As well as my drawn product mock ups and physical mock ups i have also created a series of displacement map mock ups. When initially being introduced to displacement maps in second year the process seemed long, tedious and very confusing. However, now although the process is still difficult to perfect i have learnt the steps involved so can complete a mock up without my notes.
For my first displacement map i decided to create one of my cards. This was very tricky compared to my other mock ups and previous ones as there are set boundaries. With a repeat pattern you can simply repeat the motif to the boundaries and, the mock up is not reliant on the bounding area. However, with this card the shape of the displacement map image had to be roughly the same in order to not cut off areas.
With this outcome i did go through the displacement map process although reflecting back, i most probably did not need to as the cards surface is flat and i do not think it made much difference. To improve this outcome the design could look less digital which i did try to achieve by experimenting throughout the process.
For my second mock up i created my roll design. This i had done for the formative assessment; however, was not 100% happy with the result. To try and improve the outcome i decided to use a different image to displace my design on. Overall i feel this is an improvement from my previous outcome; however, still needs further developments. I need to develop my skills and learn how to make the highlights and shade more clear in order to make the overall image more realistic.
To try and improve on the above experiment i used a different image for the displacement map and continued to experiment with the process along the way. Although i feel this is an improvement on the previous, i still feel there is not enough shade and highlight to really show the curve of the paper. Despite needing further improvement i feel now analysing my work and outlining where it is going wrong has given me a much better and informed perspective.
For my third displacement map i used my gift sheet design. Out of all my displacement maps so far i feel this is the strongest although it is just a flat image. As my paper will not be double sided i decided to use an image of just a piece of paper on a table to displace my design onto.
To create digital mock ups of my gift tags i decided not to use a displacement map as they are very exact shapes. Overall i feel these demonstrate my physical mock ups very well and give a good indication of what my designs look like.
I have decided not to create a displacement map mock up of my gift bag as it is a very awkward and specific shape as well as the acetate element. Despite this i do have my mock up which will be included within my presentation board as well as my mini mock up in my sketchbook.
Now having created my bag i have been able to decide which gift tags i feel best suit my collection. For my gift tag i have selected two designs, one with text and one just of imagery. I feel having the two will create a balanced collection and both appeal to my target market.
The string used within my tags is the same as on my gift bag in an effort to unite the two together. This string is actually shoe laces. I hunted for some string, similar to what i used on my mini gift bag, around Cardiff and also looked at purchasing a gift bag with the string i wanted just so i could rip the bag apart and use the string. After having no luck i recalled working on the checkout at Morrisons and someone purchasing them and thought they would be great.
When thinking of multiple uses for my gift tags i think it would be a good idea if the gift tag could transform into a badge. To do this a pin would be attached to the back of the tag (with still space to write around it), and the string could simply be cut off in order to transform it. I think this idea would really appeal to my target market as they are at an age where wearing badges is common and they want everyone to know it is their birthday. I feel this idea would also really appeal to millennial parents as instead of the item just being chucked away after its first use, it could be transformed into a different product to get more use out of its life.
Overall i am happy with my gift tags as i feel they will really appeal to my target market and also help to bring my collection together. When showing Matt my gift sheet and roll he mentioned having one only text and the other just imagery to create a strong diverse collection so, i have used this idea and extended on it within my gift tags. The tags have been printed onto a 190 gsm silk paper which is the same as my birthday cards. When viewing tags for my in store research i recalled them being rather thick so wanted to replicate this within my own work. The silk paper also adds a nice finish because when the light reflects off of it it shines.
From here i am now going to send off for my wrap and sheet to be printed (slightly later than anticipated because of the issues i had with my Abode software). Whilst waiting for these to be processed i will also create some final product mockups on Photoshop.
Within a tutorial with Helen she mentioned i could expand my ideas by creating more birthday themed products. One of these things that she mentioned was a birthday banner. I think a birthday banner would suit my target market as they are still at an age of having birthday parties.
To create the banner i used my monster font and then placed it on a 100cm x 20cm template in illustrator. When looking at other products similar to this on the market this is around the standard size. I decided to use a black background for this design to really help the colours stand out.
I have decided not to have this printed for the assessment; however, will do if it is within my feedback for the summative assessment. Classic examples of banners are often printed onto a plastic and then have a shiny finish. I would like my product to have this shiny finish; however, be printed onto a paper based substrate so it can be recycled.
