COP3// Etching the DSI Copper Plate

Etching the DSI Copper plate was a long process. Here are a few images of its development. The blue sheet is a photographic copy of my design which will block the acid, so only the copper showing will burn away. The aim here was to ink the design after the etching process was finished however it would have taken a week to dry which is far too close to the deadline. I am happy with the final result, which will be documented later. For now I'm wondering of it would have been better to have kept the blue sheet on. Its looks fairly space age, but doesn't follow the visual identity rules.

Use of black paint to make sure these boarder areas are not burned away by the acid.

COP3// DSI Plaque Design

This is the illustration that I will get engraved at a later date. The plan here is to use this design on a copper plate mirroring the usage of plaques in space in the past. The text segment I have borrowed from the Apollo 11 lunar modules plaque which is shown below. The aim of the plaque would be for DSI to leave it on the surface of an asteroid by drilling it into the surface. Photographs of this would serve a a piece of promotional material for the organisation. The design reflects on the mission perimeters of the Firefly mission, taking the illustration from the mission insignia and placing it out in space near the planet Earth and the Moon, searching for suitable asteroids. The logo sits at the top of the design and is hierarchically the most important element of the design. In the centre is a sentimental piece of text reflecting on the organisations achievement and its importance for human development. 

COP3// Working Plan

This is typed from notes made as a working plan. Updated as I progressed through the written element. I have typed this up here because the notes made are pretty freehand and wont make much sense otherwise. The aim of this post to to document my changing though process and ideas as the project progresses. The first line is the earliest and last the latest in development. 

How did the graphic design output of the respective space programs run by the US and the USSR reflect of their national aims and philosophies during the cols war era space race?

US:
-Tried to colonise space.
-Aimed for human achievement.
-Used Cultural capital to portray image of being the masters of space. Both internally and externally.
-Act of neo-colonialsim
-NASA being publicly funded caused it to surprisingly socialist imagery.

USSR
-Space was a social experiment.
-Aimed for scientific achievement.
-Used propaganda machine to spread image of space superiority to the soviet union alone.
-How does this actually link to policy.
-At same time much like in the US cosmonauts were becoming heros - counter to Marxist ideology of equality.

------------------------------------------ New Idea.

USA
- Globalisation and empire.- Link to voyager 2 note written by Carter- "We are not yet one state"
-Globalisation of American culture through neo-colonialism. UG P33
-Ownership of space through occupation.- Landed and man and flag on the moon.
-Conflict of enlightenment, democracy and human rights. Against the grid of power "resistance is futile" against superior technology.
-Cultural capital through astonishment of achievements. "Better than God". UG P49
-Concept of NASA is against capitalist ideologies.
-The use of nationalist representations./ notions of identity and nationhood.
-To have space is to be free/ frontierism.

USSR
-Post Stalin communism/ Marxism era Russian political map.
-Nationalism of soviet culture/ achievement inwardly portrayed to soviet union and eastern bloc.

-Aimed to engage peacefully on homefront.
-Worked towards scientific understanding.
-Tryed to always get there first. Abandonment of safety.
-Claimed ownership with man or machine.
-Had a conflict of equality and elitism, astronauts became heroes.
-Released propaganda for inclusion and internal state cooperation.
-No longer the vanguard of the proletariat but of the "whole people".
-Soviet utopia's propagated over western strength.
-Concept of soviet space program is in line with their ideologies.
-Also look at use of nationalist representation BPC P73.

--------------------------------------------New Idea

USA Hero Astronauts
-Heroes above the normal people. 
-Anyone can be this if you are special enough.
-Achiveable with: Money, Training, Education, Hard Work.
-Have to be self driven and achiemve it for yourself.
-Have to be better than the rest.
-Post-colonist 'celebration of the elite.

USSR Hero Cosmonauts
-Heroes of the people.
-Anyone can be this if they are a good soviet.
-Achievable with: Hard work, Training, Following rules, aspiration to serve the state.
-An example of the rest.
-Nationalist celebration of an ideal soviet.
-Reality: Astronauts spoke out against safety, could do it because of status.

-------------------------------------------New Idea

Problems:
Question straddles too many concepts:
-Colonisalism
-Postcolonialsim
-Neocolonialism
-Semiotics
-Phycoanalysis
-Internal policies
-International policies
-Post Stalin communism.

-----------------------------------------New Idea

Chapter Plan:

1. Historical Chapter on space race. 750 words maximum.
2. Film poster analysis about visual identity/ ideologies + notions of nationhood. 1,800 words.
3. Hero analysis of spacemen. 1,800 words.
4. Badges - Content vs Image analysis. Do both. 1,800 words
5. Conclusion. 750 words.

