ISSU presentation

issu presentation

Reflective Practice

Beginning the context of practice module I had little understanding of the effect theoretical practice could have on design, of course I understood that research is vital in order to produce an informed piece of design although I hadn’t previously looked in depth theoretically before starting the practical side of a brief.  I became aware as the course progressed on how theoretical research can change and shape a design in to a new, more advanced and informed piece of work.I found  the depth of research challenging, beginning the course I wasn’t aware of how much theoretical research was needed and I feel as if I didn’t go as in depth as I could of done, however having learnt this as the course proceeded, I feel confident that in the next module I can begin research with a clear understanding of what is needed in order to produce the most well thought-out design.

Carrying out research and producing a design based on a subject I’m interested and feel passionate about; body image, really engaged me throughout the course of the module.  Following on to the next module I will continue to base theoretical research on subjects I am interested in as I feel as if I create my best designs when I feel like they have a purpose and are tackling issues people face today. In addition to this, in the next module I feel it will be beneficial to gain opinions on the designs during the development process from the people who are part of the target audience the design is being produced for rather than just opinions from other students and tutors.

The final outcome I produced derived from the theoretical research I carried out beforehand. I ensured I chose a brand which had core values apposing against the mainstream ideas of beauty I discussed in the previous essays. The brief I wrote, specifically aimed to create a print which celebrated more than one form of beauty, I chose to tackle the brief by looking back at the theoretical research I conducted. From the image analysis and triangulation essays it became apparent that a specific type of body was projected to consumers, a slim, toned, in proportion body with no signs of cellulite or stretch marks.

Stemming from this realisation came the final design outcome, the design intends to show all bodies as equal. As the Monki brand is specifically for women, and from the research essays mainly focusing around women I chose to utilise a feature of the female body (breasts) which so often comes under scrutiny of the male gaze but present it in a way that isn’t sexualised, and isn’t about comparison between women rather the print intends to communicate to the female viewer a message of acceptance, and celebration no matter the physical appearance.

We, as women in today’s society, are expected to aspire be the mainstreams definition of beauty perhaps it’s down to us supposedly being ‘the most narcissistic, individualistic and self-absorbed generation in recorded history.’ (Stephanie Pappas, 2016) however I’ve come to believe that it’s taught from a young age due to the toys young girls play with. This is where the inspiration of adding elements of a Barbie figure to the print design came from, a saw Barbie as a symbol for the mainstream ideal; blond, tall, slim, long hair, smiling, and thought it would be an effective element of juxtaposition and bring an element of humour to the print. And so the design was created, digitally illustrating a print which resembles a variety of real breasts; ones with stretch marks, ones which are odd, ones with uneven colouring, both big and small in block tones of purple and pink (in keeping with the Monki brand colour scheme), with elements of an image of a Barbie doll within them in order to communicate that aspiring to be like a Barbie doll (a metaphor for the mainstream definition of beauty) is not realistic, and people are aware it isn’t realistic, real is imperfections and individuality. The brief could have been approached in a number of ways, one idea I had as I was finishing the design for this project was to create a print using photographs of women to show a diverse range of bodies, however I feel like the illustration approach I took to the brief was the most appropriate for a print design as it’s adaptable for the different platforms the brief specified the print would need to be appropriate for.

The theoretical research I carried out throughout the module was not only beneficial in terms of creating an informed piece of design, but I also found the research interesting which pushed me to want to research more.  The Victoria Secret ‘perfect body’ campaign was a source of inspiration for the design, as the campaign features a row of eight women all with very similar body shapes, and they’re being labelled as ‘perfect’. This narrow view is something that my print hoped to not only challenge but diminish, showing a variety of women not eight women with the same unrealistic proportions.

Completing a brief centred around a subject I’m interested in engaged me both practically and theoretically, more so than having a brief stemming from I subject I had no prior interest or awareness of.  For this reason I’ve decided to begin the next module with the theme of misogyny. 

1000 word reflective practice planning

End of module evaluation

During this module, I have come to realise that I need to improve my time management, I put off doing the research side of things as it didn’t seem as engaging as the practical side of the project; I bean by trying to do the practical work however I quickly realised that the research side is there for a reason, and without it I was producing uninformed designs, ones that weren’t appropriate for the brief. I believe the way I can improve on this is to do the work as soon as I get it, not put it off for a week, and then another week and so on, because it will build up rapidly leaving me to complete it whilst feeling stressed.

I enjoyed writing my own brief, creating a final outcome that was based on an issue I’m passionate about was very rewarding, I also felt that this allowed me to make the work more personal. In addition to this, learning in depth about the brand I was designing for and to have a set of restrictions (colour scheme and nature of design) was really interesting to work with.

 Gaining research about the target audience was really beneficial to my work as when creating the design I was keeping in mind the type of person who would use a product with the print on, or look through a website which featured the print. Having a clear understanding of the audience muse and their characteristics, what they do in their spare time and what they’re interested really informed the design and I believe it ensured that the design was appropriate and suited to the audience completely.  In future briefs, both given briefs and briefs I personally write, I will ensure that I have a clear idea of who this is for specifically, I believe researching the audience in detail will be beneficial to the design, and will also assist me during the design process.

This module has made me aware that I need to improve on my critical writing, I believe I have a tendency to write too much about one point rather than covering a number of points in a more concise way.  To improve on this I feel like my essay planning needs to be more structured, listing the points which I’m going to cover and ensuring I cover them all within the word count.

Reflecting on this module, I realise that I want to create work that challenges, discusses and raises awareness for issues I am passionate about, such as feminism, sexism, racism, homophobia, creating work that could possibly make a difference, or have an impact on even just one person is really motivating for me, and I believe continuing to produce designs that I enjoy creating revolving around current, important issues could really improve my practice and produce some exposure for my designs.

From the final print produced in this module, I am creating and selling a series of t shirts using variations of the print to push the message of celebrating all forms of beauty as it’s a message that needs pushing in today’s society, and hopefully I can make a small contribution to the change in todays attitudes.
Below is an image of the print on a t-shirt of one of the people who have already purchased one. 

Study Task 8

 The brief for the Monki print was as follows "Online clothing brand MONKI requires a print design which can be used as an element across online and in-store campaigns celebrating female beauty in all its forms. The print design will be a recurring motif that appears among various contexts within the brand for example online animations, print adverts, posters and merchandise". This print meets the criteria of the brief due to it's versatility an the nature of the design. The simple shapes mean that the design can be used in many forms, and the repeat pattern means that animations will be able to be created easily. The aim of the brief; to celebrate female beauty in all it's forms is met due to the versatility of female features shown. 

When creating the design, i ensured that it was a design which suited the Monki brand, looking at the Monki manifesto, and the colour schemes across the brands marketing; i believe the tone of the print along with the tones of the colour scheme are appropriate and fit the brand well, ensuring brand cohesion. 

As discussed in my first critical writing piece, Burchill makes the point that consumers, not producers were normalizing waif-like women, this print was designed with the intention of rebelling against this type of statement, with the aim of normalizing the normal, normalizing the odd, the large, the small and everything in between. 

Klausiskoming's designs influenced this print due to the mix media approach, by using a combination of image and digital illustration a contemporary and modern print has been created appropriate for Monki's 16-27 social media savvy audience, with the expectation that the Monki customer will express themselves through what they wear and the surge in the social media #bodyconfidence and #freethenipple hashtags, the nature of the print is on trend visually and conceptually. 

study task 7

Based off of the feedback i received i adapted the design to show a wider range of different female forms in order to communicate the brief successfully. 

I believe this layout works a lot more successfully than the previous, it looks more like a print rather than just a repeat of one singular thing. 

study task 7

Following peer feedback of the initial design prototypes, the third design was felt to be the most appropriate and the most original design. 
After explaining the nature of the print and the manifesto of the brand, option 3 was preferred due to its original take and element of humor.  

Peer feedback; "i really like the third design, it seems the most original and i like the way you've incorporated two different mediums within the design. The colour pallet works also, it still relates to the brand but it's not like the design is being forced to be that colour, it works naturally. I also like the way you've chosen one body part and decided to focus the print on that- it makes it more like a print design and less like an illustration design like your first prototype, however using one feature of a woman's body hasn't limited you as you kind of get that it's trying to show how theirs no wrong way to have a body. 
To move this design on i would create a few more variations of this design to really push the criteria you mentioned on the brief; of celebrating the female body in all it's forms, so i think you should show more than one form."

Study task 6

Here i have began the initial design stage for the Monki print.

This first design is a print based off of different shaped and sized breasts. The inspiration for this design came from the limited or rather narrow view of female anatomy projected by the media. The design intends to bring a sense of inclusivity to the viewers, celebrating all shapes and sizes. The brief specifies that the design must be able to work as an element across online and in store campaigns, the composition of this design i believe works well for this criteria as singular elements of the design can be used and re-positioned as they need to be. 

This design is more literal in communicating a message of body inclusivity; the design aims to present a range of body types as equals. 

Taking inspiration from Monki’s straight to the point approach, the design isn’t subtle, it’s clear what it is that’s being communicated. 

The boldness of the design aims to show that no body should be hidden and shouldn’t be seen as a taboo. 

Although Monki uses predominantly pink tones, i thought it appropriate to include a variety of skin tones, to again communicate the manifesto of the brand and so I've done two variations; one more suited to the Monki brand and one more realistic colour toned design. 

The illustration style of this design could be compared to that of Sara Andressson due to the use of block colours, however the black line and the more simplistic style sets it apart. 

The inspiration behind this design is similar to the 1st initial design with the design hoping to celebrate the types of breasts not shown in the mainstream media; whether they be big, small, odd, dark, light, have stretch marks and pimples, in order to highlight the criteria of the brief of celebrating female beauty in all it’s forms. 

I decided to take a more humorous approach to this design, taking inspiration from ‘klausiskoming’ i used an image of a 1960’s barbie doll to create the print, along with block colours similar to the Monki brand. 

Barbie was used as a sort of parody element, using the doll who teaches young girls to aspire to unrealistic body expectations as a way to celebrate the types of bodies the media don’t teach people to aspire to.

Study task 6

Design ideas 

The print needs to be feminine in the sense that its for females, but not in a cliche way. Although the Monki colour scheme uses pink tones, i believe the nature of the design; revolving around feminine beauty in all forms will mean that the design isn’t overtly girly, rather the design will be contemporary and modern with the colour scheme acting as almost an element of humor as the brand is known for it’s open discussion and celebration of subjects such as female body hair, periods and masturbation which are often seen as taboos in today’s society. 

The design will ultimately be a jpeg file due to the fact that the print is going to be used by the brand on a number of various elements, due to this the materials the design is created in need to be able to be digitalised. 

study task 5

Relevant Visual Examples 

Here are some existing pieces of design which i will take inspiration from for the print design being created for Monki. As i will be creating a print which will be used as a reccuring motif throughout the brand, i thought it best to not only look at print designs, as this feels quite restrictive and predictable, rather i will look at illustrators and designers who i can take inspo from to create a print that isn't cliche, rather it's elements could act as individual designs. 

Above is a design by illustrator Sara Andreasson. Andreasson worked with monki recently to create a campaign based around female sexuality, addressing the taboo subject of female masturbation which was showcased on Monki's instagram. This design however was produced a few years ago as part of a t-shirt collaboration between the brand and the illustrator. The designs are bright and bold and address femininity as a powerful thing. I really admire the colours that have been used, they are, some would say, feminine colours, however the smooth, vectorised style of the illustrations do not make the overall piece overtly feminine, they visually make an impact due to the use of block colour. 

The next design i'll be taking inspiration from was created by london based illustrator who goes under the name 'klausiskoming'. The colour pallet of the designs is similar to the ones which Monki use, further to this to overall message of the piece is based around female power, the illustrators pieces often focus around sexuality in a playful way, not for the male gaze. 

The way the pieces have been created; a combination of collage and illustration is one which i think could work for the Monki print. 

The colours are feminine but the imagery is humorous, it creates what could be described as a parody of female sexuality,creating pieces with sexualised females on, and presenting them in a non sexualised way. 

The above piece was created by Brighton illustration student Alice Bloomfield. I really admire the quality of line in Bloomfield's work, i believe experimenting with taking an illustrative approach to the brief could work out well in communicating the message of celebrating female beauty through illustrating women of all different forms. Further to this i could combine the collage style of 'klausiskoming' with some illustrative elements also. 

This print by illustrator Steph Hope has a composition that i feel could work well for the Monki print. The way the illustrtions have been layerd and clustered is a compositional style which i believe could work for the Monki print, allowing many examples of female beauty to be presented in one frame. 

study task 5

Target Audience Research 

(taken from Monki.com) 

"Monki stands for fashion made for people wanting to express who they are through what they wear at a super price. The Monki World is a magical place where anything can happen! A glittering world that spins and twists and dances in the universe to its own strange beat. A sweet popsicle in a world full of porridge.

It is the birthplace of everything we do.

Because to us, its all about that. Being quirky, happy, melancholy, serious, strange, playful, arty, smarty, whatever. Whatever you are."

Target Audience: Women aged between 16-27 

Location: (due to the few store locations) London, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin - lively cities

Expectation that their typical consumer will express themselves through what they wear, and want quality clothes that they are willing to pay a little bit extra for, due to this it is expected that the Monki customer belongs to the ABC1 socio-economical status, often uses social media such as Instagram and Facebook; due to Monki's frequent online presence.

study task 5

CONTEXT CONTINUED

As the print is based around female beauty for a brand which celebrates females empowering themselves and stepping away from the norms or expectations of society i felt it would be appropriate to research the complete opposite as a way to perhaps create a print which is a satire, making humorous observations based from the below article and presenting them in a way which mocks the mainstream view

According to the article...

• Be a flirtatious woman. Men love when a woman is a good flirt — not cheesy, not sleazy, just fun. Learn how to “smeyes” — smile with your eyes. The guys love that and will love you.
• Be sexy. Men love women who are sexy and who KNOW they are sexy. The word sexy has no real definition these days — the key ingredient is that you FEEL sexy and then he senses it and thinks you are H-O-T, hot.
• Be feminine. Keep in mind that if a man wanted to be with a man, he would be. So be girly, be feminine, be a woman. What does that mean? Smell good, cook him a meal once in a while, mother him when he needs it — find the cavewoman in you.
• Be the woman all his friends are lusting after and who lights up the room with your smile. It’s a fact; if all of his friends are “ooohing and ahhing” over you, he will be attracted to you all the more.
• Be confident. Men love ladies who have that “je ne sais quoi,“ that little intangible confidence that make them untouchable, yet so desirable all at once.
• Be adaptable in any situation. Men want you to fit in at a fancy party, with beer and pizza on sports night and at a boring work function. And, he wants you to do it with ease and with no complaining. If you think that men fall in love with the “hard to get” women, think again. Not in today’s world. Today men really fall for easy-going gals who can go with the flow.
• Be a woman who makes him feel great about himself and makes him feel needed. Men love the girls who play to their ego and make them feel like Superman. If a guy doesn’t understand how he is needed in your life, he won’t fall in love with you.
• Be the woman who encourages a guy’s night out. A woman who, not only allow a guy’s night out, but also insists on it is a rockstar to any guy. The catch is that you have to really mean it. And if you do, he will be thinking about you the whole time he is out and won’t even notice the other girls around him.
• Be a woman with interesting things going on. Men love a woman who has her own life with fun and different things happening. No man wants a girl who is always sitting at home waiting for him or a woman who needs him to provide 100 percent of the fun.
• Be intelligent, but not a know-it-all. Men like women who have it together and who won’t embarrass them in a conversation; they like women who know something about a lot of different things. It doesn’t have to be politics and sports, it just has to be something you are passionate about and truly understand. And they hate know-it-alls; drop that quality immediately.

"Conceived in the form of a book, Molly and Arvida placed an ironic open call on Insta for any images that have been taken down by the social network, for supposedly being in violation of Instagram's strict rules. From pubic hair to nipples, hijabs to pink gloop"

The above article details the book which feautires images removed from instagram for violating strict rules. 

Both of you have had images of yourselves removed. How does it feel to be told that your body has somehow violated some massive, male-dominated corporation's code?M: At this point, I don't get angry. I've been online long enough to know what will get taken down and it's not surprising when something does. These apps/websites are not our friends, but we still use them because we feel somewhat tied to and dependent on them. It allows others access to our work and our ideas; they are valuable tools though a very flawed system.
A: I've been online forever too, I came from a very insecure point as a teen, having a body and hating it, etc. Now I have a way more relaxed relationship with my body but the fact that a corporation disagrees with me at times doesn't surprise me. They are built on ideas where bodies only serve them as long as they can sell products or doesn't harm their company. I do find it very interesting though what is demonized or decided that young people shouldn't get exposed to, because "save our kids" is usually the argument. One could argue that just seeing one type of body (naked or not) is actually more damaging than being able to see different naked (and dressed) bodies once in awhile.
M: It's interesting: you always find out new problems with your bodies or things that are shameful about you because photos keep getting taken down.

