Wednesday 11 January 2017
~ Pink Manifesto - Module evaluation ~
OUGD601 has honestly been the most beneficial and inspiring so far. I have had the opportunity to explore a subject I am deeply interested in and previously was unaware of the amount of theoretical texts surrounding it. The LGBT+ communities level of acceptance is still an issue but it's very easy to forget what great changes and visual activism has occurred in order for it to be in it's current position. It's given me a whole new appreciation for the potential power of activism and social justice based design and inspired me to do more contextual research in order to produce accurately informed practical design. I was successful in identifying an issue within the academic research/writing element of the module and come up with a design based solution; which I feel is an integral skill to have as a designer. In reflection I know the experiance will aid me in future briefs; particularly when based upon social issues and projects that have historical and theoretical context behind them.
The worst part of the module for me has been having terrible look with printing. Two initial methods of printing were attempted (screen print and laser) before finally settling on the original (but expensive) process of risograph printing. Despite this being a stressful part of the design process it did allow me to learn about a new print technique, which I will be using again. Another negative element (also due to printing issues) was the amount of money I ended up spending on the final outcome; as I draw nearer to graduation I feel I need to be producing designs that are finished at industry standard; this is proving to be very costly but visually rewarding in terms of putting together a portfolio.
My favourite part of this module has been the amount of information I have been able to retain. I've read a huge amount of books in related topics; LGBT+, feminism, psychology, philosophy, theory etc. Each has aided me through the process and I have come out with a whole new mass of knowledge that I can carry through life. It's shown me the benefits of detailed research when producing design; as without this my whole idea and certainly the level of informed decisions would of been lacking. My analytical skills and the ability to adapt my findings into a visual format have most definitely improved in the completion of this module.
I feel one of my main strengths during this module was my ability to critically analyse the research collected, making decisions about what was most relevantly connected to graphic design as a specific field of interest. Another strength was time management, my organisation throughout allowed me to take avenues of research that lead me onto the right paths; I consumed maximum amounts of knowledge. A weakness of mine throughout was being overly passionate about the issue/question at hand. It was often difficult to stay un-biast to the cause and keep my opinions out of the writing; it would be interesting to undertake a similar research project again about a topic I feel I can be completely objective about.
Feedback has been an important part of the completion. Feedback on the essay itself ensured I evidenced both primary and secondary research from reliable and relevant sources. Peer and target audience feedback was also useful for my practical outcome. To ensure my design is meeting the right target audience and portraying the positive and informed tone of voice I wanted to portray. It's clear my design choices created a campaign and final manifesto that appealed to the upandcoming creative voices of the design/advertising world.
The final dissertation was a conclusive accumulation of data and research into the effects visual culture has had on the LGBT community. But what was most interesting was seeing triangulation between historical events and current affairs. It gave me predictions on what place design activism will play in the future of the LGBT+ community, gay rights and acceptance. I felt my final manifesto campaign expressed a good direction for the contemporary visual queer activists of the future.
The worst part of the module for me has been having terrible look with printing. Two initial methods of printing were attempted (screen print and laser) before finally settling on the original (but expensive) process of risograph printing. Despite this being a stressful part of the design process it did allow me to learn about a new print technique, which I will be using again. Another negative element (also due to printing issues) was the amount of money I ended up spending on the final outcome; as I draw nearer to graduation I feel I need to be producing designs that are finished at industry standard; this is proving to be very costly but visually rewarding in terms of putting together a portfolio.
My favourite part of this module has been the amount of information I have been able to retain. I've read a huge amount of books in related topics; LGBT+, feminism, psychology, philosophy, theory etc. Each has aided me through the process and I have come out with a whole new mass of knowledge that I can carry through life. It's shown me the benefits of detailed research when producing design; as without this my whole idea and certainly the level of informed decisions would of been lacking. My analytical skills and the ability to adapt my findings into a visual format have most definitely improved in the completion of this module.
I feel one of my main strengths during this module was my ability to critically analyse the research collected, making decisions about what was most relevantly connected to graphic design as a specific field of interest. Another strength was time management, my organisation throughout allowed me to take avenues of research that lead me onto the right paths; I consumed maximum amounts of knowledge. A weakness of mine throughout was being overly passionate about the issue/question at hand. It was often difficult to stay un-biast to the cause and keep my opinions out of the writing; it would be interesting to undertake a similar research project again about a topic I feel I can be completely objective about.
