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This was the first session from a block of 3,  an introduction to digital type.  We had an a really informative presentation explaining all different typefaces and explaining the terms and rules of typography. We discussed double and single storey type and the creation of the letter ‘A’ will have a direct impact on how you would create ‘G’.

I found the discussions around ‘overshooting’ particularly interesting, learning to create a balance between the curves and straight lines. We were also taught in certain instances to make a ‘cheeky O’ were you make the letter ‘O’ larger than the other letters as if you do not, visually it will look smaller than the letters that surround it.

We also recapped some of the topics we discussed previously such as ascendeing and descending (the top and bottom lines), cap heights and some others.

We did some exerercises to explore letterforms and prepare letters to Digitalise for the next session.

The we began by drawing some curves and lines, with 2 pencils stuck together, it was half of N, O and then N, O, P and A as these 4 letters are a starting point in typography for lower cases.

I definitely struggled to create the letter O in this instance. At home I will try to practise it more to perfect it as I believe it is simply an issue around practice. I found the tutor very helpful and helped us in every stage of our exercise which is always appreciated when you try something new.

Then we were given 4 briefs with different kind of type(different thickness, with and without serif, weight and contrast). We used tracing paper on the top of the letters we created and tried to customise it for each brief.

For the him task we need to practise more with briefs and then perfect them for the coming session for them to be ready to digitalise.

I found the session extremely productive and very excited to continue it.

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The talk was very inspirational, as she is a young designer who graduated 3 years ago and already appears to be on her way to having a really successful career, it shows that it’s possible to achieve something so quickly and straight after university.

This particular talk was very influential to me personally as she is a graphic designer who studied at the same university with similar experiences to myself. I like her way of thinking and finding inspiration in nature and in just very extraordinary places not just usual research and books.

Her style is very minimalistic but she adapts for Penhaligon's the British perfume house as their style is quite chaotic and not necessarily in line with her traditional approach. I like the way she devides two separate styles for work and for her own pleasure.

She talks about mental health a lot and portrays in her work her own personal struggles with anxiety, which is very similar to what I feel myself and definitely made me feel more confident about the future and the opportunities that may meet me following university.

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Domestic Violence is a global problem and it happens in every single country, but the difference is that in certain countries, victims are not backed by law.

One of these examples is Russia, although on the outside is attempting to portray themselves as a strong nation with their foreign politics integral to the political landscape of the world. But the truth for their citizens is that Russia has a dark secret that at this time appears to only be getting darker.

In 2017 the government decided to downgrade domestic violence from a criminal offence to a misdemeanour for first-time offenders, as long as the victim doesn't need hospital treatment.

But as much a legislative issue, this is as much a societal problem, there is a Russian saying that says “If he beats you, it means he loves you”. Which although is a long standing saying, it is still very much used to this day, which shows you that domestic abuse in Russia is not just condoned but encouraged.

BBC news reported A Russian woman had a heart ranching experience when she reported the beatings she'd received from her husband to her local police force, they immediately called him to the station. Then, when he arrived, much to the disbelief of the victim, they ripped up her statement in front of him. She never bothered going again.

Sadly this is not an unprecedented experience for the Russian woman and it has led to victims of domestic abuse feeling disillusioned with the police and feel as though regardless of legislation, they are not there to protect them.

As there are 36,000 women are beaten by their partners every day and one woman dies from domestic violence every 40 minutes.

Russia is a very religious country, however unfortunately the church has become politisized and are very progovernment and due to this have been very supportive of the change of legislation. Unfortunately the support does not stop there and clergymen and high ranking priests have even been quoted as saying that foreign agents have infiltrated their society and supporters of radical feminist ideologies bring this violence upon themselves. It is a sad state where abuse at the hands of your husband is even encouraged by your church.

Once more, politicians, both men and women are supportive of domestic beatings, with a prominent politician, Elena Mizulina even quoted as saying "We women are weak creatures and do not take offence when we are hit."

In December 2017, Margarita Gracheva, a woman from the West of Russia attempted to divorce her husband Dmitri and upon receiving these divorce papers, became enraged. He attacked her in their one bedroom apartment , waking the kids, who saw the bruises on her body. The next time, when he threatened her with a knife, she could not take anymore and went to the police.

"I wrote a statement and the desk officer said they would get back to me in 20 days," Margarita says.

"I pointed out that by then he might well have tried to kill me 20 times over."

The desk officer explained that women often made complaints only to withdraw them later, which just swamped the police in paperwork. "So what is the point of getting involved?"

Five days after the case was dropped for lack of evidence, Dmitri offered to drive her to work but instead he drove her to the forest and chopped off Margarita's both hands with axe.