The primary area of feedback for Matt during the formative assessment was to develop the background of my bag using my monster gift wrap. Unfortunately as i had spent so long considering the acetate screen and overhanging tentacles this is an area i did not really consider going into the formative assessment.
Matt had suggested to use a blue background and just the black outline from my monster designs, so this is what i started with. Despite this working to a certain extent i wondered if i could create a bigger contrast through experimenting with other hues from my colour pallet.
Following this experiment i then developed this by using an orange background and black outlines. Despite achieving the initial idea of heightening the contrast, i feel the orange background took this too far, so much so that it distracted from the green central monster. As well as this, the orange and green together created a rather sickly feel.
After i did not feel the orange was working for this design i then reverted back to the blue; however, tried using a white outline for the monsters in the wrap design. Overall i felt this was also not as strong as the original blue and black combination as it had not helped with my issues of contrast and the vast amount of white outlines dimmed the overall brightness of the blue. With neither of these experiments proving successful i decided to stick to the blue and black combination Matt had suggested as i felt it was the strongest out of the 3.
During the formative assessment i asked Matt about production costs in relation to my low end market and he noted not to worry about this as it is in fact a university project. Because of this, i have decided to add a lining to my bag using my sheet wrap design. I feel adding a lining to my bag will help it appeal to the market as the bag will appear more costly compared to a bag with a simple white lining. As well as this, adding an interior lining will allow myself to hide the acetate screen which looks very messy on the inside of the bag i produced at the formative assessment. Despite that this will give me an overall nicer end finish, i am expecting this new design to be a lot harder to construct compared to my previous developments.
Once deciding to add an interior lining i then thought it would give my bag a nicer finish if i added the cutting guides to the interior only. Although Matt stated that if these are present on the outside of the bag it does not matter, as i have put so much thought into adding a nicer finish with the acetate screen i thought i may as well create the best end result that i can.
When making my mini mock up of my gift bag i realised the design would look more professional if i added colour and texture to the underside of the over hanging tentacles. To achieve this all i did was copy and paste the relevant elements onto the same sheet which i will then glue to the underside of the whole image before attaching the monster to the bag. In industry there will be a way to print the entire monster attached to the bag which then the tentacles can then be pulled out from. However, unfortunately i do not have access to such high tech equipment so have found it easier to print the monster separately and then attach him.
As i have had to print out 3 separate pages for this bag i have decided to make the bag outcome slightly smaller than it was at the formative assessment stage as it has cost me over £17 to print the 3 pages A2 at the print studio. Unfortunately, i just assumed the printers at university would give us the best rate on the market; however, have found they are exceptionally more expensive than the company i had my cards printed at. I will explain in the summative assessment that the bag size could be bigger to allow room for larger gifts children tend to receive at a young age.
To start the construction of the bag i taped both the interior and exterior sheet and then folded along the main fold lines. Following this i then cut a hole for where the acetate screen will be placed using my green monsters as a guide. After this i then untaped the two sheets and put the acetate sheet between the two, using double sided tape to hole the acetate screen in place. Then i went about constructing the bag, adding the handles and finally the green monster. I felt the design would be stronger if i did not use holes for the handle; however, simply attach them between the monster and the bag its self. Overall i feel this gives the design a lot neater finish.
Because of the acetate screen this bag did take an awfully long time to put together; however, now finished i am happy with the result. I feel Matts idea of using the wrap design for the background of the bag really draws the whole collection together. I also feel the new lining of the bag adds a more professional finish and also makes the bag a lot neater. Despite this there is still one more addition i want to make to the bag which is to add a sheet with the interior lining design to the inside bottom of the bag. This should hide all the folds at the bottom of the bag and give the bottom a neater finish. This idea is something i saw during my in store research.
Although it did take me an exceptionally long time to line up the back and front of the monster before sticking it to the bag i do feel having the colour and textures present on the underside of the tentacles and lips adds a much more thought-out and professional finish. Not only this but it also allows the eye to really visualise the monster swamping the bag.
