OUGD501: COP3 Proposal Form

OUGD501: COP2 Evaluation

I have thoroughly enjoyed this module as it has allowed me to experiment with traditional ways of making and a continuation of a hands on approach from my project last year based on William Morris. The work I produced for that was in essence a form of pastiche because I created artwork which had elements from Victorian times (1800s). The work I have produced for this module has been from looking at how traditional print is relevant in the present times and why it is still used and loved even though we have a wide range of technology. The most likely reason is the fact that as designers we now have a wide variety of choices in terms of technology which can be used to work together and enhance design projects. From my primary research one thing that stood out to me was that the process of screen printing and spending time crafting artwork is something that is still valued today almost as much as it was during William Morris' socialist time. 

The process of making in the print room workshop took a lot longer than anticipated which perhaps impacted on the amount of work I could produce. It was incredibly busy which therefore meant being able to take photographs took much longer in terms of time adding on for my screens to dry. In total I spent a couple of days in the print room. But overall this project has allowed me to become more confident with using the print room and especially printmaking. Unfortunately due to lack of time with this project in particular I didn't have the opportunity to be able to learn letterpress type but this is something I am going to combat over summer by taking part in some workshops to further my skill set. 

I am happy with the outcome of my prints however if I had more time I would liked to of created a series of them onto different coloured stocks with different inks such as metallics onto black for example. This would of shown different processes within screen print and creating these into a series of smaller books/collections of photos in terms of their process would of been incredibly ambitious and perhaps time consuming too as even this project took quite a while to produce. In terms of booking print slots for digital print I was incredibly lucky that I managed to plan my time early enough to incorporate all the elements into the pack that I wanted. I feel the development idea of using an envelope instead of creating them into a book works much better with my concept of revealing the process as the viewer has to physically look through the prints instead of simply flicking the pages in a book. 

In terms of the rest of the module, I have enjoyed a large amount of the lectures but most specifically the ones based on ethics. The workshop we did on a written piece based on ethics and the first things first manifesto I found incredibly interesting which has linked through into the current design practice module where I am creating a book for parents on early signs of Autism. This definitely relates to what I would like to do in Level6 COP3 as ethical design is something I enjoy creating and researching about but I would like to gain a more in-depth understanding as to what is and why it is important. For COP1 & 2 I have focused on printmaking and traditional methods of design which is something I will always enjoy but I think for COP3 I want to challenge myself by learning about something I don't have a full understanding of. 

OUGD501: COP- Essay & Practical Piece

Throughout my essay I discussed traditional printmaking within graphic design. In particular I focused on Benjamin's theory of aura: ‘In even the most perfect reproduction, one thing is lacking: the here and now of the work of art- its unique existence in a particular place.’ (BENJAMIN, 1939). This theory suggests that printmaking provides an experience which cannot be reproduced by any other means. This meant that for my practical piece I would follow this and explore traditional printmaking methods- but in particular screen printing as this is something still heavily used within contemporary graphic design. 

In my essay I looked at a few examples of screen printing- one of which was a limited edition cover print (Nobrow) which is what influenced me to create a larger print of one of important quotes from my essay. Even though I focused on Benjamin throughout the essay I felt as though Dormer's quote stating 'A craft object often reveals much about the skill and the technology used to make it' was incredibly relevant to the primary research I did on Linkedin where I found out that is in fact the process and time spent being the reasoning people love traditional print methods. The quote relates to my print as you can clearly see the colour difference between cmyk prints and the mixed inks for printing with. I also chose to present the print onto a bigger piece rather than cropped is so that you can see the crop marks slightly and also the overlap of layers which is what makes a screen print unique. My choice of background pattern was to show how screen printing can overlay colours with a high pigment and my choice of a hand rendered and somewhat quirky looking font was to enhance the idea of craft and the handmade. 

The second example I looked at within my essay was a publication using traditional methods along with screen printed items, this in particular was the influence for my practical piece- I must state that I do not want to prove that digital or traditional is better than one another. In fact I want to explore how they can be used together in harmony which is why I chose to digitally print my photographs for the pack mainly due to being able to see full colour cmyk images as by using screen print this would have been with halftone dots which wouldn't necessarily portray the process I went through correctly. I used half tone dots for the initial page to enhance the idea of traditional printing methods too. The printed pages within the pack show my process step by step of creating the screen print which previously discussed at one of the crits is representative of the 'slow movement' as my piece shows in detail how something was made it isn't instance it is a research process. 

The concept of using an envelope containing my process was to follow along with the quote with the idea of "revealing" this therefore means that the viewer must open it to see the process I have gone through to make the final print. The pages of photographs are simply presented on the page with large amounts of white space to allow the eye to only focus on the photographs and not to overcomplicate the page. Three stages of screen prints are included within these digitally printed photographs too as well as the final piece. 

‘craft objects capture the efforts of their makers and make these efforts visible and palpable for us to see and comprehend, and in doing so, they reflect back to us our own efforts they become mirrors of our own aspirations and possibilities’ (RISATTI, 2007, p196)

From the quote above the idea of showing my process and development is so that anyone can view this work and gain an understanding from it. It is not just for those who understand and appreciate screen printing but it is also for those who do not yet know about it and will gain knowledge of what the process is and the amount of work and time that goes into making. 

