet was LO (supposed to be LOGIN) at the University of California in 1969


- The distributed network is a reliable method of linking computers together as the data is split into small chunks called 'packets'. There is no central point of command so failure won't effect it.


- The internet gradually evolved - it wasn't made by one person.




- Key people involved:

Joesph Licklider
Paul Baran
Donald Davies
Larry Roberts
Leonard Kleinrock
Vint Cerf
Louis Pouzin
Jun Murai



- Larry Roberts made the first connection in 1965
- The Arpanet became the internet in 1970.
- Protocols allow computers to communicate across different networks

Why was the internet created? 

- To make computers more efficient and communication networks robust.
- The period before was the cold war, a time of political unrest.

Life before

- Period of political unrest after the cold war
- Film in 1969 predicted impact of internet in the future on home life e.g. shopping, communications etc

____________________________________________

Emails

- The internet has changed how people stay in touch


- Before phones and smartphones people kept in touch by portable terminals, where messages get printed out [Texas silent 700 Data terminal, 1975]
- Email was the first time the internet was used socially.
- Ray Tomlinson created @ email in 1971
- Email groups lead to forums, and the social aspect of the internet expanded
- Email became available commercially in 1979, it was only originally meant for government and schools


____________________________________________

Bulletin Boards - The original social network

- Bulletin boards, inspired by cork pin boards, came about in 1978, designed by Ward Christensen


- They were the original social network
- Text only, so people made pictures from arranging text characters [ASCII]

  |\_/|        ****************************
 / @ @ \      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASCII_art
( > ยบ < )      
 `»»x««´      
 /  O  \ 



- As bulletin boards were uncensored, they allowed for the start of internet bullying with spamming and trolling 

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Viruses

- The first virus was the creeper worm in 1971
- There are different types of viruses, with different intentions
- Worms, spyware, mass mailers, trojans, botnets
- There are different types of antivirus software


- There has been controversial internet use, such as piracy, trolling, illegal websites such as pirate bay and napster
- In the news at the moment there are stories of how people are being arrested because of what they say on twitter, online bullying leading to suicides, and also people not knowing who they are meeting up with

____________________________________________

Computers through history

- Early computers were originally complex calculators
- They were in the workplace (without internet) from the 1950's
- Mainframe computers before linked networks
- Timesharing paved way for internet






- There have been different types of modems and connections over time
- Different internet providers (such as virgin, bt, etc) and browsers





- Personal computing for homes began in the 1980's. The 'micro' computer was used for games and business (without internet)
- The zx80 home computer created a new market, as people didn't know they needed computers, but people can't live without them now
- In 2000 broadband internet became a part of daily lives, and is now always on and we can't live without it. Wifi means internet is available on phones, games etc.




____________________________________________

Gaming

- The internet becomes user friendly
- The first multiplayer online game is created by Richard Bartle in 1978. It is entirely in text and your commands interact with the environment
____________________________________________

Website Design

- Tim Berners-Lee created the world wide web
- The first popular web browser was Mosaic created by Marc Andreeseen
- Ted Nelson invented hypertext
- DNS is a domain name system, IP addresses become www. - like an internet phonebook


- How has web design changed?
- Started out text only with the navigation by keyboard


- Html and links are used


- Table based design and images appear


- Frames, animation, search facilities, databases


- Tableless design, downloads


- RSS feeds, blogs


- Videos, social media


- Websites viewed on iphones and ipads
- What is the future of web design?


