OUGD203 Evaluation

From the beginning of this module, I have really looked forward to working on a chosen brief, and one I had constructed myself, regarding my own interests and the direction I feel I want to be going as a creative. 

Throughout the module I feel I have developed many existing skills, and gained new ones. The application of colour I feel being one of them, I tend to stick to a monochromatic colour palette, but within the M&S packaging brief I had to push forward and explore this. The only mandatory requirement was to use the M&S existing logo and branding. Having only three colours I had to really experiment and push boundaries as to how to apply it to design. This again applied in the Product range and distribution brief, I kept my packaging a crisp white, but had to explore the use of colour within cosmetics, to also push forward the idea of range. I certainly feel more comfortable using colour, as beforehand I was quite dubious about applying it to my design work.

Another skill I feel I have developed is the use of vectors and illustration, normally I would find any excuse to use illustration as Its something I feel I’m best at. Within this module I have really considered where it would and wouldn’t be appropriate, for instance within the M&S I heavily used illustration, but within Product, range and distribution it was hardly used, if at all. Vectoring has been something I’ve explored in order to mock my work and ideas up to a good standard, I feel I now have some kind of image resource library which I can use in future work.

I have really explored design within the environment throughout this module, looking at adshells, retail graphics, billboards and distribution methods of paper based design. With this I have had to explore consistency within my design, alongside layout for the various shapes such environmental graphics hold.  With this, I have had to really take into consideration range, within both the brief, I feel I have explored and exploited this to my full potential.

One thing I did within this module which I haven’t done before was to create my own typeface, although simple and uncomplex, it’s a start. I do a lot of hand rendered type, but I have tried to get more digital with my work, and I feel this is a start.

One of the main skills I have developed is designing for my own personal concerns, issues and opinions. Within the package, range and distribution brief I was able to create a campaign for something I feel really strongly for and am personally opinionated about. By doing so, it gave me a sense of achievement and drive once I’d produced something and people began to listen. This in itself has given me a direction, as a designer, of what I would like to possibly get into after graduation. 

I have really gone all out when approaching research methods within this module, within previous brief and modules I’ve always stated a lot more primary research needed to be done. I feel within this module I have achieved this task; I’ve produced a large quantity of primary research.  I’ve been doing a lot more visits around my work, whether it’s to conduct surveys or take pictures. I’ve also done a lot of individual market research, too contacting companies asking questions about products; in this case for the product range and distribution brief, I contacted three major women’s magazine companies asking about the honesty of the advertisements within their magazines. I also conducted online surveys and gained a lot of responses, with all of this collected information it has really informed my design decisions. 

With my research really informing my design decisions, I feel a strength within my work consists of designs which really communicate my idea or message. With this, in PRD I feel I had a really strong campaign message, as I had a lot of evidence to back it up, and the designs were placed alongside appropriate content for people to work the message out for themselves. 

Consistency within range I feel has been another strength within my work, by creating one main design, I was able to re-use the design elements across a range of medias, instead of doing what I usually do, which is to start fresh with each individual design, which in itself is very time consuming.  So time keeping was certainly something I was able to keep on top of, by keeping note of what I needed to do and when (action plans) and giving myself an appropriate amount of time to do something, I was able to keep on top of my work alongside CTS and Enterprise. 

My illustrative style has certainly become a strong element within my recent work, I feel I have developed it digitally, with this I became the main focus and design element within the M&S packaging brief.

My motivation within this module has been a struggle, It has been a very, very busy period of time and trying to juggle everything as well as keep on top of work has been, in itself a demotivator.  The first brief wasn’t so bad as I had a partner to keep me occupied and on level, as if I fell behind with work, it would effect us both. The more recent brief, being the last, has been a struggle; I have felt at times I just needed to take time off to myself in order to keep my sanity. 

The level of experimentation did drop toward the end of the module, to get work done on time, I simply stuck to my initial designs throughout. It’s not until I look at my boards and realize I could have done better.

Next year I intend to keep developing the skills I feel I have strengthened this year. I also need to get a grasp on time keeping, in the sense of giving myself a break as I feel this year it has really effected the quality of my work. This way I feel my motivation will keep up, thus not effecting my work negatively.  I want to explore research as much as I have done this year, as it’s been most helpful. Also the application of colour, I want to explore further, work with colour within my illustrations, typographic elements and digital design work.

