Part of the overall package design will be a branded drawstring bag, in order to create this I will go online to buy an online bulk of plain bags and once I am completely happy with my branded logo, I will experiment with different ways that I can place the logo onto the plain bags. After speaking to a couple of lecturers, I considered using the ironing technique to stick on the logo. Before beginning this process, I will make sure that the fabric of the bag is suitable for the iron because the heat from the iron can possibly burn the bag if the fabric is too delicate. Once I am happy that I have the right materials to hand, I will lay the bag on a flat, heat-resistant surface then iron the logo onto a few different bags so I can experiment with the placement of the logo. After ironing on the patch I will give it at least 10 seconds to cool down before checking to see if it has worked out.
The other package will probably be slightly more difficult to design because I will be creating the template from scratch on an adobe software. Package design isn't something that I haven't previously studied therefore I might find it quite tricky to get the right net outline of the shape however I have been conducting secondary research into the designs of different packages. Throughout my research project, I found a book in the College library, Denison, E and Cawthray, R (1999). “Packaging Prototypes”, RotoVision. The book gives a range of 'how to' examples for packages similar to the one I am hoping to make which will be useful when I begin the design process.
Wednesday, 30 March 2016
Tuesday, 22 March 2016
Secondary Research
I began to conduct my research so I could look at previous ways brands have marketed creatively and I stumbled across Mark Fidelman's online article called 'Here Are 5 Of The Best Sports Marketing Campaigns That Went Viral In 2015.'
Fidelman has made a list of 5 world class sporting campaigns that have used digital media to make an impact. All campaigns were released in 2015 so they are all modernised and trending now. He has included an explanation of what each campaign is, what each company were hoping to gain from it and the end result. Throughout the online article, Fidelman has highlighted the impact of a hashtag, each of the campaigns he has looked into have used a hashtag to allow the consumers to gain easy access to further information about the product, people can also see what others have to say about the particular brand. Using a hashtag was an obvious solution for my marketing because of the impact and popularity they have on social media sites however I will need to give myself time to think about what sites I will use for advertising and if the hashtag is suitable for that site.
I focused on looking into this online article because it is extremely relevant to my project in the sense that sports and fitness is the theme I have chosen and I am looking into ways that I can successfully market my product. The article Fidelman has written has given me a range of ideas that I will be considering within the next few weeks.
Mark Fidelman. 2015. Here Are 5 Of The Best Sports Marketing Campaigns That Went Viral In 2015. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/markfidelman/2015/06/09/here-are-5-of-the-best-sports-marketing-campaigns-that-went-viral-in-2015/#4498c30d3fff. [Accessed 21 March 16].
As well as looking into a broad range of ideas to market my brand through digital media, I also wanted to narrow it down to one social media site and look at how successful it has been when it comes to company marketing. I found another online article called '5 Creative Ways Brands Are Using Snapchat.'
Recently I have decided that I love the idea of focusing primarily on using Snapchat to market my brand, this particular article was extremely useful to look at whilst thinking of the different ways Snapchat can help entice my audience. The article is written by Jessica Gioglio, she demonstrates the efficiency of putting a message across using stories. The style of the article is another reason I was so intrigued to read on, Gioglio uses a list format which makes it clear for the audience, it is easier to read and straight to the point; we can prioritise the most relevant or important information to us.
Overall I am pleased that I found Jessica Gioglio's article because it has positively effected my initial idea for marketing my product. Surprisingly, until this week I hadn't thought of using Snapchat to advertise my brand although it is such an obvious and sensible idea because of the popularity of the social network.
Convince&Convert. 2015. 5 Creative Ways Brands Are Using Snapchat. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-case-studies/5-creative-ways-brands-are-using-snapchat/. [Accessed 18 March 16].
The idea for my overall project is to highlight that the product's package can be more than just a carrier because the package is what the costumer initially picks up therefore making a good first impression can effect the overall sale. Packaging is powerful because it also demonstrates why a particular brand and product is different. Apple popped into my head straight away when I thought of iconic packages; although packaging may seem secondary to most consumer companies, Apple is known to take care of each tiny detail of the packaging to make it immaculate.
