OUGD601 / Context Of Practice / Practical / Proposal Booklet

OUGD601 / Context Of Practice / End Of Module Evaluation.

End Of Module Evaluation


I believe the synthesis between research, writing and the practical element to be strong. The investigation and writing not only reflect my aspirations and intentions of my final year of study at Leeds College Of Art but the entirety of my time spent here. The investigation into publishing has been a reflection of my future with the creative industries, more than Graphic Design, this project reflects agenda – driven mentality of mine that has developed considerably and the accumulation of journalistic, direction and design practices.

The project has granted me the ability to network and connect with people that I hope to be standing amongst in the near future. Through working and experiencing the publishing powerhouse DAZED, talking (be it a bit too informally) with MUSHPIT and getting to know LAW my insight into the industry has developed dramatically and for the better of both my practice and fulfillment of general interest.

A ‘eureka’ moment or rightly, a result of the effort put into the project, the practical response DIET excites me. A result I believe has general viability, Context Of Practice 3 has granted me the ability to create something in the real world, more than the closed box of education, the result of COP3 is to be of great focus over the next year (and hopefully longer) in the extended practice modules. The result of the module is exactly that, the context of my future practice.

DIET is not only a result of an obligatory module but has the possibility to achieve a beneficial agenda itself, to dismiss sponsored opinions, to grant the common man the ability to create their own culture, their own DIET.

I believe the written element of the module to be of considerable strength, a result of the arduous amounts of effort put into it however the practical element isn’t as coherently strong. The practical response is the conception and development of the idea, the translation of the idea into a practical response could have been developed further however as planned in the initial presentation of year 3, COP3 is to inform extended practice – not be extended practice. The development and refining of the concept is to define the extended practice module; writing, design and photography are going to focus upon to additively develop DIET into the commercially viable platform I intend it to be.
I do sincerely hope the idea of DIET is communicated to the reader and that they are to share the same excitement as I have experienced developing the project.

Context Of Practice is not the end of my endeavors in research, writing and the translation of the mentioned into practice, COP3 has been a ‘taster’ of postgraduate study in which similar areas of research are to undertaken.


I do have considerable worry of the copyright and intellectual property of the platform’s strategy, as too discussed in the dissertation, my intent of the project is to stay in the ‘underground’ – to be without compromise, if the platform is imitated, it’s unique attributes are tainted. Initial query into the copyright of the idea has suggested problems, the copyright of an idea cannot be granted, only the copyright of a function can be, this is to be considered with great detail before the platform is to become live.

The commercial viability of the project is the greatest threat to the viability and future of the platform, to publish without advertising can be difficult and can be at the expense of considerable sacrifice (Appendix A & B) however initial consideration into start up costs have been considered to minimize such difficulties.

A note on the documentary of the project; the informality of tutorials throughout the project, which lend themselves to a greater depth of discussion, natural development and creativity, has influenced the ability to document the tutorial sessions yet informed my practice beyond greatly. It is worthy to mention the availability and input from Daniel Cookney as of great worth. The number of tutorials far exceeded that of the planned minimum and the development of project has considerably benefitted from such conversation, input and critique.

N.B: The dissertation does not include an acknowledgements page so I would like to acknowledge the input of Daniel Cookney and peers of the BA (Hons) Graphic Design ‘16 of considerable gratitude.

OUGD601 / Context Of Practice / Practical / Costs and Considerations

COST.

The cost of each issue is going to be key variable in the success of launching the platform; without advertisements and the use of HP Indigo variable data printing services the cover price will be higher than the commercial competitors.

This has been discussed thoroughly in the writing and synthesis documents, with a higher cover price, the question has to be asked ‘why would anyone spend £XX amount on a printed publication?’. The ethereal attributes of print, the personalization of the product and the relationship created through prosumption is hoped to compensate for this. Building upon such attributes creates a product that is more than a normal monthly, bi-monthly or seasonal product, it’s ethereal attributes create a product more than this, a product to continually interact, to treasure, to archive – the development of promotion strategy in order to achieve such positioning within the market is to be key for the viability of the platform.

ESTIMATE.

With the target audience:

‘Agenda, politicized individuals relate to the ideology behind the creative work and creative inclined students, professionals relate to the visual culture content. A strength of allowing the consumer to curate their content grants a wider target audience through option.’

