Crispin Orthotics: Pattern Designs and Mockups

Pattern Development

Using black ink and a range of brushes, I experimented potential pattern designs through expression of mark making. A lot of the marks I made were pretty simple and geometric, but I kept in mind how these may be warped in the process of embossing onto the plastic and moulding around the different parts of the body.

As my knowledge of surface pattern design is fairly non-existent, I went for 'less is more' to avoid over-complicating the concept.

Final Designs

My strongest patterns I thought were the circles and the spots, although similar I see them as solid, fairly contemporary and appropriate for the brief. Using the basic tile pattern format, I was able to produce a repeat pattern that could be mocked up on to an orthosis template. I was really happy with how my designs looked when applied to the leg splint, and believe that they would be appealing to an audience of young adults. Hopefully through this competition, the winning designs will alter the negative implications that come with wearing orthotics, and patients will be able to wear theirs with pride, rather than shame.

Crispin Orthotics: Orthotic Design, The Cosmesis Challenge

What is Orthotics?

An orthosis is an externally applied device used to modify the structural and functional characteristics of the neuromuscular and skeletal systems. An Orthotist is trained to assess functional loss and identify/design assistive devices to counteract this.

THE BRIEF

What is the problem?

Design two contemporary patterns that will be applied to orthotic devices.

How will I aim to solve it?

As the brief is aimed at young adults, I aim to explore the fashion trends and popular pattern designs attracted to an age group really close to my own. I will also consider things from a personal point of view and ask questions such as 'what kind of aesthetic finish would I like if I were to wear an orthosis?'

What will I be aiming to communicate?

A lot of patients may feel embarrassed to wear their orthotic devices due to the lack of innovative and artistic pattern design that exists in the current market. I aim to encourage young people to be influenced by and appreciate the quality of good design, as well as boost their self esteem by creating a more positive approach and feeling about using orthotic devices.

Who is my audience?

Teenagers, young and mature adults.

Initial Thoughts

I have been researching simple monochrome patterns for one of two reasons. The length of time that a patient may use an orthosis may see many fashion trends come and go, therefore a design that will be classic and sustainable would be appropriate to use. Secondly, on a personal level if I were to design myself a pattern for an orthosis I would want it to be able to co-ordinate with the majority of my clothes, for example I wouldn't want a neon-pink splint if I were to be attending a formal event, as it would clash and stand out. Therefore I thought that a black and white colour palette would compliment most choices of outfit as well as fitting in well with any trend.

Plan of Action

• Design and make some patterns
• Mock them up on orthoses and see whether they would be suitable
• Maybe contact people that currently wear orthoses and ask for their opinion on upcoming designs and preferences?

Product and Packaging: Updated and Refined Rearch

Due to the recent change in my project proposal, I needed to carry out some more extensive research into my specified field of interest. In the last few years the number of products related to self-confidence/care and wellbeing has significantly increased in correlation with the growing awareness of mental health; a lot of these products come under the publication category with self-help books, activity books and more recently the phenomenon of adult colouring books.

Research

Happy Jackson

Products: Happy Jackson are renown for their bright colours, bold patterns and playful words that brighten up every-day items and objects. have been imprinted onto the widest range of products imaginable. 

Range: They have produced baby clothes, kitchenware, stationary, party packs, the list is almost endless due to the success of their light-hearted tongue and cheek charm that is created through their jovial approach to the mass market.

Distribution: Happy Jackson has an online store, as well as being available in retailers such as John Lewis, Selfridges, ASOS, Amazon, Urban Outfitters etc.

The Sad Ghost Club

Products: The Sad Ghost Club is a project which aims to spread positivity and awareness about mental health through illustrated comics and merchandise.
I admire the Sad Ghost Club SO MUCH, their ethos is amazing and really considers the fragility of the mind and how we can help to understand and cope with issues that aren't talked about as much as they should be.

Range: Their zines and comic books use beautifully honest and gentle language through the narrative of the adorable ghost characters that are experiencing difficult situations in life. This is applied to products such as bags, clothing, hats, badges, activity books, postcards etc.

