More work with ink

For this experiment I dropped a small amount of ink on one side of the page and shook the paper around. I folded the paper in half and smudged it to the other side, making the ink patterns inconsistent and 'shakey'.

For this experiment I cut out a letter 'q' by hand and stuck it down on a separate piece of paper. I then 'shook' the ink onto the paper, creating an outline on the letterform.

Working with Ink

These two experiments were purely abstract. For the first one, I simply dropped the ink onto the paper from a height to give a splatter effect. The lines made look shaken, and emphasises fear. The second piece started out with a drop of ink on the page. It was blown around the page with a hairdryer, demonstrated below. This created unpredictable, quick, messy lines that reflected my word.

I created this letterform with a blob of ink, and a stem coming off it created by blowing through a straw. Once I got the basic shape, i took the paper and shook it in different directions, which made the ink run to create this messy, shakey pattern.

After researching some ink-work, I decided to try some in the Alphabet Soup project. I started simply, by using a straw to mark out a simple letter 'q'. Using the same straw, I blew the lines away from the shape to produce an aggressive, rebellious letterform. It relates to 'shake' by producing the fear that would make someone nervous, uneasy. Although the letterform itself isn't shaking, it is capable of making it happen.

First Response to Research

My response to the word 'shake' using Illustrator.

A collection of fonts that relate to the word 'shake'.

Research into Existing Type

I took out two books from the library that I thought would be appropriate for the project: New Typographic Design by Roger Fawcett-Tang and 20th Century Type by Lewis Blackwell.

The designs shown are what I believe to be relevant to the word 'shake', whether that be from the characteristics of the letterforms or from the connotations from them. An example would be fear, which is linked with 'shake' as this is a natural response to this emotion.

Initial Ideas

The word I chose from the randomiser was 'shake'. I started by creating a mind-map on the word, including synonyms and the basic meaning. After my initial brainstorm, I researched the meaning on the internet to get a broader understanding:

Definitions of shake on the Web:

move or cause to move back and forth; "The chemist shook the flask vigorously"; "My hands were shaking"

• move with or as if with a tremor; "his hands shook"
• judder: shake or vibrate rapidly and intensively; "The old engine was juddering"
• rock: move back and forth or sideways; "the ship was rocking"; "the tall building swayed"; "She rocked back and forth on her feet"
• shingle: building material used as siding or roofing
• undermine or cause to waver; "my faith has been shaken"; "The bad news shook her hopes"
• milkshake: frothy drink of milk and flavoring and sometimes fruit or ice cream
• stimulate: stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of; "These stories shook the community"; "the civil war shook the country"
• trill: a note that alternates rapidly with another note a semitone above it
• get rid of; "I couldn't shake the car that was following me"
• handshake: grasping and shaking a person's hand (as to acknowledge an introduction or to agree on a contract)
• bring to a specified condition by or as if by shaking; "He was shaken from his dreams"; "shake the salt out of the salt shaker"
• tremble: a reflex motion caused by cold or fear or excitement
• shake (a body part) to communicate a greeting, feeling, or cognitive state; "shake one's head"; "She shook her finger at the naughty students"; "The old enemies shook hands"; "Don't shake your fist at me!"
• wag: causing to move repeatedly from side to side
  wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Main Entry:	shake
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	quiver, tremble
Synonyms:	agitate, brandish, bump, chatter, churn,commove, concuss, convulse, discompose,disquiet, disturb, dither, dodder, flap, flicker, flit,flitter, flourish, fluctuate, flutter, jar, jerk, jog,joggle, jolt, jounce,move, oscillate, palpitate,perturb, quail, quake, quaver, rattle, reel, rock,roil, ruffle, set in motion, shimmer, shimmy, shiver, shudder, stagger, stir up, succuss, sway,swing, totter, tremor, twitter, upset, vibrate,waggle, water, wave, whip, wobble
Main Entry:		shake
Part of Speech:		verb
Definition:		upset deeply
Synonyms:		appall, bother, consternate, daunt, discompose,dismay, distress, disturb, frighten, horrify, impair,intimidate, jar, knock props out, make waves,move, rattle, throw, throw a curve, undermine, unnerve, unsettle, unstring, upset, weaken,worry
Antonyms:		calm, placate, soothe from thesaurus.com

Alphabet Soup

We were asked to bring in the 20 examples of each letter to the briefing. As a group, we combined all of our letters and ordered them by letter. We then chose the pile that we had most examples in, in this case the letter 'E'. We sorted them further with categories:

Regular, Light, Bold, Italics

Serif, Sans Serif

Upper Case, Lower Case

Hand Rendered, Digital

Scale and Legibility

The brief along with my notes.

How to... Napping Hotspots

These photos demonstrate how our napping areas would help in the college. The 'Z' logo represents a dedicated napping place that would be highlighted in the nap map.

How to... More Brainstorms

These brainstorms focused our 'nap map' more, giving us a better idea of how our final design should look. We also made a 'to do' list so we could work as a team to get an outcome.

How to... Folding Methods

We looked at different folds to make the map portable and therefore easy to store. The waterbomb booklet is an interesting way to fold the map down to easily fit inside a pocket.

How to... Group Research

Our group research, including existing maps generally and of the college. This allowed us to get an idea of which rooms we would select for the napping areas.

How to... Group Work

Our overview of the problem 'how to defy tiredness' which was narrowed down to our final ideas.

Research for the 'Sat Nap'

Just found a useful article about the art of napping, including ideal nap times and conditions. Relevant to the 'How to...' brief.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_36/b4193084949626.htm

If you don't want to read the full article, here are select areas that I think stand out:

'DO'S AND DON'TS OF DOZING

Napping at work has become acceptable at some companies. Yet pulling off a "productivity nap" at the office isn't easy. Here are suggestions from sleep scientist Dr. Sara Mednick, author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life.

1. Make time and space
Twenty to 30 minutes is all you need to reap the rewards of midday slumber. The best time is the early afternoon when your body is tired—so consider reserving the second half of your lunch break for shut-eye. If your employer doesn't have a nap room, a yoga mat beats a bathroom stall, though the most comfortable option may be a parked car.

2. Set the proper conditions
In the dark our brains produce more of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, so close the blinds, turn off the lights, and consider using a sleeping mask. Keep the temperature on the warmer side. If you must nap sitting up, use a travel pillow to avoid the dreaded "nap nod." And don't forget to turn off your cell phone.

3. Careful with the chemicals
Avoid caffeine for a few hours before a nap. The same goes for nicotine, diet pills, and antidepressants. Although alcohol makes it easier to nod off during the day, it interferes with sleep and should also be avoided. Refined sugars and carbs may keep you up, but meat, dairy, and some nuts have tryptophan, which our bodies break down into melatonin.'

and

"Tiny naps are much more refreshing than people tend to realize," said Jim Horne, director of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University in England. "A short nap in the afternoon will get rid of sleepiness without interfering with nighttime sleep."

Summer Brief

My final alphabet to reflect me for the summer brief.

I mainly used illustrator with strong, bold colours which kept my letterforms simple.

I also used photography and hand drawn imagery to add a little variety to my alphabet, and to freshen things up.