-----------------------------------------New Idea

Essay must be completed by christmas.
-2 Weeks today.
-Meeting on 8th Jan. 1hr Tutorial.
-Chapter 2 + 3 by Christmas at least.
-Leave the intro till the end.
-Work out how to include sources.
-Make sure to link references back to title.
-Highlight key actions and events.
-Documentary film poster linked to essay chapter. New idea for practical on top of DSI work.

-------------------------------------New Idea

-Cut out the USSR from work.
-Focus essay on US perspective.

New Essay Plan:
1-Intro

2-Historical Chapter of Space Race.

3-Representations of Nationhood/ Identity/ Ideology in broader US (John Wayne as Idealised American)

4-The Hero Generation. (Buzz Aldrin and the space frontiersman)

5-Content analysis of Apollo mission insignia. (and Gemini)

Link Iwo Jima flag raising to the Raising of flag on the moon.

Pearl Harbour lead to fear of the unknown. Just like Sputnik, and Sci Fi.

-------------------------------------New Idea

Notions of American Identity:
1. Warlike
2. Frontier Myth
3. Sales Culture. Mass Consumption.
4. Fear of the Unknown.
5. Christian Values.

"How Did the Graphic Design Output of the US Space Program Reflect on National Ideologies During the Cold War era Space Race from 1955 too 1975."

1. Warlike.
-Disguised motos: "our profession is peace".
-Military industrial complex
-The Eagle as a power symbol. Also a national symbol.
-GI Joe- Stands for Galvanised Iron.
-Children toy as personification of national identities.
-Green Berets film. Direct assault on the Vietnam peace protests. Fights communism/ values. Funded by government.

2. Frontier Mythology.
-Open spaces symbolic of freedom.
-Explored concept of American ideologies.
-How the West Was Won film. Features stereotypical Anglo-Saxon cast. John Wayne.
-Romanises History.
-Vigilante justice.
-Self Reliance.
-Biblical connotations.
-Manifest Destiny.
-American civil war.
-Rail-road= capitalism in microcosm.
-Search for American dream.
-Highlights the actions of good Americans, those who overcame hardship to find fortune personally and pave way to modern America/ modernity.

3. Sales Culture and Mass consumption.
-Use of western cowboy in advertisements for cars/ cigarettes. To sell items as being distinctively 'American' the definitive American image.
-Playing on peoples desires to achieve social status through consumerism. 
-Look at plymouth car ads.
-Progress onto Marlboro man imagery.
-Evaluate with the rhetoric of image theory.

4. Fear of the Unknown.
-Nuclear War.
-Caused by Pearl Harbour. Surprise attack on American notion of superiority.
-Reds under the bed McCarthyism.
-Space master X-7 film. Blood rust virus symbolic of communism.
-Sci-Fi representing a fear of the unknown.
-Sputnik, reincarnation of pearl Harbour through soviet technology, spread panic is similar way. 

5. Religious Values.
-AKA American family values. Idealised American people.
-The nuclear family as a model.
-Inclusion of 'In God We Trust' to dollar bill.
-Inclusion of 'One nation under God' to pledge of allegiance.
-Billy Graham popularity as example of the mixture of public, politics and religion.

General Americanisms
-Anyone can make it- the American Dream.
-Unlimited Economic Growth.
-Capitalism.
-Consumerist culture.
-Freedom of Expression.
-White Anglo-Saxon Protestant as the Elite class.

-------------------------------------------New Idea

Hero Generation Part 2
-Comparison of John Wayne and Buzz Aldrin/ Neil Armstrong.
-Both were represented as pioneers on a 'frontier'. Dusty desert vs Dusty Moon.
-Iwo Jima- Moon Flag.
-Link the exploration of the western frontier to the exploration of space causing the portrayal of space exploration as an American endeavour. 

Neil Armstong History.
-Link to points made of the idealised american.
-Military history in Airforce/ Korean war.
-Test pilot.
-Mixed Anglo-Saxon heritage.
-Christian

Buzz Aldrin.
-Military pilot in Korean war.
-Mixed Angle Saxon heritage.
-Christian

Plan for hero chapter:
-What is a Hero?
-Who were they at NASA? History of Aldrin and Armstrong. Image of ground control from NASA Art.
-Planting the flag/ Iwo Jima analogy.
-Space. The Final Frontier. Space Heroes in popular culture. Captain Kirk as archetypal American man.
-Star Trek analogy. Team of different people bought together through American values. Lead by an American.
-Space portrayed as an American pursuit through flag planting and media machine.
-Conclusion of chapter.

---------------------------------------New Idea

Plan for Insignia chapter.
-Overall analysis of patches and common themes.
-Link to mythology and nationalism.
-Romanisation of space exploration
-Analysis of Gemini 5 patch, link to frontier.
-Analysis of Apollo 11 patch, link to American might.

Notes.
Mercury. The sttelers and planners of space/ the American frontier.
- Gemini. The pioneers of space/ the American frontier.
- Apollo. Independence and show of American Exceptionalism.

