Brief 4: Record Store Day - Brief

The brief was undertaken as a collaborative project between myself and Rowan, we wrote the brief in order to utilise our skill sets in a way that would complement our own design talents while appearing cohesive under one resolution. We wanted something that would be fun to work on and work well with rowans tactile style and my own design direction, this culminated in initial inspiration to develop a resolution for Record Store Day.

This works appropriately as I work with a lot of campaign briefs while rowan tends to focus on hand rendered tactile mediums, we quickly established a screen printed resolution would complement the brief as vinyl music is bought for its appreciation of the medium and experience of listening to music through the vinyl process, this will effectively complement the resolution as the tactile nature of screen printing is similar in its appreciation for the process and links to the authenticity of both platforms. Rowan is a proficient screen printer while I have only engaged with the process during mandatory briefs however I am keen to establish a strong final resolution that explores new mediums and processes. Our initial insights into the brief were to extend it into a live client lead brief, choosing one of the independent music stores in Leeds to create a campaign to excite the target audience and celebrate the resurgence of vinyl music. 

We established a relatively quick turn around time for the brief allowing ourselves a week for planning and designing and a further week for producing the physical outcomes, this time management appears reasonable for the workload and will ensure we have an appropriate time to produce the resolutions and ensure we are not rushed. Establishing the target audience was difficult as vinyl music is recently undergoing a resurgence and a new generation of younger vinyl supporters are emerging therefore identifying an objective age range is unfeasible instead we decided to focus on the vinyl culture and underground aesthetic as our inspiration for the brief. This identifies a tone of voice that promotes authenticity, a quirky design aesthetic, and a sense of credibility to engage the campaigns audience. 

Brief 3: Penguin - Evaluation

The brief was a relatively quick turn around however with there only being one deliverable I found this was achievable within the prescribed time-frame. The process of researching both the contextual elements of the brief as well as aesthetic allowed me to define new areas of inspiration and ultimately allowed me to define a strong concept that doesn't take the typical forms of inspiration resulting in a fresh and contemporary take on the classic title. 

The final aesthetic creates a bold and enigmatic first impression with the minimal design drawing the eye to the strong display type. the concept is fully developed in every angle of the aesthetic ensuring it is contextually appropriate and not based upon aesthetic preferences, for example the decision to use a black background is based upon the technical function of the luminol process which only works in darkness, conversely this also allows the strong colour palette to pop and instantly engage an audience within a busy retail environment. The overall resolution is contemporary, responds appropriately to the brief, utiiing bold and creative uses of type and creates continuity from the front to the back covers that will be equally engaging through online platforms. 

Having fulfilled the requirements of the brief I have created a strong resolution that looks at the title from a different perspective to create an innovative and contemporary resolution to the brief. This could be extended further creating a physical outcome that is screen printed to explore how different finishes could effect the overall aesthetic including neon, spot colours or glow in the dark inks to more appropriately depict the properties on luminol, this will be dependent on time constraints of the rest of the module and will be an element of the brief I can extend upon if it is feasible. 

Brief 3: Penguin - Final Design

The final design expresses a strong tone of voice for the book, creating a contemporary re-interpretation for a modern readership. The concept of the resolution takes inspiration from subtle themes within the narrative of the world becoming a smaller place through advancements in technology and infrastructure. 

This inspired a design direction centred around the process of Luminol testing, which creates contextual links to the genre of the book while subverting the general connotations surrounding colour palettes and adds a modern edge to the classic title. The characteristics of luminol deeply inform the design decisions within the cover, identifying a vibrant colour palette of deep blues to vibrant turquoises that pop when set against a black background which is true to the testing process while acting strikingly enigmatic. The bold display type incorporates a subtle outer glow while the body copy creates a contemporary aesthetic with the use of the gradient abstract circles that act as blood droplets in a polished and un-gimiced manner. 

