Individual Contribution

Andrea Hannah Cooper with Hannah Watt & Lisa Collier

OUGD503 / Design Process 2 / Responsive Studio Brief 2 / Collaborative Practice / Individual Contribution

Andrea Hannah Cooper / OUGD503 / Design Process 2 / Responsive

Collaborative / D&AD L’Artisan Parfumeur / Individual Contribution

Individual Initial Research We began the collaboration by choosing the D&AD brief ‘L’Artisan Parfumeur’, which was to create an innovative approach to packaging for four unisex fragrances of perfume, establish an identity for the series and each of the fragrances and ‘modernise the brand’. The L’Artisan Parfumeur brand is quite high end, so we instantly recognised that our response would have to fit within the other high end brands of perfume,

yet also stand out to appeal to potential customers.

Our initial brainstorming led us to decide that for it to be an innovative approach to packaging, it would have to be interactive and have a tactile element to it for the customer to remember the experience of using the perfume and the way it interacts with the packaging.

We began the brief by each of us doing some initial

secondary research into existing upmarket perfume packaging, and also into the L’Artisan Parfumeur brand itself. At this stage, I felt as if I had done a large amount of research and was able to present my findings to Hannah and Lisa so that we could begin generating some ideas. We took inspiration from some of the perfume packaging I had discovered, such as the white box with simple black type and symbols, and looked

at the different ways in which these boxes could be opened. Initially for our response, we were looking very much into applying different textures and different opening mechanisms to each of the four boxes, then through joint research we progressed onto the idea of ‘Alchemy’, the medieval study of chemistry and potion making.

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Andrea Hannah Cooper / OUGD503 / Design Process 2 / Responsive

Collaborative / D&AD L’Artisan Parfumeur / Individual Contribution

Mock Up Puzzle Box Once we had decided on the theme of ‘Alchemy’ for our packaging, we looked into how Alchemy was all about secrets and revealing discoveries, which led us to decide that our box should contain some form of a mystery opening. Hannah and I researched into Japanese Puzzle Boxes, and after an initial discussion with the woodwork staff, we realised that creating boxes out of wood was possible, so while Hannah and Lisa compiled

the research together to explain visually how to create a wooden puzzle box, I attempted to make a mock up that we could take to the woodwork staff to fully explain our idea.

I sat down with some rough measurements of the bottles we had ordered from eBay and some images and videos of how puzzle boxes opened, and after roughly

three hours of attempting to build it, I had managed to create a mock up from foam board and double sided sticky tape which effectively communicated our idea to the wood work staff. They were then able to take the mock up and the final dimensions, and build the four boxes for us out of MDF wood.

This was a rather big challenge that I had to overcome for us to be able to develop the brief in the way that we wanted to. I think this was a massive contribution towards the project as it allowed us to progress with our ideas, and as I normally struggle with 3 dimensional work I learned quite a lot from struggling through the creation of the mock up.

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Andrea Hannah Cooper / OUGD503 / Design Process 2 / Responsive

Collaborative / D&AD L’Artisan Parfumeur / Individual Contribution Alchemy, the medieval forerunner of modern day chemistry, is based on the supposed transformation of matter, and was developed from Hermetic principles of mythology, religion and spirituality into experimental processes and scientific techniques which are still recognisable today.

Feu

Mercure

Antimoine

Quintessence

Fire is not only one of the four elements in ancient and medieval philosophy and in astrology, but also a catalyst to both initiating and completing metaphysical demonstrations. Fire represents the characteristics of movement and being transformed out of limitations, thus demonstrating the total embodiment of passion and desires. Feu and its accompanying symbol epitomizes the sense of raw physicality.

Mercure represents the simple qualities retrieved by the human mind concerning passivity, resolution and surreptitious movement. This interior emotion alludes to themes of metaphysical balance and relations, while working as an emblem of transmutation, changing base metals into gold. Mercure takes the symbolisations of the element of Mercury and transforms them into a sense of flawless, sublime adoration.

