OUGD504 | STUDIO BRIEF 1 | INITIAL IDEAS

To begin my project, I decided to start out sketching what I want my leaflet to look like. I decided to go with the most simple fold - in my opinion, which was the fold with the tab at the side. I felt like I could make it a lot more sleek and minimal with this fold.

I decided to split my content into 6 stages, and have 3 on their side of the tab. The tab will have what 3 stages is on that side, which is shown in my sketches:

 

I moved onto mocking this up quickly on an a4 sheet of paper:

 

The size was what I wanted to go for, as it was small enough to be "pocket sized", but big enough to apply the information that I want on it. On the tab at the side, I think I want to experiment with a block of colour, to make it stand out.

The next stage is to take my ideas to the computer and see what I can create.

OUGD504 | STUDIO BRIEF 1 | FURTHER RESEARCH

For my content to be the most informed, I need to research into the actual design process as I can't use just my own experience. I found this image that is quite tongue and cheek, but also very appropriate for this brief:

I like the graphs that they use, as it's a nice visual aid to go with the information. I also quite like the colours they have used to illustrate different processes, as it makes the information easier to understand. This visual process is more of a flowchart, that goes back to stages if you wish. 

This example of the design process is split into 4 stages, and has a more linear design. I think the information on this design is more clear and it's backed up with supporting body text. This way of displaying the design process has it's strengths, but I feel that a more cyclic approach is more appropriate for visualising the design process. 

I think I'd like to incorporate a cyclic concept within my own leaflet, as I feel like it's more true to the actual design process.  

I want to split my design process into stages for my leaflet, because when I'm designing something myself I feel like there are defined stages. I've found a website that explains the design process in 7 stages: 

http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/steps-designers-complete-project/

Project Initiation

Research

Strategy

Development

Presentation/Refinement

Production/Launch

For me, I feel like the main stages of design are centered more around the feedback. I personally feel that the main stages of the process are:

Receiving the Brief

Research

Initial Ideas

Feedback (through out the process)

Development

Production

I'm going to use all of the research I've done to create my own content for my leaflet.

OUGD504 | STUDIO BRIEF 1 | FOLDING

Experimenting with folds is important for this brief. Looking at images of folds to get an idea of what you want to go for is good, but actually feeling the paper and the way the fold works is essential. I looked in the book called "How To Fold" for some inspiration, and I liked these ones in particular:

After looking at these folds I created some of my own versions using plain a4 paper:

This fold is called an incline tab variation. I like the simplicity and the varying heights of the folds, but when you open it, it's quite complicated and doesn't flow nicely.

This fold has 3 different heights and wraps around its self neatly. I liked this fold but I think it would be difficult to get it to work exactly, as it doesn't fully fit when closed (see second picture).

This fold is very simple and looks like an M shape when opened. It has a small tab at the side when closed, which could be utilised really well within a leaflet. I think this is my favourite so far, because it's the most simple but has opportunities for interesting design.

This fold is also very simple, and has 2 tabs on the side that have been cut out. I like this one too, but the tabs seem quite pointless for the kind of leaflet that I'm creating, especially since they're on the back side of the leaflet and won't really be utilised.

I also tried a simple fold myself, by folding the paper just over half way, then bringing some back and folding a small triangle over the front to make it a bit more interesting and give myself some opportunities to design on.

Once I'd made a few folds on paper, I decided to use better stock to showcase my final folds that I liked the best.

In the end my favourite 3 folds were the most simple. The first one is the fold with the small tab that is shown on the front, As stated before, this design is one of the front runners for me because of its simplicity and the idea of having a tab on the edge will give me some great design opportunities.

The second one is a larger version of the fold I created myself. I like this one because of the turned edge and how it's not a standard 50/50 fold. It has a lot of space for information inside and I'd be able to make columns and grids quite easily with this fold.

The final one is a diagonal looking leaflet, cut with one diagonal line rather than the fold used previously (incline tab variation). Again, the different levels give a nice dimension to the leaflet and could be used to make the leaflet aesthetically pleasing. 

OUGD504 | STUDIO BRIEF 1 | RESEARCH

To start off this brief, I need to look at existing leaflets and gain some inspiration. I looked online and found these examples:

I firstly looked into some styles of folding to get some ideas of what I could create. I want my leaflet to be quite simple and easy to understand - as the design process can be quite complicated. I don't want to clutter my information any more than it needs to be. I like the 8 page map and the 8 page roll from this image. I think they work for this brief - especially the 8 page roll as it's pretty simple and folds neatly into its self. Creating something like this would be ideal for a minimal approach.

I looked into some more intricate folds to see if I could make them work.

These folds look interesting and engaging. The first one looks very complex and hard to reproduce on a large scale. I would want my leaflet to be easy to produce to fit with the minimal approach I want to go for. The second example I've found looks more simple, but as you can see the unfolding of the leaflet is still quite complex. I like the subtlety of the fold, but again this leaflet would be difficult to produce on a large scale and would produce a lot of waste as it needs to be square. 

I decided to move onto some more simple leaflets that would be easier to produce.

Both of these leaflets fold out to create a larger image or poster. I feel like both of these are effective, as the Helvetia leaflet folds out into an arrangement of images that's functional both as a leaflet and a poster. For my own leaflet I would prefer something that relies on the folds to separate the information, as I want to split up the stages of the design process. I feel having a leaflet that folds out into a poster wouldn't be appropriate for the way I want to present my information because I want to keep it quite simple and easy to use.

This leaflet attracted me because of the bright, bold colours and use of a large sans serif typeface. The arrangement of the typeface is quite contrasting, as it's quite jumbled but the typeface it's self is simple and structured. I like the way this leaflet looks, and the fold is something more similar to what I want to produce, but I feel there would be too many sections on this kind of fold, as the information is quite concise. I would also like to have all the information on one side of the leaflet, because during the design process you go back to stages and swap and change ideas, so I would like to be able to illustrate this within my design. 

This leaflet has been folded using the accordion fold. It makes use of the two sides well and has been cut to fit the context of the information. Although I think the leaflet is successful in the way it's been presented and how it works in context, I don't think creating something like this for my leaflet is appropriate, as stating earlier, the information will be quite jumbled. I would prefer to use just one side so the physical design of the leaflet doesn't distract from the information.

This leaflet looks very minimal and compact. It's eye catching due to its interesting fold and sloped edges. The colour scheme works well together, and looks very neat when folded. I would like my leaflet to look something similar to this - using mainly back and white with one (or a few) bold colours. I don't want the design to distract from the information, but I also want it to look as nice as possible.

I think experimenting with folds will help me in choosing the perfect one for what I have in mind, but researching into existing leaflets has helped me narrow down the style that I would like.

OUGD504 | STUDIO BRIEF 1 | STUDY TASK 1

For our first study task we were in groups and we had to document on a large sheet what we thought the main stages of the design process was, then create an infographic to showcase this. We decided to take a literal approach to this, starting off with waking up in the morning. We moved onto the brief, which included reading the brief in full and making notes. You should analyse the brief and make sure you know what problems need to be solved.

Once you're confident with the brief, its time to move onto research. Primary and secondary research should be conducted, e.g. questionnaires and reading books/looking on the internet. At this stage it's also important to consider the budget and timescales for the project. This may include speaking with the client and agreeing on deliverables.

After the deliverables have been agreed and signed off, it's time to move over to creating some initial ideas. Sketches, lists, mind maps and discussions are included in this stage. At this point its quite back and forth between the stages as you need to get feedback and develop your ideas. It's important to get feedback from the client and make sure you're designing something that's suitable for the brief.

Once you have a solid idea and feedback from the client, you should start to develop your ideas digitally or physically depending on your approach. Once you have a finalized idea, you should get it approved by the client and start to focus on the production of the design.

Looking back over the budget, you should make sure the stock choices and printing processes don't exceed the set amount. Once a stock and process has been chosen, you can print and present your finished work to the client.

The infographic that we made was quite a linear approach. We included some drawings of what is included throughout the design process, but looking at what other people made, it became clear that sometimes within the design process we need to refer back to stages. Also, people don't do the same stage at the same time, so we should have catered for that within the infographic.

OUGD504 | STUDIO BRIEF 1 | THE DESIGN PROCESS

Design production is the first module we have been introduced to this year. We were briefed into studio brief 1, titled The Design Process. We have 1 week to finish this brief so the design decisions need to be made quickly.

For this brief we must produce a leaflet entitled "The Design Process", that describes our understanding of the design process. We must consider the design/layout of the leaflet, the folds, stock, and the information that goes inside it.

My own design process consists of being in a comfortable position with a cup of tea/hot food and firstly skim reading the brief. I make notes and start to analyse the brief fully. After that, I begin to research appropriately via the internet and books and document it on my blog. I also use websites like designspiration and pinterest to gain inspiration.
Next, I start to consider how I want to solve the problem. I come up with a timescale and a budget for myself/client and begin my initial ideas. I create rough sketches, make lists of possible ideas, and engage in discussions with other students/creatives. Once I've had some feedback on my initial ideas, I'm able to develop them further either digitally or physically (on paper). After I've created some solid ideas, I'm able to gain more feedback and consider what my final outcome will be. At this point I need to review my timescale and budget, as the project is almost finished I'll need to make sure it's on time and still affordable. I need to consider the stock choices and printing processes.
Once I have my final outcome, it's time to print and present!

I will be using my own personal experiences within my leaflet, but this will also be accompanied by further research and comparing with my peers.

OUGD504 | STUDIO BRIEF 1 | CONSIDERATIONS

For this brief, we need to create a leaflet that shows our understanding of the design process.

The audience needs to be considered for this brief, as we are writing our own content. The content could be aimed at designers, clients or someone not in the industry at all. The tone of voice and use of jargon needs to be considered for the content, as this is dependant on the audience.

The fold of the leaflet impacts greatly on the design. A more complex fold could be more interesting for the user, but it may distract from the information or not leave much space for design. 

The size of the leaflet should also be considered. Is it going to be very small, so its easily carried around? Or quite large so it can be presented and stand out easily? The leaflet could be made out of an entire sheet of A4 or A3 paper to cut down on waste. 

The stock needs to be thought about too. If the stock doesn't easily fold, the leaflet cannot be made.