Revised COP Proposal

Revised COP Proposal

SUBJECTS OF CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH ALREADY UNDERTAKEN
Level 4:
The influence of 80s hip-hop culture and its relationship with urban fashion and how style has recycled from then to now.

Level 5:
What is the role of ethics in creating an effective brand image?

AIM AND/OR OBJECTIVE OF YOUR PROPOSED C.O.P.3 PROJECT
To what extent has typography been influenced by contemporary technologys?

An investigation into how the application and design of typography has changed and developed as a reaction to changing technology and how it has effected the end user along the way.

What research needs to be undertaken into the general and specific contexts of your practice?
Research into how technology has evolved and its use within the application and design of typography.

Look into key movements that have influenced how information is communicated, obviously the Guttenberg press will be a key one but analyse all the elements used in these process’s and discuss there key benefits and advantages over older methods.

Has the purpose of typography changed from been something aimed at effective communication to something with more niche purposes; investigating custom typefaces, display/header faces, moving image, physical typefaces.

What where and who was involved in key periods of development of typography, the pioneers and main points of change within typography.

Research traditional and contemporary typography both theoretical and visual analysing them with supporting research as well as my own analysis of what I understand to be contemporary typographic principles.

Trends and there impact on contemporary typography.

How has the distribution of typefaces changed, for example from physical ownership of metal type and woodblock type too letraset to digital replications of old traditional typefaces through font foundrys (budget and high end).

The potential of new technology within the creative industry and its potential impact on typography.

Post and pre-internet art and design and relevance to how it relates to typography.

Research into the relationship between medium and message within typographic principles and the visual resolution of them.

Research into the history of typography design and communication of information.

How has Social & Cultural issue’s been considered within typography design and the use of typography within Graphic Design over periods of time for example Jonathan Barnbrook typefaces have political concepts or Vignelli subway map.

Movements within Art & Design over time from renaissance to more contemporary movements and how these movements within art and design have effected communication of information and typography.

What approach(es) will you take and what processes, methods, materials and tools are to be involved in research into your practice?
Physical research, making work as a reaction to research and investigations.

Feedback on physical work to help inform arguments or further points of investigation.

Interviewing a wide range of creative’s from different areas of design to inform opinions on how the industry has changed from traditional Graphic Design principles to the Digital era.

Interview a range of creative who take different approaches to there practice and how it informs there final outcomes and the works purpose.

Go to exhibitions, museums and events to gain primary research.

Explore the physical properties of work, rather than just reading about the work if possible gain a deeper understanding by interacting with the work and analysing it to spark new investigations.

Go to events and talks like nicer Tuesdays.

Read books, articles, forums and journals as a main reference for secondary material.

What preparation or investigations do you need to undertake for your creative practice to take place?

Establish a hypothesis or argument to create a visual response too as a means of answering a question or argument.

Research existing physical work relating to technology, typography and progression of print.

Compile together a reading list based on technology, typography and progression of print.

Plan exhibition visits, events and talks, look out on blogs and magazines for relevant subjects within my research investigation that can give opportunity to visual responses.

Look into how typography and graphic design has developed both for communication purposes and style/trend purposes.

Plan feedback sessions at set dates.

What research do you need to undertake regarding who your creativity is for?
Target audience and how typography design has been developed for them.

How people now digest information both digital and print and how they used to digest it.

How typography is distributed to designers, type foundries both contemporary and traditional.

Primary Sources of Information
1. 

Description - Dalton Maag
Location - info@daltonmaag.com

2. 

Description - Interview Snask
Location - love@snask.com

3. 

Description - Anthony Burrill
Location - a@anthonyburrill.com

Secondary Sources of Information The typographic experiment – Teal Triggs 

You are here: Art after the internet – Omar Kholeif
Elephant magazine on Post Internet Art
Eye magazine Type Special
Medium is the Message – Marshall McLuhan
Pretty Ugly: Visual Rebelion in Design – Twopoints
Graphic Design Theory – Meredith Davis
Pioneers of Modern Typography – Herbert Spencer
Essential McLuhan
The Gutenberg Galazy – Marshall McLuhan
Studio Culture – Unit Editions
The New Typography – Jan Tshichold
An Essay on Typography – Eric Gill
Anatomy of a Trend – Henrik Vejlgaard

Perceived problems or difficulties:
Getting replies back from professionals, questions asked will need to be too the point and focused on a few key points so they don’t get confused with what they read.

Creating a focused hypothesis based on my research question that allows a number of key elements to be analysed to strengthen an argument within a set of structured chapters.

Focusing down research sources so information gathered for arguments don’t start been diluted and losing focus as lots of irrelevant research is gathered.

Researching traditional typography could be pretty boring.

Technology & Typography Practical Investigation

Technology & Typography Practical Investigation

Focus of visual investigation
Through a practical resolution create a typographic poster that represents the key stages of communication with a focus on emulating progression from traditional to contemporary approaches within communication of information and design as a whole sector. 

Look into the use and visualisation of;
Software
Presets
Trends
Traditional typographic principles
Technology

The idea is to work off my own knowledge at this point from what I have learnt other the space of 2 years to show my understanding within the subject to then figure out what elements within the subject I want to gain a deeper understanding in.  

Visual Scamps
Playing around with ideas of deconstruction of traditional sections from typographic anatomy then constructing back in a digital and contemporary aesthetic and context. 

Gradients and preset textures to show over reliance of software with a typeface that emulates hands on approaches and physical type to show the transition and change of the application of typography.

Exploring ideas of how typography doesn't focus on readability and legibility anymore and how it can now carry stronger concepts and meanings through custom typefaces and custom header/display faces. 

Try maintain an interactive or feeling of motion within the composition to show hands on process's.

Expanding ideas of deconstruction and 3D for ideas of physicality within the application of typography.

Using the grid to emulate functionality which will contrast with experimental type and shape to show the influence of trends born from the pretty ugly and introduction to the internet and design softwares. 

Trying to create a feeling of experimentation, digital aesthetics, and deconstruction and construction. 

Trying to show the routes of typeface design and communication through the connotations of roman communication through iconography exploring this as a starting point then thinking of ideas of how to show the restrictions of typesetting with the Gutenberg.

Expanding on ideas of using a deconstructed composition and positioning of elements to create an interactive feeling of motion.

Starting to develop a certain aesthetic and purpose of the typeface design, based around traditional serif woodblock carved fonts but showing a digital contemporary output. The use of Past Present and Future helps communicate and add context to the idea of a timeline of mass communication im trying to portray. 

Exploring ideas of basic communication of type through the Alphabet but this starts to dilute the idea of mass communication and starts looking into the development of western languages. 

Ideas of how iconography can add context to key periods of change within the development of mass communication, technology and typography. 

Experimental type development with a focus on creating a digital vibe but with physical 3D presence, aiming at trying to emulate a transition between traditional serif woodblock type applications too a more digital outcome.  

Final Resolutions

The overall concept and resolution starts out with an entire digital presence that uses iconography and typographic quotes to communicate a timeline of mass communication and technology used in the development of typographic applications. 

Starting from the introduction of the Gutenberg, to the Mac to Softwares and the introduction of digital print and the internet and how trends have influenced the use and design of typography. 

Rasmus is a contemporary interpretation of a serif font and is easily accessible on a budget from the designers foundry, formerly known as ten dollar fonts and has sparked thoughts to investigate about how a well designed font was something quite prestigious to own but now they are much more accessible and usable influencing an influx in "graphic designers" with there pirate software and reliance of preset commands to create "effective" design. 

The glyphs are designed to have a 3D physical feel like traditional wood block glyphs but maintain contemporary aesthetic to show this transition from tradition to contemporary appreciation to technology. 

Physical screen printed replicas repurposed back into digital presence with application of photoshop preset patterns to strengthen concept of reliance of software and presets. 

A few different stocks where experimented with just to play around with the print process and how the application of colour changes depending on stock, the black one has a certain digital vibe too it emulating a computer screen while the white and grey have differing tonal differences through the contrasting paper stocks showing the benefits of physical print methods and how the colour is more pure than digital print through the heavier application of pure colour pigment. 

