10 things you should know about...

Sarah and I got together to start off our collaborative brief. We needed to come up with a theme to base the publication on for the title 10 things you should know about...
We asked some people around the studio to tell us the first word that comes into their head.
We eventually decided on magic and then did some research into magic and catergorising it and came up with  sub categories we could use for twelve editions, one for each month.

We plan to create one publication, a brand for it and also the other 11 covers for the other editions.

We decided on the theme of magic after discussing it and getting some ideas from around the studio, we have created some sub-categrories that we can work with now just need to research.

Ted Baker- intital ideas

The Ted Baker brief is to create promotional matierail and a brand for their new autumn/winter collection. The first thing I did was write down all thoughts in my head and associations I could think of to autumn/winter and also the theme of British.

Looking at my ideas I was keen on the idea on the clocks changing in October, also known as 'fall back' so I started to explore the idea of time and clocks.

I looked at time phrases as well, words and phrases we use in everyday life just to get an idea of possible language I could use.

Packaging ideas

I want to create a small piece of packaging which fits in a cupcake. I initially came up with the pyramid idea both square based and triangular based. After measuring the diameter of an average cupcake 2inches then I though a square based pyramid would be more suitable so that cake doesnt get squashed.

I found some nets which would create the square based pyramid and put them together. I want to ensure the packages are easy and fast to put together for when in the shop staff won't want the hassle of struggling with putting them together. I therefore have decided to alter the tabs on the net so that they tuck into each  other rather than having to be glued, this would be cheaper and more time efficient.

Embossing

I really want to use embossing within the brand so that it has an element of importance and luxury, I tried it  out on the graph paper I am using for the letterheads. It worked quite well even though it is fairly thin paper. I could use this within the letterheads  but definitely want to use it on the business cards but will have to experiment with stock for these first of all.

Menu ideas

Menu scamps.
I started to come up with initial layout ideas for my menus. I have the idea of placing the menus in a school maths book. The menus wouldn only be small with possibly a double page spread. I need to do some more research to develop my ideas further possibly alter the format, shape and size of the menus.

Products

Loyalty card

I really liked the idea of a circular card rather than a standard business card shape loyalty card. I played with the idea of adding a slice as you buy something like you would get a stamp usually andcreating a full cake to win something free. The issue is I am unsure how I could create this, I would need something to fasten the slices together but be basic and easy/fast to use.
I also liked the idea of using the pie chart as the loyalty card, still keeping the circular format but with non equal slices and different colours.
I though instead of the idea of adding pieces to the cake/pie chart I could create stickers or a stamp which would go over the card template.

Stickers

I thought that for packaging the cakes and general use I would create stickers, just basic designs with the logo's trinagles, some just type based and a few different colours which are used also in the pie chart loyalty card. I want to keep the theme consistent throughout.

Stationary-letterhead/business cards/compliment slip

After coming up with a logo I started on designing some stationary. Firstly the letterhead, I drew out some scamps to come up with different layout that I could possibly use. I wanted to keep a strong theme of mathematics and make this the main focus. The stock I am going to print these on is graph paper to emphasise the theme.

I chose a few of the designs and took them onto InDesign, I like the designs with the faded out logo best but also like the idea of incorporating shapes/diagrams subtly with a fainted opacity so that when printed onto graph paper they really have the look of a mathematical theme.

I pritned out the designs just on white paper to see how they look printed and looked for any errors/ changes that could be made

I then made some changes to the designs, some were incorrectly spelt, too small or needed the opacity to be smaller as they were too prominent. 

I just need to print onto graph paper now to see how they look on that.

I then took the same style onto designing a business card, this is just a first design and although has two pages it would actually only be printed on one and have the triangles from the logo embossed onto the front so it is a basic design with minimal text which displays the necessary information.

I need to come up with some further designs to develop this but I think it keeps the brand consistent.

I also deseigned a few compliment slips, again keeping the mathematical themein mind using the same elements but different arrangements.
Again, I need to devlop some more ideas to see what works best as a range.

I like the faded logo on the second design but I'm not sure if the layout works well with the address and details at the top, I think the first layout is more interesting but will have to work on some more ideas.

Names and type

Tried to come up with a name using formulas, the commonly known e=mc2 but trying to relate this to baking terms. I then moved away from this and looking at the words I had previously associated with the two themes.

 

I kept changing my mind on the name as nothing seemed right, it was really frustrating wasting time on coming up with a name when I wanted and needed to get on with designing. I looked back at the research I had done and came up with 'geometric cakes' playing on the phrase, geometric shapes.

 

I then did some more research into geometry and angles etc as I want the whole brand to revolve around the idea of the cake slice being the geometric shape. I drew some mathematical diagrams and thought about how I could relate these in my designs. I thought about extending the lines of the drawings to place type on like titles for letter heads or compliment slips.

Research drawings and associations

After doing some research into maths and mathematical terms that can be related to baking I drew down some ideas and imagery to visualise the theme. I looked into equipment, equations, language etc.
I found a formula which is called Baker's percentage which I thought was appropriate to relate the two themes.

