Zen Quek Illustration and Visual Media Over the past few months, I have taken on a surprising number of collaborative projects, all of which have allowed me to explore new ways of working. Most notably, working with the Good Gifts pop up shop team has taught me a great deal about branding and enterprise. Prior to this project, I had very little exposure to design for branding except during my thesis research. In my research, I looked at case studies of successful packaging design that well reflect the brand narrative of sustainable companies. Examples of these are Oatly and Botanicascent, both of which imbue their brand identities into purposeful packaging designs. Oatly’s packaging design for instance, is straight-forward while also playful, educating consumers about their product’s health and environmental benefits in a cheeky way. The packaging’s simple design elements also communicate the “clean” nature of Oatly’s oat-based food products. Botanicascent, another brand that has a sustainability focus, likewise communicates their brand attributes through thoughtful and inventive packaging. Their soap packaging is reversible and uses one-colour printing, making it cost-effective and resourceful while retaining a certain design flair. These case studies are excellent examples of how design for branding functions as an intermediary, communicating brand narrative and philosophy to consumers. While helping to organise the Good Gifts pop up shop with other DPS peers, I got a chance to dabble in some branding and art direction. The team first came up with a branding moodboard as a general guideline for our subsequent designs. Since one of the key selling points of our shop was sustainability and up-cycling, we made sure to communicate that through a more earthy, crafty and “hand-made” aesthetic. Above are some of the promotional flyers and posters that I designed, utilising craft paper textures, handwritten type and the brand’s earthy colour scheme to reflect our brand personality. We also made sure to incorporate up-cycling into our design process, using the patterns of old print scraps from LCC’s screen printing workspace in our poster design (as seen below). Beyond the 2D marketing material, we also made sure to extend our brand aesthetic into the shop’s spatial design. Kornelija, our spatial designer, helped create decor using recyclable materials, such as cardboard fir trees and display shelves. Additionally, we used craft paper as a makeshift “tablecloth”, writing pricing and product descriptions on top, as well as wooden store signs made using up-cycled wood from the 3D workshop (courtesy of Audrey, our team leader). It is interesting to see how cohesive the spatial design looks with our promotional materials. The pops of colours from the display products, against a neutral backdrop, mirror the graphic design of our poster (brightly coloured pattern against a craft paper background). Despite the short amount of time to put this pop up together, I think we still managed to deliver a visual aesthetic that aptly captures our brand attributes. As this was my first proper foray into branding, it was a valuable experience in creating a consistent visual style that could be applied across various disciplines.
Aside from collaborative design, managing the more administrative aspects of this enterprise also meant collaborating with multiple other stakeholders involved in this pop up (tutors, student designers, external mentors etc). We were fortunate to have had a chance to consult Sinead Koehler, founder of the Crafty Fox Market. Through our meeting with her, we gained deeper insight into the immense prep work involved in setting up a pop up shop, some of which we had not even considered. While we did not have the time to establish a very elaborate business model, we did what we could to run the pop up fairly smoothly, which included keeping the inventory/stock list updated, and setting up a temporary online shop for any card payments (supervised by Tatiana, a fellow DPS alumnus). Having these systems in place proved to be absolutely vital, especially since I was in charge of handling the finances post-pop up, which meant setting aside a fixed percentage of our sales for charity and then paying our student designers accordingly. Admittedly, this process was not smooth-sailing, but I definitely learnt a lot from overcoming these obstacles. For one thing, having the time to set up a reliable system for inventory tracking and our own payment system (instead of relying on a third-party website) will put us in a better position to not only run an enterprise better, but to be more accountable to our sellers and clients. I am excited to be able to apply this new knowledge to future projects, and will be keen to dabble in branding or art direction again. Image References Oatly packaging (2020) [Screenshot] Available at: https://thedieline.com/blog/2014/9/23/oatly? Designing Cultures Studio (2013) Botanicascent Reversible Packaging Design. Available at: https://www.designingculturesstudio.com/botanicascent1
