OUGD601 - Evaluation

Overall looking back, I am very pleased with my COP topic choice as I was able to select something I am not only passionate about but is also strongly applicable to most forms of graphic design - so it will definitely be beneficial for me in the future. I found it thoroughly interesting looking into the psychology that goes into both branding and consumerism and how those two go hand in hand in our society. 
Considering branding in general allowed me to understand how us as humans buy into certain products to fulfil our often subconscious desires - from expressing our own identities and personalities through what we consume, to signifying group memberships to feel like we belong within society. It was intriguing to then see how all of this was directly adaptable, to more specifically, the craft beer industry and to analyse how the approach of brand identities for this more artisanal and exclusive community has changed the market for the more commercial lager brands. Through the consideration of a brands portrayed tone of voice and personality this allows the consumer to align themselves with a brand and engage at an emotional level, which is what sits craft so far away from commercial lager, I thoroughly enjoyed taking this concept and trying to recreate something of similar meaning myself - especially cause its beer!

I think it is fair to say I have achieved what I set out to, through the production of a spin-off craft beer concept which has been added to the Carling 'Black label' line. Through taking an existing successful commercial brand and spinning it on its side, I was able to understand in more depth how the branding approaches differ dependent on the market you are designing for. By taking the main concluded points from my essay I was able to apply these values of craft to the commercial brand and produce a convincing and enticing identity for the new IPA - supported by real life concepts connecting us at a global scale, whilst still being politically sound and gender neutral appropriate!

I have noticed how my ability to produce mass volumes of work and options has improved whilst still remaining at a professional quality, increasing the scope of my projects and allowing me to consider and highlight more and more routes to achieve the final desired output. This is essential for when designing in the real world, as the client wants to know the designer has considered it from every angle to find the most efficient and pleasing route around the problem which will boost their product/service in the most effective way. 
This year, I do feel as if my time management is slowly improving with credit to how self-directed this year has been. It has given me a better taste of what working at a professional level will be like, having to mange and prioritise briefs in my own time. Once I got past the initial hiccup of pinning my concept down at the beginning of the project I was able to build my arguements in the essay and then respond to it practically accordingly and simultaneously - this was down to my contextual and practical research supporting both sides of the project, really strengthening my understanding of branding on a whole and applied to craft vs commercial beer.

I have retained my ability to produce top quality mockups which could be used in the professional world to showcase anything from ideas to a client, to the final output on a billboard. This, in turn, has allowed me to appreciate the importance in this day and age of ensuring designs can be adaptable across a huge range of products. Online presence and design for screen plays such an important role in design and advertising today as that is the most direct route to the developing target audiences. And this links nicely with my re-occuring interest in motion design and social media. 

I loved how, not even in this project in-particular, I let myself be inspired by an array of different mediums - it doesn't have to be specific to graphic design, I always let my passions come in to play and influence what I am doing creatively which I think allows my work to naturally develop alongside me and build this picture of me as a designer on a whole for my portfolio. In this project it was through the consideration of tattoos influencing my illustration style to end up with a justified and bold piece.

In terms of what could have gone better, I think I could've pushed the physical deliverables slightly further by actually letter-pressing the typography on the bottle, emphasising the craft process through other processes such as embossing, etc. I could have even used a higher quality stock, however I did not think it was entirely necessary for what I was portraying - I still produced it physically to test if it would fit into the real life environment and that is reflected as well as it needs to be.

To push the project further I could've got in touch with more of the local breweries I initially stated - I have definitely learnt for next time that I shouldn't be afraid to make these connections as it will only strengthen my work and concept, as well as my contact list! - most people want to be helpful too, the worst I'll get is an abrupt no!

One thing I constantly evaluate is my ability to remember to pre-book print slots! I am useless at this and it needs to change as this is what will allow for as much physical experimentation as possible (money dependent!), and it will provide a more developed structure to my project on a whole. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed designing for craft beer and I will definitely be pushing my work for this project online as far as I can to open up some potential opportunities within the industry!

OUGD601 - Practical - Finals / Feedback

I gathered all my final outputs together to analyse them individually and on a whole.

Overall, I feel as though I have produced a well balanced, impactful craft beer label design which not only stands out from the competition due to its use of colour and illustration; but provides a strong concept and background story to the beer - which both engages consumers on more of an emotional level, but also pays homage to the celebration of 200 years of Carling and the introduction of a new venture for them down the route of craft! I have picked up on the selling points of craft from my essay and adopted them into a more commercial brand in a way which not only follows on from the original branding, but looks back to the past and heritage to create something new and eye-catching, which is adaptable to a range of linked products.



- The crit suggested to me how it doesn't clearly state 'black label' on the bottle's label design anywhere but in the small print - they are still obviously consistent which eachother on a whole but this is something which could have been included on the label in a more obvious way for the consumer to make the link to Carling Black Label. 
- This is something I will consider however I can argue against it as it will work differently dependant on where it is situated. On a tap in a pub people will see the brand name of Carling and feel more open to trying it, whereas on the bottle it is less needed as you would expect they already like to experiment with craft if they are choosing bottles - the design is more what pulls those types of people in, not the fact that it is branded Carling, but more the interest and story of the visuals of the bottle and how it relates.

- It does effectively plot the other information shown on the bottle label in a succinct enclosed logo mark for use across the other product ranges. 
- As shown beneath this can work in the real world as a beer tap/pump sign, and will also fit onto outputs such as websites, social media platforms, posters/flyers, merchandise like beer glasses, t-shirts, beer matts, key rings, etc!


   

The Final Mockups represent the bottle from all angles and would apply to promotional material very professionally. 

The moving gif shows how it would be adaptable to promotion on-screen too - which is essential in todays market, especially with my research showing me how there is a growth in the craft beer demographic of young, tech savvy millennials who are influenced by what they scroll past online. 

