This journal will explain the developmental work that took place throughout the course of the projects entirety.
During class we were put into two groups, each consisting of five members. Afterwards we were then tasked with completing a project highlighting climate change and its effects, and as the brief didn’t ask for any specific project, each group had the freedom to create and kind of project that they wanted as long as it met its requirements. As this was the case, in one of our first team meetings, we decided to chose an eBook as our choice of media for our project.
We had decided to create an eBook instead of another choice we came up with, which was a website, as we found that the book would be more engaging and refreshing way to share our content. Additionally the book would also be easier to engage with our target market and a further larger audience as opposed to the website.
Furthermore, we decided to create additionally content that would serve as support for the book, such as social media content and the like. It was also during these first few meeting that we learned about each others strengths and weaknesses and additionally, began choosing our positions and tasks.
We decided create a survival guide as our eBook, and as a result we began looking for references and inspirations that would allows us to obtain a foundation, and a more grounded understanding of what was feasible within our granted time frame.
One of our main sources of inspiration came from the gravity falls book. We wanted to incorporate a mysterious and handwritten style similar to it s we felt that it would allow our eBook to have a more unique feel to it and as a result would allow readers to have a more enjoyable experience.
Furthermore as this was the case, during our first couple group sessions, we tried to figure out our drawing style for the illustrations, as we wanted them stay similar thematical to that of the book. Resulting, our group decided to follow a more sketchy and unfiltered style. Although that was the case, we also compensated our illustration team, allowing them to utilize their own styles because we felt as though this would create a more interesting look for the book. This compensation was justified by our theme of the survival guide, which would have many changes and additions by various individuals, resulting in the many differing styles which would be present throughout the book.
Additionally, our group utilized similarly themed projects that we had done such as one of my SBA project from high school.
We used this to get a better understanding of we would want our project to be like.
We set up a discord sever where we would post our assignments, things of interest and additionally where we would meet for our group meetings. We also decided to meet at least once a week but sometimes we would have multiple meetings throughput the week mostly on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
During our developmental phase after we had gathered our research about the topic, we started creating mockups of we wanted the cover and the overall atmosphere of the book to be. The images below show our first attempts at such. We wanted to add cyphers and codes to our book, in the attempts to create a more engaging piece of media for our readers and as such, we fully embraced a spy file look for the cover. During this time we were also trying to figure out what elements we wanted on the cover and additionally how we wanted to format the book itself.
Furthermore, it was also during the time where we developing our brand. This would include our logos and colors and the like. The cover page which can be seen further above details our early staging of developing our brand. During the creation of our brand, I tried keeping in mind iconic logos such as Apple and Nike; these logos ensure that the viewer/consumer is able to understand and notice their brand with one look. I tried to implement and keep this fact in mind during the entirety of the project.
A member from our group sent the image below to our group chat explaining how they would like our logo to be like. They explained creating a logo like this would allow use to have an easier time developing it and would further decrease the effort when using it multiple times throughout the project.
The image above shows a sketch of the cover page. During this sketch I tried adding all of the elements that I thought where important. The logo in the top left of the cover, was the publisher logo that I created in order to further add to the realism of the book. It was during this time where we decided that we wanted to incorporate some local aspects into our brand. As a result of this, I came up with the idea to add one of our mountain ranges in my second iteration of the cover page.
After this version, we gathered that we were straying away from the climate change topic, and as such we decided to use one of our sights that would be affected by climate change badly, which was our coral reefs.
During the time I had a general idea of what I wanted to be on the cover page, and in my project assignments.
This image above shows an early sketch showing all of the elements that I wanted present on the cover and back page.
During this phase, our group shared links to multiple sources, such as Behance, related to books and the like in order for all of us to get a clearer understating of what exactly we would be doing and in a nutshell what exactly was possible.