Final Boards - YCN - My contribution

Product, range and distribution - Final Boards

Magazine print

I wanted to get a sense of how my magazine page advertisement would work so I inserted it within an existing womens magazine. I think it works really well alongside cosmetic advertisements, the format and layout is adhering to other page designs.

Collected design work for boards

I figured out if would be a lot easier if I collected together all the design work I wanted to try and put on my boards. As you can see below, there's far too much work to put across just 5 boards, but I'd rather have more, than less to choose from.

Retail Graphics

Cosmetic sellers / stores at my main direction in approaching where is best for my designs to be seen and noticed. For my designs to be communicated effectively, they need to be seen, near the 'fakery' items which are the content of my campaign for customers to make the link and notice the false advertising themselves, for that "Oh yeah" effect.


I produced some further poster designs, which I've mocked up within Superdrug, alongside banners, and other retail graphics.

Magazine Article

I felt the  most promising medium my campaign design work can be is as a page within a women's magazine, as from research I found a huge amount of misleading cosmetic articles with several leading women's magazines. Having my article among these will mean readers will actually be drawn to small print and really read what the product communicates, to hopefully find my message true. My campaign material is to be placed in places women can make the link with cosmetic advertisement material, and see what its about for themselves.

Where I am, Looking back at the brief

I began to get a bit concerned as to where I stand now, in the sense of what my brief is, my range and distribution. 


I began with a packaging range, to sell honesty but finding this would be nearly impossible. I found, through looking at many magazines that a large percent of 'Fakery' products (Comsetics, hair dye etc) were very manipulative in the way they advertised their product. This soon became a personal issue which I wanted to deal with and became passionate about. 


This then gave me the design direction to create a campaign from what I found within my research. By creating my own line of fake cosmetics, I could highlight the issue. This made up cosmetic line wouldn't be put up to sell, but would be placed in the environment in a range of ways, through posters, billboards, in store adverts and the an online presence.


 The idea was to educate people, which would result in customers questioning cosmetic products. This, would hopefully influence producers of cosmetics to be honest in its advertising, to use my logo from the campaign so consumers knew of its accaptance and following of the cosmetic advertisement guidelines.


The push I need to make henceforth is to link my deliverables and range together, providing links to the website, contact details, how the logo can be used, etc. I need to make the campaign some sort of event, rather than just some design work sprawled across Leeds city centre.

Design for retail - Photoshoot

I wanted to mock up my posters within Superdrug to get an idea of how they would work alongside their products in store, so I took a few sneaky photographs to do so.

Online presence

I wanted my campaign to have an online presence, to push it forward and link my posters and other design work to it. 

There are 5 areas in total. The first simply explaining the message and what the campaign is about. The second explaining about Replica Collection as a Honest brand of made cosmetics which is shown within advertisement material for this campaign. The third showing the use of the logo within products and in stores. The fourth being about exposure, with the extensive range of advertisement material around Leeds. The fourth being a page to contact HCA as a campaign. The contact section will allow people to email HCA to 'Name and shame' advertisements which have gone against guidelines. 

Further website design development

These designs are a lot more realistic in the sense they fit the screen, or consistent in colour palette, style and Layout. I'm a lot happier with these designs considering my poor previous effort! I feel the pages convey my campaign well. There are 5 buttons:


The message
Replica Collection
HCA Campaign
Exposure
Contact


Each of these describe elements of the campaign and products I've used with my designs. 

Initial website design

Initial designs are absolutely awful! I just wanted something there, to draft and improve from! I think I need to look at some inspiration before I start the designing process.

Design for the environment - Bus & poster display

Just to show the extent my campaign could go, I could direct my target audience in a range of ways. Posters boards are located in areas of high passing trade - the one situated nearest Leeds University would be a good location, as female students are my target audience. Likewise with buses, many students use them so it seem an appropriate medium.

