Liverpool Biennial

A few months ago we went to see the Liverpool Biennial. This year's theme was Touched which  presented the work of over 60 artists; around half were commissioned to make new work. 

A biennial has been said to be always a game of hide-and-seek. Where is the art exactly? This year it was almost everywhere – in pubs, public spaces, derelict department stores, between decrepit 19th-century buildings and in five art galleries – A Foundation, the Bluecoat, FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology), Open Eye Gallery, Tate Liverpool – and several non-gallery sites as well. The event was promised to an immediacy of emotional response.

Even though the biennial is meant to be amazing I didn't take to it. The whole exhibition on show in the semi-derelict shops on Renshaw  Street wasn't as good as I thought it would have been, the randomness of the work was confusing and half of it I didn't understand. It's nice to see a wide range of work in one place but it just wasn't for me.
The piece that I did like was Rosa Barba - Free Post Mersey Tunnels because it was usual and it was interactive to the extent that you could go around it and hear the sounds of the Liverpool underground.

OWT Creative

Helloo...not been on here for a while so I thought it needed an update!!

Well a few weeks ago three members from OWT Creative, Ben Kither, Jon Hannan and Sarah Stapleton, came in to tell us about thier journey from university to the business world! Considering they graduate from D&AD was vital! It was great to see what can happen if you put your mind to it. It was a very helpful and relaxed presentation which is the total opposite to my presentations!! They gave us some good advice on how to cope with all the uni workloads, different approaches our briefs, how to stay in contact with designers, how vital it is to have designers on your side and how to produce a good portfolio. They are currently studying thier masters.

I think that the way they got together and have started up thier own zine is amazing and inspirational. The great aspect is that they allow other graphic designers to contribute and submit work. I've recently sent work in and hopefully see it in the next issue! Fingers crossed!


But overall I think that the members of OWT have done really well since graduating!! Keep up the great work! :) 
xx

..Hard Staff!

Wow what a fun yet eye opening 24hours it's been!!

 We were graced with the presence of Johnny Hardstaff, a director and designer. Hardstaff has directed and designed innovative moving image work across a broad spectrum of both commercial and non-commercial strands of the visual arts.  Mass media clients include Sony, Philips, Radiohead, Toshiba, Sony PlayStation and the BBC. I personally was honoured to be working with him for the two days, meeting and talking to him made me really like him because at first you think 'ARGH a real designer is here! This is going to be brutal!' but when in fact it turned out to be a real nice experience which taught me quite a few things! And made me realise Johnny Hardstaff is even more amazing then I thought!
We were given a brief which he had been given in the past by Toshiba. The aim was that 'Toshiba' needed a new potential global way to capture the public's imaginations and position themselves as a brand that is hi-tech and cutting edge across all of their product range.

We had 24hours to think of a strong idea and then had to pitch it to the rest of the group as well as Johnny Hardstaff himself. This being the most daunting part!! The idea was to get the main concept rather than the 'how could we make it, and what would it be made into'. This however being the downfall for me...When I work I like to know what the end product will be. Whether it's a billboard, an advertisement on the TV or a radio advert etc. I can then at least visualise what it would actually look like! I guess this is the magic of being in business...you get a brief and you just have to run with it!

I found the two days really helpful! We started on the brief around 4ish in the afternoon and then was told it had to be presented 4pm the next day (or roughly around that time!), we also had the choice of working on your own or in a group of two. I chose to work with Sarah as two heads are better than one! Due to the student protests the 1st day was cut short but that was a good thing as sitting in that room was not helping me come up with ideas. It was waaaay too quiet! (plus I don't own a laptop!). After getting into another environment me and Sarah realised we could come up with more ideas and by the end of the night we had a few ideas!