COP Presentation, Feedback & Plan of Action

COP Presentation, Feedback & Plan of Action

Plan & Proposal - Overall information presented
To what extent has typography been influenced by contemporary technologies? 

Or

To what extent has typography been influenced by exposure to the web and advancing technological innovation?

To do
Who to contact and what to ask them:
· Dalton Maag – Modern Font foundry
· Snask – Physical hand on approach but appreciate digital design
· Anthony Burrill – Traditional
· Rob Walker - Illustrative typographer
· John Watters – About interaction with clients, now over Skype instead of face to face meetings.

Consider how investigations within theory can be put into practical responses. 

Research Topics
A series of mini investigations that underpin my main question or hypothesis.
· How has typography both design and application developed to meet social needs.
· Trends and there impact on the application and design of typography.
· How has the internet impacted how typography is distributed both commercially and socially, i.e the distribution of typography to graphic designers and the different ways typography is presented depending on target audience (moving image, physical 3D, print)
· How its ready available now to everyone so everyone thinks they can design.
· Compare dafont to a high end fontfoundry with budget TDF Ten Dollar Fonts.
· Futuristic type foundries and more traditional typefaces, Johnathan Barnbrook.
· How typography is devalued through over saturation and application of particular fonts, not considering the use and context of the typeface.
· How typography design has changed since the dawn of mass distributed communication with the introduction of the Gutenberg.
· Critical analyze and comparison of a number of different typefaces of different Eras that reflect tradition, current principles and more future oriented ideas.

Feedback

It was suggested I had some interesting topics I have looked into but a lot of them where different essays in themselves, focusing down on what underpins the whole investigation is one of the most important factors to make sense of all these topics and give them purpose and direction towards an end goal.
Think about how all this can be turned into a practical response. 
Consider what im looking at, is it print, is it type design or is it communication. Not all 3 of these as this is far too much too write about and argue in a clear way. 
Figure out why im contacting people. 
FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS. 

Plan of Action
Focus on what underpins the whole essay and set topics that can fit under this subject. 
Focus down my question so it makes clear what underpins the whole investigation. 
Figure out some questions and who im contacting and what I want to get from it. 
Figure out a focused reading list. 
Create a more focused and informed proposal form. 

Methodologies and Critical Analysis

Methodologies and Critical Analysis 

Methodology 

Methodology is a way to go about researching and the planning behind it.

Evidence it in project development, research and resolution.

A logical, systematic and structured way of organising a research project and gathering necessary information.

Evidence that you have reflected critically on various research methods and chosen the ones that are most appropriate for your research project. 

Doing your research project - Judith Bell & The Postgraduate Research Handbook - Gina Wisker (chapters 13,14,15) books to read

Palgrave Study Skills - Choosing appropriate research methodologies - Online resource

What kind of research methods are you going to use? Are they mostly:

Quantitate, or qualitative or both?

What do you think you methods will enable you to discover?

What might they prevent you from discovering?

What kind of research methods would be best suited to the kind of research you are undertaking and the research questions you are pursuing?

What sort of problems do you envisage in setting up these methods?

What are their benefits?

What will you need to do to ensure they gather useful data?

Include:

Literature Review - Libraries, Journals, Internet

A particular theoretical approach

Questionnaires - Sample size, Reliability and Validity

Interviews - Structured or unstructured? Bias?

Sketchbooks/Critical Diaries/Reflective Logs

How can making physical work be part of research, critical analyse of the outcomes based on theories from source research or gather feedback from professionals regarding a certain issue for them to evaluate it from. 

Outline your methodology at the start of the Dissertation. 

Introduction to include the strategy of the project, chapter breakdown, suggest the type of research and how they are going to tie elements together. Reference books you will investigate and what mini arguments you will investigate into to answer a main question.

Critical analysis 

Selective, separating, choosing information valid to an answer

Having an idea or opinion and testing it with many sources to supply evidence to come to conclusions. 

Consider different points of views

Consider the opinions of the author, or the person supplying the information, what are there beliefs, are they biased to some view points? Consider this and analyze this too. Consider there emotional, intellectual, emotional, philosophically and political opinions. 

Where am I coming from? 

