FMP LEARNING JOURNAL
FASHION MARKETER
CONTENTS
ABOUT
1 - INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS PLAN 2 - IDENTIFYING BRAND VALUES 3 - IDENTIFYING MY PRODUCT AND BRAND PERSONALITY 4 - BRAND STORYTELLING 5 - LOGO EVOLUTION 6 - MERCHANDISE PACKAGING AND BRANDING 7 - PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY DEVELOPMENT 8 - WEBSITE LAYOUT 9 - STATIONARY 10 - EVENT VENUE MOCK UPS 11 - SKINCARE RESEARCH 12 -BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH 13 - INFOGRAPHICS WORKSHOP 14 -
WORKSHOP
15 - MAGAZINE LAYOUT WORKSHOP 16 - REFERENCES
Age: 20. Location: LONDON, UK.
about me
Skills: Filming, photography, editing.
I would describe myself as a loyal student, committed as a team member and committed to working as an individual. I have a passion for creativity and boldness in fashion marketing I like to translate this thought all my professionally designed marketing projectS. Through attention to detail is the key to my effort to produce quality.
My forte is in creative media studies & digital creativity with most Adobe programs particularly illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Final cut pro.
I am still developing and discovering where my creativity skills will take me throughout this exciting journey.
ABOUT This learning journal will show all my learning process and progress, development of work for FMP.
SOMMERS (2017)
1 - Introduct on to the business plan
The purpose of this business plan was to learn how to create an innovative business concept or idea with the guidance from workshops, lectures, seminars, and tutorials. The business plan helped my understanding of what goes on behind the scenes of running a business specifically from the perspective of a retail business. The most helpful parts of what I learned was the breakdown of costs to run a business from SSL certificates to costs to host events.
I also learned about some of the latest techniques brands in the fashion market are using from our customer service innovation guest speaker about Amazon Go’s omnichannel experience and examples like Ralph Lauren’s virtual dressing room on Regents street. All of this information helped develop these examples and to adjust it to my own business plan. I concluded that I wanted my business to be an e-commerce skincare brand called Skin Like Mine or SLM for short. What makes this brand innovative is the fact that it will be a skincare brand of few brands that will appeal to clients based on their skin tone as well as a brand that will offer a bespoke service which will be the brands USP.
Although a lot of my peers have chosen to do a fashion-related brand I struggled to come up with something creative compared to everyone else’s ideas, of course my interest lies in fashion so I began to think about a company that focuses on selling preowned vintage fashion such as Vestiaire Collective or a wardrobe and outfit planning service that focuses on an app such as Closet Space. However, I did not think my ideas were as creative to compete with others in my class room that is why I decided to create a skincare business because I felt the idea was more creative from others as well as something I am personally passionate about doing.
TREND HUNTER(2015)
THE VERGE (2016)
2-IDENTIF YING BRAND VALUES
The idea behind Skin like mine is a response to the current climate of consumer demands and interest in the growing organic and natural skincare industry. It is also a movement for skincare and cosmetic inclusivity that we are seeing more of in advertising and new ranges and collections
During individual tutorials, it was discussed what the core brand values and responsibilities this brand consisted of whether this skincare company was going to take a medical, scientifical approach such as Kiehl’s or a natural, chemical-free approach such as the branding of Origins.
It was decided that a natural, environmental approach was best suitable for the project that values natural skincare, however as the focus of this skincare concept is to treat a complicated issue in deeper skin tones the brand fits in the middle category of a natural company but also consists of scientific properties from plant stem cell technology.
KIEHLS(2016)
ORIGINS(2017)
3-Identifying my product and brand personality
This brand will focus on a collection of four products but will focus on one product in particular as the ‘hero’ of the brand. I had arranged a group discussion as seen here to discuss how my audience reacted to my glass bottles, the logo designs.
From the majority of feedback most peeople cmmented that my bottles looked like a professional brand that they would imagine to see in a beauty store.
The personality of this brand aims to be empathetic and relatable to the customer, from the brand name to the content of the social media pages and articles posted on the website blog page. All of this will be taken into consideration and consistent throughout the website content.
SOMMERS (2017)
4 - Brand storytelling
From the beginning of our brand story and archetype lectures and workshops, I knew what the story of my brand was going to tell from the list of plots.
