Photography Student Victoria Kathryn Branding Live Brief - Design Development/ Business Card Design

After I had the logo design complete, I began to explore the design of business cards.

Although I had scrapped the mosaic idea earlier in the design process, the inspiration for this idea was quite strong. The mosaic idea was derived from the still life sustainability project that Victoria wants to base her career and branding around, so I decided to bring the mosaic experiments from the logo design stage into the business card designs stage. I did this so that I could continue with the mosaic concept, but simply start stripping back the use of excessive colour and shapes, so that the designs could visually become less juvenile and more clean, minimal and modern.

I started to extract only a limited amount of shapes and colours and start experimenting with those by placing them into the format of a square business card. In the initial discussion with my client Victoria she had mentioned that she specifically wants her business cards to be square. I thought that this was something that would be unique and interesting so I did not challenge this idea and actually encouraged it. The stereotypical business card is rectangular, so to make herself stand out within the industry, a square business card could be something that was memorable and visually engaging for her clients/target audience.

 I experimented with a variety of different approaches to the use of colour and the relationship between the front and back cover. I wanted the front of the business card to be quite visually pleasing and impressive, so I wanted to keep it quite simply by possibly only having the logo on it. The back cover of the business card I wanted to contain Victoria's contact information, but also have some sort of pleasing visual elements that could further represent Victoria's photography practice.

 The use of the colours and shapes from my mosaic idea were not proving to be successful. Even when attempting to strip back the use of colour and add more white space, the business card designs so far still felt quite juvenile and unprofessional. Although I was really clinging to the idea of using shapes/colours inspired by Victoria's photography, I realised that I need to let go of the idea completely because it was not allowing me to move on in my design process and development. The logo I had designed I felt was really strong, and the excessive and poor use of colour was proving to overwhelm and take attention away from the strong logo concept, which consequently made the logo design feel less successful also.

I decided to scrap the use of multiple colours and bring my attention to using only one or two colours maximum. The business card designs below I felt were a step in the right direction, because they were beginning to be a lot more edited, simple and minimal. The use of only one colour as a background for the logo was something that both I and my client Victoria had liked earlier on in the design process, so this was something that I was confident could be more successful.

At the beginning of the project, during my initial discussion with Victoria and my research stage, we had discussed that the use of her photography as a background within her business cards was something that could be an option. Knowing that my use of colour and 'mosaic' idea was not working, I decided to change the approach I was taking to the design of the business cards, and explore the use of photography. I asked Victoria which photo/photos she would want her business card to have if this was the approach we took, and she sent me 4 options.

I began to explore using the photographs within the design of the business cards, and how the photographs and her logo design could work together. I looked initially at having the icon design over-laid on top of the photographs. Although this looked quite clear and legible, I thought that doing this actually takes attention away from her logo design, and ruins the balance of her carefully art directed photographs. 

Next I decided to leave the photographs alone and not distract or disturb Victoria's work, and have them as simply one side of the business card. I then started looking at how the back cover of the business card would be, and how the information would be laid out. I wanted the front and back of the business card to have some sort of connection or cohesion, so I had the idea of taking one shape from the photograph on the front, and reflecting it onto the back. I realised that this idea actually referenced back to my 'mosaic' idea, as it took inspiration and derived the use of colour and shape from Victoria's photography, however, this time I believe I was doing it a lot more tastefully and in a more subtle and visually not over-powering way. I experimented with pulling different shapes and different colours from the photographs, to see which of them would not over-whelm the text/copy, and which would look the most visually appealing.

I felt that the direction that the design of the business cards was going in was much stronger now. The business cards are meant to promote the photographer, so including her photography on one side is more than appropriate. The subtle use of shape and colour extending from the photographs on one side, into the information on the other I thought was something that was very effective because it encompassed the idea/concept I've had all along, but simply did it in a more professional way.

At this point I sent the business card designs I had done so far for Victoria to review.

