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Week 5 - Editing

Editing the image somewhat to emphasize the blue and the dark, I then tried a couple of textual compositions. These were the only too that weren't horrifically unbalanced. I liked the first one more, as it utilizes the empty papers really well and leaves the space next to the head empty - as if that's where you're meant to see the tv rays (and also the isolation). It also focuses the eye down towards the ball, which then leads it up to the person - working with how the composition naturally is, and highlighting the intimacy of the angle.

The font is Megalito Slab by DeFharo which is allowed to be used non-commercially without buying a license. It was explicitly designed to reference midcentury american fonts, I like its tall condensed nature (originally chosen so that I could try and make all the text fit into a square but it is partially a stylistic preference) and it really reads as industrial and bold. It was exactly what I was looking for in terms of serif fonts.

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Week 5 - Photoshoot

I picked up cans of beer I'll never drink, covered all lighting into my living room and brought my entire desktop downstairs just so i can colour my monitor blue and pretend it's a television. I asked one of the people in my life to pose for me. It took a long time to actually figure out how to control the camera, which settings worked best

Above is the raw photos I took with the settings I had on the camera. The full shoot had way more photos, some of which were done purely for fun in experimentation, and eventually that led to me trying a new angle which I completely fell in love with. the bottom photograph is the one I actually ended up using, rather than the preplanned first one.

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Week 4 - Final Concept Development

I settled on the more popular image, as I agreed that the intimate lighting works well for the album. I started experimenting with composition, as I will be doing a photograph regardless and need to consider where objects are in relation to each other and where text can go, but was recommended to just take the photo by my tutors and apply type afterwards. I was also considering typeface.

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Week 4 - Final 2 Concepts

Forced to draw at a size larger than a thumb, I proceeded to present these two pieces as the final concept. People generally preferred the first one, and I received some feedback from Lydia to remember the feasability of the concept and how I'd go about making it as well. I am currently playing around with the idea of taking a photograph and then tracing over it for a super crisp realistic look while giving me the freedom of not having all the props available.

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Week 3 - Thumbnails

Ultimately the vote was down to the images labeled A, B and C but during our critique one of these exploratory sketches was enjoyed so much by the rest of the class, I caved into peer pressure (though genuinely I was asked to consider it and agreed that it might be worth looking into.)

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Week 3 - Intro to InDesign

We learnt how to use InDesign by practicing with a little skateboarder guy. It was a good introduction to the program, and I feel confident using it from here on forward.

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Week 3 - Textured Type

We were asked to experiment with texture in analogue type and I went a little overboard. Definitely quantity over quality. Still, I particularly like the second one with its contrasting and grainy textures and maybe the paint stripping away look of the last two.

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Week 3 - Type compositions.

We were told to try making some compositions entirely out of type. I found this somewhat helpful, as I don't like thinking of type as something completely separate from the rest of the project but have 0 experience actually making things with it.

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Week 3 - Mood Boards and Collage

We were told to spend some time tracking down the atmosphere and vibe of our work through collage and moodboards. Due to how the distribution of magazine worked out, my collage ended up being more of a moodboard and my moodboard more of a collage.

With the first one, I looked for anything red and blue I could find and focused on big looking letters. There was some cool metalic or harsh textures here and there.

With the second one, I decided to slow down and with the limited imagery I had to work with, made a composition meant to capture the atmosphere of the song Downbound Train. I find the darker colours a much more unexpected move for the album but quite good for the atmosphere.

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Album - Week 2 - Hoefler&Co, Dunwich Type.

It is hard to find a typographer who I like. The art is so varied and fit for purpose that it's hard to differentiate in style between typographers, at least for me. Not to mention that it is often a collaborative work.

