Research for Reading Week Project

I have found that the younger the audience the more descriptive the cover is. Also the more colours used. This is actually the adult version but the children's one has a bright band instead of a black one.

Research for Reading Week Project

This is really unusual there tends to be a set place for the title and author but they have gone for design over readability.

Research for Reading Week Project

These covers are very very striking. Again the use of bold colours helps them to stand out.

Research for Reading Week Project

I really like this cover it's very simple. The cropping is very unusual and makes it stand out. The font used blends in very well.

Research for Reading Week Project

All of these covers really give you a sense of the story. They are quite playful. I also like how all the Studio Ghibli DVDs are very like their story's. However, they all have a band across the top so they are instantly recognisable.  My favourite cover is "My Neighbour Totoro" as it has a real air of the actual story without giving too much away. It's very playful. 

Research for Reading Week Project

Here are two adaptations of the same book. One is very based on the character and the description. One is very simple and quite beautiful. I prefer the very simplistic style of the second one. It's much more striking on a shelf. I would like to try some photography in my piece if it fits the narrative.

Research for Reading Week Project

This character is really striking and draws you in. I think something like this would be quite nice in a portrayal of a book as it gives a sense of the sort of character and type of book it is. I would really like to try and capture the real feeling of a character in the book.

Research for Reading Week Project

The simplicity of this design is quite nice. It gives a little incite into the book but doesn't give away too much. It's a very classic design, the colour is very subdued. I think I prefer more striking colours. However, if that doesn't suit the story then I think the way they have used colour in this cover would be a good way to go.

Research for Reading Week Project

http://www.wonksite.com/index.html
This is some print work that I found. The bold use of colour is really striking and the detail in the work is really nice. I may incorporate some of this into my design.

Hidden Research

Evalutation

I like how the stickers look and found using a grid very helpful. I haven't done much using grids before and I can now see the advantages and how they can change your work. I enjoyed making the stickers and photographing them however I didn't have very nice weather when it came to photographing them and I wish I could have had longer to experiment with different styles of photography and different compositions. I like the shape of the pages in my book but I feel that the binding solution could be improved. I like the idea that you could add more too it and so would prefer the binding to be more of a clip. I am unsure as to whether the layout in my pages is confusing. Because the sticker for each photo is on the back if you look through it like a book it looks as if its for the photo after. This isn't what I intended. I want them all to be looked at separately but then part of the whole. A bit like cue cards or something like that. I would have liked to do loads more stickers for all over Bath as a kind of guided tour but in the end I ran out of time. I also found that photographing the stickers outside caused problems because I didn't use powerful enough colours so they tended to bleach out. I would make the colours more powerful if I was to do this again. Overall I like the outcome however I feel that my final presentation needs some work. I think my static presentation has suffered because I have been doing all dynamic this term. I really enjoy doing dynamic but I think I need to work on some of my presentation to keep it good. I think I work better in dynamic but I felt that the direction that I was heading in this project a dynamic outcome would not suit where I was heading. The main things that I have taken from this project are that I need to learn to become more balanced as a designer. I also need to set more time aside for finishing touches and also consider the final look more before I start so that all of my outcomes suit the final style more.

Hidden Research

Rules for Symbols

They will be stickers so the size will be 22mm squared.

Sticker Borders-

Plants - Green

Animals - Red

Electrics - Yellow

Landscape Features - Orange

Man made inanimate objects - Brown

Something in reference to self - Purple

I have made a grid to keep to within the structure of my stickers.

Also I am going to experiment with the weight of my lines.



12 pt for the coloured outlines

4pt for the main item within the meaning

2pt for the lesser meanings

Hidden Research

After my tutorial today I have decided to focus my outcome on things around university. I will use stickers and put them on the things that I have made a word for using my process. I think the stickers should be square and not too big. I want them to look quite informative but also interesting to hold the persons attention long enough to understand them. I think the more someone uses the language  I will set up the easier it will become to read. I will have to lay out some clear rules to follow to make sure this is the case.

