Critical Analysis

Critical Analysis

5 reasons why critical analysis is an important part of education, learning and developing your understanding:

• Through critically analysing others work you are gaining an informed opinion and giving a adequate opinion rather than just you like it or dislike it but also why? Whats good about it and what can be improved?
• When you get into the routine of critically analysing others work you will eventually analyse your own without even thinking about it and therefore strength your work as a whole.
• Through critically analysing work you will broaden your vocabulary of words and become know to the correct terms in graphic design etc...
• You are putting to practice why you and other designers do & don't like pieces of work and which put into practice why you have made those decisions & how you have come to that conclusion.
• Allows you to find your likes & dislikes within the categories within graphic design.

The group critiques are very useful due to it produces informative & constructive feedback from your peers which you can act upon before a deadline hand in. It gives you insight to others way of working and may give you ideas and other ways to think while designing. Also you are asked to give an opinion on others work so therefore you are gaining a better understanding of what your likes & dislikes are. The more group critique you take part in the more your confidence grows and therefore you gain more from the critique as you go in wanting to know and asking more questions about your work. Which more than likely results in bad things been said about your work, but you become known to realise that bad feedback is not targeted at you but its good to receive bad feedback as there is always something to be improving within your work.

1.Typography as Image

2. Badly Created Photo Collage

3. Julien Vallee MTV Ad

4. Branding

Colour

I personally think that colour is a large part of the design when it comes down to aesthetics due to that is what mainly catches your eye & can give meaning overall by simply using bold or subtle colours can change the meaning. 


1. In the first image i think the monochrome use of colour is very boring and doesn't help the boring use of font, the use of colour could have changed this piece dramatically from a boring piece of typographic as image to a better piece of typography.

2. The use of colour in this piece of photo collage is too much and although it has been scanned in therefore has dulled down the colours but the use of too many colours hasn't helped this piece as the colours are not flowing and are very diverse with too much going out to the eye.

3. The background in this papercraft installation has allowed the main focus to be bright and bold as the plain crisp background allows your eyes to focus on slight use of bold colour in places. Although it does also help that the colours match an flow easily.

4. The branding of a company has to be strong but subtle. Here they has just used cream & black to create there given effect which i think has worked very well although i would like to see just a splash of colour maybe in red where the stamp says sealed with a kiss. 




Layout

The layout is also a big factor due to if the layout is not correct either not in line or is too busy it spoils the flow & the eyes are not lead around the page to see the whole design. I prefer an organised clean & sometimes simple layout to chaotic & unorganised layouts.

1.The layout of this design i believe is too chaotic for my liking the use of type as image has no relevance to the image which is revealed from the layout of the type. The use of different size type is too drastic i think the larger font needs to be smaller or the smaller font bigger to give a continuous flow within the frame.

2.The layout of this photo collage is very basic and has not really been thought out. The main image has been placed in the centre with the sub images place around without though or decision. Also the images have been placed bleeding off the page with no apparent reason so therefore looks unfinished & unprofessional.

3.The layout of this design is used very well and is placed to the left of the page with the music booming out to the negative space in the right. This a good example of thought & process of the space he has to use to create this piece of advertisement.

4. The placing of the stamps and stickers on the packaging have been thought about before the actual process has been created they have been the focus created before the designing which is an unusual method of thinking. This has worked very well and has created a good outcome due to them having apparent meaning within there placings.





Media/Method of Production

I believe that the media & method of production can create a good piece of graphic design even stronger. If something has had a simple meaning but the method of production is very elaborate i would say it is better than a elaborate piece of design alone.

1. This method of production has been digitalised only & created within photoshop. I think this media of production of type as image is very tacky & unprofessional.

2. This media a very mixture of media as you can use a mixture of scanned & digitalised methods although it hasn't been well portrayed to create the amazing look that photo collage can create with the different textures you can create to come through.

3. This method of production is very original especially when used as an advertisement and when it is an installation. The use of paper gives of a hand generated effect which i like.

4. This use of branding is very original and doesnt have a logo. I think this due to the materials used of personalising the mail and using old method of stamp & making the packages/letters look very pretty.



Quality of Execution

The quality of the execution is very important as its the overall look and how well it has been done. This can be judged by anyone without any specialist knowledge within graphic design.  I think this is very important as you need it to look well designed to help the others be brought to be brought to attention.

1. The quality of the execution in this one is very poor due to the lack of innovative design although you can see the image quite clearly the text is very illegible and the type was not flowing. It is badly designed and the quality is poor in general.

2. This has very bad execution due to the photo collage been very disjointed and looks like random pictures been put together. The pictures are not realistic and have drop shadow effect which makes them look more unrealistic, while the whole method just looks tacky overall.

3. The execute of this is very strong it has a strong outcome and looks professional, it shows well finished design with after thought of how to photograph it to bring out the best of the design.

4. The final one has been well executed too with good stock & materials printed out on to and good initiative of ideas of using stamps and stickers with personalised messages. Overall this idea has a very clean branding for this company which is unique & professional.

 


Message

The message has to be portrayed to the audience well as that is the aim pf the piece of design otherwise it will not work successfully and will be therefore a bad piece of graphic design. If the message that is wanted to be portrayed isn't been portrayed onto the audience then the piece of design has been unsuccessful. 

1. The message within the type of image design i believe is maybe an self portrait as she has created her self portrait of words such as successful, creative direction, typography which could be words describing her & the things she likes although I don't think it is legible enough to able to be a strong self portrait unless she just wanted to portray the image only.

2.I dont know they message of the next image which therefore supports my idea of bad graphic design portrays no message i don't know it the title of the image has something to do with in as its called 'bad kitty' although the kitty does look evil I don't know what the other pictures represent.

3.This is portraying the message of its advertisement very well as its an ad for MTV hits music channel and the installation shows speakers with tapes and spikes coming out of it with a piano keys and everything instrumental which portrays the channel very well.

4. The message of this branding is also portrayed well due to the use of personalising mail to customers which is there main service of send mail out and therefore makes you want to open it, if the outside looks intriguing whats going to be on the inside. The slogan 'sealed with a kiss' suggest its made with love and kindness etc...

 

DIET


D- Describe:  (What Can You See?)
I-  Interpret:  (What is it About?)
E-  Evaluate:  (How Good is it?)
T-  Theorise:  (How Could it be Improved?)

D: I can see a monochrome use of colour & the branding of sending information to be personalised through stamps & stickers. The composition is made up of all the elements that create the branding of the packaging of sent items. The terms use are very colloquial for instance a sticker on the backing saying 'sealed with a kiss'.
I: The interpreted message received form this design is how a company put thought into the branding of the post.
E: I believe that this has had a very unique effect & differentiates them from other companies.
T: I believe it could be improved by maybe using more quotes relating to the company itself, also maybe inject a little colour.   

The critique is a both a deadline & a marker of a perspectual beginning, a freeze frame moment in the context of practice in a continuous studios. This favours process over product, the means over end.