17th- 21st April 2017

This week, I have finally finished my researched and I have concluded that I need to create a brand that focusses on Weston's architecture because it is a key feature that is unique to the town. One advantage to this art deco style is that the logo will come out as modern as well as welcoming and friendly, which is the key approach to this rebrand as many visitors fail to see the welcoming atmosphere that locals experience.

I have also been researching a few more artists regarding logo and typography design. One is from Landor Sydney Office, they have designed an iconic vibrant 'M' for the city of Melbourne, which represents a modern version of the city and gives it more personality. The other artist is a freelance designer from Mexico, who focuses on the Art Deco aesthetics, which I found very inspiring because it has allowed me to consider what characteristics in this art movement I need to use (or what I could use) and has given me an insight on the atmosphere this movement creates and what general personality that is achieved. I was particularly interested in the typography as I was mainly researching for typography that had an art deco influence but a mixture of geometric/modern aesthetics with it in order to appeal to the young generation. I have experimented with this designer's use of typography, which I think is very suited to the town and its current state, however, I would like to create a symbol like the iconic 'M' designed by Landor; a symbol would be recognisable to consumers, and changing the typography of the town isn't a discreet identity that shows the consumers what the town has to offer and showing the name of the town means that the viewers don't have to remember the name of the town.

The photos shown on the left side are sketches of my ideas and exploration of typography. I am interested in potentially creating iconic symbols like the 'M', however, a simple 'W' will not be enough to represent Weston Super Mare as there are other towns will the same initial and the town's name is to long to go by one letter, so I might need to use three letters instead (W.S.M); it will be recognisable to the consumer.

My research has lead me to decipher how I can represent the town and what I need to avoid whilst doing this. I have come to the conclusion that the town is safe, however, like any other towns or cities, the night time is often filled with individuals that do not consider others and put them in danger. The town is seen as  family orientated, however, visitors and locals both agree that the town could do with a few more activities for all ages, which is currently under development. I need to show the town's university status without ignoring the family atmosphere and the town's unique quality. I also need to avoid placing too much emphasis on the imagery of a beach resort because they are often seen as a tropical beach with clear blue skies, and with experience of living in the town year by year as well as researching the statics, it is clear that I am unable to represent the town as warm and sunny; otherwise it will break the brand promise and destroy consumer trust.

Next week, I am going to explore my logo designs and see how I could represent the town through a single symbol.  I am considering manipulating shape in order to create my own typography; geometric shapes are key features within this movement, and I have found that exploring typography that already exists isn't as thrilling as creating your own and it doesn't capture everything you want to say about the client. After achieving this, I will look into the symbolism and psychology of colour in order to create ambiguity within my logo as well as a positive response from the viewer; this will allow the logo to stay simple and easy to look at whilst being able to interpret that towns personality and purpose.

10th - 14th April (Easter Hoilday)

This week, I have been doing more research into the history of Weston Super Mare by reading several books and organising every event onto one timeline, which was time consuming, however, it has allowed me to clearly see how the town has progressed and the characteristics that have remained after so many years. The one thing I have learnt is that the donkeys we know on the seaside were once used to carry the fisherman's catch of the day during the 18th century (not the same donkey's obviously), showing the relevance of these activities and proving that the town does provide activities that allow people to interact with history; however, one thing I should suggest is that the tourists were informed of this history and the significance of these activities because I wouldn't think that even the locals know of this history, and it would make the tourists feel inspired by each visit.

I have also looked through my sketchbook and added a sticky note to explain how I could use my research, which allows me to get ideas on how I can move on and it allows me to move on faster because I only have 5 weeks left after coming back from holiday! I will primarily be focusing on my research and ideas during this project because after I display my work, I will have the half term in May to finish my sketchbooks so I can prioritise practical activities rather than annotation; as long as I keep a brief note on what my thoughts are then it will be easier to get back to.

Additionally, this week I have come across signs from the 'Wonders of Weston' project whilst walking on along the beach. It amazes me that I had never seen them before, however, I feel that doing this project has put me into the mindset of a tourist and I have become more observant and enthusiastic about my home town, which contrasts with the attitudes of the locals as they see the town as everyday surroundings. The project was set up in 2008- 2010 in order to revitalize seaside towns. These signs were created by Wrights & Sites based on the town's characteristics. The project is called 'how to build a town' and it is meant to challenge ‘the assertion of regeneration to improve upon or to replace what is already in existence’; the viewer is taken through historical and contemporary stories behind each piece of architecture, making the viewer think and place value on each area.  I like these signs because they are imaginative and make the viewer consider the architecture more. These signs have certainly made an impression on me and the more you try to read into these signs, the more you want to find out about the history of the town. In a way, these signs have been rebranding the town because they are making the viewer see areas of Weston in a different perspective.
I have also been researching an abstract artist called Kandinsky, who focuses on colour, form and symbolism. I am considering using symbolism in my work through semiotic theory because I am interested in conveying what isn't accurately within the image in order to create a simple and powerful brand; I want to be able to depict Weston's character and personality in a simplistic manner, making the viewer feel comfortable looking at the design as well as being able to interpret what the town is about and the atmosphere that is given out as soon as you step into the town centre.
Next, I am hoping to research the different methods in which Weston has promoted their town throughout history, which will allow me to gain an idea on how communication has changed and what the current trend is. Additionally, I have used the data from the survey to collect other secondary resources regarding crime rate, weather and population, so I am hoping to read more into that in order to identify whether the town is a safe place, whether I can represent the town as a sunny seafront, and identify at what caused the town to have a rapid increase in population. I will make a mind map in my sketchbook saying how I could represent the town without going against the brand promise, which will give me a clearer idea of what I need to do, and it acts as a piece of visual information that I could reflect back on throughout this project. I was hoping to do more this week in ways of idea generation, however, it is more important to get my research sorted in order to further my understanding and to make my idea generation more relevant to what I am trying to achieve. I might consider using the Wonders of Weston quotations within my project, or highlight the importance of different aspects within Weston;  I am very interested in the poetic language that this group has used and it has made me think about what rebranding actually is, so I will consider this work as I move closer into my project.

