COMPETITIOn BRIEF ycn
THE BRIEF: THIS COMPETITION BRIEF I FOUND ON YCN IS FROM THE COMPANY “BEAR.” THE BRIEF CENTERS AROUND THE CEREAL THEY MAKE WHICH FOCUSES AROUND THE FACT THAT THIS CEREAL IS A BETTER ALTERNATIVE TO THE SUGARY AND SALTY CEREALS THAT ARE AROUND IN MANY SUPERMARKETS TODAY. THESE NEW BEAR ALPHABITES ARE MADE FROM NATURAL INGREDIENTS THAT TASTE NICE AND DON’T CONTAIN ANY ADDED SUGAR OR SALT. THE PRODUCT NOT ONLY TRIES TO BE HEALTHY, BUT ALSO FUN TO BE EAT, IN WHICH, BEAR CREATED THESE ALPHABET SHAPES IN THE CEREAL. THE IDEA FOR LETTERS WERE ALSO AN EXCELLENT IDEA AS KIDS WOULD BE LEARNING WHILST EATING AND NOT EVEN REALISING IT, A TECHNIQUE WHICH IS VERY POPULAR IN TODAYS SOCIETY. PAST CEREAL BOXES INCLUDE A SINGLE LETTER BEING A THEME FOR THE BACK OF THE BOX, SO, FOR EXAMPLE, “S IS FOR SPACE.” WITH EACH PACK THEY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO BRING SOMETHING NEW AND OFFER KIDS MORE THAN JUST GAMES AND INFORMATION FOR THE PARENTS. THE CHALLENGE IS TO BE ABLE TO BRING THE ALPHABET TO LIFE. IT IS OKAY TO EITHER COME UP WITH COMPLETELY NEW AND FRESH IDEAS, OR EVEN WORK ON THE ONE THAT BEAR HAS ALREADY CREATED AND IMPROVE. This was only part of the brief however the idea behind it is to recreate the alphabet to make children want to collect things that are on the packaging in order to create more sales and also an iconic image for the brand. I downloaded the project pack and this is something I feel I am going to really enjoy doing.
“BRING THE ALPHABET TO LIFE ON THE BACK OF OUR CEREAL PACKS”
past packaging examples
I really like these styles as they have a theme to each on them, something which I could include in my designs. I need to think of something original in order to make this packaging different from what is out there and has already been done. I have a few starting concepts in mind which originate looking at the “superhero� figures of the alphabet and maybe make the superhero involved in some kind of activity such as saving a cat from a tree with some information on it (not too much) so they are also learning rather than just looking at a pretty packaging. I could also design a new typeface for the cereal out of the alphabet letters but keep the original alphabet on the front of the packaging so there wouldn’t be any misled information to what the cereal looks like. I intend to research more on things that may have been done in this area and take a step back to be able to think out of the box of the normal.
primary research
THIS IS PRIMARY research i have done on packaging on cereal that is currently in asda. i thought that this would be a good place to start because i need to be able to see what has already been done and what i could do to maybe adapt that idea. i also thought it would be good to look at the colours used on each one so i can understand the idea of having themes and what colours are prominant. it is common to see that puzzles and competitions are also a big part of looking at ways in which cereal boxes become more entertaining at the breakfast table. they also include facts about the cereal but i thought it would be interesting to choose a theme and base games and facts on the theme of the box. i feel that this research is crucial to my project because without looking at what is already out there how do i even begin to properly put forward ideas or even propose one. just by looking at these i already have many ideas that i think if i do them correctly will work out to be very successful.
secondary research These are just some examples I found on the internet about how packaging for kids has evolved. there were loads on there but i decided to just limit it down to the ones that stood out to me.
1. Planet Lunch So the first packaging I have chosen to look at as it’s directed at kids and how do I know this? Through the colours and also the theme. It immediately shows it is aimed at a younger audience through the way that the style is cartoon-like. This could be something I look to do when creating my concepts. However, I’ll need to be able to represent this in a different way so it’s not something that has been done before.
2. Stafiendos Raisins I again really like this idea that the packaging turns into something more than just the standard packaging, this is also something I’m going to look into doing in order to make my packaging different, the way I thought I’d be able to fit this into my concept I have in my mind is to maybe make the hero figures cut-outs or maybe create a collectable cut-out scene which would be able to represent the brand in a different situation. In order to do this I would maybe need to look into typography in order to make the letters different to what they originally were.
