InDesign Software Brief - More Development of Layouts With Images.

I've managed to get some pictures of Lewis as a profile front and back and I've been changing things around to get the right contrasts.

I'm keeping it all black and white as Lewis prefers black and white designs. I've tried to make the white back ground in the middle blend with the gray shadows of the images but I was unsuccessful and even with the help of the workshops and my notes I'm not very strong when working with InDesign. At this point if i could change one thing in particular it would be the image on the right, I would swap it for a side on view of Lewis face towards the left.

 

I tried reversing out the Headers on the DPS to see what effect it had. Its quite dramatic but i feel it's a bit too much and being subtle is much better in this case.

 

I've taken the little 'LF' logo i made off the image on the right and instead used it a a sort of bullet point symbol next to the headers of each paragraph to give it a more interesting visual. I think i will use this last one as my final piece.

InDesign Software Brief - Experiment with digital layouts.

Working on the computer to try and get a better visual representation of my DPS. There are no photos as of yet however I will be taking some of Lewis soon to complete the mandatory requirements.

I am only changing minor things with the body copy and other pieces of text to see which is more legible and readable. The blank spaces either side of the text is where the two images will go eventually.

InDesign Software Brief - Initial ideas.

These are a few thumbnail sketches of ideas I have for my DPS on Lewis. I've drawn my ideas and inspiration from the interviews I've had with him and also the questionnaires I've sent to him.

The Questionnaires will provide most of the content for the 300 words that are required to answer the brief.

 

I had three main ideas the first being that Lewis is a computer game character relatingto the fact that he loves his computer games as stated in his response to the first questionnaire. I like this idea however the first layout i drew is using too many photos to answer the brief so i had to redraft it.

 

The second idea was based around Lewis' other passion for going to the gym and getting into shape. I looked at creative and innovative DPS's (see DC blog http://c-crosby1013-dc.blogspot.com/2011/05/type-and-grid-creative-and-interesting.html)and some of them inspired the way i think about how the page works when interacting with it and not just how it works visually. What I've done here is placed the image in the center so when you open the page it will look like he's doing a repetition with a set of dumb bells as if he were at the gym. Not sure about the Layout of the body copy or his name though and furthermore, this design is only using one image.

 

This is just another variation of the computer game character idea which i have change so it is using just 2 images. On the left there is his profile and 'game statistics' if you will and on the right is a mock power stance like you would find on the cover of a computer game box.

 

Another redraft just to experiment with different layouts.

 

This one was favored most out of all the layouts, I think that the symmetry of the layout works nice and neatly which is good as Lewis prefers crisp and tidy design work. It does however seem a bit straight forward. I think I'll definitely be try one or two layouts digitally for this idea.

 

Lewis has a twin brother and i thought it would be an interesting idea if Lewis had an evil side and a good side to him, still playing on a fantasy computer game theme. It's helpful for this idea that he has two names that can be first names. However, when I ask for people's opinions in the studio they said they didn't like it as much as the other ideas and it would possibly be a bit weird and (for want of a better word) naff.

 

This is the mini grid i made quickly to draw up these thumbnails. I'm using a similar one to the grid i used for the Type and Grid workshops we had with Lorenzo.

Speaking From Experience - Blog pun fun.

Spent the best part of an hour coming up with clever, stupid and/or effective phrases and puns that I could possibly use for the booklet and other materials.

The aim of some of them being silly is just to bring a sense of humour to the dull task of blogging your work, as it was drawn to my attention that doing it isn't very interesting and can become a chore at times.

Below are the things I came up with as some aren't very clear in the picture above:

IF YOU NEED ME READ ME.

BLOGGER BUDDY.

BLOG PAL.

BLOGGIN' HECK.

OH BLOGGY HELL.

WHEN IN DOUBT BLOG IT OUT.

BLOG, BLOG, THEN BLOG SOME MORE.

BLOG LIKE NOBODIES WATCHING.

WASTE NOT BLOGSPOT.

JUST DO IT.

BLOG OFF.

BIG BAD BLOG.

GO BLOG IT OUT.

BLOG LIKE ITS 1999.

BLOG LIKE YOU'VE NEVER BLOGGED BEFORE.

BLOG ON.

BLOG POT.

NOTORIOUS B.L.O.G.

DON'T PANIC. BLOG IT.

BLOG IT.

BLOG UP.

CATCH IT. BIN IT. BLOG IT.

