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Part 1

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Story document!

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I want to truly reflect the 1960s Psychedelic Design Era, its nod to the Nouveau Art movement as well as the uniqueness of the concert promotion posters through an expression of typography, print and bindery effects, and bold color. See below for my inspiration board.

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https://sashamitchelll.wordpress.com/2020/03/11/content-review-editing-and-reflection/

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Link to the blog post about my moodboard design. I decided to look at writing my essay in the style of a Netflix documentary, so my design ideas need to reflect this.

My influences came from:
- Pulp Fiction
- Russain Avant Garde film posters
- Existing Netflix documentaries
-Vice Magazine front covers

https://lucysmagraphicdesignblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/11/week-7-workshop-challenge-part-2-a3-moodboard/

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This is a link to the blog post I did about putting together the first draft. My initial draft is 7000 words long (eek!) so I'll really need to edit it down for the final version.

https://lucysmagraphicdesignblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/11/week-7-workshop-challenge-part-1-first-draft-of-3000-word-essay/

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Hi everyone!
Here's my blog in response to the workshop challenge. Including my thought processes and ideas.

Hope you enjoy!
Peace out! ✌️

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This weeks task is to write my first draft of a 3,000-word article. Considering audience, form, structure, materials and how the medium might impact on the writing itself.

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Looks like I might be the last but, that's OK. I took a lot of time to think about what I was going to write and I'm more than half finished my essay. I've doing 2 perspectives, and a comparison about amusement parks and theming, so there are 2 moodboards. Scroll to the bottom of m blog post to see them.
https://jazzstew.wordpress.com/2020/03/31/content-review-editing-and-reflection/

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FINALLY! I completed the first draft of the essay.

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FINALLY! I completed the first draft of the essay.

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Just posted my first draft of the essay. Kind of on track know. I hope everyone is ok. hugs and kisses. Good night.

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This task I quite delayed. Hopefully I will get everything back on track soon. So for the essay project, I went for the second proposal, titled What Goes ON in the Shadows, which is an exploration of the crime scenario in Malta. I decided to go with this one simply because I think that people would be more interested in reading it. They are more likely to trigger their curiosity. What happened? What goes on in Malta after dark?

The essay is split into two major parts: the statistical part and the journalism part. In the statistics, I looked at official reports as well as conducted a survey where participants were asked (amongst other things) whether they think Malta is generally safe. In the journalism part (if that is the correct way of describing it), I looked at five cases that made the headlines and are still talked about till today. At first I was going to look at cold cases, but I figured that there is a lot of information about such cases already and also I was not planning to look at statistics that date back that far in time.

Below is the link to my first draft of the essay. Hope you enjoy reading it.

As part of this task, we also had to create a moodboard to show what design style are we adopting to showcase the final project for this brief. As one can see from the board and considering the theme of the essay, I am considering something along the lines of a dossier or evidence file, but with a bit of a grungy edge. Have a look at the board below.

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WHAT GOES ON IN THE SHADOWS: FIRST DRAFT

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This task I quite delayed. Hopefully I will get everything back on track soon. So for the essay project, I went for the second proposal, titled What Goes ON in the Shadows, which is an exploration of the crime scenario in Malta.

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Session from 5:30-7:30 GMT tomorrow - drop in any time.

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Wow I haven't wrote anything in DAYS here... I think I only left one post last week. How r u all doing?

Doing my best to pull myself together amidst all this havoc. Right now I am mid-way in putting together the findings in my essay, and hopefully will get it done really soon.

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Satan Comes to Canterbury - First Draft of 3000 word essay

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Satan Comes to Canterbury - First Draft of 3000 word essay

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So far only at 600-700 words but hoping to get all of the interviews completed this week.

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This week, I have been finding inspiration in a variety of areas, ranging from: German Expressionism in film to contemporary, identity-politics. The aim of the mood-board was to communicate the themes of social-isolation, The effects of urbanisation on societies collective neurosis, And how to communicate tone of voice, in the presentation of a visual-narrative: How do we translate the written word into a digestible visualisation?

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I've been a bit crap at keeping my blog up-to-date recently but here's week 7. I haven't finished the moodboard yet but I'm trying to figure out what approach to take.

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By the end of this week you should be able to:

1. Discover, develop and deploy an appropriate structure for your 3,000-word written article.

2. Analyse and evaluate an appropriate visual direction and form, while developing an editorial document that will appeal to a visually literate audience.

3. Analyse and evaluate the various platforms and advancements in technology that have allowed designers to self publish.

4. Deliver a first draft of your 3,000-word visual culture article.

There is so much I find really compelling - the little details of their trips, such as the train they took, the activities, the menus they planned. There are also poems they wrote, gossip columns, accounts of their 'good deeds' and misdeeds, along with photos of their adventures. There's a newspaper article about the two men who founded the group who went off to fight in WW1, and an account of the outbreak of WW2, followed by a farewell letter when the group had to be closed, a roll of honour detailing the members who never came back from the war, and a more cheerful account of the group being reopened in peacetime.

One of my favourite authors is Tove Jansson, and she wrote a few short stories where she turned correspondence into a narrative. This is my favourite example- we get to know Tamiko through her own words, which makes the ending all the more powerful. I want to try something similar with the material I have - to let the boys tell their own story in their own words. In a tutorial Richard described it as a ' collage narrative ' which sums it up nicely.

Throughout the scrapbooks there are frequent references to the war, to the people who never came back. I think this is the 'hook' I'd like to use to construct a narrative around - the effects of the war on these boys, and this area, even in peacetime. I began by going through the scrapbooks again and transcribing my favourite parts- anything that shows the character of the boys and the troop, anything that brings them to life. In order for a reader to care about the characters they need to know them first.

I think these documents are really special because the character of the group/boys really shines through their writing. As such I've pretty much left everything verbatim. I don't really feel like there's a lot I can add with my own writing, except perhaps some footnotes or a glossary to explain some of the terms used.

The narrative that I'm seeing is about the ordinary, funny, messy lives of these boys, the friendships they formed, and the devastation caused by the war.

Currently all of it is in chronological order but I'm not actually sure if that's necessary. I think it's important to end it in WW2, and probably important to start with WW1, but the middle parts, details of everyday life, could go in any order. I could spend months on this but I'm trying to reign in my ambition for the sake of my sanity and workload. I haven't thought of a pithy name for it yet, but here's the first draft.

Next steps - add in the newspaper article from WW1, detailing the two founding members of the group going off to fight and only one coming back. The effects of this reverberate through the group for decades, and it seems important to include.

First Draft

Hope Cove 1934

Apparently at this camp the farmers daughters proved rather a counter attraction to the joys of camping and although there were two daughters the xxxx and the scribe at times were most deadly rivals. Evenings at the farm going to the local dance 8-1a.m. etc were the doings of these two Rovers, to the consternation of the S.M.

"These are the times we shall dream about and we'll call them the good old days"

-------------

A CREW EFFORT by D.Wright.

The den was made by all the crew,

Each job was done by one or two,

If asked which job was done by who

We say CREW EFFORT.

The first job done was clearing out lumber,

(we dreamt about it in our slumber)

It wasn't done by one of our number,

Was a CREW EFFORT.

A door required to fit the frame,

Three separate men attempted same,

The final attempt goes under the name

CREW EFFORT.

The windows dirty were and broke,

They were mended and scrubbed by one poor bloke,

The results were not grand, but this is the joke

CREW EFFORT.

We required a cupboard for stores and such,

Two rovers made one - nothing much,

The rest of the crew dubbed it "rabbit hutch "

CRUDE EFFORT.

Though our work remains anonymous,

We still have something left to us,

Each one who makes a slip says "Just a CREW EFFORT".

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The Groups 21st Birthday

"Coming of Age" is a solemn occasion, and no doubt the group ought to have celebrated it's majority with becoming gravity, but the prevalent mood during the weekend Nov 9-11 1935 were indefatigable high spirits coupled with confidence in the future. Even though the principal guest was a padre by profession, no one more than he was filled with elation which he made no attempt to suppress. As for the old boys - well! Enough of them in due course!

A campfire followed, in which the most popular item was unnecessarily slanderous of the skipper and other distinguished scouters of the group, but fortunately the annunciation of the singers was so impeded by the doughnuts they had recently consumed that a few of the visitors had any idea of the scandalous nature of the songs.

Pack and troop were then officially sent home although a few of the latter did not take this seriously and was seen lurking in odd corners later in the evening trying to create a food shortage.

Many friends met for almost the first time since they left the troop 10 or more years ago, now each the husband of a charming lady and father of one or two young hopefuls left safely at home for this night.

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The Group Good Turn 1934

The group council having decided to run the Christmas Good Turn on similar lines to preceding years the crew organised a dance on December 1 in order to obtain cash for same. A notable feature of the dance was the Crew's apparent aversion to dancing.

-------------

To be included in the programme Jan - June 1935 were talks of by members of the Muswell Hill Parliament upon the policies of the different political parties.

February

Some members of the crew assist in the distribution and collection of ballot papers in connection with the National Declaration.

March 8.

Mr Piper visits the crew and talks upon "Governments and Party Politics" as an introduction to our series

March 23

'155' Good Turns.

April.

Skipper rents the vacant garage beneath the Rover Den but uses it to garage his 'Standard 9'

April 28 Mr Norman visits the crew and talks upon Conservatism.

April 28 Sunday Mr Garrett conduct the crew round Scout Park and reveals almost unknown birds also talks upon the habitats and characteristics of the birds seen - followed by breakfast at Scout Park.

May 6 Jubilee celebrations.

May 31 Mr Warburton visits the crew and talks upon Liberalism

June 1 the crew run the sideshows and give a marionette show at the June sale at the church.

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Sunday, June 23

On the return journey we passed an American gunboats at Tilbury - the Rovers yelled U.S.A. hip -'p-'p- 'rah & the gunboat dipped it's flag acknowledging our salute: the same with a Swedish training ship - but whilst passing German boats we gave the Navy salute and received same - this saluting and exchange of salutations made us feel like peace promoters - and it received the appreciation of the leaders of the cruise.

-------------

155 NORTH LONDON SUMMER CAMP 1935

As a camp it was very good and I think it was greatly enjoyed by all who attended it, but as a campsite it was, to put it crudely but very accurately rather lousy.

Many tricks were done with the trek cart and most of them were completely successful.

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Leslie Gordon Horsley

27th November 1935

...

When we think of him now we recall his wavy hair and laughing eyes; we remember mornings in camp and evenings in the Den; we see him taking out his pack or steering the discussions of his brother Rovers at difficult times. But when on that chill December morning we all paraded at Golders Green to give the last scout honours to his body, we could not yet bear to revive the past which had gone; we only knew he was our friend and that we loved him.

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A NIGHT HIKE THROUGH LONDON.

Sat/Sunday Nov. 28/29 1936.

Six stalwart and one not so good members of the Rover crew assembled at the Den on the Saturday evening, for a supper of kippers. After clearing away the mess at about 11 pm we set out for bounds Green station, took train for Old Street, arriving to commence our hike at about midnight.

Considering the hour, there was still plenty of people about the streets.

We proceeded from the station along great Eastern Street, which was fairly quiet, across Shoreditch High Street and into Bethnal Green Road, where, although it was quieter, still contained a number of young men and women.

Bethnal green seems a dreary place, particularly so at this hour of the morning, but we soon passed down Cambridge Road, across mile end road and into the notorious Sydney Street. A gang of men in Sydney Street appeared to be digging trenches but we were disappointed to find that the trenches were for Telegraph lines.

...

Limehouse Causeway was surprisingly innocent looking, though we were followed to the end of the road by a suspicious character who evidently regarded us with mistrust.

In West India Dock Road we nearly barged into the docks, and the Bobby on duty after some consideration went inside with the evidence intention of fetching his mates should anything go wrong, however, we left them in peace and looked around for another road. A bunch of toughs round a coffee stall looked on us with apparent amusement, we avoided them and proceeded on our way through Pennyfields to Poplar High Street.

...

Along West Ferry Road we were evidently taken for coppers ourselves, judging by the remark of a coffee stall occupant. By this time of course, our Reginald was lagging considerably in the rear, and we had taken it in turns to go back and hold his hand. Stuart, who from a family of coppers had cultivated a long steady stride was helping Reg along by his arm in a grip very much like the half Nelson, leading the café proprietor to remark that he was a copper taking someone back in.