3. The Salty Panda Liquorice The reason I chose this packaging is because it’s interesting and communicated what needs to be said in a minimalistic way, despite this, I don’t think that I would be able to create this as I don’t think it would fit in the brief anyway, I just thought I’d comment on it for recognition for possible future projects.
design trends for kids again whilst researching I cam across a website that explores design trends for kids. Even though it does specialise in designing websites for children I thought it would be good just to look at the points made as it is things I could include in my packaging design. 1. BRIGHT, VIVID, COLOURS This website states that using bright colours will capture and hold a child’s attention longer and easier. They make a big impression on their minds and will stick longer compared to something that is dull. This leads onto the next stage of making something appealing: 2. GOOD MOOD It is a necessity to keep the consumer happy therefore to make the packaging happy which reflects on their mood. Certain elements are put in the design in order to create this mood. There are some examples given such as: Mickey Mouse being the focal point in the clubhouse advertisement. A happy child playing with Play-Doh represents this mood in their advertisement and finally in Fifi And The Flowertots advertisement, similar to Mickey Mouse, Fifi is the focal point. 3. ELEMENTS OF NATURE Children like to be able to relate to an advertisement as their experiences in life won’t be as developed yet and nature is one of them they can actually relate to. Trees, snow, animals and flowers are definitely aspects that are used a lot in children’s advertisements. Some examples are: Disney alters the theme depending on what film they are promoting, in “UP” the grand-canyon is shown as a memorable landscape, Discovery Kids uses an under-water theme and Club Penguin has a snow theme.
4. LARGER THAN-LIFE DESIGN This section explores making things big, such as, images, headings, not only does this enable ease of reading but it is also eye-catching. 5. ANIMATED CHARACTERS Despite this section being about talking animated characters (something which is not relevant to me in static design) I can take this idea forward by creating little cartoon characters which relate back to the brand. 6. DEPTH IN DESIGN Children like to be offered a “world” rather than just a one-depth scene, they like to be able to explore certain parts of the area. This could be created into a concept of my design by creating customer interaction with the packaging such as lift-able parts of the packaging to reveal more.The Peppa Pig website offers an interactive world which is click able in different sections which will link to a different part of the website. 7. USER INTERACTION Briefly stated in my last post, children like being involved in what they use and like feeling a part of the design. 8. INTERACTION THROUGH GAMES This is pretty self-explanatory, children enjoy puzzles and games related to the concept, something which they don’t realise but also helps them learn too.
PINTREST BOARD
TUBE TOYS I thought I would include this in my research as it links back to a concept I have had – where the packaging becomes part of consumer interaction. In this case the tube represents the base to create the vehicles shown above such as a train, a fire truck and a tractor. This could be something I include my design by creating a “pop-out shape” with maybe other shapes around it that can be used to fit into one an other to be not only appealing to the eye but also re-using the packaging which is recycling and promoting other important factors of life. Maybe this could be shown relating to my previous concept by the hero being de-assembled in some way, possibly due to the situation in the scene that the box is portraying, and the consumer acting as the hero by piecing him back together – this could also be made into a collectable item which doesn’t take up too much time or space to keep.
vintage medicine packaging This is the packaging I have found which I think has a really cute design concept on it found here: http:// www.presentandcorrect.com/blog/a-spoonful-of-sugar. The idea of that again relates back to consumer interaction as the box acts as a joyful cartoon itself as it changes when the lid is moved to make some kind of “action” happen. I also think colours and theme is another important factor of these boxes as they reflect the traditional “rules of design” when designing for children which is stated in one of my previous posts. This could be a concept which I can expand or work on in order to fit the needs for the packaging brief. The only problem with this is that the packaging layout has already been designed and given to us as a template therefore it’s a must I follow the rules that the brief has given us, I need to think of ways this can be adapted to a box, possibly involving cut-outs or even “press through cardboard” characters which pop out when added pressure to.
sassafras baking kits I fell in love with this packaging as soon as I saw it, inside it keeps the ingredients and the packaging doubles up as a mask and also has instructions inside which looking at the design of it is very clever. I love the stylistic approach and it is nice to look at but again also uses user interaction in order to gage the user into the product. From looking at this I can see the cut-out style is very apparent on children’s packaging which means that if this was an idea to push forward I would have to approach it in a different way to the ones that have already been done. This is something which I could also include in my other project which is about re-enforcing a ready made brand. Things to take note of from looking at this: the cut-out style, the typeface, the colours, the nature approach (stated in the rules of design post before) and also the user interaction.
designvagabond I found this packaging on Pintrest and thought it deserved a post to itself because it has given me an idea straight away of where I could go with the packaging. The idea of origami style packaging is interesting, a cultural learn in itself and also provides user interaction. After looking at this I thought that I could use this by creating an origami letter net on the back which would relate back to the product of having Alphabet letters in the cereal itself. If I could create iconic “heroes” to suit each letter of the alphabet and then make a buildable product out of the back of the packaging and design it well I think it would be really effective. This is definitely something I would like to pursue therefore it’s a must I look through the ideas properly and draw up my ideas so I can see them visually before I progress with any ideas.
mood board
idea 1: characters
THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH FROM MY SKETCHBOOK WHICH HIGHLIGHTS MY FIRST IDEA: MAKING CHARACTER SUPERHEROES. THIS WAS JUST A FIRST THOUGHT WHEN READING THE BRIEF ABOUT WHAT THEY WANTED, I HAD THE IDEA OF CREATING SOMETHING SPECIFIC FOR EACH LETTER, SO, FOR EXAMPLE, A WOULD HAVE MUSCLES AND B WOULD HAVE SOMETHING LIKE A CAPE. AFTER JUST DRAWING THESE TWO LETTERS I CAME TO HALT. I REALISED THAT IN ALL HONESTY THIS IDEA WASN’T GOING TO WORK, ESPECIALLY IF I WAS RUNNING OUT OF IDEAS STRAIGHT AWAY AND NOT EVEN BEING ABLE TO COMPLETE THE ALPHABET. ANOTHER THING I NOTICED IS THAT IT WASN’T SOLID, THERE WASN’T ANYTHING ABOUT THIS IDEA THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BUILT UP TO FIT THE BRIEF, IT WAS BORING AND WAS A DEFINITE DEAD END TO THIS SECTION OF THE BRIEF. therefore i started looking at ways that the alphabet weren’t really focal in the fact they acted as realistic heroes. this is when i began to develop ideas for characters and themes.
idea 2: origami
THIS IS Another PHOTOGRAPH FROM MY SKETCHBOOK WHICH HIGHLIGHTS MY second IDEA: MAKING origami shapes. THIS WAS JUST A THOUGHT that came to my head when reading the brief because i thought of user interaction and how children can become more involved with the packaging even after they have finished their cereal in the morning. i really liked this idea because i thought it was unusual, the way it would work is a coloured back of the box but there would be a net inside the box which would be able to cut out shapes and build them from that. the only difficulty with this is making nets that aren’t too complicated to do, so maybe think about colour coding certain parts in order to see which ones work and which ones don’t. ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS WHAT SHAPES TO USE THAT CAN BE MADE IN ORIGAMI STYLE AND HOW THAT WOULD RELATE TO THE CEREAL BOX.
idea 3: character per box
THIS IS the third photograph i have taken of the idea i had. this idea looks at having each box a specific character which would be quite broad so that it would enable me to write facts about that person and the environment that they live in so it would be educational as well as fun to look at. the only issue with this idea is coming up with a character for each box, even though it would be fresh ideas all the time i feel like it would get tedious to carry on collecting them and it would be a lot of information for children to take in all the time, maybe it’s an idea to think of one reocurring character, either that or come up with another idea which allows me to be able to create a character within a theme rather than just have any kind of character in them. i also wanted to think about somehow making a journey through the boxes.
this is the final idea i came up with and in my opinion, by far the best because it has everything which i want: user interaction, a theme and also character creations. the idea behind these boxes is that each box would take up a theme beginning with a letter, so for example “c is for circus� i would then make a character based upon a circus that would guide the reader through the rest of the box. each one would have a different type of game on the back, for example, a wordsearch, a maze or even a spot the difference. it would also have facts on it about the theme that is shown. these would be simple and colourful designs which follow the research i did before. i think that this idea and the origami ideas are ones i want to be able to explore further and see the outcome of each one.
idea 4: themes
JUDGING IDEAS AFTER A LOT OF LOOKING AT MY IDEAS I DECIDED I WOULD TRY FIRST WITH THE ORIGAMI IDEA BECAUSE IT IS REALLY FUN AND WOULD APPEAL TO CHILDREN. AS I WAS TRYING TO MAKE PROTOTYPES FOR THIS IDEA I REALISED THAT I HAD A BIG PROBLEM WITH IT, THIS WAS THE FACT THAT it was really hard to design something that was big enough to fit the box and actually didn’t take up too much room, it was also really complicated. in the end, after a lot of trials i decided to move on from this idea. after a lot of deliberating and trying to think of ways to “think out of the box” (mind the pun) i decided to stick with the child friendly alphabites theme they already had. if something isn’t broken and has worked for them then why should i try to fix it. instead of changing the idea completely i thought about adding to it, for evample doing an online treasure hunt in company with the box theme so each week giving a new interaction to the child. i also thought about putting a free gift in the card, this could be something related to the treasure hunt such as a hint with a code on it that unlocks something free like a wallpaper. I have decided to make boxes for the following: C is for Circus J IS FOR JUNGLE S is for Sea I WILL ALSO CREATE A LITTLE ON-SCREEN PICTURE WHICH RELATES TO THE TREASURE HUNT TOO. I FEEL THAT THIS IDEA IS THE ONE THAT RELATES BEST TO the brief and also the alphabites cereal types. i think also by adding this extra bit to the packaging it will also modernise the brand slightly.
