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This weeks tutorial was certainly a lot less stressful and more relaxed than the last. Where as last week i had lots of questions to do with referencing this week as i have started writing there was only a few points to go over. At this stage i am throughly enjoying the writing; however, i will need this to be completed as soon as possible so i can start to edit and move sections about. I am a lot more relaxed and confident this year than i was last year as i feel i really have a grip on what needs to be done and what the outcome will be.

My initial target market is pre-teen boys at the age of 8-11. Through my research and talking to tutors and my support worker i believe the imagery i have been researching will best suit this age range. Because i am aiming my designs at such a low age through my research i will also be researching and considering millennial parents who will most likely be the ones buying my gift wear for this age group.

The occasion i have selected will be birthdays. At this age the boys will still be having large birthday parties with many of their friends meaning i have a large consumer spending area to dip into. Through my in store research i realised there are not a lot of gift wear designs on the market for this age range so it will also mean i will be filling a gap in the current market. This should mean i have the ability to sell more designs given the limited range of choice for millennial parents.

My designs will be aimed at a high end market as i feel this will best suit my customer profile. Wanting to make my designs eco friendly and maybe out of recycled papers will mean i will need more flexibility with the money i can invest in each product.

Design Group began in 1979 and was rebranded in 1989 as an international greetings company. Design group offers an end- to- end service which starts with designing right through to distribution. They work with multiple regions, categories, seasons and brands with their categories including celebrations, stationery and creative play, gifting and not-for-resale paper bags. It is stated on their website that design is at the heart of everything they do and this is the main area i will be focusing on throughout my project. It is also noted they stay on trend with cutting edge designs and product development. For my own designs to be appropriate for DG i will have to ensure to follow the latest trends and ensure my product development is new and different from anything else on the market.

LSC Communications

Upon researching design groups competitors i have found LSC Communications. This company also takes products from their initial ideas right through to distribution to customers. Where as this is similar to the service design group offers this company focuses on books, magazines and Catalogs.

https://www.lsccom.com/services/print-paper

UK Greetings

Uk Greetings is more similar to design group as they produce gift wear right from design to distribution. Uk Greetings was established in 1992 and supplies over 12,000 outlets across the Uk and Ireland. Although they have a big demand for their designs they do not have the global initiate that Design Group has. To cover a wider market they are also part of the Americans Greetings family.

https://www.ukgreetings.co.uk/our-story/#Sales

Archway Cards

Another companies i have looked into is Archway Cards who provides wholesale gift wear. On their website it is not made clear whether they have an in house design team; however, they definitely do work with suppliers and distribution. Their range of designs for each target market are very similar in style providing a more limited range than Design Group

https://www.archwaycards.com/outlet/section/male-greeting-cards/2779/

Piccadilly Greetings

Piccadilly greetings service suppliers with all stages of the creative process from design to wholesale and distribution. They produce gift rolls and cards for all ages and occasions with many departments/ design teams such as ‘That Funny Age’ and Warm Wishes. The structure on their website is a lot more understandable and clear than other websites i have looked at making it easier to navigate. Although they are a major competitor to DG in relation to gift rolls and cards, they do not provide the full range of products that DG does.

https://www.piccadillygreetings.co.uk/design-studio

Other companies i have looked into:

• Quad/Graphics Inc.
• Publishers Press.
• Taylor Corporation. 2B.
• R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company.
• Trend Offset Printing Services Inc.
• Charterhouse.
• Toppan Printing Co.
• Cenveo , Inc.
• Greeting Card Association

My age demographic will not shop on their own however always be accompanied by an adult because of their young age. This means that although they may go to some stores they like the main focus will be on where the parent wants to shop for the birthday gift wrap, card ect. If the boy gets to chose a shop to go into he will always pick the Lego store or Game. At game he can pick up the latest releases for his Xbox and at Lego he can find something to build when he gets home.

