Monotype - Lost in Publications

The series of Lost In publications by Node Oslo Berlin demonstrates how typefaces can represent an entire city.

These publications highlight how typefaces can communicate a certain atmosphere and look that is associated with the city for example New York's typeface. The oblique Helvetica is appropriate to the Helvetica used for their famous subway system, which is in the same white on black colour scheme, whilst the oblique font communicates the hustle and bustle of the city.

Therefore the typeface chosen or designed for the Maori should have direct relations to their culture or at least communicate certain qualities that are associated. The direct links will help develop a look for the Maori that reflects the traditions and atmosphere surrounding the culture.

Monotype - Possible ideas

Overall aim of the campaign
To educate the viewer on Maori culture because it is being underrepresented.

Idea #1
To make a campaign promoting the Maori language.
This is a very literal interpretation of the Monotype brief. By using only language, this limitation will require an effective use of type and typeface design to communicate the cultural identifiers of the Maori people. The typeface will have to be effective enough to draw readers into the narrative as well as to generate a conversation as the brief hopes to achieve.
The point of this idea is to promote indigenous languages just as much as New Zealand gives to its indigenous people.

Idea #2
To make a campaign that promotes the cultural traditions of the Maori people that make them unique. I.e. showcasing the aspects of their culture that have been researched. These cultural symbols would be presented in such a way that it looks like it was photographed in a professional setting. Much like the way FMR magazine by Franco Maria Ricci is presented below.

This style of art direction will provide a sophisticated and mature voice to the campaign that is unlike branding used today. The black background gives the illusion of depth due to the shadows and lighting on the bust whilst the use of Bodoni provides that sense of elegance. The art direction effectively centres all of the attention towards the artefact which would be beneficial in showcasing the cultural artefacts/identifiers of the Maori.
The choice for a serious tone of voice is to make appreciation of indigenous people a worthwhile issue in society.

Idea #3
To make a campaign that is aimed to direct readers onto websites like http://www.newzealand.com/int/ which is the "Official site for Tourism New Zealand" to help give exposure to the indigenous people and the country as a whole. This would be done through providing
close up shots of Maori traditions and cultural artefacts that will hopefully intrigue the reader and showcase the beauty of the culture.
As an alternative, rather than indirectly promote New Zealand, the campaign could highlight the bigger question of spreading awareness for indigenous people as a whole. By showcasing the proposed close up imagery, the aim would be to make people appreciate cultural heritage.

Monotype - The Maori Culture

Maori Carving

Wood carving has an important place in Maori culture and art. It is an important material in Maori culture that helped them travel across the Pacific ocean from the Samoan Islands to now New Zealand. As a result the canoe (Waka) is a special and heavily used motif. Wood is used throughout their culture and will become one of the focal points for the typographic campaign.

Wood carvings are seen on 

• Canoes
• Wharenui which is the building called for Marae (Maori meeting places)
• Taiaha (weapons) 
• Precious adornments
• Tools
• Musical instruments 
• Decorative panels 

The art of carving wood is called Whakairo Rakau. They carve their wooden designs with tools made from greenstone. Each carving explains cultural traditions and tribal history.

Some of the Maori carving symbols

• Tiki - According to legends tiki was the first man on earth who originated from the stars. Stands for fertility, the frequently occurring hands placed on the loins is a direct reference to fertility. Tiki is a good luck charm meant to keep evil spirits away.
• Manaia - The manaia symbolizes a mythical being with a bird’s head a human body and fish tail. Manaia is considered the messenger between the Gods and mortals.
• Koru - Koru is the Maori word for “bight” or “loop” and refers to new shoots of the silver fern. The spiral shaped koru design is derived from this unfolding silver fern frond. The unfurling frond itself is symbolic for new life, new beginnings, hope, perfection, personal growth, purity, nurturing, and peace.
• Matau - Originally the Maori have been fishermen. Their main food source was the sea so a fish hook of high quality was a valuable item to posses. The Maori fish hook symbol refers to being dependent on the sea for their food gathering. The matau is a talisman for good luck.
• Pikorua - refers to eternal emerging paths in life. The eight-shaped single twist symbolizes the strength of the bond between two people, their loyalty and friendship. It signifies the spiritual merger of two people for eternity.

Maori Tattoos

The Maori tattoos are meant to reflect Whakapapa (ancestry) and personal history of the person. In Maori culture, Tā moko (tattoo) permanently marks the body and face by carving the skin, which leaves it with grooves rather than a smooth surface. It is done by uhi (chisels) rather than punctured. 