This was her feedback/response:

I was pleased to hear that Victoria was liking the direction and concept for the business cards. I was feeling confident in my progress and my designs because the feedback she gave was only some of the smaller details and smaller changes she wanted me to make. I went on to fade the colours of the shapes on the back cover of the business card just as she had asked, as well as tidy up slightly the positioning and hierarchy of the information.

At this point I also showed my progress during a tutor-led group feedback session.

The feedback I got was:
- Look at the hierarchy of information, the eye seems to be drawn to the contact details first. Is this what your client wants.
- Try the contact information not centred. Naturally your read left to right, maybe that is what is making your hierarchy feel a bit off balanced.
- The green plant business card doesn't work as well as the others, as there seems to be too much of just the one colour (green) and not enough contrast. Maybe try a different photo for that one.
- Overall think about what is most important to your client, should the logo or the contact information be bigger/more noticeable. Also, I think the 'photography' in the logo should be bigger.

From the tutor-led group feedback session, some of the feedback I got I found useful whilst others not so much. The hierarchy of information, for example, I think is as it should be. The logo design is clearly bigger and more on the top side of the business card design, which makes the viewer's eye fall to it first. This is what my client Victoria wanted and so I decided that I will not change this as otherwise I will end up questioning my decisions as a designer and therefore over-design or make the current design worse. The green plant business card comment I also disagreed with. I thought that there was not actually too much green in that business card design, and that there was enough contrast because there was a nice and vibrant blue plant pot in the photo. These four photos were also the photos that my client had chosen to be on her business cards, so I did not want to change them. During one of our discussions with my client, we also had discussed how having two photos of objects, and two photos of living plants creates a nice balance in her business card series, and would allow her to choose according to the persons she is talking to which business card to give them. To not ruin this possibility, I also decided that I will keep the green plant business card and focus on other design details instead.

The bit of feedback that I did respond to within my design development was looking at having the contact information not centrally aligned. As a designed I very often centrally align thinks because I like the balance that that gives a piece of design, so sometimes I do need someone to point out to me that that may not always be the best and most appropriate choice.

After trying this, I did not really like the result. I much preferred the centrally aligned contact information because as mentioned earlier, I think that gives the design a more balanced and clear composition. Nevertheless I decided to show this to my client to see her opinion about it.

Her feedback/response was:

She agreed with me about that the contact information being centrally aligned was better, and so I went back to that design.

The feedback earlier from my client Victoria also noted that she thought the typeface used for the contact information on the back of the business card was too 'curvy'. I understood where she was coming from, because the typeface, although the same typeface as the one used in her logo, when lower case looked a lot more rounded, and so visually my client saw an unbalance there. Later on in the feedback she metioned that she wanted the typeface to be like the word 'Photography' in her logo. The typeface I presented to her was the same typeface as that word.

 o try and fix this issue, I started looking a variety of different sans serif typefaces that could match the logo design and layout of the business cards.

I struggled quite a bit to find another typeface that would feel cohesive and connect with the logo design, so I decided to choose one typeface that 'kind of' worked, and present that along with the typeface I previously used to Victoria.

 Her feedback/response:

The typeface of the contact information seemed to be the very last little bit of design that was still not right, as the rest of the business card design my client and I were both really happy with. In the typeface feedback my client made the suggestion of either changing the colour of the type or making the type upper case. I told her that changing the colour of the type would make the design feel too confusing and chaotic, especially since there is already colour present in the shapes on the back cover design and in her photography on the front cover design. Making the contact information upper case, however, I thought was a good idea. The client liked the typeface that 'Photography' was written in within her logo design, so if she liked that, I could simply make the contact information upper case in the same typeface and see if that worked. I feared that the contact information being upper case would interfere with it's legibility, but nonetheless I gave it a go.

The result I thought was actually quite successful. The contact information now looked a lot more cohesive with the logo design, and the typefaces matched up. I sent this updated design to my client once again.

This was my clients response:

Although my client was now very happy with the business card design, I had told her my worries about the contact information not being very legible. To see if my speculation was right or whether I was just worried because that's the impression I got by looking at the design on a screen, I decided to do a mock up print of these business cards to see how the design would look in real life.

Victoria wanted to print the business cards with Moo printing company, so the square dimensions for the business card would be 65mm x 65mm.

I printed the business card designs as black and white mocks up to scale at 65mm x 65mm. I did this to check weather the contact information would be clear and legible in capital letters and in that size. I also did it so that I could check if the shapes on the back of the business card matched up right with the photographs on the front of the business cards.

The mock-up prints revealed that I had nothing to worry about. The contact information on the back of the business cards was legible and clear. The shapes on the back also lined up perfectly with the photographs on the front.

After I had finished the business card design and my client was happy with everything, I transferred the designs onto a 'Moo' template in InDesign, so that they were ready to be sent off and printed.

Final Business Card Design 1

Final Business Card Design 2

Final Business Card Design 3

Final Business Card Design 4

Issues with Print/Additional Design

As my client Victoria places a focus on sustainability, we agreed that she should print her business cards on recycled paper made from cotton t-shirts, that was an option available with 'Moo'. However, because that paper is quite expensive, she only wanted to print a first batch of around 50. What she soon realised was that 'Moo' does not allow for separate front and back cover designs, and that only the front design can be different. For this reason, she asked me if I could create a separate back cover design with her logo and contact information, that could fit all four of the photos.

To keep my client happy I agreed to this, and although I do not class it as a part of the final outcome for the business card design, it was still a part of my design process.

To make the universal back cover design, I decided to combine some of the shaped from all four of the back cover designs, so that the design could somewhat fit each image anyway. Victoria was happy with this and said that in the future she will use my original business card designs, but for now for the first batch she did not want to spend too much money which is understandable.

Penguin Student Design Award 2019 Competition Brief - Brief & Research

Brief

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

My name is August.

I won’t describe what I look like.

Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

Moving, uplifting and hopeful, Wonder was first published in 2012 to critical acclaim and quickly established itself as a must-read for children (and adults!)

With the nature of friendship, tenacity, fear and, most importantly, kindness at its heart Wonder explores fundamental truths about how people behave and how they should behave. 

The design for the original front cover was from designer and illustrator Tad Carpenter.

The Brief

You are invited to design a cover look for Wonder to bring this original and unforgettable book to new readers. The design should ensure that this important book remains a must-read for every child.

Your cover design needs to include all the cover copy supplied and be designed to the specified design template (B format, 198mm high x 129mm wide, spine width 19.5mm), incorporating the PUFFIN branding and all additional elements such as the barcode. Please refer to the Submissions Details page for full details of the spec and how to submit your entry.

Copyright must be cleared for all images used in your cover design and you must include a credit line on the back cover of your design for any third party images used. For example: ‘Cover photograph by Joe Bloggs’.

What the judges are looking for

We are looking for a striking cover design that is well executed, has an imaginative concept and clearly places the book for its market. The cover should encourage children to pick the book up and buy it for themselves and should also engage adults to want to buy it for them.

While all elements of the cover (front, back and spine) need to work together, remember that the front cover has to be able to work on its own, and to be eye-catching within a crowded bookshop setting as well as on screen at a reduced size for digital retailers.

The winning design will need to:

- have an imaginative concept
- be an original interpretation of the brief
- be competently executed with strong use of typography
- appeal to the broadest possible audience for the book
- show a good understanding of the marketplace
- have a point of difference from other books that it will be competing against in the market
- be able to sit on the shelves of a supermarket or ebook store as easily as it sits on those of more traditional bookshops 

Research

Former children's book prize winners:

From these examples I found that the judges of the competition favour illustration quite a bit. That is understandable as the designs are aimed at children, this is also one of the reasons I choose the children's book as my entry, because I like illustration myself and want to make it part of my practice. I also found that they like attention to detail, and very carefully considered and executed illustrations. This resonated with me, because I also like to make detailed illustrations, and believe I will be able to come up with a design that they like. The previous winners, I also noticed, although aimed at children, also had very clever concepts and quite professional/mature executions, so they would appeal to adults as well as children. This is something that I will need to keep in mind, and make sure that my concept and design is not too simplified, that it appeals to both children and adults/their parents.

'Wonder' by RJ Palacio:

'My name is August. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.'

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren't stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?

WONDER is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

Plot:

August "Auggie" Pullman is a homeschooled fifth-grader living in North River Heights in Upper Manhattan with his parents. He has a medical condition, often equated with Treacher Collins syndrome, which has left his face disfigured. Due to his condition, August has been homeschooled by his mother; however, wanting him to experience a larger world, his parents enroll him into Beecher Middle School for the start of fifth grade. August has a sister, Olivia "Via" Pullman, who is older than he is and often puts her brother's needs before her own.

On his first day of school, August tries not to draw attention to himself. His efforts are in vain, and Julian, one of the students whom the principal has asked to help August at school, immediately bullies him for his appearance. August's hopes for the school year are later raised slightly when he forms friendships with classmates Jack and Summer, both of whom defend him from Julian's taunts.

The situation comes to a head on Halloween when August, disguised in a costume, overhears Jack joining in with the bullying. As August isolates himself from his classmates and family, his sister Olivia's frustration grows, fueled by years of feeling ignored by her family.

Returning to school, August ignores Jack but admits to Summer that he had overheard the incident. Jack feels ashamed for his actions, and punches Julian in the mouth and he gets suspended from school. Over the winter break, Jack reconciles with August.

As the school year progresses, the bullying August faces become more serious and extends to Jack as well. Julian manipulates several friends into turning against August and Jack. In addition, Julian's mother voices her concerns over August's attending the school, citing that his appearance may be too much of a burden for the other students to handle.

Olivia confides in her mother that she does not want August to attend her school play, as she had found comfort in the fact that nobody at her new school knew about her brother's condition. August overhears and storms out of the room.

When the main actress, Miranda, Via's (Olivia's) best friend, decides that Via should take the leading role of the school play, she told the director that she couldn't be in the school play, Olivia takes on the role. Her family celebrates by taking her and Miranda out for dinner.

At the end of the school year, the students are invited on a three-day school trip to a nature reserve. August is initially concerned about going. However, upon hearing that Julian will not be attending (due to being suspended for two weeks for his behavior), August decides to join his friends on the trip. He has fun until the last night, when he and Jack go to the woods and are attacked by seventh graders who start to beat them, only to be saved by Julian's friends. August lost his hearing aids and started hearing ocean sounds. One of the boys said "your hearing aids fell off." He got concerned because he could barely hear much anymore because the ocean sounds were taking over his ability to hear.

With the summer vacation fast approaching, August is informed that Julian will not be returning to Beecher Prep for the next grade. The Pullman family get a new puppy, whom they call 'Bear'. At the graduation ceremony, August is awarded the 'Henry Ward Beecher Medal' for being 'notable or exemplary in certain areas throughout the school year'. Incredibly proud of her son, August's mother comments that he is a 'wonder'.

Existing 'Wonder' designs (and associated designs):

Key Scenes that grabbed my attention from reading the book:
- August wears astronaut helmet to hide his face.
- He likes Star Wars, and wants to wear Boba Fett costume for Halloween.
- He wears the Scream costume for Halloween instead.
- He wears a mummy costume for a school fair/event.
- He wears suit and bow, and cuts his hair for Graduation.
- Augusts' family has a dog named 'Daisy'. Then, a puppy named 'Bear'.
- Each month, his English teacher assigns precepts.
- He wears hearing aids that stretch around his head.
- His sister gets a standing ovation after her play.
- August gets a standing ovation during his graduation.
- The kids who were mean to him end up protecting/defending him.
- His self-portrait as an animal is a duck. No metaphors.
- 'Sometimes a duck is just a duck.' - His principle.

Main Themes I believe the book presents:
- Friendship
- Kindness
- Family
- Coming of Age
- Appearances
- Identity
- Courage