End of module evaluation

Overall I feel that my design work has generally increased aesthetically throughout this project in comparison to the initial briefs. Although stating this I still believe that my design work still has a vast amount of development needed. Considering the quality of my work I feel that the context behind designs could be explained further, developing a critical analysis. I also believe that I lack when developing the idea, and should spend much more time working my hand within the following projects. It would also be suggested that I should spend more time focusing upon quality rather than quantity.

Leaflet critique

Intermediate critique

As I was unsure whether my leaflet was sensitive to the raised issue, I brought my sketched mock up to the critique in order to gather other’s opinions. Overall the response to the concept was positive, as I was able to state from my research that car incident adverts are often graphic and convey upsetting messages. Although it was suggested that the text shouldn’t appear as colloquial. The reasoning behind me phrasing the text in such way was the mimic the language possessed by teenage males, but as it is a sensitive issue I will rethink the used terminology.

During the critique it was also discussed what format the back of the leaflet should posses. Overall the minimalistic approach seemed to derive more attention, as it allows allocated spacing for infographics. It was also discussed that the infographics used should be seen as part of a set, yet as individual structures. The colour scheme should also be consistent throughout the entire design.

Final Critique

During the final critique I brought my final design printed on both 80gsm and 200gsm paper. When discussing my work with others some issues instantly recognised were the uncertainty over the car infographics. It was suggested that the image didn’t resemble a car and that the blue appears as if the car is filling with water. Due to this reason I would likely alter the shape and colour of the infographic if I were to repeat this stage. Likely converting it back to my original design. It was also outlined that the type for the car infographic is blue, thus inconsistent with the black text in which the remaining text appears. As I wanted the infographics to appear as a set, I feel that this design decision is illogical, and thus would be altered.

The paper weights were considered and it was suggested that although the 80gsm was much cheaper, the 200gsm is much sturdier and doesn’t allow the oppositional design to be seen through the paper. Thus making the design more impactful. Due to this in industry the design would be printed upon 200 gsm paper with a matt finish.

Leaflet first print

 

In order to envisage what my final leaflet will look like I decided to create a mock up. As a starter I printed my deisgn on a thinner paper, in which I found to ruin the ethos of the deisgn due to the consumer disgarding it as 'another piece of paper'. The design also appeared flimsy and you could see the opposing deisgn through the paper. Due to this I have decided to use a much thicker paper when devloping my final piece to eliminate these factors.

Iconography surrounding motorways

Before I am to develop my own inital ideas surrounding motorway safety I feel that it would be appropriate to collect some imagery in which may influence my designs. To begin this I looked at basic iconography surrounding motorways, including the motorways basic aesthetics and signage.

The images represented display common objects in which are easily identifiable to motorways. Anyone who has travelled using a motorway would be able to recognise the connection between these pieces of iconography and the subject area. Links like this would also allow the leaflet to appear specifically to an audience who drive, thus creating a contexual refrence. Using these images to aid me I will begin to draw some inital ideas, focusing upon shape, impact and contexuality.

Front page-leaflet

 

I began to create the leaflet front cover by discovering the basic format of the facebook layout. I did this to ensure that my designs followed the same format and thus looked realistic.

After doing this I began to add text towards the design. I used the typeface Tahoma to allow me to create consistancy with facebook's current typeface. I also altered the message to be much more sensitive than the original, an enigma was also created in the fact that the consumer is intregued to discover the reasoning behind James's death. 

I experimented with image to allow for the typical 17-25 profile picture. I decided that by involving a further away image it doesn't give an indication towards the protagonists age and thus relates to all this demographic, rather than specifically a 24 year old.

 

I felt that the layout was far too simplitic to be displayed upon a front cover and thus decided to involve the status bar within the deisgn. This also creates a sense of reality as it appears if the consumer themselves is viewing the facebook page. To allow further enigma/attention I decided that a tag line would be effective.

 

Thinking about colour I decided to follow the same colour scheme as  Facebook currently maintains, thus creating further contexuality.

Finally I increased the tagline size to allow it to appear more effective, I also added an background to allow the text to appear much more prominant. The same colour scheme was used to complete this as Facebook's current scheme.

Back cover-Leaflet

As I had decided to follow the format of the Facebook photo album I was not able to manipulate the structure within destroying the contexuality. Due to this I decided to experiment largerly with colour.

A black and white approach was taken but I felt that it lacked impact and thus would not intise a younger demographic to read it. It also doesnt comply to any colour relevant within the facebook colour scheme.

 

Although involving colour this deisgn appears very dul and unappealing. The grey is resemblant of that used on the Facebook layout but the infographics appear lifeless and do not appear eyecatching. As a younger audience is often consumed as lazy it would be unlikely that they would read something with such dull design.

 

I experimented with using a purely blue background but felt that it clashed with the infographics. It also stopped the car infographic from looking visulant.

 

I then began an approach in which involved blue picture boxs along with a grey mast head. Again although not entirely blue and much more subtle i still felt that the blue draw attention away from the infographics. 

Finally I found an approach in which is similar enough to the original Facebook colour scheme but also highlights the infographics. I decided upon a grey to allow for the boxs to appear apprant without having a black edge around them. The designs appear impactive as the grey hue is subtle and does not distract from the designs themselves.