My customer will live with their parents and have siblings. They will be part of a modern millennial family meaning that they may live with a single parent or have half siblings. They will live in a suburban town within a reasonable distance from a larger city such as London or Manchester meaning they have access to good transport links; however, still have a back garden to play in. Their millennial parents will have a medium to high disposable income from working full time. They will also have a strong stance on the global crisis facing our planet today and a need to educate younger children, such as their own and their friends on how to support the planet.

The child will be in their final years of primary school or perhaps the first year of their secondary school education. As of yet they do not know what they want to be when they grow up, nor are concerned about this factor. The child’s favourite subjects are physical education and art. P.e. provides a welcome break from the classroom and art an emotional outlet which enables them to express their creativity. They will be at a suitable level for all their classes; however not the smartest child in the room.

My target customer will lead a comfortable life wanting to spend all his time on his Xbox playing games such as Fortnight. Although his millennial parents do al ow this they do not want him to become consumed. On a weekend he attends Hockey at a local club where he is dropped off and picked up by his millennial parents. As well as this on an evening he attends Scouts once a week after school. Both the hockey and scouts a low for the child to create extended social groups outside of school. When watching tv the boy most enjoys Scooby- doo or when watching films always chooses Lord of the rings. As well as this the boy also enjoys Doctor Who.

The boy prefers to spend his life in tracksuits with a top his millennial mother has picked out for him. He finds this the most comfortable. Often his t-shirts have graphic monster illustrations on them or a text slogan. To complement his tracksuit the boy also enjoys wearing trainers and is partial to a pair of crocks on holiday. Both these shoes are comfortable and match his laid back style.

When going on holiday the boy always travels with his family. They enjoy visiting hot countries over the summer together such as Malta and Turkey and staying at all inclusive resorts with lots of things to do for children. This means the millennial parents can also have a break as it allows the boy to get food or drink whenever he wishes without the assistance from his parents and he can also participate in children’s clubs. As well as warmer climate holidays the boy also enjoys going skiing with his father. This is an activity he has done since a young age and is now competent in the sport.

The boy will eat almost anything. At first he may question a new food or pull questionable faces; however, he is always up for trying something new and normally enjoys it. His favourite food of all time is however pizza with ham. When eating out the boys favourite place is a restaurant that serves high standard pub food because his family eats their often and he has now created an emotional tie with the establishment. As well as this if the boy ever passes McDonald’s he always asks for food, especially ice cream.

My designs will be aimed at the Birthday market for friends. I find this most appropriate for the age demographic i am looking at as it would be unusual to buy a sympathy card for a child of this age. I potentially could have looked into the Christmas market; however, through my research i feel there is a gap in the market for Birthday gift wear of this age demographic and there is already so many christmas designs. Within my collection i would like to experiment with Age cards in relation to my birthday theme as this is an age where they still wont mind having their age printed in big letters across the card. Other areas i could have looked into include christmas, sympathy, everyday, relations, social and spring seasons which include valentines, fathers day ect.

To create my birthday card i will be focusing on a very digital process from design right through to printing. If i will enter a mass market i have to consider the time and costs of my resources but also the quality and finish. Digitally printing will be the fastest method to produce my designs, and if on mass also the cheapest. As of yet i have not decided whether i will draw my designs first by hand and then scan them in, image trace and edit digitally or go straight in drawing my designs on illustrator. We are currently on our way to London where i will be exposed to many markets and designs which will give me a better idea of what style i want my designs to inherit. Although drawing designs, then editing digitally and drawing straight with a digital process sounds very similar they can produce very different results. I want my designs to be as appropriate to my market as they can be so i feel it best to wait until today is completed until i make my decision.

