CV / Branding

I have created my CV and branded myself to match the design of my business cards. I am really happy with the overall outcome based on simplicity and how attractive the colour has become as it stands out really well. I have tried to be as creative as possible and believe I have shown potential, by creating the correct information but not to much to become boring. I love how the information has been displayed and it shows that simple little touches can make a big impact.

The Body Shop Packaging

This brief was to create a packaging range for The Body Shop, however I was not giving a specific product which I liked as the brief was more open and helped me focus on something I would defiantly be interested in and still show potential. I decided on designing packaging for a perfume / body spray with complimentary tags. Firstly I thought about what kind of pattern would suit a perfume bottle as a whole but would look completely different when given a different name each and colour each time. Nothing better than a floral pattern as flowers suggest sweet and nice smelling just what I am aiming for . I then sat down and though a lot about how I could create a theme with the name generation and I decided to associate each name with a different country and give a explanation describing not only the scent but the country and include this information on the supporting swing tag. I done so using the shape toll a lot again by creating a basic shape and adding extrude and bevel as a 3D effect to create a bottle shape which will also benefit on the lid also. Along the way colour choices where very important but where not necessary until I could see each on in situation. Eventually creating the floral pattern was simple but tricky to make sure each petal was perfect, by adding blending modes to this area really played on the colours creating extra effect giving a range of lighter and darker tones. This technique also worked on the brand logo very effective. The names where added with a choice of font and the idea came together, especially when the tags are displayed next to each one as a explanation love it.

M&S Card Design Development

I wanted to upload this development to show nothing is perfect and to show where I went wrong and to prove I improved my designs for the better to use in my portfolio. First of all the wreath design did not work it was very hard to see and represented a halo which was not the original concept. Also the typography styling did not work based on the layout as it was all out of line going down in a straight path. The colours where wrong at this point also as they did not look like a set as they where to vibrant, to solve this I toned down all of the colours and added a multiplying blending to mode to take my design and apply it within the card itself. However one advantage I do like the circle the wreath creates and the writing going down over does begin to create a ballon image which could be used for another card range in the future.

M&S Card Design

I really love these card designs. The brief was all about designing a set of cards that could be sent to a loved one just because. They where to be a range for Marks and Spencer's. I had slight difficulty getting to this final stage within this project based on layout but I got there eventually, the problems I suffered will be evidenced in another post. When looking for inspiration for this brief I believed that the brown card texture was the best way to go to make the range be suitable for both genders and to suggest how they can be recycled which means they are friendly to the environment, always  bonus. I was really set on just making this deign mostly about typography, however when I had layout issues and realised the wreath pattern I was using before was all wrong it lead me down this route, the right one. I really enjoyed creating the images used within the cards as I think I have progressed in Illustrator a lot lately based on previous digital skills sessions. I had already settled for the font choice earlier based on legibility, how attractive it is and how much attention it grabs. Personally if these cards where not my own and I saw them I would buy them defiantly. Finally I also love that the range was meant to been unisex however I have been able to create a outcome for both but in a separate card that still continues to create a set.

Inspiration / Development

These supporting images show where I started simply with a logo and really had to think about where I could take the brand with the issue given. They also show how I started with the cup design and how boring and flat it looked until I realised a 3D effect was the best solution to the problem. The images then go on to show how I changed the gradient and colours to make the cup more interesting and realistic which lead to my final outcome. This piece also supports where I started with the croissant and panini to the final outcome that I used which is evidenced in all the other pieces uploaded supporting this brief.

Leaflet / Billboard Advertisment

My final visual was very simple as most of the elements had already been created to make up the poster and cup / banner. However I knew I had to add something a little bit more to this one to show that I did not just copy over each element from the beginning and changed the layout as that would of not been creative in the slightest. I then thought of all products that Starbucks sell and thought about how I could make them fit in with the issue also. Once I had chosen which elements to use I researched a image of both a croissant and a panini and traced the image using the pen tool, making it quite rough and cartoon like to fit the theme, when they where cut out I filled them in with the necessary colours and added some wings to make them resemble bees also. Based on making the images quite rough and free hand I decided to add an effect to the wings and slightly roughen those also. Overall I am very pleased with the outcome and believe these pieces are ready for my portfolio. I also have some supporting images to show where I went wrong and where my idea first came from shown above.

Cup and Banner Visual

This final image makes it more clear where I took my idea next, because even tho the cup is included in the poster it is hard to see what it actually has to say. As already said I wanted to play with the words of the issue and create something different and in no better way than images. I wanted to stick with the simplicity of the design and did not want the images to look to serious to take the excitement away, so again using the shape tool to manipulate simple shapes into a bee / coffee bean, a plant, a flower and a tree and still manage to get the logo in where it is necessary proved to be the right choice. Once I had all the right elements in place I created the cup shape simply again using the shape tool to draw one half and using the extrude and bevel effect to make the shape 3D. Once I had the cup shape ready by tweaking colours and gradients to get it just right and look as realistic as possible it was all about applying the art work. To make sure everything sat right I warped the type into a arc to bend round the cup as well as the supporting type underneath and added the finishing touches. Which lead me to my final piece of promotional material, a leaflet / billboard advertisement.

Starbucks Campaign Promotional Material (Poster)

The poster was the first piece of material I felt was necessary as it shows off how each element has come together. The flower was based around simplicity as I wanted it to relate to the issue but not make the typography that has supported the information look lost as it would if I was to of used a lot of colour. It was simply made up using Illustrator and the shape tool, by drawing out a oval shape to start, I went on to select a anchor point using the direct select tool to change the shape instantly to have one side pointed just like a petal and repeating this step several times created the flower as a whole. As for the middle of the flower I thought there was nothing more fitting than using the Starbucks logo to really hit the nail on the head of what specific brand I am working with. Which then lead me to focus on the words given to support the issue and wondered where I could go next.

Urban Outfitters Packaging

This brief consisted of designing a range of packaging for a chosen brand. I leaned towards Urban Outfitters as I believe I can relate well with the brand as it it is young, modern and on trend with todays markets. I believe my outcome has worked well for many reasons however there is defiantly room for improvement in some areas. I stuck with one of the previous colour schemes Urban Outfitters have used themselves based on how vibrant and attractive they are, as well as considering the design to be unisex. I worked with the colour in some areas to emphasise certain elements and to create a simple pattern. The colours have defiantly worked well to set a theme and made each outcome look well suited as a set. I really like the textured background I went for this style based on making the design look recyclable and environmentally friendly, as well as resemble the real life materials that would be used if this design was to be taking further. I went on with the tissue paper and the stickers to show the importance of safety when packing a product and the business card was just a extra as a little hand out to receive with a purchase. However I believe my disadvantages are the legibility of the design some of the edges have proven to look rough and distorted when close up. I believe I have came to this problem because maybe I chose the wrong programme to work in and because I have lacked confidence in some  areas. I see where my mistakes lie and simple tweaks would be easy if necessary in the future.

Ted Baker Poster

Working with another live brief, I was focused on creating a poster for Ted Baker to express what it was all about to another country to potentially gain more clientele when opening a new store somewhere else. I researched into what Ted Baker was specifically looking for when creating a piece of work for them, I thought it was important to stick to the theme that they have always used, they focus a lot on English Heritage and have a really quirky sense of  humour. I think I have combined both quite well as the moustache's create a funny side and the UK flag colours are included suggesting the English heritage and show where the company came from. Also using the stem effect to hang the logo and the moustache imagery from, shows one of the effects I learnt within my Digital Skills lessons, as well as putting the type in the right place and making sure it is clean and tidy shows another skill I learnt within this module. Overall I like this piece and think it fits well to the purpose.

Willy Wonka final pieces in Situation

I then took both of my final pieces and thought of ways I could put them into a real life situation. I thought one of the best places to advertise a poster is on a bus stop as a billboard based on the amount of public attraction it could possibly get. On the other hand leaflets are often given out in the street or example so I gathered a bunch of them and placed them into a hand to show what they would look like if they where real. Both ways show the potential of the piece if they where actually to be used.

Willy Wonka Poster and Flyer

I chose to work on a live brief to support a Willy Wonka production show, I feel I captured various elements to a build up a relevant final piece. I worked through my initial ideas and development using various medias and textures of sweet shop paper bags, which helped me to get a guideline of where I wanted to go to produce this final. The simplicity of the idea is clear really as I have went for the built up cartoon/collage effect, I started off with the paper bag outline and decided the colour purple spoke Wonka the most. In my previous development it shows how I decided on what font style, colour, imagery, information and sponsors I chose to use. I went with creating my own Wonka sweets with love hearts being my inspiration. I recreated a Wonka tree as well as hats and various other sweet products and again the choice of typestyle also got considered hear. I finally got all of my elements I needed and put it together to create this piece.

