BA (Hons) Graphic Design Context of Practice 3 Proposal FormMake sure you print a copy off for your own records

Name: Melissa Morris

E-mail: mm250174@students.leeds-art.ac.uk

SUBJECTS OF CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH ALREADY UNDERTAKEN

Level 4:

Choosing a particular period from 1800 to present, in what ways has art or design responded to the changing social and cultural forces of that period? (Arts & Crafts- William Morris)

Level 5:How do traditional Printmaking methods affect contemporary Graphic Design? (Benjamin- screen printing process)

AIM AND/OR OBJECTIVE OF YOUR PROPOSED C.O.P.3 PROJECTEthical/charity based design and design for “good” is something I have always been interested in. Through college I completed a small project based on homelessness and raising awareness in a mock up project for Shelter. In Level 5 I have completed a project based on raising awareness of the early signs of autism in babies for parents. Creating design for social awareness is something I haven’t had chance to explore further but would love to do so. COP3 would give me the opportunity to explore my own personal interests in choosing a charity to create some form of graphic response for as well as being able to research in-depth into ethics within my creative practice. Creating something real, which would help and affect society in a positive manner, is something I strive to do from my COP3 project.

1. What research needs to be undertaken into the general and specific contexts of your practice?

- I will research into ethical design and what this actually means, in what formats and subject areas are relevant?

- What theories are there based on ethics? What is “good”?

- Research into what the first things first manifesto is and why it came about? Why is ethical design important now?

- Contacting studios and artists connected to ethical design and ask for their opinion about the subject and why they work for charities ect.

- Research into different subject matter for the content of my practical piece as it will follow along with a charity. I will need to research into several until I find one I feel passionate about creating for.

- I will need to gain an in depth knowledge of what ethical design is and how it can be applied to graphic design. I want to avoid looking at advertising as it is graphic design and charity campaigns in particular that I want to focus on.

2. What approach(es) will you take and what processes, methods, materials and  tools  are to be involved in research into your practice?I will research into ethical design by looking at a broad range of theories (books) and also by looking at examples of campaigns and examining them as to how and why they are ethical. I will research by experimentation in creating artwork for a charity this will be through research into audience specifically depending on the campaign I create as the colour, layout, tone of voice and many other elements will be developed through experimentation and asking for feedback.

BA (Hons) Graphic Design Context of Practice 3 Proposal FormMake sure you print a copy off for your own records

3. What preparation or investigations do you need to undertake for your creative practice to take place? 

- I will research by looking at already existing campaigns and why they are successful.

- What elements make them work well? What format and context works for their audience?

- I need to have a clear understanding of what ethical design is and the purposes it has before even creating any physical designs. If I am to create something, which is useful and successful in the ‘real world’ outside of university I need to understand the audience I am creating for and what works well in terms of capturing their attention.

4. What research do you need to undertake regarding who your creativity is for?

- I will need to research into a specific charity in which I want to create for. This will include finding a problem that they have that needs some form of graphic design whether that be a campaign ect.

- The charity I choose will then inform the research I partake in to know who the target audience is and what their needs are. Their needs will inform what content is included in the physical element of my designs as for example the colour choices, fonts, images, tone of voice will all be created with the audience in mind.

Primary Sources of Information

1.Description Survey/ questionnaire to gain knowledge about audience. Location Given out online or in person to people who are relevant to my charity of choice

2.Description Discussions with workers at the charityLocation Local smaller charities that could benefit from a graphic design input.

3.Description Getting into contact with designers who work for good causesLocation Online/ in person- to find out opinions on what makes good ethical design.

Secondary Sources of Information

1. Good: an introduction to ethics in graphic design.  /  Roberts, Lucienne  (2006)

2. Ethics: a graphic designer's field guide.  /  Kane, Eileen MacAvery  (2010)

3.Conscientious objectives: designing for an ethical message.  /  Zappaterra, Yolanda  &  Cranmer, John  (2003)

4. First Things First Manifesto 1963/4 Ken Garland- Rewritten in 2000

5.Kantianism (Immanuel Kant) Utilitarianism (John Stuart Mill) Social Contract Theory (Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau) (all ethical theories- a start in collecting ideas and concepts)

BA (Hons) Graphic Design Context of Practice 3 Proposal FormMake sure you print a copy off for your own records

6. Introducing ethics (garratt, Christ & robinson, dave) 2008

Perceived problems or difficulties:

A particular problem could be getting into contact with particular charities and seeing if they want any involvement. But a solution to this would be to continue making the design and propose it as a real life piece to them as some form of pitch as of course it is difficult to communicate about needs ect.

Another problem could be time management and I need to ensure I give myself enough time to thoroughly research my chosen area in terms of design and also my research that will run alongside in my essay. As this is quite complex in terms of not only researching ethics but also researching how these theories and ideas about ethics and society relate to campaign work and changing peoples minds from the dominant ideologies/myths they already believe about particular issues.