Distribution: The Sad Ghost Club mostly trade within their online shop, but as well they visit print fairs, comic book fairs such as Thought Bubble and also run workshops!

Pocket Sized Books

Products: Books filled with quotations/poetry/instructions are generally language based usually come in smaller sizes such as A5, A6 and A7, in accordance with their 'pocket sized-little reminders' function. They purpose is to inspire, uplift and entertain readers in short bursts so they feel like they are not having to take the time out to read pages of a long-winded novel as such.

Range: The range is endless, there are books that exist in almost every category imaginable for instance 'the little book of gardening', or 'the little book of cooking/yoga/tennis/chocolate eating etc etc. The books that I am interested in however are those that focus on the individual bearing positive quotes and pointers on how the reader can make small, positive changes to their daily routines.

Distribution: Such books are available in higher end newsagents such as WH Smith, and book stores like Waterstones, online shops, art gallery shops, and similar retailers to the placed that Happy Jackson products are distributed.

Activity Books

Products: As we are becoming increasingly aware of how 'anxiety-ridden' our society is, more and more publishers, authors, illustrators and other creatives are producing activity books for adults and teenagers as an escape and stress-reliever from the stress of reality.

Range: Activity books come in many forms, the most popular currently being colouring books for adults and creative instructive/destructive books such as the 'wreck this journal' series by Keri Smith. Also, books that possess an element of sentiment or act as a 'creative time-capsule' are proving to be successful such as 'letters to my future self', and various milestone scrapbooks that can be documented through any relationship or experience.

Distribution: Almost every store that sells books, magazines and newspapers seems to have jumped on the 'colouring book bandwagon', as they seem to be in almost every shop under the sun, including super markets, department stores, independent stores, online stores etc.

Questionnaire

I constructed a quick questionnaire before the Easter break to help me shape my research into ideas for visual aid products aiming to de-stress and relax students and young adults, although my peers have some pretty weird ways of de-stressing...Nevertheless, I could potentially take some of these suggestions and use them in more elaborate areas?!

Plan of Action

• Figure out what kind of products I want to produce
• How will they be packaged?
• Who will sell them? 
• What kind of aesthetic do I desire, and what kind of visuals and language will help me communicate in the strongest ways with my target audience?
• Bring these ideas to the post-Easter crit

Updated Project Proposal

Since my critical incident a couple of weeks back, I have re-written my Project Proposal and time plan to make it more specific to the amendments I have made within the direction of my project. I am going to have to work really,really hard in order to make up for the time I spent on the theme of Children's Book and Education, although taking those steps were beneficial to my development at this stage.

Focusing in more on Product and Packaging I will have to carry out more specific research, and refine my skills within this area e.g. attend software workshops on making nets for boxes and other types of packaging.

I have a lot to do within the next six weeks, but I am determined to do well now that I have refined my project into a direction an subject matter that I am really passionate about.

Peer Review

I went in to today's peer review feeling really apprehensive due to how I am currently feeling about the reality of my complex intangible project proposal, but eager to gain some feedback in order to tie up some loose endss.

I discussed what I wanted to achieve through my project in the review, and I had some really constructive advice. My group were really keen on the idea of vocational learning, for example encouraging cooking and food preparation, or learning a skill such as knitting, but these didn't really jump out at me that much. However, if I reviewed my survey results as a whole, the majority of the suggestions are based on wellbeing and life skills which led to the suggestion of creating a self care package. This would be such a good option for me due to my strong interest in human behaviour and creating illustrative work to help aid the healing process. The discussion then led to topics such as exam stress for teenagers and young adults and looking after our mental health and wellbeing, which I can really relate to on a personal level, therefore am enthusiastic about using my own experiences to help others who are having a hard time too.

