Tom Tosseyn

online advertising campaign

fabric print designs for Tim Coppens, SS15

Opening credits template design.

MULTITUDE typographic artwork.

bag design & artwork (1/3) for McQ

Whilst researching page construction ideas for OUGD404's Studio Brief 02, I discovered the work of Tom Tosseyn. He is a freelance designer who has 12 years experience in the fashion industry ranging from subculture and street wear to high-end fashion and luxury. 
He specialises in creating distinctive, advanced designs with strong concepts for unique and exclusive products. His work demonstrates the kind of impact a graphic designer can make onto the fashion industry. 

Studio Brief 02 - Evaluation

The idea of branding myself was and still is a hard task to accomplish. Initially I had no real concrete interest in a specific field within graphic design. But as the course progressed, being exposed to more areas of graphic design allowed me to explore and develop different design techniques that has resulted in a shift in interest. The enthusiasm for editorial design has come from the satisfaction of holding the finished product and how experimental one can push the way we interact with printed media. By finally identifying a more substantial area within graphic design to pursue, the task of branding myself became slightly easier and more enjoyable. However this is still my first year in the course and my interests may shift again. Hopefully it is a refinement of the field and aimed more at a specific area within editorial design.

After taking a step back and analysing my resolutions for this self branding brief, achieving a professional level of work practically is the main area of concern. Because this branding could potentially become a medium to send to clients, the more polished the end result is, the more likely the client will take me seriously as a designer. Being invested in editorial work, the quality of the finished publication determines the quality of the design. A more refined, polished and well made publication would be more effective in communicating its purpose.

Therefore despite the ideas of branding myself through a clothing tag as a business card and a wearable patch which relates to both interests of mine, the quality of which these are produced in reduces the overall effectiveness in how I communicate my professionalism as a designer. This is something that needs to improve in Level 05 for all modules.

During the process of making these resolutions, I've also learned not to make substantial design decisions until I have seen the design in context. This was highlighted in the clothing tag idea whereby the idea was to remove the cover format of the front card because of the ill fitting form factor it created. However when put into context, the cover format worked better than the idea to keep all components of the clothing tag separate cards because of how the cover kept the cards inside organised. The value of this is that it keeps my options open in terms of experimenting with different ideas based on one design aspect. Furthermore, this design decision was done on printed examples of the clothing tag. Blank mock ups of the clothing tag should have been made to get an idea of the different form factors possible. It reduces the errors made on the actual printed pieces and possible mistakes.

Overall the two resolutions does represent how I see myself as a designer at this stage. It was an opportunity to design my identity that still has a lot of room for improvement in order to better communicate my personality and design practice. 

As a whole, this module has made me reflect on myself as a person and myself as a designer. To evaluate my strengths and weaknesses in how I work and to consider my interests within the field of graphic design. Through this process, it made me more aware of the design studios, further broadening my knowledge of the range of design work that is possible and how each one brands itself to have unique personality. It has me made consider more of the aspects that make each studio stand out from the crowd and how I can apply it to my self branding. Its these aspects that are used to display my strengths and interests that reflects my personality. This module represents a starting point to constantly evolve my design practice, to get myself more immersed in the design field and to start conversations with designers and design studios.  

Studio Brief 02 - Final patch designs

After having done the initial screen prints for the patch designs, some refinements were made to help improve the overall quality of the patch. A slightly thicker, more robust fabric was opted in the second trial to communicate a more professionally made patch. The thicker fabric also reduces the  translucency which contributed to the lack in visual quality of the last screen prints. Furthermore this material has a smoother thread count that adds to that feel of higher quality. In this second trial of printing, the overall technique was better. It produced more consistent uniform coloured prints that allows me to create more patches. 

However it wasn't all successful, in this print, an undetailed print was the result of pushing the ink several times through the screen. Unlike the prints which used a white ink on black fabric, the black ink is deep enough to have a high contrast on white fabric with only one "print". 

In this print its the opposite, a lack of ink and technique in going over the mesh creates a desaturated design resulting in a faded print. 

