OUGD501 - Study Task 9: COP 3 Proposal

http://issuu.com/rhys.jones/docs/cop3_dissertation_proposal_copy/1

OUGD501 - Module Evaluation

I have enjoyed the more academic structure of the Context of Practice module as it has given me opportunity to revisit the critical thinking and academic writing in new contexts. I have found the COP2 module significantly more rewarding than the first year COP1 module as choosing my own research focus has made the process and response to the module far more informed and engaging. This has extended my knowledge of consumer psychology which I have notice has begun to inform my practice taking some of the theories and research conducted as part of the COP module and applying it within other briefs to ensure the resolutions are informed and appropriate to their respective audiences. 

My research essay builds on an area of specific interest that I started to develop towards the end of level 4 and into level 5, I have become interesting in branding and identity which I have started to develop as a specialism within my practice. Having a solid engagement with the area, I wanted to develop my critical understanding of branding and brand theories to apply to my work making it more contextually informed. I felt COP would be the best way to develop this academic understanding as it would allow me to holistically understand this aspect of the industry. With a focus established I refined this further to the concept of the self and what effect this has on a consumer brand relationship, as I am interested in psychology having studied this at A-level and felt it would create an informed and engaging research essay that would be implemented into other elements of my practice. I developed a strong essay based on a good range of substantiated research that allowed me to gain a refined understanding of key theorists and brand theories which developed my critical understanding of the industry and can be used to inform future briefs. 

Taking this research essay and articulating this as a practical body of Graphic Design was initially confusing however establishing a appropriate market sector such as water was a strong start as this allowed me to identify that the branding and packing of the product significantly attributes to its success due to its limited physical alterations that can improve its quality. From this I then developed a strong brand identity that incorporated custom logotype helped to create a unique and relevant identity for the brand that builds on my hypothesis that identifying desirable consumer traits will ensure the products success. Loading the brand identity with emotive connotations of luxury and exclusivity will appeal to the status-oriented target audience, thus appealing to the users individual sense of self by allowing them to be associated with this luxury lifestyle, attributing the qualities to their own sense of self worth. 

A physical Prototype was an important aspect of my practical project as utilising luxury materials and finishes such as glass and aluminium would establish the brand as high end  and synonymous with luxury. The aesthetic of the physical product is minimal to allow the individual to place their own interpretations onto the brand. Wrapping the logo around the full circumference of the bottle allows the brand to be constantly visualised and the user easily attributed to the brand, taking inspiration from a Belk's theory presented within my research essay that 'we are what we have' establishing the notion we present ourselves to the world based upon what we purchase and consume. Extending my practical beyond a physical resolution I considered the marketing aspects to extend this perception of luxury and further engage the target audience, this also provides further synthesis between the theory and context of my Context of Practice exploration. Limiting the products availability to luxury hotels and rebound department stores generates  a sense of exclusivity that appeals to a status-oriented target audience. This is further extended through the use of brand ambassadors and Sponsorship opportunities that reference Argyles theory of self esteem as discussed within my research essay, which are used to sell the lifestyle of luxury and exclusivity as opposed to bottled water transcending the products physical value and creating an emotive connection between the consumer and the brand in order to attribute to the success of the product. 

I have found the COP module particularly rewarding as it has allowed me to establish new links between the theory and practice of my work. Developing a research topic I am engaged with has resulted in a contextually relevant research essay that has then been extended with relevant synthesis into a body of contemporary practical work. The resolutions created for this module have been of a considerable high quality in terms of production, which has allowed me to engage with new processes and a more critical understanding of design treatments to ensure it is effective to the purpose of the product and fits the ethos of the brand. I feel this topic could be extended into a strong dissertation proposal as I still find myself engaged with the subject matter and feel this introduction into consumer psychology and brand theory can be used as a good pathway into my dissertation. 

OUGD501 - Synthesis; How my body of practical work relates to my research essay

My COP project presents a good level of contextual synthesis throughout as my theoretical research essay explored the concept of the 'self' within the consumer-brand relationship within this I uncovered a range of topics that effects the perception of a brand within consumer psychology. Including the construct of the self as presented by key theorists such as Argyle (2008) and Belk (1988) which is then translated into an appropriate body of graphic design that puts a range of the theories and elements discussed within this research into a practical context. 

Translating this research essay into a practical body of Graphic Design was initially confusing as to how I would summarise and articulate these theories within a practical resolution. Defining an appropriate market sector such as water was a strong start as there is minimal alterations that can be made to the physical product and the element that it is widely available for free, this suggests that branding and packing of the product significantly attributes to its success. Creating a strong brand identity that incorporated custom logotype helped to create a unique and relevant identity for the brand, incorporating the ethos of luxury within every aspect of the brand identity aims to build on my hypothesis of identifying desirable consumer traits to ensure the products success. Creating established emotive connections to the status-orientated target audience will contextualise these desirable consumer treats, applying them to connotations of luxury and exclusivity within the brands identity, thus appealing to the users individual sense of self. 

Translating this onto a physical prototype was an important part of the practical project, as the materials and finishes of the product were so important in attributing these luxury connotations to the brand. It was established a physical prototype would be far more effective in visually communicating these qualities as opposed to digital mock ups, this required a strong understanding of time management due to the complex production methods, liaising between a range of different departments to book out college facilities and outsource materials to culminate into my final resolution. The design of the bottle is considered and developed with these research theories in mind, wrapping the logo round the full circumference of the bottle allows the brand to be constantly visualised and the user easily attributed to the brand making it easier to absorb the connotations of the product onto their sense of self. This is discussed within my essay by Belk who states 'we are what we have' which summarises this notion of how one presents themselves to the world based upon what they purchase and consume. The physical bottle acts as the tangible object acts as the link between the brand and the audiences sense of self, it is the vessel in which is loaded with the connotations of the brand for the user to then transfer onto themselves through the use of this physical product. 

Extending beyond the physical context of the bottle I began develop marketing strategies which would further aid the the products consumer-brand relationship and this effect on the self. Limiting the products availability to only luxury hotels and the top department stores such as Harvey Nichols and John Lewis creates a sense of exclusivity that will attract a status-oriented target audience; this applies to Argyles interpretation of self esteem as discussed within my essay particulate his understanding of Identification where he states one conforms to the ideals of their ideal social roles, therefore if the user wants to be considered to live a luxurious lifestyle they will purchase the product as the brand is associated with these prestigious insinuations synonymous with luxury.  Argyles theory of self esteem has further influenced the interpretation of my practical product as I considered brand ambassadors and sponsorship opportunities such as the VIP hospitality tent at Wimbledon this will associate the brand with elite sportsmanship and celebrity exclusivity thus referencing Argyles theory particularly, his interpretation of a comparison with others. This states If others one compares oneself too are more successful, richer, happier than oneself, one will develop a negative self esteem, this is combatted by purchasing the product associated with said celebrities/brand ambassadors to help the individual improve their sense of self and feel part of this exclusive class selling the lifestyle of luxury and exclusivity as opposed to bottled water. 

OUGD501 - Final Research Essay

http://issuu.com/rhys.jones/docs/research_essay_ougd501__rhys_jones/1

OUGD501 - Practical Evaluation

My practical project is successful in taking a relevant topic developed and discussed as part of my research essay and exploring this in a practical concept. Taking the concept of the self and how the consumer brand relationship works to exploit users into the ideology that if they buy certain products then these product qualities will be transferred onto their individual sense of self therefore attributing the lifestyle associated of the product to represent themselves to the world. Identifying water as the most appropriate product to brand as it is widely available for free yet we pay for bottled water. There is little alteration that can be done to water to make it superior except filtration therefore a large part of the success of luxury water brands comes from its identity and social connotations. This ensured a viable direction to explore the role of a brand within the a product field. My aim was to produce a luxury water brand that would appeal to a status-orientated target audience to attribute the connotations of the brand onto their individual sense of self. 

