OUGD505 - Intern Magazine Workshop

OUGD505 - Intern Magazine Workshop

Independant Magazine Concept - 

• Independant Small Films

- Steer completely away from films in the cinema 

- Students doing film etc. 

- Animation and cartoon films

- Small theatre/opera productions 

- Short films 

- Foreign Films

• Spreading awareness of these independent films 
• Encourages community and culture by suggesting to see these in your spare time
• Target film enthusiasts, students and people in the film industry

• Free Magazine 

- Advertisers pay for you to make a spread rather than you asking for money to place an advertisement in 

Regional Advertisements 

(Theatre companies, costume designers, make up artists etc)

Front cover - Stays the same

Advertisement - Regional 

Editorial - Stays the same

Outcome -

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Research - Very Male Line-ups

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Research - Very Male Line-ups

Very Male Line Ups is a tumblr that wants to highlight the lack of females on the bill for clubs, gigs and festivals under the tagline "helping bromoters do better". So far, the focus has been on electronic music – nights like Secret Sundaze, Feel My Bicep and Fabriclive have all been singled out for having all-male line-ups. (The results are always helpfully accompanied by an image of Rihanna giving a thumbs up in disgust.) On Twitter, the people behind the website explain: "This blog highlights the lack of women on event line-ups. We recognise that so much more around visibility in music needs addressing. Issues around race, disability & trans visibility in our music scene need addressing. We express full solidarity for these."

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Research - Issue Oriented Design

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Issue Oriented Design

Our lecture on issue oriented design was a useful starting point on how graphic design can be applied to social, political and economic issues. Throughout all, the message is clear therefore the concept must be strong to produce supporting work. Ideas that relate to us, the viewer (i.e. WWF - Towel Dispenser) is a brilliant way of really catching our attention to make us stop and see what we're doing. These are ideas thought outside the box and are really successful in promoting their case. On the other hand, simple posters containing type only are still just as impactful as the message is easy, clear, short and you can still read it quickly even if driving past. Each one of the works  are successful however as the outcomes are suitable for the cause and are successful. They are successful because a large extent of research has gone into them, which tells them the target audience, the urgency, the needs of the cause etc, which then allows the graphic designer to create really clever outcomes.

Environment

Health

Human Rights

Politics

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Chosen Concept

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Chosen Concept

After debating various ideas and evaluating each one, I found the issue of female DJs would be the best route to go down, as there is a lot of scope within this and relates to other issues, on the whole - women in the music industry. I found how male dominated the techno/dance etc genres are after finding a statistic that 86% of line ups at festivals are male. This is the concept I will go forward with, as it will allow me to explore women in the music industry. The music industry on the whole has a lot of issues with women, therefore I wanted to make it more specific to the lack of female DJs. This concept can still relate to my previous ideas of the issue of nightclubs rapidly shutting down, and perhaps a solution of this could be to encourage more women to be a part of this area of the music industry. From this I can do more research will help inform me of what I can produce which will be a solution for this problem. 

• Women in the music industry/club culture
• Lack of females DJs, very male dominated in Techno/Dance etc
• Festival line ups are male dominated - 86% of line ups at festivals are male

Related issues - 

• Nightclubs closing down rapidly 
• Equal pay with women and men 
• Encourage women to be in the business side - producers and booking agents as well

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Research - Female DJs

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Research - Female DJs

Online Article Research

4 Unspoken Reasons Why Female DJs Are Unequal (And How To Conquer Them)

• Only 10% of performers at music festivals around the world are female, and an even smaller percentage of women are on music label rosters
• Women consistently underestimate their own talents and abilities
• Successful women are liked less than successful men
• When choosing who should DJ, men are significantly more likely to choose men
• In the DJing industry where most promoters, bar and club owners are men, they are likely to favour other men, with female DJs generally only getting a look-in when a promoter or club manager tries to put together an all-female night, or wants you to DJ "the ladies' night"
• Senior men are more likely to mentor young men than young women
•  Fewer women who are being mentored through their DJing careers by leading male DJs.