This isn’t to be placed as a budget item, with such privilege of curation and individuality DIET believe a medium to high cover price will be viable and considered worthy by its prosumers. The cheapening of the cover price will occur with the development of the technology and coherently with the platform.

START UP COSTS.

The platform has been set up with consideration of the difficulties independent publishers occur (Appendix A), it is for this reason the platform has adapted in order to occur minimal start up costs:

-       Print On Demand services allow DIET to receive payment before printing so that the initial cost of stockpiling is transcended. (Appendix B refers to the traditional method in which the need for the sale of car was necessary to fund the initial print run)

-       With content created and curated by prosumers allows DIET to reduce or dismiss the initial need for employers. Contributors are paid on a commission basis regarding the amount of times their article/content is selected. This again allows DIET to transcend initial contributor commission fees.

-       DIET will need to initially pay for the creating of a website and the software in order to allow an online curation to print process.

-       Advertising is too necessary for the launch of the platform; the platform’s strategy lends itself to natural promotion through the promoting of contributors – in turn benefiting themselves through sales.

After speaking with the account manager of People Of Print’s variable data printing as mentioned previously, a defined estimate per issue cannot be given until production. Consideration of similar independent publications is then to inform a price point of the product however due to the lack of products of similarity to DIET’s an informed estimate will vary. In consideration of products that exaggerate print’s ethereal attributes, as similar to DIET’s intent, a price point between £15-£25 is to be aimed for, we believe a price point between these figures is justified and especially viable for the 18 – 35 year old target audience.

OUGD601 / Context Of Practice / Writing / Final Draft Edit

OUGD601 / Context Of Practice / Further Writing / The Postmodern Meaning Of Style

The commodification of subcultural signs

Fashion as visual communication

The rise of technology has allowed the opposite to the idea Muggleton refers to here above, can a new subculture exist in the contemporary technological age, with its decontextualized appropriation of signs and the commodification weakening subcultural signs. Can technology create new margins in which subcultures can exist, a recent example could be the rise of the cybergoth, a subculture predominantly online based through social media platforms, this culture replaced the record shops and gigs that Punks used to congregate and subsequently survive the culture, for online spaces such as Tumblr and Myspace.

The information age and mass media dilute the original, the secluded and original, a child who has experienced mass media, globalization and void of the idea of local no longer relates to their peers, geography no longer dictates ideology as it once did.  The decline of subcultures is noticeably in a contemporary society, the access to the internet transcends all geography and influence. No longer do places such as King’s Road resemble cultural hubs, hubs originated in the earliest print workshops as mentioned previously. Using King’s Road as a metaphor to reflect the transition into the contemporary summarises the influence of technology. King’s Road, once the mecca for Mods and Punks, the home to SEX, several independent record labels and the dwellings of many of the well known subcultural idols such as Sid Vicious, Vivienne Westwood and Billy Idol has been gentrified. Reflecting the ‘death of subculture’, the commodification of ideology and consumer capitalism, this transition of Kings Road reflects the contemporary state of subculture, not to be submitting to technological determinism but the influence of technologies effect upon this change is evident.

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“Young people don’t just buy passively or uncritically. They always transform the meaning of bought goods, appropriating and recontextualizing mass markets styles…Most young people combine elements of clothing to create new meanings… and sometimes reject the normative definitions and catergories of ‘fashion’ promoted by the clothing industry’”. Willlis, 1990, p85 cited in (Muggleton, 2000, p41)

“As commodity production, exchange, and creative appropriation intensify, signs become free-floating, travelling towards the point at which they become irrevocably divorced from their original cultural contexts” (Muggleton, 2000, p43)

“Culture as a commodity, the biggest growth business of the lot: the proliferation of television, vide, computers and information” (Savage, 1989, p171 in Muggleton, 2000, p43)

 “Individuals obtaining ideas about what to wear may neither be aware of, nor necessarily care about the ideology to which style have originally referred. Hence PLO headscarves become trendy on the streets of New York City, skulls and crossbones become insignia on children’s clothing, and Rastarfarian dreadlocks are preempted by runaway fashion models and rock (not necessarily reggae) musicians.” (Kaiser et al. 1991 p176 in Muggleton, 2000, p43)