I found an online article that shared a couple of Apple's successful secrets for their packages. The article suggests how crucial it is for the company to perfect every inch of their detail because of the popularity of the company, "One after another, the designer created and tested an endless series of arrows, colours, and tapes for a tiny tab designed to show the consumer where to pull back the invisible, full-bleed sticker adhered to the top of the clear iPod box. Getting it just right was this particular designer's obsession." Yoni Heisler. 2012. Inside Apple's secret packaging room. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.networkworld.com/article/2221536/data-center/inside-apple-s-secret-packaging-room.html. [Accessed 01 April 16]. Yoni made me realise that an impressive package is significant for the startup of a company because it can have a massive impact on the company's appeal and sales.
Monday, 21 March 2016
Current Idea Mindmap
Friday, 18 March 2016
Research Outline
Conducting research is a massive part of my project therefore planning what I want to discover will make it easier for me to understand where I am with my work. So far, I have completed a number of research tasks including primary and secondary, firstly I looked at books that I found in the College library as well as looking at articles online. After this, I went to The Clarks Village in Street to do a location visit to The Shoe Museum. Although the research I have already done helped me massively when deciding on the exact project I will be doing for my FMP, I feel as though doing a questionnaire or focus group will give me a better understanding of what consumers want from my product. The plan is to ask a bunch of people several questions about their view on package design and how it effects them. Considering I do not have a specific target audience when it comes to age or gender, I would like to collect my results from a range of the public to see if the answers I get correlate.
Questions:
As well as focus groups and questionnaires, looking online for unique marketing ideas will be useful for me to come up with an idea that is relevant to fitness. Gaining knowledge through qualitative research will allow me to look at marketing campaigns that have already happened and I can look at how successful or unsuccessful they have been which will teach me what not to do. I am planning on looking into articles that list the top marketing campaigns for sports brands. YouTube is becoming as popular and as useful as Google search therefore I will also be looking on YouTube at previous sport brands adverts to look at different ways company's entice their audience. Looking into companies that are famous for their package design will give me a better idea what designs have been successful which will help me understand what attracts customers. Apple popped into my head straight away when I thought of popular packages; although packaging may seem secondary to mosst consumer companies, Apple is known to take care of each tiny detail of the packaging to make it immaculate.
Questions:
- Do you take notice of the packaging when buying the shoes?
- What kind of package do you prefer when buying shoes? Box? Bag?
- Would an interesting package make you want to look at that particular brand of shoe?
- How important do you think the package design is?
As well as focus groups and questionnaires, looking online for unique marketing ideas will be useful for me to come up with an idea that is relevant to fitness. Gaining knowledge through qualitative research will allow me to look at marketing campaigns that have already happened and I can look at how successful or unsuccessful they have been which will teach me what not to do. I am planning on looking into articles that list the top marketing campaigns for sports brands. YouTube is becoming as popular and as useful as Google search therefore I will also be looking on YouTube at previous sport brands adverts to look at different ways company's entice their audience. Looking into companies that are famous for their package design will give me a better idea what designs have been successful which will help me understand what attracts customers. Apple popped into my head straight away when I thought of popular packages; although packaging may seem secondary to mosst consumer companies, Apple is known to take care of each tiny detail of the packaging to make it immaculate.
Compare, Contrast and Reflect
One of my lecturers kindly brought in a shoebox that he had recently
purchased. Asics is a sports brand therefore it was relevant to look at.
Overall the design is quite minimalistic, this complements the
simple logo that is shown on the package more than once, I noticed that
each logo was a different colour in order to contrast with background
which demonstrates a versatile aspect to the brand. Other than the logo,
the overall packaging is quite plain and boring. Although there are two
packages that the trainers come in, which is also the goal for my
project, I believe that they are both lacking creativity. I am planning
to come up with a brand that represents fitness as well as having the
versatility to attract a range of customers, despite their gender or
age.