Hidden Research

Whilst doing this research I have decided to come up with my own written language using our pre-existing knowledge of symbols as a bases. I want to base mine on the structure of hieroglyphics and the thought behind Chinese writing. I like how hieroglyphics are contained in quite a ridged structure and also how the pictures of objects maintain the look of the objects they are trying to portray. In the Chinese writing I like how one symbol is made up of parts of others and this in turn explains something about the word they are creating. I will try and take both of these elements into my work.

Hidden Research

Tiger Shoes Tiger shoes are commonly found on babies' feet in the countryside of China even today. The shoes are entirely made of cloth and their toe-caps are made into tiger's head. There is a popular story behind their long history.


Long ago, in the famous old town Yangzhou lived a boatman called Big Yang, who was very generous and ready to help others. Because of his charities, he got an old drawing as a present from an old female passenger. In the picture, a beautiful girl was embroidering a pair of tiger shoes. The boatman was very pleased with the gift. He liked the picture dearly. As soon as he got home, he put it on the wall above his bed.
One evening, the girl in the picture stepped out of the picture and had a nice time with Big Yang. Since then, they met every night. Years later, they had a son who brought much happiness to the couple. But unfortunately, the magic picture was seized away by the official of the town, who had heard about the beauty in Big Yang's picture. Big Yang was angry with the evil official though he could do nothing. The greedy official put the picture on the wall above his bed and waited the girl to come down every night. To his disappointment, nothing happened.
The son was crying for his mother. The father tried to deceive him into believing that his mother had gone far away to the west. The son insisted on looking for his mother. Finally, the son went on the trip to find his mother. He traveled westwards day and night, and in the end, he saw his mother in a pool in the forest bathing together with many other fairies. "Well, my son, how have you been looking for Mum a long way here!" said the mother, weeping the tears off her son's cheeks. "Mum, let's go home. You know how I missed you." "We won't meet until you go into the official's bed room, wearing that pair of tiger shoes I made for you. My son. Shut your eyes, and I'll send you home first."
After a whirl of gale, the son was surprised to find himself already at home. He informed the official that he could call down the lady from the picture. On hearing the news, the evil official was very pleased for he was eager to find a way to get in touch with the beauty. So the boy was lead directly into the bedroom. As soon as the boy saw his mother, he spoke to the picture. "Mum, let's go!" the son said deeply. The mother got down right away and walked out with the support of her son. But the evil official stopped them right away. He wanted to detain the beauty as his concubine forcefully, but he was refused. The official became angry and thrust at the mother and son. The boy fought back bravely. While they were fighting, the tiger shoes shook off from the boy's feet and turned into a large tiger. It jumped up quickly over to the sinful official. The calls for help from the poor man and the roars from the fierce tiger were mixed together, which was heard by the whole town. It was the tiger shoes that saved the mother and son, and the family united again. Since then, people made tiger shoes for their own babies hoping the family and their babies well protected.