 
This print shows how a crease in the fabric can effect the look of the print. Although technically a flaw, it does create a rather desirable effect which relates to the style of the illustrations on the patch design.

On the other side of the patch, a similar layout of information as the clothing tag design is used as the contact info. The problem areas within this print design however are the finer details within the copy that have been lost during either the printing process or when exposing the screen. Because the type is small and condensed, details like the full stop after 'ED' are not present and the beginning 'T' in my website url are partially missing. 

During this trial of screen prints, a variation of olive green was also used just as a gauge to  how well the patch design works with different colours.

Being a patch, the design was fitted onto a jacket of mine to see how it would look like in context. From a fashion standpoint the patch is relatively successful because of the similar visual style it has to already established patch designs such as the ones seen below by Raf Simons. 

The black and white colour scheme stands out against the green jacket and becomes and easy identifier for the audience to notice. The effect is similar to that of the arm bands seen on 424's jackets as mentioned in a previous blog post. And because of the neutral colour scheme, the patch is able to be used on a wide range of clothing options, further encouraging the user to apply the patch. In terms of communicating who I am as a designer, the patch definitely lacks and is less successful than the clothing tag idea. The patch is more effective at communicating my identity.

Studio Brief 01 - The U Symposium 2016

From the creators of Underscore magazine, The U Press and The U Factory, The U Symposium was presented for a second time, in its first of the only kind in Asia. 
Held over March 12-13 in Singapore, The U Symposium 2016: Magazines Independent brought together the founders, editors and creatives of  progressive magazines, with personal insights into the minds of the publishing industry today.

By attending these kind of events in the future, it will help broaden my knowledge about editorial design. To be able to get an industry led opinion about the landscape of editorial design and an inside look at how magazines today are published.

Studio Brief 02 - Clothing tag final designs

The determining factor in deciding the final layout/order of the tag was the inclusion of the hole of which the tag's string holder can be thread through. This gives a better idea of how all the elements would flow with one another in the practical setting. 

The main issue with my process however was the lack of professional finish it produced. The tearing of the paper and ink is very visible and as a result does not reflect the level of professionalism I want to convey as a designer. Ultimately this came down to a lack of experimentation with various cutting techniques that would have produced better results. The addition of a metal ring around the hole as shown below, would have helped hide these imperfections as well.  

Initially based on which visual layout worked best for the contact card, this was chosen as the "final" layout of the tag. But after being able to fully compose the tag, this layout was not suitable. The central alignment of the copy meant that the reader had to fully unfold the tag to read the card. Not only that but because of the way the string interacts with the paper, it makes it a slightly more inconvenient reading experience. 

The second layout offers a better reading experience because of its right aligned text. But because of its layout that bleeds onto the edge, the idea to keep consistency with the front cover has led to a visual clash when put together. Furthermore the intrigue when opening the tag is ruined when the viewer can see whats underneath on first glances. Therefore the best layout is the third. In context of using the tag, the last layout's right aligned text becomes central because of how the previous cards overlap majority of the white space on the left. And because the copy is aligned so, the reading experience is smoother. 

Another aspect which was unexpected was the success of the folded over cover card. Initially it was dismissed because of the ill fitting form factor that was a result of not planning ahead. When put into context, the cover works better as a whole compared to the individual card layout because of how it is able to keep the cards organized inside. The cover layout keeps the cards from swinging all over the place and thus creates a more professional look for the tag.

Studio Brief 01 - Studio Yukiko

Studio Yukiko are a multidisciplinary design studio made up of just 2 members, Michelle Phillips and Johannes Conrad. They brand themselves as art directors, graphic designers, photographers and are best known in the art community for being the art directors behind Berlin's Flaneur Magazine.

What interests me about Studio Yukiko is their design process of starting each project from scratch. Their designs for books and magazines often end up combining complicated paper types and experimental folding techniques that relates to the art direction I am taking with OUGD404 Studio Brief 02's publication design. More importantly, each issue's visual success is down to their ability to take the influence of the magazine and reflect it through the visual layout.