OUGD501: Practical Piece

Larger screen print:

Envelope:

Contents of the envelope: 

OUGD501: COP- Essay

OUGD501: COP- development

For my book I have a few pieces of screen printed material. Three A3 sheets which show the individual stages and one on a larger paper too. The smaller sheets will be inserted into my book as I felt as though I needed to include my screen prints as well as photographs showing my process. By including these screen prints and photographs of my process it 'reveals' how the item is made. 

After deciding to use my screen prints as well as photographs I changed the format of my book to A4 to match the printed material already created. The images below are the pages which I will print digitally. I have used half tone dots on the front cover to imitate the idea of screen printing as a process. I have used both digital (photographs) and traditionally printed elements because it shows a progression in how both can be used together. 

(Pink first colour print placed here)

(Blue and pink screen print here)

(Final print here)

..................................................................................................................

https://www.behance.net/gallery/22160795/Designworks-Xmas

Whilst printing these pages I thought about what would be the best way to bind these pages together. But I found that they worked quite well individually and it simply would be a shame to bind these together in a book. Therefore I looked at different options for an unbound book- an envelope would be perfect as the quote contains the idea of "revealing" secrets behind how the piece was made- therefore the envelope of prints would be given alongside the screen printed piece. 

Context of Practice 3 Proposal Task

You will produce and present an outline proposal for your Context of Practice 3 research project. You will use the agreed proposal proforma that will be made available on eStudio and present your proposal in a 5-10 minute presentation to your tutors and peers. This proposal is designed to act as a catalyst for your third year context of practice project which you can build upon over the summer. It is expected that your CoP3 project will evolve over time therefore this proposal should not be seen as a fixed brief but instead a starting point from which to develop your project.

Your proposal must contain and discuss the following:

aim/objective of your project

general and specific research to be undertaken

how you will approach the topic - methodology

preparations that need to be undertaken - practical, quantative/qualitative research, reading, etc.

primary and secondary research sources

potential problems

Once you have presented your proposal you will be offerred some advice/feedback from your tutors and peers.

Outline summer work: 

The CoP 3 module is extensive and rigourous. In order to take advantage of your tuition time (which is restricted and closely measured), it is advised that you commit to a good quantity of planning and research over the summer break. Therefore, you can use this proposal as an opportunity to plan for this.

Research Sources/Further Information

Context of Practice 3 is an independent research project and as third year Graphic Design students you are expected to take ownership of your project, set your own milestones and seek assistance from relevant sources of your own accord. You will be given support by your project supervisor through regular tutorials in which you should be aptly prepared.

Mandatory Requirements

Your completed proposal form must be uploaded to eStudio by the module deadline on 18th May 2015.

Use Harvard conventions for your bibliography/reading list. Pages should be numbered and stapled. 

An over-reliance on ‘non-academic’ internet sources should be avoided.

OUGD501: Screen Print Book- starting point

From the photographs I took when screen printing I have been working these into a postcard size little booklet that will work alongside my final screen print. On the second page I have included a short description of the different stages of printing which is then illustrated by photographs following. I have kept the book as mainly images only to allow it to be simple to look at which therefore means that the photographs themselves will stand out as the only content. 

The booklet shows how in Benjamin's theory of aura- it provides something which cannot be reproduced by any other means. By showing the process of making a screen print it unravels the mystery of how it came to be therefore portraying that this process is not just for limited edition fine art prints, it is intact a process for everyone and it is in fact the process itself which makes it special and unique. Much like William Morris discussed, the process of making is what makes products special it is fact the time and the craft which allows products to become works of art and not mass produced commercial objects. 

However after a small crit I'm not completely happy with my layout- I need to include my screen prints into my book somehow. 

OUGD501: Creating the screen print! (process)

The images for exposure:

Photographs of making (content for my book)

As the quote suggests these photographs show the process of my printmaking process. Not only does the design give visual clues as to its process such as pigmented colour and texture the idea of showing the process of screen print will be put into a book. Therefore vividly showing the process I have been through to make the final print. Its purpose is to show what actually goes into a screen print and why it is loved/desired- this is shown through research to be the main reason why people love printmaking pieces. 

Equipment for photographing:

All photographs from screen printing:

Mistakes whilst screen printing: Of course with a complicated process I had made a couple of mistakes which included double printing by accident and the screen flooding. (see photographs below)

OUGD501: COP3 Research (Library lecture)

Research is incredibly important for COP3 and it is vital to be able to know all the different kinds of researching methods and resources available over summer. 

Primary research is gathering your own data. This could be through practising artwork, experimentation, enquiry/ critical diaries, questionnaires, interviews, case studies and site visits. Secondary research is reading up on the subject and making use of the research already available, it is findings from others. You could use books, journals, websites, blogs, videos, cds, tv/radio, newspapers/media. 

Useful journal searches: