RINO Design Boards

RINO READY Emergency Supplies Nicky Hope Brief 5 Design Boards

Product Overview I was approached by a startup in California who has the intention of creating high-end emergency supplies. I was commissioned to create some concept and production designs for their packaging and web identity.

Research The market is unsurprisingly niche.

The client is particularly favourable of highly practical, minimalist design strategies; and so that was the most obvious direction to pursue.

This allows for the product to be both very usable in a tight situation but also appealing to a contemporary audience.

Target Audience The product is aimed both at hardcore survivalists but also the average American; the US, and the world at large is more susceptible than ever to rising sea levels, higher temperatures, flooding, wildfires, extreme weather and natural disasters.

And following a streak of large-scale disasters in the US, the public is more aware than ever. By creating a serious, aggressive but approachable identity and product, a large market can be tapped into.

Image credit: FEMA

Initial Ideas Initial product development included the creation of typographic elements and methods of containing them, then rapdily mocking them up to assess suitability.

Mockups Initial product development included the creation of typographic elements and methods of containing them, then rapdily mocking them up to assess suitability by conducting feedback sessions with advisors.

Gelion Thin Gelion Light Gelion Regular Gelion Medium Gelion Bold

Supply Ultralight Supply Light Supply Regular Supply Medium Supply Bold

Typeface Supply was identified and selected by another designer working on the project; it works well as a secondary typeface because of its technical, almost military -like appearance. Gelion, the current primary typeface, was identified by the client and me as being accessible and contemporary without compromising on readability or legibility. With a product of this nature, practicality is always the highest priority.

Ab Ab

Iconography Iconography development gradually started to bifurcate in two directions: smooth, and angular. Though angular, hard-edged designs were more aligned to the brand, I advised that smooth-edged ones were to be employed because of their more easily of interpreted appearance.

Icons are a great asset in immediately identifiable communication.

Main Pack On top of initial art direction and concept creation, assistance was given to the client regarding the layout, iconography and colour choices of the main backpackstyle pack. A huge number of variations were explored, after multiple feedback sessions with advisors and example consumers, to improve visual fluidity and practicality. The designs shown here are layout tests for a large array of fabric pouches, that can be quickly removed or reinserted using velcro attachments.

Feedback During multiple sessions with advisors both from my own sphere and the client’s, a large number of subtle and overt changes were made. Iconography was revisited multiple times to create a coherent look and feel, and maintain the immediacy of cognitive processing, and subtle changes to the type were considered en masse. Major decisions include the capitalisation of all type to infer urgency and improve legibility, and the decision to align all elements to the top of each other (except in the case of long pouches, because of the better visual distribution).

Digital Presence Though not asked by the client, it was essential to explore the fliexibility of the brand and packaging identity and its potential expansion to a digital environment, such as a website.

Consistency of brand is important, but not as much as usability and customer experience.