--------------

Early in 1937

Mr Warren our church caretaker succumbed to a severe attack of hiccoughs. (In fact they have been going strong for a week)

Our R.M. therefore thought it might be a good idea to initiate ourselves in the art of caretaking and at the same time to give Mr Warren a day off.

It therefore happened that on Sunday, January 17 the Crew took over the caretaker duties for one day - the results being as follows:-

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November 1937

Great Days,

Looking ahead a year or two, so little done, so much to do,

Keep your shoulder to the plough,

Think of the future and DO IT NOW.

-

We are happy to announce the addition of another son to the family of Mr D. Wright, our Group Scout Master, on October 27th 1937.

-

"IT IS WHISPERED IN THE DEN -"

by Eavesdropper

THAT a recently qualified C.A. was forcibly retired from the Crew before the annual accounts came up for discussion.

THAT a notorious local provision merchant is behind the proposal for more binges in the Den.

THAT after entertaining the heaviest member of the Group Committee it was thought necessary to purchase some new chairs for the Den.

THAT since the official barber to the Crew will be absent for six months, the hair of the Crew Poet will have to go uncut - and no one will notice the difference.

THAT although Napoleon could sleep anywhere and at any time, one of our Rovers could beat him easily at that recreation.

THAT a certain Acting Assistant Scout Master finds the feminine point of view very helpful when looking for campsites.

THAT the editor won't have the pluck to publish these remarks.

June 1938

Although the weather did not come up to expectations the party managed, with the help of the farmers two daughters and some friends, to have a thundering good time.

September 1938.

Work has been in progress at the Den on the construction of a large cupboard.

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In November 1938 the Group celebrated its twenty fifth birthday.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS

1907 saw the planting of an acorn,

The birth of an idea, the creation

Of a club which soon spread through the nation.

An acorn from that humble oak

Was carried here by two young men

And planted in the Earth again.

And one has lived to see his acorn grow

The other with an ever watchful eye

Has sent us inspiration from the sky.

And though at times we haven't bourne much fruit,

And many of our leaves have gone astray,

Remember that leaf mould forms good clay.

But some fruit has been carried far and wide

And seedlings have now reached fruitation

To carry on the great tradition.

For 30 years the parent tree has grown

And now with B.P.'s flag unfurled

It spreads throughout the whole, wide world.

Gnarque (D. Rowe)

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November 1938

Four Squires have been invested:- L. Danks, G. Macdonald, F. Oughton and J. Wallace.

Five of the Crew attended the District Night Hike and got very wet, but thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

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THE GOOD TURN 1938

The Good Turn took place this year on the afternoon of Christmas Eve and the idea was considered by the majority to be a great improvement. 87 parcels, value 10/- each to the recipient, were distributed. These were received with gratitude, which was at times embarrassing, for some of us felt that we had done so little to deserve these thanks.

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ALEXANDRA PARK AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR

BEING A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THINGS SEEN AND DONE AROUND THE ROVER DEN IN
S E P T E M B E R
*1940*
*
This will be the second time that the 155 has faced a time of war, with all its problems and peculiar difficulties of scouting, and this time without the special opportunities for services offered in 1914/1918. For the first and most obvious result of the declaration of war was the evacuation of all children from Woodgreen. This evacuation, be it added, tookPlace unexpectedly, forward Green was not in the list of London boroughs which were to be evacuated first.

On the Saturday, 2nd September, however, came the order that the evacuation of Wood Green boys and girls was to begin at 7.00 a.m. on the morning of Sunday 3rd September, and this scheme, like all the others was swiftly and successfully carried out.

The writer was informed of the declaration of war during Monday service at the Congregational church, where a handful of people, all those who could come owing to the exigencies of evacuation and a.R.P demands, met in the Church Parlour. The sermon, very short, was transferred to the first part of the service and just before Notices were due, the Church Treasurer came in with the news - heard over the radio - that we were at war. The service continued with intercessions and it was during these at the wail of sirens was heard. The service was brought to a close, and the congregation dispersed quietly homewards.

The memory of that walk home remains vividly in mind. It was a fine day and it was very difficult to realise the possible danger of the situation. Very few people seemed to be quite sure that it was an air raid warning, although in a few moments wardens were blowing their whistles and trying to get people under cover. There were of course no air raid shelters within the distance of about a mile.

Another vivid memory goes back to a few hours before the declaration of war, when the B.B.C. suddenly gave up it's customary National and Regional programmes, and took to announcing Home Service and Overseas Service, the former of which was only available on to wavelengths. A flood of announcements, and the strange lack of news, despite the fact that there were news bulletins every hour.

Any impression of these days must conjure up those first nights of the blackout, with the Warden's voice "Put out that light!", and the stumbling over curbs, not yet fully painted white, and the trees and lampposts (that was before we came to know the position of every obstacle for miles round). The buses, too, so dimly lit that it was impossible to find out where they were going, or whether any one was sitting in the seat you were trying to take for yourself.

The crew, of course, shared in this general transformation. If it was not painted white, at least some members blossomed out into unusual clothing. The first time the three figures in police uniform turned up at the Den we wondered whether we had been mistaken for a Night Club or a Bottle Party, and it was not until we recognised the faces and forms of Jock, Doug, and Stuart, that the more conscience-stricken members of the crew were reassured. The blackout of the Den contributed to the illusion, and the fact that we were without Skipper was not reassuring either.

Apart from those who like Bottom the Weaver were "translated "(with the asses' head of the LAW), others were translated to 'furrin parts', named obscurely "Somewhere in England", or "Somewhere in France". We missed Mac, Jack and Harold, and others disappeared for a season.

However, 155 was too good to lose, and those who are left rallied round, and soon we were almost the first crew to get back into working order, largely owing to the efforts of Geoff, he made himself a thorough nuisance to great effect. That story can be told later in this log.

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IF

(After Kipling)

If you can hold your tongue when all around you

Will talk about the fly-bombs in the street,

If you've been blasted too, but don't feel bound to

Speak of the bomb that blew you off your seat;

If you could talk about the one that raced you,

and circled, and turned back before it missed,

And how you dashed to shelter as it chased you - -

And still have resolution to desist:

If you can be a sympathetic hearer

When others tell you how their glass was blown,

And boast that all the bombs have fallen nearer - -

Yet never breathe a word about your own;

If you've seen incidents you do not mention,

Far worse than anything they've seen next door;

If you can give buzz-bomb bores your attention,

And not yourself become a buzz-bomb bore:

If you pursue your daily occupation,

Just as you did before the robots came,

If you can keep them out of conversation

And chat of other matters just the same;

If you've met bombs you never think of sharing,

Though you were right beside them when they dropped,

If you keep mum when others are comparing

What they felt like the time the engine stopped:

If you can walk where doodle-trails are blazing,

If you can pass where doodle-gazers gaze,

And you yourself refrain from doodle-gazing,

Though everybody else has caught the craze;

If you can keep aloof from mass suggestion,

If you stand fast while other people flap - -

I'll say, my son, without the slightest question,

You must be an extraordinary chap.

Sagittarius.

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1940

Finis

And so after seven never-to-be-forgotten years the 155th N.L. Rover crew handed over the Den to the Troop and ceased active life.

We continued to meet regularly for several months with the Rev. W.G.M. Abbott as R.S.L. but the ever dwindling numbers, caused through members joining the forces, over time, fire watching and evacuation proved too much for us.

Although Rovers are scattered far and wide throughout the world memories of the 155 will never fade.

The sun sets on one Crew but it will rise again on our successors when peace comes, who, we hope, will be as happy as we were in Rovering.

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Up with the curtain and on with the show!

Yes! HERE WE ARE AGAIN

After six long years of war I knew Rover crew of the 155 has been born.

There are eight active members, all of whom have been in the troop and who are now keen to restart wavering in this group of ours.

Our first official meeting held on the 4th of October took the form of a celebration - the grub being kindly cooked by Mrs. Zimbler, and eaten with despatch by the boys.

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ROLL OF HONOUR

Broughton, Leslie

A.S.M. 1913-1916

L.R.B.

Killed in action

Somme, September 9, 1916

Buckby, John Allen

Scout 1934-1942

Flt-Sgt. R.A.F.

Lost over enemy territory

June 21-22nd 1944

MacDonald, Graham Cameron

Rover 1938-1939

Capt. The Buffs.

Died of wounds

Arnhem, September, 1944

Skinner, Norman

Scout 1916-1923

Capt. R.A.S.C.

Killed in action

France, June, 1944

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GDE720: Week 7, Content review - Editing and reflection

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By the end of this week you should be able to: Discover, develop and deploy an appropriate structure for your 3,000-word written article. Analyse and evaluate an appropriate visual direction and form, while developing an editorial document that will appeal to a visually literate audience.

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5:30pm GMT
See you later!

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Blog post for this week including my inspiration board and first draft. I’m a little under the word count while I develop a few areas but feels like it’s getting there!

The Pokémon event I was going to this weekend to take pictures has been cancelled due to corona virus which is a right pain, will have to re-think where I’m going to take my photos for the piece.

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workshop challenge

This week we want you to write the first draft of your 3,000-word article.

Please remember your article is aimed at a visually literate audience and we want you to consider form, structure, materials and how the medium might impact on the writing itself.

1. Write the first draft of your 3,000 word article, to be saved as a Word or TextEdit document.

2. Curate an A3 inspiration board to present your initial ideas about the design approach, to include examples of materials, format, typography, print / digital production.

3. Save your inspiration board in an interactive PDF format.

inspiration board

I decided to go down the Pokémon Go route for my article, as this was the idea that I was most excited about. I also really wanted to build on the writing style I began developing in week 5 - love letter/diary entry style - and felt that I could have a lot of fun putting this sort of twist on the topic.

I discussed with Richard, the idea of writing my article from the point of view of my in-game character, and using my avatar to 'guide' readers through the article. I could then build on this by including quotes from my survey, and again using gamer tags and avatars rather than real names and photographs for each person who contributes.

I also really liked the idea of using in-game stats to act as 'credentials' for the players. Stuart shared this article with me, and I wanted to flip the perspective of this for my article - and narrated the article as my proud, Pokémon obsessed avatar. My article would also be more about Pokémon Go in my specific area, rather than about the game in general.

Following this theme, Richard pointed me in the direction of Scott McCloud, who writes non-fiction about comics, from understanding them to creating them, but in the style of a comic book.

I was really interested in this idea of writing about Pokémon Go, but writing almost from inside the game, looking out - a view of what Redditch looks like from inside Pokémon Go, rather than what Pokémon Go looks like from Redditch. My article would focus on stories from local players, and hotspots for playing the game around Redditch.

I wanted the final outcome to be a digital, interactive piece - a print based outcome just didn't feel like the right way to represent such a virtual concept, especially as it was being narrated by a digital character.

first draft

My first draft is below, the sub-headings represent different tabs/pages, and underlined words will be hyperlinked. One thing that I felt was really important was including a glossary - there are words that I had to include, to keep the piece authentic, but I recognise that people who don't play Pokémon Go won't know what they mean.
Meet the Trainers
Hi. I'm Alice. Well, in my world I'm better known as Alice9292. In hindsight, I probably should have picked a more original nickname. I'm here to talk to you about Pokémon Go, and how I've watched a community of its trainers come together in a small town called Redditch. We might not sound all that, but I'm going to tell you all about some of the pretty amazing stuff we've achieved, all thanks to Pokémon Go. We're even having a positive impact on local businesses - real people, real jobs, real lives - people say this is just a game, but I hope I can show you that, at least in Redditch, it's much more than that.

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning.

I moved to Redditch towards the end of 2017, just over a year after Pokémon Go was released in the UK. Not to brag or anything, but I've played Pokémon Go since day one; my Pokémon Go journey didn't start in Redditch. Before I moved here, Pokémon Go was actually a pretty lonely game; solo walks along the canal by my house, sneaking out on lunch breaks to go and spin the Pokéstop down the road from work... oh - what's a Pokéstop, you say? I'm glad you asked - I put together a handy "What's that?" guide for any of you non-players out there. You can check it out here, anytime you like.

Now, where was I?

I didn't know there was another way to play Pokémon Go back then - I didn't know anyone else who played, I didn't see anyone else playing when I was out walking, and if you ever mentioned that you played Pokémon Go, the response was always "oh, people still play that?". It was easy to believe that I was in a minority, just a nerd playing this old phone game that nobody really cared about anymore.

