Industry today.
Task 2:
This week's challenge consists of two different parts. The first part is design practice, and the second is design production. We are asked to explore the design practices and production sites in and around where we live /work. I am temporarily living in the UK, in Oxford City; thus, I will research my area. I usually talk to myself often as it allows me to organise my thoughts, plan actions, remember things, and control myself better. Therefore, listing the learning objectives and the brief requirements of every week's challenge is like conversing with myself.
Part 1: Design Practice:
Select three practices/businesses I feel summarise my city today regarding design practice.
Take a photo of the exterior/entrance/signage of that practice.
Collect their company statement.
Collect a link to that company/studio website and geo-tag the location on the map platform (on the next page).
Tag it as a place of 'design practice'.
Summarise in a paragraph the type of work that studio/practice does, e.g. XYZ studio create brand identities for social enterprises in New York: founded in 2008 by… and has 20 employees.
Part 2: Design Production:
Select three places for design production in my city (letterpress, screen printing, web development, litho printers, 3D manufacturers, commercial printers, Risograph printers, bookbinders, signwriting, laser cutting, video production, audio production etc.).
Collect a link to their website, list what they do and geo-tag the location on the map platform overleaf, tagging it as a place of 'design production'.
Learning objectives:
Research, analyze, and communicate evolutionary design steps that contributed to the identity of design culture today.
Analyse, select, and present examples of graphic design practice and production near me through geo-tagging, collectively contributing to an archive of industry practice today.
Participate in and reflect upon debate on the ideas wall.
Document and communicate my working process on my blog.
Manage my independent learning through good planning and self-direction.
Oxford [City | Park] photographs:
I see myself as an observer. Looking at things helps me find inspiration. Thus, I decided to take a tour around Oxford City to build a connection with this project. I used my Polaroid camera to take pictures that best represent Oxford. I've always noticed how architectural Oxford is, and I wanted to appreciate the art of their buildings. Parks are also a viral thing in Oxford. The greenery and flower diversity unifies it from other cities in the UK. I have enjoyed this process of exploring and learning.
Part 1: Design Practice:
One Ltd:
One Ltd is a design agency only available to work online; they don't have any onsite services. They make brands, websites, campaigns and animations. It's funny how I have lived 4 minutes away from this design agency and never noticed it because of its location. I loved browsing through their website, especially the light effect they have that turns it into night mode with funny-looking eyes. It's so creative. I love the simplicity of their brand identity. It is effortless and hand-drawn, which shows originality and uniqueness. The following photos are screenshots I took from their website of my favourite pieces. The Hereford cattle society logo intrigued me. I enjoyed the contrast and use of typography delivers a message and fits the theme.
Monchü:
Monchü is a full-service creative agency with over 20 years of industry experience. They build brands, help the organisations behind them, and focus on those at the forefront of social and environmental change. The Oxford covered market was one of the projects they worked on, and their goal was to bring back smiles to Oxford's independent traders by creating a campaign to help increase footfall and trade. They have increased by 40 per cent by showing portraits of proud family-owned businesses. I truly admired their photography art pieces and how the image focused on portraying the smiles of each trader holding their trademark.
Naomi Waite - Design | Ideas | Art:
Naomi Waite Design | Ideas | Art is an Oxford-based graphic design agency specialising in publication design, branding, illustration, copywriting and consultancy services. Their work is characterised by a thoughtful, creative and collaborative approach, leading to constructive long-term partnerships with their clients. They aim to bring positivity and energy to every project and are committed to delivering tangible results. I valued this specific illustrative artwork she created for the Buxton International Festival. The vibrant colour theme and layout design of the posters go well as a set and capture one's attention.
Part 2: Design Production:
Temple Bookbinders:
I see myself as a bookbinder one day. The attention to detail and the traditional artistic crafts of using my hands as a tool is a pure talent. I admire every bookbinder because their work is very meticulous and time-consuming. Temple Bookbinders was established in 1994, specialising in restoring, preserving and re-binding antiquarian books. What intrigued me about their website is the effect they used to show the books they repaired before and after. It indeed shows the skill set they acquire in restoring an old torn-out piece into a brand new one. Their team also specialise in slipcases and illustrated drop-back boxes made to order to anyone interested.
Little-Gem Letterpress:
Letterpress requires patience and determination, which I have, but not when it comes to letterpress. I enjoy the process for a day or two, but more than that, I can't. Anyways, to anyone unfamiliar with the term letterpress, the traditional printing method uses metal or wooden type onto which paper is pressed, leaving an ink impression on the page.
