Breif 2: Crit on Research Proposal

We all placed our research proposals on the desks with which word we have to get feed back from the class and view other peoples opinions. 

Here are some comments on my research proposal of how, what and why i am going to research into way marking:

• very interesting especially from a graphic design aspect
• maybe look at the different cutures, past and present have used way marking 
• could photograph landmarks you use as way marks
• look how they changed? maybe in different countries? 
• semiotics- how different cultures communicate through signs 
• connotations with signs 
• perhaps go on a journey on a bicycle and record the way marker through photography 
• like the idea of documenting your own journeys through photography, shows your journey along with the waymarkings on route
• like the concept quite interesting, you could make your own way marks or try to find our way to a destination without the use of signs 
• city centres look into tourist signs 

This has been some useful feedback and I have thought of some more ideas for research from this, I partially like the city centre tourist idea, and looking into different cultures and not just sticking to the UK broadening to it worldwide. 

Edible Type Ideas

Here are a few ideas we have come up with for edible type, the favorite ideas we have are futura flapjack, comic sandwich and scrabble. 

The idea we plan to go with is scrabble, we will need:

• a scrabble board
• edible scrabble pieces 
• scrabble stands

Here are a few online ideas, we may bake cup cakes as well if we have enough time. Hopefully this will be a simple yet effective idea, however a few things may go wrong. 

Recipes 

There are a variety of short breads we can make for the base

Lemon short bread 

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Ginger bread

340g plain flour

4oz softened butter/margarine

100g soft brown sugar

190g golden syrup

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon bicarbinate of soda

Caramel and banana shortbread 

For the caramel

• 200g/7oz unsalted butter
• 100g/7oz caster sugar
• 2 x 400g/14oz cans condensed milk

For the shortbread

• 250g/8¾oz unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus an extra spoonful
• 150g/5¼oz caster sugar
• 150g/5¼oz cornflour
• 300g/10½oz plain flour
• 4 large bananas, peeled and sliced

Brief 2: Way marking

Research proposal plan

Subject: Waymark

What is a waymark?

Waymarking is the posting of waymarks, which are signs placed along a route to help travelers follow the route. They may be intended for travelers on foot, on a bicycle, on a horse, in a vehicle or in any mode of transportation. The inuksuk was an early type of waymark. Milestones, common in Europe, are also a form of waymark.

What am I going to research?

Signs within travel, those serve a purpose for direction.

Why am I researching it?

I have an interest in travel and different types of signs that are simple yet effective within travel. I am going to research into ones that are multi lingual, the fonts within signs and the history.

What will I research?

-        types of travel

-        signs within different types of travel

-        the history of waymaking

-        the history of signs

-        who made the signs symbols

-        use of colour within signs

How am I going to research it?

-        taking photos on different types of journeys I take

-        internet

-        graphic design books

-        asking people what they think

Ideas for 100 pieces of research

20 Facts- facts about signs, how many there are in the UK, who made the first sign, how they decided fonts.

20 Opinions- ask people what they think the world would be like without signs, whats the easiest sign to understand while traeling, what signs are often confusing while traveling.

20 Words- to do with signs within travel.

20 Statistics- how many signs are in each country, how many are in a certain font.

20 photographs- photos of journeys I take within the Christmas break 

Breif 2: Research

My word for this research brief is WAYMARK

What is a way mark?

Waymarking is the posting of waymarks, which are signs placed along a route to help travelers follow the route. They may be intended for travelers on foot, on a bicycle, on a horse, in a vehicle or in any mode of transportation. The inuksuk was an early type of waymark. Milestones, common in Europe, are also a form of way mark.

As a short exercise to start as a table we passed our word round to see what other peoples ideas were on the word, I found this useful and here is some of the ideas I got back:

forest markings 

paths

orientation

sun

moss on trees

hiking 

treasure hunt

cubs 

scouts

wood carvings

communication

symbols 

maps

rural walking 

travel

nature 

foot prints 

animal tracks 

One suggestion that I researched into is the suicide forrest in Japan.

The Aokigahara Forest is the most popular site for suicides in Japan. After the novel Kuroi Jukai was published, in which a young lover commits suicide in the forest, people started taking their own lives there at a rate of 50 to 100 deaths a year. The site holds so many bodies that the Yakuza pays homeless people to sneak into the forest and rob the corpses. The authorities sweep for bodies only on an annual basis, as the forest sits at the base of Mt. Fuji and is too dense to patrol more frequently.

It is nicknamed the 'sea of trees' this is relevant because if the person is unsure whether they want to end their life they take tape with them and wrap it round the trees so they don't get lost in the forrest and can find their way out. Children are told not to go in the forrest as it is highly dangerous. Some people decide to camp as they are confused and are having bad thoughts. If you follow the tape you will find a body. All over the forest there is signs to try and persuade suicide people not to commit, it says things like 'Your life is a precious gift from your parents, please think of your parents siblings and children. Don't keep it to yourself, talk about your troubles.' 

There are many things I can look into with this topic:

Orienteering

- quick decisions

- both physical and mental 

- first practiced in the military 

Signs 

- hospitals 

- road

- toilet 

- fire exits 

Travel 

- journeys

-everyday 

- routine 

Types of travel 

- car 

- plane 

- train 

- bus 

Edible Type Research

Anna Garforth

Anna Garforth is a multi-discilpinary designer workingand living in East London. Shecurrently works at The Plant, a branding and design agency in Old Street, but regularly takeson commissions. 

She makes type out of objects, she does it so neatly and precisely. She uses a mixture of typefaces for the edible type one, but they all work well together well. 

Svetlana Sebyakina

I was reading a book from the library called 'new illustration with type' when I noticed some edible type. It is simple and made out of fruit and veg. The actual type is most legible on the apple one, in the book there is an image of waffles spelling out 'good morning' which I think is cleaver. 

Christine Kawasaki-Chan

Here is a designer called Christine Kawasaki-Chan, different ways of portraying type within food. My favourite one is the pie, it is so neat and well done. The toast one is cleaver also, but I prefer the pie one because of the flowing type.