OUGD405 - Study Task 03

OUGD405

Study Task 03

Subjective symbols of Objective things

The brief for this study task was to design a set of pictograms and a signage system for a hospital that uses blackletter typeface and calligraphic flourishes as its foundation.

I began this task by experimenting with ink and a large brush to replicate the feel of blackletter without directly coping the style. When doing this I referred back to the work of David Rudnick and Julien Priez who's work I have previously discussed in the blog post 'OUGD405 - Blackletter'. I also watched a video by Julien Priez which shows how he creates his blackletter work: 

https://www.behance.net/gallery/21781613/LUNDICALLI

      

I experimented with bold straight lines and more free flowing movements. I used different techniques to achieves these images including using two brushes taped together, an edge of cardboard and wide brushes. The two brushes gave more dimension and the wide brush allowed for very thick lines to coincide with thin lines, this dramatic contrast gives the feel of blackletter. The cardboard edge was less successful as it didn't hold the in as well as other materials.

   

I then cut the images out and created pictograms and symbols by combining images, at this point I kept the designs very abstract in order to see what worked well together.

  

I went on to make my designs digital. I created arrows and toilet signs for the hospital way finding system. When designing these I was aware that I didn't want to create something that was obvious and cliched. I decided to create the pictograms by merging the existing shapes and designs I had created in the early stages of the design. I was then able to create pictograms that had some features of blackletter such as the dramatic change in stroke width and angular lines but they also had an original and contemporary look about them.

I think the arrows work well as it is clear what they represent. Each individual design could be responsible for one direction, this would make the system more precise and easy to follow. I think the toilet sign designs translate the idea of blackletter more successfully than the arrows, however, they are more abstract. It is obvious what the pictograms show when they are together as a group but individually they are more difficult to interoperate. By purposely making the pictograms abstract they  are unified stylistically. I have also made sure that the pictograms are relative in size to one another, for example the female and male are the same size and the child pictogram is smaller and all of the arrows are the same size. Finally, all of the pictograms are uniform in colour.