OUGD505: Module Evaluation

Overall I've found this module very interesting as the both briefs have been challenging and forced me to find different ways to approach each brief in order to solve multiple problems throughout the development process. In relation to the research conducted I feel a good amount of research has been conducted in order to allow me to understand both topics throughly, with primary research being conducted where possible. The research focus aspect of this module has allowed me to gain a greater understand about both topics I was interested in but also aid in problem solving later on in development due to the in depth knowledge I had gained from conducting my research. In relation to studio brief one my main issues where identifying a way to comment on fan culture as a whole without getting too focused on football, as it was hard to remember that I was creating an object for the music genre rather than the sport due to the two being so closely linked. Furthermore this wasn't helped by the nature of football chants as each song is specific to different groups of fans making it difficult to find an aspect to focus on that relates to all fans of football chants. However once I'd conducted more research it was easier to focus on fans as a whole through the use of the Premier League as this was an identity they all came under. Once this issue had been solved I found the brief interesting and enjoyable with feedback from both peers and tutors helping the develop of the flag in the final stages.

In relation to studio brief two the in depth topic research conducted in the beginning created a basis to build my designs off. However the only issue with choosing fake news was the large nature of the topic making it difficult to narrow down a specific area at first as there was multiple ares to explore. This lead me to get a little lost at points during the research stage however once I had created initial ideas looking at authenticity and the fake news awards my research became more focused. This also applies to visual research as I initially looked to a wide nature of outcomes that tackle social issues in order to see what could be produced. Throughout the research process I conducted my own visual investigations to help explore the topic of fake news and post-truth politics more. I found this form of research very helpful and interesting as it was something I hadn't previously acknowledged within my practice. The only issue within this brief was the lack of foiling facilities meaning this processes couldn't be applied, resulting in a slight change in the final outcome. However this helped focus the final outcomes as the inclusion of foiling would of added authenticity whereas the final branding focuses on having small cues to show its in authenticity which would off been counteracted if foiling had been used. The production methods for both briefs where quite simple allowing alterations to be made when needed such as changing the text on the branding to white on green, allowing for a more professional finish to be gained. However this was manageable due to effective time management which left room for alterations to be made.

Overall I feel I have managed my time well across both brief with appropriate time being spent on each. However it was quite difficult to manage this module alongside others such as OUGD503 due to the workload required for each. However effective time management and organisation meant the difficulty was minimised.

Product Range Distribution: Final outcome photos

Product Range Distribution: Evaluation

Overall the final branding works well as it highlights the availability of fake news by creating physical branding for a fictions event. This is aided through visual cues within the branding which hints to the inauthenticity of the event such as the use of security fibres and bright colours, allowing the branding to look official at glance but upon close inspection you realise its fake. This draws on the idea that you have to look at fake news twice in order to identify what is real and what is fake. The use of basing the branding on a passport challenges the idea of authenticity as the layout is easily recognisable as official however placed within the context of the branding it looses its official nature as the content doesn't fit with the original purpose. Using the hand for the award allows the branding to show the humility of fake news as creating a gold award make the event look real as we are used to see awards like the oscars so at a glance the award appears authentic however upon close inspection you realise its made out of a cheap material, with marks and imperfections. The final outcomes have been finished to a high standard through the use of digital printing which has allowed for a close colour match to be created when the physical prints are compared to the screen based version. This was possible due to the use of an eight ink epson printer which allowed for more accurate colours to be printed. If more facilities where available foiling could have been used however experiments showed that a professional finish couldn't be gained through the facilities available. However this hasn't had a detrimental effect to the branding as the ability to print close to neon colours allows the concept of the security fibres to be showcased further as fake fibres glow fluorescent under UV light whereas real one are duller. This allows the focus of the branding to be the use of small visual cues that hint to its inauthenticity rather than making the branding look overly official as seen in initial experiments. Furthermore the incorporation of social media through the use of Instagram which enhances the concept further by making the public go online to realise the branding is fake, suggesting they need to look closer at what they read online as people tend to trust what the read in print.

Product Range Distribution: Social Media

Based on feedback gained on my final outcomes I decided to produce a social media mock up (see figure 1) enhance the concept of the branding as the branding will exist in both the physical and digital form. However in relation to the social media mock ups the link via Instagram will not lead anywhere as there is no additional information other than the posters as the event doesn't exist. This process was fairly simple as I recorded the swiping of images via a screen recording on an iPhone. I then produced a loading screen in Illustrator and animated the process using after effects (see figure 3-4). Once this had been done the animation was placed on an a photo of an iPhone in order to create a more realistic mock up (see figure 5-6). Furthermore the use of placing the posters in the digital world show the campaign in context as most fake news exists online and the only way to realise the campaign is fake is by going online through the link on Instagram. This brings the campaign full circle as having the branding exist in the physical world add authenticity which is then removed by going online, which counteracts the existents of fake news as you usually realise its fake when its printed/brought into the physical world. This use of realising the campaign is fake by going online suggests that people need to look more closely to what they read online.

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OUGD505: Time Management

Throughout this module I've found it easy to manage my time between the two brief as well as other modules by using scheduled studio time as well as evenings to complete work. This has been possible by setting small work periods with a few things to do allowing me to cross of completed tasks as this motivated me to do more. This process is aided through the use of Google calendar which syncs to my laptop altering me when I need to start my text task (see figure 1-2). This use of tracking time makes me more aware of the time I've set to do different tasks making it easier to focus as I know I only need to work for a set amount of time before I can have a break. The use of breaks also motivates me as it makes it easier to concentrate as I know in an hour I can have a break and relax before starting to work again. Overall this system is working well and has allowed me to stay on track for the deadline.

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Product Range Distribution: Production (Print)

In order to finalise the branding I conducted test prints to determine which colours would print the brightest as it's not possible to print neon (see figure 1). However when in digital print I discovered the 8 ink epson printers which can print closer to RGB than traditional laser printers as there are more inks to create the colours. This allowed for bright neon-ish colours to be produced for the branding. In relation to the test print I decided to print the two most successful swatches at A3 (see figure 2) to make a final decision. Although the blue and red (see figure 2) are brighter there is a slight legibility issue due to the clash of the brightness of the colours. Consequently I chose green for the final branding as this outcome was still very bright as well as having greater context as most security fibres are either red or green (see figure 3). The majority of the printing process went smoothly due to the use of the Epson printers however these printers don't traditionally print double sided which mean the invites and program where printed on the laser printer. However there was a drastic colour difference (see figure 4) as the laser print only has 4 inks instead of 8 so has a limited colour spectrum. This lead to multiple test prints being conducted (see figure 5-6) by manually feeding the paper through the printer as the Epson doesn't flip paper in order to print double sided. Once the right placement of paper had been determined the program and invites could be printed successfully. The only additional issue was that a slightly lower gsm paper had to be used in order to put through the printer twice. However upon reflection of the final prints I felt there was too much white, which created an unrefined/unprofessional appearance to the branding. This lead to alterations of the text by making the background green and text white, creating a higher quality finish to the branding as the block colour looks more professional than white (see figure 7-8). Furthermore due to difficulties faced when printing the initial branding I chose the reprint the text side of both the invite and program and spray mount the new back onto exiting outcomes. This worked well as you can't tell they've been stuck together due to the use of spray mount which allowed for an even coverage of glue to be applies, meaning no air bubbles where created. This added more authenticity to the designs as the stock felt thicker/ more durable making it feel more luxurious and authentic. Overall the final outcome (see figures 9-13) has been produced to a high standard due to the use of digital printing allowing the branding to appear realistic as the branding is tangible rather than online.

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