TUTORIAL

Had my tutorial with Lorenzo today, basically the problem was my brief, it has no real problem or concept to it. Think I best stick to given briefs rather than writing my own. Lorenzo suggested a theme so I thought about maths since I've been looking at triangles and go into the theme of geometry and formula.
Lorenzo also suyggested science, science of bakery, looking at apparatus, formula, scientists etc.
Need to get a move on!


So I have re-written my brief

I've also decided to change my second brief which I had made up and decided to go back to the brief which I based it on which was the Ted Baker one, this is just so that it is structured and has actual requirements and a scenario instead of me making it up and not really knowing what I am doing.

Typeface-type based logos

So far I haven't been happy with the image based designs I have been coming up with and they haven't been suitable to the tone of voice I want for the restaurant although they could be seen as 'fun'. I've decided to go back to just type a this is what I feel I work best with and I just generally prefer it, especially as my umberella statement was 'a type based...'

I've been experimenting with different typefaces, serif and sans serif and also the layout of the words and different combinations.

From the design context stuff I have been looking at I have got some ideas about playing with the letters and words in the name 'Millie Makes Cakes' I want it to be light hearted and playful but don't want it to look cheap.

Open-day presentation brief

The brief given from the marketing team was to update the powerpoint presentation given by Simon Thorpe at the next Open day for the College. The content was given as well as a range of photos.The presentation is to work alongside the prospectus, I have take n the image which is seen through the cut out circle on the prospectus and used this for my front image. I have taken the circle idea and placed the speakers name and name of the presentation into this.

On the other slides I have used a photo for the whole background as the presentation is aimed at art students then I figured something more visually engaging is going to suit them. I have used a block of colour ontop of the photos but changed the opacity so that the image can be seen and then placed the type ontop of these colour blocks.

Thinking

After the tutorial with Lorenzo which went well it got me thinking more about the actual brand identity. I already knew that it's more than just applying a logo to a business card etc but I need to think out of the box regarding products and ways to create the brand and an experience for customers.

Things that Lorenzo talked about were:
Thinking of the experience/story
Unique things that make up your brand
Personality for a brand
Catergroisation
Themes? Themed areas of cafe/ themed tables
Feel/ ethos
Different menus?
Have fun!

So I've gone back to some research as Lorenzo said the best way to work is to put down everything inyour head, draw it down then when you get stuck or need help go do some research, so I have been taking this apporach and keep dipping back into research.

Development

So I have gone back to my marker pad to try and simplfy my idea. I've found myself going back to the two triangle idea which is the idea of two pieces of cake side my side to create an M, however, I think that the length of the diagnol side is too long when the two pieces are together it is too wide to represent an M.

I started to move them around and placed one infront of the other. I think this looks a lot better with regards to representing the M letterform but maybe not so much the cakes.

I don't want to waste my time creating a logo but I want to create something strong which represents the brand. I think I prefer this with regards to simplicity and it is more type based but I need to get some opinions on whether it works and what I could do to improve it.

Taking ideas onto illustrator

I've been playing around a bit on Illutrator and creating some of my ideas digitally and just drawing some associated items.

 I played around with creating some outlines of objects which relate to the cake theme like sppons and bowls. Just to practise my Illustrator skills really and play around with some possible imagery.

 I've taken this idea from my inititial drawings, I thought it solved the problem because it combines the two elements of cake and the letter M. However I really don't like it. I was trying so hard to combine these two elements and ended up using more imagery than I anticipated. Having just had a presentation from Joe Gilmore I am clear that I want to be more type driven. I am not against using image but if I do I want to keep it simplistic and still typographic.

This logo has an element of tpye in it with the M but I don't think this is too apparent, also I really don't like the style of the M I created. I think I can either go back and try and make it more simplistic and not so thin and ugly or just go back and think of some more type based ideas. However I am worried that for the type of business I am branding for that it needs to have a stronger image based identity.

Logo scamps

 Basically I have intitially been playing around with the letter M and the idea of combining it with a slice of cake. I've taken different typefaces both serif and sans serif and tried out different ideas, more image based than I usually work with. The only thing is I don't want it to look cheap or cheesy and I think this is where some of them are heading.

 

As I was struggling a bit and just redrawing the same ideas I found that I need to make some decisisions clearer in order to move forward. So who I am aiming it at, what I want it to look like and what I don't want it to look like.

Initial research/thoughts

 I first of all put down all things I could think of and associated with cake just to get it all out of my head and onto paper to see if I could work with anything. I then went into further detail associating it with the actually company Millie Makes Cakes and put down my ideas of products etc and what I need.

 

I drew down some associations also just basic shapes and objects that maybe I could work with for logo ideas and identity etc.

Research form

Proposal form

Briefs

Eventually decided on my biefs, well 3 as we're still waiting for the competition briefs to be released.

Brief 1

Brief 2

Brief 3