Feedback has been an important part of the completion. Feedback on the essay itself ensured I evidenced both primary and secondary research from reliable and relevant sources. Peer and target audience feedback was also useful for my practical outcome. To ensure my design is meeting the right target audience and portraying the positive and informed tone of voice I wanted to portray. It's clear my design choices created a campaign and final manifesto that appealed to the upandcoming creative voices of the design/advertising world.
The final dissertation was a conclusive accumulation of data and research into the effects visual culture has had on the LGBT community. But what was most interesting was seeing triangulation between historical events and current affairs. It gave me predictions on what place design activism will play in the future of the LGBT+ community, gay rights and acceptance. I felt my final manifesto campaign expressed a good direction for the contemporary visual queer activists of the future.
~ Pink Manifesto - getting signatures ~
I wanted to, in the last few days of the module get together a few actual signatures to the campaign from fellow designers and companies. This then shows how the campaign is successful and would gain traction as a visual expression of activism. Essentially the more signatures the campaign could accumulate over time the more people representing LGBT+ people in a positive and 'correct' way; having an overall positive outcome for all.
More to be added...
~ Timeplan in reveiw ~
Have I stuck to my original time plan well?
06/10/2016 - Module briefing
Week one - Initial research and decide on a question
13/10/2016 - Tutorial one - discuss question and have an essay plan/structure and plan for research
Week 2 - Begin reading and researching chosen question
Week 3 - Primary research - visit to FAN archives
17/11/2016 - Progress tutorial two - Have first draft (3000+ words written) and a clear plan and lots of research done for the rest of the dissertation
27/11/2016 - Turnitin submission for interim draft submission
01/12/2016 - Tutorial three - Discuss first draft and potential initial ideas for practical outcome
05/12/2016 - Re-briefing
Christmas break - Have full dissertation at a second draft level - around 9000 words completed with exception of conclusion - have practical research complete and begin to design
04/01/2017 - Submission briefing
Two weeks til submission - Make final edits to dissertation, bind final draft, produce physical work and design boards
12/01/2017 - Submit
I feel my time management during this module has been for the most part very successful. I began reading material and research in the summer. By the time the module was briefed/I had my first tutorial; I had the direction needed to begin primary research. I actually managed to conduct two methods of primary research; FAN visit (informed practical work) & the questionnaire (informed dissertation content & practical idea).
The one time I ran into difficulties was when trying to balance practical with the writing of the dissertation. I had planned to begin the practical whilst at a midpoint in my writing. This didn't end up being the case. As my dissertation and areas of research developed whilst I wrote and discovered more my practical ideas had to change with it. This meant I had to change my practical brief completely after already starting it; due to a change of direction within the theoretical writing.
This left me with less time towards the end to complete my practical than I had previously hoped for. When I ran into issues with printing the lack of time made the situation very stressful. In reflection I would of aimed to finish the writing part a little earlier to allow for more issues. It meant sacrificing the actual production of my collateral; but I still managed to explore how these would of been produced and create mock-ups, fortunately.
All in all I feel I spaced out the module well, ensuring I was always researching something at all times. My research tended to lead on from on and other which meant some time scales were quite fluid. I managed to balance further research with writing really well and overall i'm really pleased with myself as this is a huge improvement from last year.
06/10/2016 - Module briefing
Week one - Initial research and decide on a question
13/10/2016 - Tutorial one - discuss question and have an essay plan/structure and plan for research
Week 2 - Begin reading and researching chosen question
Week 3 - Primary research - visit to FAN archives
17/11/2016 - Progress tutorial two - Have first draft (3000+ words written) and a clear plan and lots of research done for the rest of the dissertation
27/11/2016 - Turnitin submission for interim draft submission
01/12/2016 - Tutorial three - Discuss first draft and potential initial ideas for practical outcome
05/12/2016 - Re-briefing
Christmas break - Have full dissertation at a second draft level - around 9000 words completed with exception of conclusion - have practical research complete and begin to design
04/01/2017 - Submission briefing
Two weeks til submission - Make final edits to dissertation, bind final draft, produce physical work and design boards
12/01/2017 - Submit
I feel my time management during this module has been for the most part very successful. I began reading material and research in the summer. By the time the module was briefed/I had my first tutorial; I had the direction needed to begin primary research. I actually managed to conduct two methods of primary research; FAN visit (informed practical work) & the questionnaire (informed dissertation content & practical idea).