The vector illustration of the house gives the story an instant sense of place, again conforming to a contemporary design aesthetic, the gradient creates a sense of continuity between the front and back covers and allows a focal point to engage the consumer. Extension beyond this digital aesthetic would be to explore the use of spot, neon, or glow in the dark inks for a final physical form, this would more accurately depict the properties on luminol while allowing the cover to stand out within a busy retail environment. 

Brief 3: Penguin - Further Development

Responding to feedback from a student critique I explored the concept of scale and white space in order to introduce dramatic and enigmatic connotations to the cover. This stripped back my original design leaving the 'in cold blood' as the primary focal point, although this worked well in generating an enigmatic context for the cover, at first glance it wasn't as impactful as desired. 

Brainstorming how to add to the design without making it overcomplicated I looked at the physical house itself. A large country style house is the depiction of the American Dream and the centre of where the whole story takes place, I started by developing this into a simple vector line drawing as this fitted the minimalist style of the cover appropriately. 

Implementing this design into the cover I added a subtle gradient ranging from dark blue to neon turquoise, this shows the colour range of the luminol and suggests how the graphic nature of the murders lit the house up when performing the luminol testing. I have paired the colours of the house gradient with the subtitles to keep a tonal colour palette that is striking and engaging. 

Developing a reverse design for the cover, I wanted to continue the minimal aesthetic developed from the front and allow it to succinctly wrap around to the reverse. utilising the abstract blood drops developed initially for the title, it was discovered this would work more appropriately over a larger area of text making it perfect to accentuate this design detailing and turns the body copy which is typically the most boring and inspiring element of design into the focal point for the back cover. 

Brief 3: Penguin - Feedback

Receiving feedback on this initial development, students loved the interpretation of the concept into a design aesthetic, they said 'its abstract and modern, I love the bursts of colour' one student said \i'd like to see the title on its own, I love the arrangement and its scale gives it enigmatic and mysterious connotations, you could play with this against the black background to engage the reader.' Asking about the concept they felt it worked successfully taking the focus away from the typical 'red' blood and worked with the direction I was taking. Responding to this feedback will require further development exploring scale colour and composition further. 

Brief 3: Penguin - Digital Development

Experimenting with bold display type I identified circular as a the typeface for its legibility and thick weighting, in order to ensure this is engaging and personable I overlaid circles ontop of the type, these are switched from the tonal range of the luminol and create connotations of blood drops. The gradient colour and abstract arrangement creates a contemporary aesthetic that is bold with high impact and will jump out from the crowded retail environment. 

Developing a strong identifiable title I experimented with kerning to create a symmetrical typographical arrangement. This is then filled with a deep blue and a subtle outer glow to mimic the chemical properties of the luminol. If produced commercially I could experiment with spot colours and neon inks or glow in the dark accents to really accentuate the concept of using luminol and would ensure the physical cover stands out on shelf. 

Implementing these elements into an initial composition I explored scale and white space in order to evoke a mysterious and enigmatic cover design. The black background accentuates the colour palette making the hues pop, which is also contextually appropriate needing a black room to see the luminol work. The type works dramatically in engaging with the audience through its visually stimulating aesthetic which is appropriate to the themes within the narrative. 

Brief 3: Penguin - Concept

Exploring how to utilise display type while still ensuring the resolution is conceptual and not purely based on an aesthetic standpoint I explored how I could incorporate a conceptual relevance into the design direction. Through this process I explored the use of Luminol, This is a standard test when investigating a murder in which police spray the luminol which will emit a blue glow that can be seen in a darkened room if traces of blood are present. This is appropriate to the narrative and allows the genre to be easily identified putting a new twist on the standard connotations of blood, this will allow the use of a blue colour palette that will allow my design to stand out from the rest of the competition entries of which it is presumable will use red within this design treatment. 

Exploring this concept further it can be suggested that luminal was only first being introduced into policing around the time of the original release of In Cold Blood, in 1966, this use of new innovative solutions to aid the investigation is similar to the themes of the book looking at how advancements in highways, roads and transport make the world a smaller place and allow this isolated community to be within easy reach. This sense of new technologies making making everyone responsible for their actions pairs nicely with these themes to add a contextual reinforcement of a design aesthetic. 

