OUGD405 Module Evaluation

OUGD405 Module Evaluation

The first module brief hugely helped me to grow a better understanding of objectivity and subjectivity. I have developed a further knowledge of what it takes to produce a wayfinding system that leeds people from point A to point B and the importance of getting this correct in order to guide people in the correct direction. In the designs that I have created in response to this brief I have successfully created an actual size document in the appropriate context. I think that I have successfully done this because my I have designed and developed a wayfinding map/game board meeting the requirements of the brief. The skills that I have learnt will continue to help me within my work with objectivity and subjectivity in design and will continue to develop as I produce more work. In future projects to improve my designs I would do even more research to help me ensure that the system is completely flawless. I have found that peer critiques has been one of the most helpful forms of feedback to help me push my designs further with in this brief.

The outcome of the second brief was to have produced something in a printed format by using the information and research that we conducted for our chosen objects. I think that I have successfully responded to this brief because I have created a series of lightbulb packaging that has been printed and assembled.  I have responded to the brief correctly as my packaging successfully includes the research about my chosen object which was a light bulb in an interesting and aesthetically pleasing manor. This brief has helped me understand the importance of research when responding to a design brief due to the extra depth and sophistication that it adds to the designs. To improve and if I were to revisit this project in the future I would develop my packaging further by making sure that it is an accurate size for a certain type and shape of light bulb. This would make my work seem more professional and appropriate for the market. 

Overall I am happy with the outcomes that I produced for both of these modules because I feel that they have accurately responded to both of the briefs by successfully creating the deliverables that were necessary. I have learnt a lot more about the importance of research when creating design work and I am confident that I will be able to continue to produce work that has more depth due to more research in the future. If I were to revisit this work in the future I spend more time on the creation of the deliverables created for both of the brief to make sure that they are to a professional standard. 

Object Final Designs and Evaluation

Object Final Designs and Evaluation

The approach that I have responded to the brief with effectively communicates the research which I conducted into my chosen object and also my intentions because I have successfully created packaging that contains some of the information which I discovered. 

The packaging that I have produced displays the information which I discovered about the Guinness World records. I think that it responds to the brief as I have successfully created a printed document that shows use of Pestalozziís principles of observation, description, naming and classification. A part of the deliverables that I feel I have demonstrated a good understanding of is the research into the information that I have used for my final outcome. However, I think that I could have used some artist research to incorporate more inspiration into my designs. 

Engagement with design critique has helped my work to progress and the feedback that I was given allowed me to create work that is aesthetically pleasing to others. This therefore means that the product would have more chance of selling as it has been created using the input of others. I also this that this allowed me to make design decisions and push my work in a more advanced and sophisticated direction than I would have if I was only using ideas I had created on my own. 

A limitation of my work is that I didn't spend enough time researching into the size and measurements of light bulbs and packaging that is used in the existing market. To improve the designs that I have produced I would make sure that I conducted a sufficient amount of research into the sizes of light bulbs and create packaging specifically measured to fit the shape of the light bulb.

Wayfinding Final Designs and Evaluation

 Wayfinding Final Designs and Evaluation

The approach that I have responded to the brief with answers the question about subjectivity and objectivity by using a combination of the two. My wayfinding system is predominantly objective and is does send whoever is playing the game from one place to another, however it is subjective because it is down to their interpretation of the clues on the map. I personally think that this combination of the two works quite well as it successfully works as a wayfinding system but incorporates an aspect of fun by having to guess the clues. The only outcome that I have realised could be an issue is that due to the subjective nature of each individuals interpretation of the clues they could mix up which architect goes with which building if they mixed up a couple of the buildings. This is something that if I were to continue to develop my designs I would have to consider a solution for.

The wayfinding system which I have created does successfully respond to the brief as it will accurately guide someone from point A to point B. This is because the game encourages the players to move around the city to find the buildings that are disguised on the map/board game. A deliverable that I have achieved with confidence is that I have produced an actual size document in the appropriate context. This is the game board which I have created to a accurate size scale. One deliverable that I think I could have improved on would be the creation of the mock-ups. Although they give the viewer an idea of how the character counters would look in context I think that they haven't been produced to the best standard that they could have been because on some of them the characters/architects still look a bit out of place. 

Critiques from my peers has clearly helped to improve my design development throughout this brief as it has pushed my designs in a direction that I would not necessarily have got to on my own. I think that this has allowed my work to gain more depth and sophistication as by taking on board the opinions of others it has helped me to produce a wayfinding system that hopefully is appealing to my target market. 

Another limitation of my design along side the issue of subjectivity is the logo in the centre of the game. Although it keeps the connection to the original Cluedo board game it could have been redesigned in order to compliment the rebrand of the game board as a wayfinding system for Leeds. This would therefore be something that I would improve on as it could help to push my wayfinding system designs even further. I would also look at designing and producing the packaging for the game as I think that it would help for it to be seen as a professional and sophisticated game/wayfinding system.