____________________________________________

Dot Com Boom


- The internet became a part of our lives in the 90's, with millions online by 00's.
- The internet has more and more uses, with online businesses, blogs, social networks, file sharing and more
- There was a dot com boom in the 90's that lead to an economic boom but eventually businesses collapsed and millions were lost
- Businesses such as amazon (convenience store) ebay (marketplace) napster (music downloading - illegal) came to life
- Social networks started, trends come and go: bebop, myspace, Facebook, twitter, etc.
- Mark Zuckerberg famously created Facebook and even has a film, The Social Network, about him
- Jeff Bezos created Amazon in 1995
- Ebay was created by Pierre Omidayar
- Google was created by Sergey Brin and Larry Page in September 1998
____________________________________________

Net Culture


- People are viewing, sharing, liking, rating, commenting
- Mobile connectivity means images can be shared instantly, with apps such as Instagram
- Celebrities can be created, you can share music, your own creations, it is a way to promote yourself and gain fans. Make yourself famous
- Things become viral, crazes are born (such as ridiculously photogenic people, old spice ads, 'ain't nobody got time for that', dancing hamsters, funny cat videos, edited campaigns,  things being shared like Kony 2012 video)
- News stories are broken and shared
____________________________________________

Search Engines


- These collect and arrange content into huge indexes since the 1990's
- Google is now accepted as the main verb to mean searching the web
- What we look at is recorded and can be used to enhance our future web experiences
- This is an ethical issue - privacy concerns
- You leave a trail of info behind you when you use the internet
- Personal details can be copied, stored, sold, stolen by others. (e.g. how Facebook controls the advertisements you see due to what you like)
- There are different domain endings, such as ac.uk, .gov, .com, .co.uk, .org, etc and ICANN organises these
- In China the internet is controlled and some websites are not allowed to be accessed
- The web has broken down social and geographical barriers, such as with Wikipedia (Created by Jimmy Wales - who says it is the digital brain of the web), where you can learn more about the world
____________________________________________




Modern technology

Some of examples of how technology has developed to where we are today.




- The internet is now used for computers, phones, games, kindle, ipads, tv boxes, digital radio etc.


____________________________________________

The future of the internet

- Examples of QR codes



- The internet is evolving fast, and new trends are always emerging
- What will be the next step?







Wednesday, 15 August 2012

DP3/ Research/ Graphic Design Museum

Research Brief

Will cover all areas in some way:

- Publishing and editorial
- Information and wayfinding
- Branding and identity
- Product and packaging
- Retail and promotion

About

There are loads of museums in the UK, and lots focusing on Art, in particular fine art, but how many are solely Graphic Design museums?

This museum will inform and inspire.

Things to include:

- Famous graphic designers
- The different eras with design
- History of advertisements
- History of photography, print (each different section)
- Galleries with vintage graphic design
- Interactive (letterpress/ screenprinting [I did this at the AndyWarhol museum in USA] area? create your own web page? etc)

Possible design outcomes:

- Tour map
- Adverts (different varities: magazine, TV, billboard, bus etc)
- Wall hangings
- Leaflets about exhibition
- Invite for the opening night, mailshot
- Postcards
- Bags / products for shop
- Signage around museum
- Posters
- Schools education pack
- Website
- Social media set ups
- Printed goods such as notebooks, pens etc
- Mock up of exhibit space
- Room decorations (quotes on walls etc)
- Door shrouds
- Floor stickers
- Outside banners
- Competitions / opportunities to join in

Things to consider:

- Where would this be?
- Who is the target audience?
- What tone does it have? Is it interactive, educational, etc...
- Why do I think there should be a graphic design museum?
- Is the focus print / digital / both?
- Logo, font choice colour
- Interactivity: could include peoples definitions of what graphic design is.

Things to research:

- Look at existing museums/exhibitions and their identities
- Go to museums and galleries in Leeds to take photos, so I can envisage what I need to create, and see what existing material each has

DP3/ Skills Driven/ Graphic Design Rulebook

Skills Driven

- Publishing and editorial - Product and packaging

About

The graphic design rule book will be a hand made book featuring hand rendered type and digitally created/altered type with inspiring quotes and rules for the aspiring graphic designer. It will be a light hearted and humorous gift making fun of cliches. I will also consider the packaging of the book, and some additional cliche free gift, like a screenprinted tote bag.

The idea came to mind when I found out about the Quoteskine book of illustrated type. (See blog post) Previously I have concentrated predominately on illustration, but this year, wanted my focus to move over towards typography, as I feel this is such a valuable and wanted skill that it is imperative that I have a vast knowledge in it. The idea of mixing type with image for illustrative type seemed to be a good comprise. 

This brief is quite different to the other ones I have decided on, as it will still be handmade, giving me the chance to try screen-printing and letter pressing and other processes again, maybe for the last time. I will also be needing to book bind, and all these processes are things that I have had inductions and workshops in, but could do with going back to these.

It is still relevant to my design practice as the layout of the editorial will need to be thought about, and it does contain typography. Also, the gift that will accompany the book is relevant to my product design brief.

To make this brief a bit more substantial and challenging, I could also look in to font design.

Type Tutorials

As a subscriber to Computer Arts magazine, I see lots of tutorials I would be interested in doing, and I think there are some which would be very useful to this brief. I aim to have a practise with these tutorials, to learn some new skills, so that when I decide on the quotes I will use I can create some designs I will be happy with.

Some of them might be quite irrelevant to the final pieces I aim to create but I think I could still learn from doing them.




























Book Making Tutorials



Type Ideas

Jelly/ Ice mould letters [stay cool?]
Letterpress
Screen printing
Sewing type
Letraset
'Found' type
Stamped
Print Finishes: foil, flock, gloss, spot colours
Laser cut
Cut onto wood, plastic etc
Typogateux 

DP3/ Collaborative/ Retail

Collaborative Brief

- Branding and identity
- Product and packaging
- Retail and promotion

About

I have become more interested in graphic design for fashion over summer and think this is an area I would like to focus on. This brief would link in with my feminist magazine brief, which would also have a strong focus on fashion.

This collaborative brief will see me working with another student from the college, from the fashion course. I have always been interested in the branding and identity of the fashion students at the Leeds College of Art final degree shows, in particular, last year the graphics and fashion collaboration for House of Herlihy.

The fashion designer I will be working with is Amy Bruton, a 3rd year Fashion and Innovation student.

Proposed products include:
A logo / Business cards / Letterhead design / Look book / Website / Promotional press pack
An identity that can be used on a number of products

To make this brief more substantial, I could think of other opportunities to be involved with graphic design for fashion:
- Create the tickets, flyers and posters for the graduate fashion show in june
- Branding and identity for a few designers on the course
- Creating the advertisements for fashion events throughout the year
- Possibly working on the fashion yearbooks

Before starting work we both need to check with our tutors that this collaboration is okay, and then we need to work on a contract to ensure that we both agree with what we are planning to do.

An interview with the fashion designer to get a full understanding of who she is as a designer and what her work is about would be needed, but as most of the final products are aimed at being delivered near to the time of the end of year show which is a while off, I feel this brief would be better to be worked on later in the year, when the final fashion collection is completed.

Wednesday, 4 July 2012

DP3/ Skills Driven/ Type

Skills Driven

May cover a mixture of these areas:

- Publishing and editorial
- Information and wayfinding
- Branding and identity
- Product and packaging
- Retail and promotion

About

I want to improve my skills with type only designs, covering a range of medias. As I did the image module not the type one last year, I feel like I have missed out on learning a lot of things so want to concentrate this brief solely on improving my type skills. I'm thinking of doing this either by attempting to answer new ISTD, YCN or D&AD competition briefs regarding typographic answers, or by re-writing some of the old briefs so that they fit my needs.

I might even end up developing my own font, as this is something I have always been interested in doing. I think this brief may change and develop a bit as my type skills progress, depending on what style of typography I decide I am most interested in.

For me, this brief is all about the type, so I'm not sure which format the final products will be in. I don't think this is as important, as I have other briefs where I will concentrate on improving these things.

To start with, I'm going to have to find some tutorials and things to learn more about typography.

I've also enjoyed downloading lots of new fonts in the hope that I'll use some of them in some of the designs I create. Such as this one and a few hundred more...



http://typedia.com
http://friendsoftype.com
http://www.fonts.com
http://fontsinuse.com