This has near enough flipped my proposal on its head, but I feel a lot happier with the potential direction that it could take now. I need to do a lot of thinking and as well re-consider some of my key aspects and deliverables for example, the fundamental aspects that are PRODUCT, RANGE, DISTRIBUTION. As well, I need to re-think whether this relates to Children's Book and Education, or would it be more suited to Product and Packaging. I think removing the whole idea of involvement with the National Curriculum takes a LOT of pressure off  where I 

SO, the solution to this problem would be to remove the whole idea of it being restricted to my workshop pack being delivered in schools alone. Janice suggested that it could maybe be distributed within schools or even external retailers, which could open up a whole range of opportunities. As well, I was struggling with WHAT exactly it was that I wanted to base the workshop pack on. Going back to my results, I realised that it would be a great idea to make a self-care pack, which would include all of the things that people suggested that we need to be more aware about. 

Plan of Action

• GET A WIGGLE ON
• Research the current market for self care and wellbeing products
• Do another survey: What do people do to de-stress
• Think about what could be included in this pack
• Make lots of mock ups and prototypes 
• Enjoy it!!!

Design Bridge: Week 6

WE HAVE FINISHED! HUZZAH!

We sent the content to Rowan over the weekend to put into the design board format, and they look extremely efficient and professional. The layout is clean and clear with not too much crammed onto one board, so that the viewer will have a pleasant and informative experience in viewing.

So this afternoon we were able to submit to D&AD, two whole days before the deadline! 

Reflection

I have really enjoyed collaboration, despite being extremely nervous beforehand. Working with Rowan and Tom has widened Amber and mines perspective on professional design as well as the four of us being able to share different skills with each other. It has been a valuable experience learning how to contextualise real design problems that are so relevant to the way society is today. With the nature of the cosmetics industry being heavily gender stereotyped, it has really made me aware of how important it is to be inclusive and fair to a target audience.

I'm so pleased with what we have achieved as a group, and would definitely consider taking up projects similar to these in the future, as well as collaborating with other creatives!

I AM STUCK

I have come to a huge halt within this project, and I have no idea where to go or what to do about it which is making me feel very de-motivated. In hindsight, I think that trying to write an educational workshop programme was biting off more than I could chew, in the fact that I became too concerned with the problems that exist within the teaching system making me want to single handedly change the whole curriculum myself. I will raise this concern at the next group crit in hope that my peers can guide me in the right direction.

Design Bridge: Week 5

The Final Week!

Photographing the Products

On Friday we set up the photoshoot for our products, and luckily we didn't need any of the bright light equipment as the natural light served us really well. We took it in turns to take the photographs to get a good range and then sat down and decided which ones we would and wouldn't use.

As well we resolved the issues with the labels, the coloured labels just didn't show up at all, however the black and clear labels looked really presentable so we used these instead.

Planning Presentation Boards

Amber and I were pretty clueless when it came to presentation boards, as we had not done them before. So we agreed that if the two of us developed a larger part of the content, then Rowan and Tom would put them together. 

We planned out what we would place on each board, and planned to finish them over the weekend, ready to submit on Wednesday.

Board 1: Photograph of finished mockups
Board 2: Further photographs and packaging mockups
Boards 3-4: Mockups of the brand elsewhere, e.g. magazines, tote bags etc.
Board 5: Design problem
Board 5: Design concept

*As I really can not get the hang of mockups for the life of me, I decided to produce some of the writing instead*: 

Design of the brand:

We decided that the most important aspect of our brand would be the nature of it, intertwining both the concept and the imagery used. As the product is aimed at a gender neutral target audience, it was important not to include any stereotypical themes; one of the team members came up with the concept of using the story of creation with Adam and Eve. Initially this was a difficult and potentially contradictory concept, as the Bible was very set in stone about heterosexuality and the clear differentiation of Man and of Woman.
However the idea sparked from how Adam and Eve are illustrated; naked bodies with a leaf covering their genitals, making it more difficult for the viewer to conclude the accuracy of their gender.

As leaves are plants, therefore natural, we decided that this would be a really strong symbol to represent neutrality which would eliminate all conservative and stereotypical themes and associations. So in context, we would aim for our target audience to be able to approach the product without any striking or offensive language or symbolism that may define whether or not the product is being marketed to them in terms of gender.

