All 5 Final Designs & Conclusion

Conclusion:
I like these designs. They are what I expected to acheive when I started my 'mini briefs'. Of course, I can see improvements to each one, but to produce each one of these in a short timeframe, for me, I think I did well. I set out these mini briefs to challenge myself at working in a quick pace to produce a finished design in less than a day and succeded.
In this past week, I have used my 'intentions for this year' to not only use to represent in the designs, but in the way I have worked, such as using this blog and commiting myself to adding to it daily. And also organizational skills that's needed when working on 5 designs in 5 days. And to succesfully completing the project on time.
I have learnt from this exercise and that means I have developed further as a graphic designer.

link to portfolio

t-shirt

this is the design for my fifth mini brief, uploading much earlier than I had planned, which leaves me some extra time before the deadline to tweak anything that needs improving. And I'll upload an image of all 5 designs together in the morning.

design

here's the design to be printed onto a t-shirt. I think it still needs a bit more work doing to it as I don't think the message of 'convincing' is clear. Communication is clearly represented here in the excessive about of text.

drowning

This is my stickman drowning, the text could be placed above the image, maybe in a bubble.

ideas

a thought I have at the minute is of someone trying to convince someone of a danger. Like a man drowning, so instead of yelling 'help!' tries to explain in detail why he needs help 'quick... my lungs... are filling with... water... as I ask you to... offer... me aid... With some... urgency... I could be... dead... any minute now... please... see to... that you... rescue me... Many thanks... to those... who do... in fact... save me... Help!'

fifth brief, thoughts so far:

"...communication and convincing"

They are most oftenly used and noticed in speech and in advertising, aswell as other areas. And usually take the form of language and imagery.

The first idea that I have on how to represent this, is of an image of someone teaching a dog to sit. I think I'll work with this.

fifth mini brief:

I am to use my creativity to create a T-shirt design, this could be an illustration; logo; photograph; or type, that deals with and represents the issues of communication and convincing.

Target deadline: 11:30 16/10/09
Hand in deadline: 14:00 16/10/09

t-shirt

this is the t-shirt design for my fourth mini brief. The type reads 'RORRIM' but when stood infront of a mirror it will read 'MIRROR'. It's a simple idea that convays a clear message at a time thats appropriate for it to be read.

RORRIM

I like this, the idea would be to put it on the front of T-shirt, and it will identify a mirror for you when you are stood infront of a mirror. It's something clean, and very obvious to yourself when in use.

thoughts:

a big label on the front of a t-shirt, stating something obvious:

• 'T-Shirt'
• 'This is a T-Shirt'
• 'My T-Shirt'
• 'I'm wearing this T-Shirt'

'I'm wearing your T-Shirt'

fourth brief, initial thoughts:

"...clarity and appropriateness"

Think I might have made this one a little too difficult. I do want clarity and appropriateness in my work, but not sure how to represent it.

• Something that is clear and precise.
• Doesn't confuse.
• Readable by all
  

forth mini brief:

I am to use my creativity to create a T-shirt design, this could be an illustration; logo; photograph; or type, that deals with and represents the issues of clarity and appropriateness.

Target deadline: 15:00 15/10/09

t-shirt

here's the design for 'starting and finishing' on a t-shirt. I really like this design, it's simple and represents the words/intentions I wanted it to do well. It took a lot longer to make than I thought, but was fun in the process. And the maze is true and quite tricky.

mini brief 3, the idea:

A maze puzzle. Start at one end and make you way to the other side. Would make an interesting T-shirt design too.

flughumor

wow. this is a series of dead fly art, I think it's very creative and worthy of a note. This race one I like and is somewhat related to my work, if you take away the flies.

third brief, initial thoughts

"starting and finishing"

sounds very simple to represent, but on a second thought, it could be quite difficult.
By 'start' I mean to begin something, and 'finish' by the completion of that project.

What things can complete and not end? something where the finish is the focus or the reasoning behind starting:

A building
Painting/ art
A race

third mini brief:

I am to use my creativity to create a T-shirt design, this could be an illustration; logo; photograph; or type, that deals with and represents the issues of starting and finishing.

