Category: Project yr 2

BRANDING PROJECT.

I think this project was a huge step up first year. When we first had the brief I realised the work load this year will more as  we were expected to delivery more outcomes. However, the project content was really good creating an exhibition branding is something I never designed before. I started off the project was researching on each theme which did take me long the themes were broad and we could potential base the  project on anything we liked. i chose to do modify because  it gave me more freedom so I  could focus on several different topics. I chose to to data collection as my exhibition, and I am very happy with my topic and the outcome  but during the process I really struggled with several things and i think this is why the project really challenging me. The most challenging element was figuring out the topic and also what the exhibition content. Figuring out a name and topic was not enough because we are being expected to create booklets about inside the exhibition so we had to visually everything about the  exhibition. As I struggled a lot with the content inside and i was panicking because of the amount of deliverables.  I wasted time during the process. Towards the end, I was rushing to get the deliverables completed which I am still still happy with all the outcomes but it was very stressful due to lack of time. I thin this project really challenged not my ability to creativity but time management, organizing skill and decision making. It was a hard way to start the second year but now i know areas that I should improve about my working method which I guess is the main benefit .

As the animated video I didn’t have the time to explore different designs and effects on After Effects. Before I started to work on After Effects I had an idea of the animated video that there  would be several shapes moving side to side the screen and that the word ‘terms and conditions’ would appear at the end and change colours. So I started to design this on After effects which I think worked out well. As I attended the After effects tutorial from Matt the week before so I was pretty confident with the basics of moving shapes. The images below show the process of creating the video. I know I should’ve experimented more and that I have a lot to improve on in the video however I ran out out of time toward the end of the projects and that is something I will improve for next coming projects.

FINAL MOVING IDENTITY.

As a deliverables we had to create promotional installations for our exhibition. I used mock ups from bus stops so show the exhibition posters would be seen as. I think the posters are really eye catching for someone that is standing at the bus stop. I used two of the posters I designed for the exhibition to show how it would be displayed.

I also created more mock ups and the image below show the mock up of a underground. I created a new poster for this layout as seen next to the image. I used used layering of words ‘i agree’ which is part of one of the imagery in the booklet but I thought the phrase was very powerful and should be used as part of the exhibition branding. I did a simple design using layering of words on black background which is the consistent style across the branding process. I used Eurostile Extd Medium in blue. The powerful visual language is the ‘I have to agree’ in white at the bottom, the hierarchy of the poster follows as the eye starts from the top of the page and moving down the last thing is the ‘ i have to agree’. The words come off the page which also enhances the effect of repetition and sound seems like voices in repeat. The simple layout system then ends with the logo, date and location of the exhibition. I wanted to keep the main focus on imagery so it was catch peoples attention.

I also wanted to create tickets for my exhibition in the style of the branding. It wasn’t part of the deliverables but I thought it would complete the exhibition. Below you can see the first initial designs as sketches, I had already consistent scheme of patterns and words on the posters and other outcomes so I wanted to keep these designs very simple. Most focus on the gradient imagery and blocks of colour on sides.

TICKET DESIGNS.

 

DIGITAL DESIGNS.

These are the 3 initial designs that I mostly focused on . The first one focuses on the gradient in blocks as I used it in few other poster designs earlier. I used the image to cover most of the space on the page then a small section for the barcode, title, date and location. As I designed these tickets before designing on the final location of the exhibition, the address belongs to an old office building that was used by Cambridge Analytica. I used white as the background and blue gradient which has a subtle style than black. The layout is simple and fits the branding aesthetic.  The second design was aimed at the blocks of colours on the booklet designs. I used black background and white as main colours. I’m not sure on this design as it doesn’t fit the style.

 

FINAL DESIGNS.

I started off the process for the digital presence designs by sketching up some ideas, as I have a strong visual branding that is consistent in several outcomes I know the style the website should be in. The sketches show few ideas of block solid colours and text layouts across other pages. I will be doing few mock ups not the full website but you can clearly see the style replicated in all pages. I will be using XD Software to create the designs.

 The designs below are the first initial designs for website mock ups. I chose to use black background so it would stand out more and dark represent the severity of the topic. I used the same fonts from the branding cross the design. The image on the right shows the home screen of the website. I used a large font side for the name placed it on the left side of the screen, the logo is on the top right above the name. For the menu I used the simple style of lined across the top including ‘about’, ‘artists’ and ‘contact’. The date of the exhibition is on the  website in different colours and thicknesses. I also used the blue block shapes across the screen which moves from left to right when the viewer is using the screen. The blocks are filled with colour and some aren’t’ for more playful design. The screen is simple and work well with the branding. The second image is the mock up of the ‘About’ page. This page is in the same style as other pages, I used the imagery from the booklet on the left . The text about the information is placed on the right side with the large title. The design is not so structure it looks playful but the visual language still shows the context. I wanted to keep it simple and clear for the viewer. The menu titles have thin line of colour across to show the redacted style on the website design as it is part of the branding. I like the colour palette on the screen and works well together.

The images below show a mock ups of the website designs. I am happy with the outcomes I think they fit with the branding across the project, they are simple and playful. I don’t think it needed more text or imagery as everything stands out so much on black screen. I tried to create a contemporary style website design that anyone would be able to work.

