OUGD505 / MODULE SELF EVALUATION

Design practice 2 was a highly full speed, demanding module, really allowing me to throw myself into creating something I am proud of and I have worked hard on. I became extremely passionate about my work for the course of the projects and found myself going further to push the brief and produce a contextually relevant and appealing body of work. 

Brief 01 allowed me to work on my screen printing techniques and consider the limitations and possible errors that could take place. This was then taken forward to a larger degree in brief 02 in which I relied heavily on screen printing for a lot of my deliverables. This was slightly nerve wracking as it was me who was responsible for the quality of the prints. It allowed me to consider the different deliverables for distribution especially in this brief, as I knew that with creating something as large as a new company, the deliverables must also reflect this. 

This module allowed me to begin to think further into how corporations appeal to the masses, and I compromised on being self indulgent as I had been in previous modules to thinking more contextually and considering the purpose, target audience and product range. I looked past designing purely ‘contemporary’ and ‘trendy’ work, and alternatively used this to my advantage by combining this outlook and also the drive to create something that will attract a larger audience.

I managed to learn about new software during the course of the module, becoming introduced briefly to After Effects was incredibly exciting and something I’d like to delve deeper into for future briefs, and become a lot more confident using it.

Effective time management was an aspect of the brief that I demonstrated well, showing that I can keep to print slots and deadlines and complete a large range of deliverables within a certain time frame, although this was difficult it took a lot of strain off myself as I knew when things had to be completed by. 

Most importantly, my overall confidence and competence as a designer has blossomed over the course of this module, and I feel proud of the resolutions I had created for each brief. My level of professionalism has increased further,  and I have demonstrated how I can present a large range of deliverables professionally and in an organised way. 

There was a lot of creative freedom and independence involved with this module which in effect will prepare me for the challenges I will face in third year. I’m very happy with what I produced and enjoyed this module, and I feel as though this is evident in my submission.

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / EVALUATION

Studio brief 02 was an extremely challenging and immersive project, and going into it I knew that I would have a lot of deliverables to produce. This brief allowed me to take charge of my time management, booking print slots well ahead of where I was gave me a responsibility to complete the various tasks, and organising screen printing facilities again utilised my time management and independence in completing the brief. 

I became extremely passionate about my cause especially by the end of the brief, as I had chosen a topic I’m very interested in. I found myself becoming increasingly involved in the project and finding a love for what I was doing. It even inspired me for future prospects, as I’d love to see this become a real thing. 

This brief also allowed me to exercise my skills in a variety of software and introduced me to using After Effects (very briefly). I gained a wider knowledge of illustrator after working closely with it throughout the brief. I had also gained more experience with screen printing since I had also relied a lot on this printing method and actually started to enjoy it and will pursue it again when relevant in the future. 

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 01 / EVALUATION

Studio brief 1 was a highly involved process containing methods I was not highly familiar with or comfortable. It pushed me out of my comfort zone in terms of screen printing, a process in which I had previously avoided if I could, and gave me a sense of independence regarding printing methods, encouraging me to try and broaden my skills in this field during future projects. However, this brief had it’s challenges, and due to human error there was a lot of mistakes during the printing process in the screen print room, such as the screen becoming blocked and not printing strong lines, offset prints meaning the designs were not perfectly straight, and feelings of despair when I assumed I would not get a good final print for the exhibition. 

Due to perseverance, I managed to print a bank note I was proud of, making use of the materials around me such as stock and ink to put together a visually attractive composition and unique layout. In hindsight, I wished I had experimented with more realistic imagery as it could have looked more ‘realistic’ in contextual terms however what I created was unique and visually clean, making good use of the space of the note. 

It also gave me a lot of creative freedom and the choice to experiment however I wished, and also gave me an insight into the means of designing for currency.

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / STYLE GUIDE

Since my deliverables would hypothetically be presented as a pitch to potential investors, it's a good idea to create a style guide for a design team, to communicate the do's and don'ts of the aesthetic choices, the brand's values and overall concept and how the design decisions can be applied physically and conceptually.

It shows professionalism and the fact that every direction has been considered, and overall I am pleased with how it has turned out.

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / DISTRIBUTION 03

Website:

Having a website facilitates the professionalism of the company, giving it an online platform to distribute information about the food, tips on why to go vegan and locations of the nearest Erdenbürger to the user.

