OUGD406 STUDIO BRIEF 2 - DIGITAL EXPERIMENTATIONS AND APPLICATION OF PRIMARY RESEARCH

Following on from my initial thumbnail sketches I have produced, I created some of my preferred designs digitally, to see which typefaces would work best, and colours too.

This book cover inspired my first two designs, as this book is also about different objects, and I thought how this was reflected on the cover, showing different objects within one theme was really interesting, and a good reference to the book.

I tried recreating the grid like arrangement of the objects, but instead of including actual objects, I replaced them with squares, as I though squares could represent anything. I don't like this design however, as it looks too forced and the squares just don't fit with my typeface choice of DIN Alternate Bold, although they are both very minimalist and bold.

I tried using less squares, to make them appear less overpowering on the page, which I think has worked, and especially only putting them down one half of the page lets the title stand out a lot more. I still don't like the combination of the typeface and the squares however, the combination of the two make it appear far too mathematical.

This book cover, with the text positioned at opposite corners of the page, inspired my next design.

I tried to split the word design in half, to take up more space on the cover, and so that I could have it a larger point size as well, to emphasise it's importance. However with this design, with the design split in half and literacy having it's kerning increased so it spans the width of the page, makes it hard to read the title, which isn't what the book is about. The book is about understanding art, and this title is hard to understand.

This poster for the jazz concert, Bass Drum Bone, designed by Nicklaus Troxler, inspired my next design. I thought the use of dots to construct the letters within a sea of different coloured dots was really interesting, because at first glance it just looks like a load of dots, but then when you step away from it you can read what it is saying. At the bottom there is also letter forms inside some of the dots to add a bit more information. I thought this was a really good use of pattern and space, and colour too, as the colours are contrasting yet complimentary, and very bright, so the pattern stands out.

I used DIN Alternate as my base for this design, and copied circles over and over, placing them close to one another over each letter form, then deleting the original type to leave just the dots. I like the little detail the dots give this layout, and the colour enriches the page, making it appear less dull and black and white. However the dots make me think of the traditional theatre room mirrors, the lights surrounding them,which gives it a bit of a common and tainted association, making the book appear less educated.

Theatre room mirrors with lights.

This poster for the jazz concert Ellery Eskelin Trio, also designed by Nicklaus Troxler, inspired several of my next designs. I liked the use of different sized circles joined together with lines to make up letters, looking rather like star constellations, especially with the use of yellow as well. Initially I didn't see the letters in the circles, and thought that this was a really interesting pattern Troxler has created.

I used the circle pattern idea for this design, only I created a circle on illustrator, and deleted half of it, to create a semi circle, which I though represented the "D" for Design, the title of the book. I then put the two half circles together, and when looking at them I thought they looked like GD, Graphic Design, which is the content of the book. I placed the circles into this pattern, so that the maximum amount of white space was used up, as I didn't want more white space than was necessary. I left spaces in the pattern for the next to go, as I thought it would stand out more if on a white background, and wouldn't cause confusion and illegibility. I think that with leaving a gap in the pattern, this makes the text look as if it is squashed into the space, that the pattern is caving it on the text, which is not the appearance I want, I want the text to be able the breathe. I also think that the dots for the pattern represent all the different objects and piece of art that are being examined in the book, how they are all individuals, but all part of one collective essay. I think this is an interesting yet subtle reference to the content of the book.

I then tried the same design, only with Design Literacy on top of the pattern, only for this series of designs I am using the typeface Kohinoor Devanagari, which is similar to DIN Alternate, however appears more calm and simple, less dense as well. I prefer the title on top of the pattern, as although it is slightly less readable, it doesn't appear to be being crushed any more. I think that the subtitle and authors name however stand out far too much in comparison to the title, perhaps I should use full pattern instead.

I then thought about having each element of text in different white boxes amidst the pattern, to highlight them all as separate items, all with different levels of importance, yet make the easy to read as well. I don't like how this design has turned out though, as the main large box works nicely, but the other two little ones look too insignificant to be powerful design elements. For the main title type, I changed the point size of the "Design" to make it appear of a heavier weight, and also to emphasise it's importance, or the main aspect of the book is about different designs. I also thought this would help differentiate between the two words, so they stand as two separate words rather than one, and also to make the title text look a little more interesting, as the typeface I have used is very simple.

