I’ve chosen to reflect on my 4.2 book cover design The Feminist Debate: Independence as it was a project I particularly enjoyed but one I felt I could’ve developed further. At the time, I chose to make this project more personal by using imagery of my Grandma, highlighting feminist issues while allowing me to stray away from conventional feminist imagery. This approach helped emphasise the idea that feminist values exist across generations, not just within contemporary movements and in my book cover I wanted to visually express how feminist values have shaped my own views and identity. Reflecting on the ‘Innovations’ talk has allowed me to think about how current technology - particularly immersive and interactive media - could significantly expand this project as well as its deeply rooted message.

By incorporating immersive technology, I could have developed the piece into an augmented multi-sensory experience that goes beyond the printed front cover. The audience could scan the cover with AR technology to access layers of the design such as family history, personal recollections, archived photos and audio memories inspired by my Grandma’s life as well as my own experiences with feminist values. This would allow for the more personal side of the project to be more upfront while giving the audience a deeper connection with the content, allowing them to connect on an emotional level. Rather than being a purely visual design it would focus on the experience of the viewer within immersive storytelling – a design that goes beyond 2D graphics.

Before starting this module, I never had much interest in digital media and actively disliked AR experiences, as I often couldn’t connect with the work that’s presented. However, reflecting on this project has shifted my perspective. As a designer who enjoys delving deeper into meaning and often embeds very personal elements into my work emerging technology will allow me to enhance my designs – giving me the opportunity to take on a more layered approach, moving beyond aesthetics and combing visual media with audience interaction. Creating a dimensional outcome that go further than just print and digital.

To help me create more hybrid designs I will have to consider my skills in immersive technology and build on them by experimenting with AR, motion design and basic interactive elements. I will look to explore how technology can support my process of designing and benefit the overall piece. It has definitely given me the drive to explore technologies that enhance my work and made me consider how they can influence both me and the audience.

Stranger Things (2016)

Title Sequence

Where: Netflix

Who made it?

• Duffer Brothers - Matt and Ross Duffer had creative input
• Imaginary Forces - Created the title sequence
• Karin Fong and Michelle Dougherty - Directors
• Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - Music

How was it made?

• Inspired by Stephen King covers and 1980s film titles
• Achieved digitally by simulating film grain, jitter, letter erosion and practical-camera imperfections
• Custom type built in 3D (Cinema 4D), composited and graded in After Effects

Creating custom 3D type in Cinema 4D primarily involves using Text objects with an Extrude generator or the dedicated MoText object, and, for highly customised designs, importing vector paths from design software like Adobe Illustrator - Google AI

• Minimal animation with all emotion comes from subtle glow and timing with the score

What caught my attention?

The use of visual language to induce a state of nostalgia onto the audience. With the show being set in the 80’s they have to convey this through visual language throughout the show - costume, typography, music. Especially with the title sequence which sets the audience up or the whole show - use of graphic design and mix of synth to convey the time period.

Helpful link:

Great Looking 3D Type and Logos Cinema 4D Tutorial

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Title Cards

Where: Netflix

Who made it?

• Quentin Tarantino - Director
• Robert Richardson - Director of Photography
• David Wasco - Production Design
• Mark Paul - Motion Graphics Designer who designed the title sequence
• Marco Bittner Rosser - Art Director 
• Anna B. Sheppard - Costume Design 

How was it made?

• In this film it’s a homage to 60’s spaghetti-western posters and grindhouse cinema

Grindhouse cinema refers to a type of film programming, exhibition, and content popular in the mid-20th century that featured low-budget, adult-oriented horror, splatter, and exploitation films.

• The chapter-card typography was created digitally but styled to echo letterpress and film-optical titles
• Heavy use of slab-serif and stencil typefaces, overprinted grain, and strong colour contrast
• Motion-graphics overlays and end titles were composited in After Effects and Flame, using scanned texture plates and film grain from Tarantino’s archive to blend seamlessly with 35 mm footage
• The distinctive hand-painted signage, posters and Nazi-propaganda ephemera were produced practically by the art department then enhanced in post

What caught my attention

Something I love about this film is Tarantino’s use of titles throughout the film - my favourite thing in the entire world! You can see his use of typography in the title sequence as well as his character introductions. The use of graphic design and typography within films is something I’m very interested in so it always catches my eye - within his films even the graphic design and text is a use of storytelling.

Helpful links:

Main Titles & Motion Design Archives - The Art of VFX

Exclusive VFX Interviews & Daily News

The Art of VFXVincent Frei

Machete

<p>This is the last bit of dialogue before the opening titles to Robert Rodriguez&rsquo;s throwback exploitation flick Machete and a fitting MO for the unconventional mavericks at Troublemaker Studios. The sequence starts with a flamethrower devouring a Mexican hideout as the roiling smoke and flame quickly degrades into gritty lobby cards corrupted by dust and scratches.<br />Machete&rsquo;s title sequence is a colorful parade of sneering villains, vixens, and an arsenal of menacing guns and knives. While the sequence sets the stage for a gory, over-the-top revenge romp, it also succeeds in grounding the entire film in another time and place. As the grainy titles scrape along at 1&frac12; feet per second, the audience is transported back from their reclined seats at present day cineplexes to the nostalgic era of drive-ins and drafthouses.<br />In this week&rsquo;s feature, Kurt Volk (art director at Troublemaker Studios) talks with Art of the Title about guacamole guns, the influence of Coke commercials, and the benefits of working under the same roof as producer/director Robert Rodriguez.</p>

Art of the Title

/ By Lola Landekic

Anastasia (1997)

Film

Where: Disney +

Who made it?

