GD Capstone 09

Note. Blank spaces are where the pics are, so..

INDEX
Background
09 Capstone Brief
General Research
Emotional Statement
Inspiration

Research
Project Specific Research
Designers
Survey: Questions and Results

Art Direction
Concept (Big Idea)
Branding
Naming
Logo
Color
Typography

Campaign Applications    Posters
Art Direction
Design Development
Final Three Posters
Media: Promotional Campaign Advertisement
Art Direction/ Story
Design Development
Final Screenshots
Other: Booklet and Reminder
Campaign Event
What and Why
When
Who
Where
How

Background
09 Graphic Design Capstone Project Brief

PROJECT TITLE: Alternatives
Reflecting on who we are and who we are not in this hot, flat and crowded planet
We are living in a place and time that imperatively requires the most urgent care for our planet, nations, and cities due to Climate Change. The UAE has the highest ecological footprint according to Living Planet Report 2006. This complex and discomforting news is a call for designers to exercise their social responsibilities. We designers have done much horrific harm to the planet with toxic materials, structures, processes, and developments that are not eco-friendly or harmful to both humans and nature alike. It’s time to examine the problems surmounted in front of us and to ponder potential solutions; in order to initiate positive changes in our lives. A promising solution, and perhaps the most vital, is to begin by educating the public with a creative communication of addressing these issues; whether they be immense or trivial.

This project focuses on redefining sustainable living and reflecting a current brand image of Dubai. Currently Dubai images have been established by a diverse range of people and perspectives; this project grants a chance for young Emirati designers to take ownership of shaping Dubai branding and envision a scenario of holistic city lifestyles covering various aspects of Dubai culture and urban living. It is a process of actively engaging in our duties as designers as we understand and exam contemporary definitions of Tradition, Fusion, and Vision of Dubai as a place and people.

This project aims 1) to understand sustainability problems and solutions 2) to envision city images and formulate customized solutions to address environmental issues specifically in Dubai from an Emirati perspective 3) to develop a campaign interacting with the public to participate in proposed campaign activities.
A design solution can be a campaign poster series as well as a media campaign to raise the awareness of the problems, or a more complex systematic design process. The final products include branding, promotional media and/or print products. Students will exercise their creativity, research skills, execution capacities, time management, and responsibilities through their unique stories and designs reflecting their creative solutions as a graphic designer.

General Research
I knew since a long time that there were some problems with the environment, and that humans get carried away sometimes with some things that they do that result in the earth getting worse. Furthermore, the attention to these issues weren’t really addressed while I was at school, or even in a large scale among the society, so I never really knew about these issues in depth. Sometimes these issues were considered a bore when we talked about them or addressed them among each other. At the back of my mind I knew that there was a problem, and that we needed to at least be aware of the basics of what is going on.
Recently, though the issues about the environment became broader, more addressed and more serious; especially that the UAE was getting more effected due to the abrupt rush or construction and growth. So naturally people are now more aware of pollution problems, and specially the global warming dilemma, as the effects of it are really starting to become more noticeable and people are actually feeling the difference. As progress in knowledge kept leading forward, more people took a step back to look into what is going on, and what the fuss was all about. I realised that the UAE, and even Dubai itself, was one of the top wasting countries in the world, which was scary due to the fact that, compared to other huge countries like the US or Australia, it is much smaller in area size.  I realized the scale of the problem, and some habits need to be changed.
When I started capstone, I read the book cradle to cradle, which gave us a new option of rethinking our lifestyle, and to shift our thinking of things and how they are made, used, and designed in a different direction. The book was all about reserving earth, but moving forward in the technology level. It was somewhat of an eye opener, and really made me think about how we can really change and adapt, and about what we are really doing and what we thought we were doing good. Along the way, we have also learned about new ways that scientists and such were discovering that were highly technological but environmentally effective, such as bio mimicry; which is based on observing creatures that function, nourish and survive without the help of humans, and without human interference, such as trees, microorganisms and so much more.
So here I was trying to narrow a problem down so that I would be able to start on my capstone. I kept asking myself about what I really wanted to do, and while we were given all these new information to study and learn from, something kept pulling at me, and returning to my thoughts the further, and the more I learned about these new findings. For example, when I learned about biomimicry I instantly remembered that as I read the holy Quran there are a lot of verses that would talk about telling people to look how good made the camel, or the sun and moon, and to really look at his creatures. I kept remembering how Islam actually included things like that and that it just takes a person to really look into these verses and such and think about it.
I then remembered that there were a lot of conferences and such about the scientific miracles in the Quran; which revolved around scientists explaining how some scientific facts that humans only acknowledged with the aid or technology were mentioned in the Quran from over 1400 years ago, when there wasn’t any technology. I also remembered that Islam dislikes wasting or overconsumption and asked Muslims not to do it. I was sure that I would find other verses or sayings of the Prophet Mohammed PBUH that linked to environmental problems occurring now. Al that point I decided to really focus on that aspect. The linking of Islam and environmental problems, and to act as an awareness to people that it is our duty to preserve and to not harm the environment. While at it I also realised that a lot of people perhaps forget to link actions that they do to religion, and as Muslims, we believe that every action we do is marked either for us or against us, and that Allah (God) is watching everything we do; so if we were told by Him more than once in the Quran not to waste, then if we do it’ll be marked against us. So I then started to look into it, and to make people aware of these issues in Islam, and to then link them to the environment.

