Self Evaluation for OUGD203

Evaluation

Overall I thought that OUGD203 was positive, I have come away from the module feeling quite positive for once.  The reason for me enjoying the various briefs so much is that they have been more self-directed and I have been able to write my own briefs from existing briefs that have been set.

I found that in this module I have taken a step up developing further and further as a designer becoming more self-directed especially with the brief writing workshops in the middle of the module.  What I learnt from these sessions was extremely useful in dissecting and coming up with my own briefs by focusing on the key aspects and how my design can transfer over to this.

After having a average outcome to both my last modules, I really wanted and felt that I had to step up a gear. With the incentive to write our own briefs I found a new lease of life and took it in my stride. As I said in my rational I want to develop my practice in the areas of type, layout /publication design and branding I tried to aim this brief in that direction as much as possible.

Something that I would like to take away from this is to start reading and learning more about the areas that I am interested in. I feel a lot of the time I can get to focus on designing that I forget about looking at other designers work whether in books, blogs and journals.  This is something that I need to focus on not doing, designing in a vacuum as it often prohibits my development during projects.

YCN

Since not working collaboratively since level 04 the experience was different to working on your own. I worked with Niall, we both have similar interests and taste in design which complimented our pairing. I found that we generated a wide range of ideas together but when it came to developing and progressing it was harder to due to both of us having conflicting ideas sometimes.  I thought that the strong point about our resolution was that we had quite an expansive range of products answering the brief to how we interpreted it.

Web Design

This was something that I was quite new to it, even though I have been using the internet for years now I have never thought to have looked into how it all worked. Coming to do the website for my enterprise group (Rhombus) I found it quite slow to start with, but as I picked up on certain things it came together in no time. I managed to produce my first functioning website although not as good as I hoped I managed it. Something that I would like to look into for the near future, summer being the perfect time is the more advanced web design like css and JavaScript so I can make myself a decent website for my personal and professional development. I found much like the brief writing workshops the web sessions to be equally as useful with the assistance of the technical support it made building a simple website no problem at all.

YCN Boards

These are the 5 boards presenting the collaborative project by me and Niall for Green and Blacks which was entered into the YCN competition. 

Submissions boards for YCN

These are the boards that we submitted to YCN for mine and Niall's collaboration.

Evidence of Submission

Final products for Green & Blacks

The product range that we produced for the Green & Blacks brief. The various products in the range are as follows;


Promotional stall which is situated within various supermarkets, it has been designed to look like the leaf used within the existing Green & Blacks packaging. The stand includes the refreshed logo for our campaign to re ignite peoples interest in G&B. This image is the stall within context including an apron for the Green & Blacks employee so that people can identify the taster session with the brand.

To go with the stall and the concept of inviting a selection of people to various taster sessions we decided to design a promotional ticket once given out directs the audience to the website where information is given about the taster session.

The next stage of the campaign was to send out a promotional pack that includes everything within it, explaining what would be provided in the masterclass. Invitations, promotional material and a limited edition chocolate bar is also included. 

Box Packaging

Booklet for host

 Invitations for the hosts guests

Event

Logo

I have used the various ideas from the stall designs to refresh the logo for Green & Blacks which can be applied to this campaign. I have just tried to simplify it without changing it to much, it should be recognisable as Green & Blacks still.

This should logo can be applied across the range of promotional material and potential products that we wish to produce such as. Underneath the "G&B' will be the one word that describes the various branches of the campaign. Some examples of how the logo would work across the different areas, just some basic imagery, to show how it would work. 

Information Pack Packaging Development

After speaking to Niall we decided to tie in the packaging with the booklet, using the same colours. We have decided to use the same green. This also got us thinking how we could make the packaging. As I made the previous packaging using grey mount board, I think this will be the base layer for the box. There is two ways that the box can be produced, we were either thinking of using buckram and then foil blocking onto the lid of the box. The other way is to print the design on a thinnish stock and wrap it round the board, this will allow a varied range of colour and other processes like spot varnishing and foil blocking.


I have also thought about wrapping the box up so that instead of having to address on the box there is more space for the logo. The ideas I have had are either wrapping paper or a sealable plastic bag. This will also add to the element of the pack being a gift.
Below are some variations for the packaging design.

Website ideas

Once the people with the promotional codes go away they will be directed to Green & Blacks website so that they can fill in there details for Green & Blacks to send the information pack to them. The idea behind the webpages is to continue with the existing Green & Blacks website and just create a section where the people with the codes can go. This could also include information for people that have heard about the events, get them to go into stores and have the chance to be a part of the masterclasses, either by competition or getting given the codes.

The images above show how the section of the website would work. More could be done to engage the people browsing the webpages, such as pictures that could run through on a reel.

Mock up of information pack

A rough mock up of the information pack, not including and of the logos or how it can be branded yet. This was to primarily to get a feel for the shape, size and dimensions of it.

Information pack ideas

Ideas for the information pack packaging. As we are going to send out the informational pack through the post the packaging needs to be compact but at the same time resonate the premium of the Green & Blacks brand.

Promotional Code ticket ideas

Just a few ideas for what format the promotional ticket codes will take. 

Ideas for the sizes came from, what would be ideal for people to take away with them in there wallets, handbags or pockets. So I looked at the dimensions for 5, 10 and 20 pound notes.

Design for front of stand

Some variations for the front of the Green Blacks stand. I am thinking of applying one of these design also to the promotional coded ticket and apron. This could work as a simpler logo for the brand, get people asking about what it is, getting the customer interested in the brand.

After meeting with Niall to discuss what we thought communicated Green & Blacks the best we chose a couple that we liked that I could work on to refine a bit more.

Development on Display Stand

Going with the leaf idea for the display stand there are two different variations at the moment, one being two piece stand and the other a single piece.

Colour variations for the display stand. Keeping the colours natural so as to look as organic as possible, potential materials being wood or plastic with a wood veneer.

Basic idea of how the taster stall will look within the supermarkets, preferable situated with room at the end of the aisles.

Although the basic shape of the taster stand has been chosen, it needs to be refined more to include the Green & Blacks brand name and potentially how the various different tasters would be displayed. Other promotional material that can be included when presenting this idea are the apron and the promotional coded  tickets that we are handing out.

Taster Holders

On the stand the taster could be contained within a small box or stand on top of the stall.

Display Stand

This idea came from an actual bar of chocolate, with each square being made up of Green & Blacks products. 

Just a couple of ideas for possible display stands that will be situated throughout supermarkets.

Above is the stand in the shape of the Green & Blacks leaf. If the stand was to go towards this direction I will need to look at how the Green & Blacks logo would fit on and what colour it would be.

Initial ideas

Just some very early ideas about how we could solve the various problems that we had. These were a couple of ideas spanning from edible designs.

Action Plan after crit

This is what we have proposed to do, above is a rough diagram of how our campaign is going to work. We have finalised what direction we are going to create and promote and decided to go for the idea of hosting Green & Blacks masterclasses at members of our targets audiences homes. We have identified what each of us need to do in order to progress and develop our ideas. Below is my action plan for the next couple of days.

Crit Feedback

Rational

After having a mini crit, we have re-written the rationale to make it clearer to present our ideas for the crit.

Re-written brief