Unit Brief

Southampton Solent University
Assessment Brief Unit Code: FMS503 – Styling For Digital Publishing FHEQ Level 5 Faculty: FCIS School: Fashion
Digital publishing has revolutionised the way we interact with fashion media and retail. Through this assignment students will build on styling skills and translate and develop acquired knowledge both editorially and commercially for this ever-expanding medium.
Lectures, seminars and practical sessions will help to equip students with the knowledge and practical skills to create styled images required by various types of websites, apps and emerging media.
Students will discuss existing and emerging technology, looking at blogs, apps, and digital magazines published for tablets, ecommerce sites, film and animated fashion imagery such as Gifs.
Students will consider how digital publishing can both be used as an extension of print content for brands and magazines, or in exist its own right for online businesses, publishing houses and apps.
Students will be expected to utilise all the skills developed in make up & hair design, photography, Photoshop, InDesign, planning shoots and writing copy. To build on these skills students will be introduced within technical sessions to the MUSE creative software.
Students will consider all aspects of production with a specific site chosen from a list given. Students may choose to collaborate with a photographer, and possible collaboration with a hair and make-up artist but overall direction of the project is the sole responsibility of the student.
Aims & Objectives:
To differentiate the way of working between analogue and digital publishing assessing the added nuances required from digital publishing and expands on its potential.
To be able to identify the style and target-market of the chosen website/app/online-publication and produce appropriate outcomes.
Provide evidence of thorough research and development of ideas through a Digital Journal relating to the development of this project only, leading to a final portfolio for an online digital format.
Identify creative solutions that are appropriate to your identified audience and brief
Analyse comparative sites and their techniques and methodology and produce work that is of an appropriate visual standard.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES (see further below for detailed criteria):

1. OnlineDigitalJournalshowingResearchandDevelopment(Written/VisualAssessment1)
   Final blog post to be a 500 word Proposal outlining the concept and plan for your final Project (Written Assessment 1)
   
2. FinalOutcome:PROJECT–consistingofdigitallayoutsforyouronlinefashionshoot(Project Assessment 2) call sheet and evaluation.
   

WORKPLAN GUIDELINE:
TASK 1: Explore and analyse digital media in fashion and its use of styling.
Explore new and existing uses of digital publishing including editorial, advertising and eCommerce – what is new and who is the best?
Look at various types of fashion imagery used online including photography, animation, gifs, film and new technology
Look at tablet use within the fashion industry including apps and digital magazine/newspaper editions Discuss and research any new trends in digital publishing
Expand on how to use various IT programmes include InDesign and Photoshop for digital publishing. Introduction to using MUSE within technical sessions.
Explore innovative concept developments showing awareness of trends in this medium and what looks old and what is cutting edge.

Task 2: Choose a digital site from the following to work for on your project and to research.

After a class discussion on each site you will need to select one of the following to research and style for from this list: 


• MatchesFashion.com men/women
  
• Net-A-Porter / Mr. Porter
  
• Burberry
  
• Monki
  
• Topshop / Topman
  
• Zara
  
• Gieves and Hawkes
  

• & Other Stories • Oki-Ni
• LNCC
• Seftons
• Miss Guided
• Wolf and Badger
• More on consultation...


TASK 3: Formulate a comprehensive customer/reader profile for your chosen site to be submitted with your final presentation. This is to take the form of an online Journal, via a dedicated blog site for this project set up by the student, accompanied by a 500-word Proposal explaining the concept and thought processes behind the final Project.
Blog posts to include:
Reader Profile
Once you have selected a site from above you need to research the target market/readership. You must understand who it is aimed at and construct a customer profile. Who clicks on to the site? What is the demographic of the reader? Who is it marketed to?
Brand Ethos
What is the ethos of this site? Do they have a mission statement? What is their identity or image? What brands are used editorially or commercially within? What celebrities/models are used, if any? What is the overall graphic saying? What is their message? What is their unique selling point?
The Competition
Who are the sites rivals and how do they stand up to the competition?
Reflective observations
Log your thoughts and perceptions within your blog. Display your understanding of the medium and methods of styling and how they differ, if they do, from traditional publications.
Task 4: Research & Development of Magazine Content – Final Shoot and Digital Layout
The final result must be appropriate for that site and fit easily into its structure and main pages of style-lead content (links to examples below).
Choose the most relevant section of your chosen site to display your styling skills and grasp of the site’s specific style.
For the main Project we are looking for 5 finished shots/pages, plus a landing page, with accompanying headlines/straplines and captions. The styling, photography and layout of your digital pages must follow a house-style and format that is aligned with the ethos and design of the site and the digital publication chosen.
LANDING PAGE – The equivalent of a cover in Digital publishing that leads you to click onto the fashion story beyond.
This is the most important page to your Editor-in-Chief. It leads the visitor on into the site and must be engaging. It must be dynamic. Convey exactly what lies beyond and fit in with the rest of the site in both graphics and overall style. Here a gif or moving image may be used or an alternative viewpoint of a follow-on image. Simplicity is key to draw attention and engage.

Follow-on Fashion shoot – 5 shots/pages: Either in a carousel of images or all together to be clicked on to expand and explore.
Whilst planning your shoots you will need to consider studio vs. location and appropriate model selection. Making sure you choose an environment, props, and talent that will best depict the mood, story, and digital-site ethos. Also consider composition, pose, lighting, camera angle, and the weather. You can also use some still life within the 5 page fashion story (each image doesn’t have to feature a model).
Carefully consider postproduction options, retouching, cropping, frames, text, typeface, and additional graphics layered over etc.... 

Assessment AE1 – Research & Development via a Reflective Digital Journal + 500 word Proposal.
The first assessment will be evaluated on the Proposal for your finished project and on your digital journal of research and development via a reflective blog, specific to this module. This blog will provide you with an opportunity to discuss your thoughts and discoveries and gain ongoing feedback on your proposed concept for your editorial pages and show the development of your ideas and where they came from and will back up your finished proposal.
From the beginning of your blog discuss the research, concept development and design processes. The following points must be considered. You can use vlogging and screen capture in addition/instead of to text based posts:
Definition of your customer/reader profile.
Evidence of digital editorial, commercial considerations and layout including trend research.
Evidence of concept development for the shoot proposal from landing page to content.
Evidence of exploration and explanation of how your decisions are relevant to your chosen site and its customer, and how the content will help the site expand its market.
You must also be prepared to answer questions and respond to feedback effectively both from the peer group and via one-to-one tutorials.

You must send your Proposal and link to your finished blog to myCourse on 19th February 2015, before 10pm.

Assessment Criteria Checklist:

• ❒  Communication and understanding of reader/customer profile, site ethos and concept development.
  
• ❒  Presentation skills of your Journal including images to back up your copy.
  
• ❒  Evidence of research.
  
• ❒  Comprehensive Proposal that outlines the concept of your final project