interactive/satirical magazine features

I researched into lighthearted and satirical magazine features to follow the fun, approachable tone I want FILLER to have. My main inspiration came from Bay Garnett’s Cheap Date magazine, which focuses on going against mainstream, mass-produced fashion and has a DIY zine feel. More recently, Mushpit magazine features satirical adverts and interactive elements such as quizzes and diagrams that comment on our contemporary society.

This made me want to take a lighthearted approach to other elements of trends I have observed. For example there is a youth trend in astrology and spirituality, with more and more young adults taking notice of horoscopes – Instagram alone is filled with “memes” dissecting our signs and how that explains our behaviour and personality traits. A popular app called Co-Star gives users daily astrological updates, and also allows you to add your friends so that you can view their natal charts and read in-depth compatibility results. So I created a satirical horoscopes feature in the zine, which turned knowledge of each star sign into lighthearted guidance on lifestyle and food habits, for example suggesting that Scorpios should “stop comparing your foodie Instagram pics to everyone else’s”.

The rise in “mindfulness” colouring books for adults’ mental health inspired me to create a “self-care must haves” colouring page, which used my personal illustration style to depict typical self-care products and behaviours for readers to colour in.

the physical portfolio: inspiration

Portfolio research/inspiration

I began researching into the presentation of physical portfolios to think about how I want to present my work physically. I have never wanted to use a typical portfolio folder, binder or box as I feel this better suits two-dimensional work or image-based pieces. The work I want to include in my graduate portfolio includes a selection of zines and booklets I have created, as well as some photography and other print-based work, so I want my portfolio to reflect my love of materials, printing and tactility. I started to look at innovative packaging for portfolios, for example, envelopes, bags or obscure packaging.

We Sow is a project by French graphic designers Léa Beaubois, Marion Cachon and Paul Faure, who ‘sow’ packages of printed matter throughout Lyon and Ghent, of reworked pieces of text in the form of pamphlets, flyers, zines or little scrolls of paper. The packages of risograph prints will be left on streets or in public places, or hidden and left to find by passers by.

“We Sow is an independent self-publishing initiative which was launched in Lyon, France in summer 2016 by Léa Beaubois, Marion Cachon and Paul Faure. Created in response to the current socio-political state of affairs in France and beyond, the project seeks to sow seeds in the minds of its readers, in a thoughtfully designed and printed form that also offers the group a chance to flex their design muscles.”


Other forms of packaging that have inspired me include >>Robynne Redgrave’s portfolio<< which has a similar aesthetic, placing all elements of her portfolio and documentation into a transparent package, almost like an evidence bag or important piece of mail. I like the idea of using bulldog clips or other basic stationery fastenings, to allow the recipient to take apart the portfolio and look through it in whichever order they like; being able to look at items up close, touch them and turn them over.

>>This stationery packaging I discovered on Pinterest<<, (but unfortunately cannot find the original source or designer) uses playful links to food and eating, packaging a notebook in what looks like a takeaway box or lunchbox with a branded cardboard band around it. Linking this to the food/fashion concept of my final major project and where I would like my future work to go, I like the idea of using food packaging within a visual portfolio. (Even rolling up a CV or cover letter like a napkin could add to this effect?)

“room service”: fashion editorial

(pre-editing)







I didn’t want FILLER to lose its roots in fashion and trend investigation, however fashion editorials are not a strong point of mine. I have always preferred candid, simplistic photography, and so I decided to use this to create a (sort of) style editorial for the zine, using people’s comfort foods as a prop, and actually quite a main focus, in the photos. My further knowledge and research into youth trends highlighted a trend in nightwear and lingerie, notably silky, pastel fabrics and loungewear – which coincidentally link to this rising trend in self care, looking after and loving yourself.

I wanted to create a candid, intimate photo shoot, which looked at the clandestine act of comfort eating in bed, perhaps in glamorous lingerie or nightwear. The photos focused on the act of eating more than the fashion itself, combining feminine pastel colours with grotesque, messy foods such as cheeseburgers and fries (which I styled with ornate glass and silverware to parody how inexpensive and unglamorous they are often perceived to be).

 

 

experimenting with coding

.html document

This coding workshop introduced me to creating website content and layouts from scratch, using html and CSS coding to alter the appearance of online pages.

Although the content I created was experimental and basic, it taught me the key formulas to alter the appearance of text, links and graphics online, and how I could develop these skills further to personalise my website design in the future.

