OUGD505 33 - Business Cards and Letterhead

I tried out some simple variations on layout for the business cards. I thought that I would like to use a gold foiling for the logo, and perhaps for the smaller text, although the detail of the smaller body may be harder to effectively foil.

I chose the two designs that I felt best embodied the glamour and decadence of the era, and that best fit into the art deco theme that resonates throughout the publication I made.

I chose to simplify the design a lot more for the letterheads. I initially wanted to use a black stock and to print gold copy and logo onto it, but found that it would be harder to use for mass production, so instead decided to use a black envelope with the logo foiled onto it.

While I found that the art deco theme generally translates to the less symmetrical designs, I think that the one with all the information centred on the page fitted better in the context, given that the text would be aligned to the left.

OUGD505 Build A Brand Workshop

In this session I was working with Leo and we were required to brand a masonry. Given the nature of this occupation, we felt it was important to make it quite traditional, so after doing a little research we found that a town called Ravensdale has some of the oldest stonework in the country. This is how we landed on the name Ravensdale Masonry's for the brand.

For the logo we did a simple silhouette outline of a raven, and partnered it with the typeface Justus, as we felt it was a good combination of tradition and modern:

While Leo started working on the business card, I started the letterhead:

After completing this, I started mocking up the website for the brand, trying to maintain the simple and traditional aspects we had chosen to capitalise on.

We chose to feature some examples of stonework that would be along the lines of what the brand would be producing.

I did some basic mock ups of an envelope and stationery that would be used along side the branding:

While I was doing this, Leo was working on the brand guidelines and business cards:

OUGD505 Studio Brief 2

Brief

You have produced a body of primary and secondary research on your chosen subject, and have decided on the direction you want to take this in relation to one of the following: A brief history of… A collection of… An introduction to… Things you need to know about… An exhibition of… Responding to the feedback you received, you should develop and produce a range of responses relating to a minimum of two of the following areas of design: Publishing & Editorial Information & Way-finding Branding & Identity Product & Packaging Retail & Promotion Your work should practically and conceptually explore the possible products, ranges and methods of distribution that you have investigated and analysed in your primary and secondary research. Your work should also reflect your own creative ambitions within graphic design as well as being focused towards your chosen audience.

Background / Considerations

You should consider working across a broad range of media and formats that are appropriate to your subject and your development as a graphic designer.  Your response should explore the relationship between the product, range and potential methods of distribution, whilst also analysing context, audience and tone of voice.  You need to ensure that you analyse and critically evaluate the impact of social, cultural, technological and/or ethical concerns with regards to your design solutions.  Additionally, you are required to demonstrate your understanding of the limitations and the potential of technologies and processes used in the production of design for 2d, 3d and 4d distribution.  Your content should explore and apply a range of appropriate practical and conceptual approaches as well as being technically competent and contextually appropriate.  Your resolutions should demonstrate an informed understanding of issues relating to media, communication, audience and function.

Based on my research I had concluded that I wanted to base this brief on two separate elements of the 1920s, the Prohibition and the concept of the travel poster.

I found that there were several routes I could have taken with this but I wanted what I produced to tie in with the publication made for Studio Brief 1, so I decided to give it a similar black and gold aesthetic. I wanted to create a brand of alcohol, and decided on vodka as it was a foundation of a lot of 1920s themed cocktails.

When coming up with a logo and name for the brand, I thought about using some slang words from the era but it proved difficult as these words already had quite a specific definition. So I did some research into industrial and social revelations of the time. I found that automobiles made of steel started to emerge in the 1920s and so thought about doing something with the word steel.

I found this to be quite difficult as I wanted a simple and snappy name that would also hold a lot of meaning to the time. The one that I thought to be most relevant was '33', as 1933 was the year the Prohibition ended, and while this wasn't in the 1920s, I had intended the sale of this product to be in the modern society with just a 1920s theme, so I felt it was quite realistic.

I did some further research into a typeface to use, as I would have used 'Metropolis' which I used for the publication but found that it did not translate as well when used for something as simple as '33'. At this point I started experimenting with creating my own typeface. I wanted it to be similar in weighting to a Roman typeface, but without the serifs as I felt that could modernise it.

I used Helvetica Neue Light as a base, and made two variations on it, but found the second to be more fitting to the idea I had of modernising a Roman typeface.

Based on some of the research I did, I came up with the shape of the label that I thought to be most decadent, and then added visuals that bore similarities to the publication.

The typeface I chose for the subheads of the label was Copperplate Gothic Light, as I felt it fitted the more high class and glamourous side of the era. I tried to make this work with the typeface I had designed but it didn't seem to fit together as well, and seemed to make the '33' less of a focal point.