C, Millhouse. 2014. 4 Unspoken Reasons Why Female DJs Are Unequal (And How To Conquer Them) [Online]. [Accessed 2 May 2016]. Available from: https://www.digitaldjtips.com/2014/01/female-djs-arent-equal/

Do We Actually Need to Talk About 'Female DJs' in 2016?

• Whether it's on DJ Mag's Top 100 or on festival lineups, we're still an industry dominated by men.
•  Given that, are discussions about gender in club culture also becoming passé? Looking at lineups for any club night or festival you'd have to concede that no, we do still need to talk about gender in the music business, because there is pervasive gender inequality across the board. However, some women in the industry are increasingly getting frustrated when the conversation is always about that.
• one thing remains the same: women within the industry find themselves being treated differently to their male counterparts.
• doesn't feel that it's "necessary to emphasise on gender in our scene.
• As sad as it is to have to include, it feels like talking about women in club culture means also talking about harassment
• the male/female divide is always highlighted above talent or capability
• Indeed, the Internet provides a level of anonymity for women and shifts the focus back onto skill. But with music increasingly given away for free, artists are ever more reliant on playing live for revenue. And for the DJ, this is an even bigger reality than for recording artists. So until gender inequality is overcome, whether in regard to opportunity, or how women are judged, when audiences see a woman behind the decks, they'll continue, at least to some degree, have certain preconceptions and opinions.

K, Rymajdo. 2016. Do We Actually Need to Talk About 'Female DJs' in 2016? [Online]. [Accessed 2 May 2016]. Available from: https://thump.vice.com/en_au/article/do-we-actually-need-to-talk-about-female-djs-in-2016

THREE FEMALE CANADIAN DJS DISCUSS GENDER INEQUALITY IN THE DANCE WORLD

• EDM Doesn't Have a Woman Problem, It Has a Straight White Guy Problem
• We live in a inated world and even though there are very successful women, they will always be regarded as women. When there's a woman DJ, they'll say she is a successful female DJ, but I don't understand why gender needs to be underlined
• "I've had a very successful career, but it may have been even more successful had I been a man"
• "I remember it was like my third gig and someone came up to me and said. "I really didn't like your set, but I can see your tits, so it's okay." When a guy comes up to his favourite male DJ, you're not touching the small of his back, why are you touching the small of my back?"
• "People assume that I DJ only in certain spaces. I'll say I'm a DJ, but then they think I'm doing like pop-up shops or fashion-related things"

Thump Staff. 2016. Three Female Canadian DJs Discuss Gender Inequality in the Dance World [Online]. [Accessed 2 May 2016]. Available from: 

https://thump.vice.com/en_uk/article/three-female-canadian-djs-discuss-gender-inequality-in-the-dance-world

Numbers Don't Lie: Sexism in Dance Music Culture in 2014

• I think there are a lot of women [in dance music], but it is a matter of exposure. There are two sides of the coin: the creative artists side, and the business side. It's a boy's club when it comes to the festival industry and booking agencies; I've never really worked with a female booking agent, I've always had to work with guys. So I would have to say that there are not enough women in the business world. 
• I think when you think about DJs who are getting paid the most, it's definitely dudes 
• Women are often ignored during technical discussions when it comes to events 
• Female DJs are often judged on their looks – hardly an eyebrow-raiser – to the point where it impacts on their career progression 
• DJ and producer Sophie Lloyd is aware that she gets bookings, particularly for corporate events, on the basis of her looks, alongside her abilities: “In all honesty being attractive helps,” she says. 

M, Lhooq. 2014. Numbers Don't Lie: Sexism in Dance Music Culture in 2014 [Online]. [Accessed 2 May 2016]. Available from: 

https://thump.vice.com/en_us/article/numbers-dont-lie-sexism-in-dance-music-culture-in-2014

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Cultural Appropriation of the Working Class

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Cultural Appropriation of the Working Class

- Grime isn’t just music - it’s about working-class struggle - and its new middle-class fans need to recognise the genre’s social importance

• The middle-class university students who attend live grime shows now, in 2015, probably don’t even recognise the form of cultural appropriation they’re actively taking part in: wearing a North Face snapback to a rave and singing along to Stormzy probably doesn’t sound out any alarm bells - but it should.