A BLOG IS FOR LIFE NOT JUST FOR YOU DEGREE.

LOOKING BLOG, SMELLING BLOG, BEING BLOG. BLOG.

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG? THAT IS THE QUESTION.

CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOG.

GET BLOGGY.

GET BLOGGING.

 BLOG UP YOU IDEAS.

JUST BLOG IT.

LIVE IT, LOVE IT, BLOG.

LIVE IT, BLOG IT, LEEDS (COLLEGE OF ART).

BLOG YOUR SOCKS OFF.

BLOG ROLL.

EVERY BLOG HAS A SILVER LINING.

ITS BETTER TO HAVE BLOGGED THEN TO HAVE NEVER BLOGGED AT ALL.

BLOG YOUR HEART OUT.

IF YOU LIKE IT BLOG IT.

IF YOU LEARNT IT BLOG IT.

IF YOU DID IT BLOG IT.

IF OYU CAN DO IT BLOG IT.

NEVERMIND THE BOLLOCKS HERE'S BLOGGER

MAY THE BLGO BE WITH YOU.

YOU HAVE TO POST A FEW BLOGS BEFORE ON TURNS INTO A GRAPHIC DESIGNER.

JENNY FROM THE BLOG.

OH MY BLOG.

PUT A BLOG ON IT.

BLOG TO THE FUTURE.

ONCE A BLOG ALWAYS A BLOG.

DRAW, BLOG. PHOTOGRAPH, BLOG. ILLUSTRATE, BLOG. ANYTHING, BLOG. EVERYTHING, BLOG.

BLOG IT, LOVE IT, ORGANISE IT, GRAPHIC DESIGN IT.

KEEP CALM AND BLOG ON.

Speaking From Experience - Mock up of booklet.

This is a mock u p of the booklet I plan to design and print. This is the key deliverable I have set for myself as it will be easily transferable to a digital file to upload to the VLE so future and current students and access it.

The cover will have a nice bit of text and typography and possibly a small image to do with Blogger.

As of yet I don't have a properly defined aesthetic for the booklet however the progress critique was really helpful.

I'm going to stay away from the Blogger colour scheme and design as much as possible as it makes the designs seem boring and more like work than a useful and engaging tool to aid the work.,

Front Cover.

I've been brainstorming different phrases and play on words for the title page of the book.

Contents.

The Basics of Blogger.

A short intro to the world of Blogger, what the book is for and why.

Labels and Tagging Posts.

A Crucial part of the assessment process is the labelling and tagging of posts as the tutors need to be able to find your work easily and quickly.

Uploading Images.

A lot of people have trouble uploading images so this page will highlight all the key points they need to know before uploading to make it easier and less of a nuisance.

Uploading Videos.

This will cover uploading videos directly, embedding them from video sights and interpreting the html codes properly so that the videos are able to be viewed by others on their blogs.

Keeping Consistent.

Advice and functions that will help people keep their blogs consistently updated and following the same look. Also why this is important.

Navigation.

How to link blogs and make navigation between blogs easy.

Organisation.

How to stay organised whilst blogging.

What Goes Where.

What types of work and finds go in different blogs. Theres was a degree of some confusion at the start of the year as to what was meant to be posted to certain blogs which made it hard to organise and sty consistent.

Post Options.

How the post options can help you.

Common Problems.

These will be defined in my research by what the current first years problems have been.

How to Solve, Avoid or Rectify Them.

This will be how to solve the problems which the current first years have experienced this year.

Friendly Advice.

A list of first years and their own pieces of advice to new first years also with the url codes to their blogs so students can look at what they have done with them.

Back Cover.

This will either be left blank or have a friendly/funny phrase on it to motivate students should they think to look on the back.

Indesign Software Brief - Questionnaire Number Two.

Charlie Crosby 11 May at 22:33

Hi Lewis could you please answer the following questions as fully and detailed as possible please.

1. Where are you from exactly?

2. Do you have any siblings?

3. What sports are you into?

4. Do you support any teams?

5. Whats your favourite film?

6. Whats your daily routine like during the week?

7. Digital design or hand rendered design?

8. If you could be an animal what animal would you be and why?

9. What sort of music do you listen to?

10. Whats your top 5 favourite computer games? choose wisely.

11. Do you have any cool/weird/unusual/special skills or talents? if so what are they?

12. whats your worst fear?