The inks that were used by Maori were made from all natural products. Burnt wood was used to create black pigments; while lighter pigments were derived from caterpillars infected with a certain type of fungus, or from burnt kauri gum mixed with animal fat. No tattoos are alike, which should be reflected on the campaign. The tools for carving are made from shark teeth, sharpened bone or sharp stones. 

Because the tattoos are so symbolic, each area of the face has a specific meaning and is used to communicate certain meanings. These descriptions can be used as a poster design. Educating the public on the symbolism of Maori tattoos.

Maori weaving

Ornamental lattice-work between upright slabs of the walls in a traditional house - Tukutuku

The Maori name is Raranga. The art form is seen on Kākahu (woven cloaks) where the Maori had to protect themselves from the colder climate of New Zealand and is indicative of an elders rank. 

Tāniko is a method of decorative weaving, used to decorate the borders of garments, or for bodices, headbands and armbands. The Māori included wool, silk and cotton in tāniko after Europeans arrived.

Tukutuku is a type of weaving mostly used to adorn the inside walls of meeting houses. Toetoe stems are set side by side, with wooden strips lashed in front. Coloured patterns are made by lacing through strips of pīngao or kiekie.

Whāriki is a plaiting technique used to make floor mats, also called whāriki. Raranga is a weaving style used for rourou (food baskets), kete (bags) and other small objects. Whiri is a braiding technique and whatu is an off-loom finger-weaving method, which produces strips of material for headbands, belts and ropes. Kupenga (fishing nets), crayfish pots and hīnaki (eel traps) were also made.

Maori Legends

Māui - demigod 

Mount Hikurangi is the first place in the world to greet the sun according to Maori culture. On this mountain top there are 9 carved Whakairo sculptures depicting Māui and his whanau (family). The centrepiece represents Maui himself, while the other eight carvings are positioned to mark the points of the traditional compass. The North Island is representative of the biggest fish he caught while sailing and the mountain top symbolising the top of the fish. The South Island is his canoe.

Lord of the Forest

Tāne Mahuta is a giant kauri tree that name means Lord of the Forest in English. According to Maori legend, Tāne is the son of Ranginui the sky father and Papatuanuku the earth mother. Tāne separates his parents from their marital embrace until his father the sky is high above mother earth. In doing so created the world of light (Te Ao Mārama) we live in today. Tāne then sets about clothing his mother with vegetation. The birds and the trees of the forest are regarded as Tāne’s children.

Pai kea - the whale rider

Paikea is an ancestor of Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Porou, the Māori tribes in the South Island and east coast of New Zealand's North Island. Paikea is the name assumed by Kahutia-te-rangi because he was assisted by a whale such as a tohora (southern right whale) or paikea (humpback whales) to survive an attempt on his life by his half-brother Ruatapu. The story represents the spiritual bond between the human and natural worlds, and the potential revealed when nature is respected rather than exploited.

                                                                                                                                                                  

The aspects of Maori culture listed here are important and recognisable identifiers for people who are unfamiliar with the people. It represents the different areas of the Maori culture to display on the campaign. 

Monotype - Craig Oldham In Loving Memory Of

An important aspect of the brief is D&AD's collaboration with Craig Oldham and his latest publication In Loving Memory Of Work. In this publication, Oldham also identifies a underrepresented community and that is of documenting the UK miners’ strike between 1984 and 1985. 

A publication demonstrates that each element of the design has been considered, from the varying stock used in the book to create tactility, structured grid system, size of the publication and content layout. Even the stickers placed on the front cover are considered. They follow a fixed pattern, as though in a grid, with similar angles on each side whilst in proportion to the books format. They represent the d.i.y attitude of the strikes. The publication demands attention from the reader which is appropriate to the amount of attention that should've been given to the underrepresent Miners.

The most important aspect of the book in relation to the brief is the bespoke typeface. The typography is laid out in bold, often across a double page spread which creates high impact on the reader. This relates to the high impact typography on the miners protest signs. They are placed throughout the book making a very visual reading experience. The layout of the publications content is contextually appropriate to the content itself. This is a factor to consider when producing the typographic campaign for the Maori's.

Liaison Headline Typeface is based on only a few rationales. The geometric forms of the letters reflect the industrial nature and the urgency of the dispute. The harshness created through these straight forms are made through its "quirks" such as the angled crossbars in H and the kinks in K, which creates the industrial look of the typeface. These design decisions follow the typeface's aim to be bold and direct in a visually noisy, mass demonstration.

The aims of the typeface can be simplified to

• The typeface must have a strong visual identity 
• The typeface must be bold enough to stand out from other protest signage
• The typeface must relate to the Miners and the demonstrations

Ferrymoor Headline Face is the second bespoke typeface created for the publication. This typeface takes its inspiration from "the reverse of the National Union of Mineworkers Ferrymoor Riddings Branch banner which has distinct letterforms, hand-cut and sewn into the banner fabric." The countering lines create uneasiness when reading but effective in communicating the tension of that period.

In terms of the brief, there needs to be a clear outline of the typeface's aims in order to effectively communicate its message. Looking at the example of the Liaison Headline Typeface, the typeface needed to work in its context and needed to relate to its culture.

Penguin - Altered cover design

A black background is more impactful and appropriate to the novels narrative. The white typography sets a high contrast against the deep black background and its simple colour scheme allows the design to stand out on the bookshelves. The background colour relates to the mystery of the non-fiction crime novel and sets an ominous tone for the reader.

Template Gothic replaces the Akzidenz Grotesk used in the design above. The template is left unchanged because its layout is specific in its design to achieve a sense of informational hierarchy and proportionality. The layout has been considered and is flexible enough to work with Template Gothic.

Template Gothic's ability to achieve an unnerving atmosphere is due to its unorthodox design as a typeface. It's thin but varied stem width makes the typeface look sharp and piercing and its off-centered and large counters make the letterforms look hollow and eerie. A mixture of Regular and Bold fonts are also used to better communicate the typeface's unorthodox look and better achieve an mysterious atmosphere. As a whole, Template Gothic's unusual type design is its biggest strength and is aimed to standout from the plethora of book covers that use common typefaces, i.e Helvetica Condensed.

'Cold' is only outlined due to the word it represents. Cold infers a lack of emotion or feeling hence the lack of fill. This also breaks the monotony of having all of the copy in the same fill and typeface. A visual hierarchy is created that prevents the cover design from looking flat.

Changing the book's captions to the Penguin orange communicates their brand's identifier more explicitly to the reader, making it clear that it is a Penguin book. The orange copy sits lower on the visual hierarchy as the contrast is lower than the white on black used on the cover. Therefore the reader will naturally reader the title and author of the book first, and then the captions.

The weak link the design is the addition of the sailfish motif. Given its positioning on the back cover page, the sailfish becomes an after thought and feels put on for the sake of it because of its little relation to the art direction of the rest of the cover. A final decision needs to be made to whether include the sailfish or not.

Monotype - Altering the idea

NewZealand.com's typeface is an effective representation of New Zealand's natural beauty, adventurous attitude and Maori heritage. However the biggest limitation of the typeface is how the Maori are represented. Their culture is full of mythology, artwork, traditions and a distinct language. The Maori's are too diverse and large of a culture to be reduced to small triangles on the side of the letterforms.

Rather than aim to try and create a campaign for New Zealanders and the Maori's together, the campaign should rather be about the Maori's themselves. Having the campaign be solely about the Maori people can also highlight a larger, more important message of increasing the appreciation for indigenous people as a whole. It can help spark the conversation between cultures which D&AD wants the typographic campaign will achieve.

FutureBrand's rebrand for Peru is an effective example of representing the country's culture and people. Peru's new logo symbolises the country's many diverse cultures whilst evoking its long heritage and creativity, in a combination of word mark and symbol. As a way to understand what Peru culture is, FutureBrand made efforts to visit several towns and cities, archaeological sites, artisanal districts, museums and other institutions in different areas of the country. This highlights the areas the brief may need to research in order to find the common traits in Maori culture. However, the design was centred around the word itself and is meant to disassociate itself from any specific culture in Peru. The logo's aim is to represent the country and not the cultures. Having no tagline with the mark allows for more flexibility as the reader can then imply their own messages, images, concepts, landscapes and cultures.

The spiral form that is the focal point of the logotype is a simple yet effective mark that has links to various aspects of Peruvian culture and history. The spiral form is present in all cultures in Peru, it resembles a fingerprint to make the logo feel its for the people and the famous desert markings. A small but important design element is the addition of the accent on the 'u'. The accent makes the logo sound like its coming from the locals mouth rather than a anglicised version of it to align with international audiences. Having the type be hand drawn also emphasises the point of creating a logo that represented the people. 

