Project Report and Evaluation

Presentation Boards

Final Imagery and Applications

In this blogpost I have brought together all of the designs I have made to display the range clearly. I am so pleased that my colour choices and process of making the patterns has meant that these three ranges do work cohesively as a wider range. I can see it as something that could be added to and it could continue to expand. 

I have used images found online to mock up my designs, realistically, the designs could cross over and each one could be applied to each product, but it would be a very repetitive set of images if I showed every single option. Instead, I have tried to show the full range of products with the different designs on. 

I thought I was being ambitious by proposing such a wide range of outcomes from something as small as a bookmark to something large scale like wallpaper. However, I think this works well as the patterns are very versatile and work well on a wide range of scales. The final range I have shown spans stationary, homeware and textiles but I can see the potential for this to expand onto ceramics and accessories. My research over the course of this project has taught me that there are really no limits once the designs are made, they can be applied to most things. Especially designs like mine which are decorative and quite subtle. Shops like Paperchase or John Lewis stock extensive ranges of products which are all based around the same few designs. 

For the purpose of this brief though, I think the product range I have chosen links well to the intentions I set out in the brief. Having the designs on homeware instantly brings nature into the home which is what the brief asked for. Also, the stationery and textile items I have chosen are things that could be bought for personal use but also for a gift. The idea of gifting these products promotes the sharing of positivity which is important when so many people are suffering with stress. 

I am going to cut this content down for my presentation boards and try to be efficiently selective with my images to show the full extent of the range but not make the boards look cluttered. 

Tropical Development

My previous concerns about the colours being a bit too bright were put to rest as applying them to the images toned them down a lot. I do think these colours are more stimulating than the colours of the other two ranges which leads me to think that they don't work as well to fulfil the brief. However, I think when they are applied to products they will look more fitting for the theme of relaxation. 

Woodland Development

I followed the same process as with the coastal range to produce these designs for woodland. I used the colour scheme I had created previously and its just a process of following the steps I had made for myself to complete this range of designs. I realised that having this process laid out means that it would be easy to expand the range to other themes. I have noticed I am getting better at drawing the individual components, I am making less mistakes and not having to start again so many times.

I have notices some of the colours are coming through a bit too bright on ISSUU, for example, the green in the pattern on the last two pages. I will try my best to make sure that the colours are shows correctly on my presentation boards and project report. 

Final Crit Feedback

I took all my work I had done so far to the crit and I had printed out my mockups for the coastal range.

Megacrit Feedback

• Colours are working well. 
• Good testing. 
• Designs look gender neutral. 
• Research is showing in designs and development. 
• Quality mockups. 
• Add text to presentation boards. 

Peer Feedback

• Make final presentation boards, think about layout. 
• Make sure it is clear about the meaning of the process - make the whole concept known. 
• Good colour schemes, they work well for calming. 
• Think about how things are going to be presented for submission, might need to bulldog clip some things together to keep it neat. 

Response to Feedback

I was really pleased to receive such positive and constructive feedback. I have to admit I was relieved that there were no issues that came up that I wasn't aware of which would have meant I needed to make changes because at the moment, I feel like I just have enough time to get everything done, as long as nothing goes major wrong. I regret not having some presentation boards complete because it would be good to receive feedback on these but the crit allowed me to look at what other people had done and it has given me some ideas of how I want my presentation boards to look. The main advice from the peer review was to just get on with it because I know what I am doing now. Also, it was suggested that I make the overall concept very clear in the presentation boards as it gives the whole project some grounding and shows a clear concept behind some decorative designs. It shows the decisions have not been mindless. 

Coastal Range

I have been having some problems with ISSUU so I have had to compromise the quality and size of some of my images in order for the files to be small enough to be uploaded.

I think making the images and patterns for this range will be the most time consuming as it is the first one and it is where I am making all the decisions. By completing these designs I have made a path to follow with the other two ranges, so if I just make changes when necessary it shouldn't take too long to complete the others.

I have included some reference images which is something I have not been doing consistently in my blogging. I have been using reference images found online or my own photographs for the majority, if not all of my drawings.

The process of making patterns was enjoyable, I like doing it. I would put a few images together, switch the top and bottom and the left and right so that the designs were pushed to the edge of the pattern square, and then I would fill the internal space to complete the pattern square. When I tested it by repeating it I could see where there were spacing issues and I could tweak the pattern square accordingly until I was happy with it. I have shown a few of the tweaks I made in this presentation, some of them probably so small that they are barely noticeable but I didn't want to settle for anything that I felt was unbalanced. Continuing along the theme of calmness and relaxation, it can be off-putting to have an image that isn't satisfying to look at so I wanted to do my best to avoid this.

I went through a few options for adding colour and decided on a multicolour design for the pattern that includes all elements, and three single colour designs for the pebbles pattern. This is what I will carry through to the other ranges to keep them consistent. I also played around with single images made from the same elements which I could use as postcards or notebook covers or gift tags, etc. I created numerous options but I think five would be a good number to narrow this down to.

I have chosen to use images found online to mock my designs up onto because I struggle to use the mockups you can get online and I feel I have more control over my designs if I do it this way. In an ideal world I would have had enough time to make some products and take photographs but I have not given myself enough time to do this.

I am really pleased with how well this is going so far and I hope it continues for the other ranges. I am going to take these outcomes to the crit tomorrow and see what feedback I get, I will show in the work I display that I intend to produce the same kind of thing for two other ranges. It has been challenging and I am learning a lot about patterns and applications, the technicalities of photoshopping designs onto images is something I am continuing to get better at.

Photo Lighting Induction

This was a really useful workshop. I think I might use this equipment for future projects but I don't think I have time to make physical products for this module. I think I will just be photoshopping my designs onto the products I am applying them to. 

Finalised Colour Schemes

I created these colour schemes through a process of flitting between the pantone website and Adobe Kuler. Put the colour schemes together using my own preferences and also the help of Kuler to get the matching technicalities right. Colour is something I don't feel I really have an eye for so I wanted to make sure this aspect of my work was well informed and wasn't purely reliant on my own personal taste, although I think this is represented in my choices to a certain extent.

I used my previous research into products from the Yorkshire Soap Company, Urban Outfitters, etc, to try and come up with a vague idea in my head of which colours needed to exist within which range. It took numerous attempts for me to be satisfied with the colour scheme, using the seasonal fashion reports from Pantone to find good collections of colours, using photographs to make sure the colours truly represent the locations, and my personal judgement of what I think would work and what wouldn't.

In my opinion, the final colour schemes look like they work as a cohesive set and they do relate well to each relaxing location. One thing I would say is that some of them look a bit bright/dark but they will be muted against white when applied to the images so they should appear toned down and therefore less stimulating and more relaxing.