At this stage i do not feel a need to attend any workshops. It would be a lovely idea to stitch my designs into the cards; however, i don’t feel my target market of 8- 11 year old boys would find this overly appealing. Despite this i could experiment with some free hand embroidery on my machine at home in order to create some initial imagery ideas. One benefit of doing this is that it is harder to control the machine than it is a pencil or pen so it would in fact be easier to create some distorted entities. Instead of focusing on workshops i will be using my time to expand on my Photoshop and Illustrator skills which will benefit my drawing skills, imagery development and expand my skills for when it comes to applying for jobs.

At this stage after looking in shops around Cardiff i feel the industry is very economically, culturally and socially driven. There are certain society norms and values that are clear throughout different markets and especially genders. Within the sympathy occasion market i did not encounter a card that was not totally depressing. As well as this my sister recently broke some of her fingers and i wanted to buy her a sympathy card that reflected our banterious relationship; however, there was not one on the market across the 3 shops i looked in (Morrisons, Clintons and Card Factory). Across the card market there is a complete range of prices. Card Factory do a really cheep range with some for 29p; however, in shops such as Hallmark and Clintons cards can cost more than 10x this. Despite this high market shops normally do have a much nicer range where the designs have clearly been thought out in detail.

In order to kick off my research into what age bracket i will be exactly aiming my cards at i first looked into age brackets to see if there were any that could define particular markets such as Millennials and Gen x. Unfortunately after looking at many different sources such as The Independent and Mental Floss the only age bracket i could find was 0-21 who belong to the Post- millennial age bracket. As i am picking an age where boys are rapidly growing both physically and mentally i will need a far more refined age range than 21 years.

Upon further research on WSGN they have an age section named Alpha. From research online i have found this relates to children born between 2010 and 2025. This is slightly lower than the age i was thinking about; however if designing for 2020 the eldest of this generation will be within the age demographic i have been thinking of.

Drawing together all my imagery research and thinking about how i will depict my designs i believe the age range of 8- 11 will be appropriate. As children develop so quickly at this age i want to keep my age bracket as small as possible. Once i start designing i may refine this age gap down to only two years depending what i find in future research and what age i feel my designs are appropriate for. I have a brother who is 11 so i can use him for direct feed back on my designs and ideas. This year he has started secondary school which hasn’t totally influenced his thinking… yet. I believe this age range will be suitable as i can design more mature illustrations; however, still be aiming at an age that hasn’t totally had their brains washed yet.

Now having settled on this age range i have started to look into reports on WGSN and have managed to find a report on birthday trends. Before even opening the article and starting to read there is a quote on the first page which relates to my thoughts about parents buying the cards and not the children themselves. “Birthday parties provide the perfect opportunity for Gen Alpha’s parents to express their parenting values and personal aesthetic.” https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy.cardiffmet.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/80171/page/1 This has reinforced the idea that at this age it is about the child… but mostly about what the parent wants.

Within the article it then goes on to make a reference that parents of this generation are conscious about their environmental footprint. “Anti-materialistic parties that eschew plastic presents for playing in the woods and climbing trees are popular.” The article gives the impression that this is more to look good on social media than it is to do with the parents personal beliefs. But never the less, parents of this age want eco friendly.

It is clear from the report that millennials are the parents to Gen Alpha so following my Alpha research i will also spend a little bit of time looking into Millennials. It is clear from this report that when it comes to parties the Millennials are in charge, not the Alphas. Also that Millennials are highly connected with social media in order to share their kids birthday experiences with the world.

Within our facebook group Mat added some images of wrapping paper we could be inspired by. One really stood out to me because of the imagery and colours used.

This design is from Paperchase and although i visited 2 of their stores unfortunatly i did not encounter it myself. The style directly portrays what i want to create because of the black outlines and scribbly textures. The black outlines help to separate the bright colours of the monsters with the same tones used in the background. As of yet i had not concidered using these scribbles as a background for my own ideas. Within this design they add depth and texture which help to fill the negative space of the white background.