• Don Bluth and Gary Goldman - Directors
• Fox Animation Studios (Phoenix, Arizona) - Producers
• Don Bluth, Len Simon, and Andreas Deja - Key animators
• Pacific Title Digital and in-house Fox CG team - VFX and digital compositing

How was it made?

• Character animation was drawn by hand on paper, scanned into the digital system, and coloured using Toon Boom and Animo software (early digital ink and paint)
• Backgrounds were traditionally painted, but many scenes used 3D CGI environments created in Alias/Wavefront PowerAnimator (a precursor to Maya)
• The ballroom dance sequence is the most famous hybrid: characters animated in 2D, moving within a 3D-rendered ballroom, with dynamic camera moves impossible to achieve in flat 2D space
• Layers were composited digitally, giving the illusion of real cinematic depth - a technique inspired by the multiplane camera tradition but done digitally

Even though “Anastasia” was made during that weird time in which Hollywood was moving from 2D to 3D animation, the movie doesn’t make extensive use of 3D elements mixed in with their 2D assets. And when it does, they don’t look as out of place as in, say, “Titan A.E.” or even Disney’s own “Treasure Planet”.

• This film was pioneering the way for 3D animation alongside Pixar with their release of Toy Story (1995)

What caught my attention

I have always noticed how the backgrounds of this film look different to other animated films of the era due to their hybrid use of 3D technology and 2D hand-drawn animation. Specifically in the shots of the palace and the ballroom where the camera sweeps across the scene giving them more dimension and making the environment more immersive than other films animated in the 90’s.

Helpful links:

https://www.awn.com/animationworld/conversation-new-don-bluth

Review: ANASTASIA (1997), an underrated animated adventure from the 90s

&ldquo;Anastasia&rdquo; is one of those animated films I remember from my childhood, but that for one reason or another, I hadn&rsquo;t seen for a long time. Unlike classics such as &ldquo;The Lion King&rdquo; or even the &ldquo;Toy Story&rdquo; trilogy, &ldquo;Anastasia&rdquo;…

ScreenAnarchySebastian Zavala Kahn Contributor

I feel like I’m actually designing once I progress from completing the task list and start making confident decisions. However, these confident decisions are usually backed by the feedback stages where I receive constructive criticism that allows me to take on another perspective. It gives me the opportunity to see my work from outside my own head and see the work from another angle. I start to feel confident and more like a designer when I feel comfortable to change aspects of my design, moving elements around and taking on more experimentation that will further strengthen my first drafts. This is the point where everything starts to feel more intentional rather than just checking boxes which leads to any issues being solved.

Workflow doesn’t come without pain points that can cause friction within the design process. I start to experience this after my drafts have been completed, prior to any feedback – at this stage I begin to lose the excitement I gain from research, often unsure where to start and where to end, second guessing all my ideas and wondering if I’m doing everything wrong. This in turn creates stress on my decision-making skills causing me to halt. I also find myself focusing too much on the small elements of a design which I love but can’t incorporate well, which causes frustration and often leads to a loss of joy within the project. 

Through research, I have explored some tools and strategies that could reduce these friction points. A tool that I will be incorporating into future designs is Milanote – a digital organisation tool that allows me to track briefs, research, reference and personal thoughts all in one place. Organisation of my work is often something I struggle with and allowing me to have access to all elements of my project in one place will help me maintain structure outside of the design itself. By having a clear visual map of my thoughts and process it will unload any stress and anxiety I have about keeping track of the project, giving me more clarity and direction when I feel overwhelmed or disconnected from the brief.

Another strategy I should take on board is annotating printed designs – allowing me to step back from the screen and engaging with my work with a more hands on approach. It’s something that would benefit me as annotations feel less overwhelming than immediately editing a draft. Tools like this one will give me the opportunity to slow down and reflect on my own work rather than relying on feedback to propel me forward, essentially taking the feedback into my own hand, reconnecting with my designs and looking at my work from a different (more physical) perspective. 

 Reflecting on the article and emerging tools does make you think about the designer. I feel that any tools that are emerging will ultimately help designers but maybe not all in the same way. Tools that work for one person can be used in a completely different way to enhance another designer’s workflow – I have already adapted to tools, such as AI, in a way that works for me which I mentioned in my previous reflection. Personally, I believe that the idea of making the work easier for designers should be encouraged as it cuts time from monotonous tasks and allows people to focus more on the creative elements of a project where most graphic designers thrive.

Jitter

Solar Systems Experiment

My first experiment was with the software Jitter, which allows you to create short animated designs with ease. To introduce myself to the software, I opened a saved file from Figma straight into Jitter which allowed for an easy transfer of already completed designs. For my first introduction I followed a tutorial and tried to play around with all the available features - working on timing, animation styles and effects.

This software was a perfect start of experiencing emerging technologies as it allows you to access simple design features without the need for heavy and advanced programmes and techniques. It gave me a chance to experiment with how simple movement can change a design made from basic shapes, such as circles, and create something that captures the attention of an audience that 2D design doesn't always manage to.

At this point in experimenting I didn't struggle with any aspect of Jitter as it was such a simplistic design structure - however I did find when animating that timing was something that I struggled with, especially overlapping movements to create fluidity.

Leeds Graphics Experiment

Continuing on from my original introduction to Jitter I began experimenting with typography - animating a short video for Leeds Graphic Design. Again this was in the experimental stages of the software and gave me the opportunity to play around with all the available software.

