5.2 Process Document - Daniel Oakford

Introduction and Current Thoughts

At the moment, technology plays a key part in my design process; the majority of my work is computer-based using programmes from the Adobe suite as well as software such as Cavalry and Squarespace. Whether I'm shooting photography on a camera, illustrating vectors, or sharing work with peers and collaborators, technology is there 99 per cent of the way. At the moment the technology landscape is changing exponentially, especially with the rise of AI. I believe designers are still finding where they fit into the puzzle, with some adopting AI and others rejecting. I believe a balance can be found; however, it still seems to be unidentified due to the rapid evolution right now. The Adobe Suite is starting to be challenged by newer softwares such as Affinity and Figma. This is a great thing because while the Adobe Suite is really advanced and great to use, it has ultimately acted as a paywall for design. However, I am used to these softwares and they do allow for a great ecosystem to work in. The new assistive AI within Adobe has been great to use too, helping remove backgrounds and assist spot healing. Something I've learnt this module is that a combination of new and old can sometimes be the perfect mix for portraying ideas.

What I've Created this Module

5.2.1 Public Space, Public Voice

The Challenge Create a campaign that raises awareness about neurodiversity in public spaces. Public spaces – streets, parks, transport hubs, shops, community centres – are designed for everyone, but they don’t always work for everyone. Neurodivergent people often face challenges that remain invisible to others: sensory overload from noise and lighting,

leedsdotgraphicsDaniel Oakford

5.2.1 Animation In Photoshop

Animation 1 0:00 /0:01 1× This was the 1 second animation created during the workshop. It was fun to get familiarised with photoshop’s motion interface and the Wacom tablets. Using the onion skin feature i was able to stack the drawings easily to create a flowing animation. Animation

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5.2.2 Jitter Animations

These are my three animations i created with the designs given to us by Graham, the software was really easy to learn and created some great animations, it reminded me of another software called cavalry however it was easier to design in Jitter. I look forward to revisiting it with

leedsdotgraphicsDaniel Oakford

5.2.2 Title Sequences

0:00 /0:23 1× This was the Title Sequence I created during Jons Workshop using Rotoscoping and basic positioning keyframes. 0:00 /0:40 1× This was what I created after the workshop, it is inspired by the GTA loading screens. Its a really simple yet nice set of

leedsdotgraphicsDaniel Oakford

5.2.3 Screen Graphics

0:00 /0:18 1× This was the piece i created from Jons workshops touching on Screen Graphics. It was great to learn new features in AE and is something id look at using inn the future maybe combined with other styles of animation.

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5.2.4 Experiments

Experiment 1 0:00 /0:27 1× This website allowed me to map images onto cubes and change things such as rotation, scale and quantity. It was fun to use but nothing jumps out to me about what it could be used for. The look felt like an un-rendered video

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5.2.6 Animating Illustrations in AE

0:00 /0:20 1× In Jon’s last workshop we edited an illustrator file of a gecko crawling. To do this, we first drew the gecko, then exported the Illustrator file into After Effects, where we then moved its limbs to create a walking motion. I enjoyed this workshop as

leedsdotgraphicsDaniel Oakford

TouchDesigner

Version 1 0:00 /1:54 1× For this video i followed a youtube tutorial on how to create a sound reactive visuals. I learnt how to create shapes and reflections, how to add different reactors which allow different nodes to work together. It was a steep learning curve and

leedsdotgraphicsDaniel Oakford

Trim Path Animations

These animations are simple but flow nicely. I used a plugin for trim paths which allowed me to offset the paths in the second video and edit them all at once as it would be tedious to do them one by one. 0:00 /0:19 1× 0:00 /0:

leedsdotgraphicsDaniel Oakford

Oakfords

Initial Idea + Website Oakfords is the name of my brand I created over the summer. It was made so i could start to sell some of my photography work and design work. I thought the name was simple, as it is my second name, and also feels countrysidey. I incorporated

leedsdotgraphicsDaniel Oakford

Experimentation

In this module, I've used many different tools within design, some projects were purely software-based, others used machinery. I tried new things like the animation tablet, which I was really fond of, and others like TouchDesigner, which still feels like a brick wall. But I enjoyed most things, and it sparked a lot of curiosity within different niches of design. In a project such as Oakfords, I followed processes through from the computer to the workshop, which is something I enjoy doing. I like being there each step of the process to make sure it's going my way. I've realised this module that I like the process, the artworking and the manufacturing of things. I like making the ideas happen, and don't care so much where the ideas come from. That's not me not liking the creative stage, I just prefer the design of them. With that also comes a lot of failures, ideas that I lose interest in or feel like I can't make happen. For example, TouchDesigner was a great idea but I felt restricted by my knowledge and therefore lost interest. This is something I need to work on and overcome.

Emerging Technologies

Ive engaged with AI more this module, I've tested out different engines, those being ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. I am still unsure what to take from AI engines, but I do know they can assist in something like coding. It feels unethical to use them in creative work, but they can assist with the behind-the-scenes. I think it's still unclear where I want to draw my line. There is also a conversation to be had about their ethics in general and their environmental impact, but that could also go for any other piece of technology too. I believe they will no doubt become a part of the future of design in some way or another, while they are tiptoed around now, in 25 years they will be the norm just like the internet has become. I do want to see its potential, especially in things like meta glasses, but I would not be an early adopter. I still don't know where they fit into the current landscape. For now i will experiment more but I don't see any major uses shining towards my work at this moment.

The future

Further down the line, I want to engage more with coding, it is something that interested me this module however, I didn't engage with it that much. I'd really like to see what it has to offer with web design and motion. I enjoy motion design. It feels rewarding to see graphics come to life, and I feel like I'm starting to overcome parts of the learning curve. Web design is something I'm new too but i feel like there's potential there to grow, and again it feels rewarding seeing designs become part of a system and something bigger. These two areas are constantly evolving so I will have to keep paying attention to the landscape and see how new technologies affect them. I like to work with print too, and I could see elements being taken into this. Maybe in the future I don't animate in software, but with physical media, maybe i could test how stripped down a web page could become to the point of sketches and ideas. These are things that I want to focus on.

Summary

This module has helped a lot with the discovery of my design process. Ive learnt where I can lock in and where I need a push in my workflow. Ive begun to understand technology shifts and nothing stays the same, which is a bit scary but also exciting. Throughout school and college, maths was my main subject, something I considered before design. Because of this, I had a very linear way of working, where the answer was the answer. Ive had to learn to overcome that and embrace the process-led workflow, not getting caught up on initial ideas so much. Ive become more curious with new technologies and began to embrace them, trying not to stay in a set of rules. Now that ive explored my process and thoughts, I want to correct the areas I struggle with. This module has felt a bit all over the place for me and out of my comfort zone. Ive had so many projects running alongside one another, and most of them didn't even get finished. But Ive enjoyed where it's taken me and what Ive explored within them. Now it is about balancing those ideas with the correct workflow for me so I can finish them.