Tuesday 18 April 2017

OUGD501 - Evaluation

To conclude on a module which at first I had doubts about but now it is complete I am personally satisfied with all deliverables of the module. After a rather poor Context of Practice 1 I had doubts about Context of Practice 2 and whether or not my final grade in this module would affect my overall grade like it did in first year. For a number of reasons I didn’t do as well as I should have in Context of Practice 1 but nonetheless this year was a dramatic change. I believe having the opportunity to choose a question of my own, created enthusiasm for the essay and practical. When thinking about a subject to relate to in graphic design it didn’t take too long for me to decide upon electronic music, as its one of my passions outside of graphic design I felt I could enjoy this module if I related it to my personal interests.

Prior to the research I had a rough idea of what I wanted to explore so I highlighted rave culture, branding and marketing of electronic music, rave influence and Fabric the club as the main talking points of the essay. I aimed to make the points relevant to the module but also current and by including Fabric I could analyse the clubs identity but also the recent court case the club was embroiled in. My research was an enjoyable process as I knew exactly what I was looking for at times, and I felt my knowledge of the scene would allow me to be precise with research. My knowledge of the scene and my practice of graphic design made me reflect upon my research and I felt the most suitable name for the essay was ’What is the role of graphic design in the underground electronic music scene?’

It is what one tutor called a niche subject, and in research I definitely encountered how niche this subject was at times, as academic sources were hard to come by. Nevertheless in the end I found some useful and insightful sources which helped guide my essay in a academic form. The likes of Dick Hebidge : The Meaning of Style and RAVE : Its Influences on Art and Culture provided a great backbone for this essay and allowed my knowledge and passion for the subject to push the points I made. On a personal level the essay was a success as I feel I’ve improved upon Context of Practice 1, the obvious factor is producing a written essay on something I like but I also feel my written language has improved in this module. Furthermore this improvement in written language has lent itself to other modules, as I feel I’ve approached and anaysled certain topics differently in other modules thanks to Context of Practice.

When I look back on the essay now, yes Im proud of it but maybe the addition of more academic sources may enhance it, and this is the reason I’m pushing this certain subject further in Context of Practice 3. The opportunity to write a dissertation on my personal interests aligned with graphic design is something I’m looking forward to, rather than daunting the thought of 9000 words.

Moving onto the practical side of the module which helps reflect a number of the points in the essay but in a physical piece of graphic design. The Visual Case Study of Fabric combines firstly the talking point of  Fabric obviously, and helps highlight the importance of the clubs visual identity and the story of the clubs court case which gripped the electronic music scene for a number of months. It then takes parts of the point on how graphic designers are recapturing rave culture,  with the use of certain aesthetics and how Fabric used the iconic acid smiley face for nostalgia to capture a scene in one and help push the save Fabric campaign. The end result combines these points to tell the story of Fabrics court case but only through the use of icons, as Fabric did use and alter one to represent the scene. The practical is informed in a number of ways and this is why I’m mainly happy with it, and maybe a few minor changes are needed to the physical piece but the overall idea works well with the essay.


OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Reception / Feedback

For a reception of the Fabric visual case study I asked a select number of people with interests in both electronic music and design. This allowed me to have an understanding of the two target audiences and to see how they conceive the idea. I asked a number of questions to each indivdual then followed up with a conversation about the case study as this was beneficial to talk about the design, Fabric, music culture and anything else related to the visual case study.

Q. Is the story clear throughout the case study?
A. Yes, there is a clear story that is shown through the icons and symbols, it makes it easier to understand as you don’t have to read much…good for a lazy person which probably links to the target audience.

Q. You describe the target audience as ‘Lazy’, would you be able to expand on that?
A. Its not that its lazy its just more appealing because its visually pleasing and thats what people like me like. Its like when you got a magazine when you were younger you would just look at the pictures. Similar concept i guess.

Q. Do you feel the case study celebrates the scene and culture of electronic music?
A. Yes, the case study is highlighting what is good about Fabric and helping the audience understand frustration that people had once it closed.

Q. From a design and music standpoint, what are the unique qualities of the case study?
A. There is nothing else out there that shows the save fabric campaign, this helps to tell the story which many people might not be fully familiar with.




Q. Is the story clear throughout the case study?
A. Yes definitely the symbols flow smoothly from one to another creating a coherent story. Even though I know the story of the Fabric court case, I do feel like someone who is totally unaware of the club would have a rough idea of the court case through the use of icons, as it allows linkage.

