Initial App Layouts

So I decided to map out my initial ideas visually to give Andy an idea of what I wanted to do.

The first 5 diagrams (left to right) are of the app as if it was being used for the first time. After that, the 6th diagram, or the main menu, would be the first interactive screen on load up. 'My Activities' would lead to diagram 4 and the selection of one of the location pins would bring up diagram 5. There are a lot more potential windows, which is why I mapped out the whole app and the relevant layers below:

[scan]

Revealing Devices

On the front cover in particular, devices can be used to reveal a hidden message, or to reveal the full picture. This can be done in a number of ways, through slide-outs, additional print outs to be placed over front covers or belly bands to name a few.

[Link]

This is a design for the book design awards. Using a printed device on the front cover, the message 'don't judge' extends to 'don't judge a book by its cover.' A clever play on words, and something that has context within the event that it's representing.

Theater Tanz Schule

[Link]

This is branding for the dancing theatre 'Tanz Schule'. The photographs are consistently monotone, shaded with a dark blue colour that is used from the brand's colour palette. The bright orange colour is used throughout, and lends itself to the idea of screenprinting - using colours that are simply not possible when using the traditional 4 colour process (CMYK).

Icon Packaging Tape

[Link]

These are incredibly nice icons that are on a medium I have never really thought of - tape. This would be sold in gift stores alongside gift wrap to give the present an added touch of desirability. The tape is functional, and could be one part of a range focused on gift wrapping, stationery and other pattern-friendly mediums such as birthday cards, ties and pencil cases.

Prospectus Pitch - Final Boards For Submission

Project Evaluation

Overall, for a quick turn-around brief, I felt the pitch went fairly well. It was extremely hard to come up with an original idea from a recycled concept from last year. Although last year's prospectus was very strong, I think any other idea using We Are as a base will not match the hard-hitting statement that was We Are The State Of The Art. It was clear, rememberable and completely relevant to the institution.

That being said, We Are One attempts to take the snappy, rememberable statement to the next level. Although the relevance to an art college may not be there, it hints at a tight-knit company of specialist artists and designers. For people who want to study art or design at any level, Leeds College of Art is the place.

A criticism of me and Simon equally would be successful time management. Deadlines for a decided concept weren't hit, which means we didn't get the chance to print out, and bind, a mock up for a truer representation of the final publication should we get chosen. Consequently, the presentation for the boards isn't as strong as we'd hoped. We had more chance to nail down a concept, however, which is the main focus for the whole pitch.

Prospectus Layout Ideas

Whilst I was concentrating on the concept covers, Simon was getting on with potential layouts within the prospectus. As we were working, we would give each other running feedback which made the most of our collaborative practice. Here are the layouts that we were working on:

Towards the end of the layout experiments, we thought it would be a good idea to add the fresh green colour used throughout the college on doors, floor patterns and stair bannisters. It would keep to the college's current identity, it would give the prospectus a breath of fresh air and it would prevent the concept from becoming a stale, black and white set of visuals.

Prospectus Concept Ideas

These are our concepts in the form of potential covers. We experimented with various statements, centralised around the 'WE ARE' idea. Some of them worked well, but we felt the best way to represent the college would be through a new statement similar to last years. Therefore, we opted for We Are One which is a play on words. It represents the tight-knit community, suggesting that the whole college works as one, it suggests the college is one of a kind and it states that potential applicants should leave the college with the college as their number one choice.

We had other ideas, such as community represented by the infinite loop of the ring, and other statements that could potentially have a lasting impression, such as You Won't Get This* Anywhere Else.

We printed out a range of the concept covers that we thought were quite strong to get an impression of what they would look like on paper. We ended up scrapping the subtle domino representation of one present in the top corners as we felt the visuals could be too difficult to grasp the idea of a domino without an explanation. Keeping things simple.