001:Research & Design Proposal Blog
University Of Hull: History, Place and People
The University of hull has a strong history in community and education. The university first opened in 1927 as University College of Hull which opened because of a financial gift of £250,000 given by Thomas Ferens who came to Hull as a clerk at 19 and ended up being very successful within his time in Hull. The university opened with 39 students and 16 staff. The university was founded to serve as a centre of light and culture.
The University’s identity is shown by the people that have attended, including notable alumni, John Prescott, Lucy Beaumont and Mark Chapmen. The Larkin Building was named after the famous poet and librarian Phillip Larkin who spent 30 years as the head librarian, Aswell as generations of students. Hulls Maritime and fishing trade strongly shows the cities identity.
In 1954 the university was awarded a royal charter which gave them the ability to award degrees, also changing its name to University of Hull. The university has developed from a small institution to a university with a wider range of academics and a cultural impact in the city. The first buildings being the Venn and Cohen all still stand but have had large developments which i have found from photographed research at Hulls History Centre from architectural plans.
From this research i have developed my concept for the centenary campaign. I am going to use diamonds to show Ferens success from rags to riches. Also to represent strength, lasting value and loyalty. This reflects the universities journey over 100 years and how it continues to. I am going to present this with geometric diamond shapes and interlocking lines used in some repeat patterns. My ideas on illustrator experiments colour, typography and shapes. I aim to develop a campaign that celebrates the universities history and future ambitions.
https://www.figma.com/board/7yRuoser3w6sgKRAPyecij/Research?t=0gdLTEfHNBB08zRQ-0
Design History and Comparative Projects
I have researched The University of Reading’s Centenary campaign as inspiration for my University of Hull centenary campaign. From my research i have learned how graphic design can provide a meaningful story through people, history and achievements. What i found interesting from my research was the past can influence the future and how they connect.
One thing from this campaign i would like to introduce to mine is a consistent visual identity. I feel as though keeping typography, colours and visual elements consistent throughout my campaign would make it memorable. In my campaign i would show this using diamond shapes throughout to show the value of Hull University. Diamonds also link to the milestone of 100 years through its strength and growth.
I also would like to take inspiration from bringing attention to previous milestones and celebrations the university has done in to my campaign. Taking note of notable alumni that have attended showing that the university has been shaped by a lot of things but mostly the people that have attended. I also liked the fact the University of Reading added a timeline to their campaign as i feel as tho this creates a visual story.
The main visual element Reading used was the number 100. I would like to incorporate this into my campaign by using diamond shapes and making repeat patterns that represent the universities achievements and people. These patterns could be developed onto posters, social media, websites to maintain a consistent identity.
People and history were one of the main things i noticed in the reading campaign. I would like to use this in my own campaign and compare previous students and current students using photos. Also, the buildings when they were being planned out to how they have developed now would be a strong idea to include.
Design Visuals
My campaign concept celebrates 100 years of The University of Hull. I have explored its history, achievements and people all things that have shaped the university since 1927. My aim for my campaign is to create a visual appealing, modern and engaging identity whilst also recognising the universities value and historical past. I want to really show how the students and staff have created the universities story over the last 100 years.
My inspiration for this campaign is diamonds which represents the universities strength, growth and values and the idea that since 1927 the university has become more meaningful over time. Through this stage i have created diamond shapes, repeat patterns to create a recognisable campaign. I have experimented with a bold colour palette that directly ties with the university’s colours which stand out and engage people. I want to create a consistent visual identity so i have created diamond shapes that can be used across different medias.
To start exploring with the campaign i have created three different poster concepts. My main idea on the poster was the number 100 with diamond shapes inside to make the 100 stand out to really celebrate the anniversary. The history poster explores how the university has changed over time. I have connected past and present together by using old imagery but also used some designs. The people of hull poster focus on the people that have shaped the university. By combining these things my aim is to celebrate the people and history together hopefully creating a sense of community.
In the next stages i want to refine my posters and make sure the typography, imagery and colours are all reflective of how i want my campaign to feel. I also want to explore with how the diamond shapes and typography would look when developing my centenary microsite.
https://www.figma.com/design/VpzCv8x7Eu7b0OZSE5l4Sa/UoH-banner?node-id=0-1&p=f&t=2GtB5WPgTZZgzXMz-0
Proposal plan
Bibliography
Hull History Centre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ferens