OUGD503 - Gilly Cuts leaflet design

I have previously looked at leaflet and poster design. I recognised that isolating the head/ hair works well to portray this mobile hairdressing service. I first drew out a number of leaflet designs, looking at different and interesting concepts that could be furthered after a meeting with my client. At first I had the opportunity to experiment in any way I would like however the leaflet was to be A5, double sided and to include the price list and important information. My preliminary sketches can be seen below.

I brought my two favourite designs to my client for feedback. He suggested I developed them further using sketch form then brought them into illustrator so he could understand them more. These can be seen below.

As the photography hasn't been completed as of yet I decided to use a pattern within my designs. This was an experimental free design that used duo tone colours to fit with the identity of the project. This was something my client liked and wanted to use before the shoot had been done.

Idea 1

Idea 2

I showed these designs to my client who decided to use the second design as a photo shoot had not yet been done for the final leaflet. A first print of 100 would work as a test print so the work can be seen as a physical piece making it easier to evaluate and change before a final, bigger print.

OUGD503 - Gilly cuts logo development

I wanted to look at using type within my logo which was easier to experiment with on illustrator however my original sketches helped in inspiring these further designs.










I experimented with using two sans serif typefaces as felt these were clear and readable yet modern and suitable. These were Gill Sans because of the obvious link and Open Sans. I will bring my experiments to a critique for further feedback.

OUGD503 - Gilly Cuts Poster and leaflet research

I noted within my initial ideas that I wanted to couple image and photography well within this brief. This was something that could be done across various pieces of work within this project however it will initially be needed within a flyer. Because of this I looked at how imagery could be used within my project through research. After finding some general research I looked my closely into photography within poster design.

I looked into minimal photo lookbook that my client has asked for.

photo poster research:





















Chopping off most features and isolating the head/ hair works well for this brief and will be used within some of my poster and leaflet ideas.

OUGD503 - further Research for Gilly Cuts

I looked into further research for this brief. First, I researched the identities of hairdressing companies. This included salons and other mobile hairdressing businesses that I felt were both successful and unsuccessful. Below shows some hairdressing identities that I feel work well. I looked particularly at more exclusive and professional looking design with a minimal theme. This is more suitable for what my client has asked for within his own identity.

A unique typeface is used throughout which is recognisable as the barbers own. This also helps successfully link all collateral together.

The design team for a barbers named Monthly have based the brief around the name. Collateral is used to link better to this concept such as an annual magazine with articles on the hairdressers and different hair styles. Business cards also number the days of the month on the reverse meaning appointments are easily written down for customers whilst also linking clearly to the identity.

Using a common colour throughout the identity of this hair salon, the design team has linked all work together well. Illustrative posters add a unique aspect to the brief. 

I found that the majority of mobile businesses had unattractive branding that wouldn't work particularly well for their target audience. Some examples can be seen below.

Black and grey were commonly used to portray the company as being luxurious however the type choice was often not appropriate making the businesses seem less professional than they would hope to be.

OUGD503 - Gilly Cuts initial ideas

To help inspire my initial identity ideas I created mind maps based on the qualities my client had outlined within the brief. From this I was able to experiment with identity ideas.









I based my first ideas of using a modern design to portray excellence and quality whilst staying true to the target audience. I developed three concepts that I felt were appropriate for my client and his target audience. My first sketches were rough however I quickly brought them into illustrator to develop them further.

OUGD503 - Gilly Cuts audience research

I wanted to find branding examples for a target audience similar to my own which is both men and women however I will focus mostly on students. I looked for simplistic yet formal branding similar to what I hope to create. Rather than noting down features, I want to use this blog post as a mood board in order to help inform my own experimentation and practice.

Headrow House

Printworks

The new identity for the London event space, Printworks has recently been given a transformation by Leeds based graphic design studio, Only. This bold design uses block lettering placed around an invisible spherical tube in different ways, mimicking that of the printing press previously in use at its location. This clever link is something that could help inspire the identity for this hairdressing branding. 

OUGD503 - Gilly Cuts Time plan

Our uni calendar shows that I have a two week period for independent study. Within this time I want to prioritise this project and try to get it near completion. I have decided to plan my first week to help me start my work for the brief.