The image above shows sketches that detail how I would approach each of my project assignments. The first three images gives a visual explanation of how I think the book should be formatted. The second set of images below explained how I would undergo my part of the social media aspect of the project. I decided that I would create a set of audio logs or videos that would give a narrative explanation of the dangers of climate change. Furthermore, I wanted this part of the project to follow the same feel of the book so whilst brainstorming this section I kept in mind movies and content that utilized this similar style of media.
The last set of sketches below in the image was done to give my group a rough idea of my thinking and approach to the illustrations and additionally how the illustrations would be used throughout the book.
BRAND AND COVER PAGE DEVELOPMENT
I started creating the cover page during this time, keeping in mind the theme and additionally finding ways to visually show the feeling of a survival guide. I also started looking at other things for inspiration and found a poster from a television show, which I felt was going in the direction that I wanted to.
The image above shows some posters that I referenced whilst creating and brainstorming for the cover page. The poster in the bottom middle position shows an image ripped apart. I wanted to follow something similar to that as I felt as though it would create an aged feeling to the book which would create a source of mystery that would engage and interest readers. I did not want to create something different just for the fun of it, but I wanted to create something that would instantly create interest such as some of the posters above.
Utilizing my inspiration from an anime series called the Promised Neverland, I was able to create a logo using Morse code, which can be translated to “Trini”. Furthermore the animal drawn at the center of the Morse code the Scarlet Ibis, the national bird of Trinidad. I used the Scarlet Ibis to create a sense of uniqueness within the book as it focused more on the impact of climate change locally. Additionally, I added a various sketches, doodles and writings about the cover to evoke an unpolished and old feeling to the book. During this time, I wasn’t decided on what colors I would use as I was stilling trying to ensure I had all of the necessary elements and look for the cover, although, I had a sense that the book should appear a little aged.
During this version, I started researching old books and looking at their textures and how the aging of the books, with the addition of its exposure to the elements and outside factors affected them. As a result of this I began experimenting with images of book covers and how they would look when overlaid with each other and the other elements drawn.
Furthermore, I also started moving around the elements of the cover in attempts to find the best placement for each.
Secondly, I used various brushes and effects within the Clip Studio Paint app, that allowed me to create an aged vibe to the book. It came to my attention that experimenting with these brushes, effects and book textures would be vital if I wanted the look that I wanted.
LOGO AND BRAND DEVELOPMENT
Whilst creating the logo I ensured that it would be able to be used easily and furthermore noticeable, as a result I decided to use one color to increase the amounts of places it could be utilized.
After gathering feedback from my group members, the largest issue was the colors used, as they made the cover page appear washed out. This was especially the case for the logo as, one member stated that the logo was almost invisible and not emphasized even though it was the biggest element on the page. As this was the case in my next iteration of the cover page I sought out to find ways that would emphasize the logo and create a more interesting cover page.
I utilized a lot of book cover textures to create an aged effect on the cover, whilst also maintaining a brown sand like color. Afterwards I created a layer over the book logo and created a red overlay which was then manipulated to suit. I decided to use red as I found that it would create an interesting emphasis and contrast on the cover. Furthermore I also tried to not go over board and maintain the Morse code ensuring that it was decipherable.
Secondly, I used a darker color as the cover and manipulating the layers to create the effect that the cover page was peeling off revealing a cardboard like color behind its original black color.
Afterwards, I decided to redo and add more elements relating to the doodling and sketches. I did this because I felt as though this would help create a more crazy and raw feeling to the cover. While this was case I ensured that all of the elements had enough space to breath, as to not make the them cluttered and illegible. Furthermore I also tried implementing more of the Morse code at the bottom of the page, in the hopes that it would encourage a more engaging experience for the readers.
The image below shows the back cover of the book. This piece was simple to complete as I just removed most elements from the front cover and manipulated a few layers, which then resulted with the outcome that can be seen below. Furthermore, as we didn’t have to add any necessary text to the back cover, I utilized the empty space to add a barcode and additionally teased some other work related to our project. I did this in the attempt to fully immerse readers within our project, not only the book itself. This addition was also recommended by a member from the layout team.
ILLUSTRATION DEVELOPMENT
During this time, the illustration team, which consisted of Samir and I, started had a meeting where we created a list using the written content done by the research team, detailing all of the illustration that we needed to complete. Furthermore, we stayed in close contact with the layout team ensuring that our illustrations fit with their vision. Additionally we split our workload up and made sure we knew what illustrations each of us were doing.
It was also during this stage where we found examples and inspirations which we could utilize to aid us during our drawing phase.
The layout team both found images which was similar to their style and what they wanted their illustrations to be like and used these images as an extra source of guidance and direction. Furthermore we both decided to draw in both our individual styles as it would increase efficiency.
We created some two page, center spread illustrations for certain topics that we felt needed more emphasis such as Hurricanes and Earthquakes.
The image above shows a two page center spread illustration. During this time frame the layout group tasked us with creating our two illustrations and add filler text, in order for them to understand how the drawings would interact with the text and other elements they wanted to implement. Whilst creating my illustrations I tried to ensure that some negative space was left so that the layout team would have more freedom when manipulating and utilizing them.
I tried to maintain the sketchy style through all of the illustrations, and using sketchy lines to create contrast and value. Although that was case I made sure not to go overboard as the pages wouldn’t be a preset white background, and as a result a certain level of restraint was needed whilst adding sketchy lines.
The images above show the page color that would be used, and as this was the case additionally thought was needed when adding color and other elements to the illustrations, as to not create a visually displeasing result. Furthermore, we decided on utilizing this page color as we found that it would add to the atmosphere of an old aged book that was also important.
The image below shows an illustration from Samir who was the other member in the illustration team. As can be seen from the image, the illustration being colored was utilized and resultingly complemented the page and overall design of the page. After viewing this image, I tried to keep in mind how the different colors would clash against each other.
The image above shows an illustration of a hurricane. Whilst creating this illustration I decided to experiment with different brushes that I found would complement my art style. Furthermore I utilized the air brushes to create a cloudy mist like effect in the attempt to create a rainy atmosphere. I wanted this illustration to show the aftermath of the hurricane, and as a result I decided to use the amount of water to show the hurricanes effects.
The two images above show illustrations of the rainy season. Whilst doing these drawings I tried using the water levels to almost exaggerate the effects of the rainy season. Furthermore, I utilized my art style to create a wet feeling throughout both illustrations, in the attempts to make viewers almost feel the rain. Additionally, I also tried using different angles places so that viewers could see the effects of the rainy season to its fullest extent.
The images above detail illustrations of the dry season and drought. I tried utilizing the red color to create a great contrast for the page background that would be used in the book. Secondly, I decided to write various words and scribbles about the drawing, to create a hand written look for the book and additionally these writings would also aid viewers in understanding a topic without reading a wall of text. I wanted my illustrations to be used as a support for the text or as a substitute instead of text.
The image above depicts the horror of a hurricane. I used my art style and short erratic lines to fully express the power and terror of the hurricane. Furthermore as most of my illustrations were absent of color, I had to get creative when trying to express and emphasize certain elements within my work. Additionally, when there was color present within the illustrations, those elements where able to be emphasized more, and as a result I utilized this to my advantage, to better represent messages and give the viewer a sense of urgency and fear in this case.
I utilized the pen pressure on my Wacom device in order to create a level of depth to the bushes.
In this illustration, I tried to experiment a little more and find ways to add interest within the drawings as they didn’t have color present on them. As this was the case, I began playing around with the negative space within the page and drawings, and as a result of this, I ended up with an interesting outcome. Afterwards, I drew on some extra scribbles to change the tone of the image and create a sense of unease for readers.
I tried to utilize the pen pressure feature available on my Wacom device to create lighter lines in the attempt to mimic the look of glaciers and their interesting shapes.
During one of our team meetings, the layout group was still debating on which font style they would use for the book. As this was the case I decided to recommend a few font styles and explain my thought process.
I told the layout team that, having a handwriting styled font would increase immersion for readers and furthermore it would would allow for a better viewing experience.
During a latter update this issue was dealt with and a different heading was used, further increasing the book’s thematic presence.
I felt as though my art style helped elevate the atmosphere that we were trying to create within the book. Furthermore with the addition of the other writings and imagery about the pages that were added helped to complement the illustrations and created a unique look.
SOCIAL MEDIA DEVELOPMENT
We decided to add a social media aspect to our project that would help support the book and add additionally content. We utilized social media as we had chosen our target demographic to be between ages 12 – 18 and we realized that implementing a social media aspect to out project would help engage our demographic more and additionally it would allow our product to use a different angle to share content that the stated demographic would otherwise not actively look for.
I decided that creating short audio clips would allow me to tell a narrative story that would attempt to give the viewer an outlook on how climate change can possibly affect us in the near future. My group member and I, tasked with the social media assignment chose to use Instagram as our application, as it would be the most comfortable and familiar platform for our particular age group.
Our group leader had a meeting with us where he explained his point of view and to try to find out how exactly the audios where going to be presented. We ended up with three ideas for the audios, that being, a set of audio logs, an ODPM alert and precautionary audio and a short mini film. I decided to create audio logs as I felt I had the most freedom to work with and also more ways to engage listeners, whilst also not doing something above my skill set. We also all agreed that doing an ODPM alert audio would be boring and unimaginative.
Our group leader during our few meetings related to the social media audio aspect, had us listen to a set of videos that had an audio set created by a videogame as a sort of promotion. This allowed all of us to get a better understanding of how we where going to approach the audios. Afterwards I then gave my group members my inspiration for creating the audios, which were from a television show. I wanted to create a narrative story within the audios so that the listeners would be able to connect with the narrator and the situation that they were in. I felt by doing this, I would be able to give listeners a sort of message without appearing to be preachy or directly informative, resulting in them being turned off by the audio.
Before I started with the audios, I decided to create drawings for each of them. I wanted them to be cassette tapes as I felt that it would create a sense of age and uniqueness that would complement the survival guide.
I wanted each of the cassettes to be different from each other, all the while trying to make them not look overbearing and flashy. I used different brushes to create a sort of “wear and tear” look for them as this would create a great flow and continuity as the users finished the book and started engaging with our other content. I used some references for the cassettes as they weren’t something that I was directly familiar with visually.
I tried to reduce the amount of visual redundancy for the cassettes, as I wanted the listener to feel like something was changing between each tape.
I used Hitfilm Express and Audacity as these were the only audio based programs I was comfortable with. I wanted the audios to sound worn and because of that I utilized Hitfilm Express’ sound effects to create a set of glitchy and distorted sounds throughout the audios. Furthermore, by doing this it would create interest and have some listeners going back to the survival guide to check if they missed any important information. Additionally, I started experimenting with Hitfilm Studios’ selection of audio effects and tried manipulating the narration to create my desired result. This part of the assignment was the most interesting for me as, I was able to have a lot of freedom to babble with programs and work that I wouldn’t normal be involved with.
As I was not very versed with narration I decided to find a reference to follow. I ended up finding a video that had a character some what similar to my narrated character and as a result I decided to follow their example in the attempts to improve my work. Since I utilized Hit film, I was able to edit out part that I fumbled through and other parts I found not necessary for the audio, which made me less nervous during my recording sessions.
During one of our team meetings, the group leader mentioned that the audio tapes sound was to low. I later increased the volume and add the cassette illustrations to them.
The other elements of the social media aspect was handled by the group leader and our other member from the social media group. They were tasked with creating all of the posters and other necessary elements for the Instagram account. I aided them with recommendations and advice as well as being ready to help whenever necessary. We tried to create an Instagram account similar to that of big companies and movies and the like. As a result we replicated certain aspects of them such as having a team introduction and teaser posters and the like. We wanted the account to feel like an ongoing and active campaign.