There are millions of cases like this but sadly a lot of women’s experiences will ultimately take them to their grave. The government has cut funding for domestic abuse victim shelters and charities and offer very little in the way of financial support for these victims, leading to a feeling of being trapped for these women and it is often said that in these cases there are two ways out, either the husband will end up killing the woman or the woman will not be able to take anymore and will kill the man, sadly with no help from the state and a society keen on shaming the victims, amicable separations do not appear to be possible.

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This poster is designed to provoke thoughts and draw attention to the issue of climate change.

This is an illustration of a polar bear standing on top of a melting ice cube and inversely the top of the image is an oil spilling down towards the bottom of the image.

The lower part of the image is of the blue sea, leading into the white ice cube which has a polar bear standing on top of it. Inversely the image has a black oil spill leaking down towards the ice.

This image is so thought provoking as it covers so many issues in just one post. It looks at the melting of the ice caps, how it is effecting the wild life and also the oil the countless oil spills that have effected the environment.

This is a poster that has been spread across social media, with two hashtags to increase the awareness and depth of its audience.

Through the use of the hashtags, they are able to make it trend on various platforms which will allow people that may not necessarily be looking at the issue to see such posters and ultimately become more knowledgeable on the subject.

The poster conveys the issues in the arctic very well with a lot of imagery and thought provoking aspects.

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Lives not Knifes. Reflection after class

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Lives not Knifes. Reflection after class

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This poster and charity itself is a call to action for youngsters to change their ways and put down their knives. The poster itself is thought provoking and through the thought of their mothers mourning their death they look to change the youngsters ways.

In this poster they use photography with a brief overlay of text.

The photograph has an assortment of flowers spelling out ‘Don’t bring mum flowers’ with the backdrop of a London estate where a lot of the knife carrying teenagers have grown up.
The use of this photo should be incredibly thought provoking, drawing on the youngsters care for their mothers and drawing on the mothers day message (it was released around this time).

This poster itself was from a TV advert, although it has been displayed across the UK on outside adverts.

This is directed at youths between the ages of 11 and 18 I believe that may be carrying or may be considering carrying a knife.

I believe as the poster is centred around the feelings a mother may feel if their son/daughter were to die due to knife crime, I think this may be more prominent to a youth than an adult.

Although this is mostly thought provoking, it also supplies the information that one is three times more likely to die if they are carrying a knife and also supply a website to get more information on the topic which I think is key to such a poster.

I think they get the point across really well, drawing on the heart strings of the youth and making them think twice about what may be perceived as normal in their friendship groups.

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Ask Now Save Lives. Reflection after class

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Ask Now Save Lives. Reflection after class

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.     This case study is a call for action for individuals to speak frankly with their friends and discuss issues that they may be having. This is also a great awareness campaign, highlighting an issue that is not often discussed in such direct speech.

This is a simple yet effective typographic design.

This is four lines of bright, bold type, the text itself has slight fading, but the message is as clear as the text is bold and the boldness and explicit nature of the text drives home the message well.

The bold, simplistic text does well to disguise a complex issue into something plain and simple, the red acts to highlight the issues.

Burrill himself is a printmaker and this particular image has been pressed onto tshirts and worn across the world and a full digital design displayed across websites and social media.

The audience is of course the general public, raising awareness to the issues of suicide.

This image has been put onto t-shirts to be worn by men and women worldwide and can act as a conversation starter amongst people, the fact that it is plain text, bold and bright with a firm meaning, without extra design or effects shows the wide audience it hopes to contact.

This project is less informative and more of a conversation starter, allowing people and society as a whole the opportunity to discuss something that is seldom spoke about, but should be.

I believe it has been a great success, Burrill’s work has been worn and displayed across the world and has worked wonders in highlighting the ongoing problems of suicide.

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A Hand signal for help. Reflection after class

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A Hand signal for help. Reflection after class

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This is designed to educate people around the use of this hand signal – people involved in domestic violence often find it hard to reach for help and over lockdown as they were consigned to a home with the person that was harming them, this is a neat idea on how to make somebody aware of this, from the outside world. So more than anything it is an educational and awareness piece.
A mixture of illustration, collaging and typography is used in this piece.

This is digital typography, a clear and crisp text in dark purple against the backdrop of a lighter, lilac background. The collage is made up of 4 tiles, 2 of which displaying the hand signs, one to introduce the signal and one to explain it in words.

I think the simplicity of this design really aids the viewer in understanding the seriousness of the issue. Once more, I can imagine that when one is in such a dangerous situation of living with somebody that is harming them regularly, the idea of reaching for help must seem complicated and dangerous, but the simplicity of the design further emphasises the simplicity of the signal itself.