A: I posted a photo the other day that I thought would be taken down, of my pubic region. I was wearing pants, and you couldn't see the hair on either side of the panty line (even though I definitely have hair there). But then there was a heart shape cut out in the middle of the pants, where you can see my pubic hair, but because the hair isn't on the side or above, it wasn't taken down -- even though it's pubic hair, in fact it's probably the closest thing to having my vagina out. But then you have photographs where you're wearing even bigger panties or a swimming costume but with public hair on the side and they get taken down.
M: Do you think those same photos would be taken down if I didn't have any public hair?
A: No they wouldn't, 100%. There are a lot of well-shaved girls who share so much of their bodies, who don't have their photos taken down. Where should you draw the line?
M: You start to wonder, whose bodies are more acceptable? Some bodies are more "appropriate" than others; it would be interesting to see what happened if a group of different bodies took the same photo, I wonder whose photo would get removed.

 The above article features step by step instructions on how to make your self a truly beautiful woman, Similar to the article above featuring instructions to please the male gaze, the instructions featured here are equally as ridiculous... "Dress beautifully and to enhance your loveliness. Express your personality through your clothing and never allow fashion to dictate your wardrobe. In the same way, wear makeup that reveals your face, that does not mask it. Do not project a you that screams for attention or tries to seduce. Beauty used as a weapon loses its power. Simply let your beauty shine and those with eyes will see it"

study task 5 : monki manifesto

Monki Manifesto: 

Monki manifesto features their opinions on issues surrounding women; i can use this information to create a print which relates to their beliefs. 

• Time to put an end to period stigma. Time to stop seeing something so normal as something women should be embarrassed by — or be made to feel embarrassed for. It’s just a period. It’s cool, it’s fine. It’s normal. It’s what makes the world go round.
• Own your body, own your pleasure! Masturbation is an equality issue. Knowing what feels good for you and knowing you have the right to feel it —alone or with a partner—can change so much.
• You know you can do the impossible when you see someone else doing it. And you can get so much further, if others are there to give you support. In a world full of suits, seeing other women being amazing IS amazing. And amazingly powerful. Sisterhood isn’t about shutting anyone out. It’s about the simple fact that by saluting each other, we are all stronger.
• Why is this world so full of prejudice? How can we judge others based on no more information than the shape of their bodies, the colour of their skin and the contour of their eyelids? Seriously, why?
• There is no rule that says you have to shave. It’s not unhygienic, icky or not female enough. And no rule that says you can’t shave if you want to. Cut the norm. The norm doesn’t matter. Whether it’s about shaving or something else entirely: it’s up to you to decide. It’s your body.
• Love is love is love is love. That’s all there is to it. Some people love people of a different gender, some people love people of the same. Some people love in other ways. No matter. It’s really quite simple: it’s the greatest thing we’ve got. Love is love is love is love. High time everyone sees that.
• Some people see being a girl and being young as two reasons to fail. Being female doesn’t disqualify anyone from anything. Least of all achievements. And being young is a state, not a hinder. Learn, make mistakes, learn from your mistakes, lead, move things forward, shake this world up, learn some more. It’s a step towards the future, every time.
• A screen isn’t magic. It won’t protect people’s feelings. Things that hurt offline, hurt online. Things that are mean said to someone’s face are mean on social media. Everyone should be able to share their opinions, ideas, stories and yeah, holidays, outfits and selfies. And access the (true) magic of the net without risking verbal attacks by strangers. Let’s reclaim the Internet.
• Women are told to be humble, and that’s nice. We’re told to celebrate others, and that’s good. But we need to claim the right to be proud too! Let’s be humble when we need to and proud when we deserve to be. Celebrate your triumphs and achievements. Don’t hold back. Don’t say, oh, that was nothin’. It was something, and you did it. Never forget to celebrate. Like us, turning 10.

Studio Brief 2: Study Task 4: Defining the brief

Research Focus:

The focus of my research is based on the theme of society, with a particular focus on female beauty in todays society. I will be exploring this topic through the graphic discipline of print making.

Defining the design problem:

Online clothing brand MONKI requires a print design which can be used as an element across online and instore campaigns celebrating female beauty in all its forms. The print design will be a recurring motif that appears amongst various contexts within the brand for example online animations, print adverts, posters and merchandise.

“Client” needs or requirements:

MONKI has a 10 point manifesto which features opposing arguments against mainstream views of female beauty for example ‘There is no rule that says you have to shave. It’s not unhygienic, icky or not female enough.’. Monki’s manifesto should act as a point to draw inspiration from for the print design alongside this, Monki’s existing use of colours should be considered to ensure brand cohesion.

Audience:

As I’m designing for an established clothing brand the audience I am designing for will be their audience. I need to look at audience demographic figures and see who the majority of their customers are. This may alter the nature of the designs depending on age and location.    

Study task 3: image notes (1)

Study task 3: possible images