Moving to Redditch changed everything. I noticed things slowly at first. I would walk around Arrow Valley Lake, and clock a couple of people walking around, staring down at their phones, stopping at the same places I was. Could it be? Were there really other trainers out there? I was always far too shy to ask.

But one day I drove to our local Gym, as there was a raid on that I wanted to take part in. Our local Gym isn't in a park or the town centre, it's just an abandoned Community Centre in a tiny residential area of Redditch. What I'm trying to say is, people don't hang out there. Or so I thought.

I turned the corner, and this tiny rubble car park outside the Community Centre was bustling. There was barely any room to park, and there were people standing around in small groups, laughing, chatting, even though it was raining and almost dark. I parked up, and opened Pokémon Go, intending to quickly do the raid in my car and then drive off - I had no idea why there were so many people there and I felt like I was intruding.

As I was staring down at the loading screen, there was a tap on my window. Feeling very apprehensive, I wound down my window.

"Are you here for Rayquaza?" a lady asked me.

"Erm... yes?"

"Well come and join us then, we'll take it down quicker together!"

And that was how I first met Vixviking3 (also known as Vix).

I stood out in the rain and battled the raid with Vixviking3 and a whole load of her friends. Only it turned out they weren't her friends, as such, they were all members of a Pokémon Go Facebook group. They would post up on the group when a raid was happening, and everyone who was free would arrange to meet up and battle the raid together. They only knew each other through this group, and the range of people at this raid alone was incredible - men, women, kids, elderly couples - I had no idea that Pokémon was loved by so many different generations. They invited me to join their group, and I did - it now has over 1000 members, dedicated to playing Pokémon Go in Redditch.

It's been over two years since I met Vixviking3 on that rainy day. Now I also know PandaDauf, PandaMauf, and PandaLauf, or Nick, Millie and Ellie - a middle aged couple and their daughter, who play together at Arrow Valley Lake every Community Day. I know Pinkwings1, or Sharon, who claims her son is a professional Mewtwo catcher. The community around Pokémon Go is so strong in Redditch that I've made new friends and discovered new places, and this town that felt cold and unfamiliar when I first moved here, I now fondly call home.
Arrow Valley Lake & Visitor Centre
So, now you know my story, let me tell you our story.

A hotspot for Pokémon Go in Redditch is Arrow Valley Lake. Not only is it a lovely place to walk, but there's a lot of Pokéstops dotted around, and more Pokéstops means more Pokémon. Sat right in the middle of 3 of the Pokéstops, is a café.

And here's where, and sure I might be biased, but here's where things get really interesting. I'm told that the café here used to be a little... sad. With a limited range of refreshments, seemingly pretty random opening times, and it was often deserted during the colder months.

Fast forward to 2020, and you should see the place now! We Pokémon Go trainers don't mind the cold, so we're at the lake whatever the weather. The café has become our hub. Whether we're seeking refuge from the rain, or just sharing a cup of tea over a trade, it's a haven for Pokémon fans to meet and play without fear of judgment.

The café has been refurbished this year, and a new menu released. There's now a professional vibe about the place, and it finally feels cared about. It's very clear to see that Pokémon Go trainers have brought a whole new kind of business to the café - one that doesn't rely on the weather - we've claimed it as our base, and it's welcomed us with open arms. But don't just take my word for it...
"The first couple of years they released the game we did notice huge amounts of people playing the game around the lake and it definitely had an impact on our sales, even I saw massive amounts of people on their phones and especially in the summer they did stop at the cafe for an ice cream or cold drinks. Now as far as I see it's calmed down a little bit, although I still know about organised Pokémon hunting events happening every month. Usually everyone is really friendly and it is a hobby, everyone's got one."
- Supervisor at Arrow Valley Visitor Centre Café

Arrow Valley has become a place where we can bridge the gap between our physical location and the virtual space we share when we play the game. Developments to Pokémon Go are making this connection stronger and stronger, through new features such as shared AR mode - giving trainers the ability to take a photograph of their buddy Pokémon, in the same AR space as a friend's buddy Pokémon. Arrow Valley is a place where we can explore these features together, creating connections both on and offline.

But more than anything, Arrow Valley is where we all come together to participate in Community Days. Come rain or shine, you can guarantee that during Community Day, the lake will be buzzing with people on their phones, and the occasional joyful cry of "shiny!". My favourite thing about those moments, when someone does find a shiny, is the cheers from all the other trainers - we don't all know each other, but we all have a shared goal, and we don't really care who gets a shiny, as long as somebody does.
Let's Talk Numbers
I get it. You're still sceptical. After all, no one plays Pokémon Go anymore, right? Well, I got out there and talked to the people of Redditch, trainers and non-players alike.

Here's what some of the trainers had to say, when I asked how they thought Pokémon Go had impacted Redditch as a community.
Been able to help those with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues be more confident and happy. Being able to see how they have associated themselves within an inclusive community of people that ranges all age ranges, minorities and backgrounds. Met a lad walking home from school and we happened to be playing it, quite nice afternoon actually. Myself and another guy were stood in the rain and wind battling in a raid it was tough but we did it. When it was all done we looked up clocked each other and just knew we had just helped each other out. A small token of gratitude was shared with a mutual nod of the head and a thumbs up. I don't know his name and he doesn't know mine but I would recognise him again if I seen him. Community days will cause excessive parking issues at hotspots such as the lake, but it brings a lot of custom to the cafe which wouldn't normally get that busy during those hours; and is still beneficial as the Pokémon Go players will be there in all weathers, not just the good seasons. A lot of people are civil, know each other, friendly and tolerant to one another and the main thing is that they're talking to people they normally wouldn't even make eye contact with when walking by
81.82% of those surveyed said they had met new people playing Pokémon Go in Redditch, and 66.66% of those said they now socialise outside of playing the game. 9.09% had even met a significant other through playing Pokémon Go.

As for the wider community of Redditch, I put the same question to them.
Seem to have a lot of meet ups at the lake, all different types of people getting involved It's taken over my husband's life to the point I have to arrange my weekends around him playing it I love seeing young people searching and getting outdoors! It has introduced people to new areas they might not have previously visited, awareness of war memorial/needle statues etc. Good impact on cafes and refreshments vendors in parks I noticed positive social impact where groups of people of really diverse age unite to play.
You can check out the full survey results here.
Discovery and Exploration
A relatively new feature to come to Pokémon Go, is the ability to submit requests for new Pokéstops. This has been an exciting development, and one that has helped us grow our community even more; there is a shared sense of pride every time we have a request for a new Pokéstop approved.

Through this, we are again encouraged to get out and explore our local area. We have all discovered new places, and learnt new things about where we live, because let's face it - we are always desperate for new Pokéstops. A Pokéstop can't just be added anywhere, either - it must be a place of interest. And so we don't only hunt for Pokémon anymore, we hunt for new places too.
Glossary - Pokémon Go was released in the UK on July 14th 2016.

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workshop challenge This week we want you to write the first draft of your 3,000-word article. Please remember your article is aimed at a visually literate audience and we want you to consider form, structure, materials and how the medium might impact on the writing itself.

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Pulling together reference in a moodboard

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Pulling together reference in a moodboard

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Just got back from talking to the manager at the Market Hall for an hour, loads of good info… that didn't record…

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Yesterday I went to a local letterpress studio and talked to the owner/printer/compositor

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Yesterday I went to a local letterpress studio and talked to the owner/printer/compositor

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This morning I spent a delightful two hours chatting to Matt Mackenzie of Paekakariki Press in Walthamstow. He set up the printing press in 2010, buying the unit and the land, and has presses, type and casting machines from throughout printing history. The press also works as a publishing house, where he publishes sewn handbound works of poetry and literature to a select audience.

He is studying for an MA in Local History, for which his dissertation is on the correlation between rising literacy rates and the printing industry in East London.

His father was a printer in New Zealand. He worked in sound in West End Theatres until redundancies coincided with his wish to reduce days.

When the screen has called for printing machines, he has played a consultant role to ensure the actors use the machine correctly and look like they know what they are doing! He helped on the filming of Pennyworth (Batman spin-off) and Paddington 2.

Some further questions I've asked Matt:
The name Paekakariki is a Maori word - why did you decide to name your press this and what significance does it hold for you?
paekākāriki - perching place of the little green parrot
pae - perching place
kākā - parrot
kākāriki - little parrot & green

I'm a great fan of alliteration: Paekakariki Press also I have a house there.

Whilst I was visiting the studio, you had two students on placement with you from university. How do you think this kind of training helps with their design training?
It's a very good discipline having to arrange physical blocks of letterforms and seeing how it affects the design. I had a little discussion on that subject as they were leaving today and that is what they found.

How does it differs from the traditional print apprenticeship?
The traditional apprenticeship was 7 years, so it in no way reaches the same level of skill and competence. You just can't hope to meet and resolve all the physical issues that might occur or come up against all the design problems in 5 weeks.

How were you taught printing and letterpress?
My father taught me a great deal at his Bibilo press at VUW NZ. Subsequently I have learnt from various retired practitioners who have very kindly shared their skills and knowledge.

What is your favourite part of your printing process?
What is unusual here is that I have to be able to do all the tasks that would have been split between many different people and commercial companies. Obviously that means I cannot approach the technical excellence of my predecessors who were specialists. I do not attempt four colour photographic reproduction! Sadly the skill level in general has generally declined to that of the 1880s and very few could hope to emulate the work displayed in the Penrose Annuals from the early 20c.

Why is printing important to you?
I suppose because I grew up with it. It's also very creative in a human way rather than the way Graphic Design has gone with the reliance on the computer.

What advice do you pass down to new printers?
I am trying to uphold the standards of the 1880s and rather advise against the current fashion of printing for the blind

Would you design your own letterforms? What would they look like?
Interesting. I often wonder whether the world needs any more typefaces, but then find one that I feel needs a little tweaking to make it perfect...

What does a typical day in the studio look like for you?
The good thing is that there is often not a typical day. There are so many different things that need doing: book design, casting, imposition, printing, binding. And then all the commissions that clients ask for which are often outside what I would normally do so provide a learning opportunity for me.

Favourite typeface? (difficult to narrow down I know)
Somehow Garamond features quite often.

Piece of typography you'd like to create?
Sometimes I think I would like to do some Kurt Schwitters like creations, but never seem to have the time.

Typographers/designers you admire?
Jan Tschichold, Berthold Wolpe

Favourite piece of type history/equipment?
The Hoe Type Revolving machine

Piece of type history would you most like to own?
I suspect I have most of it, somewhere.

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This morning I spent a delightful two hours chatting to Matt Mackenzie of Paekakariki Press in Walthamstow. He set up the printing press in 2010, buying the unit and the land, and has presses, type and casting machines from throughout printing history. The press also works as a publishing house, where he publishes sewn handbound...

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Are we uploading the drafts here or emailing them straight to tutors?

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The vocabulary of manga—Visual morphology in dialects of Japanese Visual Language

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REACT project video. Filmed and edited by Benjie Croce.

