JOE MITCHELL DESIGN

Here is the final product of my Visual Analysis. It is an Exhibition Report that would be featured in System Magazine that would detail the collaboration project between myself and IKEA named 'The Flatpack Consumer' by which would express special consumer traits that attract customers to IKEA. The final finished piece is inspired by all things Scandinavia; from the type, the illustrations, the iconic IKEA tag and booklet branding and the simple and minimalist aesthetic with pastel hues throughout. 

  As part of my visual analysis and producing a project based on the history of Scandinavian Design I have decided to creatively direct 'The Flatpack Consumer' which is a collaboration with Swedish Furniture Company IKEA by which it would highlight their consumer market through the use of clever inventive designs. I have decided to take their iconic designs, which I have already researched thoroughly, and produce a tag and manual that I would attach to the 'Consumer'. The consumer would then be photographed, similar to that of a piece of furniture. The whole thing should highlight certain character traits about the consumer that is interesting and unique. The whole project is going to be documented in a report form similar to that of the Off-White collaboration with IKEA that was part of high fashion magazine System. The whole photoshoot was uniquely directed to fit Scandinavia; from the modern pastel coloured clothing worn to the blank, robot-like stance on each ...

Basing my essay on Scandinavian Design and how we as a country crave another culture, I have decided to base my visual analysis on a "flatpack consumer".  The idea will surround the consumer and why we choose to shop at Scandinavian Design stores; breaking it down visually through the use of design as compared to my essay. I will first start to shoot the "consumer" within a product photography background using a simple 3 point lighting scheme. This is the initial "product". I will then photograph this consumer around the famous Swedish store, using one of their iconic Frakta Shopping bags and analysing the Swedish products. This will then be displayed in a report form using IKEA's famous Verdana font and using the blue and yellow colour scheme that is similar to what is in systems bi-annual IKEA c/o Virgil Abloh Report. I will also create a handy flatback book that will go along with the consumer by which will document further the idea surrounding ...

Finishing off the end of my essay I have come to write my abstract. I thought it would be beneficial to gather up all the critical information and facts from my essay that would allow me to write my abstract which should be around 250-300 words.  Key Facts (In Chronological Order) Scandinavian History - DNA, Culture, Political Centric Communities  Process Driven Design Nature, Landscape, Environmentally friendly design Northern European Design is becoming more and more inviting to other cultures Internationally renowned branding design First fashionable among designers and architects but now to a broader population COS - Unexpected market audience of designers COS - brand surrounding shadows, Texta Alt Family Font, and muted colour scheme ACNE - more authentic approach ACNE - being influenced by themselves and a love for what they do ACNE - being influenced by nature, lines and silhouettes and breaking gender barriers using colour and merchandising IKEA - g...

When thinking about Ideas surrounding Visual Analysis, I believe it is essential to consider the main points from my essay and how I can turn the argument into visual documentation. Main Points and themes from my essay:  The essentials of Scandinavian Design; slick, simple, minimal, with an emphasis on domestic environment, natural landscape, environmental design and functional utility. The history of Scandinavian Design and why other cultures are craving the Scandi-way of living through design. Comparing three fashion brands and their brand stories to show how they've carved new, upcoming, authentic consumers  COS: A new and upcoming brand that has cut a niche market for designers and artistic people through the use of a muted colour scheme and a design based on the use of shadows and nature ACNE: An authentic brand that was created due to a love for design and denim, that works with Letters from Sweden to base a type identity around nature that caters f...

When developing and researching ideas surrounding Scandinavian Design I came across Systems new subscription which details the work of Virgil Abloh of OFF-WHITE, an American high fashion house that is bang on trend at the minute with consumer and pop culture.   OFF-WHITE is a fashion label founded by DJ and fashion designer Virgil Abloh in 2012, following his reappropriated art experiment, PYREX VISION. The current designs range from patchwork to graphic t-shirts, and all of them feature the company’s now trademark stripes, noticeably embossed on its back along with its name “WHITE.” As well as, being carried by various retailers worldwide, OFF-WHITE opened its first location and flagship store in Hong Kong. It was for his collaboration with IKEA by which has interested me in looking into him further.  Known for continually pushing the envelope and offering some of the world’s most concise, dynamic reports on a variety of hot topics, issue 10 of  System Magazine...