A Story of the Dog Hat It is a folk custom in the countryside of China to have a kid wear a kind of hat which looks like a dog's face, especially in the provinces of the southeast of China.
Here is a story about the kind of hat. Long ago, there were two brothers in a family, both of whom were married and lived peacefully. The elder brother and the wife were honest and tolerant, but they did not have any children. And it was regarded as one of the biggest problems for a couple without children in China then. The elder brother and his wife were so upset for the matter that he would like to adopt one of his nephews. "Well, my nephew is the right person to be my heritor." he said to himself. But when he talked this to his younger brother and the wife, he was refused absolutely for no reason.
Not long after, anyhow, the younger brother fell ill and died. Eventually, the burden of supporting the two sons was laid on the younger brother's wife. In that case, the elder brother brought the request for adopting one of the sons from her again. But he was refused again and was given no reasons. That made the elder brother very puzzled.
Years later, to the elder brother's delight, his wife was finally pregnant at her middle age. The elder brother was a merchant and he sometimes had to go out on business. For fear that his wife would give birth when he was away, he had everything well prepared and a midwife was found in the village. Little did one think, things happened just as he did not wish to. His wife was brought to bed just when he was out doing business. The younger brother's wife went to help eagerly. She went for the midwife in time, but she bought off the midwife to accomplish a plot on the elder brother's wife. Now what the midwife would do was nothing but their conspiracy according to the younger brother's wife, who had been intending to get the properties from the elder brother. And that was the reason why she refused to meet the request for adopting a son from her. She wished the elder brother's family had come to an end due to no descendants.
It was hard to give birth to a child for a woman of her age. The elder brother's wife was in great pain. The younger brother's wife comforted her phonily but she snickered at heart. The midwife replaced the baby with a dog peeled off the skin quickly and neatly before the elder brother's wife came to know something. And then the younger brother's wife took the baby away and left the baby in the fields. No one knew the matter but a brown dog standing by all the time.
When the elder brother's wife regained consciousness, she was surprised at the strange thing which she was told was her baby. She was so disappointed that she cried as soon as she saw her husband who returned home later that day. He also felt so disappointed and puzzled as to give himself away down to the floor, burying his head between the knees. Just then, the brown dog came to him and pulled him with one of its paws and led him out to the garden. To his astonishment, he found a tender baby in the dog's hut crying. Now everything had become clear to him. When the head of the county heard about the case, he got very angry. So an accusation was brought against the cruel younger brother's wife. She was punished severely, but she didn't know how on earth the baby she threw away could be brought back to the mother's arms, since she had never noticed the dog was following her. The dog was praised greatly. It was the dog that managed to bring the baby back home. And it was the dog that smashed the blackness and saved the family. So in memory of the dog's loyalty and its great honor, the baby's mother made a dog hat for her baby and named the baby "Dog Son". Dog hats became more and more popular among villagers not only because it was practicable but also because it had a close relation with the faithful dog.

http://chineseculture.about.com/library/extra/story/blyrh.htm

Hidden Research

BINA: British Isles and North Atlantic
NOREU: Northern Europe
EUMED: European Mediterranean
SAAAFE: Southern Atlantic, Africa, Asia and Far east

http://www.lancaster-archive.com/bc_abbreviations.htm 

 

Hidden Research

Idea - Languages

I think I have finally decided on a focus for my Hidden project. I think I'm going to concentrate on Chinese. I want to explore their written language and how it was built by using pictures and symbols. Apparently quite a lot of their written words are based on a pictorial  representation of what they are trying to say. I find this really interesting. I think I will try and animate the symbols coming together with explanations of what each part means and why they are in that particular word.

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/chinese.htm#intro

http://www.beijingmadeeasy.com/chinese-language/chinese-characters

http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/how-chinese-characters-are-formed.html

http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Radical_index.htm

Hidden Research

This is the title sequence from "Catch Me If You Can". I like the simple soundtrack on this and how it is made. I think it was screen printed and it makes a nice effect. I think I would be interested in doing a title sequence for my project.



This is the title sequence to "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" this one is quite similar "Catch Me If You Can".



This one is more typography based. Not quite sure what "Fringe" is.



This is possibly the most obscure title sequence I've seen. It literally gives nothing away.


Mad Men Title Sequence

I really like this one. Its short and straight to the point. I got a lot more out of this than the longer "Batman" one.

Sweeney Todd Title Sequence

This is one of my favourite title sequences. It really gives a sense of the actual film without giving too much away. I really like the style of it to. It is typical Tim Burton.



This is a clever use of patterns. It is another successful use of themes from within the movie without giving things away.



This is very bold. Bit slow though.

Hidden Research

This is a very emotive animation. The soundtrack is very good and fits in with the images. I'm not sure that it would work so well without it. I think the reason it is so successful is that basically everyone can relate to it and can see a situation like that happening to them.



Mixing animation and real video might be a nice way to experiment.



I have seen this quite a few times. It is extremely well done. A nice way to get a point across in a very poetic fashion.



Quite possibly the weirdest thing I've ever seen. Not much more I can say about this one really !

Hidden Research

This advert isn't a typical emotive ad. It is quite unusual and clever but it doesn't make me want to part with my money as much as some others that I have seen.



This advert is very interesting from a graphic and typographic point of view. It also makes you think without throwing facts in your face.



