OVERVIEW
As a Business & Design student in my final semester of my studies, Experimental Visual Communication Design is the final unit to complete from the Visual Communication discipline side of my degree. This assignment is the first of two (2) within the unit, which focuses on developing a visual journal based on explorations in my selected area/s of emerging Visual Communication Design. This journal will also include secondary research, visual processing and annotations, and a series of design experiments to help demonstrate the cumulative skills and knowledge I acquired throughout the course of my degree, and form the foundations for Assessment 2: the Final Design Project. A framing document and reflection outlining my key learnings and future project directions will also be included.
SELF-EXPLORATION
This self-exploration segment develops a comprehensive explanation of who I am as a person/ Design student, as well as my current skillset and where I hope to apply myself in future Design scenarios.
Task 1
The first self-exploration task named 'Design Passion Hexagons' assists in identifying my top five (5) passions. From this task, I found that the passions I hold of higher value are singing at karaoke, watching Asian dramas, writing music, fashion/ styling, and scrapbooking. This task essentially taught me that I am quite a creative individual with more hobbies than I would have initially thought. These interests that make up who I am also personally validate my decision to pursue a creative career through my Design degree, which is reassuring to know.
Task 2
The second task of the self-exploration phase explores the different facets of Visual Communication that I have and will continue to encounter as an aspiring designer. This task helped me realise that while I am already at a place where I am doing a lot of the work I studied for, I will need to pay closer attention to these areas as I progress further into my career.
Task 3
The third self-exploration task is a skill mapping activity which outlines the list of software programming skills and their respective levels that I am currently at within my journey as an emerging designer. This task has assisted in highlighting where I could invest more effort in future to improve my employability such as Photography, Photoshop and After Effects.
Summarising my multiple attempts at self-exploration, I am a creative individual who has acquired relevant software skills to create designs, taking inspiration from various avenues, ranging from music and art to fashion and film. I also have realised that I apply this breadth of knowledge and skills in varying contexts, forms, and uses. Thus, I will continue to grow as an aspiring designer by learning new skills that I will be able to apply in future Visual Communication practices.
RESEARCH
This segment focuses on the Contextual, Conceptual, Aesthetic, Style and Personal research necessary to later conceptualise the foundations of my Final Design Project.
Contextual Research
Australia's Café Industry
Despite recent restrictions for many services as a result of the recent pandemic, the Coffee sector was able to produce an increase of 3.9% in market share, totalling at a revenue of $7.7 billion in 2021 (Accumulate Australia, 2023). This is reflected in the fact that 75% of Australian adults admitting to drinking at least a cup of coffee a day (Accumulation Australia, 2023). Though coffee consumption at home increased by 37% during the pandemic (Accumulate Australia, 2023), younger generations including Generation Z and Millennials, were reported to be more likely to visit Cafes as opposed to older generations who generally prefer instant coffee (McCrindle, 2017). This information is particularly useful in the context of this project as it highlights a viable target market.
Conceptual Research
Australians' Creative Pursuits
To begin with, in 2019, it was found that 25% of Australians were unhappy with their job whilst an alarming 70% wanted to pursue a new career (The National Tribune, 2019). Research also found that with the increased cost of living as a result of COVID-19, artistic careers are becoming less and less of an option when considering financial stability (Kyriakakis, 2022). Both of these findings allude to the overarching fact that Australian's are less likely to pursue creative careers out of fear in risking the financial freedom and independence that they ultimately desire (Chen, 2023). This conclusion is further supported by research which states that Millennials wish to pursue their hobbies while they are young instead of waiting (Chen, 2023). Gen Z on the other hand, are said to only pursue hobbies which they are able to monetize out of uncertainty about having a stable career. (Baliga, 2023).
While it is easy to say that Coffee is an opportunistic sector in terms of market share, it is important to discuss the more niche market in mind and how this may impact the design process and development of the overall project. This presents the additional opportunity for Café Curate as the main mission is to encourage young adults to indulge in their creative passions, regardless of the economic state of the world. This demonstrates a disconnect with both generations having reported art and music as top hobbies for those who prioritise creativity (YPulse, 2022).