I began to try and get the type to interact with each other, rather than remaining as separate moving sections on the screen, which required me to delve more into the timing aspect of the programme. Doing one design at a time and layering up movement and effects, adjusting the timing by minuscule seconds did start feeling monotonous and repetitive. However, once I managed to perfect each detail I could use animations such as move combined with an elastic effect to create a push and pull technique - giving the illusion that the type was interacting with each other to create more fluidity within the animation.

At this point I realised that being limited to 4.4 seconds was quite challenging when trying to incorporate more advanced techniques into a system designed for simplicity. With such a small timeframe it was also difficult to condense a story element of the design, even with just typography, so much that the audience would still grasp the message I was trying to deliver. However at this point of experimentation I was beginning to feel more confident in my abilities to create a simplistic piece with elements of storytelling within the typographic interaction, that would invite people into a piece that was once just static and grabbing their attention.

Autism in Women - Awareness Design

Using the Final brief, I decided to return to Jitter as it is something I really enjoyed but felt like I hadn't fully finished exploring. Combining data interpretation with visualisation, I focused on a data set of women with autism and found that the number of women who were undiagnosed was still extremely high considering that data showed the ratio of men to women with autism was 2:1 and current studies state 1 in 100 women are autistic.

I wanted to create a short promotional piece that highlighted the data I found and condense it into a simple design that would be easier to understand from an audience perspective - with this I felt that Jitter would be perfect as its time constraints meant I couldn't make the design to complicated and would have to compact the data into such a small timeframe.

This was exponentially harder than my first two experiments as it required more stand alone elements of the animation. Labelling my pieces was vital in the design process as it allowed me to keep track of such a high volume of small intricate pieces with various movements. I found keeping track of each individual movement the hardest challenge as I couldn't relabel the movement sequences themselves - I did uncover a new element of the software, sequencing, which gives the ability to compact repetitive movements together on one line. However, when experimenting with sequencing I found that I lost the fluidity of certain elements and it made editing each individual piece harder further down the line when my ideas changed.

In this iteration I wanted to experiment further with the idea of interaction within such a simple design software and expand my knowledge of what was possible within such a stripped back animation software. I feel this piece is the most evident of how much storytelling and movement you can condense into a short reel of design.

Jitter is a great way of introducing motion without the complexity of higher end software, giving the feeling of less pressure to create a large piece of work when it isn't necessarily required for the story you want to convey. To me it felt enjoyable due to its simplicity and I felt less pressure than I usually do when creating with motion software.

Overall it showed me that motion design doesn't need to be complex to create an effective piece that captivates while also informing the audience and that the small, simple movement can further enhance the meaning behind the design rather than being a purely aesthetic choice - by limiting abilities you effectively create more complex solutions that can challenge and enhance areas of design and will definitely be something I take with me to future projects.

Maxon 1

Typographic Experimentation

In Maxon 1 I experimented with 3D typographic design forms, utilising the available tools to merge and transform the shapes of type. I focused on the typography being an object rather than legibility so I can fully play around with what's on offer within the software.

I personally found this software extremely overwhelming and the idea of starting in such an open design plane is something I struggle to grasp - 3D software has never felt as grounding to me as 2D work and it never feels like I'm fully in control. Even with a detailed step-by-step tutorial I was finding it difficult to manipulate areas and isolate parts of the design which made me feel like I wasn't fully in control of the software at times.

However using this software gave me a new perspective of typography that I had never thought to look at before, actually thinking about its structure and how type can take up the area of a space. Looking at typography through a new lens helped me to disassociate from what I knew about letterform from a flat traditional layout.

Once I had the original base of the typography I could focus my attention on manipulating the surrounding area to further enhance what was already there. This transformed the open blank canvas that I initially found overwhelming into something that I could build and enhance with the various tools on offer.

I explored lighting, texture and colour tools to try and enhance the legibility of the letters, transforming it from an experimental phase to a legible piece.

I found the lighting controls extremely easy to manipulate, using the set structure of the software and moving it to create different effects. Colour and texture also gave life to a flat 3D shape, fully showcasing the lighting effects and allowing me to see the full shape of the base I had built giving me the opportunity to refine my work to suit the environment.

Using Maxon 1 showed me how the typographic shape and form can be used to communicate emotion and tone when combined with lighting, colour and texture. These tools, although originally daunting, gave me the opportunity to break the boundaries on traditional letterforms and push what I knew about it beyond the restraints that traditional methods hold.

Overall I personally don't see myself using Maxon 1 in a majority of my projects, however it may come in useful when I need to convey a tone and within specific 3D plane that can't be achieved using conventional methods.

Adobe After Effects

Tracking Tool Experiment

In Adobe After Effects I utilised motion tracking software to attach graphics and text to moving images. This gave me the opportunity to experiment with layering design ideas on top of existing video footage that would allow me to build and transform it into a high end piece of design.

My first experiment was cutting and layering a person behind text. AE is something I have consistently struggled with and I find it a difficult software to use - simple tasks seem to require I high amount of refining work to get it to a decent level. However, cutting the person out and creating a separate layer was quite a simple task that I managed to complete with ease. Layering the text behind took more work to refine as I struggle with anchoring elements so they work with the surrounding area. I feel in this initial draft I managed to make the text appear integrated within the motion graphic with a seamless effect - similar to a title or location screen in film and Tv shows.

To further enhance my skills I tracked a moving object using the same technique however as this was for digital enhancement it didn't have to be as perfected and outlined. I found this process far easier than the previous method of tracking and with the more simplistic approach it allowed me to further understand anchoring points of the tracking and how to control the tools.

As you can see in the video I couldn't quite get the tracking to line up at the start and although a frustrating issue I actually preferred the way it bounces into tracking when I was digitally enhancing the design.

