FINAL MAJOR PROJECT DOCUMENTS

ASHLEY COX

ASHLEY COX 11 Moor View Terrace Plymouth, PL4 7EB UK

BIO & ACHIEVEMENTS

Ashley Cox BA (Hons) Graphic Communication Final Major Project GCOM 343 BIO Im a creative person. Thats what Ive embraced in my time at Plymouth University. I always knew I wanted to do something that would allow me to change my day-to-day routine, beginning with photography and progressing into the world of graphic design. My specialism is in digital media and interactive design the design and production of apps, websites, digital publications with designs that can involve the viewer, but I am keen to keep print based media alive, at all times experimenting how my designs can translate into the digital world. After carefully honing these skills over the last three years I feel fully equipped me for my next progression forward as a designer and always as a creative.

ACHIEVEMENTS COaST Logo Winner Went on to do branding brief for them. Umbra Pemunbra, Liz Nicol Exhibition memento design Student Representative 2012/2013 Presented to Glenn Carter (Runner up?) 2010 Social Representative 2011/2012 START Walking (Plymouth University) Graphic Designer, 2013 Student Ambassador 2012/2013

Graphic Designer & Photographer

M +44 (0) 79232 71487 E ashley-cox@live.com

ASHLEY COX 11 Moor View Terrace Plymouth, PL4 7EB UK

BRIEF

Ashley Cox BA (Hons) Graphic Communication Final Major Project GCOM 343
Introduction The digital era is an ever expanding form of communication, and with all these new technologies we need to celebrate such medias and begin look to what the future may hold for the marriage of digital medias and design. The Brief You should come up with a celebration event for this new form of communication and design. This is open to your interpretation to what type of celebration you create. You will be required to create all aspects of your chosen event from the logo and stationary to the advertising campaign, think about what media you are trying to promote and try to incorporate this into your designs. Finally, design and develop a display typeface for the event. Again, thinking about the media and audience of your chosen event. The elements you design should be both printed and digital material. Research Should start with a broad search on what is currently being done in relation to your brief. Then filter in research on branding and identity, keeping these both on research would together allow you to form a good starting point for ideas/roughs. Purpose/Target Audience The purpose of this brief is to both fill a substantial gap in the portfolio with the creation of a typeface and to further develop your branding and identity skills. Target audience will be determined by yourself when thinking about your event, however this is a new and upcoming media event so keep in mind you will only appeal to tech minded people with a love of design. Outcomes Create a display typeface that should be used on all branding material, all branding and identity stationary, a website is a nessacary and an app could be included also perhaps a poster advertising campaign.

RESEARCH & SOURCES Big Brand Thoery - Gingko Press Pentagram Studio London Design Festival www.pinterest.com www.designboom.com Computer Arts Magazine - Vol. #205 Computer Arts - BRANDING EDITION Logo - Michael Evamym - 2007 Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team Alina Wheeler Stephan Sagmeister - Made You Look Stephan Sagmeister - Things I Have Learnt In My Life So Far Carter, S. 20th Century Type Designers, Laurence King Ltd, 2006 Just My Type - Simon Garfield Hand Job - A Catalog of Type - Michael Perry New Vintage Type: Classic Fonts for the Digital Age - Steven Heller & Gail Anderson - 2009 www.behance.com www.creativereview.co.uk Symbol - Angus Hyland Logo - Michael Evamy + more to be added.

Graphic Designer & Photographer M +44 (0) 79232 71487 E ashley-cox@live.com

ASHLEY COX 11 Moor View Terrace Plymouth, PL4 7EB UK

ABSTRACT

Ashley Cox BA (Hons) Graphic Communication Final Major Project GCOM 343 During weeks one and two I spent most of my time researching current design festivals and tactile typefaces, this has helped me narrow down what I want to create and I now feel happy to being visualising. Entering week three of the module I have recently been working on my display typeface development, I believe that once Ive formulated a gird matrix to aid in forming my letterforms this will then build the foundations of my project. In the coming weeks the then almost finished typeface will be pushed across all branding elements including a concept interactive piece. The interactive piece would form the main element within my festival and will be designed to bring people together using digital technologies.

Graphic Designer & Photographer

M +44 (0) 79232 71487 E ashley-cox@live.com

ASHLEY COX 11 Moor View Terrace Plymouth, PL4 7EB UK

REPORT Page 1 of 2

Ashley Cox BA (Hons) Graphic Communication Final Major Project GCOM 343 Aims My anticipated aim was to produce a coherent branding project, including a typeface, all based around digital media/design. Celebrating such medias with a yearly fictional festival surrounding a specific digital theme. Concerning my finished work I have produced a predominately digital array of outputs along with various advertising print designs that I believe to be essential when creating contemporary brand identities. Research & Preparation I undertook a large proportion of my research online due to the nature of my brief. By dividing my research topics into three groups I was able to form a collection of research areas for separate sections which all had linking elements to my topic, these areas were; Physical and digital typefaces, current design related festivals and finally, similar coherent brands. I made enquires via online social network Twitter as to where numerous creatives thought the creative capital of the world is, the outcome being mixed but overall London was favourite. I also enquired about local design festivals, one being in development by a current University lecturer and broadened my search for design festivals as my research grew. Process My initial work took to the idea of creating a relevant typeface for use on all branding aspects within my designs. An early focus I had was on based on 3D elements where I attempted to create a typeface that would become three dimensional with the aid of the classic two colour glasses, however it was quickly established that this was not a radical or relevant direction to take. My route altered to a second idea I had developed; gestures. This became the base of my work and I then created a free form typeface that would have the visual aesthetics of being hand gestured. Personally this was an interesting experience for myself as I do find myself drawn to producing digital outcomes, but this required me to do the opposite; to put pen to paper and draw letterforms as if they were being gestured.

Graphic Designer & Photographer

M +44 (0) 79232 71487 E ashley-cox@live.com

ASHLEY COX 11 Moor View Terrace Plymouth, PL4 7EB UK

REPORT Page 2 of 2

Ashley Cox BA (Hons) Graphic Communication Final Major Project GCOM 343 Learning Outcomes During this module I have been able to further my knowledge on creating a brand and further still I have been able to develop a typeface that previously I have been unable to do. In the future I believe I can take my experimental period during the creation of my type as a learning experience as I did find that sketching and re-sketching my letterforms did produce the best results. Summary When thinking about where my designs could be further developed I always come to the same conclusion, user interactivity. I can often create ideas and visuals of what this interactivity could involve but lack the knowledge on how to build these creations. Due to the nature of our current climate evolving into a more digital world, the number of digital design festivals is on the rise. Therefore I would consider showing my designs to any current city that is putting on this festival, I believe it to be one that would excite many.

Graphic Designer & Photographer

M +44 (0) 79232 71487 E ashley-cox@live.com