Throughout the website, a strict colour palette is applied and the composition is left minimal and clean, in order to give the user an effortless and visually pleasing experience. The fluorescent green is perfectly visable for screen, and maintains the core visual aesthetic of the branding throughout. All type is in Radnika, again keeping consistency the key factor.

The first image shows the 'enter' page. This is an interactive element added to the website to make it engaging from the word go. The user simply clicks on the burger to enter the main page of the website.

The homepage reflects the brand's identity with one of the patterns utilised on screen, the tiled effect fills the composition and gives the page visual balance and something fun to look at. From here the user can select the burger bar which will bring down a concise drop down menu with four links to the pages of the website.

The first is the about section which is a brief description of what the restaurant stands for and a hypothetical image of how the restaurant would look, the colour palette is again reinforced through this image, and it installs a sense of realism and puts the restaurant in context.

The second image demonstrates how the user can find restaurants. The UK is shown here, but in the future the company can stretch their wings onto new countries. The user can hover over each mark point to see where the restaurant is, or select a city from the drop down menu, whichever they prefer. Giving the user multiple options on how to engage with an interface is important as it shows versatility and choice.

The final image shows how the website can be used to distribute information about veganism for those who wish to read it. It is not placed on the main section of the website, but available for those who are interested in learning more or may be curious. Fitting with the rest of the company's ethos, there are no graphic images, only simple facts. The information is not complex or overfacing and gets straight to the point.

At the bottom of each page the user can follow and interact with Erdenbürger on social media or join the mailing list, which is a way for the brand to keep engaging with the consumers and keep the company in their mind.

To make the website versatile it should be adapted for mobile use. If the desktop version was simply scaled to the iPhone, it would not be a pleasant user experience as the text would be too small alongside extremely small and unusable buttons and links.

Here this image shows how the designs have been adapted adequately to provide a similar experience as the desktop view, but in some cases simplified. For this, the map has been removed as there would be certain limitations to implementing this onto a phone, such as the inability to hover on a smartphone. The function remains the same, however.

The website's main demographic will include younger millenials who either eat there regularly or have heard about the chain from social media, word of mouth or TV / online advertisement.


Social Media:

Social media is integrated into almost everybody's lives on a daily basis. It's important to promote the brand through the platforms most people visit everyday. Here is an example of Erdenbürger interacting through an online presence. This personalises the brand, and gives the users a way to ask questions and engage with the account, and promotes the brand through the power of social media.

Retweets and follows will spread the word, especially because of the demographic on Twitter, which contains a lot of young, liberal vegans who will be very likely to advocate the company. It will have the opportunity to gain a wide range of feedback and even trend, applying hashtags can speed this along and get the snowball effect. It's promotion for free.



Advertisement:
Erdenbürger Advertisment from Lo Wilcock on Vimeo.

And finally, an example of an advertisement that could be played on social media and even television. The example is just an inital development, and could be taken further by adding more effects and information, or having a voice over to explain the concept better.

This distributes information clearly about the company in a short and succinct way, adhering to the identity of the brand perfectly and reaching a large audience. Although not everyone who sees this will be in the predicted demographic, it could attract a wider range of consumers as they may not think about eating at an establishment like this until they know more about it.

I held off on using hard hitting and graphic facts about the negatives of eating animal products, as I felt it was unnecessary. It could put a damper on the advertisment and be more like a charity video, guilt tripping the audience is poor taste for how I want to be able to sell the products. Taste and visual aesthetic should be the main points of sale, and the veganism can be subtly intertwined as a core value none the less.

The music is cheery and uplifting, helping to combat the stereotypes that veganism is super serious and depressing and 'irritating', and just demonstrating that there can be fun involved, and the food can be superb.

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / PRINTING

Booking a slot for the print room was a wise move for this project. I knew I had a lot of deliverables to create and produce, so booking in advance gave me the incentive to get the work finished for the day and also ensured I would be able to print when the room gets very busy and drop in queues are miles long. In doing this it demonstrates good time management throughout the project. I also knew I would be screen printing some of my deliverables, so I ensured I had found a screen and exposed onto it in time for hand in, which again was beneficial to my work process and made sure I wasn't on edge or under pressure at the last minute.