Overall i am a lot happier with my bag now compared to at the formative assessment point. Despite this i feel so fortunate that i did create a bag at that point as it really helped myself to see which areas were working within the design and which others needed drastic improvements. If i could make one change to the end result it would be that it was the same size as my bag at the formative assessment. Despite this i will note during the assessment how much it cost myself to print and have my original design there as a size guide for how big it could be. From here i will have a piece printed for the bottom of the interior which will add a neater finish to the bag and then start considering what tag i feel best suits the bag design.
To have my two birthday cards printed i decided to find a printers outside of university which could offer me a greater variety of papers and finishes. For both my cards i selected a 190 gsm silk paper as this is thick enough so the card will be sturdy and have a slightly shiny finish.
Overall i am very happy with the outcome of my first card and really like how the hues stand out compared to using the university printers. As i could not find any service which would cut away the top area of the card on a one off basis i decided to do this myself. Overall i feel getting this done professionally would have given it a slightly nicer finish; however, this time when cutting away the top i was a lot more careful and think this has given it a nicer edge compared to my card at the formative assessment.
For my second card i made some minor adjustments before sending it off for printing. When attaching the exterior back and front within an illustrator document i realised i could improve my design further by making the monsters wrap around to the back of the card instead of just cutting them off. Overall i feel this gives a nicer finish to the card and unites the front and back.
I am glad i made the decision to use blue on the interior of the card instead of red as i feel this better unites the interior and exterior now it has been printed. Despite this, the blue hue within the inside of the card may be a bit dark to write on, if given more time on this project this is definitely an area i would look at developing.
Overall i feel my cards are a lot stronger now following the formative assessment and feel Matts idea about including the colouring in pages really help my designs to appeal to my target demographic. I feel making mock ups for the formative assessment really helped myself and Matt to highlight areas which needed improving. It gave myself a clear idea of what elements were and were not working within my designs.
In response to some of the feedback Matt gave for my gift roll design i have decided to remove the text. Matt felt my collection would benefit from the roll design to be just imagery and the sheet just text to help diversify the collection. Because of the high intensity of stylised pattern within my roll design i believe removing the text will also help to draw the imagery together.
Instead of just editing my previous design i decided to almost completely redraw from scratch to ensure my monster imagery was as strong as possible. There were certain monsters from my block and brick repeat that i felt would really engage my audience so, started my design by tracing these and applying them to my new design.
Before the formative assessment i went into town and bought a monster gift sheet which i have previously blogged about. When studying the repeat in this i realised there were a lot fewer monsters within this design than there were in my brick, and still it was a very successful pattern. Inspired by this i decided to use 3x A6 pieces of card where as previously i had used 3x A5. By working on this smaller surface i hope that my design will be more refined. Also, as i will be using digital processes to edit my pattern i can still ensure this smaller design is at the same scale as my previous as Emma really liked the scale of it.
To create the repeating pattern i used the same technique i have done previously of accurately measuring the paper, filling the middle with a design and then separating the pieces and rearranging them so i can join the outside edges. From my previous experiments i have realised working directly into illustrator gives me a very different style, so decided to use the technique i know works best for the marks i was looking to achieve.
Once happy with the design i scanned the image into my laptop at a very high DPI to ensure the quality was retained. Unfortunately as i only have an A4 printer at home i had to cut up my design in the same way i did when filling in the outside edges and scan it in in two parts.
Following this i brought it into Photoshop where i played with the levels to heighten the contrast between the black and white. As i was planning to image trace the design in Illustrator it is essential i did this to make the tracing easier for the image trace process. If i had not have altered the levels, image trace may have missed out certain details, or added in details when in fact there were none.
Once happy with the contrast between the black and white i took the design into Illustrator where i image traced it. To ensure the design had the perfect line weight and did not loose any detail i played with the threshold. Once happy i expanded the design which meant every line/ detail within the design is completely editable. Via going through this process it also meant the white background had been removed so i could apply colour behind the black outline. One more benefit of image tracing a design is that i can now scale it to however big i want and it will not pixilate, which is vital seeing as this design is a lot smaller than my previous.
My next stage was to add colour to my design. As this is my hero design i decided to use every colour on my colour pallet. To apply the hues i created another layer under the black outline and used the paintbrush tool. For this design i followed the same principle which i have done with my previous designs in that no two monsters touching can be the same colour. This will allow the eye to easily separate one monster from the next in a very busy pattern. As a good proportion of the monsters were half cut off and their heads/ bodies were on another outside edge on the complete opposite side of the design i had to copy and paste this image to i know which areas were part of the same monster. As this repeat is an odd shape this made this process more complex. If you look at the black and white design above and try to work out where the other half of one cut off monster is on another part of the design you will be staring at it for a while before you are able to work it out.
