Tag Archives: Graphic design

A5: A Fairytale Rework

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My final rework has come about in response to feedback from my tutor about how some of my final pieces lose the energy of my original sketches as I move them into the digital packages. It is also a fun but reflective piece on my own journey through Graphic Design One and how sometimes I may have let Wendelin Witch get the better of me about the rules I should follow.

I decided for this last piece to throw caution to the wind and just let loose, I also wanted to work backward and forward between digital and analogue to see what difference that might make. I wasn’t too sure how to approach it but I was so taken with the Serif Fairy book that I thought about a much younger readership and a fairytale type approach. My tutor also suggested a ‘zine format could be a useful way of revisiting A5.

So I sketched a quick story board and Wendelin the TypeWitch was born!

8 cell storyboard skethces for a fairytale

Storyboard sketches A5 rework

I hadn’t decided if I should work in InDesign or Illustrator but in the end created a range of assets in Illustrator which I then printed and used to create analogue collages. It is designed to be an A5 stapled pamphlet and I have left it deliberately rough and ready, avoiding the temptation to tidy things up!

This process was great and I wish I had felt confident enough to do it earlier on. I know my tutor was encouraging it but I wasn’t sure how to go about it. I guess I needed to feel I had a bigger toolkit before I could get there.

Family feedback seemed to think it was fun, but felt I was mean to melt Wendelin at the end!

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Assignment Five: Your Choice – Part Two

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Brief 1: Book Design

Penguin Books have asked you to design a new house style for a collection of books on design for children and young people. They are starting with three titles: Colour, Typography and Photographs. Produce three covers – front, back and spine. The designs need to be recognisable as a series and at the same time be appreciated for their individual merits. The book dimensions are 190mm wide by 225mm high.

In addition they have asked you to produce the one on Typography, called A is for…Create an introductory chapter of at least four pages.

As I started sketching I was thinking a lot about what might encourage people to pick the book up. I thought it needed to be able to attract adults and young people as adults may be buying it for their children. I’m not quite sure where it came from but I remembered something from a workshop I did a while ago which highlighted how we are hard wired to be able to identify faces and that the eyes are an important element of that. I also came across Joel Meyerwitz’s book ‘Seeing Things’ on talking to kids about photography and the eye became a theme for me. I thought it might work because I could replace the pupil with symbols for each of the books in the series. I played with several versions and mocked up the cover for the colour book.

 

 

I was not as excited about them by the time I had finished as I hoped so I went back to my other sketches. I had decided that the books would be produced as the ‘Penguin Young Designers’ series and thought it might work to have the covers themed under a different era in graphic design (sketch 4). I then chose to look at Pop Art, minimalism, chaotic design, Dadaism, Surrealism and Grunge. I went back through my Pinterest boards and did some more research, and decided I would work up grunge (colour), Dadaism (Photographs) and Pop Art (Typography).

Thubmail sketches for a book design

Sketch 4

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Exercise: Judging a book by its cover

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Exercise: Judging a book by its cover

Choose a book by an author you are familiar with. You are going to design two different covers for it, one using illustrations or photography and the other using just type. Design the whole cover including the spine and back page.

The hardest part of this exercise was choosing which book to work with! After a couple of false starts I decided to use ‘The Third Plate’ a book by Dan Barber. It has been published by Little Brown Book and Penguin in different editions.

The book that, perhaps more than any other in recent times, laid out the urgent imperative that to look after the land we grow our food on is to eat as best we can and vice-versa. It redefined nutrition, agriculture and flavour, and established Barber as the preeminent voice in food that is as ethical as it is excellent (The Guardian)

The book documents the research of Chef Barber as he explores the state of food production and the options we have going forward. He had been a proponent of the Field to Fork food movement (the second plate) but realised this was not a fundamental enough shift as it replaced high meat based diets with better meat rather than a more balanced diet which in turn creates more sustainable production methods. The third plate refers to the need to completely rethink our diets and move towards a more plant based focus. It is a fascinating and at times funny read, laying out the issues but doing so in a gentle tone. The book is divided into four sections – soil, land, sea and seed.

In terms of the brief I worked on the following parameters:

  • Non-fiction title
  • Paperback version
  • Based on the dimensions of the existing book
  • House styles of the published editions vary
  • The readership could be quiet varied – young people with an interest in environmental sustainability and food (probably 18-25yrs), chefs with an interest in the future of food, vegetarians/vegans, generalists with an interest in the future of food (probably 35yrs+ and female)
  • Sold online and in major bookshop chains

As usual I did a few sketches to start the design process.