The one time I ran into difficulties was when trying to balance practical with the writing of the dissertation. I had planned to begin the practical whilst at a midpoint in my writing. This didn't end up being the case. As my dissertation and areas of research developed whilst I wrote and discovered more my practical ideas had to change with it. This meant I had to change my practical brief completely after already starting it; due to a change of direction within the theoretical writing.
This left me with less time towards the end to complete my practical than I had previously hoped for. When I ran into issues with printing the lack of time made the situation very stressful. In reflection I would of aimed to finish the writing part a little earlier to allow for more issues. It meant sacrificing the actual production of my collateral; but I still managed to explore how these would of been produced and create mock-ups, fortunately.
All in all I feel I spaced out the module well, ensuring I was always researching something at all times. My research tended to lead on from on and other which meant some time scales were quite fluid. I managed to balance further research with writing really well and overall i'm really pleased with myself as this is a huge improvement from last year.
~ Synthesis final ~
My theoretical exploration and analytical research examines the affects of visual culture on the LGBT community. I successfully created a graphic campaign and manifesto promoting the positive representation of LGBT+ people within advertising; the target audience being young/upandcoming designers, advertisers and brands. The decision to do so was based upon issues raised within related theory, case studies and a focused questionnaire. I identified particular inadequacies regarding the equal representation of race, gender & transgender individuals within queer representation.
"results showed that 85% of the overall representation were white and 84% cis male; staggeringly 40% were straight, male, white and cis in comparison to 1% visibility of transgender or non-binary people of colour." - in regards to contemporary LGBT+ targeted magazine covers 'models'.
"results showed that 85% of the overall representation were white and 84% cis male; staggeringly 40% were straight, male, white and cis in comparison to 1% visibility of transgender or non-binary people of colour." - in regards to contemporary LGBT+ targeted magazine covers 'models'.
"The market-mediated depictions of gayness lack diversity and may serve to propagate the gay sartorial stereotype that has come to be aphoristically accepted as the public face of gayness" (Ginder and Byun, 2015).
Many texts also identified the capitalisation of the lucrative sectors within the queer market. I classified this as a negative motivation in regards to representation; the LGBT market wants to be made visible for the purpose of acceptance and equal standing within wider society.
“Marketers must always be very careful to approach gay men and women with the utmost sincerity,” in other words "Don’t just market to me, but also support the causes that are important to me"(Cherkassky, 2016)
The manifesto/campaign takes the form of; an immersive and animated website design, a physical poster/zine and related promotional materials. Each element follows a brand identity informed by that of historical LGBT+ underground press; of which I observed within my primary research.
The websites design is considerate of target audience & user experiance in its simplicity and kinetic values. Each element has been informed by theoretical context then appropriated towards the contemporary creative audience. The inviting nature draws the user into what - if designed in-correctly - could be interpreted as quite a heavy subject. Careful consideration into animating effectively to improve clickthrough rates were made, this then insures a maximum amount of overall signatures.
The physical manifesto was an opportunity to create an adaptation of LGBT+ underground press aesthetics and refresh them for a new audience; with an influence of punk ideals and a postmodernist denial of socially constructed rules. The final piece expresses the passion of gay rights activism particularly by using obscure manipulations of typography and illustration. The final print used a risograph-printed process to reflect the DIY nature of creative activism; giving a modern day campaign a touch of its contextual history.
The design of promotional collateral was an opportunity to produce something bold and simple in design that expressed a social commentary on current LGBT affairs. The expression of such through typography is an expressive continuance of the historical activism informed theme the campaign.
The design of promotional collateral was an opportunity to produce something bold and simple in design that expressed a social commentary on current LGBT affairs. The expression of such through typography is an expressive continuance of the historical activism informed theme the campaign.
