OUGD505 MAPPING SCREEN PRINTING

Today I took my most up to date design and prepared it for screen. I knew that the screen printed effect would be a lot different in comparison to if I was to digital print my design, so it was worth seeing how it looked on this format incase it improved the gradient design. Using black ink as decided before, and dark green paper stock to simply represent the land, I printed several copies of the design with the definition on the back also.

Here are the outcomes to my screen printed map design. As you can see the gradient has bled quite a bit in comparison to the digital copy. I feel like this has aided the design in a way as it has highlighted the more unique features of the illustration that were perhaps previously hidden. I feel like this bolder print also compliments the type on the flip side due to its heavier weight lines solid tones. I finally trimmed the prints down to tabloid size due to the inspiration from classic AA road manuals. I really enjoy how these prints have turned out and will review them later with my peers to decide if any further action needs to be taken. 

OUGD505 MAPPING DEVELOPMENT CRIT

During a crit a presented my most up to date ideas involving my mapping. The feedback was mainly positive however I was given a few new ideas to consider to perhaps push my designs further. One of the ideas I was given was to experiment with how colour could convey the context more. Perhaps each print is done in a different colour reflecting the mood even more then having just the definitions. I was also told to consider the paper stock and how it could keep within the boundaries of my idea. I was told to consider using green stock to literally represent the fact these journeys have been taken on land. Finally, I was told to consider that each design have journeys which take place upon different distances. I could represent this by having the shorter distance designs on smaller paper stock and the larger ones on a more substantial scale.

These are all things I will carefully consider during my on going process.

OUGD505 MAPPING LAYOUT DEVELOPMENT

To develop my mapping and preparing it for screen, I chose an appropriate document size which was inspired by the AA road map. This is a standard tabloid size. I chose the AA road map dimensions because the original designs have been taken from journeys taken in vehicles. After placing the designs on this sized document, I focused my attention of the flip side of what the print could be.

I began experimenting with the type of the definitions on each print and how I could translate each piece of type. I ended up using the words definition to typeset each, giving each one a more unique and personal touch representing the definition of each behaviour more clearly.

As you can see here, I have taken the definition and used it quite literally in the type setting. I applied this to each design using the same grid, keeping in consistent whilst unique to each design. I also selected a modern sans serif typeface in reminiscence of the AA sans serif type.

OUGD505 POLICE CAMPAIGN IDEA

After my crit I did some further research into campaigning and more specifically ones involving the police. Of course, it was quite hard to find campaigns made by the police due to the fact they practice the law however, I managed to find a small one in defense of the police in a particular situation.

Last year, Lush set up a campaign raising awareness against undercover police officers as they seemed to think they were ruining innocent peoples lives. One story in particular states a five year relationship falling apart with in seconds due to the female partner discovering her partner was an undercover the whole time. He then left her without any warning or signs he just vanished. Lush set up a campaign in their shops in protest to this behaviour using the hashtag #spycops and installing fake police tape in their stores and other similar merchandise, spreading awareness for stories like these. Their aim was to tarnish the police forces practice and more specifically the undercover police officers. 

In response to this, police officers jumped on social media to defend their jobs and themselves on a personal scale. They used the hashtag #FlushLush to raise awareness that police officers are just doing their jobs and there is no personal attack going on. They do not deserve to be tarnished as a force just for this. Other people in support of them then continued this hashtag on social media raising even more of an awareness.

An idea I have is to dig this hashtag campaign out of the grave and re brand it as a fully fledged campaign with physical matter, not just hashtags. Just like Lush did a physical campaign, I'd do one in response, bringing back #FlushLush.

OUGD505 MAPPING DEFINITIONS

For each map created a word representing its behaviour will be placed alongside it with a description, giving the illustration a bit of context. I asked each person where exactly they traveled on these illustrations and how they'd describe their Uber journeys.

Superfluous
unnecessary, especially through being more than enough.

Spontaneous
performed or occurring as a result of a sudden impulse or inclination and without premeditation or external stimulus.