Similar Existing Cafés
'Caffeine Monster' was used as a source of inspiration as it incorporates various different aspects to add more warmth and creative depth to its atmosphere. For example, there a various board games, a piano and guitar, poster displays and more. This idea of using various creative pursuits to create the cafe's character will be replicated within the development of branding and merchandising for this project.
While 'The Artist Café and Gallery' does not follow the desired aesthetic for this project, its concept of combining art within a relaxed environment is also a direct inspiration.
Aesthetic Research
In developing the direction of style for this project, images were initially collated in a Pinterest board. These images typically consisted of raw, organic and artistic style inspiration, directly captured from art studios, existing cafe's and more. This was to create a general idea rather than a specific style decision, so as to assist in further developing my aesthetic approach later in the design process (see Project Outline).
Style Research
Even though the general aesthetic inspiration has been explored, a more detailed exploration of existing branding styles is beneficial to the development of my own design style, particularly in the context of this project. For this reason, the following branding and package design examples have been analysed.
Branding Analysis
While both these designs are quite minimalistic in comparison to the maximalist approach that I intend to take (see project outline), they both encapsulate the raw, artistic and organic theme that I would also like to incorporate into my own designs. For instance, the hand drawn character on the business card brings an authentic feel to the brand, as does the printed slices of bread on the left image. Similarly, both designs seem to have quite a natural beige/ off-white colour background which mimics the natural appearance of canvas or organically made paper. This is particularly advantageous in the context of my project as it will pair well with the direct influence from artistic themes and aesthetics.
In terms of colour, the use of red is also something that I would like to incorporate as it demonstrates a bright pop of contrast to the naturalistic background. The colour red is also used to draw attention and convey stronger emotions (Olesen, 2013), which is also in alignment with the nature of this project, being that creativity is sparked by passion for creation and often influenced by these strong emotions (Pringle, 2023).
Merchandise Analysis
While the branding analysis provided direction for colour and style, these two T-shirt designs build upon this idea by highlighting more creative ways to implement this style. For example, the shirt on the left incorporates a typeface which seems to imitate a marker/ hand written text, adding to the value of authenticity. This typographic element is also placed in a way that is diagonal or angled slightly up to further emphasize this handwritten aesthetic. This idea of using a handwritten font will also be incorporated into my own designs, to further enhance the personal and unique vibe associated with creativity.
The shirt to the left also builds upon the creative aesthetic by maintaining the earlier established idea of using a neutral background, but adding various colours through an almost paint-like texture print. This idea of making use out of remnants from creating art may also prove useful in the development of my own branding and merchandise designs.
Packaging Analysis
This package design seems to continue with the neutral background and drawn character component as identified in the brand analysis. Line is also used in the drawing to create motion of the legs moving, to likely imply a fun and light-hearted brand image. This provides context as to what this might look like in a new form, such as a coffee cup, which will likely be a big focus in the development of my final project. This design also demonstrates how product displays might be captured, using a simplistic background, so as to not draw attention away from the product.
EXPERIMENTATION
This experimentation phase involves four (4) separate experimentations which each focus on different areas of Design that I will have to consider in the development of my final Design Project. These areas include software, prototyping, and context, with the fourth experiment being an overall combination and application of these categories.
Software Experiment
Figma
In selecting a software tool, I decided to experiment with Figma as I identified it as an often sought out skill within the Design industry when job searching. I first started by watching Figma's official introduction video, as seen below, and exploring their website for general understanding. From this research, I found that Figma is often used for creating mock-up designs for websites, mobile apps, and other digital products and experiences (Figma, 2019).
Initial Experimentation:
To initially get started in Figma, I simply downloaded the 'Website Template' to try and grasp the functions of the software. I then followed the attached prompts and steps (as shown above) within the template to get used to these functions and start experimenting with the following categories of Design Elements, Design Principles and Genre & Style.