 

The next step was to design the app mock ups. You can see below some screenshots of the designs for 3 key pages ‘About’ ‘Contact’ and the main screen. I think the first set of designs is what I will be using in the mock ups. This is because it works well with the rest of the website designs and overall branding. For the app design. I think i created more playful designs compared to website. It has more layering and text on the page but the screen is smaller and also I think lot more people will be using their phones to download the app. The design is simple and contemporary. The logo is used on the left consistently with the ‘+’ as the menu so it would work with the logo. When they click the plus the menu slides left where they have 3 sections of about contact and artists. The About page I used block of colours again moving from side to side, the text is in the centre slightly to the right. The date is placed on the top in white outlines which stands out so much on black background.  The third page is the contact which is very similar in the style, again using same shapes and texts. The second screenshot shows the first initial design, I used the same layout system but I didn’t think big block of shape works for the design, it had a different style than the website design so I chose to use the designs on the left.

This is the mock up for the app design I think it looks really good and I am really happy with the outcomes. I wasn’t able to do much development on the digital presense but I am still happy with the visuals

 

 

 

The next step was to create way finding system and signage system for the exhibition. Way finding should be an easy system that everyone in the exhibition should be able to follow and use from all different age groups.

TATE MODERN

I research Tate Moderns way finding system as thats where the my exhibition will be and I wanted to see what kind of sytem they use over the building as it is a massive space that needs a clear way finding sytem for viewers. From all the research I can see that that they use colours and large numerical system on the walls. each colour represents different event type like red for art, yellow for events and blue for films. They also use large numbers on the wall to show the floor number. This is a very simple system that works for everyone, Tate modern is a massive space so the system needs to fit in with the interior, the walls are massive and plain the way-finding system to cover the walls and should be easily identified. I think colour and numbers work really well together and a ver easy system. This is also an inspiration for my exhibition as my colour platte is strong with bright bold colours and I have symbols I can use for the way-finding.

 

Dn&co has created a new guided system for the London museum, which includes an updated layout, signage and map. I think this is a very good way finding system from it reduced uncertainty and works for every part of the museum.  One of the main things are the system is all hanging, wall-mounted and free-standing signs. Another challenge emerged in this process, as “the fabric of the building is endlessly varied.” The colour scheme will be exhibition-specific and used consistently, from advertisements on public transport to signage at the entry. The difficulty of applying a uniform way finding system on an irregular space was made more difficult by the architecture. “Archways between galleries can’t support heavy signs, so we had to construct the hanging signs from a special laminated balsa wood, which look identical but weigh a fraction of a traditionally made sign,” Eley explains. I think the way finding system works well for the building that  is the key element, if the building is massively big then you need a way finding that highlights this and works that, if Tate modern had small directions on the walls this wouldn’t work with the scale of the building and the structure. The same applies to London Museum, the irregular shape of the museum needed a system that worked in each shape of the room and wall. The hanging , free standing signups are easy to work with and understand, free stand up signups is a flexible system that can be moved depending on the event or replaced and removed so flexibility is also an key element in the system. 

For my design, I didn’t want to use numbers or arrows as that is not related to my exhibition branding or I didn’t want something cliche. The initial idea as using plus signs as way finding. So I carried that idea on sketches and Dimension soft ware creating them visually to see whether they would work. The drawing below hows the shape of the room and how the initial way finding sytem would work. When the viewer walls in the room, the room wall will be i black to white gradient direction towards the black wall. The way finding system should show the viewer they need to start from the lighter section and they slowly make their way to the black wall. To show this movement, I used ‘+’ signs as my way finding system. The + sign is used in the logo as the ‘and’ in the terms and conditions and I though using a symbol that already work sin the branding should be used as way finding or in any other element in the building. I created a gradient from plus signs to direct the viewer around the room. The first initial idea was the system will be on both walls.

Using the idea of plus gradient as way finding system I used Dimension Software to create the design. The image below shows the final design of the way finding sytem. The white plus sign gradient will also work a the severity of the data collection giving the viewer on insight of what they will be going to see. I also added the system on the floor as well on black floor so that it can stand out. I think walking in to a room like this one would really make the viewers intrigued and stand out. I wanted to add the same design on the ceiling but first I didn’t know how to do that on the software and also maybe it would be too much taking the light from the artwork and designs as it is a eye eye catchy system which is dark, the room will not be so bright which also works with the purpose of the exhibition. It wold be like two different worlds when they walk into the room.

The image below is when I had an idea of using a round wall to display the exhibition in a warehouse as I was designing earlier in the project I started to think about the way finding system on the way so I thought how would be include the system in a wall which limited space. It would be in ware house which was massive but I needed a system on the wall to make viewers start from the correct side and slowly make their way. So to solve this I used a round floor under the wall to fit in the shape, black round floor and with the same system of plus signs .The darker section has the  most signs and slowly it decreased moving towards the lighter section. I think this system works for  the shape of the wall and would look visually really good for the viewer. However, as a I decided to use Tate Modern as the exhibition location I didn’t go with this system or the exhibition space.

I also worked on the signage system outside of the room, how would people directed to the room. For this, I used a  mock up of a flag signage which would be hang up around the building. Also, the main system is the walls As seen on the images Tate Modern has massive long concrete walls, to use this as an advantage and in the system I used a wall concrete mock up as seen below the plus sign system will be on the walls leading towards the room. The lighter section will from the start of the corridor or stares and as they move closer to the exhibition room the signs would start to increase its signs and when the are front of the exhibition the gradient would be increases which shows they have arrived. I think this system works well inside and outside, a consistent system that can be applied to anything as this can work will posters, walls, hang up materials, lights etc. Flexibility is a key issue on way-finding, the wall way-finding can be moved to another location easily and quickly. I imaged this system on the round stairs of Tate Modern the image below was my inspiration, as the exhibition is on floor 2, the round stairs inside and outside would hav these gradient system gradually leading towards the exhibition space I think visually this is really interesting and intriguing.