Excursion

a short journey or trip, especially one taken as a leisure activity.

OUGD505 POLICE PRESENTATION CRIT

Today I presented all of my research involving the UK police and how they're portrayed badly in the media and also why people should trust them. The feedback I received was a clear that I had two different projects on my hands and I had to choose one to be able to continue. The first one was to some how create some form of social justice between the police and UK citizens, however that seems a bit long winded and I don't think I'll be able to save the world. The other one was to create some form of an awareness campaign that will educate people on how to use the police properly (dialling 999)  and also other numbers such as 101 and 111.

I will now conduct some more research into this topic and figure out a few different formats of generating initial ideas to respond to this. I think I need to figure out a way to make this project more interesting to me on the design side of things, as an awareness campaign does not sound very fun at the moment.

OUGD505 MAPPING DEVELOPMENT

After my crit, I began illustrating peoples Uber journeys into their individual diagrams representing their body behaviour/attitude created by the places they travel to. After doing this for five different people, I have proven that everyone has a personal map with a personal behavioural pattern. From one diagram you can see that one person takes Ubers in very short distances around one area, most likely being their home deeming them as quite a lazy person. On the other hand, one person seems to take trips back and forth from one specific location quite often, suggesting that they work here and must commute on a regular basis. This could mean they have quite a solid routine.

After this I'd have to create some sort aesthetic to compliment the context given the fact there wasn't really much to it right now. Something previously suggested was to overlay them in different colours with a key to identify each behavioural pattern by it's colour. I did this however I feel like it looks a bit child like in a way given the fact the concept has been quite well thought out. To develop this further, I think I should keep the illustrations separate as this collaged version seems way too complicated and difficult to follow. I will also try redrawing this carefully with a single weight line.

I traced over the paths of one of the journey diagrams on illustrator to create a more minimal diagram, not including the circles marking the location because I feel like this gave it more of an illustrative style that would highlight possible body features resembling a behavioural pattern. After this, I had a very minimal line drawing which I could further play with. I used the fill tool to try and include some more features however it just made the illustration more flat. I transformed the flat fill with a gradient and this bought out a lot more detail and features within the illustration. It highlighted parts that overlapped and also pieces that were more closer together, originally hidden by the fill. This helps translate my idea on a clearer level, expressing features relating to specific forms of body language or behaviour. 

After this process I repeated it again with two of the more interesting maps, creating three very different illustrations personalised to each individual. I placed them with a piece of type which could possibly be the layout for my print. The type could feature a mood or behavioural pattern and a definition of that to compliment the work, giving it a bit of context. 

OUGD505 MAPPING CRIT

During a crit today I presented my idea involving the Uber trips representing peoples body language and behaviour due to the places they travel to. The feedback was mainly positive and I was given mostly advice on how to take it further. To make it less fine art and more graphic design, I've been told to include some text or typography to give some form of concept to the illustration. I'd have to be careful to make sure that it is typeset well and does not clash too much with illustration using appropriate use of type. Something else I could consider is perhaps including a key or axis on the illustration to give more depth to the fact that this is a map. This could measure distance or a compass.

Now, I am going to source other peoples trips through Uber and illustrate the journeys they took. This will then represent other peoples body language giving the opportunity to compare mine to others. This will perhaps prove what kind of person each illustration is. Some people stated in the crit that they only get Ubers to clubs and others stated they only take them to the shops. This will hopefully be evident in the physical work.

When producing it, I'm going to experimenting with screen printing and decide which of these techniques I will take forward. I will either print each illustration on a separate document, giving the audience time to study each one separately or overlay them all in different colours with a key demonstrating different behaviours. This will create a more inclusive singular map instead of a few mixed up documents.

OUGD505 PRIMARY RESEARCH INTO POLICING

I conducted some primary research into what it's like to be a police officer from an actual officer. I did this by writing up several interview questions. The theme of these questions were juxtaposing, some focusing on some more serious topics and some less serious and perhaps personal, gaining an insight on their life out of work. I did this to try and uncover some of the ridiculous things they face whilst also showing features of a normal human being. After finding a police officer to interview I sent the questions to him and this was his response.