Object - Rationale

Object - Rationale

My idea in response to the brief was to create a series of limited edition light bulb packaging in celebration of 70 years of the Guinness World Records. The idea came from looking into how long the Guinness World records has been running for and discovering the 70th year anniversary is in 4 years time. I therefore looked tried to link some of the history of the light bulb with the light bulb world records that have been achieve in the last 66 years. 

The designs use a combination of the scientific symbols that are used to represent a lightbulb and the branding that is recognisable as the Guinness World Records. I discovered all of the information that I needed to create this limited edition packaging when conducted my research. 

The packaging aims to have the same usage and functionality as any light bulb packaging in the market does but the dedication to the 70th anniversary gives the packaging a more interesting and aesthetically pleasing addition. It is a fully functional series of packaging that aims to have a big impact on its audience as it is something different to the usual packaging in the light bulb market. 

The designs are aimed at anyone who buys light bulbs in  the hopes to make them purchase this specific type of bulb due to the attraction created by the interesting feature on the packaging. It also aims to be eye catching to everyone encouraging them to stop and have a look at the interesting facts that are present on the back and making them acknowledge the anniversary of the Guinness World Records. 

My designs have been driven by my research into existing packaging of light bulbs as it has helped to provide me with a wider knowledge of the best production methods such as choice of materials. It has also helped me to understand that not all designs need to be over complicated as they can begin to look overcrowded. Simplicity but effectiveness is something that it more noticeable and eye catching to an audience as it looks more sophisticated and easy to take in the information being presented. 

Wayfinding Mock ups

Wayfinding Mock Ups

The images below are examples of how I envisioned the character counters to look when placed at the front of the buildings on my wayfinding system. I experimented with the use of black and white images as well as colour as they highlight the placement of the counter more clearly. Each image is of one place on my wayfinding system and the counters are representative of the architects who designed the building which can be identified when using the key that I designed to be used with the game as seen below. The different colours are representative of the different architects. For example, the yellow counter at the corn exchange is representative of the architect Cuthbert Brodrick who was the creator of that building. This worked out well because I ended up with the exact correct amount of designers to go alongside the amount of coloured counters that are used for the characters in the original game. This does mean that some of the architects are used more than once, however I feel that this just adds an aspect of interest to see that certain architects have designed more than one famous building across the city of Leeds. 

I think that they successfully work in the way that I had wanted them too however some stand out more than others. I think that this is an issue because some may look a little out of place whereas others look a little bit insignificant. To improve on this I would take more care in deciding the exact spot outside of the buildings that the character should be placed so that it is noticeable but equally blends into its surroundings. 

Art Galley - Black and White

Art Gallery

Corn Exchange - Black and White

Corn Exchange

Kirkgate Market - Black and White

Kirkgate Market

Library - Black and White

Library

Museum - Black and White

Museum

O2 Academy - Black and White

O2 Academy

Grand Theatre and Opera House - Black and White

Grand Theatre and Opera House

Town Hall - Black and White

Town Hall

Trinity - Black and White

Trinity

Final Object Outcomes

Final Object Outcomes

This design was originally one of my final outcomes but after criticism from my peers I changed the design in the hopes of making it look less over crowded. This is because when I showed them this design they thought that the background of a lot of bulbs behind the large bulb and writing made it look a bit messy and meant that the information didn't stand out. I therefore edited this design and changed it to the outcome below. 

The 70 years of the Guinness World Record packaging will be printed and presented as a set. I chose to print them onto thick card as it is low in cost and flexible to assemble. A downfall to the use of card is that it can get worn after lots of use but I do not believe this to be an issue as the packaging is mainly for protecting the light bulb until it is taken to wherever it needs to be and used. The use of card will easily do this job. 

The logo that is used on the front very simplistic but is an adaptation of the original Guinness World Records logo with the addition of the 7. I chose to do this because I didn't want to change it too much so that it would no longer be recognisable as it may loose some of the meaning and publicity. The typeface that is used by Guinness World Records is Arial. I therefore decided to use this for recreating the lettering for Edison Mazda lettering and also across the rest of the packaging as it means that there is consistency throughout the whole design.

It was important to print my packaging using CMYK so that it printed the best possible combination and appearance of the colours designed on screen. This therefore would mean that my designs would hopefully be eye catching as the colours will be vibrant. I think that this production method is also important and relevant to my chosen idea because as the packaging is for a light bulb it needs to have the same lit up vibrance as the product which it is supposed to be selling. 

I found that by using the feedback of my peers it helped me to come to these conclusions for the designs and the production methods. They helped me to understand where my previous attempts at the designs had gone wrong and how to improve them. The use of the same colour (black) across the whole of my designs worked much more effectively as it means that the packaging looks like more of a series than separate brands. Once they had been produced this became even more clear and showed the more sophisticated series of designs. 

