OUGD401 - Print

With my final designs developed and tutors an students saying they liked the concept and aesthetic I felt confident to print my final resolution. As multiple peopled had commented on the modernist aesthetic  I chose to print my designs on matt stock as I felt this was the post approbate for a modernist production method and personally accosted gloss with a more post modern style. I also wanted my outcome to be quite sophisticated and felt personally matt stock was the best option to print on. I was happy with my final printed resolution and felt the matt stock was a good choice as it adhered to the modernist contemporary nature of the design. 

OUGD401 - Final Design

I think my final designs all work well individually and also consistently as a set.  I have used subliminal features such as consistent typefaces and colour schemes as the fox news corporation to create subliminal links to them without being too invasive and condescending. I think this works well with my concept to allow the audience to think for themselves and not be spoon fed the information. I like the creative influence I took from the MOMA series of posters to create an engaging aesthetic that again subliminal refers back to the fox news networks and the Red Wedge propaganda poster that allowed me to create a bold effective aesthetic that didn't conform to the graphic brutality of the propaganda genre that an audience told me they felt they had been desensitised to. 

I think overall I have created a successful resolution to the brief that creates a direct link to my essay. I feel my outcome solves the problem that I identified in my research that the information of Fox News's alleged islamophobia was unaccessible and too time consuming to become easily educated. I like how my essay will create an initial shock factor seeing a poster in isolation with the controversial quote subliminally referencing the FOX news network that ask the audience to question if this is acceptable.  I think I have created a campaign that will increase public awareness allowing them to draw their own conclusions from the thought provoking statement 'is this news? or propaganda? showing that ultimately these propagandist techniques that I identified in World War 2 propaganda are still being used in contemporary news yet are going relatively un-noticed. I think my resolution will succeed in raising awareness and asking people if this is acceptable to be used in contemporary society. 

OUGD401 - Tutorial Feedback

I had my final scheduled tutorial for Context of Practise, I wanted to use this time to get feedback on the development of my practical project before printing my resolution. I showed the tutor my the development of my practical resolution and explained the concept behind the work. 

He said he really liked the aesthetic and found the bold colours and shapes quite powerful. I liked this interpretation as I feel they do look strong and powerful. He liked the links with the fox news network and thought spelling out FOX across the series was a really creative resolution. He thought this could work well in a real life context and liked how  I had listened to an audience and tailored my aesthetic accordingly. 

He suggested a few minor changes such as changing the bottom slogan from 'is this news? or hatred?' to 'Is this news? or Propaganda?' as he felt this would relate it more directly back to the essay as  I was researching how propagandist techniques were used so they practical should show how fox news use similar propagandist techniques. I feel this was a good suggestion as it refers the practical project more directly back to my essay, which will hopefully create a more successful outcome.

OUGD401 - Development; Aesthetic

I wanted to improve the overall aesthetic of my designs as I was not confident they were as strong as they could be, I started by developing each design individually then seeing how they worked as a set. I wanted to create continuity between all of my designs so when put together they work well as a set. having said that I needed each poster to be strong and work individually with the bold colours and strong shapes working together to engage an audience. 

I started with the 'X' design, I placed a blue strip down the left side to beak up the image and prevent it from being a fully white background, I then inverted the intersecting part of the X to create a dramatic contrast that will catch the eye of an audience. I like the small point size of the text as the abstract ambiguity of the deign will make an audience want to look closer and read the information. I felt this design worked well as a stand alone poster and wanted to create similar bold designs that would work together and individually. 

I then developed the 'F' design, I used rectangles and negative space to form the F which I felt worked well, I made the rectangles first sizes to keep an abstract quality to my designs and engage an audience throughout the varying shapes and contrasting colours. To make the design more consistent to the other X design I adjusted the width the of the vertical white space to match the vertical blue column of X, I thought this worked better creating more continuity between the design allowing for a cleaner overall aesthetic. 

I struggled with the 'O' design initially as I lacked inspiration. Designing the other two helped me as I could use similar features to create a range of consistent designs. I started by extending the bottom blue rectangle from the F design onto along onto the O design as I liked this overlapping feature within the MOMA series of posters, I then took this further using the ligature of the F and extending it onto the O design, I inverted this to contrast the red circle and make the design more detailed as  I felt it was too simplistic. Finally I extended the ligature rectangle across the full width of the O poster, I think this worked well in breaking up the design and creating continuity across the set. 

I am happy with the development of my series of posters, I feel they look far more professional that the initial development I undertook. I like the subliminal links to the FOX news logo with consistent use of typeface and colour matching my designs to the FOX logo. I think this will strengthen the link between the individual posters and the corporation. I like the modernist aesthetic of the series and think it works extremely well in creating an engaging piece of propaganda that does not conform to the graphic imagery of the genre that an audience said they had become desensitised too. 