The typeface that accompanied the logo shared similar design cues. As mentioned earlier, less is more for typography and by having only some letterforms have a spiralled descender, legibility can still be retained when forming words. It makes the spirals more unique as it stands out from the traditional letterforms. 

Overall FutureBrand's solution for Peru is a simple yet effective mark that manages to link itself to various aspects of Peruvian culture, history, traditions and most importantly the people. 

Using this a guideline, these are the areas to research for the Maori rebrand

• Language
• Art
• Traditions
• Maori architecture and sculpture
• Ancient Maori stories
• Maori tattoo design

Monotype - New Zealands representation

What can be a downfall of the campaign is trying to promote too many aspects at once. The typography must have clear associations to New Zealand and/or the Maori. The problem with including both nature and culture is that they are two different things. However researching the Maori's may uncover links to both them and nature in their cultural traditions. 


In Maori culture, humans are deeply connected to the land and natural world. This connection is expressed through kaitiakitanga - a way of managing the environment. Kaitiakitanga translates to guardianship and protection of the environment. A kaitiaki is a guardian such as a person or group that cares for an area such as a lake or forest. As an indigenous people, the Maori's have an big influence on the environmental attitudes in New Zealand. 

NewZealand.com is the go to website for New Zealand. It provides an accessible way for people to understand more about the country and the Maori. 

The websites language, tone of voice, photography and the unique display typeface are important in understanding how New Zealand wants to represent itself to the world. Rarely does the website display photographs of the major cities, there is a clear intention to display the best of the natural wonders New Zealand has to offer. 

Looking through the Things to do tab, majority of the suggested activities for people to try out are outdoor activities. There is little intention to draw readers into visiting the major cities. New Zealand wants it tourists to explore and experience the diverse nature it has to offer. 

The website itself has an impact on how tourists will view New Zealand. The clean, organised and highly visual layout engages the reader and makes New Zealand an attractive destination to visit to. This layout also makes it easy for users to navigate the website which subsequently makes planning their possible trip to NZ as easy as possible. These qualities should be shared on the typographic campaign. Having a consistent representation of the country across several channels will help build a consistent idea of what New Zealand is for people outside of the country. 

What is most unique of their website is the the custom display typeface that is meant to represent the qualities of New Zealand. The thick stems with angled corners connote a rugged and unrefined quality that is appropriate in representing New Zealand's preserved nature and appeals to those who enjoy more adventurous activities whilst on holiday.   Having the copy all in uppercase makes their point bold and feels as though they are proud to showcase New Zealand to the reader. The small triangles that appear on the left side of certain letterforms are the most unique feature of the typeface. It is this simple yet effective design element that represents the Maori, which is a contrast against the modernity of the sans serif letterforms. This typeface therefore has achieved a balance between representing the natural and adventure seeking qualities of New Zealand and at the same time representing the indigenous people that still are celebrated widely in the country. 

   

What this typeface also highlights is how important subtlety is in type design. Subtleties being the detailed but generally unnoticed characteristics of typefaces that work together to form the classification of the typeface. The less is more ideology works because of the syntax of our language. Many letters are used to create words, sentences and paragraphs. Having a visually busy letterform may work on its own but when placed next to other letters, these visual cues will lower the legibility and readability of the typeface as each letterform will fight for attention. Display typefaces are able to be less subtle because they are not suited to large amounts of copy, as demonstrated by NewZealand.com's type design. 

Monotype - Idea to pursue

Out of these ideas, the campaign to generate exposure for New Zealand and its Maori people is the most appropriate to the requirements of the D&AD brief. The language used throughout the brief's outline explicitly suggest that a dialogue must be created between culture, to stimulate human interaction and to celebrate diversity. Therefore when D&AD states to identify a culture, community or country, they are asking for a solution that is entered around humans themselves.

The idea to create a typographic campaign for Rallying does not entirely align with D&AD's brief requirements. Rally may have a dedicated following that can be described as a culture much in the same way that theres a footballing culture amongst its fans but the idea to potentially develop a typographic campaign for Rally is centred around the sport itself and not of its people. Therefore it does not meets the briefs requirements.