Acropolis (with contributions from Eric Siry), Peristyle (With contributions from Troy Leinster, Sara Soskolne, Andy Clymer, Colin M. Ford, Graham Weber) and Archer ( With contributions from Tobias Frere-Jones, Jesse Ragan and Additional material by Jordan Bell, Andy Clymer)

Jonathan Hoefler and the foundry Hoefler & Co. are here because I like their work rather consistently. Even their more utility based fonts have a nice solidness to them, a roundness that makes them feel complete. In particular I like Acropolis, which is simultaneously soft and sharp, using straight lines in a way that brings attention to it and feels decorative but isn't difficult to read or overly distracting.

Bether Gothic Egyptian, Ironstrike Bold, Barteldes Medium

Dunwich Type is the work of James Puckett. There is a focus in his work on vintage, historical type, paying homage or redesigning it slightly to fit modern use - an approach I really like. Multiple of the typefaces designed by him have a metaphorical weight to them, using interesting angles to actually build the letters. In particular I liked Ironstrike - there is a nice sharpness to the letters even in the curves which feels rather striking and appropriately industrial.

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Album - Week 2 - Tuesday (pt2)

One of the many things we were supposed to do that day was to find fonts in order to spell out a word of choice. I chose Life because it felt simple and all-encompassing enough that you can really focus on the design to communicate what you want with it. The following fonts are the ones I chose - two that felt connected to industry in some way, and two that felt "American" enough.

We also had to take pictures of surfaces. I went with the painted metal, the asphalt, the cigarette ash and the peeling paint for its ideas of things falling apart and connection to industry.

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Album - Week 2 - Tuesday

We presented our albums and spent the day learning about typography.

We played a small game which introduced us more to how type can communicate a personality and feeling, as well as helped us focus on which types we like. While I wouldn't say Futura fits me completely, I certainly do like more designed fonts over simpler ones.

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Album - Week 1 - Thursday

Due to a miscommunication with the tutors, we were pushed slightly further than we were supposed to. However, the work I generated that day can still prove to be useful as inspiration for future work, once I have the background of research on my side. I particularly liked the last one, and might explore photography or print as my mediums for generating the cover.

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Album - Week 1 - April Greiman

April Greiman was one of the first people to use computer technology as a design tool. What I like about her art is that it's structured yet chaotic, utilising various textures, patterns, photographs, symbols and imagery to communicate. At the same time, it isn't overwhelming - it allows for space to breathe while being chaotic.

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Album - Week 1 - Stefan Kanchev

Stefan Kanchev was a Bulgarian graphic designer. His work is varied - he did a little bit of everything a graphic designer would - but to me what stands out most is his stamps.

The saturated, limited colour palette with the softness and texture that comes with printing. The fantastic use of shape, white space, layering of ink. The flatness of it, the inspiration from traditional bulgarian folk art. They're absolutely gorgeous.

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Album - Week 1 - Tuesday

We spent the day making associative mindmaps and thumbnails. What stood out to me from the music was the lyrics and the themes attached to it, so I primarily focused on that. Besides, I felt like to convey those themes better, a more material and less abstract approach would be more appropriate

We also stopped by Steamboat to look at Album Covers that inspired us. This was my favourite:

Soda Blonde - Small Talk

Reasons to like it:

>Colour blocking out shapes

>Colour used for symbolism

>Cheap materials used to signify artificiality; appropriately uncanny, surreal; Same with deciding to use photography.

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Album - Week 1 - Monday

Today we were introduced to Graphic Design as well as the brief. We were encouraged to listen to the album assigned to us to redesign the cover. I got Born in the USA, A Bruce Springsteen record I have never heard before and do not have much experience with the genre of. I generally liked it - I enjoyed the political themes, and I did not find the music annoying. It was well constructed in a way I could tell without necessarily being a fan.

I spent a minute analysing the original cover. The cover that should be visible in the above thumbnail is brilliant - it perfectly conveys everything associated with everyday america, down to the baseball cap in the back and the pose. The colours in it are striking, the pose unusual, it all creates a very memorable and effective cover.