Context of Practice: LookBooks

I looked at lookbook design to get inspiration and to see how the information can be formatted and layout according to the content.

 I like the use of coloured card tipping within the bind of the book. This could be used due to the pop art colour scheme an atheistic.

 I like this clean and simple palette but mainly because of the use of two languages which will be present in my design also.

 The use of strong colour in stock and photography across the two pages.

 The use of bold colour in the tape binding

 This shows a different format to present the material where the publication folds out to one large page.

 The branding color palette used across the stock and text as well as a smaller format across the cover.

 Newsprint stock

 Layout of imagery and type.

 Use of space on the page and photography layout is very particular in fashion editorial.

 Layout of photography

 Presentation of book is on a hanger

Constantine style fold

Context of Practice: High Street Brands

I looked at various high street brands to see how there websites and trends are styled.

Asos 

I liked the drop shadowed navigation bar along the top of the site. This style is how I planned on applying the pop art nature of the design with Krugers boxes of text. Asos sells various brands all on an online location. This could be an option for my brand instead of it being it's own fashion label. They use red to symbolise sale and offers which could be a translation of my brands atheistic with it's rip off identity. 

Urban Outfitters

It's homepage trends show brightly coloured interior objects which are very expensive but look relatively cheap and a clothing range that rip's off 90's trends and fashion. These are what are currently in trend for the target audience I am looking at which feed the 'hipster' subculture. 

Topshop

This brand is also going for bright colours and patterns in it's trends and products. Topshop's identity is more fashion conscious and displays the idea of catwalk on the high street suggesting individual pieces and designs when however there designs are mass made and worn by a lot of consumers.

Topman

It was interesting to see that a range of Topman clothing was supposedly took inspiration from the Memphis Group who designed wacky furniture. The culture and audience they are aiming for wouldn't have a single clue about this reference or what they were saying when wearing the products.

"They drew inspiration from such movements as Art Deco and Pop Art including styles such as the 1950s Kitsch and futuristic themes."

Which again brings back to the pop art movement which commented on consumerism. Once seeing there work it made me realise that actually urban outfitters home selection resembled a lot of the characteristics of the group, ripping off there style with there art deco tables and bright coloured random objects.

H&M

There homepage separates different ranges by creating a story such as the 'roadtrip'. There categories are broken down and sell them using an idea of the collection such as the home for example. 

So the consumer finds what range fits them and what fits there needs and ideals best.

(I've also noticed that they all use the same box grid with an actually similar sized image size with a longer vertical side to horizontal)

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Context of Practice: Brand Initiation

The translation of 'new'

I looked at translated it from japanese to chinese to create more confusion

As I planned on doing a Japanese brand I looked at the translation of 'new' in japanese and found one that represents creative, original, fresh, new etc. which was perfect for the name. I considered doing Chinese due to it's mass production but decided Japan was more fitting due to it's fashion crazy culture and obcession with trends.

I decided to use Japan as the source of this brand I was forming as it's language is one of the hardest languages to learn for the english and is near impossible to translate to those who don't no the language. In order to show the confusion between the culture the translated name of the brand will be 'Sum - ting - nu' which is an obvious westernised representation of there language using an eastern english accent.

Context of Practice: Pop Art

I looked at Warhols and Lichtenstiens pop art work as it reflects the consumer culture and production of products. I plan on taking characteristics of this era of art culture and applying it to my publication in order to not only use the design that represents the theory but also  rip it off for modern day use.

Design Practice 2: Visual Research

I sourced some visuals for inspiration on my sketches for the first concept. I wanted a simple symbol which would reflect cameras and photography and it be a minimal as possible.

Context of Practice: Brief

Title: No Brand

I intend to communicate the relationship between:

1. consumer culture
2. branding and identity
3. manipulation of media
4. fashion culture
5. language of consumerism

I intend to

promote a brand which informs on consumer culture

A group of

young consumers who are fashion and brand conscience 

that

consumer culture manipulates us against ourselves

In order to achieve this I will produce

brand promotional material - lookbook / poster / business card / voucher / flyer

I found that writing a brief in other modules really helped me clear my head and understand exactly what I wanted to do therefore I thought I would do it with this one.

The Brief
Consumer culture has been manipulating people into believing various promises through consumption of products. Create a brand which represents this manipulation using contextual references from your research.

Background

"We've reached a point in our civilization where counterculture has mutated into a self-obsessed aesthetic vacuum. So while hipsterdom is the end product of all prior countercultures, it’s been stripped of its subversion and originality." Adbusters

The world has been sucked of it's originality through mass production and consumption of products. Consumer culture has become consumption for its own sake through mass media and the promises of consumer culture not being met for consumers. Instead of it fulfilling spiritual or aesthetic desires it creates empty promises that leave the consumers more depressed and insecure. This culture has consumed us and has led to the objectification of people in society where they become a product of consumer culture through there consumerism.

Considerations
Consider what market of consumer culture your brand will be and how can this be represented in it's identity and design. The outcomes of your products need to represent the theoretical approach you are taking to this subject.

Target Audience
Young and easily influenced people who aren't aware of there manipulation and the cultural references they are projecting in there purchases.

Tone of Voice
A heavily mass produced image that projects the nature of the market eg. fashion is cheap, trendy, modern or technology is modern, expensive, current etc.

Mandatory Requirements
A theoretical and contextual approach shown through your design and content in an appropriate formatted publication.

Deliverables
A publication

Design Practice 2: Instagram

I looked into instagram for my first concept idea. I wanted to look into it's visual atheistic and use to understand how this could be applied to my exhibit identity and branding. Also to see how it could develop my concept to be more solid.

Instagram is an online photo-sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures, apply digital filters to them, and share them on a variety of social networking services, such as media sites including Facebook or Twitter. A distinctive feature is that it confines photos to a square shape, similar to Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid images, in contrast to the 16:9 aspect ratio typically used by mobile device cameras.

Trends

Rich Kids of Instagram

The Rich Kids of Instagram is a blog on Tumblr that features photographs posted on Instagram displaying "various states of excess, undress and indulgence".Examples of the photographs featured on this blog are receipts of over $100,000, kids in private jets or yachts, expensive shoes, watches, jewelry, etc.

Weekend Hashtag Project

The 'Weekend Hashtag Project' is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram's Community Team. Followers receive the weekend's project every Friday, and each project encourages participants to post creative photographs according to the designated theme each weekend.

Logo:

I thought the hand written style was quite similar to the camera logo Leica:

 The atheistic of the logo takes characteristics from this polaroid camera.

I researched the typeface to see it's significance. I found the typeface that is closest to it called 'Bilabong' and it reveals it origins as hand lettered 40s and 50s script headings used particularly in signage.

I looked at what hashtags and filters were most popular and also which instagram users are most followed. This will enable me to understand my audience better.

http://web.stagram.com/hot/