This uses repetition to get the point across. It's quite well done however audience could be limited because it can only be shown after the watershed due to unsettling content.



This uses a voice over to help us see life from her point of view. It's aids an empathetic response as you can more easily put yourself in her shoes.



This is very good advert. It really does it's job. It uses emotive imagery and an emotive voice over to draw you in.

Hidden Research

 Idea - Advert to raise awareness about injured British troops.

Data on British Casualties

I think an area that I would be interested in exploring for the Hidden project would be the hidden casualties from the British side. This would include people who were hurt in such a way that it will effect the rest of their lives. However we as public are not readily given this information. We tend to only hear about the deaths. As I come from a military family I think this would be an area that would both interest me and something that I would like to know more about. I may do this as a film or animation. I think it could be just to raise awareness or as an advert for Help for Heroes.

http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Militarymedicine/Pages/HeadleyCourt.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Militarymedicine/Pages/Newhospital.aspx

Hidden Research

Idea - Object Finder Game

One of main ideas is to make one of the object finder games but to add a serious message to it. One main angle for this that I would like to explore is the issues facing people in 3rd world countries. I would do this by inviting the player to find food, clean water, somewhere safe to sleep. This would be very well hidden within the image. By doing this I would try to get across how hard it is in some areas to find these basic amenities. Maybe, on completion you would reach a page that gave you further information and a link to charities that could help.

Hidden Research

The Freemasons may be a good place to start when looking into symbolism from history as they have become popular through the "Da Vinci Code" book and film. The book deals with a set of symbols which they follow to the end. I do not know how accurate they are though so I would just use this as a basis to my research if I went down that route.

I also remembered that Bath's "The Circus" and "Royal Crescent" are built as they are because the architect was (I think) a druid and it was to represent the sun and the moon. The very centre of "The Circus" is where to lines of druid power meet.

Follow this link for more information. I may add more research if I decide to follow this train of thinking.

Hidden Research

This famous logo is extremely clean and simple but this arrow might not look like more than a smile to you. Before, coming to any conclusions I would like you to know the concept behind this…it says that amazon.com has everything from a to z and it also represents the smile brought to the customer’s face.

One of my favorite chocolates…yummy!! But trust me I never noticed the brilliant logo while enjoying my bar. You must be thinking what is there to find out as it clearly shows the Swiss Alps? Let me explain…Toblerone originated in Bern, Switzerland – A city whose name is rumored to mean, “City of bears”. When you look at it again you will find a bear in the logo.

You would say you have seen it thousand times but just to make you notice an arrow formed between the letters “E” and “X” conveying speed, direction and reliability of this amazing courier service.

http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/hidden-logos-in-graphic-designing/ 

Here are just a few examples of logos where extra meaning is hidden. I chose these three in particular because although I recognise each logo I had not noticed the extra part pointed out on the website. I would like to make a study of more of these and maybe come up with my own logo for either an existing company or one for myself. I think if I do this it would be worth researching symbology further and maybe the history of it.

Hidden Research

The use of metal detectors to find hidden artefacts is interesting and topical. A three year old found a gold pendant whilst out with his dad using the metal detector for the first time. It also topical because they use them as bomb detection in Afghanistan to keep the troops safe. Also I could use this opportunity to raise awareness of the fact that people are illegally taking artefacts from the ground therefore limiting the chance of new archaeological finds.

Hidden Research

Playing with invisible inks and finger printing powder etc could produce quite an interesting audience interactive response. This could link with maybe another angle, like peoples hidden thoughts.

Hidden Research

Many children's games involve hiding and seeking. A twist on these could make a fun response to the brief. I could also be done through photography, video, animation or still imagery. The main problem I could see with this is with photographing children.

Hidden Research

Where's Wally has been popular for a long time. Now there are spin offs such as Where's Bin Laden. There are also on-line games you can play where you search for hidden object within a scene. This is quite an obvious answer to the brief.

Hidden Research

One of my ideas for this project is to take pictures of Bath from angles that you would not necessarily see when you walk around generally. I would get an exact location of each photo and see if people can match the photos to the location from what they already know of Bath.