Monday

First ideas for logo,

look at different colour schemes and fonts,

initial sketches for different media

Tuesday

Meet with client for feedback,

develop ideas based on feedback,

choose typefaces, colours etc,

start mocking up different media such as business card and flyer

Thursday

Critique with uni peers for further feedback,

develop ideas based on feedback,

experiment with social media ideas based on chosen identity,

Friday 

Finish business card and flyer and prepare for print on weekend,

work on social media aspect,

OUGD503 - Gilly cuts initial research

To help inspire the start of this brief I looked into the identity of hairdressers I could find online. I studied closely which designs worked well and which didn't and added noted for my own use further in the project.

I found André Torres' resolution to the Carmo Maia Hairdressers on Behance. The strong use of colour links each piece of work together well. Good use of negative space adds a modern touch to the project whilst the added use of illustrations within posters is unique and eye catching.

The colour scheme stays through different media. The light blue line through the invoice and letter shows this however also portrays the company as being more formal.

Monthly's branding and identity shows how the target audience can influence the final design. The clear focus on males can be seen with a simple black and white colour scheme and minimal design. Although my client wants his service to be available for both men and women, ideas can be taken from this to influence my design.

As I have been asked to produce a publication for this brief, the above work for Monthly has shown how this can be done. Clever use of layout using large imagery and white space alongside text has given me ideas for use within my own work.

Using image with strong text worked well above on the website. This gave me ideas for use if I do decide to create a website for this brief.

Simple calendar on the reverse of the card is so easy to use because of its minimal layout.

One of the first things I noticed was that more modern hairdressing and barber identities used a minimal theme throughout. I felt this worked well to suggest formality and quality of service.

I also decided to look at other mobile hairdressing services to see how designers had worked on the brief however found the design to be poor. I noted this to my client over text noting that with some successful and professional looking design, the business is more likely to attract a range of clients.

OUGD503 - Gilly Cuts brief

Recently I took on some client work where I was to produce an identity for a new mobile hairdressing business. This project included the design of further media so I decided to sit down with my client so I could work out my brief and his ideas so far. From this I found that:

I was to produce an identity for my client that portrayed their business as being professional and formal yet affordable. This brief will also focus on students as the target audience however I must still attract a wider group of people so the business is not limited. Identifying what this audience will want is essential for the production of a successful final resolution. I will explore this through research

This brief will test my communication with the client as it is essential I can receive his opinion and feedback. Although I have been asked for a number of set deliverables, I also have the opportunity to push the project and explore the brief further.

I have been asked to produce:

a logo,

business card,

informative publication/lookbook,

and flyer

however have also been asked to look at additions to the brief such as social media and possibly a website.

My next step will be to research the appropriate for the progression in my project.

OUGd504 - Final Video

I talked to Simon about my app once the design was finalised and was navigable using Adobe XD. We discussed how my app may be difficult to understand without added annotations but also found that they weren’t necessary.

This conversation led me to bring my video into Adobe After Effects where I would be able to add text, audio track and the Monotype logo into the final video.

Past experience with After Effects during the workshops earlier in the term meant I was confident enough to make my video quickly and to a good level. I added text in different places in the video that I felt may need explaining. For this I used Malabar Bold, a typeface I found that was used consistently on Monotype's website. I also wanted to add an audio file suitable for the work produced. After looking through a number of instrumentals I decided to use the beat from Spaceship by Kanye West which was successful in bringing my final video together.

OUGD504 - Evaluation

One thing that I feel has helped my project considerably has been my broad research on Monotype as a company. From evaluating their history and looking at design features they themselves have used, I believe my response has suitable links  that work well to fit within the brands aesthetic. My ‘social media of typography’ app gives users multiple different ways to find a font. This is something that will attract a large amount of users. 

Because this design for screen project allowed me to write my own brief, I was able to set myself points and targets to help guide me smoothly through the work. Such points included creating an app that was immersive and engaging by not only looking at the user interface but also the user experience. I did this by considering my design conscious target audience throughout my project. Having a good understanding through research and crit groups lead me knowing the most suitable ideas and features to include in my app.

There were however a few things I felt could be improved. Because of limitations in Adobe XD there were features I had to change from my original wireframes which could have worked better if they were as first planned. One such example was not being able to add keyboards. Although this wasn’t necessary within the final video, would have better demonstrated some of the features. Another exmple was the navigation bar at the top of the screen on each page which went out of view as you scroll down the content. Both of these problems couldbe solved by a develper. This point also demonstrates the importance of choosing the correct developer for the work that is being produced. The lecture and further research has informed me about the use and importance of working with developers during a digital design process.

Overall, I feel my design layout provides clear links to the target audience has in turn helped with the user experience. I feel that putting this first has helped me design a mre interesting brief as I was able to explore what other people would want for an app such as this.