Something More- Live Brief

Interesting points made by Something More studio during introduction talk:

• Never stop questioning what you are doing
• Collaborate with people better than you
• Interrupt normal
• Helping hearts project- mentioned the importance of brand guidelines

The live brief:

Present to them a very compelling story about a very ordinary word...presenting is important in getting your ideas and thoughts across successfully as a designer. The aim is to tell a good story with our word in under 5 minutes.

Group: Me, Will, Jake, Beth

Word: Beige

Starting the live brief:

Our first thoughts when receiving the word 'beige' was that it was boring and lifeless. So our aim for the presentation is to make the word beige...seem less beige, in a humorous way. 

We aim to do this through stating all of the good things in life involving beige such as food, fashion and nature and everyday activities involving beige, making the audience realise how underestimated the colour beige is and that we should appreciate it more. Our aim is to change everyones opinions of it.

Beige foods that are loved by us all:

• Hummus
• Chicken
• Crisps
• Pita
• Waffles
• Bagels
• Bread
• Croissants
• Scampi
• Rice

Activities involving beige:

• Watching paint dry
• Applying concealer to your dark circles in the morning
• Adding too much milk to your cup of tea

After brainstorming some ideas, we made a rough plan for the presentation and the order of things that we want to go through:

1. Original definition of beige from urban dictionary (humorous version)

2. Common mistakes (shown through a colour wheel showing how beige is seen as the wrong colours)

3. Beige foods that we can all agree, are amazing

4. Fun/humorous activities involving beige (which we will document ourselves doing in videos for the presentation)

5. Beige in the wild (photographs of people wearing beige in town)

6. Different ways to wear it (photoshoot of us each wearing a different item of beige clothing, which we will also wear at the presentation)

7. Beige in nature (animals)

8. Last slide...the new definition of the word beige: appreciative and thankful for the colour, creating contrast with the first slide which is the original definition of beige (describing it as boring and dull)

Ideas for Self Lead Briefs

Notes from welcome talk and things to consider when designing:

• Make work based on genuine concerns and problems! things i'm passionate about
• Don't constrain the briefs you write to graphic design problem solving exercises
• Make a difference to the real world!
• Modern understanding
• Don't stick to the familiar, make something innovative

Initial ideas and mind maps for briefs:

1. Project about pandas- making sure they don't become endangered again and the importance of them in the world, as I feel very passionately about them (my favourite animal)

2. The importance of children playing outside and away from their phones OR... the importance of  us adults still doing childhood activities and things we used to enjoy as a child as self care methods. This is something we need as adults when life is too stressful. App? Design for screen? Nostalgic childhood aesthetic

3. Tackling the inequality towards women- the pressure society puts on women that we have to depend on a man/get married in order to have value and be secure and successful in life. The pro single ladies project? Research could include surveys where men and women are asked the same questions regarding this topic...recording the differences between results.

4. Similar to idea 3...feminism topic about the judgement women receive from society regarding body count and sex, and how men don't get judged the same way, why is this???

5. Bratz dolls- passion project, big part of my childhood growing up. A look book...collaboration with a fashion student and make physical tiny clothes similar to the ones in the look book.

6. Period poverty- the fact that women shouldn't have to pay for pads and tampons as it is a natural thing that happens to us, goes against our human rights. 

Top 3 favourite ideas in rough brief templates (ideas 1,2 and 3)