Based on the above assumptions and sketches I created six designs:

  1. Literal representation of three plates against a wheat field (wheat is covered in detail in the book). Contemporary font against a photographic background. I decided to colour the title “Third’ green to reflect one of the premises of the book about moving towards a more plant-based diet. I took the colour of the sky and used that across the spine and back. (n.b. the black lines either side of the spine are just place markers and are not part of the design concept). I took the three plates and echoed them under the title on the back cover. Typeface: Myriad Pro (12,24,18,36,120 pt.).
  2. Same basic concept as version one but I wanted to make the ‘Third’ more prominent. I changed the typeface and extended it across the page. I shifted the plates down so more of the wheat is shown and added some drop shadow under the top plate (I suspect this might be a design crime from comments I have read online but I wasn’t sure how else to bring the plate forward!). I also used a lighter tone of blue. Typeface: Modern No 20 (150, 28 pt.) and Myriad Pro Regular (36, 18, 15, 12pt), Myriad Pro Regular semi bold (24pt)
  3. One of my sketches suggested a layered text approach to signify the three plates. I struggled to get the effect I wanted in Illustrator so ended up with a tiered version of different size characters in a chunky typeface to catch attention. They are red (meat based), white (farm to fork, to me a more neutral approach), and green (plant based diets). I used a lighter grey colour for the typeface on the back so it is a bit gentler. Typeface: TW Cent MT (12,18 pt.), TW Cent Condensed (48, 24 pt.), Rockwell Extra Bold (117pt)
  4. Another tiered typeface version, this time they are stacked like plates and I have added some drop shadow. I changed the cover to green and reversed out the rest of the text. I also added a large ‘Third’ on the back cover which might attract attention if the cover were face down on a table or shelf. Typeface: Rockwell Extra Bold (130pt), TW Cent MT Condensed (48, 30,15 pt.), TW Cent MT (24, 18, 12)
  5. This version was taken directly from one of my sketches. I wanted to make it quite loose so added watercolour effects in Photoshop to give the impression of falling soil and water. I initially used a san serif typeface in dark grey but wasn’t sure it worked very well so I went back to a serif font for the main title. The illustration is repeated on the spine. Typeface: Modern No 20 (24, 80 pt.), Source San Pro (12,15, 18, 24, 36 pt.)
  6. I changed the typeface for a more contemporary feel and ran the type in a circle as a metaphor for the plate. This was then set against an orange background to make it stand out. I took the circle as a motif and added it on the spine and on the back page. Typeface: TW Cent MT (12, 18, 24, 28, 75), TW Cent MT Condensed (28)

This was a great exercise for thinking about how design elements work together. Although I have noticed it elsewhere in the course working on this exercise really highlighted a need for attention to detail, which I am not always good at! It also showed me that small changes, different point sizes, adding tints etc, can have a big impact.

While I am still building my Illustrator and InDesign skills I am pleased to recognise that I am getting more comfortable with the programmes and have a better sense of what I can achieve with them.

For me versions 5 and 6 are probably the most successful because of their simplicity. Feedback suggested others preferred version 2 on the basis it was more likely to make them pick it up. I feel this one is a bit too ‘busy’ but could be wrong!

After some initial feedback I approached the Visual Communications Facebook Group. Their preferences were for both the image versions, and as ever they gave me some useful improvements. Suggestions included:

  • Reducing the size of the plates
  • Changing the plates
  • Lining the text up on the spine with the plates
  • Changing the font size of the sub heading on the illustration version
  • Making the green text slightly darker over the illustration
  • Rotating the spine text so it is more in keeping with convention!

These are the amended versions:

Rework

After the feedback from my tutor I have looked again at the relationship between the text and the images. Looking back I’m not entirely sure why I chose to centre everything, I think it was about the title being part of the plate but I don’t think it has been as successful as I had hoped. So I worked on several versions using the type in different ways.

I definitely prefer rework 4 because it gives the illustration room to breath and to attract readers. This has reinforced my learning about the value of feedback and creating different iterations. It has also shown the value of leaving something for a while and coming back to it. I found in doing this I was no longer so committed to the original versions and could more easily make changes. On a more challenging note it has also reconfirmed what seem like almost infinite choices (layout, colours, typefaces) and this can only be addressed by creating some boundaries (which I guess is usually fulfilled by the brief).

