CONCEPT : Blog entry 28

Feedback from PPF:

- Rethink title [The art of the species guide in conservation] does the guide have a role in        conservation?

- More research (primary, secondary)

- Include all research in bibliography, not just the thing referenced.

- More artists

- Improve rational - narrative; what I did, where I came from, my conclusions, how that has    influenced my ideas for this module.

- Reference: what have I looked at in terms of guides?

- Be specific with references (all references - Sam Winston??)

- Current RSPB campaigns (Home for wildlife)

- Local community wildlife groups

- Audience? (TBD)

- Outcome? (TBD)

- Boyle Family - forensic recreation of a place, land art

- Key words? guidebook, nature reserve, signage (info graphics), conservation, etc. 

To do this week:

- Concept panel slides (21st July)

- Analyse guidebooks

- Pick out best experiments for concept panel  - Make more??

- Redo PPF (?)

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Tim also mentioned this advert, from the RSPB;

Give nature a home advert - RSPB

 (RSPB, 2014)

 From this video, you can then go to the website and find a range of guides on how to 'give nature a home'. Below is the main guide, avaliable to recieve through the post or as a pdf, but there are also guide for how to  make dead wood piles, build a home for bats, and create nature corridors, as well as lots of different activities to help bring nature into your garden  (RSPB: GIVING NATURE A HOME, 2014).

Give nature a home Guide - RSPB

(RSPB: GIVING NATURE A HOME, 2014)

One of the thing Tim suggested I do to help my research and development of my concept, was to dissect the guides that are already out there. I am unsure if it is a guide book that I will produce, but getting to grips with what is already available, and finding the problems with it will help me figure out what it is I am wanting to do. I've also ordered a physical copy of this so I can look at it and analyse it properly in my sketch book; I also intend to do this with a couple of other guide books too.

I really like what the RSPB are trying to do with this campaign; by getting everyone to pitch in and create a better habitat for wild life in their own back garden, this helps with conservation on a much wider scale, at a much lower cost for them. Although the RSPB is primarily for birds, by getting people to make a better environment for plants, insects and other wildlife, it creates a better environment for the birds, and makes their survival much easier. 

My only problem with it it, is it seems to be aimed towards adults. which is fine, in theory. It provides them with activities to do with their children, but non of the material is aimed at children. 

So...for example, I could have been looking at all this, and decide that one Sunday afternoon me and the kids are going to build a wood pile to attract lots of insects; I can download a simple little guide telling me exactly how to do this - this guide is really simple, no images, just the instructions; not appealing to children at all.

If I were to remake this I would have it as something to show the kids, to get them interested too. "If we build a log pile, look at all the cool insects that will come and live in it!" and maybe some kind of treasure hunt list, to keep them coming back to check and see what insects move in.

I think one of biggest parts of conservation should be to educate and build interest in younger people, so that in the future they think of things like our wildlife, and try to help.

And with the main guide that I have shown in this post. It is very simple, and too the point, with lots of good information on what you can do to help, but only focuses on adults.

[This guide also uses, what I thought was one of my ideas, to use the silhouette of the animal with a photograph of it natural habitat...I swear I'm thinking of these things first!] 

I have been thinking about focusing on a specific location for my 'guide', as I think this will narrow down what needs to be included. 'Wild life' is just too broad, I need some kind of limit, such as 'red list', 'nature reserve', or even 'garden'. I really like the idea of focusing on your garden, getting every one to do their bit.

    RSPB, (2014). [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc-qlIWG_4E [Accessed 15 Jul. 2014].

   RSPB: GIVING NATURE A HOME, (2014). RSPB: RSPB Giving nature a home. [online] Available at: http://homes.rspb.org.uk/page/projects [Accessed 15 Jul. 2014].

    RSPB: GIVING NATURE A HOME, (2014). RSPB: RSPB Giving nature a home. [online] Available at: http://homes.rspb.org.uk/?gclid=Cj0KEQjwopOeBRC1ndXgnuvx8JYBEiQAq4RPt2v59IpYPBWklX00z16zgAsLTLJC2887yg0e7PDhRiwaAo5H8P8HAQ [Accessed 15 Jul. 2014].

Project Proposal Form - Draft 1

CONCEPT : Blog entry 27

In my tutorial last week, it became clear that I have been focusing on the wrong thing. I have been making lots of things that will maybe go into my finished 'guide' (or what ever it is I end up making) when I should have been focusing on doing research and figuring out what it is I will make eventually.

