Monday 30 April 2012

Example of a Music institute propspectus







Brief development workshop

Identify five problems you are interested in solving:

  • How/what to communicate through a publication print based/online
  • How to interact with a younger audience using the Web
  • Does ISTD need a fresh face
  • How to present an Annual Report so it doesn't look like an annual report
  • How to offer the reader an enjoyable experience comparable to a printed book.
Five messages you want to deliver /five things you want to say:
  • By having a clear visual identity/strategy a business can naturally facilitates the promotion forward.  By developing a range of products each release has a template to follow so not re-inventing the wheel each time
  • The tone of voice of the publication will be representative of the Guitar School
Five Reasons why?
  • To experiment/push what I already know about design/Typography
  • To refresh a Business that I have a vested interest in
  • The research will be of interest IE Music mags, ezines
  • I have a pool of perspective students /audience members for primary research
  • I want to 'make' something- especially a book/publication which will test the skills from design/type
  • A good piece for my portfolio
Five facts about the subject/content
  • Slaithwaite Guitar School has been established for eight years
  • It has been two identities however they have not been heavily promoted
  •  The business provides guitar and bass tuition
  • If has been recently expanded into After Schools clubs - A rock school - band tuition
  • The business will launch a new workshop studio in the summer


Five facts about your audience /context:
  • A broad age range although the 'payers' are adults mainly aged 30 plus
  • The students are aged 8 to 58 years old
  • A new audience will be promoting an After School club through schools (followed by summer schools)
  • The audience (Students) focus on Performance rather than grades
Identify five distinct products:
  • Logo/brand id
  • A starter pack - wallet, practice book, poster, plectrum, blank CD
  • On line mag/blog
  • Printed newspaper/newsletter   The purpose being to promote the Guitar school/ Educate and inspire/inform
  • Poster - to promote the launch/ezine/blog 
  • Invitations to the new workshop launch
  • In the future potential to design Company stationery/Business cards/Blog/ website/screen assets
Choose one product , identify five elements that could change it into a range:

The Booklet/publication
  • An educational bi monthly magazine
  • Five levels of practice book with associated poster
  • A promotional magazine with different inspirational themes
  • A range featuring different genres of music
  • A range featuring key learning outcomes
  • Dave's inspirational thought/track of the month
  • A fold out poster of tips, facts IE guitar tabs, 
Other ideas
  • Five different ways of packaging
  • Five different size formats
  • Five promo events -  promo material, flyers, invites, local press ad, pin badges, Digital/social media

How much can you challenge it?

How is it going to get out in the world?


Sunday 29 April 2012

Guitar school research

Following a discussion with David (the client) we summarised a design research direction for the Guitar school identity  The success of the school so far had been achieved very much on a word of mouth basis. It was decided it was good to keep the Slaithwaite reference in the name for two reasons the target audience is mainly the Colne Valley and also people like supporting local businesses. 


The Business mainly teaches guitar and bass but David has also taught Mandolin and Banjo. He also teaches Music Technology, song writing, musicology and live performance.  The Guitar school has put on an Annual Concert show for the last five years.
The Guitar School current identity is:



The website should have similar colours however since the Web workshops with Simon I now understand why the colours are unable to be the same due to Web safe colours





David wanted the new identity to be clean and slick like Apple rather than have a retro/ rock feel. 


The current target audience are:


1. Parents of students aged 8 to 16 
2. Students aged 8 to 18 
3. Mature adults who can take lesson during the working week ie 9am to 3pm 
4. A new emerging market is to appeal to primary schools to allow an After School club run in the form of a Rock School. 


David would like a single symbol or logo which can be used across a range of promotional Material and media to include plectrums. T shirts, flyers, prospectus type publication, practice Books and wallets. 


The colours need to work both print and digitally. 


I plan to research: 


1. Other music schools 
2. School prospectus layouts and content 
3. Music practice books for content 
4. Current music mags and e-zines 
5. Carry out a survey of music students and their parents


ICMP


We discussed potentially using the Plectrum/Pick as a shape for the logo.



These are some initial ideas:



Music Schools site links:





http://tomhess.net/PracticeAndProgressLogBook.aspx



Thursday 26 April 2012

Rationale workshops

Five things I want to do:

  • Use typography skills 
  • Make a brochure/mag/book
  • Explore digital layout/typefaces for on line mags/e-Books
  • Research typography specialists such as The typographic Circle - Content & subjects
  • Research ISTD, events, competitions, members

Five things I need to do:
  • Deliver an outcome to this brief
  • Think how this can link to dissertation ideas/themes
  • Research layout, editorial
  • Identify content for publication
  • Identify distribution for publication
Five reasons why you need/want to do:
  • To expand on what has been covered in Type module
  • To explore/experiment in n area not touched so far
  • To improve my grid /layout skills
  • To be more informed /skilled as a designer
  • To expand my mind to other platforms/digital media possibilities and understand GD best practise
The above analysis represents a RATIONALE

These are ongoing/when hit a dead end, at evaluation, can be short or long term, use for prioritising.


5 things you Want to do + (why x 5) = rationale
                       Need 

Five personal skills
  • Working with clients
  • Managing clients
  • Managing time within a live brief
Practical skills
  • Editorial skills
  • Grid/layout skills
  • Typeface selection appropriate for screen and print
  • Web layout design
  • Presentation/Boards layout
Processes to investigate
  • Book layout, pagination and book making
  • e-Book design and layout
  • Magazine/Book hierarchies - how/if defined

Products
  • Book/mag/brochure - a set/range
  • Design for screen /mobile/device
  • Poster/promotion
  • Branding for publication
Context

Typeface/typography context (Specialist) on print/digital platform (can they integrate)



What is missing - A problem to solve? 
                                Content to deliver

These will be determined by the briefs, research and who the audience is.

Wednesday 25 April 2012

Web workshop

Three limitations when designing a website :

  • Websafe colours 
  • Websafe typefaces 
  • The resolution 800x600 px 

 Adobe Dreamweaver wyziwyg what you see is what you get.


 HTML coding hypertext markup language 


 HTML tags - Order on a web page


<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>
</TITLE>
</HEAD>
</BODY>
</HTML>


 How to see tags on a webpage? 


IN SAFARI - View, Page source 







Looking at code Other code Eg Kate Morass .
 'how search engines pick up websites style pages how layout looks . Javascript
the above is CSs division of a website