Alphabet Soup Part 2 - Evaluation

Which personality traits did you choose to respond to and apply to the typeface?
I chose to use 'Academic', 'Precise' and 'Neat' as I believed these were the best to convey through type. They all had similar connotations and all relate to each other in some way. From the initial conversation with Beth, we discovered we were similar in some aspects - the main being these 3 words therefore out final outcomes conveyed these words effectively but in a completely different form.

What are the reasons behind the design decisions you have made for the typeface?
My immediate response to the aforementioned words was to incorporate geometric shapes and logic to the letterforms. I experimented using different shapes, both 2D and 3D and lines, evident in my final outcome. I chose an uppercase alphabet as the straight lines in the majority of the letterforms allowed me to show the technique effectively.

In what ways are the results effective?
I believe the words I chose to reflect Beth's personality are present in the design. 'Precise' and 'Neat' are shown through the detail and the logic used whereas 'Academic' is portrayed through the mathematical aspect. I was pleased with the final outcome. However, I wish to re-create the letterforms in lowercase using the same process but adapting it differently. Most uppercase letters consist of straight lines whereas this is the opposite to lowercase letters therefore the concept may be challenging. I want to overcome this and create a full typeface which is consistent throughout.

Final outcome:

Alphabet Soup Part 2

Alphabet Soup Rational

Final Crit

During our final crit, I noted down several things which I could work on in the week I have available. These included:

- Design a lowercase alphabet using the same concept.
- Use the typeface in context through words, sentences, in large and small scale.
- Use thinner lines & bolder outlines to create more of an impact and so the letterforms are defined.

Also, the pen I used tended to smudge and bleed when drawing on high quality tracing paper therefore the finish was not as aesthetically pleasing as I'd hoped. I will therefore use a pen more suited to my design and produce another outcome.

Final outcome

Alphabet Soup - Self Evaluation

What is being communicated and how?
The word I selected was 'flatten'. Rather than choosing my immediate response - to flatten or squash the letter in height - I decided to go with a different route. The idea of flatpacking soon came to mind after my research and I wanted to present the letters in a compact form. Using lines of symmetry, I extracted half of a letter and folded this over, revealing the entirety of the letterform; this can then be folded back into the paper in reference to the flatpack concept.

How well does this answer the brief?
The response from the group crit was positive and I believe it connotes the word effectively. However, I wish I explored more ideas and concepts and experimented with other techniques and processes to expand on developmental work.


How well has the idea been visually explored?
Aforementioned, I believe I could have devised more ideas in order to create a thorough body of work. Although I chose 2 ideas - flatpacking and 3D letterforms from my initial mind map, I did not explore them both in as much depth as I'd liked. Also, my concept of flatpacking through lines of symmetry will not work for all letters therefore I would need to find a way to overcome this.

What are the strengths of the resolution?
Again, I received positive feedback in the group crit and we all had very different resolutions - showing how the brief can be interpreted in so many ways. Although my designs were very minimalist, I believe it communicates the word I chose well. I was worried that the outcomes may be too simplistic but overall, I was pleased.

How could it be improved?
Not all letters in the alphabet have lines of symmetry and this was the main basis of my concept. If I were to do this again or even carry on with the idea by creating all letterforms, I would need to find a solution to this. Also, I believe the outcome could be improved by spending more time extracting the letters.

General comments
As the majority of my work is created digitally, I am more comfortable using Adobe programs, for example, to achieve my final outcomes. However, I wanted to explore a more "hands on" approach by creating hand-rendered outcomes so I am very pleased with the result.

Alphabet Soup - Final designs

These are the 10 A6 letterforms based on the word, flatten. The majority of letters in the alphabet have lines of symmetry so I took advantage of this by using this line to fold a letterform in half - this in result is 'flat-packing' the letter and presenting it in a compact form.

Personal Targets

We were asked to devise 10 'targets' which we wish to achieve during our first year on the course.

1) Experiment more with hand-rendered typography and image

The majority (if not all) of my work is digital therefore I want to expand my knowledge using all media

2) Look into the history and contextual side of graphic design in more depth

3) Use traditional printing techniques
Aforementioned, I primarily design using standard printing techniques creating deliverables such as posters, flyer etc but I want to experiment with more materials and use diverse techniques.

4) Document my work and research effectively on the blogs

I have never used a blog to document my work before therefore this process is completely alien. However, I want to make sure that everything I post is organised, well analysed and answers the brief effectively.

5) Focus more on typography


6) Create packaging in future projects


7) Gain experience in book binding/making

Something which I have always been interested in but lacked tools and training in my national diploma course.

8) Become more organised - have good time management

9) Be more confident in presentations/public speaking

10) To constantly try new things

"How to..." Rational & Evaluation

HOW TO... RATIONAL

EVALUATION


What role(s) did you take on in the group?
General design ideas and putting them into practice/preparing them for print - we all worked on all aspects in some way.

How well do you think you performed in the role(s)?
I tried to input as many ideas as possible and believe I worked well as a team member.


How well do you think you worked as a group?
We all put forward our suggestions, took a role in design work and collectively, created an outcome which solved the original problem effectively.

What were the positives of working in a group?
Rather than following one specific design route, we were all able to put across our own ideas and feedback in order to create the most effective outcome.

What were the negatives of working in a group?
Within the time constraints, it was difficult to all meet up as a group outside of college times.


What will you do differently next time?
I would make sure the design/s are consistent throughout all media/outcomes to provide a consistent and ongoing theme.

Where could you have improved your resolution?
Aforementioned, I would keep a consistent identity so each deliverable looked part of a set rather than several individual designs. However, this was hard to maintain/plan in the small amount of time we had.

What were the strengths of your presentation?
I believe our concept/answer in relation to the brief was evident throughout and all of the group had something to say during the presentation.