OUGD503 - Responsive: Future of Bacon Packaging Boards

Here are my individual boards for the module:

Here are the boards I submitted to the competition:

OUGD503 - Responsive: Future of Bacon Packaging Website Feature

My submission is featured on their website with the rest of the placed winners. Although I won with Gold, there was also another winner with Gold - and they got the prize. I don't mind at all though because I think they had a better concept (although I didn't like the design) and I didn't feel like mine deserved to win anything. It has been a good experience though, and I think I might even do it again next year to prove to myself that I can enjoy a packaging brief (and win)!

OUGD503 - Responsive: Future of Bacon Packaging - Winning Submission

I was surprised to say the least when two weeks after submitting the project, I got an email letting me know that I had won the Gold Star Award.

These were my results. I got 19/20 - the only point I missed out on was Point To Consider as I didn't show it on a supermarket shelf.

The judges comments were:

Excellent attention to the brief - really researched well to understand the category. Tackled all areas of the brief - standout, resealable, freshness. Only downfall was it would've been great to see how his would work on shelf. A really great concept!!

I was pleased that they saw that I had thoroughly researched everything, because I had, even though I didn't like the outcome. I think this has made me realise I set myself too high standards.

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: 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: Future of Bacon Packaging - Final Products

As I had to send off physical mock ups to the competition Starpack, I decided to reprint the designs I did so they were better quality.

Lasercutting

I actually decided to lasercut them as scalpelling them wasn't going too well. Lasercutting went a lot better, as the cuts were perfect, and it perforated them as well exactly where I needed it to be. This was difficult at first because I couldn't see where to score the pillowbox curve, whereas the lasercutter got it right.

I assembled them, which was farely easy with all the folds there, and stuck it together using double sided sticky tape.

'Photoshoot'

To take photos, I didn't have a photography slot. I created a makeshift white background in the studio next to a window so that there was good light. I then just used an iPhone to take the pictures - they were only going to be small on the boards so they didn't need to be blown up, and it was pretty good quality considering.

Here are the photos.. I'm not very happy with them, but then I'm not happy with what I produced. If I had been, I would have booked a photography slot and done them properly.

But, it does show the range, how to open it, how the bacon comes out and the graphics which is all it needed to do.

OUGD503 - Responsive: Future of Bacon Packaging - Making the Outside

I printed a mock up of the packaging initially just to see if the black looked solid on the stock I was using, if the font sizes where appropriate and if the net worked.

I was really happy with the colour and this means I can carry on using the black background. The one thing I noticed was that the depth is really thick, and could be a lot smaller.

One thing I thought might happen is the text could bleed on the black, but this was fine as well.

The net also worked fine. There are white edges when it has been folded, but I think this could be solved if I score from the other side on the real net.

OUGD503 - Responsive: Futre of Bacon Packaging - Evaluation and Questions

In preparation for tomorrow's Responsive session, I have completed an evaluation of this project and written some questions that I would like feedback on.

Evaluation

The brief I chose was to design a premium bacon packaging for Danepak which asks the designer to change the way it is sold on the shelf and to improve on the current conventions. I actually 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.

The brief asked me to consider how to keep the product fresh for longer. I did a lot of research into this, as previously I didn’t know anything about the different materials used in food packaging, particularly meat. I realised something that is becoming more used is vacuum skin packaging, which gives red meat a maximum shelf life, so this is the most appropriate form of packaging I could use. Putting this into practice, I didn’t have the facilities to actually create this, so instead I have used a vacuum sealer to create a plastic bag for the bacon and literally sucked the air out using a plastic tube and quickly sealing the bag up again. Although this doesn’t look as good as it would if it was done professionally, the brief states I can use any materials that would be suitable if I don’t have the means to produce what I want to do.

In terms of aesthetics, I didn’t want to include photography or a sticker label as this is used on the current packaging. I wanted it to be clean and minimal to portray a premium brand, and by using only the necessary information to keep things easy for customers to read. So I used different typography to signify the different aspects of the product, such as the cut and how many rashers there are. I also used an illustration of a pig to make it clear to the audience what the product is – in hindsight I could have used a butcher’s pig chart illustration, as Danepak sell a range of pork products and this could have been used throughout the range to signify the variety.

The packaging itself covers the vacuum skinned bacon for two reasons – one so that it doesn’t get damaged and two for aesthetic reasons so that it will stand out on the shelf and encourage consumers to buy it. I put a window in the packaging because people like to see the fat and colour of the bacon, and this will allow them to do so.

Overall, I think the project went okay. I’m not very happy with the design and don’t think it is very innovative. However, I have spent a lot of time researching different materials and existing products and there has to come a time where I had to stop working on it as I have other priorities, and this is the best outcome I could produce. I think if I studied product design and had a lot more knowledge about different materials and the access to produce a highly finished product I could have a better resolution. However, I don’t, and this has just taught me to pick briefs more wisely next time and think early on about the limitations I will face.

Questions

1. 1.       Do you think this pillow box format works well? Or would a flat rectangle net be better?
2. 2.       Do you think it looks like a premium brand? If not, why?
3. 3.       Do you think I should use a bag which has a clear seal, or does it not matter that it is red/blue?
4. 4.       Do you think the back of the packaging looks realistic?
5. 5.       Is there any way you think I could improve the ‘bacon’?

OUGD503 - Responsive: Future of Bacon Packaging - Making the Inside

I wanted to make a plastic bag for the bacon to go in, and I didn't know how to go about this. So I went to the 3D workshop at Vernon Street to see what I could achieve. I wanted to do vacuum skin packaging in a custom sized plastic bag.

I couldn't make it vacuum skinned, but I could make a bag which was good enough for me as I only had to produce a mock up and the brief states that if I don't have the facilities to do what I want it doesn't matter.

I used a vacuum sealer which allowed me to create this. After using it, I realised how easy and quick it was to do. This made me wonder if I could get a grip seal bag and resize this using the vacuum sealer.

I needed to think of how I could mock up bacon for the inside of my packaging, as I don't want to use real bacon and send that off as it will go off. I tried looking for dog toys and plastic bacon but to no success. So I then thought about printing a picture of bacon, and sticking it onto mountboard or wood.

So I took my own picture of bacon, as the only suitable ones I could find were stock photos which I had to buy, so I didn't want to go against copyright laws. Also it meant it would be high quality and exactly what I wanted.

I then took it into Photoshop and used the quick selection tool to just select the bacon and delete the background.

I then printed it onto satin paper and mountboard. It looked quite green and subdued on the mountboard, but vibrant on the satin. So I am going to stick this onto mountboard.

I stuck it onto mountboard.

Here is what it looked like when I cut it out with a scalpel. To be honest it doesn't look that bad, I just think I will put a few together to make it thicker.

I put it in the little mock up I printed out, and it fit, but the packaging definitely needs to be thinner.

I then went to make the plastic bag for it. To do this I used a heat sealer which cuts and seals plastic. I got an existing grip seal bag so that it could be resealable, and cut it to the size of the bacon.

I put the plastic in the sealer and then clamp it to seal it, and pull the lever past which cuts it.

I made a few, trying to get it straight and as small as possible.

To improvise and shrink wrap it a little bit, I got a plastic tube.

I then opened up the bag a little bit, sucked out the air and closed it quickly.

It did look better once I sucked some of the air out.

When I put it in the packaging it is actually a bit bigger than what I have made because the sealer puts a bit of excess plastic around where it seals, so I will have to alter this.

OUGD503 - Responsive: Future of Bacon Packaging - Designing the Artwork

I started looking for a net that I want to use in a book, and once I found one similar to my idea I uploaded it onto the Mac.

I then altered the size of it to what I needed it to be. I printed this off to make sure that it works and that I was happy with the size.

I then applied the grid in Illustrator to make it easier to work with. First of all I put the logo on the pack which I had gotten by emailing organisers of the competition. I also put a shape on which indicates the cut out window.

Then I started working on the label for the package. I wanted it to be bold and use a block font so that it would stand out on the shelf.

I then tried adding lines to separate the information, using the same colour from the logo.

Then I decided to work on one of the designs I wanted to do, which is the pig. I scanned in a rough sketch I drew so that I had an idea of the shape.

I traced over it and altered the shape until I was happy with it.

I then placed it onto the window to see how it would look. I felt like it was missing something.

I then remembered it would have a tail. I added one but I think I need to adjust it as it doesn't match the rest of the illustration. I also made sure the tail wasn't in the window area as I think this would be too flimsy.

I just used the ear shape and resized and scaled it for the tail which I think works a lot better. As it isn't that flimsy now I put it within the window. This made the pig a bit smaller which I think is better as it takes up a lot of window space for the consumer to see the bacon.

I also changed the layout of the text a bit, as I wanted to fill the space evenly and it didn't beforehand. I made '6 Back Bacon Rashers' fit together in a square, which is 50% of the width I'm using. 'Unsmoked Thick-Cut' works on one line, but I now need to fit information in the rest of the space. I'm not sure what to add here, as I need the weight (220g), and I could add best before and keep refrigerated to the label - although these are sometimes in a different part of the packaging. 

I feel like this idea of having really bold text confined to the shape isn't really working and doesn't look very professional.

I then added the weight to the pig as though it is a brand just to see if the placement could work, and I think this has improved the label.

I then tried it landscape to see if this would look any better, but I prefer it portrait I think as the pig would be really flimsy when the window is die cut as it's only touching one side as opposed to three.

I went back to the portrait style, and tried adding another font to the mix to see if this could improve it. I chose one from Google Web Fonts, as although they are made for websites they are free for commercial use on print as well, and they have a really good selection. I chose a serif font because I feel this will attribute to the established and trustworthy aspect to the brand. It also contrasts with the thick block font I'm using. I changed the colour of the pig to a golden colour, to fit with the maple-cured version. I think to differentiate the different products in the range I could colour code the pig. I think this works a lot better than before.

I also thought I could add the weight to the actual pig as though it is branded, as it wasn't really working on the label, being so small. I feel like the ends of the circle need to be flat.

I tried this on the pig, and although it needs some work I think it could work.

I kept altering it and seeing how I could improve it.

In the end I made it all black to stand out more as I think that was the problem, and made the circle a bit smaller. I also added Keep Refrigerated to the label as I feel this is necessary information. I am really happy with the label now.

This is the label in the full front design. I'm now going to try each version to see if it all works with the different text and change the colour of the pig.

Here are the labels for the different version. I chose a warm red for the smoked version and a pink for the unsmoked. I think all three colours work well together as they are quite subdued.

I noticed that the Thick Cut looks a bit imbalanced with all the white space around it, so I tried it on one line instead. I think I prefer it like this as it doesn't look so out of place. I also think by having it on the same line it is easier for the customer to notice a difference.

I then also moved the designs higher so that the pig sat on the bottom of the window rather than below it, as I think this makes it more clean. I also made sure the weight on each one was correct, as thin and crispy versions are 200g not 220g.

I then made the weight stamp bigger so that people would notice it more. 

Now I need to do the back of the packet and include all of the ingredients, nutritional information etc. I found the nutritional information on Tesco and looked at the back of an existing bacon packaging as I couldn't find Danepak in my supermarket.

At the moment the back of meat packaging is quite cluttered and squashed together which can be quite hard to find information. So I decided to make it cleaner and have a line to separate the heading from the bodycopy, which I've also used on the front of the packaging. 

I tried the background in black because I think it would look more professional when printed.

When I did print it, I was really happy to see that the black looked solid and the text hadn't bled. I think the sizing on the fonts was correct, but when I folded it I realised it could be a lot thinner. I also thought that the window on the front could be a lot thinner. I still wasn't entirely keen on the label either.

I changed the width of the front of the window to a lot narrower.

I then started to experiment with different labels as I really wasn't happy with what I had.

I like this style but it isn't as professional and clean as what I want.

I tried using different fonts and experimenting a bit with the layout.

I think all these fonts are too thick and similar and need a bit of variation.

I like the font Unsmoked is in, as it is a thin sans serif and looks quite clean and smart. However, the 6 looks a bit chunky and out of place.

I made them all justified which I think makes them look cleaner.

I lessened the kerning on Unsmoked. I've used the same font for the 1st and 3rd line but in different weights. I was thinking I could have thick cut in a thicker style, and thin and crispy in a lighter weight. I'm finally a bit happier with this label. I could keep trying and trying to improve it, but I think I need to call it a day on it as I have spent more time on it than I had hoped and I know that I am never going to be completely happy with this design.

To make sure all of the text was aligned properly and had the right size gutter between everything, I took it into InDesign to do this.

I then took it back into Illustrator and put the logo back on (it didn't seem to be working in InDesign), and deleted all of the outlines so that you wouldn't see this when scoring.

Then I put the outline onto a separate document which I am going to print onto tracing paper, so I know where to score when I cut out the packaging.