Target Audience:

The brief stated that the product that we would create would be targeted to a mass market, meaning that is would have high accessibility in large chain cosmetic stores such as Boots and Superdrug. Initially we had discussed targeting the product to a more affluent and classier audience by using more sophisticated methods and processes of design, yet this contradicted a lot of our core principles revolving around the fact that the product should be can be purchased by anyone, not just those of higher income.

From this, we decided to apply a more 'down to earth' sort of theme, that wasn't too bold or too brash, but simplistic and natural with a strong element of contemporary design which would potentially make the product more desirable. Ultimately, we would want men, women and other non specified genders to feel comfortable and confident in their purchase of our product, gaining a sense of trust with our brand and its considerate values.

Plan of Action

• Edit photographs over the weekend 
• Finalise anything required for submission

How To Be a Woman: Refined Designs and Final Outcomes

~So I may have left How To Be a Woman on the back burner for a bit longer than I had expected, and might have produced the whole cover on the morning of submission...~

This is something that I am NOT proud of, but it happens! I still managed to submit a design that I was happy with so for now that is all that matters (and also shows I can work to very tight deadlines).

Anyway, after reading the book, I blinked and two months passed. The night before the deadline I was considering just submitting A Clockwork Orange and Emil and the Detectives to the penguin design award but the words from (I can't remember which illustrator) rattled around my head; "Never miss a deadline", so I set my alarm for 5.30 the next morning.

Concept

I knew that I was set on the idea of a dress-up paper doll theme for the front cover. Dress up paper dolls have been around for a fairly long time, more popular a few years back but I had some as a child so they aren't ancient. The idea is that you cut out a doll figure and a range of different outfits and accessories, and dress the doll up in said outfits (it is more fun than I am making it sound). So I thought that I would play on the idea a little by illustrating a ~curvy~ woman doll with cut out items that are more suited for an adult audience, for example underwear, tampons, the pill etc. for a humorous/satirical effect.

Difficulties

It was so difficult to illustrate the book's main principles without falling into the obvious cliches. As well with undertaking another brief focused on avoiding gender stereotypes, made me constantly question whether or not I was being sexist and inconsiderate of alternative genders. It was a constant question of 'will this offend someone?' because that is the last thing that I would want to do. Although eventually I just bit the bullet and asked myself 'would Caitlin Moran give a shit if she offended anyone? probably not.' So therefore I just went with my ideas anyway in the hope that they were specific to the brief.

Process

Obviously the process was quicker than I had hoped, but I was determined to use hand-rendered methods as opposed to my usual 'get out of jail card' by using digital for a last minute cop out. To keep things simple and effective, I used a black and white colour scheme as this reflects the almost 'black and white', 'say it how it is' tone of the book. I painted out each female item with a fine brush and ink, as well as completely blagging a hand made typeface which actually didn't look too bad. Then to pull it all together I scanned everything in and arranged it on the template in photoshop; the most attention to detail was put into the arrangement and layout of the cover as I strived for the finish to look as professional as possible. And voila! A book jacket in five hours.

Evaluation

Much to my surprise, I was pleased with the outcome of the final cover. It isn't my best work in the world, but considering that I managed to turn it around in such a short space of time I was quite proud of myself. Of course I don't plan to leave briefs in the future as last minute as I have this one but if I have gained anything I have improved my quick-thinking and producing skills.

In all honesty, I think that this brief was the most difficult from the three books in the penguin design award as feminism is such a sensitive and in some ways blasé it is such a challenge to approach in the most suitable way. Although playing to Caitlin Moran's elaborate and eccentric character and style of writing helped me to portray this within my illustration, that is playful, distinctive and relatable. 

I won't write the obvious closing statement of 'next time I will manage my time better' because I try so hard to be organised with my time and plan things out accurately, but it is almost impossible to gauge how long the illustrative process will take sometimes. A better way to think might be 'what do I want to achieve from this brief' or 'I want to make a piece of illustration that I am proud of and want to put in my portfolio', rather than just thinking 'I need to get this done before the deadline'. For me, the latter was the approach I took for this project, and in future I hope to place more value on the whole of the duration of the brief to ensure that I progress as an illustrator.

