Photoshop Brief/ Final Postcards

Photoshop Brief/ Initial Ideas

The brief stated to select a colour from a series of colour provided and use this colour as a staring point into an investigation into photoshop and how the tools the software offers can manipulate images. I choose green as the colour I am going to focus on, I created this mind map which suggests a range of areas greens relates to and potential imagery that could be used on the postcards. 

An idea that I experimented within in Photoshop was taking a famous member of the public that had made considerable movement with issues such as Al Gore, using the posterize filter combined with overlaying single colours of green I was able to create this design, however I don't feel it strongly convey a green message. 

Starting out with the initial image, I desaturated the image which made the image black and white as it removed all colour saturation, Then using a new layer I filled it with a green and adjusted the layer properties/style to allow the black and white image to show through but with a tint of green. This design more strongly convey greens and draws your eye into the type as it contrast bold against the vivid green.  

Using another feature of Photoshop I used one of the image applied a filter to that image referred to as colour halftone, this make the image out of a series of small dots, to make this dots only black the image must be set to grey scale. Although the affect created is bold, simple and vivid the type is unreadable which reduces the effectiveness of the design. I tested this effect with two different colour palettes however both proved to make the type unreadable therefore the design may not translate well across other images. 

100 Things/ Final Printed Maps

100 Things/ Final Printed Posters

100 Things/ Posters Digital Development

100 Things/ Poster Ideas

Using my design direction boards and the ideas I developed there I brought these ideas into my poster designs. All of the designs work a series of two and combine and collaborate with each other. The first idea is a face and coin that join together through two posters. Although the posters communicate a clear a message the design does suggest the power of the happiness over money. This second is stronger in this respect in that it directly suggest that money doesn't bring happiness, the reversed text in the other poster also suggests how the posters are subverting the traditional views of these themes, the aim of my products is break the myths, this poster design does that well. The final set of posters also work well as the text overlaps it reflects how the message within my products aren't always black and white some information overlaps and contrasts. 

Within the first set of poster design I have used hand drawn imagery which many not work with the rest of vector imagery that I have used throughout my other products. However the ideas the image have been vandalised communicates this ideas that the information is different, new and breaking down conventional barriers. The second idea focuses on the concept of reflection and the reflection tell the true story of what each of the subjects actually means, however this may not be legible when used as a poster aiming to attract attention. The final design here rhetorically questions the audience which is a good ploy in capturing the audience, however it makes the audience being to question the theme before they have gained access to the information I am communicating. 

100 Things/ Printed Leaflets

100 Things/ Leaflets Digital Development

100 Things/ Leaflets Ideas

I have chosen 4 key concepts that I want to communicate to my target audience each of which is a way in which their happiness could be improved. I think that the car driving towards success has the greatest potential, as it's very visually explicit it's clear that success is leading to something, happiness which is what I want to communicate. The fuel gauge also suggests that success is leading to better things. Other designs such as the fuel drop and the flame don't convey the message as clearly they focus on the concept of fuel which is not the key message, success and happiness are. These ideas my confuse my target audience as to the message being communicated.   

The work I have been producing is mixed in it's mood and tone, as I want some areas of the products to have to serious I want other to fun and playful which is why I think the spread on the bread here is extremely effect the image and type work in sync together to deliver a clear message, the design is also eye catching it attracting the attention to find out more about what is being suggested. The happy face in which more happy faces protrude is also visual clear and effective however it's more of an info graphic than a pictorial reference working together with the type.

The meditating figure both with and without the extra icons is a effect translation of message encouraging people to meditate, the imagery is simple and effective, the other designs are less clear and vague in their communication such as the book which suggests a focus on reading rather than physical activity. Furthermore the use of the three icons together also complicates the message visually, meditation is the key idea in which the other actions develop from. 

Doing good is something that I found very hard to visually without relying on visual cliques however here visual cliques have proved appropriate, as for many thinking about doing good for other maybe something they don't see as easy but suggesting that giving away even a small amount of money, coins, can be beneficial to your own happiness. The coin within the hand design works effectively as it is a mirror image of what my target audience should be doing. The helping hand imagery also works effectively it relies on the reestablished idea of offering someone a helping hand. The ven diagram is to much like an info graphic to communicate a simple message. The typography design also aren't as visual effective as they inform but don't encourage, they don't resonate with the audience as strongly as the pictorial based designs. 

On the back of the flyer's to reflect the serious elements of the parts of my products I have included the scientific and theoretical reasoning behind why these actions should be taken and how they can make you a happier person. I think it's important that facts are used to support what I am communicating as people aren't going to consider these ideas with evidence they work. I have combined the detailed explanations with simple infer graphics that help to simply the information. 

100 Things/ Printed Newspapers