Traffic light infographics

. Taking Weekes designs as inspiration I began to develop my own 3 tons approach to infographics. Initially following a similar format to his work, I began to explore with shape, structure and layout. I also out ruled the white aspect of the design as I didn't want it to appear over complicated, and loose the minimal approach in which I was attempting to gather. I decided upon such a simple style of infographics due to the target audience, 17-25 year olds, being known to want information quickly and easily. This being due to their relationship with the Internet and social medias

I experimented with type size and colour to allow the design to appear as impactful as possible, whilst also considering the legibility of type.

After considering the other infographics, I believe that this design does not follow the same consistent style and thus will be discontinued. 

Car infographics

 

To begin my car infographics I started by initally drawing the outline of a car. As I wanted to depict a simplistic style I deicded to use minimal detail, in turn allowing the statistics to appear most prominant. Following my sketches I decided that I liked the filled effect and thus much eliminate the inside details.

 

After doing this I was left with a simple outline in which I could easily fill and place infographics around. Although this approach would be easily done I decided that id prefer to depict a over view image of a car, like I had expressed within my inital ideas. I feel that this would be most effective due to it showing the car in a vunrable state, rather than it being seen as a bulky unvinsable machine.

 

After creating the cars shape I experimented with colour. I experimented with a range of colours but felt that the red and blue worked best. As they are both realistic and common car colours a contexual refrence was made in comparrison to say that of the orange. Although red depicts danger I felt that it appeared very much like blood, and thus was insensitive. Due to this I decided upon the much cooler blue colour. The blue resmbles calm and thus when surrounded by the terrifying statistics would settle the consumer, not making the deisgn unbareable.

Again a final 3 tone approach was developed to allow all the designs to maintain a similar style.

Speed Inforgraphics

 

Overall I feel that this deisgn projects a very immature atmoshphere due to the thick stokes used. The counter appears unrealistic and makes the design appear child like, a componat that the target audience may feel patronsising. During my following designs I will use much thinner strokes to allow for a lighter, more mature approach.

 

As my inital design was strong in format but lacked aesthetics I deicded to develop a similar version in which the stroke widths are much lighter. I felt that this approach was much more realistic and didn't appear as characterised as the previopus deisgn. As the front cover of the leaflet is very hard hitting I wanted to capture a softer approach on the back page as I do not want to frighten the audinece, just shock them. I feel that developing such infographics allows for this.

 

As colour is a highly important characteristic of design I felt that I should experiment with different hues until I discovered a colour in which I felt suitable for the designs ethos. I found that the brighter colours were far too distracting, and would out rank the statistics in which should contain hierarchy. Due to this I decided to use a much more neutral colour pallete.

When devloping the typepography to be situated around the illustations I felt that the yellow appeared illegible and thus experimented with darker colours. Although the blue appeared legible I felt that it did not appeal aesthetically, it also discouraged my 3 tone approach. Due to this I decided upon using a formal black to depict the information. I also felt that by doing this it gave the text orthority, stating that it is important.

Traffic cone infographics

Focusing primarily on shape I developed three traffic cone illustations, all following a diffrent style. The first design contained a much more rounded approach in which again I felt appeared very immature. I also belive that the other deisgns convey the message much more clearly. I was unsure about which design I preffered out of the final two, one being 3D and the other flat. When making my design decission I relooked at the previous inforgraphs I had created and found that no design appeared 3D. As a result I decided that the flat version appeared more in the style of the other illustations, and that the 3D approach would look out of place.

Again I experimented with colour

but felt the white text was almost impossible to view from a distance. I also decided to keep coherant to my other deisgns and display the text in black.

Hazard Infographics

Using my sketches to aid me I began the process of developing a C.A.D approach to infogrphics. To begin this process I made the decision to follow the basic structure of the hazzard sign. This outcome was derived due to the hazzard sign being seen as a warning to all drivers and thus the target audience would be aware that the information contained with the sign is highly important. Resulting in the information overall appearing extremely valuable, and thus the consumer is much more likely to remember the statistics.

The original design in which I experimented contained a filled red triangle and although this does suggest a warning, I felt that the intertextual reference created by physically depicting the sign structure would be much more poignant. 

When experimenting with colour I felt that the bright red appeared very eye-catching and although this is an componant I want my design to have, I felt that such an impactive colour would unbalance the other relevant information upon the page, making it appear less prominant. As I still wanted to resemble danger within my design I decided to still use a red but to focus on a more subtle tone. By doing this and experimenting with browner reds, the colour appeared to look similar to blood. Although dark in context, I felt that by using this colour the reality of dangerous driving would appear apparent to the consumer, in turn detering them from being unsafe drivers.

Using a three tone approach I began to experiment with text. I experimented with colour, but felt that the black suggested a sence of formality. When exploring kerning and the position of text, I felt it apparent that the text should be centralised as although flush left is easier to read its theory is it relivent when designing with limited amounts of text. The text appeared at its strongest when displayed over four lines, this also enabled me to enlarge the text, making it easier to read. 

The text appeared at its strongest when positioned within the tight space of the triangle. This created a sence of formality which is relatable to the original signage.