 

References:

https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/8-14-july-2019/va-wayfinding-system-redesigned/

I started the process by researching booklet designs and I found The Sun Exhibition from the Science Museum as research and inspiration. I did a quick sketch of the layout from the booklet they had. It was a 12pp A5 page with an imagery and paragraph on each page. I was a very simple design aesthetic but clearly communicated the content. My booklet will be also A5 and 12pp pages. I want to mainly focus on imagery and include minimum text but it should include all the important information that the viewer needs.

 

The images below are the imagery I created for the booklets. The first one on the right is a repetition privacy statement from Facebook.  I used the text from their page under the privacy section which states that they do not sell user data to any company. The only they do is companies who want to advertise their products will pay them to be on the website so you can see it. I repeated the paragraph for more distortion and layering, then covered unnecessary sections with blue block rectangle for redacted aesthetic. By this it shows that under neath all the text and words the under lying truth is they do sell and they have as seen in the news couple years ago. I added small headlines like ‘I agree’ in repetition to complete the poster as knowing what they really do with your data as seen in news we all still carry on agreeing to those terms and conditions and nothing is really changing. and with white bold type I added a text that says ‘I HAVE TO’ as we all need to agree the terms and conditions it’s a force by if your using that application or website you have to agree to actually use it which is against the free will.  The repetition shows the consistency and I will be using this term a lot as I think it is a strong phrase that directly links to the topic. This imagery I want to use in the ‘ABOUT’ page which is the one of the first pages in the booklet, it would make the reader be intrigued and attract their attention. The first imagery on the left is focused on China. The imagery focused on redaction again and the main important words are in white. The spy bird is the drone they use in China to collect civilian  data. The slogan  is ‘spy bird is watching you ‘ as people in China when they’re doing their daily life activities they can’t see that they are being watched and the reason it’s in a bird shape is so it can be hidden and no one would know if it’s a real bird or not. This shows the extreme level of control on the society. I’m really happy with the visual i think it is strong to what it wants to communicate.

The third imagery shows the Cambridge Analytica logo distorted and layered. I used text floating down from the page in ‘i agree’ and ‘data collection’ to fit in with the context. The distorted logo works well with the overall aesthetic and the text floating across can be seen as data points. The last design is again text floating across the page in blue and white text also layered on top to create more distorted effect.

These are the cover for the booklet and the one on the left was what I was going to use originally but I decided to change and develop it more. I didn’t like the text on the bottom left as it wasn’t really strong in the tone and I wanted something that would give the readers more insight into the exhibition when they pick up the booklet. I changed the text to ‘Surveillance, capitalism and political targeting’.This summarises the the context in 3 words and the reader can quickly grasp what kind of context they will see.

This is the final cover design, I made few changes in the design it is still the same layout system but I changed some words. I changed the surveillance to ‘data collection’ because that is the main point of the exhibition that is the key element, I used redacted text on the capitalism to create more stronger tone and break the structure and change the tone of the design. I think the design is simple and clear works really well with the overall aesthetic of the branding. Also, the design is very similar to the poster designs but I think this creates consistency, it works well with all of the outcomes. Also, I placed the date, name and location horizontally in the movement of the gradient so that it works together complimenting the imagery.

The screenshot on the left is the first two pages of the booklet. The map on the left and the text on the right. The map is covering the centre of the page and ‘whats inside’ text on the left which gives the reader information about each section of the exhibition. The way finding system can also be seen on the side to make it easier for people. There are solid blocks on the page which is a consistent theme in the booklet. The background is black which makes everything stand out. The second page is the ‘about’ which gives information about the exhibition. I placed the text on the centre of the page so its easy for hierarchy as the main focus on the page is the imagery on the right placed also on the centre. The background is black and the white text and blue stands out on the page creating a dynamic visuals. I like these pages as they are simple but it communicates the message and gives information to the reader. The page numbers are placed on the bottom right.

These are the other potential pages that I can use in the booklet. The image on the left is the ‘about’ page where there is heavy imagery and playful body text layout. I used Panamera regular as the font and name of the exhibition on the left corner horizontally. The imagery on the page is on the right as it is with most designs. The imagery was inspired by the data flow and like data floating across downwards from the page. The repetition of the word ‘data collection’ in white Eurostile Black. It is heavily focused on typography which is the data. I also used redacted blue rectangles to cover words on the page in different lengths layered over the page. I carried on using the blue rectangles on the first page as well to merge the two pages together. I like this design as it more playful in the sense of layout but I am not sure on the body text layout, it seems unstructured and floating on the page but I like the body text is aligned right which works with the imagery.

This is the imagery development for the pages focused on the UK and USA. I used the logo from Cambridge Analytica which is a brain and layered, distorted each section filling it with shades of blue. Using this distorted brain I placed it on a black background and with words floating in lines top to bottom just like the same style as others. The text says ‘ I agree’ in repetition and ‘ I have to agree’ with white and black. The text is in Eurostile Black but I got rid of the fill just used it with thin stroke in blue and black colour so it is not so clear on the page, I even reduced the opacity of 68% so it looks like its blending with background. I used the same design in black and blue back ground. I think it stands out a lot on the black background but as the gradient lighter in UK i want to use a blue background so it shows the context better. Also, the pace in the booklet should also be dynamic so the reader can stay intrigued in the exhibition and want to go check it out.

This is one of the designs for one of the pages in the booklet. I used the distorted logo because it links UK and USA together so rather than designing separate pages for each country I merged them together in one page, giving some information about the issue.  I used black background for imagery on the left and blue on the right for text body. I think it creates a very harsh divide the image and text, blue and black are very rich colours they work well together but I don’t want such harsh divide between the two. Especially for UK AND USA as they are on the lighter to medium section of the gradient, so I should be showing these on the designs as well.