Design Bridge: Week 4

Digital Patterns

Amber and I worked together to produce some digital versions of the patterns we had sketched out, we felt like our eyes were bleeding having painstakingly stared at the screen for hours! But we were pleased with the designs and shared them with Rowan and Tom via the Facebook chat to ask for opinions.

Design Queries

In the past week we have decided just to produce the delicate labels for the glass jars as opposed to complicating matters with making physical boxes, as this would be really fiddly and tricky and may not look as professional as we desire.

We also had a few discussions about the brand name 'Taboo' and whether or not to continue using it, as we collectively felt that the route in which our designs have taken is more classy and elegant, which wasn't really in keeping with the playfulness and youthful brand 'Taboo'. 
To solve this, we went back to our first original ideas map and reviewed some of the suggestions that were noted down and decided to go with 'Eden'. Eden reflects the core principle of our brand that we initially thought about, with the symbol of the leaf used to haze the distinction of masculinity and femininity of Adam and Eve; Eden being the beautiful garden in which the two of them began exploring human processes and experiencing relations with nature.

With the brand name sorted, we now just had to focus on the aesthetic of the product. We were unsure whether or not to print our labels with coloured leaves, as they were unlikely to show up against the brightly coloured liquids within the jars. As an alternative, we inverted the coloured lines of the leaves to white, and filled the background in black so that the pattern was more visible. To solve this, we decided to print both and see how it works if we physically mock it up, then we can make a more accurate decision of which option to choose.

Other problems

The photography studio is full up! So we are having to use natural light as our main source (which will hopefully work out okay). But Amber and I are not allowed to rent out lighting equipment as we have not had an induction, and the technician babbled on for ages about how we could kill about ten people if we used it incorrectly... So that won't be an option!

Printing

Printing was really successful! We managed to get a place in drop in ~thank the lord~ where we printed our labels out on sticky back acetate, which looked great! The white parts on the designs came out clear, so that the colour of the liquid inside the bottles came through. I think they will look great! Rowan also kindly took care of the typography on the labels which looks really professional.

In terms of the coloured liquid, I took responsibility for making the content look appealing with my amazing potion making skills... I bought three tubs of white soap and mixed the appropriate amounts of food colouring into them to make solutions of turquoise, orange and yellow. Much to my surprise, they looked ok! I'm looking forward to what they will look like with the labels on too.

Plan of Action

Later on this week we plan to photograph the finished mockups and also produce our presentation boards ready to send to D&AD by the 16th. We are planning on getting everything done quickly and efficiently so that we are not rushing and panicking at the last minute, which could jeopardise the high quality and finish of our products that we desire.

A Clockwork Orange: Refined Designs and Final Outcomes

Process

Using a combination of analog and digital methods I took a long time to refine and perfect until the initial design until I was 100% happy with the outcome.
I really wanted to emphasise the hand rendered craft within the cover, so I used alternative techniques such as using rubber stamps for the main typeface, and scanned in textures made with ink to create more of a rustic effect. With these inky textures, I was able to include additional details, such as splattered blood and circular shapes to represent my initial idea of Alex being targeted by the State.

Development

One of the things that I was contemplating was whether or not to use imagery of cogs. Although cogs are the go-to thing to illustrate the word 'clockwork' as well as being delicate and aesthetically pleasing, they are very 'over-done'. To avoid this cliche and put a contemporary spin on my interpretation of the cover, I decided to use the texture of a circuit board instead, in keeping with more advanced technology yet still relevant to the theme of 'man vs machine'. 

Evaluation

In hindsight, I did not utilise my enthusiasm and energy for A Clockwork Orange to its maximum potential during this brief. If I would have maintained my high level of interest in the novel simultaneously with the period of time that I had read it, then I probably would have had a higher quality response. Having read the book and left it about a month to start thumbnail sketches wasn't the best way forward, as I found myself working really quickly to finish the brief wishing that I had had more time to spend on it. 