The process of research and development greatly informed my final outcome, basing the source of the water from Austria, a country synonymous with mountainous lakes and skiing (a middle class activity) created instant luxurious connotations of purity and travel. The name of the brand was cleverly developed using the german word for pure 'REIN' as this is the native language of Austria. This is a homophone of 'rain' creating natural and humous connotation with the sound of the word as when ordering at a restaurant etc the customer will as for 'rein water' sounding like 'rain water'. 

I have embedded the Austrian heritage within the aesthetic of my design taking inspiration from vintage travel posters from Austria using the similar woodblock type within my branding. This is further extended using body copy developed from an Austrian type foundry creating more contextual links back to the origins of the brand. Developing the logo it was suggested to create custom logotype therefor making it unique to the brand and easily identifiable, which will appeal to the status oriented target audience. I elongated the typeface to complement the form of the bottle used within the packaging, extended the tracking to present a less condensed aesthetic and thinned the weight of the original typeface to make the logotype feel more airy and natural. 

From this I then created a small introduction to the brand guidelines, critically aware this would be far more extensive if used commercially, I created a simple variation acting as a brand guideline overview poster that would be placed on the wall of the design studio for quick reference, which they would then be directed to the ore detailed multipage document where appropriate. The use of brand guidelines ensures consistency across the product suit and builds a strong brand reputation that will become easily identifiable to its audience through the use of the established generic conventions developed through the consistency of the brand guidelines. 

The bottle is the single most important aspect of the practical project as it acts as the tangible object discussed in my research essay that will connect the user to the brand. It will be the bottle that provides the audience with the means to transfer the connotations of the brand onto their individual sense of self my being associated with the product. I was extremely happy with the outcome of the bottle using a range of different college resources and processes that required efficient time management skills in order for these elements to succinctly come together. The use of high quality materials such as glass and aluminium immediately suggest a high quality and exclusive brand that justifies a higher price point as opposed to its plastic bottle competitors. The design of the bottle works particularly well with the type accentuating the large x-height and thin weight.  The wrap around logo appeals to the status orientated audience as it can be seen from all angles making it easy to attribute the user with the connotations of the brand. Sandblasting the text into the glass makes it re-usalbe and a significantly higher quality than a vinyl sticker appealing to the brands luxury nature. 

Following the production of the bottle I considered its marketing and advertising structures. Placing the product in luxurious hotel mini-bars such as Sandy Lane, Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton creates a sense of instant luxury and travel, extending upon this allowing the product to be sold in only exclusive stores such as Harvey Nichols, John Lewis and Harrods further extends these luxurious connotations reinforcing the brand as prestigious. Creating a marketing buzz around the product could come from sponsoring appropriate events such as Wimbledon as this is a pinnacle sporting competition that would work well with the brands ethos. Spooning the VIP hospitality tent would attribute the product to celebrities through the use of posed pictures and red carpet backdrops that would create an air of exclusivity around the product. 

Finally taking inspiration from apples adverting strategies to promote a lifestyle as opposed to a product, I referenced their minimal aesthetic which also reinforces the form and aesthetic of the bottle, the minimal design translated across the branding, bottle and adverting allows the individual user to place their own interpretations on the brand making it more of a individual consumer-brand relationship. 

Overall I am happy with my practical response to the brief, I feel I have created a substantial body of practical work that effectively communicates and understands the concepts discussed within my research essay. My response is appropriate in terms of its concept and execution utilising high quality materials and complex design processes to create a luxury prototype that rivals professional production methods and encompasses the understanding of the consumer brand relationship and practically implements this into a specific marketplace. 

OUGD501 - Marketing Strategies

Having developed a strong brand identity I acknowledged the importance of brand positioning within the success of the brands implementation.  This positioning will allow the brand to target its specific audience and suggests its social class by its tone of voice, environment and retailers etc. For example a luxury brand would be sold in pound land or Tesco as the audience doesn't shop there. 

Tone of Voice: 

The tone of voice for the brand will be aspirational and elegant to reinforce to the luxury lifestyle the brand aims to promote. It will use a lot of first person rhetoric to speak directly to the individual suggesting if they buy the product they can have the lifestyle associated with the brand. 

Environment: 

The environment for the brand will be very selective to reinforce this luxurious quality, It will be featured in the mini-fridges of the top hotel chains and resorts such as Hilton, Sandy Lane, Park Hyatt and the four seasons to instantly create luxury connotations and make it synonymous with exotic destinations. To buy it will only be featured in the top department stores such as Harrods, Harvey Nichols and John Lewis as well as an direct mail order from the brands online shop. This creates a sense of exclusivity and associating it with these retailers making it so not everyone can pick up the bottle will create a buzz surrounding the brand and further position it towards this high end luxury lifestyle. 

Publicity: 

As well as promotion posters and campaigns. The brand would endorse a high profile event to gain further exposure and link the product with elite celebrities. Wimbledon is a prime example of the type of event that would be the most effective, as it is celebrated as the pinnacle competition of its tennis, is associated with sport where water is commonplace and receives high profile coverage. Evian currently sponsor the VIP hospitality tent where the celebrities who attend the even congregate. This is seen as a super exclusive club which is the type of lifestyle the brand wants to promote. This is the sort of publicity the brand wants to be associated with gaining publicity from the graphics incorporated within the even and free bottles inside to act as celebrity endorsement which will then filter down to the aspirational status- orientated target audience who want to be seen in the same elite class as these celebrities transferring the connotations of the brand onto themselves. 

Brand Ambassadors: 

To further this publicity the brand will pick a range of brand ambassadors that have the connotations and lifestyle the product aims to promote, these will range from high profile celebrities featured in advertising such as Angelina Jolie who is associated with purity and elegance. Other forms of brand ambassadors will include social ambassadors with high profile bloggers such as Zoella who capture a large audience this will help the brand target a range of demographics that will promote the brand as cool and exciting as well as luxurious creating a social movement that respects the brand and its values. 

OUGD501 - Brand Guidelines

Creating a set of brand guidelines helps to create a sense of consistency across all elements of the brand. Presenting this continuity across it's products, adverting, promotion and other media helps to establish a strong reputation, creating brand authority that consumers can start to identify at a glance making the brand iconic of these features. 

The brand guidelines are also essential when working in a team to ensure every designer is fully aware of the design decisions and can produce works in keeping with the visual aesthetic of the brand to ensure this sense of consistency is transferred across each piece of design made for the brand. This is even more important with luxury brands as the attention to detail is much higher creating a luxury lifestyle brand that needs to create desirable and excluding connotations for the target audience which will resonate from strong identity created through the consistency from these guidelines. 

I created an introduction to the brands guidelines, I am critically aware that in industry these would be far more detailed, In the form of a multipage document highlighting every aspect of the brand to ensure a strong sense of continuity. For the purpose of the brief this overview poster demonstrates the basic structure of brand guidelines highlighting the most important aspects, it is intended to be used as a general overview poster placed on the wall for quick reference then if more detail was needed the designer would be directed to the full brand guideline document. 

OUGD501 - Advertising Poster

I wanted to reference how the images could be used within the advertising of the product. As the iconic bottle is the main focus of my practical project this was important iconography to use within the design as it needed to promote the object as the luxury tangible object that can be used to transfer the upperclass qualities of the brand onto the users sense of self. 

For inspiration I looked at apples advertising aesthetics as these are industry leading in terms of telling the products lifestyle through its advertising. I found a satirically written article that was actually pretty informative http://www.ronswebsite.com/blog/apple-ads-and-minimalism/ Which deconstructed apples minimal advertisements and grouped them in to key factors for success. It states good quality imagery, understanding of hierarchy and careful selection of language were the most important factors attributing to apples advertising success. 

From this I started to implement some of these factors into my own poster design. I chose a dynamic product image that featured mint leaves as this singular burst of colour would draw the users attention to the bottle making it a stand out focal point within the advert. The mint also works well in connoting additional product values such as freshness and a natural consciousness, making the packaging from glass makes it re-usable and more recyclable than plastic as well as looking far more luxurious. With the main focal point of the image, the brand name was placed aligned with the top of the wrap around logo setting this creates a visual hierarchy of bottle, brand, product description. To create continuity across the brand the product description is set in Adria Grotesque, the typeface sourced from the viennese type foundry creating subtle and contextual links to the products origins. 

