Evaluation - Object

The design meets the design proposal, as although the final outcome doesn't necessarily use braille within the design or would necessarily be accessible or readable to them, the finished design that has been produced has come from a process that has used 3D images and braille, therefore the concept behind the design is therefore stronger and brings more meaning into the design. Also the abstract look of the illustrations of the faces, actually follows on from this concept, showing deteriorating images referencing sight, and also the fact that everyone sees differently, and everyone can make of the drawings what they see themselves and they have the ability to create different images depending on who is looking at the publication. The design also has a strong purpose, as a collective piece of memorabilia, and to some people it will emit feelings of nostalgia and to other sit will educate the on what the speaking clock was, it's history and how it is still used now in the present day. It also exists as a piece of artwork in itself, as it is not an explicit image or publication to look at, people can make of it what they will. However the use of textured paper and letterpress actually enhances the concept of the idea that the speaking clock was used initially by the visually impaired. Therefore adding texture and using analogue techniques that can be physically felt and touched compensates for the lack of 3D imaging and braille within the piece itself. These ideas have been influenced by MGMT's design process within the Infographics book, that most of the design should be taken away in order for a more intriguing message to be understood and also to play around with ideas and experiment with different materials and processes.
  I think the design decision to use letterpress and bookbinding within the final outcome, was again to play on the concept, therefore every aspect of the book needed to be felt and physically produced. These techniques are also quite nostalgic, therefore it coincides with the nostalgia that the publication will produce for some of the older audiences. The paper was also a design decision, as the paper is ridged and can therefore be felt and touched as it has texture to it. However I think more textured paper, or to develop the project further, the pages should've included or been made out of braille which would show the information on, with text over the top, therefore it would be suitable for both the intended audience and others. Feedback from the final design included both successes and critique of the final design, that the illustrations were extremley abstract however this was preferred as it gave the piece something unique. The letterpress was thought to be successful has it added another handmade dimension, so the publication felt personal and more engaging as a physical piece to hold. Critique of the final outcome, was again to include braille, as this was the original intended purpose, however this wasn't conceivable at the time as the object needed to be printed, also the parts of braille that can still be constructed within the images themselves shows that that was part of the design process. Another critique was to include more text or information, which is a fair comment, as the piece itself it quite abstract and doesn't hold much information for the audience. However, on the other hand, the intended purpose was for the publication to act as a piece of artwork and collector's memorabilia, a form of nostalgia, not necessarily an informative document.
  In conclusion if this project were to be developed further, then the idea of braille and producing a piece of work that is intended for the visually impaired would be explored further as to how to make this possible. However the final outcome has been created from a huge amount of process and concept, which makes the project have more integrity and meaning and is therefore a successful piece of design, which is useful and effective for it's intended purpose.

Evaluation - Way Finding

Below are the final designs that have been created for a new contemporary signage system to be placed within the Corn Exchange. The approach that the design took was mainly subjective, which was informed by the opinions of the likes of Van Toorn, Paula Scher and Experimental Jetset, who all believe that a sign system and design in general doesn't ever necessarily have to be entirely functional. Therefore the design for this sign system took a very subjective approach, however the design was influenced and inspired by the building and architecture of the Corn Exchange itself. The design aimed to create an engaging experience for the public, which has been achieved due to the abstract approach of the pictograms. This subjective approach has meant that a contemporary rebrand has been successful, as the sign system now becomes the identity for the building, therefore becomes objective for the Corn Exchange.
   To evaluate the design decisions, the colour choices work well as each colour has been carefully selected through research and questionnaires, to best represent and be associated with the type of shop. The colour swatches themselves can also become a well known identity, therefore the Corn Exchange can then be associated with those colours and colour scheme. the colours are also not too close in value, therefore they won't be confused for each other. The typeface works well, as it is a modern, sans serif and therefore fits with the contemporary theme, and the geometric shapes of the letters actually correspond to the architectural shapes found throughout the building and look coherent together with the pictograms. The design decision to use vinyl in the production of the symbols, solves the design problem of the temporary nature of the signs and shops, therefore it makes it easy to change and is versatile. Using the symbols with limited type also means that names and type doesn't need to be changed and the sign system can always be up to date. It also creates a multilingual system, therefore as Leeds becomes a forever growing city, different languages and ethnicities in the form of both residents and tourists increase in popularity. Therefore the global use of pictograms means anyone can understand and find their way around. The supergraphic also creates an engaging and interactive way finding system, as the map is part of the building, people can walk on it, look at it, view it and read from it, it turns the Corn Exchange, not just into a shopping centre but into an experience, which makes it stand out from the other centres and shops around the area.
   To critique the design, both individually and informed from feedback, the pictograms should be placed upon a grid, particularly Aicher's grid to therefore give the pictograms a coherent system and boundary which means that all of the individual symbols can be complemented together, and once again become an identity as a whole for the Corn Exchange. For example the weight of the line for each symbol needs to be made equal throughout, to make sure the symbols are comparable and for the same building. Other amendments to think about, are to make the health and jewellery pictogram less intricate, and use more geometric shapes, therefore it will fit alongside the other designs better, to look as a cohesive set of symbols, similar to the toilet, lift and stairs symbols, as they are all very simplified and have similar line thickness to fit the same aesthetic, looking at figure 1,  the feedback has been applied to the design and the improvements make the pictograms look more coherent as a group of symbols and give a better feel of an individual identity. Further critique is aimed towards the subjective nature of the design, as it could be too subjective and difficult to find their way around, however the design itself is more an identity and an engaging concept, rather that a functional system which tells people black and white, it is a more interesting approach which creates a brand and personality for the corn exchange rather than a functioning sign system. The sign system itself will become more useful over time, and will become engrained as a part of the building, it is just a different which goes against the view that design should be entirely objective.
  In conclusion, although the design system doesn't necessarily seem completely functional, after researching alternative opinions on subjective design and contextual research, solving the problems within the design proposal. The sign system works in the context of a subjective approach, it becomes engaging, exciting and injects a personality into the building and creates an identity for the Corn Exchange, which is therefore successful in producing a way finding system that creates an identity for the building and will hopefully overcome it's outdated decline in both business and visitors.

