Outlining the ISTD brief

The typographic emphasis of ISTD briefs provide an ideal opportunity to demonstrate and practice my interest in typography and art direction. Focusing to do briefs like ISTD aligns will help build a coherent and strong portfolio that establishes my identity and speciality as a designer. 

The briefs requirement to highlight specifications of the solution's design will help push my attention to detail and further my ability to deliver a professionally designed and produced piece of work that can be taken into the professional world. From these requirements it is inferred that ISTD demands a thoroughly designed outcome with all aspects considered. 

Chosen ISTD brief to take forward - Anniversaries (2018)

Brief Outline

To choose a subject that could be deemed an anniversary from the past, present and/or future and translating it into a typographic wonderment Vincent Steer would be proud.
Possible Anniversaries

80th birthday of ISSEY MIYAKE, born – 22 Apr 1938

150th birthday of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, born – 7 June 1868

250 years of the Royal Academy

10 years on, Robert Rauschenberg, death – 12 May 2008

30 years on, Isamu Noguchi, death – 30 Dec 1988

20th anniversary of the last aired episode of Seinfeld – May 14 1998

These choices are predominantly artistic and cultural anniversaries as they represent my personal interests within the creative industry. Tackling the brief through a personal interest makes the solution unique and representative of the designer. It helps keeps the engagement throughout the process and slightly easier in answering the brief.

Shortlisted anniversaries to develop further

80 years, ISSEY MIYAKE

30 years, Isamu Noguchi

20 years, Seinfeld

Celebrating ISSEY MIYAKE's 80th birthday is a reflection of my interest in fashion and is an extension of the research done of postwar Japanese design in the dissertation. 

Commemorating the 30 years after Noguchi's death is, again, related to the research of Japanese design during the dissertation and demonstrates my personal interest of the sculptor.  

Seinfeld can be argued to be one of the greatest sitcoms ever to come out and to coincidentally have the anniversary of its last episode in this year would pose as an interesting and fun solution to the brief. 

Understanding the client

The ultimate client for the brief is Vincent Steer, who is most known for his publication, Printing Design and Layout. This book is considered to be a manual for typography and as such, in order to deliver a solution that would "make Vincent Steer proud", it goes without saying that typography has to be the focal point.

The solution has to demonstrate a good understanding of typography, be to an extent "educational" in much the same way Steer's book was a manual whilst at the same time  celebrating the chosen anniversary.