This book for the V&A museum inspired my next design, as it uses a slightly complex pattern in the background, yet the simple band that runs across the centre allows for information to be shared easily, and be able to be read easily as well, yet the pattern still takes a lot of focus.

I applied the idea from the V&A book, with the band across the middle for information to go, and I think this makes a good use of space, as the pattern is shown off a lot clearer without much interruption, and the title and subtitle are easy to read as well, and take main focus on the white band. I think the use of a white banner or shape on the front cover is a very practical method of ensuring the title is clear, yet the pattern is still showcased.

The simplicity of this book cover inspired my next design, how the white space compliments the layout and alignment of the text within the cover, yet also looking well designed, and the use of only a black and white colour palette makes this book appear serious.

I still used the typeface Kohinoor Devanagari for this design, also I have used Title Case for the title, and also increased the kerning so the letters are further apart, increasing the simplicity, and also filling more space. I don't like this design at all. It is too simple and not interesting at all, and the use of the longer kerned title makes the title look delicate, as if it's going to fall apart any minute. I need my book cover to appear strong and powerful, not weak.

This street food journal cover inspired my next design, as similar to a previous cover, it uses a band across the centre of the cover, which is movable,. The brown shade of the band contrasts very effectively with the bright yellow of the main cover, which is an aspect I like, as this contrast highlights both parts of the cover. The band also helps break up the yellow as well, so it isn't too overpowering.

This is my interpretation of The Street Food Journal, applying it to my book cover, and making it a little bit more stylish and modernist, with the Kohinoor Devanagari typeface for all of the text. I really like the simplicity of this design, and the basic typeface for the title, giving it a clear and unobtrusive appearance. I also looks very calm as well, with the combination of the yellow and white. I really like the use of colours on this design, as they all compliment and contrast one another, but this is also the same colour palette from the original book cover as well.

I tried with a more simplistic design, being inspired by the layout of the text on the book cover for Jeune & Poli's book, shown previously. I think the combination of the simplistic and neutral typeface and the expanse of white space on the page makes this design look unfinished compared to my other experimentations.

This Hello Oracle book cover inspired my next design, as I liked the simplicity of the book cover, and with the red, yellow and white colour palette, the colours were all very contrasting, and created interesting imagery. I also thought the small title at the top of the cover was unusual, as normally titles are the largest piece of text on the page, as they should stand out the most.

I tried making the title text smaller than a lot of my previous designs, to keep in theme with the Hello Oracle cover which I was inspired by.I really like the simplicity of this design, although it is made more interesting and vibrant with the yellow border, adding colour to the cover. I also like the black, yellow and white colour palette, as it reflects the colour palette of the original book cover, and I'd quite like to keep something about the original cover in my designs.The larger point text for the "design" part of the title creates an interesting image, and makes you wonder why.

The perfect white banner and the bright red pattern on this book cover inspired my next two designs, as I like the contrast between the almost contemporary pattern and the traditional, old fashioned serif heaving against the white banner. I thought the pattern made this cover much more interesting, giving it a contemporary twist. I also thought the brilliant white banner made the title stand out nicely, as it is not very heavy weighted, and wouldn't stand a chance of being recognised against the pattern.

Initially I wanted to create a gradient which goes down the whole pattern on the cover, although I couldn't figure out how to do this, and this was the result, which I actually quite like, as it looks like a forest of trees rising out from the mist. However this isn't reflective of the content at all, and there is too much white, so the pattern isn't bold enough against the white band. I think the title works well at the top of the page, in the same layout as the book cover I was inspired by, as it makes it appear important, and actually as a title rather than a random piece of text.

Following instructions off a website, I found out how to make the gradient go across multiple objects, rather than individually, and this was the result. I don't much like the gradient after all, as it looks unnecessary and tacky, although with the gradient lessening, becoming more white towards the bottom, this does allow the authors names to be much more legible, which was the idea initially.

This books front cover inspired my next design, as I liked the simple text cover, and the use of only one colour for the whole cover, plus stock, and the fact that this is a sky blue colour makes the design appear more light. I thought the centrally aligned title also allowed it to be more prominent as well. I thought the font choice for the title was tasteful as it is a modern serif, still having the authority and ability to be taken seriously as traditional serif, yet looks as contemporary and up to date as a sans serif.

For this design I tried to apply the same simple yet captivating cover style as the Riposte cover, and sued the typeface Century Expanded for the title, as I thought this typeface had the rounded style that made it look interesting and literate, yet the serif's made it grounded. I like the organisation of text in this cover design, although I feel it may be a little too simple, as there is a lot of white space in the middle section.