Design Principles & Elements
In this experiment, I experimented with both Design Principles of pattern and repetition, and the Design Elements of colour and line in Illustrator as I had never used the pattern tool before. I also worked this into my experimentation with Figma by importing the pattern into a website design template, to be used as a header background. Though I had never used Figma until now, I see how this tool could be useful in my future design career when collaborating with colleagues to share initial design concepts.
Padlet
This experimental process was also shared on the unit's Padlet to display my learning progress and gain valuable feedback from peers.
Prototyping Experiment
Digital Mock-Up: Photoshop
To create this mock-up, a free Adobe Photoshop mock-up file from GraphicBurger was downloaded andthen the pattern created from Activity 1 was added into the 'edit' layer.
Digital Mock-Up: Adobe Dimension
The second prototype was also a mock-up, however, instead of using a photoshop template, Adobe Dimensions was tested. The business card image was first made in Adobe InDesign and then exported as a PNG file. Adobe Dimension was then opened, before a mock-up starter asset (business card) was selected. The PNG exported image was then place inside the business card template and changed from "decal" to "fill". Due to slow performance of the software, I was unable to centre the image on the card. The final outcome was simply screenshotted instead of being rendered, again, due to the slow performance. This in future could be overcome by using a device with higher processing power.
Context Experiment
The Context Experiment explores an example of various deliverables for the project, within the context of a Creator's app, as discussed below. From this, a third experiment from the idea of the App Logo and Icon was made.
Logo & Icon
Continuing on from the Context Experiment Ideations, the chosen deliverable to developed was the App Logo and Icon. While the mobile application idea is innovative and interactive for customers, the idea is a bit far out of scope for this project and is likely a direction that would personally require me more time to execute properly. For this reason the logo deliverable was chosen, as this can still be used and manipulated, further along in the process of the project.
This logo was constructed in Adobe Illustrator by image tracing a cup stain image. This is to imply the cafe aspect as it connotes the use of a coffee cup. however, it can also connote the artistic expression of paint as painters often use a cup of water to clean their brushes. The font 'Felt Tip Senior' was also used and then warped using the bulge option. The colours were also directly inspired from the raw and organic palette established by the Pinterest Board earlier.
Final Experiment
While a software experiment, prototyping experiment, and contextual experiment have already been done, this final experiment represents the combination of learnings from the previous experiments, as well as the earlier contextual, conceptual, aesthetic, and style research.
The fourth experiment started by making a 91 X 55 size document in Adobe InDesign and combining different elements created through the same image tracing technique in the experiments before. These assets were also changed to my own colour palette, keeping the neutral background, as found in the branding analysis. The logo from the previous experiment was also added and changed to black for better visibility, with the addition of more hand drawn elements in black and red, further emphasising that creative aspect established in earlier style research. A mock-up was then made in Adobe Photoshop using a template provided by Freepick.
PROJECT OUTLINE
Reflection
From the first six weeks of the unit 'Experimental Visual Communication Design', I have consolidated my understanding of where I am currently at as a design student and how I intended to progress from this semester onwards. I have also researched the context of my project for assignment two, with elaboration on styles that I wish to emulate in my own creations. Additionally, I learnt a variety of new skills including how to make patterns in Adobe Illustrator, how to navigate and use Figma, creating mock-ups using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Dimension, and how to ultimately combine ideas and skills to form my own personal designs and style.
While I have gained a lot from this experience thus far, I did come across a number of challenges that will require attention as I progress into the development stages of assessment two. For example, I will need to use a more powerful device when rendering imagery and mock-ups in Adobe Dimension. I will also need to better consider Copyright laws in developing my own imagery for my final project outcomes, instead of simply image tracing vectors that I find online. I do however, plan to overcome this by using Adobe Capture in future, with physical elements that I photograph in person, to avoid the use of external materials.
In regards to the direction of assessment two, these experiments have provided insightful recommendations on what types of software programs I may need to look further into, and what sort of techniques may be required in order to produce high quality outcomes. For example, I now know that Adobe Photoshop is a more feasible direction for creating mock-ups while Adobe Dimension is more ideal if a more powerful device is able to support its rendering capabilities. In terms of techniques, I will also have to enhance my application of design principles and elements to design the earlier discussed deliverables, in a way that is compelling enough to attract the desired target market.