CSS document

(CSS documents change the appearance of the content, including font family and colour as well as links, hover, boxes and page width.)

online portfolio/website process

Screen recording of website animation/click-through

I was originally part of Cargo Collective, using a simple portfolio design to showcase my work. However it didn’t allow enough creativity in the design of the pages, and I wanted a platform that could allow me to create more of a visual identity through my website. I designed this website using Wix, purchased my own domain and removed all other advertising. I wanted to keep the design simplistic, but show little elements of my recurring themes, colours and aesthetics.

www.hollyelizatemple.com

I used Times New Roman because although it is a basic, overused and not particularly creative typeface, I like the juxtaposition of it when placed with my contemporary work and colour schemes. The colours I used reflect colours that often appear in my work – the pale pink accents match the pastel colours that (sometimes without meaning to) I use in my still life photography, collage and illustration. The bright royal blue combined with Times New Roman reminds me of typical hyperlink text, which I thought created a nod towards the digital and contemporary elements of my work. I added some elements of animation to my website, for example showcasing .gifs I have made to flick through books/zines, or manipulate my own illustrations.

Because my work is quite diverse across different disciplines and media, I wanted to make it clear on my website that my specialisms or particular focuses are in trends, art direction and publishing. Although still quite diverse, these three areas tie all of my work together, from photography to illustration, writing and book-making.

I originally had a page showing a simplified CV on my website, but after some consideration have removed this, as my particular skills and experience are clear from the work and projects I am showcasing on my website. I also feel it is sensible to keep some details private until requested by a potential employer. I have also added a separate page for work related to FILLER zine, which will include a link to purchase the zine – as it is separate to my other projects but I want there to be a direct link to it on my portfolio, to show that I am the manager of my own creative project/brand.

https://www.hollyelizatemple.com/filler

development of concept: food & fashion

Ader Error

In my tutorial with Vanessa today we went through my progress so far in terms of collecting submissions for FILLER, as well as my own content that I have begun to think about. We discussed how I have an interest in food photography and the discourse around food and diet trends, and how this translates well into fashion communication as the relationship between fashion and food is rather tenuous. This led me to consider how FILLER could focus exclusively on food and fashion, as it is a theme that appears in a lot of my research, inspiration and ideas, and also makes the zine personal to my interests (which is after all what a zine is all about). I also stated how people seem to be excited to engage with content surrounding food, as I received a lot of responses in my comfort food survey. I have therefore decided to work with this naturally emerging theme of food and tailor my call for submissions to focus more on food-related pieces, which has led me to feel a lot more excited about the development of the project, as a truly unique publication based around my personal interests but catering for the individual, forward-thinking reader that is still interested in trends, art and fashion.

 

portfolio: creating an identity

(a collation of a few selected images of my work, with recognisable colour and theme similarities)

After examining our current collections of work as a group in Daniela’s workshop, it was easy for me to spot repetitive themes, styles and colour palettes in my work that help tie it all together. This helps me recognise that I do have a personal style and identity to my work, for example I often feature pastel or feminine colours in my images, as well as experimental text and textures.

My work is more centred around still life and art directed shots, as well as creative collage and illustration in my more tactile pieces. There are also recognisable themes and concepts in my project, including topics of femininity, sexuality and wellbeing/mental health.

I recognise my portfolio of work as quite young and contemporary, often commenting on youth culture, lifestyle trends and attitudes towards sex, the body, social media, nature. I was pleased that this is clear in my work as I often worried that my interests within fashion communication were quite broad, and that it isn’t clear where my interests lie – but when looking at my work laid out next to each other it is obvious that I do have themes and ideas I return to and enjoy working around.

This has helped me to think about forming and developing my own visual identity for my portfolio, online presence and promotion of myself/my work. The repetition of pink and feminine qualities in my images mean there is a simple starting point for an aesthetic that would compliment my work, and the contemporary nature of my images mean that I can start thinking about designs for my website, portfolio and promotional material that complement this.

comfort food shoot

I conducted a survey online asking people (through social media platforms) to submit their ‘ultimate comfort food’ – some submitted simply a word or two, others a short description, and some a lengthy anecdote describing the nostalgia or pleasure created by consuming their favourite food. This formed the basis of a still life shoot depicting people’s comfort food. After researching and being aware of the ‘wellness’ and ‘clean-eating’ trend that is especially visible on social media, I find it intriguing how the foods people actually enjoy eating, that make them feel better when they are sick, sad, tired or just relaxing, are actually not the most aesthetically pleasing. I wanted to, visually, comment on how we are constantly Instagramming superfood-packed bowls of porridge, açai bowls, smoothies or fruit platters, because they are so typically ‘pretty’ and send out a message of health, purity and attractiveness to our followers, but really the foods we get real pleasure from are (to name a few submissions) toast, garlic bread, macaroni cheese, pizza, donuts and shortbread biscuits.

