OUGD505 - Study Task 2 - Insects

We were tasked with coming up with a solution to make insects more commercially viable and more popular rather than something that is "gross". We used a method of exploring the problem through using sticky notes. We wrote down all of the ideas that came to our heads whether they seemed far fetched or fairly normal. We started by writing down the problems of why insects aren't popular. 

Most of the problems seemed to be either with the appearance of the insects or people's perceptions of them. People seem squeamish about having the insects whole and seeing their faces. 

Most of the solutions that we came up with involved making the insects into something where they weren't recognisable or changing them into something tasty. 

In the end we decided on the problem: that bugs look gross and society struggles to accept it. So our solution was to promote it to the younger audience so they could grow up eating insects and therefore become used to them and not find them weird to look at anymore. To do this we thought we could change the bugs into snacks for kids, i.e. cereal bars where they aren't really recognisable. 

Overall I really liked this method of exploring a topic because it means that you don't have to be precious about the answers that you come up with. So I found that I got a lot more out of this method than I would have done if I had created a mind map. Also having other people's minds on the same subject widened the scope of the answers that we got. 

OUGD406 - Studio Brief 2 - Study Task 2 - Cover Analysis

After researching all about the content and the publishers of our chosen book we had to look at the cover and analyse whether it is a successful cover for the content of the book. 

From looking inside the front cover I found that the cover was based on Typographica issue 7 which was designed by Herbert Spencer as all of the magazine covers were. However they have altered the colour from this cover from a light green to a strong red. Red connotes strength, power and passion so may be this was to make the cover more visually striking. But as someone said in the analysis feedback, it creates a very masculine and dark look to it which may put some people off the book. 

I looked further into the aesthetics of this cover I noticed that the collage of text on the front is all backwards, perhaps this is to suggest that it is a collage of letterpress blocks, which all need to be set backwards before printing. Or maybe this is a playful touch to make the viewer look closer into the words to read what they are meant to say and in the process of this they can get a closer look at the use of typefaces. On this note, the fact that the typefaces are so varied within this cover could be a representation of the variation of styles that is shown within the magazine. Maybe it is showing that Typographica can be anything you want it to be - Modern, futuristic, avant garde or even post-modern. 

Also, I noticed that the title and author of the book have been placed in the top right corner similar to the placement used within the magazines, in a sort of similar typeface. I think that in the magazine Helvetica was used as the typeface but here its a more rigid sans serif which isn't as open and approachable as helvetica due to its low kerning. 

Some of the type on the front cover has been cut into or fragmented suggesting to the viewer that there is more to see than just on the cover, it urges the viewer to look inside the book for more information/inspiration.

Overall I think that this design is successful because it takes the essence of the magazine and puts it into one spread - leading your eye all the way around the wrap around cover to the reviews on the back, making people want to buy it. 

OUGD404 - Study Task 2 - Folded Books - The Trouser Fold Book

The book is folded into 16 rectangles so I decided the page up exactly into 16. 

I then added the page numbers with the corresponding angles in which they go once the book would be folding as well as red lines where the page should be cut. 

Then I could just add my step by step guide of how to make the booklet. 

I created some simple illustrations which I think makes the process a lot clearer than with just text. Especially with this booklet as it can be quite confusing to make. After doing a test print it worked perfectly! I plan to make an a4 and a3 version of the booklet to increase the legibility as the amount of pages make the book very small on a4. I also want to make a cover to the book, using a thicker stock so that the book won't unfold when it is being read.

In the end it printed really well. I did a couple of test prints and the only issue I had was that it would scale the size of the document down slightly when printing to not cut off any of the text, so it displaced the pages a bit. But I am really pleased with the final look of it, I especially love the blue cover. 

The book with out the cover. I can see why it is also known as a maze fold book now.