Preparing
Here are the projects that I have done:
- BEAR
- Yoke
- Future of Bacon Packaging
- Keith Baldock Artist
- Matthew Savage Photography
- P.A. Kelsall
- Sophie Davey Branding
- Air Up
- Companions Pet Shop
I then started to categorise them - I thought I could have a key going through the project report.
BEAR
- Collaborative
- Packaging
- Made/photographed
- YCN Competition
- Illustration
- Children oriented
- National
Yoke
- 3 Posters
- Exhibition
- Screenprinted/exhibited
- Design
- Photography
- Local
- Creatives
Future of Bacon Packaging
- Competition
- Packaging
- Assembled product/sent off
- Food
- Premium
- International
- Layout
Keith Baldock Artist
- Web design and coding
- Local
- Internet
- Portfolio
- Promotion
- Older audience
- Live Brief
- Traditional
- Layout
Matthew Savage Photography
- Website design
- Live Brief
- Collaborative
- Internet
- Promotion
- National
- Portfolio
- Potential clients
- Layout
P.A. Kelsall
- Live Brief
- Website design
- Internet
- Collaborative
- Local
- Portfolio/Contact
- Potential clients
- Layout
Sophie Davey Branding
- Logo, watermark, business card
- Live brief
- Internet/printed
- Local
- Copyright, branding
- Potential clients
- Logo design
Air Up
- Live Brief
- Logo and album cover
- Digitally
- Local
- Listeners
- Branding
- Illustration
- Typography
Companions Pet Shop
- Logo for signage
- Typography
- Illustration
- Logo Design
- Branding
- Typography
- Live Brief
- Local
- Customers
Category Names
Then I thought about what to name the different categories:
- Area of Design
- Audience
- Live/Competition/Exhibition
- Focus
- Region
- Medium
- Deliverable
Evaluation
Evaluation
I need to write an evaluation for each project, so I thought I would create an outline of what I will talk about, or rather points to consider.
- The Brief
- Why I chose it
- How I approached It
- What The Client Wanted
- What I did
- Why I did it
- Good Points
- Improvements
- What I learnt
- Final ending
Companions Pet Shop
Why I Chose The Brief
I wanted to do start doing some branding for this pet shop, as I knew that at some point I would be asked to more collateral and perhaps a website for it. It is local to my hometown, so I was excited at the prospect of having my work on signage that I, and people I know would see it. I haven't done much logo design, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to do one, plus I liked the subject.
The Brief
To create a logo for a local pet shop called Companions Pet Shop, which would be applied to the store front sign.
The Clients Wants
When talking to the client to see what they wanted, they actually had some ideas in mind. The client had asked me to use green, include a paw print and compete with brands such as Pets At Home. It had to attract new and loyal customers, as well as old and young. I was happy with all of these requirements, and thought that they would represent his shop well and was something that I could definitely work to.
Things To Consider
I wanted to create a universal logo that could work in green, as well as monochrome and be clear as well as enticing. If it was going to work in printed material, on screen as well as on signage it needed to work at a variety of scales and resolutions.
The shop sells a variety of products such as food, bedding, treats and housing for rabbits, cats, fish, hamsters, birds and ferrets, but with a main focus on dogs. As its priority is for dog products, I thought the logo could reflect this in some way so that people realise this, but still showing that it caters for a range of pets by having 'pet shop' in the title.
Although the client wanted to compete with major brands like Pets At Home, I had to bear in mind that his shop is on the Grimsby Market, which is actually very small. This means I needed to tailor the logo to this so that it attracted the correct market.
Looking at existing pet shop logos, they were quite tacky and generic, and although I wanted it to be obvious so that people recognise it instantly, I still wanted a concept behind it.
What I Did
I created a custom typeface for the logo so that it would be exclusive to the brand. It is a rounded sans serif, to create a friendly and playful tone of voice. By being in block capitals, it portrays a sturdy and bold design which reflects on the products being sold. It will also stand out to customers passing by because it is striking and doesn't blend in with other signs in the market.
I chose a green like the client wanted, competed with existing brands and had a reason behind it. It is an outdoorsy green to relate to dog walkers who go on fields and for animals such as rabbits who live outside.
The paw print suits the client's wants as well as lets potential customers immediately what the business is through imagery. Placed in the 'O' and next to the 'C', it also resembles a collar tag when turned on its side, which gives another sense of purpose.
The dog bone around the final design emphasises the focus on the dog products that the shop sells. It also creates hierarchy between the word 'Companions' and 'Pet Shop'. I think this was important as 'Companions' is the actual name of the shop. It is also a rounded illustration to fit in with the typeface and highlight the friendliness of the brand.
Overall the feel of the logo is clean, friendly and functional. Although contemporary, it still has a lot of aspects which make it resemble a pet shop so is accessible to all audiences.
What I Got Out Of It
I completed the logo in half a day after doing a few digital revisions, which I was really pleased with because it shows how quickly I can design something that I can charge a lot for. It meant that if the client wanted something changing then it wouldn't have been a waste of my time because I didn't spend long on it.