Brief 3: Penguin - Feedback

I took the opportunity to get feedback on my initial sketches and concept ideas through a student lead critique in order to talk through my initial concepts and determine which one would made the strongest resolution to the brief. Students responded positively to my research and were already aware of the brief with a majority of students also entering. Based on my progress so far it was suggested the sketches that entered around a typographical resolution were the most informed and successful as it is clearly stated in the brief the winning design should incorporate a confident and bold use of type. This demonstrates an ability to take from the brief and create an appropriate resolution in a contemporary aesthetic style. Based on this feedback I can begin develop ways in which will engage the audience through a strong and predominant use of type. 

Brief 3: Penguin - Initial Sketches

Creating a series of initial sketches allowed me to articulate a range of initial ideas and explore simple layout and composition arrangements. In preparation for a critique these sketches will inform and articulate my design concepts providing a tangible concept to visualise instead of verbal explanations.

Exploring the language of the brief which suggested the winning design should 'executed with strong use of typography' I wanted to strongly incorporate this into the cover design to ensure the book is legible at a glance. The design direction would include a strong vibrant colour palette and contemporary display type to create an engaging resolution appropriate to a modern readership. 

Exploring the themes of the book a striking aspect of this was the break throughs in highways and transport lead this small isolated community to be easily accessible, which ultimately leads to the murders. This geometric inspired aesthetic is build from a maze of overlapping roads to literally interpret this concept. The visual symmetry is visually engaging and will work successfully both digitally and in print.

Taking inspiration from the extended inspiration into contemporary typography within graphic design I will explore a range of different composition to engage with a modern readership, this will provide a contemporary update on the classic title and ensure it is still relevant in this day and age. 

Considering the theme of crime and punishment ruling through the narrative I utilised the lady justice to reinforce this ideology, this will immediately identify the genre to an audience and engage. Experimenting with texture will allow a gritty feel to reflect the content and contemporary type will update this traditional statue into a contemporary focal point. 

Brief 3: Penguin - Extended Inspiration

Extending beyond my book cover research I find it important to extend beyond this obvious sense of research and look at wider inspirations in order to gain outside inspiration that will result in new and innovative processes and directions to be taken. 

Taking the knowledge identified within my thematic research I liked the concept of the traditional message of crime and punishment juxtaposed against the impact of a modern society on this isolated community. Exploring this visually I explored contemporary design as a means to create a fresh contrasting feel between the narrative and aesthetic. With the brief defining bold type as a key focal point these examples provide inspiration as to creative ways to explore type within a cover composition. This exploration into a range of expanded research directions allows a developed understanding of content, aesthetic, and narrative which will inform the design process and allow an informed resolution to develop. 

Brief 3: Penguin - Book Cover Research

In Cold Blood Covers

Analysing a range of exiting In Cold Blood book covers I found that the volume of reprints has allowed a broad and diverse collection of covers to be developed these cover a range of different styles and takes on the narrative. This first example I find too obvious, its substitution of the 'o' with blood drops appears unimaginative and slightly tacky however the bold use of type is effective in catching the audiences attention while the blood drops instantly inform the audience as to the books theme immediately which bodes well for fans of the genre allowing them to be instantly captivated by the cover. 

This second cover is far more appropriate picking up on the themes of advancements in highways and transport, the billboard illustration stand out in a stark white against the darker backgrounds and the high impact slab serif catches the audiences attention dramatically. The background reflects the isolation of the community while the texture of the sky could also reflect fingerprints adding connotations of the crime thriller genre. The muted colour palette again reflects the genre appropriately and creates instant audience appeal for fans of the genre.

This third cover takes different route all together, opting for a far more minimal composition. The photography speaks to the secluded rural nature of the community, details are important within this conversation even down to the choice to use a film camera, which now feels out of touch with modern technology advancements similar to the main themes of the book. The instant connotation with this cover are less easily placed upon the genre however the bleak landscape is thought provoking and commonly seem is establishing shots in thriller movies providing a point of reference for the audience. 

