OUGD601 - Practical - Layout and Ideas Sketches

Based on ideas brainstorming around the quotes, it was decided that in order to help produce an effective aesthetic contrast that the poster against handmade design will be produced using handmade processes (the exact process it is against), however, whilst mimicking digital processes (the process it is in favour of) and vice versa. It was considered that this process will induce more engagement between the viewer and the posters, as well as showing that handmade processes can be disciplined if they want to be, and that digital design does not having to be 'boringly slow' or 'banal', which the quotes suggest. It suggests that both approaches should be appreciated equally since they have different things to offer in terms of design; one is not necessarily better than the other.

These posters will be kept mainly typographic, since it was thought that too much content, in terms of image especially, would take some of the aesthetic appreciation away from the process of the posters and therefore limit the meaning I am trying to get across through these.

Against handmade:

One of the ideas which has informed some of these layout sketches was to name the poster series as 'Experience Things Differently'. This is shown as headers and footers in some sketches as a way to potentially create a hierarchy of information. The addition of this title also means that viewers can look at it and realise that there is something different about the way they have been designed, therefore invoking an engagement between the viewer and the work, which would hopefully end in an appreciation of the aesthetic contrast and production process.

Alongside this hierarchy of information, another idea was to use a clear grid system, something which Vignelli was in favour of, however used in this sense to show how handmade methods of design, such as screen-print and letterpress, can be disciplined if they want to or should need to be through such use of a grid system. Within these grids, layouts were formulated incorporating additional content in the form of simple imagery or colour blocks. It was considered this could give the posters more substance, and use ideas found from research into the psychology of colour to stimulate more of an experience within the viewer.

Against digital:

One consideration when formulating layout ideas for both posters was whether or not the layout between the two should be consistent, since this could either help enhance the contrast between the quotes and their production methods, or make them look too similar and end up losing the engagement which I am trying to invoke.

However, a solution to this, presented through another idea, could be to mimic handmade processes through slight imperfections in the type, which could specifically be done in mimicking the aesthetics of crumbling letraset type. Both posters could therefore use a set layout and typeface, but these subtle differences would help in producing the contrast I am looking for.

Other ideas were to reflect the meaning of the words used within this specific quote through their type design, for instance, using a variety of different letterpress-style typefaces and sizes that show technology as being 'clumsy'. This would make the type more expressive, something which Vignelli was specifically against.

Through this set of sketches, it was decided that this quote against digital design was perhaps too long, and therefore should be shortened to "The technology is boringly slow, the interfaces clumsy, [and] the mainstream product banal" since this then is a similar length to the other quote and allows for more negative, breathing space on the poster.