As my second Individual Practice brief, I have decided that Qwertee would be a good option. Qwertee is constantly accepting designs, making it an ideal project to fit around other, more in depth briefs, as there is no deadline, other than that for the entire module.
It is also a brief which offers a lot of creative freedom, as there are very few guidelines or requirements. In short, the designs can be pretty much anything you want. I have been keeping an eye on the designs up for voting on the website for some time, and the vast majority seem to be fan art, rather than wholly original designs. This makes sense given that the aim is to attract as many votes as possible; fan art will appeal to an already existing audience, potentially increasing the interest around a design.
However, using existing characters does increase the potential for Copyright issues. Unfortunately, Qwertee does not give very detailed instructions regarding what they are looking for in designs. I have talked to people whose designs have been rejected for Copyright reasons, yet other similar designs have been accepted. It is difficult to anticipate what will be accepted or rejected, but hopefully if any of my designs are rejected, it will help me to understand what I will need to do differently in the future.
What Problem is identified by the brief?
Qwertee need artists from all over the world to create popular and appealing t shirt designs which customers will then have the opportunity to vote for. Any successful designs will be sold for a very limited time period.
What is the brief asking you to do about it?
This brief is very straight forward. All that is asked of the artists is to create a design, which doesn't violate copyright, and submit it. Once a design has been accepted, there is then the opportunity to campaign for its success, contrary to most competition briefs, where you have no influence once your work is submitted/
What is the brief trying to achieve?
The brief is trying to attract popular designs from artists world wide, ultimately in order to sell the most t shirts possible. The limited edition aspect also helps in this respect, both by creating demand (if a chosen design is popular) or allowing new design to be selected the the next day (if a design does not sell so well).
Who will benefit?
Qwertee themselves will benefit the most. However, I believe that this brief will also benefit me, the artist. Regardless of whether my design wins or not, this brief is unique in that it offers me an opportunity to see how my work is received. I will be able to keep track of how may votes, and any comments written about my designs, which will potentially serve as a confidence boost. The opportunity to campaign via social media also allows me to have some influence upon my designs' popularity. In the unlikely event of a design winning, the artist will also receive a commission for each shirt sold.
What is the message?
There is no ostensible message to this brief. It could be summed up in the website's description of the name Qwertee: they were looking for something fun which also incorporated nerdy/technological undercurrents.
Who is the audience?
Judging by the previous successful designs, and my own observations regarding dress sense, I would say that Qwertee's main users are between the ages of 18 and 35 (possibly a little younger), perhaps predominantly male, and certainly with an interest in cult and popular film, games and TV, as many of the mores successful designs reference at least one of the aforementioned.
How will the message be delivered?
The only way in which the message can be delivered is through the small thumbnail image of the design which will be seen on Qwertee's website. If this thumbnail is appealing, a customer/voter may choose to look at a more comprehensive image, showing the design on a shirt. It is in these two small images that I and other designers must communicate with the audience, capturing their attention, holding their interest, and motivating them to vote. There is also the chance to write a very short written description of each design.
Can you foresee any problems in responding to the brief?
As I have already mentioned, my main concern with this brief is the potential for copyright infringement. There just aren't clear guidelines given as to what is acceptable and what isn't. I also have concerns that my designs will be at a disadvantage as am unable to digitally paint to the standard seen on many designs. I haven't seen many black and white designs, so can't gauge how successful the have a chance of being.
It is also a brief which offers a lot of creative freedom, as there are very few guidelines or requirements. In short, the designs can be pretty much anything you want. I have been keeping an eye on the designs up for voting on the website for some time, and the vast majority seem to be fan art, rather than wholly original designs. This makes sense given that the aim is to attract as many votes as possible; fan art will appeal to an already existing audience, potentially increasing the interest around a design.
However, using existing characters does increase the potential for Copyright issues. Unfortunately, Qwertee does not give very detailed instructions regarding what they are looking for in designs. I have talked to people whose designs have been rejected for Copyright reasons, yet other similar designs have been accepted. It is difficult to anticipate what will be accepted or rejected, but hopefully if any of my designs are rejected, it will help me to understand what I will need to do differently in the future.
What Problem is identified by the brief?
Qwertee need artists from all over the world to create popular and appealing t shirt designs which customers will then have the opportunity to vote for. Any successful designs will be sold for a very limited time period.
What is the brief asking you to do about it?
This brief is very straight forward. All that is asked of the artists is to create a design, which doesn't violate copyright, and submit it. Once a design has been accepted, there is then the opportunity to campaign for its success, contrary to most competition briefs, where you have no influence once your work is submitted/
What is the brief trying to achieve?
The brief is trying to attract popular designs from artists world wide, ultimately in order to sell the most t shirts possible. The limited edition aspect also helps in this respect, both by creating demand (if a chosen design is popular) or allowing new design to be selected the the next day (if a design does not sell so well).
Who will benefit?
Qwertee themselves will benefit the most. However, I believe that this brief will also benefit me, the artist. Regardless of whether my design wins or not, this brief is unique in that it offers me an opportunity to see how my work is received. I will be able to keep track of how may votes, and any comments written about my designs, which will potentially serve as a confidence boost. The opportunity to campaign via social media also allows me to have some influence upon my designs' popularity. In the unlikely event of a design winning, the artist will also receive a commission for each shirt sold.
What is the message?
There is no ostensible message to this brief. It could be summed up in the website's description of the name Qwertee: they were looking for something fun which also incorporated nerdy/technological undercurrents.
Who is the audience?
Judging by the previous successful designs, and my own observations regarding dress sense, I would say that Qwertee's main users are between the ages of 18 and 35 (possibly a little younger), perhaps predominantly male, and certainly with an interest in cult and popular film, games and TV, as many of the mores successful designs reference at least one of the aforementioned.
How will the message be delivered?
The only way in which the message can be delivered is through the small thumbnail image of the design which will be seen on Qwertee's website. If this thumbnail is appealing, a customer/voter may choose to look at a more comprehensive image, showing the design on a shirt. It is in these two small images that I and other designers must communicate with the audience, capturing their attention, holding their interest, and motivating them to vote. There is also the chance to write a very short written description of each design.
Can you foresee any problems in responding to the brief?
As I have already mentioned, my main concern with this brief is the potential for copyright infringement. There just aren't clear guidelines given as to what is acceptable and what isn't. I also have concerns that my designs will be at a disadvantage as am unable to digitally paint to the standard seen on many designs. I haven't seen many black and white designs, so can't gauge how successful the have a chance of being.
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