With these experiments it was clear that it required more precision and focus to create effective yet simple results in digital motion work - however the extra effort is worth the pay off of a more refined result and helps to create a more immersive outcome. This is a skill I will continue to build on so I have the basic fundamentals of Adobe After Effects.

Digital Enhancement Experiment

I moved onto digitally enhancing my tracking work by adding visual enhancements based on my research on

Guardians of the Galaxy - Territory Studio

Working closely with Director James Gunn and Production Designer Charles Wood, we created graphics and VFX for this laugh out loud story about a ragtag crew of misfit criminals who become unlikely heroes. We were tasked to create on screen graphics and vfx for all environments – spaceships, planets, prison, street markets, gambling dens, etc, and... Read More…

Territory Studio

which inspired me to pull tech elements from their to create a tracking programme with a sci-fi element.

Using basic shapes combined with layering, timing and visual effects helped me understand how the emerging technologies can help with enhancing the world that surrounds the designs - creating a desired mood and atmosphere that is easy for the audience to understand and pick up on.

For me the difficult part of visual enhancement was knowing where to stop and at what point the piece started looking too complex and busy. Although a simple design I wanted it to enhance and support the concept without distracting from the original video.

Again Adobe After Effects is a complex and busy software which I did find overwhelming, however adding design elements on top of tracking felt more natural for me - this combined with my passion for film graphics made my skill building way more enjoyable.

Overall I am pleased with how Adobe After Effects works and with more skill building I feel that I could create more advanced, refined pieces. The only disheartening thing is how much time I put in to the project for very little pay off in the design but I would consider diving deeper and attempting more in depth tutorials in future projects.

Procreate

Illustrated Animation

Procreate was something I have used before to create designs however I have never used it to create an illustrative animation. I explored using frame-by-frame animation to turn a hand-drawn design into a fluid movement.

Working in Procreate felt intuitive as it was the most similar process to the traditional style of designing that I am used to. I also liked that I could see the process of each frame and animation as it allowed me to take control and refine each section immediately.

The bridge between digital and traditional didn't feel as long with this software and I could feel the connection with what I was designing and the technology. This allowed me to create an almost seamless animation in my experiments.

One challenge that I found impacted the experience was how time intensive it was, to create a fluid movement it required multiple redraws of each frame with slight changes to give it a more refined look. This made it hard to maintain consistency between frames which are evident in the results.

But overall the experience for me was extremely enjoyable and I managed to build my skills to a fairly high level in a short time frame. It felt like a more personal experience with a connection between designer and the software itself, which made for a very calm and enjoyable experience overall despite the challenges.

It's analog-style made for some interesting experiments with the tools, by adding colour and texture with different brushes I could bring even more life and character into the animation. Unlike the other technologies I have used, Procreate made room for imperfection and showed me that perfection isn't always the desired result - adding character into the style of animation is what makes the design complete.

Procreate is definitely something I will be using in future designs and where I will focus my skill based learning. I would like to attempt to incorporate imagery into my animations and perhaps use this for promotional content.

Figma

Design System Experiment - Failed

Figma is something I have never been able to grasp and one that I struggle with immensely - my goal for Figma was to delve into the technical elements to create a working design system, however I completely failed.

I started with a clear layout and flow to make the work easier to test and adjust during the process which did ultimately work. Even following a tutorial I only managed to create the base of a design with a week of attempting to build my skills.

Figma was very structured and logical which helped me focus on my intentions within the technology side of the design but ultimately this didn't help me develop any simple skills or understand the tools fully.

Perhaps with further development and dedicating more time on this software will help me develop the tools and skills I need to extend beyond the visuals and into the more interactive side of Figma's software. But overall the interface didn't work with my design process and wouldn't be something I would use currently but will instead build further tools to enhance my experience and allow me to be less frustrated.

Overall Reflection

At the start of this project I was reluctant to engage with emerging technologies, however throughout my experiments I was pushed outside my comfort zones in turn allowing me to find elements of softwares that I do believe will benefit my design processes.

I noticed a clear contrast between the more expressive and simplified software of Procreate/Jitter and the more structured tools of Figma/After Effects. While naturally I gravitated more towards the expressive tools finding them easier to navigate and to engage with fully, I feel that there is a place where I can use the more systematic and advanced softwares but in turn need to dedicate more time to refining my skills within the tools.

Moving forward, I aim to combine what I've learned in each approach and combining my traditional skills while utilising the tools each software provides to enhance my future projects and create a bridge between motion and still image.

Porto Rocha is a New York agency that works closely with companies and people to create branding systems, experiences, and products. Including: brands, websites, books and campaigns.

Some of their clients include:

• A24
• Airbnb
• Apple
• Bloomberg Philanthropies
• Brooklyn Museum
• Cash App
• Character.ai
• Coinbase
• Discord
• Google
• H&M
• Harper Collins
• Hoka
• Instagram
• Kakao Group
• Kunsthalle Basel
• Lego
• MASP
• Melissa
• Mercado Livre
• Museu Nacional
• Netflix
• Nike
• Sundance

Case Study notes: Sundance

"The logo, defined by a film-inspired aspect ratio, is both an identifier for the brand and a framing device; overlaid on footage and stills from the Festival program and archive, it calls attention to specific moments, characters, and emotions. Typography set to Monument Grotesk signals the Festival’s presence yet remains neutral enough to speak to diverse genres and titles.

Compositions inspired by film strip cells, referencing the shape of the logo to tell stories.

