OUGD603 - Extended Practice - End of Module Evaluation

Overall throughout extended practice I feel that I have proved to myself that I am a competent designer. Being part of the Students Union has really helped me create some really professionally finished briefs to keep me going throughout the year. Working with them gave me experience of what it will be like working with a client, exercising my communication and professional skills.

My briefs have been very competition heavy this year in order to try and win awards to get my name out there. Also I find it’s easier to follow someone else’s brief than to write your own from scratch. At the start of the year I had planned a few self initiated briefs, however as the year has progressed my initial brief plans have planned and I have only completed one self initiated brief. I do wish I had pushed more to completing another self initiated brief because I really enjoyed the brief in the end. There are only a few briefs that I wasn’t so pleased with the outcome of, and all of these are smaller less significant briefs like The Little Art Collection. Looking back I do think that I should have focused on bigger briefs rather than the smaller briefs that I completed.

I feel that throughout the year I have managed my time really well, always submitting all my competition briefs before the deadlines and working towards a deadline for ones that didn’t need to be submitted. Also this has meant that I was able to complete more than 10 briefs, keeping my design process going at every stage of the year.

Through collaborations this year I have learnt a lot of new skills like animation, working on the Lifting Tower Projection with animators. I have also learned that some collaborations can be harder than others, simply through lack of communication. But I think that the collaboration projects I have completed this year have been some of my strongest because of the constant feedback you receive from your peers.

Overall I am really pleased with my progress into this year. I have found a specialisation that I love doing and have successfully put it into action. The difference in my work between this year and last year is noticeable - this year I have been able to complete my briefs to a much higher standard in my opinion. I have been able to build a really professional looking portfolio from briefs that I have completed this year.

OUGD603 - Unpackaged Brief - Evaluation

Strengths & What I liked.

I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this brief because it is a subject that I’m really interested in. The research stage of the brief was very eye opening because I learned about things I had never heard of like the waste hierarchy. I think the strengths of this project all lie in the final outcomes as well as the ethical design decisions. I tried to make all of the design decisions that I made relate back to sustainability, for example the use of recycled stock on the labels and the decision to riso print the guide. I tried my hand at a bit of art direction, trying to add some more interest to the photographs than just focusing on the design of the labels. It was a really fun experience doing these photographs playing with background colour and positioning.


Weaknesses & What I didn’t like

As mentioned before, Website design is not one of my strong points but I felt that it was necessary to complete the brand. It also allowed me to add more context to the shop so I can include all of my thinking behind why it is zero waste. Also I made some slight mistakes within the guide, however I don’t think they are that noticeable.


Time Management

For this brief I managed my time really well, partly down to the fact that it was the only brief I was working on at that time. It was nice to wind down at the end of the year and focus on one big brief, however.


Final Outcome

The final labels, guide and website all work really well as a cohesive brand together. This project is probably one that I’m most proud of this year because I feel that it promotes a good cause rather being design for nothing. Additionally, the final outcome is all references to an ethical practice that I want to carry through to my professional life.

OUGD603/602 - Starpack Collab - We got Shortlisted!

We got shortlisted for Starpack! Which means we now have to make the bottle and tin. We have created the bottles using vodka bottles that we bought online for our portfolio. However, these bottles don't match the bottle specifications in the brief so I don't think that we can submit them. But making these bottles has meant that we have a good understanding of how we can mock them up properly. 

After speaking to Amber she gave us the idea of looking for oil bottles rather than spirit bottles for the square bottle we needed. We went to Morrisons and found an oil bottle that was a near perfect match to Bottle B, the bottle we chose. We decided for the shortlist that we would only send one bottle and tin because of the limited time that we were given. 

After getting the right bottle we could stick on the vinyl and paper labels that we had spare from our other physical bottle mock ups. However, we knew the tin was going to be the difficult bit, so we started by measuring the bottle. After measuring the dimensions we created a net. 

It was quite difficult for me to get my head around the slanted bit that was the main factor of interest with the design, but with some help from Laura we managed to figure it out. To make the tin look like tinplate, we got some brushed aluminum vinyl from James in digital print and stuck it directly onto the card and cut the net out of this. 