Tavistock Retro

I created this design by starting off with a simple cream background with a wood texture overlay as it is complimentry to the style of my design. I then went on to using Illustrator to trace the existing logo that I was using, using the pen and smooth tool to make it perfect. Next I inserted my imagery that I created simply using the shape tool and filling it with my choice of complimentry colours I chose to represent the Italian theme. I then simply just started playing with plain very legibal type faces to include the relivant information and this is where I also played around with layout and sizes to allow all all my information to breath and sit nicely within the design. Again I took advantage of the colour choice and changed my heading using the colours of the Italian flag to make them stand out and give off positive attention. I kept my attention focused on keeping all my promotion material continuous based on colours and the things that are included. Overall I am really happy with the outcome as it reprisents exactly what I have shown in my development and hits all of my targets that I have aimed for within my proposal.

NHS Logo

This is a logo created for the NHS, for the Newcastle Medical Photography Department. I simply used a basic light typography based around legibility. I then focused on enhancing the first letter of each word hoping eventually the logo could be recognised on its own just as NMP. I used a basic colour scheme and stuck to light pastel colours that look fresh and clean just like a hospital. Overall it shows a very effective but simplistic approach.

Pentagram Magazine

The objective of this project was to pick a particular artist and create a magazine design around aspects that represent that artist as well as meet the Pentagram expectations. I worked out a colour scheme that I thought worked best throughout the magazine, I also considered a theme of how all my work was to be placed into the design template and I came to a conclusion that it looked good when everything was cut to a diagonal, really like how the design has worked out very continuous and can be easily recognised as a set or the main focus a part of a magazine. I also considered different types of typography and how they work together to build up a collage based image.

Book Cover Develoment

As a part of my development I chose to use the facilities of the photography studio. experimenting with different lights and poses etc to get the perfect image for my final piece. To do so I used various props including a fancy dress costume of little red riding hood which was one of the Brothers Grimm stories making the relation really good , I also used a apple which related to another story which is Snow White I really like how I was able to combine two stories together to show the variety of there work to make one. Finally I used paint and jam to relate to the 'Grimm' theme again to give the idea of blood to my final piece.

Brothers Grimm book cover

I produced this design for my second project based around the Brothers Grimm fairy tales as well as the very well known penguin books. To create this I collected first hand photography of my self , which I then digitally enhanced using Photoshop. I changed various parts of the image using many effects for example I used the burn tool to enhance the light and dark parts of the images as well as adding a grungy texture over the top to make it relate more to the 'Grimm' theme. I also love how the book looks when put in situation like the underneath image, it really gives a feel of how it would look if my design was to be used.

Bistro Logo

Looking at previous examples of existing restaurants, cafe's and bistros I came up with a very simple idea. Starting of with a very basic sans serif font also known as hasteristico and typing out the name I chose for the bistro. I then used various tools in illustrator to help create the circle behind which resembles a plate to fit in with the bistro theme and the knife and fork. To create the circle I simply used the shape tool, which I then went on to use to create the indentation. The gradient tool also worked really well for this project as it helped me to give off a shadowed effect to really show off the indentation in my final piece. The final tool I really used the most was was the pen tool as it helped me to draw out my typography from my reference as well as the knife and fork imagery which I think has worked really well as it is really simple but gets the point across. 

I also went on to play with colour as a part of my development, I started off with three choices of colour all for very different reasons. Firstly I thought blue would be the best colour to use simply making this logo fit in with the rest of the colleges designs and the all around blue theme, however I thought blue was a really bold colour to use for a bistro. Secondly I went for a really cool green colour which was hopefully going to emphasize the freshness of the bistro and the food sold however again it still looked to cold and quite dull. Finally I chose a deep red, which does not relate to the food or the college but it gives a warm feel which will be easier too attract customers as I think in a warmer feeling room it makes people feel more relaxed as they sit down to eat. It also fits in with the choice of decoration used in the bistro, known from getting a feel for the room at the beginning of the project. I also experimented with a mix of the colours just to see what could possibly work best however I still felt the red on its own was the best choice.