PDF 2010 Student Assessment Briefs

15 Pages·2011·1.35 MB·English

istd2010
International Society of Typographic Designers
istd2010educationresources
International Society of Typographic Designers
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH The ISTD Education Team are committed to developing
a resource for those engaged in typographic education.
A major part of that development process is being
achieved through use of our Student Assessment archive.
The projects in this file were those used in the 2010
Student Assessment and are offered for educational use
or reference. We would appreciate acknowledgement
when used.
The Education Team value your comments and feedback
on the use of this and our other archive material.

John McMillan
Education Officer 
[email protected]
© istd 2010
istd2010education team
International Society of Typographic Designers
The Society’s education activities are generated The Student Assessment projects are the result
and co-ordinated by the ISTD Education Team. of months of correspondence by email, Skype
Originally a group of design academics with a and meetings, involving all members of the
geographic coverage of the British Isles, it has team, other members of ISTD and others who
expanded to represent our international share our common interest and commitment to
activities and members in professional practice. typographic education.
John McMillan University of Ulster, Northern Ireland ISTD Education Officer
Becky Chilcott chil3, Fremantle Australia/New Zealand Co-ordinator
Ivan Cooper Educational Consultant, England
Jeanne Cummins Arts Institute at Bournemouth, England
David Dabner London College of Communications, University of The Arts, England
Peter Dawson GRADE Design, London, England ISTD Vice-Chair
Brenda Dermody Dublin Institute of Technology Ireland Co-ordinator
Jonathan Doney Somerset College of Arts and Technology, England ISTD Chair
Robert Harland Loughborough University, England
David Herbert Duncan of Jordanstone, University of Dundee, Scotland
Mike Hope Educational Consultant, England
Alison Johnson University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, England
John Kortbaoui Notre Dame University, Louaize, Lebanon Middle East Co-ordinator
Sabina Monza-Goday CUBI, Barcelona, Spain Spain/Portugal Co-ordinator
Marc Peter on-idle, London, England
David Quay Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Jack Renwick The Partners, London, England
Freda Sack Foundry Types, London, England ISTD President
Barrie Tullett University of Lincoln, England
Tiffany Turkington-Palmer FlowSA, Johannesburg Africa Co-ordinator
istd2010assessmentcriteria
International Society of Typographic Designers
The criteria we use for assessment reflect what STRATEGY (10%)
we require as elements for submission. We see • Each submission must be accompanied by
these as an expression of appropriate practice a strategy of 500 –1,000 words, describing
for student designers and part of our support for the thought process underpinning your
typographic education. All of these criteria design proposals.
are used in the assessment of each • It should express what has driven your
project in both print and screen-based concept and its design development – not
formats. just a retrospective description of the various
elements or a ‘log’ of what you did.
TYPOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION (50%) • While the strategy will be read by assessors
• Typographic interpretation, creativity and you should write it to be understood by a
control must be central to your proposals. client.
• Evidence of creative and innovative thinking
is essential. SPECIFICATIONS (10%)
• Each project requires sensitive integration of • Typographic, production and broadcast
words and images. However, we discourage specifications, must be included in all
the overt use of imagery and suggest a subtle submissions. This must be relected in or
and sensitive approach to the inclusion of reflective of – your detailed treatment of
any illustrative content. Remember that your text matter.
solution must be essentially typographic. • Using your layouts, create fully annotated
• The hierarchy of information in both typographic specifications and grid(s).
print and screen formats must be • Samples of paper stock and other materials
clearly expressed through the inclusion used in print production should be attached.
and formatting of at least 500 words of text • Refer to the Specifications Guides later in
into your submission. this document.
• Typographic detailing is essential.
Check spelling, punctuation/quote marks PRESENTATION (10%)
widows/orphans, hyphens/dashes, rags, • Presentation is important but no substitute
justification/rivers . . . for a weak idea.
• Legibility, whether in print or on screen, • Ensure that screen-based submissions have
must be considered – and resolved. been tested for use. Occasionally we cannot
• Consideration, where appropriate, should be open files. These proposals, that otherwise
given to the relationship between sound and may have succeeded, sadly fail.
movement (screen-based submissions). • All print submissions should incorporate a
non-returnable DVD/CD ROM with at least
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (20%) ten presentation images of the final proposal.
