Evaluation

Designing for a public space in Leeds allowed me to demonstrate the principles of poster design by Josef Muller Brockmann. Understanding proportion, space and placement created an aesthetically pleasing poster design that is based around an unconventional concept. The method of directly interpreting the brief came from the understanding of ugly designers and their design process. However the end result is a poster design that may not be entirely appropriate for modern times. The modernist influences are clear, creating a poster that looks of that era. But given the context of the exhibition realism may not be entirely necessary. The run of screen printing during this design has been the most reliable so far which was due to its simple design. The combination of two analogue print techniques was an interesting technique that solved a lot of the problems whilst providing a unique characteristic to the poster. Due to the uneven pressure of the press, mono printing's textured and deep colour provides a desirable contrast against the screen prints even print.

Studio Brief 02 proved to be the most difficult brief in finding a approachable solution. Design related to ethical, political and social issues are necessarily in my area of interest. I understand why it is necessary, but I found it hard to find an area of which I could provide an appropriate solution. The lack of interest in these areas are probably shown through the limited area of research that only focused on major issues. Going deeper to find more unique and overlooked issues in society may have provided me a better opportunity to practice the type of design I'm interested in. Nevertheless, Apple Eco as a solution does hit a gap in the market that surprisingly Apple has not done yet given their efforts towards producing zero waste. Through the research done on campaigns that inevitably produce more waste in order to spread their message, Apple Eco is a zero waste solution that takes advantage of the number of iPhone users to spread the message of being more environmentally conscious. However Apple Eco is not the solution to climate change. Global warming has become a constant and as such the habits needed to slow it have to be practiced constantly. Therefore the app doesn't solve climate change but builds the habits in their users to reduce it. It was also a surprise to come back to digital design given my preference for printed. However the readings done on modernist design principles can be applied to app design. How to present information needs an understanding of visual hierarchy, white space and typography as users want to read information on devices quickly. In creating a specifically made Apple app, new software was used as well. Digital design is a medium I am relatively unfamiliar with, so rather than to manually mockup entirely on photoshop, Sketch was a program used that was appropriate to the design process of making an app.

Studio Brief 02 also made me realise the implications of the work designers do. What if Apple made an eco tracker app and it does promote a new wave of environmentalism? Designers are responsible for having these influences in society. Despite the brief's difficulty, it has provided more context onto what a role of a designer is and the importance of considering the design's social, ethical and political implications, especially since it has to enter the real world.