OUGD503 - Responsive: Companions Pet Shop Boards

Here are my final boards for Companions Pet Shop.

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. 

OUGD503 - Responsive: Companions Pet Shop - Presenting To The Client

I made two design boards with the main logo and two variation on them to present to the client. I sent these in an email.

Four days later I got a reply saying that they liked the logo, but that they were thinking of expanding the business to sell higher quality dog food to more upmarket customers in a different location. This would have influenced my design decisions so I was quite annoyed that they didn't tell me this throughout the project as they had been asking me a few times to get started on the logo.

So the logo won't be used for the foreseeable future, but it is theirs for when they need to use it.

OUGD503 - Responsive: Companions Pet Shop - Designing

I started designing on screen for the logo. I went with the clean design that I drew because I thought this most suited the client.

I started creating the typeface. I used circles to create these two letters. I like how the C curves around the O.

I then did the M which I was happy with.

I also started drawing a paw print to go in the O.

To get the rounded edges on the text I was creating, I chose an offset path with round joins.

Here is the word Companions I made. I was really happy with it as it looks professional.

I then started drawing a dog bone to go around the word.

I made it green to match the clients wants.

I put the logo into the bone, and see how it looked in monochrome. It looks clear and doesn't seem to be missing any element because of the colour.

I made it green and central.

I also created the word Pet Shop, and tried it without the bone.

I put the Pet Shop outside of the bone, and made it smaller.

I tried the pawprint in the A instead.

I didn't like this.

I tried it both of the O's but it seemed to much.

I made the first one a lighter green, and the second one I made the Pet Shop smaller.

Here is the final logo.

Here are the two different variations I am going to send to the client.

Here is the board for the main logo.

OUGD503 - Responsive: Companions Pet Shop Ideas

I wanted the logo to be:

• Friendly
• Appeal to old and young customers
• Compete with big brands such as Pets At Home
• Clean

The client has asked for the logo to have a paw print somewhere and be green, which I am going to consider when drawing up ideas.

I tried a more script style at first as this isn't something I had done before and would appeal to a more mature audience looking traditional and well established. 

I also tried a different style which was a lot cleaner and more contemporary.

OUGD504 - Responsive: Companions Pet Shop Brief

Brief Title
Companions Pet Shop Logo and Signage

The Brief
I have been asked to design a logo which will be used on a shop sign for a clients pet shop based in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire. In the future, it could be used on flyers and a website. It should be called 'Companions'.

Considerations
I need to consider how it could be used on multiple platforms in the future, on other mediums of advertising like flyers and a website. But for now I need to consider how it will look on a shop sign and get the correct measurements for it.
I also need to consider how the type is going to portray a pet shop so that people will recognise it as one.

Concept/Proposition
I am going to propose the digital version of the sign and mock it up so that the client can see what it would look like. This is because as his shop is on the market, they will print the sign for him free of charge.

Background
Greg owns a pet shop in Grimsby, and his shop sells food, housing, bedding and treats for rabbits, cats, dogs, fish, ferrets, hamsters and birds. The pet shop is in the town market and indoors. 

Target Audience
His audience varies a lot from young and old people. They are mostly pet owners, and are local to Grimsby as there is only one store. These people go here on a regular basis.

Mandatory Requirements

• Say 'Companions'
• Fit correctly on the signage

Tone of Voice

The tone of voice should reflect the work that he does and be friendly so that customers feel at ease approaching him about buying his work. 

Deliverables

• A logo which is formatted for the correct dimensions of the signage
• A digital version which will be ready to be printed for the signage