OUGD401 - Development; Colour

My initial development featured the prominent red white and blue colour scheme of the FOX news as well as adding subtle propagandist techniques to the aesthetic of the posters using flag waving, This would appeal to the audiences nationalism. I started to develop my designs further and felt the aesthetic wasn't quite right, trying to resolve this I experimented with tonal variations of the red white and blue before coming up with the idea to further subliminally reference fox news within my designs by pantone colour matching my designs with the fox news logo. 

I felt this would create further subliminal links between my posters and the FOX news network as well as softening the colour palette that was currently quite garish. I started by matching the colours to the fox news logo I found that the blue was 'Pantone 655C' and the red was 'Pantone 192C' I then planned to match my designs to these colours to see the colour treatment was more suitable. I liked how I have create a range of subtle links to the FOX news network without creating a 'witch hunt'. 

I sampled this new colour palette on the same design and presented these colour variations to a range of students. I didn't tell them I had colour matched from the Fox logo until they had given me their feedback. I found that most students told me they preferred the colour treatment that matched the FOX news colour scheme as they told me is was more subtle and softer on the eye yet still bold enough to stand out, one student said 'they complement each other better.' I agreed that the Pantoned colours work better creating a less garish aesthetic that is still bold and engaging and had subliminal links to the FOX news branding. 

OUGD401 - Development; Typography

I wanted to use appropriate typography throughout my practical resolution, As many students said my design direction had a very modernist aesthetic I considered using Helvetica as it fits this modernist aesthetic well and is clearly legible so would be easy for an audience to read quickly and at a distance. After further research I found that Fox News channel uses Century Gothic for its graphics, as some students failed to make the initial connection to fox news when placed as a series I thought I could strengthen this connection by including the same typeface they corporation uses to further subliminally reference the posters back to them. I think this typeface works well as it is still a strong simple sans-serif typeface that is clearly legible and links back the context of my outcome. 

I wanted to use a bolder typeface for my question at the bottom of each poster, I felt a heavier weight slab serif typeface would draw the eye of the audience and make the statement seem more important. I experimented with a range of slab serifs ultimately choosing Rockwell Bold. I think this type treatment is appropriate because it makes a bold presence within the design which is important as it is placed in the bottom corner that may have been overlooked by an audience if set in a lighter typeface. I think this works well in contrasting Century Gothic and stressing a sense of importance to the statement 'is this news? or hatred?'

OUGD401 - Student Feedback

I showed a range of students my initial development for my practical project to get their feedback before further developing my design. I was slightly apprehensive as I knew there was a lot more development to be done but wanted their initial feedback as to whether they felt this design direction would be successful. I was surprised to see that a lot of students really liked this design direction, they said it was very modernist and abstract for propaganda which actually made it more engaging. 

A number of students commented on how they liked the question at the bottom of the posters, comments included 'its cool that your asking people to choose for themselves' and 'its nice not being told what to think for a change' this was the concept I was going for so was extremely pleased people noticed this. I was surprised at the number of people that didn't notice the series spelt out fox until I told them, they were almost shocked then when they knew about it could see it clearly. I really liked this as it shows it is subliminal and will subtly relate the quotes back to FOX news but will allow people to see the quotes in isolation and decide if they are islamophobic without the legitimacy of FOX news corporation clouding their judgement. I am very happy with the response students had to my design direction I will now further develop the aesthetic to make it strong bold and engaging. 

OUGD401 - Initial Development

I created some quick digital developments of my initial sketches to show a range of students before further developing this design direction. I used rectangles and negative space to form the 'F' and bold circles and 'x' to spell out fox. I included a different quote in each design to make each poster individual but they come together to work as a set. 

I have included the question at the bottom of every posters 'is the news? or hatred?' I think this will work extremely well as it asked the audience to decide their own personal opinion. I feel this poster series works well in creating an engaging design throughout the bold statements, bolder colour and abstract shapes that come together to subliminally spell out FOX this refers it back to the fox news network. 

Know there is a lot more development to be undertaken however I feel this initial development show the style I am trying to portray. I will ask a range of students for their feedback before further developing my design into a more sophisticated concept. 

OUGD401 - Content

My design direction is a series of three posters each with a different controversial quote made by fox news regarding islamophobic content. I feel this will make my practical specific and engaging, it also links directly back to the american propaganda I analysed in my essay which shows clear use of racial propaganda. My aim for the outcome is to be able to articulate to the public how FOX news uses similar propagandist techniques yet is socially acceptable where we can clearly identify the use of american world war 2 propaganda as racist. 

I have already researched a range of quotes for the content of my practical project however need to narrow it down to 3 quotes that I can use in my posters. I cross referenced these quotes to the propagandist techniques I researched in my essay to select the most successful examples of propaganda. 

On the June 6, 2012, edition of Fox News' The Five, host Eric Bolling advocated for police surveillance of Muslims and falsely claimed that "every terrorist on American soil has been a Muslim." [Fox News, The Five, 6/6/12]

On the October 15, 2010, edition of Fox News Radio's Kilmeade & Friends, host Kilmeade defended his Fox colleague Bill O'Reilly's statement that "all terrorists are Muslim," asserting that "Not every Muslim is an extremist, a terrorist, but every terrorist is a Muslim. You can't avoid that fact." [Fox News Radio, Kilmeade & Friends, 10/15/10] 

On the August 14, 2013 edition of FoxNews.com's DEFCON 3, network contributor Cal Thomas warned that although Muslims "seem very peaceful," the Quran requires them "to lie to infidels like the rest of us," and said that "Islamism is a virus," that "is penetrating every area of society." [FoxNews.com, DEFCON 3, 8/14/13]

source

"Not Every Muslim Is A Terrorist, But Every Terrorist Is A Muslim."

This statement has clear use of Ad hominem as they are blatantly attacking the opponents (muslims) instead of their ideas or principles. This also use of demonising the enemy in the attempt to make the public think all muslims are terrorists. I think the clearest form of propaganda used in this statement is transfer as it is defined as 'association of an entity’s positive or negative qualities with another entity to suggest that the latter entity embodies those qualities' this clearly shows how FOX news are trying to associate the negative qualities of terrorists to muslims to sway the public opinions of muslims and make them seem dangerous. 

"Every terrorist on American soil has been a Muslim."

This statement also has clear use of propagandist techniques for example the use of Pensée unique as it represses alternative views to present the simple argument that every terrorist has been a muslim. This statements also has evidence of flag waving, the use of America, will appeal to the publics sense of nationalism and make that concerns real to an american audience making them seem directly in danger. 

"Islamism is a virus that is penetrating every area of society."

The final statement chosen uses Labelling, the use of the dysphemistic term 'virus' associated with islam is used to encourage a negative connotations by the audience. This could also be interpreted as transfer, accosting the virus with islam to deceive the public into believing islam is bad. Finally this statement is also guilty of Demonising the enemy by degenerating the appearance of islam to sway the publics opinions. 

Having identified the propagandist techniques within these statements I feel confident that the content of my practical project is specific to my concept links to my essay which will hopefully create a successful resolution to the brief. 

OUGD401 - Initial Ideas design generation

I was inspired by the innovative design of the MOMA posters and liked how the red wedge poster was effective in communicating its message using share and colour.  I wanted to create an innovative delivery method that would appeal to an audience who have stated they are desensitised by graphic images such as those featured in the world war 2 propaganda  I analysed. I am now challenged to create an aesthetic that is bold and engaging without conforming to this violent aesthetic. 

I started sketching some initial ideas based on the concept of shape. I liked both the red wedge and MOMA pieces used bold geometric shapes to create an intriguing aesthetic. I was influenced by the fox logo and the use of the elongated triangles so tried to incorporate these into my early designs. 

I then started looking at the letters within FOX as shapes, the o was clearly a circle and the x could be used as another simple shape. I then thought back to the MOMA posters and considered how they worked individually and as a set spelling out the word MOMA, I felt it could be appropriate to use a similar technique here spelling FOX. 

I felt this design direction could work extremely well as individually the posters would look like simple geometric shapes filled with bold colour and engaging information but when put together would spell out FOX for fox news. I decided I wanted to put a controversial quote in each poster so individually they would make up three unique posters that the audience would react to and when put together would subliminally spell out FOX showing these are statements from the news corporation. To further relate it back to FOX news I wanted to use a similar colour scheme to their logo using red white and blue to reinforce the connection. 

OUGD401 - Research: MOMA posters

Continuing with the theme of an un-invasive aesthetic I found inspiration in the series of MOMA posters that I researched. I loved the contemporary aesthetic that worked individually and collaboratively as a set. I felt this had potential to be a strong design direction for my body of practical work. I liked how individually they would create an abstract aesthetic of contemporary shapes and bold colours that make them stand out individually and love how they come together to spell out MOMA. I wanted to use a similar bold aesthetic that could stand out to an audience yet not put them off being using graphic images of guns or abrasive commands. I feel as though I will take inspiration from these posters and try to implement a similar aesthetic into my designs creating initial ideas and developing a successful resolution.