That being said, the outcomes produced in these experiments will most likely be further developed in assessment two, as I progress further into the project and reassure my personal design style. Thus, this assignment has not only informed me on what direction to take in assignment two, for my final project, but allowed me to further understand myself and the industry that I plan to be apart of in the near future.
References
RESEARCH
Australian Government. (2019). Australian Values. Department of Home Affairs . https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/social-cohesion/australian-values#:~:text=%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B,want%20to%20become%20Australian%20citizens.
Baliga, A. (2023, May 27). Gen Z: Evolving careers, monetizing hobbies, and influencing industries with side hustles. Storyboard18.com; Moneycontrol. https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/gen-z-evolving-careers-monetizing-hobbies-and-influencing-industries-with-side-hustles-8453.htm
Caffeine Monster. (2023). Facebook. Facebook.com. https://www.facebook.com/caffeinemonster7/
Chen, J. (2023). Millennials: Finances, Investing, and Retirement. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/millennial.asp
Figma . (2019). What is Figma? Figma Help Center. https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/14563969806359-What-is-Figma-#:~:text=Figma%20design%20is%20for%20people,and%20make%20better%20decisions%2C%20faster.
Indeed Editorial Team. (2022). 10 Common Characteristics of the Millennial Generation. Indeed.com. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/10-millennial-generation-characteristics#:~:text=Millennials%20value%20meaningful%20motivation.,millennial's%20approach%20to%20their%20careers.
Kyriakakis, V. (2022, May 15). Want to make art? You better be rich: how Australian culture locked out the working class. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/may/16/want-to-make-art-you-better-be-rich-how-australian-culture-locked-out-the-working-class
McCrindle. (2017, October 10). Australian attitudes towards coffee - McCrindle. McCrindle Research Pty Ltd. https://mccrindle.com.au/article/australian-attitudes-towards-coffee/
Olesen, J. (2013, March 18). Red Color Meaning: The Color Red Symbolizes Passion and Energy. Color Meanings. https://www.color-meanings.com/red-color-meaning-the-color-red/
Pringle, Z. I. (2023, April 11). The Creativity Post | Harnessing Emotions to Fuel Creativity. The Creativity Post. https://www.creativitypost.com/article/harnessing-emotions-to-fuel-creativity#:~:text=Emotions%20can%20be%20used%20as,of%20emotions%20in%20their%20work.
The National Tribune. (2019, August 6). Disenchanted Australian workers craving job satisfaction. The National Tribune. https://www.nationaltribune.com.au/disenchanted-australian-workers-craving-job-satisfaction/
YPulse. (2022, November 10). What is Gen Z’s Biggest Hobby? - YPulse. YPulse.com. https://www.ypulse.com/article/2022/11/10/what-is-gen-zs-biggest-hobby/
DESIGN ANALYSES IMAGES
Bershka. (2023). T-shirts - Men. Bershka.com. https://www.bershka.com/sg/men/clothes/t-shirts-c1010193239.html
Shopify. (2023). Shopify.com. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2099/1481/products/95ED9FCE-3E7A-47CA-BAE7-EFE04EA1711A-2_600x.jpg?v=1600730736&epik=dj0yJnU9NDVzOVB6Z2J2NWxUanowUzRGUzVUSlUyMWlYdHlQdE8mcD0wJm49LWpoV2NKS1VPTUhNaVNsejJES204ZyZ0PUFBQUFBR1R2N0FV
Fabrique - 25AH. (2023, May 3). 25AH. https://www.25ah.se/project/fabrique/
Freepik. (2020, June 4). Bread instagram stories Free PSD. Freepik.com. https://www.freepik.com/free-psd/bread-instagram-stories_8589265.htm?epik=dj0yJnU9RmMzNzd2RmtjR0ppRnJnUHhTQUpibnFSNWZueTc1MTAmcD0wJm49dlRsQ2dKbTVnenkwSXdLTmxUSHo0ZyZ0PUFBQUFBR1RnQzlZ
