Design Process Brief 4 - OUGD405

BRIEF - To identify a problem within my individual, specific research and produce an visual outcome that answers this problem. It needs to be interesting and engaging to my specific target audience. 

The problem I have identified within my research and the previous briefs is that parents either do not realise the benefits of sensory play or do not realise how much it improves learning and development for their child. From this I have started by coming up with a few ideas that could possible answer this problem to make parents aware of just how important sensory play is. My initial ideas were either a touch and feel book with similar textures that could represent sensory play, a sensory play toy or a sensory play pack that includes key items for sensory play with a booklet informing and educating a parent about the importance and just how a child develops from this type of play. 

I feel considering the time frame the most effective solution will be the sensory play pack. I will create the booklet as well as the packaging of the items and the net of the box that pack would be in. My target audience will be parents with young children aged 1 - 5, children who are just learning or children that are starting to learn more. From this, I know my pack will have to encourage a parent to buy this, but also develop the product that represents the essence of a child, I can do this by design choices within the type and colour. 

I have thought about the type of products that would be in the pack. Using my research from Brief 2 I know which textures and the most effective in sensory play and why. I can use this content to include in my booklet, as well as now knowing what packaging labels I will need to create.

I have started some initial designs for my booklet thinking about possible concepts I could use. I thought about using vector shaped illustration to represent a child oriented theme whilst also explaining what the object helps in development. I then thought about using shapes to represent a theme. I thought the idea behind this could be a series of squares sat on top of each other, representing children's building blocks, as these are a main toy when developing and learning as a child. These could be used throughout the booklet to show consistency:

Following on from my building block concept, I thought about how I would use this over the variety of packaging and how it would be shown as a concept. I also thought about what information needed to be on what pages within the booklet and how all the packaging would fit together:

I thought about how the labels would fit round the objects, I am going to put each product into tubs and have the packaging slot together around each tub. I will need to measure out the tubs to make sure the labels fit around and slot together securely:

I thought how I could expand this product if I was to go further with this brief. I thought about how the child develops and learn and what this helps in the brain. If I was to go further with this product I could make this product into a brand and create a range of learning toys/packs/books. From this I thought it would be interesting to make my sensory pack a logo. I wanted something quite subtle as I am not naming this pack as a brand but want something that could link all the products I am creating together with the possibility I could take it further.

For the logo I looked into the different parts of the brain to show learning and found this illustration below, this is what I based my logo off. The colours I used are both primary and secondary which are child themed colours, but also similar to the ones used to describe the different parts of the brain. I played around with different positioning but think the composition of the three circles on top of the two, could show the set up of the brain and how the parts sit on top of one another:

Using my logo and the colours, I started by creating possible ideas for my labels. These were not successfully or visually appealing.

I then moved on to my booklet to see if any outcomes could look interesting. As all the briefs within this module have linked with one another, I experimented with using the same colour and type as Brief 3. I would use the same type to have a simple sans serif font throughout and have the child-like font to accentuate certain words to give the pack a child-like theme. I thought of using the same blue as brief 3. I then started experimenting with different layouts but went back to my initial concept of building blocks instead of basing the pack around the logo and colours:

I moved the theme along to the labelling, using the different tones of blue. However when I did this, it looked extremely cold and clinical and something that looks like a hospital brand. The pack is aimed at parents but I think it needs a brighter more fun colour scheme so it does not look as serious, as the pack is supposed to be promotion the importance of play. I am however, going to keep the same typeface used from brief 3 as I feel it is still correct for my target audience. I have tried to keep a consistent grid on both booklet and label, which will hopefully make the pack have a clear link. I am going to keep the concept of building blocks and the layout the same as I think it is suitable for what I am trying to achieve but need to develop on colour choice. I have bled the building blocks on to one another and off the page to create a more breathable layout:

I then played around with more exciting colour, reverting pack to my previous primary and secondary coloured logo. I used the same colour from the logo but dropped the opacity so it was less intense and the colours were not as over whelming. 

I then moved onto the labels, using the same layout and colour system on the booklet. I added the titles of what tubs they will be going round. I also added a tick and cross system  so parents know what product is either edible or not etc. I think this will be quick and simple for parents and the straight to the point information I was planning for. 

Checking to see if the product will look consistent throughout:

I have moved on to producing the rest of the pages in the booklet. I have used to same grid system from the front cover, whilst also keeping the same type and colour. As I think the building blocks are quite a prominent feature, I decided within the booklet not to have them but keep the link through the colour. I have used the same colours within the different blocks for different sections in the booklet.

I thought however it needed something to represent the blocks and bleeding off the page. From this I created sections of information that I wanted to stand out and created a background colour to accentuate it:

These are my pages, there are only 4 pages within the booklet due to not having enough information for more. If I were to develop this I would have a much thicker booklet with more information that could be helpful to parents. As there are not a lot of pages I am going to have this as a concertina booklet, as there is too fewer pages to have something that is bound:

I want to show what type of box the play pack would be in if produced properly. I am only going to create the net for this and show what it would look like as due to the time limit of the brief would not be able to produce this to a high standard. I would need to know the exact size of the tubs (I would want to make them myself) so they could fit in the box comfortably and I do not have the time scale for this. I am going to propose what this would look like. 

I finished creating my net and have now started experimenting what would be on this. It needs to link to the booklet and labelling to create a consistent pack. I started by adding the green strips I used for the label with the same opacity and colour used on the booklet. 

This is my almost finished net of the box. I am going to alter some of the fonts and remove the green strips on the sides as they have no need to be there. I followed the same grid I used for the labels to make the pack a whole. 

As it was suggested to me in the critique to change the background colour (to stop the packaging getting so dirty), I have tried a few options regarding this. I do not agree with this feedback as the packaging is for the adults not the children, but to help with this will print these on a more suitable stock that would be more wipeable i.e. satin rather than matt, I could also look into laminating. I thinking keeping the background white contrasts the block colours the more effectively and makes the packaging more breathable. 

Before I take my finals to the digital print resource, I needed to check the size of the labels to make sure they fit around the tubs I bought. I have re-sized and adjusted the label accordingly and they are now ready for print:

Finals and Evaluation

These are my finals for my sensory play pack. I feel as a concept they all work in conjunction with one another however I feel they look slightly too childish and not visually effective designs. I feel as a solution to my problem i.e. parents do not realise the importance of sensory play it would work but as designs look average at best. If I continued with this brief, I would create the box in a 3D form and see how it would all fit together as a actual 'pack'. I think the colour scheme works well to show a child orientated friendly feel, which I have continued through all the items produced. I have also kept the same type and layout throughout to try and keep consistency to show how these products would work as a set. 

I printed my packaging on two types of paper. I printed them of matt to show how they fold around the tubs but also printed another copy on a satin type paper to show what they actually be produced on if I were to take this further. I have printed the extra labels on the satin type paper to resolve the problem of 'messy hands' from children. I thought about the stock and how this would be easier packaging to clean rather than matt: