Final Colour Theory Concertinas

For my final layout I decided to make three concertinas, each with a serrated edge so that had the potential to be torn. Because there was restrictions on printing I decided to make each centre element of the postcard separately and stick it down with raised pads. Then on the back I used corner holders to keep the information in place- to give it a classic and layered appearance. Of course this made each concertina thick and raised, so it was difficult to lay them flat.

 

For this I decided to create an elastic strap, in order to make it feel like a pack or collection wrapped together. However the strap was too loose, this could have been more effective if I had included a button or some form of attachment that would fasten it closed.

 I also wanted to add layers of punched shapes in the concertinas, so they could work layered on top of each other, as well as individual postcards. For example on the front facing postcard I made sure the cut out squares would show small elements of my Otl Aicher inspired design. But cut out squares also meant that light could be shone through the holes, adding another component to the concertinas. As show below, I also raised squares that would fit through the punched holes, so they could appear on the front design and that behind it. People love to interact with elements like this, it derives from childhood to want to connect things together- so I thought including it would mean there was more involvement from the viewer in the information. 

In my overviews of designers involved in colour theory, I decided to do illustrations inspired by Milton Glaser's Bob Dylan album design. Each had wild, colourful strands of hair, just using the colours from the pantone. This meant that in doing my research I felt I could connect more with who the designer was and not just what they theorised. I also thought it would be a good way to use the colours in the context of a real design, as a pallet for clothes and hair.

Otl Aicher Inspiration

Whilst doing some research I found a piece by Otl Aicher called Herbst 83', this piece involved layers of coloured strips used to indicate a landscape scene. I liked how the use of inverting colour and ordering them a certain way could create a composition.

So I experimented with the colours I'd collected from my pantone in layering them to create a scene. The colours of the scene are almost more important that the from, as they suggest a mood and an indication of layers withing the scene.

Concertina Example

In order to make my colour booklet into a concertina I looked at this Unit Additions set of postcards. Each one has a bold outline which frames the stamp in the centre nicely. There is a consistent layout for each and a consistent style of illustration- I hope to have consistency of colour running though my designs. Each one is black on the back, presumably for an individual message- I hope that for my own work I will be able to write about each postcard design on the backs.
To make this concertina Unit Additions have printed on an A2 page and split half the page into 6 separate designs, to make my own I will do three sets of 4 postcard collections (printed on A3.)

'Colour Plan' Influence

In order to create my own colour booklet I looked at several examples. One which was particularly influential was this catalogue by 'Colour Plan.' Part of it's design was that it had shapes glued on to make them stand out- I decided I also wanted to create cut outs of certain colours to present my swatch. The fact it extends outwardly makes it feel rich with content, and organised with it's layout- this lead me to want to have a fold out brochure myself. However I thought it would be interesting to create something that folded out, but then had the potential to be torn into individual postcards that can be taken away and distributed.

Thornton Arcade Colour Swatch

Creating a colour swatch for Thornton Arcade has meant that I had a consistent colour pallet to use for this project. By using the colours from a photographed scene it means that the light and setting are already quite complimentary, therefore creating a nice pallet to use.
It was interesting to experiment with the different colour combinations which are presented in my colour booklet. I realised that any two colours could work well together, depending on the aesthetic you were trying to achieve.

Colour Theory

Overall colour is used to communicate a feeling, conjure associations and offer directions in ways images sometimes struggle to. Graphic design was once only seen in black and white which has been argued as “restricted” and “unfinished.” However black and white are integral in most communication and if used correctly can indicate colour by their usage. Yet with the progression of printing processes colour is now an integrated component of our communication with each other.

The colour wheel was formed in 1965 when Sir Isaac Newton discovered prisms separate light into a spectrum of colour- red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. He then arranged them in a wheel to understand their relationship with each other. Analogus colours are hues that sit next to each other on the colour wheel and are usually harmonious and complementary. Whereas Complementary hues are ones opposite each other on the colours wheel, they usually contain no element of each other and are opposing temperatures. These often work well together in contrast and bold styles.

Johannes Itten developed strategies as a teacher in the Bauhaus 1919 to format strategies for successful colour combinations. He created seven methodologies for coordinating colours using hue's contrasting properties. These involved contrast in saturation, light and dark, extension, complements, hue, primaries, warm and cold. This are rules that can be used to create different types of form that will have bold and exciting appearances, without having to go through such a rigorous trial and error. He also developed the 12-hue colour circle, which outlines primary, secondary and tertiary colours showing the original colour and the different combinations it can make moving around it.

