Pitching ideas - Study Task 08

I paired up with Rosie to talk through my ideas

The first idea I discussed was creating a social media campaign such as creating a Facebook group. This links to students as we are the main users of social media and it would gain publicity of events. However it is not as reliable.

The second idea was the idea of having Posters and Banners screen printed, sprayed or on material. We discussed how I could potentially talk about the price raise for a uni education and the takeaway of grants. She also suggested making it target older people as well as students however I like the idea of having a more niche target audience. We looked at how old posters can be handwritten to make it quick and more personal. Also talking about colour I discussed experimenting with the EU colours such as blue and yellow but also more harsh colours such as black and red. I good idea of photographing this idea is having students holding the designs.

The third idea was small placards. I saw that before the Brexit vote a lot of people had leave or remain placards in their windows of houses and cars. I could create a design in this way. However the cons is that it ha already been done and it will not be as big and noticeable.

Overall talking through my idea helped me to narrow down on a idea I thought would work best which is protest poster designs.

Beazley - GRUPA

Recently I went to a exhibition in London called the Beazley designs of the year. There I saw some Protest posters that stood out to me.

Designed by GRUPA (Grafik Rebel Untuk Protes & Aktivisme) who are a group of graphic designers who were strangers to one another, decided to join forces for a common purpose of protest design. They are a anonymous collective calling for reform in Malaysia. Their posters and placards can be shared online or printed in black and white and they visualise "the anger and outrage of regular citizens. They include powerful illustartions and I find them very effective as they put acros the feeling of anger through there illustartions and typography choices. Although they look good in colour it is also good to see that they can work well in black and white. Overall I find these political posters very effective.

What would you say to Theresa May ?

I am brainstorming what message I want to have on my Designs. The message is going to be from young people such as students to politicans whose choice it is to put forward artical 50 such as Theresa May. I decided to ask students if they could say something to Theresa May about Brexit what would you say and these were the replies I got.

• You owe it to us
• Who are you? You werent our choice
• This is our future, not yours
• We want in
• Being passive is a privilege
• Women up
• You dont represent me
• Lets just see what happens
• Fuck Off
• Make it count

I think that some of this would be very powerful on posters along with a image.

Idea Generation and Prototypes - Study Task 07

I have began my practical work by creating a mindmap on what I should consider when making design for a protest. The main colours I want to use is red and blue for Britain and Yellow and blue which relate to the EU. My designs should be aimed at the politicians who are making the decision and the general public who voted. I want to use text that is bold and readable and maybe use some impactful images.

I created some thumbnail sketches with some initial details. These are the ones that stood out to me.

Social Media Pages- Social media such as Facebook is used by millions and is a quick way of getting across a message. I could create a online campaign with a page which shows images and can be used by the public to share opinions and plan protests.

Banners- Fabric banners can be used to hang from houses or used in marches. They can be very large and hand painted. This usually grabs peoples attention.

Posters- Within protests in history posters is a popular and affective way of putting across a message. A well designed poster is good at making an impact and standing out in a crowd. It can also be photographed and documented in newspapers and online for a very long time.

Publication booklet- It is said that Britian's choice to leave the EU is due to people being Uneducated. Maybe creating a publication that can be mass produced and distributed will get the attention of the public and politicians. It can include information on politics and dates of marches.

Placards- Waterproof small posters can be spread everywhere and put across and strong message.

Gifs- Popular to share on the internet and when good can go viral. A good way to put across a message. however it would be seen mainly by a younger audience on social media platforms

Merchandise- Having physical objects with a message on can be a good idea as the objects can be used or worn everyday and can spread a message. (T-shirts, mugs, badges, notebooks, etc.)

Stickers- Stickers can be produced in large quantities and can be stuck anywhere. This is good to be seen multiple times a day which makes the message be talked about.

Snapchat filters- A popular social media app snapchat has filters used by millions a day. A good way to get a attention would be to create a sticker or filter however this can cost lots of money.

Masks- A fun idea could be to create masks that could be used in protests or public performances. Dressing up as politicians and shouting a message could be a interesting way to protest.

Graffti- Although Illegal, if you have a effective and powerful design it can get attention and can be seen by all. It is easy to produce using Stencil and spray paint.

Animated images/videos- Creating a funny video with a storng message could be posted on social media and go viral. This can also be seen by all.

Inspiration

When chosing a persuing a idea I will take inspiration from the protests and styles I looked at within my Cop essay and current events such as syrian refuggees and trump protests.

Prototype Solutions

I have choosen to look more into 3 of my ideas that I think will work best.

Placards/Stickers- I think this is a stronger idea as it is easy to spread the message by placing it all around public places and in windows of cars and homes. They are also smaller which means that you can get more for your money in materials and print.

Posters-  I think this is a strong idea as they have worked well throughout history and can be created in different ways that can be good for mass production. Also when used in marches they can be photographed and shared through media

Banners- This idea is more traditional and related back to early protest of messaged painted onto material. I think the size of banners make them good for putting across a certain message.