This research provides a better understanding of how other designers have interpreted the classic cover, with this knowledge I can now apply my own inspirations and design aesthetic upon the cover to create a new innovative resolution that can re-imagine the cover in a bold new way. 

Brief 3: Penguin - Thematic Research

The main theme I took from the book was a very traditional theme of crime and punishment but revision within a far more contemporary perspective that in these changing times and bold new world no one is safe. With regard to this it is suggested the Clutter Family would have been safer in older times living in such a small isolated community but with the advancements in motorways, trains and technology we see this isolated community invaded and disturbed in ways that would have been impossible 30 years before. This poses opportunity to be reflected within design direction utilising a traditional theme with a contemporary or modern twist to reflect the contents underlying messages. 

Other evident themes within the book include a nod to the 'American Dream' to which the citizens of Holcomb picture as the right to feel safe and secure in their own home. This is furthered by a undertone of growing up and loosing a naive perspective, as for for the first time this new wider, more accessible world begins to threaten the peaceful existence of the community, meaning its residence must embrace this change and step out of the dark. This investigation into the key themes and undertones within the narrative open up a world of potential when exploring design concept for a resolution, this profound understanding of the content allow for a less obvious response to the brief and allows the reader to question big philosophical topics of society and future at a first glance. 

Brief 3: Penguin - Brief Interpretation

The Penguin Random House Student Design Award is a great small competition brief that fits nicely into the extended practice module, I really enjoyed the competition as last year as it allowed a welcomed break from the larger more in depth briefs I was working on. The prizes are particularly engaging showcase a real industry engagement with cash prizes and internships awarded to the winning teams. 

For this year submission I chose to create a design for the non-fiction catagory: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, I instantly felt drawn to this title out of the three as I felt the most opportunity to express my design voice while creating a strong cover design that is appropriate to the content. Analysing the brief it is identified that a concept is integral to a successful response, one that is appropriate to the content while becoming imaginatively clever and innovative in its response. The cover needed to flow cohesively from front to back and act appropriately to the contents themes. In essence creating a bold aesthetic that will engage readers whilst providing a sense of integrity within its design through conceptual ideas and development into a striking final resolution. 

Brief 2: YCN / GREENALLS - Evaluation

The ‘Come or Shine’ campaign exceeds the commercial expectations of the brief embodying the brands classic sense of humour, with a touch of irony to actively engage a millennial audience. This effectively positions the brand as a catalyst for having a good time, instigating social drinking environments irrespective of the stereotypical British weather, and enjoying the summer with Greenall’s. The concept is contemporary and engaging to the clients target audience, it is also holistically reflective of the brands tone of voice and engages the user within the brands playful personality. The physical resolutions succeed in promoting the campaign across a range of different platforms through a consistent campaign aesthetic to ensure easily identifiable campaign extensions. The umbrella iconography is used consistently throughout the campaign and inspires innovative collateral to develop that is uniquely appropriate to the concept, this ensures the campaign will work holistically across platforms and allow the audience to fully engage with the brand to develop brand equity. 

The resolutions work appropriately to engage the audience while ensuring a commercial focus, the physical outcomes are innovative and exciting yet manufacturable on a really small budget being small card outputs. Commercially this would be produced with a die cutter and commercial grade foiling process however I effectively imitated these industry practices with the faculties available to me within college. The time management of the project took slightly longer than first anticipated to resolve the brief this was due to learning new processes such as after effects for the website animation and testing time to ensure the most approbate scale for the outcomes, however this was unavoidable when committed to producing a high quality resolution. Overall the brief is finished to a high standard that creates a strong competition entry to the YCN student awards, will function as a stand out portfolio piece and demonstrates my ability to think critically about product range and distribution to fully engage the audience.  

Brief 2: YCN / GREENALLS - Submission: Concept Boards

Creating the concept boards to submit for the YCN competition required initially more time that I had accounted for within my time plan. Due to the nature of these concept boards the justification of each campaign element needed to be as succinct and objective as  possible to present a strong and confident submission to the judges. For the aesthetic composition of the boards I created a good juxtaposition of context photography to ensure the concept can be judged as feasible and successful both to the audience and environment and studio photography to accentuate the production of the physical outcomes. Titling the boards to explain the key campaign elements worked well in succinctly presenting the concept to the judges and showing every element was consider to create a simple solution that is successful beyond the initial impressions of the brief to promote the brand over a diverse range of platforms and engage a millennial audience to develop brand loyalty with Greenall's Gin. 

Brief 2: YCN / GREENALLS - Context Photoshoot

In order to fully articulate the concept it was important to show the final resolutions in context to justify how appropriate the resolution is to its environment. I planned three shoots in the space of 1 day; A studio shoot to take high quality images of the final resolutions, A context shoot for the bottle collar, set in Harvey Nichols, and a third shoot in Headrow House to demonstrate the cocktail umbrellas in context. 

Shoot 1: This studio shoot was designed to be included in the concept boards for submission, As I plan not to send any physical work I needed to ensure there were good quality images on the final resolutions to ensure the judges could see the attention to detail within these outputs. 

Shoot 2: To show the bottle collar in context within its natural environment I went to Harvey Nichols fourth floor to shoot the bottle within a retail environment. This worked really well demonstrating how the bottle collar makes the product completely stand out and jump off the shelf. This shows how the resolution is completely appropriate to its audience and environment to actively position and engage an audience with the brand. 

Shoot 3: The final shoot at Headrow House was the most successful shoot placing the cocktail umbrellas in context. These outputs perfectly complement the opulence of the gin goblet and garnishes elevating the overall user experience while promoting the brand within a social and commercial environment.  The quality of the pictures will work perfectly with the concept boards to give the wow factor and elevate the concept demonstrability its suitalbity to be executed within a real world environment. 

Brief 2: YCN / GREENALLS - Promo Website: Final Animation

Greenall's Campaign Website Concept from Rhys Jones on Vimeo.

Brief 2: YCN / GREENALLS - Promo Website: Animation

As a competition entry it was appropriate to animate the website to give the judges a better understanding of how the promotional website would function in context. Being completely new to this side of digital design I researched a range of tutorials teaching me the basics of after effects, A huge aid to me is that my peer and housemate is proficient in digital design so he was able to help me on a one on one basis which really helped me in grasping the basics of the software. 

Due to the sites simplicity it was relatively easy to animate as a beginner using the scale, opacity and rotate tools. The most complicated element of the site was making the umbrella spin smoothly and required a host of trial and error, this was difficult to master however I am really please with the outcome the umbrella smoothly accelerates to a point and the decrease in speed is significantly drawn out to increase the anticipation and excitement as to whether the user is a winner, this improves the user experience and gets the user immersed in the competition demonstrating that the website functions effectively and actively engages the user. 

Feedback: 

Receiving feedback on this digital component of the brief from tutors was encouraging building towards by submission of the competition. It was suggested the addition of this animated component greatly improves the overall quality of the brief as it leaves nothing to question. This was extended suggesting the campaign is appropriate to its audience and is extensively developed over a range of environments and platforms to generate a holistic campaign that is clever, innovative and engaging to the both the brands core vales and the targeted millennial consumer. 

Brief 2: YCN / GREENALLS - Promo Website: Webpage Finals

The development of the homepage is the largest element of the website as the rest of its components function through smaller pop out screens, this greatly improves the sites load times and allow it to feel more responsive, which was identified within my research as an important factor to consider when designing for millennials. These page pop outs anchored the narrative for the site with a simple aesthetic using a silver background which is in keeping with the brands identity and nicely contrasting from the from the tonal green homepage. 

The website utilises a simple narrative in order create a simple, unique and exciting user experience through the series of pop up pages which reduces load time and improves the overall flow of the site. Creatively re-imagining the spin wheel as the competitions format into an umbrella is innovatively appropriate to the concept while the its form builds suspense when ticking round to reveal if they have won. The series of straightforward icons are clear to follow and is in keeping with the minimal aesthetic of the site. This aesthetic is consistent with the campaigns design directions ensuring a synergy amongst all the branded components, it is particularly important the website be consistent with the bottle collar as they function as one to promote the campaign and competition over different platforms. This extends the campaigns visibility and will generate larger adoption rates over its life span. 