Target deadline: 17:00 14/20/09

t-shirt

here's the 'targeting and winning' design for a t-shirt. Honestly, I think there's something missing from the design, but I just can't see what. The things I have tried just don't seem to work well. Would work on this further if I have the time, but my deadline target for this design is here, so maybe if I complete the next one early I can come back to this one.

so far..

this is my design for 'targeting and winning' at the minute. It's definitely not enough to be a complete design, I'm not sure what's missing, I've tried a few things including an arrow and a fist. I still want to keep it simple and neat, but it needs that surprise/shock element to it.

second brief, initial thoughts:

"...targeting and winning"

initial thoughts are of a target. One with an arrow in the centre. It's a fairly simple representation, but it does represent 'targeting and winning' very well. An adaption of this could be of a darts board with the dart in treble 20, or hitting the final double.

How would this image represent me?
afterall this design is representing MY intentions.

second mini brief

I am to use my creativity to create a T-shirt design, this could be an illustration; logo; photograph; or type, that deals with and represents the issues of targeting and winning.

Target deadline: 20:00 13/10/09

t-shirt

this is the 'expansion and development' design made for a t-shirt. I like it, I just need to sort out a few rough edges and tweak it a little. Then I can start the next design 'to start and to finish', which I will upload at the target time of 20:00 tomorrow.

so far...

here's a somewhat poorly uploaded draft of the design so far.
things I'm working on at the minute:

• the background colour, black works well, but so do the paler colours;
• the size, in this image the 'walls' are all the same size, I'm thinking of increasing them the further it goes up for it to be a bit more dramatic and a little more in-your-face;
• and the red grid, I think it should extend a little further out, looks a bit like a double helix at the moment.

Oh, and it looks like I might miss my target deadline for today by a couple of hours, but think it should be alright because I had to decide on the style of design for this, but the rest of the designs will follow this style.

development towards a new direction

an image of fireworks and explosions doesn't seem to say what I want it to say. So I need something else that directly represents expansion and development. Something that looks like it's actually expanding...

too vague

"...something with fireworks, or a controlled explosion: mining or the destruction of a building would represent all three of my intentions..."

A little too vague though, need something a little more obvious of what that image is too represent. Doesn't have to be something that exists, a group of dots thoughtfully set out could represent something.

first brief: first thoughts

"I am to use my creativity to create a T-shirt design, this could be an illustration; logo; photograph; or type, that deals with and represents the issues of development, expansion and fueling."

saying the words 'expansion' and 'fueling' and I instinctively think of an explosion. I therefore see it that the word explosion should fit in with this design, and visually too, an illustration would be ideal.

Possibly something with fireworks, or a controlled explosion: mining or the destruction of a building would represent all three of my intentions: We have development, as in the destruction of a building is caused by the development of a new one. Expansion and fueling represented with the explosion itself.

first mini brief:

I am to use my creativity to create a T-shirt design, this could be an illustration; logo; photograph; or type, that deals with and represents the issues of development, expansion and fueling.

Target deadline: 14:00 12/10/09

my brief:

I am to use my creativity to design a representation of my intentions and resolutions for this year, in the format of a T-shirt Design.

combinations

so these are the five sets of intentions that I intend to create a design for:

1. to expand & develop
   
2. to target & win
   
3. to start & to finish
4. to be clear & appropriate
5. to communicate & convince
   

I have not yet come up with any of the briefs, but I really do need to get the first one started asap.

afterthought: how about something like:

'use your creativity to design an element of a poster with the subject being...'

this way, I'm not limiting myself too much, and possibly in the end produce something of better value.

5 Designs 5 Days

Can't exactly do 7 designs over 7 days now as that will go over the deadline, so:

5 designs in 5 days, one design is to be uploaded to my portfolio each day, and I'll post the links on here to. Or you can view my (incomplete)portfolio on the left hand side.

Need to sort out clearly which intentions I should do each day and preferably combine some, as I have more than 5.

My intentions rewritten are:

• Organise - and I'm doing this now, and by doing these 5 designs in 5 days.
  
• Commit - that's sort of given in that I'm doing the work and that I have to do it solidly over 5days.
• Develop - also doing this right now, and will be over the next few posts.
• Professionalism - this will be covered by uploading the designs to an online portfolio.
• Creative - don't think I've covered that yet.
• Succeed - that will be proved when I've completed all 5 designs in time.
• Efficiency - will have to represent this in one of my designs.
• Expand - although similar to develop, I shall include this into one of the five designs.
• Communicate - need to communicate ideas well for them to be effective.
  

A few more that don't sound related but I think they are, these will go towards the final 5 designs:

• Fuel - as in you need something to start something going, an idea.
• Start - obviously you need to start from somewhere.
  
• Finish - and you need to finish.
• Target - you need to aim for something.
• Win - 'cos you don't want to loose.
• Appropriate - you don't want anything to be a waste of time if its not fit for purpose.
• Clear - you don't want to be confusing
• Work - obviously you need to do work to complete a project.
• Research - helps you to further understand.
• Convince - want people to believe in you, your work.
• Believe - need to believe in others too.
  

So I've just got to sort out these into five categories, and write a mini brief for each one.

my great new blog

I'm really enjoying this new blog, its just easier and quicker to type down whats on my mind than to write it down on paper, which means more is being noted and less is being lost through thought. Great.

new idea, possibly

what about the idea of uploading designs that represent, or prove my intentions. I could upload one for each day, or complete all before the deadline, there are quite a few intentions, I could combine some.
I think I might come up with 7 intentions and for each of them design... something... something that represents each intention anyway. and upload one for each day of next week, leading up to the deadline.

I think this idea should work out well, It would also include some intentions that don't need to be included in the design, such as organisational skills and time planning.

Make. Keep. Prove.

we have to make, keep and prove our commitments before the deadline.
We have to prove our commitment before we hand the project in. how?

commitment could last a day or less

commitment could be to simply hand in the work, pass the module, etc.

if my intention is to be creative, I could create something, and that creation is proof that I've done something creative.

I'm going around in circles with this proving the commitment bit. I think my tamagotchi ideas not going to fit in with this. Don't just want to drop the idea, I could really see it working out well, got the whole poster laid out in my head now, and it would work if it wasn't for this proving bit.

tamagotchi!!

As soon as you start it up you are commited to keeping it alive by feeding and cleaning up after it, like an electronic pet. My idea is to have one as a version of myself. So you tell it to do the intentions I set out earlier. So you can tell it to create, develop, produce and succeed etc. Obviously I won't actually have to make one, but could do the design for the poster, packaging etc. and include the devices 'functions', which are my intentions.

So, I could advertise on the poster that:

You can make him:

Create with:
pencil
paint
photoshop

Develop by:
improving
expanding
disguarding

Refine by:
completing
improve further

...and don't forget to clean up and organize for him!

afterthought: how can you prove this commitment?

todays thoughts/rant

well today was a messed up day. got up at 6.30am, on purpose, to catch the bus to the train Station, it, typically, didn't show up, making me having to walk back home in the rain to wait for the next one. And of coarse that one was so late I missed the damn train! So after much more waiting one turned up, just a lonely single carriage packed with sheap /sorry commuters, so after an hour of standing up on the train, I get to a lovely 'n' warm uni. Where I then spend the next 50 something minutes looking for a room that as far as I can tell doesnt exist, and the people at reception hadn't got a clue either. So is EMB3314 a joke, I just don't know [/rant]

thoughts on commitment

What about something that you are committed to and focus on including my intentions within it?

A graphic design tournament, you cant just quit if you enter a tournament.

Religion, people within a religion are usually committed to abiding its rules/guides. I could create my own religion. afterthought: probably won't be a religion as such, but something similar that just I could follow.

Marathon, its not something that just starts and stops but something that is ongoing, for a while anyway.

Marriage, you are committed when you enter a marriage, not sure how to include my intentions. afterthought: possibly by making a vow to complete my intentions.

intentions through imagery

What ways could I show my intentions through imagery?

Theres drawing, simply drawing a representation of each intention. Putting that into a storyboard, about myself growing and developing as I put the intentions into practice.I could brand myself and create a website of the new me.

Create a youtube channel, I will have to complete each intention one at a time and upload a video to prove that I've done them. afterthought: Ok its not exacally the imagery I was thinking and sounds like some sort of initiation,but it could be interesting.

A jigsaw puzzle in which each piece is one intention and the complete puzzle will make me. afterthought: Just don't like this idea-pass

medium and context

03/10/09

"the medium and context you choose to present your commitment(s) should be appropriate [to] your specialist area"

I'm specialising in graphic design, so initially I'm thinking design for print, possibly poster or text-based poster. But seeing as I'm currently creating a new online portfolio, uploading to there could be interesting, and also follow it up with a blog for support.

intentions

02/10/09

"this may be seen as a chance to make a 'open-contract' about your intentions this year, a set of resolutions about the work that you intend to complete at level 6"

My intentions:
(in no order)

• to organise
• to commit
• to expand
• to improve
• to be proficient
• to be creative
• to be efficient
  
• to succeed
• to develop
• to refine
• to communicate
  

more:

• read
• write
• fuel
• produce
• start
• finish
• locate
• target
• win
• work
• research
• appropriate
• clear
• convince
• believe