• All submissions must be supported by It is very important that these clearly illustrate
relevant primary and secondary research any large and/or three-dimensional elements
material. that cannot be included physically in your a2*
• Your research and development work should portfolio. Screen-based submissions must,
show that a range of ideas have been equally, consider the appropriate format for
explored before developing your selected presentation
concept. Make sure that you present this • When submitting, ensure that you indicate
material in an order that allows us to follow your project choice, by number, and whether
your thought and design process. screen or print, on a label from the last sheet
• Design development on screen must be of this file – fixed firmly to your portfolio.
described through hard-copy evidence. • Finally, check that all of the requirements of
• The total amount of this material should not your chosen brief are included and clearly
exceed the equivalent of one a3 layout pad. identified. Submit work in one robust,
• You must cite fully your bibliographic/web clearly labelled, portfolio –
sources and, where relevant, credit images. no larger than a2.
istd2010entry
International Society of Typographic Designers
ENTRY
Full-time students at universities and colleges, DEADLINES FOR SUBMISSIONS
internationally, are eligible. As membership of Main/UK 19 March 2010
the Society is awarded to successful entrants, Ireland 16 April 2010
only the work of individual students can be Middle East 28 May 2010
assessed. ISTD does not accept entries that are South Africa 10 September 2010
the collaborative work of two or more students. Australia/NZ 26 November 2010
All entries should be exclusively in English 
unless given prior approval by the Education ASSESSMENT
Officer. Each submission is assessed by a two-person
team, usually comprised of a member from
ONLINE REGISTRATION education and one from industry. All material
Registration for all assessments must be is examined, taking around 30–40 minutes.
carried out by named tutors – not by The outcome is ratified by a team of Moderators
students – using our updated system, from who maintain parity across the assessment
8th January 2010. teams. If necessary, the entry is passed on to
a second stage panel for further appraisal.
FEES All entries gaining Merits and Commendations
The Registration fee is £25 per student are further assessed. Results and Reports will
submission (Institutional Member £20) be published within a month of each of the
Submissions that are presented for assessment Assessments.
and have not been registered and/or have not
paid the Registration Fee will not be assessed. AWARDS
Details of how to register and pay will be A Student Awards Ceremony takes place during
available online from 8th January 2010. June in London. All successful students from the
Main and Ireland Assessments, and their tutors,
DEADLINES FOR REGISTRATION are invited to be presented with their ISTD
Main/UK 19 February 2010 Membership Certificates. Individual arrange-
Ireland 19 March 2010 ments are made for our other assessments.
Middle East 30 April 2010 Those nominated tutors with successful
South Africa 27 August 2010 students also receive Tutor Certificates.
Australia/NZ 29 October 2010
IMPORTANT NOTE
On Registration, further information, including ISTD makes digital records of all successful
arrangements for delivery and return, will be student submissions and reserves the right to
sent to you. use this material as it deems appropriate.
Please meet the Registration Deadline ISTD will not accept claims for payment in
as this allows us to gauge the number respect of using any such recorded material.
of assessors required.
istd2010institutionalmembership
International Society of Typographic Designers
The ISTD Student Assessment Scheme began MEMBERSHIP CERTIFICATE
in 1975. The Society had been considering Each member institution receives an annual
requests to accredit courses but the Assessment Membership Certificate that may be displayed
Scheme was an option that offered benefits to publicly.
both tutors, students and, ultimately, to industry.
ISTD LOGO
Institutional Membership allows us to improve The ISTD logo may be used by member
communication between ISTD and tutors institutions for marketing purposes (with
and, importantly, maximise the benefits to conditions for use).
typographic education through use of our
considerable archive of student typographic INVITATIONS
design. Our hope is that, as this area develops, Invitations and, where applicable, discounts
we may develop the benefits. to all ISTD events, including exhibition openings,
talks, lectures and workshops.
INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP
offers the following – STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Staff from member institutions qualify for
PROJECT ARCHIVE opportunities to participate in one of our
Each successful student project is photograph- Student Assessments and be mentored by
ically archived. This combines images of research, one of the ISTD Education Team.
development and presentation elements. Each
member institution receives a comprehensive CONSULTATION
photographic archive of each year’s successful Staff from Member Institutions have
project submissions – a valuable teaching preferential access to the Education Team for
resource that is otherwise restricted to our consultation on the Student Assessment
Education Team. Scheme and other ISTD Education activities.
