OUGD504 SUMMER BRIEF - MIND MAP

Starting to get down on paper some ideas was really helpful to see which ideas could be developed the most, which had the most potential and depth, and weren't just a vague idea which had 

no substance.

For this brief I considered many different directions that I could pursue. One of these being "Crumbling Kidderminster", which was inspired by one of my previous flat mates editorial photography briefs, which featured very desolate, bleak landscapes, combined with a basic, stripped back layout, resulting in these landscapes having some sort of beauty. The ongoing documentary photography project The Olympic City by Jon Pack and Gary Hustwit also inspired this idea, which documents the legacy the Olympic Games has left in previous host cities, and what has happened once the Olympics are over. Some of these cities have grown and developed, and are impacting on the participation of people in sport today, whilst others have fallen into ruin, and it is these that are slowly crumbling which I have found fascinating, as nature starts to take over. There are places Kidderminster which I have seen go from being the hub of the town to the eye sore that's been shut down for years, similar to some photographs from The Olympic City Project. I plan to photographs circus adverts in old shop windows, run down shop signs that have the paint peeling off them, also focusing on the 'old' town centre and the horse-fair, which are known for their shabby appearances. The aim of this topic would be to show the beauty in the desolate and ruined aspects of Kidderminster, to show that even though it may be crumbing, if you take small aspects you can find something worth looking at.
A contrasting idea is independant, countryside shops' cutesy hand drawn lettering found in places such as Kinver and Ludlow nearby to where I live to name a few places. This idea could also include type found in the countryside such as park maps, canal bridge names or walking route signs. This topic will show off the very typical middle class British-ness, the Britain that you get to see on post cards in tourist offices. This is an extreme contrast to the previous idea, perhaps it could be interesting to trial the two ideas out against each other to show the highlight these two different kinds of lives people can live depending on where it is they live. I could look at hand painted shop names, tea shops, vintage shops and bakeries, also pub A-boards, which often feature intricate typography or illustrations to attract attention. Riverside cafes or canal boat names may also prove interesting to look at too, as they have a distinctive canal style to them often.
Expanding on my initial "Crumbling Kidderminster" idea, I considered producing this research on urban, large scale cities such as Birmingham or London, covering things that are typical of urban cities such as road signs or LED open signs. These cities could be looked at from both sides of the spectrum, from the run down, dodgy sides, to the high living parts which are a lot more sophisticated, comparing the two sides of the same city. These cities could also be looked at from one specific direction, such as just transport or direction signs, however they would all be produced suing the same typeface. I could look at places to eat or hotels, even key landmarks, to compare the different standards of typeface in relation to where it was found and what kind of building or object it is from.
The final idea is if I happen to go on holiday abroad this summer, which isn't as sure an idea as the previous three, as where I travel to is a massive factor of what I focus on, which is changeable and uncertain. However foreign countries present different opportunities to Britain, such as a completely or partially different alphabet. This focus could also be beach or city themed, depending on where I would travel to, or even places that are typical to that country, for example France could be bakeries, or boulangerie's as they're known as in France. A different side to look at could be the transport system, such as the metro or underground, or the airport or journey I undergo throughout such country from the airport to accommodation or from the accommodation to the beach etc etc. The problem with this idea is that although it would be specific to the country and the whole aesthetic would be very different to anything you could find in Britain, I'd only get one shot at taking the photographs and recording my information, as I wouldn't be able to go back there and take another photograph if I find something is missing for example, or an image is blurry, because it's so far away. This idea would be a very risky option, however it could result in some very unusual and specific imagery if this could be pulled off.

For this brief I will experiment with the crumbling Kidderminster idea and also the complete opposite idea of the traditional British countryside, to see which idea there is more to work with, and to see which produces more eye catching imagery. After a selection of photographs for each idea have been collected I will then reassess which idea works more effectively and I feel more passionate about, and continue the rest of the project with one idea.