Research

 Westminster University Trip Photos:  23/02/24

we recently visited Westminster University to do a photography workshop and here are some of the results. 

for each photo, we tried different poses and shot types to allow for a fun variety of photos that showed great quality and expressions. since we were in different groups we each used a different background that had different colors on each of them to give a different look to each image and helped with making the pictures taken on a certain. backdrop specific and unique as we did different angles and positions when using the cameras. 

with each backdrop, the pictures taken with them have different types of light as the purple backdrop has most of the light focusing on the subject in the middle of the picture and the yellow backdrop has light all around the subject and background. each backdrop differentiates from one another because of how light will reflect each one.

most of the pictures came out with great quality due to the equipment that we had on-site since the studio used a giant reflector to get great resolution and quality of the pictures. however, some pictures came out in a dark and saturated resolution like the one above and this was because sometimes the quality and light cut out when taking the photo which resulted in barely visible pictures. however in the end most of the pictures came out in perfect quality.  

the experience was positive and some of the pictures we took could be utilized in my FMP as photography could be used for adverts in my final major project. 

after the experience, I could maybe see myself studying photography and maybe pursuing it as a career but for now, I will wait and see since I am interested in other parts of media. 

Creative practitioners: 26/02/24

Saul Bass - he was an American Oscar-winning filmmaker and graphic designer best known for designing motion picture title sequences and revolutionizing opening credit title sequences in films such as West Side Story, psycho, and Vertigo. he also made posters for films and corporate logos.  he was so iconic because of his simple use of geometric shapes and symbolism as often a single prominent standalone image delivers a powerful message. most shapes were hand-drawn by Bass himself to give off a casual appearance with a sophisticated message. 

He worked with filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick to create legendary behind-the-scenes work with titles for iconic movies that came out from the 50s to the 70s. 

In my opinion, I really like how Saul Bass used ordinary and simple shapes with bright colors and specific fonts to create iconic-looking posters this allows these posters to stand out and look iconic even to this day as even from looking from far away you can tell what the film is going to be about based on these posters. that is what makes a good poster iconic and is easy to spot and easily recognizable.  

Identity - 01/03/24:

Identity is the Appearance, qualities, and the fact of who or what a person or thing is. we as humans have an identity because it is important for our well-being, gives us confidence, and can give people a sense of belonging. identity is who you are to yourself and everyone else around you in society. 

people express their identity through their interests or when they find someone who is quite like them in personality. identity is unique to everyone. 

There are many types of identity however only eight are major social ones which are used to describe a person's category with themself and others there referred to as the big eight. they are as follows:

1- ability 

2- age 

3- ethnicity 

4- gender 

5- race 

6- religion 

7- sexual orientation 

8- socioeconomic status 

Victoria and Albert Museum Trip: 01/03/24 

we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London Yesterday and the experience was very interesting. personally, I had never been there so it was very interesting since it was my first time going there and I was surprised by how big and extravagant the place was. each part that i explored was very intriguing as all the artwork and architecture were as detailed as the design of walls and walkways around it. 

some things looked weird and others looked normal but they all were interesting things I believe that the pictures I have taken could be used for my FMP and can relate to the theme of identity as art and architecture both convey personal ideas and concepts and do connect to shaping identities but also showcase the identity of the artist or archetype who created all the exhibits in the museum as it showcases who that person was and what they connected with.  

even stuff like this was on display but it works to showcase different communities and things people identify with plus it's interesting to look at all these things and understand how they link to identity and how they could be used to personify someone by giving them more stuff to relate to. 

 

I enjoyed exploring each area and seeing how unique each piece of art was as every room had a different style and aesthetic to the last along with the architecture having unique styles and being sculpted differently which was fascinating to look at. I also found the exhibits dedicated to certain countries interesting as everything there related to the culture of that specific country. 

Primary and Secondary Research for FMP: 04/03/24

 Primary Research - Since I am doing a website and a poster I may want to analyze products that were promoted with both posters and websites along with asking for people's opinions on my design and ideas when I am at the experimentation part of creating my FMP. 

29/04/24: 

Today I'm going to ask my peers in a survey about my website and posters so far for some extra primary research. 

I made another Google form showcasing what i had made so far for my posters and asked questions on whether or not my theme and ideas were the same and if they would work 

when asked what would they add to my project people said they would add text to the posters and information with appropriate images. thankfully my FMP does have a unique way of representing identity as that was the last question on the survey and the majority said yes. 

I'm going to take the feedback i have received and I will expand on my posters and try to add the things missing that the feedback from others pointed out.

02/05/24:

so far my website has been going very well along with making multiple posters that i think are pretty good. however, I think i should try to give myself feedback on what i have made so far.  

this is a poster i made today which has a slight resemblance to a picture i found on the internet that was related to identity. i did this to have the poster link to identity. 

as you can see both posters have multiple people each with a different color. this has been done to showcase different moods and personalities which represents the diversity of personal identity. 

