Research Brief

Approaches to Research 5010GD

Graphic Design and Illustration 2011/12

Research project

Background

As we have seen semiotics can be a useful method or tool for analysing graphic images and artefacts. This project requires you to use semiotic analysis, along with supporting research to discuss a range of examples from an area of visual communication that interests you.

The brief

Part 1. Gather or collect examples of a type of visual communication that informs your practice and will sustain a personal line of enquiry. For instance this could be a type of vernacular design, the work of a particular artist/designer/studio (the less obvious the better), a specific genre of music graphics or a set of original posters, book covers or artifacts in a collection or archive.

The examples can be contemporary or historic. Try to avoid collections already found in a book or online.

You should collect as many examples as you can, however you may wish to narrow your focus to just a handful as you progress to Part 2.

Part 2. Use semiotics as a tool to analyse and evaluate these pieces of visual communication, Decode meaning in the individual artifacts. Compare and categorize the relationship between examples. Consider and discuss:

- Historic context / Contemporary context or relevance - Audience / Author / Client - Form / Function

Part 3. Present your findings as either:

1. An essay (1500 – 2000 words)

2. An annotated map, timeline or diagram (1000 words)

3. A blog (1500- 2000 words)

Each option must be supported by images and quotes appropriately referenced/cited.

Presentation and submission

Your are Graphic Design and Illustration students, so a well designed outcome will be expected whichever format you choice to present your finding in. Please use the page layout, repro and online skills you already have.

You will be expected to submit a hard copy of your completed research project to the module leader, and a digital version (lo-res PDF) via Blackboard. Blogs URLs should be submitted in print and digitally.

Ideas

For my research project I have had many ideas including:

• Royal Mail Stamps, how graphics are used to represent different occasions, for example Wallace and Gromit at Christmas for their secular stamp
• Children’s Books Covers for example Penguin
• Magazine Covers, teenage magazines and journals like Jackie.
• Postcards, the development of traditional English postcards t
• Beer Mats, Guinness, Heineken, Carlsberg
• Trading cards, football cards, Pokemon cards 
• Cereal Boxes, typography, colour, design

I would like to research a few of these ideas further before deciding which I prefer.

Royal Mails 2010 Christmas stamps, Wallace and Gromit

Carlsberg beer mats 

More beer mats, mainly Guinness 

Coca Cola another world wide famous company with fantastic advertising especially at christmas. 

Different bank notes, looking at money from different countries and different eras. 

How different countires have different coat of arms and what they represent. 

Choosing my collection

After doing further research I then began researching semiotics in more detail.

Semiotics is a complicated way of looking at signs. The object within the sign is the signifier. A signifier is the carrier of the meaning, however the meaning of the word is what it signifies. The meaning we put with an image is often instinctive however this varies within different cultures and is also influenced by beliefs, habits and timing. 

Advertising companies use semiotics to provide stories or convey a message or belief, however a message needs context to be interpreted correctly and understood. 

My interest in semiotics made me decided to focus on the company Guinness. Their adverts often try to portray a message to promote the Guinness brand. I have always been very interested in Guinness advertising and what has made it so successful. 

Already I can see that Guinness is a strong representative of the irish culture and this is shown in many ways throughout Guinness branding and advertising. 

I will document its advertising from the very beginning. I am looking forward to doing this as Guinness advertising is so iconic. 

Guinness Timeline

I found the Guinness timeline helpful. It gave me many key dates and factual information from which I made notes from this website to help me with my research.