Study Task 04: Music

 When deciding on what song I should chose for task 4 (Find a piece of music that relates to my object, recreate this piece of music in Illustrator. Repeat the exercise 5 times) I did some research into the first albums released on cassette. I came across this billboard magazine from 1966 published on google books, one of the articles in it focuses on the release of cassettes and lists multiple names of artists who's songs were set to be released or had already been released on cassette. 

As you can see some of the artist mentioned are the likes of:
Johnny Mathis (who I've heard chose the tracks of his years on radio 2)
The 4 Seasons (recently made more popular through Jersey Boys the musical)
Nina Simone
Gloria Lynne
Lesley Gore

Study Task 04: Word & Excel

For this I had to make a series of 10 pictures of my object in a text-editing program. I did this in word and chose to focus on the shapes found in the cassette tape as these are what make it function. In particularly I focused on the circle as I think this is the most iconic shape of a cassette tape and is where the recording is stored. I simply repeated the letter C to create this circle which fortunately looked like the bumps on the cassette. 

I then overlapped the shapes and letters I had on my word document and created more. I used a repeated line throughout these to represent the strip of tape running a long the bottom of the cassette tape. 

Then using a photocopier I overlapped the pieces of work I had created to make them more lively. I think they also look more complex and complicated which, deep down the cassette tape is despite it looking simple. 

I used a similar method in excel to create a series of 10 drawings of your object using a spreadsheet program. I used screenshots to capture these as I like the grid to be visible. 

 Again I used the photocopier to create overlaps and to combine my designs together and create new pieces of work.

Study Task 04: Research

> First released in 1963
> Initially a fun novelty item aimed at teenagers, main selling point was the fact they could be personalised and mixtapes could be made to share with friends.
> Rivalling the eight track which was big and clunky compared to the cassette tape. However reduction in size made quality poor therefore eight tracks were favoured.
> Overtook eight track in 1975
> By the end of the 70's portable cassette tapes and in car cassette players became available.
> First portable music player, it was revolutionary
>SONY WALKMAN: Small, Tape recorder, take them everywhere, lighter headphones than before. 150 million made, 300 models.
> Short lived because CD's took over, the first CD was released in 1982 and their popularity grew rapidly.
 > Discontinued in 2002, last one was released in 2005.
> If sorted correctly they can be kept for 30 years. Must be kept at temperatures bellow 21 degrees Celsius and avoid temperatures below freezing.
> Can be uses as a Cat Toy
>Winding up with pen trick

Features in movies:
> Wayne's World
> Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind
>A clockwork orange
>Electrick Children
> Back to the future

Reuses of Cassettes:
> Portrait
> Dress
> Lamp
> Wallet
> Tie
> iPod holder
> Painting
> Book cover
> Clutch bag
> Business card holder
> Chair
> iphone stand

How a tape recorder works:

> Magnetic Recording

> In the audio realm there is magnetic tape (inside the cassette) which consists of thin plastic based material and bonded to this is a coating of ferric office powder. 

> Electromagnet applies a magnetic flux to the oxide on the tape. The oxide remembers this.

> The more higher quality tapes tell you their formulation by stating a type.

IDEAS TO TRY FROM RESEARCH:

> Freezing

> Cat Toy

> Combine elements of CDs with Cassette

Hoffman's ideas on shape

The Dot

> Must be understood in a very broad sense
> Any shape with a centre can be perceived as a dot
> Even when the dot expands it is still a dot
> Composition is important
> Can easily be moved
> Colour can be changed easily
> If a small dot is put in the centre of a square it demands to be felt
> A large dot is disruptive if the background space is not big enough
> A large background can overwhelm a small dot
> The dot radiates power
> If the dot is displaced from the centre it becomes unsettled
> Placing two dot together they determine what will happen on the plane
> They may take a linear path when arranged appropriately
> A large number of dots creates a rich variety of combinations such as vertical/ horizontal lines, grouping, scattering and massing
> An extra dimension makes the dot spherical which adds more weight and power
> Gets more attention

The Line

> The connecting link
> Dots create an invisible line
> Can be imagined
> An independant force
> Made up of dots so small you can no longer identify them
> Can only be created using an appropriate tool such as a brush or pen
> The line is dependant on the dot
> Represents movement
> Dynamic by nature
> It can be continued indefinitely in either direction
> It has already gone through a process of growth
> Plays an important part in construction
> If a thin line is repeated at constant intervals it produces a solid grey effect
> Removing individual lined from a grid then new one appear
> Black line and white line are always independent
> Two straight parallel lines create a third one in between them
> Space in between them is important
> Increasing distance between the lines thickens the line in-between
> Similar to the dot the line doesn't change its nature
> When expanded it quickly passes our field of vision
> If it is too thick the eyes see it as a plane