My brand fits under the Quest and the Rebirth. I think the brand storytelling exercises were helpful for my learning because I had never heard of the plots so it was very interesting to apply these stories to our brand. The brand stories also helped make the identity of this brand stronger for the audience and develop the narrative of the brand’s ethos and values.
SOMMERS (2017)
5 - Logo evolution
Colour pantone
Old logo
New logo
SOMMERS (2017)
The logo design of this brand went through many changes. The final outcome was inspired by a hairdressing logo for men and women, and the colours of the logo was chosen specifically to show what the colours represent certain feelings and connotations that relate to this brand. For example the green in the logo represents an earthy, natural brand and the brown colour of the logo represents wholesomeness and reliability it was difficult to find the appropriate colour pallet for this logo. Originally I wanted to incorporate gold into the colour scheme but there was trouble with finding a suitable metallic gold.
6-Merchandise packaging branding
From the type of packaging I saw in store for natural or organic skin care brands, they usually use some type of shredded tissue paper to present their products. I liked the idea to package my products in a brown craft box to seem like a gift, with the tag and string tied around. I believe this gave the packaging a natural presentation as well as making the packaging feel special.
SOMMERS (2017)
7-Product Photography development
SOMMERS (2017)
I improved on my branding photography since my submission for my business proposal. I relied a lot on using a light box to give my pictures more clarity and fewer shadows, I also changed the type of camera that I used to increase the image quality.
I did some research on Trendland.com to seek inspiration for my photography sessions and I began to see how I could make my photo shoots look more professional and creative. Overall I found it difficult to complete a photoshoot without finding some flaws in my images however my brand is meant to represent a natural comapny, from then I realised that my photoshoots did not have to be perfect.
8 - Website layout
Origional Idea
My origional ideas for the website layout was to have a uniform split into sections of squares, I also wanted to keep each web page simple to make my website look as professioanl and clean as possible. Looking back at my first draft of my webpage I realise that the format was not as clear as I wanted it to be and the home page looks too overcrowded and looks a bit confusing. However I can still see some similarities between the old layout in comparison to the new layout.
During the first steps to designing my website I struggled to find a website hosting company to use, I thought I would be able to use Wordpress or Squarespace to do this but I often found it hard to navigate these websites to build my own. Then I decided to use Wix, this platform really helped me design a professional website that I envisioned for my project, and the added features and add-ons that I was able to use were easy to access and most importantly helped to create a website that I can open up an e-commerce business even with the free of charge feature. Overall I am happy with the end result of my website homepage and the uniformity of my other pages.
Final design
SOMMERS (2017)
9 -Stationary
A lot of inspiration for the SLM stationary came from information slips that I kept from my own skincare purchase’s. At times because I was using different brands to work from I forgot that my stationary had to have a uniformity to go with my website. For example, The first business card produced aesthetically looks creative however some of the colours in the background was too colourful and dark and it does not go with Skin like mine’s branding.
SOMMERS (2017)
SOMMERS (2017)
10 - Event venue mock ups
I created a few examples of the room layout for my business event on a 3D virtual event designer, (3deventdesigner.com) Although my event was not real I wanted to show an idea of how the venue could look from a visual perspective rather than just talking about it.
However, the tools I had to do this was limited to the templates that the website had for free users, therefore, the event design is not detailed with a colour scheme or representation of my brand.
SOMMERS (2017)
11 -Skincare Research
PINTEREST MOOD BOARD (2018)
Where is there a gap in the market for skincare for people with dark complexions, problematic skin? Is there room for a product that is affordable?
According to the Global newswire, a study was conducted in 2016 that the global cosmetic skin care market has been rising in demand for organic products for conscious consumers concerned about environmental and health issues complicated with skincare. ‘Growth in the cosmetic skin care market is expected to be fuelled by the continuous innovation and development of more effective anti-aging and sun protection products in the upcoming future. The trend toward natural products is projected to create prospective market opportunities for natural and active cosmetic ingredients such as enzymes, botanical extracts, and amino acids. In addition, the demand for cosmetic skin care market is on the rise with growing interest in grooming among the young generation in different countries across the world Youngsters opt for skin brightening or skin whitening creams or lotions.’ Global
News wire (2016)
The awareness of skincare for anti-aging and acne products remain widely advertised throughout the media as it is regarded as the most valuable market for the skincare business. The second being acne skin care and skin brightening products in the UK. For people with medium/dark skin complexions, the top common skin problems are post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation which is the overproduction of melanin on the upper surface of the skin caused by acne, irritation, ingrown hairs, eczema once the area has healed. Melasma is another common issue which can be induced by hormonal changes such as the use of birth control or pregnancy side effects. In general individuals with dark skin are more prone to inhabit unsightly dark marks and scaring after any type of skin injury from as little as an insect bite. The bigger the injury the more the problem of skin darkening persists.
