Evaluation

Producing Print Based Media

Visual Language:

Composition

How have you chosen to set out your designs and why? (Reference layout, image/text ratio, busy/simplistic etc)

I wanted to create a fun, easy-going design, aimed at young people that are new to vegetarianism and cooking in general. I wanted to make cooking look fun but simple at the same time with a design that would catch the eye of 20-35 year olds. I wanted the layout to be easy to read with no bits of information jumping around everywhere. I wanted it to be set out clearly but still stand out to its target audience. As everything is laid out pretty clearly and in lines, I made the overall design look laif back with the font. I think the font overall is perfect for the target audience, however I used this font alongside another fancy, design font and this overall makes the recipe cards look busy and untidy. If I was to redesign these recipe cards I would maybe use a more standard font to describe the recipe on the first side to make the design look neater and clearer. I also think there is a lot more text than there is to image, especially on the first sides of each recipe cards and then on the second side more image to text. I think this makes each recipe card seem fun and informal- the design I wanted to go for but I do think it makes the overall design look busy and this will confuse the eye. This would look better if I possibly switched the design around with each card such as less images on the second side where all the writing is and more image on the first side so the audience know more about what the recipe card is describing.

Image Construction

Discuss the contents of your final images and reflect upon decisions made.(Content used- image/text/graphic, use of colour, original or stock images etc)

On all my recipe cards I have used bright, summery colours to help make my recipe cards appeal to its audience. Each card has a different colour front and back, colours that work well alongside the recipe dedicated to each card. For example I have used a brown/orange colour on the chilli con carne recipe card as I think this is the colour most people will associate with this dish. I have also used a blue alongside a yellow on the fajita recipe card to highlight that this is a dish best served in summer, the blue represents the sky and the yellow represents the sun. I think this was a good decision to make as it will make the audience want to try these recipes due to their bright and fun look. However all but one recipe use bright, eye catching colours to highlight that these are summer and Mexican dishes. One does not and if I was to redesign this card I would choose a brighter colour to use on its first side. This is the chili con carne one. I feel as though this recipe card now does not work with the set as the rest are bright and bold. I also think the colour I chose to use highlights that this is a Mexican dish but not a dish perfect for summer or for a dinner party.

I used stock images on my recipe cards but I edited them in my own way. On the first pages of the fajita and the dips recipe cards I put the images through Photoshop and rotoscoped over them to make them look more like cartoons or drawings. On their second pages I used images of the recipe ingredients, made them into a circle shape and turned their opacity down so they dont make it hard to read the text which is placed over them. On the chili con carne and desert recipe card I used stock images and put a filter over them to make them look like cartoons. I dont think this works as well as the rotoscoping as it these images look more formal. I think the rotoscoping went well with the overall style of the recipe cards as they look fun, laidback and informal.I think the images cut into circles on the second sides of each recipe cards works well overall. I think it adds quick burst of more detail on the second sides and it looks neat and is easy to read. I think the circles work well in particular as it breaks away from the formal square layout. However on the guacamole and salsa recipe card I think there are too many images on one page. I think this makes it hard for the eye to focus on the text and I also think it makes the overall design look untidy and a bit too informal. As I have used a mixture of rotoscoping and filters on images for the first sides I think this makes my recipe cards look less like a set. I dont think it helps when following the design and as they look completely different I feel as though it makes the recipe cards look as though they are aimed at different audiences. I think the filter designs look more formal and more aimed at an older audience. The rotoscoped images look informal, more like they are drawn and more colourful. I think this will attract the eye of the younger audiences.

Representation

Discuss the semiotics and connotations created from the content you have included.(What meaning or suggestions are created from the images/colours/designs you have used?)

On all the recipe cards I have put a circle design on each first side. This is to represent the sun as these are summer recipes. On the fajita recipe card and the chili con carne recipe card I have used different colours in the circle. The fajita recipe card has yellow and orange and the chili con carne recipe uses a mixture of reds. This is to represent the time of day which these meals will be eaten. A the fajitas are more of an afternoon, sharing meal I have used daytime colours. As the chili recipe will normally be eaten as a dinner in the evening I have used colours which can be interpreted as sunset colours. I stuck to reds as these are more summery colours and work well with the font. However if I was to redesign any of these cards I would change the colours used on the desert recipe card as they match too much with the fajita one. I think I should of made the desert recipe card colours slightly darker to highlight that it should be eaten closer to night time than day time.

I think the way I have placed the images in circles, on the second side of each recipe card, makes the recipe look overall simple and easy to make. As all the ingredients are shown in each image I think it makes the recipe look as though you dont need a lot of ingredients and it will be simple to make.

As I have rotoscoped some images I think this also makes the recipes look easy to create and simple to do. As the rotoscoping makes the images look like a child has drawn them or that the images are meant to look cartoon-like. I think this makes the overall recipe look simple as its almost like a child could cook them. I also think this makes the recipes look quick to cook as the images resemble a quick sketch. However, if I was to do this again I would not use rotoscoped images on both the front and second sides of the recipe cards. I want to make sure that the audience know that this is aimed at them (aged 20-35) rather than children or younger people. I want my audience to feel confident and proud of what they have just cooked rather than feel like they have created something even a child could.

Audiences:

Create an audience profile of your chosen demographic(Age, gender, psychographic, geodemographic, NRS Social Grade, hobbies, sexuality [if appropriate] etc)

This is my audience profile for my chosen demographic. Age: 18-30 but it can range higher and lower than this number. I mainly wanted to focus on young people who are just getting into vegetarianism and what to experiment with food.Gender: Both sexes but a bigger percentage of women based on the type of recipes. The design is to aim at both sexes using neutral fonts, colours and pictures.Psychographic: There are many profiles which my demographic would fit into. The first being emulators. My recipe cards are designed for young people who are just starting out in their own life (moving out etc.) The recipes are designed for my audience to cook for their friends as well as themselves, meaning they will be looking for approval from their peers, just like an emulator. Another profile which my audience fit into is socially conscious type A. My recipe cards are aimed at new vegetarians meaning they could be starting vegetarianism for the sake of trying to make the world a better place. My audience also fit into the profile needs driven. My audience will find these recipe cards in the supermarket online and will try these recipes through impulse.Geodemographic: My audience will mainly live in small town houses, council houses and student accommodation in suburban and city areas. This will make it easier to market my recipe cards in shops and supermarkets. Social Grade: My audience fit the social grades E, D and C2. These people dont earn a lot of money which is perfect for my audience as some may be students and others are just starting out. Hobbies: My audience will have a vast social life and hobbies will include socialising with their peers. This is who they will spend most time with going out for food, cinema and shopping. Time at home will also be spent this is why I have created a recipe card that will help the audience cook for their friends.

How have you constructed your work to appeal to this audience? Use box below for text or page space to include an annotated copy of an example of your work to help illustrate how you have done this. You can use a combination of the two. My recipe cards appeal to this audience using the colours, text, font, recipe ideas and images. The colours are bright and eye-catching which will attract the eye of the explorer audience, who will want to try new things. If I was to do this again I would maybe use slightly darker colours to avoid the recipe cards looking too playful. The font is big and bold also catching the eye of the explorer but it also uses a fun and fancy design which will attract the eye of the aspirer, who are attracted to design and attractive looking things. I think this font works well in attracting the audience but I also think it works well on the page and with the overall theme of my recipe cards. The recipe ideas I think also work well when appealing to the audience. The recipes are fun, easy and simple which will attract student side of the audience as well as the audience which are most busy with work and their social life. If I was to do this again I would maybe swap the chili con carne and the sweet churros recipe for something a little more simple that would fit in with the audiences busy lifestyles.

The fonts are neither masculine nor feminine meaning that it will appeal to both sexes

The cartoon images and instruction as to the heat of the food make the recipe seem easy and simple, perfect for new vegetarians. The colours are also neutral, using a range of colours that can be seen as masculine and feminine. The colours will also attract the eye of the audience passing them in the supermarket.

Historical and Cultural Context:

What did you use as your design influences and why were they chosen?(What existing media products influenced the final look of your work?)

The Sainsburys Feed your family for a fiver was my main influence when creating recipe cards. They have a simple and relaxed layout and design and make the recipes seem as though they are easy. They appeal to all sorts of audiences from struggling young people and families wanting to save money. There is no indication as to whether the recipes are aimed at only male or female audiences and they are easy to pick up online or in a Sainsburys supermarket. The vegetarian society recipe booklets were also an inspiration as they look clean and professional, something I wanted to achieve with my own. They were formal but not to formal that the recipes seem unaffordable and it appeals to a wide audience.

Do vegetarian products have a specific design aesthetic and how does your project reflect/contrast this? Why?I think that a design aesthetic is only important when it comes to new vegetarians. I dont think a vegetarian recipe card has any reason to look different to one that isnt and I dont think they need anything specific. I think to someone who is changing their diet to a vegetarian one the cards do need to be look more appealing as the audience may think that pine nut and carrot roast doesnt sound as appealing as something including meat in it. I also think that to a new audience a vegetarian diet and cutting meat out can seem complicated and overbearing. I tried to reflect this by making my recipes cards look simple and using recipes that they all know, there is just something different about them. I have use a wide variety of images that make the recipes look tasty and appealing as well as using fonts and language to make the recipe seem simple. The bright colours I chose to use make the recipe and the new diet seem friendly rather than using a white or black to make the recipe seem overbearing. I think if I had used simpler recipes and emphasised on emotive language I would have got this across a lot more.

