Design for Print / Progress of ideas / 4 crits

3/11/13

OUG4504 / DESIGN FOR PRINT
PROGRESS OF IDEAS.

After the 'unofficial' first Crit I felt more confident on my ideas of creating a product that evolves around a book in which the content presents how I made the kit. In a sense the kit will be an inside out product were the audience can read about the print processes but also have the visual and physical product that had been made throughout the book in there hands to take in, interact with and inspect. 

I know that I want my product to be directed at mainly first years (and maybe also second years) that are studying Graphic Design at LCA. I have come to this conclusion because I think that even though there are many different print processes, there are only a select few that are, on the whole approached and used by Graphic designers. i also have to be aware of the process I can use and have access to with in collage and this is also something that students new to the collage and course need to be aware of also. I don't feel that this should be seen as a restriction, I feel that it will present the variable aesthetics and finishes that are available to new students and show off the opportunities they have through learning new processes and techniques.


WHAT I HAVE TO DO NEXT:

 - Define the processes you need to focus on regarding the needs and uses for Graphic Designers.

 - Think about how you want to display your product: presentation, aesthetics, visual information and interpretation, interaction.

 - How are you going to present your chosen processes through your product.

 - Look at existing designs to gain an understanding of what you wish to create. See what works successfully.

- Make sure my audience is defined through the product and would be desirable through its success.

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PRINT SURVEY
To justify my feelings on what i feel are the most appropriate for Graphic designers with in the confinement of Leeds Collage of art.
I set up a Survey using an online resource that asked two simple questions regarding processes students on the course would think to use for there Graphic Design work and which processes they have actually used. I posted this on the LCA Facebook group.

Here are the results I received through the survey.

Which printing processes do you find are most relevant with in Graphic design.

Which Print processes do you usually turn to when printing and finishing your work?

 The results of this survey confirmed my feelings on which process are most relevant and useful to us as Graphic Designers at LCA. However even though many people matched my thoughts on which processes were most relevant, Looking at the answers form the second question showed that many of these processes had not been utilised by students. 

Because we have only just started in the second year I know that these results will be mainly regarding the students experience with in the work as a first year student.

Im still unsure on the processes of lino print and letterpress and  whether they should be included as letter press got a higher percentage in the first question but more people had actually utilised this process for their work.
This is something I will keep coming back to through my ideas generation and future crits, however for now i do feel that the lino process has more depth. It can be defined by the designer using it making work more unique and you can also make a variant of a letter press though lino.


I started to think about what these processes involved and listed these thoughts through a spider diagram.

While thinking about these specified processes I also linked up processes that work together or use similar preparations such as screen printing, foiling and flocking. These all acquire the use of a screen which has to be cleaned and prepared in the same way, whether its a fabric screen or a normal screen. The laser cutter machinery can also be utilised through the embossing process and the Lino process.

Once I had thought about the processes and what they entail I started to think and look further into how I could use this information within in my product and possible presentation I could create. 


INITIAL CONTENT IDEAS. I began to think of ways to visualise the information on the regarding each print process to make it easier for the audience to take in and understand. 

I would very much like to use a mix of medias with in my product, However I do want the aesthetics and feel to be consistent through out.

I always like to work with photography an I feel that this would be a good medium to present with in this book along side the original prints and there effects. 
For example, when giving the example for a lino print, I like the idea of showing the cut out logo on one side of a double page spread with the result of the print on the opposite page so when the spread is closed it represents the pressing of the lino on to the other page and when the pages are opened it looks as if the photograph of the lino has just printed the photo of the print onto the opposite page.

I quickely mocked up this idea to get more of an feel for the interaction that could be had with it. The first example (shown above) shows the idea over one page turn.

While making the first mock up I also expanded slightly on the idea spreading it over an extra page to show a fuller version of the printing stage of lino cutting.

The first image on the left hand side would depict the freshly rolled lino in ink.  The right hand page would have indication marks on the stock were the plate has been lined up to print. 

While you make the common motion of closing the book back over to grab the next page to open it up, this would simulated the previously inked stamp being pressed on to the prepared stock.

So once the stamp had been completed this page would then look as if the print had been completed and displayed the finished process.

I liked this concept especially with this particular process as the simple process matches the simple visualisation using the pages of a book. I looked into utilising this same concept with the embossing.

Im not sure whether it would be possible to have the die present with in the pages of the book with out making the book as a whole look too much like a scrap book, but this something I can test in the making process.

Even though I do like the idea, It would only be these two processes I could  due to there simple stages. Im not sure whether I would have these as the same style just because I would not want it to seem repetitive. i think have each process displayed differently might help to engage with the audience and visually communicate the information simply yet thoroughly.



INITIAL PACKAGING IDEAS.
As well as looking into what could go into my product/kit, I started looking at different ways in which I could package and hold the content of the kit. Even though the book would be the main aspect of the product, i do want to have things with in the kit that would either act as an aid for students trying out print or simply something they could have to keep. Because of this I need a type of packaging that would hold individual objects but have it so they are displayed and organised in a clinical and professional way.