After finalising a question to work on I have wrote my first 150 words and provided a timeline for the rest of essay using key words and topics that I would paticularly like to cover. I also recieved feeback on this.  "Clean lines, starkly simple silhouettes, and demand for functionality; It’s hard to shy away from the iconic designs that originate from Northern Europe. Nordic Design at its best, is inspired by nature and the northern climate with an emphasis on appreciating the domestic environment. I've always had a fascination with the way in which Scandinavian Design acknowledges the human within the design and person utilising it to its fullest. This essay delves deeper into the history of Scandinavian Design, compares Contemporary Graphic Examples of the movement, and analyses the consumer buying into these products. Every culture reflects its beliefs, values, and attitudes in their designs. In a blog, Petersen, S. (2012, 03 13) mentions how Scandinavian countries a...

For my essay I have decided to look into Scandinavian Design and the way Britain as a culutre is fascinated with Deisgn from this area of the globe.  I have been heavily inspired by myself, being a big fan of Scandinavian clothing companys such as ACNE, COS and Norse Projects which all originate from Northern Europe. I am also inspired  by the way in which Britain as a country is fixated on buying all things Scandinavian when purchasing interior design; this has come from the globalisation of particular global icons such as IKEA and Hay.  I am particulary fascinated with branding so therefore I would then like to disect the brand and pick apart the reasons why we opt for a much more minimal, slick Scandi-Design.  I also want to look into the history and why there is such  surge in this particular design today. 

In this seminar we were introduced to an article from the Observer about Relational Design. We were asked to decode it and pull out any meaningful influences, interesting terms or fun facts that we have learnt. We were also asked to think about our own practice and what holds ressanence to ourselves. This seminar linked to the one on perfomance design that has ultimately influenced my other studio project on Imminent Self.  Here were the main themes that I gained from this article:  Form Content and Context are the three stages of design Idea that everything designed nowadays are post-modern and minimal interested in combining practices such as clothes and architecture We as designers are always on the hunt for trends or ideas New and clean design will run out eventually Relatable being a fan of conceptual work New and upcoming technology has always dominated design in the same way that it does today Fascianted by cultural symbolism and how it effects design ...

In this theory lecture we looked at the idea of performance art and the way in which this art form can challenge the way in which we perceive or appreciate the art form. We are always told to cross-link modules in order to broaden our horizon when developing work within studio projects so therefore, when thinking about imminent self, I am going to try and bring in this theory.  In the lecture we were shown performance art to try and enhance our visual analysis module by which we are required to think outside the box and more ambiguously. We were introduced to Nicholas  Bourriaud, who came up with the theory of Relational Aestetics.  The French curator Nicholas Bourriaud published a book called   Relational Aesthetics   in 1998 in which he defined the term as: A set of artistic practices which take as their theoretical and practical point of departure the whole of human relations and their social context, rather than an independent and private space ...

For the essay question, we are tasked to compose an essay question based on an exciting idea or theory. Here I have created 4 very quick simple visual mind maps of just quick and initial thoughts. After looking at them in a bit more depth, I think that I am going to look at either minimalism, editorial or looking for a way to combine both. I am very interested in both of these fields within a design and therefore believe that related topics should have a prominent focus within my essay topic. 

In this lecture, we were introduced to our second-year essay brief. The brief is to produce a 5000-word essay based around a research project of our own choice relating back to the subject of graphic design.  The essay is a written response to your own independent research. Research may be conducted in, but not limited to, histories, practices, theories, and technologies about contemporary graphic design and/or animation. You will draw upon historical and modern methods relevant to your discipline as well as opinions and concepts from other subjects, such as literature, philosophy, art, music, and science.  The essay should contain the following elements: 1) A title that outlines a clear and focused interest. 2) A 150-word abstract which summarises the essay’s arguments and position. 3) 5 keywords. 4) An introduction that outlines the central themes and arguments presented throughout the essay. 5) The main body of the essay should develop unique cri...