I printed out a version which was not complete to check the layout system and point size whether they work. I printed them out in the computer in our studio in black and white to see if they work together, checked whether the text point is easily readable and any other issues. The text point on the file for body text is 9pt in Panamera Regular. I think it works with an A5 size from the print outs I asked few of my friends to whether they can read the text easily and if they had any issues they all said the point size is good and that they don’t have an issue.

This was the very first draft of the booklet without any imagery development, the map design was placed in brief sketch to figure out how to design the page. I just wanted to see how it would all look like with the layout system. I was happy with the third page which is ‘what, why and who?’ but I then changed the subheading to ‘about’ so it’s clear to the audience, i liked the layout on that page and I think it works together. I was also happy with the ‘spy bird’ page, it works as a double spread, it stands out and the visual language is strong with bold text in white on black background.  The rest of the pages I developed and changed through the process as seen above.

FINAL DESIGN. 

The images above are form the final booklet design. I am really happy with the outcome I think there is a consistent flow of theme and style. The booklet is intriguing and gives information clearly to the audience. It works with the overall branding aesthetic. The booklet is 12 pages with the cover and the back.It is an A5 document with 3mm bleed on each side. The body text point size is 9pt overall in Panamera as the type face. The headlines font changes depending n on the design but is used between mixture of Eurostile Black and Eurostile Extd Medium.

FINAL PRINTED VERSION.

References:

https://privacyinternational.org/feature/2208/its-about-human-dignity-and-autonomy

I started to research into different locations for my exhibition and what the inside would look like, how I would layout the art work. This also links with the way finding and signage system how it would all come together. The first thing I wanted to do was research some already existing exhibitions about data collection issues or surveillance issues, where and they expressed the topic.

TATE Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera

One of the exhibitions I The issues raised by Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera are particularly relevant in the present context, due to the increasing availability and use of street surveillance and mobile phones, and the circulation of pictures taken in this way in the media and on the internet. These are subjects that have engaged contemporary artists featured in the exhibition including Merry Alpern, Thomas Demand and Harun Farocki. The exhibition will explore the ambiguity of exposing private moments to public scrutiny and will examine the complex issues raised by voyeuristic looking. It will focus on examples of erotic photography, on the cult of celebrity and the paparazzi, and recent works engaging with the phenomenon of surveillance. Highlights will include images from Brassai’s Secret Paris of the 1930s, Walker Evans’s subway portraits, Weegee’s iconic photographs of Marilyn Monroe, and important recent work by artists and photographers such as Philip-Lorca di Corcia, Nan Goldin and Shizuka Yokomizo. The exhibition was created in a space where each individual photograph was on the wall o viewers can slowly go around and focus on each image. The art works are very explicit and some may find uncomfortable however the main purpose of the exhibition is to show the extreme surveillance and being watched. This exhibition was held in Tate Modern, which is an art space where there is several exhibitions every year about several different topics and issues in the society. One of the idea I had to where I want to place my exhibition was in Tate Modern, they have massive rooms and spaces for big installations. I found some exhibition works that inspired the idea of having in Tate Modern. Also, Tate is visited by thousands of people from all around the world. By having it that space the exhibition would been seen by wider audience and I’d be able to target more people from  different backgrounds.

These are some of the exhibition artworks and displays that I thin supports the idea of having my exhibition in Tate Modern. They always have massive instillations that viewers find interesting and unique. Some are very provocative focused on society from photograph exhibitions to sculptures to just piles of rocks in a massive room. They have space for all kinds of art works and designs. For my exhibition, the core idea is a gradient, a spectrum of light to dark which represents the severity of data collection in 3 countries. I think the best way to represent this idea was in a massive white room or a ware house, a gradient through a the walls starting from light when the viewer walks in to darker which is the end of the room. The ceiling, floor and both side walls will be all in black and white gradient. This would also work as a way finding system leading the viewer to which direction to go. The both sides of the wall would have art works and designs show the severity in UK and USA. These include topics such as Trump elections in USA 2016, London based company Cambridge Analytica using user data from Facebook to psychological profile users. The wall at the end of the room would be black with one art work in the centre which represents China, the country which has the most extreme surveillance in the world. An artwork of painting, installation, a video or a film focused on the extreme data collection using methods such as ‘spy birds’ ‘robotic sharks’. The wall will be pitch black with no lighting to really make the viewer focus on the art piece and make them feel like the severity of the condition using provocative means. This way of showing the issue I think is the best way, I believe it will be provocative, it would make people question or something to talk about when they leave the exhibition on the way back.  I think that is the main purpose here, to attract attention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are also some of the inspiration to show the inside space in Tate Modern, I also had the idea of placing a  a spiral wall inside a massive white room. The room would be al white and the spiral wall will be in gradient. I did some sketches for this idea, the art works and designs would be on the wall. For this idea, I used the Dimension software on Adobe. This software allows you to create mock ups of objects, branding materials, inside a space and many other features. I never used this software before so it was very new to me and I was struggling a first but with practice I was able to grasp the basics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The process I went through to create the mock ups was I first had to find an image of a massive white building. A photo that I can work with so it looks realistic and part of Tate Modern, the second part figuring out what shape I should use, I think the best way to represent a gradient is a half pipe, semi circle shape. By this way, in a white room a massive pipe, semi circle with dark to light and art works placed on the walls would look really eye catching, no need to bold colours or big sign ups. The main focus would be the art works. I could just use the walls of the place but I wanted to see how half pipe shape would look like, the tools on the left side allow you to resize, change the camera perspective and many other features. This allows you to really consider detail I think the mock up below looks really interesting, with all the signage system around the pipe or on the floor it would all come together. I have just been experimenting with ideas, in the mock up below I realised there isn’t much space my initial plan was to have 3 artist work displayed which focuses on 3 different issues related to data. I think the placing of the logo on the side really bring it together adds a context to the space, maybe I could have placed the logo on the floor so it doesn’t cover and decrease the effect of the gradient. That is something I will be experimenting in future.