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / FINAL FEEDBACK & SOCIAL MEDIA REACTION

General feedback:

I wanted to see people's thoughts on what I had created so far, therefore I showed multiple people these deliverables and briefly explained the concept behind the project:

 

"It doesn't scream vegan"

I'd like the company to subtly communicate the core values which are integral to it's unique selling point. There currently isn't a worldwide fast food chain serving vegan only convenient food. However, that being said, it is a big positive that the brand does not overdo this aspect, and the overall aesthetic and design decisions which maintain its contemporary and fun vibe outweigh the educational and informative, serious side.

"The green works very well conceptually and visually"

"I wish this was real!"


Social media:

The objective of this feedback exercise was to find out how individuals on social media platform Twitter, would react to the news of a vegan fast food chain opening in the near future. I wanted to know whether people would be surprised, happy or if they wouldn't give one. So I posted this image with this caption:

The ambiguous image of the vinyl on one of the studio windows looks to show a shop window, putting the image into a hypothetical context.

The response I got was quite surprising with quite a few responses showing that people were pretty much 100% positive about it:

By the end I felt bad that people were so happy about the prospect of an all vegan fast food chain, but essentially this exercise was extremely interesting to see if I had answered the problem I had identified at the beginning of the brief. Clearly there is a demand for a convenient  way for vegans to eat, and non vegans alike.

It's definitely made me think about future prospects, if a little ambitious, I've found a great passion for this idea and would love to see it developed as a real chain in the future......

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / DISTRIBUTION 02

This part concerns the distribution of physical items in relation to the restaurant which will effectively gain sale, publicity and interest.

Vinyl:

 

The vinyl would be placed on the shops windows, to entice the masses as they pass the shops, and to communicate the values of the brand. There would be two types of vinyl, the icon and logotype, and a pattern to represent the overall aesthetic and identity of the shop whilst simultaneously communicating core values such as fun and creativity. It also reinforces one of the used tag lines of Erdenbürger, "join the plant based party", as the patterns convey movement and spontaneity.

Vinyl is cheap and easy to produce on a mass scale, and should remain consistent throughout all stores. Vinyl runs in fluorescent colours meaning the green is as similar to the on screen design as possible.


Tote bags:

The bags are screen printed in order to achieve an accurate desired colour for the fluorescent green. There is also a 'hand made' feel to the bags which communicates the environmental values of a vegan lifestyle and reinforces core beliefs of the company, providing a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution for carrying goods, and also subtly promotes the waste of plastic bags.

As for distribution, these tote bags could be limited edition and given out at the launch of the first Erdenbürger establishments depending on funds, or they could be sold via the website for fans to buy and support the chain.


T-shirts:

With the same principles as the tote bags, the tshirts could be a fun way to promote the brand through purchase online, OR they could be a uniform item for employees, reinforcing the icon in consistency with the rest of the company and establishments. This will increase visability of the brand with the vibrant minimal design, those who see it will be curious to find out what it means/what it's about.


Menus:

Menus will be displayed on each table within the chain, and also on the counter where you can place an order. Having a physical menu heightens the professionalism of the company. The menus are printed on eco friendly thick stock, keeping them durable and able to stand individually without bending. They have been screen printed to achieve the fluorescent shade.

Since the restaurant sells many burgers, it's a good idea to have a place for them so people can freely decide what to order without becoming overwhelmed, there is also customisable options, with the toppings and sides accentuated with the fluorescent rectangles, making them stand out amongst the other relatively text heavy information.



Booklet:

The booklet aims to educate and inform a willing audience who will be dining in the Erdenbürger restaurant. Copies will be distributed on each table so anyone can read at their will.

The idea was to explain heavy facts of what animal agriculture is doing to our animals, our planet and our health, in the most lighthearted way possible, without compromising on the truth. The bright shade of green still features throughout, lightening the composition and balancing out the black and white imagery.

This information correlates well with the information placed on the Erdenbürger website regarding veganism, meaning anyone can access this information from home or dining in the establishment.

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / SCREEN PRINTING

Since I screen printed the resolutions myself, there was high chance for human error, and many things went quite south during my printing sessions, and considering screen printing would make my skin crawl from fear of the chemical room, in the end I quite enjoyed it.

I chose to screen print deliverables such as:

• Tote bags
• Tshirts 
• Menus
• Posters
• Burger wrap paper

This was quite demanding as I needed both types of screen, fabric & paper, and altogether four screens of designs, but I knew that I would have a better chance of achieving the colour I needed to with this print process as the ink is a lot different to an inkjet printer who can only produce colours in CMYK.

I started by printing my tote bags. The design I chose was simply my logo without any text, in order to generate conversation and encourage the logo to be a well known icon such as the golden arches of Mcdonalds. The design was split into two, the burger and the sauce, which was quite easy as it would only require two colours and printing sessions for both textile deliverables.

Overall the totes came out good, however parts of some of the totes were not perfect, a couple of bags had a patch of ink missing from the black part of the design was discouraging.

Successful tote

Tote with error

This was simply from human error which is sometimes expected from hand printing methods. If this was to be produced and distributed professionally, it would be a better idea to screen print these designs using a machine instead of hand printing.

The tshirts however were successful. I printed two tshirts and both came out pretty much perfect which was rewarding. Due to the shape and size of the tshirt, I had to manually place and hold down the silk screen, using eye to line the design up centrally, instead of clamping the screen. I thought this would be difficult however since the design was relatively large it was easier to line it up this way.

The menus were also screen printed however I digitally printed the image of the burger to speed things along and ensure a flawless image as it is full bleed. If this image was patchy it would look unprofessional. The menus were very disappointing to me, for several reasons:

Firstly the neon green did not come out as rich as I had hoped. I used the fabric medium I had used on the totes and tshirts to try and get a consistent shade; if I had mixed acrylics it could have looked out of place if the shade was not right. However, possibly due to differences in the mixture, the ink turned out much more faded and soft rather than bold and fluorescent. There was also quite a few errors in the prints, such as parts not printing solidly, the screen getting blocked by the black ink, and too much ink on the green rectangular sections.

The position of the design was in an awkward place, right at the edge of the silk screen, therefore I feel this had a part to play, making it more difficult to print than if it had more space around the design.

A positive aspect to the menus is the stock choice. The eco friendly off white GF smith stock manages to look sleek as it is not too 'recycled' looking, yet the colour and feel of the paper looks more eco friendly than a harsh white colour. The appearance is authentic and relaxing and the thicker weight of the stock keeps it more durable than a thinner choice. 

It would also have been good to experiment with lamination to prevent any grease or stains spoiling the menus, as in context they would be placed on the tables in the restaurant where people will be eating food.

The black areas of the posters were again printed digitally to save space on my screen and speed things along efficiently. Again, wanting to achieve a level of continuity in my work, I used the same fabric pigmented ink. There was only a small part to be screen printed, and these turned out successful apart from one annoying blob in the middle of one of the posters:

Again, these were intended to be much brighter, however the fluorescent effect is still apparent. More pigment in the ink could have solved this, if I had tested the ink first it could have been more successful. 

The burger wraps were not usable due to how the screen was exposed. The negatives were not black enough, meaning the designs would print grainy. This was disappointing, but if this was printed professionally, the designs would be printed onto proper greaseproof paper suitable for food wrapping. If I was to complete the brief again I would expose the designs properly and try looking into this more indepthly, however now there is not enough time to dwell on this. 

overall I'm pleased with how many deliverables I screen printed as previously to undertaking this project I have been pretty incompetent at screen printing and avoided it if I can. Now however, I enjoy the process of screen printing and will definitely do it again in the future and improve my skills further. 

 

I think screen printing was a relevant choice for the brief too, as since this is a restaurant attempting to reach a mass market, the hand made feel of screen printing makes it more authentic and organic, but does not compromise on the professional and sleek aesthetic. 

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / PATTERNS

Patterns involved parts of the logo broken up to create a tiled composition. These can be applied to windows of the store by vinyl, or printed onto greaseproof paper to preserve the food and avoid getting grease everywhere. They demonstrate the brands consistency and are a nice alternative to just the combination mark logo.

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / DISTRIBUTION 01

The idea:

Create a fast food chain which serves vegan friendly food for anyone. Providing an inviting and fun experience for vegans and non-vegans alike, aiming to gently educate and show the positivities a vegan lifestyle can have on your health, the environment and the animals.

The specified demographic is open minded younger individuals however it is not limited to this. The aim is to adhere to a wider mass market to compete with big fast food companies and provide a great experience for people of any age, gender and class, with affordable yet delicious food.

The locations:

Starting up the business could prove difficult due to the nature of the content. Veganism is on the rise but greatly outweighed by meat eaters and their attitudes towards vegan food. From gathering research I have concluded that the reason most people are put off trying a vegan lifestyle is because of the taste of animal products. It's no secret that they taste good, which is why there are a lot of alternatives for people who cut these out. For the restaurant, it would be pinnacle to ensure that the food tastes good.

From there, the store can be put forward to potential investors/angel investors or put on kickstarter. Once there is an income via an investor or a loan, to get people trying the food and thinking about it, multiple pop up stores could be placed around larger cities such as London, Manchester, Glasgow & Leeds, similar to Club Mexicana. There could even be opportunities to sell the food at major festivals. Festivals are a time were eating isn't everyone's main priority as there's so much going on, it would really benefit vegan people especially to be able to buy something quickly in this context.

From there, the business should be developed and eventually have chains in every major city. I created a map to demonstrate how many restaurants should open around the UK in the earlier stages of it's development:

Eventually though, it would be the lifetime goal of the company to open a close amount of franchises as McDonalds or KFC, and implement veganism into everyday life, normalising it to the public.

Promotion:

Word of mouth can only go so far when it comes to advertising something new. Essentially, information about the restaurant would have to be distributed in a variety of ways. One of these examples is posters. Posters can be placed around major cities

Placing posters such as this in major cities is a perfect location, as cities are the main places people are shopping and on the go, and usually will end up needing to get a quick bite to eat as they go about their business. These will be the main audience who see these posters, and in the posters being in their environment, Erdenbürger will stick in their heads due to the bright greens and snappy slogans. 

Adding how many metres the closest store is to the posters could also increase interest as it will show that the chains are accessible. 

Billboards can also be useful, as those who are on the go also includes those in the car. The restaurant can eventually set up ways to install a drive thru to maximise convenience and sales. Billboards will be seen by passers by on motorways, again planting the seed and keeping Erdenbürger in their minds. This demographic would predominantly include those of driving age however it depends if the passengers are children and are hungry! 

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / PRET A MANGER

Pret a Manger have always offered multiple veg options, but after the positive feedback from vegetarian customers, Pret have chosen to organise a little pop up store for consumers in Soho, which will be available for a month.

"The decision to open a vegetarian-only offering has been fuelled by a spike in sales of non-meat items at Pret over recent years. Avocado is now the most prominent single ingredient used by Pret, while its mini egg and spinach protein pot, aimed at the snacking market, was its fastest growing new product launch in 2015, shifting 1.4 million units." source

Having a space purely for vegan and vegetarian options is exceptionally useful for people who adopt this lifestyle on the go, being able to grab a quick bite to eat conveniently is sometimes a difficult task for a vegetarian or vegan especially. However, it is a shame that the pop up is only available in one area, Soho, as this does not give the rest of the UK chance to try the new veg options at the pop up. It also  only has a very small region to spread awareness in.

Having a pop up store may also encourage a lot of meat eaters to try new options and switch up their lunches, especially with vegetarianism being on the rise this year and people wanting to eat a more 'clean' diet. "The slogan ‘Not Just For Veggies’ will be advertised throughout its 308 UK sites and on bags."

Pret's choice of slogan is clever and effective as it avoids alienating the audience and those who choose to eat meat, it includes them and encourages them to try Pret's veg options. 

Having a pop up like Pret a Manger initially could be a good business plan as it would allow the company to get feedback on the taste of the food and see if people are buying into it, before actually opening establishments in major cities. Even having a cart at festivals could be a good way to gain feedback and develop the company. 

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / PRINTING CONSIDERATIONS

As I have chosen to use a fluorescent green colour in my work, it is important to determine a colour that can be printed consistently throughout. Since this colour is not achievable with a normal inkjet printer, as it is essentially the most vivid green in RGB mode, I would have to consider other methods to print.

Screen printing

Screen printing enables the design to be produced on a mass scale for a cheap price, it is the process of printing through an exposed mesh screen onto paper and fabrics.

Pros:

• Perfect for larger designs consisting of one or two colors.
• Ideal for printing onto cotton and poly cotton clothing items
• The ink is heat dried, therefore the garments can withstand the roughness of machine washing.

Cons:

• Time consuming (washing & drying)
• Room for human error (ghosting and offset print)
• Separate screens for individual designs

Screen printing may be a possibility for me to demonstrate how my deliverables will look, however if this company was to be created and developed I would need to find an alternative printing method which can achieve the colour I need.

Since some of my deliverables are totes and tshirts, screen printing is ideal in my current situation to show how the deliverables will be presented. 

