Pixel and Resolution Sizes

Its important before designing that I know the pixel and sizing of what I am designing for although of course I wont be making the app it'll be good to know the canvas size that I should be working at. I only got the specs for the latest iphone/pad since we aren't making it I don't have to worry too much about other sizes.

The iPhone 5 specs: 1136 by 640 with a 326 ppi resolution

The iPad Air- 2048 by 1536 with a 264 ppi resolution

http://www.apple.com/uk/iphone-5s/specs/
http://www.apple.com/uk/ipad-air/specs/

Pop Art- Andy Warhol...

I was inspired by the I-tunes advert to look into pop art which of course instantly led me to Andy Warhol, the blocks of colour used look brilliant and the flat simplicity of the style could be translated easily into my app.

The Monroe screenprints are probably the most famous out of his work, I love the colours used, how blocks of colour dominate the background and only hints of texture are introduced through the shading, it definitely has a hippie feel which would match the Glastonbury roots of my brand and would be iconic enough perhaps to ensure interest.

Andy Warhols flowers are incredibly simple (simplicity is the key to my app so I want to try and keep the app style simple too). The bright solid flowers contrast with the grass background texture - Perhaps I could mimic this using fruit? 

I like the repetition evident within the Campbells soup screenprint, its something that I would definitely like to mimic since I think its a really fun way to convey something quickly- I could fill the promo with repeats of the different fruit. Or all the different bottles perhaps!

Thoughts so far...

Because Glastonbury has 70's roots I think incorporating this within my app will really separate it visually from the other festival cider brands already research. The Brothers label has a carnivalesque style to it so I don't think it would be too out there. As well as this theres a strong musical element because of Glastonbury anyway and I'm toying between using T-rex or some other kind of upbeat hippish band to make my trailer to. Of course I will have to make sure that the Brothers branding isn't lost within the idea but I think if I use certain colours that it could work.

I plan on looking into:

Pop Art- the Itunes advert reminded me a lot of pop art with its squares of colour and I think I could use this within my work.

Exploding fruit- Its a huge aspect within a lot of the adverts including Brothers's own and I think it could be translated into a game.

Brothers Brand- Glastonbury

Since Brothers is a festival cider, advertises itself as a festival cider and has a heritage linked to Glastonbury (the current Brothers made a name for themselves selling their pear festival cider at Glastonbury in 1995). I decided to investigate Glastonbury in hopes that I could create a visual style revolving around this festival.

Initial thoughts about Glastonbury
Hippies
Music
Glamrock
Farm
Tents
Pyramid Stage
Flags
Rain
Party

Glastonbury began in 1970 the day after Jimmy Hendrix died and continues to this day. It really began with a hippie influence (their are peace signs next to the stage) which is somewhat in play today. The very first line up consisted of nine artists:
Al Stewart, T-Rex, Quintessence, Amazing Blondel, Stackridge, Steamhammer, Keith Christmas, Ian A Anderson and Sam Apple Pie.

In 1978 the festival was not on but 500 people still came to attend, an impromptu festival was organised and those performing went onto a stage being powered by a caravan.

In 1994- The Pyramid Stage burnt down, and a wind turbine appeared beside the main stage.

In 1995- The Year the Brothers sold their pear cider and Glastonbury's 25th anniversary the Dance Tent was introduced. Acts Included, Massive Attack, The Cure, PJ Harvey, Portishead and Oasis.

Some Glastonbury promotional posters:

 I love the hippie element to this poster above, the psychedelic colours and curves all allude to a relaxed peace and love festival.

 I think the pyramid stage poster is one of my favourites, i really like how the pattern has been used within the background and the little peace sign that occupies the corner of the stage.

 The type above mimics that of the Glastonbury sign- much like the Hollywood sign the Glastonbury sign is situated on a small hill within the festival although its far brighter and more textural. I am considering using a similar font style to make my play and menu buttons since I think its very iconic to glastonbury.

http://www.capricorn1.co.uk/images/products/Glastonbury_1.jpg
http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/history/1981/
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=glastonbury+posters&espv=210&es_sm=91&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=qo-LUveyGsfAhAeYuYGwDw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1259&bih=847#es_sm=91&espv=210&q=glastonbury%20posters&tbm=isch&imgdii=_
http://www.songkick.com/festivals/585-glastonbury/id/710796-glastonbury-festival-1970

iPhone Usability and Gestures...

The usability and gestures for the iPhone are much the same as the iPad but I've found another article which really highlights the interface and usability which I'm going to similarly quote from and add insights below.
The interface

"Grids of apps fill as many pages as needed, with each new page stacking to the right of the home one. Swipe left and you’ve got the quick search facility for looking up apps, contacts, emails and much more besides." 

"Tap the home button and it’ll close the app you’re in and take you back to the homescreen. Double tap and you can see all the apps you’ve got running.Swipe down from the top edge of the screen and you’ve got a notifications tray that shows the weather at the top (tap to see more detail), stocks at the bottom, and all the various notifications about new emails, messages on Twitter or upcoming appointments in between."

http://www.trustedreviews.com/apple-iphone-5_Mobile-Phone_review_ios-6-interface-and-usability_Page-3 

Overall the interface is much like the iPad only smaller and because of the size apps and screens are little more condensed. Keeping it simple keeps the overall usability simple. The Gestures are much the same as the iPad although they accommodate for the smaller screen.

Gestures

Swipe,- a left to right finger swipe
Drag,-holding and dragging
Scroll - down swipe movement
Flick- fast downward swipe flicks pages down
Tap- select
Pinch- zoom in and out

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2747299

Usability iPad- Gestures/Movements etc...

As it was highlighted in the brief I did a small amount of research into usability and gestures although because I'm familiar with apple software most of it seems fairly straightforward. I also commented on gestures and usability throughout my app research.

I found this article which really explains the usability and how to use elements for the iPad very simply so I'm going to quote from it below and offer any insights afterwards.

Usability

"Most navigation on the iPad is done with simple touch gestures, such as touching an icon to launch the application or swiping your finger left or right across the screen to move from one screen of icons to the next. These same gestures can do different things based on the application your are in"

"In addition to tapping the screen and moving your finger across the screen, you will occasionally need to touch the screen and hold your finger down. For example, when you touch your finger against an application icon and keep your finger held down, you will enter a mode that allows you to move the icon to a different part of the screen."

"Apple's design is to have as few buttons as possible for better usability on the exterior of the iPad as possible, and one of the few buttons on the outside is the Home Button."

The Home Button is used to wake the iPad when it is sleeping. It is also used to exit out of applications, and if you have put the iPad into a special mode (such as the mode that allows you to move application icons), the home button is used to exit that mode."

http://ipad.about.com/od/iPad_Guide/ss/iPad-101-New-Users-Guide-Install-Move-Delete-Folders.htm

Gestures

 I looked into gestures for the iPad although they are much the same as the iPhone

Swipe,- a left to right finger swipe
Drag,-holding and dragging
Scroll - down swipe movement
Flick- fast downward swipe flicks pages down
Tap- select
Pinch- zoom in and out


Because of the bigger screen there is also a mulit-touch element with a 5 finger pinch motion being incorporated into the gestures.

Overall the iPad and its app's occupy the realm of simplicity which I think is what makes it so easy to use. This should be mimicked in my own app design and I should accommodate for the simple buttons and navigation style when designing.

Trailers/Promo's With Strong Musical Influence...

Music was an aspect highlighted in our brief and although a lot of the promo's I looked into had a musical presence I wanted to look into trailers (animated trailers in particular since this is what we have to create) that really highlighted the music. As well as this I wanted to look out how other brands have visually portrayed their brands within adverts.




I actually really love the I-tunes advert because its so simple but its got a great style, the bright blocks of colour that change with each silhouette really helps to indicate the wide audience. But mostly I love the vibrancy and I definitely want to experiment with blocks of colour particularly since my brand manipulates bold blue and yellows. The integration of the beat within the dance moves and the cuts works really well and I like how sometimes the words are being mimed by the variety of characters. One of my favourite trailers so far especially since its very fast paced as well. Again its clean clear and devoid of any texture which matches the apple brand.




The new John Lewis Christmas advert was one that I've seen on TV recently (although of course the subject matter relates in no way to my own) and theres a clear musical influence which I think really makes the trailer. Whilst I find the whole styling of the trailer incredibly sweet and I love the two characters and the overall message, I think its Lily Allen's saccharine vocals that really helps to embed the tone and message to the trailer. The lighter segment of the music times perfectly to the happier ending and theres a clear sense of friendship thats conveyed through the music. What starts as a fairly melancholy song appropriately lightens which is visually displayed through the animation. The animation itself is gorgeous, the 2D characters are perfectly balanced between realism and flat cartoon and contrast against the small sections of reality- the 3D present and the more realistic trees and background setting. The lighting is also impeccable which introduces some lovely shadows, a golden glow and easy transitions between the seasons. The text element is also really lovely - small sentences at the beginning and the end that help to round of the story and give it a story book theme.




The Factory Coca Cola advert is actually really impressive and I like how the fantastical element is introduced through this little factory world. The music matches that styling implicitly and I like how sound effects have been used to generate a realism. Theres a good sense of pacing to the trailer which is exemplified by the music. The branding is evident through the label and at the end of the trailer.