11- Skin care research
Hyperpigmentation and common scaring dark mark skin conditions often occours in / in the afro, Latin, Asian, Indian and mixed heritage patients. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation - Melasma - keloid scaring - Dermatosis papulosa   Treating these kinds of problems for dark skin is not always easy as some treatments such as acid peels and laser surgeries can make the problems worst. Usually, patients will see a dermatologist for a prescription medication which will be more effective in curing the condition while being suitable for their individual skin. While there are popular products already available over the market such as the Clinique spot corrector and Estee Lauder Enlightening serum or more affordable products such as Palmers Skin Success and Fade Out brightening cream these products are most effective for mild or non-existent hyperpigmentation. For people with a server or stubborn marks, these over the counter strengths will not work. Even if the more expensive treatments work more effectively it can often be too costly to upkeep with treating the skin because healing hyperpigmentation can be a long process at least six months to fully heal.
Deciem company report on Retinol
EU Shipping Note: We can ship this product within the European Union. However, please note that the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has published an opinion on April 20, 2016, suggesting that Retinol content of cosmetics should be limited to 0.3%. While this opinion has not yet affected regulatory restrictions, it may in the near future and such restriction would apply to all products sold within the EU containing Retinol. Deciem(2018) - It’s fair to say that it is often difficult to treat dark skin problems in the Uk because of its restrictions on ingredients available by prescription. Sometime around 2014 UK dermatologists stopped prescribing topical treatments such as hydroquinone and retinol to patients. An alternative was given such as Duac and Differin gel. These products claimed to have the same effect but evidence showed otherwise. People often looked to buying retinol and hydroquinone creams online, not knowing if they were going to get bank information stolen or at risk of purchasing fake products. Finding prescription based or high strength hyperpigmentation product is highly risky due to the European union shipping restrictions. It is highly likely that the restriction laws will be tougher in the near future to ban all useful products for hyperpigmentation leaving those in the UK who suffer from this issue to deal with the long-term appearance of PIH.
11-Skincare research
While hyperpigmentation isn’t a health issue it often does play a role in depression and mental health amongst sufferers and for many who live with problematic skin it has a huge effect on their self-esteem and confidence. The only other option to treat PIH in regard to acne is the Accutane pill which will be offered as a solution by UK dermatologists, this treatment is effective however the side effects from this pill have been quite controversial as it has been linked to a number of suicides from users. This pill causes extreme irritation for most users so this medication also needs to be regularly monitored by the dermatologist. As a result, with many side effects for a lot of people prefer not to take the drug. Why are such a controversial drug still available from the GP and much safer topical treatments such retinol and gels almost non-existent to the public. In the united states, it is very easy to see a dermatologist and get prescribed simple treatments because these products in higher strengths are not banned in the united states. However, although it is available the costs of these treatments are not cheap.
Beauty innovations This year’s winter skin care trends for acne treatments according to WGSN trend report: Targeted treatments for breakouts and acne-prone skin remain prominent for winter launches. It Cosmetics blends treatment with coverage in its Bye Bye Breakout Treatment Concealer, while Dr. Logy’s latest sheet mask is infused with salicylic and glycolic acids to reduce breakouts while fading existing scars. Votary takes a natural approach, using anti-inflammatory tamanu oil in its Blemish Rescue Oil, and Dr. Jart looks to Asian herbs to soothe redness and irritation in its Tiger Grass Repair Serum. -WGSN skincare winter tends Trends also include face masks, overnight treatments, vitamin C based products, bubble mask treatments inspired by Korean beauty trends, eye treatments/neck care, Skin protective products, nourishing cleansers and glowing skin treatments. Dark skincare is not as advertised as other skincare treatments, this is due to the lack of a platform to highlight to an audience that this type of skincare exists and a platform is needed to let people know what is already available.
PINTEREST MOOD BOARD (2018)
12-Business environment research
Survey results:
It is difficult to assess how many people in the UK need specific skincare related to their pigment. Most people who suffer from scars and dark marks cover up their imperfections with makeup and foundation. This makes observational research difficult therefore We will need to know the people who have these issues personally.
Audience: According to an article from refinery29 Black women, in particular, spend an estimated $7.5 billion annually on beauty products, shelling out 80% more on cosmetics and twice as much on skincare as their non-Black counterparts.
Audience demographics: According to BBC News researchers say the proportion of Black, Asian, and other ethnic minorities will rise from 8% of the population, as recorded in the 2001 census, to 20% by 2051.
SOMMERS (2017)
13 -Info graphics workshop
What did I already know before the workshop? I knew that infographics are a good way to market a brand during a presentation, a poster or advert. What connections can I make between the workshop and other things from my study or work? I can apply what I’ve learned from this workshop with how I present my portfolio, I believe presenting a portfolio with infographics could also be a beneficial way of presenting my work in a simple, understandable way. What is the best way for me to move forward with this workshop? I was told that some of my images used for the presentation were confusing and not clearly portrayed as to what the graphic was. From this feedback, I changed my design and decided to use my own images for the presentation. Such as here I used a uniform of my logo in different shades to portray the different shades of skin tone rather than just using random images of What can I do better with this activity? This workshop helped me design my business pitch presentation and develop it to be more suitable for my audience. How and where might I use my new knowledge and competencies? This workshop was helpful to structure my pitch presentation in a more creative and modern way to communicate my business with ease rather than presenting a long, boring written out presentation.
INFOGRAPHICS KING (2018)
14 -Branding and typography workshop
What did I already know before the workshop and what did I learn from it? I knew that my font for my branding and logo did not need to be too bold and extravagant as the main focus of my brand is the logo image. How would I do things differently? I started constructing my logo from early on because I needed images for the business proposal. If I had spent more time developing the logo It would definitely look different, the colour scheme would be the most dramatic change because that is the most important part of the logo especially for a skincare brand and I believe some of the colour pallets needed working on. What connections can I make between the workshop and other things from my study or work? This typography workshop also relates to how I do my own branding for my portfolio and professional identity outside of projects and coursework. What is the best way for me to move forward with this workshop?
During this afternoon lecture we also did an exercise In groups were we practiced speaking in front of each other in small groups while trying to maintain good posture and making eye contact with everyone. I did find it uncomfortable at first to do this exercise because it was unplanned, usually when I present I like to be prepared with what I’m presenting because it makes me feel more confident however In some situations in a working environment sometimes presentations are unplanned and this experience helped me gain confidence to perform on the spot.
Branding and logo design workshop
What did I already know before the workshop and what did I learn from it? I knew that designing the logo was one of the most important factors for our businesses because with doing that we have to consider how the logo comes across to customers such as does the logo appeal to a professional audience, or does the colours used for the logo symbolize values of the brand? I had already designed my logo at this point however I did learn from this workshop how I can make my logo more interesting using adobe illustrator just by using basic shapes and vector manipulation.
What is the best way for me to move forward with this workshop? I will need to attempt to develop on my logo through illustrator, the workshop helped me become more familiar with using the program when designing logos. As my business concept focuses on skin and cosmetics, I researched how skin brands typically design their logos, I found that while many skincare brands advertise towards women, their brand logo and colour scheme is very gender neutral. Most skin care brands also tend to use wordmark (text) or a combination mark logos(text and symbol). I wanted to use both an icon and text to express my logo as I could be more creative with designing my business cards, and information slips however by doing this, it made the thought process of my logo designing longer and creating an inclusive logo and name for my brand was one of the hardest part of this process. What surprised me about the workshop? After a demonstration on how to make a logo, I was surprised how quick and easy it was to create an interesting logo just from an image sketch or basic shapes.
DERMALOGICA COSMETICS LOGO (2018)
PAI COSMETICS LOGO (2018)
15 -Magazine layout workshop
What did I already know before the workshop and what did I learn from it? Before this workshop on magazines I already had some general knowledge on magazine layouts from one of the first projects we produced in year one fashion marketing when we printed out a publication for a learning journal. From this workshop I learned how to easily create a uniform of layouts for magazine content instead of individually type out and format each page freehand, which is what I am use to doing.
How would I do things differently? I would definitely use these easy template methods to structure my magazine layouts as seen here.
