miranda phillips n0259671 fash30070 digital portfolio
CONT ENTS
summer internship
1-2
SUMMER WORK self reflection ideas generation boy teen magazine boy teen shop body shape styler
PHASE TWO key findings
3-8 9
11 - 14 15 - 18 19 - 20
22 23 - 28
make shopping an easier experience for teenage boys
key findings
29 - 36
make bjorn borg the brand of choice for students
INTERIM PRESENTATION
37 - 38
SUM MER IN TERN SHIP
page 1
During summer i worked for a company called Le Book. Le Book describes itself as the definitive reference for Fashion, Photography, Advertising, Production and Events. I was a Research and Events Assistant, my duties included; Marketing - promotion of their Connections trade show via phone and email marketing Events Production Fact-checking & Database entries Research - in to the creative industries/ content of Le Book and audience for Connections I have already been asked to work again during their Connections trade show in London and maintain a strong relationship with the Assistant Manager who has also sent me a copy of their current Le Book London.
page 2
S E L F
page 3
SUM MER R E F L E C T I O N WO RK
Since our third year project was going to be much more selfdirected we were asked to create a personal SWOT in which we would reflect on our strengths and weaknesses and from that could build on our ideas. I also decided to reflect on all of the projects i had done in the past two years in order to see where my strengths lay.
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PERS ONAL SWOT
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WEAKNESSES
easily bored with routine work not particularly organised not sure of future profession lack in confidence
I
T H R E A T S group disputes losing focus struggling to balance university and job applications minimal experience in art direction/buying large competition in creative industry
I
I
I
I
I
I
c r e a t i v e quick learner p a t i e n t communication skills s e l f - d i s c i p l i n e technologically skilled
I I
STRENGTHS
O P P O R , T U N I T I E S using to know in i n t alot of very art
internet/blogs promote myself i want to work creative industry e r n s h i p s contacts in industry interested in direction/buying
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I
Y E A R
VISUAL AWARENESS REPORT Could have sourced further Primary and Secondary information Strong Rationale for my product range which i researched thoroughly Should have executed the final touches of my report to a higher standard
CREATIVE REPORT Strong visual design on report Work needed on backing up statements and referencing
CREATIVE NETWORKS PRESENTATION AND PORTFOLIO Strong visuals and innovative brand interpretation
O N E page 7
Improvement in my software skills Growing familiarity in relevant art and design practice/literature Clearly communicated ideas
MACMILLAN REPORT inventive idea and well-planned event creative designs
NEW BALANCE REPORT AND PRESENTATION Informative and extensive research in to opinion former and general consumer Could have researched the idea further and included more quotes High standard of software wkills used
DREAM JOB PRESENTATION
Y E A R
Could have improved visual design of CV to ensure individuality within such a competitive sector
ZINE PRESENTATION Well-rounded project in which we explored beyond the zine itself Should have had a more rigorous screening process on the artwork itself Potentially use other collaborators in the future
PORTFOLIO Should have submitted work as single PDF instead of several separate projects Zine project is definitely strongest as our team worked very well together
T W O
IDEAS
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SUM MER GENERATION WO RK
BOY TEEN MAGA, ZINE
page 11
As
a
team
teenage
boy
opportunity
for
decided
to
look
we
recognised market
growth, in
to
and the
that
has as
the much
a
result
magazine
sector.
We did background research into Sorted Magazine, and Monkeyslum.co.uk; both of which were aimed at our target market but had failed to succeed. We did primary research by way of a questionnaire which was sent to 10 boys aged between 12 and 16. The results showed that most boys bought magazines above their age range, this demonstrated the need for a higher standard of design and less childish language; this was also seen in our secondary research such as Mintel which indicated that magazines that delivered content which is directed at the teenage market, but had a more sophisticated packaging would succeed. We also made a perceptual map in order to assess who our competition would be and what style we would aim for.