13/05/24:

Diversity - a range or collection of different values, cultures, race or gender 

Neurodiversity - the variety and difference in how people function every day and how they see the world and how they will react in situations which many be different to how others react. 

Secondary Research - I would like to be inspired by similar posters that you see in tube stations tackling matters that everyone faces in which what's being promoted can have everyone relate to the message. my audience will be anyone as my product is aimed towards anyone of all ages.

Art Desginer Research: 06/03/24

April Greiman: a widely recognized American designer and one of the first designers to embrace computer technology as a design tool and has 40 years of experience shaping visual culture. alongside Jayme Odgers, she is credited with helping to import the new wave of European style to the US  during the 70s and 80s. 

the way she makes her work shows a combination of graphic elements through extensive Apple Macintosh technology usage. 

The artwork that April has created has a very vibrant style and layout as many of the colors are very bright and there are many darks no colors seem to contradict each other as they all blend and contrast well together. I feel connected to these artworks because I really like the style and vibrancy of her work whenever posters or artworks use brighter versions of the primary colors it stands out and differentiates it from anything that may be similar as April has used specific shapes to go along with the vibrant colors which gives a great symmetry and pattern to the artwork. The artwork above does relate to identity as the eyes are cropped out from the head in the middle which can symbolize that anyone could be on a poster or be good enough to be painted. the image also has many random objects around it such as the fish the mask and the flower. these can all relate to specific people and identities that those objects associate with and are used for/a part of also the vibrant colors can interest people into looking into more pieces of art and could potentially get someone seriously into designers and artists and how they represent their own style and showcase who they are through their artwork. 

Max Huber: he was one of the most significant and influential Swiss graphic designers of the 20th century. his work revealed the teaching of the masters of the modern movement and the influence of the post-war artistic climate. alongside Josef Muller-Brockmann Huber was one of the most significant Swiss designers to have emerged after the Second World War. the artwork that Huber made sought a balance between his gift for visual experimentation and improv and the constraints of the project. his work drew from freedom in Italian design and the more Puritan Swiss model. Huber never abandoned any discovery or technique. he was quick to latch on and had a lively curiosity with an irrepressible talent and faultless drawing hand. part of the reason why his work still is recognized today is because of his unique style and techniques of making simple yet convoluted art pieces.      

in my opinion, His artwork is simple but does have a sophisticated style. many artists make simple and bland paintings which many people would shrug off and say doesn't make sense but since there are only a few colours and simple shapes in his artworks they are easy to look at and don't take away too much from being a good painting since the painting hasn't got many things around it to distract someone as the main image is front and center with nothing else. I do like it when art is just a simple one piece on a blank canvas since that's all you need sometimes there's a message to be told and that message is personified through paintings like these ones. I could use this type of style in my project as it's simple but good enough to be more than just a plain image it could be improved with some more color or by adding an extra part to it to add more context. 

Sky Up Acadamy Trip 08/03/24

Yesterday our course went to Sky Acadamy in Gunnersbry to experience what it is like to work at Sky and to film a small video to showcase how real-life news and TV are filmed every day. we used studios to each create a small video that would be strung together to make a fake news report to showcase three specific parts of producing stuff at Sky. Collaboration, communication, and creativity. these three things are important because they allow anyone and everyone to be involved in a project and make it so that any good idea is perfect and using imagination isn't unheard of. even though we weren't there long it was still a fun trip and a great time overall. 

here are some photos I took while we were there: 

i wished i wouldve got a better angle of this picture whilst we were there.

Infographics, Cartography, timeline: 11/03/24

Infographic - a Visual representation of data that is intended to present information as quickly and neatly as possible along with improving cognition by enhancing the human visual system to notice patterns and symmetry. an example of this is a diagram of a data chart. 

This infographic showcases how popular each social media platform is with how many people use them and how many videos and tweets have been sent with a certain percentage. 

Cartography - refers to making and using maps by combining aesthetics and science. It builds on the premise of how reality can be modeled in different ways that communicate spatial information. an example of cartography would be a river being shown as a simple polygon on a map of a town centre whereas it would be a simple line on a national topographic map. 

This is an example of a cartographic map. all the colored squares indicate specific buildings which you wouldn't get on an ordinary map since everything here is organized.

this cartograph showcases 50 tv shows and all 50 American states that they take place in.  i chose this because it relevant to my love for tv and film and i do love how it's been coordinated with different colours being used for specific states which makes me think i could use good coordination in my FMP. 

here is an infographic pinpointing and organizing g all the actors who have played famous comic book characters over the years in live-action and animated projects along with connecting actors who have played more than one character.  I have chosen this because I am really into superheroes and because identity is one of the main parts of superheroes as a genre since there is always a secret identity when it comes to superheroes along with shaping other people into becoming great people. 