The Project Proposal form is due today, and writing this has forced me to think more about what I am doing, and I know I need to do a lot more towards working these things out.

The past couple of days I have been working on and writing this PPF, and at the next concept panel in..15 days(!) I need to have a much clearer idea of what I am doing, as this will be the last chance for feedback before I am left to my own devices over the summer. I also need to get a better grip on my dissertation and spend more time working on that.

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MA / MDes Visual Communication 

  PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM 

Name:  

Grace Elliott 

 Stage: 

Concept  

Date & Draft Version: 

 Monday 7th July 2014 - Draft 1  

1a. Working Title: 

The art of the species guide and its role in conservation.  

1b. Dissertation Working Title: 

Examining the difference between art and illustration. 

2. Rationale for the project proposed: Provide a concise, logical rationale for the project, 200 words. 

Through this project I will be exploring the subject of species guides through researching guidebooks and nature reserve signs with the hopes of eventually producing a modern and more appealing version of this myself.

I have always had an interest in birds and animals, and our relationships to them and have previously worked around this subject. However, for this project, I wanted focus on issues surrounding our British wildlife and conservation; things such as the RSPB Red list, badger culling and issues surrounding foxes. Through my research and experimentation so far, I have decided to focus on addressing these issues through a location, such as a local nature reserve.

I want to use simple and easy to understand imagery to make identification easier more appealing to wider audience to create a greater interest in our wildlife and the conservation efforts surrounding it.

By looking at the traditional format of the ‘guide’ I hope to be able to simplify and improve upon it, and create something different, which combines the traditional aspects of a guide with modern technology and contemporary imagery, which will serve the nature reserve by drawing more interest in it’s inhabitants and it’s conservation efforts. 

3. Audience: Describe the audience that the project is aimed at. Ask yourself, who will benefit from the process or outcome of the project proposed, whose needs will you meet, who are you communicating with, who are you seeking to persuade or inform? 

With this project I am wanting to create an interest in wildlife within a younger audience, by using a modern aesthetic, and possibly incorporating modern technology through the use of technology. I would also like to use this as an opportunity to educate children, so my project will also need to appeal to them as well. I have thought about creating a treasure hunt or game like structure to appeal to this type of audience. The outcome would likely serve a nature reserve by creating more interest in the wildlife and conservation efforts surrounding it. 

4. Theoretical Framework: Summarise the theoretical framework of your practice enquiry. 

Semiotics;

One of the things I have been working on so far is the use of simple and more modern imagery, hoping that this would appeal to a wider audience more than the traditional style of illustration that is more commonly found, and also make identification easier by picking out and focusing on the key characteristics of the creature.

One example that I will be using in my work, can be found in This means this, this means that a user’s guide to semiotics by Sean Hall; here, a simple image of Elvis’ hair is used to represent Elvis himself, a synecdoche, where a part of something represent the whole thing (Hall, 2007). In my work I have been using shapes and key colours to create simple images to represent the creature.

I’m hoping that by learning more about semiotics, I will find more ways to use it in my practice to make my ‘guide’ more usable and appealing.

Readings:

This means this, this means that a user’s guide to semiotics by Sean Hall

Semiotics the basics by Daniel Chandler 

5. Methodology: Set out the visual methodology you will employ in researching the question you have set yourself. Construct a time-based structure for your visual research and practice. 

I will be spending most of time researching what is currently available around my subject, so that I can try to improve on it. I will also be visiting nature reserves to see what techniques are already employed with regards to appealing to children, and researching the signs around the nature reserve and how they work so I will know what I will need to include in my own work.

I will also be researching artists that work in a similar style to that which I have in mind; such as Matt Sewell, who has recently publish a couple of guides to our native birds, Our song birds and Our Woodland birds. His style of illustration is very simple and makes identification easy, while also being more contemporary and non traditional, and also using humorous descriptions of each birds, appealing to a wider audience.

My research will consist of information found on the internet (National trust, RSPB, and nature reserve websites, as well as blogs and articles) journals and books, also television programmes such as Spring Watch and Unsprung. 

6. Deliverables: Please list the outcomes that you envisage resulting from the project.

• App
• Guidebook/map
• Nature trail/ species treasure hunt
•  Nature reserve signs and guide

How these things could link together to create an interactive and appealing species guide. 

7. Identify any exceptional practical requirements that the project will necessitate: Please list anything beyond the usual provisions of the programme. 

8. Bibliography: 

Hall, S. (2007). This means this, this means that. 1st ed. London: L. King Pub.