page 12
1. BOY TEEN MAGAZIN
Sports an
Match
Wild Wheels Merlin
Pokemon World Beano
10yrs and under
Lifestyle an Tuesday, 10 January 12
page 13
NE
nd Gaming PCGamer PS3 Magazine XBOX 360
Nintendo Mag FourFourTwo
Gadget Stuff
18yrs and over Top Gear
NME Q
Maxim Nuts/Zoo FHM Loaded
Mens Health Men’s Fitness Total Film Esquire GQ
nd Fashion page 14
BOY TEEN SHOP
page 15
Having realised the gap in the boy teen market we decided our second idea would be aimed at the same market. In a Mintel report it states that “Boys find shopping more boring, tend to be more purposeful and gravitate towards sports shops and electronic games shops”. The idea we agreed on was to try to make the experience of shopping less stressful and more interesting for teenage boys. We hadn’t decided whether this would be an actual shop or website but we wanted it to sell not only clothes, but also music, games, gadgets and films. Through secondary research we discovered that over 60% of teenage boys are bought clothes by their parents. We interviewed several mothers and sons in order to interpret how they felt whilst shopping with a parent; many felt ‘childish’ and ‘embarrassed’. In order to get past this problem we discussed the possibility of having an in-store cafe so that the parents could enjoy a drink whilst the boys were shopping for themselves. We were able to back this idea up with secondary research; Mintel argues that future retailers should build experiences into their store that add to the atmosphere and help support the product. Creating a SWOT diagram enabled us to analyse the market that our idea would be entering in to would be.
page 16
2. BOY TEEN LIFESTY > An exciting project which is unique and has not been done before. > Being a ‘One-Stop-Shop’ for boy teens, it not only appeals to the consumer, but also the parent as it is a store solely dedicated to their child. > The possibilities for what could appear in-store are endless. Kids are constantly wanting the latest thing and need to keep amused and interested, with the store being more than just about clothes, it will engage attention and keep them coming back for more. This store will look to always have the latest gaming experience. > Shop assistants will have a genuine passion for what they do and will interact with the boy teen on a personal level where they will be treated as the customer, not the person accompanying them. The assistants will also be up-to-date with goings on in the technology world along with acting as fashion inspiration for the teen as they will be wearing items available in-store. Overall, they will help the teen feel at ease if shopping like this doesn’t come naturally.
S
> The store will also include a milkshake bar which would appeal to the parent as they have an area dedicated to them whilst their son explores the store with the assistant. > Also a cool place to go with mates to try out games etc. > With illusion paintings in-store, the shop will be a fun environment. This along with gadgety elements such as the changing environment. room doors changing from opaque to transparent at the flick of a switch, it will be a whole different shopping experience.
W
> With the flagship store being situated in Central London, it is an area a rea with great travel connections therefore easy to get to.
> Initial funding to get the business started up will have to be taken into consideration.
> The boys may be afraid to try something new and stick to what they are used to. But parents or friends may know about the store and tell them it is somewhere they should visit, therefore abolishing this point. > It could be seen as too much going on in-store, yet it is somewhere where you do not have to go for the whole experience and can just pop in for one item or a play on the latest gadgets to add to your Christmas list. > The initial first store will be in London, so those who live far away may not be able to travel to take advantage of the shop.
THS
Tuesday, 10 January 12
page 17
YLE STORE > The store could open up new premises in other cities to reach boy teens over the country. > Further expansion could move overseas to the US market and so on. > A magazine could be produced as a collaboration to circulate through customers. > Events could be held in-store. eg an interpretation of “Fashion’s Night Out” = “Boys Night Out” > A sense of community will be created by having an online presence. For example there could be blog updates by those who work in-store which will add to the experience being a personal one, almost like you are shopping with a friend when you visit the store.
O
T
SWOT Analysis
> Future competitors will always be a threat to any business. Other stores with a similar concept could open and jeopardise brand loyalty. > The boy teens will grow out of the service offered, but then younger teens will start to visit. > Brands we want featured within the store will not share our vision.
page 18
BODY SHAPE STYLER
page 19
44% of women don’t know what body shape they are, and 99% of women claim they have bought clothes that don’t suit their figure. Research shows that many women struggle to buy clothes that suit their body shape and on top of that even less know what their body shape is. The idea behind my final self-devised project is to create a website in which you input all of your sizing details and it creates a virtual mannequin which fits your shape, the consumer is then told what body shape he/she is and directed to clothes which will suit their figure. Their will be sub-categories of clothes which will determine whether the consumer wants to look at smart/casual clothing and then the clothing that comes up will link over to their brands website.
