THE BEAUTY OF LANGUAGE A selection of designs produced by second year Graphic Communication Students from the University of Wolverhampton, School of Art and Design Project kindly supported by Sheaffer
This module will enable you to engage with the concepts and skill-sets necessary for the professional practice of graphic design. You will be encouraged to consider contemporary communication issues and to further develop your practical experience in achieving effective and relevant design solutions. You will undertake assignments around visual identity, narrative and effective communication using hierarchical structures. You will have the opportunity to work within media contexts for both print and screen.
Visual identities are not necessarily just the logos/symbols that provide distinctive and enduring marks for companies or organisations.Visual identities can frequently have the role of characterising and drawing attention to events, exhibitions, shows or festivals and therefore have a limited life span, and often very specific target markets.They can be applied in more innovative and less restrictive ways, across a broad range of media and in varying contexts. Students are to choose an event from the provided topics concerned with the overall theme of THE BEAUTY OF LANGUAGE. Students will research and expand upon the supplied information and design an appropriate visual identity which involves considerably more than creating and applying a logo/symbol. Students are to produce a whole ‘palette’ of elements that must include: a namestyle and symbol, using the supplied name or an amended •version (namestyle to function with or without the symbol in both single or multiple colour)
• a strapline typographic detailing that covers all levels of text (headlines, sub•heads, bullet points/buttons, body copy, captions etc.) image detailing that includes all aspects of photographic/illustrative •content (cut outs/squared up/focus/media/composition/cropping etc.) • a texture/graphic pattern spatial/compositional character – relating to groupings and to the •general style of and distribution of space selected colours for print and screen use (please note that visual •identity palettes will need to be ale to function in both full colour and within a limited colour palette)
• materials (type/s of paper, plus any other appropriate surfaces)
Students have no externally imposed restrictions such as numbers of colours, or techniques, but must analyse the circumstances and determine the practical and aesthetic parameters for themselves.
During the first weeks of this project students will develop and design a branding palette for their event. The palette will clearly outline the design approach and explain simply and clearly how all the various design elements, typestyles, colours, shapes, patterns, imagery, materials etc can be applied in differing contexts (as explained and shown during the second presentation during the first week of the module). To undertake the research necessary for this project it is vital that students have a good understanding of their event (based on their outline of their own elected festival/exhibition/conference/campaign) and also have a broad overview of a range of branded items from both 2 and 3D contexts for similar events. Knowledge and awareness of similar, possibly competing or associated events and audiences is vital. Students will analyse the use of typestyles, type relationships, combinations of typographic detail, symbols, shapes and language (both visual and verbal) that is used within the context of their selected variety of event whilst appealing to their specified audience. Particular note should be taken of colour use and possible shifts in priority. The research that underpins the development of the branding palette will go on to examine the employment and function of imagery – is there are recurring style of photography or illustration and how are images grouped, positioned or cropped? Graphic detail such as rules, dotted lines and dashed lines will be analysed and spacing will be noted. The spatial elements of typography will also be studied and observed. Patterns and textures will be examined, as will key materials that may already form part of preexisting design convention that relates to the selected event. By the end of this project, students will have developed an identity palette that, not only reflects, enhances and functions successfully as a consistent communication and promotional aid for their own individual event, but they will also have applied this identity within a number of contexts.
Select a topic from the following list: BookS To rePlace e-readerS Talking To rePlace TexTing WriTing To rePlace TYPing
chriS kinSeY
Michael BraSUela
hannah FoY
lorraine BenneTT
PhilliPe genUS
SaVVaS georgiadeS
reBecca hardS