13. Whats your biggest weakness as a designer on the course?

14. Whats your biggest strength as a designer on the course?

15. Whats the most important thing about Graphic Design for you? e.g. type, image, colour, communication etc?

16. Sum yourself up in just 3 words.

17. Who are/is your favourite and least favourite designer(s)? and why?

18. Whats your top 5 computer game characters? give reasons if you can.

Cheers mate ;)

Lewis David Francis 11 May at 23:02 Report

1. Where are you from exactly?

Cottingham, Hull

2. Do you have any siblings?

Yes, 1 twin brother

3. What sports are you into?

Basketball

Rugby

Skateboarding

4. Do you support any teams?

Not really

5. Whats your favourite film?

Fast and Furious

6. Whats your daily routine like during the week?

6:30 wake up

6:40 Breakfast, ( eggs, bacon, flapjack and protein shake )

7:00 Gym

9:00 Walk to uni

9:30 Uni

3:00 Post Office

4:00 cook tea ( Lean Meat and Veg )

5:00 eat

6:00 - 12:00 internet, xbox, tv etc

7. Digital design or hand rendered design?

Digital

8. If you could be an animal what animal would you be and why?

Lion, Just chill round being a hardcase 

9. What sort of music do you listen to?

House, Chilled out, ATB, Jack Johnson,

10. Whats your top 5 favourite computer games? choose wisely.

1. Monkey Island

2. Mario World

3. Pokemon Blue

4. Zelda; Ocarina of Time

5. Resident Evil 2

11. Do you have any cool/weird/unusual/special skills or talents? if so what are they? 

Fixing vehicles, Modifying

Fixing Electronics

12. whats your worst fear?

Spiders + Being weak

13. Whats your biggest weakness as a designer on the course?

Time Management

14. Whats your biggest strength as a designer on the course?

Digital Outcomes

15. Whats the most important thing about Graphic Design for you? e.g. type, image, colour, communication etc?

Design

16. Sum yourself up in just 3 words.

Tall, Strong, FOREVER ALONE...

17. Who are/is your favourite and least favourite designer(s)? and why? 

Sagmeister, innovate designs that work

18. Whats your top 5 computer game characters? give reasons if you can.

1. Guybrush Threepwood: Grew up playing the series and a funny character

2. Mario: Little Red plumber reminds me of being young

3. Link: First Full adventure i took on a video game.. Lots of memories

4. Megaman: Dude fires energy balls out his arm !

5. Sonic The Hedgehog: Running fast and destroying shit, whats not to like?

Type and Grid - Session Three - High and Low End Magazines.

The articles i was looking at for this workshop were both on the Royal Wedding as it was the hottest topic of the week and thus covered by the majority of the tabloid magazines and newspapers.

NOW magazine was my choice of low end tabloid. The layout is somewhat untidy resembling a floor or table surface scattered with polaroid photos. This is a tool used, I would imagine, to make the article look more dynamic and interesting whilst not being too serious. 

Vogue was my high end choice of tabloid. Its layout is very crisp and tidy giving it a sense of sofistication and higher class. There is no abstract composition of the body of text and the images they simple do the job.

Both articles are about the Royal Wedding but there is a major difference in the content. NOW magazine's content is focussed on the actual event of the wedding day and the ceremony, highlighting who was who and wearing what on the day. Whereas, Vogue is focussed on Kate Middleton's fashion sense and style of clothing and doesn't touch on the clothes being worn on the wedding day. This could be due to the article coming out prior to the wedding and NOW being released shortly after it.

GRIDS.

First attempt. Type and  Grid is definitely not my forte, however I do find it interesting and useful. I was missing crucial parts to my grid as i had never made one from scratch before, but talking to Lorenzo helped as he pointed out flaws in my logic and got me to think about it differently and loot publication layouts in a different way.

Second attempt. Revised my grid and gave it more columns and a smaller boarder, also gave it narrower gutters to be more realistic.

Third attempt. This is my refined grid which after a good hour of learning how to make a terrible one and then correct it was ready to use for the layouts below. These layouts aren't finished however i still need to put more information into the images to show the cropping and other ideas i had whilst constructing them.

Lorenzo suggested using thicker pens for heavier point sizes and thinner for lighter ones. I think that my designs aren't as creative as they could be but this just goes to show my weakness in this subject. It's definitely something i need to develop further.

I need to add the wacky versions of the layouts to the post as well but they aren't to hand at the moment.