OUGD602 - University Library Book Sale

The University recently had a sale where some really good quality books were only 50p each, therefore I took the opportunity to stock up on over 90 design related books. Even though I will likely not read all of them any time soon, they will be a good source of research and knowledge to help me throughout my development as a creative practitioner. I hope to continue adding to my collection as creative publications have become a huge part of my interests and have benefitted my learning greatly.

OUGD602 - Product Packaging Inspiration & Analysis

Whilst working over the summer, I also noticed a variety of functional packaging designs for construction products, this one in particular grabbed my attention. It utilises a separate compartment connected to the bottle design which speeds up the process by allowing the user to quickly measure out the liquid.

It was interesting to see product design being used in such a functional way as I am only used to seeing the glamorous and aesthetically pleasing product designs on sites such as 'It's Nice That'. The product proves that there is room for innovation in all aspects of design.

I could see the possibility of using this bottle design technique within other industries which need to measure liquid quickly. Alcohol bottles for example need to be measured quickly in bars and clubs to measure 25ml shots, a design like this could be a solution to this problem.

OUGD602 - Functional Typography

Whilst off over the summer period, I worked as a labourer for a construction company, whilst on site however, I noticed many creative elements which are utilised in co-ordenance with the context and purpose of the buildings site.

In particular, I often found that the typography used on objects and tools were all applied with function and purpose in mind. The wooden pallet below utilised wood burning methods to emboss their phone number onto their product. This method is cheap, durable and has no waste products or inks used within the application of the type.

The skip hire company however, opted for a different technique which functionality still at the core of its design considerations. They have used stencil type which again makes the application of the type clear, legible and cheap. It also allows the use of colour within the design which will help grab the audiences attention when being transported to and from a job. The downsides to this method are durability as paint can be scraped off as well as new spray paint needing to be purchased for the reapplication of the type when it becomes damaged. This also results in more waste product making it  more damaging to the environment.