Wayfinding - Production

Wayfinding - Production

After careful consideration I decided that the best material to use for the character counters which will stand outside the buildings would be metal. Although metal is a slightly more expensive material than some others I think that it is the best choice as it does not weather as easily and also can not be broken as easily as something like plastic for instance. This means that it would stand the test of time better than materials such as plastic and therefore in the long run will cost less due to less need to replace the figures. 

The only downfall that I think there is with using metal is that the colours of the statues will not be able to be as bright as they were envisioned in my designs. I wanted them to have a similar shine to the actual counters that are used on the board but this is something that will have to be compromised due to the positives outweighing the negatives for using metal as the material. 

Most game boards are made of out different variations of board. I therefore decided that this also would be the best material for the production of my board game/wayfinding system. This is because board is fairy light weight meaning that it wouldn't be too difficult to carry around the city and also is the most environmentally friendly material to use. 

The design for the game board/wayfinding system was printed off onto fairly thick matt card. This allowed me to then cover the front of the board with a plastic film to give it a more professional look and also protecting the artwork. This would therefore mean that it would be less likely to get damaged in outdoor weather conditions. 

Finally I printed the key onto thick glossy card. I think that this showed some similarities to a playing card which works with the theme. It is slightly smaller than an a6 piece of paper so is therefore an extremely manageable size for travel as well.

Object - Development

Object - Development

After the initial crit I started to develop my packaging designs further as these were the ones that with the help of my peers I had chosen to continue to develop. I tried sticking to the use of a single block colour for the designs as the simplicity but effectiveness of the designs was something that was commemorated in the initial crit feedback. I also started to experiment with using the designs which I had created for the posters to go on the packaging of the light bulbs. I do think that this was an effective design decision as it combines the design that involves an interesting Guinness World Record fact with the limited edition packaging. This meant that there was something on the packaging that would hopefully entice the customer to read and look at the packaging for these specific light bulbs. The use of the block colours was criticised however as they lost the professional feel to the designs. I therefore went onto use black packaging which got much better feedback as it looked much more sophisticated and allowed for the actual designs for the world records and the 70 years to stand out. 

The longest burning light bulb - 21 years

The greatest amount of people to be arranged in a formation to create the image of a lightbulb

The largest lightbulb display

The furthest lightbulb throw

Wayfinding Final Map Design

Wayfinding Final Map Design

My final map design was designed through trial and error of all of the design decisions that were made in the process of creating the wayfinding system. My final design combines aspects of my own designs but keeps some elements of the original board game Cluedo in the hopes to have good balance meaning that the game appeals to my target audience. 

After deciding quite early on that it was an unrealistic idea to have the board game projected onto the floor of an area of Leeds, the actual wayfinding system will not actually be placed anywhere in Leeds. Instead the system will be taken around the city with the people who are playing the game in order to direct them to the next place from one site to the next. This means that they would not have to continue to return to one spot in Leeds for the clues for the next building as this could have resulted in boredom. Therefore my final deign for the map is seen in the picture of the board game on the right. It consists of the original Cluedo colours meaning that it is recognisable to interest people and contains the logo in the centre. I thought that it was important to incorporate this logo as it is an iconic part of the game and will also give people an idea of how to work my wayfinding system presuming they know how to play Cluedo. After discussing the final outcome with peers I tweeked a couple of small details such as colour and placement and ended with the final outcome seen in the picture. The board using these colours and layout got a much better reaction as the design holds more meaning due to the combination of old and new. 

Initial Object Ideas

Initial Object Ideas

Following on from my research I started by designing a poster for each of the Guinness World records including light bulbs that I had chosen to use. I incorporated the use of the physic symbol in my designs like I had planned and I think that aesthetically this worked quite well. I decided to stick to the idea of simplicity and use block colour rather than the possibility of the designs looking too overcrowded. I then went on to do a very rough net design for the packaging idea so that when I show it in my crit I am able to show my peers a rough example of what I mean. All of these designs can be seen in the pictures below. The first image (Figure 1) is designed to represent the longest burning light bulb. It was burning for 21 years in total so I incorporated 21 lightbulb pictograms into the design. The second design (Figure 2) is a representation of the largest lightbulb display. The display consisted of the use of 824,961 light bulbs. I would have been unable to actually fit this amount of pictograms onto one page so I decided to have a background of as many bulbs as I could fit and then a really large one layed over the top signifying the largest bulb. The third design (Figure 3) is an interpretaton of the most people arranged in formations to make the image of a lightbulb. I desided to put this on orange to represent the light and I arranged stick men into the shape of the lightbulb symbol. The final design (Figure 4) is the furthest light bulb throw. The blue and green was to represent outside and the symbol of the lightbulb is supposed to be in the air like its been thrown. I think that this was the most challenging design to make look remotely like what I was trying to portray but when I discussed it with my peers they thought that it was easy to interpret.

Figure 

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4