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The Icebook - the world's first projection mapped pop-up book. An exquisite experience of fragile paper cutouts and video projections that sweep you right into the heart of a fantasy world. It is an intimate and immersive experience of animation, book art and performance.
For more information on the making of and the artists please visit: www.theicebook.com.
Music: Ben Woods

https://twitter.com/the_mcguires
www.davyandkristinmcguire.com

Icebook performances:

Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival, Tunbridge Wells/UK: October, 10th 2015
http://twpuppetryfestival.org/

Suspense Festival, London/UK: November, 7th 2015
http://www.suspensefestival.com/

Chengdu PlayHouse + Chengu Summer Camp, Chengdu/China: July 2015
http://www.play-house.cn/

Horse+Bamboo Puppetry Festival @The Boo, Rossendale/UK :July, 5th 2015
http://www.horseandbamboo.org/

Alderney Performing Arts Festival @The Methodist Hall, Guernsey /UK: May, 23rd 2015
http://www.alderneyperformingartsfestival.com/

Orbis Pictus @Palais de Tau, Reims/ France: April, 24th, 25th & 26th 2015
http://www.orbispictus.fr/

Warwick Arts Centre, Warwick/UK: Nov, 29th & 30th 2014
http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk

St Helens/UK: Oct, 29th 2014 
www.sthelens.gov.uk

Pound Arts Centre, Corsham/UK:  Oct, 18th 2014
www.poundarts.org.uk

Holburne Museum, Bath/UK: Sept, 27th 2014
http://holburne.org

Wirksworth Festival @ The Town Hall, Wirksworth/UK: Sept, 18th 2014
http://wirksworthfestival.co.uk

Seven Stories, Newcastle/UK: May, 27th 2014
http://www.sevenstories.org.uk 

Dublin Writer's Festival @ Marsh's Library, Dublin/Ireland: May, 24th 2014
http://www.dublinwritersfestival.com

Morecambe Variety Festival @The Winter Gardens, Morecambe/UK: May, 3rd 2014
http://morecambevarietyfestival.wordpress.com

Shoreditch Town Hall, London UK: March, 6th - 9th 2014
http://shoreditchtownhall.com

Library Discovery Season, Birmingham/UK: Oct, 22nd 2013
http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com

Bank Street Arts, Sheffield/UK: Oct, 12th  2013
http://bankstreetarts.com

E-topia, Takamatsu/Japan: Aug, 1st & 3rd 2013
https://www.e-topia-kagawa.jp

Hamilton House Open Studios, Bristol/UK: June, 9th 2013
www.hamiltonhouse.org

Maison du Savoir, Saint Laurent de Neste/France: April, 23rd - 24th 2013
www.maisondusavoir.ovh.org

Micro Performance Series, Vancouver/Canada: Feb, 27th - March, 2nd 2013
www.bocadellupo.com

Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford/UK: Feb, 18th - 23rd 2013
www.rsc.org.uk

Jaffe Center for Book Arts, Florida/USA: Dec, 7th - 9th 2012
www.jaffecollection.org

Cinecity Brighton Film Festival, Brighton/UK: Dec,1st 2012
www.cine-city.co.uk

Prema Arts Centre, Dursley/UK: Nov, 17th 2012
www.prema.org.uk

Bournemouth Arts Festival, Bournemouth/UK: Sept, 29th 2012
www.artsbournemouth.org.uk

Scopitone Festival, Nantes/France: Sept, 19th -23rd 2012
www.scopitone.org

Cambridge Film Festival, Cambridge/UK: Sept, 15th 2012
www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk

SHOWTIME, Queens Gardens Croydon, London/UK: Sept, 6th 2012
www.theculturediary.com

Fringe Madrid, Madrid/Spain: Aug, 9th - 10th2012
www.fringemadrid.com

Watershed Bristol 30th Birthday, Pervasive Media Studio: June, 7th 2012
www.watershed.co.uk

Bath Spa Live, Burdall’s Yard, Bath: March, 24th 2012
www.bathspampa.com

Flatpack Festival, The Custard Factory, Birmingham: March, 17th 2012
www.flatpackfestival.org

Broadway Cinema, Nottingham/UK: Feb, 10th 2012
www.broadway.org.uk

InShadow Festival, Lisbon/Portugal: Dec, 5th - 9th 2011 
www.inshadowfestival.wordpress.com

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff/Wales: Nov, 5th 2011
www.wmc.org.uk 

Frequency, Lincoln Digital Culture Festival 2011, UK: Oct, 27th -29th 2011
www.frequency.org.uk 

Parabola Arts Centre, Cheltenham/UK: Oct, 21st 2011
www.parabolaartscentre.co.uk 

Stratford Circus, London/UK: Oct, 16th 2011
www.stratford-circus.com

Dreamfactory Warwick, UK: Oct,15th 2011
www.playboxtheatre.com

Berwick Film and Media Festival, Berwick/UK: Sept, 24th - 25th 2011
www.berwickfilm-artsfest.com

Teatret Gruppe 38, Aarhus/Denmark: Sept, 2nd - 3rd 2011
www.gruppe38.dk

Pervasive Media Studio, Bristol/UK: Sept, 9th 2011
www.pmstudio.co.uk

Aardman Animations, Bristol/UK: July,18th 2011
www.aardman.com

Bo Lee Gallery, London/UK: June,14th 2011
www.bo-lee.co.uk

Toy Theatre Festival, Harderwijk/Holland: June,1st - 3rd 2011
www.papiertheaterfestival.nl

Mayfest, Bristol/UK: May,17th- 27th 2011
www.mayfestbristol.co.uk

Imagine Create, Derry/Northern Ireland: April,1st 2011
www.imaginecreate.info

The Icebook is available for touring. If you would like to host the show please don't hesitate to get in touch with us info@theicebook.com.

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Posted also last week.

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PLOT POINT (teaser) // BIEFF 2010 Award Winning Films

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Looking at Noir-ish areas in general.

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Wide selection of maybe's. Picture book or magazine style layout, photo styles…
I'm unsure yet as to what style of layout I'll go with, if it's a formal or a strong grid or if it's more random with heavy type, industrial-ish, to go with the hard work by traders inside. Large photos though…

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**I have edited PDF, it is now interactive**

Here is the moodboard I have setup in my office (only some elements dropped on after photo was taken).
I have used mostly my primary research to create the board. I want this piece to reflect the style/personality of my chosen artist as seen in the header fonts I have chosen.
The body copy fonts are then the thing that grounds the piece a little, which will be used for the main bulk of the 3,000 article.

Hope you like and would love your thoughts?

Thanks

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I am going with the Pokémon Go route (surprise surprise) and here is my inspiration board – I am looking at creating a digital piece that tells my story but through the POV of my in-game character. I thought this would be a fun twist on the topic I’ve chosen and would also enable me to build on the writing style I started developing in Week 5.

Richard pointed me in the direction of Scott McCloud, and I loved this idea of using the same visual language as the thing I’m talking about – so in this case Pokémon Go – to create my piece. Using things like player stats as ‘credentials’ and avatars rather than real life photographs to represent the people I’ve spoken to both seemed like good ways of doing this.

There’s a Pokémon event on at Arrow Valley this weekend so I’ll be taking my camera down to get some pictures too.

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I've been looking at football magazines and programmes, monty Python/absurdist art and quirky fonts with personality to reflect the visual side of my story

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What do you guys think of this as an idea for my project?
It will be on my mood board too.

A large (homemade), spray can.
The idea would be to print off and stick the 3,00 words to the sides along with artwork by the artist. Might be some work to do and I would (try) finish it to be more stylised like the street art style

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My publication is going to be focused around architectural photos of Newcastle with the 3000 words broken down to smaller essays illustrating particular aspects surrounding 'the linear city'.
I am hoping to use the comments I have gathered from people during my research as decorative text almost, playing with the layout so it reflects the content - so I have been looking at different ways to layout text and images for my mood board. I would also like to reference different building textures so having been looking at ways to incorporate them.

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I've been so busy this week, haven't posted much. Hoping to have a lot more spare time next week!

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I realise no one will have time to read this but I've posted the first draft of my essay to my blog. Scroll down a small bit if you do get to have a quick gander.

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Research approach

This match took place in 1975 and there is a good bit to read about it, but I want to gain an insight that may not be there in what's been written. The research questions I want answered are:

What made this match such a special occasion?

How do these events become part of folklore?

What makes myth and legend so appealing in storytelling?

Unstructured interviews

After going through some of the literature last week on ethnography, I felt the best approach to answer my research questions was to interview people that were actually at the game. My goal for the research was to track down a couple of people and try to gain some insight into what made this game so special and unique, because it really has become a huge part of the history of the town. I spoke to a friend at work who said that when he mentions it to people in the football community, they become very excited and animated and love to talk about it.

Interview 1

I tracked down Declan Lynch, an influential journalist and author. Declan is an Athlone native and was at the game. I was aware of Declan's brilliant writing and hear him regularly on the radio and tv. He is very descriptive and funny so I knew I would get a unique insight into the game. My aim was to hold an unstructured interview as I wanted to keep the conversation open, as I feel there is more opportunity for the interviewee to open up and potentially reveal more insights.

Declan Lynch interview

Interview 2

The second interview I conducted was a face to face interview with former FAI (Football Association of Ireland) president Paddy McCaul.

Gods led by Goats - How myth, legend and missed penalties shape a good story - 1st draft.

In 1974, former Manchester United Legend Denis Law back-heeled the winner for Manchester City in the Manchester derby to relegate his old club from the top division for the first time ever. As he slotted the ball home, his body language read - "I don't want to do this but I have to". The image of Law refusing to celebrate the goal is etched on the memory of most football fans, especially heartbroken United fans. It's part of the folklore and mythology of the clubs' history. But the truth is United were already doomed to relegation as Birmingham City had beaten Norwich City 2-1. Dennis Law's goal had no effect whatsoever on United's relegation. The truth is that the Birmingham-Norwich result doesn't matter anymore, nobody lets this truth get in the way of this particular story. The story of a Manchester United legend relegating Manchester United is the kind of story that people love to retell. As the newspaper editor in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance said: "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend".

One year later, as the River Shannon meandered through the town of Athlone, a small man from UEFA pulled their name out of a hat for their first ever UEFA cup tie. The town held its breath, expecting to hear the name of a European superpower such as Barcelona, Liverpool or Roma that would have catapulted them into the bigtime. There was collective confusion and disappointment when the name of Valerengen was pulled out. The Norwegian team were not a European superpower. Athlone Town, who were a decent team, had little problems in dispatching the plucky Vikings over two legs, and were welcomed home as all conquering heroes when they returned from Oslo with the scalps of their opponents held high. The local paper, The Westmeath Independent remarked of the occasion; " Bonfires blazed and townspeople turned out in huge numbers, in the early hours of Friday morning to give a tumultuous welcome to the team". A night in Europe that would be hard to beat.

In Irish culture, the Seanachai (Shan-a-key) meaning bearer of old lore, has always held a special and important position in society. Irish myth dates back to pre-Christian times. Stories of myth and legend were passed on orally for generations. Seanachai travelled from town to town like a modern day touring rock band, but without the bus, the groupies or the money. His (because it generally was a 'his') rider may have consisted of a floor to sleep on and whisky to fuel the fire so to speak. But what he did have was an attentive audience who were hungry for stories, stories generally retold with more legs than a nest of spiders. The tradition of storytelling holds today in Ireland, If there is a story to be told there will be an audience.

With the bonfires barely extinguished, the people of Athlone strapped themselves back into the catapult, and their attention was back on the small man from UEFA. The hat seemed smaller this time as huge name after huge name was drawn - Barcelona, Liverpool, Roma all slinked by within touching distance, flaunting their wares at a salivating 'Town'. Surely it can't be another Valerengen? Then it happened....AC MILAN! The catapult took off, its contents not to be seen until the second leg had finished. In a podcast documentary about the game, local man Anthony Keane remembers the excitement after Milan were drawn - "I'd say we were the envy of every club in Ireland. It was absolutely huge news. Athlone Town had never been associated with anything like it before. The excitement around the place that AC Milan were coming to small little Athlone was fantastic. Everyone knew it was the real deal." Former 'Town' player Turlough O'Connor recounts, "I thought there must have been a mistake, Athlone Town v AC Milan, Hold on! Did I hear it right? It was just fantastic you know?".

AC Milan were Italian football legends. Their list of honours was as long as the Shannon itself, so the gulf that existed between the two teams was almost farcical. There were a couple of things in Athlones' favour though. Milan were going through a period of transition. After a few glorious years, they had gone three years consecutively finishing second in Serie A prior to the game, and their 'Golden Boy' Gianni Rivera wouldn't be starting the game. Fortunately for me, this story has its own Seanachai in the form of journalist, author and lifelong Athlone Town fan Declan Lynch. Lynch, who was at the game, recalls the news of the draw and the surreal reality of playing such a giant of European soccer, " It was a big deal, but the funny thing was, which kind of makes it more complicated, Athlone were very good at the time. They were a really good side, maybe the best team they ever had. It wasn't the most successful one, but a really talented team, so we didn't think we were totally hopeless you know what I mean? We thought we'd put up some sort of a show and then get slaughtered. But we weren't terrified, because we knew we had quite a good team." I asked Declan if there was a sense that it was almost ridiculous that the match was happening; " I think there was an inherent absurdity about it, just the shear gulf between the two teams. At the same time, there wasn't a sense of total terror. I mean, it wasn't like, say today like sort of a poor team playing Barcelona or something."

In "The Hero with a Thousand Faces", Joseph Campbell explores the world of mythology, particularly through the much-used template of the Hero's Journey - The Monomyth. The typical journey involves three stages - 1. The hero receives and answers the call, 2. He/she then enters a world of "supernatural wonder", where "f abulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won", 3. The Hero returns from "this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man". Mythology teaches us lessons about life and the human experience. It helps us make sense of the world through storytelling. We can relate to the hero's journey as we route for them in their perilous quest. The hero is the underdog, the hero is David slaying Goliath, the hero is you or me.

