Craig Oates: Graphics Projects

LingQ German Grammar Pack

Mon, 09 May 2022 13:48:30 +0000

I have made a 'grammar pack' for the German language based on the grammar guide at LingQ. The pack consists of three things. They are: * a book * a pack of (playing) cards * a collection of desktop wallpapers/backgrounds. You can download them all using the link at the end of this page. I must stress here, though, **this pack is a prototype**. So, you should expect spelling errors, alignment problems and other unforeseen mistakes. Before getting too far in to this overview, I though it would be a good idea to explain what/who LingQ is/are. With that said, I don't want to put words into their month. So, here is how LingQ describe themselves, > LingQ is a fun, simple way to learn languages from authentic, interesting > content. Learning the language from the language itself, just as most children > learn their own language. If you would like to know more about them, there is a link at the bottom which will take you to their website. Also, **I am not associated with them in any way.** I'm a customer and nothing more. I decided to make this collection of 'toys' for two reasons. The first is because I haven't done a graphic design project in a long time which was getting to me. The second one is because I wanted a way to exposed myself to the German grammar rules in a passive way. If you haven't guessed yet, I'm using LingQ to learn German. So, I will need to know how the grammar works if I want to reach a reasonable level. As I stated above, this version of the grammar pack is a prototype -- the second prototype actually. Because of this, I've based the designs on what I need/want with the hardware/tools available to me. So, the wallpapers might not sit well on your screen, the front cover/book might be unprintable. ## The Book On LingQ's website, they have a grammar guide alongside the languages they offer (German in my case). So, I've taken the German guide and arranged it into a book (for myself first and foremost). I did this because I don't like sitting at my computer all the time for reading.

LingQ Grammar Guide Book 1.

The book itself is A5 and about forty sides (twenty pages) long -- when printed, folded and stapled together. The layout of the text means you will need a double-sided A4 printer. If you haven't got one, you can print all the odd pages first and then print all the even pages on the reverse-side. Unfortunately, each printer is different so you might need to play around with yours. I printed mine on 80 gsm cartridge paper. The finish is not the best but it's good enough.

LingQ Grammar Guide Book 2.

When you have everything printed, you will need to bind it. I did this using a long-arm stapler. There are other ways you can bind it but that is something beyond the scope of this overview. Instead, I will leave a link at the bottom for a quick guide, by WikiHow, to get you started. The front cover is a novel feature. You don't need it but the book does feel _fancy_ with it. To print it, you will need an A3 printer. If you don't have one, you can print the first page of the book on some card or leave it out. The content in the book is the most important thing. I printed my front cover on 250 gsm glossy photo paper which made it quite sturdy and the text is sharp. With that said, feel free to use whatever paper you prefer.

LingQ Grammar Guide Book Cover.

I will end this section by saying the front cover is not my finest work. It's very rough and the trimmarks are a little under 10 mm off -- even when printed at 100% scale. I did this because it's a prototype and wanted some wriggle-room and my maths is rubbish. For a nice (nicer) finish, trim the bound book (including the front cover) on a (good) guillotine. Also, make sure the printer is not set to 'fit to page', it must be '100%'. ## Playing Cards The cards are nothing more than a reduced version of the book. Some of the cards will not make sense unless you've read the book/actual grammar guide. My intention with these was to have a way to expose the grammar guide to me in a passive manner. I can't read the book all the time and I won't have the book with me at all times, either.

Printed playcards which I've laminated.

The design of the cards allows you to have a front and a back if you want. This is easier if you have a (A4) printer which does double-sided printing but it's not essential. I've marked all the front-facing designs with an 'a' and the back-facing ones with 'b' in the filenames. So, 'lingq-printing-sheet-1**a**-p2.png' is the **front** and 'lingq-printing-sheet-1**b**-p2.png' is the **back**. If you can't do a double-sided print, print the 'a' sides first and then flip them around and print the 'b' sides on the back. You will find they don't line up as well but they should be close enough for you to use them. I printed my cards on 160 gsm matt card and laminated them with pouches 60 micron thick. I did a few tests using thicker paper and laminate pouches and they are more robust. With that said, my current set-up is fine. They don't feel like they're going to fall apart any time soon. ## Desktop Wallpapers/Backgrounds The wallpaper designs are an extension of the playing cards. They are another way for me to expose myself to the German language and its rules in a passive manner.

An example of how the desktop wallpapers look.

As an aside, I use 'wallpaper' and 'background' interchangeably. So, if say 'desktop wallpaper' and it makes no sense, replace 'wallpaper' with 'background'. This project's main purpose is to help *me* learn German grammar. Because of this, the set of wallpapers I've created are all in one size (2560x1440 px). This is the screensize I use the most so I made sure the designs fit that the best. I've found, though, if you set your wallpaper to 'scaled', they should look okay on most widescreen monitors. Unfortunately, each operating system has a different way of setting their wallpapers. So, I'm gonna have to leave you hanging with regards to showing you how to change you wallpaper. ## File Breakdown The grammar pack comes as a .zip file so you need to unzip it after you've downloaded it. This should be a case of right-clicking on the file and selecting something along the lines of *'7-Zip -> Extract Here'*. Again, each operating system is different in this regard so, if you're unsure, you might need to look-up how to do it. After you have unzipped the file, you will find the following file structure, ``` lingq-german-p2 ├── wallpapers │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-verb-tenses.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-understanding-cases.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-subjunctive.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-seperable-and-inseperable-prefix-verbs.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-relative-pronouns.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-prepositions.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-passive-voice.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-numbers.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-nouns.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-nouns-gender.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-intro-to-verbs.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-constructing-sentences.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-conditions-and-imperatives.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-articles.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-p2-4-adjectives.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-base-p2-3.png │ ├── desktop-wallpaper-base-p2-2.png │ └── desktop-wallpaper-base-p2-1.png ├── playing-cards │ ├── lingq-printing-sheet-5b-p2.png │ ├── lingq-printing-sheet-5a-p2.png │ ├── lingq-printing-sheet-4b-p2.png │ ├── lingq-printing-sheet-4a-p2.png │ ├── lingq-printing-sheet-3b-p2.png │ ├── lingq-printing-sheet-3a-p2.png │ ├── lingq-printing-sheet-2b-p2.png │ ├── lingq-printing-sheet-2a-p2.png │ ├── lingq-printing-sheet-1b-p2.png │ └── lingq-printing-sheet-1a-p2.png └── book ├── lingq-german-grammar-guide-p2.3.pdf ├── lingq-german-grammar-guide-p2.3-1.pdf (for single-sided printing) └── lingq-german-grammar-guide-front-cover-p2.1.png ``` Within the 'lingq-german-p2' folder, there are three folders: * book * playing cards * wallpapers Within those folders are the files relating to those 'mini-projects'. At this point, it is a case of opening the files and seeing what's in there. If you're struggling with any of the above, I've created a thread in LingQ's forums. So, feel free to head over to that and ask any questions you have. The link (like the rest of them) is below. Last of all, I, again, can't stress this enough: the designs included here are all prototypes. And, more importantly, they are aimed at solving *my* problems first-and-foremost. The people I expect to find the most use from everything listed above are people who like to tinker and make things. I wouldn't be surprised if people used these files as nothing more than a starting-point for their own projects. Everything included here is incomplete and requires you to have reasonable computer skills. The designs are not 'finished products'. With that said, I don't want to discourage people from wanting to learn and make things. So, if you're wanting to improve your computer/design/making skills, I think this is a good project to try your hand at. ## Links * [German Grammar Pack: Prototype2](/storage/view/craig/media/lingq-german-p2.zip) (Approx. 30MB) * [LingQ German Grammar Guide](https://www.lingq.com/en/grammar-resource/german/) * [LingQ Forum](https://www.lingq.com/en/community/forum/content-forum/consuming-lingqs-german-gramma) * [WikiHow Book Binding Guide](https://www.wikihow.com/Bind-a-Book) *The images below are a selection of the project's files to give you an example of what the designs look like. Download the 'lingq-german-p2.zip' file above to see all the files.* ��

Shama Snake Album Designs

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 12:39:58 +0000

Shama Snake is a musician I worked with during the release of her first album, Surya. I was tasked with creating covers for her album and E.P's. You can listen to shama Snake on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/1IrVqkoTjslq79n1jNBJQX). If you would like to see some concept designs of the album and E.P. covers, head over to the [shama Snake Concept Designs](https://www.craigoates.net/sketchbook/view/craig/shama-snake-concept) sketchbook.

Unicorns Children's Yoga Logo

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 12:55:40 +0000

Unicorns Children's Yoga provides yoga classes for children, in a fun and interactive way. They are based in Cheshire, U.K. If you would like to know more, head over to their [Facebook Page](https://www.facebook.com/unicornsyoga). They asked me to design a logo for them and that is what I did. I provided a colour and grey-scale version of said logo.

ML Commercial Services

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 14:44:18 +0000

ML Commercial Services provide vehicle and maintenance services. In 2017, when the company was established, I was tasked with some design work. I was responsible for the companies logo, business cards and van wraps. Below are the designs I came up with. ML Commercial Services is based in Wrexham, U.K. and for more information of them, please use the following links: - [ML Commercial Services Website](https://www.mlcommercialserv.uk/) - [Facebook Page](https://www.facebook.com/MLCOMMERCIAL/) - [LinkedIn Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ml-commercial-services-ltd) *Please note, some of the information on the designs are no longer correct. Please use the links above for the latest information.*

The Bus Yard

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 15:28:57 +0000

The Bus Yard is a pop-up food and drinks venue based at Liverpool's Crosby Marina (U.K.). My task was to design the companies logo. If you would like to know more about The Bus Yard, please use the following links: - [The Bus Yard Facebook Page](https://www.facebook.com/TheBusYards/) - [The Bus Yard Instagram Page](https://www.instagram.com/the_bus_yard/) - [The Bus Yard Linktree](https://linktr.ee/thebusyard) - [Secret Liverpool Article](https://secretliverpool.co/the-bus-yard/) (This Double Decker Bus Bar With Street Food And Music Has Returned To Crosby Marina) - [Secret Liverpool Article](https://secretliverpool.co/the-bus-yard-baltic-triangle/) ( The Much-Loved Double Decker Bus Bar Is Returning To Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle This Month) - [Liverpool ONE Article](https://www.liverpool-one.com/whatson/the-bus-yard-at-liverpool-one/) (The Bus Yard at Liverpool ONE) The general direction of the design was established very early on so there wasn't much variation is the designs during the creation process. With that said, you can see some of the concepts which didn't make the cut in 'The Bus Yard Concept Designs' sketchbook. - [The Bus Yard Concept Design Sketchbook](https://www.craigoates.net/sketchbook/view/craig/the-bus-yard-concept-designs) One of the requirements of the brief was to design the 'main' logo and provide a collection of variations of it. The reason for this was so the people at The Bus Yard could easily integrate the logo into future marketing material, signage, uniforms Etc. The outcome of the project is the series of images below. ��

Oh So British

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 21:19:14 +0000

Oh So British Street Food is an events and corporate catering specialists. If you would like to know more about them, use the following links: - [Oh So British Website](https://www.ohsobritishkitchen.co.uk) - [Oh So British Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/ohsobritishkitchen/) - [Oh So British Facebook Page](https://www.facebook.com/ohsobritish/) The design work I've done for Oh So British usually required 'easy integration' into other projects. The main reason for this is because I was not the only designer they worked with. So, making it easy for other designers to integrate my stuff into theirs was important. If you look at the signage they use at events, you will see my designs integrated into said signage alongside additional content.

Return to Ritherdon Repository Logos

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 18:02:32 +0000

This was just a bit of fun whilst working on the Return to Ritherdon project. I created logos for the main software repositories used within the project. The designs are very simple but I made them on a whim when there was a bit of downtime. If you would like to know more about the software these logos are connected to, please use the link below: - [Return to Ritherdon Software Repositories Page](https://git.abbether.net/return-to-ritherdon) (the Git repositories) At this point, I think it would be wise to say these logos represent only a single part of the Return to Ritherdon project with a very loose connection, at best. If anything, they are just a bit fun my end. Return to Ritherdon, in its full guise, was a two year residency. It was devised by Nicola Ellis alongside Ritherdon & Company Ltd and Castlefield Gallery. It was, also, funded by Arts Council England. More information is provided at: - [Return to Ritherdon Doc's](https://git.abbether.net/return-to-ritherdon/rtr-docs) (Explains how and why each project was created and how they are connected to each other) - [Nicola Ellis](http://www.nicolaellis.com) - [Ritherdon & Company Ltd.](https://ritherdon.co.uk) - [Castlefied Gallery](https://www.castlefieldgallery.co.uk/) - [Arts Council England](https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/)

Amazing Animal Alphabet Graphics Projects

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 23:17:42 +0000

This project is a spin-off of the [Amazing Animal Alphabet game](https://www.craigoates.net/software/view/amazing-animal-alphabet). Whilst designing visual assets for the game, I liked how the drawings of the animals looked as standalone images. This encouraged me to create more *graphics-based* things with them. This lead to me creating this page. If you have visited the page for the [Amazing Animal Alphabet game](https://www.craigoates.net/software/view/amazing-animal-alphabet), you would have seen a download link for an ebook version of the game. This has been the case since the beginning of that page's existence. I resisted uploading more of the graphics-based things because I thought it made the page too confusing. I didn't want a page in the 'Software' section with non-software related stuff on it. So, I limited it to the ebook and left it at that. The situation changed when I added a 'Graphics' section to the site (June 2022). When I jumped back into the source code to add the Graphics section to the site, this project was one of the motivators for making sure I finished it. I've split this overall project into two smaller ones. They are: 1. eBook (.epub and .pdf versions) 2. Posters (.png files only) The ebook is a picture-book version of the game. It doesn't contain the animations or sounds-effects which might be something you prefer over the game. A child pressing the same button over-and-over again is one way to make a parent mad. The .ebook and .pdf versions of the book are the same, regarding formatting and layout. The reason for the two file-types is so you can choose you're preferred file format. For the posters, there are twenty-seven .png files in total. Twenty-six of them focus on a particular letter/animal. The last one is a group poster with all the animals/letters on it. The file sizes are quite large but they allow you to print up to A1 (594x841 mm), if you have the means to. ## Links - [Amazing Animal Alphabet Game](https://www.craigoates.net/storage/view/craig/media/amazing-animal-alphabet-win10) - [Amazing Animal Alphabet eBook](https://www.craigoates.net/storage/view/craig/media/amazing-animal-alphabet-epub) - [Amazing Animal Alphabet Book](https://www.craigoates.net/storage/view/craig/media/amazing-animal-alphabet-ebook-pdf) (.pdf) - [Amazing Animal Alphabet Posters Collection](https://www.craigoates.net/storage/view/craig/media/amazing-animal-alphabet-posters) (.zip, contains all twenty-seven images) *The images below are a selection of the project files. Use the links above to download the complete collection.*