Jason Dilworth

Gig Poster: Innovation & communication

Using what you have learned about form, type, image, color, hierarchy, and invention you are going to make a poster for a musical performance. You may love the music you are assigned, you may hate it, or you may be ambivalent, but you must find a way to make a convincing poster. This means listening to the recordings and finding something you can relate to and can use as the basis of your piece. Remember that it is your job to not only communicate the nuts and bolts of information, but to also convey something of the nature of your musical group and to capture the attention of your audience.

Objectives

• ·To visualize abstract information.
• ·To gain experience developing effective solutions for unfamiliar and/or unappealing content
• ·Utilize the design process to arrive at a visually sophisticated solution
• ·Show a comprehensive working knowledge of color theory in the design process.
• ·Successfully merge type and image to create visual hierarchy and harmony.
• ·Tailor your design for an appropriate audience.

Attributes

• ·Final scale must be 11 x 17 inches or 17 x 11 inches with a full bleed.
• ·Work must include all the information specified on the assignment sheet. You may alter the wording (for example; Thursday April 21 could become Thursday 4.21.13). Some events have a lot of information but it is essential for your performance.
• ·You cannot use existing imagery, logos  or motifs of the band.

Part 1: Getting to know your client Due 4.22

Listen to your music. Give yourself at least an half hour to just listen to it and do nothing else. Then, take your sketchbook and draw ANYTHING that comes into your head as you are listening. Fill up five or six or more pages.

Part 2: Research and ideate Due 4.22

Research your musician, composer, or group, as well as the venue and city. Use this information and your sketches to help your create sixty thumbnails of at least five different concepts. The size should be around 2.5˝ by 4˝  and should be numbered and done by hand. Use colored pencils or markers as you sketch

Part 3: develop Due 4.24

Choose your five strongest compositions and develop them as roughs. Specify the type, indicate the illustrations or photographs. Your scale should be about 5˝by 8˝. Experiment with your color palette. Due 4.24

Part 4: Generate imagery Due 4.29

Choose one of your designs and develop your imagery. Bring the work or printouts to class 4.29

Part 6: Integrate Due 5.01

Bring your imagery, typography and other design elements together in the computer. Try variations on type and color. Print out small copies of your experiments as you work for your Itoya. Due 5.01

Part 7: Finalize and critique Due 5.06

Finalize your best design. Develop all the details of type and image. Due, printed out, tiled at full size for final critique: 5.06

Part 8: Refine & Print Due 5.08

Make any corrections, submit your final for printing on the Print Server by the end of the class 5.08

Part 9: Submit Due 5.15

Pick up your final poster, trim to size and hand it in with your Itoya and Essay. Be sure to include a letter-size color printout of your final poster in your Itoya for me to mark on.

Final: 5.15, 13:30–15:30

Introduction
Inside brick and mortar stores stories compete for your attention. Book covers house worlds, unique, specific, fantastical, and informative. They represent pure design, the combination of type and image. The cover offers protection for the pages of the book the design of the cover offers information, commentary, and intrigue. With this project you will design a book cover.

Objectives

• Introduction to design project briefs
• Utilize the design process to arrive at a visually sophisticated solution
• show a comprehensive working knowledge of color theory in the design process
• Provide an educated visual summary of the book
• Successfully merge type and image to create visual hierarchy and harmony
• Tailor your design for an appropriate audience

Attributes

• Final sacle must be at least 8 x 5.25 x 1 inches. If you book is larger, you may use that size. Trim your printout and present as a book slipcover
• Work must include all the elements listed on page 161 of the reading from Book Design by Andrew Haslam (pdf)
• Blurb must be written by you

Part 1: Semiotics Reading Due 3.11

• Read chapters 1–3 Visible Signs by David Crow
• Write summary of reading

Part 2: Restate and define problem Due 3.11

• Write a summary of the book including a personal analysis.
• Begin the construction of project brief. Focus on defining the problem, design strategies, and audience
• Read www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/books/review/PaperRow-t.html?_r=0
• Read www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/feb/08/anne-green-gables-blonde-red-hair

Part 3: Research Due 3.18

• Read Book Design Handout, Andrew Haslam
• Read Type and Image pages 17–40
• Judge a book or five by its cover. Scour libraries, book stores, basements talking special care to find books with covers where the design interest you
• Provide a detailed analysis of the design of these books using A. Haslam’s classifications system
• Come prepared to present your findings in class

Part 4: Conceptualize and Formalize Due 4.3

• Read Type and Image pages 41–67
• Sketch, Conceptualize, make mistakes, experiment
• Consider how you may use iconic, indexical, and symbolic elements to hint at the story
• Work towards creating visually interesting compositions
• Establish a plan for creating visual hierarchy
• Experiment with different methods of creating images
• Take photographs, create illustrations, make collages, geometric layouts
• Explore several color palette options
• You SHOULD create at least 30 thumbnails followed by 5 to 10 roughs

Part 5: Finalize and Critique Due 4.8

• Finalize 1,2, & 3 compositions, do not lock into anyone idea just yet
• From your examples choose one solution that best solves the design problem

Part 6: Refine & Print Due 4.22

• Submit final pdf to print log
• Answer additional Itoya Questions (How will your design expand the potential audience for your book?)
• Create a separate essay discussing the ICONIC, INDEXICAL, and SYMBOLIC content for your cover design