Jack Woodford - Diary Cover Design for Amnesty International

Jack Woodford - Diary Cover Design for Amnesty International Journal Entry 2

Introduction

Since documenting research and initial Ideas in the last journal entry, I have been further developing ideas and sketching drafts to make further progress with the charity diary cover. In addition to this, I have been experimenting with the software I have at my disposal, such as Illustrator, Blender and Photoshop. Conclusions have been made regarding the final style of the design, as I have opted to utilise my illustration skills to create symbolic content and unconventional typography to aid the diary cover's content.

mOOD BOARD

Deviating from the previous mood board which consisted of past Amnesty International ad campaigns, I have decided to collect imagery which is significantly more symbolic and referential towards Amnesty's goal as an organisation. Key ideas include security, freedom, protection, warmth and opportunity.

Images cited by numbers in the references below.

Above: The colour scheme created for the diary cover - it pays homage to the original without directly imitating it. These colours are intentionally very bright and direct.

Through brainstorming I have come to the conclusion that while I want my diary cover to be direct in conveying the companies' goal and philosophy, I would also like to incorporate influence from my personal favourite designers. As I realised that trying to recreate a photorealistic 3D drawing of my design depicted in an early sketch, I figured that it would be much more appropriate to take a less maximalist approach and pay homage to my favourite artists, notably Emil Ruder and Rene Magritte, with Ruder influencing the overall layout and Magritte influencing the illustration component of the project.

Emil Ruder - "Die Gute Form" (poster) Image cited in references below.

Rene Magritte - "The Imaginative Faculty" (1948) Oil on canvas. Image cited in references below.

design elements and principles

Through much brainstorming and researching, I came to the conclusion that my design will feature a multitude of both elements and principles as I am aiming to create a moderately complex design. Potential elements included are type, line, shape, colour and form. As for principles, the design will presumably feature a sense of hierarchy and scale with the use of type, working in harmony with the illustration accompanied by it. In addition to this, proximity of the design's content is also significant, as it is important for the design's features to breath and not be muddled together. Even though this isn't necessarily a minimal design, it is crucial to leave space to draw emphasis on the content. Below are a series of digital drafts produced while experimenting with various elements and principals.

Draft 1: In this design I was experimenting with type, line, colour, harmony and proximity.

2nd draft: this design largely makes use of shape, type, proximity and scale

Draft 3, this design is dominated by shape, but is complemented by colour, type and proximity.

brainstorming

As ideas for the project have evolved, further brainstorming has been completed to send the design off in a definite direction. A mind map has been drawn to illustrate a myriad of new ideas generated since.

Updated mind map - providing more detail regarding principles and elements.

TYPE

In pursuit of reflecting Amnesty International's sense of morality and victory, I have gathered a number of fonts that may come in useful when designing my final work.

These fonts are effective because they stand out, allowing for them to be recognisable to anyone within close range, as the goal is to make the text jump out at the viewer, creating a sense of intimidation.

SOFTWARE

For my diary cover design, I've decided to deviate from my comfort zone and utilise software other than just Photoshop. Whilst researching appropriate software programs for what I am trying to achieve, I was able to come across 4 main software packages to use at my disposal; Blender, Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop

1. Blender is an open-source 3D modelling program that allows users to create 3D renderings and animations from scratch. After experimenting extensively with this program for high-school projects, I realised that it could come into use for what I am trying to achieve with my illustration.

2. Adobe Illustrator is a program specifically targeted at artists. Unlike the features offered in Photoshop, it provides maximum control over what the user is creating. The program offers a wide array of brushes, pen tools and manipulation and effects tools. This program is relevant to my design because it will provide flexibility when working on the candle illustration.

3. Adobe InDesign is a program targeted primarily at creators of magazines, newspapers and blogs. It's dynamic graphic user interface provides maximum flexibility when creating designs comprised of both images and text, a goal made slightly fiddly with Photoshop. InDesign is particularly ideal for typography as it used commonly for text based work.

4. While Photoshop is a program that I'm familiar with, I will still make significant use of Photoshop as it offers most of the tools I need to complete this design. Photoshop will be useful for this design because I am fluent in using it to illustrate as well as compile images.

sketches

Since the first journal entry, I have created some rough sketches that will be further developed for the final project. Many of these apply ideas I have had since the initiation of the project with minor tweaks.

This is the initial idea for the design I had at the beginning of the project. Very basic, yet it roughly conveys the idea that will be later developed for the final design.

This is the same idea again, only modified so that the text resembles barbed wire, an ongoing symbol that is present in Amnesty International's promotional campaigns. Initially, I planned for the text to twist like barbed wire, however this idea was discontinued due to it compromising the legibility of the text.

HOW THE DESIGN FULFILLS THE BRIEF

Throughout the making of this project, I have considered the factors discussed in the design brief so that I avoid deviating from the initial reason for this design. For the purpose, I have made sure to keep an eye on stylistic choices so that the style of this design is not overly slapstick or comedic as it would be inappropriate for the cause. In addition, the context of this design has been considered as I have steered clear of incorporating graphic imagery as that would be inappropriate for an educational or office environment. For the target audience, I have decided not to pander to a particular demographic, but I have upheld the traditions of Amnesty International's previous designs to maintain the strength of the cause's identity.

CONCEPT REFINEMENT

Though I have decided upon a specific direction for this design, there is still a significant amount to think about conceptually. I would like to further develop the use of symbolism in the cover and the way it will convey its message. I would also like to focus more on type, as it is one of the most integral aspects of the project. Further improvement could possibly be made with the idea for the illustration, as it is unclear what stylistic direction the illustration will go in. After experimenting with various elements and principles, I have gained a greater understanding of how I will execute the layout and type featured the cover. In conclusion, further elaboration on the cover's message is necessary.

References

Moodboard: Image 1 downloaded from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGdbA0LyIpE (Retrieved 2nd May 2017) Image 2 downloaded from http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/barbed-wire-safety-zmaz85zsie (Retrieved 2nd May 2017) Image 3 downloaded from http://thelisteningaunt.com/is-there-a-buzzing-in-your-ears/ (Retrieved 2nd May 2017) Image 4 downloaded from http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/key (Retrieved 2nd May 2017) Image 5 downloaded from http://ww1.siliconetoast.com/?subid1=36bb1920-3232-11e7-b084-ed1e0a030988 (Retrieved 2nd May 2017) Image 6 downloaded from http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20302167/ (Retrieved 2nd May 2017) Image 7 downloaded from https://uk.pinterest.com/fireplacestudio/futuristic-fireplaces/ (Retrieved 2nd May 2017) Image 8 downloaded from http://unisci24.com/325873.html (Retrieved 2nd May 2017) Image 9 downloaded from http://www.backgroundsy.com/photos/chain-seamless (Retrieved 2nd May 2017) Image 10 downloaded from http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/884/helping-hand (Retrieved 2nd May 2017) Image 11 downloaded from https://forum.minetest.net/viewtopic.php?t=9373 (Retrieved 2nd May 2017) Image 12 downloaded from http://thejosevilson.com/open-classrooms-open-doors-open-minds/ (Retrieved 2nd May 2017) Emil Ruder "Die Gute Form" poster downloaded from http://www.design-is-fine.org/post/62186592285/emil-ruder-poster-design-for-the-exhibition-die (Retrieved 3rd May 2017) Rene Magritte "The Imaginative Faculty" downloaded from https://www.wikiart.org/en/rene-magritte/the-imaginative-faculty-1948 (Retrieved 3rd May 2017) Amnesty International text logo downloaded from http://thenewsdoctors.com/amnesty-international-fronts-for-power/ (Retrieved 3rd May 2017) Blender logo downloaded from https://www.blender.org/about/logo/ (Retrieved 3rd May 2017) Illustrator logo thumbnail downloaded from https://www.olx.com.gh/ad/adobe-illustratior-cs6-ID15HjVT.html (Retrieved 4th May 2017) InDesign logo downloaded from http://www.macworld.com/article/3152544/software-graphics/adobe-indesign-cc-2017-review-page-layout-software-features-improved-opentype-support-and-better-gr.html (Retrieved 4th May 2017) Photoshop logo downloaded from http://www.dafont.com/forum/read/6696/adobe-photoshop-cs5-logo (Retrieved 4th May 2017)

Appreciate