487Zero miles from Preston to China

Here we feature the D&AD pencil winning project, 487Zero miles from Preston to China. Created by Ya Wang in her final year, the project became an exhibition which told the stories of international students studying far from home. Below is the project synopsis, video and presentation slides.


 

According to the survey about psychological problems from Yale University, 45% of Chinese students studying abroad express they have the psychological problems.

As a young student studying abroad and being away from your family, friends and loved ones, it can often be a daunting experience. Everything you encounter is slightly different and the culture can often seem strange and confusing at times. This is particularly apparent amongst the communities of Chinese students who have travelled 1000s of miles from their homes to study in UK universities.

Recent research has highlighted that these students can often suffer from a whole variety of psychological problems and barriers. And it is something that is on the increase year on year. The question is how can we further understand, help and support these students through their course of study?

The 487Zero project is a response to the above problem. We have been asking Chinese students across the UCLan campus, here in Preston, to think about and choose a number of personal possessions, ones that may hold a significant or particular meaning to them.

We then invited these students to collect and document these items through photography, and to share the meanings behind each object. By using the Dropbox Paper digital platform to collate and share them, we were able to create an inclusive community.

The subsequent 487zero exhibition, is the resulting culmination of this project. It is aim to expose the problems, share the experience, and strengthen futu re friendships that currently exist within the Chinese student community across the UCLan Preston campus and hopefully beyond.

This is not the end, but the beginning.

 


The Story of a Line

Here we feature a highly emotive piece of work by Preston graduate Ya Wang (Diana), during her final year on the course. It tells the story of her grandfather who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and documents the deterioration of his movement and motor skills since his initial diagnosis.

The below slides show the stunning book which was produced as part of the project, binding together the 412 lines Diana’s grandfather had drawn.

Type & Grids – 2020

The first year graphic design students have recently completed their primer project in typography and the art of layout, simply known to Preston tutors and alumni as Type & Grids. The project is an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the work of typographers and designers from the late 1800’s up to present day, and offers a starting point for the young designer to start to comprehend the craft and rigour that typography of the highest order demands.

It is a particularly pleasing project as the leaps in design ability can be registered throughout the timeline of the project and seen visually from the initial pencil sketches to initial layouts to finished artwork. Simply, the innate ability of the young designer could not produce the standard of work at the final crit on day one.

It is also a project of no shortcuts; the main component is time, time taken to understand, collate, design, redesign, redesign, edit and amend.

A final highlight to the project was the introduction to the banner printer and updated presentation format.


final crit:



STUDENT EXAMPLES:

Transport Typography

Recent wet-weekend visits to Bury Transport Museum and Manchester’s Museum of Transport faced off the grim weather with their own deluge, albeit this downpour was one of hand-lettered type.

Both institutions are clearly run by teams of enthusiasts, and the love for the treasures within is clear for all to see. Perhaps though, there is an opportunity for a final year student to take the resources and package them for the next generation.

Men of Letters

menofletters.jpg

Men of Letters is a joint retrospective celebrating the lives and work of late lettering artists Tony Forster (1941–2008) and Phill Grimshaw (1950–1998).

The show has been organised by lettering artist Dan Forster (Tony's son), presenting "what is possibly the most extensive exhibition of hand lettering and calligraphy ever displayed in the UK," as Forster puts it.

Alongside teaching at Bolton School of the Arts, Tony was a prominent figure in the Manchester design scene from the early 1960s; creating lettering work including the iconic logos for Paperchase, 1970s Rock Band 10cc and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.

After his death, designer Tony Di Spigna described Forster as "The Herb Lubalin of England".

A great piece by Richard Morris on Tony can be read here. It includes the fantastic quote:

“It has always fascinated me that we only have 26 letters. Arranged in the right order they can make you laugh or cry, make you happy or sad, angry or elated.”

Grimshaw, (who was taught by Tony) went on to become an internationally renowned typeface designer, creating 44 typefaces for ITC and Letraset. He was described by Colin Brignall – himself a recipient of a Type Directors Club medal – as "One of the best display typeface designers of recent times".

Most of the work displayed in the exhibition has remained mostly unseen. This is because it was not produced digitally, and most of it has remained filed away in plan chest drawers and storage boxes for many years. This exhibition reveals their hand-created sketches, mock-ups, final artworks, original calligraphy pieces, typeface designs and original posters.

The free exhibition runs from 8 February until 8 March 2020 at Bolton Library & Museum.

https://www.boltonlams.co.uk/whats-on/2462/men-of-letters-exhibition-bolton-central-library-and-museum

https://danforster.com/

Hustle Underwear

Congratulations to Year 2 Graphics student Tom Culton who has just won an industry led competition set by Bulletproof Design - London. The brief was titled ‘Fresh Meat’ and students were asked to think outside the box and break away from the expected rules of branding.

1 Hustle cow.jpg

There were 3 parts of a cow representing the brand name, product and format. The students were asked to pick one card for each from lists of options to create a brand identity and a piece of packaging.