When I came up with the idea of using a bag as well as the package that
holds the product I remembered that when I previously bought an item from
Apple I was given this type of drawstring bag. This is an effective way
increasing customer satisfaction by making the the product easier to
carry. This is exactly why I will be designing a drawstring bag to carry my brand of trainers, the bag is especially relevant to my idea because the customer can use the bag when they go out for a run or to the gym, it will also promote the brand.
I have been thinking of unique ways to market my brand, straight away I thought of making a digital advert that could be used on social media because of the popularity of sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat etc. I began to conduct secondary research to look at previous ways brands have marketed creatively and I stumbled accross this online article:
Convince&Convert. 2015. 5 Creative Ways Brands Are Using Snapchat. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-case-studies/5-creative-ways-brands-are-using-snapchat/. [Accessed 18 March 16].
The article discusses ways that companies have used snapchat to advertise their brands, this made me consider ways that I could do something similar. I would like to create quick for my brand which would go on the top discover bar of the snapchat story page, the logo would be shown on the icon and when it is clicked on, various videos related to my brand will be shown. Unit 12 Reflection
Unit 12 allowed me to explore a range of different platforms to deliver my initial idea. The research project was part of my preparation for unit 13, it gave me further knowledge of the subject I will be focusing my project on as well as useful information on the best ways to execute that knowledge. I managed to conduct both primary and secondary research which helped me look into all aspects of the background of the subject I will be focusing on as well as looking at previous examples of similar projects to the one I have been planning. As it is shown in my previous blog posts, throughout the unit I changed my mind many times on the subject of my project as well the planned platform. Originally I wanted to design and create a website focused on making the public aware of representations and stereotypes through the media however after having a discussion with a lecturer, I realised that I should be focusing on something that I am passionate about so I am motivated to do as well as I possibly can in order to get the grade I am hoping to get.
For my project I will be designing a brand for a pair of fitness trainers and then creating a package for the trainers. I will be coming up with an original brand that I will be using for the package. The plan is to have to different types of packaging, a shoe box that I will be designing on Apple Mac software as well as a drawstring bag that I will print the branding on, this idea was focused around the idea of the customers re-using the bag when they are exercising which is also a great way of further promoting the brand. I believe that the packaging is almost as important as the product inside therefore I will be spending a lot of time considering how I can attract consumers and make my project different to others on the market. Marketing is a massive part of making a successful product therefore I plan to make a snapchat account for my brand that could theoretically be shown on the discover page, snaps of the trainers would be demonstrated in the form of a story.
For my project I will be designing a brand for a pair of fitness trainers and then creating a package for the trainers. I will be coming up with an original brand that I will be using for the package. The plan is to have to different types of packaging, a shoe box that I will be designing on Apple Mac software as well as a drawstring bag that I will print the branding on, this idea was focused around the idea of the customers re-using the bag when they are exercising which is also a great way of further promoting the brand. I believe that the packaging is almost as important as the product inside therefore I will be spending a lot of time considering how I can attract consumers and make my project different to others on the market. Marketing is a massive part of making a successful product therefore I plan to make a snapchat account for my brand that could theoretically be shown on the discover page, snaps of the trainers would be demonstrated in the form of a story.
Tuesday, 8 March 2016
FMP Preperation
The images linked to sporting activities relate to the overall theme of my project and that is why I have clearly highlighted that on the moodboard, being clear of the theme will allow me to recognise what to base all aspects of the project on. I have included images that demonstrate the package idea that I have, a personally branded shoebox and a drawstring bag will be the two products that I will work on designing and they will be my final products. Finally you will notice that I have shown a variety of sports brands on the board, I did this allow myself to have a look at similar brands to the one I will be coming up with. Sticking the logos down on paper made is easier for me to analyse them to notice the pros and cons.
Friday, 4 March 2016
Brief
Who is your target audience?
The brand of my trainers and the package do not have a particular target audience in terms of gender or age however considering the brand is based around fitness, the audience would be those who have an interest in that particular area, whether that would be if they have had years of experience or if the customer is new to health and fitness and wants to live a more healthy lifestyle and start working out.