When Milan arrived in Athlone, the myth was already writing itself. Stories abound of chefs being flown in to cook their meals and a massive entourage of mafia-like security. Declan Lynch recalls - " And then the famous legend that they brought their own chef, and they got changed in the hotel. I think they stayed in the Hudson Bay Hotel. They did their best to separate themselves from the horrors of reality. I mean, the dressing rooms in St Mel's, God knows what the showers were like....not up to Italian standards." Indeed, in an article written about the match for Hot Press magazine, Lynch himself takes a guess at the standard of said showers - " The idea of million dollar Italian superstars having to sluice their expensive torsos beneath 'showers' which squirted an unpredictable blackish fluid".

When the day of the big game arrived, the town of Athlone was beside itself with quivering excitement and expectation. The worlds media descended on the town, with the Italian media particularly dismissive of their own heroes opponents, labelling them as 'Shepherds' due to their rural location. But the spunky sheep herders had no intention of making it easy for the imperious Italians. In an interview for this article, Paddy McCaul, former FAI (Football Association of Ireland) president explains: "There was an element of surprise in it. Nowadays if you draw a team in Europe, you have to allow the visitors to train on the ground where the match will be played the night before, so we didn't allow that. The first time Ac Milan saw the ground was at 3.30 the day of the match. Because of this UEFA actually changed the rules! It's hard to underestimate the 'element of surprise' this would have been for the Italians. The Rossoneri (Milans nickname) would have been used to playing on the lush Mediterranean carpet-like surfaces at home. There is a famous photo from the time of Milan players stepping off the bus at the ground. With their Italian leather loafers engulfed in muck, if they didn't know it already, the Milanese were sure that this was not going to be a stroll in the Villa Borghese.

Declan Lynch recalls the teams entrance to the cauldron that was Athlone's' home ground St Mel's; " It was the visual aspects of it. You know the thing that was burned on my brain was just a physical sort of difference. They were just like Greek Gods, you know? These Italian guys, aristocrats, you know? They were beautifully conditioned top of the range athletes and Italians to boot. I remember looking across and there was the famous player Gianni Rivera. He was an absolutely world class player. We had probably last seen him in the World Cup in Mexico in 1970, which was the first great football TV event . I mean, the Brazil team that came to light then. Albert Hozey was playing in that, literally the last time we saw Albert Hozey, Pele was playing against him. So Gianni Rivera was a top Italian player, and I don't know why he wasn't playing, maybe he didn't fancy it. But he was there, and I saw him walking across the muck of St Mel's right into the dugout, and he was wearing this beautiful coat, that was beautifully designed, so even in their street clothes they looked great you know?"

As the teams lined up in the 'tunnel', The Italians were greeted by a sight that surely would have had them wondering if they were part of an Opera Buffa. As legend has it, the teams were led out on to the pitch by a pipe band which was being led by a goat. Lynch: " it was kind of intimidating for AC Milan in the sense that, you know, the funny thing about it is that some people remember it as a pipe band led by a goat. I don't know whether this is just in the mind's eye or not, but some people don't remember the goat." McCaul: "We had a goat as a mascot. I remember we brought him on the train to a match in Dublin. A fella by the name of Bug Judge is alleged to have said to the ticket attendant "Give us two adults and one for the kid". But no, I don't think it happened on the day." Despite the muck and farm animals (the goat not the players), The Rossoneri looked the part to the home crowd and Declan lynch in the warm-up - " Those Italian aristos put on a good front alright, preening extravagantly in the pre-match kick-about, flaunting their bronzed beautifully honed physiques all rippling thighs and balletic elegance as they strove to freak-out the cadaverous natives with their class."

There is something about storytelling that connects us and brings us together. We gladly enter fantasy worlds, enthralled by the adventure, the excitement, the danger and the unending possibilities that may be missing from the reality of our groundhog existence. Stories have the power to heal, to inspire, and to motivate. Obviously they can also be dangerous, manipulative and deceitful, but that's for another day. The storyteller delivers the gift which the audience receive gladly. There is an unspoken transaction that creates a bond that enhances our spirit and our lives.

While the validity of the goat band leader may be in doubt, there is no doubting the validity of the Italians fierce reputation in the tackle. Italian teams in general were tough, very physical and very defensive. Despite the obvious gulf in class, given the conditions and how far out of their comfort zone Milan would have felt, a 0-0 would suit them down to the ground. Italian teams were always masters of the nil-all draw, the result is almost a religion in Italy. The Athlone players would have been well for-warned, indeed, the Milan manager Nereo Rocco had apparently sent his team out with the order to "kick everything that moves, if it is the ball, all the better". With the Milan players intent on kicking everything but the ball, the homeside settled into a groove, as Declan Lynch wrote, " Around the half-hour mark the Pizza Men suddenly discovered the rancid taste of workhouse gruel." I couldn't believe they dropped off, they dropped off and were compact in midfield. As a substitute on the day, former player Pauric Nicholson had a good view of the game. He remembers an encouraging start for his team, "They dropped off and let us have the ball, and we had players like John Duffy, who, given the time and space could do damage. We could have scored a couple of goals in the game, we were the better side". The omens were good for the Shepherds, the Greek Gods were in a celestial battle, the scene was set.

Everybody remembers where they were during enormous moments in their lives. People always talk about where they were during great landmark moments like the JFK assassination, the Moon Landings or 9/11. These moments may have the power to change the course of history. But there are other moments of such enormous emotion and connection that they become embedded in the life experience of those who shared it. I remember when Ole Gunner Solskaer scored the winner in injury time for Manchester United against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final. It was a moment of such unbridled delirium that it's actually hard to put into words. But what is most memorable is the shared delirium with everybody else in the bar we watched it. It's these moments of human connection that create memories and stories that last a lifetime.

Athlone Town's winger Terry Daly faced his own assassination attempt in the on the hour when Italian defender Nevio Scala went through him for a shortcut. PENALTY! It couldn't be could it? In big European football matches, the underdog rarely gets the big decision.. But the referee immediately pointed to the muddy spot - God bless his eyesight. It was a moment that would define the occasion. The Gods had arrived to stage their very own Greek tragedy though. Up steps the local hero John Minnock. Minnock was a star for Athlone, a classy player with a right foot on him that could send the ball back to the San Siro. But for some reason he elected to shelve this superpower for the task in hand. Instead he chose to place it in the bottom left. As he says himself, "Albertini (the goalkeeper) had to come out to collect it". Penalty saved. Unbridled delirium turned to traumatic tragedy. The silence in the ground was palpable. Disbelief. Time appeared to collapse in on itself, nobody knew what to do. The collective trauma is described by Declan Lynch himself, "it's almost like a traumatic event. Because it was just unbelievable first of all to get a penalty right?. There was complete pandemonium in the ground, complete madness. The disbelief to get a penalty against AC Milan, and that was kind of a trauma, and then the trauma of missing it right? It was too much, kind of an overload, you never get over it, this visceral kind of trauma." After the penalty the bottom kind of fell out of the game. The moment shook everybody, and although the 'Town' had a couple of chances, it felt like all involved were happy enough to leave things as they were, although the game was seen as a 0-0 victory for the homeside. A few days later Athlone put up another valiant effort in the San Siro but were hit with a sucker punch of three quick goals. The Gods were finished toying with the peasants.

"I've come around over the years to the feeling that, penalty is so important, because, it is actually better for the legend and for the myth that it was missed, right? Because if it had been scored. There was every chance, that Maybe AC Milan would have gotten riled up and beaten us 4-1 and the whole thing would have been forgotten about, 15 mins after it finished". The moment and the myth. Like Denis Laws reluctant finish and relegation of united, it doesn't matter if a goat really led the pipe band or not. It doesn't matter if Milan really brought their own chefs. What matters is the retelling and the aura surrounding this game. Every person I spoke to about it lit up when they talked about it. The occasion itself has a personality that is irresistible. A personality that is created by the personalities that retell it. The Sheanacai that is Declan Lynch. Fintan the barman , who I wasn't even interviewing and almost jumped across the bar to talk about it. Paddy's nostalgic retelling of Bug Judge and the goat. It's one of those rare and special occasions that invites lore and longing. Longing for a time that in todays' money-driven football environment is almost impossible. A final word from Declan Lynch, " But then it's it an amazing event really because there are loads of football matches that take place between very small clubs and very big clubs, I mean that happens all the time. But there's something unique about this one. It literally couldn't happen. Ac Milan would never be allowed to play out in such terrible ground. Do you know what I mean? That there's a far greater side of separation between the aristocracy and the peasantry in football".

This game had everything, gods, shepherds, goats, violence, penalties, muck, trauma, tragedy, delirium...a heady mix of life experiences. Occasions like this teach us about who we are, what we do and why we do it. Occasions like this teach us about life, how to live, why we live and remind us of our place in the world. This town has never forgotten the day Gods were led by Goats, and we're all the richer for it.

References

Telephone interview with Declan Lynch

Face-to-face interview with Paddy McCaul

Lynch, F. 1991, A History of Athlone Town FC - The First 101 Years. "An Grianian' Athlone.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2015/1019/735955-athlone-town/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLc40Ew3lD8 https://www.irishpost.com/sport/when-milan-went-to-the-midlands-40-years-on-from-athlone-town-v-ac-milan-72220 https://athlonecommunityradio.ie/athlone-town-fc-v-ac-milan-1975-documentary/ https://twitter.com/danielmcarey/status/1071451164602982403 https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/international/caught-in-an-athlone-trap-63496.html https://oldmooresalmanac.com/the-seanchai-of-ireland-and-their-stories/ http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/2012/5/8/the-day-milan-came-to-town.html https://www.allencheng.com/the-hero-with-a-thousand-faces-summary-pdf-joseph-campbell/ https://www.irishpost.com/sport/when-milan-went-to-the-midlands-40-years-on-from-athlone-town-v-ac-milan-72220

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This match took place in 1975 and there is a good bit to read about it, but I want to gain an insight that may not be there in what's been written. The research questions I want answered are: What made this match such a special occasion?

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I have been MIA for quite a bit this week. Quite eventful on the island at the moment.

As per our research last week, I am going with the crime related title for the essay. As one can see from the mood board, I am going with a dossier style for the final presentation piece. My idea is to make an actual dossier, but let's see how things will unfold. :)

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Starting to look at old match day programmes for tone and design inspiration. I've also been communicating with the club and will allowed to access the stadium, walk the pitch and enter the stands on Monday next week so I can take a bunch of medium format photographs of the stadium and the surrounding area. Excited.

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Meeting the facilities manager at the Market Hall Friday at 2, where I can run the whole project by her, regards busiest days, photos, etc. Also get her side of the story of the place, and how things have changed since she started.

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Link to blog. Getting together some points to make and then research.
I'd start with an intro to the Hall and set the scene, show some history, etc.
Points listed under 'written structures' header on here somewhere, no particular order.
Looking at old-vs-new, changes in culture, economic climates. Did a bad economy have a reverse effect on a cheaper place to shop? Is it a cheaper place to shop now…?

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Written Structures

Planning:

Make a list of the points you want to make, research each point, then start to structure it in a way that makes sense.
Make a list of the points you want to make, research each point, then start to structure it in a way that makes sense.
Structure Points:
Set the scene of the hall, some history (how far to go back?) - show some nostalgia.
- History of any ups and downs, busy -vs- any hard times. Include as part of the initial story then gain evidence or opinions from older traders to comment on those different times.
- Can harder times be linked to social/economical climates?
- Compare 60's, 70's, 80's for ups and downs linked to economy at those times? Any link to popularity of the place.
- Did intro of supermarket chains have an effect?
- Chains tend to be out of town retailers these days, were they ever in the town centre, what effect on the town centre.
- Shrewsbury now full of independents both inside and outside of the hall - any opinions/effects

History refs only posed to longer-term businesses. If new in comparison, how new, what changes have they seen in their time - don't just focus on very old -vs- very new.

Info from new occupants

- What made them open there?
- Rents
- Location
- Trends

Business model of the Hall
- How/has how the whole place is run changed during current mgmnt
- What did they walk into
- What changed
- How long til changes took effect

Info:
Compare rents over the decades - infographic?

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Planning: Make a list of the points you want to make, research each point, then start to structure it in a way that makes sense. Make a list of the points you want to make, research each point, then start to structure it in a way that makes sense.

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I know we're not on the data visualisation week anymore but this is cool!