Wong, J. (2018, November 6). This Cafe Coffee Shop Business Card - World’s No.1 Business Card Directory. World’s No.1 Business Card Directory. https://www.carddsgn.com/business-card-gallery/this-cafe-business-card
MOCKUP IMAGE TEMPLATES
madebyme. (2016). Coffee Cup In Hand MockUp. Graphicburger.com. https://graphicburger.com/coffee-cup-in-hand-mockup/
eightonesix. (2017, May 17). Realistic business card mockup Free PSD. Freepik. https://www.freepik.com/free-psd/realistic-business-card-mockup_1127071.htm#query=business%20card%20mockup&position=2&from_view=keyword&track=ais
MOOD BOARD IMAGES
Baker, R. (2023, August 19). Flickr. Studio 8 | Richard Baker | Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/bakerart/12562369823/in/photostream/
(2023). Pinimg.com. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/cc/cb/8e/cccb8e0a662244d99fadc3022dfa62ff.jpg
Fabrique - 25AH. (2023, May 3). 25AH. https://www.25ah.se/project/fabrique/
(2023). Pinimg.com. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/27/38/a2/2738a26a720418f9e53ecde7b402d75d.jpg
(2023). Pinimg.com. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/48/f7/2f/48f72f873b1902f6a9c20f911491ab93.jpg
Wixted, T. (2022, October 31). PARIS BOULANGERIE Cafe Print 11x14, French Cafe Picture, Paris Home Decor, Pink Bakery Drawing, Montmartre Cafe Sketch, Watercolour Painting. Etsy.com; Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/listing/795719294/paris-boulangerie-cafe-print-11x14?epik=dj0yJnU9QmRGWHRxSTJtQTVjeDhHajZaMFhKbkNhY19xZW5yRjMmcD0wJm49Z3N3UnhoNER2MlNZZkR5djd6VXA4dyZ0PUFBQUFBR1RnRVVB
(2023). Pinimg.com. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1a/c9/dc/1ac9dc54fe456d16b502848cbabfee9a.png
Sucrotine. (2011, May). Coffee Background 3 by Sucrotine on DeviantArt. Deviantart.com; DeviantArt. https://www.deviantart.com/sucrotine/art/Coffee-Background-3-207169074
Sucrotine. (2011, April 3). Coffee Background by Sucrotine on DeviantArt. Deviantart.com; DeviantArt. https://www.deviantart.com/sucrotine/art/Coffee-Background-203381838
Poole, M. (2020, April 27). white and green color pencils. Unsplash.com; Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/zMJQ91frr2c
PERSONA IMAGE
benzoix. (2022, January 18). Beautiful happy girl drinking takeaway coffee from cafe and smiling, posing with cup of beverage, beige background. Free Photo. Freepik. https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/beautiful-happy-girl-drinking-takeaway-coffee-from-cafe-smiling-posing-with-cup-beverage-beige-background_22454557.htm#page=75&query=coffee%20women&position=5&from_view=keyword&track=ais
PERSONA RESEARCH
Australian Government. (2021). Advertising and Marketing Professionals | Labour Market Insights. Labourmarketinsights.gov.au. https://labourmarketinsights.gov.au/occupation-profile/advertising-and-marketing-professionals?occupationCode=2251
Kunst, A. (2023, August 16). Most popular hobbies & activities in Australia 2023 | Statista. Statista; Statista. https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1004175/most-popular-hobbies-and-activities-in-australia
ABS. (2022, October 7). How Australians Use Their Time, 2020-21 financial year. Australian Bureau of Statistics; Australian Bureau of Statistics. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/how-australians-use-their-time/latest-release
Accumulate Australia. (2023, July 26). 27 Coffee Consumption Statistics from Australia 2023 – Accumulate Australia. Accumulate.com.au. https://accumulate.com.au/27-coffee-consumption-statistics-from-australia-2023/