Heat Press

A heat press is a machine that presses a design onto a material. The machine uses high temperatures and heavy pressure to embed the design onto the material permanently. For professionals especially, these machines are highly recommended instead of using irons. Irons cannot reach the high temperatures and pressure that a heat press machine can reach and sustain. Heat press machines typically require 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In terms of pressure, they typically demand forces of 40 to 80 psi.

Pros:

• Can use several colors, as long as they do not overlap.
• Photographic material can be pressed.
• No registration marks.
• Not messy.

Cons:

• Expensive set-up costs.
• Cannot layer colors because the t-shirt will become bulky and heavy.
• Each image needs to be cut precisely to eliminate the extra paper you do not want to print onto the image. This can be very time consuming.

Laser / Inkjet Printing

Printing in this way is the most convenient and easy approach for me however I know that I will not be able to achieve the colour I need by using a basic inkjet printer in the print room. Other processes must come into play if I am to achieve the right tone for my concept. This method however would be able to produce a large amount of printed deliverables at once, but could be more pricy to produce. 

Risograph Print

"The Risograph is an environmentally friendly and cost effective printer, which uses soy-based inks to produce unique outcomes. Each stencil (master) is made from thermal sensitive paper and unlike offset printing it only takes a single print for the screen to be fully inked and ready to print thousands of copies. The Risograph is extremely energy efficient and generates a minimal amount of waste. All our stocked papers are recycled or FSC certified." source

 

Riso printing would be a great option as it is more environmentally friendly, cost efficient, and also uses soy based inks (perfect for a vegan project...). However, due to the time scale of the project, I cannot use this method. However, if this project was to be produced, riso printing would be a great method of printing for the restaurants posters and especially menus. 

As seen above, Risograph printing gives a beautiful quality, and is able to achieve fluorescent inks that regular printing cannot achieve. Since it is cost effective, this would be ideal for mass reproduction, and the environmental aspects perfectly reflect my company's ethics.

The system for Risograph is similar to screen printing, where the greyscale images are all layered onto separate pdfs. 

The colour for the green in my deliverables would be printed with the pantone swatch "Pantone Pastels Neons Coated 802 C" if it was to be produced as a business. This is the closest ink found to #00ff00. 

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / AESTHETIC RESEARCH / LOUISE HARLING

In order to get a feel for how I want the identity of the restaurant to look, I began researching into designers that appealed to me, such as Louise Harling.

Louise is a recently graduated French graphic designer, currently based in Paris. Working as a freelance designer, photographer and typographer, her passion for clear vector forms and bright pops of colour shine through in her punchy graphics. Her fresh, contemporary style lends itself perfectly to editorial and promotional material, regularly gracing music event posters and club flyers. source

Her contemporary approach to design grabs me immediately, this is achieved by the use of bright colours, interesting compositions utilising a range of mediums, for example analogue elements mixed with digital incorporation. The use of friendly yet bold vector shapes creates an inviting and fun atmosphere, one similar to what I wish to evoke with my own aesthetic for the project. Alongside this is frequent geometrical forms and the attention to graphic design trends.

What I like most about Harling's approach is the spontaneity and relaxed aesthetic which invites you in and brings about a sense of fun. 

For my own project I hope to communicate an energy similar to this, which is inviting and fun for the audience, which can be done by the experimentation of both analogue and digital mediums.

OUGD505 / STUDIO BRIEF 02 / COLOUR CONSIDERATIONS & RESEARCH

For this brief, I wanted to communicate veganism in a new, fun and positive light, implementing a real sense of enrichment and lightheartedness and not succumbing to the usual ‘hippy’ feel with tie dye and organic aspects. Although green jumps out at me as a good choice for the brief, I wanted to further experiment with colour on my digital experiment, to gauge whether there are more successful colour choices.

I will also ask three individuals to tell me what these colours remind them of or how they make them feel. Two of them are peers and one is a person who does not study graphic design. 

 Here I have experimented with a variety of vivid colours, starting with IK blue. IK blue is a very current and contemporary colour especially in design trends at the moment. However, does it really represent a vegan food company? Blue can evoke feelings of tranquility and calm the audience, however in context is this effect needed for the purpose? I feel this colour looks too dark against the black and does not pop out to the consumer or communicate the sense of fun that is important to the brands essential core values.

