Reflection 30.04.2015

What I did today?

Today I developed my poster design after looking at a selection of posters that I found online for inspiration. I analysed different aspects and design prospects of posters that I liked and wanted to take on board for my own poster design, I then applied these design ideas and experimented with different layouts to decide what I liked the best.
I also spent some time experimenting with different icons for the Chronicle's Instagram account, discovering what would attract the audience the best.

What were the main three elements that helped me develop?

• Looking at posters that are already out in the public eye and which advertisement posters are popular.
• Analysing aspects of current posters to help me discover what kind of design style I like the best.
• Experimenting on InDesign, taking screen shots of different layouts and styles of design to help with a further and deeper understanding and idea of the poster I want to produce.

What did I struggle with today?

I struggled to find one single poster that I was entirely inspired back but then I realised that I could take inspiration from multiple posters and create my own design which would be original and unlike an ad poster that is already out there.

Was there a ‘what happens if’ in my day?

'What happens if I really struggle to use the InDesign software after having a break from it for a while, what if I'm unhappy with what I can produce?'

Were there any eureka moments?

I thought that my poster looked quite plain when I started designing it but I wanted to avoid fussy patterns, I looked at my blog post about poster inspiration and found the idea to create a neat, geometric pattern around the edge of the poster that matched up at the top and the bottom to keep the poster simple and trendy.

How can I improve on today - tonight or tomorrow?
Spend some more time thinking about the information I need and don't need to include on my poster. Continue with the design so I'm as happy with the poster as I can be and keep track of my design process.

Developing Instagram Ad Poster

Initial design idea. I decided on my background colour and that I wanted all detail to be in white for simplicity and I want the poster to look bright and clean. The patterns I've used around the edges add some excitement to the poster but they are geometric so not messy.

I wanted to add a pop of pink to the poster as some of the posters I took inspiration from used mainly one colour scheme with one vibrant colour that popped out from all of the rest.

Using the pop of pink for the hashtag at the top of the block of text made it look too isolated, like it wasn't meant to be there.

Using the pop of pink for the title 'INSTAGRAM COMPETITION' worked the best as there is white text above and below the pink making it look more included. Having the pop of colour as central as possible also draws the audiences attention straight to it.

Placing my own Instagram image examples at the bottom of the page made the top of the poster look too empty but I didn't want to change the simplicity of the poser by adding more images.

After moving the images to the top of the page I was happier with the way the poser looked as having the empty space at the bottom of the page rather than the top makes it look more like it's supposed to be there.

I decided to add the Instagram logo in the empty space at the bottom of the page as it's a logo that's familiar to teenagers which may make them more likely to show interest in the poster.  However the colour and style of the logo does't fit with the rest of the poster and it looked out of place.

After removing the Instagram logo from the bottom of the poster, I altered the position of the images and text so that I was happier with the amount of empty space and how it's distributed. 

Some more experimentation with colours lead me to decide that the writing would be more legible on the poster if the background was darker against the white or the white writing was darker against the pale blue. I am happy with the blue background colour as I don't want it to be too vibrant so I experimented with changing the writing to a charcoal grey which is still subtle and doesn't look out of place on the poster.

Ad Poster Inspiration

What I like and how it's effective
I like the colours used on this poster, the dark grey background is a good choice as the rest of the colours used on the poster are bright and vibrant so if the background was also a vibrant colour the poster would have too much noise.

The poster looks neat and symmetrical, the pictures of the ice creams are aligned and distributed so that your eye is drawn directly to them. Also the simplicity of the images of the ice creams work well as it keeps the poster looking modern and you can still tell that they are ice creams.

This poster looks as though it's aimed at an audience of a younger demographic because of the colours used and simplicity of the design. The poster isn't packed full of information which makes it easy to digest.

What I like and how it's effective
I like how this poster is very simple, it contains only the essential and important information which is all the audience needs to know to be attracted to it. 

Everything on the poster is central which is where your eye is automatically led. Having the empty space around the information in the centre makes the design tasteful, however the geometric border around the poster adds a bit more interest to the poster so that it doesn't look lazy.

The way the colours fade in and out of each other looks really good as it's a good way of adding more colour subtly rather than in blocks. The colours are aimed at a younger demographic which the use of pinks and purples, blues and greens with some grey and black to add depth.

What I like and how it's effective
Again with this poster I like how the information is central and kept basic so it's easy for young people to take it and not be put off. The information is all written in white text which keeps it simple and also easy to read against the colour background. 

The colours used are quite muted and they all compliment each other, especially the use of the pops of burnt orange add some interest to the poster so that it isn't overly blue. Use of blank space and the images just at the bottom of the poster also keeps the poster simple and not too noisy.

This poster reaches out to a very wide audience because of it's colour scheme. There are no colours that make it automatically girly however females will still be attracted to the poser because of the trendy design and modern style.





Inspiration I will take

• Muted colour scheme with one pop of colour- Possibly the main part of the poster in white/grey/blue with an occasional pop of pink or purple.
• Empty space- I don't want my poster to be over crowded with lots of pattern, posters with well used empty space look more stylish.
• Central text/info- Having the text on the poster centralised attracts the audience eye rather than having text dotted all around the poster where it may not be read.
• Simple text/info- I want there to be as little text as possible on the poster so that it isn't boring for a teenage audience and people won't have to spend a lot of time to stop and read it.

Reflection 28.04.2015

What I did today?
Today I experimented with thumbnail designs for my Instagram competition advertisement poster. I drew some small thumbnails and also got a large A3 sheet of paper and cut out some coloured blocks to act as the different aspects of the poster. Using the coloured paper I moved them around the larger sheet as a quick way of testing different layouts.

What were the main three elements that helped me develop?

• Drawing by hand. Sometimes it's quicker to do rough sketches than spend time making everything look perfectly aligned on the computer.
• Trying a new way of creating thumbnails- moving the coloured paper around. It means nothing is set in stone and it's also very time efficient.

What did I struggle with today?
Finding inspiration for my poster, I find it easier to improvise but I know that I should find some other example posters to show my research process.

Was there a ‘what happens if’ in my day?
No.

Were there any eureka moments?
Finding the quick paper movement method of creating thumbnails, I saved a lot of time thay I would've wasted rendering the thumbnails on the computer.

How can I improve on today - tonight or tomorrow?
Find some example posters that I've taken inspiration for, it may help me with my design process as I will broaden my mind to new and different ideas.

Instagram Ad Design

As a way to promote the Bath Chronicle's Instagram account, a competition is a great way to get locals involved and interested as which will also mean the account will get more publicity and will be shared between different groups of friends who all have different followers, maximising the amount of new followers the Bath Chronicle will gain.

I intend for the poster to be A3 sized and displayed around the city and also City of Bath College as college students are the perfect targets for this competition, however it is open to anyone in the area that uses the hashtag on their photo.

As well as being printed, the poster will also be shared on the Bath Chronicle's Facebook and Twitter page to maximise the amount of people who see it.

The title of the competition is #SummerInBath. All the entrants have to do is take a photo of Bath in the summer time. This could be anything from a picture of the Abbey to an adventurous day of canoeing down the river. 

All you have to do is upload your photo onto Instagram and tag the Bath Chronicle as well as including #SummerInBath in your caption.

These thumbnail designs are to help me decide the best way to lay out my Instagram competition advertisement poster. 

I experimented with placement of titles and images on the page to see what the audience would first be attracted to on the page and what they would look at last, the most important information will have to be placed where their eye is automatically drawn to.

The most important aspect of the poster is #SummerInBath, the hashtag people should add to their photo to get involved in the competition so the best place for it to be on the poster is at the top or in the centre.

Equally as important is the title 'Instagram Competition' as this introduces what the poster is trying to promote, therefore this should also be placed either in the centre of the page or at the top.

Details about the competition don't necessarily have to attract the attention of the audience. Once someone has been engaged by the title and the hashtag they will decide to read the further information about the competition.

However the competition details on the poster will be as simplified as possible so that the audience don't get put off of reading them. The details will be a maximum of two sentences.

Also on the poster, mainly so it looks visually attractive, will be example Instagram pictures that will give the audience an idea of the variety of images they can enter into the competition. These images I can simply collect on a regular day that I spend in Bath meaning I won't encounter any copyright issues.

Here are some more hand rendered thumbnails for experimentation. I cut out each aspect of the poster and used an A3 to experiment with different layouts. 

Reflection- 27.04.2015

What I did today?

Today I went out into town to find typographic materials in a physical form rather than online. Using the materials I collected I mocked up a poster that represents my media product and I also used Photoshop to alter my design as a form of experimentation.

Also today I did some more work on my video idea for the Bath Chronicle, experimenting with different editing techniques to discover what works best for online video content aimed at young people.

