OUGD503 Summarative evaluation.
Wednesday 23 April 2014
OUGD503 RESPONSIVE: Studio brief 2 : Collaborative brief - Bear cereal boards
Individual boards for collaborative brief Bear cereal (Studio brief 2)
OUGD503 RESPONSIVE: Design boards for Individual studio brief 1 - Cath Kidston.
Design boards for Cath Kidston (Studio brief 1)
OUGD503 RESPONSIVE: Design boards for other Studio brief 1 projects.
Design board For Yoga with Tasha Rae
Design boards for Kate Spreckley.
Design boards for Susan Clark.
Boards for Feline wild
Design boards for Kate Spreckley.
Design boards for Susan Clark.
Boards for Feline wild
Sunday 20 April 2014
OUGD505: Studio brief 2 - Illustration ideas and class critiques.
Now that I have the dimensions, I can start to plan the design that will grace the hexagonal boxes I have created. I will produce one design for each type of candle:
1 x Silent slumber design.
1 x Kindled spirit.
1 x Memories of joy.
1 x Slow down.
These 4 designs will then be adjusted and altered to fit the two different shaped boxes, small pillar candle and tea lights.
I looked for inspiration at Yankee candles other named candles (ones which have not been named after the fragrances they with hold.)
I was inspired to create illustrative designs inspired by landscapes.
Silent slumber - Night time landscape.
Kindled spirit - Sunrise.
Slow down - Beach landscape.
I'm not sure what other landscape to pair with 'Memories of joy' the candle used to relieve depression as I have already used those with positive and happy connotations, The beach and sunrise scenes.
We do however Have a crit in 2 days and so I will ask peoples opinions on the last candles illustration inspiration there.
I took my current work to the crit, all sketches, CAD diagrams, mock ups and the candles which I am creating packaging for. I asked my pears what landscape setting they felt could be well associated with a candle to relieve depression. I was also given general feedback on any other parts of my project.
One:
- I might consider a safari or jungle, something with an animal running maybe? To show that it is joyful. I think the pillar box will make the candle look high end especially if It is finished with high quality stock.
- Are you going to make the illustrations full bleed on the packaging with the logo/copy white over it? That might work well to show off the images.
- Consider painting the landscapes yourself to make them more unique.
- Also consider making a shelf unit, or some kind of integrated in store campaign to promote them.
Two:
- Memories of joy could be a landscape of spring flowers (daffodils, snow drops, blue bells, blossoms) Sprint time represents new beggingings, new life and fresh starts. It also provides a metaphor - Winter represents dark weather, nights and therefore a symbolic idea of depression, the spring represents the end of winter and the start of a brighter happier time.
Three:
- I'd probably say something a like to the above, A bright atmosphere, fields of daffodils or daisies could be appropriate.
Four:
- A memory of joy would be something different to anyones subconscious which makes this difficult to answer, however I do find number two's opinion to be fitting and appropriate to many people.
Five:
- Agree with the previous comments something bright, fresh and clean so perhaps a beach landscape or a poppy field which i think look incredible. A landscape with a lot of florals or butterflies which symbolise new life.
- Really lovely piece are you going to have a window in the box to show the candle, you could perhaps put a window in the lid, as this would make it easier for the shopping experience.
Six:
- Make sure when crafting final pieces to use a bone folder.
1 x Silent slumber design.
1 x Kindled spirit.
1 x Memories of joy.
1 x Slow down.
These 4 designs will then be adjusted and altered to fit the two different shaped boxes, small pillar candle and tea lights.
I looked for inspiration at Yankee candles other named candles (ones which have not been named after the fragrances they with hold.)
I was inspired to create illustrative designs inspired by landscapes.
Silent slumber - Night time landscape.
Kindled spirit - Sunrise.
Slow down - Beach landscape.
I'm not sure what other landscape to pair with 'Memories of joy' the candle used to relieve depression as I have already used those with positive and happy connotations, The beach and sunrise scenes.
We do however Have a crit in 2 days and so I will ask peoples opinions on the last candles illustration inspiration there.