This is an online initiative that has been shared across multiple social media platforms, the idea of which is to share it as far and wide as possible to reach as many people as possible.

I think this has been designed to be viewed by both victims of domestic violence and also the family or friends of somebody that may be going through it. This is as the signal must be performed by the victim, but also must be understood by the receiver.

.     I think it is reasonable to suggest that this may be aimed at females based on both the colour pallete chosen, the lilac and purple colour scheme is one often associated with females.

This particular image I believe is more to draw awareness to an individualistic approach one could take if they found themselves the victim of domestic violence, but does not necessarily shed information on the topic to an outsider.

I believe this particular case studies success can be judged by how many people it reached and as it has been featured in the Sun, The Mirror and Birmingham Mail amongst others, I believe it has got the signal out there well and may have played a part in saving domestic violence victims lives.

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The Guerrilla girls. Reflection in class.

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The Guerrilla girls. Reflection in class.

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The Guerrilla girls is a publication that was first was posted on busses to scream for attention from the public.

The Guerrilla girls poster is a call for action to highlight and change the under representation of women in galleries.

For this poster the image making/collage was used with some bold typography. They used a classic female nude painting ‘Jean-Auguste-Dominique, La Grande Odisque 1814’ one of the many in the museums and added a gorilla mask. The mask serves to empower the formerly passive figure.

I assumed they used letterpress typography as it was made in 1989. It’s very bold typeface, which makes the view to focus on the problem and by using pink colour to further highlight the most important parts.

This case study was very strong example as it was an early stage of feminism as it is now, after this poster a lot of female artists began to address broad feminist themes, including female sexuality, reproductive rights, the domestic role of women and the objectification of the female body.

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The first thing I noticed about the branding surrounding Built By girls was the very feminine colour choices, I feel the lighter shades of pink and blue were really relevant to the gender issue itself and were present throughout most of the designs. I can see that throughout the publications of the groups, common themes can be found, light, pastel colours are present throughout with playful, young text and symbols are used, I think as this group is dedicated to female and non-binary people under the age of 25, this has been really tailored to their audience. ‘I will be kind to myself’ is a great example of the work really being directed towards a certain demographic, with a chalk board being filled up with this message on repeat, it’s clear through the classroom environment that this is dedicated to young people and through the handwriting of the text that it appears to be quite feminine writing. Once more, the colours used are very inviting and clearly designed to be warm and friendly. In terms of its action against a social injustice, I believe through their designs they are not fighting injustice in a typical sense, but instead offering a home for people that may feel injustice has been served to them, with a lot of posts offering words of encouragement and feel good messages.

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Alexander McQueen issue of Dazed Ellie Goldstein Gucci campaign. Case study

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Alexander McQueen issue of Dazed Ellie Goldstein Gucci campaign. Case study

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This case study I found incredibly powerful. Through the use of the non-traditional models, this agency was able to challenge the social norms and able to actively allow a group of people that may feel that achieving something like this was out of their reach, a chance to be empowered. For years it has been a conversation had amongst friends, regarding the use of severely altered ‘perfect’ women being used on the front pages of magazines and the negative effects of this, but it was not one had on a serious note amongst the industries elite. What I find so powerful about the use of these models is although there may be a myth of ‘diversity not selling well’, it is one thing to argue it, but another thing to actively challenge it and by putting these non-traditional women and men on the front pages of these magazines, it becomes a conversation that the industry can no longer ignore, pushing the injustice right to their faces.

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Loup Blaster presented some really engaging pieces that highlight the struggles of immigrants living in the refugee camps in Calais. Through a truly simplistic method the artist is able to entice feelings of hurt and pain as a refugee is seen longing for the shores of England as she looks across at the white cliffs of Dover, a sight that is iconic to the British shores. On the same piece ‘freedom’ is seen spray-painted on a wall as they climb it to watch the ferries make their way across the channel, once more as the ship departs and its clear they will spend another day in Calais, a bird is seen to be flying in the sky with all the freedom to fly across the channel without the constraints of visas and passports. This vision of ‘freedom’ is shared across various images of the artists with the word plastered on various walls. The almost cartoon-like effect that the artist has used to portray her characters is really interesting but the biggest thing I will take away from it is the way she is able to put a name to these characters and portray them as more than just refugees but people, with names and personalities, such as Abdel Qadr, a refugee, maybe, but also a lover of music and this I believe she has portrayed very beautifully.