Context is everything, consider the influence of one or more of the following; the time, place, society, politics, economics, technology, philosophy, scientific thought

Argument, how am I going to develop answers to my question

What do I want to say? Regarding the question whats the point of the investigation

Never lose focus of central argument, have a focused central argument

Have I got the evidence to back it up?

Could you find more evidence to support your conclusions? 

Where else do I need to look in order to find more evidence?

Am I expressing myself clearly and logically? 

Triangulation - Piting alternative theories against the same body of data. 3 sources absolute minimum. 

A bad argument style to avoid

Contradicting

Have no relationships with previous statements

Do not have any logical sequence

Are based on assumptions that were never questioned

Appeal to authorities that are known to be limited or suspect (wikipedia, dictionaries, historical traditions)

Present opinion as argument unsupported by evidence 

Take no account of exceptions or counter claims

Try to claim absolute instead of qualified truths, don't conclude everything I have wrote is truth, use evidence as reference to suggest how it could be a possible resolution

Have opinions backed up by lots of evidence

Combine block quotes, paraphrased quotes, adds depth and then focused support influence combine a combination of evidencing with paraphrasing, block quotes, imbedded quotes.  

Evaluation
You need to show the reader that you are evaluation the evidence for its relevance and reliability 
Looking at and coming to conclusions about the value of your evidence. 

Plan

Keep it simple, refine what you want to say and focus on a few key issues

Look into your key issues in depth and bring in the maximum evidence in to support your views

Discuss your issues and the evidence you have found in a clear and logical manner

Move from general theories to specific

How to analyse a text
1. Identify an aspect of my specialist subject to explore.
2. Select a writer or theorist and a piece of writing about this subject.
3. Make notes identifying key points in the writing.
4. What evidence is used to support or prove these points?
5. Is it convincing? What else needs to be said in order to prove these key points and opinions?
6. Write a response to the piece of writing and comment on; the implications of my work, do I agree or disagree on whats been said? Does it help support my views and arguments? What thoughts have I had upon reading these texts? Analyse the evidence the writer uses.

Visual analyse
Line, Color, Tone, Texture, Form, Composition, Type etc and how these are related to the function or message communicated through the work?

How are these aspects relate to context; media and materials available, use of technology, attitudes and mood applied to work.

What evidence do I have to support my conclusions?

Plans of Action, Timescales & Tutorial feedbacks

Plans of Action, Timescales & Tutorial feedbacks 

These long term and short term broken up timescales will help me keep track on what I need to do and allow me to prioritize more time on certain aspects of the project. Breaking job lists up into weeks, days and hours and allocating certain amounts of these increments will allow me to at least make a prediction on how much time I have to complete certain tasks before certain deadlines like crits and tutorials. 

I will also upload tutorial and crit feedback as a means of updating my to do lists and plans of actions based on these feedbacks so I am constantly on the right road and focused on investigating a refined subject rather than diverging off into different directions. 

Each schedule will be updated weekly. 

Tutorial Feedback

Schedules 

COP Briefing & Introduction

COP Briefing & Introduction

Brief

Key notes

Practical needs to be informed by the progression of research and the journey of how the research focus changes and how it interacts with my written element of the brief. 

Synthesise theory and practice not only with COP but with other units too everything should inform each other.

Create clear links with how research influences what I write, what I design and what opinions I currently have.

Primary research can be done by producing practical work as a reaction to research and thoughts, get feedback on this work to see if it did its purpose. 

Collect case studies.

Begin thinking of questions to ask designers now rather than later.

200 Word prologue on what Im doing, what im carrying out within my investigation and my question. 

Include time plans and schedules to follow. 

Expand on how I connected my research with my practical in level 5, I did well at creating clear links.

Use COP research to feed extended practice, use extended practice research to feed COP. 

3-4 Chapters to allow triangulation. 

Create a bibliography in alphabetic order with quotes to use at a later date. 

Write a studio brief for practical response based on my findings.

Context will come from research and investigations with the brief aiming at solving a problem reacting to this. 

Have a draft for end of November.

Try get in 100 hour reading.

Basic Plan

Introduction

Tell what im going to do

Starting point

Explain how research & upcoming chapters and content will influence what im doing

Conclusion

Tell them what I did and told them and how its turned out