The final assignment of the year draws on all the experience we have culminated so far with the brief to translate somewhat obscure electronic music to appeal to a wider audience through the design of new CD artwork; an advertisement for a trade magazine; revised logo for the publishing company and an all-encompassing web-page. In addition we are also required to use an agreed form of promotional printed material to showcase our work which means working to 'real' deadlines.
Hopefully my experience in the publishing world will stand me in good stead for the task which, once again, will prove most daunting with regards to the web-page development. Although I may have passed the relevant module I am aware that much work is required to bring my coding and implementation skills up to the required level for industry and that constant site building practice will be necessary throughout the summer recess in order to make sure I hit the second and final year running.
The latest re-branding challenge is for a little-known German music label Raster-Noton who specialise in a very unusual genre of electronic music from a stable of similar artists. Initial thoughts of most people listening to their offerings for the first time are often of confusion and bewilderment as they struggle to come to terms with the unusual soundtracks and digitised music. More frequent playing though leads to a better understanding of this niche market which, in time, can become more relaxing the more familiar the listener becomes with the unique style.
Throughout the assignment we are being asked to take greater responsibility for our learning outcomes and, as such, have formed seminar groups for mutual design development feedback, whilst our tutor has taken on the role as a real-time client which is giving the project a more industrial feel. I am comfortable with all the design requirements although, like many of the tasks, find it difficult to provide a wide range of sketchbook work to show the design development process.
This is really down to my industry background where experience has taught me how to recognise what looks ostensibly right and many options will be dismissed during the thought process as unworkable thus negating the need to record them at all. Whilst this is understood by tutors with similar industry insight, it am aware I need to raise my level of development work as the sketchbook itself becomes an assessable unit at the end of Year One.
