COP 2 / Concept Development

29 / 4 / 14

CONTEXT OF PRACTICE / OUGD501
PRACTICAL PEICE.
CONCEPT & DEVELOPMENT.

After speaking with Richard about my ideas and starting to think about them in a practical sense really helped me to visualise possibilities. the focus for me is the regulated ethos of social control and how it is used yet goes unnoticed and how we contribute to it, however unconsciously.

During my crit, I mentioned that I did have a couple of ideas in symbolising and visualising the fact that most of the products that are available to us, especially food based products, are dictated by only a couple of companies and that the freedom of choice that we believe we have is intact very much in control through higher powers in industry. 

For some reason, when thinking about a wide range of foods, I couldn't help but think 'biscuits' I think this is because there are so many different types of biscuit available in for stores these days.

I thought this may be a good basis to start testing my ideas in the form of a gridded, as discussed in the crit regarding the insertion of the regulated hair cuts in North Korea. I also think this a simple and relatable way to symbolise the message I am trying to get across.

To start with, to make star that this idea was viable, I used some simple google images to get an idea of how the visuals in my head could be applied to a poster format. I was happy with how this was looking so I decided to take my own images on purchasing a couple of different types of biscuit.

I experimented with lying out the biscuits in a way that has a orderly appearance so as to represent the regulatory side of the concept however the fact that these are menial biscuits adds an intrigue through relatability.

Even though I do like the appearance of the layout, I am not happy with the lighting of the imagery and how there are heavy shadows around the products. For now, to further test my idea I will just use these images however I will re-take the photographs to get better quality.

 I started to apply typography to the imagery. Adding the statement freedom of choice to the layout helps to put into context the images and brings understanding as the different types show the offer of choice.

Once the understanding of the image, and the hierarchy of type is taken in, this is then questioned and a bit of the understanding is taken away by the pun 'takes the biscuit'.

the intrigue s then switched to curiosity in wondering what this means.

I wasn't happy with the layout above so I started to experiment with laying the type over the image.

I also played with a few bits of different typography to see if this helped enhance the imagery any more, However I feel that the 'Bebas Neue' typeface is suitable for the statement and draw immediate attention do to the uppercase letterforms.

(I realise there is a spelling mistake!)

I also started to play with actually over lapping both type and image and i n a way obscuring the message slightly which in turn draws a little longer amount of attention in order to make out the message and understand what is being said.

I really like how this appears. I feel that the way in which the type sometimes has to be interrupted by the rigidity o the layout symbolise how no one can really escape from the issue presented regarding the control and freedom we are made to believe we have, however are moulded to conform and invest into the industries that actually do.

I also think that how intermittently, the image covers and hide some of the type and its message is also a good representation of how many people go by in life without realising the hold that is on us with in society due to how well we are diseased and lulled into a false sense of satisfaction.

*  *  *  *

 After showing this layout to some people in the studio to see how other received and understood it, some were a little concerned about the break up of the letters and how this effected the way in which the message was read.

Because of this I decided to try out a few different layouts that continued the aesthetic and representation of the previous designs however added more to the reading of the type and made that a little more important in the hierarchy.

I feel that bring the free and dom closer together and overlap each other helps to keep the syllables connected and appear as a single word, however the jaggered layout of both gives the same effect in hindering the message slightly so it conforms to the over ruling layout.

I also played with opacities for added effect.

Whe I went back to take some better pictures of the biscuits, I decided to add more to really get the point across on freedom of choose.

If I could afford to, I would make sure that each biscuit was different however this would cost me a lot of money to but numerous amounts of biscuit for just one from each pack.

 

 

 

I vastly prefer these images just because of the lack of shadowing due to the improved light and also because of the larger amount of product and how this emphasised the 'freedom of choice' message a lot stronger than before.

I re-applied the message and played around with the layout again to get the best aesthetic and combination of image and type.

Because the the individual pieces of the imagery were now smaller, the type could be further manipulated because the smaller images took away less of the type.

Im really happy with how this has turned out. I feel that the layout on a whole regarding the structured image and the type layout at the bottom of the page give of a sense of regulation and conformity.

The way in which something seen as so menial, un-influensial and everyday such as the humble biscuit has been ordered, puts a differing percievement up on the image as this is not usually the context these produce are seen in. Due to tho i feel this adds intrigue straight away.

The message that is then laid over the top and in and between the image brings a sense of context to the imagery in it being a display of all the choices available. 

The way in which the message is hidden slightly and broken up represents that fact that this is a subtle and subdued notion. We don't walk in he supermarket every time and demand our rights to free choice, its just something that is there underlying with in the consumer culture unconsciously and is something we expect. this is enforced by this message, to which people fully understand the poster.

This allows the corporations at the top to then manipulate this unconsciousness to their own advantage to make as many gains as they can through false presentation of choice.

Once the audience feel as though they understand the message, the twists at the bottom through the statement 'takes the biscuit'. The pun questions what we feel we know as a 'free society' and, due to the jokey humorous style of the statement, gives a sense of humiliation towards what we see as integral to our Western societies.

Adding the question 'What do you know about social control?' adds context to the poster as a whole. Many people may never of heard of this term so having it as a question almost hands out a challenge to the audience to look it up.




I feel that as well as having posters like this to visually explain my points, I should also have something that aids the understanding of the term Social Control