LCM_DEVELOPMENT

What direction did I take?

The direction taken would be a juxtaposition of old and new as per Leeds College of Music’s guidelines of ‘classical innovation’. The direction taken would be drawn from our concept of combining the ages of the institutions and giving each a visual representation on the poster. Modern typography taken from the era where Leeds College of Music was conceived, and the Art Deco flamboyance from the period that Steinway was established. The direction became a mash of two completely different worlds, the organic and the machine led.


What influenced me?

I was influenced by swiss typography found in the Knoll posters by NB studio and more prominently in the modernist period... This means Muller Brockman. I looked at the work of Studio Mirko Borsche who have worked frequently with classical music, and I was particular drawn in by the work of Studio Dumbar that created a variety of posers created for a classical event, consequently. It was exceptionally coincidental that our own poster concept could be seen in a very similar visual execution as a professional studio. Great minds think...


Why did I take this direction?

I took this direction because this was the direction where the concept led. This was a very concept driven process where we determined a concept and then produced a visual that fit perfectly within the concept. I am sure there could have been more visuals as possibilities but the subtle suggestion of these two era’s seemed a fitting visual metaphor.


How did I develop the brief?

Developing the brief from outset was a long line of potential possibilies for concepts. Once the copy was determined and the overall standpoint on the problem was developed, it was very quick to determine a visual direction, and produce the art work. The development of the visuals took a an extensive but quick process of thumbnailing and layout. the typography took a while to finalise as it was a mixture of type and illustrative manipulation. After this the poster was screenprinted, on som bespoke Curious Skin Absynthe stock.


What problems did I have?

The layout took a few attempts to perfect (all attempts can be seen on my blog). The issue was maintaining and ensuring legibility over the illustration. We really wanted a flow to the illustration that spanned the whole format, however compromises had to be made due to the registration needed for the print.

We ordered some bespoke stock that was very bright green for our spring time aesthetic, and the stock, although made for screen print, was untested. The prints took a while to dry, and so the print process took some unaccounted for time.


Was it successful?

Overall the client, being the Leeds College of Music marketing department, were exceptionally happy with the result, going as far as calling it a ‘sterling effort’. The prior research of expectations and the thorough grounding of the concept led to a more convincing and strong visual than anything put forward to them by previous students. A lot of time and effort was put into this brief and it was certainly successful. There were some slight registration issues, but the overall product was perfect for the context. I very much enjoyed working on the brief, and for this particular client.