For this task, we have been asked to sign and create physical badges as part of our music project. I personally really like the idea of badges, although I don't like the actual feel of them unless they're quite small and use those sharp needles rather than the safety pin kind of stuff.
So, the first thing I did was look at inspiration for these. I used the Mind Shrine album covers EP and IS IT YOU? Looking at the green and the yellow of IS IT YOU? along with the blue from EP made me want to make the pin collection cycle through red, green, yellow and blue. This is because I wanted to wear these badges, and if I have multiple colours then I can style them with outfits.
The process of making these was quite easy, just get the two album covers and make eight ins from them. I first use the four pictures of the band members from IS IT YOU? as badges, since that seems the easiest thing to do. I then changed their colours. The other badges weren't so simple.
The blue badge that says Mind Shrine is like this because I already used this logo in my lyric graphic, and since this is already round I felt like it would transfer into a badge very easily. The blue one that looks like my Lino piece is thee because, well it is my Lino piece! I inverted it so the black would be white and put a blue background it because it contrasts well with a lot of blue and a little white with a lot of white and little blue. The green Mind Shrine badge Is from their IS IT YOU? cover, where I just copy and paste a bunch to make it look like that, along with colouring the background a very very very light grey. And finally, the middle one was made by simply selecting the IS IT YOU? graphic on the album cover and pasting it into photoshop.
Also, how do I make this? Well since I didn't have as much time to work on this as others I can't go too in-depth into what's been done, along with not taking any photos because I simply didn't have time, but enough excuses for my poor work, how did I actually make it?
I used a couple of things. I mainly used this big metal press. It involved a large lever, a piece of metal that pushes down, along with this other piece with a spring on. This other part is where you first put your metal disk with the edge (This is the main thing that keeps the badge design on) along with your cutout picture of choice and a plastic circle to protect the said design. After this, you place the other spring thingy under then press and pull down. After pulling down, you then turn around the spring thingy and place it in the slot at the top the part that clips onto your shirt. You have to make is that the side with the sharp needle is facing towards the metal, not at you. After this, you simply put it back in, pull down the lever until it doesn't go down anymore and take out the machine to receive your badge! It sounds complicated but by my third badge, I got pretty good at it.
Well, that's enough unnecessary information, now that you know the research and process of these badges, let's finally analyze and reflect on the final product.
This is the final product! I will be honest, it didn't exactly didn't come out how I wanted it to, but that's because of my own fault mainly, but there are also faults, but I will get back to that later. I should also say that the one in the middle is a mistake, I didn't mean to make that one but I forgot to put the plastic on, so it doesn't work very well. Anyways, let's do the final reflection.
What do I think of the work I have produced here? I think it's pretty good if I do say so myself, although I feel like if I had a second chance of making this I would make it a hundred times better, which shall be shown in my post about GIFs once I Finish that since that one is gonna be a really long one.
Was it successful? Well, some of these were successful, all but one, but that's my own fault since I forgot to put the plastic sheet over it. The look also didn't come out how I wanted it to, but I couldn't control that part at the moment since somebody else was printing them.
What would I do differently? I don't think I would do anything differently, actually, I lie. The only change I would do is on the template, it has a grey circle and a black circle. I made all of these but one to the size of the grey circle, when in reality I should have done them all to the size of the black circle, but keeping the main graphic in the grey circle.
How could I develop this further? I could begin using different-sized badges rather than just the one, and possibly try different types of paper to see how they would look. I would also try simply more designs to print on. Apart from that though, these sorts of badges are quite limited compared to other types of badges that are made of full metal, but at least for this course, that's a little too expensive.
Would I come back to this? If I want something that's really easy to create, absolutely. The badges are very simple but moderately effective and interesting. For me though? I love complicated, so such a process would only be left on the back burner unless I wanted something quick. I could be wrong though so let's see.
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