Q. You speak about ‘linkage’, in research I found out that icons and symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different concepts and experiences. So do you feel the case study allows people to interpret the icons for themselves?

A. All the icons are clear and recognisable but each mean something different to each person but in the end contributes to the story of the Fabric court case. When I turn each page and look upon the icons I remember that certain stage of the court case, so I’d say it helps me reflect upon that experience.

Q. Do you feel the case study celebrates the scene and culture of electronic music?
A. Yeah it does a very good job of communicating the passion and love people have for Fabric and electronic music. The small essay in the opening page gives a different perspective of electronic music and makes people stop and read it to fully respect and understand it. Personally I feel electronic music is pushed aside in general media but the opening page of the case study can change peoples approach.

Q. From a design and music standpoint, what are the unique qualities of the case study?
A. It has an ability which not many design books have to tell a story simply. Design books are made for designers so most the time they are intricate and beautifully polished books such as Unit Editions but the case study is different. Its simple, bold, quick and impactful and these are the unique qualities of the visual case study. But to go into more depth about the principles of this case study then the isolated icons on each page do a good job of emphasising the importance of each step/page in the story.

I know for myself that not many books exist based on electronic music so thats unique quality I suppose, but the best thing about this case study that is music related is that it simply celebrates something that benefited the people of the electronic music scene.

Wednesday 12 April 2017

OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Distribution

The distribution of the Fabric visual case study is key but I do believe an audience would come to it rather than it directly targeting one. The use of blogs in both music and design sectors would help increase the distribution of the publication as people would be informed briefly on blogs then it would be up to them to check the publication out further. The mock-ups beow show the case study as Instagram posts on both ItsNiceThat and Resident Advisor, these two platforms are at the forefront of the their industries and would help increase distribution in a considerable amounts. A worldwide audience would be reached then people would be able to purchase the publication in independent book shops such as Magma, Magculture, Colours May Vary and Village. Through blogs such as ItsNiceThat, Collate, Aisleone etc, a design related audience would be informed about the visual case study so one target audience is achieved. On the other hand music blogs would focus on the music side more and aim to inform electronic music fans of the case study. Fabric themselves could play a pivotal part in the distribution of the publication as they could promote it to inform people of their story. Even though in my essay I talk about Fabric never taking advantage of its stature as a brand. The promotion of the case study would be more celebratory than aiming to make money.

OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Production

If the visual case study was to be produced on a bigger scale then Id have to consider the production further. The publication would be produced in limited numbers as it target audience is a niche market, therefore a small print run of 5000 copies would be made available. For optimum print quality of the icons and varnish finish on the cover then offset lithography would b used to print the visual case study. This is because It costs less to produce high quality printing when it is done with offset printing methods. Additionally, the image quality is consistently good as the rubber blanket, on the printing plate, fits itself to the texture of the printing surface, leaving a clean and detailed image every time, unlike printing methods such as risograph. Although for a short print run of 5000, normally you’d use digital printing but for the icons in the visual case study they require the quality of offset litho.

In terms of stock for the production of the visual case study, in the mock-up I created I only used a 300gsm black stock for the cover and 120gsm standard white stock. However for the final visual case study a more professional stock would be used. Arjowiggins and G.F Smith are both great suppliers of high standard stocks but the specific stock used would be. Firstly for the cover a 270gsm  Curious Collection Black is used as its matt texture will contrast with the high quality gloss varnish of the cover. For the pages within then Arjowiggins Conqueror range Diamond white 120gsm would be used, the range offers ultra smooth and lustrous low-friction surface which produces a high definition print result. Finally for the belly bound, a lower GSM was required for flexibility. Conqueror range Diamond white would be used again but this time in 100gsm to allow the belly bound to crease on the spine of the publication.


Monday 10 April 2017

OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Outcome

The outcome is visual case study in the format of a small publication that communicates the story of the Fabric court case page by page. Through the use of symbols and icons the publication communicates one part of electronic music culture through graphic design which was one aim of the brief. This solution can successfully reach both a music and design audience. As its current in terms of content for the music audience but also aesthetically pleasing and intriguing for a design audience.

