To view D&AD's brief I have to create an account and download them to my computer which is reminiscent of how briefs are presented in the industry. This ultimately gives students a taste of what it's like to work in the design industry.
2016 Briefs:
Monotype
'Identify a culture, community or country that you feel is misunderstood, misrepresented or underrepresented. Create a typography-led campaign with both physical and digital elements to express your chosen culture or community in a relevant way, and engage it with the world. Use the power of type to spark a conversation, evoke better cultural understanding and celebrate diversity.'
Who is it for?
Those interested in a dialogue and debate between different cultures. Those that believe the different ways we perform the same tasks are the foundation of human culture, and that communication (and so typography) is at the very heart of that. Also consider any specific groups your campaign might need to engage, spark dialogue with, or influence to make a difference. What would you want them to think / feel / do?
Background Research
Monotype is one of the leading type foundries in the UK. It has provided the typefaces for huge organisations such as Nike, Alexander McQueen, IBM and Prada. This highlights the importance of creating a professional outcome ready for the industry.
Brief Interpretation
As the course is progressing, my knowledge and understanding of typography in graphic design has increased which can benefit my creative process. I have enjoyed working and manipulating typography in the past, however it will need to be appropriate in order to appeal to a client such as Monotype. As the brief states, 'typography embodies so much of our culture' and is a predominant method of visual communication therefor a typography lead solution needs to be very well considered.
Culture: The ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.
Brainstorm
To start the creative process, I brainstormed cultures that I felt were either misrepresented, misunderstood or underrepresented:
- Sexuality - Cross dressing and transvestites
- Mexico - Drug cartels, finding work, immigration, culturally diverse, predominantly Spanish
- Traditional Processes overwhelmed by digital - However print is making a comeback?
- Global Warming
- Agriculture - Milk prices / TB
- Botany - Latin names
- Builders - Underrepresented for their hard work and risk - Typography can feed into this for the spray painted marks they use on the streets and construction sites - 'Secret language'
- Sign language - Underrepresented
- Market's - Underrepresented due to more large shopping malls being introduced - Case study: Leeds - John Lewis next to Leeds City Market - How is it effecting business? What are the contrasts?
- Refugees
- Surfing - Misrepresented/Underrepresented in the UK - Environmental - Aim to increase awareness - Use associations of surfing to inspire unique typefaces/compositions
Further Development
Chose specific ideas from the brainstorm that I feel provide me with a lot of scope for development:
- Mexico
Mexico is a hugely diverse continent which is represented in the languages used. Some of the most widely spoken languages in Mexico, aside from Spanish, are Nahuatl, which has almost 1.4 million speakers, Yucatec Maya, spoken by over three quarters of a million people, and Mixtec, whose speakers amount to about half a million. There are also 68 Mexican indigenous languages as official national languages. While 68 indigenous languages may seem like a large number, in fact over 130 indigenous languages, along with their unique customs and culture, have vanished. As such, the government has placed a heavy emphasis on the preservation and promotion of the native languages. The Law of Linguistic Rights was created in 2002 to protect the native Mexican languages, and encourage bilingual and intercultural education.
Focusing on the indigenous languages once used in Mexico would provide great opportunity for typographic solutions because the concept is based on language. Further research into these indigenous languages and how/why the government are trying to protect them can help to develop the concept.
- Agriculture
agriCULTURE
One of the highest occupational suicide rate
Agriculture has been struggling due to an array of factors such as climate change, foot and mouth, TB and milk prices which have a devastating effect on farmers lives. As an occupation, long, tireless hours make it a frustrating business, but it is a way of life - a culture. Perhaps building a relationship between the public and farmers will increase the publics knowledge and understanding in order to support agriculture.
Potential sources: http://www.fwi.co.uk/business/milk-prices
- Street Markets - 'A regular gathering of people for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other commodities.'
This concept was inspired by talking to my peers as it was suggested that I look at street markets. Leeds has recently opened Victoria Gate, a high-end shopping centre that cost £165 million to build, right next to Kirkgate Market. At the heart of the Leeds retail scene since 1857, Leeds Kirkgate Market is home to some of the most characterful traders in the city, with businesses spanning generations and representing a wide range of nationalities including a Polish delicatessen and a Chinese supermarket, an Asian Bazaar every Wednesday morning and a farmers market held on the outdoor market opposite John Lewis every first and third Sunday of the month. With the sights, smells and sounds of the market, Leeds Kirkgate Market has always been an experience.
People use the market to get food, clothes, souvenirs, plants however they are often more reliant on supermarket brands such as Morrisons, Sainsburys and M&S. These are often more expensive than markets and the experience of shopping is ordered due to isles dedicated to specific food categories. Part of visiting the market is to experience the hustle and bustle of raw trade which are the origins of consumerism.
Considering M&S started in a market
People use the market to get food, clothes, souvenirs, plants however they are often more reliant on supermarket brands such as Morrisons, Sainsburys and M&S. These are often more expensive than markets and the experience of shopping is ordered due to isles dedicated to specific food categories. Part of visiting the market is to experience the hustle and bustle of raw trade which are the origins of consumerism.
Considering M&S started in a market
I am interested in talking to current traders at the market to see if/how the addition of Victoria Gate is effecting the market. This will inform whether the concept has scope or is a dead end.
This can combine with the agriculture - farmers market
- Surfing
People, language, fashion, and lifestyle surrounding the sport of surfing. The history of surfing began with the ancient Polynesians. Internationally it has a huge following, however the success of UK surfers is barely published in print or online in the UK. With the addition of surfing in the Tokyo Olympic Games, it would be a great opportunity to increase the awareness of surfing in the UK.
Take influence from punk scene - David Carson
Dependant on the weather
Photography is a key medium and I struggled to find design work associated with surfing apart from text and image in surf editorial. Perhaps moving away from photography will allow my typographic composition to develop, taking influence from the aesthetics of surfing.
Fine Art:
John Brunnick
- Curvaceous line and shape reflects the natural movements of the water.
- Blue is the most prominent colour
- Simplifying the form of the waves into flat shapes
- Cliche subjects - Sunset, palm trees - AVOID CLICHE
Majority of the typefaces are sans-serif which provides a modern simplistic feel. The curvaceous structure of the sans serif compliment the artistic high impact photography. David Carson on the other hand rebels against traditional typesetting in order to create ambiguous and interpretive compositions:
Raygun
Interview and profile from the pages of What Youth Issue 14:
Fluid logotype influenced by the form of moving water.
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