Final Book

Final Way Finding Sign System

Studio Build Talk

Earlier today we received an interesting talk from Graphic Design Studio Build, specifically the main founder, Michael C. Place. He spoke about how he first got interested in graphic Design and his journey from then to present. He started off doing technical drawings, interested in architecture, however he was interested in music, specifically Iron Maiden and the designs and type used on their albums and vinyls really interested him. He also shared with us his interest into Letraset, which I found really interesting. He shared with us many names of designers we should look up and who have inspired him, including, Neville Brody, Rod Clarke, Vaughn Oliver, Trevor Jackson and Ian Anderson. Michael is a firm believer in bringing in your own interests in to influence your design work, he also believes that you don't necessarily have to be the best graphic designer you just need to be passionate about what you love and have interests, as this is what creates better design work in the long run. He previously did work experience with The Designer's Republic in Sheffield, before moving down to London. He is also a passionate about young designers setting up away from London specifically in the North, he believes that London is not necessarily the place to be and Places such as Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield are becoming much more productive and heavy within the design industry and are much better creative places to live. Michael believes that Graphic Design is an extremley hard job to keep up with and work within the industry, however the work you produce and feedback you get makes it all extremley rewarding.

Development 2 - Cut Out Faces Test Piece

Below was the second design mock up, where 3D faces were built up using layered paper, this idea came about due to the nature of talking and speaking clocks initially being introduced to the visually impaired therefore they could hear the time. Therefore I developed my first idea of a timeline and simplified it to just the simplified geometric shapes of the faces, and built these up with layers of paper to produce a 3D embossed effect, which will be able to be felt and touched.

  

Then to further develop this concept and idea, I borrowed a braille typewriter and typed out the names of each person who had been the voice of the clock, then stuck these next to the faces, therefore visually impaired people could feel the faces and braille at the same time to try and visualise what the voice they were listening to belonged to. 

 However this piece didn't fit the brief, as it needed to be a printed document therefore I developed on this idea and began to photocopy them however this didn't show up the braille or shapes that made up the faces very well. Therefore scanning them and image tracing them on illustrator worked very well and produced some very interesting textures and images.

Development 1 - Interim Crit Response

Here is a piece I created as a response to my interim crit, I have created a timeline of the people who have been the voices, wth a piece of interesting information about the speaking clock itself on each page. I have then placed my mono prints behind to create a more interesting textures and colours and also to conceptually show the times changing from when the clock was first introduced to now. 

  However to be critical of this piece, the images used and the production of the piece doesn't really take into consideration the research I have undertook and it doesn't visually represent the information very well, it needed to have a more engaging aspect to it, so it could be visually and sensory stimulating, as the speaking clock is always about hearing and listening. I also wanted to concentrate more on the aspect of the talking clock being used by the visually impaired, therefore the publication needed to be able to show the information in a way that could be touched or felt, for example embossing the names or faces, or using perforated paper to produce some sort of braille. This idea was then discarded and developed on in a more 3D -  hands on approach.