Confrontation

> Encounters between dissimilar elements within compositions containing dots or lines can only be readily followed even if they involve complicated arrangements and formations.
> compositions depend on contrast
>  Bringing together two dissimilar things in a harmonious way
> Embarking upon new trains of thought
> The meeting of a square and circler within a predetermined field of action is a basic example
> Combining design and lettering epitomises harmony, the difficult task of unifying two different kinds of graphic system
> Writing is a means of communication built up from linear geometrical sign which we as humans understand on the basis of mutual agreement
> Pictures on the other hand contain an inherent message and speak to us directly
> Pictures radiate movement, tone and forces
> Requires great skill and knowledge in order to combine image and lettering
> Movable letters were introduced through letter press, it is versatile

Letters and Signs

> We are so used to seeing letter forms we fail to see the construction of them
> They for an important part of our communication
> People working with letter forms have an increased responsibility

Pantone Booklet Design Process

After completing my research and finalising the writing that would be contained in the booklet I did some rough drawings of how to lay out my booklet that were inspired by the existing booklets I had looked at. I wanted the booklet to be interactive therefore I considered printing out a physical photograph on gloss photo paper to create a different texture through the book. I also considered using collage to insert the colour swatches, this would feature circles in the colours of all the swatches I had taken. Dependant on the amount this colour featured in the picture altered the size of the circle, the        more colour then the bigger the circle and vice versa. 

This is a quick mock up of what it would look like that I did in illustrator, I don't think the design of using circles would work well as it doesn't sit well with the rectangles and straight lines I plan on using throughout the rest of the booklet. 

I reverted back to the squares when creating my first booklet mock up, I hadn't really thought about how the pages would all flow together and mainly focused on what the pages looked like individually which  obviously wouldn't work for a booklet as all pages should follow the same grid.

 I then went on to create these quick drawings which feature a rectangle in the left corned of each double page spread. I thought this would add an element of consistency throughout the booklet. For the front cover this rectangle featured the title where as in the rest of the booklet it featured a block of the same colour, this was the colour I picked out of the photograph which was most prominent and eye-catching.



When shopping for paper and card to print my booklet on I came across this aqua green coloured card which I thought would make a nice bright front cover for my booklet that would also complimented the colours I had swatched.
I wanted to keep the front colour very simplistic and minimal to create curiosity and drive people to open it and look at what is inside it.  I mounted the front cover and back page on a thicker card to create a hardback book effect and to keep the booklet nice and sturdy.

 When you unfold the booklet the first thing you see is the image which has been printed on gloss photo paper and then I stitched on the outline of where I had swatched the colours from. I thought this added a much more hand crafted rustic quality which suits the colour palette. It shows information about colour on the second page making it obvious what the booklet is about and also sparking curiosity amongst the reader.



Further folding out of the booklet expands on more information about colour as well as showing a hint of the colour swatches. The repeated rectangle on the double page spread is also visible.








I decided to feature the main colour swatches as rectangles which varied in size dependant on how much the colour featured in the image. I also used the little squares of colour to organise colour combinations together.








The final pages feature information about Klein Blue and Josef Albers, this is in a bigger point size as I found this information most important as I feel that most people are taught about colour theory but not so much about people who have influenced colour. Next to this is five images of graphic design work using IKB and my comments on why I thought they used this. In reflection I wish I had taken these images across 3 pages to give them more room to breathe and then I could've enlarged them to showcase them better.

CMYK VS RGB

CMYK vs RGB

A standard rule is that RGB is mainly used for anything digital where as CMYK is used for printing. This goes back to the times of the printing press when each ink (CMYK) had its own plate, the printer would have to lay each colour down one at a time and wait for this to dry before adding the next. As printing methods have developed it is now possible to print in RGB however the colours are not consistent therefore CMYK is recommended for printing. Computer monitors give off RGB and can project more colours than can be printed, this is why things often look different on screen than they do when printed out. It is important to know your output before designing in order to know whether to work in CMYK or RGB.

Pantone Research

Pantone 

Pantone is the world renowned authority on colour they provide products, services and technology to aid and inspire designers. Pantone’s founder, Lawrence Herbert created an new system for identifying, matching and communicating colours in order to help with colour accuracy. He understood that everyone saw colours differently which lead to the invention on the pantone matching system in 1963. This was designed as a book containing every known pantone colour in a fan format so it could easily be placed against a colour to colour match it. This has since revolutionised and become digital which makes colour matching much easier. Today they are well known for providing accurate colour communication. 