0 Comments
Lauren West Graphic Branding & Identity On approaching this year, I had visited the island Malta. During my time in there, I had planned to visit multiple prehistoric sites throughout the island, as well as sites located on the neighbouring island of Gozo. The temples located throughout both Mediterranean islands are “the earliest free-standing stone buildings in the world and are remarkable for their diversity of form and decoration. Each complex is a unique architectural masterpiece and a witness to an exceptional prehistoric culture renowned for its remarkable architectural, artistic and technological achievements.” (World Heritage Convention. 2015) One particular site was the Ġgantija Temples “consisting of two temples which date back to between 3600 and 3200 BC, preceding Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids” (Heritage Malta. 2019). When having visited the island of Gozo, my discovery of the Ġgantija Temples left me with a mass of un-answered questions regarding the religious significance and the goddess-like figurines that surrounded the very purpose of these temples. “According to local legends, the gigantic blocks of Ġgantija were carved in the south of Gozo by a female giant.” (Gray, M. 2020) This particular ‘female giant’ is known as the Fertility Goddess throughout Maltese legend. Her importance throughout Maltese culture is referred to as “eternal and universal” (Petroni, N. 2016). The symbolisation can be linked to both feminist activists in the present day, and folklore throughout ancient culture. From my findings during this particular trip and the research I have undertaken this year, I have planned to further develop with the research revolving these megalithic temples, and the Fertility Goddess they worshiped. Furthermore, from this research, I will curate my own typeface solely surrounding the significance of this female deity; using curvature forms and full-like shapes to represent the goddess and her impact during this period on the Neolithic people of Malta. This typeface will be used to symbolise the Neolithic body standards during this time in the Mediterranean, and feminism today. I will achieve this by honing in on the female qualities and similarities, evident between each Fertility Goddess figurine. These qualities are both representative of females today as well as in Neolithic times. “Who is this enigmatic spiritual figure, the prototype of Woman of the Mediterranean, who occupied such a revered and exalted position in our psyche throughout the ages?” (Bugeja, L. 2016) It is fair to state that the Fertility Goddess may have impacted the way women were, and are viewed within Mediterranean culture. However, the figurines are definitely no paragon of beauty by societies current body standards, but rather the standards of feminists. Applying this cross-over of culture and time period, will allow my typeface to possess pre-historical and modern-day elements whilst coherently displaying a clear feminist approach to type design. It was not only the figurines and statuettes that processed these maternal-like qualities, but the temples themselves. In particular the Ġgantija Temples, the chambers within these temples are of a semi-circular shape “such a design shows a striking resemblance to the silhouette of the Fat Lady; their goddess of fertility” (The Megalithic Temples in the Maltese Islands. 2020). The consistent use of circular, maternal shapes will continue to be a consistent throughout the making of my typeface as it was throughout their religion. However, I’m unclear on whether this will be solely decorative or for versatile use. Nonetheless, the same resemblance will be prevalent throughout. Once having reflected on my megalithic research, I discovered a typographer under the name of Ciarán Birch. His typographic work is remarkably similar to my vision of a megalithic inspired typeface. For Ciarán’s final year project at the University of Brighton, he created the typeface: Phenomeno. “I’m very interested in chalk drawings, rock formations and the history of how English people expressed themselves creatively through a landscape that will long outlive us all.” (Miller, K. 2019) This particular interest lies within the folklore surrounding the Oxfordshire country-side near to his home, stories of rock-throwing contests between giants and humans “I wanted to tap into this mysticism and create something that appears sculptural and intriguing” (Miller, K. 2019). Ciarán turned to the work of artists like Barbara Hepworth, Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland; all of whom relate to neo-romantic art. From this research and recording ancient sites throughout Oxfordshire, he created glyph-like characters to capture the spirit and mystery behind these remarkable pre-historic sites. Ciarán has inspired my overall approach to idea-generation and research. Particularly reading about his love for “how English people expressed themselves creatively through a