OUGD603: Module Evaluation

The Extended practice module is my biggest achievement within an academic context. The process of developing a sophisticated body of work greatly simulates a processional practice working to develop a range of practical responses at any give time, working with clients, collaboratively, and developing self directed study. This culminates in a broad and diverse portfolio that stands me in good stead for leaving college, knowing I can develop industry standard resolutions. The independent nature of the module has allowed a proposal for self-direct study, this ensures the module has been thoroughly engaging throughout, being able to tailor briefs to my professional practice. This ensures a strict understanding of time management to ensure the briefs are achieved within their prescribed time-scales and stands me in good stead for further study, having already engaged with a professional working practice.

The diversity within my range of briefs that is comprised within the extended practice module demonstrates my versatility as a designer. Working on a range of live briefs instigates a profound sense of professionalism within my practice to ensure the briefs are produced to a commercial standard and establish these are resolved within the clients prescribed time frames. Engaging with the creative networks campaign develops a contextual understanding of working with a client, developing an open dialogue to ensure the resolution is as successful as possible to both the client and the target audience. Competition briefs such as my resolution for YCN and the Random House design award articulates an engagement with the industry and provides opportunity for great exposure as a graduating designer. The sophisticated resolution for the Greenall’s Gin brief is creative within its response and demonstrates my critical ability to alter the brief in order to better engage the target audience, this is developed with creative considerations for the clients established tone of voice and creative direction to develop a successful and appropriate submission.

Working collaboratively within the module on a number of projects including Creative Networks and Record Store Day, highlights my ability to work successfully as part of a design team. This presented opportunity to develop time management and communication skills to ensure the design direction is appropriate and relevant to the whole creative teams input. Demonstrating my sophisticated ability to work commercially, within the module I also initiated a range of self-initiated briefs to ensure a diversity within my graduate portfolio to articulate my breadth as a designer. Furthermore, this provides a more personal insight to myself and my personal design inspirations. Developing a practical research brief within contemporary ceramic forms provided opportunity to explore a completely new creative practice that established a new skillset and interest within in practice-led research.

Reflecting on the extended practice module, I have been able to develop key specialisms within my practice including identity and campaign design, this is specifically focused to the area foe the industry I aim to work within commercially. The module highlights my critical ability to develop a range of appropriate design based solutions that explores a range of practical and theoretical contexts.

Brief 9: Ceramic Branding - Evaluation

The response to the brief exceeds it's initial expectations to create a contextually resolved design strategy that appropriately engages its target audience, defines a clear and successful aesthetic direction / tone of voice, and is commercially apt to its target retail environment. The identity succeeds in creating a dynamic brand that references an variety of inspiration, appropriately named MARMOR connotes a tastefully scandi influence that allows the product to sit appropriately within its established marketplace. The development of a holistic design treatment highlights the products USP to position it innovative to its target audience. 

The products branding succeeds in developing a contemporary identity that is reflective of the brands tone of voice, which is inspired by a minimal scandi design proces. The type is stacked to split the syllables making it more approachable for an english speaking target audience, which successfully reinforces the brands continental tone of voice.  Developing an appropriate packaging strategy for the brand is successful in reinforcing the brands Scandinavian inspired tone of voice through an appropriately engaged modular aesthetic. This utilises the width of the label effectively to implement a range of content while not overcomplicating the overall aesthetic direction. The use of abstract pattern is developed to articulate how each product is unique which is reflected within the ripples, furthermore this is akin to the swirls running through the pots exterior achieved through the marbled finish of the pigmenting process. Developed over a series of 3 colour ways  demonstrates the concepts versitiily and succeeds in creating unified design aesthetic that translates seamlessly across a series, retaining a sense of simplicity within the brands creative direction. Finally extended collateral ensures the brief is contextually aware of its target audience providing digital engagement and understanding its retail environment, creating a small range of promotional materials that will aid the brand in standing out in store. Further contextualising the proposal I self directed a photoshoot at Mauds House which demonstrates the proposals success in developing a design led strategy that fits into this target retail environment. 

