OUGD505 - Design Production 2: Cruise Presentation and Written Brief

We have to present our research topic through a presentation, and discuss our idea for the next brief.

For my presentation, I had an introduction page to introduce what I researched, and a few dps's from my publication to show people what I am interested in from the research, and what I have produced.
I then have two slides dedicated to the two ideas that I have for Studio Brief 2.

Here are the rewritten briefs:

Idea 1
To create branding for a small cruise line, which departs from Southampton and travels to the Med.
I could create a website, brochures, cabin toiletries, amenities collateral, boarding passes, 18+ loyalty cards etc for it.
The one thing putting me off this, is that it might be too big of a project to do, as there is so much to do.

Idea 2
To create branding for a new excursions trip, which specialises in organising shore trips for cruise passengers from Barcelona.
This is a different direction from my original topic, and is a lot more manageable, but I don't know if it will be as fun.

Here is my presentation:

OUGD505 - Design Production 2: Studio Brief 2

We had a briefing for Studio Brief 2, and an exercise following that. The idea I have in mind for this brief is to create Cruise Line branding. Try and keep it small by having 3 ships in a fleet, embarking from Southampton and only going to the Mediterranean.

The exercise was to write down a list of as many words as you can think of in 3 minutes to do with your topic.

Cruises

• Travel
• Holiday
• Luxury
• Abroad
• Ship
• Swimming Pool
• Restaurants
• 24/7 Buffet
• Johnny Rockets
• Ice Cream
• Slushies
• Drink Card
• Cocktails
• Food Sculptures
• Exotic Food
• Sick Bags
• Photographers
• Gallery
• Formal Evenings
• Captain
• Cinema
• Shows
• Cabin
• View
• Windy
• Sun Lounger
• Destinations
• Mediterranean
• France
• Cannes
• Villafranche
• Monaco 
• Monte Carlo
• St Raphael
• Riviera
• Yachts
• Red Carpet
• Casino
• Italy
• Pompeii
• Naples
• Sorrento
• Sicily
• Naples
• Mascot
• Promenade
• Florence
• Pisa
• Trevi Fountain
• Leaning Tower
• Vatican City
• Four Scooped Icecream
• Hot
• Shoulders/Knees covered
• Spain
• Barcelona
• Park Guell
• Casa Batllo
• Gaudi
• Flamenco
• Water Fountain
• Valencia
• Palma
• Mallorca
• Corsica
• Turtles
• Croatia
• Dubrovnik
• Turkey
• Greece
• Santorini
• Alaska
• Caribbean
• America
• Australia
• Scandinavia
• On Board
• Boarding Pass
• Airplanes
• Family Holiday
• Towel Animals
• Workers - global
• Kids Club
• Water
• Waiters
• Photographers
• Merchendise
• Lifeguard
• Maids
• Receptionist
• Chef
• Sports Centre
• Rock Climbing Wall

Processes I Want To Try

Then we had to list processes that we wanted to try

• App design
• Coding
• Vinyl cutting
• Using 3D Workshop
• Branding Guidelines
• Advanced Form/Big Website
• Information/Wayfinding
• Editorial - printing externally
• Photographing work
• Photoshop Mockups

Products Interested In Creating

We were then asked to write a list of products we could create for this project

• In depth website - functional, viable, forms, corporate
• App Design
• Editorial design - brochure
• Matt lamination
• Mockups
• Branding Guidelines
• Email format
• Letterheads
• Banners
• Social media
• Drinks/loyalty card
• 18+ wristband/card
• Cabin toiletries
• Embossed soap
• Shower gel capsules
• Bottles
• Towel animals
• Towel animal handbook
• Do not disturb sign
• Biscuits
• Ship map
• Uniform
• Lanyard
• Stationary
• Ship merch
• Teddy
• Pens
• T shirts
• Walkway
• Directions
• Show advertising
• Sick bags
• Boarding pass
• Airplane material
• Mailshot
• Travel agents presence
• Swimming pool signage
• Health and safety

Audience

We then had to ask questions we didn't know about our audience

• Which particular audiences go at different times of year
• What nationalities go to certain destinations
• Biggest audience for med cruises
• What jobs/income do they have
• Why do they go on cruises
• Age
• How many fly/depart from own country
• What countries do they want to see
• Why is there so many ships in a fleet

After doing this I realised how much I could go with it, and that I should bring it back a bit because it is a very big task at the minute, and is unrealistic.

OUGD503 - Responsive: Future of Bacon Packaging - Submission

When you send off the work, you need to send a claims form (which the template is provided), register and make 3 A3 design boards.