Finished Products:

Does your finished product reflect your initial plans? How? If there are any differences, describe why changes were made.(You can use visual examples of flat plans and finished products to illustrate this)My finished products do reflect what I wanted to create. I wanted to make something with a summer theme and I chose to do Mexican with lots of simple and light recipes. However I do think I could have chosen more out there recipes rather than using recipes that have just taken the meat out of them. I also chose a different style of images and edited them in a different way. Rather than just using simple photos of the food I chose to rotoscope and use filters over them to add more design and colour to the recipes. This also helped in making the recipes seem fun and simple as well as catch the eye of the audience. When I did use photos I chose to break out of the square layout that everything seemed to be in and used circle photos with a lower opacity so they were easy to place on the page. I chose to do this as I could place them behind the text leaving more room for larger recipes. The opacity meant that the audience will be able to see them behind the text as well as read the text clearly. I did stick to the font I found in my original plans. I feel this font is the best for the style of recipes, the layout, it works well with colours and also adds to the fun, simple feel. The font was versatile and looked good in any colour and any size. I chose to make the circle behind the recipe name bigger and brighter. This added more colour to what could have been bland and boring backgrounds. It also added to my summer theme as it represents the sun on a blue sky. I did this for all four of my recipe cards. The colour of the main background represented the time of day and what time the recipes will typically be eaten at.

Does your finished product match what you were set in the brief? How?In the brief I was told to create designs for both the front and the back of each card and that each card followed the theme. My products I think match this part of the brief. For each card I have created both sides and to a Mexican theme. I followed this theme by using sunny, bright colours and colours associated with a hot or holiday destination. However I think I could of emphasised this more by using some more Mexican elements, for example, an image of a Mexican hat or instruments. The recipes were supposed to be aimed at new and/or old vegetarians and I think I have managed to create something that appeals to a new vegetarian audience. By using simple designs and recipes. However I do not think I created a design for a recipe that could be aimed at Vegans to and if I did its not clear. I could of worked on this by looking at the specific requirements of vegans and looking at vegan substitutes, especially in the churro recipe. I also didnt match the brief by using the logo or the brand strip on some of my recipe cards. I could of improved on this by placing the logo on the design first and working around it to make sure there was room and that I didnt forget.

How did the use of peer feedback help you in your production?(Reference specific examples and their final outcome in finished product)The peer feedback helped me to alter the images in order for them to read them. My peer feedback mentioned that one side looked busy and it was hard to read over the images. I helped me to see how many images I needed as they said there was too many. I lowered the number down from six to three. Both sets of feedback mentioned the use of too many images. The feedback also helped me to target any errors as they mentioned a spelling a mistake they had noticed.

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your final product regarding its technical and aesthetical qualities.Use box below for text or page space to include an annotated copy of your work to help illustrate how you have done this. You can use a combination of the two.Reference what you like and dislike about the work with consistent reference to correct terminology of tools/effects used.

The use of the box to separate the information was a good thing to use as it helps some important information stand out against the circular photos. However, I do think experimenting with more circular and square shapes could of looked good.I think the way I have used a lower opacity on circular image is also a strong point of my work. The opacity helps the audience to see the ingredient and finished products as well as making it clearer to read the text. I also think this adds a lot of design qualities compared to if I had used plain, simple photos. The use of this main font I think is one of my main strengths. I think this works well with summer/Mexican theme and helps make the recipe look appealing by making the recipe look fun and catchy. I think this font also appeals to a younger, newer audience by standing out against normal, more formal fonts. I think a weakness of my work is the amount of blank space on the first page and how busy the second a page is. I think this makes my recipe cards look unbalanced and unprofessional. I think if they were balanced the recipe card as a whole would flow better. I also think I should of used similar colours on both the backgrounds. This would also help it to flow better.

What skills/knowledge have you gained/developed in this project? How could these be applied in future practice?In this project my skills in designing something for a specific audience have been improved. I feel as though I can now create something that will appeal to a both younger and older audience as well as cater for more specific things such as their hobbies, where they live and what psychographic they are. I feel these skills and be applied in anything I create and I also feel that if I was to do past projects again such as the graphic narrative I would be able to create something a lot better. My skills in finding fonts that work well with certain themes and designs have also been improved. I think in this project I have managed to find a font that works well, is easy to see and read, sticks to a theme and adds to the design in what I wanted to create. I think now if we get a project that needs the use of fonts I will find it a lot easier to find suitable fonts. I think my skills in working to a template and placing a mixture of images and text on a page could be improved. I feel as though that was my weakest point, especially making sure text looks separate and easy to read. I could improve on this by using the rulers in Photoshop to make sure everything is even.