 

 

 

Once I was happy with the first mock up, it was a simple idea of how would a semi circle wall look in a massive white room. Once I was happy, you can see the preview of the render on the software, the render shows how it would look like and I was quite happy but this mock up doesn’t have signage systems.

The next step was to try out signage system, my first initial thought was do I need  big signage system as the space is not so big. However, I realised the viewer needs to know where they need to start looking at the art work, a system that guides them through the gradient. To show this concept, I thought of signage on the floor, the concept consists of a gradient of ‘+’ adding/and signs which was used in the logo. I think this is a detail that would tie everything in the branding project. I wanted the inside spacial design to work with the branding identity as seen in many exhibition branding I looked into when I was researching.

The next thing I had to think about was the signage system in the exhibition place, to give the viewers the directions.

I liked the half pipe idea as wall for the exhibition however, I wanted an exhibition with lot more depth and context. The art work and the space would be very limited on the wall so I focused more to a room next. I was getting more confident with Dimention so I wanted to create mock up this time focused on a room. The design below is the sketch of the room and I thin it would work way better.

 

The images above show the process of the of creating the mock up and I am really happy with result. You can really get a feel of the room and the context of the exhibition from the image. I wanted to add gradient on the floor and the ceiling for more depth but I couldn’t figure out when how to do it on the software.

I managed to figure out how to add flooring in the software and also added way finding system on both walls and flooring. The system works like the gradient will lead the viewer to the black wall and also it shows the severity with the amount of the plus signs. it is a visual language to show the differences in all three countries. I also created a map that I will be using in the booklet which is on the right hand side. The map also has the way-finding system.

The location and date

Also, the final poster designs include the final date and the location of the exhibition. Before creating the final poster designs I decided on the date of the exhibition and the location it will be on the other poster but The date of the exhibition is 17.03.2020. The reason for this is I research the timeline of the data collection scandals. I read some articles and on the March 17, 2018 The Guardian and The New York Times published an article about Facebook profiles were harvested by a London based company called Cambridge Analytica. These published articles started the whole scandals and then it was on news for several months. It caught peoples attention in the public and also the other companies. For this reason, I wanted to have my exhibition on the day of the expose to link the exhibition to them.

 

References: 

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/exposed

https://www.countryandtownhouse.co.uk/culture/whats-on-at-the-tate-in-2019/

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/10/facebook-cambridge-analytica-a-timeline-of-the-data-hijacking-scandal.html

 

To start off the poster design process I first did some quick sketches on my sketchbook to get an idea of how I wanted each thing to be on the page. From all the research, I wanted to heavily focus on the imagery, for it to be the main focus on the page and when someone looks at it it would immediately catch their eye.

I wanted the posters to be clean and structure which represents the corporate style. I don’t want to have too much information on the posters as when the people come into the exhibition they can see it and understand the message. The main elements I will be having on the posters are the name/slogan, date, location address and imagery. I believe these are enough for a poster and should communicate the context of the exhibition. The next step is to create these designs digitally.

To create the gradient effect as that is the concept of the exhibition I wanted to research on posters, branding materials for inspiration to how to show the gradient. The posters above are other ones that caught my eye and I wanted to use as inspiration. Especially the orange and blue poster on the top right is beautiful and smooth. The poster doesn’t have much information on the page but it can be adapted to my exhibition. However, the aesthetic of these posters are very subtle, clean and soft in language. As my exhibition is aimed to be more provocative, making people question about the reactions in society  I will be using more harsh colours bold type faces and large texts to create more dynamic designs.

I started to create poster designs and the designs below are one of the very first posters I designed very early on in the project. They do not relate to the final concept I have decided on but I wanted to include them in the development to show my initial ideas. The ideas behind these posters are boxes represents the tick box next to the terms and conditions sections. The parts missing show of the details we never get told or miss out on as no one ever reads terms and conditions. We all agree on something we don’t know about. The posters rely heavily on the imagery of grids in the centre but they randomly lose bits and lose shape. The large slogan of ‘are you in control?’ is provocative and would make people question. The colour palette is blue, black and white. The links with the facebook colour but I didn’t want to make it exactly to same colour I wanted a colour that is brighter and vibrant so that it would stand out more. However, the viewer will still quickly make the link between the exhibition and the colours to Facebook so it is explicit and not a hidden symbol. The date is 20.09.2020 which is not a set date I am yet to research on date and location during the process. I really like the ‘I agree’ slogan which is part of the tick box. On the far tight poster I was influenced by the posters from the mood board and I wanted to use a photograph and manipulate it to show the brain washing effect or losing our identity. I believe these visual languages are very strong and reflect the purpose of the exhibition. I carried on experimenting more with the gradient concept next.

These are the imagery I created using the black and blue colour from the colour scheme. They are very simple images but clearly show off the concept. The first 2 design I used solid block shapes which relates to the redacted symbol on the logo design. I think with the logo on the poster it would work really for consistency. The other 2 designs are more subtle and smooth compared to the other solid block design. I  think the two have different languages the firs two are more explicit and harsh with the style and the smooth gradient is subtle and calmer in the tone. Using all these designs I moved on to creating poster designs.