• The appropriation of working-class culture - whether that be through grime, slang, or clothing - is a legitimate problem and, therefore, must be treated as such. The issue is personified by these new grime fans: the students who attend these gigs, but actually grew up in suburbia, in comfortable middle-class homes with parents who wouldn’t have dared let their offspring wear tracksuits growing up, who would have shouted in response to ‘thug’ music being played from their rooms.

• This current trend may be just that, a trend, but for a large sector of society,it remains a way of life. In inner-city areas where grime materialised, this music remains the voice of disillusioned teenagers and young people. 

- Why Fashion's Reappropriation of British Working Class Culture Isn't a Bad Thing

• Now everybody loves the Working Class. ‘Roadman’, a word I first remember hearing in the early 00s (but much like ‘Rude Boy’ it had probably been around a lot longer) to describe a street-level dealer, is now being quoted by trusted media outlets as ‘on-trend’. Nike Air Max, jogging bottoms tucked into socks and Stone Island now make up the uniform of the young media professional. Fashion shoots seem to exclusively take place on council estates, often produced by people who never would’ve stepped foot on one unless it was for the pages of an expensive magazine. It’s this overnight change in attitude from the upper echelons of society, from mistrust to fetishisation, which leaves many with a sense of injustice, with accusations of hypocrisy amid offensive levels of appropriation. I however, am not one of them.

• I feel a different emotion: pride. Pride that once again, despite the backlash from small minded middle England, we did our thing, we created our identity. While the decline of industry and changes in our social fabric may mean the Working Class has evolved into an unrecognisable entity from our grandparents’ equivalent, the youth are still a confident, creative bunch with our own heroes and ideas that don’t need the approval of the establishment to validate them. Equals, not victims. In need of nobody’s pity.

• UK street kids have a celebrated history of taking the clothes of the rich and powerful and making them their own, from Casuals in eye-wateringly expensive leisurewear to the Teds in Edwardian tailoring. To cry foul when it happens the other way is not a dignified response and just plays to the hierarchy of the old class system. We don’t need anyone’s sympathy, thanks. We’re doing alright.

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Research - Nightclubs in decline

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Research - Nightclubs in decline

• In 2005, there were 3,144 clubs across the UK compared to the 1,733 that stand today, according to the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR), an organisation which represents venues. 

• Classed as a place meant for the “late night entertainment of music and dancing”, the club scene in the UK has been recognised as one of the most vibrant and progressive in the world, attracting tourists from across the globe. 

• However, figures show a dramatic decline in the number of successful nightclubs and experts predict the fall will leave the UK worse off “culturally, socially and economically”.

• Some industry professionals believe the drop is due to a rise in the number and popularity of music festivals, whereas others claim the smoking ban, a lack of policing and ‘a crackdown on fun’ is responsible.

• Late licences are routinely met with opposition, pubs and clubs are routinely blamed for anti-social behaviour and local authorities have the power to tax and stifle late-night licensed businesses,” she said. 

• “Established venues now find themselves at odds with residents, battling against noise complaints and fighting unreasonable planning laws.

• I don't think the number of people going out at the weekend is any different to where it was 20 years ago, but I do think they are going to different places," he said. 

• "With the advent of later pub opening hours, the smoking ban, student tuition fees and the squeeze that a lot people are under financially since the recession, I think people are finding different ways and different places to go out."

• “I’ve witnessed first-hand the closing down and opening of clubs and I think it’s a cycle, The cycle follows the current trend, which goes from festivals, to partying abroad - people will do whatever everyone else is doing. I’m confident the trend will run full circle again, bringing life back to newer clubs.”

- Sadiq Khan, the Labour candidate for London mayor - "I don't want young and   creative Londoners abandoning our city to head to Amsterdam, to Berlin, to Prague where clubs are supported and allowed to flourish."

