Friday 28 February 2014

Champneys - Marbling Sample Manipulation.

Once the prints had dried we scanned them in to prepare to manipulate them, as even though we liked them we felt that they could be enhanced to make them even more successful and visually appealing. Here are some examples of the processes some of the prints went through to get to the desired end result.


With this example we loved the shapes that had been created but felt that the colours were slightly dull. By changing the hue, upping the saturation and contrast we made something that was a lot more exciting as the colour is much more vibrant and the shapes and design is now a lot clearer.




This sample changed a great deal as the colour was altered dramatically, we felt the orange wasn't as suitable for our target audience and the brand we are trying to create. In addition to add a contrast in hue, colour replace was used to add the purple tones.




The shapes from this design are extremely exciting but we felt that the murky colours didn't reflect this. By altering the contrast and saturation the shapes are now even more visible and the colours make it very engaging.




Here are some further examples of the edited prints:







Champneys - Marbling Experiments.

From our research we had decided that we didn't want to go along the route of a floral pattern as the current market is saturated with that kind of design and we wanted something that would stand out and be memorable for the audience. We purchased marbling inks online and were excited to see what kind of results we would get. Initially we were quite underwhelmed as the patterns that we were producing were nothing like what we had imagined as they were very dotty and the colours weren't merging together. However after some perseverance and adding a great deal more ink the results were hugely more successful and we began to experiment with a variety of stocks: card, watercolour, coloured etc and also added some addition dye to create more depth. Overall this was a great learning experience and we are both very pleased with the results.













Elmwood - Evaluation.

Concept generation was a big part of this brief and I feel I really improved on it during this process as the aim was to think of something new and original that would stand out on the market. Once the concept was decided it then had to be developed into a firm aesthetic and applied to a range of products with a consistent appearance. I feel like this is something I have always done but not necessarily to the level I pushed it during this brief.

The research aspect of this project developed quite a lot through the process as the concept became clearer and more defined. For example at the beginning I looked into more broad themes such as general taxi branding in the Leeds area, I found that it was all very similar with the companies often using sans serif type faces and a red and blue colour palette. I thought this was very generic and I wanted something that would stand out from this competition. As my idea developed to the funfair theme I looked more specifically into those kind of aesthetics that I feel really enhanced the design and added authenticity.

A strength of this brief was the clarity of my concept as I was chosen to go to the Elmwood studio to pitch it to them. I was very proud of this achievement as it was something I hadn’t expected. I found during this pritch my presentation skills were strong and I could talk about my ideas confidently. I feel this was due to the level of practice we have had during the time on the course.


I think a weakness of this project was the overall quality of this design. Even though the concept was strong I feel the visuals could have been improved to meet the same standard. The end results were also something that didn’t fit with my current aesthetic style so would look out of place in a portfolio.

Wednesday 26 February 2014

R.T Millinery - Evaluation.

An aspect I improved on and learnt a lot about during this brief was interacting and communicating with a client as this is something I hadn’t experienced before. I learnt the importance of clear emails and fast replies and also how necessary it is to try and meet someone in person as things become clearer and get resolved at a much faster pace. I have also learnt how to develop my own initial ideas into something that pleases the client without losing my personal opinions and design integrity.

For the research for this project I looked closely into each of the products I had to produce. For example current look books to gain inspiration for layout design and how to arrange all of the content. I also looked at current millinery branding and found that the majority of it was very traditional with the use of serif typefaces and organic imagery. However I found that the most successful had a contemporary approach which is how I move forward with my designing.

A strength of this brief would definitely be the level of development, especially in regards to the business cards as they changed a great deal across the process. I feel this was definitely due to having a live client as there were adaptations to be made that I wouldn't have considered before hand. I also had to create a larger range of items to get an idea of her taste.


During the process of this brief I feel I have learnt a lot about the complications of working with a real client. This was my lonest brief, not of choice but because o lot of things kept cropping up and a lot of the time I was waiting for content to be supplied. From this I think I could have been clearer on deciding upon a final deadline of a completion date and on both sides when certain aspects needed to be provided. As I feel the length of this brief was unnecessary and could have been avoided.

