DESIGN FOR PRINT AND WEB//RE-WRITING THE BRIEF & CRIT//OUGD504

RE-WRITNG THE BRIEF FOR 78RPM - MP3
THE BRIEF:
The development of mass-media entertainment through radio, and eventually television, led to an explosion of creative songwriting that has scarcely abated to this day. Lyricist’s art has informed and influenced contemporary culture at every level. Each decade of the 20th century has its share of iconic tunes and charismatic writers and performers – we want you to celebrate their art.

CONSIDERATIONS:

Investigate the meaning of the lyrics, work closely with the text and try to consider how you can reflect the songs content through design.  Go further than just the surface of the words, explore the content, context, meaning, this will involve thorough research into a specific song.  Select songs that can work in a successful way, highlighting the importance of type, however think how you could use image and other aspects of graphic design effectively.  Consider effective lyrics.  How will you explore the lyrics enough to make it engage with your target audience, your type has to be effective but think about other design methods, type plays the main roll but what can accompany it?  The main focus of music should be from the 50's to the 90's as these decades bought new and exciting movements with their music.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Design students, discerning designers, and music enthusiasts. The audience will be broad as lots of people enjoy listening to music.

TONE OF VOICE:

This depends on the song that you are using, look into what the artist was trying to communicate when writing this song, should your design reflect the genre or decade of the song? 

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS:

• Research and Development

• Strategy 

• Specifications/Grid(s) 

• Dummy/Prototype(s)

• Presentation

DELIVERABLES:

An effective format that displays the message/ feel of the song, with a main focus on type but using image.  Think of an effective format to display the work. You should show an effective design through print and web.

My idea is to look specifically into the sixties and seventies, my possible outcomes could be:

• Music zine dedicated to the lyrics of one song
• A series of lyric posters exploring the content and history of the songs
• A music based, lyric, content informed newspaper
• Time travel of posters over layered with tracing paper to take you through a journey of decades or a journey of album covers/songs?
• Re design of an album booklet focusing heavily on one or two songs, a story about the history of the song

For the sixties products I was thinking of linking it to London Sixties Week as promotional products?

CRIT FEED BACK:

GOOD:

• Narrowed down theme is appropriate - make products work better - all from sixties - style would be similar 
• Image and text combination would work well to convey more easily 
• Imagery and text could work well so long as text is the main focus 
• Sixties is a strong musical period, what kind of sixties music?
• Extended brief to suit direction of design
• Strong initial concept ideas
• Linked brief to actual event
• Be careful of the images used, type and song lyrics can work very well
• THE BEATLES EIGHT DAYS A WEEK
• THE SMALL FACES
• Focused theme and good link with real event
• Good proposed ideas for products

BAD:

• By not using the big names from the sixties this instantly narrows the audience down - the younger generation will not have something to connect with
• What size/format will the posters take?
• Large scale to effect environment - create more impact
• research which songs to pick
• Some more initial research
• More audience considerations
• More research needed into what songs you want to use, will they be varied - different genres? or more connected to make a more specific audience 
• Don't use music from the nineties!

5 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT OUR CONTENT:

• What were the most successful, popular, chart topping singles from the sixties and seventies?
• Needs to be more audience specific - figure out if I should stick to a certain genre or decade or change/mix songs - need to target a clearer audience.
• How I can explore type connected with music lyrics to make it work successfully
• How the web design aspect of the brief will look - what will the use of the website be?
• Look at sixties music design (posters, tickets etc.)

5 PROBLEMS THAT NEED SOLVING (on reflection from crit feedback)...

• How do I get across the content, meaning and feeling of the song with a heavy focus on typography 
• What songs will work best in terms of design and target audience?
• What product is best suited for this topic - a range of products? promotional products or informative?  Scale?
• Who are the audience?
• What songs reflect the decades most?

5 REASONS WHY?

• Because the songs context, feel, focus etc. need to be displayed is some sort of way through type otherwise the purpose of the brief has been lost.
• Need to decide what songs will work best, this will definitely effect the success and popularity of the products.
• The format needs to be decided appropriately because this will show the success and popularity of the topic.
• The audience needs to be refined so the design is more successful.
• If a song reflects a decade clearly this will help with my design direction.

WAYS AUDIENCE WILL INTERACT WITH PRODUCTS?

• Music shops/music events/ festivals (posters- London sixties week - tube) Popular public places in London, museums, galleries, denmark street, carnaby street etc.
• Online - interactive website?
• Being handed out, distributed 
• Music sponsored events
• Public places