I came across a stamp design brief while researching different briefs I could potentially look at for my FMP. I have decided to include this in my SOI as one of the briefs I would like to do for my final project. I have been a little daring with this since one of my main design elements at the moment is hand drawn type and illustration, which won't really work in this brief. Since simpler designs will need to be focussed on.
Student Design Awards 2010/11
An innovative programme of awards
RSA Student Design Awards 2010/11 www.thersa.org/projects/design
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22.09
Postage stamps
inspire the nation with Fashion Classics and UK ‘Firsts’
Brief 1 Celebrate the idea of ‘firsts’ and create stamps that inspire the nation whilst instilling national pride.
Brief 2 Celebrate the influence of British Fashion in a visually exciting way that would be a joy to use on post.
Judging criteria
Design craft – does your solution look and feel the best it can?
Ingenuity – does it make a conceptual or lateral leap we haven’t seen before?
Insight – what need, gap or opportunity have you discovered and how?
Communication – is it easy to understand and does it inspire people?
Social benefit – how does it help society as a whole?
Finally, the RSA argues that design represents a resourcefulness that is invaluable in today’s climate of austerity. Is your solution resourceful?
Process and presentation
You have 4 A3 presentation boards and a written summary not exceeding 500 words in which to describe your solution. In addition to presenting the finished solution, describe your process:
– What were your observations? Show how your analysis of these observations gave you insight into the design opportunity
– Your insights might be research-based or intuitive, or a combination of both: relate the concept clearly to these insights
– Make sure the judges know what specific issue or issues you have had to resolve in the process of designing your solution
– Tell the story so that we understand the context for your solution and the benefits it delivers
Background: Special Stamp Programme
Royal Mail’s Special Stamp programme is developed with regard to a number of criteria that include the following:
– to commemorate important anniversaries
– to commemorate events of national importance, as well as significant contemporary UK successes on the international stage
– to reflect the contribution of the UK to world affairs in the broadest range of activities, from the arts and humanities to science and technology
– to explore ‘the British way of life’, celebrating the diversity of cultures and interests within the UK
– to contribute to the cultural life of the UK through the patronage of art and design, and thereby act as a showcase for the best of contemporary British creative talent
The programme is also designed to include a variety of subjects, imagery and techniques in order to appeal to the interests and tastes of different groups over the year’s programme.
Students should choose one from the following two briefs (or submit concepts for both if desired).
Brief 1: UK ‘Firsts’
The UK has achieved many world firsts across the fields of science, engineering, entertainment, sports, exploration and medicine. Stamps often mark such achievements and firsts – globally, nationally and even personally. And stamps can also be chosen to enhance a card sent to mark a significant birthday or anniversary.
The purpose of this brief is to celebrate the idea of ‘firsts’ and to create stamps that inspire the nation whilst instilling national pride. This is a subject rich in substance and content, and an opportunity to educate and surprise.
These stamps will provide an ideal spin-off for Smilers, which are used by the public to mark celebrations with personal photos as labels attached alongside postage stamps. The Royal Mail link to Smilers products is: http://www.royalmail. com/portal/stamps/content1?catId=32300675&medi aId=32600693
The ‘Firsts’ set will consist of six stamps, featuring the Queen’s head and all with the 1st class value. They must be the definitive size, which is 20.3x24.1 mm, as that is the size used in our Smilers range.
Brief 2: Fashion Classics
The fashion industry in the UK is renowned worldwide for it creativity and influence, both in the past, and in present day.
The aim of the brief is to celebrate that influence in a visually exciting way that would be a joy to use on post. Examples of potential starting points are as
Postage stamps
explore your own approaches based on your research.
Key milestones in fashion over the past half century:
– Mary Quant’s mini skirts, Ossie Clark’s flowing gowns, etc.
– ‘cutting-edge fashion UK’ – i.e. who is on the cusp of the leading edge right now and what are they doing
– fashion inspired by the music industry or associated with music. e.g. Union Jack dress, Beatles Mop-top, Quadrophenia, Teddy Boys, Punk rock, etc.