Peer research feedback:

“Reminds me of fish burgers, yucky”

"Masculinity"

"Don't like the look of this colour against the black of the burger, I associate this colour with beaches and exotic stuff"

Clearly this is not what I want, as my main approach to food in the establishment is fresh vegan food derived from plants. I want to avoid the restaurant looking as if it sells fish and chips or something. 

 I then tried to heighten the lighthearted and fun feel by experimenting with bright cyan. This was more successful in communicating freedom and fun, as the colour can reflect a bright clear sky. This wasn’t successful in the sense that it does not reflect a food establishment, as blue is not a colour commonly associated with food chains or restaurants. Blue is usually associated with social media, or has a clinical context, however this could work if the blue is applied throughout the identity and looks contemporary.

Peer research feedback:

"Refreshing"
"Refreshing"
"Cool colour, reminds me of ice"

This feedback showed that the tone of the colour is important, as dark blue obviously was not as appealing as a bright cool cyan.

Next I used bright fuchsia, which worked well. It looks vibrant, fun and inviting, and reminds me of neon signs and letting lose. It also has a lot of inspiration from Club Mexicana, as their main colour is bright pink. However, to some, pink could heavily represent one gender. Since I want this company to be on a mass scale, and compete with other fast food establishments, it’s wise to avoid this, even though colour being assigned to gender is decreasing as our contemporary society becomes more liberal. 

Peer research feedback:

"Off putting, doesn't reflect food"

"Girly"

"Reminds me of lipstick and general feminine things"

As I have said I want to avoid relating my brand to just one gender, this feedback demonstrated that this is what the audience will think if I was to use a colour like this.

 Red is the dominant colour frequently used within the fast food industry, with examples such as KFC, McDonalds and Burger King. This could be due to the psychological effects that red has on the brain. Studies show that red increases the heart rate, meaning with this comes excitement then associated with red. Red has also become synonymous with food overtime, meaning regular customers of these restaurants will link red with eating. Red is also the colour of ketchup, an ingredient frequently used within these establishments. Red used on these logos works relatively well, however it looks quite aggressive and does not channel the ‘fresh’ feeling I want to achieve.

Peer research feedback:

"Looks like meat"
"Bright and demanding"
"Meat and spice"

This piece of feedback was extremely important, as this is exactly what I want to avoid. Because of the nature of the colour it does look like 'blood' or the meat of an animal. That being said, meat eaters may be attracted to this colour and consume from the restaurant if it evokes a feeling of hunger. But staying true to the morals of the brand is very important. I will avoid red.

 To achieve a similar feeling, but more subtly, I tried to use peach, which looks very soft and inviting compared to the harsh red, however it still does not look fresh enough to relate back to the veganism aspect of the project.

Peer research feedback:

"Looks like meat but friendlier, but not healthy"
"Soft safe and comforting"
"Raw meat"

The establishment should aim to communicate its healthy plant based stance on fast food, and this colour clearly still relates the audience back to meat, as it is a salmony colour. Again, will now avoid this colour completely.

 Yellow is also a colour used within the fast food identities. This is because yellow is the most visible colour in daylight (which is why Mcdonalds use it so that customers can see the golden arch ahead of them easily), and evokes happiness and friendliness. It also looks like mustard. Yellow looks a lot more fresh and cheery than the previous colours, however I think paired with the black it looks like a wasp or a danger sign. Not as suitable for a vegan fast food joint.

Peer research feedback:

"Looks like McDonalds"
"Appealing, reminds me of a hot dog"
"Reminds me of sun and street signs"

The feedback showed this was an appealing colour, especially in that it reminds the audience of sun, however I don't want the brand to look like McDonalds.

Green is the most obvious choice, however it is the most successful visually and conceptually. Green is heavily used throughout environmentally friendly and vegan / veggie brands, as it is associated with nature and the earth. I did not want to comply with the usual aesthetic of the vegan brands which take on a tree hugger approach and don't think about appealing to a mass audience. Taking green and ramping up the fluorescence creates a very contemporary and fun atmosphere, inviting anyone and everyone but most importantly communicating the brands core values which make it different from the rest of the fast food establishments.

Peer research feedback:

"Healthy and inviting, reminds me of vegetables."

"Vibrant and appealing"

"Makes me think of healthy / earthy things"

Very encouraging feedback, shows me that in using this colour I am getting the response I want and communicating the right message and aesthetic.