100 Things// Design Sheets

 Over the last couple of weeks I have been collecting a vast amount of information regarding blood diamonds, conflict diamonds and the diamond industry in general, as well as information about Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe. With this information I have to create 10 products that will express a collection, categorisation and then communication of all that information. The aims for me is to present information about conflict diamonds to the public in such a way that they can gain knowledge about the subject.
I have drawn up some design sheets to express some ideas and to get them down on paper so that they are not forgotten!

This is just a small diagram detailing all the avenues I could explore and some imagery that I think relates to the subject, the aim was to get some creative ideas flowing.

Using three keywords that have some context with my research I developed some areas I could look into with the products.

My first design sheet is all about Mugabe, his regime is strongly supported by the diamond industry in Zimbabwe. The worlds large mine is located there and directly linked to torture and murders of innocent civilians and well as funding violence elsewhere.

This poster idea is a big satirical and not to be taken seriously, I like the idea of satire because it can allow people to say almost anything and get away with it. Obviously I haven't really thought about this one, its just a bit silly.

This is a bit better, Zimbabwean dollars no longer exist as far as I know because local traders have given up using them due to horrendous inflation. Apparently most Zimbabweans use US dollars now. This is a nice idea that Mugabe's got his hands over his ears on the front of a Z$500,000,000 note (which actually existed).

This second design sheet is all about culture, its in our nature to do what authority tells us to do, and its also in our nature to rebel. The bracelets would be cheap rubber ones with images of diamonds on them, mocking real diamond bracelets that would cost thousands. I also played around with the obey giant.

Some pretty quick poster ideas here. All are a little symbolic and would need more products to back them up I think. But some of them still have some good theory behind them.

For example these two. The left hand one is a mock Pink Floyd poster with blood instead of a spectrum splashing out the other side. The right hand poster is a machete made out of diamonds, which is packed with symbolism.

Another quick design sheet and probably the first I drew out to get some quick ideas down. I've got some ideas for info graphics here as well as an early version of the diamond machete poster.

The info graphic could have a diamond at the centre and lots of facts and statistics on spurs what follow the angular edges of the diamond.

I could also produce some kind of film poster for the project, since my job is to inform the viewer, and there is so much information, I could point them towards a good documentary or film.

This is an idea I like of a child soldier line up. Silhouettes of children carrying guns and shovels will hopefully outline the use of child labour and child soldiers in areas where conflict diamonds are traded.

I could also make a t-shirt. I would have to screen print onto fabric to create these intricate designs but the idea is there. I suppose in retrospect there is probably little possibility that people would want to be seen in a t-shirt about blood diamonds so this idea will probably stop here.

Although I might borrow some of the ideas off the front of t-shirts and place them on posters if I still think that the idea is interesting when I get around to it.