Design Publication Development

Prior to the crit with Tony, I revisited my original ideas for the design publication. I had been focusing my attention on artwork for music such as album covers but couldn't seem to refine what I wanted to achieve from this. The topic of music was too broad and I was conscious that I didn't have time to research the whole topic.

originally I had thought about:

• Look at different record labels
• Different album artists
• Possibly contact a couple of artists? - would probably need more time
• Leif Podhajsky
• Lewis Heriz
• Kate Moross

I thought the publication could be designed in a 7" format to link it back to a vinyl sleeve. 

.......

As another approach, I tried to write down the research elements I find most important when carrying out a project. These were based on my previous projects and the first things which came to mind every time. The list was:

• Choose a topic
• Consider all the different elements which could be related to the topic and write them down.
• What words or definitions can help to inform these connections? 
• How can the different meanings be connected to form a whole idea built up from multiple considerations.
• How could this then be interpreted? Does it have only one meaning, or can it work on a broader spectrum? 
• Decide on the most appropriate outcome
• Refinement. Is the core message clear and concise? 
• Is there room for subtle inclusion of multiple meanings?
• Consider the subliminal messages/meanings if there are any how does this add to the outcome?

Following on from this, I began making a list of the projects, which I felt were most effective in representing the design process shown above. I gathered together four of my strongest concepts from across the three years. I wanted to take these to the crit to receive feedback on the general themes of my work. 

My work always tries to encompass as much meaning and context as it possibly can. 

........

As I was still really keen to incorporate my interest in language, I began thinking about how I could explain my methodology using terminology or words to help me explain more clearly. 

When I started researching into 'double meanings' and 'subliminal messages', I came across the word 'homograph'. Homograph is the word used for a word which is written the same, with different meanings dependent on its context. 

Word Origin and History for homograph

n.
1810, a method of signaling, from homo- (1) "same" + -graph "somethingwritten." Meaning "a word of identical spelling with another, but ofdifferent origin and meaning, is from 1873. Related: Homographic ;homography.

The definition above summarised everything that I had been previously trying to explain in my own process. From here it seemed ideal to focus on homographs. Not only was this applicable to my own methodology, it also tied in with my strong interest in language.

I also liked how the definition translated as the 'same' thing 'written' as I was intending to write a publication on how my methodology stays the same but my topic is ever-changing.


.......


I started looking online for different homographs to get an idea of the spectrum I could work with. This was a rewarding process as I instantly found heaps of content. A couple of the initial lists I found consisted of:

• accent - stress or emphasis/a manner of speaking or pronunciation influenced by the region in which one lives or grew up
• agape - wide open/a Greek word meaning “love”
• attribute - a characteristic or quality/to think of as belonging to or originating in some person, place or thing
• axes - the plural of ax or axe/the plural of axis
• bass - a deep voice or tone/a kind of fish
• bat - a piece of sporting equipment used in baseball/a winged animal associated with vampires
• bow - to bend at the waist/the front of a boat/a pair of tied loops
• buffet - to hit, punch or slap/a self-serve food bar
• bustier - an undergarment/more busty
• compact - small/to make small/a small case for holding makeup
• compound - to mix or combine/an enclosed area with a building or group of buildings inside
• content - happy or satisfied/all that is contained inside something
• contract - an agreement/to get, acquire or incur
• coordinates - brings into proper place or order/a set of numbers used to calculate position
• desert - a hot, arid region/to leave
• digest - a condensed version of some information/to change food in the stomach into a form that can be absorbed by the body
• discount - a reduction in price/to underestimate the significance of or give no credence to
• does - female deer (plural)/present, third person singular form of the verb “do”
• down - in a lower position/soft, furry feathers
• entrance - the place of entry/to bewitch, delight or enrapture
• evening - late afternoon/making more even
• fine - very good/sharp or keen/delicate or subtle/a sum of money paid to settle a matter
• frequent - occurring regularly/to visit a place with regularity
• incense - a substance that produces a pleasant odor when burned/to infuriate or make very angry
• lead - to go first with followers behind/a type of metal
• minute - 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour/extremely small
• moped - acted sad or gloomy/a bicycle with a motor
• object - a thing you can see or touch/a goal/a noun that receives the action of a verb/to be opposed to
• proceeds - advances or continues on/the money or profit gained from some sale or venture
• produce - to create or make/fresh fruits and vegetables
• project - a plan or proposal/to throw or hurl forward/to cause a shadow or image to fall upon a surface
• putting - the present participle of put/the present participle of putt
• number - a numeral/to count/more numb
• refuse - waste or garbage/to reject or decline to accept
• row - a fight/to propel a boat forward using oars/a line
• second - 1/60th of a minute/after the first
• subject - under some authority or control/to bring under authority or control/to make liable or vulnerable/a topic/the noun in a sentence about which something is said in the predicate
• tear - to rip/a drop of water from the eye
• wind - to turn/moving air
• wound - turned/an injury

I then began thinking about whether the publication should work as an alphabetical series, or whether a different context would work more effectively. These were all questions which I wanted to ask in the crit.