~ Physical type - Hyde Park Pub - Aesthetic inspiration ~

I am going to add to this blogpost throughout my research. It will include visual/aesthetic inspiration and prompts to be used when thinking about initial sketches and the final design. I want to explore both illustration and typography based, mixed media designs. Artists who currently capture my eye include; Camille Walala, Keith Haring, Kate Moross, Benjamin Craven & Supermundane. 

~ Physical type - Hyde Park Pub - Brief ~

First thoughts - Although mural design & signwriting are new design process' for my personal practice I have a lot of experience with illustration & typography based design. I will need to consider research into the history of the pub and surrounding area to ensure the design is both aesthetically pleasing and well informed. The aesthetic outcome will need to be directly informed by my own style and abilities as a designer but it is the concept that will be informed by research, audience and client preference. 

~ Physical type - initial exploration ~

Hand drawn type/mural design

Background - Use this as an opportunity to learn new skills from industry professionals or collaborate with others. Contact relevant practising designers and consider contact on course and cross course as larger murals could be a multiple body job. Contact possible companies and places to put the mural (bars, restaurants, youth clubs etc.)

Audience - The audience will be dependent on the site that the sign/mural will be painted onto.

Mandatory requirements -  Consider typeface, lettering, illustration. Create a physical mural or sign painted design preferably for a specific business/cause.

Timescales -  Contact & research - 1 month - production - a few days

I wrote up my brief as an outline; the goals of which were to create something physical that used my typography, illustration and design skills. Having something like this public facing will have a huge impact on my practice as a designer. It well let me express my personal practice, style/aesthetic and hopefully lead to further work that features a similar physical format element. 

Research sign writing - "Hi there, I am currently studying my final year of graphic design at Leeds College of art. I have always been interested and passionate about hand drawn type and the idea of sign writing really interests me. I wondered if there would be any possibility of me being able to do an internship with you? I am keen to learn techniques, methods and more from the best, Izzie" - Send to sign writing companies for possible collaboration.

Bars -
Northern Monk brewery
Welly/FRUIT
Key Club
Original Oak
Assembly street arches 
Contact the council?
Piper

http://www.independentleeds.co.uk/blog/hello-and-welcome-to-leeds-the-nathan-evans-mural-journey/

After doing some initial idea production and research I contacted a few sign writers around the UK in the hope of further contact, conversation & advice from them on how to run a successful physical design practice. 

From the few I contacted and heard back from it was relatively a similar story. They were seeing a gap in the market for signwiritng courses but were unable to take on apprentices as their practice was usually solo or family orientated. The pursual of this brief as a possible internship avenue is still possible but seemingly less and less likely so I felt it was time to take a new direction. 

I knew that physical typography and mural design was an area I am hugely interested in. I decided to edit the brief into a longer one that ran throughout the year made up of smaller mini briefs. Each either live (working with bars, clubs, buissness') or personally set to practice and produce work to display in my portfolio.