I also enjoyed creating my own typeface - I like working with clean sans serifs, and I found it natural to just design my own when I couldn't find one that I liked. I also learnt a couple of new tools on Illustrator by doing this to achieve the rounded corners.
Considering I hadn't really done any logo design previously, I was also happy with how I combined my own concept and visuals with the clients wants, as I took them all on board. I was also surprised at how quick I produced it as well, as I was quite apprehensive that I wouldn't be able to generate an idea for a while.
The Clients Reaction
I created two boards for the client explaining my justification and two further revisions of the logo so that there was a choice. I was worried the client didn't like the logo at first as I had to pester them to look at the boards, which took four days. I wanted them to look at it as soon as possible to gain their feedback and make any necessary changes while I had the time as I was working to a strict schedule. The client was happy with the design, and said that it fit his business and brand. They are thinking of bigger plans for the company, including moving location and setting up a website, so until further decisions are made regarding that, the logo won't be turned into a sign for the existing shop.
Overall
I did enjoy this project as it has made me more confident with working quickly, logo design and thinking of concepts, as this is something I was worried about not being able to do well. I was also able to create the typography which I like doing, and gained positive feedback from my peers which also boosted my confidence.
I would have liked the client to have communicated with me more though, from looking at the design sooner to keeping me updated on the new plans for the business, as I could have done more for them in regards to designing a website or different types of signage.
Matthew Savage Photography
Why I Chose The Brief
I had been vocal with my friends that I am interested in web design, and this is what I want to do, which prompted a photographer I know to ask me if I was interested in designing his website. I was, but I wasn't confident in coding it as it would probably require javascript which I have no experience of. I also would want to design something quite creative and advanced, which I wouldn't be able to build. This led me to ask a coder I know if they wanted to collaborate with me, as they also knew the client. This meant that I was now doing a collaborative brief.
I have always been a huge fan of the photographers work, so I was really excited to start this project because I really wanted to do his images justice and design something that really reflected them.
The Brief
To design a website for a photographer which showcases his work.
The Clients Wants
The client wanted to be quite involved with the process, and being a creative, had a lot of ideas. They wanted it to be monochrome, clean and simple, which was something I could definitely work with. They also wanted a lot of input regarding layout and typography, but due to conflicting schedules we wasn't able to meet up and discuss this.
Things To Consider
I wanted to make sure the design used the images to their maximum potential as they really are phenomenal and the client has travelled all over the world to get some of these shots. This meant that I wanted the design to be responsive - I discussed with my coder if this would be possible, which he said it was, so I was very relieved about that. Another thing to consider then, was how the mobile version would look, so I added that onto the brief as it would be necessary to show the client and the coder.
But I also wouldn't start the design until the client had chosen all of the images they wanted to include on the site, as well as labelled the albums and sent them to me. This meant I could make design decisions based on colour, layout, navigation, size and format. Format was particularly important as the client had a mixture of portrait, landscape and panoramic images as well as video.
The client was really cooperative with this process, and worked to my deadline as well as providing me with contact details and making decisions with me on pages and content that were to be included on the site.
The client has worked for names such as ASOS and BOSS, and he is particularly interested in fashion photography so therefore wants to attract such clients. So I want to create a design that appeals to these potential employers, and suits a fashion editorial style and layout.
The last thing to consider was whether the coder had the ability to develop my design. This meant I had to communicate well with them throughout the design process before I presented the work to the client.
What I Did
I sketched a few designs first, as well as thought about how the user would navigate from page to page. I quickly went into Fireworks and InDesign to create the design.
The client didn't have a logo, nor did he really want one - just the title of his business. So I created something really simple that could be used on the site and still be recognised as the logo but using the same typeface on the rest of the site.
To pick the typeface, I went on Google web fonts and chose Raleway. This is because it comes in the two different weights which is necessary for my design, plus has a low page loading time. Because of the amount of high resolution images on the site, I needed to minimise loading speed down where I could otherwise it would unnecessarily increase, affecting the user experience. It is also a clean sans serif, so fits in with the clients ideals for a minimal site.
To optimise the viewing for the user, I decided that a design with full background images would be best so there is no white space. Not only does this limit distractions for the user, but it makes the most of the space no matter what device you are on. This also shows a contemporary and advanced design, which reflects well on the client and his work.
Where navigation was concerned, I tried a few different concepts before settling on the final design. Previously, I had extra pages for 'Contact' and 'Work' - the latter would have images and links of all the albums. I then thought this was actually unnecessary and decided to move all of this information into the sub navigation, as it reduces the time the user takes to find the content. Now on the Home page when you hover over Contact, the information drops down for the user to see which is a much quicker experience. I think it looks a lot more contemporary too, which fits in with the clients he wants to attract. So when you hover over the Work page, all of the available albums drop down for the user so they can easily and quickly access what they want.
Another feature which makes it quicker for the user to view photographs is by having a link to the specific album on the selected background image on the home page.
Due to the mixture of photograph formats, I thought about how to lay them out. I decided that having the pictures seamlessly next to each other in the album is the best option, with arrows that allow the user to scroll through. Portrait and landscape images reach the max height of the browser, whereas panoramic images have a black background so that they fit on the browser completely length ways.