To pursue a campaign for the Romani people would definitely be interesting and thought provoking however the preconceived negative connotations behind the people may be too big of a hurdle to change. Not only are the public misinformed, but governments are actively trying to eliminate their culture and exclude them from society. How can a this typographic campaign be appropriately advertised if the governments themselves want nothing to do with them. Furthermore because they have been outed from society ever since their immigration to Europe, the areas of which to promote their culture are very limited. For example the Romani's influence on Spanish Flamenco is surprising however does Flamenco want to be associated with the Romani?

New Zealand and the Maori presents an opportunity to develop a unique typographic campaign that can help bring closer a country that feels isolated from the international stage due to its geographical location. Having visited New Zealand personally is an advantage in terms of drawing from personal experiences to effectively capture the spirit of its people and culture.

Monotype - Developing the ideas

New Zealand and the Maori 

Problem 
The geological location of the country and subsequently the indigenous people have been underrepresented on the intentional stage. 

Solution
To create a more sophisticated tourism and educational campaign to get more people to understand the beauty of the country's environment and the culture of its people. 

Key visual signifiers
- A black and white colour scheme that is synonymous with New Zealand in representing their country internationally be it in sport or even on their national airlines. This will be the predominant colour scheme used throughout the campaign. Keeping the typography this way will allow for the promotional photography to stand out. 

- To base the country's promotional campaign on natural and scenic photography, whilst also portraying the indigenous people whose culture is celebrated throughout New Zealand. For example using Maori words or phrases such as "Kia Ora" in the campaign.

- The fern. 

- Billboard advertising, social media presence through hashtags or in app adverts, advertising in airports, generating content that appeals to the more adventurous. Essentially making New Zealand more at the forefront of peoples minds when choosing for a new destination.

The Romani People

Problem 
A highly discriminated against culture that is negatively viewed on without prior understanding.

Solution
To create an educational campaign that aims to lessen the negative perceptions of the Romani's.

Method
An advertising campaign that portrays the Romani in a better light. The typography has to communicate this in order to change peoples perceptions. Providing the public with small pieces of information that slowly changes their mindset on the people.  

Rally Motorsport

Problem
Rally is a culture that is viewed to be inaccessible for newcomers to the sport. Its one car per track format can be seen as unexciting as compared to seeing a multitude of cars fighting for first place. It doesn't have the glamour that Formula One possesses and isn't held in attractive locations, making it hard for newcomers to validate the journey. 

Solution
To create a campaign that makes the rallying look more appealing to fans of motorsport and newcomers alike. 

Key visual identifiers of the campaign
- To showcase the colourful liveries of the cars which will work well with typography and lends itself in creating graphic artwork. The aim of this is to make the sport look more sophisticated and appeal to a younger audience. 

- Dynamism. The speed of which the cars travel at going through the tracks should be conveyed to the viewer to create an exciting atmosphere around the sport. 

- The diverse and extreme locations at which the rallies are held at. 

- Describing the skill rally drivers need to race. 

Method
- Turning the 'negative' aspects of the sport, for example the one car per track format, and using it to help promote the sport.
- Could have an advertising method of only placing the billboards on moving objects, i.e taxis, buses, trains?. This may/may not help deliver that sense of dynamism.

Monotype - Potential ideas

Monotype's challenge of creating a typography led campaign for a culture, community or country that is misunderstood, misrepresented or underrepresented is the most aligned to my interests in Graphic design. It provides a good opportunity to build on my portfolio of work as well as push myself in terms of understanding typography. 

These are the potential ideas formed:

New Zealand and the Maori

This was inspired by my trip to New Zealand over the summer. The sheer beauty of the nature in New Zealand alone is worth making a typographic campaign for. It is a paramount priority for the government to protect their wildlife and environment as most of of it is responsible for their tourist industry. For example they protect their best asset through protective restrictions of what you can bring into the country and constant efforts to preserve the flora and fauna through educating the public on environmental preservation. 

The main problem of New Zealand that has caused them to become underrepresented is its location. They are situated in the far ends of the Earth and also in the 'shadow' of Australia who get much more international presence. As a result, New Zealand rarely gets mentioned on mainstream media. Their location creates a sense of isolation and a disconnect with the world which has impacted their society. Walking around cities like Auckland and Wellington, international brands and companies don't have much presence.

Despite being so close to Australia however there are clear cultural differences between the two. Maori culture is far more prominent in New Zealand society than Aboriginal cultures are in Australian society. For example, Maori is an official language of New Zealand. It is taught in schools, used in government departments and broadcast on television. New Zealand also has a Maori monarch and a Maori war dance is performed before rugby games. 