These are the first poster designs using the imagery. I used different layout systems in all of the designs. The first poster I wanted to divide the page into two, first section focuses on the imagery which is the main focus and then the name and details about the exhibition at the bottom. I used thin lines at the bottom for the details to create more structure and also so that it fits in with the imagery. I like this system and I think I want to more designs similar to it . The second poster I used a similar system but this time I used slogans in bold type face and large text for the date so it stands out. As in the other designs the date and other information didn’t stand out which is also a key element of the poster. I used ‘breach of trust’ as a slogan as in one of the articles Mark Zuckerberg says that they ‘breach of trust’ which I found that it would be a really good slogan for the poster for a provocative message. The last design on the left is the one imagery taking up all space in the centre, the name of the exhibition is placed on the top and the date and location in between the lines. This is also a nice effect that merges the text and imagery together.

I carried on experimenting with posters. The poster on the left is focused on redacted text which is inspired from the logo. The feel you get from the poster is very provocative, the block of black shapes covers the texts making it hard to read but you can manage to make it out what it says. The first ‘scandal’ is more visible and so is Facebook users’ so that the reader can quickly make the link and bring together all the words. I placed the date and other information at the bottom. The second poster is one of my favourites that focus on the imagery again, you can also see the columns I used to show the system. The information is placed on the top right and the vague ‘are you in control?’ slogan is on the left side. The last poster is very similar to the posters earlier on but I made few changes to such as I used a short slogan of ‘are you really in control?’ and used the redacted symbol again to cover the ‘really’ to short out the sentence.  I think it all works together.

As I said I really liked the layout system on the second black poster above so I used the same system below again but this time it’s lot more cleaner in the style and structured. I again used the same slogan on the bottom left  and horizontally  placed the date in Eurostile black which is a thick font that stands out on posters. The date is still not a set date and I just used it for an example. The second poster also works really well with horizontally placed name which is also redacted that acts as a logo. I placed a small text at the bottom and redacted some words and the paragraph reads ‘Exhibition not for instagram’. By this I mean, many people visit exhibitions and galleries to take photos and upload them on instagram which opposite the purpose of the exhibition. So by this, the reader may be intrigued and understand the context way more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These posters are one of the last ones I designed. As at the start I said, I liked the system of imagery on the first part of the page and the second half focused on text and information. I used the subtle black and white gradient which stands out really well with the black background. The name is placed underneath the imagery and I used a small slogan or text which says ‘UK, USA AND CHINA’ to give more context to the poster and viewers will know what the exhibition is a bout and it would make them more interested  knowing its about powerful countries. I used a think stroke detail so it doesn’t stand out more. I used the logo on the bottom left so it works with the imagery and the date is also main hierarchy on the poster. The eyes should follow in the order of imagery, name, the date and location. The second poster is basically the same but I just played around with the placing of the name and slogans. I like the first version way more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had so options to chose from as the main poster designs and I decided to go with the 2 above. The first one focuses on the black background and blue gradient which it makes it stand out much more. The dates are double horizontally placed on the right and the location is also at the bottom in a thick bold type face. I used a slogan of ‘You are now a commodity’ which is referenced form the The Great Hack film I watched earlier in the project. I think this poster is very clean in the structure but it would make people question what is the gradient about, the provocative slogan of ‘you are now a commodity’ has a strong language. I am happy with the outcomes and also the second poster I used the system from other layouts. I chose this one because it is again structured but this one gives more information about the exhibition which still isn’t a lot but it tells what is the exhibition about. The next step is to start designing the booklet.

 

The concept +

To start off with I focused on the psychological profiling which was the main issue of the scandal in the documentary and news headlines. The psychological profiling process is used for killers and criminals to detect a  certain behaviour systems. The fact that this process is now used on the general public without they knowing can be a significant issue to focus on. From this aspect, I wanted to focus on the idea of people thinking they have a free will when they are voting and using their basic human rights but in reality they have been psychologically profiled and been filled in with fake names, fake statuses and other posts to change their thoughts and perception of things. The whole concept of the free will to being profiled and controlled. This made me to create an exhibition which focuses on a gradient, a spectrum of light to dark. The visual language for this was the light represents the idea of people believing that they have a free will and freedom to make decisions about things but as the the person walks through the exhibition the gradient goes from light to dark. The dark represents the hidden things from the society and the reality of none of us have a free will anymore and we are being controlled by our own data that we allow companies to collect. The gradient concept, I think is a really good concept to represent the topic and it has a provocative language which the viewers can visually see the change in society. As the concept, I think it will work really well and visually the gradient can be represented in several ways.

The first room os section of the exhibition would focus on UK which is linked with Cambridge Analytica and Brexit. As the data collection is not so severe in UK they will be on the lighter section of the exhibition. The next is USA and they are linked with Trump elections in 2016 so they are after UK in the exploitation and the last black room or wall will be China focusing on extreme data collection and surveillance. The art works will focus on spy bird robots flying around the country collection data on public.

I carried on creating more logos because I was not happy with any of the ones I created. This week I really struggled with finding a symbol to represent the exhibition but once I was set on the concept earlier I started to design more logos for the branding.

The logos above are also things I designed earlier on when I was unsure about the project. I thought the logos earlier were too corporate and they didn’t reflect the effect and visual language I wanted. The logos above I used distortion and more playful but also complex designs that wouldn’t really work with the branding concept. However, they are still a development in the process.

 

I spoke to David about logos designs earlier on in the week and he suggested I should create something simple and focus on the actual word it self. This was meant by the ‘and’ sign , the and in the terms and conditions. To focus on that I had to find a symbol and I chose to use a plus sign. The logos above the the several different variations using colour, type faces and thicknesses. The plus sign can be a symbol that I can work with when creating imagery for posters and booklets. I liked the bold type face on the logo but I wasn’t sure if it reflects the technological aspect.

These are the very final logos I designed using Eurostile Extd Medium font which fits in with the technological style and I kept the plus sign black to it fits in with the word but I used a redacted effect. The idea of this came from plus and  minus. The plus would be the benefits of data collection and minus being the exploitation and bad effects of the data collection. At first it was just a short minus covering the word but when I dragged it out Ian mentioned that it looks like being ‘conned’ ‘Terms and Conned’. As in a way you are being conned and exploited when you agree on things and your own data is being against you. Ian and Theo said they liked the visual language and that it is very strong in the tone and language. Once I liked the redacted the sign I thought maybe I should add a gradient symbol so it would tie the branding together. I added gradient on the left side in block lines or smooth colour change and I think I like the block line gradient as it is not so explicit in the style. These are the final logos I designed, I think I want to use the two on the right hand side as I like the font way more as it fits in with my content of the project better.

I made a last minute change on the posters and I think I will be using them without the gradient effect on the side. I want to use that imagery on the posters and visuals so it can be seen too much as a logo and visuals. I will be experimenting more and trying out different things on the posters to see which one works the best.

 

 

References:

 

 

 

Type faces and colours

The next step after looking at several posters and exhibition brandings I wanted to decide on the colour palette and type faces I want to use. These are the first few colours and type faces which I thought would suit my project. The typefaces are all sans serif to move away from corporate style type faces. They are all bold and heavy in weight which can be used as sub headings or titles in the posters and booklet. Panamera font I was thinking to use it in the body text in the booklets I think it is a nice font which is readable and would go well with other bold sans serif fonts. For my logo, I want to use a type face which works with the context of o data base and technology. I found a good type face which I believe works good Eurostile Extd, this font is extended and in geometric shapes, thin weight can work well with logos and titles on posters. I think it suits the context of technology.  I also looked at different blues and reds that I could use in the project. The shades of blue start from very close to Facebook blue but they either gets lighter and very darker. I really like the first vibrant dark blue. It is very rich in colour and with black and white it stands out the most. The second blue is the Facebook blue colour which is not as vibrant but can also work well. The last one is a brighter blue but I don’t know if it is suitable, I am stuck between the dark blue and Facebook blue colours. Also, I liked the 3 shades of red on the right, the first one is a rich right red, it is provocative and would stand out. It can symbolise danger, harm to viewers which works with the contexts of exploitation. The second red is darker inspired from the Gunter Rambow  posters in the mood board. I want to experiment with different colours in the logo designs and future poster designs to select the colour and type face that works the best.

The logo ideation 

To start off the visual process for the project I had to find a name that would summarise the purpose and the context of the exhibition. I did some brain storming with few words that I thought is related to the topic. The names I was focusing at was Terms and Conditions, Exploit or I agree.  I think the word exploit fits in with the context as it means being taken advantage or using someone to something for your benefit which works well with the data collection scandals. The word is short and can be visually represented in many different ways. However, the word might not communicate the data collection context to viewers as being exploited can be linked several things. So I was leaning more towards explicit but effective name Terms and Conditions. This is because the whole concept of the exhibition is people agreeing into ‘terms and conditions’ agreements without really knowing what it consists. We all agree and tick the box so we can carry on what we are doing but in reality the agreement allows companies to collect our data for us. I think this is a very strong and effective name which clearly shows the viewer what will the exhibition be about and what they will see in the exhibition.  I was really happy with the name. Also in The Great Hack, they also focused on terms and conditions in the beginning of the film arguing that people are agreeing not knowing what it is and what it does. Which also raises the question of do we have the freedom to not agree with the terms and conditions. If you don’t click on the box usually  you are not allowed to view the website or sign up to the application that you downloaded so in a way we are forced into the agreements. With my visuals, I will be experimenting these issues trying to communicate the fact that we don’t really have a free will or freedom in the society. The visuals would have to be provocative but the logo I want to keep it corporate, clean and structured as a visual metaphor which will enhance the visual language. I am still trying to find the aesthetic and visual style for the branding identity. I started to research for exhibition branding more focused on logos to see the style designers focus on and what are the things they consider while creating the branding.

Sim Smith Gallery by Spin, United Kingdom

This logo was designed for the Sim Smith Gallery by Spin in UK. The gallery’s brand identity, designed by Spin, takes the open white spaces and black inks often associated with those of contemporary galleries and inverts it. This then links a variety of assets that include business cards, tote bags, programme and bookmarks. The visual identity was inspired bu the exhibition space and the artworks. The logo’s single line weight, vertical stacking and horizontal spacing, structure and dynamic nature, changing across each application, is current and works really well. It is a modern approach with the use of contemporary style, focused on the artworks inside the gallery. The branding identity correlates with the aesthetic of the gallery inside and outside. I think this logo is well executed, influencing me to focus on the aesthetic of my exhibition which can be influenced by the structure of the building or the inside design.

Edouard Malingue Gallery by Lundgren+Lindqvist, Sweden

 

One of the reasons I really liked the visual identity of this gallery was the posters, they are really dynamic but the logo is very simple and has a different style to it. The logo doesn’t really show off the other visual materials style very well but it still works as a whole. Text becomes texture, body copy becomes shape, and the folding of large format pieces leads to patterns of engagement. The consistent structure of long thin text which creates a structure and shape for the identity can be seen in other materials such as tote bags, pins and website designs. The posters are a departure from the typographic simplicity of the postcards and stationery, and acknowledge the necessities of outdoor communication through large, bold geometric forms to secure impact from a distance, and a layer of informative detail up close. The simplicity of the logo works well with the other visual designs, the whole identity is typography based which correlates to the logo.

Sifang Art Museum by Foreign Policy, Singapore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bilingual logo-type set across a collateral of unusual trapezoidal cut detail and monochromatic colour palette developed by Singapore-based creative and strategic design agency Foreign Policy—draws together the themes of architectural space, the dimensionality created by light and shadow, the meeting of ideas and the built environment. Identity draws from what is available and intrinsic to the gallery experience and its conventions. It does not add to but simply structures written content to form recognisable patterns with the intention of building familiarity, leveraging association and establishing identity.

Barcelona Jewish Film Festival 2017

The annual Barcelona Jewish Film Festival hosts Jewish films and films related to Jewish culture. Since 2016 the festival began taking place at Filmoteca de Catalunya, which marked an important step in its history. The reason I chose this logo as a inspiration because I think it works with the context, as it’s a film festival the structure of the logo creates a frame of a camera. The logo can then be adapted to other visual materials like posters, tickets. The sharp block structure of the logo works well with the sans serif fonts.  The colour scheme is dark green and red which is the solid background colours for the posters and logos.

LOGO DESIGN PROCESS

 

I did some quick sketches of the first few ideas about the logo. Mainly they focus on square structured with font either inside the box or outside. The reason I focused on the box was because of the tick boxes for the terms and conditions.  This would be a really good visual and I think I can take this visual across the project. I started to make visual designs with different fonts.

The designs above the first initial ideas for the logo. There are variety of designs focused on different styles like blur, geometric solid shapes, distortion. I think these are a good starting point as I can see which style works and what doesn’t. I think the blurred type on the right top reminds the Tate Modern logo but the blur effect can be a visual style. I also used abstract shapes from distorting the letter ‘c’ to wrap around the words. I focused on circles and blurs in some which can be a visual symbol for the branding. The circle and blurs link the hidden scandals in the media and the unclear metaphor of the terms and conditions. I don’t think I will use any of these logos. Today we had  tutorials with Ian where we had to represent the visuals we had. I had some good feedback about the topic of my exhibition and the colour scheme of blue, black and white. One of the things Ian said about the logo designs was that they seem very corporate. This wasn’t a shock to me because I knew they had a very corporate style, it was more structured compared to draft visuals I created. I think I still have some experimenting to do with logo designs, trying out new layouts and fonts. I didn’t use any colour on the logo yet I think it would be helpful in other logos to use colour to see what it would look like.

These designs focused on the square borders inspired by the branding research I did earlier. I think they also seem corporate and doesn’t support the visual language I’m trying to achieve. 

These are the more playful dynamic logo designs, I created these on illustrator by using tools like distort. In these designs, I used colour which was red to see what it would look like and I do like the effect on some of the logos especially the last design with CON being outlined placed behind the rest of the word. In this design Cocogoose used the font , I wanted to focus on the word ‘con’ which was for being conned. By this visual language I am able to communicate a message through logo which will give insight to the other branding outcomes. Ian in the tutorial also said he liked this idea of focusing on the con. I think the other designs are too complicated as a logo, it needs to be more recognised and should be easily adapted to other design materials. I also liked the design with the stretched out ‘o’ in red outline font Cocogoose, I added short slogan o under ‘are you in control?’. I’m still not sure on the logo designs, they need to have a ‘and’ sign. I don’t know how to include the ‘and’ sign in the logo which has been an issue. I think I’m finding it hard to create a visual logo which has a symbol that can be adapted to every part of the branding. I had a lot of ideas of blurs, distortion, geometric shapes that symbolise data points I wasn’t sure which one suited the best.

I think I still haven’t finalised the concept in my head about the exhibition. I know that i want to focus on data collection rights, the scandals and psychologically profiling people. These elements would need to come together in the exhibition space. We had a lecture from David about exhibitions and branding. In the lecture,

After the lecture, I have had some time to think and finalise few questions about the project. I wanted to focus on the questions from the powerpoint such as who are my audience, what will it have inside the exhibition, where and when will it be, why should people want to come view the exhibition. I realised I am trying to build a brand without knowing what’s inside the exhibition. It was the part of the project where I hit a block and I had to solve the problems. For this, I did more research on the topic and started to just focus on one aspect of the topic. I realised I was trying to do several things and show several things with visuals which is why it wasn’t working out.

The final colour scheme and type face.

I chose to use 3 fonts in the project and 3 colours. They type faces are the main one I used in the logo which is Eurostile Extd Medium, it has the technology aesthetic which is related to the topic and it is not too overwhelming and still can be readable. I found some fonts that were really interesting and would look really on the posters but they were very complicated in the style and too much detailed. i think the font I chose will work really well with headlines and as a logo. The Eurostile black is heavy in weight from the same family. I think this would be good for the consistency in the visuals, the thick weight I will be using in headlines and dates to create a stronger hierarchy.  For the body text on posters and booklet I want to use Panamera Regular which is a sans serif font which is more circular in the shape compared to Eurostile Extd which has straight cut corners. I think with the other fonts the body text would be a good contrast and work well together for more dynamic style.

References:

https://bpando.org/2014/10/07/logo-sim-smith-gallery/

https://www.gunter-rambow.com/index2.html

https://bpando.org/2017/04/10/bpo-collections-art-galleries/

https://bpando.org/2015/09/08/branding-edouard-malingue/

https://bpando.org/2012/11/29/branding-sifang-art-museum/

https://www.behance.net/gallery/56590805/Barcelona-Jewish-Film-Festival-2017?tracking_source=search-all&fbclid=IwAR2mMqX5TousfLxBUEmr3VE-gevnlTHPiVlfYxyhEo7IL4oaVca0ld81V5o