International klein blue research

In 1957 Yves Klein registered IKB, a distinctive ultramarine, as a trademark colour. Yves Klein described IKB as “a Blue in itself, disengaged from all functional justification”. Klein had been painting with this colour since 1947 up until his death in 1962, over that time he had managed to create almost two hundred blue monochrome paintings. The production of these paintings was likely to have been both a spiritual experience as well as a marketable activity for Klein. When it came to selling these paintings the price reflected the unique spirit of each painting. At a 1957 exhibition in Milan Klein displayed a series of eleven blue monochrome paintings, even though they looked the same and were created in the same way, the value increased with the amount of spiritual value Klein saw in them. On multiple occasions Klein created an anthropometry painting before an audience in a gallery space, in the background an orchestra would play whilst Klein would direct models painted in IKB to lie, roll and drag themselves across a canvas until his desired result was accomplished.  Now over 50 years later IKB still plays a major role in graphic design and has become increasingly popular in the last few years. It is often used alongside a monochrome colour scheme or occasionally with one other signature colour. One of the advantages to using IKB is that it works well both digitally and when printed, it is an exception to the RGB rule and doesn’t require a fluorescent ink in order to appear bright. 

6 images

Alternative way of designing for classical music. The Amsterdam Sinfonietta consists mainly of young musicians therefore this approach is appropriate as it attracts a younger audience 

Blue in Judaism is used to symbolise divinity, because blue is the color of the sky and sea. It can also represent equilibrium, since its hue suggests a shade midway between white and black, day and night.

It symbolises trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body

Blue represents trust therefore perfect for real estate 

Used for a fictitious conference called water week, represents water well but also adds vibrancy to something lighthearted 

work inspired by nature therefore using blue gives connotations to water and sky, however using such a vibrant colour makes it seem less cliche and more modern

Josef Alber Research

http://www.g-e-s-t-a-l-t.org/MEDIA/PDF/Interaction-of-Color.pdf

https://acpress.amherst.edu/books/intersectingcolors/chapter/a-short-history-of-josef-alberss-interaction-of-color/

During his early life Josef Albers interest for painting arose from watching his father who was a house painter. In 1920 he attended Bauhaus where he was introduced to an environment where matters of form in art were a primary concern, colour being the most prominent element. Whilst at the Bauhaus Albers designed multiple coloured glass pieces which were installed into buildings, furniture, wallpaper and his own typeface. He soon became part of a circle of established artists and architects who all had an interest in colour. Colour workshops at Bauhaus at this time were focuses on harmonising and connecting colour and musical tone through body movements. Theories underpinned these studies, one of the most influential to Albers was Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s ‘Die Farbenlehre’ (translates to theory of colour) which became the basis of Albers’ teaching in colour. Albers’ writing on colour was often referred to as colour theory however he tried to avoid this label as much as possible. When teaching Albers focused on context, contiguity and relationship between elements in particular shape, space, colour and texture. In 1956 Albers was introduced to the screen printing process and this lead to multiple pieces of his work being produced in this way. In 1963 Alber published his book ‘Interaction of Color’ in this book Albers’ fascination with colour is obvious. He looks at the way light colours on light grounds and dark colours on dark ground prove that the light of a ground subtracts in the same way its hue does.  

Study Task 02

For this task we had to create marks to represent two words from a list, I chose the words escape and irritant.

 For the word escape I focused on an 'escape route' and drew that out using zig zag lines as i think it represents this sense of urgency that comes with escaping from somewhere. I also wanted to represent an escape door using a line to represent a gap that shows the exit as well as a diagonal line to represent a door.

 I then did some experiments on the photocopier and accidentally achieved this grey background however I think it looks a bit like a birds eye view of someone escaping and the root they took displayed on the floor plan of a building.

Looking further into the work escape i looked at something without an escape/ exit which is in the case a circle. I then tried to add an escape route with the use of a line

This was then translated through collage where I also sliced up the circle to create a line between it which subtly refers to Hoffman's idea of white space creating a line.

I took this idea and overlapped both the circle outline and the cut outs to create another collage, I then overlapped this on the photocopier to make a confusing and difficult to read escape route/ map which is not what you would want when rushing to escape from somewhere.

  These marks represent the word irritation, I focused on how an irritation warning sign is usually a cross and adapted this. I divided the cross into 4 lines and used these four lines to develop new designs.

 I then adapted these into collages to add more depth and texture to them. To create the black paper I coloured in a sheet of tracing paper with a felt tip, it was running out at the time and created nice grey stripes through it which looks a bit like a black and white photograph.







This relates to what Frutiger says about arrows and them only working vertically and horizontally.

Blackletter

In the 16th century blackletter symbolised German protestantism and nationalism, in the 1920's it was attacked for being antiquated and was replaced by the new typography which is characterised by sans serif type in asymmetrical compositions. In 1933, the Nazi government revived blackletter  calling it the peoples type and labeled the new typography 'un-German'

Sans serif VS Franktur

Type design was scrutinised during the Nazi reign. In 1932 election posters featuring stark silhouette portraits agains a black background with the name Hitler in sans serif capital letters was seen as modern. During the Weimar Republic blackletter was considered ugly. When Nazis came to power in 1933 Fraktur was the governments semi-official typeface and Antiqua was seen as Jewish type. Some sans serif typefaces such as 'Jack Boot Gothics' were used in part organisations such as the SS magazine. However in 1941 blackletter was band as it was found to have Jewish origins 

http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/the-meanings-of-type

Otl Aicher Munich Olympics

Designing the 1972 Munich Olympics, designer Ian McLaren shares insight into working with Otl Aicher.

For the publicity they had to create:
 - 25 posters
 - The official guidebook
 - Technical documents
 - Daily programmes for each for the 21 days for each of the 14 sports
They all had to look related and be designed in the same style

The pictograms are seen as the most iconic thing to come from this olympics and were used frequently on merchandise but the emblem 'wreath of rays' was also used a lot too, all the souvenirs and products had to fit the guidelines set by Otl.

The whole process took 22 months

Past experience helped McLaren as he has previously worked with grids when designing a series of penguin book covers, he used them skills when making the technical documents.

The first poster for the olympics was made when nothing had even been built, the only visual they had was a model of what the stadium would look like.

The olympic events took place in multiple areas of Munich therefore has to be slightly adapted in order to work there.

For the colours Aicher didn't want to use the standard yellow and black of their flag in his design work therefore opted for blue white and green. He also developed a colour coding system which features light green for press, silver for protocol and orange for technology.

When working on the programmes there was sometimes only 11 hours through the night to create them. To overcome this they used print outs from journalists which featured the results in three different languages (german, english and french). They then organised groups of soldiers from the signals section of the military to cut these out and paste them up. Each cover used the specific pictogram which represented that specific sport.

Univers typeface was used throughout the publications as it is easy to read, has a wide set width and wasn't used much at the time.

Study Task 03

For this task we had to create a way finding system that was suitable for a hospital using black letter as our influence.  To start generating ideas I used drawing ink and a paintbrush as a medium of creating multiple different styles of arrows quickly and fluidly. The characteristics of black letter are that it is script and the strokes of it are angled and the terminals of each of the letters are usually cut off in an angle.









I then tried to create some of the angles and strokes I had found in the letters as I thought they would make a good base and would be easy to work with when trying to create pictograms and arrows from these. I used a combination of thick and thin strokes to represent black letter and its key element.

A thicker brush is used here to create more abstract lines and terminals, I found this method more enjoyable as it wasn't as controlling or restricting .

Me and Jasmine then went on to recreate similar marks to these on perspex using printing ink and pieces of card and wood to spread it. This method was much more enjoyable and fluid as the ink glided nicely along the plastic

We then placed a piece of paper over this and pressed over it with a roller to print it. Where there was too much ink applied it splattered across the page and created these black blobs on the page. Some of them look a bit like figures and the blobs represent the heads     

We then did the inverse of this and covered the perspex in ink and carved into it with the same tools. This visually created a bigger impact than the other technique as it was easier to see where the marks were. The strokes also became more angular as the ink seemed to drag the tools more

 The curve on this board remind me of something you would see on a Muller Brockmann poster. I like how all of the marks are all made up of individual lines which wasn't intentional it was just the way the ink was scraped off.

Here is the end result, as you can see some of the letter that were already printed on the perspex have come through on the print however I think some of the curves of the letters play off nicely against the straight angular lines of the marks made.

Figures created using the images I scanned into illustrator and made vectors of, I think they work well as figures as they are very abstract but also work in the features of black letter. 

Here is a mark I made which in reflection I realised looks like a t therefore I thought this would work well as a pictogram for telephone.

This is a combinations of marks I made which I think work well as a cafeteria pictogram as it slightly looks like a knife and fork

This is a very abstract pictogram for exit, I chose to try create something that represents an E to symbolise exit