landscape” (Pittaway, L. 2019). His mix of personal historical enjoyment throughout his design work is exactly what I aspire to achieve through the making of this typeface. Upon my arrival in Lincoln, I was vastly intrigued by the history of the city and in particular, the medieval roots surrounding the history. Earlier this academic year, I had delve into the pre-historic megalithic, Ġgantija Temples and discovered my strong interest towards the intersection between history and typography. This new found love for typography is in-favour to this intersection, however, I have always been intrigued by typographers and the ability to communicate not only through pure visuals, but through how the type is presented. Whether its designed for display purposes or for versatility. After having explored the historic sites of Lincoln, I began to notice more often, and found myself drawn to, medieval calligraphy. Especially when having visited Lincoln Cathedral, and Lincoln Castle. I started to collect a series of photographs documenting distinctive ligatures throughout the architecture in both buildings, containing characters that aren’t typically used today. Most documentation of typography throughout these times were either throughout books, manuscripts, or carved into stone. When researching further into traditional stonemasonry, I discovered courses for ‘Lettering in Stone’. In particular, courses in both London and Lincoln which specialise in a range of stonemasonry experiences, specifically intensive letter carving. I had considered applying to both, but due to the current pandemic, this was not a foreseeable option anymore. Nonetheless, there’s a high possibility that I’ll apply in the next coming years. As this opportunity was no longer attainable, this leads me onto my improved idea which involves creating a typeface heavily influenced by Lincoln’s medieval history. Jacob Wise, is a London-born graphic designer, whose work is predominantly inspired and driven by the middle ages. A particular typeface of his displays this fascination, Monarch. “I was going through a bit of an intense medieval phase during the time (I still am), which definitely shows in the particular characteristics of the font.” (Boddington, R. 2017) as said by Jacob for It’s Nice That. The article then goes on to say “Jacob believes that gaining an understanding of what has already been done helps give him a wider perspective. He therefore aims to discover the untapped potential in various areas of design that may have been forgotten about today.” (Boddington, R. 2017). This particular way of thinking is what I aim to achieve through the making of this project, to understand previous history and ways of designing throughout the ages. Taking elements of design from those times, that aren’t commonly used today, and modernising their ability to be of applicable use in the 20th century. From my research and understanding of Lincoln’s history, I have several avenues in which I can explore. I can take the possible route of directly referencing a typeface, as said by It’s Nice That, or provide my own, new interpretation from the calligraphy and general history I have gained from research. When having gathered information written about Lincoln Cathedral, I learnt that it was the tallest building worldwide for 238 years, from 1311 - 1548, throughout a significant period of the middle ages. During my research on Lincoln Castle, I discovered that one of the four remaining copies of the original Magna Carta is now securely displayed within the castle’s walls. Lincoln clearly represented a greater role in medieval history than I had previously realised. When having gained this knowledge, and more, from both the sites, I knew the history would carry well into the creation of a typeface. Either through creating elongated characters to represent the tallest building, or taking influence from the calligraphic characters in the Magna Carta. A traditional, historic influenced typeface with a modern twist on old gothic calligraphy “the meeting of the old and new” (Boddington, R. 2017). As I too, want to express cultural interest and historic events within my design, and especially through the use of typography. After having focussed on both the online courses in code and brand identity, I had a desire to be experimental throughout the next few projects I would take on this year. I planned to make the most of the time left and to use this creative freedom by delving further into my other personal interests. Combining my two passions of design and history, and based on my own trips and experiences with historic sites. As Jacob said to It’s Nice That last year: “I think it’s massively important to know and understand what has preceded within the context of design. That is how graphic design perpetuates, you can be inspired by particular visual styles from the past but you should obviously refrain from blatant regurgitation – homage rather than pillage.” (Boddington, R. 2019). I plan to take on this project during the summer months. Hopefully once society returns back to normal, I will be able to explore the grounds in more detail and visit the cathedrals library, allowing me to gather research from their medieval manuscripts and other material. As I haven’t been successful in gaining any internship opportunities this year, due to the pandemic, I have chosen to focus particularly on the research of both my megalithic and medieval typefaces this summer after hand-in. Devoting my time in isolation to learning and training myself within typeface programs, such as Glyphs, and developing on my typographic sketching. Bibliography