The overall design communicates a positive and friendly approach to supporting the LGBT community. It does this through considered choices in typeface, colour theory, layout, general aesthetic etc. The boldness in colour grabs attention initially; the pink was informed by the iconic symbol of the pink triangle; originally used in Nazi camps to identify homosexuals it has now been reclaimed by the queer community as a symbol of solidarity, anarchy and pride. The contrast between this pink and the IK blue is representative of traditional association that these colours separate the sexes (and people in general). The combination of the two is a mark togetherness & denial of discrimination.
~ Synthesis - draft 1 ~
To ensure a strong synthesis between my understanding of the theoretical/social research and my individual creative practice; it was key the practical element was informed directly by my personal explorations for the dissertation. I ensured all primary & secondary research that could influence the design decisions within the brief was collected and analysed in terms of aesthetic, content, layout, format, tone of voice etc.
Within my research into the synthesis between graphic design and the LGBT+ community, I discovered the negative opinions surrounding representation within advertising and brand promotion. Within my dissertations survey concerns were expressed regarding the lack of diversity shown in queer representative advertising and also the lack of support the actual brand shows the LGBT+ community.
“I think most of the time, brands "appealing" to LGBTQ+ folks is just corporate pandering primarily to cis white gay people, with no real policy or action behind it. It's nice to see in advertising, but again the "representation" in the ads seems to be primarily composed of cis, white, gay men. The example ad used above *Image 17* is actually a perfect example of what I'm talking about-- two wealthy looking, presumably cis, white, gay men used to sell a very expensive corporate brand.”
Large amounts of theoretical research within the essay hi-lighted this lack of diversity and discussed the issues caused by such. Most showed that gay representation is usually male, white, young, 'attractive' and affluent; advertisers argue this area of the market is considered to statistically be the most profitable.
"The results showed that 85% of the overall representation were white and 84% cis male; staggeringly 40% were straight, male, white and cis in comparison to 1% visibility of transgender or non-binary people of colour."
This focus on the most lucrative individuals within the community shows a lot of companies use queer representation as a form of capitalisation of a niche market rather than to show support and raise visibility/awareness for queer people. This is where, for the LGBT 'market' itself, the issue lies.
For the practical element of COP 3 I decided to produce a manifesto (set of guidelines/rules) for advertisers, brands, graphic designers to follow in order to ensure the LGBT+ community is represented with equality and accuracy. The aim of which being that certain establishments can sign their name to the manifesto vowing to follow the rules and support the community; it promotes the brands as gay supportive/friendly and equally promotes discussion and open-ness about sexuality (mutually beneficial).
The manifesto rules being:
Each rule was informed by an issue I had identified within the theoretical and survey based research into LGBT+ representation in advertising.
For a source of primary research I went to the FAN (Feminist Archive North), they hold collections of LGBT+ newsletters and magazines from all over the UK distributed from the 1960's onwards. The newsletters all have a distinct denial of modernist features, most follow little to no 'rules' in terms of typeface, typesetting, simplicity, minimalism etc. This rejection of the norm is something expressive of the punk - do it yourself nature of the underground press. This visual style is one I wanted to inform and be expressed through my own design outcome for this module.
Creating a visual synthesis between historical examples of meaningful activism based design and contemporary design culture and appeal. I did this by using semiotics from both historical primary research and secondary research into contemporary postmodernism and activism.
Studies show that the gay audience are frequent internet users/shoppers...
"US Census Bureau (2005).recorded that 52% of gay consumers had bought something online at least once a month (2003) this figure considered to be large in comparison to only 32% of overall users doing the same. All such related statistics surrounding the buying power of the gay market suggests they are a market worthy of targeting specifically; but there is still little to be known on the most effective ways of doing so."
This information lead to the practical body of work being partly digital. I felt a website would appeal to the largest audience possible; it could be key in targeting the world as a whole rather than just the UK and appealing to digital marketing/advertising companies.
My web design concept was to produce a simplistic 'mother page' layout on which a few varying wireframes would interact. The page would work using an infinite/auto scroll system in which user experiance was key. Animation was used throughout to ensure the users were captivated by the experiance as a whole. Each rule of the manifesto would be animated on screen using a type-writer effect; this informed by the use of typewriters in LGBT+ underground press I observed in my primary research. Once the rule is laid out the screen 'self scrolls' revealing a tick box; the user then ticks in agreeance to the rule triggering the page to scroll onto the next and so on.
Each element of the website has been animated for captivating viewing pleasure to ensure the best click through rates and the best chances of maximum online signatures. Each element was informed by my research and brand identity; even down to the symbol upon the navigation bar which was informed by the iconic = gay marriage equality symbol.
Alongside the digital outcome I produced a physically printed version of the manifesto. This was informed by the concern that some of the target market (particularly large name brands) would likely see an email/website and not give it their full attention. Physical design is more effective in grabbing attention instantly and is a less saturated field in the modern day creative industries. The physical outcome is one that is heavily informed by the design styles and production process' used by underground LGBT press publications in the 70's.
Within my research into the synthesis between graphic design and the LGBT+ community, I discovered the negative opinions surrounding representation within advertising and brand promotion. Within my dissertations survey concerns were expressed regarding the lack of diversity shown in queer representative advertising and also the lack of support the actual brand shows the LGBT+ community.
“I think most of the time, brands "appealing" to LGBTQ+ folks is just corporate pandering primarily to cis white gay people, with no real policy or action behind it. It's nice to see in advertising, but again the "representation" in the ads seems to be primarily composed of cis, white, gay men. The example ad used above *Image 17* is actually a perfect example of what I'm talking about-- two wealthy looking, presumably cis, white, gay men used to sell a very expensive corporate brand.”
Large amounts of theoretical research within the essay hi-lighted this lack of diversity and discussed the issues caused by such. Most showed that gay representation is usually male, white, young, 'attractive' and affluent; advertisers argue this area of the market is considered to statistically be the most profitable.
"The results showed that 85% of the overall representation were white and 84% cis male; staggeringly 40% were straight, male, white and cis in comparison to 1% visibility of transgender or non-binary people of colour."
This focus on the most lucrative individuals within the community shows a lot of companies use queer representation as a form of capitalisation of a niche market rather than to show support and raise visibility/awareness for queer people. This is where, for the LGBT 'market' itself, the issue lies.
For the practical element of COP 3 I decided to produce a manifesto (set of guidelines/rules) for advertisers, brands, graphic designers to follow in order to ensure the LGBT+ community is represented with equality and accuracy. The aim of which being that certain establishments can sign their name to the manifesto vowing to follow the rules and support the community; it promotes the brands as gay supportive/friendly and equally promotes discussion and open-ness about sexuality (mutually beneficial).
The manifesto rules being:
1. We pledge to be inclusive of LGBT+ individuals within our advertising.
2. We will do so not purely for commercial reasons but to promote visibility and acceptance.
3. We refuse to feature queer people just for a ‘trend’ or to capitalise on the ‘market’.
4. When creating these representations I will do so in an informed way.
5. We vow to support LGBT+ establishments, charities and organisations.
6. We understand the lack of positive representation in advertising & media has a negative effect on the queer community.
Each rule was informed by an issue I had identified within the theoretical and survey based research into LGBT+ representation in advertising.
For a source of primary research I went to the FAN (Feminist Archive North), they hold collections of LGBT+ newsletters and magazines from all over the UK distributed from the 1960's onwards. The newsletters all have a distinct denial of modernist features, most follow little to no 'rules' in terms of typeface, typesetting, simplicity, minimalism etc. This rejection of the norm is something expressive of the punk - do it yourself nature of the underground press. This visual style is one I wanted to inform and be expressed through my own design outcome for this module.
Creating a visual synthesis between historical examples of meaningful activism based design and contemporary design culture and appeal. I did this by using semiotics from both historical primary research and secondary research into contemporary postmodernism and activism.
Studies show that the gay audience are frequent internet users/shoppers...
"US Census Bureau (2005).recorded that 52% of gay consumers had bought something online at least once a month (2003) this figure considered to be large in comparison to only 32% of overall users doing the same. All such related statistics surrounding the buying power of the gay market suggests they are a market worthy of targeting specifically; but there is still little to be known on the most effective ways of doing so."
This information lead to the practical body of work being partly digital. I felt a website would appeal to the largest audience possible; it could be key in targeting the world as a whole rather than just the UK and appealing to digital marketing/advertising companies.
My web design concept was to produce a simplistic 'mother page' layout on which a few varying wireframes would interact. The page would work using an infinite/auto scroll system in which user experiance was key. Animation was used throughout to ensure the users were captivated by the experiance as a whole. Each rule of the manifesto would be animated on screen using a type-writer effect; this informed by the use of typewriters in LGBT+ underground press I observed in my primary research. Once the rule is laid out the screen 'self scrolls' revealing a tick box; the user then ticks in agreeance to the rule triggering the page to scroll onto the next and so on.
Each element of the website has been animated for captivating viewing pleasure to ensure the best click through rates and the best chances of maximum online signatures. Each element was informed by my research and brand identity; even down to the symbol upon the navigation bar which was informed by the iconic = gay marriage equality symbol.
Alongside the digital outcome I produced a physically printed version of the manifesto. This was informed by the concern that some of the target market (particularly large name brands) would likely see an email/website and not give it their full attention. Physical design is more effective in grabbing attention instantly and is a less saturated field in the modern day creative industries. The physical outcome is one that is heavily informed by the design styles and production process' used by underground LGBT press publications in the 70's.
~ Pink manifesto - collateral ~
Research into historical examples of design activism collateral and merchandise
PHOTOGRAPHED FROM THE ACT UP COLLECTION ARCHIVED AT THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
AND FROM INDIVIDUAL COLLECTIONS (and CLOSET DRESSER DRAWERS)
AND FROM INDIVIDUAL COLLECTIONS (and CLOSET DRESSER DRAWERS)
Examples of t-shirts and badges from the book Graphic Agitation/2.
Most of the historical examples have been relevant to their time and the issues that were going on. Making political/social comments on current affairs regarding the LGBT population. This is something I would like to aim to do within my collateral.
I also researched contemporary examples; noticing t-shirts and badges are still a relevant and popular choice in activism merchandise. Current/relevant issues that can be discussed include...
- Legalising being gay in Russia & other unaccepting countries.
- Keeping gay marriage legal.
- Keeping LGBT protection rights.
- Donald Trumps election - Mike Pence & homophobia.
- Media representation.
Design experiments
My first concept was regarding current affairs regarding gay rights and gay marriage in the USA. Since Trumps election there has been talk and concerns that gay marriage may be made illegal again. I wanted to create a design that expressed a 'punk' style finger up attitude to the people trying to take away this right; literally. My concept was to produce a design of someone swearing with a wedding ring on; the wedding ring possibly in the iconic rainbow colours.
I produced a design that was simple and stamp like in form, informed by the chunky design styles used by punk activists and LGBT activists historically.
This is the final design with the rainbow wedding ring. This design would be appropriate for web/print promotional materials & badges. But would only be able to be printed using digital fabric printing if it was to be put on a t-shirt. This could be costly and not well informed by the context of the design.
With the slogan and inclusion of 'support gay marriage' the design is bold enough to portray the message without colour. I feel this design would be easy to screen print onto t-shirts and make into badges and creates a bold social commentary on current LGBT affairs.
My second idea was to create something using Mike Pence. Creating a play on words as he is known for dodgy dealings with tobacco companies and for hating gay people; 'Mike Pence, for tobacco against fags.'. This idea could of been good if executed well but I felt it might be too complicated and obscure to get a strong enough message across.
I wanted my designs to be simple, bold and effective like the ones produced by ACTUP, as I believe their success lies in their simplicity. I created these 3 designs using basic typography manipulation; considering the aesthetic used within the rest of the campaign. Type manipulation, outlined type, justified type. The designs are simple and the message cannot at all be confused. They are targeting issues and aiming towards a world-wide audience.
These are mock-ups I produced of the designs on t-shirts. The t-shirts would be screen printed, meaning the iconic IK blue could be achieved; the hand made punk aesthetic informed by the research would also go well with the physical manifesto. The collateral creates solidarity, pride and promotion for the campaign.
And the same with the badges. The badges would be cheap to produce either lazer printed (would have to be black though) or riso-printed like the manifesto. These could even be sent out with copies of the printed manifesto so pledgers could wear it with pride and help further the cause.
This prototype shows how the merchandise store will look on the website, using the same wireframe as the navigation page, for clarity and simplicity.
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