Here are my design boards, explaining every part of the process, from concept to design decisions and the final products. Although they do have a lot of text on, these three boards are the only way to get across the whole project, so I felt it needed more text than usual.

Then I had to fill out the claims form, explaining why my pack is a winner.

To send it, I bought a flat pack carboard box, and put all the bacon packaging products in that. Then I bought a slightly bigger one to roll up the boards and put them in that box, which I then sent off.

Here is the proof of registration:

The results come out in the first week of April which is soon, but I'm not expecting anything as I wasn't happy with the outcome at all really. I don't think it was very innovative, and I don't have enough knowledge on packaging design to pick the correct materials etc.

OUGD503 - Responsive: Keith Baldock Artist Live Website

After I had coded the website, I then had to host it.

Here is the URL: http://www.brushclub.com/

From start to finish it took 3 days, and now this is my first fully functioning website! I am really happy with the outcome, although there is a couple things I would change as it doesn't look great on a big screen. But since then, I have learnt what to do next time, and the client is happy with it which is the main thing. 

The problems are the home page image is stretched, the text doesn't change size on different screen sizes which can compromise accessibility, and the footer isn't coded to be at the bottom, which can be fixed with padding-bottom. 

Other than that, the site works well, you can contact the artist and all of his images are displayed with no problems and is easy to use.

OUGD503 - Responsive: Uber Crit

This week we had an Uber crit on all the responsive brief's we have done so far.
I created boards for the occasion:

I only included a final image for each project, with a small explanation of the brief and my solution so people got the gist of it. I didn't include any developmental work as I just wanted impact boards, but I could have done better mock ups.

Here is my individual feedback:

Presentation

Strengths

• Works as a set
• Final products are impactful on every page
• Overall consistency and aesthetic style
• Really like how the images and type are balanced on the design boards

Suggestions

• Improve quality of photographs - bacon packaging
• The brief could be placed on boards to add clarity
• Companions - what was brief?
• Shorten the headers
• Make the text on the boards smaller
• Could use some more exciting structures on the boards

Project Management

Strengths

• Well managed with a wide variety of print and web based briefs. Ideas and concepts showcased well on all design boards.
• 'Coming Soon' shows project management and time keeping skills
• Final outcomes visible on your boards. Typeface created for some briefs which shows design skill and development

Suggestions

• More than one board for each brief showing products, range and distribution, as well as giving more in depth and information on each briefs board
• Unable to see progression on blog

Has Brief Been Answered?

Strengths

• All briefs feature a different concept, resolution and design styles
• What and Why have been answered continuously
• Companion - simple iconic symbols/images which represent animals
• You've answered your briefs constructively, effectively and professionally
• Danepak - very professional, I would purchase. Colours remind me of bacon. The pigs make a nice touch too

Suggestions

• Companions - show how the logo will look on the shops along with branded merch

Additional Comments

• Good variety of final outcomes, print, digital, web - shows strong and varied skill set
• Really love the concept for the Dialogue brief
• Crafting of packaging is well finished
• Digital execution is really good
• Mock up of pet shop logo could be added for further depth 

Feedback

I was really happy with the feedback - all the suggestions made were valid, and after looking at other peoples boards along with feedback I know I definitely need to start making mock ups when I produce designs. It looks more professional, and gives people context. I think it would be better to show product, range and distribution too. I think this session was really constructive for my individual feedback, and I know what to improve next time. But I also appreciated the positive feedback on consistency of boards, variety of briefs and my concept for Dialogue.

When I was making the boards for this session, the one I didn't change was Companions - this was an existing one that I gave to the client, and this is the only board which people have mentioned doesn't mention the brief. I'm happy that they picked this up, and it is the only one they felt didn't explain everything.

Collaborative Feedback

I was a bit apprehensive about this, because we only had one board, and hadn't included all the design, and the mock ups we had were of poor quality. I didn't really think to go further with these beforehand - and the next day they were all completely finished so would have been nice to get feedback on all of them. 

Anyway, this was the feedback we got which was all positive:

• Illustrations are really appropriate and well executed
• Illustrations are strong
• Concept is great - really interactive for kids + informative too
• A few print issues are clear
• The illustrations are fantastic!
• Really aesthetically appropriate and well executed
• I really like the Treetops Box, very warm, strong colours
• Illustrations suit target audience
• Seems that you've got all the elements you need to cut out
• Very thoughtout
• Lots of facts for children
• Incredibly child appropriate, I hope this goes down a storm with you
• Interactive and wonderfully engaging
• Gimme
• Check typesetting
• The illustrations are fantastic!
• Really strong powerful images, very fun, very playful

The only suggestions made we already realised before the crit - about type.
So overall we were obviously very happy about the feedback - I am just kicking myself in the teeth for not having more physical things to show really. I'm really glad people think it is appropriate for the brief, and we have worked very hard to make sure it answers the brief as much as we can, so it has paid off to get this feedback. 