Take for example their design for Matt Lambert's photobook, Keim. Inspired by Lambert's riqúe and intimate moments he captures, the front cover designs knockout text which allows the viewer to take a peek at the image below is meant imitate "old, censored smut mags that come in a black bag".  

What also interests me is their broad range of editorial work that makes up majority of their projects. Prior to finding Studio Yukiko, I didn't realise that design studios could be known for influencing editorials. Editorial work was seen as more towards a solo figure rather than studios influencing the art direction. Studio Yukiko pose as a different direction I could take in how I want to brand myself as a editorial designer.

Studio Brief 02 - Screen printing the patches

It being the first time doing a screen print, there was uncertainty as to whether the exposure of the screen would be able to capture the detail of the illustration. Overall the quality of the screen was shown, it was the quality of the screen printing that was lacking.

The ink in this first print is neither flat nor strong enough to stand out prominently against the black fabric. The translucent quality is undesired. This was due to a failure to flood the screen prior to printing. 

The second attempt at printing produced a slightly better result, where the details of the illustrations are better shown. 

By going over the art work several times and becoming more familiar with the process, I was able to produce higher resolution prints that had a more flat uniform colour. However the colour shown immediately after printing is not the same when dried. 

As the white ink dries, it becomes less saturated in colour and lowers the quality of the print. This is mainly due to printing white onto black fabric. As the paint dries, it seeps into the fabric more and more which in turn shows more of the black fabric. 

Printing was also done on white fabric. In these prints, the black ink definitely contrasts and dries better than the white on black fabric. However the positives were printed wrong prior to the exposing process. The black ink was supposed to produce a composition to that of the black fabric. The black ink was supposed to colour the hair and shading of the artwork and not the opposite as seen above. The intended result is an inverted image that still works visually however is not intended.

From these two experiments, the prints done on the white fabric are more successful. The black ink produces a more contrasting and visually uniform colour when printed. 

Studio Brief 02 - Patch designs

Based on the idea of creating a wearable patch to give to potential clients, these are some of the initial designs.

These designs aim to display my personal illustrations that are unique to me. Rather than simply showing one single picture on one patch initially, by taking a common theme amongst all my illustrations, the empty eyes become a signature point. By displaying this common trait, hopefully it becomes an identifier for me as a "brand". The illustrations are purposely overlapped to create a sense of ambiguity as well as represent the many figures in composing a layout in editorial design. The greyscale colour scheme acts as a neutral standpoint for which the patch is versatile enough to be worn on a wide range of clothes. 

Studio Brief 02 - Clothing tag prints

Having printed out the final designs of the clothing tag concept, multiple variations were sampled to find the most successful. The cover design was printed on thicker 200gsm stock compared to the contact card on the inside which was printed out on 135gsm stock. This difference in stock weight effectively creates a "cover" for the clothing tag and increases its professional feel. 

Score marks

Tearing of the ink

Initially the idea was to fold over the cover to create a sleeve for the inside pages of the tag. However this created unwanted effects of the ink tearing on the outside fold and noticeable score line along the inside fold. Furthermore, because its folded, it pushes out the inside card and creates a "lip" on the outside that lowers the overall quality. From a design standpoint, this is a failure to conduct printed mock ups that would have otherwise prevented this. 

To alleviate this problem, the folded cover piece was cut into two separate cards. Despite not following the original concept, the separate cards still effectively conveys the form factor of a real clothing tag. The removal of the cover also removes the natural tendency of it unfolding. 

 

In terms of the inside contact card, both colour schemes are equally effective visually when in sequence with the tag. The white colour scheme is definitely cleaner visually as people are used to seeing black copy on white ground, however the black colour scheme does align more with the overall visual of the entire clothing tag. After gaining some feedback, there isn't a definite choice on which layout works the best. Some preferred the first copy layout because of the off centered appeal that relates to the layout on the cover card. The central information also stands out because of this. Some preferred the second layout because of the visual balance whilst some preferred the third because of the right justified copy that lends itself to the way one naturally reads the cards.

The tag done in Helvetica Bold offers better legibility as the larger counters make each letter form more distinguishable for the reader. The cover tag in Helvetica Black offers a more unique visual that keeps in line with the copy design in the contact card. However that being said, the consistency of the copy does not offer the same level of contrast as the Helvetica bold. Its this contrast that makes the design of the contact card more noticeable to the reader.

For the card that is supposed to mimic the grids found in InDesign, the initial idea was to print it onto a stencil sheet that is stiffer and thicker than tracing paper which tends to curl up on the edges after some time. However due to the inability to digitally print onto this stencil sheet, a 112gsm tracing paper was used instead. In order to print onto the stencil sheet, printing methods such as screen printing would have to be used.

When overlapped, the InDesign grid fits over the contact card and displays the layout.

On the last tag, a white space was added to allow for messages to be written prior to handing out. This adds a functional element to the tag. 

Studio Brief 01 - Designers and Magazines

These are some of the Influential designers and Magazines that were featured in the book, "The Art Directors Handbook of Professional Magazine Design". 

Alexey Brodovitch worked as the art director for Haper's Bazaar and during that time, laid the foundations for modern magazine design. His revolutionary use of phtographs, asymmetrical layout of pages, three-dimensional effects, breaking the framework of the grid, classic typography, combinations of text and pictures, black and white phtotographs tinted with colour, etc. His famous 'Design Labratory' sought to get his students to think and act practically and independently with almost three and half thousand creative talents attending these highly unconventional courses. 

Mike Meiré is a German graphic designer who is renowned in magazine circles for designing two of the most innovative magazines of recent times – brand eins and Econy. Both of which were celebrated for their clean, cool aesthetic appeal. 

His redesign of cultural magazine 032c was described by Magculture.com as “willfully awkward” as it went against the set standards of graphic design. 032c was a very strong independent magazine with highly sophisticated content, however it became visually predictable as Meiré describes it. He noticed that magazines at that time were following on the aesthetic on pretending to be cool, sophisticated or even culturally relevant. Meiré and editor in-chief of 032c, Jörg-Koch, used this as an opportunity to come up with something different. As a result through the use of stretched type, taking the front cover design back to its roots and use of impactful photography, 032c was transformed into a "truthful intelligent independent magazine with a touch of underground".

Leica World Magazine is an unusual magazine in that it uses irregular column widths in its page layouts. This makes it impossible to shorten or lengthen the text of the exclusive interviews, and so the only corrective length is the length and breadth of the columns. This magazine is also an example of how the content influences the format. In Leica World, the basic format is that of the 35 mm photograph, which makes a vertical photograph that has been suitably enlarged, cover the entire page. And because the magazine is glued bound, there is always a narrow unprinted strip that retains the full detail of the picture.

Flaunt Magazine makes use of cut outs within their designs to help it stand out from the crowd. There may be gaps in the page where you can catch a glimpse of the woman's face from the page below. With each issue they come up with new variations to add to the visual game of hide and seek which definitely enhances the viewing experience for the reader. These cut outs however are only limited to the cover and front page and the conventional rectangular form of the magazine is stagnant. In some ways this method of helping the magazine stand out is similar to that of DEAR magazine as mentioned in a previous blog post. 

Within this book there were also mentions of Singaporean magazines. 

Unfortunately there seems to be no articles of Ecuad magazine on the internet. From the image however, there is an interesting use of typography that would have been unconventional amongst the selections at that time. Though not entirely visually appealing, its different approach would have made it stand out.

Again, no articles of Designer Magazine on the internet. What is effective though with this design is that because of the cut off text, the word designer becomes easier to read. This is a personal opinion that may be due to the phonetic and unique characteristic of the word designer which requires an "s" sound and has a silent g. Furthermore because of the isolation of the S and G it directly relates to the short form of Singapore that is commonly used.

Substance magazine's article headline example above is a demonstration of how a headline can stimulate associations in the reader and arouse their curiosity. In this case the sharp, right angled typeface relates to what one thinks of when imagining a electronic interface whilst the gold colour scheme entices the readers eye. 

The significance of this blog post is to help broaden my understanding of magazine design as well as inform myself of the magazines back in Singapore. Despite not being in circulation, it is a useful resource to draw upon in the future for design ideas or reference.