Comment on link between Greek mythology and the mythology of the pioneers and how this relates to the mythology and hero generation of astronauts as pioneers of space.

COP3// Final Insignia Design

This is the final design of the mission insignia for DSI's Firefly and Dragonfly missions. The insignia attempts to imitate the elements of the space race mission insignia whilst bringing the design up to a more modern standard. The aim for the future is to try and get these either turned into commemorative patches, which may prove too expensive, or illustrate their use on the side of spacecraft by turning them into stockers and adhering them to some material. The final choice of colour I went for this the 90K black, which is used in the logo and the green and yellow colours which compliment each other, and the overall designs. The use of yellow for the firefly insignia illustrates the bug lighting up space in the design, reflecting on the missions goal of finding an asteroid. The dragonfly patch inverts the coloured shape and and hooks on the tail of the bug, reflecting in its mission to capture a small asteroid and bring it back to earth. Something I really do like about these designs is the use of very simple imagery to denote the Earth's surface below and the moon behind the spacecraft; placing it in a a location rather than having it just floating through empty space.

Resolving Your Research Project

Do this first to get things started.
- Write down the major aims of the project - a project self assessment.
- Give a brief summary of the work so far.
- Comment on your time management.
- Do you know what the final project will look like?
- What steps will you take to ensure it gets there?
- What areas of the project are you worried about?
- What 'risk management' plans do you have?
- What will you do with the remaining tutorials?

Set targets and increase motivation.
Draw up a plan and stick to it.
Plan a work/ life balance.
Lock down a final title.

Three or four references per page.
Introduce and summarise each chapter.
Main Intro should outline every chapter and summarise everything, the conclusion should mirror this and speak of failings and findings too.

COP3// DSI Visual Identity Manual

This post details the creation of the visual identity manual. As with the UK Space Agency manual from last year this is will follow the chapters of LEGO's visual identity manual as a benchmark. Above is the master page, I have chosen to mark the Text logo at the top of every page as well as the title of the publication underscored by a heavy red line. The aim of the Visual Identity Manual is to set about rules of what makes the new logo, how to use it and a few examples of it in use to contextualise. This will make up the core of my practical project to synthesise the ideas behind the new identity with what I found out in the dissertation project.

Front cover features the 'Full Logo' followed by the 'Text Logo' and the title of the publcation. I ahve given these names the the different marks to distinguish between the logo with and without the 'Encounter line'.

Contents page marks the contents of the publication and a short introduction to introduce the purpose of the manual. It important to note that I am designing on A4 size sheets with a double page spread spanning A3 here, the aim to to trim the first column of each side after printing so no design appears here in these screen-shots. This will give the final printed publication an unusual shape but the content will fit well in this layout.

First page to illustrte the different aspects of the 'Full Logo', introducing some basic rules of usage.

This DPS details the colours that make up the new visual identity.

Introducing the 'Text Logo' and some basic rules, some of which apply to the 'Full Logo'.

This page illustrates how the logo should be angled and goes on to give examples on how not to use the identity with a short description.

This page displays the colours which can be used in with the new identity as well as the terms of using other 'special colours' for use on things like mission insignia of animations.

These pages describe the elements of the Text and Full logos and what the design illustrates.

These two double pages display the fonts that can be used alongside the new visual identity. I practice these would be the typefaces that DSI gets licence to use on any products. This is followed by a notes section as typefaces could be added, taken away or changed.

The aim of this whole chapter is to illustrate the usage of the visual identity and contextualise it in real work examples. The aim is to illustrate how the logo can be used and its flexibility and adaptability to different situations. A short piece of text comes with each example to explain what is illustrates here.

Final pages of the publication list out contact details. These are not real details but are what I consider to be necessary in this context for the purpose of illustrating a real visual identity manual.

 The aim is to get the visual identity manual printed and bound in the next few days. The overall aesthetic should be corporate by approachable, so I would like to use bleach white stock with a more tactile cover.

COP3// DSI Dragonfly Insignia

The Dragonfly missions aim is to follow in the footsteps of Firefly but go one stage further. Here the small asteroid will be captured and bought back to earth for analysis. I have used a similar design to the firefly illustration for the dragonfly with the exception of the wings being outlined due to there translucent nature.

The process of designing this version was much simpler as I had explored the layout of the insignia during the Firefly development. Here I am just experimenting with layout and colouration. I have used the same illustration of the earth and moon to place the satellite in orbit visually. One concern with this design is that the DSI logo has to appear over the illustrations tail this time, however with the addition of a stroke the mark is still readable. I have inverted the shape of the coloured portion of the insignia here to follow the ridges in the bugs tail, I have also experimented with which colour combination to opt for. I have decided to go with the dark grey as the space portion of the design but the second colour is as of yet undecided and will go to the Crit.