Exercise: Magazine Pages

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Exercise: Bike Magazine (Graphic Design One page. 107)

For this exercise I looked at ‘Bike Magazine,’ which seems to be based predominantly on a two-column format. Where there are exceptions these are full-page images, full-page data tables or three column reviews. I was surprised to see the prevalence of quite large images, although given that much of it is about different bike models, I probably shouldn’t have been. The typeface throughout is serif, and variation comes from different weights and sizes.

I took the two-column grid and large photograph format and created five variations based on the headline, ‘You are what you eat.’ Although I had already noticed it in other exercises it was fascinating to see the different tones set by the layout, images and typeface choices.

  1. Fruit image, Sanserif heading and body text: Has a slightly neutral tone, and I would imagine the article to give me some broad information about the benefits of a healthy diet
  2. Fruit image, Serif heading and sanserif body, three column layout: gives a more formal tone and I would imagine would probably contain a science based approach to diet
  3. Burger image, sanserif heading, subheading and body text: I think this one is interesting in that I can imagine the article could equally be talking about the issues of junk food and obesity, or promoting veggie burgers, or gourmet burgers
  4. Burger and Filo parcel, text all sanserif: this could be a comparator piece between junk food and fine dining, or extoling the virtues of the variety of English cuisine. I could imagine this in something like Good Housekeeping
  5. Filo parcel, script and serif heading, subheading and body: lots of white space and the cool blue tones speak to me of fine dining. I could see this as an article talking about a particular restaurant, dish or ingredient in glowing tones

It is really helpful to see how even small changes can change the tone and possible message a design is communicating. This is both rewarding and a little daunting, in that it can feel a bit overwhelming when faced with so many possibilities. I suspect this highlights the importance of a clear brief and good relationship with a client.

Assignment 4: Show Me (Part 3: Designs)

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I decided that I would work on two concepts for the final Show Me designs – a minimalist approach, and a Pop Art style.

Minimalist

I started with the Minimalist version and initially sketched out an alphabet to explore the minimum strokes that are needed to allow a letter to be legible. Fortunately, the word ‘type’ has capital letter forms that seem to lend themselves to this style – I’m not sure some of the rest work as well!

Hand drawn minimal alphabet

Minimal alphabet sketch

 

I then did a number of sketches of both the word ‘type’ and the possible layout.

I wanted to keep the cover sparse with a minimum of information. It features the title, symbols for the 3 sections and a bar code. I decided I would limit my palette to black, white and red, and I would use sanserif typefaces. I did a search for some minimal typefaces and looked at my existing collection. I then chose to use three typefaces – Infinity, Source Sans Pro, and Futura PT.

After looking at my sketches, and asking for some feedback from my family, I decided I preferred the version with the word ‘type’ descending across the page. Using InDesign I created the cover and began laying out the pages. This proved quite challenging in terms of how to provide the information and keep a simple layout with lots of white space. As a result I have gone with two double pages to keep the design consistent. I also elected to use a square format because it worked well with the cover typeface. I created three versions:

Version 1: I used a basic grid to set out the information, and added red to draw out particular elements and create breaks in the layout. Having initially tried the last page arranged vertically, I couldn’t get it to looked balanced so I moved to horizontal rows instead. I used Infinity for the large question mark because it echoed the cover typeface. I also created the visuals for the last page. I found several possible cats but decided on an outline version as it worked better with the rest of the format. I then adapted it in Illustrator to create more of a question mark tail.

(Click on cover image for slideshow)

Version 2: based on the first version but I changed the question mark typeface and went bolder with the red. I added tints behind the main body text, as well as more space between the headings and paragraph text on the final page.

Version 3: I reduced some of the red on the second page and changed the format on page four reducing the size of the question mark and putting the header across the top.

Pop Art

I used the same development process as for the minimalist version; some sketching and background research. I was particularly struck by Peter Blake’s ‘Dazzle Alphabet’ and looked at how I might create something with that influence.

Peter Blake images and Dazzle Alphabet © Peter Blake

Using Adobe Draw I sketched out an idea for the cover, I used this method because it is fast and I find this works well when I’m thinking things through. It is also really easy to use fill colour so I can see the composition develop quickly. I had originally thought I would use this as a base drawing, which I would then tidy up in Illustrator/InDesign.

However, I remembered some earlier feedback from my tutor about the final design losing some of the urgency and freedom of my original sketches. I decided to be brave and use this original digital drawing as the cover, this felt risky because its messy but it seemed to work with the Pop Art theme and I wanted to challenge myself to develop it. This proved quite difficult particularly having started with the minimal design, as soon as I used a grid structure in InDesign the layout started to tighten up again and there was a mismatch between the inside pages and the cover.

At this point I was close to dropping the idea and trying something else, but after researching some typefaces I thought I should carry on and keep developing it. I liked the contradictions of something being handwritten but now infinitely repeatable being used; it felt in keeping with the critiques underlying much of Pop Art about consumerism and mass production. I went on to develop three versions:

Version 1: uses bold block colours and lines drawn with the mouse so they are evidently hand drawn.  I decided on typefaces that echoed comics/80s advertising type text – Brush Hand New, From Where You Are and Lato. I also introduced repeating motifs, which was also a feature of Pop Art. I wasn’t sure this version pushed the concept far enough so decided to make changes.

Version 2: I changed the block colours on the inside pages and added a ‘whaam’ type motif with the 2000yrs. I also added black strokes to some of the typography to add to the popular culture type feel. This looked better but I thought the colours were still not quite right.

Version 3: For this version I went red on pages two and three, which I think works better with the splash motif. I also made the archetypal structures in the background a little more prominent.

I think overall the minimalist version is probably the most successful and I have a preference for its clean structure. I made a minor change to the last question mark (back to Infinity typeface), and removed the orphan from the quote on page one. I see this as the final version.

However, I am really glad I experimented with the other version, it is more fun and vibrant and in a style that is definitely out of my comfort zone. With each version I felt I was getting braver and I think this was important in terms of recognising some possible self-limiting assumptions I carry. It is hard to shrug off the notion of what ‘proper’ design looks like and be less constrained and more playful. I think I am starting to get better at experimenting and taking a risk on an approach that might not work out.

 

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Exercise: If the face fits 2

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Exercise: If the face fits 2 (Graphic Design 1 pg.94)

Identify which fonts you might use in each of the following commissions:

  • A short story in a woman’s magazine entitled ‘I thought I loved him; now I’m not so sure.”
  • An advertisement in a Parish magazine asking for more helpers on the flower rota
  • A poster to advertise an after-school club for boys aged 13 – 14
  • Your friends’ engagement party

I started the process in a way that has now become familiar, a few sketches and some online searches. This helped me identify the kinds of messages and tone I wanted to deliver for each commission. It was particularly useful for the Parish magazine and the After-school club because these are not things that are very familiar to me.

I thought I loved him:

Having looked at a number of womens’ magazines in an earlier exercise I decided this article was likely to have at least one image included and would be two or three columns in format. The heading sounded like quite a personal story and it made me think of love letters, or scribbled notes left for a partner. I then worked up four versions with the following combinations:

  1. Header – Brush Script 40pt; Body – Lato 12pt
  2. Header – Segoe Script 56pt; Body – Lato 12pt
  3. Header – Montserrat 60pt; Body – Mr.Eaves XL Mod OT 12pt
  4. Header – Segoe Script and Montserrat 56pt; Body – Lato 12pt

I decided to use a script header that looked like it had been written across the page, possibly something like a quick journal entry.  In version one this was paired with a san-serif Lato as I thought it was quite readable and contemporary. I don’t think the  Brush script worked especially well as it is possibly a bit clichéd and not that easy to read.

In version 2 I moved onto to Segoe Script because it looked like a more believable handwritten script. I dropped the opacity in the image and went to a black typeface that stands out more. I stayed with Lato for the body because I thought it had some echoes in the ‘t’ and ‘u’ shapes.

Rather than just stick with script I did try a san-serif header in version 3 which I paired with another san-serif typeface that looks slightly more formal that Lato but to me shared some of the shapes of the Montserrat. My view on this version was that is does not look very appealing and is unlikely to encourage someone to read it.

Version four shows a mixed header combining script and a san-serif typeface. I wondered if it might help convey the change of tone from the ‘I was in love’ to ‘maybe I’m not’. I don’t think this works as I had hoped because the san-serif has become too dominant. I went back to Lato for the body as I thought it worked with both header typefaces.

For me it is the second version with the Segoe Script that is most effective, I think the header text draws attention and  suggests a personal story.

Parish Magazine:

I tried three approaches to this poster – all of which I realised on rereading the brief to post the work are wrong because I did them portrait rather than landscape! Anyway, I decided that the emphasis for this commission should be something eye catching, a clear ‘call to action,’ with an emphasis on the ‘artistic’ element of the volunteer role.