Antimony, the naturally occuring chemical element, has been known since ancient times, and historically was associated with the manifestation of a wild nature within humankind. The scent of Antimoine encapsulates these animal tendencies and playing on a tame and docile demeanour, metamorphoses it into an exhalting feeling of excited euphoria.

Quinta essentia, the fifth element after fire, water, earth and air, is said to permeate all nature and is a constituent matter of the celestial bodies. Traditionally a medicine, it is also synonymous with the search for the Philosopher’s Stone and everlasting life.

Quintessence is the epitome of elegance and dignity, bridging the disparity between tempestuousness and tranquillity.

thought represented the four fragrances. We decided that although the symbols were decorative and had a meaning to each of them, the general public probably would not know what they meant and that they would need written descriptions to be included within the perfume packaging. As we had discussed our strengths in the initial studio session for the brief and I had put one of mine as writing, the task of composing the

descriptions fell to me. I researched the four elements we had chosen to best reflect the fragrances in depth and wrote the explanations. I tried to write them in as poetic and lyrical a way as I could as I felt this was most appropriate to the subject, style of packaging, product and for the brand. I also wrote a general description of Alchemy as an introduction, that would appear above the individual descriptions within the packaging.

As a group we thought these were an important part of the product, and therefore we included the descriptions on the final submission boards, and I enjoyed being able to utilise one of my strengths within the brief.

Written Descriptions for the Puzzle Boxes As we discovered when researching, symbols were a substantial part of the art of Alchemy, so after we had all researched into the symbols used in Alchemy and looked at possible names, Hannah sketched out different symbols and added detailed embellishments to them, while I researched into the different elements and scientific processes that Hannah had drawn symbols for to narrow down the list to the four I

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Andrea Hannah Cooper / OUGD503 / Design Process 2 / Responsive

Collaborative / D&AD L’Artisan Parfumeur / Individual Contribution

Laser Cutting Tests & Finals One of my biggest contributions towards the brief was learning how to use the laser cutter. We decided to include the symbols Hannah had created on the outside of each box, then have the written descriptions on the other side of the removable front piece. So, while Lisa and Hannah were in London visiting the L’Artisan Parfumeur shop, I had my first experience of using the laser cutter, and learned how to set up the files and

what each of the differet types of cuts would produce. I created a test piece in card to show to Hannah and Lisa so we could decide if we definitely wanted to laser cut the designs in to the boxes, and when they agreed that they thought it was our best option, it was my job to laser cut the final pieces.

With some help from the woodwork staff, I set

the files up, and after testing the different cuts and experimenting many times on scrap pieces of MDF, I managed to get a rather effective finish on the final boxes.

This was a huge learning experience for me as I had never used the laser cutter before, but using it in this brief has given me the confidence to use it again in

the future. After the laser cutting was completed and while Hannah was fixing and creating the outer card packaging, Lisa and I stained the boxes with woodstain, glued them together, and filled the bottles with liquid.

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Andrea Hannah Cooper / OUGD503 / Design Process 2 / Responsive

Collaborative / D&AD L’Artisan Parfumeur / Individual Contribution

Finishing Everything Off and Submitting to D&AD Once all the work was finished, we were ready to photgraph the packaging. Hannah and I were unfortunately timetabled into a session during the beginning of our booked photograph session, so Lisa managed to set the lights and camera up on her own, and began taking photographs. When Hannah and I joined her, we both had a go at taking more and through each of us contributing towards the photography,

we managed to get a substantial number with a wide variety of different layouts and compositions that we were able to choose from for the submission boards.

We voted on photographs to use as a group, and while Lisa edited the photographs, Hannah drew out different layout ideas for the submission boards. Once they had put the boards together, I checked over the written

content, checked the image sizes, exported the files, and before the deadline, and our collaborative planning and finally submitted the finished work to D&AD. time management held together for us to produce a final product we are all pleased with and proud of.

I think as a group we worked really well together, and although we had a couple of small disagreements about little things within the project, these were all constructive and allowed us to progress through the brief. In the end we managed to submit the brief a day

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