In terms of relation to the critical writing/research it links to a number of points in my essay but also research paths I looked at. One major talking point in my essay is the importance of Fabric’s visual identity and whether or not graphic design helped to save the club. I delve into the weekly series of posters that are designed by the in house art director, also the point about fabric never taking advantage of its stature as a brand and finally how the space, people and music of Fabric is explored through graphic design. I believe the outcome of the practical links to all these points but in particular how the club is explored through graphic design. In the practical I exlpore the story of Fabric through icons and symbols which are a clear and impactful way of communication in graphic design. I didnt just decide to use icons and symbols because of their clear message but they also have a clear link with my critical writing. I talk about rave culture and the iconic smiley face which Fabric used for the save Fabric campaign. Whether or not Fabric used the icon for nostalgia or a defiant logo for the campaign. It successfully told the past/present and future of electronic dance music and was a defiant face for dance culture. From this I felt using icons and symbols was then the best way of communicating Fabric, as the club relied so heavily on the iconic smiley face to potentially save the club.








OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Developments

In development the first stage was creating a mock publication to gain an understanding of the sizing. The scale of the case study is A4, I made this decision because I felt the icons needed plenty of white space to be bold and impactful on the viewer of the case study.




























I produced the publication in Indesign as I was able to manipulate the content in a number of ways while using a structured grid. In the end I decided to place the icons centre of the composition as it helps highlight the icons more with white space surrounding the element. The layout continues to be simple and centred in the case study as I placed all the icons centre of page to create a repetitive layout yet allowing diversity through different icons each page. The decision to carry on having having a limited colour palette is informed by the icons being only black and white.


























































The developed front cover of the publication only shows two variations of the fabric smiley face, and the icons will be printed black gloss on black stock to further instil an ambiguous style that is informed by the dance culture in which Fabric resides. Below is the belly bound which will can be placed over the cover, the belly bound gives a small insight into the visual case study. The type choice for the belly bound body copy and the rest of the copy text in the case study is Apercu. Aperçu is an idea to create an amalgamation of classic realist typefaces such as Franklin Gothic, Johnston , Gill Sans and Neuzeit. I like how it combines a variety of sans serif typefaces to get where it is, I resonate the rich heritage of this type design with Fabric and the history of dance culture.

OUGD501 - Study task 06 - Consumer identities

In what way can products / services relate to consumers identities ?

From the source provided it shows that there is extensive research into how products / services relate to consumer identities, the basis is that products can help mould and manage peoples identities and this how the two relate. People have always used possessions and services to express themselves as people are linked to what they consume, furthermore peoples identities are judged by material possessions as a natural representation of themselves. For example, Gosling, Ko, Morris and Thomas (2002) found that people could correctly judge another persons personality just by having a brief look at their office or bedroom.

How do consumers use products / services within social interaction ?


  • upward comparison - ideal self, celebrity endorsements
  • downward comparisons - superior to another


Using the theories discussed suggest some visual communication strategies that effectively promote a product to its target consumer ?


  • Nespresso advert - George Clooney - lifestyle - celebrity endorsement
  • Palace advert - Jonah Hill 
  • Galaxy advert - Audrie hepburn


Ethical issues?

Stereotyping can occur such as BMW drivers being stereotyped, this is an example of people being put into categories and although it maybe bad and unethical it can help businesses and designers reach a audience quicker and easier.

Friday 7 April 2017

OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Development

Now that i'd decided to choose the Fabric visual case study, I had to develop the critical moments of the Fabric court case and think of ways of creating icons and symbols that resemble that event.

The events of the court case are as follows:

  • August 6th / calendar icon showing date of teenagers death 
  • Dancing icon / to show atmosphere inside club
  • Drug icon / to show the cause of the teenagers death
  • Ambulance bed icon
  • Gravestone icon / to indicate teenagers death
  • News and social media icon / news of death hit headlines 
  • Fabric door shut / indicates Islington council revokes the club license 
  • Save fabric icon with unhappy face / shows campaign started to save the club
  • Campaign icon / showing Fabric worldwide support
  • Cheque icon / £270.000 raised for clubs legal fee
  • November 28th / calendar icon to show date of court case to determine Fabric's future
  • Court case icon
  • Save fabric icon with happy face / shows Fabric wins appeal 
  • January 6th /  calendar icon showing date of reopeing 
  • Fabric doors open icon
  • Dancing icon / to show atmosphere inside club back again 



























The icons and symbols were developed to work together as a series and remain cohesive throughout the case study. Keeping the colour palette black and white helps maintain the series but also helps communicate a very 'straight faced' culture that operates in the after hours so I felt black and white icons would work best. When designing the icons and symbols I felt the best way to approach this process was thinking of the event in basic form and delivering an icon that is a literal response, from this the user can interact with the case study on a basic understanding then allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different concepts and experiences.