10am. Early morning! We pitched our idea to Johnny Hardstaff, realising that the ideas were good but we needed a reason behind them! We then got told to make people into pixel and came up with a random idea...I will not explain because it might confuse you...!
However! There has been a lot of things that has come out of this experience. Working on a 24hour brief clearly is a hard thing to do. I need to get my brain into gear quicker and give it a kick up the backside because outside of university these things happen.

Lesson learned!

Johnny Hardstaff

Ideas Wall

Our Idea

Best Idea Winner Russell! :)

....Nalini's - Authentic Indian Cuisine

After having a crit session about the new brief it came to light that the Indian restaurant idea was the strongest. Even though the 'Fake' restaurant idea was a strong one the notion behind the Indian restaurant idea stood out and felt more personal. 

The initial name for the restaurant that came out on top was 'Namaste' which means welcome in Gujarati. The reason I had chosen this is because it is the first thing that people will see and I want to 'welcome' people in to the restaurant. It also gives a respectful and a welcoming warmth feeling. After discussing this today we came to the conclusion that 'Namaste' isn't really a good strong name for a restaurant - however it can still be used on the doors. With this in mind I want to have 'Namaste' on the outside of the door as you enter and as the customers leave there would be a sign saying 'Aavjo' which means goodbye/ come again.

Because the authenticity of the restaurant lies in my personal background we discussed the idea that the name of the restaurant would be personal as well...naming it 'Nalini's' named after my mum. I love the idea that the restaurant will be named after my mum because it does make it personal and makes me want it to work! :) 

Work does will soon be posted up!

Mutton...

The static project got handed in and the feedback given was to:

• Make a book as a promotion of some sort...
• The font made could actually made into an actual font...
• Instead of 'This is not static' it could be called 'Take a second look'

Good feedback given but I'm a bit lost with where to go...I might be making them into one book which has all the images mixed and the font i created will be used to describe the images?...not sure! And with that these could be a poster which promotes the book?!...Shall wait and see!

With that project handed in a new one has emerged!

MUTTON QUAD! This is still a working title and most likely will be changed! The brief is to create a typographically themed restaurant! Sounds fun! 

 My initial thoughts have been to make this relate to me personally and relate to my dissertation - It relates to my dissertation straight away as it is basically rebranding a restaurant - just that the restaurant hasn't been made yet :/

 To make it personal to me the first thing that popped into my mind was an Indian restaurant! Obviously I know that there are a lot of Indian restaurants about and I have to make mine stand out! Researching into the different areas of my culture and bringing them together to make it beautiful!

With this in mind the name will be changed!...not sure yet but I want something it to be something like Mutton Quad which sound weird but when researched into it has a clear meaning to the restaurant!

 

Let the designing begin! :)

Advertising...

A main reason to advertise is to get people attention and get the brand/products noticed!

Well this is no exception! Here are a few creative ways to advertise using bags as a promotional item!

 

 Found on http://koikoikoi.com/2010/11/20-creative-bag-advertisements/

Co-Branding by LUDO

Ludo is a Paris based street artist, with his last series, called “Co-Branding”, he invades public spaces in bus stops, exposing his artworks as ad campaign posters with anti-brand messages

“Who decides what messages and images are displayed in the public? When it comes to advertising, images and graphics are supposedly governed by “community standards”, meaning a body of some sort passes judgment on the worthiness of an image or message based on a common understanding of the collective opinion.

More often than not, unless there is a vocal protest from a potent fraction of a community, standards are merely the guidelines to push against to grab attention and a tiny piece of mind share.

Because “brands use crappy ultra aesthetic images that no one understands to sell their stuff”'Ludo' he had the idea to create “Nature’s Revenge” posters for Chanel, Dior, Calvin Klein, H&M, and other brands and takeover some advertising light-boxes on the streets of the French capital which look really cool

 I find his work inspirational becausee he acutally has the gutts to do posters like he does! His work has a certain charm, joke and style and can for that reason be described as really successful.

 

  Found on http://koikoikoi.com/2010/10/co-branding-by-ludo/