Project Five: The Logo

Our first proper project that we were briefed on as an individual was the logo project. The brief was to produce a logo that reflected our personal design ethos. Preceding this, however, we were put into groups of four and told to come up with ten things in general that we found were important as designers. These were ours:

1. Meet new people, try new things.
2. Don't waste any time.
3. Document all ideas.
4. Be confident, not arrogant.
5. Keep people excited, entertain.
6. Enjoy what you're doing.
7. Leave your comfort zone.
8. Take criticism, learn from it.
9. Less is more.
10. Don't wear Ed Hardy or Paul's Boutique.

Then we assessed what we had found, and were told to create 100 logos that represented the ethos' that spoke to us the most. It was quite the task but it had to be done.

Afterwards we had to pick three of the ones we thought were working the most, and work with others on refining and experimenting with them using different mediums and ideas.

Eventually we were left to take the one which we thought was the strongest and develop it. I chose one that was a big scribble that had the words "it's okay" etched into the sides of it. I liked this one because it was simple, direct, positive, and relatable. I feel very confident in the fact that mistakes are vital, and the only way you can learn is by trying things and if they don't work out then at least you tried it. So then was the time to develop...

I experimented with ink spillage, needle and thread, big marks... I wanted it to look organic but also elegant.

Here's my first submission which I was happy with but not entirely happy. I talked with my tutors and we decided that the type I was using didn't look "flow-y" enough. So back to the drawing board!

After another days worth of work I finally got something I was happy with. I feel that this version is definitely improved and that it clearly gets across my design ethos... 

So yeah! Long project but lots of fun. More to come!

-Liam

At Chelsea!! Project One and Two: Glasses, Mapping Chelsea

Sorry it's taken me so long to get these posts up, it's been a crazy term with starting my BA and moving into a proper house etc. etc. But I finally have time to put up and document all the projects I've been doing. So let's get started.

The very first project we had was to take a piece of black card, design and create a pair of glasses in under ten minutes, and wear them during and induction into the library that we had to go to... So we did it.

A simple project but the first "project" nonetheless. Basically something to get us started, show us how to think and produce quickly.

After this we had to somehow map the area around our college and then create a map on the floor of the banquet hall. So first we researched by being assinged certain sections of the area and looking around it, and then later on we all got together and using paper, created a massive map of the whole area. This culminated into a stop motion film that you can see below!

GDC1 MAP OF CHELSEA from safwaan motara on Vimeo.

So yes those were the first two projects. Many more to come!!

-Liam

Projects Six and Seven: Photo related projects

Two projects I've had to do deal with photography but in two different ways. The first project was to learn how to use photoshop. Although I already knew how to use photoshop, we had some good tutorials on little things I wasn't really sure about and how to do something like a double page spread. So, we got into pairs of two and had to figure out a way to create a dynamic two page spread. My friend Richard and I had the idea of getting matching floral shirts and creating a wallpaper out of it, and seemingly blend into the background. The initial idea grew and changed a bit, but I'm happy with the outcome.

And the next project was to recreate an iconic photo in the photo workshop. This was to show us how to use the studio as well as get ourselves acclimated with the cameras etc. We were all given different decades, I was in the group that got fifties and sixties. (WOO!) So I was trying to choose between these ones...

But ultimately chose this one, from the film Blow Up. The image is simple, effective, and very much representative of the sixties. 

So here's my interpretation, I wanted to do it slightly different so I could call it my own. Very happy with the outcome:

Thanks for reading!!

-Liam x

Summer Projektz

Did a couple fun little projects over the summer. First was experimenting with film cameras with my best friend at home using a Holga and an old film camera from the seventies. The outcomes were mostly blurry and grainy, but there were some outcomes that I'm extremely happy with. Enjoy...

I also did a film poster for a blog a bunch of my friends are doing. I'm going to do a whole series of them (eventually), but first I did one for Punch Drunk Love because its visual style lended itself so well to an idea I wanted to carry out. So here's that! I made the background using milk, coloured dye and dish soap. WHODATHUNK?!

Love yall.

-Liam

Final Major Project - Iceberg