Despite the issues with time, I believe that I have answered the brief accurately without hanging on to the obvious cliches. Having a good understanding of the themes of the book really helped me to develop a strong concept that would reflect the content of the novel and portray the importance how controlling the State can be when it comes to free will.

This brief was certainly challenging, and also daunting to take on such a well-known classic. I have since been thinking about designing book jackets in the future, as well as highlighting the skill of reading and visual interpretation being a skill that I am keen to build on.

A Clockwork Orange: Ideas Development and Thumbnails

Progress So Far

I'm feeling a bit flat because I had so much enthusiasm for this brief when I first read A Clockwork Orange, yet so many other deadlines have cropped up in-between then and now. As a result I feel as if I haven't had as much time and energy to put into this brief as I had wanted, and therefore have been forced to work quickly.

Initial Ideas

In complete honesty, I bashed out the majority of my sketchbook work in a day. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as I sometimes find it more productive to have a high energy day focusing on one thing in particular rather than do little chunks of different projects at a in the same day. It kind of felt like an exam? That sounds weird but it was similar to revising a text and then remembering key points to write in a timed essay (the timed essay being my sketchbook). 

I decided to use one of the themes from my book as a starting point, and in my initial sketches I explored Christ, evil as well as trying to incorporate the theme of thirds. 

Things I tried but didn't work:

• Alex being targeted by the Government
• Lightness being surrounded by darkness (threat)
• Crown of thorns (christ)

These ideas seemed to work well in my head but when I got them down on paper they just looked like a dodgy version of the bible.

Refining Themes

I left the ideas for a while because they were really stressing me out! When I came back to it after having a think, I decided to go ahead and focus on the theme of 'Man vs Machine', which is one of the most important themes of the book. It picks apart some of the main principles like the Government having the power to 'wind up' and control the people below them.

Ideas:

• Man struggling under the weight of a heavy object (metaphor for the Government
• Resistance, choosing to testify the Government
• Showing the emotional torture of Alex

Important Details:

• Finger prints and Cogs/Mechanical imagery used as textures to refine man and machine
• Scale: showing how powerful the Government is and how weak man is
• Appropriate use of colour, I'm thinking of interpreting the light as danger and dark as safety element

Final Design

My final design illustrates Alex being tortured by the Ludovico technique, holding his hands over his ears as he cannot bear to listen to his once favourite classical musician Beethoven whilst simultaneously becoming desperate to escape from his unbearably warped and twisted situation. 

In the opposite corner of the front cover, Alex will be trapped by a large mechanical fist (the Government) beating him down with their almighty power. I am unsure how to portray this fist, I wanted to use a texture of cogs but I feel that would be too cliche... But I will think more about this later.  

The colour palette is extremely important. I will use white, orange and black, which seems stereotypical but all of the colours have appropriate symbolic references. White will be the background colour, as Alex feels endangered and at risk in the daylight, therefore being highly exposed to it will increase his feelings of terror. 
Alex feels safe in darkness. The text and the hand will be black, as Alex initially trusts the Government to help him out of prison twelve years before his sentence is due to be over, yet they deceive him by torturing him to be good against his own free will. Finally orange will represent Alex himself; the only bright colour to amplify the main subject of the novel as well as tie in with the title.

Reference Imagery

Tom kindly offered to act as reference imagery for Alex, and the giant fist for which I was able to work out the correct proportions for the composition.

Productivity Plan

MAKE THE COVER! I only have FOUR days till the deadline now, I know what I am doing so just need to spend enough time (and not rush!) on the final illustration.

Emil and the Detectives: Refined Designs and Final Outcomes

The aim of my design for the Emil and the Detectives book jacket was to create a contemporary finish to appeal to today's younger audience but still keep hold of the charm from the original tale that was published many decades ago.