  1. Header – Myriad Pro 107pt; Body – Century Schoolbook 60pt/21pt
  2. Header – Perpetua Titling MT Light 80pt; Body – Palatino Linotype Regular 60pt/21pt
  3. Header – Perpetua Titling MT Light 80pt; Body – MS Ref San Serif 56pt, Palatino Linotype Bold 24pt

I decided to start with a clear san-serif header and a serif body text that lends itself to a ‘church’ type identity. Artistic is italicised for emphasis, and coloured to match the church interior. The more detailed information is combined in a box at the bottom, working on the basis that the earlier layout will have attracted enough attention to encourage the reader to read down.

Having originally just put the header in place on its own I added the cross to underline the ‘can you’ – reinforcing the ‘we need you’ message. I wasn’t sure if it was a bit clichéd but it seemed to add some balance.

In version two I added a serif header and made ‘artistic’ regular. Version three uses a san-serif body and a larger point size for the footer text, which is also reversed out in a different colour box. I think the second version has a more ecclesiastical feel but in terms of an advertising poster I think the third version would probably be clearest to read at a distance.

After School Club:

I used three approaches to the typography:

  1. Header – Eras Bold ITC regular 98pt; body – Century Gothic regular 36/27.5pt
  2. Header – Eras Bold ITC 110pt; body – Century Gothic regular 46/30pt
  3. Header – Most Wazted regular 136/67/62pt; Proxima Nova regular 48/34; body – Amsterdam Graffiti 96/102/129pt

I was a bit stumped with how to approach this one other than having the Manga character so my first version is very legible but a bit boring, the figure tends to dominate.

The second version I decided to play a bit more with the typography and used the ‘bored?’ in a vertical format as if it was weighing down on the figure. I used some colour accents to bring out the activities and the fact that they are free.

In the third version I went for graffiti types and created a more informal format, the text is run slightly behind the figure as if he is leaning up against the poster. I feel is the most successful of the three. This one also got the vote of my family!

Mandy & Josh:

I used three typeface combinations paying particular attention to the ‘club night’ part of the brief:

  1. Header – Techno Hideo regular 60/36pt; Body – Myriad Pro Condensed 18pt
  2. Header – Snap ITC 60/36pt; Body – Showcard Gothic 14pt
  3. Header – Fresno Black 60pt, Fresno Inline 45/36pt; Body – Agency FB Bold 17pt

This was the last design I worked on and I think it was the one I enjoyed the most. I wanted to create something that had a very strong club night feel and started by looking at a range of techno typefaces. Of all the designs this was the one where I experimented more with different typefaces, using colour and shape for emphasis. I think this was also the first time I started to see the typefaces as design shape as well as ‘words’ with particular meaning. I wanted the message to be clear but also wanted the typeface to create a particular tone and composition. I think the third design was the most successful in achieving this.

Typefaces around you

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Collage of typefaces from a journey to London

Street Typography

I used my trip to see the Crewdson show at the Photographer’s Gallery in London as an opportunity to look at some of the typefaces I encountered on the way. To say they were ever present seems like an understatement. Typography was there in every aspect of my journey from my number plate and parking ticket to underground adverts and Emergency call systems.

The most common feature, with the exception of the Royal Academy logo, was that all the typefaces were sans serif. A couple used a script typeface. They were also a mix of all uppercase and upper/lower case. By the time I got home the exercise had almost become overwhelming, and it was interesting to note how much I probably screen out everyday.

I was intrigued that most of the typefaces were sans serif because my understanding was that serif type is easier to read (although Poole’s research suggests this is not a clear cut debate). Sans serif typefaces certainly look more contemporary but for me it highlighted the importance of the relationship between design and purpose, particularly where the intention is to convey a specific message.

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Exercise: A typographic jigsaw puzzle

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Sentence created using a deconstructed typeface

Exercise: A typographic jigsaw (Graphic Design 1. pg 89)

Using the deconstructed typeface provided try to put the elements together to create the phrase:

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Sentence created using a deconstructed typeface

Typeface jigsaw puzzle

As instructed I drew a baseline and a median line and then traced the various elements provided to see if I could construct the sentence. I also printed a larger version of the sentence to help me identify the shapes. This was fascinating in that it really highlighted the nuances of the typeface construction and was more difficult than I thought it would be. I used all but two of the pieces provided which I was pretty pleased with. There were a couple of points where I felt like I was looking for a shape I couldn’t find which was a bit confusing.