Feedback: 

Self directing feedback from staff helped inform the final outcome for the promotional website, this helped me consider not just its aesthetic but how the user will react to the experience and simplifying this to make it idiot proof, the final resolution is a strong advocate of this creating a streamlined interface that is exciting innovative and enjoyable for the user. 

Brief 2: YCN / GREENALLS - Promo Website: Homepage Development

In developing the homepage aesthetic I came across a range of problem solving challenges that I had to overcome in order to present the most engaging user experience. I took elements from the original Greenall's website to inform the top navigation bar this generates a defined sense of continuity between the brand and campaign, this simply includes the Greenall's logo, motivation to the left and quick social media links to the right. The aesthetic of the homepage is consistent with the campaign collateral to ensure the succinct continuity across all branded components featuring the the raindrop background and the main umbrella iconography. As discussed within the concept the main point of interaction within the promo site is the use of the spin wheel in which the user can win prizes. This is innovatively re-imagined into the form of the umbrella extending the campaigns concept and iconography into sever visual aspect of the campaign. 

I experimented with a range of different icons to depict the prizes. Traditionally numbers are used however it was appropriate to extend beyond this with the use of icons to generate a more emotive connection with the audience. I initially trailed icons representative of each individual prize however it was established this became unclear with icons such as free bottles of Greenall's gin. I concluded that when these icons started to become unclear it inhibits the users experience and required further development 

Developing this concept of icons further I simplified these down to their most basic forms a 'X' for not winning a prize and a present for winning. This will transcend language barriers appropriate for the multinational culture of the UK and allow the simplest interpretation of the information to the user. Further developing into the aesthetic of this homepage incorporated the campaign logo type overlaid into the background as a constant point of reference for the consumer creating subtle reinforcement of the campaigns identity. 

Finally the development of spin key was developed from a physical arrow however informal feedback suggested this was an added component that was unattractive within the homepage composition, responding to this I reimagined this into a rollover spin button, this simplifies the initial aesthetic of the homepage yet still providing the necessary information when appropriate. 

Brief 2: YCN / GREENALLS - Promo Website: Wireframes

Exploring the narrative of how the website would function I began to create a series of wireframes that would allow the design process to flow a lot more succinctly and make the physical process of design easier. The general design process of the utilises pop ups to keep the user on a singular page, this will reduce loading times as my research concluded this is of huge importance to a millennial consumer. With a better idea of the different elements of the campaign website I can now begin the design stages with a clearer vision of how the website will function and flow from one page to the next. 

Brief 2: YCN / GREENALLS - Promo Website: Concept & Direction

With the Bottle Collar competition created I wanted to push out of my comfort zone and develop a promo website to simulate how this would work, Within my practice I rarely touch on digital outcomes and lack confidence in this area of design, however I feel it is appropriate to develop as part of the extended nature of the YCN competition brief. Exploring  range of different concepts for the format of the website it was established that simplicity and excitement  is the best way to deliver a great user experience as a result of analysing a range of alcohol websites. I plan to take from the design direction of the Greenall's website so to keep a sense of synergy across the brands platforms, this also reinforces the authenticity of the competition and extends the brand image to it's consumers. 

Exploring the format of the campaign website and how the competition would physically be fulfilled I ended up with the concept of a spin wheel, this can easily be adapted into the form of an umbrella to create consistency with the bottle collar and other campaign elements. This will be a simple yet innovative solution to the campaign site with the user spinning the wheel to determine if they win a prize or not. The simplicity of this concept makes it achievable to create and will present a straight forward narrative to the user. The connotation of spin wheels also are of fun and prizes further appropriating the concept. I plan to run the main features of the site through pop ups to keep the user on one primary page which will simplify the whole process and allow a seamless user experience.