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Yearbook - Contacting a Photographer.

As there would be a lot of photographed content in this publication we felt it would be necessary to get a photographer to assist us throughout the process. Beth got in touch with a contact and we liaised with her for the rest of the brief.



Champneys - Product Primary Research.

The other day I visited some cosmetics shops in order to see what the current competition on the market would be. I also saw some more examples of the Champneys packaging that is on shelves at the moment.

When viewing the Champneys products I found that there was a lot more variation than I originally thought, this is mostly in regards to colour as the general design aesthetic remains quite consistent. Gold is a very common theme throughout, in some cases it works well but with particular colours it can look quite garish. I feel that the use of gold is to give a luxury and expensive aesthetic, however I feel that it can also make the design look slightly dated. I was glad to see a selection of gift bags as this proves that if we were to create one it would be relevant and fit with the brands current product selection. I find the point of sale, promotional poster above the collection to be very uninspiring. It seems very dull and does nothing for trying to connect with a younger target audience.








I briefly looked at the body shop window display that was showcasing the new scent for the new season. Colour has played a very important part in this range from the packaging, promotion and window displays. This is the case with all the different scents so it makes it easy to distinguish between them all. I feel that the advertising for this particular collection is really clever and I feel something similar to this would be suitable for the audience we will be targeting.




I feel that this example below is far too girly for what we are aiming to do. Even though we will be targeting young women I think this could be a little over the top and doesn't give off the contemporary look we are looking for. It also appears quite cheap due to the sickly colour palette and over the top accessorising bows.



The aesthetic of this packaging is more appealing yet I still think the colour palette is a bit too sweet and doesn't have enough bold contrast. I really like the choice of type and feel that it could stand alone, as at the moment it is getting overshadowed by the decorative logo and 'stamp' design.



The colours of these bottles are very intense and they are made even more so by the metallic lids. I feel this paired with the very flamboyant imagery creates a lot of impact. The bottles do stand out on the shelf and do shout at the consumer however I feel that they don't scream quality or luxury.




This packaging plays on the popular trend of the vintage flowers and does have a very cute appearance, especially when put against the polka dot print. The colours are very complimentary and also match the illustration style very well.




This design theme is based around the names of the products and their play on words. For example the product 'smooth moves' has an image of a chess piece etc. I feel this is an interesting idea and I like how the names are creative as they will appeal to the audiences humour. However I feel it could have executed to a higher standard.




There is a lot going on with this packaging from multiple textures and a large variation of typefaces. I feel like the toe is very distracting as none seem to fit with the other choices as the all seem to be fighting for attention which makes the hierarchy unclear.




I feel that this is the most successful example so far as the design is a lot more simple and contemporary. The colours used are similar to previous examples that I haven't liked, although with this design aesthetic the work so much more successfully. Because the branding isn't overly feminine it can pull off being mixed with girly colour tones.




I love the simplicity of the product packaging of these examples. I love the crisp white and how the pop of pink adds a great contrast. I feel the clear and white colour of the product itself is also successful as it makes it seem very fresh and natural and continues the strong colour palette. I feel the overall outcome would have been better if the outer packaging was as simple as the inside.





Next is Soap & Glory that plays very strongly on the vintage aesthetic. The type and image are very in your face but the product can pull it off due to the clever way it has been done. The black and white photographic images are also very quirky and eye-catching. This is another product that uses the play on words approach, although I feel that it is much more successful here, as the sayings have been documented in much more playful and original ways.





There were only a few Burt's Bees products but the quirky illustration really drew me in and I found them to be very engaging.



I feel the main competition for Champneys would be Sanctuary Spa as the products are the most similar and it also has the 'spa' link. At the moment I feel that the 16-25 age range would be a lot more attracted to the Sanctuary collections due to the more modern aesthetic. This brand also had tester samples which could be a good way of attracting new custom.