This was a very absorbing means of looking at the anatomy of a typeface and showed the importance of its construction. Things I might otherwise have taken for granted. In some ways it reminded me of doing calligraphy classes at school, not something I especially excelled at because it required an attention to detail I was not good at. I distinctly remember discussions about the pen strokes and creating particular bowl shapes.

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Research Point: Typography

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The history of typography, printing, and reading are all linked; what else can you find out about this history that you find interesting?

A quick online search of the ‘history of typography’ reveals a wealth of information primarily documenting the timeline from its earliest developments through to the present day. This short animation is fun.

This TedX is also a playful look at how we see typography

I was struck by the statement that ‘typography, printing and reading are linked’; for me this has political connotations. It is closely linked to education and goes back to the debates about providing the masses with the ability; a political act that was seen as controversial. Much of my secondary research has therefore focused on typography in relation to politics and protest.

When I first started GD1 I watched lots of graphic design documentaries, it was a new field for me and I knew that this immersive approach works for me. One of the videos I watched was Wim Crouwel Talking About Swiss Style.

While it was not specifically about typography in relation to protest what I was struck by was the fact that typefaces I may take for granted were not universally available, he describes how difficult it was to get the Grotesque typefaces in the Netherlands when he started working. This is an extraordinary concept in an era when I can pretty much download any typeface I want (as long as I can pay for them). I think this is important in terms of the cultural history of typography. I was intrigued and previously unaware that typefaces were so closely associated with particular countries of origin.

 

 

 

Assignment Three: Colour Me

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A collage using orange showing things that made me happy in my childhood

Assignment Three brief:

Choose a colour that has a meaning that you want to explore and celebrate. Think about what the colour you have chosen means both to you and to other people and create something that celebrates that meaning.

This process started with a mind map and photos taken of items around the house and garden.  All the colours had meaning for me and I realised that I have quite a few favourite colours.

A collage of householditems showing my favourite colours

Colour Me mood board

I used Adobe Color CC to see what colour options emerged and I decided to go with orange and teal as that combined two of my favourite colours.

The orange comes from my favourite jacket, made from a glorious Irish Linen. It is one I made myself and always makes me think of my Irish grandmother who along with Mum taught me how to sew and knit. It always makes me feel happy and confident when I wear it and that was the theme I wanted to develop.

Having done a bit of research about colour theory I found the quote attributed to Frank Sinatra, “Orange is the happiest colour.” I decided this would form the loose theme I would work with.

The first idea I developed from a sketch and a physical collage, and included a number of orange things that make me happy. I played with different elements in Photoshop and while I like some of the combinations I didn’t feel it was going in the right direction.

The second idea I decided would be much more minimal and focused on the text and orange as the dominant colour. Initially the teal colour was too central so I moved it over. I liked this idea for its simplicity but was a bit concerned that it hadn’t fully answered the brief.

This took me to developing a further collage in Photoshop, using some of the elements of the physical collage. I wanted it to feel a bit looser than the earlier idea with a variety of textures as well as the designated colour palette. It includes my love of books, nature, and initially I went with a broader quote about happiness from “psychology now.’ I quite liked the layout and decided to add the photograph of me and my brother as children laughing and go back to the Frank Sinatra quote. While this was my preference feedback from family suggested they didn’t ‘get it’ and it was too busy and messy.

So I decided to ask for feedback from the Visual Comms Facebook group and they provided some very helpful feedback. The two preferences were the minimal version the square and the final collage. The minimal version with the squiggle was felt to be too distracting. There were suggestions for the minimal version about changing the typeface for happiness and its colour. I tried this out but the interplay of the colour made it too difficult to read so I changed the colour blocks instead. It is fascinating to see how many permutations there can be with so few elements!

One reflection suggested the flowers in the final collage were also not necessary so I tried a version without. Monica Pritchard picked up on the childhood theme with the photo and rippling pool water. I decided to take this theme further and rather than include things that make me happy generally I focused on my childhood in Australia and included elements that I think of happily – the tree frog on my blind, the Sulphur crested cockatoos that would steal the washing and follow me about, swimming, sunshine and freedom to play in an extraordinary natural environment. At that point I was going to be the next Gerald Durrell!

Final Selection

It was hard to choose a final version as in some ways it felt like I could keep working on them and coming up with yet more ideas. I want to select two rather than one because they are so different in approach.

I suspect that Monica is right that the stripped back version of the collage works best in design terms, although it is the version with the Australian flora and fauna that makes me smile the most.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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