OUGD603 - Calendar - Initial Concepts

In order to get my head around the gridded structure of a calendar, I created a simple, generic mockup inspired by the 'print your own' available online. I referred to 'TimeandDate's calendar for 2018 in order to find the correct dates for each month. This will allow me to make informed decisions on how I can improve calendars to be aesthetically pleasing as well as objective.

At this preliminary stage I used Helvetica due to its balance and clarity.

Left a large gap between the title and the dates in order to allow the white space to create a hierarchy and used the frame tool to create an equal distance between the dates:

Portrait:

Landscape:

Allow the user to visualise the entire year in order to track progress and reference deadlines:

Realised each month creates a unique shape:

Rotating the shapes suggest abstract typographic forms:

Example of how process and experimentation can develop concepts.

The inorganic, geometric shapes provide opportunity to develop my concept to make the calendar more engaging and visual. In order to do so, I researched into the meaning of shape within design:

Shapes are used to:

Organize information through connection and separation
Symbolize different ideas
Create movement, texture, and depth
Convey mood and emotion
Emphasize and create entry points and areas of interest
Lead the eye from one design element to the next

Geometric shapes

Bold structure and regularity suggests organisation and efficiency.

Geometric shapes tend to be symmetrical, further suggesting order.

Squares and Rectangles

Suggest conformity, peacefulness, solidity, security, and equality. Their familiarity and stability, along with their commonness can seem boring. They are generally not attention getters, but can be tilted to add an unexpected twist.