Timelines - timelines document everything and anything that happens in the continuity of shows, games, books, and movies along with pointing out key moments that changed the timeline along with when someone was born or when something started and when it ended. 

this is a timeline for Star Wars and it shows what happens in each movie and shows and states when they take place. I have chosen this as I love Star Wars and the text is all in the same color and font which relates to having a pattern and symmetry. a timeline similar to this could help me document everything I do to my FMP whenever I do something that goes toward it. 

this is a timeline showcasing the social media chain over the years and how it has evolved and grown. a timeline like this is simpler but still pinpoints the year and what major thing came out of that year related to the timeline topic. this can relate to my FMP due to its simple design which is what I want to strive for when making my FMP.

Audience and demographic for my FMP: 14/03/24

For my FMP I'm doing a poster and website on Identity and I'm aiming to have it be targeted towards young people my age along with young adults who are trying to find out who they want to be but don't know what they want to do in life which is why my idea for older people passing down knowledge and wisdom to younger people being a major part of my Project for my FMP it's also a good choice since many young people face problems with not knowing who they want to be and what to do. 

my FMP will be used to inform and help people along with encouraging social interaction so that the more people talk about it the more people I can help with my poster and website's message on shaping identity for young people. to make sure I persuade my audience to be invested in my product that i will give my poster and website a vibrant art style and smooth layout whilst conveying a serious message to call out those who need help so that they can know my product will give them the help they need for creating an identity for themselves. 

The purpose of my project is to make a product out of a poster and website akin to mental health advert posters since identity is something anyone can relate to which is why i will implement older and wiser people giving out wisdom to young people like me who need it since we all get help from those above us since we always go to older people for guidance which is what I'm trying to achieve by making this the main theme of my FMP. since I'm making a website my product can be used anywhere on a computer, tablet, or phone i also want to influence people with my product since it is about shaping identity which is why I want it to be as informative as it can be on helping people find an identity for themselves whilst helping those with an identity crisis or any other identity-related problems. 

Secondary research: Products similar to mine: 15/03/24

For my FMP I'm making a poster and a website about shaping and making identities for young people my age who don't quite know who they want to be or what they want to associate themselves with which is why I'm tackling a serious topic and giving a service that should provide help to those who need it. for my inspiration, i thought my poster should take on the style and look similar to that of the Headspace adverts that promote the app service that gives people the opportunity to meditate. 

theses are the types of advert posters that i want to try and replicate with my own product and theme. headspace posters always have the text in big bold letters to convey a message that gets everyone's attention but also has bright and vibrant colors around it along with funny-looking animated characters taking up the poster. each headspace poster is stylized differently, making it unique as a campaign. each one has a specific message along with an illustration or animated counterpart that relates to the message on the poster. the vibrant colours and serious message is what i want to replicate in my own product for my FMP since my main idea of a service to help young people find an identity for themselves is somewhat similar to Headspaces meditation service as it benefits anyone and everyone since we all experience problems to do with identity.

Secondary Research Feedback: 18/03/23

i made survey for my prototype Fmp poster and website layout andi have gottensome good results.  asked what people thought of my prototype poster and ive been told that its interesting and represents the theme of identity. the majority of people said that they would maybe find a campaign about shaping identities for young people relatable which makes me think that i should try and advertise this project with more than just finding identity. i also got answeres on what other people would create with the theme of identity one person suggested a podcast which would be great for pulling in more people and another said expression. 

Website research: 25/03/24

today i am researching websites that are similar to what i want my website to look like and showcasing what type of style i would want for my FMP. 

i have decided to choose the headspace website as it is a company that tackles mental health and provides meditation and help with sleeping for those who need it. their website has asimple colour scheme and layout but has serious messages being relayed making it an important website for the company. this is the type of style for my website that im looking for since there are fun looking animaed characters all around the website and adverts for headspace which shows their signature style which i want to replicate my own style whilst delivering a serivce that can help young people with their identities.  

each page on the website has the right blend of fun looking animated characters with serious messages and geniune care put into every word which is something i really like about headspace since their animated videos on youtube have a fun artstyle and animation whislt being calming and helpful for those in need.

Although i couldnt find a website for this campaign i do believe that the Change 4 Life campaign is very interestign for having colorful stickmen characters covering a serious issue. 

most of their adverts have a simplistic style with a very serious message of how to tackle what we eat and how we deal with disorders and diseases that come from eating. 

these two campaigns are my inspiration as they both seem similar in tone and style which is why i want to replicate that with my poster and website so that they can stand out amongst everything else and can still convey a message to people even if it may look simplistic and have a colourful design. 

it wouldve helped if this campaign had a website but i coudlnt find any on the matter as i wnted this to be one of the prime examples for my inspiration of my postes and website.