Production and Developmental Process

Concept

The whole process took SO LONG. This was due to the volume of intricate detail as well as carefully planning placement taking into consideration the narrative of the cover. I based my design on a Police evidence board; an analogue mapping method using string, photographs and physical pieces of evidence on a large scale pin-board. Evidence boards are still used today to define crucial links and themes in aid of solving crime. This meant that the overall design was made up of a compilation of individually crafted images having to be placed in accordance with the layout being based on the events that happen within the book. 

Methods and Processes

Each individual image was drawn out in Illustrator, using a combination of flat vector shapes and(recently discovered)textured brushes. The choice of media was difficult, having to take into consideration the age and era the book was set in and applying this to a modern audience. I thought that using digital tools to refine the images would create a more contemporary feel, especially with the added effect of the textured brushes.

Difficulties

Colour Scheme

I had absolutely no idea what kind of colour scheme I should use, and it doesn't help either that I am not gifted with creating strong colour schemes. Some initial ideas included the colours of the German flag; black red and yellow or the primary colours, or just three colours that could merely compliment each other. As there is a lot going on in my book jacket, I decided not to be too strict on colours, but not go completely wild with them at the same time. Ultimately I chose three base colours which were muted hues of light blue, red and green, which became the scheme for the key elements: the background, spine, string and pins. It worked really well having three base colours and working alternative colours for example skin and hair tones into the required sections, as well as incorporating the lemon-yellow post-it notes. 
In a past tutorial Teresa advised me that children are likely to pick up the book that stands out from the rest, with one of the most important factors being colour. The yellow is eye-catching but isn't a complete eye-saw in relation to the rest of the colours, so hopefully it will have its desired effect!

Perfectionism..

Because the design had so much going on within a small frame, my perfectionist habits kicked in and I literally spent hours painstakingly adjusting tiny little details until I was 100% content with the finished look. 
I also struggled with the images looking flat, so to amend this one of my course mates showed me how to create a drop shadow to create a three dimensional illusion, which made so much difference! You simply pick the colour of the background, in my case it was blue, and open the colour palette on Photoshop and drag the selection tool down to a darker shade. Then copy the shape, for example the square post it note, and place it behind the original, move it slightly to the left/right and decrease the opacity and viola, a drop shadow! 
So in theory, being picky and perfect does have its advantages at times.

Evaluation

The whole process of developing a book jacket for Emil and the Detectives was certainly a long one, but I am so proud of what I have produced, and can probably say that it is my best piece of illustration to date (in my opinion). It was difficult to completely devote my time to this particular brief as so much is currently happening with other projects, so time management skills were essential, although I did go run over my time plan by two, nearly three weeks. Nevertheless, I believe my design answers the brief precisely with a strong imaginative concept that considers both the 1920's charm of the story as well as the aspects of today's modern society. 
I found it surprisingly difficult to try and gauge the age range of the target audience. I understand that it is a children's book with the content being understood at the reading age of approximately seven, but as children grow so fast, have such a short attention span and are desperate to be grown up you have to be so precise with methods of visual and written communication. Although thorough research helped me to define a suitable audience in mind when I was sketching out initial designs. Reading the book also helped me to reflect on the way I read as a child, by asking myself questions such as 'would I have been able to read this at age seven?', 'would I have understood what this word meant?' etc.

To conclude, I have thoroughly enjoyed working on Emil and the Detectives especially as this is the first book jacket that I have worked on, and am proud of the outcome (for once). The process has given me valuable insights into effectively targeting specific age groups of children, as well as the challenges that come with re-designing such a historical story without distorting the originality beyond recognition. I would be enthusiastic to take on further book jacket briefs in the future, and am definitely going to enter the competition again in upcoming years.

Wheldon Infant's School Visit

Being Miss Chappell for the day!

One of my friends from home, Molly, is studying Primary Education and is currently on a work placement at Wheldon Infant's School in Castleford; she asked me if I'd like to come along and teach the children about illustration; perfect timing!!!

I snapped up this opportunity straight away as it would be a perfect way of practicing leading workshops and testing out potential ideas for my project.

Prior to my visit, I met with Molly (Miss Wise) and discussed what was scheduled to be taught that day and how I could fit in things that I wanted to teach the children. As it is world book day this week, the year two's have been studying James and the Giant Peach, and the year one's have been looking at a book called 'Oliver's Vegetables'. 

What will I be teaching?

A large majority of the results from my survey suggested that mental health awareness should be taught in schools. Obviously I needed to be extremely tactful about how I would tiptoe around the unpleasant aspects of mental illness, yet set down really simplified foundations that could be enlarged on through later school life. 
I thought that focusing on bullying and unhappiness at school would be an appropriate place to start, as it is based on an environment that the children are familiar with without complicating things too much. As well, a lot of mental instability stems from difficulties at a young age, particularly with incidents of bullying within school; therefore I believe making children aware of the impact it can have on others wellbeing would plant a moral seed that will hopefully grow as they develop as individuals.

The day would work out like this:

Morning:

Year One: Turning vegetables into characters workshop

How we can characterise inanimate objects and use imagination to bring the character to life. Starting with what is required to make a character, e.g. different body parts, activities done, habitat etc.

Year Two: Character study; James and the Giant Peach

Studying more in depth the different aspects of character, e.g. meanings of facial expressions and how characters are designed to reflect personalities.

Afternoon (my lessons):

Year Two: Using characters from James and the Giant Peach to illustrate dialogue and communication about recognising suffering in peers wellbeing (aka how to recognise when a friend is upset and what we can do to help them)

Carpet time: Happy and sad column; ask the children how do we know if someone is happy or sad and how we would draw this-construct a happy and a sad face to demonstrate expression and emotion 

Activity: Choose two characters from James and the Giant Peach, show that one is happy and one is sad by using appropriate facial expressions that we have just discussed.

Write a short paragraph explaining why one of the characters is upset, and how the other character can comfort them and make them feel better. (This encourages children to recognise when their peers are upset, and encourages them to talk about the problem and devise solutions to comfort them and make them feel better)

Year One: A simplified version of the above: Draw what makes them happy, and write a sentence explaining why

Carpet time: Happy and Sad faces; ask the children to think of a list of words in response to these two images.

Activity: Draw yourself doing an activity that makes you happy and write a sentence explaining why. The aim of this is to recognise activities that uplift and encourage children, and potentially use it as an escape from things that make them sad.

Other things I explored

Summary of the day

• CHILDREN ARE SO ENERGETIC
• I really loved teaching! I was surprisingly more confident than I thought I would be at delivering classes especially as I've not done it on my own before
• I guess mental health and wellbeing is a bit of a difficult subject to be taught to children as young as five, it would probably be better aimed at for example 9-10 year olds or transition age for secondary school to prepare the children for big upcoming changes
• I noticed how much the education system has become SO CONSERVATIVE which has really upset me. The children do Maths and English EVERY MORNING, and most of the emphasis is placed on academic subjects. Many of the children struggled a lot with their reading and writing skills, which really obviously affected their self confidence in other subjects, especially creative ones. The 'can't do' attitude was so high among the children, which was such a huge shame, as the less academically gifted children were categorised as not being good at anything 
• I want to change this so much. Every talent within a child should be celebrated, and they should absolutely not be made to feel like they are not good at anything because they struggle with reading, writing and maths, ITS SO OLD FASHIONED. 
• I'm guessing that attempting to change the way that core lessons are taught would be biting off more than I can chew...but the children were so much more enthusiastic about learning about characters and behaviour through creative methods. WHY ISNT THIS DONE MORE!!??

So basically I have discovered that there are a LOT of flaws within the education system, and I really wish I had the power to change it and introduce more practical based methods of learning core subjects that can so often be viewed as mundane and boring. Also, it is really really difficult to inform how important mental wellbeing is to children as young as five. I might give my age range a re-think and also the subject matters that I intend to get across.

Plan of action

• Visually reflect on today
• Think of what kinds of subjects are aimed at particular age ranges
• Keep researching!