Little Gem Letterpress started in 2014 with one tabletop press, half a dozen type trays, and a love of printing. The artworks they've created are exquisite and well-designed. Jenny oliver the owner of Lettterpress gem quoted, "I have learnt the Art of letterpress through study and practice and have joined forces with designers, artists and illustrators to expand the possibilities of what I print. I work with three presses, an Adana, an Arab and a flatbed proofing press. All are fed and driven by hand (or in the case of the Arab hand and foot!), which means everything is printed by hand, one at a time. There may be minor variations in each print, which gives letterpress printing its unique charm." Jenny's words really showed me what it means to find something you love and and buid your life on it.
Impress Publishing:
Speaking of brand identity, I am amazed by Impress Publishing's brand concept, founded in 1979. Dr Prof. Phil Cleaver originated the name of his company from the word "impression" he designed to impress people by portraying an intimate understanding of typography and a reputation for quality and professionalism, using various printing methods, including digital, lithography and letterpress. He is an award-winning graphic designer, author and artist who, among other things, was influenced by punk, the Far East, and some of the most well-known and influential figures in the design sector in the maze-like city of London. I value how Impress hopes to leave an impact with each book they produce, demonstrating meticulous attention to detail and incredibly high production standards.
GeoTagging Process:
Case Study:
Susanna Edwards and Maziar Raein's interview didn't intrigue me as much. They talked a lot about the history of design and the importance of knowing how we got to where we are by looking into the characteristics and approaches of these historical figures to help us better understand how we approach design now. Maziar Raein believes that people in this generation have an adequate knowledge of history; however, I am not a fan of history. I love going to museums and art galleries to appreciate the arts and the mastery of the people before us, but I need to read or know their names. As I mentioned before, I am an observer, looking and feeling things stick in my mind and create a core memory more than reading a book to learn about a historical figure. Thus, this interview could have been more helpful if I had seen the people and projects they discussed.
Contextual Research:
Drip-dry shirts; the evolution of the graphic designer:
I buy books to look at the pictures, typography, layout and printing designs. I never bought a book because of what it talks about from the inside. I always look into the design aspects of things. For years I have collected books but have yet to read them. I find my inspiration in the book bind and the printing techniques, whether it was embossed, foiled, letterpressed, etc. However, I've read one or two books about design.; mainly because it was graphic and pictorial. Nonetheless, according to the book "Drip-dry Shirts, the evolution of the graphic designer", there is a page that converses about the work of Milton Glazer. I only read the tiny part that describes the illustrated figure, "the school of visual art 250 Courses." Zooming in on the image, I realized that every illustration has a number on it. The details put into this poster is insane. Not only did he explore the printing process to create images and effects impossible to achieve by hand, but he also included the split-duct technique, which involved blending various inks on the printing press rollers to achieve a multicolour result.
Self-Reflection:
"Writing is thinking, and thinking is hard work."
-Lewis Black
Researching and writing is something I have tried to avoid all my life, which is why I chose to study arts and design. However, it just keeps following me everywhere I go. It takes me twice the time and effort to write a 500-word paragraph summarising something I read or listened to. I can design a whole book in a day but can't write a small summary in an hour. I prefer to learn about graphic design by designing rather than writing.
Moreover, this week's challenge was quite difficult for me. It was all about researching design practices and design productions within my region and summarising them. It felt nice to experience and learn about new things within my area that I needed to be made aware of, but other than that, I didn't enjoy the challenge. Regardless, I am working on myself on the academic part of this degree by analysing, thinking critically, debating, and writing.
References:
Design Practice:
PROCTOR, Jemma. 2021. One Ltd [online]. Available at: https://oneltd.co.uk/ [accessed 12 Jun 2023].
HOWE, Ryan. 2022. 'Monchü'. Monchü - Creative Design and Marketing agency in Oxford. [online]. Available at: https://www.monchu.co.uk/ [accessed 12 Jun 2023].
'Naomi Waite - Oxford Based Graphic Designer'. 2023. Naomi Waite - Oxford-based Graphic Designer [online]. Available at: https://www.naomi-waite.com/ [accessed 12 June 2023].
Design Production:
BARNES, Pauline. 2022. ‘Temple Bookbinders of Oxford’. Home [online]. Available at: https://templebookbinders.co.uk/ [accessed 12 Jun 2023].
CLEAVER, Phil. 2020. ‘Impress Publishing’. All books [online]. Available at: http://www.impress-publishing.com/index.html [accessed 12 Jun 2023].
OLIVIER, Jenny. 2020. ‘ Little Gem Letterpress’. Little Gem Letterpress [online]. Available at: https://www.littlegemletterpress.co.uk/ [accessed 12 Jun 2023].
