l a u r a chop

subversive #packagingdesign

Final photos - not impressed with the print quality considering it took me three whole days to print it double sided.. after that I would’ve appreciated super quality. Also not happy with the photography lighting due to the studio issues and also the lack of good quality textured stock. Will be printing again for the portfolio… need to locate some GF Smith type paper suppliers locally.

Creative Spark Exhibition 2010 - Graphic Design

The Creative Spark Exhibition 2010 opened on the 28th of May, featuring examples of work from the design students of 2009/10 at Sheffield Institute of Arts.

I visited the Graphic Design exhibition in Sheaf Building where the first sign I noticed was above the entrance. It was very professional and made it clear that the exhibition was being held in said building, and to non students who were new to the campus, it would’ve given a good first impression.

On entering Sheaf, I was greeted by the exhibition staff who were handing out the Opening Night programme. To direct us to the Graphics exhibition was a banner placed in the entrance, giving us a clear guide to where each of the design specialisms where being held.

On arrival at room 4227, once again another very professional sign was above the door, making the area seem much more personal to the specialism rather than just another University room.

As I was walking around the exhibition, I began to feel slightly confused at the mixture/range of work- I noticed that each piece of work had a label and the name of the designer, which beneath stated either BA, Mdes or MA however I thought that signs or arrows to highlight these areas would have been helpful.

It was clear however, that the work was of a very high standard, and at many occasions I was in awe at the outcomes.

I began to wonder whether arrows to help direct visitors around the exhibition would have been helpful, but then thought that this may make it too regimented and the idea is to be able to choose which work you want to look at.

The works which I found worked best were pieces which included the brief, in order to give them more context. Those which were more interactive, and featured models were also my personal favourite, giving the 2D work extra meaning. This is probably because I am a strucutural designer and like to see the final design as something to hold. In all I was quite surprised at the lack of structural or packaging work and would’ve liked to have seen more!

Another extra which I found thoughtful and helpful was the contact cards - some were placed in more interesting ways than others. For example, one designer had placed a hand stitched pouch at eye level, fastened to the wall, which invited the viewer to take the cards. The keyrings from one designers I also thought added a very personal touch.

On the bigger pieces of print work, when standing close you could sometimes see the pixelation and thus lowered the perceived quality of the work. It may in fact not be the designers fault but more down to printing facilities. It made me consider how important it is to test large prints first to make sure you have the correct paper stock and size.

I noticed that the portfolios were placed in separate locations to the exhibited work. I thought it may have been helpful to have the portfolios on a table beneath the exhibited work as the 2 different locations seemed to disconnect the work from the designer meaning you had to look for the correct portfolio amongst the rest. For prospective employers who come to visit the show, this may help them pick out the portfolio with ease.

I found the animation exhibition in the separate room seemed very realistic and professional, it seemed a shame that not all moving image exhibits could have the same platform. Maybe an area designated to these pieces of work, to be displayed on a series of screens would make them seem less like an add on with no real home within the exhibition. Placing the briefs with the screens also helped to understand the work in more depth.

The Programme was very useful for providing information about the other shows within Creative Spark and the booklet which contained examples of the work looks to be helpful for prospective employers who wish to contact the designers themselves. The booklet to me brings the work to life and highlights how important presentation and photography of work is.

Overall, I left the exhibition feeling like I wanted to see more but I did enjoy the work that was there.