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Skip to content

COVID-19 #Coronavirus latest data visualized.
You are welcome to use these graphic in any way you please.

Created by David McCandless, Omid Kashan, Fabio Bergamaschi, Dr Stephanie Starling, Univers Labs, Nueker, Tom Evans
Learn to Create Impactful Infographics

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COVID-19 #CoronaVirus Infographic Datapack - Information is Beautiful

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Updated daily, now with global vaccination stats

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I have secured two interviews with Cornish textile designers to interview for my peice! Super excited as it will hopefully add a great contrast to the historical subject matter of Alec Walker's story. Here are my questions for them, what you think:
1.Are you from Cornwall, have you lived here during you whole career?
2.Is there something about Cornwall that inspires or influences your designs?
3.What kind of production processes do you use to produce your textiles?
4.What would you term/describe as your graphic style?
5.What opportunities does working as a designer in Cornwall offer?
6.What are the challenges of working as a designer here?
7.During you career have you been aware of Alec Walker or the Crysede fabric designs?

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Off topic for everyone else (sorry).
But, just found an great blog about the artist I am following.
Love the content and it has motivated me to make this piece great!

I actually feel honoured he is giving me the time of day.

Thanks and goodnight!

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From across the Atlantic, coming to us from the gritty city of Sheffield is Coloquix, an artist who you may be familiar with because his work has popped u

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... despite (not yet officially...) presenting my two ideas for the project, I'm reassessing whether I should actually be going down the 'legacy of the Olympics' path. The original material I can find in the local archives, library, community, and the internet veers from the official not-propaganda-but-you-know-what-I-mean to the council minutes to the incredible negative internet blogs. I'm not getting far because it's not grabbing me and I also can't 'see' the audience.
Instead, I'm considering extending week 1's project of typography in my local area. There is a history of printing here, as well as Kelmscott Press set up by William Morris, that I haven't covered yet and at the community centre a wealth of new information (so I'm not just riffing off Week 1). Type is what gets me excited and I feel I can play around with different papers, bindings, cutouts, production values to make a tactile sketchbook of the history of typography in E17.

@Stuart @Richard @Syed what do you think?

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Subject two. Julian Batey, a violin maker who has a workshop in Shrewsbury.

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Just got to this point so adding details to this week to get seen…

I’ve wanted to avoid simply doing ‘the history of…’, mainly because it’s been done here in Shrewsbury over and over again. I wanted something connected but current, something still going on.

The first is inside the Market Hall in Shrewsbury.
A day-in-the-life of the traders.

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So, I managed (through social media) to track and connect with the artist that will be my main focus - Coloquix

Below are the questions I have come up with so far.
Would love your thoughts.
- Are there enough?
- Do you think they will give a good overview of the artist?
- Is there anything else that you would ask?

Please help :-)

1. Where does the name Coloquix come from?

2. What does it mean? Is it a simple name or does it have deeper meanings to you?

3. Where would you say your style comes from? And, what are your inspirations?

4. What made you choose to become a street artist?

5. What is your favourite street artist? Locally? Globally?

6. Are you part of any sub cultures? i.e. groups of street artists that get together and create pieces together?

Or are you a Lone Ranger?

7. What are your motivations for doing the artwork?

8. Do you want your artwork to be seen by the largest amount of people? Or do you simply enjoy the process of making and then move onto the next piece?

9. Does your artwork represent anything?

10. Are you originally from the Bolsover area?

11. What’s the most exotic location you have managed to do a piece of artwork?

12. Have you ever done an outdoor piece then wanted to take the wall or the building home? Which one? Why?

13. What’s your favourite canvas type? i.e. walls, buildings, card paper or a good old canvas?

14. What is your favourite location you did an outdoor piece?

15. Have you ever been seen doing outdoor pieces?

What happened?

Have you ever been in trouble for any pieces?

16. Do you know of any secret locations where you have created pieces And nobody has ever found them?

17. How do you choose the locations for your outdoor pieces?

18. Out of everything you’ve ever done so far what is your most treasured piece and why?

19. Do you have any new figures in the pipeline, or a new style maybe?

20. Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?

eg. What paints you use?

Best practices?

Best way to pick a location?

Tips for starting out?

21. On average how long would it take to do a piece?

And how many cans of spray paint would you use?

22. If you could swap to doing another style, what would it be?

Is there an artist that springs to mind?

23. What are your plans for the future as the artist Coloquix?

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This is the article I am choosing to move forward with.
I find this the most interesting and will give me a good scope for expansion into different areas (if needed).

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks, J

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hi folks, hope you don't mind I am posting this here also as it is my chosen avenue for the essay.

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Using angles and accordion printing to tell different stories

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It's supposed to be used before you start writing but I found this quite handy to start making notes from my notes - pulling out key themes

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The Search Planner is a simple tool designed to kick-start your information search. It only takes a few minutes to complete and will help focus your research, give you a plan of action, and make sure you don’t forget anything.

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Not in any way connected to this week... but there is a type competition with amazing briefs (from exploring Richard's links earlier)!

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Not in any way connected to this week... but there is a type competition with amazing briefs (from exploring Richard's links earlier)!

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https://assessment.istd.org.uk/

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Really struggling to connect with this whole essay task. I can write, I love to write, but I think because I am new to this place I can't find what feels like an authentic hook for a story. However I have gotten some great inspiration from all of your workshop challenge submissions from last week so thanks for that. St. Ives has such a rich artistic heritage you'd think that a visual culture essay would come easily, but I just don't want to write a historic overview of the town! Regardless I will be posting my week 6 submission and charging into my draft imminently.

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Typography references past and present:

Baseline
Upper and Lower Case
I Love Typography: http://ilovetypography.com/2010/12/11/week-in-type-ipad-fonts-codex-typography/
Fonts.com: http://blog.fonts.com/tag/ulc/
Typographic Circle: https://typocircle.com
International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD): http://www.istd.org.uk/about-istd

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(in no particular order):

Otl Aicher, Wim Crouwel, Bradbury Thompson, Wolfgang Weingart, Paul Rand, Saul Bass, George Lois, Shigeo Fukuda, Tadanori Yokoo, Milton Glaser, Massimo Vignelli, Peter Saville, April Greiman, Chip Kidd, Louise Fili, The Designers Republic, Paula Scher, Bruce Mau, Ed Fella, Barbara Kruger, Rick Valicenti, Under Consideration, Michael Bierut, Sagmeister, Michael Johnson, Experimental Jetset, Wolff Olins, Ellen Lupton, Daniel Eatock, Debbie Millman

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Another... scanned chapters from Figuring the Word by Johanna Drucker

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Another... scanned chapters from Figuring the Word by Johanna Drucker

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An interesting essay 'Design and Production in the Mechanical Age' by Ellen Lupton

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An interesting essay 'Design and Production in the Mechanical Age' by Ellen Lupton

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"Design and Production in the Mechanical Age" (excerpt), essay by Ellen Lupton, published in Deborah Rothschild, Ellen Lupton, and Darra Goldstein, Graphic Design in the Mechanical Age: Selections from the Merrill C. Berman Collection. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1998. pp 50-81.

Modern designers, working in the ambitious decades between the two world wars, aimed to emphasize and transform the conditions of reproduction; they sometimes buried the evidence of one technology in order to objectify another. Mass manufacturers in the nineteenth century had proven that industrial production could replicate the work of traditional artisans; modern designers sought instead to express the techniques of production in the form and appearance of the object. They sought to expose technology and loosen its constraints, viewing the processes of manufacture not as neutral, transparent means to an end but as devices equipped with cultural meaning and aesthetic character.

By the 1920s, industrial production had accrued diverse cultural meanings, holding forth the utopian promise of social transformation as well as the ominous threat of war and destruction. In Europe in the early twentieth century, the American factory became a paradigm for economic and social planning. There was a growing adherence to Taylorism, a theory of management that, by advocating the objective analysis of human labor, promised to maximize profits while enhancing the lives of workers. Fordism, named after Henry Ford and his mass-produced Model Ts, crossed the Atlantic to Europe, bringing the concepts of the assembly line and the creation of vast markets for low-cost, standardized goods. The administrators of this freshly mechanized civilization were the engineers, professionals equipped to apply scientific methods to the organization of people, procedures, and environments. The new production experts helped the factory shed its image as a squalid site of exploitation and emerge into the healthy light of efficiency and rationality.1

Artists and designers saw industrial modes of production as vehicles for moving art into life. In the Soviet Union, the decision to take art "into production" marked a commitment to modern technology and a utopian mass culture. The critic Osip Brik, describing his friend Rodchenko as the prototypical production artist, wrote in 1923, "Rodchenko knows that you won't do anything by sitting in your own studio, that you must go into real work, carry your own organising talent where it is needed-into production."2 In the Soviet Union, many artists championed the industrial artifact-generated mechanically and consumed collectively-over the singular work of aesthetic contemplation. Although the utopian desire to transform the aesthetic innovations of the avant-garde into a popularly understood language ultimately crashed against the rocks of Soviet political reality, this new approach to art helped spawn the modern profession of graphic design.3 As a practice rooted in the experiments of the avant-garde, graphic design emerged as a socially engaged, technologically critical discourse involving the reproduction of texts and images, a domain that now extends from the printed page to the Internet.4

For graphic designers, production consists of the process of planning and assembling a poster, book, or other document before its manufacture by a printer. In their drive to celebrate the machine age, modern designers delved into the system of mechanical production in order to reveal and transgress its limits. This stance aligned them with modern architects and industrial designers, who also believed that expanded factory production was a cornerstone of an improved society and the key to a new language of construction.
Most critical literature on graphic design looks past the question of production, approaching the printed surface as a smooth and glassy plane on which float disembodied marks and images. It is typical, for example, for historians to use the term "typography" in reference to any manipulation of the printed word.

Understood from within the narrower perspective of production, however, typography is the organization of prefabricated letters-produced by a metal or wood relief, paper stencil, photographic negative, or digital signal-while lettering includes the construction of characters with pen, brush, or cut paper. The indifference to production among historians of design is bolstered by the very technological apparatus that gave birth to our field of study. Since the late nineteenth century, photomechanical reproductions have been the dominant source of information, for scholars and the public, about the visual arts. Our bottomless appetite for images has been fed with printed pictures, whose uniformity of surface and flexibility of scale obscure the differences among physical artifacts. Compounding this problem, many books about graphic design feature poor illustrations distanced by multiple generations of reproduction from the works they document.

Merrill C. Berman's vast collection of twentieth-century graphic design has given the authors of this book an unequaled opportunity to study artifacts of design firsthand and view them as the result of physical processes. The Berman collection includes maquettes, drawings, and original photomontages as well as printed pieces created by some of the most influential designers of the twentieth century. The collection is staggering in both range and depth, constituting a premiere repository of primary documents of modern design.

This essay considers the role of production within the ideologies and aesthetics of modernism. How did techniques of making shape the meaning of design? What conflicts emerged between the ideal of mass production and the conditions of the print shop and designer's studio? In this transitional period of modernism, many artists relied on hand processes and cottage-scaled industries to execute their visions of a technologically enhanced, rationally constructed future. The language they created outpaced the technologies of the time; the implications of this work continues to unfold today, in an era when the tools of visual communication are becoming ever more powerful, pervasive, and accessible.

The Technological Matrix: From Letterpress to Lithography

During the first decades of the twentieth century, artists drew from a mix of old and new technologies, using the tools of printed media to overhaul the established codes of poetic and public address. Two major printing technologies dominated the commercial graphic arts: letterpress and lithography. Each accommodated distinctive manners of generating images and texts for reproduction. Technological features had interacted with visual conventions to yield the entrenched vernacular styles of the nineteenth-century printing trades. Working within and against the established frameworks of production, avant-garde artists and designers forged new approaches to layout, lettering, typography, and illustration.