I feel the colours of this design would really attract my target market because they are bright and the orange contrasts with the blue mainly; however also the green. I am anticipating all if not most of my designs will include black and white which this design does also. When thinking about how many other hues to use within my design i can reflect back to this design which has used only 3; however, all contrast.

This design is a block repeat with 6 monsters, 4 of which also portrayed in a different colour way to make up the repeated motif. Although it was very easy to see how this design was repeated it is still effective. As well as this, i would also now like to consider portraying the same monster in different colour ways to create a single motif. This has been highly effective for Paperchase as when first looking at the design i didn’t notice this was the case. This may also be a good idea to use within my secondary design so i can limit the elements i am using; however, still include variety.

Millennial Mums: Progressive Motherhood-

https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy.cardiffmet.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/82766/page/9

Browsing through the Millennial section on WGSN i came across an article that spoke of changing attitudes towards motherhood. Although at first thinking this could contain some key information in relation to my area of interest, unfortunately the article focused more so on the attitudes present within society toward pregnant women. Although this contained some interesting information there was nothing that i felt i could relate to my gift wear range.

China Urban Elite: Millennial Parents-

https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy.cardiffmet.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/81278/page/4

This article spoke in depth about the influence of digital on millennials with children. It references how Chinese millennial parents are keen to maintain a cool look through social media. Social media is something that has sprung up an awful lot when looking at different trend forecasts. In responce to this when designing i will have to ensure my designs are cool enough to be featured on millennials social media. This is because millennial parents like to photograph their children’s birthday parties and if my products are not cool enough i fear the high spending power of Chinese millennial’s will not be interested in my products.

Those brands most loved by high end Chinese parents are Burberry Children, Bonpoint, Moncler Enfant, Dior Baby, Gucci Children and Fendi Kids. Although all these brands are fashion brands it would still be good for me to look into the style and themes that are portrayed throughout the designers collections to see if i can bring any influence into my own work.

In a 2018 report on Chinese millennial parents it was found that product safety and quality were far more important than price. When thinking about my use of substrates to print my designs onto and in fact my printing methods themselves i will have to consider this safety and quality aspect along with ensuring my designs are environmentally friendly.

Young UK families: Spending Priorities

https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy.cardiffmet.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/80075/page/18

After looking into how Millennial Chinese parents spend their money i thought it be a good idea to see if i can compare this with that of Uk families. Unfortunately this article covered statistics in relation to money spent on food, on the home and on fashion ect; however, didn’t cover anything that i felt could be relatable, nor influence my current project.

Sustainability Bulletin: October 2019

https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy.cardiffmet.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/84818/page/3

Vollebak a UK based company has managed to design a t-shirt that will biodegrade if buried or composted within 12 weeks. The company uses a mix of organic materials including pulped eucalyptus and beech which has been grown in sustainably managed forests. After looking at the trend report on Chinese millennial parents it is clear they want quality within their products, and although this combination of substrates creates fabrics which may not be so helpful with my paper based collection it is worth keeping in mind for my fabric collection which will be created later in the project.

Later i in this report it covered the Extinction Rebellion protest at LFW. Although my designs will be going into the gift wear market i still felt it a priority to cover this within my research as it shows how consumer trends are changing toward a more eco friendly direction. For my designs to be viewed positively within the market i really want them to be eco friendly which will make them more popular for consumers.

Considering my cards will in fact be made most likely out of paper it is important to think about where this is coming from and how much of an effect my products would have via mass production. In this trend report it speaks of a current tree planting campaign called Nature Needs Heros who have recently announced their target to plant 50 million trees by 2025.

Research has shown that a global planting program has the ability to remove two thirds of human created emissions, but is this enough? To really combat climate change this plan will not only have to be put into action; however also the attitudes of everyone on this planet has to change to ensure we wont be in the same position of having to plant this many trees again within the next century.