I wanted to select a few of these submissions and depict them against backdrops resembling bedcovers, to relate to the theme of comfort food and the intimate, clandestine act of bingeing on your favourite snacks in bed. I used silky, luxurious looking fabrics which when juxtaposed with the typically ‘unattractive’ food created a playful aesthetic, presenting cheap, everyday supermarket products as something glamorous.




initial portfolio research/inspiration

I began my research into online portfolios by taking a look at some that I find visually inspiring or pleasing, by artists and designers that I admire, to see what elements I could use (or should avoid) for my own website development.

http://www.marleighculver.com

Marleigh Culver is a graphic designer and illustrative artist, and her online portfolio showcases the combination of these two disciplines. Her website is simple but colourful, mirroring the use of bold colour, shapes and type in her work. It doesn’t feature any unnecessary details, animation or extra pages, simply a description of the artist and her work, and pieces separated by clients/projects. Her about page is a chance to see a more in depth description, list of contact points/social media platforms, experience, clients and features. Her descriptions are humorous, giving a personal insight into the artist’s personality and life, e.g. “SHE SPENDS MORE WEEKENDS OUT OF TOWN THAN AT HOME AND HAS AT LEAST FOUR PROJECTS HAPPENING AT ONCE. HER SINK IS ALWAYS ROTATING DISHES FROM A LABORED DINNER OR BAKING SITUATION AND HER PLANTS KEEP EACH OTHER COMPANY WITH HALF FINISHED PAINTINGS AND KNICK KNACKS FROM ANTIQUE MALLS,” which is a creative way for visitors to the website to feel like they know the artist a little more, and get to know about other interests/activities they engage in.

 

https://chloesheppard.com

I’ve followed photographer Chloe Sheppard’s work for years on Instagram and through various publications, but had never taken the time to view her portfolio. It is very simple in design, splitting photographs into projects or clients and viewing them in a slideshow – however I feel the titles on the sidebar are a little confusing – it would be difficult to find a particular piece of work on the website. None of the type stands out to separate it from each other, or highlight particular works above others. However, I do like the dramatic landing page when you first reach the website. A full screen slideshow of images appears, allowing you to enter the full website. I think that having an eye-catching entrance to the website could be something I can take on board, but also to make sure the entire site is cohesive and one page isn’t more impressive or polished than the others.

http://gracemiceli.com

I love Grace Miceli’s childlike, girlish and humorous illustrations, and so I was interested to see how this could be presented on a polished digital platform. Her website is bold and simple, reflecting the nature of her work. Her homepage consists of large images which show a heading when hovered over, which I like as headings can sometimes ruin the aesthetic impact of a page, so hiding them until hovered over is something I’d like to incorporate. Her about page contains a short bio and email address, but also shows a link to her Instagram and online shop to promote her other platforms. She has also included a CV, which is useful as this displays the large number of exhibitions and publications her work has been a part of (this has made me think about whether I will need a CV or not on my website – I feel it is only particularly useful once you have enough experience or exposure to showcase).

 

defining the market and readership

My tutorial today with Vanessa Marr encouraged me to think more about defining a definite image of a reader for FILLER…who I want to buy the magazine, and who I don’t want to target. As I want the content and tone of FILLER to differ from mainstream fashion magazines I need to have a clear idea of the attitudes and personality of the readers I am trying to attract.

I have therefore created an audience profile to help me target my magazine to the kind of person I want it to appeal to. I created a description of a reader that has the interests, academic background, hobbies, attitudes and style of what I imagine a typical FILLER reader would. This will help as the identity and content of my zine develops to keep it relevant to the target audience.

We also discussed how I want FILLER to be a project I continue even after the deadline of FMP, and how I could seek business and financial support to make this a publication to be sold and distributed. I would like to, if possible, explore funding options, for example crowdfunding and support from the careers service – to help me think of this project as a first step into my future career and help me stay motivated when developing the brand and promotion.