I wanted to retain the minimal aesthetic to reflect the aesthetic of the bottle and brand as a whole. the sleek form of the bottle complements the customised typography to create a high end bespoke product and this advertisement reflects that. The photography accentuates the form of the bottle making it seem desirable and connotes a high quality paired with the minimal hierarchy of brand name and product description creates a high impact insight into the product that is slightly ambiguous therefore appealing to the status-orientated in the know target audience. 

OUGD501 - Photography

With such a high quality resolution produced I wanted to get some really high quality photograph of the bottle to use for promotional posters to add to my body of practical work but to also be used within my growing portfolio as I am proud of the resolution produced in response to this module. Getting good shots of the bottle was particialty difficult due to the materials as I didn't want the glass to show large reflections as this would take away from the high quality finish of the bottle. Lighting was also an issue as the frosted text was difficult to see in overexposed lighting however looked un-engagign with low lighting. 

Bad Example

It was a range of trial and error incrementally adjusting the lighting and camera settings until I found a happy medium. I trailed a range of shots using the plain bottle to focus on the finish then adding water to show more contextual shots and finally adding mint leaves to add strong bursts of colour that would be effective for adverting, this also suggests a natural purity reinforcing the brand values. From this only a small amount of post production was needed removing small marks in on the background and slightly adjusting the brightness/contrast to make the most of the images. Below highlights a selection that works particularly well in promoting the high quality resolution and the form of the final outcome. 

OUGD501 - Bottle Evaluation

The resolution of my bottle is completed to a very high standard with the use of innovative production methods that mimic industry processes. This results in a significantly high quality resolution developed through the tangible object that reflects the luxurious qualities of the brand. These complex production methods required effective time management outsourcing materials and pre-booking a range of equipment leasing with several different college departments to ensure the resolution came together in time. 

The branding translates particularly well onto the physical bottle as it is considered with its form in mind, the long thin form of the bottle lends itself well to the logotype creating a bespoke resolution that is considered at every stage of development. The wrap around logo creates a sense of authority for the brand and ensures it is visible from every angle, this is then reinforced through the smaller logo placement within the 60mm available space on the front of the bottle that ensures the logo is visible at a glance. 

The use of the physical bottle within my body of practical work relates specifically back to my research essay as a exploration of the self revealed consumes attribute the qualities of a product to their own personality therefore it will be the physical bottle that the status orientated use to transfer the luxurious connotations of the brand onto themselves reinforcing their own sense of self. This works particularly effectively within the design as the wrap around logo ensures the brand identity can be seen at all times, extended through the use of the bold oversized letterforms in the highly legible typeface that has been customised to become iconic of the brand. This ensures the user can be easily associated with the brand and can easily translate the luxury qualities of the brand onto themselves. 

This perception of luxury is created through the use of high quality materials and finishing processes to create a luxury packing object that is almost more valuable than the product itself, justifying changing a higher price point. The minimal aesthetic includes a monochrome colour palette and elegant design that is bespokely designed for the bottle ensuring continuity between the brand and the bottle. These high quality materials will appeal to the target audience and reflect their aspirational lifestyle choices adding to the luxury connotations of the brand. 

OUGD501 - Production

The production method for producing my final resolution was one of the most complex undertaken in any university brief thus far as it required a range of different processes to create the final outcome. This challenged my time management skills as I had to make multiple different booking with different departments to ensure that all the components would come together in time for submission. Sourcing the bottles from china was one of the more difficult aspects as it gave a 2-3week delivery period which was difficult to try an book resources around. 

I started by cutting the elements of my design from vinyl using the vinyl cutter this ensured a greater deal of accuracy when dealing with type. From this I then had to remove all the elements I wanted to be etched into the glass using the sandblasting technique from the vinyl effectively creating a covering of all the parts I wanted to remain clear. I then transferred this to to the glass ready to be sandblasted. 

The vinyl created a covering to protect the parts of the glass I didn't want to be coated which worked extremely well proving a highly professional finish especially with the small elements of type, when uncovered this created a brushed glass with a high degree of accuracy that was of a professional quality. I was extremely happy with the resolution and felt it rivalled professional standard prototypes. The production values of the product elevate its quality and suggest the luxury connotations I am promoting with the brand. This luxury packaging I touched on in my essays creates a greater desire for the product making it feasible to charge a higher price point for what could be the same quality water as that found in a significantly cheaper brand that uses cheap plastic packaging. 

OUGD501 - Extended Research & Development

Through further research I identified a small independent type foundry called Face type based in Vienna Austria, their portfolio includes elegant display faces as well as legibility experiments. I liked some of their work and felt this would provide more contextualised design decision using an Austiran designed typeface for the supporting body copy as it would feel more appropriate and representative of the culture implementing original works within the products branding. 

The most appropriate piece from their portfolio was Adria Grotesk as this acted as a super-humanist body copy that paired well logotype contrasting and completing its harsh wood type aesthetic with the muted curves and relaxed aesthetic to create a more approachable brand. The type is clearly legible therefore will work well for smaller body copy both in use within the brand guidelines and translating onto the bottle. 

With this development I then implemented this new choice of type onto my design, creating a rough mock up that allowed me to analyse the scale of each of these components. The size of the wrap around logo worked well to suggest an alluring authority attached to the brand which will work particularly well in context presenting it as a luxury brand to the consumer. The supporting logo and product description works well aligning with the size on the 'R' and ensures it is visible at a glance on the front of the bottle. 

FEEDBACK:

Following this development I asked students and tutors for final feedback before I started to look at the production methods of producing the final outcome. This feedback was positive stating the design worked well as a product and would be effective in promoting the brand through the tangible object. There were a few suggestions given by tutors that suggested there needed to be extra information on the bottle such as barcodes and volumes etc, It was states that is isn't that important for the purpose of this project as I am focusing on the translation of the brand and its brand values however should be critically aware of these features for further reference as it provides further commercial insight. Another suggestion I found relevant was made by a student who suggested removing the Austrian flag from the bottle as 'it looks like its floating  and takes away from the super minimal aesthetic' they suggested I placed this on the lid as they remembered I was having difficulty with what do with the lid during initial feedback. I liked this idea and agreed with the suggestion which will refine the bottle design and brand the cap. 

Taking on board these suggestions I added the boule and included recycle symbols and european 'CE' symbol as the bottle would be imported from Austria therefore would need to pass EU testing. As for the barcode and nutritional info I felt it would be most approbate to create a separate sticker to place on the bottom of the bottle as this would keep the aesthetic of the bottle minimal and hide the less important information and allow it to not distract from the overall brand aesthetic, this featured the innovative QR code to provide the nutritional information at the customers request, using a QR code removes the difficulty of placing all the information on the bottle that for 90% of customers is irrelevant, the further simplifies the bottle design whilst keeping the information open and available for consumers. 

OUGD501 - Bottle Translation

With a strong final logo developed I started to look closely at how this would translate across to the bottle design. Having created a range of mockups as part of my initial logo development I had a good foundation to start designing from. Feedback form students informed me that wrapping the logo around the full circumference of the bottle would create a dynamic and engaging design that ensures the logo is fully visible from every angle. They felt the oversized text was contemporary and would appeal to the status conscious target audience. 

I identified a physical mock up would be a more effective final resolution as opposed to a mock up as the concept of my practical work and how this relates to the research question focuses on the tangible object that its consumers can draw a sense of self from, therefore the physical bottle is the most important aspect of the brand as it will be the object used to transfer these connotations from the hypothetical brand to the individual. I measured the circumference of the bottle to create a sort of net that I could use to design in 2D which would then translate my design onto the three dimensional product. I identified the bottle had a 60mm visual for available space at any one time therefore any supporting text or information should be no larger than this in order to be viewed at a glance. 