The letterpress system, introduced in the fifteenth century, consists of relief surfaces that are inked and pressed against a sheet of paper. Individual characters made from lead or wood are assembled into blocks of copy. The relief letters are stored in gridded cases, which also hold rules, ornaments, and blank bars and spacers used to adjust the distance among characters. The traditional aesthetic of letterpress is governed by a battalion of gridded structures, from the printer's archive of prefabricated forms to the rectangular support of the "chase," a frame in which parallel lines of type are locked together, hemmed in by blank blocks of "furniture" that establish margins and open spaces.5

While letterpress printing was invented to create multiple copies of texts, other techniques were devised to reproduce images, including woodcut, etching, engraving, and lithography. For commercial printers, the most important of these methods was lithography. Invented in Germany in 1796, lithography involves marking a smooth stone with a water-resistant substance; when the surface is bathed in water during the printing process, the treated areas accept ink, and the resulting image prints onto paper. In offset lithography, which employs a flexible metal plate rather than a rigid stone, the inked image is "offset" from the plate to a rubber cylinder, which then prints the image onto paper. The offset method, introduced in the early twentieth century, proved more conducive to automation than stone lithography.6

Lithography enabled artists to draw images for reproduction in a direct and spontaneous manner with a crayon or brush, either directly on the stone or-to ease the awkwardness of drawing a flipped image-on transfer paper. Unlike letterpress, lithography is organized by no a priori grid. The stone is smooth, seamless, unmarked; it is not figured in advance by a matrix of horizontal elements and prefabricated characters. A lithographic design is built on open ground, not assembled out of rigid pieces. The early masters of the modern poster, such as Jules Cheret and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, were celebrated for their ability to command the entire surface with their gestural images.

Although offset lithography would become dominant after World War II, printing from metal type was the principal means for reproducing text in the first half of the century, while lithography was the preferred medium for replicating images. Yet neither technology was confined to conveying solely words or solely pictures. The rise of magazines and advertising in the mid-nineteenth century encouraged the mixing of text and image. Letterpress printers inserted woodcut illustrations into their typographic grids, while lithographers created organic, freeform lettering, sometimes densely ornamental, using the tools of illustration. Letterpress printers used images as typographic elements, while lithographers treated words as pictures.

Photography, invented in 1839, was quickly exploited by commercial printers. By the 1850s, the literature of the printing trades was replete with texts devoted to photomechanical reproduction.7 Because neither letterpress nor lithography can reproduce shades of gray, photographic techniques served primarily to copy "line" images, or illustrations consisting of pure black and white tones, such as an ink drawing, a logo, or a line of lettering or type. The halftone process, invented around 1884, translated the continuous tones of photography into a pattern of black and white dots, which could be engraved into metal or transferred to a lithographic stone or plate (fig. 2.6). Photographs could now be printed simultaneously with typography; the conditions for the birth of the modern newspaper and magazine had been created.

Not only were photographs a special mode of representation-detailed and depersonalized-but the new halftones were cheaper to produce than drawings. The photographic image quickly became a ubiquitous mass medium; halftone reproductions of photographs and wash illustrations were a routine feature of newspapers and magazines by the 1890s. Some journalists and intellectuals were alarmed by the insurgence of the image enabled by the new technology, citing the mass-produced picture as an obstacle to clear thinking and the camera as an invasion of personal privacy.8 In contrast to such responses of fear and dismay, one writer dryly commented in 1900 that the halftone had managed to penetrate modern life without calling attention to itself-despite its omniscience, few readers had troubled to discern its structure. The halftone process was deliberately discreet; it sought to obscure its own presence, operating at the threshold of perception.9

The avant-garde artists and designers of the 1910s and 1920s, many of whom were born in the 1880s and 1890s, grew up with halftone photography delivered to them through the ubiquitous media of letterpress and lithography. The halftone, absorbed into the vernacular codes of commercial printing, became an indigenous texture of daily life, especially in Europe, Britain, and the United States, where a flood of images passed through its radically unobtrusive mesh. Although industrialization was less advanced in Russia, all the major graphic arts technologies, including photomechanical reproduction, were in place there by 1895.10

The modernists didn't invent new technologies but rather devised new ways to use them, ways that often sought to emphasize technology itself. The means of production became a tangible presence, infusing the printed page with the taste-bitter, metallic, invigorating-of the mechanical age. This celebration of the machine was sometimes achieved through contradictory processes. As in Rodchenko's Kino Glaz, one technique could aggressively broadcast its status while another was striving to cover its tracks.

Decomposing the Grid: Futurism and Dada

Breaking the grid of letterpress while at the same time asserting it as the framing condition of mechanical reproduction was a recurring challenge for avant-garde typographers. Consider F. T. Marinetti's poem "CHAIRrrrrrrRR," first published in 1912. The poem rejects the linear stream of conventional writing, in which words follow one another like beads on a string. The enlarged letters bracketing the ends of the poem cut through the rows of characters that oscillate furiously between them. "CHAIRrrrrrrRR" deviates from conventional composition while rendering emphatically visible the grid underlying letterpress typography.11 Once it had been produced within the letterpress system, however, the poem stabilized as an image, which was photomechanically reproduced in various contexts across its life, from Marinetti's own publications to manuals of design and histories of art.
Other Futurist poems sought to obliterate the technological framework of letterpress typography. Marinetti's "Montagnes + vallees + routes + Joffre" (1915), a textual journey through a mountainous landscape, was produced by cutting apart scraps of printed matter, pasting them onto a page, and creating additional marks by hand. This collage, submitted to a printer for reproduction, was then photographed as a line image, consisting of pure tones of black and white. The resulting line engraving could then be printed letterpress. Thus the printer treated the poem as an illustration, not as "typography" in the technical sense, composed from individual characters locked together in a chase. By incorporating a collage of letters as an overall picture, the letterpress system was able to accommodate free-form compositions cut loose from the strictures of the typographic grid.

Marinetti's "CHAIrrrrrrRR" and "Montagnes + vallees + routes + Joffre" represent two distinct approaches to producing visual poetry, even though both pieces ultimately were printed letterpress. The first approach actively acknowledges the constraints of typography as a mechanical system-at once fighting and confirming the grid-while the other confronts the page as an unstructured field. Poems generated within the system of letterpress typography (rather than through the technique of collage) were composed from manuscripts marked up with directions to the printer, who would select characters whose size and spacing might not exactly match the poet's sketch.12 In contrast, the collage, assembled at the poet's work table, was photomechanically reproduced by the printer in a relatively neutral way.

Dada artists and poets also used the technologies and conventions of commercial printing to attack the institution of art. To construct poems, posters, and invitations, Tristan Tzara and Ilia Zdanevich (Iliazd) lifted slogans from advertising and journalism and borrowed typographic conventions from commercial printing, such as mixed fonts and shifting scales of type.13 In a 1923 poster for a Dada soiree (fig. 2.9), Iliazd assembled a motley assortment of typographic elements-letters large and small, ornaments and dingbats, wood-engraved illustrations, an oversized exclamation mark-in a composition whose stacked forms and curved and angled lines aggressively eat away at the structural grid of letterpress. Yet the grid, ragged and bruised, remains intact, its orthogonal pressures bracing together the elements of the printed page. Each letter and ornament is a fabricated object, a rigid readymade, locked into place with spacers and blank blocks of printer's furniture.

Tzara's lithographic announcement for the 1921 Salon Dada expresses a similar aesthetic of commercial quotation (fig. 2.10). Various slogans, written in a tone of abject defeat ("Nobody is supposed to ignore Dada. . . . Forget me not, please"), are depicted as street signs casually littered across the surface of the poster. Although the elements resemble industrial artifacts, every mark and letter has been drawn by hand. The design is infused with the accidental aesthetic of the found commercial object, yet it has been executed with conventional drawing tools. To create the poster, the artist probably worked directly on lithographic transfer paper, unaided by any photomechanical processes.

Kurt Schwitters, famous for his pasted paper collages and his outrageous public performances, led a double life: alongside his Dada activity, he operated an advertising agency that created logos, stationery, posters, and other ephemera. Although the obscure references of his collages suggest a hermetic bent, in his graphic design Kurt Schwitters embraced a philosophy of functional communication. He belonged to an international vanguard of modern graphic designers who leapt without hesitation from the abrasive experiments of Futurism and Dada to a commercial design practice-at once rationally organized and emotionally charged-aimed at enlightened clients and consumers.14

In a letterpress booklet promoting his services (1930), Schwitters diagrammed two paradigms of typographic composition (see fig. 2.11). One page, titled Orientierung (orientation), features a tightly packed, strictly gridded space; the other, titled Werbung (advertising), frames an open field where forms soar and collide. Modernist advertising drew its energy from Dada and Constructivism, while the upright structures of information design reflected the Neue Sachlicheit, or new objectivity, coursing through the visual culture of Weimar Germany. Together these two impulses-so vividly diagrammed by Schwitters in his own promotional brochure-fueled the founding of modern graphic design, a profession built on the conflicts between free expression and technological precision, between consumer culture and social critique, between the deliberately opaque experiments of the avant-garde and the New Typography's dream of a transparent language.

Regulating the Infinite: From Constructivism to the New Typography

By emphasizing the visual character of the printed word, Futurism and Dada freed letters from their subservience to the visual and verbal conventions of literature, just as Cubism and Suprematism had cut loose the elements of painting from the laws of perspective. The turbulent poetics of the avant-garde, which playfully manipulated commercial techniques and imagery, were retooled by proponents of functional communication in the 1920s. In his manifesto Die Neue Typographie, published in Berlin in 1928, Jan Tschichold placed Tzara and Marinetti among the founders of modern functional design. He attacked the centered compositions of the classical book and the florid individualism of Art Nouveau and Jugendstil in favor of asymmetrical layouts, uniform page sizes, sans serif letterforms, and the division of texts into functional parts (fig. 2.12). Whereas Futurism and Dada had cultivated chaos and contradiction, the New Typography claimed to be rational and coherent, capable of giving "pure and direct expression to the contents of whatever is printed; just as in the works of technology and nature."15

A bridge from the disruptive experiments of avant-garde painters and poets to the functional philosophy of the New Typography had been built in the Soviet Union, where artists, sparked by the energy of the young communist state, sought to enter the realm of industrial production and public communication. In 1920 El Lissitzky published his tract "Suprematism and World Reconstruction," which challenged artists to plunge the abstract art of Kasimir Malevich into the broader social realm.16 Lissitzky proclaimed that Malevich, by collapsing the history of painting into a black square, had staked a flag at the edge of a "new planet," marking an alien landscape to be explored by the artists of the future. Malevich had created a radically reduced object whose promise of infinite transformation was hemmed in by the social and physical limits of easel painting. Lissitzky's PROUN compositions (from Project for the Affirmation of the New) of the late 1910s and early 1920s elaborated a space at once architectural and abstract. The PROUNs attempted to ground the mystical sublime of Suprematism in the physical world.

Lissitzky's text "Suprematism and World Reconstruction" was a founding document of Constructivism, a theory and practice that flourished into an international movement during the 1920s. Constructivism was positioned from the outset in relation to the technologies of production. Lissitzky wrote: "Those of us who have stepped out beyond the confines of the picture take rulers and compasses . . . in our hands. For the frayed point of the paintbrush is at variance with our concept of clarity and if necessary we shall take machines in our hands as well because in expressing our creative ability paintbrush and ruler and compasses and machines are only extensions of the finger which points the way."17 Against the "frayed point of the paintbrush," Lissitzky promoted the ruler and compass as instruments of precision and economy that could transport the artist beyond the "confines of the picture." Yet even the brush, worn to the point of exhaustion, could be put in the service of society, because any tool was considered a life-affirming celebrant of labor.

The goal of the new art was not just to create objects but to change the way the public perceives and acts in the world.18 In "Suprematism and World Reconstruction," Lissitzky observed the subordination of discrete houses, streets, and squares to decentralized patterns of electrical wires, radio signals, and subway systems. Looking at an urban landscape transformed by industry, he applauded the dissolution of the individual citizen and the isolated object and the triumph of the modern town as a network of energies. For Lissitzky, industrialization was embodied not in the machine-as-object but in diffused social and technological relationships.

Indeed, the interaction of technology with new social forms already had yielded powerful cultural tools. Such was the achievement of the poster project launched by ROSTA, the Russian Telegraph Agency, between 1919 and 1922. With ROSTA, crude production methods became central features of a sophisticated medium of communication. Known as "ROSTA windows" because they sometimes were installed in empty storefronts, these posters translated into a concise visual form news announcements and political directives that were conveyed across the telegraph wires. Originating in Moscow and Petrograd, ROSTA agencies soon appeared across the Soviet Union. The posters usually were produced overnight, sometimes in less than an hour.19

Vladimir Maiakovskii was the leader of ROSTA's Moscow division, where he wrote copy for hundreds of posters. Maiakovskii would compose a text announcing news or information and then give it to an artist for visual interpretation. In Moscow, the ROSTA posters typically were printed from cardboard stencils, from which an edition of three hundred posters could be generated in two or three days. The workshops were cold and cramped, but the artists were paid regularly and commanded a degree of professional respect. Production methods varied from city to city: lithographs in Smolensk, linocuts in Petrograd (fig. 2.13). In Odessa, texts and images were painted on sheets of plywood that were then washed down and reused, plywood being more plentiful than paper. Maiakovskii described the posters as "Œtelegraphic bulletins, instantly translated into poster-form, decrees immediately published as rhymes. The vulgar character of the poetry, the coarse character-this is not only due to the absence of paper, but the furious tempo of the revolution with which printing technology could not keep pace.'"20 Although the ROSTA windows were crudely made, they reflected a sophisticated convergence of social systems and production methods. Simple means proved a more expedient response to the demand for immediate communication than the more polished techniques used by commercial printers.