Once happy with the hues i had applied i then went about repeating the design. The design presented bellow is at a lot smaller scale than it will be; however, i wanted to ensure i had the design repeated enough times so i would have enough for the formative assessment but also to get a view of what a large piece of it on the roll will look like.
Overall i feel this is my most successful roll design to date. As the text has been removed the design comes together a lot better as a whole and the repeating structure is less obvious. I feel my colour pallet works really well as the purple and blue add depth to the design and the pops of orange really help to brighten it.
As well as this i am a lot happier with the forms of the monsters themselves than i have been within my previous designs. I feel the monsters from my previous were rushed and not considered so came out in odd shapes which were more resemblant of a blob than a monster. Knowing this was potentially the last time i would complete this design i spent a lot longer contemplating each and every monster.
From here my plan is to edit my gift sheet design which needs some minor changes to do with colour.
Now completing my gift roll design i have decided to create a mini book using this imagery. This experiment is something i had first done during first year as it allows you to zoom in on certain elements of the pattern. To create this experiment i printed out my roll design A3 and then folded and sewed the paper together using embroidery thread. Overall i feel this is a great way for you to view the monsters on a more personal level as it is easier for the eye to extract individual elements and view one monster then the next.
This experiment has also shown myself how my designs could be developed for different products and different market areas. I think this pattern would have a great application to the inside cover of a children’s book or the cover of a note book.
One thing i have been wanting to go back and do for a while now is re do my moodboards as i was not happy with them previous to this. To re create them i decided to use my previous ones to inspire me and also images i found throughout my research.
Overall i am a lot happier with my moodboards now as i have refined them right down to key visuals which really reflect my project. The one moodboard i decided to keep from my previous collection was my customer one as i felt this had all the elements which really reflected my target market. After speaking to Matt when he came round and done some tutorials a few weeks ago he said not to get too caught up with the millennial parents so i have decided to remove this one. This was because although it will be the parent buying the card they will be thinking more so of the child than their own personal interests. On my colour and texture board i decided to remove the yellow from my colour pallet as when designing i felt this did not suit the rest of my colours in my pallet, nor my target market. Going forward now i feel a lot more confident referring to my moodboards for inspiration as i feel they better reflect my theme.
For my collection board i decided to add a black sheet of card to the background as i felt this better suited my theme and market area than the white. To stick this down i used a glue stick and then went round the edges with black electrical tape. Overall i feel the black electrical tape gives the board a clean finish and helps it to look more professional.
When trying to present my ideas on the board i used Matts for guidence; however, had to rearrange a few elements as i could not fit everything on. As i have two cards i decided to add a pocket like structure to the board so i could have both in once place as there would not have been room to have them both separately.
As i have not decided as of yet which gift sheet i prefer i decided to present two to see Matts onions. By doing this Matt will be able to see both side by side and make a more informed opinion on which he prefers.
As my gift bag is so big i have decided to present this separately rather than cram everything onto one board. Incase both this and my semi attatched cards go missing i have attatched my name to them so Matt will know which collection they are from. As well as making life easier for him i think this looks more proffesional.
Overall i am happy with my board; however, it has made me realise just how much i have used my own font. With this in mind depending on Matts feedback i would like to go back to my first idea of the gift sheet and use monster imagery instead of text. I believe this will help to extend my collection and diversify my products.
Once i had created my bag it was then easier to visualise what tag would best suit this product. I decided on selecting my two monster tags as i felt these would be most intresting to my demographic and suit a variety of my products.
I feel the red tag goes best with my gift bag and the orange with other products within my collection. The red matches directly with the hues on my bag where as the orange is not featured so much so does not coordinate as well.
I decided to mount these tags onto some black card as this matches directly with the outlines surrounding my monsters. I was debating with this and the blue; however, felt the black would work better all round. For the string on my gift bags i decided to use the same ribbon that is on my gift bag. By doing this i feel it helps to unite the two showing they are from the same collection.
