The Art and Design show at Nottingham Trent University displays such a wide range of skills and media across all areas of design and after completing my first year at uni it was really quite inspiring to look at where I hope to be in two years time. The Graphic Design exhibition in particular showed such a range of styles within design and I wish I had the time to look around displays for other courses. I caught a glimpse of the Architecture exhibition with such intricate models out on display really catching my eye. I've always had an interest in Architectural Design and seriously considered pursuing it in a career but there was too much maths involved for my liking so I preferred the look of Graphic Design instead.
The most engaging work really showed a sense of personality either from the designer themselves or from the nature of the brand and with so much work on display there was a real need to stand out amongst the crowd. The overall theme of the Graphic Design exhibition was 'All Sorts' like the sweets, with little paper bags at the entrance to collect your favourites from the tiny jars at each stand. Having a theme really brought the exhibition together and set the tone as soon as you walk in the door.
There were many illustrative prints and products on display showing a real sense of individual style. Printed fabrics and rolls of paper that could be sold, alongside painted cups and plates showing the versatile nature of the designs. Personally I love the illustrative style of the rabbits printed on the fabric in the image above, the minimal background and different shades of fur really compliment each other.
The robin pattern on the cushion and the tea-towel in these images are beautifully crafted adding text in a typeface so suited to the loose outlines and it's easy to imagine a full range of homely products in such a design.
There were quite a few displays of Koppaberg rebranding and packaging design, with this particular board standing out to me because the brand consistency is so effective across the campaign. The imagery visually links to the chosen drink in colour creating an emotive link between the two as , showing the wide range of environments and lifestyles this beverage is suited to.
A concept for the Koppaberg bottle design was displayed where splashes of colour appear when the bottle is cold. The tagline 'Comes to life when it's chilled' emphasises the recommended serving suggestion in such a visual way, automatically influencing the consumer in how they use the product.
Overall, the exhibition was such an inspiring place full of ideas and creativity showing the diversity within design. Being able to look through approaches and outcomes for the sorts of projects I will be tasked with in the future reinforces how versatile Graphic Design is and to be honest it's got me quite excited for the next few years!
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