OUGD405 | Studio Brief 03 - Further Research

To gain research from a wider range of sources, I made a trip to the students union in LCA to grab some booklets and analyse the layouts. Disappointingly, there was nothing that was really eye catching which I found surprising in an art college.

The first booklet I found was an A5 guide for an art gallery. The front page consisted of a full bleed image with the heading in uppercase and white to stand out against this. Strips of colour are used as backdrops for more detailed information. I don't feel that this layout is terrible, but its not very exciting! 

Inside the booklet is more interesting with a 2 column grid system and a pink, brown/grey and white colour scheme. Sans serif typefaces are used across the booklet. a playful dove vector appears in various places across the layout. Again, there is nothing drastically wrong with the layout, it just appears rather boring. I feel that the booklet is reasonably easy to read, although it is not easy to find information quickly, perhaps this is because of the variation of heading styles - one section is not very clearly defined. The photographs are let down by the colours they are placed against, the pink is too harsh on the soft warm tones of the gallery, whereas the dark brown drowns out the images in the 'support us' section. 

Funnily enough, the least adventurous page is my favourite. It is far easier to read than the previous page and the headings are consistent. The white text stands out nicely against the grey background and the simplistic map is easy to read and has been given enough space in the layout to serve its purpose. However, something is still required to make the leaflet more interesting - otherwise people will not pick it up! 

The second booklet I found was no improvement. It is an A6 guide to events happening in the Howard Assembly Room. The front cover consists of neutral tones and again a white sans serif typeface to stand out against this. The logo is shown in what appears to be a second column. I personally would not be desperate to find out what this booklet was about, however I assume that I do not fit into the target audience which is people that attend these events. 

I feel that the first spread in the most interesting as the photograph used is engaging and not let down by the rest of the design. From eye, I think that a page is split into a 3 column layout, 2 of which are used for body copy while the third contains shorter, separate information. This format of information is much clearer than the previous booklet and reminds me of layout of the letters which I used to get from school. A subtle blue line separates these two sections without drawing too much attention. The colour scheme consists of a bright blue and white which is successful however, the blue is slightly difficult to read against the dark background as the contrast is not great enough.

The rest of the booklet follows a rather simple layout consisting of an image at the top of the page and the information split up at the bottom in the same 3 column grid. It is simple to read, easy to understand and is in chronological order of events. However, the booklet is still unappealing which makes the events look the same. Although, it is difficult to fit such a large amount of information into a small booklet whilst keeping it interesting and engaging. 

The final booklet I found was for another gallery. The front page was slightly more adventourous with its arrangement of type illustrating a variety of sizes and text placement. I feel that the choice of image could have been more exciting, however this needs to be representative of the work within the gallery - I myself do not recognise the work but others may. A brick red section has been placed at the base of the cover, and so the eye is drawn to this last as this is contains secondary information.

Similar to the previous booklet, the majority follows a similar layout. This consists of a single column. I feel that this is slightly off-putting as it seems like more to read rather than digestible chunks of information. However, the wide kerning in the letters works against this and makes the text appear more readable. I like the consistency in the headings as well as the styling because it clearly breaks down the sections and is simple yet effective. The white background means that the images can speak for themselves which I feel is appropriate for booklets about galleries. The grey circles add something interesting to the design, creating a clear key for the 'last chance to see' artworks. I feel that this has been the most successful layout and choice of text. However, it shares a similar boring feel. The designers don't appear to be very adventurous. 

The what's on calendar is no improvement. The choice of colour palette is fairly depressing and uninviting. However, the calendar is easy to understand. Perhaps an image or illustration could have made this page more engaging. 

By far the best example of layout I found was an online version of the Exhibitions for LCA. The layout was far more playful and adventurous even though the content was similar to the previous booklets. Throughout the booklet an unusual yellow line/shape darts around the page- this is a use of line I haven't seen before. The front cover is tiled with bright pink, green and blue edited images which add a sense of curiosity - what are these images? The title is featured in a clear white space cut out by the striking yellow line. The yellow is just a little too bright making the dates difficult to read. The overlapping images and lines add to the style. 

There is a variety of information within the leaflet and so it has been displayed in a variety of ways. On some pages the yellow headings are spread out across the pages in an unusual way. This yellow contrasts with the continued pink/blue/green images as you can see on this calendar page - a strip of yellow appears to hold each image in place.

I found this page the most interesting because of the unusual arrangement of the title and lines, and how this spans more than one page. I like this technique as it breaks the rules - I have seen in used in many booklets that have captured my attention. The greyscale image contrasts with the title meaning both image and title get the required attention. Since yellow may be one of the main colours in my booklet, grey scale images may be ideal for my own work. 

The yellow lines take a back seat in the pages with more information. The body copy is arranged in a simple two column grid. However, the bright images and lines make this appear less boring. The content is minimal which makes the spread appealing. The headings are black this time and much larger than other booklets, clearly separating the body copy.

All the booklets were made from a similar style of paper that has a matte feel. I need to carry out some more research into this to decide which paper is most appropriate for my booklet.