What connections can I make between the workshop and other things from my study or work? Although I have not chosen to do a magazine as one of my final outputs I think if this type of project was to arise again in the future I will be more prepared to make a visually impressive magazine from the help of this work shop compared to how unorganized my first year project was carried out.
What is the best way for me to move forward from this workshop? This workshop template was saved to my documents therefore I can now practice formatting a magazine I may want to produce in the future and improve on my editing skills. What surprised me about the workshop? At first glance the template that was given us at the workshop looked confusing and difficult to do but once it was explained I was able to make my basic layout look interesting and professional. Who and what helped me at the time? Paul Greenleaf was our instructor for this workshop, he would often go around the room to help everyone individually if anyone were to get stuck on what they were editing. How and where might I use my new knowledge and competencies? I would like to apply to aprenteships after this marketing course, therefore I believe what I have learnt from this workshop and what I have learnt will benefit me in future projects and apprenteships I may be apart of.
SOMMERS (2017)
16 -References: Sommers, T., 2018. Business proposal. Unpublished photograph. The verge, 2016. Amazon Go. Screenshot from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=NrmMk1Myrxc Trend Hunter, 2015. Ralph Lauren virtual dressing room. Unpublished photograph. Sommers, T., 2017. Brand group discussion. Unpublished photograph. Sommers, T., 2018. My skin matters, cream on a shelf. Unpublished photograph. Sommers, T., 2018. Logo Branding. Unpublished photograph. Sommers, T., Hyperpigmentation mood board. Unpublished photograph. Credit to Youtubers: [Jazznicole]. (2017,November 6).Revealing My Insecurities, taking off the mask the power of makeup acne & hyperpigmentation [video file]]. Retrieved from:https://youtu.be/qVC3fPdVHQY [xoMissyKay].(2017,March 27).Bleaching my skin+a boob job my biggest insecurities revealed[video file].Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/YybD1O4_--c [MsTweet37].(2017,March 19).My insecurities revealed[Video File].Retrieved from:https://youtu.be/ wAnbXaFFAd0 [Heslaydreamin].(2017,April 4).All of my insecurities exposed![Video File]. Retrieved from:https://youtu.be/iKtjOiZd42Q [rachaelxss].(2017,March 20).My insecurities & being confident[Video File]. Retrieved From:https:// youtu.be/PyhKHX2M4tE Global News wire., (2016.) Cosmetic skin-care market projections. Available at:. https://globenewswire. com/news-release/2016/09/29/875769/0/en/Cosmetic-Skin-Care-Market-is-projected-to-rise-to-US-200bn-by-2024-Anti-aging-Products-to-Remain-Most-Valuable-Category-TMR.html Diceim Company., 2018. Retinoids frequently asked questions. Available at: https://theordinary.com/ product/rdn-retinol-05pct-in-squalane-30ml?redir=1 Sommers, T., 2018. Branding, packaging mock ups. Unpublished photograph. Sommers, T., 2018. Skin like mine photography shoot. Unpublished photograph. Sommers, T., 2018. Skin like mine website mock ups. Unpublished photograph. Sommers, T., 2018. Brand stationary. Unpublished photograph. Sommers, T., 2018. 3D Skin like mine event mock ups. Unpublished photograph.
Dirshe, S.Six Things That Should Never happen at the Derm If You Have Dark Skin Avaliable at: http:// www.refinery29.com/black-skin-care-dermatologist-red-flags Bryant, T. How the Beauty Industry Has failed Black women. Available at:http://www.refinery29. com/2016/02/103964/black-hair-care-makeup-business Murray, B.(2017) Bespoke beauty is set to be the biggest beauty trend of 2018. Avaliable at: http://www. harpersbazaar.com/uk/beauty/beauty-shows-trends/a13527210/bespoke-beauty-trend/ (2010)Uk’s Ethnic minority numbers ‘to rise to 20% by 2051’. BBC News available at: http://www.bbc. co.uk/news/10607480 Sommers, T., 2018. Infographics image. Unpublished photograph. Sommers, T., 2018. Magazine layout screenshot. Unpublished photograph. WGSN., 2018WGSN skin care Trend report. Dermalogica, 2018. 3D Dermalogica Logo. Unpublished photograph. Pai, 2018. Pai Logo. Unpublished photograph. Origins, 2017. Origins Logo. Unpublished photograph. kiehl’s, 2018. kiehl’s Logo. Unpublished photograph. Pinterest, 2018. skin care mood board. Unpublished photograph.