MDes Process Book MDes 2011/2012
Martyn Anstice
Semester: Summer 2011
proc
ess
book
C O N T E N T
MDes 6030
Intensive 1
Without Design/LeBlanc 4
Thesis Methodology/Ivey 6
Drawing/Meyers 8
Intensive 2 Parks Canada/Jans 10
Intensive 3 Wikipedia/Peters 16
Dalhousie Freelab/Knotweed 20
MDes 6200
Third Nature/Kaltenbach
1. Three Plants & Planter Design 24
2. Plant as Self Portrait 30
3. Plant as Biotechnology 32
4. Plant as Climate/Culture 36
5. Plant as The System 38
Planter Typeface 42
MDes Thesis
Concept Development 44
Presentation Poster 47
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The challenge was to imagine a world with-
out design.
Many ideas were explored, of which three
were selected to present: a. Naked Man,
b. blank shelf, and c. badly designed car.
Naked Man was selected as the concept to
proceed with.
The ‘Naked Man’ concept uses a humour-
ous approach to show that without design
we are very vulnerable and left with nothing.
The large headline is in contrast to the
smaller image of a naked man grasping his
private parts in an attempt to hide them.
The final idea: the blue is use to enhance the cold feeling with the smaller isolated human
MDes 6030
Intensive 1 Without Design/LeBlanc
Idea: to remove function
Development of the final concept
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Key Insight The design process needs to be a feedback loop
Design of mobile
Mobile Research Process
MDes 6030
Intensive 1 Thesis Methodology/Ivey
The challenge was to examine personal
methodologies for thesis. A process that
focuses on a hybrid research/analysis/con-
cept/design was developed. Visually this
was expressed a as mobile that recognizes
the process is not a ridged series of steps
but a flexible system, a feedback loop,
where all the steps are constantly connected
with and to each other.
Key word search
Process and development flow
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2. Final Drawings: Vehicle development
3. Proposed advertising with a 50s Jetsons style theme
5. A record of the drawing design process
6. A technical drawing for a patent, this drawing focuses on the roving land vehicle component of the main explorer vehicle.
4. A detailed drawing of the vehicle and its functions
MDes 6030
Intensive 1 Drawing/Meyers
The task here was two fold; one to develop
drawing/thinking skills and create a concept
for a vehicle that could be sent to explore
an unknown planet. The group created and
designed a biomorphic ‘jellyfish’ structure
that could survive and investigate the plan-
ets unique environment.
1. Original drawing exploration
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Stage Two: A mind map that highlights Parks Canada need for more visits
Stage Three: The development of ‘The Loop” theme
Stage Five: Development of visual branding for advertising and competi-tion component
Stage Four: Interface development, strategic concept into visual branding
MDes 6030
Intensive 2 Parks Canada/Jans
Parks Canada faces many challenges,
most significantly declining visits. A major
strength is that the parks held in high regard
by many Canadian citizens and is seen as
a valuable part of the national identity. The
target audience for this assignment is the 18
to 34 age group.
In order to encourage physical visits a
strategy was developed that proposes
virtual visits. This is based on present online
social media habits of the audience who
are encouraged to post images, video, or
stories of visits or impressions of a national
park on a website. This virtual visit can be
measured and will be the link to a physi-
cal visit. The key insight (tagline), “This is
my park,” reverses the focus away from an
internal offering, what Parks Canada does,
to an external one that present the parks as
owned by the citizens.
Stage one: Audience definition and SWOT analysis
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Advertising Design: These ads further illustrate the how the strategy is extendable across all park events and locations.
Key Presentation Slides: these two slides highlight the strategic direction, first the need for audience recognition and participation, and secondly, that a virtual visit is the connection to a real visit and in turn returns to the virtual visit. This creates a ‘loop’ effect.
Advertising Design: visually the emphasis is on all the activities available in the parks. The images are dynamic and energetic. The bold position statement leads the eye to a moment of storytelling related to each image. The ad is completed by the online element and the logo.
