UK | Project 10

Continuing to look at aeronautical charts and sectional charts, I have been brushing on my understanding of them. Soon I will be flying in no time...Not really. But I have been researching online what they mean, and how they benefit the person who is using them.
I also have been looking at the the flights online of the planes arrivals into the airport.

Gatwick area

Sectional chart info

current Gatwick flights

I have not recorded the flights from Gatwick yet, but when I do I hope to somehow be able to identify which plane is which based on their times of arrival (shown on the internet live) and create my own aeronautical or sectional charts.
I want to be able to make levels of vision within these charts as well. Possibly using pictograms, color, textures, patterns, and lines to create readable (or possibly not readable) charts.
Using zinc lithography I hope to be able to use multiple plates. Using these plates to show different levels of the chart. For example, having a plate for solely the landscape of the Gatwick area, then using a different plate with a different color a top showing.
I could either do the drawing on the plates by hand, or I use polyester plates to transfer images made on my computer to lithographic prints.
More to come!

UK | Project 10

For project 10 we had the opportunity to choose from ten different briefs. They ranged from typography and editorial to information designs and interactive pieces. Out of these 10 I chose to do information design, info flow. We must must choose from the fallowing within the brief:

1 Care stopping at stoplights

2 People entering a station

3 Busses arriving at a deport

4 A football crowd leaving a ground

5 Aircraft movements at Gatwick

Then we are to collect information, and research first by video taping the serino we wish to record (for 30 sec, 1 minute, or five minutes) It's very open really. I have chose to do the Aircraft movements at Gatwick.

Below is honestly just random doodles and ideas I sketched out yesterday. I am excited to get my informations gathered. I am leaning towards the mathematics of a plane moving, such as how they land (as you can see my little sketch of the plane fallowing a path in a spiral, which is how they land) Also interested in the different airlines, where they are traveling all over the world, air miles, directions...and so on.

This is a very experimental brief, the final pieces dont necessarily have to make sense. Though I believe I want to push towards making them useable, and able to be used to gather information.

These are just a few images I was looking at. I really enjoy how abstract and mathematical these screen shots of a air control screen look. Somehow I believe they would fit nicely into my brainstorming:

Lastly, I am going to use zinc lithography for this. Possibly creating a series of A1 posters showing these maps, diagrams, or whatever I come up with with. 

Pretty excited.

Oh and this is my 2nd lithographed piece: 

Yes, it's Julie and I. Yes, those are halos. Yes, it's quite creepy.

UK | Personal Project

Personal project. This basically consists of choosing anything you want to focus on. What you as a design would like to focus on.

I have been thinking and doodling a lot in information graphs and information about what I do on a daily basis. This lead to to decide on creating diagrams, lists, collecting receipts, etc about my everyday life in another country.

But after beginning to doing so, I felt like I wanted to include so much more than I believe an informational graph could show. I wanted to include my UK living in diagrams, but also add photos, thoughts, writings, and just things that I feel our entertaining and give an idea about my current location.

This once informational manuel is now turning into an editorial project. I first begin to think about my everyday routine then break sections into categories, allowing me to continue to gather further information in these areas. Like illustrations, photos, and writings. This will allow me to obtain more information in these areas, and really focus on the details.

 Below is just one of the many tests I have done when dealing with location and distances. Showing the distance of about 200 miles in the US (Kansas City) and the distances in the UK (Brighton). This was eye opening. You know of course the US is huge, but when comparing it to your current location and the place you once lived, really makes you think. I then thought about the distances I travel in the UK and the distances I travel in the US. Very similar, but everything is much closer together here in Brighton, compared to Kansas City. Realizing also that I travel about the same amount of distances, but using a car in the US, rather than by foot.

Mapping out my common routes of both places*, I thought looking into psychogeograhy would be an interesting take to include. Beginning by mapping the routes out and combining the paths. Analyzing locations that would be visited if I was to be using my daily route in Kansas City to the geography of Brighton. Also separating them in different areas, and placing them on a graph paper and overlaying places of interest. (pictures to upload)

*realizing that America is like one giant grid

More to come. Layouts, photos, and more.

UK | Typeface design

We were given five choices of projects. I have chosen to design my own typeface. I decided to do a modular font.

After failing at my first try I decided to start over and create new rules.

Began to use basic shapes to create letterforms. After deciding I really wanted to use the grid base, then set some rules for myself to makes sure the family was cohesive. 

rules:

lower case

common breaking of letterform

2x4 grid structure

numbers would fallow the same grid, being the same height of the cap height

This is what I have currently came up with:

Crit for these is today, having to have each letterform printed on a A4 (approx. 8.5x11)

And a simple A1 poster (black and white only showing the entire font family, and including a short paragraph that uses the numbers, letters, and punctuations.  

(iterations)

Went to London, saw this. Like it.

This is just an example of one

Good exhibit of isotype.

UK | Tower block progress

Gathering information most on the internet, I found a random website that allowed me to view basic stats on the tower blocks in the Brighton area. Below is an example of one of the lists:

After creating the map, I added my plots, and a key at the bottom of the mapping. Using color coding to separate the categories, complete, proposed, cancelled, and on hold.

I can't say I am 100% happy with my final A1 sized poster. But after tomorrow's crit, I hope to receive feedback that will improve my piece. 

UK | New beginning

Starting a new semester of design... in another country.
I am currently studying at the University of Brighton in the UK.
So far it has been an interesting move, finding classes, moving in a new flat (soon to be moving again), and learning the ways of British education. But it's honestly been great so far.
Anyways...
We have gotten our first assignment on the first day of out studio class (Tuesday)
Julie and I outr being plopped into the middle of the year, so basically we are starting on Project 6.
Mapping Brighton:
Documenting through photography, video/film, drawing, text or symbols the category of information I have drawn from a hat (Tower Blocks) I am now to gathering information about these tower blocks within a two mile radius of the 'Clock Tower' in central Brighton. I will record this information, find links about the subject and create a large format folded map sheet, chart, interactive piece, or short film.

I have currently gathered information about these residential tower blocks, including height, number of flats within, location, a list of completed, proposed, and canceled constructions of these tower blocks, and history about how they were created.
More to come.

Track of the moment: 

Tim Armstrong - Wake Up