Creating an initial digital render on this net gave the first real visualisation of how the branding would translate into the product, I implemented the logo on a large scale to wrap the entire circumference of the bottle, halving the kerning between the letters to create a gap either side that when joined up would equal this kerning creating a seamless cycle between the letterforms. Incase the logo was initially difficult to read I repositioned this in a smaller form below to reinforce the branding and make the full logo easily available at a glance by ensuring it was smaller then the maximum 60mm available viewing space. Smaller detailing included using the Austrian flag at the top of the design to create more obvious line to the brands heritage and a small product description 'Austrian reserve, still spring water' which I felt was important for an emerging brand in a saturated drinks market. 

OUGD501 - Logo Feedback

To articulate the refined logotype and my development I created a infographic to highlight these changes, when overlaid it can be clearly seen how the custom Rein logo is unique and has been developed from the original typeface. I took inspiration from type foundry posters to inform the aesthetic of this infographic. This further highlights the three distinct changes made that makes up this new logotype to; a thinner line weight, oversized tracking and extended x-height that all work together in synergy to create an effective and engaging logo. 

Asking for tutor feedback they suggested I had succeeded in effectively customising the original typeface to create a bespoke logo that works particularly well with with form of the bottle. The refinements made to the type suggest an luxurious brand that is unique and can become iconic within its industry. 

OUGD501 - Logo Development

From the critique feedback I established this as the most appropriate design direction to develop, it was suggested by tutors I customise the type to create unique logotype than can become easily identifiable of the brand, this will appeal to the status orientated target audience as they if the logo is easily identifiable the attributes from the brand can be placed on the individual, other benefits of creating custom logotype is that royalties would not have to be paid to the type foundry and it would reduce the ability to replicate the logo. 

Custom Tracking

Extended X-height 

I initially had difficulty approaching the customisation of the GoBold typeface as it was already fairly representative of what I wanted from the logo and it created links to its Austrian heritage as it is inspired form vintage tourist posters. From the wrap around type mockup up onto the bottle I liked the use of space between the characters and replicated this into the logo using 200 pt tracking. This added a luxurious use of white space that reduced the condensed feel of the original face.  

From this I then extended the x-height of the characters, this reflected the form of the bottle making it more suitable for its desired context. The physical product inspiriting the form of the logo creates an organic synergy between the two that will complement each other entirely and reflects a bespoke identity the is crafted around the product to ensure it is high end and luxurious in its aesthetic and connotations. 

To further reduce this condensed feel and make the logo lighter, I reduced the weight of the strokes used in the original face. This further adds to the customisation of the typeface making it unique and un-replicable. I like the use of the thinner weight combined with the large tracking as this presents a more elegant logotype that is balanced and reflects the form of the product. This logo is successfully in presenting luxurious connotations, the high x-height and custom tracking makes it easily legible therefore will appeal to the status orientated audience who can easily be seen with the brand elevating their sense of self. 

Logo Development Stages 

Final Logo 

OUGD501 - Initial Feedback

To gain a range of high quality feedback based on my initial experimentation I chose my two strongest concepts and prepared a range of questions for students to critique my work, this would inform further development and help to conclude which design treatment to develop into my final resolution. I created the below image which highlights the concept of my practical, the different design treatments and mock ups of how these translate onto the physical bottle. Below highlights specific examples of feedback I found particularly useful for development.  

1/ Which of these design treatments looks the most expensive/ luxurious ? HOW? 

'Design 1 - looks nicer, the idea that the logo wraps around works better' 

'1- bolder/ contemporary / looks more important due to elongated type' 

'2 - They would both stand out significantly, however design two holds more of a minimalist approach in the way that you've have use of the space around the bottle itself' 

'2 - smaller and more minimal logo looks more luxurious and its aimed at a more specific audience' 

2/ Do you think I should incorporate colour into the design ? if so what colours and where ? 

'no - the grey creates a sophisticated look and is more suggestive of a high priced market, if colour was introduced I feel it could lose the higher end look and become child like' 

'no - adding colour would take away from its elegance, the way it is now has potential to stand out amongst others.'