Altaber, L. (2018) Workshop de gravure lapidaire réalisé en novembre 2018 à Val-de-Reuil, pour la Factorie – Maison de poésie de Normandie. Paris: e162.eu. Available from https:// www.instagram.com/p/Brk9EiVhJ_z/ [Assessed: 01 March 2020]. Boddington, R. (2017) Jacob Wise’s visually led, historically inspired designs are “visual nonsense”. London: It’s Nice That. Available from https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/jacob-wise-graphic-design-141217 [Accessed: 03 March 2020]. Boddington, R. (2019) Jacob Wise on legibility, expressive typography and referencing in graphic design. London: It’s Nice That. Available from https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/ones-to-watch-2019-jacob-wise-graphic-design-250219 [Accessed: 03 March 2020]. Bugeja, L. (2016) The Maltese Temple Period’s unique religious significance. Malta: Times of Malta. Available from https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/The-Maltese-Temple-Period-s-unique-religious-significance.604050 [Accessed: 01 March 2020]. Devroye, L. (2017) Jacob J Wise Monarch 2017. Canada: Type Design Information Page. Available from http://luc.devroye.org/fonts-92590.html [Assessed: 03 March 2020]. Gray, M. (2020) Neolithic Temples of Malta. Arizona: World Pilgrimage Guide. Available from https://sacredsites.com/europe/malta/temples_malta.html [Assessed: 01 March 2020]. H. Dobrzynski, J. (2017) A Powerful Symbol of a Lost Civilization. New York City: The Wall Street Journal. Available from https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-powerful-symbol-of-a-lost-civilization-1505493783 [Accessed: 01 March 2020]. Heritage Malta. (2019) Ġgantija Temples. Malta: Heritage Malta. Available from https://heritagemalta.org/ggantija-temples/ [Accessed: 01 March 2020]. Miller, K. (2019) Graduate Show 2019: Ciaran Birch: Graphic Design. Brighton: EDU Blogs. Available from: https://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/aadm/2019/05/31/graduate-show-2019-ciaran-birch-graphic-design/ [Accessed: 03 March 2020]. Petroni, N. (2016) The Goddess of Fertility. London: The Independent. Available from https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2016-09-26/newspaper-lifestyleculture/The-Goddess-of-Fertility-6736164268 [Accessed: 01 March 2020]. Pittaway, L. (2019) Ciarán Birch’s latest typeface is inspired by the mysticism of neolithic monuments. London: It’s Nice That. Available from https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/ciaran-birch-graphic-design-210819 [Accessed: 03 March 2020]. The Megalithic Temples in the Maltese Islands. (2020) The Shape of the Temples. Malta: The Megalithic Temples in the Maltese Islands. Available at http://www.sanandrea.edu.mt/CyberFair/temples/ShapeoftheTemples.html [Assessed: 01 March 2020]. World Heritage Convention. (2015) Megalithic Temples of Malta. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Available from https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/132/ [Accessed: 01 March 2020]. Zammit, Sir T. (2007) The Neolithic Temples of Hal-Tarxien Malta. Malta: The Modern Antiquarian. Available from https://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site.php/10597/tarxien.html [Accessed: 01 March 2020]. Natalie Cheng / GMD After my 3 months in Endpoint, I managed to secure a placement in Pentagram under Astrid Stavro’s team for 3 months (although I managed to extend it for 3 more). As someone who has done a couple of internships previously before stepping into UAL, (I did 2 back when I was doing my diploma in Singapore), I would like to address the elements and how essential they are in creating a healthy working environment. I will also talk about how the difference in work culture between Endpoint and Pentagram has shaped my decision makings for my future plans. My time in Endpoint was a very positive experience and it was mainly because of the people. Everybody is extremely kind and welcoming and there was hardly any sense of hierarchy in the office. Everybody had their own voice, everyone respected each other and their opinions. Breakfast Fridays are a thing where we all sit together biweekly to enjoy an array of pastries and yoghurts over a meeting. A positive energy will always be upheld– music gets played over the speakers, there will always be snacks but if there isn’t, the boss will sometimes offer to go on a biscuit run. These factors kept the teams’ morale high, and as a result it made me not minding ploughing through work even when it gets stressful. And quite often I offered to stay till late just to help ease the workload for the senior designers. Every quarterly, the office will hold a bonding activity. It can range from bake offs to paintballing. And while I was there, I was fortunate to have experienced it. We all enjoyed an afternoon of fun and ended the night with food and drinks. While I understand that not all office culture is as positive as Endpoint’s, I feel that for me, a positive work environment is a deciding factor for my future job hunts. I entered Endpoint wanting to learn more about wayfinding, to which I did and glad to have to. But I am also glad that I managed to know that it is not my priority interest to want to pursue in the future. My passion is still in graphic design and the desire to fulfil my dream of being in an agency was still prevalent. Although they were more than happy to have me stay for a longer period, I had to tell myself not to and bid goodbye in order for me to pursue my other dreams. As a result, I was fortunate to secure a placement with Pentagram under Astrid Stavro’s team. To work in Pentagram had been a longtime dream for me to work towards. It was definitely not easy to have secured this placement, but I managed to remain resilient and successfully achieve it. Stepping into the Pentagram office for the first time on my first day felt like a dream. Its office size, the large number of people, and its vibe. Everything was a total opposite in comparison to Endpoint. I don’t mean it in a negative way, but it was something to get used to. Because my previous placements in Singapore were in small studios as well, suddenly having to work in a less tight knit environment was a new experience. However, I loved it – it was everything I wanted. I love the hustle and bustle, and to describe it loosely and superficially, it made me feel like I have ‘achieved success’. Everybody was so serious and focused in their job, and unlike Endpoint, there is no music being played. And for its work quality, it is great of course. But I feel that because of all its seriousness, there is a lack of positive energy and spirit in the building. Because of how big the company is, unless its lunch time, you rarely get a chance to mingle and meet the rest of the people working in the building.
Astrid’s team is the smallest of all 13 other London partners– there is a total of 6 of us. Since we are such a small team, the amount of project workload couldn’t allow time for fun. It is constant work, work and work. However, throughout all the jobs I’m given, there has not been one where I could design, or much less input my creativity. Perhaps because I’m just an intern and they cannot risk giving me a design job due to how highly regarded the company is in the industry. Sure, I can understand that. But that got me identifying the differences between a small studio like Endpoint, and a large one like Pentagram. During my time in Endpoint, I had the opportunity to design. From coming up with visual directions and concepts for clients, to redesigning the company’s own case study templates. It was great training for me, for which I appreciate so much. I will think any intern will prefer that because that’s what we are there for. I won’t describe my time in Pentagram as one where I wasn’t learning anything (as learning could be through a lot of areas), but I will say that they had not been anything productive. A lot of my tasks were very basic, for example, looking up online for mockup templates, looking up for fonts, sometimes even google image searching. There was once where I was even tasked to go to a bookstore to purchase a magazine. I was very disappointed because my intention is to grow in Pentagram, but I clearly wasn’t. There were a lot of times when I asked for tasks that carry more responsibilities, but unfortunately, they didn’t have any for me. I’m not saying that Pentagram was a negative experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my time and I enjoy the hustle life (second week into my placement and we had to stay up till midnight as we had a dateline). Weirdly enough, I like that. I liked my team and its crazy to see how talented individuals they are. However, if I were to decide on at what I want in the long run (junior role), is this really sustainable for me? Yes, Pentagram is great for my CV, but its work culture in Endpoint surpasses. I was getting paid in Endpoint, but not in Pentagram. I suppose my dilemma here is upholding on what is truly important to me. Since I’m a graphic designer, my answer will be Pentagram, but only if money, self-worth and a work-life balance life weren’t important. All in all, I am thankful to have experienced two different ends of work cultures because if not for that, I won’t be able to have this chance to really consider what really is important for me in the long run. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2022
Categories |