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Friends of art is a ground up community interest company working out of Old Kent Road in London. As an artist led company, it supports emerging artists that may not have the financial ability, or knowhow in the industry. Organising easily accessible events and activities that create a space that the community can learn in and express themselves. I admire the way the company is using art as a medium to drive the community together and the welcoming nature that the company is built on, regardless of colour or creed, the company can be a warm inviting place to express yourself and meet others. I can see from the various projects currently available that they draw inspiration from the issues that surround us, drawing attention to issues by the use of creative means. It’s clear there is a real push towards inclusivity, running activities that highlight an emphasis to support each other as artists working out of the capital and really pursue a more inclusive environment in their own work. Due to restrictions related to the epidemic, the only method of contact is now through free online classes, but in the past artists were encouraged to attend studios and very few limits were set on the work of the individuals. I think this has really driven home the importance of community in ones protest and that it is only with the help of a think tank of the many minds that make up a community will we be able to connect with the people as a whole through our work.

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Luba Lukova’s work left a really lasting impact on me. Interestingly, there is seemingly not a lot that goes into her work, its lacking a lot of colour and lacking a lot of detail, but due to this, I think the message surrounding her work is truly undiluted. Her piece on Sudan was particularly moving, with only the use of a white background and a black foreground, showing the face of a desperate Sudanese male, suffering from malnutrition with a wide mouth, appearing to be screaming in distress. However, in his mouth, shows the nutritional value of a food, something printed on all foods in the Western world and something that is often the concern of many people gaining weight and losing weight throughout the West. I think the use of total contrast made the message absolutely clear and as previously mentioned, although something that may appear quite basic, it is extremely thought provoking and leaves a lasting effect on the viewer.

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Guerrilla girls is a really thought-provoking group, using images and posts to really ignite a new way of thinking. First things first, the yellow is bright and leaps out at the reader, attracting passers-by to the publication. Upon first release, it was put up on busses to raise awareness to the issue of sexism in the art world. The nifty thing about this is that there is not a specific demographic it speaks to, rather society as a whole, making anyone who will read it more aware of the injustices. With highlighted words in pink and a comedic image of a sexualised females body, with a gorilla or guerrilla head in this case, is doing everything it can to draw attention to the issue. I think this is a superb example of how one, through the use of a graphic can draw attention to a social injustice, in this case the underrepresentation of female artists in the galleries.

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Ignorance = fear, Silence=Death. Case study

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Ignorance = fear, Silence=Death. Case study

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Ignorance = fear I believe is one of the most iconic activism related graphic of all time. There are many different elements to it that make it such a thought provoking piece. One of which is the use of the pink triangle, something that was first used by Nazis in the second world ward to distinguish gays from others. Once more, the men used in the images, have no face, no colour and no distinguishing features, which I believe is a representation that the disease can effect anybody at any time. Once more, through the use of lines surrounding the individuals, it creates a feeling of urgency, as though these people were in trouble and needed help immediately, but no help was forthcoming. This is as at the time of its release to leaflets, posters and banners, Keith Haring along with the other members of ACT UP were disgruntled by the pace of movement by the government to act on the prominence of AIDs in the homosexual communities and as such, decided to make a stand.

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I am quite excited about the brief as we have been given the opportunity to express our beliefs through design and develop and truly explore what impact art and design can have in the pursuit of social justice.

As it is a design project, we can utilize various techniques and design methods used in previous projects. Also apply any knowledge about social justice from the past experience.

Depends on the topic I would choose, I will try to use various materials such as screen printing, lino printing, utilizing digital platforms and maybe explore unusual materials as food, coffee, flowers or leaves, to have some creative exploration within the project itself.

Also, I would research the problem by looking at different sources, talking to people who involved in it and looking at relevant statistic and plausible solutions.

In this project I really what to develop my understanding of graphic design as a whole and try not to cross the line to illustration, maybe create my own typeface for the posters and try to think outside the box for the future development of my skills. I think a production of my own typeface would be a great opportunity to use a previously developed skill within university and apply it to another project.

My ambition is to create a series of posters centred around a social justice problem and hopefully project the issue from a perspective perhaps not often viewed and try to engage with people that may not be the stereotypical person with such interest in the problem.

I will research designers who have created strong designs in the past and try to highlight problems surrounding social justice. One of the key example is Jonathan Barnbrook as he created work in response to the first and second Iraq conflicts, Davide Bonazzi who focused on global warming illustrations, Luba Lukova is known for her thought-provoking social justice posters and many others. Ultimately my aim is to research these designers and their creations and use them as inspiration in my own work, viewing how they are able to engage with audiences and present their issues to the general public.

I aim to encourage people from all backgrounds to develop an interest and awareness of my chosen social justice issue. Therefore, I cannot specify a typical person I will be aiming it at, as ultimately my main goal is to raise awareness to anybody that will listen. I believe if I were to aim it at a typical demographic, then it would not do the cause justice as the ultimate aim is to raise awareness across all faiths, demographics and people.