 At first i liked the idea of having a slide out box were the outer layer had been cut to reveal the inside box. Because the book will have 7 processes with in it that are all specific to Graphic Design, I though by having 7 shapes cut into the surface good reveal a coloured print made from each of the processes. This would be a good representation of the content with in the package and as the box is slid out from the sleeve, each representation print would look as if it was moving forward.

At first I was confident with this give of idea of reprinting each print like a key on the box. However after thinking of way this could be made and having all the print processes completed on a single sheet of material i don't think it would really be possible. Making one print may effect another. Also when thinking of how I could represent embossing with in this key would be hard as it is not the most powerful of prints even less so if it was obstructed by the outer layer of the box.

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1ST SCHEDULED GROUP CRIT

During the group crit I explained my ideas and presented my existing sketches to the group.

Things that were said or suggested:

- There was a small debate about whether the lino cutting process was relevant to graphic Design students. The result was an agreement that the lino cutting method, although not suited to everybody, did really appeal to the more illustrative type of Graphic Designer. After I explained how it could also be used using a laser cut method, this also showed that if a designer wanted a more clean and precise aesthetic, this process would be suitable to designers with a more clinical aesthetic.

- The theme of an almost 'inside out' kit is different and intriguing in the way that you can physically investigate the print its self as it is being described and explained.

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The box on the left is a type of fold up and open mechanism that has a great sense of revealing the content. I also like the clean way in which the box works as well as how it looks. I feel that this could be mirrored with the content being aligned and layer out neatly.

The box on the left has been inspired form the way in which a wine box works. The lid of the box has a simple slide in and out lid that would fit in to the upper rim of the main body. There are many boxes like this that are available o buy on the internet which would mean I would have to waist time making it myself. The way in which the lid is made would also make it very easy to us the laser cutter to engrave or cut out appropriate shape.

This type of box has a very clean yet dynamic aesthetic. The larger lid simply lifts off revealing the book and possible other products stood up which has an almost inviting feel as they are ready to pick. The only worry I have about this type of package is how I could incorporate the added pieces. In the sketch above I thought about using tight foam that would hold the products upright in a frame like box so you could see the items as it was opened. I'm not sure how easy or hard this would be. if this is deemed to complex i could have the products set in a closed box rather than one with an open face.


As well as looking further into packaging designs, I needed to direct and define the con tent of the book. I need to arrange the chapter of the book so they flow seamlessly and considering some of the processes are linked I need to make sure that this is clear and laid out well to understand this.

Above is the guideline I set out for my publication to follow. I have yet to define the content fully however I cannot truly define it until I have carried out testing of possible inclutions and layouts.


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2ND SCHEDULED GROUP CRIT

During the group crit I explained my ideas and presented my existing sketches to the group.

Things that were said or suggested:

- The idea of having an inside out kind of feel to my product is a dynamic and interesting way for presenting the subject.

- There are some good ideas regarding the presentation of content.

- The audience seems too specific considering the depth and type of product you want to create, why only Graphic design? people working with in other disciplines may be interested in a product such as this. 

- Maybe directing such an elaborate product at students may not be the correct clientele as it would be something they would pay for .

- Re-define the audience / A more bespoke book store or Museum shop / Rather than a hands on educational manual a more of a bespoke, high-end book for 'beginners' of print that works more off visuals rather than instructions.

What I need to do:

- Research into more bespoke art and design publications / items found in museum shops.

- Research in to possible ways in which you could tone down the elaborateness of the product to make it more accessible to students.

FOLLOWING DAY
After the crit, I certainly felt lost with my product. I had been confident with my work, however during the crit i feel there were to many questions surrounding my original proposed audience. It seemed too specific for what I wanted to present, however I felt that toning it down or widening the audience may put my initial ideas in jeopardy.

After talking to a tutor about my worries to a tutor, they suggested I should speak to one of my fellow students as she had similar issue to what I have after the crit. I feel that I am worried about committing to a new defined audience may come up as problematic in the future incase my product is not best suited. The advise from the tutor was to just crack on with your designs and testing so you can see and develop your ideas to which the feel of the correct audience will come.

ONE ON ONE / CRIT WITH SAM.
After Sam and I had discussed her project. I explained to her mine along with the questions that were raised in the crit and my worries about how to move forward.

- We agreed that widening my audience would be beneficial and because my ideas are fairly hands on but not over the top instructional I should concentrate on an art and design educated audience that wish to find inspiration when coming in to the world of print for the firs time.

- It could be a product that would be present in museum shops or specialist creative bookshops to be bought as a gift for budding designer or purchase by creative people wanting and willing to discover the basic and methods of print.

- Pull back the added on ideas and concentrate on the 'inside out' concept of your product. Then let other creative demonstrations and presentations blossom from this.

- Instead of having tools or little nicky bits have something that is substantial to the publication and the content in it. We came up with the idea of a possible swatch book that is pocket size that contains examples of the processes in the book so it can be taken with the owner as a portable reference to possible methods to print.



What I need to do:

- Research in to bespoke publications and items that are sold with in the same institutes to which I would direct my own publication.

- Start experimenting and carrying out ideas physically with the print methods.

- Beginners to print, get people excited on the basics.

- Look at possible ways to present an additional swatch book.


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