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Unit 5. Unit 8 Primer: Fda Graphic Design

The document provides an overview and primer for students on their Personal Research Project (PRP) during their FdA Graphic Design course. It explains that the PRP is an opportunity for students to research an area of interest and create two practical outcomes. Students are instructed to submit a 500-word proposal identifying their focus, objectives, methodology and timeline. They are told the PRP should demonstrate extensive investigation and relate to real world experience. A second document then outlines a 10-step process for developing design solutions, from receiving the brief to implementing the final solution.

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38 views

Unit 5. Unit 8 Primer: Fda Graphic Design

The document provides an overview and primer for students on their Personal Research Project (PRP) during their FdA Graphic Design course. It explains that the PRP is an opportunity for students to research an area of interest and create two practical outcomes. Students are instructed to submit a 500-word proposal identifying their focus, objectives, methodology and timeline. They are told the PRP should demonstrate extensive investigation and relate to real world experience. A second document then outlines a 10-step process for developing design solutions, from receiving the brief to implementing the final solution.

Uploaded by

smithmccaulsky
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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** FdA Graphic Design

Unit 5. Unit 8 Primer


Unit 5 PRP Proposal

During Unit 5 you were given an overview of six areas of the contemporary creative industries; 6 Platforms designed specically to allow you the opportunity to acknowledge the major components of your chosen discipline and to discuss how these experiences relate to personal practice. This process was designed to help you to develop a proposal for your Personal Research Project (500 words). This proposal should identify a platform specic focus and include a rationale, objectives, methodology, possible outcomes and a preliminary timetable. In order to effectively complete this proposal an overview of Unit 8 can be found below. *N.B. Please note this is a primer and not the actual brief!

13/01/12

Unit 8
The Competition Brief and particularly Personal Research Project is your opportunity to build upon any debates, topics, interests and observations which you made during Unit 5, including specic areas of interest, individual skill sets, areas for improvement and possible routes for future employment. This project is primarily a research project and should be the pinnacle of what you have learnt on the FdA culminating in an impressive body of work relevant to future professional practice or academic study. You must identify and complete a comprehensive Personal Research Project (PRP) which should demonstrate a depth of investigation which is exploratory and extensive. Any project should t in with the FdA ethos of relating to and existing within the real world experience. These investigations should inform 2 practical outcomes that must each be completed with separate amounts of research, planning, development methodologies and outcomes.

** FdA Graphic Design

A tested working method


Design Practice 10 steps to a resolved outcome

1. Receive brief from client/ tutor


It might sound obvious, but always have a pen/ notebook on you. Make notes, draw sketches and make sure you write everything down as you will not be able to remember everything! If you dont understand any aspect of the brief dont be afraid to ask questions. You may not get the opportunity to ask them again.

2. Record initial response to brief


It is very important to write down any immediate thoughts you may have. This is not the time to solve the brief but these early recordings will help to provide a launch pad for your research.

3. Initial research
What is initial research? This is the most important part of the creative process and one that is often misunderstood. Looking at and reading books is very important, as is using the web in the right way, however this is secondary research. Primary research is far more important; this includes speaking to people, conducting interviews, drawing on location, taking your own photographs, visiting locations and nding appropriate reference. Your response to these experiences rst hand informs and manifests original ideas/ language.

4. Production of at least 10 initial ideas/ responses


Review your research and through an understanding of the issues involved let your knowledge dene what you want to say. You will need to produce at least 10 ideas as many of your initial thoughts will be the most obvious solutions, (ideas themselves dont just have to be independent solutions, they could alternatively be based on a working method, medium or a technique.) Work your ideas up to such a level that allows you to make an informed decision on which ones to take forward.

5. Selection of 3 ideas for further development


From the 10 initial ideas it should be easy to come up with 3 concrete ideas. These should offer a range of solutions providing alternative choices to the client. This will help you to give direction to your choices and help to clarify what it is that you are trying to achieve. If you only present a single idea or ideas that are too similar, what happens if the client doesnt like your approach?

6. Further research
It is important that your research is ongoing. At this point of the project research should be more specic to your outcomes, if you need to get into printmaking, when are time slots available? What

** FdA Design Practice

papers are good for embossing? Where can you get your artwork printed locally? Does your work need to be bound? How long will it take me to design what I am proposing? What is the production time? Do I need to learn software to achieve my outcomes? These questions should include looking at materials, printing and production techniques, placement, promotion and costing. In a commercial context these questions will need to be addressed at an earlier stage of the project as they will have a direct inuence on your quote/ costing. This only serves to reinforce the need for ongoing research/ investigation.

7. Presentation of ideas to client/ tutor and selection of nal idea


Your ideas need to be simply communicated, use two visuals/ boards to demonstrate each solution. This should include concrete roughs of what you intend your designs to look like. Try and explain the concept behind each idea and give an indication of how your designs will look in context. Visualisations help the client to understand what you are trying to achieve, many of your clients may not from be from a creative background and visuals/ mock-ups allow you to explain your ideas in a way that words alone cannot.

8. Development and resolution of chosen solution


You should now have your chosen idea/ solution which may be one of the previous 3 or a combination of several. At this point your work is still not nished, your solution will need further development which will often stem from your discussions with the client/ tutor. It is important that at this stage you have still time tabled enough time for these changes, just because you have a nished piece of work it doesnt mean it has been resolved to a rened conclusion. Take a step back and consider how your designs can be improved.

9. Production
Based on roughs and proposals begin the production of your nal piece. The hard work has been done and you should now have a precise image of what the nal outcome will look like. Following the completion of your work, it is helpful to take a step away and return with a critical eye, how can your work be improved? You do not have to rely on your own judgement, a fresh pair of eyes can give you an unbiased viewpoint (this may be your intended target audience). Spelling should be looked at and there will always be typographic errors. Documents MUST ALWAYS be proof read before going to print. This will save you time and money in the long run.

10. Implementation of solution


Solutions should then be implemented or tested. This process should be documented and you should allocate enough time to do this properly. This will help you to demonstrate the overall effectiveness of your ideas and serve as a valuable record of your work which will be very important when putting a portfolio together. This is the conclusion of a great deal of time and effort and the opportunity to look at back at what you have created.

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