• Khan said he supports the agent of change principle, where the cost of soundproofing falls on developers, not venues—new legislation similar to this principle is coming into effect on April 6th—and also got behind existing plans to appoint a night-time champion in London. "A third of London's small music venues have closed since 2007, damaging our city's cultural offering and having a negative effect on jobs and the economy," Khan says. "I will make it more difficult for redevelopment to result in the closure of heritage and cultural venues by strengthening the London Plan. I want London to be a 24-hour-city so I will make the night tube a priority. We can save London's iconic club scene, which draws thousands of visitors to the capital, generates jobs and helps ensure our city remains prosperous, vibrant and dynamic." 

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Idea Generation

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Idea Generation

Areas of interest

Music  

- Nightclubs in decline

- Subcultures/Club cultures 

War on Drugs

Environment

 - Fur/Animal Testing

Art Activism 

- Politics/Junior Doctors/Michael Gove - art subjects

Acid Attacks

 - Chiefly in Asia/Women victims 

Cultural Appropriation

 - appropriation of the working class 

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Brief

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2 - Brief

Studio Brief 02 - Product, Range and Distribution
Module ID: OUGD505 

Module Brief: Product Range Distribution

Module Leader: Danny Cookney 

Module Deadline: Friday 19/05/2016, 16:00
Brief Deadline: 19/05/2016, 16:00


Studio Brief


Examine graphic design outputs relating to social, political and ethical change. Aim to increase your awareness of historical examples plus contemporary practice that is responsive to 21st Century issues. Be sure to note the relationship between medium and message.You should then produce a body of research work that explores the connections between these concepts and their respective design outcomes prior to your own practical and conceptual exploration of possible products, ranges and methods of distribution that may be suggested by your preferred content or, indeed, those that reflect your own ideologies, concerns and/or ambitions.



Background / Considerations


This brief is in two parts -


Part 1: Based on the introductory workshops, develop a practical, visual and contextual investigation of a specific subject. You should aim to develop research from a range of primary and secondary sources in order to fully explore the opportunities for informed creative development. Your research and development of this part of the brief should be documented on your Studio Practice blog and will be presented as part of your interim concept pitch.



Part 2: Devise and develop a body of practical work that both distils your knowledge of an identified issue and demonstrates your ability to tap into the market potential for socially, politically and ethically-driven design. This output should still work within the broader creative and professional contexts of graphic design but could be based around ideas of awareness or protest. Examples of potential deliverables include (but are not limited to):


materials relating to an issue-led campaign (this could be one affiliated to an established organisation or a more ‘guerilla’ approach)
a poster series
a booklet/publication/manifesto
a web/digital platform
placards, banners or a set of badges
a range of products or merchandise that communicate your identified core message


Your contextual research, critical observations and reflective evaluations should be documented on your Studio Practice blog and summarised within reflective content that supports your design submission. Your response should explore the relationship between product range and methods/media of distribution as well as specific audiences, contexts and appropriate tone of voice.



Mandatory Requirements


As defined by your interpretation of the selected brief.

You will need to meet any mandatory requirements specified on individual briefs.

In addition to the submission requirements for the briefs you will need to evidence the research, development and production of your resolutions.

Your work should be documented through regular labelled posts to your Design Practice Blog.

Correct labelling of your work on your blog is essential. Failure to organise your work clearly will affect the assessment of your worK.

Your response to the brief should be supported by a rationale and evaluation of your work in relation to the initial brief.



Deliverables



Resolutions & Products appropriate to your selected brief(s).

A minimum of 5 x A3 design boards/design sheets (submitted as PDFs) articulating the selected research development, resolution and contextualisation of your work.

Posts to your Design Practice blog demonstrating your ability to effectively record, document and critically evaluate the progress of your work in relation to your own intentions and appropriate areas of contemporary creative practice.

OUGD505 Studio Brief 1 - Production

OUGD505 Studio Brief 1 - Production

Overall I believe my designs are successful as I achieved my aim, and after struggling with initial ideas, I now have a set in stone concept which I have been able to use my research to inform my final designs. The requirements of screen printing has allowed me to improve my technique and expand my knowledge, as I feel that if I haven't screen printed in a while, I will very unconfident with prepping, cleaning and printing. Now however, I have refreshed my memory, which is really useful as I am about to go onto studio brief two where I would like to continue screen printing. 

Final Set - 

OUGD505 Studio Brief 1 - Development

OUGD505 Studio Brief 1 - Design Ideas

Using some of the art works I selected, I attempted to bitmap 'The garden of earthly delights.' I then decided that this would be to hard to use these images as they are all so detailed and so colourful, screen printing wouldn't really work and would take away from the details of the original paintings. Therefore from now on I will focus on just mythological creatures. This perhaps would work to my advantage anyway as this would work better with my concept of creating a fantasy banknote. 

Using imagery of Greek monsters/creatures, I was then able to experiment with the layout of my banknote. After a critique, it was suggested that I blow the imagery up to use for the background but I found that this was far to busy with my Greek patterned border. I therefore experimented with different textures, learning a lot from the I.T technicians on how I can manipulate these textures and even create a pattern of my own. This allowed me to get the right pattern for the note as I knew I wanted the note to be quite detailed and intricate  - to reinforce that although this is a fantasy currency, it still has an ancient feel to the note as mythology is ancient writings, hence why the size of the notes are larger than normal. The use of the Greek language of the notes wa influenced form research as this, along with the imagery will clearly represent Greek mythology so audiences can hopefully see the concept before reading the it. These together work well and a Greek symbol was also used, with a lower transparency to represent a watermark for security purposes. In addition in the left corners of the notes, I purposely didn't make it match as they could also act as security purposes, such as UV marks. As I still believe, from my research that security features are essential for banknotes, even fantasy ones. 

Screen Printing - 

Although I have screen printed before, it was really useful to get back into doing it to help remember each step. Every time I screen print I feel myself getting more and more confident in each step and am able to prep and print confidently. This is key for progressing onto studio brief 2 and gaining further confidence when using the facilities. 

OUGD503 - Module Evaluation

OUGD503 - Module Evaluation

I have found this module to be really insightful although also very challenging. Designing for live competition briefs has been different to any thing I've done before, but I can see my professionalism and technical skills improving. I have learnt a considerable amount from this module, and it has spurred me on to improve and undertake take competition briefs in my spare time/the future. I really learnt the value of project and time management in this module and this is something I must work on.

I feel interpreting briefs has been a crucial element to this module which I believe I have been successful in. This has lead me to stronger concepts and ideas. Research has also really informed my work during this module which has further been able to drive my ideas. This is essential as interpreting briefs correctly gives you a huge scope and a range of possibilities of what you can produce.   

As a result, I have learnt to always try and go further with briefs - there is always more that could be done and those who go beyond what the brief has asked, excel. I do feel in some of my briefs when I look at them now, that more definitely could have been done. I have come to realise how important professionalism is in terms of presentation boards. I feel mine could of been a lot stronger but this is something I have come to learn and won't make the same mistake twice.

I've really enjoyed working collaboratively and this is something I hope to do more of in the future. This was one of my aims before the module so I am glad to have achieved this. I was surprised at the body of work that you can produce within a team, therefore as I said before, I must always look for ways to go further.

I feel I have had weaknesses within this module. My time management wasn't always up to scratch and I believe with competition briefs, you need to stick to your time plans and leave plenty of time for submission. If I could do this module again I would have applied this to Fever Tree as I feel my work could of been stronger. In addition, I need to show my work more to tutors and my peers, which leads to having more confidence in my work. Feedback is essential in progressing. I would have also liked to of completed more small briefs. Another of my aims was to build up my portfolio therefore doing more would have achieved this even more so. I do enjoy working on these competition briefs, so perhaps doing more in my spare time could really benefit me.

Despite this, I have still learnt from this and am happy with all of my outcomes. I have expanded my knowledge hugely and gained new skills along with developing my technical ability. There is always room improvement and this module has gone on to teach me that and to impact my future practice.