– the legacy of UK fashion: the fashion fads that made history and their equivalents today
The set will feature six stamps, featuring the Queen’s head and the values 1st, 58p, 60p, 67p, 88p, 97p (do not include the ‘p’ in the designs). Any of the stamp template sizes supplied electronically may be used but students are invited to make new recommendations within these general size constraints. However, the design must work within a maximum depth of 37mm.
General information pertaining to both briefs:
The target audience for each brief is broad, as the topics will strike a chord with young and old; stamp collectors and general public.
We encourage contributions from designers, illustrators, photographers, typographers, painters, etc. as well as collaborative projects.
The images created should work at stamp size, in isolation and as part of a set. The approach should engage as broad a range of the public as possible.
In undertaking your background research, please only contact related organisations for the purposes of obtaining information that would be available to the general public; please do not discuss the project with them.
Market
– a stamp is a receipt for a service and is available to anyone within the UK wishing to use the postal service
– this service covers the globe and therefore the stamp is an ambassador for the UK when posted to overseas destinations
– a new and younger generation of stamp collector
Aims
– to produce an innovative response that goes beyond conventional treatments and styles – look at recent examples of innovation in stamp design
– to demonstrate originality of thought and approach based on sound research
Guidelines
When considering the design of a stamp, it is important to remember the following points:
– think on a small scale from the outset
– the Queen’s head must appear top right or left facing towards the design and must be in a correct relationship with the overall stamp size. Please see Postage Stamp Resources page. If using overlays, ensure they are easily lifted to reveal the original artwork
– once research is complete and decisions have been made on your overall approach, preliminary visuals should be reviewed at stamp size
– since a stamp on an envelope is evidence of the pre-payment for postage, and because the recipient is primarily interested in the content of the envelope, each stamp must convey an immediate message
– design should combine clarity with an attention to detail
– there should be a clear visual distinction between one stamp design and another to ensure that there is no confusion between the different values when the stamps are being sold at the post office counter
Submission details
– up to 4 x A3 boards (max. 4) showing design development and final designs (see Process and Presentation above). These should include one board showing the six designs, ideally rendered four times larger than actual size, and one board showing reductions of the stamps at actual size. The price may appear anywhere provided it is legible; it should not appear over an intricately textured area
Please specify on the front of each presentation board whether your submission is for Fashion Classics or UK Firsts
– a short, typewritten text not exceeding 500 words and set in 14pt type describing your solution, the process by which you reached it, and the benefits you believe it will create
– any models or mock-ups should be submitted as photographs or print-outs mounted on one of your A3 boards – do not submit 3D work at this stage
– one sketchbook related to the brief
– all work (except sketchbooks) should be submitted on A3 lightweight card and everything should carry an RSA label on the back; do not submit work in plastic sleeves or on foam board, metal, wood or perspex, or in boxes; these requirements are in the interests of students to ensure the safety of their work whilst in storage and transit, and to ensure that it can be displayed for judging
– students shortlisted for interview will be asked to prepare a five-minute presentation outlining their proposal and may bring along additional 2 or 3 dimensional material to support it
Australia Postage Stamp: Aboriginal Art
c. 1948, part of the Zoological series
depicts aboriginal rock carving of a crocodile
I love how the aborigini style of australia has been incorporated into their stamp. it works really well with recognising it as an australian stamp. this is something i would be interested in potentially looking into for the british stamp design. Creating something in a style which is typically british.
Israel Postage Stamp: Dimona-Oron Railway
catalog #486, c. 1970 ”Inauguration of the railway Dimona-Oron”
Designed by O & E Schwarz
I love the colours used in this stamp design. Colour is something I am really interested in exploring and would like to try and bring it across in a smaller design scale and seeing how different it is to incorporate colour onto a much smaller design scale.
Israel Postage Stamp: hand feeding songbird
catalog #296, c. 1963 Freedom from Hunger
Designed by Asher Kalderon
Again I love this design. Colour has been applied really cleverly here using tints rather than lots of different block colours. Which makes the design look really sophisticated and not so much in your face.
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