I spoke to a lecturer about narrowing down the target audience so it would be easier for me to come up with a market sheme that would appeal to them; we spoke about the style of the trainers which made me realise that I would like to come up with an everyday pair of trainers that are designed for the purpose of my fitness project instead of trying to create a fashion item.
Provide details about this particular project. What problem are you trying to solve?
As it is clear in my previous blog posts, I have changed my idea countless times; the problem for me is that I haven't decided on the overall goal for the project. Originally the idea was to inspire the customers to life a more healthy lifestyle, I was going to do this by delivering healthy advice along with the package design however after thinking about how I could create this I realised that I would prefer to focus on the physical fitness side of the healthy lifestyle. The branding side of the project is possibly one the most important steps, I will need to think of a way to make an iconic logo that is recognisable and relatable to the product.
What are the deliverables that you will create?
The physical items of my project will be the package for the brand of trainers that I will come up with, the branding for the trainers wll be the idea that I will be working with therefore I won't be making the trainers but the idea of them will help me to create the shoebox and bag. I would like to focus on making two different types of packaging in order to find out which the most successful on is. At this stage I prefer the idea of a bag because it can be recycled.
Do you have an end goal or target you're trying to reach with this project?
The goal for my project is create a brand of trainers that have a place on the market and attract the customers that have an interest in fitness. I would also like to demonstrate that the branding and packaging are just as inportant as the product therefore that is why I will be spending my time focusing on how I can make mine different to existing competitors.
What are the milestone for this project?
Firstly I started by doing a research project, it allowed me understand what the public want from a package as well as giving me further knowledge into what package design is and how it can effect the overall sale of a product. This was helpful for me considering I am only a beginer in the subject so the more research I did, the more experience I gained. Now that I have finished the research I will be sketching down some ideas for the branding side of the product, doing this will open a door for me to begin the design process. After deciding on the brand I will begin to market and design the product.
The brand of my trainers and the package do not have a particular target audience in terms of gender or age however considering the brand is based around fitness, the audience would be those who have an interest in that particular area, whether that would be if they have had years of experience or if the customer is new to health and fitness and wants to live a more healthy lifestyle and start working out.
I spoke to a lecturer about narrowing down the target audience so it would be easier for me to come up with a market sheme that would appeal to them; we spoke about the style of the trainers which made me realise that I would like to come up with an everyday pair of trainers that are designed for the purpose of my fitness project instead of trying to create a fashion item.
Provide details about this particular project. What problem are you trying to solve?
As it is clear in my previous blog posts, I have changed my idea countless times; the problem for me is that I haven't decided on the overall goal for the project. Originally the idea was to inspire the customers to life a more healthy lifestyle, I was going to do this by delivering healthy advice along with the package design however after thinking about how I could create this I realised that I would prefer to focus on the physical fitness side of the healthy lifestyle. The branding side of the project is possibly one the most important steps, I will need to think of a way to make an iconic logo that is recognisable and relatable to the product.
What are the deliverables that you will create?
The physical items of my project will be the package for the brand of trainers that I will come up with, the branding for the trainers wll be the idea that I will be working with therefore I won't be making the trainers but the idea of them will help me to create the shoebox and bag. I would like to focus on making two different types of packaging in order to find out which the most successful on is. At this stage I prefer the idea of a bag because it can be recycled.
Do you have an end goal or target you're trying to reach with this project?
The goal for my project is create a brand of trainers that have a place on the market and attract the customers that have an interest in fitness. I would also like to demonstrate that the branding and packaging are just as inportant as the product therefore that is why I will be spending my time focusing on how I can make mine different to existing competitors.
What are the milestone for this project?
Firstly I started by doing a research project, it allowed me understand what the public want from a package as well as giving me further knowledge into what package design is and how it can effect the overall sale of a product. This was helpful for me considering I am only a beginer in the subject so the more research I did, the more experience I gained. Now that I have finished the research I will be sketching down some ideas for the branding side of the product, doing this will open a door for me to begin the design process. After deciding on the brand I will begin to market and design the product.