Emotional Statement
Before I started university I was always interested in arts and design and knew that it was my strength, and that it was what I wanted to do. I have also always had a big respect for my religion and liked to sometimes base my work on and around it.
Before I entered university, my father always told me to think about how to gain from what I am doing, or even studying. He meant to gain something not just for while we are alive, but something that would benefit me after I died. At that time I was broadening my knowledge about arts and design and was really getting to know the scale of the power that they had. Later I decided that it would really be something if I brought design to my religion and used it to it’s (Islam) benefit; therefore Insha’Allah benefitting it, people, and my self. From there, I set forth in the process, and whenever that chance permitted, I would grasp it.
Inspiration
I knew that my personality required me sometimes to look at a lot of great works of designers that I liked in order to get inspired. For this campaign, I got my ideas without really looking at work, but rather I was inspired by my religion and its versatility. Each time I found a new verse or Hadith, I was inspired in some way. I then came up with some typographic designs that I thought were interesting and that linked to the core of my campaign, but I needed to really look for inspiration and great work in order to move forward with my designs, specially the typography ones.
Even before I started capstone I had a huge attraction to Iranian graphic design and their use of typography. I viewed them as highly talented designers, and their style really inspired me. I have always found them captivating in the since that they always seem to tell a story. They made the typefaces so versatile and flexible to shape shift into any scene. They make you want to stop and ponder about what might the story be, or what does the text say, as it is in Farsi and not Arabic. I also really admired the way that they linked their texts with their surroundings or with pictures and such things. ¬¬

RESEARCH
Project specific research
The project specific research mainly constituted of the Quranic verses and the Hadiths that related to the subject. In addition, some scientific facts were researched in order to link the two together. I have also researched about typography.
Some Quranic Verses: -

[6:141] He is the One who established gardens, trellised and un-trellised, and palm trees, and crops with different tastes, and olives, and pomegranate - fruits that are similar, yet dissimilar. Eat from their fruits, and give the due alms on the day of harvest, and do not waste anything. He does not love the wasters.

[7:31] O children of Adam, you shall be clean and dress nicely when you go to the masjid. And eat and drink moderately; Surely, He does not love the gluttons.

[25:2] The one to whom belongs all sovereignty of the heavens and earth. He never had a son, nor does he have any partners in sovereignty. He created everything in exact measure; He precisely designed everything.

[55:5] The sun and the moon are perfectly calculated.
[55:7] He constructed the sky and established the law.
[55:8] You shall not transgress the law.

[30:41] Disasters have spread through the land and sea, because of what people have committed. He thus lets them taste the consequences of some of their works, that they may return (to the right works).

Designers
Stefan Sagmeister
This man really inspires my design, or even just the way I think. I have noticed that in a lot of his projects that he uses typography. He creates words out of things that I would never imagine. I also am really inspired by the way he links his concepts with the elements that he uses.

Reza Abedini
One of the Iranian graphic designers that really knows how to shape words.

Iman Raad

Farhad Fozouni

Saed Meshki

Survey
To aid me in my design process, I have conducted a short survey to find out a little about how people are accepting my campaign idea, and what they propose for it. The survey was short and direct, and I did not use a lot of scientific facts about environmental problems, as I wanted to focus on other things. Another thing that I wanted to find out was whether people’s views of the religion changed after the survey; whether I have touched a point of view that they haven’t of. I also wanted to know, after finding out that there are religious consequences to some actions, how many people were willing to change their habits and ways.