We were surprised how well this worked, it actually gives the box a really nice finish. Once again we used the clear stickers to add our illustrations to the design. For the lid of the box we use orange GF smith paper to the same effect as the aluminium vinyl. 

The final tin and bottle turned out better than I could have imagined. I think that they do look quite professional considering we were able to make them within a week before shipping them off for judging. The tin lid could have been refined a bit more, it was perhaps a bit big but it still works really well. Additionally, the use of the clear stickers has left some bubbles but there isn't really anything we can do about that. Me and Laura are very confident that this could win our brief category because of how well our physical mock ups turned out. Fingers crossed! 

OUGD603 - Unpackaged Brief - Final Website

I created a range of pages to complete the brand. The landing page gives you an introduction to the store, providing a bit of context. I then created a how it works page so people will know how the store works before visiting. I also included a philosophy page to describe about zero waste and why the store has chosen to get rid of packaging. Then I thought it would be a good idea to create a blog to interact with the customers, giving information about seasonal fruit and vegetables that are available as well as daily inspiration.

Overall I think that the final website represents the store really well. It has allowed me to add more context to the shop so I can include all of my thinking behind why it is zero waste. I think the use of lots of high quality images on the site makes it feel more professional and realistic. As well I feel like the images of vegetables promote the zero waste lifestyle without being overbearing. Even though this was a last minute thought to create a website I do think that it was necessary to complete the brand.

OUGD603 - Unpackaged Brief - Website Development

I did some quick sketches of wireframes that I could use for the site. I wanted a fairly simple site for the content to take centre stage.  I think the more minimal layouts are the more successful ones, like the middle layout. I think this will be the layout that I take forward into my digital development. I also thought here about what pages I could create to get all the information that I needed onto the site. I need to talk about how the store works as well as the store's overarching aim of converting people to a zero waste lifestyle. So I decided to have the following pages: How it works, our philosophy, contact us and about zero waste. Between these pages, you could find all the answers to questions that you might ask about the store. 

I started by trying out my favourite wire frame from my sketches, making a quick wireframe to fill with images and text. I wanted to bring across a tag line to show people that its not that difficult to change your lifestyle, so I went with a repeated phrase of "Zero waste. Zero guilt. Zero fuss." this shows people that they could be better off living a zero waste lifestyle. Additionally I found some royalty free stock images of fresh fruits and vegetables to use in the site, I think that it brings the image of a healthy lifestyle to the site as well as promoting zero waste or goods without packaging. I also took inspiration from the design of the labels across into the text boxes on the site to create a bit of consistency with the brand. However, something still feels lacking in this design so I decided to try a different layout.

Having an image that stretches across rather than 3 separate images looks a lot more professional in my opinion. But I feel that boxing off the text like this makes for a very static design, it doesn't inspire anything with me. 

After looking back at my research for websites, I decided to try something a bit more visual rather than text heavy, having a full bleed image of the vegetables to get the viewers attention. Also, I tried not framing the text here, but now the text feels a little like its floating, it needs more context.   

I took a break from creating the main home page and decided to look at the how it works page instead.  Again, taking inspiration from the chocolate website in my research I used the icons that I made for the guide to explain how you actually shop. I really like how the icons overlap the imagery like this, maybe this could be a theme throughout the site, to have a large image at the top with the main body of the site slightly overlapping it. Also, the use of the off white as the main colour works a lot better, giving it a more organic colour as stark white feels a bit unnatural.

At this point, I asked for feedback with Alec as I was struggling with choosing a layout as well as figuring out the design. He clarified things for me, telling me the enter page should be the full bleed image with information about what the shop actually is rather than what zero waste is. Not having the quote here and putting the title in a frame really helps to ground the text, making it less floaty. I took this design style across to the other pages, condensing the “what is zero waste” page into the philosophy page after Alec suggested that they would include the same information. This makes the information a lot clearer I think to have it all in one place. Also, the information used is a lot more relevant, explaining how the store works as well as the ethos of having ethical reasoning behind everything. I also thought that it would be good to have a blog to promote the use of seasonal vegetables and other services that the store could provide to make it more active within the community.