To really show a contemporary and sleek design, I decided to have no background on the navigation so you can see the photographs underneath the text. The decision to do this was because it portrays an advanced design and has high aesthetic value which in turn reflects well on the photographs.
What I Got Out Of It
I really enjoyed this project, as I am most interested in web design and want to develop this area of my practice. This is to gain experience and have more portfolio pieces to show that I am a credible web designer. By collaborating with a coder, it also meant that I could be more creative with my design without having to compromise it due to my limited developing skills. I could also create a responsive design which will be made, and that is something I couldn't do myself so working collaboratively has enabled me to do this. I am also a fan of the photographers work, so it was great to work with him and do the photos justice with my design.
The Client
To present the work to the client, I created some mockups on desktop as well as mobile so that they could see how it would look when finished and have a sense of professionalism. I also had versions where you could see how you would scroll through the albums to give the client a better idea of how it would work.
I sent the work via email, and the client loved the designs, stating he was really impressed with the work. He wanted a minor change on text, but that was not a problem.
Yoke
Brief
To submit a poster ready for screenprint around the theme of Dialogue.
Why I Chose The Brief
This was an exciting chance to be part of an exhibition, as I had never been in one before prior to this. It was also a chance to support not only students on the course, but the design community in Leeds which is thriving at the moment with exhibitions and events happening all of the time. I also love screenprinting, and thought the concept of getting paired with another designer would be a great opportunity to network as well as enjoy print.
Things To Consider
The brief requirements were that it was an A3 poster that is prepared for screenprint and 300dpi. I needed to make sure that my design worked in one colour so that it would have the best result when paired with another design, as it would be reproduced in one colour. I also wasn't going to choose the colour, so the design needed to work in any colour and not be biased to a particular one. When using photographs I needed to make them halftone images in Photoshop first, which I had to learn how to do.
What I Did
I actually created three poster designs for the exhibition with different concepts behind them and different content so the curators had a few options to combine the posters with. I wanted to do several because it was a small brief, so I could produce them quickly. One was vector based, the second was typographical and the third was a photograph.
The first poster I created was based around a past conversation I had a couple of days earlier combined with my love of digital design. The conversation piece was just dialogue between me and a vendor when I ordered an ice cream in my hometown which is a seaside resort. What made it different was I wrote it out in code - using classes to change colours and forms to represent questions as well as working as a legitimate website. This shows my combined love for digital and print, and aimed to provoke the viewer into reading into what it said and seeing if they could work it out.
The second poster was a photograph which I had taken of my friend in an airport. I love travel and thought it would work well with an illustration on top of the design. The reason I chose this particular image is that there is so much dialogue that happens in airports due to them connection people from all over the world. This can be from when people meet each other after a long time, or when they say goodbye to people getting on a plane.
The concept for the third poster was to record conversations that happen in my kitchen on a daily basis with my housemates, and convert that to a visual form. I did this through using the soundwaves of the recordings I made and live tracing these to turn them into a poster. I thought this would overlap well with other designs as it is quite spaced out, yet has a strong concept behind it.
What I Got Out Of It
I worked really quickly on this project, so I showed myself that I can produce work competently when I am pressed for time. It was also a new, exciting experience to be featured in an exhibition, as well as a confidence boost that my work had been picked to be featured on one of the bigger posters.
The Exhibition
Being able to see my conversation in code poster paired with another designer was really fun as it showed how someone else had interpreted my work and I didn't know what to expect. My soundwaves poster also got featured a few times on the mini posters around the exhibition which allowed me to see it being used in different ways each time. It also gave me an insight to what students on our course can achieve in such a short space of time, and I enjoyed keeping up with their progress throughout the project. It was a great turn out on the opening night, and a lot of designers contributed so it was really inspiring to see.
Keith Baldock Artist
The Brief
To design and build a website for a local artist and take it live.
Why I Chose This Brief
The clients original website was very outdated, and I knew I could drastically improve its appearance and functionality. It was the first website that I would take live, and I really wanted that experience as there was a lot I didn't know about it so I thought this would be the best way to learn. I also wanted to test myself and see how quickly I could produce it as I had been practicing a lot of coding at the time this project arose. I had never created a portfolio of images through code before, so I wanted to learn this new skill for future projects.
Things To Consider
I needed the site to really easy to navigate and use due to the older target audience, so this needs to be reflected through the design and user experience.
I also needed to consider the complexity of the design because I would be coding it and my knowledge of that was basic. Luckily, the design needed to be simple to increase usability for the client and audience.
The Clients Wants
The client wanted all of his paintings to be showcased so that customers could view them online and order prints from him. He didn't want an e-commerce site, just a way for people to view his work and contact him via email, so this needed to be visible throughout the site.
The client and his audience is maturer, so the site needed to be easy to use and navigate through as well as something they are familiar seeing. He also wanted a photograph of him on the home page so that customers felt he was more approachable.