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
Research Project - Location Visits
The brief has given us the choice to either carry out an interview or do a location visit as part of our research. Firstly I assumed an interview would be more beneficial for me to ask the questions I need to investigate the topic in depth and discover how other individuals feel; after taking time to consider which type of research would be best for my project I decided that I would like to do a location visit. The location visit rounded up all of the research I have conducted, the books and articles made a massive impact of my overall decision of my final idea for my fmp however the location visit taught me the more practical side of the project.
Bath College have a range of creative courses that could have helped me so I looked on the website and luckily found a Product Design Level 3 course, I then went over to the art and design department and gave myself a lot of time to explore the building and look at some of the work that the students were particularly proud of. Although looking at their work inspired me, I wanted to find out how their work turned out the way it did and the step by step guide to how they managed it. My trip was successful because I managed to understand more about what topics the students study, such as, sustainable design, design history, model making and prototypes, materials technology and ergonomics. I admittedly don't have experience with these topics however it gave me the chance to understand more about the aspects of product design.
Before heading over to the art and design department I told myself that I needed to find explore potential ways of printing if I decide to make the shoebox cardboard. Speaking to a couple of students and lecturers allowed me to learn more about the print world.
One of my lecturers kindly brought in a shoebox that he had recently purchased. Asics is a sports brand therefore it was relevant to look . Overall the design is quite minimalistic, this complements with the simple logo that is shown on the package more than once, I noticed that each logo was a different colour in order to contrast with background which demonstrates a versatile aspect to the brand. Other than the logo, the overall packaging is quite plain and boring. Although there are two packages that the trainers come in, which is also the goal for my project, I believe that they are both lacking creativity. I am planning to come up with a brand that represents fitness as well as having the versatility to attract a range of customers, despite their gender or age.
Considering The Shoe Museum was the main reason for my trip to Street, I went there next. The museum displays more than 150 shoes from Roman times to modern day, also giving an in depth story of Clarks from when they started out in the early 19th Century. The galleries demonstrate the development of the Clarks footwear industry, the display shows shoe making machinery and tools, advertising materials and of course, the shoes.
The Museum was a really interesting way to see a physical timelime of a range of different shoes, I noticed how much shoes have transfigured since the Medieval times compared to the modern day. Looking at the shape of all of the shoes in the Museum I noticed that the majority of them still have undeniable similarities to the modern day shoe however it is just a case of a change in materials, the shoes we wear now are almost a modernised adaption of previous styles.
I have been asked about how this particular visit relates to my project and I explained that it was useful to recognise that there is a lot to think about when making any type of shoe and although I will not physically be creating my brand of trainer, it has made me realise that an important selling point for my brand would be the modernisation. When marketing a new product it is important to highlight the new and improved qualities and point out why the particular product is better than other competitors on the market. I believe this can make a major impact of the success of marketing, it can engage the audience.
Thankfully, the Museum gave examples of previous advertisements, the adverts would have been in the form of a poster. I noticed that different types of shoes had a different poster to relates to that specific shoe. When I market my brand I will also be relating the advert to the particular trainers so make the information specific and accurate.
As you can see, the adverts shown in the museum were all pysical due to the time period they were made. I had a look at the Clarks website so I could see the difference in their adversts since 1825. I would describe it as modern, simple and neutral which is a complete diffference to the original branding however it fits in with the present day. Updating the brand keeps the consumers interesting as well as gaining more of an audience.
The obvious difference I noticed was digital and print, currently digital advertisment is growing massively. It exsists on the internet, on a smart phone and hand-held media devices therefore I would like to use a platform such as social media to advertise my brand.
Bath College have a range of creative courses that could have helped me so I looked on the website and luckily found a Product Design Level 3 course, I then went over to the art and design department and gave myself a lot of time to explore the building and look at some of the work that the students were particularly proud of. Although looking at their work inspired me, I wanted to find out how their work turned out the way it did and the step by step guide to how they managed it. My trip was successful because I managed to understand more about what topics the students study, such as, sustainable design, design history, model making and prototypes, materials technology and ergonomics. I admittedly don't have experience with these topics however it gave me the chance to understand more about the aspects of product design.