Filmmaking is always evolving, and they embodied that identity. As new perspectives come into focus, so will new brand gestures. And as artists push the boundaries of storytelling, Sundance Film Festival will show their work to the world."- https://portorocha.com/Sundance

Credits

PORTO ROCHA

Creative Direction:
Leo Porto, Felipe Rocha

Design:
Martín Azambuja, Joseph Lebus, Natalia Oledzka

Motion Design:
Thales Muniz

Interactive Design:
Marcos Rodrigues, Giovana Yahiro

Tone of Voice: Natalee Ranii-Dropcho, Claren Walker

Project Management: Elisa Bortolini

Trailer Design and Production

3D Design:
estudi-image

Sound Design
Amedeo Inglese

Sound Mixing:
Gogó

Poster Production:
Pure Production

Sundance Institute

Creative Direction:
Jason Nichols

Art Direction and Design:
Vanessa McKenzie

Graphic Design:
Sonja Anderson, Grady Bing, Melissa Sanchez Parra, Randi Drozd, Natahly Thomas, Adrian Garcia

Director of Marketing:
Kate Benay

Project Management:
Brenna Davis

Motion Design:
Nick Carpenter, Yussef Cole

Case Study Production

Motion Design: Thales Muniz, Joe Wright, Caio Pereira, Josh Krauth-Harding

Festival Photography: Phillip Istomin, Vivien Killilea, Anjelica Jardiel, Stephen Speckman

Case Study Photography: Mari Juliano, Leo Porto, Martín Azambuja

Photoshoot Production: Annie Carmichael

Kirke.Social

As I was scrolling through tiktok I came across this platform called ‘Kirke.social’. It was advertising a website where you can promote your artwork and offer commissioned art to people searching for non AI artwork. 

What is it?

kirke.social is a relatively new online social network and art-community platform that aims to connect fans and independent artists in one place.It is intended to be a place where individuals can find unique characters, fan art, artistic communities, portfolios, and eventually purchase or sell commissions.

When you go on the site itself on https://kirke.social/ you can see a feed or marketplace where you can explore artwork and profiles as well as options to request and pay for art commissions and a system for following artists and interacting, although features are still in development.

What Makes Kirke.social Special?

Human-first and anti-AI. Kirke markets itself as a platform for genuine artists and followers. For instance, numerous announcements (on sites like Tumblr) state that artists invite other artists and that human-made art is prioritized over AI-generated graphics. This contributes to the platform's uniqueness and explains why some users find it appealing if they're sick of the AI-driven art feeds on popular social media applications.

Kirke.social is portrayed as a fun platform for people to enjoy and makes you feel welcomed. They have a discord server with over a thousand people who are always there to help and talk. The server also allows you to show your own art and has many more experiences that you can enjoy alongside making new friends. 

What Makes this platform fun is that on their Tiktok page https://www.tiktok.com/@kirke.social?lang=en-GB they are always promoting the site in exciting ways that make it engaging for new people. The videos are fun and lively and don't feel like an advertisement.

Behind the scenes

Kirke.social's open communication of changes to its audience via social media and Discord is a noteworthy feature. In an effort to promote openness and engagement, Kirke has made it known that it maintains community platforms like Discord and Telegram to keep users informed and engaged (Instagram post by kirke.social). The platform feels more community-driven rather than remote or impersonal thanks to this constant communication, which also helps users keep informed about developments and fosters trust. https://www.instagram.com/p/C3uyCwnCYDm/?

fivepoint2 - leedsdotgraphics

leedsdotgraphics

Biography

“My Name is Wendy is a graphic design studio specialised in branding, typography, illustration, 3D & motion design”. (My Name is Wendy 2006)

My Name is Wendy was established in 2006 founded by two graphic designers, Carole Gautier and Eugenie Favre. This partnership brings together graphic design and artistic expertise. The studio produces brand identities, typefaces, illustrations, patterns, 3D projects and motion design. 

“We work for the cultural world (luxury, fashion, art, music...), independent projects, small companies & multi-national brands.” (My Name is Wendy 2006)

The designers firmly believe that graphic design has a part in creating society's cultural landscape, whether through cultural or commercial endeavors. It enables us to pose questions about the world, connect with fascinating and gifted individuals, and provide culturally rich forms, messages, or resources.

In the book ‘Femme Type’ it states that, ‘My name is Wendy’ is a studio in Paris made up of graphic designers; Carole Gautier and Eugenie Favre. They work to create high-impact, bold graphic solutions utilising type as one of the main visual elements. 

The book also states that ‘My name is Wendy’ worked with a magazine company called ‘Within Magazine’. According to ‘Femme Type’ - “Within magazine exists to do three things: challenge the status quo of leadership in design and technology, share practical wisdom for creating environments where all people thrive and amplify stories of more diverse leaders. More than a magazine, Within is a community that is driving design towards a more diverse and inclusive future.” (Within Magazine, 2018 Femme type).

My Name Is Wendy's graphic style frequently incorporates bold geometric shapes, eye-catching typographic compositions, and unusual visual structures. The studio's work has been described as having a collage-like look that strikes a balance between visual impact and conceptual depth. 