What I Did
The previous site didn't have a logo - just a PDF version of his printed brochure, so I created a simple one that could be used on the site. While I made this I retrieved all of the content for the site which included all of the images, and rewriting the content on the original website. I couldn't copy the text because it was all one image - so I also took this opportunity for the client to revise and change it if needed.
I kept a simple colour scheme of navy, black and white to reflect his traditional values as an artist and portray a professional tone of voice. For typography, I used a serif as this is what a maturer audience are more used to due to them reading more printed books.
I kept the layout simple and functional, but contemporary and clean. The home page highlighted his products, about him and an image of the artist. I also included the contact information on the footer, so that it was always available on every page.
The rest of the pages were showcasing his artwork, and I labelled the navigation as well as arranged the paintings in their respective albums. The original album titles were Seascapes; Aviation; Misc and Animals. Misc was too vague beforehand, so I changed it to Lincolnshire Scenes which sounds more professional and focussed, whereas Animals previously had paintings of animals, wildlife, flowers and nudes so I felt Nature was more appropriate.
Once I had the design finalised, I went to code it. This took me a day to do which surprised me because I had allocated more time for myself. What took the longest was inputting all of the images as there was so many. It went smoothly as the design was fairly simple, and I used Lightbox to create the image portfolios. The next day the website went live, so the project was resolved over a space of three days.
The Client
The client was very happy with the design, which is why I was able to code it and take it live as soon as the design was signed of. I will maintain the website and update it when necessary, as the client wouldn't be able to himself and I didn't know how to create a CMS at this point.
What I Got Out Of It
This was a valuable project to me because I wanted a live website project and this was my first one. I learnt vital skills such as improving my coding skills, working with Lightbox, hosting and launching a site. The opportunity to build the site was the most important thing to me, because it gave me a chance to build on this new skill. This set up my confidence for taking on more web projects, as well as furthered my realisation that I want to be a web designer.
To Improve
As the website is aimed at a maturer audience, I would have liked the website to be more accessible. By this, I mean I wish I knew how to make typography responsive so that it fit on all screen types as well as giving the user the option to make it bigger if they need it. For it to be responsive in general would have been a huge improvement as although it looks good on a 13" screen, it looks very small on a 27" iMac. The client was happy with the outcome, and I know how it needs to be improved, I just don't know how to code it yet.
Sophie Davey Business Cards
The Brief
Design a set of business cards and a logo which will be used as a watermark for a photographer.
Why I Chose This Brief
The client is a photographer who approached me asking for a logo and business cards. I agreed to do this because I admire the clients work and I wanted to gain experience with getting cards printed as it isn't something I had researched previously. I knew that it would be a quick brief to produce so I took the opportunity.
The Clients Wants
The clients focus when it comes to photography is travel, urban, landscape and architecture. I wanted to reflect all of these topics in the business cards so that clients know she has a wide range of expertise subjects. She likes monochrome images, as well as simplicity and minimalism. I could carry this through into the design easily and reflect the images accurately.
What I Did
For the logo, I kept it really simple by choose the font Roboto and altering the kerning to make it justified, and used two different weights to show contrast. I used a sans serif because of the clients wishes for the design to be minimal and clean. To make the logo stand out and portray a photographer, I created an aperture to replace an 'O' in her name. I sent this to the client to see her thoughts, and she loved it. I sent the client a PNG file of the logo in white so that they could use it as a watermark on their photos.
I then moved onto the business card design which also took a relatively short time to create, meaning the whole project took less than a day to design. On the back of the cards, I have used five different photographs that the client has taken so that she can choose which ones to give particular clients as they feature different subject matters.
I then started sourcing where would be best to get them printed, and printed.com had a lot of options to choose from as well as being very cheap. I gave the details to the client and advised on the best options from lamination to size and format. The client can also choose multiple designs in the same order to be printed which works out for the design I have created.
The Client
The client was really happy with the outcome and has been using the watermark on all of her work which is pleasing to see. She has been implementing it since I designed it which I am happy about because her work is now protected.
Overall/What I Got Out Of It
This was a fun and quick project for me to turn around, and I didn't expect the client to be so pleased with the outcome. As the logo only took me ten minutes I thought that I would need to do a lot more revisions, so sending it to the client early saved me a lot of time. I had never spent a lot of time designing business cards previously, so this was a good chance for me to try a lot of designs, which I did. Now I am a lot more confident in producing them, as well as printing them since discovering online printers.
Air Up
The Brief
To create a logo for a local hip hop artist called Air Up, and an album cover for his latest EP, Reflections On A Local Level.
Why I Chose To Do This
I had been approached quite a while ago to produce a logo for this artist, but I didn't have the time. So when this module started I approached the client again asking if he still required one, which he did. He also mentioned he was releasing a new EP, so I offered to do the artwork for that as well. The client said I can have full creative control and was open to anything that I suggested, so of course I jumped at the chance! I like the clients music and was flattered by their trust so I knew it was going to be a fun project that I wanted to get started on as soon as I could.
The Clients Wants
The client also collaborates with a producer sometimes, to which the name changes from Air Up to Air Up & Withers. So I had to create a logo that could work on its own and when it is being used as a collaborative.
As I am also doing album artwork for the client, the title of the EP is Reflections On A Local Level. He only needed a front design for it as it will be released digitally, and so there is no need for a back design. When I created the logo the client did make a statement that it would look great on a white background for the album cover, but gave me full creative control to do whatever I felt was appropriate.
What I Did
For the logo I created a custom typeface that was exclusive to the artist and producer, working in different formats and scales. There are huge contrasts in the weight of the stroke to reflect the variation in the music the artist produces. I created a sans serif as it is a new band so I wanted to reflect the contemporaneous.
As I had free creative control over the album artwork and wasn't pointed in any particular direction, I decided to do three designs for the client. This meant I could do completely different designs so the client would like at least one of them and have a choice. As the client had suggested the logo should appear on a white background I designed this one first so he could see what it looked like but I knew he would prefer one of the other two.
The second design was purely typographical, and I experimented with two colours, overprinting and manipulating text. I loved this design and I tried so many different variations with placement and colour to make sure that it was readable.
However, the third design is what the client chose. This was the most conceptual piece with the illustration reflecting the album title. It shows trees which are reflected in water underneath, and where the base of the trees meet is level. I used grain and the width tool to create depth and interest as well as overprinting colours.
I then showed these three designs to the client, and although he liked them all he thought the design with the trees was the best solution.
What I Got Out Of It
I got to experiment with Illustrator, doing things that I hadn't before, such as using grain as texture, overprinting and global swatches. I improved my skills using this programme and although I use it all the time, I became more comfortable when using it due to practicing new techniques. It also gave me experience interacting with a client frequently, and I think it helped me a lot that the client was really positive about the work I was producing and made me more at ease about showing my designs. This has increased my confidence when presenting work to a client, and from this I think I have learnt to make more of an effort when presenting the work. By this I mean mockup up designs so the client can see what it would look like in context, and it is definitely something I have implemented since this project.
The Client
The client was really positive throughout the project, and was really grateful that I did multiple designs quickly. This made my design process a lot easier and fun because I wasn't worried about the pressure of what the client is going to think.
To Improve
Although the client was really happy with the designs, I felt like I could have done more because it didn't take me long to produce them. Also, now my skills have improved on lllustrator drastically, I would redo the final design and improve it so much. I have used the width tool, brushes and the grain effect extensively now and I know how to use them better so I would have liked to implement my new skills here.
P.A. Kelsall
Brief
To design a website for a plumber based in Lancashire.
Why I Chose The Brief
As I was already collaborating with a coder on the Photography By Matthew Savage website, we decided to work together on another project. This time he had been approached to create a website, but he knew design wasn't his strong point so he asked me to do that part instead. I was happy to do the project and return the favour, as well as expand on the web design in my portfolio.
The Clients Wants
The coder had already done a design for the client, which was smart and clean in my opinion. But the client thought it was too boring and didn't like white space. I knew that I could work around this by using colour and a different layout arrangement.
The client wanted his logo to be blue rather than the current green, so I recreated that as the logo available was only a low resolution image.
The client also needed the Gas Safe Register on the website to show customers that he is a registered tradesman. This was an absolute must to be featured.
Things To Consider
I needed to make sure that the design I created was feasible for the coder to develop, so I worked closely with him. It was also his client primarily, so I kept him updated throughout the design process to hear his thoughts.
The client is an established plumber throughout various areas of Lancashire, so I needed to reflect a professional and credible business.
What I Did
I only started the design work once I had all of the content, including writing and the images to go on the site. This was so I can work my layout around what needs to be included.
I used the blue in the logo throughout the site to keep it colourful, but paired that with grey and white to portray a professional and neutral tone of voice.
I included the contact details and Gas Safe Register logo on the footer, so that these would be seen on every page the user visits. The contact details needed to be easily accessible so I thought this worked well.
The layout is kept clean, simple and consistent on every page. Having a full width banner on each page keeps it interesting and contemporary, and each one has varied content to keep it relevant. I also added some of my own content so that I could fill more space, to fit in with the clients wants of having little white space. I made the added content realistic so that I could show the client it had a purpose of being there, such as services provided, why to choose their business, and testimonials.
The Client
I presented the website to the coder first of all, and he was very happy with the design and happy to show it to his client.
Overall
I was really happy with this project as although designing for a plumber isn't the most glamorous, I managed to create a professional and clean design without compromising on aesthetics. Looking at existing plumbing websites I didn't find any well designed examples, so I am glad to have made this business stand out amongst the crowd. It was also another opportunity to create a design where I didn't have to compromise due to coding skills, so it was a fun project to complete.
BEAR
The Brief
A YCN project to design the back of BEAR Alphabites cereal for kids with the focus of a letter on each box.
Why I Chose This Brief
This was a collaborative between me and Sarah Heal, and when looking through YCN this is the one that stood out to us both. Sarah loves packaging and illustration, while I wanted to improve my illustration skills and knew we could think of some great ideas for this brief.