DEVELOPMENT: CIRCUS BOX
is for
fun Facts!
1. the Human CannoNball Travels About 60-70 Miles per Hour. 2. Acts Keep an ElephAnts Hair in Their Pockets for Good Luck. 3. WhistLing BacksTage is ConsiDered bad Luck! 4. the Circus is Over 200 Years old.
hOw ManY cAnnOnBalLs caN yOu SeE oN ThiS bOx?
Circus cAn YoU hElP aNnIe ThE aCroBaT fInD hEr feEt?
F M S G R A B O
L O B U P L N S
I Q A H M V C C
P R L D R J A R
Welcome to the CircuS! my Name is Robert the RingmAstEr. mY jOb is tO iNtRodUcE aCtS tO tHe BiG rInG iN The mIddLe. i’m in nEed oF aN AssIsTanT wHo CaN hElP mY CirCuS aCtS pRepArE fOr thE ShoW, WilL yOu HeLp Me?
pLeaSe caN You hElp cHarLiE tHE cLowN And pAinT hIm CoLouRfUl?
H W A L K T T V
X Z N I F N C B
C T C S A E H X
bAlaNcE cAtcH gRab
K B E N D P U W
bEnD FliP wAlk
dId YoU kNOw? lIonS Are tAmeD In ThE cIrcUs frOm thE WilD!
in Every Bear box There is a neW Treasure Hunt. Find Your oWn Treasure by ScaNnIng tHe Qr coDe anD EntErIng tHe UnIquE CodE On tHe PaPer iNsiDe thE bOx!
hint code for circus box you Have Found Your First Treasure Hunt Clue. to Find Your Extra Surprise Scan the qr Code on the Back of the box or go on BearnIbbleS.co.uk/Treasure and Input the Code. can’t see it? why not try and Open the Tent!
online circus bonus wallpaper
box design best before:
375 Alphabites ingredients 5 tasty multigrains fibre highinnfibre high
is for
Circus
to BEAR's Magic Hat. Here you can learn 1. the Human CannoNball TravelsWelcome some marvellous magic tricks to fool your though, a good magician About 60-70 Miles per Hour. friends. Remember never reveals their secrets. 2. Acts Keep an ElephAnts Hair in Their Pockets for Good Luck. 3. WhistLing BacksTage is Make your own wand ConsiDered bad Luck! 4. the Circus is Over 200 Years old. BEAR’s special tip
Practice your magic tricks in the mirror lots before you perform them
1. Find a nice stick from the garden. 2. Wrap it up in silver tinfoil.
3. Stick some black card around the middle. 4. Learn the tricks below 5. ‘Hey presto!’ you are a magician.
hOw ManY cAnnOnBalLs caN yOu SeE oN ThiS bOx?
Turn water into ice 1. Secretly stick a little sponge inside the bottom of your mug with sellotape and add some ice cubes on top.
3 d mug Shout ‘SHAZAM’ ‘SHAZAM’ 3.. Shout andantip your upside down. . The cub willeplop out. dow nThe iceice cubes
pLeaSe caN You hElp cHarLiE tHE cLowN And pAinT hIm CoLouRfUl?
F M S G R A B O
L O B U P L N S
I Q A H M V C C
P R L D R J A R
H W A L K T T V
C T C S A E H X
K B E N D P U W
bAlaNcE bEnD cAtcH FliP gRab wAlk
Sne ak ily h old ot her the the 10 5p behind p so it looks like
you on ly 2. Next 2 c oin have meakaeco (put th mt ak s ainco saind e n sand and do 10p in the nddw wich n dlee the hidd ’t let anyone middl hold i en 5p) and th see see t out on en your ha en nd ha. nd . 3. Pick the 10p,up the 5p coin tuck it show it to yo that’s s on in your o n to topp o ur au shoe to show it’ dien ce, an f s gone d 4. Now ne . clo se (thi s wi yo ll flip yo ur hand Shout ‘TA ur 10 shut -DA’ an p over). reveal yo d op ur hidd en it en 5p. MAGIC to . open
There’s a letter from BEAR’s alphabet on the back of every box. Can you collect them all? Happy hunting.
X Z N I F N C B
Become a magical maestro and find lots more tricks to dazzle your friends with at bearnibbles.co.uk/ alphabites
Welcome to the CircuS! my Name is Robert the RingmAstEr. mY jOb is tO iNtRodUcE aCtS tO What you need: Two 5p coins tHe BiG rInG iN The mIddLe. andd one an one 10p 10 p i’m in nEed oF aN AssIsTanT Crazy co s CirCuS aCtS wHo CaN hElPinmY 1. Hold p coin and a 5pa 10 pRepArE ShoW, WilL in infOr the thE other ha one hand nd yOu HeLp Me? .
What you need: A mug, some water, a sponge, some sellotape, ice cubes
2. For your trick, hold your mug up high so no one can see inside it an lit twater le wa into it. p o uraalittle andd pour
cAn YoU hElP aNnIe ThE aCroBaT fInD hEr feEt?
dId YoU kNOw? lIonS Are tAmeD In ThE cIrcUs frOm thE WilD!
No nonsense breakfast Alphabites are a delicious healthy breakfast, high in fibre with no added sugar or salt. Instead of adding refined sugars, we use coconut blossom nectar, the deliciously sweet sap from the flowers of the coconut tree to make them naturally sweet and crunchy.
ground oats
coarsely ground corn
ground rice
wholegrain ground b arley
coconut blossom nectar *
*for natural sweetness instead of sugar. Find out more on the other side
...and absolutely no added nonsense
Because coconut blossom nectar has a much lower glycaemic index than sugar it prevents crazy sugar highs and grizzly sugar crashes, keeping kids fuller for longer, and fingers out of the biscuit jar.
cereal letters
added sugar
*,
salt artificial colours or flavours Nutritional information
BEAR FACT
Per 30g servin with 125ml semi Per 100g skimmed milk serving 719 kj 1562kj 170 kcal 373 kcal Protein 7.1g 8.7g Carbohydrate 29g 77.4g Of which sugars* 11g 18g Fat 2.7g 1.5g Of which saturates 1.5g 0.3g Fibre 2g 6.5g Sodium 0g 0g
Coconut blossom nectar comes from the flowers not the fruit, so it doesn’t taste like coconut at all.
Grrr For a bear hug visit: www.bearnibbles.co.uk or give us a growl on grrr@bearnibbles.co.uk BEAR, The Big Cave, Deepest Darkest Woods, PO Box 70712 London EC1P 1GL
Typical values Energy
*Coconut nectar has a low GI of 35 vs 70 for refined sugars. Find out more at www.bearnibbles.co.uk/alphabites
fun Facts!
wholegrain ground wheat
with no added nonsense
*contains naturally occurring sugars
Any allergies? Contains gluten, may contain traces of milk and soy. No bears were harmed… our cereals are suitable for vegans. Please recycle your BEAR box.
bea r code
be de to Barco d at repro e replac
BACK MOCK-UP THIS IS THE FINAL BOX I HAVE CREATED FOR THIS “CIRCUS” THEME ONE I MADE. I REALLY LIKE IT BECAUSE NOT ONLY DOES IT HAVE USER INTERRACTION THROUGH THE GAMES BUT THE QR CODE ALSO OFFERS ONLINE INTERACTION WHICH IS BRINGING THE CEREAL BOXES INTO THE MORE MODERN WORLD. THE CHARACTErS I HAVE CREATED CONSTANTLY RUN THROUGH THE THEME AND IS GOOD FOR DEVELOPING RECOGNITION, I THINK FOR THE NEXT BOX I CREATE WHICH WILL BE THE JUNGLE ONE, I HOPE TO INCLUDE THE LION IN THIS ONE WITH A CAPTON SUCH AS “HAVE YOU SEEN ME BEFORE?” WHICH CAN BE THE QUIZ CHARACTER FOR THE JUNGLE BOX. I HOPE THIS FURTHERS THE CHARACTER RECOGNITION. I ALSO HOPE TO MOCK-UP THE INSIDE TENT TO SHOW WHAT THE CODE WOULD LOOK LIKE HAND-MADE.
BACK MOCK-UP THIS IS THE FINAL BOX I HAVE CREATED FOR THe “zodiac” THEME ONE I MADE. I REALLY LIKE IT BECAUSE it offers vary between each box. this one doesn’t have as much user interaction as the circus one but is very educational. i like that about this one and it allows the room for other ones to have more games but also be more educational. it is also a very different subject to the standard themes which again reiterates the educational side to the box. it can also be used in order to look at the stars to try and see the constellations in the sky.