OUGD603 - Unpackaged Brief - Discussion with Alec

I asked Alec for feedback on my Zero branding project so far as well as feedback on how to progress my website designs further. He really helped me clarify what information needs to be on there and where, showing me that some of the things would be irrelevant.

He also suggested that I should write out my ethos and aims for the store to clarify all the designs further. For example why people should shop at the store, what is the problem that I am trying to solve here. He also suggested that the aim of the store should be to make the transition from normal shopping to zero waste shopping as easy and unnoticeable as possible. The main aim should be to basically to promote anything that avoids the use of our precious natural resources.

We talked about the older generations and their engagement and he had some really interesting suggestions here too. He said I could do a delivery system by bicycle for people within a certain radius of the store so that older people could get their groceries in a sustainable way without having to carry heavy jars etc. Also he suggested that the store could rent out trolleys for the customers to take home, again within reason.

Another thing that I thought about off the back of this would be a recycle bank/food waste bank at the store where customers could drop off their waste before coming to the store, because sometimes some waste is unavoidable. The store could have a place to drop off food waste to compost and get some ready compost in return for the amount they dropped off to encourage them to think about where the waste goes. To add to this community feel I could have a community herb garden where people could gather herbs without using packaging.

He told me to look at how Unicorn Co-op Grocery Store (http://www.unicorn-grocery.co.uk/index.php) works and their ethics in Manchester and base my store's ethics around this. Also we looked at the Co-op and their new initiative to donate 1% of their profits into business ventures and charities in the local area of the store. Anything to support the community. Because at the end of the day you can't live sustainably without a stable community.

After this discussion I have a lot of ideas that I will put to use in the website as well as for the brand of zero as a whole.

OUGD603 - Unpackaged Brief - Store Mock Ups

To add some context I tried to mock ups of the store itself. Trying to work out what it could look both outside and in.

I wanted to keep the storefront really minimal to add intrigue for people walking past. Keeping the same colour scheme of off white, orange and black. I also decided to use a slogan that I have used on my website designs - "Zero waste, zero fuss" as I believe that people would presume going zero waste while shopping would be hard work but it is easier than they may think.  

I tried to mock up what the vegetable area might look like, with chalk boards for more information. The colours are a bit off because of the image I used but I think it works well to show how the produce would be placed in the store. 

OUGD603 - Unpackaged Brief - Final Labels and Collateral

I finished the labels, printed and photographed them. I chose a recycled stock for the labels that has grain and fibres in it. I think that the stock works really nicely because of the texture as originally I was planning to use an off white stock like with the stand up labels for the shelves. I thought that these labels could be used next to the bulk bins or if the whole foods were kept in large jars on a table. 

Here I tried my hand at a bit of art direction, trying to add some more interest to the photographs than just focusing on the design of the labels. It was a really fun experience doing these photographs playing with background colour and positioning. I think I have definitely improved my photography skills from last year and I am producing some really professional photographs that will look great in my portfolio. 

The jars in particular work amazingly on the orange background. Unfortunately I only had an A1 piece of the orange paper so I had to work on the photos a lot in post production to fill out the background. It also meant it was hard to photograph all of the jars on the orange background which is a shame. 

OUGD603 - Unpackaged Brief - Final Risograph Guide

I picked up my guides from Footprint and I'm really please with how they have come out. The orange risograph ink is a lot bolder than I thought it would be, I think it's come out really nicely. The texture that is created through risograph really adds to the illustrations and design. Because I used the 80gsm recycled stock it does feel a bit flimsy but the thicker stock for the cover makes up for this. I think it would have looked better with a fully orange cover but I like how the burlap sack texture has printed - it would have looked better if it was full bleed but the way that risograph works it wasn't really possible to do this, also it would have increased the cost. 

This page is my favourite in the guide because of the icon-like illustrations. I'm super pleased with how the orange and black work together here, they compliment and contrast really well. 

I made a small mistake with the illustrations here - with the till I didn't subtract the orange from the black box so it overlaps a bit which is annoying. But I think the effect still works and everything else has come out perfectly. 