The Brief Requirements
The existing BEAR Alphabites cereal features a letter theme on each pack, and they have asked for designers to continue this theme with new ideas. Points made were that currently, games are quite short and don't offer a lot of fun to children and this needs to be changed. They wanted kids to feel excited about the next pack and to think of a way that would make them want to collect all of the boxes. Another key factor was making kids learn without realising that they are doing so. We took all of this onboard to create a interactive and simple solution packed with facts and bold illustration.
The Solution
The company has a natural and ethical ethos, and this is reflected in the ingredients and name of the brand BEAR. To reflect this we created designs based around woodland scenes so children can learn about Bear, his friends and natural habitat. We also aimed to encourage children to be more outdoorsy through highlighting different facts about it due to the big video game culture here.
We wanted to look at being both 'educational and crafty', which was asked for on the brief. Therefore children can cut out the components on the pack and create their very own tabletop playset. I designed little stands that slot into the characters and objects so that children can prop them and play with them. At the same time however, there are plenty of information on the back of the boxes referring to all of the characters included so that the child can learn about everything during the week at breakfast time before they build the set. There are facts about Bear and his friends, a mini search game on each box and even a create-a-character feature. This balance of education and creativity ensures that the children learn without realising they are doing so, another brief requirement.
By having slots for the components, no glue is needed to create the playset - only scissors. This makes it a lot easier and quicker for it to be assembled. Some components don't need slots such as the campfire, and the oak tree which uses the fold in the edge of the box to stand up.
What I Did
The style of illustration was inspired by 1950s golden design, and Sarah was already competent with this. To work to her standard and style was certainly a challenge, and although I was a lot slower than her at producing the work, it all fitted in with the rest of the designs. I learnt so much about using brushes, grain textures and stylising illustrations throughout this project and my Illustrator skills have also improved. Although hard work, it was lot of fun producing characters and rewarding afterwards. We both worked on the same boxes so we had a lot of input on each others designs.
We shared the work out for the content of the boxes as well. We had fun choosing the box themes and characters to include on them together. Then I provided all of the information on the Rivers box and half of the content on the Camping and Treetops boxes. The facts were an important part of the boxes so we wanted to have equal decision making when doing this. We thought about how they were relevant, whether the parents would approve and most importantly, if they were interesting.
I designed the sides of the boxes, taking the necessary information from the existing packs and transforming them into the style we had been working on. I wanted to do the sides so that there was a space for the slots to be put, as well as looking more consistent and professional when taking photographs of the boxes. I think I did a good job creating a consistent but readable design which fit in with the project.
When testing the components we did this together, checking if the slots were the right size and if everything stood up. When alterations needed to be made, I did this.
When it came to printing the designs, I did this because I didn't mind waking up early and getting everything prepared for print. This included adding a bleed, creating outlines on text and making the artboards the correct size.
We wanted to photograph everything properly in the studio so it looked professional - this was how the judges would see our work. We set up in the studio together, but then I took over as Sarah had to leave. I was apprehensive at first, but I soon got into it and took clear photos of everything that we needed. Once I had finished up there, I selected all of the best photos and sent them to Sarah.
When it came to the boards, I created the layout for them while Sarah edited the photographs to be ready for them. We worked together on the content and submitted the project together.
Overall
I absolutely loved the outcome for this project and the only thing I would have wanted to change was my illustration skills. It would have been more efficient if I was quicker doing the designs and had better drawing skills. Having said that, I have now improved from doing this project.
Our method of working was to share everything and work together on the same things. This was a good way of working for us because we are together all of the time and we were completely comfortable with altering what the other person had done and making suggestions easily. The designs were constantly evolving and changing through each other's input so I think we made the right choice doing everything together. This was made a lot easier through the use of Dropbox too as we had our own folder where we placed everything for each other to view and alter.
Future of Bacon Packaging
Brief
To design a premium range of chilled bacon products for Danepak.
Why I Chose It
At the beginning of the course I loved food packaging, and thought that I wanted to do that as a career. However, it soon became clear that I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. All the maths, nets and crafting of it didn't appeal to me and I became more interested in designing for the screen. So I thought by picking a packaging project I could give it another go and see if my opinions changed once I learnt more about it. If anything though, it has made me dislike packaging even more - again for the same reasons.
The Brief Requirements
This was a competition brief, and it asked the designer to focus on four different areas: shelf presence, keeping the meat fresh for longer, a point of difference and to challenge the current conventions. I also had to design 3 boards and send off a physical mockup of the packaging. I found this project really hard, as when I was researching I realised that the current shape of it is really practical and I had a lot of limitations in terms of how I could produce the packaging. I tried thinking of so many ways that I could keep waste to a minimum, while improving the usability and aesthetics of the product and answering the brief.
The Solution
For the aesthetics I decided to go with a black background, limited colour palette and typographical led design to portray a premium and established brand. Three fonts have been used in different weights throughout the packaging to make different segments of information stand out, increase aesthetic quality, as well as increase legibility. I used white text over the black to achieve maximum readability.
There are five different products in the Danepak bacon range, so different designs have been made to accommodate these. Different coloured pigs have been used to represent the different flavours - smoked, unsmoked and maple-cured. I chose a flat style over skeuomorphism or a photograph of a pig as some consumers may be put off by this.
