week six - rationale & review

I have really enjoyed this project, and while it had it ups and downs I have learnt you need to go through bad to get to good. While there are some minor aspects throughout that I would have liked to change, and also pay more attention to documenting process, I feel I have produced a booklet closely aligned with the brief. 

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Rationale:

The topic I chose to base my brochure on was a guide to spotting Planes, Ships and Trains in Wellington. I was interested in portraying through my content and design a feeling of organised chaos, with an industrial vibe of concrete and metal throughout. The content needed to show movement, and how each destination moves and is organised in it’s own way. Through my research I noted a lot of symbols, signs, textures and graphics that were both unique to each destination, but also relevant across all three. Applying these across each spread allowed to create points of difference, but also a feeling of similarity and in keeping with my intended atmosphere. I have chosen to keep a reasonably structured type, especially with respect to the other content fitting around it in order to work with the rest of the ‘visual’ parts of the spread, which has allowed for flow across each page.

I have learnt through this process that ‘trying’ is everything, and using the attitude of ‘that will do’ doesn’t result in the best work. While going back and restarting meant I was behind at times, I am now happy with the way the brochure has ended. Also, another positive point was that I learnt feedback is critical, as it has truly helped developed my brochure to look it’s best.

week six - details and final touches

As I now have a working brochure that has been through many stages of critique, development, changes, additions and more, I feel I am ready to work through and find issues. These being type problems (kerning, tracking, spelling, wording etc) to graphical issues. Although I expect all issues to be minor, as they should have been adjusted throughout the last few weeks.

week five - map making

As this is the week before hand in, I am starting to tie up each page so I can ensure I have a chance to have a full critique of my brochure before I have it printed. From finishing the extra spread last week, I have moved through to the map and introduction page, where I plan on keeping the style similar but simple. I have grabbed an overview map from Google that fits in my three destinations, and while not detailed it does include all three.

I want to stay with the graphical system I have been using, especially with respect to the thin black lines and colour palette. I am going to try using elements such as the arrows within the map to link back to the destinations, but only if aesthetically it works. 

week four to five - extra spreads

For my extra spread, I have considered a range of choices. These being, one to fit in with my 'spotting' a guide to makes and models of planes, ships and trains to spot. Also, I am considering a page of quick stats and facts, in a infographic style. I have gone forward and made some mockups on illustrator of specific models, which I could easily translate into a spread.

week four - more developing and moving on

Now that I have finalised my three destination spreads, I am starting to add the fundamental elements

which incorporate it into the brochure. These being the text (title, body copy) extra information, icons etc. Also the way that the composition extends across the spread is important as well.  As documented in my workbook, I have chosen DIN as the title text, and univers for all body copy. This is accompanied by a left centered grid for the text, as I feel it will sit nicely without being too distracting. This week will comprise of tying down the destination spreads through discussions with the teacher and the class so I am able to move through on to the extra spread, and map. 

week three to four - development of spreads and changes

After  last weeks creation and making of my destination spreads, through to critique which I learnt what is working what is not, I have decided to completely re model my style to fit the graphical system that I know works. While I have previously stated I have found it hard to replicate what I had done to one destination to the others, after discussions with Lee we have decided that making a complete replica of the original composition for the other destinations was the best way forward. This way I can then work from there, altering and adding to result in three compositions that work together but are all separate to their own destinations.  

First attempt: 

Moving forward I will continue to make the rest of the destination spreads and try and convey this style/graphic system throughout the whole brochure. 

week three - spreads and brochure making

After starting to 'make' on the computer, i have moved forward through to starting my first spreads for my brochure. I have found it difficult to find a workable way to translate what was working in my collages and compositions into a system for my three destinations. Although the first point I made was to choose a orientation, in which I decided on horizontal or landscape. I feel it works for my activity as it all destinations have links to movement and moving. My first attempt a had both positives and negatives. While it portrayed in a literal sense my destination, after critique from both the class and teachers we decided it had issues. This was mainly to do with it not having enough layers of information, but also not employing enough graphical elements.

While this worked by itself, after discussions with Lee and Jason, we have decided my second 'airport' composition still worked best as a graphical system and I should continue with this. Although I feel I will find it difficult to translate this to the other destinations. 

week two/three - making

I have started to make with both computer made and hand made elements, as seen in images below and in my physical workbook. These have started to allow me a better understanding into ways forward to compose my spreads, and I am starting to be able to produce a graphical system, by way of colour, symbol, shape etc to re produce.

Some of the compositions I have made, the rest in my workbook:

After having these discussed and partly critiqued in class, I am gaining insight to what is working and what isn't. I have received a lot of positive feedback to my second 'Airport' spread, which mixes graphical symbols with imagery. I hope to at least pick some of the best working elements across my compositions and incorporate them into my brochure spreads. 

week two - transition to making

After solidly deciding my direction for my brochure, I moved forward with my research in both a primary and secondary way. This includes the beginnings of making and transitioning my research into usable compositions or collages. I will start with simple collaging, layering and drawing methods and then move some of these concepts into a computer form. This will allow me to better refine the content and come up with some compositions that I wouldn't be able to do on paper. During the in class critique, I found that the quick '5 minute' compositions worked the best, especially in the sense of getting out an idea and atmosphere of a destination. This has been documented in my physical workbook. I hope to make a few for each destination, and then move forward to computer based/photoshop making to better visualise my destinations for the next class.

week one & week two mid review

After starting to physically go out and research my chosen activity/destination set of 'Breakfast Food' I soon became unmotivated with the concept and didn't have much creative drive for it. After brainstorming some new ideas, I accidentally came across the concept of Plane Spotting In Wellington City. I already knew it would produce some great graphical elements and have a lot of direction. Although after discussion with Lee, we decided the best approach would be to expand it to Planes, Ships and Trains of Wellington. This would allow for enough difference in the spreads, while still retaining the same feel and look. I have gone ahead in order to not fall behind with the class work and researched three destinations, and then sorted my research. This was then added by some symbols which I felt represented the destinations, and then emotive or physical qualities of them.

week one - starting out

Over the first week I have achieved a lot, brainstorming and mind mapping out different possible topics or ideas for my brochure. The top choices so far I am unpacking, and seeing how and if they will work. For example, one is 'Breakfast food'. I have created a list for positives and negatives, to see it's limitations and strengths. While the idea is not the most important part, I feel it is good to explore this to see if it will work well as 'content' and be good to work with. It would also be important to note whether the topic is something I can be interested in, as this would be reflected in my outcome.
I hope to move forward with choosing a topic by the end of this week, so I can proceed with researching it in more depth.