What’s your name, where are you from and what do you do?

My name is Owen Buffery, I am a Police Constable for Durham Constabulary and I live in Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear. I have been a Police Constable for 2 years, and before that I was a Special Constable for 5 years, working closely with Northumbria Police, and I also worked full time as a Bar Manager.

How many hours do you work a week? 

On average in a typical working week, I work around 55hours, not taking into account overtime and late finishes.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time, I tend to go to the gym around 5 times a week, socialise with friends by going out for the odd beer or two, and play football on a weekly basis. Not to mention having some downtime at home, playing my PS4 when I get chance. 

When was the last time you felt like you were in danger and what happened?

Policing in this era is a dangerous job now due to a number of cuts to public sector funding. I have not felt in danger yet as most scenarios I have managed to calm down before being escalated. I have been threatened numerous times with violence and blunt objects, but never so much to feel in danger.

What did you have for dinner last night and how would you rate it on a tripadvisor level of review?

I had Aubergine Moussaka yesterday evening. It was delightful, and a definitely 4 ½ out of 5.

Do you think there’s a problem with being called to jobs that aren’t important enough for police time and if so can you emphasise upon that?

There seems to be a massive drain on resources that are deployed to incidents that do not warrant a Police response. Case and point unfortunately, people receiving unwanted messages via social media, and parking disputes that could be resolved on a local level. This is all due to a lack of common sense from people who dial 101 or 999 to report an issue, without attempting to deal with the issue themselves before seeking external help.

What was the last film you watched and what was the best bit?

The last film I watched was Taxi Driver (1973) starring Robert De Niro. I couldn’t pick a best part as it was my first time watching the film, however due to De Niro being one of my favourite actors, I enjoyed it thoroughly. 

How does your constabulary practice diversity within the POC and LGBT communities?

LGBT and POC communities are practiced on a regular basis within our Constabulary. There are regular meetings that are held at the forces headquarters, along with pride marches on the LGBT side. There is an LGBT association which is ran by force ambassadors, which regularly promote their policies.

Where do you live and what’s your house like?

 I live in Cullercoats, a fishing village by the coast in the area of North Tyneside. The house I live in is a 3 bedroom terraced house just by the local transport links.

What is the worst injury you have obtained since working and what happened?

The worst injury I have sustained so far is a bite to my left knee. I sustained this as a result of effecting an arrest on a suspect for criminal damage. Information was passed that the callers ex-partner was outside the address, intoxicated and making threats to cause damage to the property. I attended with a crew mate and when I got to the scene I noticed that there was damage to the kitchen window at the front of the address. I approached the male, and asked him to show me his hands. When I got closer the male became aggressive, to a point that I had to use force and take him to the floor. During the scuffle on the ground, I managed to get the male onto his front in an attempt to apply handcuffs to the rear. When doing so, the male managed to move his head near to my knee and bit hard. This drew blood and broke the skin, resulting in me having to go for tetanus shots.

It wasn’t the physical implication of the assault, as it was more the mental aspect too, as I did not know whether the male had any contagious diseases.

What was the last song you listened and where were you when listening to it?

The last song I listened to was Amerrikan Idol by Joey Bada$$. This was on the way to work this morning in the car.

Have you ever had to help someone in need due to online bullying? 

Yes. The most recent incident involved a person being bullied via a well-known social media site. The victim of this online bullying was extremely upset and disclosed to me that she had thoughts of harming herself due to being bullied on a regular basis. I spoke to her for over an hour in person and managed to calm her down, then gave her advice to block the people on social media causing her anxiety. I also passed her a number for the crisis team, a service which helps in suicide prevention when persons have thoughts to harm themselves.

Have you been trained in suicide prevention?