The Romani people

Gypsies are one of if not the most misunderstood and misrepresented communities in history. What their preferred term is the Roma or Romani people. Originating from Hindi people from Northern India, most Romani travelled to Europe. After arriving, most Romani were enslaved which continued until the 19th century. In England, Switzerland and Denmark, the Romani were put to death throughout the medieval era. Many countries, such as Germany, Italy and Portugal, ordered the expulsion of all Romani.
Even today, after centuries of persecution, the Romani are still being discriminated against because society have a preconceived negative view on their people. They are continually made to become an isolated community. This isolation causes Romani children to not attend school, lack access to stable jobs, affordable housing, health care and other social services. As a result, poverty, disease, substance abuse and crime are a norm in many Roma communities. The Romani people's best export is of their music most notably Spanish flamenco which has roots in to the Romani people. 

Rallysport

Rallying is underrepresented as a motorsport that does not generate the same exposure nor receive the same coverage as for example Formula One. The unpopularity of the sport can be factored into its unglamorous atmosphere, hard to reach tracks, being a predominantly male orientated sport and the sport itself. Although superficial glamour does have a role in attracting viewers to a sport. Formula One drivers are paid huge amounts, racing cars that look futuristic through purpose built tracks or the city streets. Big name brands are seen sponsoring the event, spectators have access to more creature comforts whilst at the race, the races are located in capital cities which is beneficial for those who follow the calendar attending the races and there are events that happen before and after the race itself. The glamorous nature of Formula One is largely dependant on the amount of funding it receives. Furthermore because these factors, Formula One is viewed as a more accessible motorsport compared to rallying. 

But there should be more appreciation for rallying. The sport requires great skill to be able to manoeuvre through tight and twisty corners on loose surfaces. Not only that but that they go through these corners at unbelievable speeds that often question when their next crash will be. Everything counts on one lap, so drivers can't afford mistakes. Spectators risk their lives to view the cars coming head on and stand almost touching them as they drive past. One recognisable trait of the spectators is that they always help the drivers get the car back on track if ever it steers off. It is wild and crazy sport that has a definite following which has seen controversy, most notably with the abandonment of Group B where cars became too fast and dangerous for the drivers and spectators.

The remote locations of the tracks shouldn't be seen as an disadvantage. They are wide and varied from the snow and ice tracks of Scandinavia, the glamour of Monte Carlo, the heat of Kenya and the high altitudes of the Argentinian mountain sides. These all could be used to create a more attractive advertising campaign to draw viewers to the sport. The liveries of the rally cars are also a selling point. Cars of the 70s, 80, and 90s had such graphic liveries that it almost became art. 

Cars today unfortunately don't share the same graphic style as their predecessors. But there are still examples of liveries that do make rally an exciting sport to watch. 

Penguin - Feedback

It was clear during the discussion that the sailfish theme book cover was the more appropriate resolution for the competition brief. This design had an element of the story on the front cover, was more visually creative and aligned itself more with the requirements of the brief. People preferred to buy a cover design that was unique to the title rather than one that indicated a series of books, which what Fig.1 suggested. Fig.1 would only be appropriate if Capote's novels were sold as a collection, which is not how it will be intended to be sold by Penguin. 

The main aim of the session was to get feedback on how to make the cover itself look more attractive to the average reader. The black and white colour scheme does not achieve this because of its monotony and the layout of the elements are laid in a traditional manner that may make the cover go unnoticed by the judges. As much as the phrase is to not pick up a book by its cover, the cover is the books first impression on the reader. It needs to be 'a striking cover design' as Penguin states. However rather than improving the visual aspects of the design, suggestions were made to incorporate design elements that made the reader want to pick up the book on the shelf. This is a big difference that can determine whether the reader purchases the book itself. This means incorporating tactility to the design, e.g. embossings, die cut, foiling, etc.  

Another way the design could be improved was to hone in on the sailfish motif. To explore the themes around this pivotal point in the story and to demonstrate it as creatively as possible. One example included combining the imagery of a hangman's noose to a fishing hook. The hangman represents the final outcome of the two murderers whilst the hook represents catching the sailfish. When together they both symbolise the overarching message of getting caught.

