Too Much Bloodshed:
Too Much Bloodshed, is a visual report/dissertation that explores the topic of UK knife crime. The initial contexts stage explores a range of potential factors that could be to blame, or that appeared frequently throughout my research; this includes funding cuts, poverty, education, as well as the debate surrounding music. On top of the contextual background, I then went on to explore current responses and initiatives that aim to deal with the problem in one way or another.
This body of work allowed me to explore a vast range of skills and areas, from layout and branding, to research methods and effectively referencing sources of inspiration and key theories.
It was vital to me that my chosen research topic was something I'd be able to study in depth and have a lot to talk about, whilst remaining passionate about what I was saying. So, despite being wary of the potential sensitivity and hard-hitting nature of this topic, I felt not enough noise was being made about such a serious issue, and it was important to try and open up this conversation. Although the link between the knife crime and fashion communication may not seem glaringly obvious to begin with, I knew that once I'd carried out research on such a broad and meaningful topic, I would find an appropriate angle.
Using what I'd learnt about the wider landscape, I then honed in on the idea of opportunities, or perhaps a lack of. My findings had led me to notice a gap in terms of relevant and accessible opportunities for young people, so this brought me on to looking in more depth at the youth services available in the UK. Using statistics in terms of those most affected by youth violence, alongside primary research findings from surveys and interviews, I came up with my key consumer areas. This in turn, led to market research and a focus on dissecting the consumers visual language; my idea was essentially to create a multi-functional youth service, using a visual code that actually resonated with them. A key finding throughout my competitor research in terms of existing youth-services, was a disconnect with their desired consumer, and in many cases, very cliché ideas of what young people are interested in.
The report documents my journey from contexts, all the way through to 'Mesh', the creative outcome, which you can find out more about, here.