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Parks Canada Interface A critical component of the strategy is the digital elements. This shows the site where park visitor go to post their images and text
Parks Canada Mobile Application It was seen as an important part of the strategy that the creative also function in the mobile environment
Poster: this is a simplified version of the advertising with the basic message that park visits should be shared online.
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Intensive 3 Wiki:ed/Peters
The second section of this Intensive was an
investigation and exploration into the use
of Wikipedia by university students under
the proposed umbrella of ‘Wikipedian at
NSCAD University.’ I worked in a group with
Carley Hodgkinson and LeeAndra Cianci.
The first step was to outline the needs and
uses of a Wiki site at NSCAD. The creative
requirements of NSCAD was the first matter
dealt with since the site would need to be
more expressive and flexible than other
universities, Dalhousie for example.
This resulted in a Wiki home site based on
a ‘button’ concept. These buttons are a
system both digital and real, they can be
shared, sent, collected and awarded. They
also include and utilize a set of graphic
freehand icons. The next stage was the
development of branding and the term
‘Wikipedian’ was deemed too to broad, and
the name Wiki:ed was created using the
common ‘wiki’ phrase linked by a colon to
‘ed’ representing an abbreviation of educa-
tion. This gives the entity is a stronger voice,
identity and personality. This is mindful of
the social aspects and possibilities for Wiki-
pedia. We then explored graphic outcomes
in an event that we considered would be
typical of NSCAD.
Creative development of the Wiki:ed ‘Button’concept for NSCAD: brand identity, t-shirt application, Wiki page and a map of the related social media.
MDes 6030
Intensive 3 Wikipedia Entry/Peters
1. Les Usherwood
The verbal challenge was to find a knowl-
edge ‘gap’ in Wikipedia and contribute an
entry. My contribution was the creation of a
Les Usherwood page. As per the assignment
this was a ‘gap’ as Usherwood was an impor-
tant figure in Canadian graphic community.
This entry was, I am glad to say, accepted by
the editors at Wikipedia. I plan to continue
adding and expanded this page especially
the images section.
2. Carl Dair
I also worked with Ian Grey on a Carl Dair
entry and again this was a notable ‘gap.’
Carl Dair was an important figure in the
Canadian field of typography and graphic
design. His book, Design with type, 1967, is
still in use today and a valuable resource for
many designers.
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4. Icons/Tool design
5. Branding for Wiki:ed
6. Event application
Presentation of concept and creative for
Wiki:ed @ NSCAD on Wikipedia
2. Wiki:ed @ NSCAD page design
3. Button development
1. Audience definition
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4. Awareness structure letters
5. Fence structure development 6. Design and layout of presentation panels
MDes 6030
Dalhousie Freelab/Knotweed
The assignment outline had two compo-
nents: a materials investigation and an
awareness issue. I worked with Kevin Dahl
on this assignment.
To start, we created an objective that people
in Nova Scotia need to know about this inva-
sive weed and what can be done to control
it since it is extremely difficult to eradicate.
We conducted thorough and detailed mate-
rials investigation of the Knotweed plant and
its physical features, its invasive qualities,
methods of control and possible used for
the plant. With this knowledge we then
developed a creative strategy.
Creative concepts were generated that high-
light the need for awareness of the weed.
Large 3D letters and a warning sign were
designed as a mobile exhibit that could
be transported anywhere in Nova Scotia.
As part of the awareness strategy a pair of
provocative advertising style posters and a
30 second You Tube video based on Hitch-
cock’s Psycho film were created. A social
media component was also developed, a
‘Not Friends of Knotweed’ Facebook site.
1. Creative development: material exploration
2. Creative development: material exploration
3. Object and structure development Fish, whale, tunnel, tent, path, kite, wind structure
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3. Audience awareness and mobile 3D exhibit
4. Creative awareness campaign: posters, Facebook page, and You Tube video
Knotweed Display Panels
1. Outline of the issues, Assignment Objectives and materials investigation.
2. Study of issues, control, and possible uses of the weed
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Three Plants
The three selected plants are radish for self-
portrait (this is the grown-from-seed element
for this assignment), tomato for biotechnol-
ogy, and moss for native climate. This is pre-
sented in four linking landscape posters that
use the design concept of text as data. They
graphically display the plants and include
basic research investigation and rational.
Planter Design
A shelf structure has been designed as a
metaphorical surface that displays the plants
above ground and explores elements below
ground. The elements hang under the shelf;
these are messages, images and objects,
representing the roots of life, especially the
unseen and the unexpected. The rocks on
the floor represent bedrock.
The structure has and will continue to evolve
and change as new elements are added.
The shelf is also intended as a lasting
structure that takes its clues from the studio
environment and the intension is for it to
look like it has always been there. The next
task has been to develop the planter design
into a typographic project and, at this stage
the concept of a typeface for/of plants is in
development.
MDes 6200
Third Nature/Kaltenbach
1. Three Plants & Planter Design
2. Plant as Self Portrait
3. Plant as Biotechnology
4. Plant as Climate/Culture
5. Plant as The System
Planter Development: Typeface
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The final construction of the shelf with plants
A Note on the Plants
The radish seed did sprout but have only
grown to about one and half inches. The
tomato plant has grown to a huge size but
has no flowers. The original moss died from
overwatering and had to be replaced. I have
also added the Knotweed exploration jars,
as this only seemed appropriate.
MDes 6200
Third Nature/Kaltenbach
1. Posters
This series of three posters plus and an
expansion poster displaying an early planter
design. The posters are based on initial
research for the selection of the three
plants. Radish was selected as self-portrait,
the tomato for the biotechnology, and the
moss as the native plant. The visual concept
was based on the assignment brief of Third
Nature and a form of data flow. They were
displayed as a horizontal series with large
plus signs as a connective theme. The large
flowing script typeface was also a consistent
graphic element. See over.
Planter ‘Shelf’ development and evolution with the above/below ground concept, and hanging tag idea
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Third Nature assignment: The series of three posters presenting plant selection plus one with an early planter idea.
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The finished design
An exploration of cause and effect relating radish data to personal moments or events. These events were Rothko at The Tate/The Third Man film/Cirque de Soleil
MDes 6200
2. Plant as Self-Portrait
The design is based on the idea of the
unexpected peppery taste of the radish. The
design has a multi-layered surface with a
seed structure background pattern with the
ambiguous ‘unex’ letters from ‘unexpected.’
The technical data is based on three self-
investigation scales. First, limited scale is in
reference to size and is a comparison of a
large Rothko painting to the smaller radish;
next is a time scale comparing growing time
to the seconds it takes to eat a radish; and
lastly a colour scale comparing Rothko’s
colours palette to the radish plant colours.
Development of seed background
The unexpected nature of radish
Development of data flows
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Biotechnology poster displaying first the issues of malaria, then tomato plant production, and then malaria in relation to ethical concerns.
MDes 6200
3. Plant as Biotechnology
The poster design is based on data-sphere
imagery that displays the issues connected
with the modification of tomato plants to
carry an edible malaria vaccine. The concept
is based on the idea that malaria is a global
concern and tomato are round in form,
hence the use of ‘globes’ as spheres. The
design steps from the critical issues of the
malaria disease, to the tomato as a large
cultivated crop across the globe, to the issue
of vaccine distribution linked to the ethical
concerns of GMO foods.
Development of data-sphere imagery
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MDes 6200
3. Plant as Biotechnology Two
The focus of the original poster proved to
be too complex and the main theme should
have been the third element, the design
of the vaccine. With hindsight, a possible
solution would be to create three posters as
a series, this would allow for each section to
also stand individually and have their own
theme. Displayed here is an example of a
possible design outcome.
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4. Key stage of image inclusion, generation of scales of data, and further layout development
5. Working design
6. Completed design
MDes 6200
4. Plant as Climate
The concept for this poster evolved from
the written component of the assignment
where a comparison was made between a
native plant, moss, and climate in the form
of culture in the form of the local Halifax
architecture. The moss is described as a
survivor seen not only in the urban parks but
also in the urban landscape. This was then
compared to the unnecessary brutalist style
of the many modern buildings in the down-
town core Halifax. This in turn was compared
to the traditional wooden style of homes on
the north side of the Halifax Commons.
This design is very experimental and
exceeded the requirements of the assign-
ment. It is also an attempt to step away
from typography as a solution and be more
expressive with images as a narrative. The
poster incorporates a personal visual journey
as locations were investigated and recorded.
This journey is displayed in the use of GPS
code (another form of data). The central
area is a data exploration and comparison of
three main themes: time, Halifax climate and
the moss.
1. Research and analysis of moss and climate
2. Flows of data on an outline map of the Halifax peninsula
3. Intermediate layout development
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2. Inclusion of case study data
3. Two stages of design exploration
1. Generation of system design based on planter structure
MDes 6200
5. The System
The concept for this poster evolved from
the written component of the assignment
where a comparison was made between a
native plant, moss, and climate in the form
of the local Halifax architecture. The moss is
described as a survivor seen not only in the
urban parks but also in the urban landscape.
This was then compared to the unnecessary
brutalist style of the many modern buildings
in the downtown core Halifax. This in turn
was compared to the traditional wooden
style of homes on the north side of the
Halifax Commons.
This design is very experimental and
exceeded the requirements of the assign-
ment. It is also an attempt to step away
from typography as a solution and be more
expressive with images as a narrative. The
poster incorporates a personal visual journey
as locations were investigated and recorded.
This journey is displayed in the use of GPS
code (another form of data). The central
area is a data exploration and comparison of
three main themes: time, Halifax climate and
the moss.
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MDes 6200
5. The System Two
A further expressive experimental stage
has been explored for this assignment. This
focuses on the data flow examples that have
been discussed during the term and high-
lights the technical side of the data of the
case study while retaining the circular struc-
ture of the planter bowls. This is exploration
is intended to be a comparison, complimen-
tary, and additional to the design process.
4. Development of data scale5. Completed design
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5. Capitals development
4. Spice jar exploration
Planter Development
Jam Jar Typeface
In addition to the development of the
planter a typeface concept emerged.
While making the labels for the plant jars
a hand–drawn script was devloped. This
not only felt appropriate for the labels but
quickly and easily transformed into a key
character set. To see if the letterforms would
also work elsewhere a second set of labels
were created for a set of spice jars.
The face is whimsical, organic with lots of
swing. A set of complimentary, but not
matching capitals has also been developed,
this is somewhat based on the early Renais-
sance typography where italics were design
as separate typefaces without a matching
upright ‘roman’ forms. The face is tentatively
titled ‘Jam Jar’ and hopefully next term
time will be found to bring this concept to
completion and a published typeface.
3. Key Character Set
2. Letterform generation
1. Label from Planter bowl
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Thesis process
Key development map that identifies two main thesis themes: the crisis facing newspapers and the design of the news
Thesis key word exploration
MDes Thesis
Concept Development
The proposed Thesis topic is the news
industry and the design of the news. It will
examine how the news is currently chal-
lenged culturally, economically, and politi-
cally with a focus on the use and impact of
digital technology. The project will analyze
and investigate news design in the future.
Thesis idea map generation
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Early development of the poster
MDes Thesis
Thesis Proposal Poster
The design and concept of this poster is
based on a ‘mosaic’ metaphor, and is based
on a quote from the Thesis Proposal by
McLuhan from Understanding Media that
newspapers are of the “mosaic or parpicipa-
tional form” (p.283).
The visual intention is to create a mosaic of
media that and that the newspapers are no
longer straightforward producers of ink on
paper but have evolved into hybrid informa-
tion networks offering a range of delivery
systems that include websites, mobile appli-
cations and interfaces such as the iPad. The
four main sections are illustrated that point
to the issues that threaten newspapers: the
decline in readership, the decline in advertis-
ing revenues, media saturation, and the
impact of new technology.
The future of communication
design in the news industry
NEWSPAPERS ARE FACING A CRISIS that threatens their existence. This is forcing change. For example, newspapers are no longer straightforward producers of ink on paper but have evolved into hybrid information net-works offering a range of delivery systems that include websites, mobile applications and interfaces such as the iPad. They are truly evolving as McLuhan (1964) foresaw in Understanding Media into “the mosaic or parpici-pational form” (p.283). While the economic crisis is forcing change this creates many opportunities for transformation and innovation in news organizations. The Economist (2011), in “The Future of the News, back to the coffee house,” declares that the Internet “as well as demolishing old ways of doing things, it has also made new ones pos-sible” (p.4). In the same manner Kaye and Quinn state that media organizations “have often lagged at developing new systems and practices” (2010, p.14), they make an important point, “How many media companies have a chief knowledge of� cer or chief innovations of� cers? Not many” and continue to declare that, “media organizations must embrace innovation” (p.14). One of the ways news organizations can embrace innovation is to use com-munication design as a solution that can provide new insight, methodologies, and strategies. They need to explore how can design be used to attract new audiences that increase readership and revenues, and how design can create new systems and accessible formats that embrace both traditional formats and new technology. What is and will be the role of communication design in the news industry as it emerges from the present state of crisis? What innovations can design bring to the news industry?
Martyn AnsticeAugust 15, 2011MDes ProgramSummer 2011
References
McLuhan
Kaye and Quinn
The Economist
The
inte
rnet
has
turn
ed th
e ne
ws i
ndus
try u
psid
e do
wn,
mak
ing
it m
ore
parti
cipat
ory,
socia
l, di
vers
e an
d pa
rtisa
n—as
it u
sed
to b
e be
fore
the
arriv
al o
f mas
s med
ia –
Tom
Sta
ndag
e, T
he E
cono
mist
/p.3
4. The impact of new digital technology: “people will be buying their newspapers on portable reading panels than on crushed trees” Rupert Murdoch
IMPARTIALITY/In the internet age, transparency may count for more than objectivity/p.14
By providing more raw material than ever from which to distil the news, so
cial media have both done away with editors and shown the need for them/p.11
The l
ine b
etwee
n acti
vism an
d jour
nalis
m has a
lway
s bee
n somew
hat f
uzzy,
but
had b
ecome e
ven f
uzzie
r in t
he d
igital a
ge/p.13
American newspapers are in trouble, but in emerging markets the news industry is roaring ahead/p. 5
News providers throughout the rich world are starting to charge for content on the web and mobile devices/p.7
The end of mass media/News is becoming a social media again, as it was until the early 19th century—only more
Q: W
hat is and will be the role of comm
unication design in the news industry as it emerges
from the present state of crisis?
Q: What innovations can design bring to the news industry?
The people form
erly known as t
he audience/Social-m
edia technologies a
llow a far wider ra
nge of people to
take part i
n gathering, filte
ring and distr
ibuting news/p
.9
A. What are the iss
ues facing newspapers?
B. How sh
ould the news be desig
ned?
3. M
edia
sat
urat
ion:
New
spap
ers,
mag
azin
es, t
elev
isio
n, c
able
and
sat
ellit
e, r
adio
and
dig
ital
rad
io, I
nter
net,
mo
bile
ap
ps,
tab
lets
, and
fre
e co
nten
t
They
[new
s or
gani
zatio
ns] a
re tr
uly
evol
ving
as
McL
uhan
(196
4) fo
resa
w in
Und
erst
andi
ng M
edia
into
“th
e m
osai
c or
par
pici
patio
nal f
orm
”/p.
283
The decline of advertising revenues: clients are switching cheaper and more audience focused online media 2.
“At the industry’s peak in 1984, 63 million newspapers were sold daily in the US. Today that num
ber is closer to 33 million” Basin, 2009/p.34
The
dec
line
in r
ead
ersh
ip: a
n ag
ing
po
pul
atio
n th
at r
ead
new
spap
ers
but
is s
low
ly d
ying
and
yo
ung
peo
ple
, inf
atua
ted
so
cial
med
ia, d
o n
ot
valu
e o
r b
uy n
ewsp
aper
s 1.
It is the role of news organizations to “synthesize, galvanize, and make accessible complex ideas” Heller (2004) states in Design Literacy/p.88
1. Visual Research: The design of newspapers has not substantially altered in near 200 years.
2. Visual Research: Many newspapers look the same and therefore lack identity and personality.
MDes Thesis