The Clients Wants
The coder had already done a design for the client, which was smart and clean in my opinion. But the client thought it was too boring and didn't like white space. I knew that I could work around this by using colour and a different layout arrangement.
The client wanted his logo to be blue rather than the current green, so I recreated that as the logo available was only a low resolution image.
The client also needed the Gas Safe Register on the website to show customers that he is a registered tradesman. This was an absolute must to be featured.
Things To Consider
I needed to make sure that the design I created was feasible for the coder to develop, so I worked closely with him. It was also his client primarily, so I kept him updated throughout the design process to hear his thoughts.
The client is an established plumber throughout various areas of Lancashire, so I needed to reflect a professional and credible business.
What I Did
I only started the design work once I had all of the content, including writing and the images to go on the site. This was so I can work my layout around what needs to be included.
I used the blue in the logo throughout the site to keep it colourful, but paired that with grey and white to portray a professional and neutral tone of voice.
I included the contact details and Gas Safe Register logo on the footer, so that these would be seen on every page the user visits. The contact details needed to be easily accessible so I thought this worked well.
The layout is kept clean, simple and consistent on every page. Having a full width banner on each page keeps it interesting and contemporary, and each one has varied content to keep it relevant. I also added some of my own content so that I could fill more space, to fit in with the clients wants of having little white space. I made the added content realistic so that I could show the client it had a purpose of being there, such as services provided, why to choose their business, and testimonials.
The Client
I presented the website to the coder first of all, and he was very happy with the design and happy to show it to his client.
Overall
I was really happy with this project as although designing for a plumber isn't the most glamorous, I managed to create a professional and clean design without compromising on aesthetics. Looking at existing plumbing websites I didn't find any well designed examples, so I am glad to have made this business stand out amongst the crowd. It was also another opportunity to create a design where I didn't have to compromise due to coding skills, so it was a fun project to complete.
BEAR
The Brief
A YCN project to design the back of BEAR Alphabites cereal for kids with the focus of a letter on each box.
Why I Chose This Brief
This was a collaborative between me and Sarah Heal, and when looking through YCN this is the one that stood out to us both. Sarah loves packaging and illustration, while I wanted to improve my illustration skills and knew we could think of some great ideas for this brief.
The Brief Requirements
The existing BEAR Alphabites cereal features a letter theme on each pack, and they have asked for designers to continue this theme with new ideas. Points made were that currently, games are quite short and don't offer a lot of fun to children and this needs to be changed. They wanted kids to feel excited about the next pack and to think of a way that would make them want to collect all of the boxes. Another key factor was making kids learn without realising that they are doing so. We took all of this onboard to create a interactive and simple solution packed with facts and bold illustration.
The Solution
The company has a natural and ethical ethos, and this is reflected in the ingredients and name of the brand BEAR. To reflect this we created designs based around woodland scenes so children can learn about Bear, his friends and natural habitat. We also aimed to encourage children to be more outdoorsy through highlighting different facts about it due to the big video game culture here.
We wanted to look at being both 'educational and crafty', which was asked for on the brief. Therefore children can cut out the components on the pack and create their very own tabletop playset. I designed little stands that slot into the characters and objects so that children can prop them and play with them. At the same time however, there are plenty of information on the back of the boxes referring to all of the characters included so that the child can learn about everything during the week at breakfast time before they build the set. There are facts about Bear and his friends, a mini search game on each box and even a create-a-character feature. This balance of education and creativity ensures that the children learn without realising they are doing so, another brief requirement.
By having slots for the components, no glue is needed to create the playset - only scissors. This makes it a lot easier and quicker for it to be assembled. Some components don't need slots such as the campfire, and the oak tree which uses the fold in the edge of the box to stand up.
What I Did
The style of illustration was inspired by 1950s golden design, and Sarah was already competent with this. To work to her standard and style was certainly a challenge, and although I was a lot slower than her at producing the work, it all fitted in with the rest of the designs. I learnt so much about using brushes, grain textures and stylising illustrations throughout this project and my Illustrator skills have also improved. Although hard work, it was lot of fun producing characters and rewarding afterwards. We both worked on the same boxes so we had a lot of input on each others designs.
We shared the work out for the content of the boxes as well. We had fun choosing the box themes and characters to include on them together. Then I provided all of the information on the Rivers box and half of the content on the Camping and Treetops boxes. The facts were an important part of the boxes so we wanted to have equal decision making when doing this. We thought about how they were relevant, whether the parents would approve and most importantly, if they were interesting.
I designed the sides of the boxes, taking the necessary information from the existing packs and transforming them into the style we had been working on. I wanted to do the sides so that there was a space for the slots to be put, as well as looking more consistent and professional when taking photographs of the boxes. I think I did a good job creating a consistent but readable design which fit in with the project.
When testing the components we did this together, checking if the slots were the right size and if everything stood up. When alterations needed to be made, I did this.
When it came to printing the designs, I did this because I didn't mind waking up early and getting everything prepared for print. This included adding a bleed, creating outlines on text and making the artboards the correct size.