I applied the background I used in previous designs to lift this design up a little bit, and I am very happy with the result. I do think though that the green is a little dark and dull for this design. The pattern should liven up the design, and at the moment it is falling short.

I used the same yellow shade from some of my previous designs, and this puts the design in a whole different light, as the yellow makes it look cheerful and inviting, and allows all the text, not just the title, to be easily read.

This Cura magazine cover caught m eye in Colours May Vary bookshop, as the blue and yellow colour palette, mixed with the photograph of a male arm tensed, creates such interesting and complimentary imagery, the colourful lifting each other up, creating a very bright cover which looks cheerful and inviting. The typeface for the title is also similar to typeface I am currently using, Century Expanded, and appears serious yet also inviting as well, as it is rounded, but the full stop suggests the magazine means business.

I took the colour scheme from the Cura cover and applied it to my own design, which is the same as the previous design, only using different colours. I really like the use of blue and yellow together, as it creates a very sunshine-y appearance, which makes people want to pick up the book, without actually knowing what it's about. I'm not sure about the blue though, I think it's a little too green.

I used the colour picker to select exactly the same colour as the Cura magazine cover, and this shade of blue is so much more pure, and looks brighter as well, , making the yellow looks even more vibrant. I changed all of the text on the cover to yellow, to create a consistent appearance. I definitely think this works really nicely, although perhaps a little bit of white would enhance the blue better.

This is the magazine cover I got my inspiration for for the next few designs, as I liked how the page was split in two, one colour for the title section, and the other for all the other text. The photograph in the centre helped to make the split not too severe.

I made the bottom half blue, as I thought this would create a strong footer to the page so the information didn't just fall off the page, but was held in place. However now with the yellow title against a white background, the title doesn't stand out very well.

I changed the title colour to black,, as I thought this would make it appear bolder and more legible, and it does, however I think there is maybe too much black text now.

I made the blue go higher up, so that the subtitle could still fit underneath the title, but be against a blue background, so it could be yellow I think this makes the title stand out in it's own right, and so the subtitle is shown as a subtitle, yet still made part of the title at the same time due to positioning. I think the raised blue section also holds up the title, and creates an even stronger base.

I liked the bold simplicity of this book cover, which inspired my next design. The title is by far the most bold aspect of the cover, and the simple block sans serif typefaces adds to the power of the title. The colours are also simple, allowing the title to stand out, and with the darker blue background, this allows the title to appear much more vibrant, and also makes the cover look more expensive as well, and this shade of blue is a rich colour, often worn by royals traditionally.

I wanted to adopt the same centrally aligned title that the Cook Book displayed, as I thought this created a strong appearance. I don't think I have quite mastered this design layout though, as the typeface I wanted to use for my designs doesn't fit in with the very contemporary style of the cover. Everything being central makes the cover look weighted wrongly, the text should be more evenly space out across the page so it looks balanced.

This is a similar cover inspiration as the V&A book cover, although instead of a band, there is a block of white in the centre of the cover, with one corner cut off to look as if the page is being turned, or to that it looks a little like a book mark. I like how the photograph is only shown briefly, so you can't see the main subject of the photograph, you just get an idea instead, and the photograph looks a little like a pattern. This block of white in the centre allows for all the information of the book to be held within it, so that it is easily legible, and lets the photograph stand out on it's own.

I applied this design idea to my own book cover design, and I am really pleased with how it has turned out. The whole cover looks a lot more finished now that all the text is contained within one box, and this also allows the pattern to be more on it's own, rather than interfering with the title. The white box also helps to make the cover appear even more friendly, adding more light to the design.

It was at this stage in my development where I wanted to try and find a typeface similar to that used on the Cura magazine cover shown above, called Carousel, and one of my peers introduced me to Adobe TypeKit, where I can download a number of unusual and different typefaces for free.
I wanted to find a typeface which was rounded like Cura, but had greater difference in weight, but still had rounded parts to the letter forms, such as the end of the "y".
I thought that both "boat" and "Discipline" magazine title typeface were also of a similar style to that I wanted to find. In Discipline especially the balled ends to the letter forms, such as on the "e", "s" and "c" showed exactly the style of typeface I wanted to find.

Boat magazine cover.

Discipline magazine cover.

On TypeKit I discovered a great many typefaces which I though could be possible candidates for my own book cover title.

Typefaces:

Abril Fatface
This was the first typeface I found which had some of the core elements I wanted for my designs. It had a great contrast in weight, and some of the terminals, such as the descender of the "y", had small circle balls on the ends, which was one of the main aspects I was looking for. What I don't like about this typeface, and why I ended up not including it in my designs, was that it appeared very angular in places, such as the aperture of the "y", ending in a distinct flat point, rather than curving off into the rest of the letter form. The italic version of this typeface is a lot more rounded however, and almost looks like  completely different typeface, especially with the redesigned "g". I really like the italic version of Abril Fatface, however I wasn't initially looking for an italic.

Regular

Italic

Felt Tip Senior
I chose this typeface as it was the closet to appearing handwritten as I could find, as on one of my designs I have specified a handwritten style typeface, rather than a very digitalised one. This typeface however looks a little too informal for a graphic design essay book, perhaps it would be better suited for a notebook.

Grafolita Script
Grafolita Script was another attempt at finding a typeface which appeared handwritten, but still appeared formal. This typeface still maintains the handwritten style, with how the letter forms are all joined together, but somehow, perhaps the elaborate "D", this typeface looks like it's trying too hard, and it a little too intricate for what I am looking for, especially with it having a small weight, which adds to it's fragility.

Regular

Medium

Kari Display Pro
Looking back, I am not sure why I downloaded this typeface, as it is awful. The descender on the "y" is extremely unusual, and the whole compressed appearance of the letter forms makes it look blocky and far too heavy weighted for the shape of the letter forms.

Lush Script
This is another typeface which I thought would fulfil my desire for a handwritten style typeface, one that didn't appear too feminine and fragile or too childish either. I think this is a better typeface than Grafolita Script, as it looks a little more scrawled, however still looks under control with the elaborate "L". I do think that it is a little too understated though, I don't think it it bold enough for a title, and the elaborate nature of the uppercase letters and the descending letter forms, makes this typeface appear like it is perhaps more suited to wedding card invitations.

Lust
Lust is perhaps one of my favourite typefaces, as it has the contrasting weight and the rounded terminals, yet still appears formal and rounded. Similar to Abril Fatface, I think I prefer the italic version of this typeface, as the italic style makes the letter forms appear even more rounded, and the shape of the "g" and "y" changes to make them look even more round, adds to the appearance of this typeface.

Regular

Italic

Lust Display Didone
This typeface is very similar to Lust typeface, as it is a variation of it. The main difference is that the weighting is even more contrasted, which is very clear on the "y". the serif's also don't have brackets, they are simply very low weighted lines, which adds to the simplicity of the typeface. This typeface also doesn't come in an italic variation, which I think would have been interesting to see, as the contrast would be even more obvious. In regular however, I think it looks a little severe, with he strong lines and sharp edges, which isn't the style I am looking for.

Lust Script
Lush Script is perhaps one of my favourite typefaces I have found, another variation on the Lust typeface from previously. This is the regular style, although has the same rounded style as the italic Lust typeface, which I favoured. The uppercase letter forms are also of a similar style to the previous script typeface I have been looking at, and I feel they add something more interesting to this typeface, although don't overpower the other letter forms, as they are an appropriate size. I do wonder though if this typeface may be a little too elaborate, with my book being about design literacy.

I then applied these typefaces where I thought appropriate to my designs.

I like how the title for this magazine cover spans the whole width of the page, on two separate lines, and takes up two thirds of the whole cover, making it a very prominent aspect.

I tried to replicate this in this design, using the typeface Lust for all the text, as I thought this typeface was the most like the style that I wanted to portray, and it wasn't too complicated or elaborate, just the right amount. I don't think the Lust typeface works for the authors or the subtitle either, as the point size is too small for the detail to be clear, making it slightly unreadable. I think this typeface is much better suited for a larger point size, just for the title.

I changed the subtitle and authors names typeface to Kohinoor Devanagari, which is a much more legible and simple typeface, and I think this not only makes the text easier to read, but also lets the title appear more special and unique. I also centrally aligned the title, as before it was left aligned, and I think this makes the page appear more balanced, and makes better use of the space as well.

I tried aligning the title left again, only so that it would be in fitting with the left alignment of the subtitle, and the right alignment of the authors. I thought this change in alignment to most of my previous designs would create a more interesting and unusual layout, however I think it looks off balance again, and I feel that if I changed the title alignment back to central, this would disrupt the balance further.

I really liked the hand written style typeface used on the cover of this book, yet how it appears delicate yet also strong, as the letter forms often end with a strong stroke, rather than petering off. I also like the simplicity of this cover, how it uses only one colour, black, giving it a very stylish appearance.

In this cover design I used the typeface Grafolita Script Medium, to try and achieve this sophisticated and stylish, but still bold appearance. I thought this typeface was a little too vague however, the weighting not strong enough to look powerful on the cover.

The typeface I used on this cover design is called Lust Script, a variation on the Lust typeface I used earlier in my designs. I love the rounded terminals of many of the letter forms, and the great contrast in weight as well, and also the little flourishes on the uppercase letter forms, making this typeface look very stylish but as if it means business. I really like this typeface combined with the more simple Kohinoor Devanagari for the subtitle and authors names, as it allows the title to stand out, and appear more elaborate than perhaps it is, yet makes the smaller text aspects easier to read, and showing them as less important than the title.

I tried another typeface called Felt Tip Senior for this design, which was inspired by Forager book cover from previously, and also cute little notebooks you see in so many book shops. I wanted this design to have a very informal appearance, to contrast against the content of the book. I have also changed the subtitle and the authors names typefaces as well as just the title, to create a more consistent appearance across the cover. I think that although the typeface for the subtitle and authors names is a lot smaller than the title, it can still be read. My only problem with this typeface is that I feel the design appears a little to child like not serious enough to reflect it's target audience.

This is an art exhibition poster designed by Olivier Umecker, and I really like the simplicity yet post modernist style of the poster. The poster is purely typographical, with the letter forms arranged to create a sort of border for the information about the exhibition in the centre. I think the typeface used BaseMonospace Wide, designed by Zuzanna Licko has been chosen very effectively, as it creates a lot of light grey, almost white space amongst the pink background, making it appear more styled and less feminine.

I wanted to try and take this same idea, with the white, bold text on a flat coloured background, as I thought it was very interesting and bold. I chose Lust typeface for the title rather than Lust Script, as I wanted this design to be sleek and refine, not overly elaborate. I really like the plain, simple appearance of this design, as it appears refreshing, however the colour combinations do appear a little icy, and don't have a warm appearance.

To bring the warmth back into my designs, I applied the pattern in a lovely yellow shade to the whole cover, and placed the Lust typeface title over the top, as well as the Kohinoor Devanagari subtitle and authors names as well. I chose blue for the text colour, as I still wanted my cover design I have elements from the Cura magazine cover, as I think this cover was very effective. I really like the colour combinations, however I don't think the blue stands out well enough against the pattern.

Applying a similar design layout fro some of my previous designs, I added a white box to the title and subtitle, to make them stand out a lot better against the patterned background. I think this makes the design appear a lot cleaner and much more legible, as this is key.

I tried using a banner of white across the top half of the cover instead of a box in the centre, as I thought this would appear more professional, rather than looking like a notebook or magazine cover, as this is a book full of analytical essays. I really like this design layout, and think it works really effectively, however when I showed this to one of my peers, they commented that they didn't understand the use of the blue coloured text, it looks as if I've just made it blue for no reason, and that perhaps black would be better.

I changed the text colour to black, and I agree this works a lot better as a cover design, and the authors names are also a lot more readable now too.

I still really like the blue and white simplistic design idea, so I went about trying to make it appear less icy, and more inviting. I changed the subtitle and authors name text to black to try and create a less icy appearance, however I don't like the combination of the black and white, I think it takes away from the simplicity of the design.

I tried using the Lust Script typeface for the title, keeping the same typeface for the subtitle and authors names though, to maintain readability. I think I prefer this typeface a lot more, as it gives a little flourish to the design of this cover. I don't like the full black coloured text however, as it makes the cover look dull, not light.

I tried making the text white in the same design, as I thought this looked a lot more cheerful than the black, however I still have the problem of it looking icy. Perhaps this design with the flat coloured background isn't the best option for the cover.

I brought back the pattern again in this design, and using exactly the same layout and use of type as one of my previous designs, I just changed the type colour to black instead of blue, as I thought this would create a more powerful and bold appearance against the yellow patterned background. I am really pleased with this design, and I definitely think that the patterned background is the way forward.