Reffering to Jameson (1984), Muggleton “If post-punk revivals are examples of pstiche, then, as Jameson would have it, they can say nothing new, represent nothing more than our ‘pop images’ and ‘cultural stereotypes’ of the past, for the peculiarity of postmodern time has now and for evermore precluded any possibility of subcultural ‘originality’. The concept of ‘authenticity’ must likewise be expunged from the postmodern vocabulary. The all-encompassing power of the contemporary mass media has ensured that there can no long be a sanctuary for the original ‘pure’, creative moment of subcultural innovation that preceded the onset of the contaminating processes of commercialization, commodification and diffusion” p45

“To start with, I’ll tell you what Punk isn’t – it isn’t a fashion, a certain style of dress … it is an idea that guides and motivates your life. The Punk community that exists, exists to support and realize that idea through music, art, fanzines and other expressions of personal creativity. And what is this idea? Think for yourself, be yourself, don’t just take what society gives you, create your own rules, live your own life.” (Anderson, 1985, cited in O’Hara 1995 p22) Muggleton, 1999, p59)[KW1] 

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 [KW1]PUNK is an ideology that has been commoditized. Yes it had created its own visual language, a language derived from necessity, available resources and technologies but the aesthetic, the fashion was never considered primarily. Is the common idea of PUNK a reflection of the aesthetic first, the signs consumed by the outsider mute the signified, the signified being individuality, hedonistic and self. Also mention the reference to expressions of personal creativity being music, art, fanzines. These were all platforms.

OUGD601 / Context Of Practice / Practical / DIET / Editorial Direction

Editorial Direction


Create Your Own Culture.


DIET is a reference of the progressive, the marginalised, the innovative and the disenfranchised creatives communicating, documenting and discussing agenda through visual communication.

Audience:

Agenda, politicized individuals relate to the ideology behind the creative work and creative inclined students, professionals relate to the visual culture content. A strength of allowing the consumer to curate their content grants a wider target audience through option.

Material:

Interviews with creative practitioners.

Essays and discussions.

Documentary Photography.

Journalism.

Art & Design.

Material is to adhere to the set theme of each issue, with this change opens new formats and editorial possibilities with each reiteration. With the majority of content to be dictated by contributors, the range and variety of material can be presumed to be of a wider extent. Being open to submissions will, hopefully, result in new and innovative material from the margins of culture not found in the traditional platforms.

Through relatable stories, features, articles, essays, documentary and exclusive content CHEST challenges boundaries through creativity.

Why Do They Want It?:

Individuals like myself disenfranchised with the saturated, un-relatable contemporary publishing environment now have a platform to consciously consume content in both print and online, to consume with self-awareness, rejecting what we’re told to consume but dictating our own consumption, our own diet. Creating our own culture.

OUGD601 / Context Of Practice / Practical / Technologies / Variable Data Printing

Variable data printing allows exactly that, variable data to be printed individually on each product. Leeds and London based printer Pressision has such technology; a HP Indigo 7800. The main use of such technology at the moment is direct mail, printing individual print elements in order to establish a more personal connection with the consumer. The use of technology within direct mail has been quoted to increase return of investment by up to 500%.

Variable data printing has been used by People Of Print to offer personalized magazine covers. The experience of such personalization exaggerates the ethereal attributes of print and personalization unobtainable in the digital – see example here. The possibility of my own customized cover was attractive and created a relationship between myself (consumer) and product, conceiving a sense of worth.

An extension of the project, selling covers designed by well-known designers and studios created the option of further commerce, view Eike Koenig’s entry here. The option of multiple covers and adding a relation to a well known person creates an added sense of value, this is reflected in the rise of multiple covers (Research here suggest the use of multiple of covers can increase sales due to duplicating possibility of sale due to collection, increased advertising revenue and creating more impressions.) i-D Magazine recently released 11 covers designed by well-known and regarded industry professionals to celebrate their 35^th anniversary.

Using variable data printing, each article will be stored on the printer and printed cohering to a consumer’s curation. With a set amount of articles available per issue, the dimensions of each issue will be the same. To vary the amount of articles per issue would create an inconsistent and subsequently more likely to expense as another variable.