Before heading over to the art and design department I told myself that I needed to find explore potential ways of printing if I decide to make the shoebox cardboard. Speaking to a couple of students and lecturers allowed me to learn more about the print world.
Part two
One of my lecturers kindly brought in a shoebox that he had recently purchased. Asics is a sports brand therefore it was relevant to look . Overall the design is quite minimalistic, this complements with the simple logo that is shown on the package more than once, I noticed that each logo was a different colour in order to contrast with background which demonstrates a versatile aspect to the brand. Other than the logo, the overall packaging is quite plain and boring. Although there are two packages that the trainers come in, which is also the goal for my project, I believe that they are both lacking creativity. I am planning to come up with a brand that represents fitness as well as having the versatility to attract a range of customers, despite their gender or age.
The Clarks Village
Today I visited The Clarks Village in Street, it was the first time I had been and I can't believe I didn't know about it before. My lecturer told me about The Clarks Village because he mentioned that they had a shoe museum that could be helpful for me in terms of my research therefore I wanted to go there and see for myself. When I arrived I saw an Asics shop, I remembered that I had a look at the packaging that my lecturer lent to me so I decided to go into the shop to have more of an in depth look around. I was pleasantly surprised by the range of running trainers, they had different styles and colours which are suitable for all audiences. Looking at the Asics brand was useful for me because it was interesting to explore how the company is so successful with what they sell however when it came to looking at the packaging I was quite disappointed because it is simple, which is the opposite of what I will be doing for my fmp.
Considering The Shoe Museum was the main reason for my trip to Street, I went there next. The museum displays more than 150 shoes from Roman times to modern day, also giving an in depth story of Clarks from when they started out in the early 19th Century. The galleries demonstrate the development of the Clarks footwear industry, the display shows shoe making machinery and tools, advertising materials and of course, the shoes.
The Museum was a really interesting way to see a physical timelime of a range of different shoes, I noticed how much shoes have transfigured since the Medieval times compared to the modern day. Looking at the shape of all of the shoes in the Museum I noticed that the majority of them still have undeniable similarities to the modern day shoe however it is just a case of a change in materials, the shoes we wear now are almost a modernised adaption of previous styles.
Thankfully, the Museum gave examples of previous advertisements, the adverts would have been in the form of a poster. I noticed that different types of shoes had a different poster to relates to that specific shoe. When I market my brand I will also be relating the advert to the particular trainers so make the information specific and accurate.
As you can see, the adverts shown in the museum were all pysical due to the time period they were made. I had a look at the Clarks website so I could see the difference in their adversts since 1825. I would describe it as modern, simple and neutral which is a complete diffference to the original branding however it fits in with the present day. Updating the brand keeps the consumers interesting as well as gaining more of an audience.
The obvious difference I noticed was digital and print, currently digital advertisment is growing massively. It exsists on the internet, on a smart phone and hand-held media devices therefore I would like to use a platform such as social media to advertise my brand.
Production Target 3 - PT.3.1 - Research Project
I have pitched my research findings to the lecturers and other students, I discussed what my project will be and why I have chosen it, I then spoke about the primary and secondary research I have conducted so far. The feedback I recieved was mixed, the students and lecturers highlighted that I haven't yet conducted any research into branding my product, they also noticed that I have more secondary research than primary research, this made me realise that I should balance it out in order to get the highest grade I can. The feedback made me realise how much more planning I have to get done before begining to design the packages for the sports shoes.
I used powerpoint for my pitch but I only included images and no text, this way the presentation looks more proffessional and it allowed me to interact with the audience and talk freely about my project instead of just reading off a screen. I have learnt this technique throughout my time at Bath College, we have taken part in plenty presenting tasks which is a great way to boost my confidence and practise speaking infront of a large audience.
Overall I am pleased with how my presentation went, I only spoke for a few minutes however in that time I managed to cover the 'what, why when and how' aspects of my project. Usually, I shy away when speaking infront of a group of people although considering how many times I have practised presenting thoughout the last year, I felt suprisingly confident which made it easier for me to get my points across and answer the questions from the audience.
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