Final Developments

Through printing out each of my developments I was able to identify things that weren't working and what needed fixing. Some essential things that I changed were:

• Changing the font to sans-serif to have more of a playful and joyful vibe
• Swapping the colour of the font from white to black to make it more legible
• Only have the three close ups of the playgrounds on the last page to minimise the amount that is going on in the first spread 
• Added pull out quotes to fill the awkward spaces created from the body text
• Use thread to join the brochure so the overall quality increases

Sourcing Body Text

I found it useful in this process to identify the key points that I wanted to have in each spread so I could create a concise section of information that highlighted all you need to know in approximately 100 words. Although, since I did need a lot of information so a few of the spreads are closer to 120 words but I felt that it was necessary.

To start with I wanted to include price information of some activities at the playgrounds but due to space issues I decided to cut them out. This decision was also influenced by the fact that this information is easily available on the internet if the parent really needed to find out about it.

Critique

In this class we all got to look at each others brochures which was helpful to me because I was able to identify areas I was lacking in my design as well as getting good ideas for further development. We also gave each other constructive comments to help each other along in our process. Many of my comments said that my illustrations and overall design suited the topic well which boosted my confidence that what I was doing was on the right track. One suggestion told me that the cover wasn't really working as well as it could be which I completely agree with as it needs improving. Tulia commented that there was a lack of information for parents that would need to use the brochure. This is somewhat relevant as I have not yet sourced the text for my pages, however, from this I did get the idea to highlight key points so it would be easier to spot for people quickly flicking through the book.

Introduction and 'Wild' Page with Maps

Taking the critique from Donald on board, I focused on my second concept by mapping out my first and last spread with the exact same aesthetic. I used the colours in my colour palette that where present in each of the three spaces so the pages were more neutral and linked well with the rest of the brochure.

For the last page I decided on mapping out the different activities and places that would be useful for parents. By adding this information it can aid the user of the brochure to make a more educated choice when deciding on which playground/s to go to.

The style I chose for the maps is similar to that of normal google maps but swapping out the colours to following my colour palette. I thought that having the maps in this style would  suit well with the block coloured illustrations I already have present on the other spreads. 

Alternate Layout

Looking through my concepts I felt that I reached a final development too quickly and didn't explore enough with different compositions which I think is very limiting to my design. I decided to jump back a step and look at mixing up the layout while keeping with the same aesthetic.

However, I talked to Donald and he suggested not to bother doing something different, rather develop on the same idea and try make it the best as possible.

Colours for Third Spread

Experimented with the colour combination for the text and background to find the best in terms of legibility as well as following the aesthetic.

I settled on the top middle one as the tittle was dark enough to be able to stand out from the white background as well as the mustard coloured background doesn't loose the white body text.

Third Spread

For the Freyberg Beach Play Area, I decided it was too complicated to incorporate both the beach and the play equipment,  therefore, I feel just the climbing rope pyramid would suffice in describing how this space is different from Frank Kitts and the Botanic Gardens.

This illustration took a very long time and I was a bit apprehensive about it to start with, but I think has turned out well. The only thing that concerns me is the colour palette of this third spread is  making the title and body text hard to read. I want to use a bright yellow to continue with the kid theme but I may have to make a compromise to allow the type to be legible.

Needs further colour development / experimentation.

Following a Grid

Through in-class exercises I have discovered that using a grid in my design could be very beneficial to my development. The text is a little bit floaty at this point in time and I feel a grid would be able to ground it and give it a bit more substance.

Playing around with layouts using a grid format.

Concept Two

I decided not to design a cover for my first concept and moved on as soon as possible because I knew the idea wasn't working.

In my second concept I maintained the same colour pallete and layout while adding in more dynamic shapes and patterns to give the page more depth. I am a lot more happy with how this concept turned out and know I'm on the right track.

Talking with Tulia and Donald gave me some good ideas and directions to take my design.
Areas that need improvement / development:
               ○ Body type needs to have more words (approx. 100)
               ○ Consider having the ghost overlay behind the girl on the flying fox swaped out for an adult
               ○ Play with other types of layout using a grid
               ○ Body type needs to have actual words to help decide whether the curved lines of the text is working or not / if it needs to be more structured

Concept One

My first concept is very basic and rough so only includes one flat bright, colour for the background, text and an illustration. Straight away after completing my first spread I could see that the lack of substance on the page makes it look very boring and dull which is the exact opposite for my intended style. The only eye catching element is the background but because there is so much negative space around the illustration and text, it is almost overpowering and hard to look at. This is especially so in the Botanic Gardens spread as the illustration of the girl is quite small without being too long. Printing the pages of and displaying them in the format they would be when apart of the brochure just cemented the poor design of the two pages. However, the font size used is perfect as it is legible while following a hierarchy with the page heading (need to rethink the font).

Although I feel that this idea was a bit of a bust, it provides me with a good foundation to build off for my following concepts.

P.S. I decide to concentrate on doing two spreads per concept so I dont waste my time on things that won't be used or be useful for my final design.

Initial Mock-Up

To get an idea of the space im working with for the brochure and to get my head around what kind of layout I want to look at, I made a very basic mock-Up just to map out where things go and how things would fit together.

One thing I am really struggling with is coming up with a qwirky and catchy title for the brochure. Im not sure how specific I need to be. I need to really brainstorm on this and possibly use a naming grid

TO DO :  Collect various adjecives that describe my topic.

Illustrations

Looking through the photos I took of the three playgrounds I picked out a few summary images for Frank Kitts Park and Botanic Gardens to use for my illustrations. Using the photos as a base, I traced over the main shapes of the image and selected the colours from the photo itself. I am happy with how they turned out as they are exactly what I was looking for.

I decided not to do an illustration for Freyberg Beach Play Area at this point in time as im not too sure which photo sums up the space the best. I want to somehow incorporate the beach with the climbing rope pyramid as they are the two characteristics that make it stand out from the rest.

Colour Pallete, Target Audience & Style

By using a few images that define each of my three locations I was able to select three colours per spread that linked together as well as being able to stand out from one another. I achieved this by choosing a shade of blue that was common in all of the areas as a base for each spread. Coupled with this I picked one bright colour to attract the eye and one subdued colour to blend the two together.

The target audience I have specified is :
                   ○ children aged 2 to 12
                   ○ parents of said children

The parents of the children is actually the more important audience as they are the ones that will choose where to take their kids. However, attracting the children is important to as they need to show an intrest for the sdults to consider taking them anywhere.

I want to aim for a nostalgic style for this brochure to remind the children's parents of their childhood when looking through the pages.

 I plan to use this calender page as my main inspiration and the solid bright colour for the background and the flat block shaped illustration will be the basis for my design.

Inspiration & Emotive Qualities of an Image

To give me a starting point for my brochure design I collected various examples of kid friendly images, posters and packaging. Through doing this I was able to see how designs aimed at children and been done before, and some key features that make this apparent.
       e.g.    ○ bright colours
                   ○ basic shapes
                   ○ cartoon-like imagery

As a class exercise we were given patterns and shapes to identify the different emotions and feelings that is associated with each of them. By going through this activity it helped me come up with some basic ideas for a layout for my brochure.

Icon, Index, Symbol

In class we defined the definitions of icon, index and symbol. This included how to discriminate between each one. We then used this to apply to our three different spaces to aid us in the development of ideas for our projects. 

I struggled with being able to idetify what is considered an index and what is considered a symbol so this exercise wasn't as beneficial to me as what it should have been. I still gave it a go and managed to gain some helpful information from it.

(Image to come)

Futher Research

I began my initial research by looking up the separate parks online to gather some secondary information that will guide my primary research. I looked at such things as, where they are, how to get to them and the recommended age bracket for the users of each indivdual space. 

Following this, I myself went to each of the playgrounds to take photos and experience each area on a first hand basis. This helped me reconise the identifying differences that made each playground stand apart, including:

• The types of equipment  
• Colour pallets
• Surrounding area    e.g. Freyberg Beach Play Area adjacent to Boat Cafe (for parents)
• Age of children

• Quality and versatility of equipment /  can use the equipment