OUGD505 - Design Production 2: Cruise - Final Crit Alterations

After the final crit on the publication, I had to change things anyway due to spelling errors and too big text, so I thought I would take board everything on that people had said and try out all of the suggestions.

This actually made my publication a lot better than it was, and I'm glad this crit was done at a point I could go back and make changes, as it has improved it for the better.

Feedback included:

• Make weight of lines thinner
• Make text smaller
• Use a sans serif for the bodycopy
• High resolution images
• Number placement on pictures could be more consistent

Alterations Development:

I started on the contents page as it is the first dps, and by getting this right with all the point sizes and gutters I could do the next pages more easily.
I also made the weight on the lines to 0.5pt.
I also made the bottom margin 25mm, not 20mm.

Here I tried a sans serif next to Rockwell, and I have to admit, the feedback was right and it does look better. I used Museo 500, and I have used Museo 900 for the headings.

I added a sub-heading, as since designing the original I have started noticing these a lot more in magazines and brochures, so it makes it more realistic and gives the viewer more of an idea of the content.

I had a 10mm space between the image and the sub-heading, and then a 7mm space between the sub-heading and bodycopy.

I also went into Photoshop, and made the image the right size, as previously I had stretched it in InDesign and it looked blurry.

Amenities

I then started on this page, and I desperately needed to sort out the top area of the text. I hate how there is a gap on one side. I added a subheading on this as well, so the viewer knows more about the introduction. 

I then made the secondary subheadings capital letters to match the subheadings.

Then I made the title on one line, and this looks a lot more balanced now.

I added more content to the introduction because I had lost of lot of space when reducing pt size and lengthening the title.

I then made the bodycopy 8.5pt as this is more descriptive, short bursts of information that is under the introduction.

I also added more content on these, so there was a 10mm gap til the photos.

One word of advice was to add the ship titles on the pictures, so I did that. I also made it 8.5pt, as it printed really big and doesn't need to be, it's only supposed to be a caption.

I also tried the captions started at the beginning of the margin, but this looked weird.

Here is the dps, and I think it looks a lot better and more polished.

I also made the pagenation smaller to 11pt.

I then realised I hadn't changed the bottom margin, so I went back and altered this.

Fly Cruise

Then I went onto the next page, and had quite a lot of space to fill. I added a subheading and moved the plane illustration to above the title rather than next to the itinerary. 

I then started fiddling about with the itinerary.

Embark from Southampton

I then started working on the next page.

To make it the height as photo, I added another day to the itinerary.

Here is the final dps.

I also changed the pagenation.

Mediterranean

Then I started working on the next dps which is around the mediterranean. I altered the photos so made them smaller and added the excursion title.

I then added a subheading.

Then I remembered I didn't change the margin bottom on the last dps, so went back and altered that.

Here is is finished.

I then darkened a lot of the photos because you couldn't see the white text behind it, and this makes it more legible. 

Back of Book

I altered all the point sizes and fonts on the back of the book, and added more information.

Here is the back of the book, and I am happy with it because it is appropriate.

Med

Back to the med dps, I had to add more content as when I reduced the pt size there was a lot of gaps. I made sure to follow the same gutter sizes.

Here is the final dps. 

Caribbean

Then I went onto the caribbean dps, and started doing the same format here, adding more content, darkening imags and adding captions, changing pt sizes and fonts and pagenation.

I added a subheading here, and altered all the spacing on the highlights section.

This is the final dps.

Front

Then I started working on the front, and I needed to find a high res image to use. This actually proved so difficult to get one big enough, and I really wanted a scene of Santorini. This is because it is really picteresque, on the coast and has blue and white buildings. This means the colour scheme will match the back of the book, and with it by the sea it relates to cruises as well as one of the destinations talked about in the book.

I moved the placement of the introduction.

I changed the image which is nice, but again not very sharp.

I changed it again and this time it is better resolution.

I decided to get rid of the including bit, because it's on the next page anyway in the contents and it didn't look right.

Scandinavia

I started doing the same for this dps as I had done for the med and caribbean.

I added more content which looked more full.

Here are the dps's for the destination pages.

Here shows that I changed the bottom margin to 25mm.

For the last page I just made all the text smaller, and felt like it looked fine as it was.

Here is the final booklet ready for print: