illustrative typography.

These are really beautifully simple designs that I could imagine on greetings cards. Although I have a heart for design for a cause I also have a huge tendency to doodle and could imagine creating something useable whilst procrastinating can't be a bad thing. I have lately been designing a few greetings cards for family and friends but they seem to be lacking variation... well... no ... they just seem to be lacking something. I have focused on using illustrated type and colour which has worked to an extent but would love to look further into creating more of a hierarchy and a system/ modifying an existing font to create something more professional but with the same aesthetic.

...SUBJECT/CONTENT

I wasn't entirely sure where this should go PPD or here but I am going to be collaborating with a friend over easter to enter this brief. I think this sort of work would be perfect for my portfolio and as it is already for a good cause there is no doubt that I will enjoy it and get it done. The deadline is in May but of course I want to get it done before we return back after easter as it is going to be mental.

Although this isn't yet a piece of work I feel this subject is perfect for the context brief we were given earlier today. It is not yet specific but a good starting point.

All the charities involved are only small and have very limited budgets so will be really great to see what I can create for them.

Web design session with Simon

People only look at a website for an average of 5 or less seconds before they make their mind up as to whether they want to keep looking. Therefore it is really important to work out what it is that makes you look and enjoy looking at a site.

DESIGNING A WEBSITE
- web standards
- Start with a root folder which will hold all the information for the website.
- Always measured in pixels.
Always design for lowest common denominator.(800x600) This therefore restricts the size of the web page.
This introduces the idea of using scroll bars - seen as a negative thing. (horizontally is a no no so don't go beyond 800px)
If you are following all the web standards will be hard to stand out from the rest. BUT ... the standards are there for a reason.
- Fonts aren't embedded on your website - need to chose standard fonts.
Can get the website to go to another font (if the one you have chosen is not on the users computer) have a list which also works with the site rather than just times new roman.
To solve this could use an image instead of text file. But this is a much larger file size so takes longer to load - and realise this is very frustrating for the user (only give a website 5 seconds so be aware of this)
- Another draw back with this is that an image is not searchable.
- Law in England is that everyone has to be able to access a website. (screen reader for the visually impaired, wouldn't be able to read through image)
Colour - RGB - What we design therefore needs to be what we want people to see, makesure you work in this colour mode.
- On photoshop - on colour picker. check box only web colours. Always use hexadecimal code for web (coding/html). more limited than expected. Again - have to work specifically with colours that can be viewed on all systems profiles as they vary with the way RGB is viewed.
- Images have to be saved specifically for use on the internet.
Save for web and devices. - can alter the quality and therefore the size on an image so that it uploads quicker on all devices. (jpeg) Always save it specifically for the size in which it should be used.

Vanishing Point from Takuya Hosogane on Vimeo.

hand hand typography

Small segments creating something immense

30 motion tests in 30 seconds from Steffen K on Vimeo.

Arthur and I have spoken a lot about creating something which is completely unexpected and not immediately directly related to a charity. We don't want to create something heart warming or guilt ridden but just something which appeals, something which entertains, something which is beautifully created and so very much respected and something which therefore promotes fairtrade in a new light.  This film shows 'the art of seeing sideways'.  Considering something which is there but gone unnoticed.  A lot of charity films which are made to promote and educate either end up seeming boring and the term 'i have heard it all before' comes to mind.  Still images of smiling african farmers not only is over used but now ineffective.

Julien Vallee

MTV Hits from Julien Vallée on Vimeo.

MTV-One from Julien Vallée on Vimeo.

Although Julien Vallee's work doesnt show the clean cut concept we want to get across and he obviously seems to create things for a young audience, he does though, show stop motion animation in a creatively new way. Easy to understand and very crafty.

Pes

I would say that these videos are exactly the style fairtrade are possibly looking for. All have over a million views and all are on a completely different creative level. If we take these as ideas and put a message behind them it would be interesting to see what we could create out of as many fairtrade products as possible.

What are we looking for..? How can we be inspired?

So fairtrade it is! been inspired by a few beautiful films/animations

Welkom in Nederland from Lernert & Sander on Vimeo.


Color Correction from Lernert & Sander on Vimeo.







Been inspired by a few beautiful films/animations directly related and some completely unrelated to fairtrade.