I took my current work to the crit, all sketches, CAD diagrams, mock ups and the candles which I am creating packaging for. I asked my pears what landscape setting they felt could be well associated with a candle to relieve depression. I was also given general feedback on any other parts of my project.
One:
- I might consider a safari or jungle, something with an animal running maybe? To show that it is joyful. I think the pillar box will make the candle look high end especially if It is finished with high quality stock.
- Are you going to make the illustrations full bleed on the packaging with the logo/copy white over it? That might work well to show off the images.
- Consider painting the landscapes yourself to make them more unique.
- Also consider making a shelf unit, or some kind of integrated in store campaign to promote them.
Two:
- Memories of joy could be a landscape of spring flowers (daffodils, snow drops, blue bells, blossoms) Sprint time represents new beggingings, new life and fresh starts. It also provides a metaphor - Winter represents dark weather, nights and therefore a symbolic idea of depression, the spring represents the end of winter and the start of a brighter happier time.
Three:
- I'd probably say something a like to the above, A bright atmosphere, fields of daffodils or daisies could be appropriate.
Four:
- A memory of joy would be something different to anyones subconscious which makes this difficult to answer, however I do find number two's opinion to be fitting and appropriate to many people.
Five:
- Agree with the previous comments something bright, fresh and clean so perhaps a beach landscape or a poppy field which i think look incredible. A landscape with a lot of florals or butterflies which symbolise new life.
- Really lovely piece are you going to have a window in the box to show the candle, you could perhaps put a window in the lid, as this would make it easier for the shopping experience.
Six:
- Make sure when crafting final pieces to use a bone folder.
Saturday 19 April 2014
OUGD505: Studio brief 2 - Packaging development.
I chose two box designs to create models of and test how functional they would be as candle packaging.
The first box I drew and modelled up was the slot box. I chose to model this one as, if I chose to use it, it would add a flair of creativity and quirkiness. I also wanted to test how easy it would be to open and close the box.
Once I had drawn the box net out, I cut the shape, folded and superglued the folds together for sturdiness. However I found that The box, with the slot fastening actually seemed very weak, with a clear possibility of ripping. I found the box easy to open, but very hard to slot back together, It was the type of box that seemed as though it could be opened only once before It is discarded.
My aim was to create a box that could be held onto and kept to store the candle in when not in use, therefore the box would be opened and closed a number of times, and therefore this box was not functional.
I then drew up and modelled the box with the base shape of a hexagon and a simple jar type lid that would easily lift off and onto the box. I picked this design/shape as it was very complementary to the circular form of the candle. The box being a hexagon shape would create an image of wrapping and almost moulding around the candle.
I found that the simple jar lid was very easy to remove and replace without damaging the box as I was worried with the previous design, and therefore could be a 'keepsake' in which the candle could be located when not in use. However I found when placing the candle inside that it was hard to pull in and out of the box, and so to fix this idea I adjusted the dimensions of the box. I designed the box so that the height of the base/box was smaller than that of the candle. Therefore It could be easily pulled out without struggle. This would mean that in order to make up for the shorter body of the box, the lid will have to be longer.
However still not pleased with the design, I began to consider more technical aspects of the box. I began to think about how the overlapping of the lid on top of the body of the box when pushed closed, would interrupt and create an anti-seamless illustration, if I were to illustrate the whole box from top to bottom. To fix this problem before I came to it, I decided to again adjust the design of the box slightly.
I want to place a piece of card inside the parameter of the box body, which will be taller than the box. This means that when the lid is placed on top of the box and pushed down, the bottom edge of the lid, and top edge of the box will meet creating a flush joint, instead of overlapping one another. This means that the body of the box will still be shorter than the height of the candle, meaning easy removal of the candle from the box. However it also means that If I create a set of illustrations which need to be seem less from top to bottom, the lid will no longer interrupt the flow, like it would if It were to overlap the box.
I also thought about how this new inside layer could be used to reinforce the box to make it stronger. Creating a new inside layer does mean that naturally the box will be stronger. However I could consider the stock in which I will use to create this section, to make the box even stronger. Likewise, I considered how this new layer would affect the aesthetic of the box. I considered that if the box were to be illustrated, the inside layer could be a plain colour, which I could colour pick from the outside layer to create something complementary and coherent to the outside.
I followed the same design process for the tea light box, where I came up with 2 concepts using the hexagon base. The first Idea I came up with was to create a long hexagon tube where inside, the tea lights would be stacked in a single column. However I found that technically for this design to work, the amount of tea lights in the box would have to be reduced from 12 to 8 or 10. This would be more appropriate, as when I stacked the set of 12 yankee candle tea lights, the tube seemed much too tall in ratio to the small pillar candle box.
Themes for illustrations. I also considered how, once the user had used the top few candles from the stack, it would be difficult for them to reach down to pick further tea lights out. The tall shape of the tube could also have issues such as warping and breaking during transit. I also found that the tube shape wasn't very functional in terms of labelling the box. The hexagonal tube is made of of 6 very thin panels, all of which do not house enough room to place a readable label describing the product inside the box.
The second design I came up with was more inspired by the the original Yankee candle tea light box. The original box is a cube/cuboid shape in which there are 12 Yankee candles stacked in 3 rows of 4.
In my design I again use the hexagonal base, however, instead of the form being a long tall tube, it is much shorter and wider. Inside the tea lights are stacked in groups of three in four rows. This design makes it much easier for users to take candles out of the box, and means that, with the larger surface area, the box is more sturdy and will have much less problems with warping or breaking in transit. This box shape also houses much more room than the previous for a product label on the front of the box.
With the box designs/shapes set in place, Using my small pillar yankee candle and 12 Yankee candle tea lights as references, I made dimensions for both boxes to fit perfectly around both sets of candles.
Small pillar Yankee candle:
Proportional CAD drawings that show the form, how the box will slot together and the proportions/dimensions of the box and lid:
Set of 12 tea lights:
Proportional CAD drawings that show the form, how the box will slot together and the proportions/dimensions of the box and lid:
The first box I drew and modelled up was the slot box. I chose to model this one as, if I chose to use it, it would add a flair of creativity and quirkiness. I also wanted to test how easy it would be to open and close the box.
Once I had drawn the box net out, I cut the shape, folded and superglued the folds together for sturdiness. However I found that The box, with the slot fastening actually seemed very weak, with a clear possibility of ripping. I found the box easy to open, but very hard to slot back together, It was the type of box that seemed as though it could be opened only once before It is discarded.
My aim was to create a box that could be held onto and kept to store the candle in when not in use, therefore the box would be opened and closed a number of times, and therefore this box was not functional.
I then drew up and modelled the box with the base shape of a hexagon and a simple jar type lid that would easily lift off and onto the box. I picked this design/shape as it was very complementary to the circular form of the candle. The box being a hexagon shape would create an image of wrapping and almost moulding around the candle.
I found that the simple jar lid was very easy to remove and replace without damaging the box as I was worried with the previous design, and therefore could be a 'keepsake' in which the candle could be located when not in use. However I found when placing the candle inside that it was hard to pull in and out of the box, and so to fix this idea I adjusted the dimensions of the box. I designed the box so that the height of the base/box was smaller than that of the candle. Therefore It could be easily pulled out without struggle. This would mean that in order to make up for the shorter body of the box, the lid will have to be longer.
However still not pleased with the design, I began to consider more technical aspects of the box. I began to think about how the overlapping of the lid on top of the body of the box when pushed closed, would interrupt and create an anti-seamless illustration, if I were to illustrate the whole box from top to bottom. To fix this problem before I came to it, I decided to again adjust the design of the box slightly.
I want to place a piece of card inside the parameter of the box body, which will be taller than the box. This means that when the lid is placed on top of the box and pushed down, the bottom edge of the lid, and top edge of the box will meet creating a flush joint, instead of overlapping one another. This means that the body of the box will still be shorter than the height of the candle, meaning easy removal of the candle from the box. However it also means that If I create a set of illustrations which need to be seem less from top to bottom, the lid will no longer interrupt the flow, like it would if It were to overlap the box.
I also thought about how this new inside layer could be used to reinforce the box to make it stronger. Creating a new inside layer does mean that naturally the box will be stronger. However I could consider the stock in which I will use to create this section, to make the box even stronger. Likewise, I considered how this new layer would affect the aesthetic of the box. I considered that if the box were to be illustrated, the inside layer could be a plain colour, which I could colour pick from the outside layer to create something complementary and coherent to the outside.
I followed the same design process for the tea light box, where I came up with 2 concepts using the hexagon base. The first Idea I came up with was to create a long hexagon tube where inside, the tea lights would be stacked in a single column. However I found that technically for this design to work, the amount of tea lights in the box would have to be reduced from 12 to 8 or 10. This would be more appropriate, as when I stacked the set of 12 yankee candle tea lights, the tube seemed much too tall in ratio to the small pillar candle box.
Themes for illustrations. I also considered how, once the user had used the top few candles from the stack, it would be difficult for them to reach down to pick further tea lights out. The tall shape of the tube could also have issues such as warping and breaking during transit. I also found that the tube shape wasn't very functional in terms of labelling the box. The hexagonal tube is made of of 6 very thin panels, all of which do not house enough room to place a readable label describing the product inside the box.
The second design I came up with was more inspired by the the original Yankee candle tea light box. The original box is a cube/cuboid shape in which there are 12 Yankee candles stacked in 3 rows of 4.
In my design I again use the hexagonal base, however, instead of the form being a long tall tube, it is much shorter and wider. Inside the tea lights are stacked in groups of three in four rows. This design makes it much easier for users to take candles out of the box, and means that, with the larger surface area, the box is more sturdy and will have much less problems with warping or breaking in transit. This box shape also houses much more room than the previous for a product label on the front of the box.
With the box designs/shapes set in place, Using my small pillar yankee candle and 12 Yankee candle tea lights as references, I made dimensions for both boxes to fit perfectly around both sets of candles.
Small pillar Yankee candle:
Proportional CAD drawings that show the form, how the box will slot together and the proportions/dimensions of the box and lid:
Set of 12 tea lights:
Proportional CAD drawings that show the form, how the box will slot together and the proportions/dimensions of the box and lid:
Wednesday 16 April 2014
OUGD505: Studio brief 2 - Initial ideas.
I had decided in my presentation that I was going to design a range of packaging and promotion for Yankee candle for a new aromatherpy range.
I will be creating packaging for two different types of candle at Yankee candle, The small pillar candle and tealights.
The reason I have chosen some of the smaller candles sold here as customers may only need the aromatherapy to solve issues such as anxiety and high blood pressure for a temporary time. The larger candles at Yankee candle can burn for around 100 hours, whereas small pillar candles, burn for around 35-40 hours and each single tea light will burn for 4-6 hours each.
Therefore the items I will be producing are:
- Small pillar packaging for combating insomnia candle.
- Tea light packaging for combating insomnia candles.
- Small pillar packaging for lowering blood pressure.
- Tea light packaging for lowering blood pressure.
- Small pillar packaging for relieving depression candle.
- Tea light packaging for relieving depression candles.
- Small pillar packaging for Spirit boosting candle.
- Tea light packaging for Spirit boosting candle.
- Promotional leaflet/brochure for new range.
- Promotional posters for new range.
I will create new combinations of scents using those suggested in my research from when I looked into the psychology of scented candles. In order to treat these ailments, the following combinations were suggested:
Combating insomnia scent: Lavender sandalwood and Vanilla.
Lowering blood pressure scent: Spiced apple and spiced berries.
Relieving symptoms of depression: Jasmine, camomile and lemon.
Spirit booster scent: Orange, Lemon and grapefruit.
Before I started designing anything I wanted to brain storm ideas for the name of the line, as well as any other textual details, and visuals such as colour. I did a collection of word association brainstorms for each of the candles, linking and thinking of any words that related to the purpose/flavour of the candles and any colour.
After brainstorming all 4 different candle scents/ purposes, I came up with 3 different names for the range I would be creating.
1.
Name of range: Feel good.
Name of Insomnia candle: Feel slumber some.
Name of Anti-depression candle: Feel radiant.
Name of Spirit booster candle: Feel empowered.
Name of blood pressure candle: Feel relaxed.
2.
Name of range: Make me better.
Name of Insomnia candle: Make me slumber.
Name of Anti-depression candle: Make me joyful.
Name of Spirit booster candle: Make me glow.
Name of blood pressure candle: Make me calm.
3.
Name of range: Burned out.
Name of Insomnia candle: Silent slumber.
Name of Anti-depression candle: Memories of joy.
Name of Spirit booster candle: Kindled spirit.
Name of blood pressure candle: Slow down.
I asked peoples opinions which name they thought was more appropriate for the Yankee candle brand. One and three seemed to be the favourites, however some thought that the first seemed too alike to the feel good drinks. Many liked the connection of the third concept, signalling that the name of the collection burned out referred to how candles can reach a stage where they can no longer be lit and also the feeling of being burned out and exhausted.
I also felt that the names of the candles I had come up with for this range were more relatable to the already existing Yankee candle brand whom have labelled candles with names such as; Drift away, Midnight oasis and Beautiful day. Although these names do not indicate what the scent smells like, they do reference a feeling, memory or place that the fragrance will remind you of. The names I chose within the third collection fulfil a similar process beckoning what feelings the scents of the candles will provoke.
Next I moved onto the shape of the packaging. I knew that I wanted to create something for the yankee candle range that involved being experimental with the shape. They had previously played with form in products such as the sweet shop, my favourite things book of candles and various christmas gift sets. I also thought the idea of a box was appropriate as often people buy aromatherapy products to gift to others in need of some relaxation or going through a tough time. However I must remember that in creating the box, it must be easy to open and close as customers buying candles like to be able to try before they buy (smell scent before purchase).
I looked at a few creative packaging blogs and below are the box shapes which I thought would be most appropriate to the shape of the small pillar candle, as this is the more complex candle shape out of the two I will be creating packaging for. This could then be tweaked and reshaped to fit that of the set of tea lights.
I will be creating packaging for two different types of candle at Yankee candle, The small pillar candle and tealights.
The reason I have chosen some of the smaller candles sold here as customers may only need the aromatherapy to solve issues such as anxiety and high blood pressure for a temporary time. The larger candles at Yankee candle can burn for around 100 hours, whereas small pillar candles, burn for around 35-40 hours and each single tea light will burn for 4-6 hours each.
Therefore the items I will be producing are:
- Small pillar packaging for combating insomnia candle.
- Tea light packaging for combating insomnia candles.
- Small pillar packaging for lowering blood pressure.
- Tea light packaging for lowering blood pressure.
- Small pillar packaging for relieving depression candle.
- Tea light packaging for relieving depression candles.
- Small pillar packaging for Spirit boosting candle.
- Tea light packaging for Spirit boosting candle.
- Promotional leaflet/brochure for new range.
- Promotional posters for new range.
I will create new combinations of scents using those suggested in my research from when I looked into the psychology of scented candles. In order to treat these ailments, the following combinations were suggested:
Combating insomnia scent: Lavender sandalwood and Vanilla.
Lowering blood pressure scent: Spiced apple and spiced berries.
Relieving symptoms of depression: Jasmine, camomile and lemon.
Spirit booster scent: Orange, Lemon and grapefruit.
Before I started designing anything I wanted to brain storm ideas for the name of the line, as well as any other textual details, and visuals such as colour. I did a collection of word association brainstorms for each of the candles, linking and thinking of any words that related to the purpose/flavour of the candles and any colour.
After brainstorming all 4 different candle scents/ purposes, I came up with 3 different names for the range I would be creating.
1.
Name of range: Feel good.
Name of Insomnia candle: Feel slumber some.
Name of Anti-depression candle: Feel radiant.
Name of Spirit booster candle: Feel empowered.
Name of blood pressure candle: Feel relaxed.
2.
Name of range: Make me better.
Name of Insomnia candle: Make me slumber.
Name of Anti-depression candle: Make me joyful.
Name of Spirit booster candle: Make me glow.
Name of blood pressure candle: Make me calm.
3.
Name of range: Burned out.
Name of Insomnia candle: Silent slumber.
Name of Anti-depression candle: Memories of joy.
Name of Spirit booster candle: Kindled spirit.
Name of blood pressure candle: Slow down.
I asked peoples opinions which name they thought was more appropriate for the Yankee candle brand. One and three seemed to be the favourites, however some thought that the first seemed too alike to the feel good drinks. Many liked the connection of the third concept, signalling that the name of the collection burned out referred to how candles can reach a stage where they can no longer be lit and also the feeling of being burned out and exhausted.
I also felt that the names of the candles I had come up with for this range were more relatable to the already existing Yankee candle brand whom have labelled candles with names such as; Drift away, Midnight oasis and Beautiful day. Although these names do not indicate what the scent smells like, they do reference a feeling, memory or place that the fragrance will remind you of. The names I chose within the third collection fulfil a similar process beckoning what feelings the scents of the candles will provoke.
Next I moved onto the shape of the packaging. I knew that I wanted to create something for the yankee candle range that involved being experimental with the shape. They had previously played with form in products such as the sweet shop, my favourite things book of candles and various christmas gift sets. I also thought the idea of a box was appropriate as often people buy aromatherapy products to gift to others in need of some relaxation or going through a tough time. However I must remember that in creating the box, it must be easy to open and close as customers buying candles like to be able to try before they buy (smell scent before purchase).
I looked at a few creative packaging blogs and below are the box shapes which I thought would be most appropriate to the shape of the small pillar candle, as this is the more complex candle shape out of the two I will be creating packaging for. This could then be tweaked and reshaped to fit that of the set of tea lights.
This box net portrays a unique and quirky aesthetic, yet is a very simple design. The box features an easy fold and slot mechinism which makes it easier for the user to open, and more cost effective in production. The packaging solution also has a slight gift/present look, which is perfect for those whom will be passing the candle on as a gift, or get well soon token.
This net/box features a similar aesthetic, however will require some construction and glue to hold the bottom together, which could make the box more sturdy. The box also features a similar mechanism for opening and closing, however instead of cutting slots, thin slits are cut to position the mechanism in place. I did however take some inspiration from this net in the fact that, the slotting components have been designed so that when slotted together, create the shape of a heart. This could be something that makes my design more complete and considered, by linking the design of the mechanism in with the rest of the box.
This box plays on the simple box shape with opening lid, which tucks into the top of the box. I thought that instead of doing a regular cube/cuboid shaped box I could create something more unique by changing the base shape to an alternate shape such as a hexagon. This could also wrap around the shape of the pillar candle, much better than a regular cube. Having the tuck in lid also makes it easier for customers to try before they buy the scent, tucking and untucking the lid to do so.
I also thought that this shape could give me the opportunity to present the tea lights in an alternate way, stacking them on top of one another in a line, rather than stacked in groups of four as in the regular boxes.
I came across this slot box, and it reminded my how delicate the slot tops are. This is important as the boxes could be constantly opened and closed on the shelves as customers attempt to test the scent that is inside. Therefore If I do use this design, it is important to make sure the structure is strong to avoid any rips or breaks.
Therefore I came across this box design which I thought was a great box shape, to enable customers to test the scent before purchase. The box has the unique and quirky aesthetic in which a candle could be placed in the centre. An outer layer which is spilt in two can be easily closed and opened, great for if the receiver wants to place the candle back into the box for storage every time it is not in use.
This was one of my favourite box designs I found, I liked the creative way in which the designer has used the negative space inside the box to create eye catching design. However until I attempt to model the box, I am unsure how easy it will be to open and fold close for customers. However it uses a base shape much more convenient for the shape of the candle, rather than the regular cube.
Tuesday 15 April 2014
OUGD503 RESPONSIVE: Studio brief 1 : Feline wild cattery - Design development.
I spoke with Thomas (Owner of Feline wild) and we discussed the personality of the business and what he wanted for the brand.
Thomas gave me some feedback, and a much clearer view of how we wanted his business to appear in the public eye.
1. He wanted the design the be striking, just like the wild cats he breeds. This means any thing I create should be instantly recognisable as Feline Wild, and should also help it to be set apart from other companies in the same business.
2. He wanted the design to be gender free. Tom spoke profusely how the cat breeding industry was very female orientated, and he wanted his brand to be approachable by both males and females. He went into detail about how the cat world was evolving, and with new part wild cat breeds being introduced there is a new male interest in the market.
3. He wants to really emphasise what makes these cats so different to all the other breeds of cat around. It is important that the bengal or savannah cat type are represented as best as they can. Many people purchase Savannah cats purely based on how similar some look to their wild ancestors, Servals. it is important to represent this correctly through produce a vector of the type of cat with the correct ear shaoe and placement, muzzle shape and coat details.
I began tracing over one of the images of Thomas' best male cat, in which I again began to play withe geometics. I thought that the use of geometric shapes enhanced the wildness of the brand, and also made it appear more striking which is what Thomas requested
I followed the main contours of Renoir's face (male cat) to create the geometric shapes which would act as shadows, and also as shapes in which the dark colours were concentrated on his face.
I drew this idea up properly in black pen, I scanned the drawing into illustrator. I drew over the image in illustrator and added a couple of extra details, such as the white glints in the eye, this made the cat look less dangerous and took away the dead eye look seen in the drawing above.
When I added the extra details, I also tried to work on the shape of the centre of the face, adjusting the contours of the muzzle and forehead lines to create a slight visual of a heart in the centre of his face. Again I wanted to emphasise that the cats are wild, however also give a nod to the reality that although they are part serval or asian leopard cat, they are just as domesticated as any other breed.
I then started to play around with the logo and colour, adding a second layer with the same image, using a different colour to the top layer. I chose the orange colour as it was in the same kind of pallet as the colours of a servals fur boasting sand, ochre and gingery shades. I also had a look at name placement. In the idea below I have placed the name underneath the servals head hugging the contours of its chin. I feel that having the text in a half circle shapes, which ressembles the visual of a smile, makes a subtle link to the breed being friendly.
Below I have taken the same image and gotten rid of the orange under layer. I felt that the orange layer underneath added a too much of a reference to the wild side of the cats. I took this away, and played around more with title placement. By splitting the name in two as seen below, I found the merge looked much more powerful, and easy to read.
Finally happy with the logo I had so far, I began to see what it would look like in context on a business card. Below i did some experimentations with photography. For the first I took a simple landscape image of Africa, this is where the serval first orginated from. However I felt that when I combined the photography and illustration it tended to cheapen the overall look. Although the cats in which Thomas' cats are derived from originally come from Africa, the below image really has no bearing on Thomas' cats, therefore I moved on.
Next I introduced a new texture, I feel that the implementation of a texture, done here through craft paper adds a sense of care, friendliness and a humble persona to a piece. It also gives the brand that homegrown edge, that most small companies has. Thomas' looks after every single one of him cats himself with no help from employees. He feeds and cleans the cats daily, and has built them a special set up in his own home. I tried to pair this with an image that accentuated the wild side of the Savannah by using an element which made them so special, their spotted fur. However, again, I didn't think that the use of photography added anything to the design, and that the outcome was going to be truer to Thomas' brand by only using illustration.
Below is another idea I had where I tried to implement the idea that although the cats are wild they are very much so domesticated. The design takes the components of the one above which I believe wroked well (illustration and texture) which is then over laid on top of some illustrations of cat toys. This mimics the idea that these part wild cats still have the behavourial expressions of traditional pet cats. I wanted to make sure that within the brand we were not scaring possible customers away by making the brand seem to wild.
Now that I was happy with the direction I was taking, I sent the logo to the client to gather his thoughts, and see if there was any guidance he could give to me.
Thomas really liked the logo, and how I had taken one of the best cats from his family, and create a striking geometric illustration. However as a cat expert, Thomas noticed somethings wrong with the aesthetic of the cat, which for me, went under the radar. Although the cat appeared to look like one of the cats from his own, he wanted to focus more on the look of the cat he was trying to achieve.
The things that he asked me to change were:
- Make the ear shape less pointy. Higher generation Savannah cats have rounder ear tops, and they are less pointy.
- Change the position of the ears, place these more on top of the head, rather than coming off at an angle. Servals and savannah cats ears tend to stand straight on top of their heads. It is what makes them distinguishable.
- Make the eyes slightly smaller. In comparison to many other cats the serval/savannah cats have small eyes. They look this way because other features such as their muzzle and ears are so big.
Above it can be seen the changes which I made to the previous illustration.
I sent this new image to Thomas and he was much happier with the outcome, stating that the illustration was an artwork of what he was aiming for his actual cats to look like in his breading process. Now that I had got the shape of the face right I questioned how the logo would look if it were to be coloured in. I was inspired by an illustration I saw online which featured a giraffe, which had been cut into lots of geomtric shapes, and coloured in.
I found these geometric images to be very striking and offered a sense of uniqueness to a regular illustration. This could take my illustration from a geometric inspired outline, to something bold, and fascinating which will turn heads. I also enjoyed how much character the application of these shapes and colours added the the animals giving them personality and making them appear more animate and friendly.
I sectioned up the illustration I had done of the savannah cat into different geometric shapes. I tried to keep the illustration as symmetric as possible as I thought that this would make the geometric aspect look much cleaner and neater. I created specific sections to use as highlights and others to use as shadows.
Once I had done this, I selected my colour pallet by picking a range of colours from a photography of a serval. This is so that I would only be using true to life and honest colours that would represent a Serval cat.
The final product coloured in:
Next I experimented with different variations of business cards, playing with both the coloured, and black and white versions of the illustrations I had created, the textured craft paper, and a small illustration I had created combining a cat foot print with bengal and savannah spots.
I sent the designs to Thomas and he deiced that his favourite to use would be the middle design. This was also my favourite, as I felt it was the most powerful and unusual of the three. I have agreed to digitally print the first 50 cards for Thomas, whom I will then give the business card design to so that for future use he can order new sets of the business cards online.
FINAL DESIGN.
After seeing the business cards Thomas prescribed to me that he wanted the folder to have almost the exact same aesthetic to make the branding elements consistent.
When I asked him what he wanted from the folder he provided me with some details:
- The folder has to be larger than a4 as it will be holding a4 documents.
- The folder could have delegated areas which could hold the business card, so that when a folder is given out to customers, contact details are in easy reach too.
- A possible place in which a picture of the mum and dad of the kitten bought could be placed, as customers are often interested to see what the father and mother of their new cat looks like, however they may not always be housed at the same cattery.
With an aesthetic already created via the business cards, the main thing I had to figure out was how the folder would function, and house all of Thomas' wants above.
I started sketching how I could fit all of the above elements into one folder, when I came of with a simple fold and slotting mechanism. A Slightly larger than a4 folder which opens and closes like a regular book. The bind of the folder would just be a simple fold.
The front of the folder looks exactly like the front of the business cards, all white with the logo in the middle.
When opened, the inside right hand page has two flaps, one on the horizontal bottom edge and one on the right hand side vertical edge, when folded in these slot together to create a pouch like form to keep the documents in place.
The bottom horizontal folded piece will have two slots in which the business card will be placed, so that this is visible as soon as the folder is opened. The right vertical folded piece will house 4 slots (2 sets of 2) one under the other to house photos of both the mother and father of the cat.
I created a model of the folder design to check all the points I had covered were functional.
Once I found that the folder design worked I got started on the digital design.
As I had already covered the outside design (plain white with logo in centre) I worked on how the folder would appear from the inside.
I could the flaps on the outside edges with the same craft paper texture used for the business cards to keep consistency. The reason I selected these parts to be coloured in as craft paper was because I thought that this would contrast nicely with the bright white of the business card. The combination of the two together, would also be a direct reflection of the business card aesthetic. I labelled the photograph slots so that the customer would not get confused between which cat was the father and which cat was the mother.
I kept the left hand side inside page simple as the right hand side was quite busy (Images of cats, business card slot and documents). However I did want to somehow reiterate the friendly and welcoming nature that Thomas wanted to project through his company. To do this a created a combination of text, with the previous paw and spots pattern I had created. The message reads 'Congratulations! on finding the perfect addition to your family.' I felt that by associating the new cat as a family member, this would create a bond between Thomas and the new pet owner. Thomas regularly keeps in touch with those who have bought cats from him. He hand rears all the cats as his own until they leave his care, and so he enjoys hearing back from the new owners and hearing how they and their new family member are getting on.
The final branding elements:
- Logo.
-Business cards.
- Folder.
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