We wanted to photograph everything properly in the studio so it looked professional - this was how the judges would see our work. We set up in the studio together, but then I took over as Sarah had to leave. I was apprehensive at first, but I soon got into it and took clear photos of everything that we needed. Once I had finished up there, I selected all of the best photos and sent them to Sarah.
When it came to the boards, I created the layout for them while Sarah edited the photographs to be ready for them. We worked together on the content and submitted the project together.
Overall
I absolutely loved the outcome for this project and the only thing I would have wanted to change was my illustration skills. It would have been more efficient if I was quicker doing the designs and had better drawing skills. Having said that, I have now improved from doing this project.
Our method of working was to share everything and work together on the same things. This was a good way of working for us because we are together all of the time and we were completely comfortable with altering what the other person had done and making suggestions easily. The designs were constantly evolving and changing through each other's input so I think we made the right choice doing everything together. This was made a lot easier through the use of Dropbox too as we had our own folder where we placed everything for each other to view and alter.
Future of Bacon Packaging
Brief
To design a premium range of chilled bacon products for Danepak.
Why I Chose It
At the beginning of the course I loved food packaging, and thought that I wanted to do that as a career. However, it soon became clear that I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. All the maths, nets and crafting of it didn't appeal to me and I became more interested in designing for the screen. So I thought by picking a packaging project I could give it another go and see if my opinions changed once I learnt more about it. If anything though, it has made me dislike packaging even more - again for the same reasons.
The Brief Requirements
This was a competition brief, and it asked the designer to focus on four different areas: shelf presence, keeping the meat fresh for longer, a point of difference and to challenge the current conventions. I also had to design 3 boards and send off a physical mockup of the packaging. I found this project really hard, as when I was researching I realised that the current shape of it is really practical and I had a lot of limitations in terms of how I could produce the packaging. I tried thinking of so many ways that I could keep waste to a minimum, while improving the usability and aesthetics of the product and answering the brief.
The Solution
For the aesthetics I decided to go with a black background, limited colour palette and typographical led design to portray a premium and established brand. Three fonts have been used in different weights throughout the packaging to make different segments of information stand out, increase aesthetic quality, as well as increase legibility. I used white text over the black to achieve maximum readability.
There are five different products in the Danepak bacon range, so different designs have been made to accommodate these. Different coloured pigs have been used to represent the different flavours - smoked, unsmoked and maple-cured. I chose a flat style over skeuomorphism or a photograph of a pig as some consumers may be put off by this.
The weight of the bacon needed to be visible on the packaging, and this is usually presented discreetly. I placed on top of the pig illustration, which represents livestock branding and gives more purpose to the illustration.
As it was a packaging brief, I had to think about the materials used as well, and if they were suitable for chilled meat products. I decided the outer packaging would be made out of waxed cardboard, as this is waterproof. This means it won’t turn soggy whilst in the supermarket’s display or consumer’s fridge, and so will preserve the design and inner packaging which the outer packaging protects.
I chose a pillowbox net for the packaging as this shows a premium feel and is different to how current packaging looks, so will stand out on the shelf.
There is also a window in the outer packaging because customers like to see the fat on bacon, and this is a big factor in whether they buy it or not. This allows the consumer to judge the bacon easily before they pick it up. At the same time it is a sturdy package to protect the bacon and allows the information on the back to be easily read.
As for the inner packaging, I made a grip seal bag for the bacon to be contained within. This was done by taking an existing resealable food bag, and using a vacuum sealer in the 3D workshop to change the size to fit the bacon and the packaging. To make sure it is the correct size for bacon, I measured some and took a photograph. Then I printed it and placed it onto mountboard - this was also used for the photographs to show how it would appear.
Grip seal bags are made out of polythene which are suitable for containing food. They can be recycled with other polythene materials, and by being resealable it also means the consumer doesn’t have to purchase their own grip seal bags to put the bacon in. This preserves the meat in the fridge so isn’t wasteful, which means this choice has sustainable qualities.
I used the lasercutter when I printed my net to get all of the correct creases and a perfect cut because it was quite difficult to do with a scalpel. I wanted to take photographs of the products in their range for the boards. I created a make shift studio using white paper as a backdrop next to a window and used an iPhone.
Submission
For the submission, I created 3 design boards explaining all of my design decisions and process. I also filled out a claims form which was a requirement explaining why I thought I would win. I bought two flat pack boxes to package the products and boards and sent it off.
Two weeks later the results were announced, and I won the Gold Award for my entry which is the highest.
Overall
I disliked this project because I didn't feel like my idea was very good - this was due to the fact I didn't have a lot of knowledge on what materials was appropriate, and I was limited in what I could produce as I don't have the skills or facilities. I didn't feel like my design was very innovative although I had tried to think of the best outcome. However, to win the competition was a nice surprise.
Conclusion
What Have I Thought To This Module?
I have really enjoyed this module, as I have been asked to do a lot of work for people but never had the time before, so being able to incorporate it into a uni project has been really beneficial to me and the client.
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