Some of the attributes for colour ranges include the changing of shade (adding black to the hue,) tint (adding the addition of white) and saturation (the hues purity as it neutralises to grey.) Despite the multitude of colours we have available to us, designers often use a very select few colours. Colour is often used very systematically in design, pallets are found through libraries of swatches. These are usually black, white and one or two other colours. This is to create a strong and bold foundation for communication. A design can be far more comprehensive with a limited pallet.

Graphic design is about the construction of form and composition. Part of this is the subjectivity of colour and how we can use it to reflect or distort reality. We only see colour when light bounces off objects or comes directly from a source and enters the eye. This is hard to comprehend as it feels as if colour should exist as we exist. When in darkness we are still as vibrant and complex as we are within light, whereas colour ceases to be.

Our use of colour is constantly shifting in our cultures and our history. It evolves alongside our perception of society, as a collective and as individuals expanding our own knowledge.

CMYK vs RGB

CMYK- Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (Black.)

RGB- Red, Green and Blue

The RGB colour mode uses red, green and blue and is able to combine these to create most other colours using an 'additive' method. This mode is usually used for computer monitors, LED televisions and digital cameras. Programs like Photoshop also use RGB as it can achieve a multitude of colour variations.

CMYK on the other hand is becoming more of an uncommon mode, however it is mostly used for printing. It uses cyan, magenta, yellow and black in a layering method, with the exception that offset printers can use a “spot” colour which can be used to make a specific colour swatch, usually a Pantone colour. If you were to add all the CMYK colours together it would become darker, whereas with the RGB mode in varying amounts you'll end up with white. 

 

Pantone

The Pantone Matching System (PMS) began as a printing company in New York in the 50s, however now it is a collection of industries primarily invested in printing. They largely specialise in paper printing but sometimes they will also use coloured fabric and plastics. Pantone’s main product output are Pantone Guides, which are large amounts of cardboard sheets painted with related colour swatches to create a “fan deck.” This enables specific colours to be found by using a “colour match” during the production stage, which means a consistency is maintained between designer, manufacturer, retailer and customer.

International Klein Blue

International Klein Blue (IKB) is a deep ultramarine hue created by Yves Klein, a French painter. Klein considered this electric colour to be immaterial, almost beyond what we can see or touch; ‘space-like.’ He achieved this by mixing industrial blue paint with a highly volatile fixative- giving the tone depth and a sense of suspension. Klein was passionate about representing his colour through using movement and performance art and he is known to have described the body as a “living paintbrush.” He is known for painting models' naked bodies and asking them to walk, roll and sprawl on to blank canvases. This showed an energy and exhilaration that parallel with the vibrant colour itself. It has been said that the colour can only be fully appreciated in person and cannot be reproduced on screens or in print. However, Klein registered the colour in 1957 and it has been used widely since then.

Examples:

Novi

Bureau Progressiv- Germany 2013

This use of Klein Blue works well as it is juxtaposed by the vibrancy of red in the controller. Usually Klein Blue is paired with pale blues and whites, however this combination serves power and electricity. It helps to communicate the powerful message made in implementing guns into the controller. It feels as if the blue has been purposefully chosen to look artificial, as violent games are sometimes considered “unnatural.”

Tourismusplakat Hoch-Ybrig Poster

Kasper Florio- Switzerland 2015

The use of Klein Blue in this piece pulls the design from the page, it's strong pigment means that anything next to it feels as if it falls behind in shadow. The use of a matte green works well next to such a fluorescent colour, and doesn't feel conflicting. This makes me consider that in some cases Klein Blue can be considered natural and create a fresh and clear effect. 

 

Small Wave-Edition Journals

Oliver Hischier- Switzerland 2015

Klein Blue has been used in sharp contrast with white here, using slits of colour to create a hectic effect. The repetitive angular shapes create quite a contemporary design. The bright colour and fluid patterns draw parallels with the ocean or reflections on water. Klein Blue seems to be more commonly used for straight edge design, rather than organic shapes- perhaps it would seem overpowering on natural forms.

Surfing in Waikiki

Johan Chaneac- France 2016

The classic Klein Blue colour is less prevalent here, however the colours feel as if they derive from Klein Blue as a collective. They still maintain it's vibrancy and the layered texture of the book creates a deep and bold impression. The overlaying of these three blues feels airy and natural, the sweeping colours remind me of the sea and sky in a landscape. Solely using blues in a composition feels very tranquil in works like this.