What were the main three elements that helped me develop?

• Feedback from James (teacher) questioning my original choices which made me question them.
• Being set the task by Steve (teacher) to step away from the computer and use the physical tools that are all around us.
• Experimenting with the jump cut editing technique that I hadn't previously considered using.

What did I struggle with today?

Finding the right typography to use for my poster, there is a lot less choice outside in the real world than there is online, but it just means you have to look harder and be more creative with your choices.

Was there a ‘what happens if’ in my day?

'What happens if feedback from my teachers is very negative meaning that I have to rethink my whole product idea?'

Were there any eureka moments?

Deciding to experiment with editing my video in a different way, it was quick to do and didn't require getting any extra footage however it was very beneficial for research and helping me think differently.

How can I improve on today - tonight or tomorrow?
Consider experimentation in more areas of the project. It's worth spending a small amount of extra time to show where development has happened.

Experimentation

The work I have done so far throughout all of the projects I've studied has been mainly computer based. As soon as I want to find an idea or an answer I go straight to Google search as I know I'll get millions of results in seconds.

As a challenge in my research I went out into town to research type ideas for my product, collecting images and physical copies of type that I felt best represented the look I want my media product to have. 

With the type I collected I created an idea style poster to present the theme of my media product and display the idea visually.

Looking at the layout I mocked up by hand, I decided to use Photoshop to adapt the layout so that the poster reads easier and the randomly placed hashtags have more pattern.

This task made me think about styling and the affect that slight alterations in layouts and styles can dramatically change the way the product looks and how well it attracts the target audience.

Reflection 23.04.2015

What I did today?

Today I did the planning for my 'What are students wearing this week?' YouTube video, this included: writing a brief description of the video, stating the equipment and tools I would need to make the video, finding copyright free audio and drawing up storyboards.

I then went out to collect the footage for my video in the city centre and around college and after doing this I edited the footage together with some simple transitions and effects.

What were the main three elements that helped me develop?

• Willing students for me to include in the video.
• Finding a suitable, copyright free track on the YouTube audio library to minimise the amount of time I had to spend browsing the internet.
• I knew what I wanted to do as my video idea this meant I had a vision in my head of what I wanted to achieve.

What did I struggle with today?

Having the confidence to ask members of the public to get involved in the video. Most people say no when someone asks if they can take film footage of them, getting turned away by people made me feel like I wanted to give up asking.

Was there a ‘what happens if’ in my day?

'What if I can't get enough people involved and don't get the footage I want?'

'What if the weather is against me and ruins the filming?'

Were there any eureka moments?

No.

How can I improve on today - tonight or tomorrow?
Make sure I am happy with the way the YouTube video turned out so that I can continue with the rest of my schedule.

Experimenting- What Are Students Wearing This Week?

This short YouTube video is an example of the sort of content the Bath Chronicle could post on their YouTube Channel to attract an audience of a younger demographic.

I chose a topic that my research presented to be popular with teenagers, fashion. The video titled 'What are students wearing this week?' is a short, fast pace video featuring footage of students outfits using a variety of shots. 

The audio used was an upbeat track from YouTube audio library to compliment the bold, exciting video and connotations of the younger demographic.

Filming, editing and uploading of the video was all complete within one day. I set myself this target to show that these videos are the sort of thing that the Bath Chronicle could turn over very quickly- if there was an event in the morning, the video covering it could be up be the evening. Videos with a quick turnover are preferable as it keeps the content relevant and the teenage audience who are constantly online don't have to wait around.




This video has exactly the same concept however it's edited at a much faster pace using a jump cutting technique. All of the information and outfits are fed to the viewer much faster than the previous video. This video is less than half the length meaning that young people would have to spend less of their time watching it and they would be more likely to stay fully engaged throughout.

Planning My Example Video

Video topic- What are students wearing this week?

• Short, fast pace video
• No dialogue- background music
• Cut aways of peoples outfits
• Footage of general shoppers to get a broader look at fashion
• Male and female to attract a wider audience

• Roughly 1 minute long

Examples of shots I want to capture

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLHIcj_KiXc

What I will need 

• DSLR camera
• Editing software (Premiere Pro)
• Access to copyright free music
• Students/members of the public to be involved in the video

I plan to go out into Bath city centre and around the college campus asking peoples permission to get some shots of their outfits. I will get a collection of stills and moving image so that I have a variety when it comes to editing. I'll be able to figure out what looks best when editing,

Also I will have to find a copyright and royalty free soundtrack for my video to use as the backing track, YouTube audio library has a large selection of tracks that I am free to use.

