Wednesday 15 February 2012

OUGD203//Various Briefs.



Researching various design briefs and competitions found online in preparation for the forthcoming OUGD203, in which a part will include taking an existing brief and re-writing it to cater to our own design practice and specifications- working on our capabilities working professionally, and to strict guidelines and deadlines as we would in industry. Below are a small selection of briefs that I myself have found online- some good and really suited to the style of work that I aspire to produce, others not really "my cup of tea" but which have potential. Links for information about the briefs can be sourced through the URLs below the screenshots in order to save room (and from boredom!) on this post.


http://designbymusic.com/fishtank/FT_Brief.pdf


Found through the Manchester-based 'Music' design agency, this is a really unusual and unique brief (in all the right ways, of course!). Instillation art is something that I have found myself interested in in the past, and I love the openess of this brief in terms of creativity and outcome potential, however, I'm not sure it would be quite right for me. Although, as most people are, I'm a great fan of music, I do think of myself as having perhaps slightly unusual taste- nothing really contemporary or edgy as I would expect Music to be looking for in the interpretation of this brief (I'm all about Simon & Garfunkel and Kate Bush... my music taste hasn't changed in about fifteen years). However, with a slight re-write, as this project within the module demands, I could certainly make it more fitting to my personality as well as my design practice. 


http://www.graphiccompetitions.com/graphic-design/poster-for-tomorrow-2012


A really interesting brief with a lot of potential to exorcise any hints of feminism within myself, and a really open brief to experiment and play around with. As the "prize" for this competition brief is vastly distributed- with 100 "winners" the demands of the competition wouldn't be too great in comparison with other briefs, with the potential to submit up to ten designs- so quite a high success rating would be far more likely.
Definitely a brief I would consider submitting to in my own time, as well as throughout the module (through Uni work)- still a long time before the deadline too to get some really strong ideas produced.


http://www.graphiccompetitions.com/graphic-design/the-dieline-package-design-awards-2012


A huge fan of The Dieline website and a growing love and ambition to broaden and strengthen my skills in terms of packaging design (and design in general...) I was instantly attracted to this brief. However, I was dissapointed to find that the 'deadline' for entries to be produced was in December of last year. With my passion for packaging design relatively recent, I don't feel as though any of my packaging designs would be strong enough to submit into the competition. However, if I were to go on to rewrite the brief, a shift in the deadline would certainly inspire me to focus more on this field of design to produce something that I could be really proud of, and which would develop both an interest and design experience in this field. 


http://www.dandad.org/awards/student/2012/categories/10/illustration


Perhaps the perfect brief? Heck, just the perfect brief. A huge fan of illustration, film AND 'Little White Lies' magazine, this is really ideal for me- no re-write necessary- even down to the portraiture element of the illustration, which is a speciality in my design practice.
Only downside- the brief is just three short weeks away. In terms of the OUGD203 module, this may be cutting it slightly fine- though I will strongly consider entering myself before a module submission, time permitting.


http://www.dandad.org/awards/student/2012/categories/3/advertising


A really interesting and unique brief- with great reward potential with Channel 4- but perhaps a little too distant from my current skills set- very focused on film, video, and digital media which I have very little experience it (although would like to progress with in the future)- much more focused on the advertising aspect of Graphic Design than the Illustrative that I am more closely connected to within my own design practice. 
Again, though, could easily be re-written to be more suited to my current skills set and ambitions as a designer- perhaps taking influence from the last module, Design Production for Digital (designs and developments of which can be found on my Design Practice blog) and creating motion graphics design as a form of advertising through title sequences/ident/adverts? Definitely worth considering- although it would certainly required a long-duration project period.


http://www.dandad.org/awards/student/2012/categories/18/graphic-design

Typography is certainly a subject area that I have less experience in than others (admittedly knowing next to nothing about it when I started University, apart from the fact that Comic Sans should be avoided at all costs, of course...), but something that I would definitely like to learn more about, and as I have throughout my (near) two years of study, I have grown a real fascination for it, and interest- particularly in hand-rendered calligraphic type and type as image designs. So, whilst this may not be my strongest subject area, it would be fascinating to look more into it, and see how my work could develop and grow throughout the project. Also, the brief is supported and sponsored by Pentagram- a renowned and acclaimed design agency- to be connected to them in any way would be amazing, and would have a lot of great potential for future design commissions and prospects in one's design future.


http://www.dandad.org/awards/student/2012/categories/9/integrated-communications

An interesting brief with lots of potential for design development and market research (which I am particularly fond of- which people never cease to find bizarre..), however, I don't feel as though the company '17' would be an ideal choice of representation in my design practice. Although I have used '17' make up myself in the past, I have often fond that their advertisements have been (if you excuse the term) a little "cringey"- targeted to a girl quite different to myself, a girl that goes to discos, not folk nights at pubs (banjo fan and proud). Whilst this would be an opportunity to change or develop this target audience style they have previously gone for, I think I wouldn't necessarily be able to give a very realistic and appropriate approach to the design style they would be looking for, though I certainly wouldn't mind giving it a go.
For me, a make up brand such as 'Bourjois' would be ideal- very suited to my design style, personality and personal tastes.



Again, like a lot of the project briefs that I have featured on this page, this certainly has a great deal of potential in terms of getting your work, and your name "out there" in the design industry. However, I feel that this particular brief would be quite restrictive and, well, dull. Branding and identity is an avenue I would certainly like to explore and develop to a great extent, but not for Birmingham. Living in Shropshire (the county next to Birmingham) and having once lived in Solihull (in Birmingham, no matter how much people try to claim that it isn't...) I feel that the project may be a little close to home, for a place that, sadly, I'm not all that passionate about (and it isn't just me, on the BBC Two programme 'The Culture Show', Birmingham was stated as being the most boring city in Europe...). However, in a different city or circumstance (if the brief was more about promoting a certain cultural event, perhaps?) I could see this being a great brief, and one that I would really like to get actively involved with.



A fantastic brief! Really open and fitting to my love of both illustration and Swiss design in general (which, of course, Swatch are proudly part of)- which would be a definite influence on my design production, research and outcome(s) for this brief. Very little that I would actively change about this project brief... apart from maybe three weeks in New York as the prize, but heck, that's just being greedy.
REALLY want to enter this. University work, simmer down- there's a lot of design briefs that I want to get entering!

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