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page 21
PHASE TWO
page 22
KEY MAKE SHOPPING AN FIND, EASIER EXPERIENCE INGS FOR TEENAGE BOYS
page 23
Our chosen self-devised project was to make shopping an easier experience for teenage boys.
We decided to out-
line our key objectives, and the problems within them, in researching this project. Our aim was then to answer these questions throughout the course of researching the project; How difficulties
can
we
surrounding
eliminate shopping
Most teenage boys Fashion isn’t cool Teen boys don’t want How can spend their
we little
make pocket
with
the
social
teenage
boys?
don’t want to to the teen to explore different
shop boy shops
teen boys want to money in our shop?
Clothing is very low on their list of priorities when shopping Parents buy clothes and shopping with mum isn’t cool Getting rid of ‘gay’ qualms surrounding shopping How can we ensure the internal magazine appeals to not only teenage boys but also their parents and is graphically advanced enough to be sought after by an older target market? Cant Needs caution
to and
be approach taste -
condescending sex/women with to an extent
page 24
In order to explore this market we went on a shopping trip with 14 year old Ryan Jones to observe his shopping habits. From this we were able to find out what shops he went in to and how he interacted with shop assistants, this demonstrated to us the problems teenage boys face first hand whilst shopping. Ryan was reluctant to talk to the shop assistants and was quite an erratic shopper; he would be excited about going in to one shop and then be bored quickly and leave. We struggled to gather primary research as the age range which we were trying to contact required CRB checks (we applied for them however they took too long to process). We contacted schools to see if they would let us talk to a class and created a research idea to pitch to them – we intended on asking the boys to imagine that a plain sheet of paper was a room they were going to spend the weekend in and to draw what they would bring with them – however any response we were given was dismissive. We also created a flyer which had our questionnaire link on it and found out times when any under 18 nights were on so that we could hand it out to people queueing, this too was cut short as we could not afford the £300 flyer passes.
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Since we could not do much Primary Research, we decided to clearly define our consumer in to four different groups. We interviewed 4 different teenagers within the specific age ranges and discussed with them their shopping habits and current anxieties;
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THE This
PRE group
are
TEEN entering
(AGE secondary
school
11-13 and
YEARS have
not
OLD)
yet
found
a
particular style that they follow. These teens are at the most introverted at this stage as they are developing from being children to being teenagers. It is at this age that their parents and siblings have the most influence on their style choices. THE TRANSITION TEEN (AGE 13-15 YEARS OLD) This is the group where there are the most significant changes from being children to being teenagers. At this age the teens begin to rebel from being seen and treated as children and their peers have a greater impact on their style choices and behaviour more than ever. The are becoming more brand conscious than they were as a pre teen. ESTABLISHING IDENTITY TEEN (AGE 15 -16 YEARS OLD) These teens are the most concerned with breaking away from being labelled as a teen and needing to be seen and treated as maturing adults by family members and peers. They are also beginning to implement their individuality as well as experimenting with their sexuality . School is also temporarily becoming less of a priority for them, with this new taste of adulthood. THE ADULT TEEN (AGE 16-17 YEARS OLD) This group are the closest to adulthood with many changes at this age including the legality of sex and driving and taking or have recently completed their GCSEs. Some boys leave school to pursue permanent jobs, whilst others either enter sixth form at school or at college. They are the most eager to try alcohol and go clubbing and consider social life to be at it’s most important. They are also developing their own unique and maturing style. Overall
we
found
teenage
boys
researching
particularly
difficult,
the we
were unable to come in to contact with a substantial without CRB then to use data which be biased may have we of
amount of teenagers checks and were forced family friends to create our in turn could potentially as the subjects used responded differently had not known them.
KEY MAKE BJORN BORG UNDER FIND, WEAR THE BRAND OF INGS CHOICE FOR STUDENTS
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We
then
decided
to
begin
researching through the use of trend trackers, we identified three students of which one was a connector, one a maven, and one a salesman. We decided to use Jorge, the salesman, as our trend tracker and proceeded to take daily photographs of his outfits with the Bjorn Borg underwear to see how he wore them, and analysed which brands he used on a regular basis – since underwear is essentially a necessity, we wanted to see what other brands of ‘necessities’ he used, we also asked discussed how he felt about the branding and packaging of the underwear. This process gave us great insights in to not only how Jorge interpreted the brand but also any positives/ negatives he felt from the exercise.
page 31
Tom Trinick was chosen as our Maven of Bjorn Borg, he has been wearing the underwear
brand
for
5
years
Since we did not use do an in-depth interview wasthat attracted him
Tom the
started bright
wearing colours,
the
after
him with to
and
knows
a
lot
about
the
brand.
as a trend tracker, we decided to him to try to understand what it Bjorn Borg in the beginning
underwear having
so
worn
initially them
because for
a
he
while
natural choice because of their high standard of comfort.
was they
drawn
to
became
a
Since Tom is a
student now he does not wear them as much due to their high price point, however he still tries to get his mum to buy them for him whenever he goes home.
page 32
To try to explore Bjorn Borg’s motto of ‘Happy, Sexy’ we decided to ask students to “If you were a pair of pants what would you look like?”, this exercise didn’t work out as well as we had hoped, since the students struggled when asked to draw their personalities. page 33
Instead we made a large cardboard cut out of a pair of girls and boys pants and asked students in a bar “What is Happy Sexy to you?”. We had brilliant responses such as ‘tan lines, bromances, my girlfriend wearing only my shirt’, all of which demonstrated that Bjorn Borg’s ‘Happy Sexy’ campaign was perfectly suited to students. However we realised that students related ‘happy sexy’ not to a specific thing but instead to a particular experience. This helped us to move forward with our final idea.
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To finalise our research we took photographs of student rooms and their underwear draws; this gave us an insight in to how students lived, what underwear they wear and how they keep it. We also asked the students what object they felt was the most ‘Happy, Sexy’ in their own rooms, the responses gathered from this were extremely varied, from ‘my dyson fan’ to ‘sex toys’.
During the christmas holidays we also interviewed
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Callum Sneddon and Neil Smith in order to ask them some more detailed questions about the brand and gain feedback on any ideas we had.
C O L O PACO RABANNE L U C P O O D J H
A
U A
MY T R
V M C
L
O
E XS S E
E I
T E W
R
APPLE O
MY MOOD K A S C H I
BEDSIDE T I F F M
N C R
MY J C
DYSON M L
E I
O
MAC M S
S
MY F R A H A
A U
G N BLACK A L
LAMP E A N
SLIPPERS S C A N S
E T
FAN S S
A PICTURE OF ME AND MY BEST FRIENDS S O P H I E R A P E R V N B
O O
ORIGINAL VANILLA J A K E MY R T
I
D O
AND M L
C
K T
A K H
SOURCE, RASPBERRY E S L Y
BLACK SKINNY Y A H O M
JEANS N A S
MICKY MOUSE BED SHEETS J A M E S F E I B E L SITTING ON LOW READING T O B D R P N K
E
I
R I
C
F
MY PIL, MAGAZINES I A S E W
O
U R
M L
E A K
HEELS, SPEND A LOT ON THEM K A T I E D E R B Y S H I R E MAKE R A J
C
H O
LEATHER H A R D A L KURT E R U
M S
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UP L Y
JACKETS I E T O W
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GEIGER
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HEELS A O N
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MASSAGE/OR LUBE PRODUCTS L A U R E N B E A T O N AFTERSHAVE R H M A R S
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AMERICAN H O W I
APPAREL L L S
FUR A L M C G
I O
C N N
LOTION S A L L JODPURS L Y O N
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COAT A L L
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INTE RIM PRES, ENTA, TION
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