Penguin - The authors name

Fig.1 

Having visited numerous Waterstones in London, it was apparent that Penguin already has a cover style for its design orientated books that is similar to the ones designed for the brief, which was surprising, considering it wasn't realised prior. Therefore Penguin has decided that this particular art direction for its book covers are reserved for books on design and art, not non fiction. This only adds more reason to why Fig.1 won't be chosen to be sent of to the competition. 

The art direction for Murakami's book covers are an example of using the author as a selling tool and the use of single bold colour to establish the book cover's brand. Murakami is a Japanese author who has sold bestsellers both in Japan and internationally. This forms his reputation and popularity as an author. His surname has become a signifier for readers as a worthwhile book. As a result the art direction is simple because it bases its salability on the authors name, the more simple the designs are, the better Murakami's name can be communicated to the reader. The use of a single bold colour as the identifier for Murakami means readers are able to find his novels while scanning the visually chaotic shelves in book stores. Using black as a base means colours laid on top produce a high contrast, especially white. The placing and size of 'Murakami' combined with the high contrast of black and white means 'Murakami' is the highest in terms of the cover's visual hierarchy. This attracts the readers eye to the top of the book which subsequently flows down the page as the other design elements provide more information about the book. Capote shares much acclaim as Murakami and could adopt a similar art direction for In Cold Blood. 

Studio Brief 02 - Evaluation

Learning how to bend the brief to suit my own interests within graphic design has become a important way to make the briefs more enjoyable to tackle. This was crucial in reference to designing for screen as this was an area where I had no prior understanding or interest in pursuing. Having an editorial based problem meant that the design still revolved around using editorial content and creating editorial appropriate solutions. Furthermore being able to bend the briefs creates a more cohesive portfolio of work which demonstrates my own interests in graphic design. 

The amount of work and difficulty in producing all of the animations highlights the importance of having a dedicated coder/animator when designing for screen. Having a dedicated animator/coder allows for the ideas from the graphic designers to be represented more accurately. The animators and coders knowledge of the field will also help push these ideas to its full potential as they know the limits and possibilities when designing for screen. This was a difficulty when creating the animations, most notably trying to create a 3d effect. The lack of experience in using AfterEffects resulted in compromising the original design idea. 

However thinking commercially, creating these complex animations may not be economically viable in the long run. These animations would probably demand higher costs from the coders/animators and require more time and effort. Furthermore because the preview is just a preview, putting much time and effort into it may not be worth it, depending on the impact these previews may have on the sales of the magazine. In a way this highlights why design studios prefer multidisciplinary designers as it will allow the studio to branch out to more areas to creatively communicate their ideas. 

Drawing out the art boards for each major progression in the animations made it easier to understand the overall idea for each one and to systematically go through them once on screen. This way of working was also quicker in experimenting with different compositions which was less frustrating than trying it on screen. 

After doing both briefs, the differences are clear between designing for screen and designing for print. Between the two, digital design was quicker in achieving the final resolution. The immediacy of digital design however means experimentation during the process is reduced because every element of the design is able to be manipulated with ease. Designing digitally also reduces the amount of human error during the design process. With print, many errors were produced from screen printing where the pulls did not produce a strong enough registration or not having the correct alignment. Producing for print requires the designer to learn the technical skills and have the resources. Digital design on the other hand does not take long to learn and is relatively easy to produce, the resources needed to produce the work is all in one place i.e. the computer.
Experimentation for screen is not focused around the production but rather the user. An effective piece of digital design is based on how well the user interface and user experience is designed.
For print, each design decision had to go through a lengthy process which needed planning time ahead. Furthermore it is often during these experimentations within the process where something new is discovered that can help improve the design.
With digital design, the work becomes restricted to the screen and requires the screen to be viewed. Designing for print on the other hand is a format can take on many variations. However this does not mean digital design is restricting. The animated magazine previews demonstrate how far content can be manipulated for screen. The formats just take on a different form e.g. videos, gif, sound and user interaction. Due to the varied amount of 'screens' available to us today, there is a need for the solution to be fully workable on a multitude of screen sizes. Unlike in print where the final resolution fits all. With these varying screen sizes also comes different user experiences that dictate how the solution should be designed for that screen.

