researching quotes

These are some interesting quotes that I found in my house. The material is magnets for the fridge and the quotes are referred to friendship and basically a relationship that can be created between two human beings while they are communicating.

Researching

"Pilar Gorriz is a studio based in Barcelona. Diseno Grafico designed this striking typographic card Agosto (August) as a mailshot to communicate to clients that the studio is closed during the month. This cardwas created using double-sided adhesive tape and real sand."

Let's work on those now...!

Checker Board Game Postcard

Following yesterday's feedback, I have started developing the card.

Format is now changed, the card will be folded.

I am also using USCREATES corporate colours.

I think that I will make a couple alternatives of games, which will be suitable for volunteers.

With this format, I am realising there isn't really much space for address, message and stamp.

By having the format landscape, it leaves space for  message as well as the address.

I'll need to have the postcard to be self closing as to not damage the inside but also that it doesn't open during its journey.

Box

Flat

Template put together

I found the whole putting it together quite "fiddly".  I know that using thicker cardboard will help but I think indications need to be added to guide the recipient.

Conclusions, Conclusions...

Hmm, I think this will not go any further for the time being...  I find there are too many little things that are causing problems.

Recto

Verso

Box within Postcard

After cutting out the template out of the postcard I realised that the message wrote by USCREATES team would sort of disappear, unless it is written within the box template, however once folded what would it look like?

Could the instructions be placed discreetly within the recipient's address or the personal message?

Post It Booklet

A4 or A3?

A3 size

This booklet was made from an A3 size... It does give more "little pages" which is a plus, however, the card is thicker and now requires to be "held" close... but then again for the A4 size too to make it secure.

Feedback from yesterday's workshop

The session yesterday was good, it enabled me to get a lot of feedback quickly.

SOME FEEDBACK:

• Checker Board Game 

Demons

• Too fidly
• Should be made smaller
• Orange and White/ Needs development
• Maybe include instructions on how to play
• How will you include the USCREATES brand in it

Angels

• Really nice idea, needs to develop a little bit the message but with the instructions it will be ok
• Box?  Easier game/ instructions
• Different game everytime

• Pop Up

Demons

• Could be the mouth of an USCREATES team member
• No design - needs to create one or print something on the paper

Angels

• Too much to understand for the user, maybe do something else other than a pop up
• Something humorist

• Calendar

Demons

• The receiver already knows their birthday
• Could have key USCREATES dates on
• Could be fridge magnet
• Need USCREATES brand 
• Add USCREATES events

Angels

• Not interactive, instead of birthdays maybe mark the holidays or events of USCREATES
• Better quality paper
• Print some national celebrations

Angels versus Demons

This Tuesday's workshop was quite fun (as well as being really useful of course!).  The group was split between Pitchers (where we showed our prototypes), Angels and Demons!  The exercise was basically to get as much constructive feedback as possible.
Angels had to comment on what they thought worked best and when the concept would work whereas Demons had to challenge our prototype by highlighting problems, faults they could foresee.

Great exercise!  And in the end not as daunting as it first sounded...

3 prototypes..

these are the three prototypes i presented on tuesdays lesson. the first one 'please add to and return' was an on going game of 'squares' asking the clients, volunteers ect to draw a line and send it back to keep the game going. this idea came after my research into ray johnson and how he would send other artists his unfinished work in the post with the description 'please add to and return' i felt applying this phrase and a game context to the uscreates postcards was a good way of getting the reader to reply and keep the connection going.

the second one was an idea for a set of five postcards each titled for clients, interns volunteers, associates and partners. the postcard would characterise each group in collage with a discription and images of things they might carry. This was initially just used as a way of presenting my research of each different group but then decided to create a postcard from it as it seemed like a fun way to send something tailored and aimed at each separate group.

finally the third postcard was similar to the second but with five templates to create paper toys of each group. This idea was developed from the net of a letter and again seemed like a good way to create something separate for each group.

in this lesson people had to judge your work half the class giving negative comments and the other half positive and ways to improve them and take them further. here are the main comments i got for each one good and bad:

squares:

too expensive

people wouldnt be bothered to send it back

reinforces the idea of unison

could be developed digitially

collage:

personal more of a connection

steriotypes them too much

template:

too much work

use the uscreates team instead

from people feedback i decided to take forward the template idea but use the uscreates team instead. this way there is no probelms with steriotyping or people being offended but still has a personal touch as you can send out team memeber that they know and have been working with. also addressing the too much work side of things i will change to a photograph of the toy already made and a link to the website for the template that way you have the option of creating them yourself without feeling obliged to.

A Few Ideas....

Following my research, I have started exploring some of my initial ideas.

One of my first preliminary idea would be to have a Calendar Postcard, personalised with a picture at the front as well as the recipient's birthday highlighted inside.

Another one is to have a Post-It block with Uscreates details on each of them, with maybe little quotes of funny things that were said during the project.

The Fold Out style which could be personalised by either a series of pictures taken during the project campaign or a simple typography quotes.

Another format is a Double Purpose/ Reusable postcard.  Make a template of a product which would have some sort of use ie pencil holder for the desk, or mobile phone holder or glasses bed.... bearing in mind that the cardboard used should be quite strong.

Finally (for now anyway) a Pop Up postcard - I have tried above experimenting with a very simple model: it is meant to be a mouth!

Very simple idea, as series of board games...?

A checker board game or solitaire (chinese checker).... I have just finished the rough prototype.

Format to enable address and message.

Some 3D Lettering, ideally combined with a pop up style such as this one: