Statement Of Intent by Ellis Thynne

BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN

LEVEL

Module Code

OUGD303

Outcomes

Module Title

FINAL MAJOR PROJECT

FINAL MAJOR PROJECT STATEMENT OF INTENT Name: Ellis Thynne Blog Address: e-thynne0912fmp.blogspot.com

Rationale Concept driven type , layout and print finish with in the luxury retail market with a focus on branding , publication and packaging . - My main interest lies within the luxury retail market and I wish to explore further the professional standards that companies employ and that I need to familiarise myself with to get the most out of my design work. Whilst focusing on a luxury market I will still be considering budget and branding restrictions to help keep my work as commercially feasible as possible. - Type, layout and finish are three aspects of design that I want to explore further and to become my core skills. Type regarding its anatomy and purposes. Layout regarding grid and white space. Finish regarding stock and print methods. - My work will predominantly focus on design for print, but will also take into consideration how it could be expanded and transferred onto screen based media in order to keep my work versatile and accessible. - As I aim for my work to be very accessible, my design presence will also follow this suit. I will have a personal website backed up with a paper based portfolio, business card and stationary. On another level of personal advertisement, I will work on live briefs, competitions and try to get some projects on well known sites such as Behance and The Die Line. - After this course I would like to work for a fairly large size, well known, design company. Possibly

even as part of an in house design team working for a specific company, for example, Harvey Nichols. Because my work is already specified to a luxury market I will look further into specific companies I am inspired by and would like to work for to try adhere more closely to their work ethics. Inner workings of companies are very important to me as I would like to work somewhere where I could either learn a lot about how a company is run or have the chance to progress within the company. - Studio visits, product launches and exhibitions will all help me to keep up to date with what's happening in the design world. Because my work is primarily going to work in the retail market it means that I need to keep an up to date knowledge of current affairs, economy and trends so that my design can keep one step ahead of the rest. Subjects / Themes Retail – With a focus on consumerism. Shopping behaviour, psychology, influences. Fashion – Trends, designer brands – larger chains, shop layout. Food – Restaurants, interior, branding, products – packaging. Ranges – How ranges can change the influence of a design – Worldwide spread/local? Increased audience/ specific audience? Simplicity – White space, stripping design to the core, categorisation of need. Innovative products – Product launches, new branding, inventions related to ease of living. Design Disciplines / Creative Development Type & Layout – These two will very closely interlink with the type affecting the layout and vice versa. Editorial – on a limited scale (high quality, low quantity), for retail and advertising purposes. Luxury with a little personality added. Packaging – food, cosmetics, retail environments. High end, print finishes. Branding – Clothing, product design, restaurant, client driven. Interior/ Spacial – Retail, window display. Practical Skills / Workshops – what, why and when? Photography – I need to develop my photography skill greatly. I already have basic skills useable for research and documentation, however I need to improve my skills for use in areas such as: presentation, developmental, generating content. My skills need to be of a much more professional standard, which in turn will help my portfolio and design presence. Software – My software skills are already to quite a high standard however I still need to increase my knowledge to help me with aspects such as: proposal of ideas – mock ups (Photoshop), web design for both my online presence and clients (Dreamweaver).

Professional contact list – I already have contact with a few professional designers and studios. I would like to increase my contact list and in turn increase my chances of being noticed in the professional design world. I will be making visits to studios, sending mail outs and directing them to my online and paper portfolio. Finishes – I need to develop more crafting skills and also outsource professional services where necessary to increase the standard of the finish and production of my work. Time management – I intend to improve my time management skills to get the most out of the final stint at College. I will be using 'to do' lists on a daily basis and keeping a diary of future and impending deadlines. Creativity within layout – My design works closely with type and layout. I would like to improve my creativity skills within layout to make my designs more influential and unique.

Brief 1: Re-useable Packaging

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Rationale: A look into packaging design focusing on its use. This brief will have to look at real world application, how people can use it and where it could sit in a store. I will look at concept trying to solve a problem. I will incorporate my knowledge and interest regarding luxury, print finish and branding. The brief will help widen my knowledge on product launches because I will need to look at how the new product will be advertised and brought into production. Brief 2: D&AD: 17

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Rationale: Make the cosmetics brand 17 the 'brand of choice' for the modern teenage girl. Design ideas can include: product ideas, packaging, in-store presentation, online, cost effective advertising, events, 'ownable' promotions (17’s version of Orange Wednesday?), etc. I would like to take a highly conceptual approach to this brief looking at the interactivity for teenagers and the experiencethe brand can create. Brief 3: Fashion Yearbook

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Rationale: This is a collaborative brief with six other designers. The yearbook is for third year graduating fashion students and is split into two sections, 1. Design, 2. Innovation. The book will look into concept, layout, type, image, print finishes, stock and will go through to print. It is a very good opportunity to get my work to be published and is a live and reliable brief to add to my portfolio. Brief 4: Photography Collaboration

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Rationale: I will be working alongside a photography student, Benjamin Turgel. His project is based around historical jewellery with a story. It will be location documentary taken in the subject's home. My role in the collaboration will be to use Photoshop to alter the images. Benji's vision is to create high end style images that you would see in a glossy magazine. This will help to develop my photoshopping skills. Also, I will be designing and making a

publication of the images and their story. The publication will look at type, layout, stock, print finishes, binding and cover materials. Brief 5: Restaurant Menu's

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Rationale: I will be selecting a range of restaurant's to redesign their menu's. To fit in with my rationale they will be high end and more elite restaurants. The restaurants that I will be choosing will be based in the Leeds area and from a personal point of view I will think that their menu's lack creativity or don't do the company justice. Once I have designed them I will show my proposition to the restaurant's to see if they would like to use them. The menu's will take into consideration type, layout, print finish, range, materials, stock, binding, costing. Brief 6: Short Brief's I will be doing a range of smaller brief's that will range from 1 day to 1 week. These will help me keep fast paced in my design for a fast turn around. They will include small competition brief's such as the Penguin design. Also fashion branding for students and any other unforeseen briefs. I will be very versatile with these brief's as they will be quite short notice I will have to be flexible with my time. Contextual references / Designers / Studios / Companies (specifics) I am highly influenced by high end, luxurious design. I don't want to stick to one genre, such as fashion, therefore I am influenced by a wide range of genres fitting under the 'luxury' bracket. Designers/Studios The Consult Alalogue One Trick Pony The O Group The One Off Ignite retail I am slightly more drawn to working as an in-house designer for a company instead of a studio at the moment, so I will be looking into brands and companies relating to my rationale for inspiration and to contact. Companies Elle Vogue Chanel Harvey Nichols

RESEARCH ACTIVITY: Exhibitions/ Events

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Details: Send To Print/Print To Send – Aram Gallery, London 13 Jan – 25 Feb Student Work in Progress – Royal College of Art 1-5 Feb Leeds Inventors Group – Leeds Central Library 15 Feb Packaging Innovations – NEC Birmingham 29 Feb – 1 March Product launches and store events

RESEARCH ACTIVITY: Retail Environments

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Details I will be keeping up to date with store environments and strategies to increase consumers into their shop and to purchase. Window Displays and advertising campaigns all are part of the overall experience with a brand, how can they be improved? How often is the store layout/ window display/ advertising changed? Who is designing for the brands? I will be looking at a wide variety of retail environments including areas such as fashion, beauty, automotive, home décor etc. RESEARCH ACTIVITY : Branding/Packaging/Publication Deadline (luxury) Details As I will be designing for branding, packaging and publications I will have an ongoing analysis of upcoming and ever changing aspects here. Branding and its effectivness – timelines. Packaging – stock, colour, shape, purpose etc. Publication – Fashion and design magazines. Existing literature on my rationale. RESEARCH ACTIVITY : He Be Media Deadline Details Working with He Be Media in and around Leeds on upcoming projects to promote creativity within the city.

RESEARCH ACTIVITY: Analogue Deadline Details This is a company I am very inspired by and would love to work with in the future. I will be in contact with my portfolio and hopefully visits to create a relationship with them. RESEARCH ACTIVITY: Glynn Print Finishers Details A print finishing company in Leeds that I could benefit from visiting seeing professional work being produced on mass.

BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS / TEXTS - (Harvard Referenced) Eldridge K. (2006) 1000 bags, tags and labels, Gloucester: Rockport Publishers, Inc. Foisil-Penther B and Chamot C. (2011) Crazy Design, Cambridge: Vivays Publishing Ltd. Pie Books (2005) Cosmetics Package Design, Tokyo: Pie Books. Cuito A. (2005) Store Window Schaufenster Vitrine Escaparates Vetrina Design, Spain: Loft Publications Grimshaw C. (2008) New London Style, London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. Antonini A. (2008) Design Boutiques, Barcelona: Links Books Campos C. (2010) Promotional Packaging And Design, Barcelona: Promopress Davis M. (2009) The Fundamentals Of Branding, Switzerland: AVA Publishing SA Mason D. (2001) Experimental Packaging, Switzerland: RotoVision SA Jacques J. (2010) The Package Design Book, Germany: Taschen Baruel L. (2009) Fashion Graphics, Singapore: Page One Publishing Gibson G. (2007) Restaurant Graphic, London: Laurence King Publishing Mito Design (2006) 100% Design Portfolio, Barcelona: Index Book SL Carter D. (2006) The Big Book Of Layouts, New York: Collins Design Wiedemann J. Advertising Now Print, China: Taschen Weber M. (2007) The Layout Look Book, New York: Collins Design Pricken M. (2002) Creative Advertising, London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.

MAGAZINES / JOURNALS / ARTICLES – (include publication date and details) Elle/ Elle Collections Vogue/ Vogue Collections I.D Magazine Grafik Creative Review LOVE ON LINE REFERENCES / WEBSITES / ARTICLES (include specific urls) http://www.pinterest.com/seemaloni/perfect-packaging/ http://www.behance.net/ http://www.lookbook.nu/ http://www.elle.co.uk/ http://www.issuu.com/ http://www.ted.com/ http://lovelypackage.com/ http://thedieline.com/ http://designspiration.net/ http://cargocollective.com/ OTHER REFERENCE MATERIAL (Films, events, exhibitions, conferences)

ACTION PLAN – use this section to identify specific tasks that you need to complete in order to resolve the brief. Brief What do you need to do? 1

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