Production Processes

Do you believe your work is creative and technically competent? Why?(Reference specific examples (use images if this will help) of where you believe your work is particularly visually or technically impressive)Overall I think my font is the most visually impressive as well as this with the use of the rotoscoping over photographs. I think this helps to create the feel of the recipe cards I wanted and helped to make the recipes seem fun and simple. I think it works well with the theme and makes the recipes seem more appealing than if I had used more formal images. I also think the uses of the images on the second sides are one of my visual strengths. The lowered opacity helps to add more images and more information to the cards as well as add more design to the cards. This also helps the cards to seem more serious and not like it was designed for children. However I think the placement of the recipe and instructions could have been improved as this makes the cards seem too busy compared to whats on the first side of each card. I think my skills in font size could be improved to fix this and make it more visually appealing.

How effectively did you manage your time? (Could you have used time more wisely? Did a particular aspect of the project take longer than expected? Did you complete everything on schedule?)

During the production of my recipe cards I feel as though I produced everything within, if not ahead of schedule. I gave myself two days to complete each card and I soon found out that this was too much time and that once I started working with a template, the cards become a lot easier to produce. The mood boards and style sheets were the longest to create as I had to stick to themes and styles which I had thought of and finding images to fit what I wanted to create took longer than what I thought. Overall I feel as though I havent managed my time too well. It has taken me awhile to get everything uploaded onto my blog as well as make sure everything is completed. Next I will make sure I work to a deadline with clear schedules so I dont fall behind with hand ins again.

If you could repeat the process what would you do differently?There are man things I would do differently if I was to repeat this project: Make sure I have everything handed in so I do not fall behind and leave me with a pile of work Make sure I have a clear schedule so my final products are produced in an even time and to the best that they can be. Do more research before hand so I know just what is wanted and how I can find specific recipes. I would be more creative with design as well as recipes so they appeal to their audience. Make sure I have a clear template to work to. This would make sure that all recipes cards are identical as some of mine differ from one another. Doing this will help meet the brief criteria and help me to work to the best of my ability. Experiment more with images and the placement of them rather than just changing the opacity as this could of meant that I got a more professional look overall.

Working to a Brief in the Creative Media Industries

Constraints Experienced:

What constraints did you encounter and how did you consider/avoid them?

Legal ConstraintsUsing stock images and someone elses recipe was a legal constraint that I came across. When I used stock images I rotoscoped over them and then deleted the original image and this helped me to avoid it. If I wasnt to do this I would have had to look into the owners copyright and asked for permission to use the image. The same goes for the recipe copyrights.

Regulatory ConstraintsMaking sure the recipes I used were actually vegetarian is a regulatory constraint that I found. I considered that using ingredients that arent vegetarian would upset and offend people and so I researched all the recipes I used and made sure non of my recipes did contain meat or anything else not suitable for vegetarians.

Financial ConstraintsFinancial constraints included being able to produce at a high quality standard as well on high quality materials such as laminate. If there was an effect I wanted to use like laminate it would cost me to produce this.

Management:

How did you work as part of a group? (Did you lead the project? What parts of the project did you take charge of? Did you enjoy working as part of a group? Why?)Overall I think I took lead in this project. My partner wasnt here for the most of it leaving me to most things on my own, elements of the preproduction and deciding what we were going to create overall was the main thing I took charge of. My partner wasnt here to help me decide so I had to go with what I thought would work best. I also had to do presentations and give and receive feedback by myself. However, I feel this has worked to my advantage, as I am not normally a leader. If I had my partner here I would of leant more to leaving the work to her and going with a theme that I didnt really like. Working by myself helped me to get my head down and learn to take control over what was happening within my project.

How important is communication when working in a group? (Use specific examples from working in a group on this project)Communication is important. As my partner wasnt here for the majority of the project I was left with no ideas or second opinion as to what she thought would work best. When she came back she had no idea what I had created and why and this left her in the dark especially when it came to the production. She had no idea what template I used, the theme, the target audience, the recipes and what colour scheme I was using. This meant that she found it harder to get on with the production tasks or even complete them at all.

What have you learnt about working in a group and how will you apply this to future practice?I have learnt that sometimes it is better to be a leader and with the right group and the right amount of communication you can produce something at a high standard. I Will know for the future that if I want to get work done and handed in that taking the lead is something I should really consider. It has also taught me to be careful about who you will be working with as it can leave you to do all the work yourself or in the dark about everything that is happening and this can be a major disadvantage to the standard of your work.

What have you learnt about working in to a brief and how will you apply this to future practice?I have learnt that working to a brief can be a good guide to producing something of a high standard. I have also learnt that if you do not stick to the brief, by even the littlest thing it can harm your work in lots of ways, giving you a lower grade. I will make sure to read the brief thoroughly before starting work to make sure everything is correct.