Overall my gift bag is going to most probably be the hardest and most complex to construct because of the acetate screen i will be adding. Although i am not sure this element will be appropriate for my low end market area i would still like to present the idea to Matt to gain his feedback.
To start i sent some designs off to the print studio to be printed A2. These designs consist of two identical green monsters which are both A3. As i need the full page for each monster unfortunately, i could not have done this on the printers around uni as this leaves a large white margin around the edge of the page meaning the monster would be too small. The front and back of my bag will show the monsters so, to ensure the acetate screen in the mouth would be on only one size of the bag i reflected one of the monsters. If Matt likes this idea i would like to develop this further and use one monster on the back and a different one on the front to make the design more interesting.
Once collecting the monsters from the print studio i then mounted them onto a thicker card and carefully cut around them. Cutting the monsters out was awfully tricky and time consuming because the thick card was hard to cut and the curves and angles on the monster were rather awkward. It was essential i mounted the monsters onto a thicker card as some of the tentacles and facial features will over hang the edges so i need these to be strong.
I heard from other students that the template that Matt sent to construct the bag was awfully confusing so instead i decided to go out and buy one. I selected a size i believed to be appropriate for my target age range as they will still be receiving gifts at this age. I started off by measuring around the monsters mouth and then drawing this on the bag. To ensure the monsters mouth would be completely clear i cut the hole bigger than need be.
Following this i then bent the acetate to the bends in the bag which took two attempts. To attach this to the inside of the bag i used double sided tape as it is durable enough for a mock up and does not need time to dry. Following this i then covered the front and back of the bag in blue card. I needed something to cover the preexisting design on the bag so chose a blue card as i felt blue would attract my target market.
Up to this point i had not yet decided what would go on the two sides of the bag where it folds as i was not sure how busy they needed to be. Once having the two front parts of the bag constructed minus the monster i then used my happy birthday font to create one side followed by the same red hue on the other; however, with no details. I selected red for this part of the bag as i felt if they were blue the bag may come across slightly boring for my target market and red is already represented on the bag on the monsters lips.
Once attaching these to either side of the bag i then stuck down both monsters around the acetate screen using both glue and double sided tape. Once happy the glue had dried i then went about bending the legs so they would stick out from the bottom of the bag.
For the handles i settled on a simple black ribbon. I like how the black of the ribbon matches the black outline around the monster. In one shop there was some black wire which i felt would really complement the bag and make it seem that i had made more of a consideration towards the handles. Despite thinking this would work better i decided to go with the ribbon as i feel my bag will already be expensive enough to produce for a low end market and did not want to add any additional costs.
To finish the bag i have then added a sheet of my gift roll to the inside to demonstrate the big monster eating all the little monsters. This is the main reason for having a clear screen within the bag and should help to sell multiples of my products instead of someone just shopping for a gift bag.
As i am working for a low market sector i have decided not to decorate the inside of my bag in the interest of keeping production costs low. Instead the inside of the bag will be a plain white as this will be the cheapest to be produced.
Overall i think the highlight of my bag is the acetate screen; however, i feel i spent so much time thinking about this i forgot about the rest of the bag. The panel between the two monsters mouths is my least favourite part as i feel i could have done more with it. If i am to recreate this bag i would like the monsters body and mouth to extend around this panel of the bag joining the two sides up. I feel this will make the bag look more exciting to a boy between 8 and 11 and also help my design to look more considered.
Another part of the bag i really like is the overhanging tentacles as i feel they make the bag look a lot more exciting, especially to a child of my demographic. This addition also helps to break up the bounding box of the bag and extend it into real life. Much like my acetate screen however, i am not sure if this will be appropriate to my low end market but, i will ask for Matts feedback on this during the formative assessment.
One area of the bag i am really not keen on is the blue flat surface surrounding the monster. I added in some mark making lines which reflect the textures within the monster to help break up the sea of blue but this is definitely something i should have considered sooner. I am not 100% sure what exactly should go in this space as i am worried that i may overwhelm the bag but think if the monsters head was bigger this definitely would have helped. This is another area i shall question Matt about in the formative feedback session to gain his professional opinion.
Overall the areas i really thought about have turned out how i imagined them i just wish i gave more concideration to the rest of the bag. Despite this, as we are only at the formative feedback point i still have time to work on this design so i am completely happy with it.
BA Hons Textiles Consultancy Blog 