Design Context Presentation

My umbrella statement as a designer is type and layout for publication design with an emphasis on grids/modernism. I want to design mainly editorial work and for the delivery of information. Clarity, legibility and communication with an audience are of utmost importance to me as these are some of the things that I feel define good design. I am mainly interested in print based design as reading a publication online is nowhere near as good as holding one in your hands but web design always has been an interest of mine so I try to seek out ways to extend my work onto a web format. This is something I aim to do with the briefs I have chosen.


The first brief I started work on was the continuation of my In/Visible Grids exhibition from the Design Practice module. So far this term I have designed the tickets for the exhibition and experimented with perforation techniques as ways of showing that the ticket has been used. For this brief I still have to design an exhibition catalogue and a piece of merchandise but this is a long running brief so its kind of on the back burner at the minute.


My next brief is an RSA Design Directions brief to create a set of limited edition postage stamps for Royal Mail. I chose the theme of Valentine’s Day to base the stamps around. After trying out some different ideas I went with stamps which say ‘I love you more than something’. I then realised that this was quite a boring idea and a good way to make it more exciting would be by having a leading statement printed on the stamp and then give the sender a set of letters to stick their own response onto it. This would make it personal to the couple. I’m now just designing the stamp packaging and then this brief is done.


I’m also working on a re-design of Pick Me Up magazine. This kind of trashy magazine always have bright colours, jaunty angles, poor quality photographs and bad typography. I’m taking 20 of the real life articles from several issues of Pick Me Up to form the content of the magazine and I will be redesigning these to create a classy editorial publication.


The brief I’ve done the most on is my magic brief. This is an ISTD brief where you have to create a members kit for a magic circle in order to excite teenagers about magic. So far I have designed posters, membership certificates, cards and badges. I am currently working on the accompanying booklet. I need to finish off the booklet and then work on the packaging of the kit. Processes will be important in the finishing of this brief as I want to experiment with foiling, varnish and embossing as ways of revealing the secrets of magic.


For my Design Context book, I’m looking at what is considered to be ‘good’ design. There are 5 chapters, all of which are things that I think are important in the design process. These are typography, layout, process, interaction and communication. The chapters will consist of my definition of what is good about each of these design elements followed by case studies of studios who exemplify this and their opinions on good design. This will generate further content as I research the kind of work that inspires them.


I have identified 5 publications that I perceive to be consistently well designed. These are Nylon magazine, Dazed & Confused, No Zine, Station magazine and the EFFP View magazine. I will contact the art directors of these publications as they will most likely know more about editorial design than most people.


I have also identified many studios and designers whose work I constantly look to for inspiration. They are all people who are involved in publication design. These include Music in Manchester and Pentagram in London.


Some others are Sort Design, Shaz Madani, D8, Deep, The Consult and Purpose.


And finally I will contact Public in Hertfordshire. As well as these people I have also interviewed several designers already for my dissertation including Antonio Carusone, Adam Nash and Paul Felton. One of the things I asked them was what did they consider to be good design. My dissertation should be a good resource of quotes and opinions for my design context book as I looked at the importance of the grid within design and this often led back to a debate about what good design really is. I now need to contact all of these studios and hopefully will get a good level of response.