'The grey looks very sophisticated however if you wanted to add colour to the brand you could add small red details to design 1 (representative of Austrian flag)'

What could go on the lid ? Do you feel the brand needs an icon as well as logotype ? 

'maybe deboss logo onto the lid - subtle and would provide it with something extra because of the minimalist design.'

'the "o" featured in design 2? could experiment with the size'

'Metal lid with engraving - maybe outline of the 'R' - coloured metal lids could look cool too' 

Tutor Feedback

Asking for extended feedback from tutors, they liked the current design directions including the high quality bottle mock ups. They suggested the use of type in design 1 was more appropriate to the bottle itself reflecting the tall and thin structure of the product whereas the type in design 2 although was bold and distinct didn't work as well on the physical bottle. It was also suggested I alter the structure of the type to create custom logotype that would become unique and identifiable of the brand. This would also added further commercial benefits as custom logotype would avoid paying royalties to the type foundry of the default typeface and would reduce the risk of the logo being copied. 

I also asked how I could extend the practical project to create a more extensive body of work however when discussing my actual question and how it related to the 'self' we established that the physical bottle was the most important element of my practical exploration focusing on the relationship between the consumer and the brand through the product. Based on this It was suggested this should be the full focus of my project and could be extended by looking into the brand guidelines and logo development. 

Feedback analysis

This feedback was very helpful in identifying the most appropriate design direction to develop. Although the responses were fairly balanced between designs the concept behind the practical project is to promote the brand over the product therefore the smaller minimal logo used in design two would be less effective in promoting the brand whereas in design 1 the logo is visible from every angle making it more high impact and easier to see, and be associated with, this was further reinforced through the tutors feedback. 

I agree with the conclusion that colour wouldn't be effective within this design treatment however I liked the contextualised suggestion of red accents to reflect the Austrian origins of the brand. I am still unsure of what to put on the lid and will need further development but will take on board suggestions such as engraving and de-bossings to extend the minimal aesthetic of the bottle. 

I am happy with the suggestions from tutors of how to extend my practical project placing my focus on the band itself and its extension onto the product. Looking at brand guidelines and a physical product will help extent my concept into a refined practical project that takes contextual inspiration from my research essay. 

OUGD501 - Study Task 8: Evaluating COP practical

What were your initial aims? 

My research question explored within my essay was ‘What is the role of the ‘self’ within the consumer-brand relationship?’ I wanted my practical to act as an extension into this consumer brand relationship and how the role of self and society effect this. 

What processes/Strategies have you used and why? 

Looking at different brand strategies identifying the luxury aim of the product mean it needs to appeal more to a lifestyle become a status symbol focusing less on its origins and actual product benefits and more about selling a particular lifestyle to the consumer. 

What literature have you read that informs this work? 

Insight from the below titles/jounals helped inform my understanding of how brands target individuals in order to sell their products for more than their material values. 

Wolff Olins on brand 

Aaker, J. Dimensions of Brand Personality

Belk, R.  Possessions and the Extended Self

Is the work effective? (in terms of your aims) In what ways?

The progress with the practical is effective so far the witty and contextual name will appeal to my key demographic and holds a strong concept. Basing the brand around Austria adds luxury foreign connotations with the reputation of vienna working in the products favour. 

Does it communicate what it should do? 

The progress of development suggests it will commutate the desired aims creating a new brand of water that transients its material values to create a status symbol that represents a high quality lifestyle. This elevates the consumer brand relationship creating greater product desire/loyalty based on no substantial improvements in quality to regular water. 

What are the successful elements ? 

I think the concept behind the campaign is the strongest element of the project creating a contextual understanding of the research topic and practically applying it to a marketplace with real life feasibility. 

What areas need improving or developing? 

Areas for improvement I have identified included developing the aesthetic to appeal to this demographic, This product will be unashamedly vain producing form over function in regards to its packaging design and promotion that will articulate this high quality lifestyle to the consumer suggesting how they will fit in and feel superior if they buy the brand over its lower priced competitors.