3rd April - 7th April 2017

This week, I have been visiting the L.T Gallery in Weston, which was a gallery completely dedicated to one artist's work, 'Lorna Bryce', who has been painting landscapes from her youth. I quite like her work due to the strong pigments and how they create a dynamic atmosphere. I also like her work because she has managed to put so much detail to the landscapes as well as making her work very expressive and full of life. I might consider using her work as I get further into my project because I might look at different promotion methods for Weston.

I have established that I need to start researching into the town's promotion methods as well as putting detail into my branding research.

I have decided to make an accurate plan for my project after going through a group discussion about the grading criteria; it talks about planning and preparation, which makes me aware of my organisation and planning.  Making a plan has proved to be more effective as I was unaware of what stage I needed to be at. According to my plan, the ten week project included the holiday time (Easter), which means I need to spend my half term effectively. I should be at the experimentation stage by the time I come back from the Easter holiday because I would have only five weeks left until my project needs to be completed. 

I have also fixed the demographics of my survey by allowing older ages groups to answer my survey; sharing my survey on Facebook limits the age groups that are able to answer my survey. I have printed out my survey and handed it to the learning support office with the University Campus, Weston College as well as the Weston Conservative Club (where I work), which allows me to gain data from working ages as well as pensioners.

Additionally, I have also looked back at my research and decided to go around the boundary of Weston Super Mare's centre and take photographs as well as observations, which allows me to observe any key features or characteristics.

Next, I am going to annotate my research and start researching artists and branding.

27th- 31st March 2017

This week, I have been filling in any empty spaces in my sketchbook that I didn't annotate, and I displayed my one week starter project within the Island gallery in Bristol.  The Island gallery display took place on the 28th March, which I found very diverse and inspirational, especially Joanna Ellams' work, which has made me put into perspective how I can present Weston in a geometric and abstract form; this would allow me to promote the art deco movement within Weston as well as depicting the town's modernisation and progression.

I was required to attend the gallery with a few other students last Friday for a couple of hours in order to guard the gallery and make sure it is open for the public. Whilst I was in Bristol last Friday, I visited the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, but I was unable to see any other exhibitions because they didn't seem to have any available at that point due to preparation for new exhibitions or other events that are taking place. I had checked the Arnolfini, Spike Island and the Open Space Gallery in Bristol, however, they all seemed to be unavailable. As soon as I came to Weston, I taught it would be beneficial for me to catch up on the town's history and try a different method of research by attending the Weston Museum; however, it is going through refurbishment and isn't due to reopen until August. So I will have to see which galleries are open next week and plan a journey into Bristol.
I have also been looking through a tourist guide for inspiration on how the town is viewed, and I found that there are a few galleries within Weston (I live here and didn't even notice!), which would be good for inspiration on days that are too short and busy to travel to Bristol.
As I visited the Bristol Museum and art gallery, I managed to find a few abstract pieces of artwork, which links in with Joanna Ellams' work; I am interested in abstract work and geometric forms, and I am very keen to find an artist similar to her work. However, I found that the abstract work was very limited in the range of style and most of the artwork didn't have strong contrasts in geometric shape; it was mainly based on organic form, which isn't the style I am looking for. The closest I could get to geometric form was William Scott's work called, 'black, Grey and blue',  however, the shapes have too much of a spatial element and it isn't illustrating any specific imagery, making the viewer feel alienated from the piece due to lack of familiarity.
My favourite piece of artwork was the painting of the coast because of the way the artist has used pure pigment, making the image visually stimulating as a whole due to the saturation and vibrancy. I also like this work because of the contrasting hues are emphasising the juxtaposition between water and land, depicting the coolness of the water and balancing out all the temperate pigments. I might consider researching more into this artist because using pure pigment would make the town feel vibrant and it will put a bit of life into it, which will entice people and persuade them to visit Weston Super Mare.
At the moment, I have a lot of research to go through in order to backtrack where I am and figure out what else I need to do, so I should expect to put research into several artists by the end of next week and possibly explore some ideas; this will strengthen my work and it will enable me to explore what ideas work well and see how I can integrate my research into my work.  Next, I need to collect the results from my online survey and use it to reflect what Weston is like as a whole and how I could improve the town's image.