A website called ‘People of Print’ Talk about ‘My Name is Wendy’, a post by ‘Anna Chayasatit’ says Carole Gautier and Eugenie Favre have worked together and have been in close collaboration with a broad range of international clients since 2006. "Looking at their graphic work is like looking at a collage – partly surreal and almost entirely rendered in solely black and white. Their work is defined by standout shapes and forms, and/or typographic elements, against bold backgrounds". (Anna Chayasatit, July 1 2014 People of Print)

Notable Projects

From the Website ‘Its Nice That’, the D/I/M/E/N/S/I/O/N series, which blurred the distinction between letterforms and sculptural shapes by transforming typographic forms into abstract objects and settings, is one of the studio's first famous works. “they created a series of posters in which they reinterpreted the familiar forms of letters as objects”. (Maise Skidmore, 31 March 2014 Its Nice That)

Turnover, a typeface concept that the studio unveiled in 2019, is defined as "both a typeface and a series of shapes that can be choreographed together." (Jynann Ong, June 3 2019 Its Nice That). The approach of incorporating typography and graphic forms into dynamic, visual systems is reflected in this piece. The Paris-based firm ‘My Name is Wendy’, spends its time between self-directed typographic projects and commercial work as "type designers that work with commercial projects." (Jynann Ong, June 3 2019 Its Nice That)

Exhibitions, online articles, workshops, and talks have all highlighted My Name Is Wendy's work, demonstrating the studio's involvement with the larger design community. Additionally, they have a separate store called ‘My Name is Jack’ where they sell fonts, illustrations, and limited edition posters. “My Name is Jack is an online shop offering for sale limited edition posters and illustrations as well as fonts created by the graphic design studio My Name is Wendy” (My Name is Wendy 2024)

The artistic and graphic effort managed by the global company ‘My Name is Wendy’ is reflected in the collection of works suggested on ‘My Name is Jack’.

Challenges Faced by My Name Is Wendy

Balancing Originality with Usability in Typeface Design-

Developing unique and practical typefaces is one of the studio's continuous professional challenges. In interviews regarding their Blackjack typeface, the designers stated that there are "lots of typefaces that exist" (Jynann Ong, November 30 2020 Its Nice That), and that it's challenging to strike a balance between creativity, originality, and usefulness while creating new fonts. This draws attention to a typical conflict in font design between creativity and practical intelligibility. The designers also state that they “never plan to design a typeface when it’s not a commission. Instead, the process happens naturally and all by itself.” (Jynann Ong, November 30 2020, Its Nice That). 

Evolving Creative Practice Amid Industry Trends-

Given the wide range of abilities they provide, from typography to 3D and motion design, there is a need to move quickly and adjust as design trends change. They recognise that maintaining relevance in a rapidly evolving field presents a difficulty.

No Documented Scandals or Public Backlash-

There are no known significant controversies, such as legal disputes, ethical scandals, plagiarism charges, or public disputes directly involving My Name Is Wendy or its founders in the mainstream design community, according to a thorough examination of the design press and web search results. Instead than focusing on disagreements or unfavorable events, the majority of media coverage of the studio highlights their work, creative process, collaborations, and visual output.

General Critical Reception

People of Print acknowledge the stunning and unforgettable visual feel of their work, describing their graphics as "like looking at a collage – partly surreal and almost entirely rendered in bold black and white." Design magazines like Ficciones Typografika have published their creations. (Anna Chayasitit, July 1 2014 People of Print)

According to People of Print, the studio's work has a "impressive roster of clients and projects," highlighting their widespread popularity and esteem in the graphic design community. (Amber Weaver, April 25 2019 People of Print)

My Name Is Wendy is frequently described as extremely imaginative, aesthetically striking, and philosophically intriguing by design journalists and reviewers. Their work is often praised for its powerful use of typography, innovative forms, and striking visuals.

Overall conclusion

In the global design community, My Name Is Wendy is recognized as a reputable, significant, and constantly creative graphic design studio. The Paris-based firm has established a solid reputation for daring typographic experimentation, eye-catching visual systems, and a practice that comfortably switches between self-initiated artistic research and commercial work over the course of nearly 20 years of operation.

Their work is typically regarded as unique and innovative by colleagues, critics, and design publications. They are especially commended for their capacity to transform typography from static letterforms into dynamic, sculptural, and motion-based expressions. Their kind of projects, like Turnover and Blackjack, are frequently used as illustrations of how experimental design can maintain usability and functionality—a balance that is challenging to attain and highly prized in the industry.

Crucially, there aren't any significant scandals, public debates, or moral dilemmas connected to the moniker My moniker Is Wendy. The difficulties they encounter, including maintaining originality in a crowded design market or striking a balance between experimentation and customer demands, are typical of top creative companies and do not indicate a lack of credibility. Rather, these difficulties are frequently presented in a positive light as proof of an active, developing practice.

All things considered, My Name Is Wendy is regarded as an established, culturally aware studio that has effectively preserved its relevance, legitimacy, and artistic autonomy. Their work is regarded for its intellectual rigor and long-term contribution to modern graphic and typographic design, in addition to its aesthetic appeal.

Bibliography

-Anna Chayasitit (July 1 2014)

People of Print- My Name is Wendy 

Available at:

• https://peopleofprint.com/studio/my-name-is-wendy/?

-Anna Chayasitit (July 1 2014)

People of Print

Available at:

• https://peopleofprint.com/studio/my-name-is-wendy/?

-Amber Weaver (APRIL 25 2019)

People of Print

Available at:

• https://peopleofprint.com/studio/my-name-is-wendy-2/?

-Femme Type- Book

My Name is Wendy 

-Jynann Ong (June 3 2019)

Its Nice That- Turnover is both a typeface and a series of shapes that can be choreographed together

Available at:

• https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/my-name-is-wendy-turnover-graphic-design-030619?

-Jynann Ong (November 30 2020)

Its Nice That- Not too exotic, workable and original

Available at:

• https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/my-name-is-wendy-blackjack-graphic-design-301120?

-My Name is Wendy

Graphic Design studio Official Website (2006-2025)

Available at:

• https://mynameiswendy.com/

-My Name is Wendy

Graphic and Type Design- About (2006-2025)

Available at:

• https://mynameiswendy.com/graphic-designers

-Maise Skidmore (March 31 2014)

Its Nice That- Graphic Design: Letters morph into objects in this striking, abstract typographic project

Available at:

• https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/my-name-is-wendy?

-My Name Is Wendy (2024)

My Name is Jack

Available at:

• https://www.mynameisjack.fr/

In the safety of Adobe I started this module with a one-day brief called public space public voice. Its focus was on raising awareness of neurodiversity.

5.2.1 Public Space Public Voice

For this short brief I wanted my focus on awareness of neurodiversity to be about seizure first aid. I have epilepsy and have found since getting diagnosed that there is not a lot of awareness around epilepsy, its different types of seizures and, how to help someone having a seizure.

leedsdotgraphicsJude Drake

We then went to look at media consumption. What images and where we see them but also music and other forms of art.

5.2.2 media consumption

I found this image through Tumblr. It was originally published in On Our Backs magazine. On Our Backs was the USA’s first lesbian erotica magazine that started in 1984. Its final issue was published in 2006. The photographer, Phyllis Christopher, started documenting the lesbian community in San Francisco in the

leedsdotgraphicsJude Drake

Over the course of this module, we delved into various forms of animation. I enjoyed some aspects of it more than others…

5.2 Animation

Animating in Photoshop Frame by frame animation of a cat running. As tedious as it is, I really enjoy doing hand drawn animation in Photoshop. I’ve always enjoyed stop motion animation and this is something I want to carry on doing in my practice later. I made another of

leedsdotgraphicsJude Drake

We looked at online design tools that allowed for different assets to be generated such as text and image.

5.2 online tools

We looked at online design tools that allowed for different assets to be generated such as text and image. Also, these allowed for images and text to be edited. They produced both static and motion graphics. Dithering effect onlineApply dithering effect to photos & videos in-browser. Create retro pixel art and

leedsdotgraphicsJude Drake

Learning to make actions in photoshop and shortcuts on my mac has helped to streamline my process. I have made a photoshop action that will easily set up noise textures and paper cut out effects to my work so that I can still achieve my preferred scrapbook/grungey style that I love working with but without having to spend time and money printing. This will be useful for short deadlines where I might not be able to put the time in for hand crafted pieces. I use paragraph and character styles in InDesign to also streamline my work and am looking to find more forms of automation so that I can spend more time designing text and publications than just typing/copying words or information to a page.

I personally struggle to accept the use of generative ai in my work. I hear the horror stories of the environmental impact things such as image generators have as well as the rise in very realistic ai that can affect vulnerable people. I know adobe has some ai tools integrated that I do use like the denoise or automatic mask tools in lightroom. I know that my work has become more efficient from using them. I think my major qualms with ai come from using it to create and put together assets as a quick move when there are so many other means of doing that which also allow me to express my creativity.

I know that I will always make an effort to avoid tools that limit my creative control. I want my work to be Jude’s work not something like Jude’s work. I know I am stubborn with my values, but I don’t see myself giving them up just so my vectors are made faster – the pen tool in illustrator and I will be pals for many years to come.

I think I want to always reevaluate how technology aids my work, how I can work with it rather than against it. Experimenting with new and different technologies has shown me that I am not limited to simple posters and pictures. I can use the techniques I have from photography but combine them with greater understanding of automation to make batch editing quicker and make my images much higher in quality. I have gained a lot more confidence in motion graphics despite my beef with AfterEffects. I know what tools are available there so I can practice using them more and eventually enjoy what I am doing.

This reflective process has influenced my self-confidence and made me aware of which technologies I want to learn more about.

Back to my branding project in Level 4, I didn't have a chance to play in motion with the elements. Although there had some animations when I'm making the app on Figma, I few it was not enough for transfer the potential of playful of the branding.

There are just small elements but I believe it brings a most joyful of branding, and by using animation. It can convey more curiousity from customers.

Then I use After Effect to build each of animation.

I used trim path to make a moving effect, then. make the chopstick track follow by it. And here is a result.

The same with mascot logo, I just used simple animation such as scale and rotation but it gave me a good video:

I know sometimes we just need simple makes perfect, I i would love just have very simple animation for the branding logo but it makes more joyful and lively.

Our mission is making a tracking tools for the car and making a sceen infographic as it in some sci-fi movies.

By using After Effect, we created a new compsition for this video and used motion tracking tool for search and match in the object (the white car).

After that, do some sceen tracking graphic to show how car was tracked

After this we made some sceen graphic and audio visualiser:

there are more interesting graphics in Jon session, but I was unable to make it. I'll update it after finish

What parts of your practice make you feel most engaged and creative?

• The time I feel most engaged is when I touch, feel and see every single design. As a part of creative, books are always my first research, I'd love to have a physical touch for my inspiration because I feel I'm on/in the real of design. Internet is a good place to have a research, however, it needs to sort what is the best and reliable websites for researching.

When do you ‘actually’ feel like you’re designing?

• Crafting and experimenting are the most enjoyable part, when I can spend all of time for those two parts, I'm in a creative world with a thousand of ideas comes to me. Crafting brings me to a way with unlimited solutions of layout, shapes, lines or layerings, then experimenting helps me improving my work to be more "beautiful" (I cannot say it will be a good or the best design but at that time it will be the best version of it).

What pain points do you identify in your own workflow?