There was no formal training given in suicide prevention however there have been some circulars passed through the force documenting the crisis team number for people who are in crisis. Also the street triage team are always on duty, able to speak to people who are struggling with thoughts to harm.

What is your favourite flavour of ice cream?

Mint chocolate chip, no discussion

Can you remember a time your constabulary gave/supported the local community? 

Durham Constabulary supports their local community on a regular basis, with specific neighbourhood teams to support neighbourhood areas with ongoing issues such as anti-social behaviour. Stanley neighbourhood Policing team have footage of neighbourhood officers dealing with ongoing issues at Stanley bus station. Feel free to have a look!

What do you enjoy about your job the most? 

I enjoy that no two days are the same throughout the week. I like constantly learning, and being able to give something back, along with helping people who are in need of our help. I enjoy working with different units on a regular basis, along with the shift patterns being different to that of a normal 9-5 job. 

OUGD505 MAPPING UBER INITIAL IDEA

After experimenting with several bizarre research techniques, I thought I'd study one more close to home. I utilised the Uber app as my tool to document my past movement throughout Leeds within a certain time period. My idea was to study what my most regular path was that I take through Leeds using this taxi service. Luckily, the app records every trip you take so I had every Uber that I had ever taken already documented on my phone. To translate the most used route, i'd combine all the trips on one map of Leeds creating a very abstract images of multiple overlapping lines. I knew that doing every trip ever would take an incredibly long time so I decided to document my trips from last June til now.

These are two examples of the journeys taken and how they're documented on the Uber map. Below it is a map of Leeds which is where I will be placing all of my journeys onto. 

Here is the map of Leeds with all of my documented trips placed into one, starting form June last year. Looking at this weird line image created, I can kind of spot abstract human and face like structures within the lines. This could perhaps lead onto how peoples journeys throughout the city are translated into a facial expression due to where they travel to. Everyones would be completely different depending on where they travel the most. Someone else suggested to me that they seem like scientific diagrams but I'm not sure how this would relate to biology. 

OUGD505 TOM JOYCE VISITING PROFESSIONAL

Today we had visiting professional Tom Joyce come in and explain various different ways we can translate an idea through formats that we wouldn't have normally considered using. He showed us many videographers exploring many abstract concepts through video for instance, a Japanese artist giving birth to a whale instead of a human. This represented how selfish it is of us to populate the Earth with humans instead of a species that is going extinct.

Using these ideas we were given a three word phrase and as a group we had to translate that through any form of media. Our phrase was 'future illegal bomb'. We took the comedic route when creating the content for this day brief. We took the word 'bomb' and saw it as bath bomb instead and imagined a future where Lush have an underground organisation of dealing bath bombs illegally. The reason they are a illegal is because happiness and the release of dopamine has been capped, so things that give us pleasure like bath bombs have now been made illegal. We created some surveillance footage of a bath bomb deal going down, a small clip from a Vice styled documentary interviewing one of these dealers and a wanted poster featuring bath bombs and a dealer.

OUGD505 ABSTRACT RESEARCHING

As a part of this workshop we were made to go out into the field and conduct some primary research into mapping using bizarre techniques. Using these techniques of our choice would uncover new information that has never been previously recorded. I conducted the research for the mapping project but these processes may also link in well with SB2.

This first method involved mapping peoples body language when crossing a road when the lights are flashing red. It seems all manner of people seem to risk their lives everyday to do something so simple as cross the road. Here are a few of the most interesting images involving a man with a walking stick, who has obviously already injured himself and also a mother dragging two young children into the dangerous road. When researching the phycology of people J walking I discovered 50% of people said they would cross at a red like and 60% of that figure are female. With these images and information I possibly create a guide on how to J walk as dangerously as possible.

This research method involved me filming a man for about ten minutes as he window shopped outside a very expensive watch shop. I found it interesting how much time he spent looking and not going in to talk to someone. He also never went inside and never bought anything either. I could further investigate the psychology behind window shoppers and perhaps create a map/ratio of the most window shopped places in comparison to items bought.