Engaging with a range of external feedback from experts within the field, highlights an extremely positive reaction to the resolution. This feedback includes praise from Maud’s House, Colours May Vary, and The Foundation Coffee House whose praise speaks volumes to the success of the project demonstrating its commercial ability within a real world environment.  This reflects how the direction successfully engages the target audience, furthermore, having received several offers to stock the product demonstrates the success of the branding strategy in appealing to its target retail environment. 

Brief 9: Ceramic Branding - Contextualisation: Business Plan

Having had a number of offers to stock the Jesmonite Succulent pots, I considered the ability to continue this project beyond university and extend this commercially. I established this would be feasible due to the set up costs of the moulds already endured the only other start up costs are purchasing materials which can be easily supplied. I plan to discuss this proposal further with the Student support team after hand in to establish if they can put me on the right track for some business mentoring to establishing the feasibility of this proposal. 

Brief 9: Ceramic Branding - Contextualisation: External Feedback

Engaging with external feedback provides a contextual reflection of the identity and establishes whether it succeeds commercially. Receiving feedback from Colours May Vary (Leeds) they loved the physical forms and has a gap in there shop admitting they had been looking to sell succulent pots for a while however didn't want mass produces items from China, They praised the initiative of creating my own bespoke form and developing it into a fully functioning brand and felt their customers would respond positively and would stock the product if I decided to develop this beyond university. within e-mail correspondence they said "do keep us up-to-speed with your jesmonite planters - they have real promise."

I received positive feedback from Hattie at Maud's House (Skipton) who said "you've done a really good job on the packaging and identity, it looks great" 

Finally when attending my MA interview in manchester I took a pot with me to show at my interview, afterwards I took it to Foundation Coffee house (Manchester) and asked to take some pictures for further contextualisation, one of the workers said they loved the form and gave me a business card for the owner and told me to e-mail her because she would love them and would defiantly consider stocking them.

This feedback speaks volumes to th success of the project demonstrating its commercial ability. This reflects on how the direction engages the appropriate target audience having several offers to stock the products and demonstrates how it succeeds in fitting into to its target retail environment. 

Brief 9: Ceramic Branding - Contextualisation: Maud's House Shoot

With a strong identity developed I took the innitive to shoot the delberiavle within a retail environment, this aids the contextualisation of the resutolion demonstrating its ability to holistically fit within its primary retail environment.  I identified Maud's House in skip ton as an appropriate set to stage the shoot as its white walled space and exposed wooden frames articulates a contemporary design setting that will accentuate the quality of the brand. Hattie was more than accommodating letting me shoot throughout the whole store, I was really impressed with the images after post production and highlights the attention to detail and visual quality within the final resolutions. 

Hattie gave me some great feedback on the project stating 'the branding and packaging is done really nicely, you should be proud' we got talking and she has worked in a number of Graphic Design Studios as an account manager including Thompson Brand Parters and Analogue, inadvertently creating a valuable connection as we have since connected on Linked In increasing my creative network. 

Brief 9: Ceramic Branding - Extended Collateral: Web Platforms

Extending the brand into digital platforms is essential in engaging the target audience, Although the business plan is developed to produce limited runs of the product to be sold directly within store, a brand website is created as a means of communicating with the target audience which informs them of the story behind the brand, informs them of local stockist’s and provides an extensive online gallery. Furthermore site also acts as an appropriate medium to engage with potential clients and stockists. 

Brief 9: Ceramic Branding - Extended Collateral: Retail Environments

Acknowledging the products primary retail environment established it is appropriate to create a range of in store promotion to establish the brands within store, creating business cards to direct customers to digital platforms and A5 point of say display posters to easily identify the brand. The use of the abstract pattern is translated from the packaging and is developed to articulate bespoke nature of the product which is connoted within patterns ripples. Furthermore this is akin to the swirls running through the pots exterior achieved through the marbled finish of the pigmenting process, and works appropriately to highlight the products USP through a design led strategy.