Josef Albers

Joesph Albers entered the Bauhaus in 1920 aged 32, this was the beginning of his career in colour.

Homage to the square was his most signature series, encompassing over 1000 related works, which Albers began in 1949 and continued to develop until his death in 1976. He chose the square because it's a single, repeated geometric shape, which he theorised was devoid of symbolism. This meant he could systematically and freely experiment with colour relativity and the relationship different colours have with each other. Including juxtaposition, placement, attraction and resistance and finally movement. Different pallets can create different climates and a selection of just three colours combined can show individual moods and associations, different for every viewer. He worked passionately on a range of optical and psychological effects that colour can create, depending on their position and proximity with each other. In fact he even suggested that colour, rather than form, is the primary medium of pictorial language. Albers's 1963 book Interaction of Color provided the most all-encompassing analysis of the function and perception of colour to date.

Documentation of Leeds

One of the main things I want to focus on is the deterioration of signs and how long they maintain meaning. The bicycle sign has half disintegrated yet it still is discernible, objectively this means it is less effective, yet subjectively does it give it more of a story. Because it is in paint it commands more authority, whereas the graffiti by the bollard can be easily ignored despite its fluorescent colour.

The blue arrow sign is particularity interesting as there is a light inside it, in order to make it visible. The deep blue and softly lit white this creates feels quite commanding and radiant. Despite the fact its functionality is so it can be seen in darkness, subjectivity it creates something quite beautiful.

Something intriguing was the small green arrow that pointed downwards by the drain. It was fairly ambiguous and strange. It felt almost fantasy-like in how it was so small and pointed to the ground, obviously it had a purpose but the sign can also be perceived subjectively. It would be interesting to create a wayfinding system for a fantasy scenario (e.g. signs for gnomes that run around drains.)

 

Study Task 1- Wayfinding Research Video

With our first wayfinding diversion we were trying to provoke angry reactions from the public. We wanted to test the response to Trump's controversial campaign symbol, in order to see if a symbol (without words) can drive people to change their ordinary routine. 
However, for the composition of the sign, we printing many Trump logos and arranged them around a pre-existing element of the cafeteria (~due to research.) This worked effectively in communicating a political statement, as the logos highlighted the word enemy behind it, but this wasn't what we set out to achieve. People responded to it like it was art to understand and respect, not like it was a sign to react to. The destructive behavior we did catch on camera was choreographed, so we could show what we were hoping to achieve. However, I don't think this reflects the raw research we were asked to produce.
One interesting response we did have was that one person photographed the logos and put it on Instagram. This shows that people did change their routine in order to comprehend what the sign meant and were furthering the response on a wider scale.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imi9jrfdkSg

Adrian Frutiger Research:

In Frutiger's Signs and Symbols: Their Design Meaning I researched one of his theories about the combining of signs, he suggests the graphical aspects can create a 'mental, philosophical, or "alchemical" impression.' Especially when certain symbols or elements are combined which can create a symbolic expression or language of its own through 'juxtaposition and combination.' This is why we decided to develop a sign that incorporated a pre-exisiting sign within the background- so the two elements could create an entirely different meaning.
Frutiger also places great importance on the use of duality, maybe this could have been more successful if we had presented the Hilary Clinton logo and placed them side by side. People then might be forced to show which they favoured. Other groups split paths and labeled doors- we could have applied this to political stance. So that most people would be likely to take the door labelled with Hilary's logo.

David Rudnick Piece inspiration:

After doing some research, I found a piece by David Rudnick that I thought related to our signs and the background design already on the wall. This piece works because each of the symbols are simplistic, dark shapes on a background with only one strip of colour. Perhaps our symbols would have worked with more impact if they had been bolder, to transcend the type written behind it. We could redo the Trump logo to just be black, to see if just the shapes (without any colour) could provoke a more direct reaction.

David Rudnick

Trump 2016 campaign logo

Study Task 1- Wayfinding Research

Task: To create a video that documents a direct experience with how supergraphics and wayfinding signs can effect experiences in public spaces.

Idea 1: See-through signs that can be placed over or on faces to make sense, for example: the eye is highlighted into an arrow shape. This could be done with acetate or even something like tracing paper.

Idea 2: To make a wayfinding system or statement that will cause people to align themselves politically. Could communicate a difference in path for right wing and left wing people. Could also create a radical statement and see if people react towards it with their own political views. E.g. a pro Trump symbol.

Among other ideas we decided the second idea would be the best one to develop, it seemed like it would have the most powerful effect for simplistic bold symbols.