Illustration 1: Key steps in illustration- Part 2: Ideas -Exercise 1: Writing a brief
Identify a piece of work by an illustrator whose work you find some connection with. You might, for example, choose a particular illustration because you admire its conceptual or narrative dimension.
Now try to write the brief for the illustration you’ve chosen. Starting from the context in which the illustration is positioned, write the brief which would have led to the creation of the image. Direct the illustrator in terms of what content should be included. If the context has text, identify the connection between the image and the written content.
I began this task by noting the key points from the brief and researching examples of others/what is required to create/respond to an illustrator brief. I then went onto finding an illustrator/work that interested/inspired me.
I looked through Mike Mcquade’s website identifying particularly interesting work/subject matter. I then chose an illustration he had produced for magazine Rapha Mondial about A.I’s effects on humans. The image stood out to me initially because of the manipulated face/muted colour palette and once learning what the subject matter was I was inspired by the though process behind the image.
The Brief:
Client: Rapha Mondial
Rapha was founded in 2004 by Simon Mottram, a cycling enthusiast from London. The brand was the first to create solid colour cycling jerseys from merino wool, quickly growing their collection for professional and urban cyclists, becoming highly reputable. The Rapha magazine was created to tell stories of sportspeople, cyclists and engaging stories from around the world, being sold online and at their 20 hubs throughout the world.
Main Brief/content:
For the 4th edition of Rapha magazine we are including a story about technology, A.I and it’s relationship with humans. We would like an eye catching image created without any text that encapsulates the potential future of A.I. We would not like a negative or dystopian image, but it does not have to appear overly positive or utopian.
Target Audience:
General readers, do not focus on just cycling enthusiasts. We would like this image to help Rapha to appeal to new readers.
Format:
The final image must be scalable to 6x3 inches and will feature at the top of an 8.5x11 inch page with text (provided by Rapha) below. The original PSD files must be provided.
Colour:
The illustrator must choose appropriate colours for the subject matter, there are no printing limits but final designs must be in CMYK.
Dates:
Initial ideas due: xx/xx/xx
First Draft: xx/xx/xx
Final: xx/xx/xx
Any further drafts/ideas can be discussed at any point.
I looked back at my brief and imagined myself reading it out of context and whether I could follow it. I had a few questions but was unsure whether they should’ve been included in the brief or if they should be up to the ‘illustrators interpretation’. A few examples of these questions are:
Should the illustration appear in a certain style? (physical appearance, mark making, digitally made in illustrator etc)
Should there be any certain imagery within the final piece (e.g bikes, anything related to cycling or relationship between cycling and A.I)
Age of audience in particular/location or country?
Can the text that will feature below the image be seen before/should it be directly related?
This task helped me think further about the design process and actually producing a design in response to a client brief. Considering the information that may have been given to Mike Mcquade when being briefed for this design allowed me to think what is the most integral information needed for a successful, meaningful response and how I would’ve respond to the brief.