Tom got brand name ‘Hustle’, the product being underwear, in a foil bag format.

 
 
2 Hustle logo.jpg
 
 
 
3 Hustle pants.jpg
 
 

The proposition was ‘a brand that doesn’t try too hard to be sexy and is instead fun, cheeky and loud - relating to the ‘hustle’ name, celebrating diversity in body image’.

There are 6 styles of underwear in the Hustle range. They have cheeky typographical personalities with a nod to the type of underwear (ie. The ‘H’ resembles boxer shorts) which spell out Hustle when displayed in the shop.

4 Hustle packaging.jpg
 
5 Hustle logo for moving image.jpg
 

His winning entry has won him a 2-week placement at Bulletproof in London.

Our (other) man in The Dam

Last week, Year 1 Graphics student Max Greer headed to Amsterdam. Amongst the many pleasures the city has to offer, Max visited one of my favourite places in the world - the Stedelijk Museum - which houses vast collections of the world’s best art and design. He kindly took the time out to write us the following blog. Thanks Max!


 

A city of Tulips and Type

The Stedelijk Museum is an architectural spectacle located in the heart of the museum district in Amsterdam. It features modern artists and graphic designers of the highest level, both up-and-coming and giants of the industry. I was fortunate enough to visit it and see the art for myself and there was one exhibition that stood out. Wim Crouwel (1928-2019), was a Dutch graphic designer and typographer whose practice was that of a master level. There was a whole section dedicated to his work, which featured original posters, catalogues, designs and in-depth videos on all aspects of his career. In the images you can see the way he created his font ‘New Alphabet’ using grids and carefully measuring each piece of type to perfection. Though these images don’t justify the sheer wonder of his work. To all graphic designers, typographers and type designers this a must visit, you shall not be disappointed and will leave inspired!

 

If you’re in Amsterdam and you’d like to check the exhibition out, all the information is here.

Conference Week 9 – The line up

This year is our 9th annual Conference Week and we have just secured the full line up for the week, so we thought it timely to give you all a little insight into all the speakers that we will be welcoming into our studios between Monday 10th & Friday 14th February . We have 24 professional designers, copywriters, advertisers, Illustrators, artist and all round creative doyens presenting to our undergraduate cohort and we all look forward to the creative high this will surely produce!

Please click on the links highlighted in red below each image for more information.

John Rushworth - Partner - Pentagram London

John Rushworth - Partner - Pentagram London


Jill Calder - Illustrator & calligrapher

Jill Calder - Illustrator & calligrapher


Alex Creamer - Design Director - Interbrand Australia

Alex Creamer - Design Director - Interbrand Australia

Interbrand – Australia (talk via Skype)


Abi Meats - Co founder - Rude London

Abi Meats - Co founder - Rude London


Garry Blackburn & Simon Elliott - Founders of Rose Design - London

Garry Blackburn & Simon Elliott - Founders of Rose Design - London


Mark Denton - Creative Boss - Coy Communications - London

Mark Denton - Creative Boss - Coy Communications - London

Coy Communications – London


Donna Payne - Creative Director - Faber & Faber

Donna Payne - Creative Director - Faber & Faber


Sam Lachlan & Dan Bowstead - Design Director & Senior Designer - Pearlfisher - London

Sam Lachlan & Dan Bowstead - Design Director & Senior Designer - Pearlfisher - London

Sara Ogilvie - Illustrator & Educator

Sara Ogilvie - Illustrator & Educator


Gary Westlake & Steve Bewick - Founders of Purple Creative - London

Gary Westlake & Steve Bewick - Founders of Purple Creative - London


Jessie Froggett & Matt Lurcock - Turner Duckworth - London

Jessie Froggett & Matt Lurcock - Turner Duckworth - London

Turner Duckworth – London


Kate Pankhurst - Illustrator

Kate Pankhurst - Illustrator

Kate Pankhurst – Leeds


Simon Sinclair - Creative Director, Copy writer & Brand Strategist

Simon Sinclair - Creative Director, Copy writer & Brand Strategist

Raving Adman – Cheshire


Mike Rigby - Global head of Brand - RGA NY

Mike Rigby - Global head of Brand - RGA NY


Nick Richie & Hazel Willey - UX&D Designers - BBC

Nick Richie & Hazel Willey - UX&D Designers - BBC

BBC UX&D – Salford


Simon Higby - Creative Partner NORD DDB - Sweden

Simon Higby - Creative Partner NORD DDB - Sweden

NORD DDB – Sweden


Tom Granger - Author - Illustrator & Designer

Tom Granger - Author - Illustrator & Designer

Draw Breath – Manchester

The Rev Jackson Whitehead - Chaplin & Typographic illustrator

The Rev Jackson Whitehead - Chaplin & Typographic illustrator


This years ticket designs - “cheap to those who can afford them..very expensive to those that can’t”

This years ticket designs - “cheap to those who can afford them..very expensive to those that can’t”