OUGD603 - Unpackaged Brief - Website Research

I decided it would be best to create a website for the brand to explain the way the store works to people interested in visiting. Even though web design is not my forte I feel like it is necessary for this brand to have one. 

The use of the cream and beige tones really compliments the subject matter of chocolate, it reminds me of the colour of white chocolate. Also I really like the use of the simple line illustrations to represent the different elements of the menu. Maybe I could use some of the illustrations that I created for my guide on the website to provide a bit more interest. 

I really like the use of the full bleed images that are bright and colourful. These bright images contrasted against the stark white elements of the website create a really poppy feeling. Also there is a lot of empty space on the site, making it very visual rather than being informative. I feel like the site for my store will need to be more informative however so maybe I cannot use this much white space. 

This website on the otherhand uses collage like elements to make a really artistic look. I really like how this cut out imagery frames the text and provides more context to the brand itself. Also the combination of types used here adds to this artistic feeling with some hand rendered type contrasted with a sans serif. I'm not sure whether this style would suit my anti packaging store as I have created the aesthetic to be quite minimal, but it is worth trying to add a bit of interest somehow. 

OUGD603 - Unpackaged Brief - Label Design

After finalising the guide and logo I decided it would be a good idea to design the labels that you would stick on the jars once you weighed out your goods. I did a little bit of research just to look at common layouts within labels. 

One that really stood out to me was this Summerhill Market branding. They created labels for various items in a very minimal yet effective style. I really like the use of the pastel coloured stock, it draws the eye without being too bright. Perhaps I could use an orange stock for the labels to add a bit more interest and colour to the design. The type hierarchy here also is very balanced, with the product being the most important part, and the logo and price being secondary. Additionally the way things are boxed off makes it feel very neat and organised. 

I also looked at a jar label because my labels will most likely be put onto jars, being a durable reusable vessel. This candle again has a very minimal label, separating the information with the use of lines. The one thing I realise with this label is that the white provides a good contrast to the contents of the jar. If I did use coloured stock for my labels it may clash with what is inside. This label is landscape rather than portrait like the Summerhill market labels but it means that it fits better on a smaller jar. Perhaps I should create two labels, one for a large jar and the other for a smaller one so the customers can choose based on their vessels. 

So I started designing some labels for some of the wholefoods that would be sold in the store. I started with a landscape label to be compatible with more jar sizes. 

I used boxes to designate the information that would be printed, everything else would be the same on all the labels for that product, yet the numbers would be changeable. The layout of this label definitely feels off, though I tried arranging it logically I feel like the order is wrong. 

made it so all the information could be placed on one line and it looks a lot cleaner and less jumbled. Also separating the description with another line makes the hierarchy easier to understand. 

I recreated the label in a portrait manner and I think this hierarchy works a lot better than in the previous design. However, I haven't added the individual weight and price that the customer would pay. This label could be used on the bigger jars or vessels from which you would serve yourself.

Next I played around with using a different coloured stock. The off white in my opinion works a lot better than white at making it less of a stark contrast and warmer. Also making the lines less bold by using a dashed line rather than a solid helps in breaking up the text without detracting from the design.

Using The Summerhill Market branding as inspiration I added some patterns to the back of the label to frame it a bit and found that it really brings the information forward. At this point I asked for some feedback on the font choices and patterns. There was a consensus that I should change to the sans serif font rather than use the stencil serif for the titles. Also it was suggested if the title was centre aligned then I should centre align everything else, like the description. 

Moving on I tried some different colour combinations, trying to add more of the orange accent colour into the design. I also tried what the label would look like on a bright orange stock for a flash of colour. I think that the full orange label is a bit too much, the offwhite with the contrast of the black and orange works a lot better. 

I went back to the landscape label designs after looking at jars as on the small 250ml sized jars a portrait label would have to be tiny and wouldn’t fit any information on what so ever. So taking the layout from the portrait labels I tried to fit it in a landscape format.

I had to rearrange the label so that I could fit the logo on there, placing all the pricing on one line. However I think that it reads better this way, not cramming the description into a small box. Now all I have to do is measure my jars and put the correct information on each label for the corresponding foods.