PUBLICATIONS INSTITUTIONAL PRESENTATIONS
Member institutions receive copies of Presentations on the work of ISTD and the
Typographic the Journal of ISTD; Condensed, Annual Student Assessment Scheme by the
the members’ newsletter and all other occasional Education Officer or members of the Education
publications during each year of membership. Team can be arranged with member institutions.
Our New Member Starter Pack includes a copy
of our publication Typographic Writing, edited Further information on applying for
by David Jury. Institutional members are also Institutional Membership is available
entitled to discounted back-issues of public- from [email protected]
ations bought online.
REGISTRATION FEES
Member institutions receive a 20% discount
on student Registration fees for the Student
Assessment.
istd2010project01
International Society of Typographic Designers
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHANNEL X
We’re an international TV Brand. We love produce a set of design guidelines for use of
our drama, reality TV, films, soaps and niche the identity/logo. As well as being a standard
programmes. We commission gutsy programmes requirement this should reflect your layout and
and blend cool drama with our own lifestyles. typographic ability. It must express clear
We segue effortlessly from escapist, to gritty, typographic control of the navigation of the
to humanitarian, to sensationalist. information content. This will usually be read
as a pdf on screen but for assessment purposes
The picture is fantastic. What’s missing is the you should provide hard copy.
frame. We’ve lost our mojo. We are too passive
– lost in the avalanche of brands (movies, do
adverts, sponsors, TV shows) screaming for – create a distinct, expressive, cohesive,
attention. entertaining, exciting channel look.
– have a strategy that is driven by the
We need to build a big, bold brand – to forge proposition ‘stimulation for the masses’.
emotional connections with our audiences – – relate the look to channel content.
to be open and compelling – rooted in truth
and effect. We want to carve out a place in don’t
people’s hearts – be a challenger and express – create typical logo idents that feel generic.
a clear point of view. We need to be more than – create typical TV design.
expected – not just any other channel.
Target Audience
The Brief Our audience
We want you to develop the identity/look – love being entertained.
and creative direction of the channel. – are not affluent but have sophisticated
spending and tastes.
Name – are articulate but not necessarily
Channel X is only a working title – we want university educated.
you to come up with a name that reflects – are 16–45 with a slight male bias.
the personality and values of the channel. – are a cultural mix.
– includes young parents.
Logo
Create a logo that represents the channel. Requirements
It can be live action, animation-based and it • Research and Development
needs to have a strong, bold attitude that feels • Strategy
alive while being essentially typographic. This • Specifications/Grid(s)
needs to be applied for on screen use and for • Dummy/Prototype(s)
a range of channel marketing materials and • Presentation
merchandise. We do not want to specify what
you submit – choose what is appropriate to Cross-reference this project brief
your choice of media. with the ‘Assessment Criteria’ sheet.
Design Guidelines Submissions will only be accepted
Whether you take an animation, live action or in one robust portfolio no larger
print-based approach, you must develop and than a2.
istd2010project02
International Society of Typographic Designers
100
If you live to be one hundred years old in the Choose a format that is appropriate for your
United Kingdom you should receive a birthday subject matter and your target market.
card from the Queen. If you are the fastest You could create a timeline in a broadsheet,
person on earth it is because you have run 100 a time-based piece, a website, a series of
metres faster that anyone else and, if you get booklets/leaflets, a part-work or a complete
100% in the assessment of this project – you are publication containing all the content.
(to say the least) an excellent typographic
designer. 100 is a benchmark for achievement. The main criteron is that your design should
reflect the significance of the number 100 and
The decimal system is integral to how we lead that you express clear typographic control of
our lives but 100 has a certain aura – it is a the navigation of the information content.
special number. Similarly the word century has an
historic significance. The Romans organised their Target Market
troops into centuries of up to 100 men, with a Define your market, and how you will target it,
centurian in charge of them. We distinguish in your Strategy.
dates and history by centuries and a century in
cricket merits special applause as does a player’s Requirements
100th goal for their team. • Research and Development
• Strategy
• Specifications/Grid(s)
The Brief • Dummy/Prototype(s)
You are required to interpret the number 100. • Presentation
Widely available research resources offer you
reference and data that offer a broad spectrum Cross-reference this project brief
of opportunities. Content could be educational, with the ‘Assessment Criteria’ sheet.
explanations of events, historical or social
discoveries or developments, sporting records Submissions will only be accepted
or achievements. We want to see an innovative in one robust portfolio no larger
idea that not only intrigues us but also informs us. than a2.
istd2010project03
International Society of Typographic Designers
THE TRAIN STANDING AT PLATFORM TWO
‘Eventually everything connects – people, confusion in the narrative flow. Here’s food-
ideas, objects. The quality of the connections for-thought –
is the key to quality per se.’
Charles Eames Victorian Music Hall – Charlie Chaplin –
Communist witch-hunts – The Cold War –
Most of us have experienced a long rail journey Space Race – Telstar – Digital TV
– we witness the dramatic contrasts of the
changing landscape, the inter-connections at As ever, the goal is to communicate your
various points along the way; various people journey through a visually stimulating piece
embark and disembark; the dynamic is ever- of work that demonstrates robust research
changing . . . finally we reach our destination. and development, considered typographic
experimentation and craft, underpinned by
intellectual rigour – a typographic ‘tour-de-
The Brief force’.
This brief challenges you to take a metaphorical
journey on the theme of connections. Explore We do not wish to be prescriptive about the
the theme as broadly as possible and take us on form of the finished piece. It could be a high
a journey that might link, amongst other things quality printed publication or a screen-based
– people, events, philosophies, theories, objects, interpretation – surprise us with your ingenuity.
movements, inventions, history, literature, etc.
Target Market
Your journey is only limited by your own Define your market, and how you will target it,
imagination and the quality of your research in your Strategy.
– surprise us with the juxtaposition of your
selected themes but be sure to communicate to Requirements
the viewer the ‘connectedness’ of the thinking • Research and Development
within your design. • Strategy
• Specifications/Grid(s)
You may wish to consider a linear journey, for • Dummy/Prototype(s)
example, focussing on a single theme such as • Presentation
‘literature’. Alternatively, you might wish to take
a more diverse route by connecting seemingly Cross-reference this project brief
disparate themes – remembering however, that with the ‘Assessment Criteria’ sheet.
you must demonstrate the logic of the connections.
This is the fundamental challenge of the brief. Submissions will only be accepted
Your connections should not be so obvious that in one robust portfolio no larger
they fail to engage the viewer; equally they than a2.
should not be so obscure that they cause
istd2010project04
International Society of Typographic Designers
TRUE STORIES: TRUE GEOGRAPHIES
How do you celebrate words and reading in environment and consider how the work would
the 21st century? How can you make reading enhance a space and not become a piece of
relevant to the lives of people who don’t usually ‘graffiti’ or visual pollution. Consider the reader
take the opportunity to do so? How can you and community that will engage with the work
turn typographic narratives into a spectacle? and how it might stimulate their thoughts and
debate. This can be a piece of informative
We are looking for alternatives to the standard typographic art.
book/journal/screen format of author + host +
audience – fresh and unusual ways of bringing By its nature, this project demands presentation
the written word/narrative/lyric onto the streets of proposals that clearly describe the location(s).
and landscape. While we want to see exploration of materials
usage this does not negate the incorporation
The Brief of screen-based technologies. However, the
We want you to create a vibrant and intriguing proposal, as in each project, must express clear
form of taking typographic narrative into the typographic control of the navigation of the
landscape/cityscape. The narratives could be information content.
real-life stories, poems, lyrics or commentary.
The key is that the narratives reflect, and are Target Market
related to, the space in which they are installed. Residents and visitors of all ages
It’s site-specific literature – artworks that
become part of the landscape, leading the Requirements
reader, sometimes literally, on a journey of • Research and Development
discovery. There may even be an element of • Strategy
wayfinding and/or a ‘treasure trail’ incorporated • Specifications/Grid(s)
into the work. • Dummy/Prototype(s)
• Presentation
These typographic narratives should escape the
printed page or screen; they should relate to Cross-reference this project brief
the landscape you find them in. When you read with the ‘Assessment Criteria’ sheet.
one of these installations you are already inside
the story, in the environment in which it is set. Submissions will only be accepted
in one robust portfolio no larger
This project offers the opportunity to tell the than a2.
story of anywhere on earth. Be mindful of the