OUGD603. Extended Practice. Brief 4: CALLIGRAPHY PUBLICATION.

i decided that a design topic i would like to engage in was publishing and editorial design. it is a topic that i worked with last year on a number of briefs but i feel as though i achieved only a familiarity with it. i understand the basics of grid system but want to further understand and recognise their importance. i also want to work with appropriate production methods and better my binding skills.

so i went on to draft a spider diagram exploring the potential topics i could relate to my brief theme.

the asterisks represent the preferred brief topics and the circle the final choice. i liked the idea of doing a retrospective exploration and categorisation of 'sneakers' because i like and am interested in trainers and trainer culture and felt a visual expose would be an interesting publication. i decided against that one because i felt that trainers were something that i was quite familiar with and that the topic wouldn't lend that much to learning something new. etymology is an interest i hold because i like language and communication. the derivation of words is both historical and social in study and these also appeal to my interests. i decided not to do this because my dissertation topic also relates to language and communication and so i felt another topic would allow a greater variety of learning. so i decided to base my publication around calligraphy. disregard the specification of blackletter, although it will be included. the publication will include a range of calligraphic schools and will enable me to practice different forms of calligraphy (something that i have wanted to try for a long time) and my publishing skills.


i then went on to write up the brief in word:

BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN	Level	6
Module Code: OUGD603	Module Title: Extended Practice	Learning Outcomes:

BRIEF TITLE: CALIGRAPHY GUIDE/TUTORIAL PULICATION.

Brief: “The making of letters in every form is for me the purest and the greatest pleasure, and at many stages of my life it was to me what a song is to the singer, a picture to the painter, a shout to the elated, or a sign to the oppressed.” - Rudolph Koch Calligraphy has, for a long period of history, been the record of time and events. Furthermore, it has become a skillful art and is renowned for its beautiful aesthetics and glyph make-up. With the rise of digital technology, the need to write things by hand/with a pen is becoming less and less. Calligraphy is, hence, becoming a lost art form. Gathering extensive research into the art and history of calligraphy, you must design and produce a focused and engaging publication aimed at teaching the audience about how to do calligraphy and what it entails. You must consider that the audience may not know anything about calligraphy (or have little artistic background) but that the publication must successfully instruct the reader in a step-by-step format with visual aids. The layout and composition, along with contents, are up to you and should be chosen with contextual consideration. This will be informed by extensive research and physical exploration of calligraphic themes/components.

Background: Calligraphy is a practice that has existed for many thousands of years, serving kings and peasants alike. It was once the main means of recording history and, as such, became a highly skilled practice. Across the world different methods, using different materials and processes, existed in different languages. However, the same basic outcome occurred each time. Calligraphy is a practice that requires a steady and confident hand and stroke. It is a mix of calculated, mathematic movement and artistic flow arriving in beautifully constructed letterforms.

Considerations: ·       What is calligraphy? ·       What types of calligraphy are there? ·       How is calligraphy done? ·       How should this be presented to a first time reader? ·       What do they need to know about motion and movement? ·       What do they need to know about the history? ·       What form should the publication take? ·       What graphic elements should it include?

Mandatory Requirements: 1.     One publication including the history of calligraphy and a hands-on guide to how to do some of it.

Target Audience: ·       Those with an introductory/no knowledge of calligraphy who want to learn. ·       Those with an interest in typography/lettering. ·       People without any knowledge but who are still interested.

Tone of Voice: ·       The tone of voice should be friendly and inviting with an informal yet educating edge. ·       It should inspire and motivate the audience, keeping them captured in learning and progression. ·       It should offer a professional and knowledgeable aura (as one would expect from a teacher) but without the fearing failure aspect often instilled within the education relationship.

Deliverables: ·       Extensive primary and secondary research into calligraphy evidenced on your blog. ·       Practice into different calligraphies with note of technique. ·       Design exploration of the layout and contents of the publication. ·       Print/stock exploration. ·       Final publication printed and bound.

this brief will allow me to develop my practical and contextual design skills. it demands a large amount of primary research which will take the form of developing a first hand understanding of the different calligraphic processes. i am also looking forward to practicing and identifying different methods of publication binding, a practice that i know about but would like to become more competent in.