Design for the environment - Boots & Existing Products

My campaign logo across a range of cosmetic brands and display units. Cosmetics which sell their products honestly could use my campaign logo. Stores such as Superdrug and Boots will display the question 'Is it HCA approved', across display stands, and posters in store. By doing so this expands my range even more, outside of my own range of made up cosmetics, but across all which display my logo.

Customers will be able to make the link between my campaigning material outside the store across posters and billboards, and link the logo back to the message I communicated.

On the cosmetics themselves

Design for the environment - Adshel

I wanted my posters to be seen across a range of advertising spaces, the bus shelter being one of the more appropriate I feel. This again pushing the idea of range, of what medium my designs can go across and where they can be seen. 

Applying logo to design - Billboards

With the logo applied to the designs, it will be more recognisable when seen within cosmetic stores, without having to visually show my message - I hope this will be linked with and be communicated with the logo, I want the logo to work alone.  

Applying logo to design - Posters

Information to be held on posters

After coming across the cosmetics claims guidelines online, I decided to use the information to inform the content of my material. I want to inform my target audience of the ways words can be manipulated to say one thing but actually mean another; I want to inform people of these guidelines.


Foundation:


Cosmetic guidelines state that it be unacceptable to label foundation as 'Healthy', being able to 'restructure' and 'firm' skin, to 'reduce scars' and 'protect the skin from UV rays'.


Anti - ageing cream:


Cosmetic guidelines state that it be unacceptable to label Anti-aging cream as being able to 'Fade age spots', to 'eliminate, reduce or slow ageing wrinkles or the ageing process'. 


Mascara:


Cosmetic guidelines state that it be unacceptable to label Mascara as being able to 'stimulate hair follicles' 


Eyeliner:


Cosmetic guidelines state that it be unacceptable to label Eyeliner as being able to 'Nourish skin'


Hair dye:


Cosmetic guidelines state that it be unacceptable to label hair dye as it not being able to promise the colour stated on the box, that Each package of this type of hair dye must be accompanied by an instruction stating that the product may cause serious inflammation of the skin in some persons, and that a preliminary test should always be carried out to determine if the user has a special sensitivity to the product. This instruction must appear in both official languages.


Lipstick:


Cosmetic guidelines state that it be unacceptable to label lipstick as being able to cure chapped skin, It is of paramount importance that the information required to be shown on the label of a cosmetic be clearly legible. However, some cosmetics are so small that requiring the ingredient list to appear on the label would make it difficult to see the information. 


Nail Polish:


Cosmetic guidelines state that it be unacceptable to label nail polish in reference to growth resulting from nourishing fingernails


Fake Eye Lashes:


Cosmetic guidelines state that it be unacceptable to label false eyelashes as being a models own in advertisements 

Campaign pushing - Logo designing

I realised I wasn't making it that clear that it was in fact a campaign I was promoting, so I felt a suitable way would be to produce a logo which would represent all of the designs I had so far produced. This logo could be placed as a logo, or sticker onto existing cosmetic products to show it was in fact honest in its promotional material. 


I will include these within my posters and billboards, which would then be recognisable within cosmetic products to promote themselves under my 'made up' certification. This can then be placed on websites and store fronts such as Boots and Superdrug

Designs applied to billboards

I found this process quite difficult as I had arranged all but one of my designs in portrait, of course, all billboards are landscape. Once I got it done, I feel I was able to create very realistic looking campaign material, to a range of shapes and scale. I feel they are impact and convey my message clearly.

Honest cosmetic advertisement - Further designs

I began looking into the regulations of cosmetic advertisement, and found it influencing the messages I put within my posters. I found the regulations myself quite surprising, that companies can get away with so much by simply wording something a certain way. Thinking if I found it shocking, others would, so I stated the regulations within them.

Billboard photoshoot

For the advertisement of the campaign, I took some photos of billboards around Leeds city centre to mock up with my poster images and designs. Not any billboard will be the same design, I will create and display a range of posters and billboard designs and layout, but to create consistency and a recognisable range I will keep colour palette, typeface, and arrangement some what the same.

Honest cosmetic advertisement - More designs

Keeping my posters consistent I've kept the same colour palette and amount of negative space, my layout varies throughout to give it a sense of range, alongside the line of cosmetic products.