Writing in 1926, Lissitzky recalled that the books of the Russian avant-garde in the 1910s had been produced largely by hand, "written and illustrated with the lithographic crayon, or engraved in wood."21 During the reconstruction of the Soviet Union beginning in 1922, artists increasingly had access to letterpress and commercial lithography. Lissitzky wrote, "Comrades Popova, Rodchenko, Syenkin, Stepanova, and Gan devote themselves to the book. Some of them work in the printing-works itself, along with the compositor and the machine."22 Varvara Stepanova's 1922 announcement for the theatrical production The Death of Tarelkin reveals the tentative entry of Suprematist forms into the mechanical framework of letterpress: geometric shapes jostle among a mix of printed letters whose mismatched styles reflect the arbitrary inventory of the metal type shop.

In 1920, the same year he wrote "Suprematism and World Reconstruction," Lissitzky applied Suprematist theory to the design of the book Of Two Squares; this landmark work would not be published until 1922 in Berlin, where Lissitzky could exploit "the high standard of German technology."23 In 1923 Lissitzky published For the Voice (fig. 2.15), also in Berlin, a typographic interpretation of a poem by Maiakovskii. For the Voice was a triumph of letterpress composition that resulted from careful collaboration between designer and printer.24 By combining typographic elements with geometric forms, Lissitzky compressed the exploded spaces of his PROUN constructions into the functional mechanics of the printed page.

Describing his method, Lissitzky wrote, "The spatial arrangement of the book, by means of the type matter and according to the mechanical rules of printing, must express the strains and stresses of the contents."25 Lissitzky approached letterpress as a system of elements that could visually translate the meaning of a text.
While Lissitzky was actively exploring the structure of letterpress typography, Rodchenko approached the printed letter as an object to be constructed with the tools of the geometer and engineer. Drafting techniques had become familiar to Rodchenko as an art student in the early 1910s, when he performed painstaking exercises in descriptive geometry using the compass, pen, and ruler.26 Against the open spaces of Lissitzky's books, pierced with typographic elements, Rodchenko built broad, massive forms that tend to fill and flatten the surface.27 On Rodchenko's lithographic catalogue cover for the Soviet Pavilion at the Exposition de l'Art Decoratif in Paris (1925), letters take shape as negative forms inscribed into fields of color (fig. 2.16).28 Rodchenko's distinctive manipulation of large-scale letters was well-suited to the drawing-based medium of lithography. In contrast, his letterpress designs for the journal Lef were crudely produced-the large-scale letters appear to have been carved in linoleum or cut quickly out of paper and photographed. The rawness of Rodchenko's Lef covers may reflect the journal's limited economic resources as well as the nature of letterpress production.29

Rodchenko and Maiakovskii had been close collaborators in the Moscow division of ROSTA. They joined forces in a second enterprise with the founding of Lenin's New Economic Policy (NEP) following the end of the civil war in 1922. The NEP sought to revitalize the Soviet economy by allowing limited free enterprise, making state-owned businesses healthier by forcing them to compete with private companies. Rodchenko and Maiakovskii formed an advertising agency that produced posters, packages, and billboards for Soviet businesses, from GUM, the state department store, to Dobrolet, the state airline. Maiakovskii wrote avant-garde sales copy that reveled in alliteration, rhythm, and repetition; Rodchenko converted these texts into frontal assaults on the eye. Maiakovskii saw no contradiction between the shift from ROSTA's campaigns of news and propaganda to the product solicitations he created with Rodchenko: "Advertising,'" he proclaimed in 1922, "is industrial, commercial agitation.'"30

As Rodchenko recounted, the Maiakovskii-Rodchenko advertising agency was organized along professional lines. The designer was assisted by two students from the VKhutemas, an art school similar to the Bauhaus, who worked with him through the nights to complete his designs.31 This support staff may have provided the meticulous execution seen in several of Rodchenko's original advertising designs, preserved in the Berman collection. In a 1923 design promoting Mosselprom vegetable oil (fig. 2.18), the lettering, illustrations, and geometric background were painted entirely by hand; the only readymade element is a pair of small printed seals pasted toward the bottom of the poster. This hand-painted design would then have been photographically separated into plates for color lithography. Exploiting the character of the lithographic medium, Rodchenko's design dominates the surface of the poster with its field of flat broad stripes and its heavy black rectangles filled with white letters: at the center floats the product, stark and pristine. By collaborating with Maiakovskii as well as employing technical assistants to create prototypes for reproduction, Rodchenko eschewed the role of the solitary creator and entered the realm of production for industry; his working methods anticipated those of the postWorld War II art director.

(end of excerpt)

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Design and Production in the Mechanical Age - Ellen Lupton

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"Design and Production in the Mechanical Age" (excerpt), essay by Ellen Lupton, published in Deborah Rothschild, Ellen Lupton, and Darra Goldstein, Graphic Design in the Mechanical Age: Selections from the Merrill C. Berman Collection. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1998. pp 50-81.

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Here's some links to print and production companies, so you can gather inspiration for how your publication could be published (if you have a dream budget)

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In many ways, we see Identity as the complete printer. It's a bold statement, but it's one we stand by. From the first impression of ink on stock to the final execution of the finishers art, it all happens here. And that's rare. To us, understanding the finish is the only way to know how to begin.

In fact, completeness is the story that defines us. Developed over three decades, our ideology is as firmly about professionalism as it is about craft. And strict project management is as central to our method as uninhibited solution finding. This natural balance explains why so many revered agencies and brands trust us - completely.

And we work hard to earn that trust. Firstly, we consistently deliver on time and on budget. We're equally keen to bring the benefit of our knowledge and experience to the table, from technical answers to cost-saving creativity. A united effort makes for a smoother process, and the finished piece is better for it. It's why our clients think of us as one of the team.

Finally, a note on sustainability. In this respect, our approach and processes are well-founded. We only buy our paper from well-managed sources, and we recycle as much waste as is humanly possible.

In essence, that's Identity, but it's not the complete story. To find out more about why we make the perfect print partner, let's talk.

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In many ways, we see Identity as the complete printer. It's a bold statement, but it's one we stand by. From the first impression of ink on stock to the final execution of the finishers art, it all happens here. And that's rare. To us, understanding the finish is the only way to know how to begin.

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"Why do I write? I write, therefore I am. I need the intellectual and emotional stimulation that the act of putting down ideas in the form of words on paper and screen gives me. Writing is the culmination of a process of conceiving, researching, analyzing, ordering, and structuring. Writing is design."

Adapted from Writing and Research for Graphic Designers. Steven Heller

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For my essay subject, I think I'm going to try and merge the two ideas together because they overlap slightly.

I've started a Pinterest board for inspiration for my piece. By looking at both styles of design similar to the town I think I could create something really different.

I want to go down the route of displaying it as an old-style newspaper, with the text as the articles and title as the main headline. So I've looked at newspaper designs, minimalistic and modern designs, and will try to merge the two as I want to play with the theme that the town is trying to be something it's not, like a chameleon.

Pinterest Board: https://pin.it/lHzRO6S

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Going with the linear city for my article 

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Going with the linear city for my article 

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Been making lots of notes from resources but my procrastination levels were out in full force today - though I did go for a walk round town taking more pictures so it hasn't been a wasted day!

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Inspiration board: The disappearance of Football League’s most storied club

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Inspiration board: The disappearance of Football League’s most storied club

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I'm looking to focus on both the Heritage of Notts County through medium format captures of the stadium and relevant typography choice; and the Demise of the club through nostalgic design (print? images of decay, past vs present). These are the sample of materials, images and perspectives that are inspiring my initial approach.

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Sticky notes are out in force today as I begin building my fictional future for Southampton.

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Studio Practice

1. Research methods to structure and edit a written document.

2. Analyse methods available to designers for self-publishing.

3. Deliver an A3 landscape format interactive PDF to present your initial design ideas (typeface, colour, format, print / digital production) about the design of your article.

4. Document your research, ideas and visual development on your blog.

5. Participate in and reflect on the debates raised on the Ideas Wall.

Essay

Deliver the first draft of your 3,000-word article, which is to be saved as a Word or Text Edit document.

Well, this week is going to be fun!

Research methods to structure and edit a written document.

Idea one: structure what I want to include. Lead the audience on a journey.

Analyse methods available to designers for self-publishing.

With the gentrification of Walthamstow post-Olympics, a number of industrial estates around Blackhorse Road that contained small printers have been sold to housing/foreign speculation developments, so that is out. However, there are craft businesses still open around me.

Paekakariki Press

This letterpress studio regularly holds workshops and takes commissions from for letterpress books. It uses a press that was the same model that William Morris used for his Kelmscott Press, so printing my project on this would draw on Walthamstow heritage.

However, the process will mean that I can only typeset, and I would really like to include images, so it would be a double process with another printer. I'd like the images and words to be more integrated than this. It would also be expensive to print a small number of copies.

Hato Press

Annie and I took a riso class here back in November, and this is a very possible technique for printing a piece. The bright colour printing and combination of colours make a punchy and eye-catching publication.

London Centre of Book Arts

To make a book, I could go to the London Centre for Book Arts to produce the book from scratch. It's located very near the Olympic Park and is on an industrial state that survived the flattening of the land next to it. It might restrict me to a book (which is good in terms of giving myself boundaries) but that might not be the best format to produce this... I'm thinking.

G.F. Smith

The obvious choice for paper! A few years ago they launched Extract, a paper made from recycling paper and coffee cups. A recycled paper would be the way to go. G.F.Smith has a digital booking service called Make Book, where your book can be made and printed in their factory in Hull to a high standard in small qualities.

Let's think outside the box...

Exhibition space at The Mills

Now, Richard gave us some interesting ideas for what this project could be. It doesn't have to be a book/magazine as such. So. There is a community centre in St James Street in the centre of Walthamstow that has an exhibition space. I could create the 3,000 words as part of exhibition displays - it wouldn't be designed for a graphically literate audience though - it would be for people of Walthamstow.

Neon

As I reported for Week 1, neon has a huge part in the history of Walthamstow. As neon is supposed to draw attention to recreational places, so it is the perfect medium through which to display a piece about the Olympics. I could commission Marcus Bracey to create the text in neon. How much would corrections cost, do you think?

Chalk Writing

I suspect the theme of my article will be that despite the billions poured into the area, the benefits to the local community were somewhat fleeting. The Olympic Park is full of vast paved areas that would have carried thousands of people a day, but are now barren years after. Once written, I could write the article on the paved areas in chalk and it would last as long as it didn't rain.

Maps

To show the degree that the Lea Valley has been built over, I could create a map of the area and the facilities have been built. I would use mixed media in the form of wetlands paths to show how much the landscape has changed.

Deliver an A3 landscape format interactive PDF to present your initial design ideas (typeface, colour, format, print / digital production) about the design of your article.

Participate in and reflect on the debates raised on the Ideas Wall.

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Studio Practice Research methods to structure and edit a written document. Analyse methods available to designers for self-publishing. Deliver an A3 landscape format interactive PDF to present your initial design ideas (typeface, colour, format, print / digital production) about the design of your article. Document your research, ideas and visual development on your blog.

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This is the presented proposal for the article I'll be writing

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This week we want you to write the first draft of your 3,000-word article.

Please remember your article is aimed at a visually literate audience and we want you to consider form, structure, materials and how the medium might impact on the writing itself.

1. Write the first draft of your 3,000 word article, to be saved as a Word or TextEdit document.

2. Curate an A3 inspiration board to present your initial ideas about the design approach, to include examples of materials, format, typography, print / digital production.

3. Save your inspiration board in an interactive PDF format.

Note: All staff will review and feedback on the first draft of your 3,000-word article, before you move into the final stage of production.