Professional context 1 Presentation 1

Editor's Notes

• #2: Introduction - Callum Badger, Graphic Designer and Printmaker amongst other things Presentation is about my own personal context and the theory and methodologies that underpin that.
• #3: As a graphic designer, one of the key differences over other disciplines, is that I am creating products made for consumption. I am almost always working towards a specific brief, designing with the audience in mind. I am trying to create Visual Solutions to communications problems. To do this, requires a lot of research, be that market research, current trends in design, the intended audience the design is supposed to reach, the purpose of the message, history of design in relation to that message and the accessibility and context of the design. This research should in theory result in a ‘profile’ of the consumer, the key is to figure out who I’m talking to and what’s important to them. I know that I can be sometimes guilty of diving headfirst into the creation process without spending time on research, but time invested in research does enable me to make confident design decisions. It provides a framework and it helps to focus my thinking. Research provides me with the ability to present my solutions and make a sound case for them. That being said, some of the methodologies I use in this research are as follows;
• #4: and although some of these are specific to Graphic Design as an art form, some are relevant across disciplines. So the general theories which I use and try to be conscious of using in all of my design are; General Design Theory - the basics of which, including balance, scale, rhythm, proportion, dominance, and unity, as well as more abstract topics like emotion and responsibility in design (be that financial, ecological or ethical). Colour Theory - Complementary colours, primary colours, neutral colours, psychology of colours and colour temperature in relation to the emotion in the design. Layout - which is normally split into two camps: grid-based design and non-grid-based design. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages and can be used successfully for different types of design based on the audience the design is intended for. Typography - one of the most important aspects of graphic design, whether in the digital or print worlds and can combine all of the above theories in itself. Although I may not consciously think about all of those aspects in their individual theories for every piece of work I am creating, I can always isolate them subsequently.
• #5: The majority of my work starts with creation using computer based design at home on an Apple Mac computer. This design is mostly done using the adobe creative suite, that is Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign etc. But I am also comfortable with a range of other software packages including google sketchup, fontographer and others. Digital design which I have done, has ranged from;
• #6: Logo design, Talk about the idea of the above logo and what it was created for.
• #7: Editorial design Talk about the context of the magazine and the photographs
• #8: However since having access to the facilities for the last year at the college, my interests and work has grown from taking my work outside of the digital and creating work which is tangible and can be appreciated away from the glow of the computer screen. And although I want to keep creating digitally, as it is what I am confident and capable at, what I have been looking at recently is taking those digital creations and making them ‘real’
• #9: To do that I have been using processes such as Screen printing, Linocut, laser cutting and Letterpress, amongst others.
• #10: Talk about the different processes you wanted to implement on this project and how it happened
• #11: Methodologies: The usual process which I follow is roughly as so Initial Idea: If this is personal work, the inspiration or idea can come from anywhere, be that an idea for a gift for someone, or a print I would personally enjoy to create. If it is working towards a set brief from a client, it is meeting with them and discussing what key aspects or styles they would like the design to convey. Examine: This is where research comes into play. Market research of what other artists have done previously and quantitative research of the intended consumer, what the company or individual has experienced personally in terms of their design history, usability/relevance of the designs, internet research and conceptualisation of the eventual design. Experiment: Preliminary Design work, including sketches, brainstorming, materials and processes experimentation, creating a prototype which can be shared with the client/user to make sure any revisions or other details are needed. Trying things, failing, experimenting. Produce: fulfilment and implementation of the final piece, be that print or digital or something else entirely.
• #12: An example of that methodology was a project I completed last year. Talk about the project in the 4 steps: Idea Examine Experiment - next slide
• #13: Produce: next slide.
• #14: Talk about the final piece and the various materials which were used.
• #15: Talk about experimentation.
• #16: Final piece.