• During I'm studying and working, I realised I'm have a lots of problems, the most could be time management, then comnunication in a big group. I'm looking for a solution for those, but at the moment, I just can improve the way to comunicate with my classmates and colleagues. With the time management issue, I think I have ADHD, I'm trying to find the best way to deal with it, I may need to go for a mental health session, I'll do it as soon as possible.

What tasks or steps feel like obstacles to designing?

In the past, feedback is my difficulty, but now I'm open for new ideas from everyone. I know that is the best part to improve, have other perspectives in design which may I lack in. Until now, I'm may struggle in finalising the design because I have lots of ideas to proceed, I cannot choose the best in it.

#Research Tools:

What tools, techniques, or strategies did you find in your research?

• Firstly, as I mentioned above, Books are my favorite place to research, find inspiration; after is searching deeper in online archives or websites. Then finally, I use AI to summarize all of my information, if not, I summarize by taking note in my notebook.

How could these be integrated into your practice?

• I'm following my step above, I take note first for any information I can hear or know about, then using books and internet at the same time as the way to reseach. AI maybe have or not, it doesn't affect to my summary because I already have had my valuable information, AI just helps it clear and arrange systemly.

#Question:

• Arcording to the article from It's Nice That: "https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/editors-letter-exploring-creativitys-ai-conundrum-light-and-shade-digital-220925"

I wonderred: "What will AI bring and take our oppotunities as a creative desiger?". Well, for me, thinking in possitive way we are in the way the fasten our workflow, open more way to generate ideas. Why I can say that, Adobe, one of big creative softwares publishers attached Generative AI as the way to reduce time in editing images, moreover, it gives us 3 options as references within a simple promt. We cannot denied it is the very fast and convinience way to edit images nowadays. There are having a lot of AI tools to help designers proceeds their ideas from a simpliest to the most complex, such as Gemini, Grok, ChatGPT,...etc, within less than 10mins for more than 100 ideas*. Looking back to the time we have to research for long time, with AI we can proceed it faster.

In the other hand, we are facing with a very big problem of copyright, layoff, and lost control in the creative field when AI being a first and cheapest solution for companies' demands. Firstly, AI is made by human, it uses human resources to learn, improve and complete themselves, in the creative field, we are highly awared about policy and copyright of our art/design/crafting. We use social media as the where we show our works, but because they are the public channels then AI can take any resources without any permissions. Thinking about when you did 5hours for a painting with unique technique, then after posting in social media channels, you see others generate a art with your art style in just less than 5 minutes. That is unfair and inhumanity however we can not do any because you posted your style publicly. The convinience of AI, we are in the decade of hi-tech and automation, there are no point for companies hiring a team or person having a performance worse than AI, yes, it's fast, more option for picking or easily modify (not talking about accuracy because AI just collects data from different resources then combine so they can make it up). In this point, from the companies' side, it is the cost saving and most effective for them, especially small companies or who work individually. The final is the relie on AI of people, we can see AI appears in everywhere, everytime in our life, bad luck to tell that AI are smarter and people will be more relie on it if we don't/can't improve ourselves in any aspects.

So after talking about the pro and cons of AI, "How we can survive as a creative designer now?". Firstly, In my opinion, We shouldn't depend on it as the main solution for everythings. Looking back to some physical objects or crafting is maybe more effective than just looking at the sceen. There are more interesting when we "touch grass". In this way, we can sharpen our creative thinking, resolve any problems easily without just AI sumary/advices. We have a brain that AI doesn't, and we just need to remember that AI just the Data, it's not super human to replace us, it just a tool for human life. Instead of being sad and struggling, we should learn as much as we can, broaden our knowledge that we can increase our value when AI doesn't. Talking about the copyright, we should have some restriction for this, at the moment, government did some acts to protect the artists and anyone who was affected by AI generate.

How can we/designers survive ourselves in creative world now? As a solution I suggested, streghthen our skills in any aspect of design is one of the way help out of the layoff waves. Besides, focusing on physical, interactual design will be more potential than do some vitual works. How about taking a shift? We are having a lot of position for designers in creative world, we don't have to just do design to be a designer, being advisor could be a good way to start if we have much experience or being a supervisor to check and fix AI work is not a bad idea intead. We are HUMAN, we have lived without AI for a long time, so now AI just a tool and we need to learn how to use it in the right way.

During summer beak last year, I met a very talented 3D artist named Tomasz Woźniakowski in Instargram, he is a illustrator and 3D artist in Poland. This is his instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/womaszwomasz/

The most attractive video he made, for me, is:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLQirZyozrg/?img_index=1

This video using Blender software to scupting, modeling and rendering, he used all of feature in Blender and animated it. Here is his view in blender, he posted it in the same link above:

Looking it further, I should start from being used to with the blender's tools, after that scupting and texture is the most important. Then Animation would be the final goal for me to create as the same as his video.

For the beginning, I learnt the tutorial from Blender Guru aka Mr.Donut: https://www.youtube.com/@blenderguru (a guy who is making videos create Donut in blender, and by that we know how to use Blender efficiently)

Media Diet #2: PLAYFUL TYPO with grillitype

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJooeAyvBzf/?img_index=1

I have followed grillitype for a year, they are an incredible creative agency. Their works are focused on illustration, type-setting, type design. I love how they transfer a very clear and attractive typeface, moreover their creativity is unlimited.

They made a website for searching and browsing their typeface, exploring them and if we like it, we could purcharse for it. The motion was used for making a static typeface be more lively.

In a near future, I would love to join in this agency, because I want to improve more my creative visual and the type design skills. And for this aim, I have quite a lot of books talking and showing type design and type setting. I love typography and I hope I can use typography as one of my strong points in creative career.

Taran Dugal - 5.2 Research and Process Document