Additionally, we also decided to do some mock ups for a physical version of the book before later changing it to an eBook mock up on a device.
We also decided to create personalized introduction for each member, in order to highlight each members contribution and to give viewers a better insight into the creators of the survival guide.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINK
https://www.instagram.com/survivalgudieforclimatechange/?next=%2F
Instagram account name: survivalgudieforclimatechange
Instagram password: Group2Stuff
YouTube links for audio tapes:
Part One: https://youtu.be/O3lPrJ-38Vg
Part Two: https://youtu.be/hm19TnNfNLM
Part Three: https://youtu.be/TQOadFo6SzA
Part Four: https://youtu.be/qc7bkkcojME
TESTING
We utilized a pre and post testing, where we tested the users knowledge on the climate change topic before and after allowing them to engage with our product. By doing this we were able to gather a larger amount of information particularly on how efficient our project was in delivering information to the users.
This was done in utilizing a simple survey.
We tested with 5+ individuals and most agreed that the illustrations help them engage and consume the content easier and furthermore allowed them to have a more interesting time reading through the book.
PRESENTATION
We were tasked with creating a presentation detailing our development and though process for our project. As this was the case we decided to utilize a podcast format for our presentation. We chose this format as we felt that it would create a fresh and new way to approach the presentation and furthermore give listeners a more realistic and straight to the point view on how we went about doing our project.
We tried using the discord application, which would allow us to record all of our voices during our group call, but some issues arose that had us switch our voice recording application.
Although this was the case, we realized that having a straight podcast would be difficult to do, as it wouldn’t take into consideration any mishaps and stutters that we said during the recording. As a result of this we decided to record the podcast and then later add any visual context needed and also edit anything we didn’t need.
CONCLUSION
After completing this project I felt as though I learnt a lot about my self. I felt as though I learnt how to work with other creative minds in order to accomplish a task. I experimented a lot more with a lot of different media and applications and I felt as though I got an outcome that I was surprised and satisficed with. The most difficult things for me throughout this assignment was the narration of the audios and trying to understand my group members” perspectives as well as trying to articulate my ideas and opinions.
Creating the audios one of the most fun aspects of the project because doing narrations for the audios were something new and different from my usual assignments, in addition to the fact I had a large amount of freedom when working on it. I felt as though I could have done more work on my illustrations as they wasn’t as well done as I wanted them to be. I should have been in closer contact with the layout team so that I could have created more interesting illustrations as I would have been able to see what space I had available for me on the survival guide’s pages.
Additionally, finding more references for our book and illustrations would have helped in a more look, because I felt like if I depended on the Gravity Falls’ references and style too much, which may have resulted in a somewhat stale outcome for my illustrations. Furthermore, after reviewing the final outcome, I felt as though I should have done more illustrations and doddle to help elevate the book. I was the most proud of the cover page, because I utilized different methods to create it that I would have not normal use, and as a result I ended up creating an interesting texture and style for the cover page. Although this was the case, I felt like if I could have taken more time to work on my typography, because I felt as though it lowered the overall quality of my work.
After completing this project, I came to realize somethings that I could work on improving for future assignments. I noticed that during most time during the illustration development phase, I would go long periods of time without following up or asking for critique from my group. I felt this somewhat hampered certain areas of the project which could have been otherwise higher in quality. Additionally, my lack of public speaking and ability to articulate my ideas ended up confusing some members and sometimes I had to get help from other members so that they could translate my ideas to an understandable form.
Lastly, I felt my lack of patience might have ended up lowing the quality of some of my work, which may have made some of my project outcomes appear ammeter and lacking in finesse. I feel that going forward, this would be my most difficult habit to break and work on for future projects.
I felt as though I met my goals that I set out to accomplish and additionally, my group was able to accomplish our goal of creating an artwork that would allow individuals to be educated about climate change and its effects on our country. Furthermore, I think that our project, would be able engage and inform our target audience because we tackled our assignment with a different approach than others and we delivered a great result.
EPHRAIM SAKUGA 