From my work experience at a sustainable fashion company over the summer it has really put into perspective how much damage we have done to the planet and that we are running out of time to do something about it. This article has brought the idea to mind that with every product sold a promise to the customer could be made that a tree would be planted; however, also provide instructions on how the child receiving the card could plant their own tree. Not only would this help increase sales to millennial’s who want to look good on social media but, also do some good for the planet. This initiative would also a low Alphas to learn about the planet and the issues we are facing that will directly affect their future.

Sustainability Influencers: Key Tribes

https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy.cardiffmet.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/83628/page/2

Within this report it directly outlines that consumers are shifting their spending to support sustainable brands and are looking for inspirations for this on social media. This conscious consumption from consumers has grown from the zero waist movement which aims to produce as little waist as possible. It is noted within this article that for a brand to maintain sales and to still be trading in years to come they must have a strong grip on sustainability and work out a way for their products to promote a healthy earth.

Sustainability and the Consumer 2019

https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/82170/page/2

This report notes the key need for commercial companies to go beyond recycling and entering a closed loop system in order for brands to really catch consumers attention. This has reinforced my idea of every product you buy from my collection one tree will be planted and then you will have the opportunity to also plant one your self, creating a closed loop system.

When looking for hues to create my collection in it is once again important to consider that it will be the millennial parents buying the cards and not their children. By this and also what stores will stock my designs my chosen colour combinations will be influenced.

Retail & Colour Confirmation: S/S 19 Macro Trends

https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy.cardiffmet.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/84687/page/9

This first colour way for SS19 named In Touch is designed to reconnect us with things that can touch us physically and emotionally. Despite believing that millennials will enjoy these hues i don’t think they are suitable for a preteen boy. I. would like to see more bright contrasting tones with a limited range of softer hues. As well as this this colour pallet has been designed for SS19 which has already been and gone. I want to find some colours for A/W or SS 20/ 21 which will demonstrate the future of colour.

Advanced Colour 2024

https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy.cardiffmet.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/84708/page/1

This WGSN article looks 5 years ahead at the use of colour. It speaks of unnatural attention- grabbing hues that are coming from our digital devices and into our natural world. Within the report there are 3 action points to consider- 1. Creating an impact through colour. 2. Bringing digital shades into our natural world and 3. Experimenting with the unexpected. From this we can gather that the future will be a lot more experimental with its use of colour. Action point two is very interesting considering i have been doing a small amount of research into what cartoons preteens enjoy. If i can research exactly what these colour combinations are then i may have a way of creating a subconscious link with this demographic which will help my designs appeal to them.

The report notes electric blue, black, soft yellow, dark green, grey and a milky white will become the colours of the future. Within my own work i would like to utilise this electric blue as a way of attracting young people with pops of colour which will then be complemented by a softer yellow hue. Within my work i will also utilise a shade of green, however i do not want to go to dark with its tone as i feel dark green attracts a much more mature, elder demographic.

Later in the report it also touches on the idea of colour absence. A design in an alternative colour way with minimal hues is something i have had in my head as a way of completely varying my collection. By including a design absent of colour within my collection i will be reaching out to future trends; however, also be appealing to a wider market.

Global Colour S/S 21

https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy.cardiffmet.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/83155/page/2

Within this SS/20 report it mentions to add luxury to any design neutrals and brown must be utilised. The trend of brown started in women’s fashion and by 2021 will trickle down to other market areas. Although this could be a way of introducing this luxury feel within my own work i do not want to focus on this trend to much as i feel it will be a bit boring for preteen children. Further inside the report it then invites the idea of banishing seasons within your work to build a more eco friendly and sustainable structure within your designs/ company. This is something i have thought about considering; however, i will need to discuss this further with tutors to make an educated decision.

Contrasting against 2024’s trend of colour absence this 2021 trend points towards replacing obvious brights with more acidic tones to help consumers become more confident with colour. This statement directly relates to the colours used within Sam Taylor’s work, who utalises brights; however, they differ from the classic bright red, yellow, blue and green that normally spring to mind.