Just a quick post to show what I have been doing today. As part of my portfolio I have been working on some 3D sign concepts, some vector based 3D created in Corel Draw, and the others were fully rendered 3D images from Cinema 4D.
I’m quite excited for handing this module in and starting on the next, which i will be designing and producing my perspex sheets ready for the exhibition. Thanks for viewing!
Tom out!
Hey all,
Just thought I would place up an example of one of my portfolio pieces i have just finished as an example of how I would like to promote my system. This would come after a page which shows them all as 2D items
Tom Out!
So it’s been a long time since I posted, probably because once I get working the blog just isn’t on my mind. However, it now is, so this post is just going to update you on what I have been up to.
Below is the full completed set of icons. These are what I based my questionnaires on regarding how easily people could identify what each one meant. The majority did very well and there is only 2 or 3 that i may have to take back to the drawing board. All of them in the future would have a few aesthetic tweaks to get them fully up to scratch, taking into consideration the height and width proportions of each other. I personally feel this icon set works very well and all the icons are clearly part of the same set, despite some being more complex than others. The top row are my personal favorites as these are the strongest when placed next to each other.
Below is a small test of how my icons could be presented in a moving image format, i decided to do this as another way of presenting my icons. This probably wont be something used in the exhibition or even shown for my major project, although as a test which i can screenshot and add to my sketch book it shows how i have considered the wayfinding system as a brand.
I have also been working very hard on the specification book, which is now on its way to me from the online book store/printers Blurb.
Here are a few preview pages:
Also, some specs of how the icons can be used with Gill Sans to provide a sign system. The icons can also be used on their own to provide a wordless system:
There is still much more to do and much that I haven’t shown, but these are a few good examples of where i am at.
Tom out!
Hi guys, just a quick blog post to show you the latest edition to my ever expanding collection of art for my bedroom wall.
This vintage style American mirror advertisement for Coca Cola. A pub that I have gone to for a couple of meals in recent times has a lot of this style of art on it’s walls, except in much larger scales, so I thought I would browse the web for one of my own. I’m really pleased with it, and luckily it survived the stupid postman shoving it through the letterbox despite having “Fragile” written on it 3 times each side, he should be shot!
Anyway, rant aside, enjoy:
Tom out!
Well, it has been a long time coming, about a year from when I first said I was going to get new furniture for my room. But finally it is here. All the furniture is up and installed, I just need to find a place to put all my old junk, most will probably be thrown away, with some being sold on the good old ebay.
Also on the market for buying a new computer (one of which I have found), set of headphones with mic and maybe another monitor for the computer. Spending is in this season apparently.
Thanks for stopping by, and any donations towards my new computer are most welcome!
Tom out!
So today I was at work, the first thing I had to do during the day was apply some decals to a Peugeot, so I took some pictures of the finished result and thought I would place them on here. I was very pleased with how they came out and certainly gave the vehicle a little more presence.
Thanks for stopping by,
Tom out!
Hey guys, just a small update as to what I’ve been up to. I’m still heavily working on my icon design, today I decided to focus on the transport ones, instead of dotting around all over the place. I have managed to get to this stage, they have a lot more detail than your regular icons, a much more photographic feel one might say. Despite being quite complex for just regular icons, I feel they are strongly identifiable and that can’t be a bad thing… right?
Thanks for viewing,
Tom out!
I designed this typeface for a university project 2 years ago. It never really got used and got left at the far reaches of my hard drive. I have since revisited it and improved upon it. I also decided that I would try my hand at presenting it in a certain style as a way of promotion.
To do this I designed the logo based upon two “U’s” in the typeface, this tries to symbolise the name of the typeface, as they look like they are united. I also experimented with branding it to some form of charitable or aid organisation, this can be seen in the second poster. The second poster is based upon my original university poster, although i feel it is much improved, enjoy:
Thanks for viewing,
Tom out!
For my Final Major Project in BA Hons graphic design I decided to take on the challenge of developing a new wayfinding system for international airports, and possibly more specifically London’s Heathrow.
This will include signage layout design, Icon development, Typeface development / exploration and a small promotional campaign.
I thought I would share some of my developments so far within the Icon section of my project. Here are some examples:
These four icons are variations on the theme of departure.
1. The top left design uses the airport environment, in the background, to help emphasise what is happening.
2. Top right also uses environment through the obvious, but iconic, runway. Landing could show the plane coming down opposite to this.
3. Bottom Left shows a much flatter 2D variation from a side profile.
4. The bottom right makes use, once again, of the runway and the idea of a plane reaching the end and lifting beyond.
Both these two icons are colour variations on the airline lounge.
Personally I prefer the right design, as I believe the most prominent aspects need to be black and closer to the front. I have also used environmental factors to further define the icon. The background features have been made a very light grey to emphasise the least amount of importance, this is to avoid people getting them confused with departure.
1. With the top left I have tried to experiment with being as minimal as possible, making use of arrows to define the baggage being removed off the conveyor.
2. The top right is far more true am image to how baggage reclaim is perceived by most of us, therefore helping in recognition.
3. The bottom left image makes use of the tickets attached to the luggage to help explain the process undertaken, or the desired destination.
4. Bottom right uses the same principles as number three, except I have experimented with a different style of luggage.
Transport icons I believe are some of the hardest to portray. These designs almost have quite a cartoon like feel to them, I’m unsure as to whether they should be taken further, left in their current state or removed altogether. In my eyes they do hold a certain charm, with their large headlights and windows, although I think in an airport environment they would become confused. Especially the top right, which is the London Underground.
Getting around an airport using lifts, stairways and escalators is one of the major challenges that people can be faced with. That’s why I am spending quite a lot of time trying to develop a really strong concept for each. These are just a few of the many examples I have been developing (and continue to develop) Top four images are lift variations. Bottom set of 4 are escalators and stairways.
The bottom right lift design is currently my favourite, although I would like to replace the figure with one that is much more aesthetically pleasing.
In regards to the stairs and escalators, it is very difficult to find the best representation, as there is limited design features to use. Despite this, so far the bottom left is one of my favourites, despite being modelled heavily around the AIGA set of international symbols.
I am going to be exploring much deeper into all the icons you see here, plus many others.
I shall also be experimenting with colour, and how well these designs work with my own and existing typefaces.
Another possible end aim to the project is to develop a purely icon based wayfinding system, which has no words and only symbols/numbers to aid the user. I feel this could be a great way of helping to break international language barriers and I am really excited to start exploring that direction.
Thanks for taking the time to look.
Tom out!