As a whole the solution to the brief's problem has been effective. The static reading experience of reading editorial content online is currently comprised of long passages of text, static images and difficult navigation options that has created a subpar reading experience that feels unnatural to use. The solution provides a highly visual way of reading the same content. The animation heavy previews grabs the users attention and is designed around how we prefer to read on screen. This meant shortening the amount of copy to make the preview feel easy to read, providing brief but key amounts of information to generate curiosity and having interactivity between the user and the screen to create their own reading experience. The biggest aspect of the solution is that it is not meant to provide the best way to read online magazines but to be a platform where publishers can help promote exposure for their magazine. Therefore the intended form of the magazine i.e. it being an artefact and having a tactile reading experience, receives better sales as opposed to creating a solution that rivals discouraging the need of physical magazines. What was not dealt with effectively were the external areas beside the actual animations. Basic mockups were done on how these previews will look like on Instagram and desktop websites but there was little consideration on the way in which to generate exposure of the feature itself and ensuring the longevity of the feature. Overall however the animated preview feature does provide an alternative solution to a problem that has caused the unpopularity of on screen reading of magazines.

Studio Brief 02 - Complete Animations and Further mockups

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8_6AZHxJ_0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC1b831kj88

These are the two completed animations for both the mobile and desktop platform this preview feature will be on. Each animation works together to create a coherent visual look for each platform. Between the two, the mobile preview is noticeably more fun in its animations and interactivity for the user. This is due to the differences in the way the user uses each platform. 

For mobile users, the finger is the equivalent to the desktop's cursor, but because the users directly touches the screen, this allows for more creative animations to be done for the preview.  The way in each the animation is art directed then becomes based around the users hand and their typical gestures whilst using the screen. Hence the simple but consistent swiping gestures throughout for the users to navigate through the preview and the ability to adjust the content by the users themselves. 

What the desktop version does have an advantage over the mobile platform is the browser capability to load and handle more complex and ambitious animations quickly. Therefore the animations in the desktop may not be as fun or colourful as the mobile version, it does have ambitious animations and sequences that can only be done on the desktop platform. 
                                                                                                                                                                                            

In helping this magazine preview feature gain exposure, the Following page will display the magazines preview to help notify their followers of who they've read. This will be beneficial for users to get an insight on what magazines their favourite designers subscribe to. 

This simply shows the magazine previews feature integrated into 032c's existing website. 

Studio Brief 02 - Progression of Animations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlmjHUTwtNM

For the Nest cover article, the overall visual theme was to make the animations feel humourus and tongue in cheek to reflect the visual style of the magazine. Therefore the rabbits in the background of the articles title page are imitating having sex, coupled with the flashing letters of 'nesT' that give the article a lighthearted tone of voice. 

The first page of the article carries this through by manipulating the triangular graphics along the top and bottom of the page to imitate teeth chomping down on the article. 

One of the advantages of screen is the ability to have users directly interact with it and affect the overall composition. This is demonstrated through a pull out feature that users interact with that eventually loads the text of the article.  The user interaction helps prevent the magazine preview from becoming a one way user experience, where the user simply watches the animations load. 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdrC6c40zmA

This feature is extended through to the next article. In this, the visual motif of the red rectangles being laid out in an angled manner are played on to become something the user straightens out. 

Much like in the Nest article, the users interaction will help progress the animations. In this example, by straightening out the individual components, it unveils the cascading words of Love, Work, Society, Politics and Power which complete the end sentence of the paragraph above. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJK3EVDui_c

Gosh Rubchinskiy's article style still retains the same as the initial mockups. This is because his fashion should be the main focus of the article. It is what he is known for and will provide a positive user experience for readers who subscribe to his style of fashion. 

Rather than discard the would have been alternative cover for the magazine preview, this was repurposed into the end page of the preview which has a live link for the user to purchase the magazine on 032c's own website. Therefore the alternative cover has been transformed into the visual identifier for the user which signals the end of the preview. 

                                                                                                                                                                               

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7asMrmO3-k&t=1s

As for the desktop variation of the preview, the original Ralf Schmerberg video that was produced was replaced in favour of 032c's own trailer for the same movie. Having the real trailer (although shortened to a minute) provides much better context for the reader when reading the article from the magazine. The atmosphere and art direction of the video from 032c will effectively deliver a user experience that is appropriate to the magazine's aesthetic. 

This video has also been moved to the last article the user reads. This was due to the end still of the trailer having a link to purchase the magazine. This is more appropriate in being the last thing the user sees before ending the preview rather than at the front. Furthermore having the user watch a video at the start of the preview breaks up the flow of the interactivity with the cover sequence, resulting in an anticlimactic user experience. The video is a static experience has users waiting on content to be shown to them, rather than the spontaneity of the other articles.