Storyboards

Reflection 21.04.2015

What I did today?

Today I created a mood board as a form of research. I explored how brands promote themselves on Instagram looking at what works well and what elements should be considered.

What were the main three elements that helped me develop?

• Yesterdays feedback helped me to know what to include in my work today because I knew what was worth including and what wasn't.
• Having the freedom to present my research in the way I prefer the most rather than following a strict brief, it made my work more expressive and creative.
• I had prepared the information and pictures for my mood board previous to the lesson so that I could get on with it straight away, this saved a lot of time meaning that my schedule should be on track.

What did I struggle with today?

I didn't have any struggles as such, however I did have to spend quite a lot of money on the supplies for my mood board when I could've used the computer to do it for free. But this was the choice I made as I decided I wanted to present my idea this way. Also, the silver pen I used isn't as dark as I would have liked and you have to be close to the board to read it.

Was there a ‘what happens if’ in my day?

'What happens if I can't find the right things in the shops to make my mood board, what if I have to put it off until another day.'

Were there any eureka moments?

I am happy that I made the choice to create a mood board as the end product looks very creative and adds some variety to my usual computer work.

How can I improve on today - tonight or tomorrow?

Make sure my mood board doesn't get forgotten. As it's a creative piece I definitely want to be able to display it. I need to carry on with my schedule and not keep on altering tasks when I'm personally satisfied with them.

Reflection 20.04.2015

What I did today?
Today I presented my initial idea pitch to get feedback and advice on what I could do to make my idea as viable as possible. I then took the advice on board and continued with research.
What were the main three elements that helped me develop?

• Speaking my idea out loud to understand what was in my head more clearly.
• Sharing my idea to make it more final.
• Getting feedback on my idea so I can develop it.

What did I struggle with today?
I struggled to make a really good presentation, I need to work on my presentation skills more so I have less writing and more presenting to the audience with bold, exciting facts and figures.
Was there a ‘what happens if’ in my day?
'What happens if my idea isn't at all viable and I have to rethink the whole thing' fortunately this didn't happen.

Were there any eureka moments?
After some feedback, I added an extra piece to my idea to make some advertisments for the Bath Chronicles new Instagram page that I'd like to develop.
How can I improve on today - tonight or tomorrow?
Finalise everything I need to do, make sure my workload isn't too heavy but make sure I am doing enough to show what I am capable of.

GC 2.2 Initial Ideas

Young persons web section

This is the current navigation bar on the Bath Chronicle's website. There is potential for another section to be added for 'Young Readers' which would be a part of the website where the content is aimed specifically at the younger demographic.

Topics such as music, fashion, local news which is relevant and interesting to young people would be covered and possibly an agony aunt section where people can write in with their problems.

This new section of the website wouldn't offend any of the Bath Chronicle's current online readers as they can choose to avoid the section of the website completely if they don't feel as though the content is what they want to look at.

YouTube Channel

The Bath Chronicle currently has a YouTube channel however it is very plain, boring and doesn't have much content. 

The content doesn't have continuity either so I would like to change up the YouTube Channel so it's aimed at the younger demographic with constant segments such as a round up of the weekly news in 60 seconds, live local music, blogs of local events and longer news segments on more important topics.

Instagram

The Bath Chronicle currently have accounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube but they don't yet have an Instagram account which is definitely a missed opportunity as the popularity of Instagram is growing rapidly with young people as it gives anyone with a phone the chance to be a photographer by taking, editing and sharing their images.

The Instagram account could be used to share pictures of local events in Bath at real time as well as locals sending in pictures that they've taken in the local area for the Bath Chronicle to upload

This also gives and opportunity for competitions as people can vote for free in the comments for their favourite images.

News App

Most successful newspapers now have a news app as well as a website so that you can access news on the go on your small screen.

The app would primarily be aimed at the teenage audience and would be very cheap or even free to access. It would be accessible at any time, any location from any phone or tablet as almost every single teenager owns one of these.

The apps content would be similar to the content of that on the Young Readers section of the website covering topics such as fashion, relevant news, music and trends.

An interactive part of the app would give people access to vouchers and secret codes for the local areas to get discounts in stores, restaurants and online. Discounts are mostly appealing to the younger audience as students are always looking to save money.