MODULE EVALUATION

This module I feel like i have found my feet. After my life changing lyric poster brief last year, i feel like i have applied the sense of rejuvenation to all of the brief i have undertaken so far.

I feel like i have been a hell of a lot more organised, possibly than ever before, over this module. Working rather consistently instead of having long stints of procrastination, and because of this, i have not been stressed at all around hand-in. This, however, made me stress a little. I'm pretty worried i've missed something glaringly obvious (as usual).

The actual amount of work produced is not at a massive level, which is unfortunate. I do think that my blogging has become much better and much more regular, which should balance out and make up for the amount of paperwork in my files. Furthermore, i'm extremely happy with my final products, particularly the zine.

My zine is probably the crowning part of the module. the balance between want and need in styles (lo-fi/clinical) is at the exact level that i wanted it to be and this gives it a really unique and interesting selling point. The mixed stock (tracing paper!) and layouts give it a massively "graphic design" aesthetic which i feel like i have not been able to achieve over the last 2 years. It is also relatively easy to produce, the only problem being that each one has to be put together by hand. My only negative issue was gathering everything together! Complete nightmare. Oh and the double sided crop mark. They fucked me right off. there's random little black squares floating around cos the crop marks wouldnt align properly. However, its not important because if sent to a proper printers' it would not be a problem.

My dissertation Mass Media Posters got off to a very slow start and i was too worried about their context. I wanted to make the brief one that i wanted and needed to do, however by the time i came to actually writing it and sorting it out, it just because a typographic investigation into mono printed positive/negative space. The context i decided up was that it was an adaptation and continuation of my 78RPM - mp3 brief from last year. I am happy with this and the briefs are very similar and have final products that could almost be released in series. The experimentation with stock was also great fun.

cardboard rocks.

Resistance is a classic example of me coming up with a few ideas, making them a series and then running with the series idea and not looking back. There is a clear development (i think anyway) but not much experimentation. It probably equals out as about a 4 or 5 days brief, rather than the 1 dayer intended, bit i think that the extra days (and the adaptation to a packaging brief) make the brief stand out from just a straight up Dont Panic Poster Brief. I really dont like the feel of the gloss pack though. it look awesome but feels like death.

The website and branding brief was an immediate success. Constant communication with the client informed every design decision, suggestions were made, particularly about logo and colour choices. My final 6 page layouts are, in my opinion, very well carried out. It does look a bit myspacey, but thats cool, right?

final designs!

I am fully aware that this cover shot seems to appear a lot on this blog, but nevermind. final designs blog and all that.

There's now a little release code on the spine that reads "L M R / 001". I had to print the cover all over again for it its necessary in order to add a level of officiality and professionalism.

The actual CD design will be simply the logo and will be printed when the CD are finished are duplicated. The disk space and booklet re on opposite sides in order to maintain focus on the zine (this is a layout brief after all).

Booyah. It looks sweet as a nut.

My five finished copies. I plan to print more booklets and hopefully get back in the screen printing room to make the first batch of 100 for release asap. More recording over christmas!

T-shirt Prints!

Unfortunately, the print itself on the one tshirt i printed didnt come out perfectly, but the slight patchiness doesnt take away from the legibility of the design. I chose a white shirt for this design because of the high contrast needed in the image to enhance the idea of negative and positive space.

Very light print unfortunately. i was rushing! there's also some ink on the left sleeve (visible in top image?) still, the design works very well on the tshirt - almost giving it an (un)intentional ribcage effect.

This is the best printed tshirt, by pretty far. The actual quality of fabric is much higher than the others too.

Michel Foucault - Surveillance is permanent (SCREENPRINTS)

I love this design. The use of negative space works really well. not sure about how to position it though. Also, an illustration could be added? This is on white card. Contrast is very effective.

I'm starting to get back back into card and matt stocks. I know i dont really use colour very often but i starting to realise the potential, even if my actual designs are still just black. The one has an industrial sort of feel simply because of the dull grey.

Phwoar. Big fat corrugated cardboard. Gotta love it.

John Berger - existing social conditions (SCREENPRINTS)

Its a shame that the one with the highest contrast slipped in the printer and now has a shadow. definitely takes away from the design.

Again, slightly more industrial - this is emphasised by the slight patchiness. Gives it a stencil feel. The lowered contrast makes a huge difference.

All this use of cardboard and i might screen print myself a "will do graphic design for $" sign. OR is that just mean?

John Berger - commercial images (SCREENPRINTS)

Ooooh outlines... It works really nicely actually!
I like how centred it is. The high contrast is very effective once again.

They all came out so nice! I'm glad because i think this is my favourite design.

Check out the little creak in the corner. Little things like that just make graphic design for me.

Resistance - final A4 packaging

Check me out remembering how to use the feather tool in photoshop after like 3 years of avoiding it. I felt like i had to for the product shot to add that level of professionalism that i feel like i should add to my competition and live briefs.

A4 gloss! Feel horrible to the touch (and i'd probably prefer the matt one) but it look more important and professional as the gloss version.

Oooh, it opens and there's postcard in it and all that.

Wow! a flap! Is this a Poster i spy behind here...?

Resistance packaging!

A5 mock up, initial idea.

Flap on left side for poster, 6 postcards slotted in business card stylee on the right side.

Ahh symmetry! That feel a little better doesn't it? However, it was this point when i realised that my design are portrait. The postcard slots are landscape. wtf james?

Portrait postcard slots! symmetry! This is the one like.

Aha, a digital one with title and D.P logo. Matt look pretty flat and unsuccessful but it feels substantial on this card. Despite being iddy biddy.

I adobe illustrated this. it took way longer than it should have done.

Fully open net to show where the posters live

Website pages!

Releases page

Photos page

News page

Links page

Contact page

About page!

I accidently flattened my original website designs, and then developed the loki machine logo further. this meant that i had to do the whole damn thing again. However, now it is sans-pixelation! Complete with corrugated cardboard background (the same corrugated cardboard used to make my zine covers), lets just face it, it looks a shit load better than the original.

done and done.

whats the crack for the CD?

Plastic CD tray! on the left of the case so that the booklet is the main focus of the product. I really like the plastic tray. it makes the product feel a lot more professional and balances out the overly lo-fi aesthetic. Printing is irrelevant, except for the CD design.

having a cardboard sleeve is something that i liked the idea of, but in practice doesnt feel robust enough - theres too much wasted space within the CD case and this makes the product flimsy. Also, there are complications with printing on the case.

Case hinges!

I have been experimenting with ways of closing the CD case. By taking out two thin vertical strips of the top layer of the inside of the cardboard, a successful hinge style is produced.

The outside of the case looks pretty professional and really emphasises the screenprint

It is, however, a right pain in the arse to remove the previously mentioned strips from the inside of the case. This is a huge issue if we are to produce a bulk of the product. the earlier mentioned vertical slices on the outside is so much more straight forward and produces an original and interesting lo-fi aesthetic.

Zine centrefolds

I had the semi-interesting idea of putting tracing paper in the centre fold. Just to jazz things up a bit, graphicdesignstockstylee. Having a blank centrefold with the original image on tracing paper works, but makes the centre feel a bit bare. It also seems like its just been done for the sake of it.

I really like this version. An negative centrefold with positive on tracing paper! really sexual effect. This is, indeed, the one.

Sticker paper! it just seems too white of of the rest of the stock. Also a bit difficult to fit it into the spreads. its a really cool idea to have a big ol' loki machine stick in the middle though. Maybe produce them separately?

Negative tracing paper over blank paper. Same issue as the positive really. Does look good, but feels a bit too bare.