When I saw the results, all people knew the third and fourth questions, as I have had suspected. I have gotten a lot of support and positive feedback when I asked about my campaign. I was really glad to see that. Some people mentioned that they thought I was on the right track, and some others gave some suggestions and advise. When it came to the final two questions, the answers varied. Some answered that they do not know for both questions. Most answers were a yes for the ninth question, and an “I will try” for the tenth. I was really happy to see some sure people who answered yes to both of the last questions.
The survey helped me in a way that I got more exited about completing my campaign in a very strong way. I have also decided to really focus on getting the message through strongly and to reach to the hearts of people so that they would answer a yes to both of the last questions.
There might also be a chance that I might conduct another survey for the purpose of enhancing my design and style elements to further aid and develop the art direction and branding part of the campaign; as at the time that I had conducted my first survey my title wasn’t decided and I did not have any visual samples or styles to ask about, and would like to get a feedback on that.

Art Direction
Concept
This project is an awareness campaign dedicated to show people the inclusiveness of Islam, and that by following it we can result in a better life. I will mainly tell people that environmental problems have in fact been mentioned in the Holy Quran and some sayings (Hadiths) of the Prophet Mohammed PBUH in several ways. The campaign aims to show these verses and to eventually link them to scientific facts of problems occurring now, and some causes of them. I would also show some solutions that were existent in this book and religion that was there for more than 1400 years ago where if followed since then until now, would have resulted in a possible avoidance of the problems nowadays. The campaign would use typography as its main captivating element, and would use modern and contemporary design to approach people. An event would also be created to have an interaction between the people and the campaign.

Branding
Naming: Meezan
Meezan literally means balance; of which the definition matches perfectly with my campaign brief and concept. The definition is: 1) an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady; stability of one’s mind and feelings. 2) A condition in which deferent elements are equal or in the correct proportions; art harmony of design and proportion. 3) A counteracting weight or force.
Logo:
The logo was adapted from a technique that I came up with for one of my typography. Lines that connect together through small squares that resemble the curve point of a letter.

Color: Until now the color is just black as it is simple, and is all colors mixed together, and to me there is no specific color that would really represent my concept.

Typography
For my typography, I came up with the decision that I will use three elements that would make up each set of typography. These three elements are: Lines, Lego, and Pop-up. I have linked each of these elements to my concept. Lines represent the small details and aspects that make up something; a balance that holds together different truths to create a unified, clear object; the underlying complexities under a familiar or obvious form. Lego represents links, and togetherness, where each piece of Lego has to work together with another to build something; it represents integrated parts that cannot do without one another. Pop-up represents importance and attraction; as when something is popping up inform of you it would demand your attention, and would let you know that it is important. Here are some samples or the typography, which will be used to represent the verses and such in Arabic.

An example of how the basic font was turned into the lines type.

An example of the Lego type, but it will be created in Arabic later on.

Campaign Applications
Poster
Art Direction
Until now the poster would be a series of three that would be installed together in the form of a mobile, to furthermore represent the since of balance, as mobiles are all about a balance in weights on every object. Each poster will represent one of the type elements that I have created, and would integrate with each other. I will try to screen-print on them, and to also use organic fabric as much as I can. The posters would be used from the front and the back hopefully.
My posters would be the most important aspect of my campaign, where everything else would fall around it and support it, or even further explain it.

Design Development

An example of a sketch or the line type poster. The posters have not yet been turned into electronic files. And sketches are not finalized.

Final Three Posters
They would be in a way that each would interact with each other. Each typographic element would link to the other one. They would all be larger than life, and would all be in balance with each other.

Media: Promotional Campaign Advertisement
Art Direction/ Story
As and interactive media I am creating a video. Up until now this video talks about the story of a man. In Islam, it is believed than anything we do, good be it or bad, is marked; where the good would be marked on our right side, and vice versa. So this video talks about a typical day in this man’s life. It would show him doing different things, like washing his teeth but leaving the water running, thus wasting water. The wasting or the water would result in him committing a bad deed, so he would get a mark on top of his left shoulder. And so on. The purpose of the video is to let people be more aware of what they do, and that the simple things that they do such as leaving the tap on do not go unmarked.

Design Development

Final Video

Other: Booklet and Reminder
A small and creative booklet that talks further about the verses and the scientific facts in a creative way. The booklet could be later on transformed into something else, keeping in mind designing it in a way that it would be sustainable. The reminder would be some object that reads a selected verse or such. This object is meant to be placed anywhere and which would remind people of the message that it holds.

Campaign Event
What and Why
Who
Where
When
How
These are questions to be determined on a later date.

Bibliography
Images
http://www.saedmeshki.com/works-view.php?catid=5&id=111
http://farhadfozouni.com/photo/l/exhibition%20posters%20farhad%20fozouni%20(17).jpg
http://pingmag.jp/2006/12/11/iranian-typography-now/
http://www.posterpage.ch/exhib/ex191rok/p123863s.png