Beneath also reflects the adaptability of the logo-mark to other products too...

OUGD601 - Practical - Feedback

I mocked up all the designs onto bottles to really get a feel for how they would physically appear. I took these, as well as the flat labels too, to a crit session to help me narrow down my choices and reflect on each design individually.

- Love this design as it is very similar to the final design previously stated - however I decided against this due to the fact that the logo has a lot of the detailing within its encompassed archway shape. With the label design for the bottle it was nice to be able to spread the content out to communicate the beer in a less structured way. This also allowed me to re-use this logo for something more specific - for the draught beer taps where the information does require to fit within more of a set space. In turn, giving me the chance to experiment with logo designs which were consistent and recognisable to the brand yet varying slightly for different purposes across the product range.





- Love the strength and impact of the above illustrations for Carling BLACK Label, however was suggested how this impact can be lost on this medium - as the design wraps round the bottle it is harder to view them fitting together as a whole. So by being initially viewed on the shelf it can be a problem but then again some people prefer more of an interactive design which requires you to pick it up and spin it round and inspect in closer detail. 
- too much white space
- The vertically rotated text is probably more impactful for the same reason than when it wraps around the bottle.



- On the other hand, for this particular design it is a positive thing how the design wraps around the bottle as is intriguing. The structure of information is positioned neatly to each side of the enclosing box - it works differently with this design as it keeps the illustration inside an encompassed box providing the straight-edge framework for the rest of the elements to fit around.




- Under-estimated the power of more minimal, stripped back design. The plain background sits the content centre stage whilst also reinforcing the colours of Ireland and Guinness. Just unsure of how the horizontal text may wrap too widely around the bottle to be viewed from just one angle. Which is why rotating it may not be a bad idea (as shown beneath - makes use of the space better too, enhancing the negative space which is still present)...





Combining this illustration with the Irish idea does look fantastic, and it has left me with a really engaging and humorous label design which would fit perfectly into the market. The edgy, space / surrealist feel to it portrays the new style within craft nicely, although the concept behind it is lacking in comparison to that of my final design. 



- This layout works very efficiently, seating name and story of the beer close together, giving the illustration its own space and spotlight, whilst having the necessary info on the opposite side to the other written elements. Good balanced design. 
- Visually this coloured version is very intriguing and strong linking back to the concept well, but it is agreed that it isn't as strong of a concept as the consistency of having the bolder, black illustrations allowing it to better represent 'Carling Black Label'.



The above design is one of the later options - as layout is the exact same as the final version (beneath), apart from swapping to the starry night version of the illustration and also obviously changing the colour from orange to red/pink. Seeing them next to eachother did allow the critical group to understand my concept in more depth and all opt for the red/pink version due to its stronger justifications and ties to the whole story behind the concept of the beer. It was suggested how the bottom stripped should be lighter than than the rest of the label (as oppose to the grey used above) and I also got rid of the road marks at the bottom as they were not necessary and only added confusion.




Overall, I am very pleased with the final outcome and will now experiment with how I can push the designs into the real world most effectively. 

<-- Can see how (as discussed before) have successfully used a variation of the logo used on the label as the actual logo mark for the Zamalek IPA identity to go off of. 

OUGD601 - Practical - Label Designs

Black Label Layouts - I took all my illustrations and started mocking them up in various label layouts - considering how the information can be organised most clearly and efficiently for the consumer to digest quickly upon viewing it on the shelf. 

As the design would be wrapped around the bottle, I needed to consider how different type alignment would weigh up against eachother when actually on the bottle..

- As I am aiming to be celebrating 200 years of Carling through the introduction of a spin-off of a classic I wanted that to be clear but still recognisable back to Carling subtle ways. I did this through the choice of type - as its form is familiar to the actual logotype of the brand, feeling strong yet more of a crafted approach through the letterpress style of lettering, with imperfect ink and erosion of the lettering, reflecting that of craft.

- I experimented with the positioning and alignment of the main title - rotating and shifting words up a line and down, etc. 
- Aswell as the positioning and alignment of the detailing that would fit within the more structured table of information on the side.

- I wanted the illustration to be the main focus of attention, celebrating the artwork and reinforcing the concept of "Black label" with bold "Blackwork" linear illustrations; this will be closely followed by the visible and bold word-form upon spinning the bottle slightly 
- (but with the layout I did aim to reduce having to spin the bottle as much as possible so even when it is just present on the shelf versus all the other competitors the consumer is intrigued and educated on this beer as quickly as possible, as my research does show how little of the consumers time you now have!)








- I aimed to kee type size as consistent and structured as I could. As I am predominantly using just the one typeface this did provide the consistency on the label, but I want to ensure it has an overall balance through form too.

- Although the above designs are aiming to not only celebrate Carling, but celebrate the artists work too (similar to the ideas behind Omnipollo and To Øl) I thought it'd be best if I considered providing some more content/story to the beer itself. This is where I could really let the desired tone of voice reinforce the product and allow those emotional connections to be made. 

"We are ready to celebrate here at Carling! Are you?! To commemorate 200 years of our golden heritage, we will be introducing a new Black Label product.. Ladies & Gentleman, say hello to The New Black Label IPA.

Even stronger, hoppier yet dry. Enjoy!"

I wanted it to feel professional to stay appropriate for the global audience which Carling sees. But at the same time, allow it to feel less serious and more casual, like you are actually chatting with an old friend who is introducing you to their new discovery; allowing it fit with the demographic and laid back, experimental style of craft in a stronger way. 
As it is celebratory I am encouraging the party, fun and consumption, but in a civilised way. The style of writing asks rhetorical questions to the consumer allowing it to feel personal and directed (aiming to trigger an emotional response).


















- I do love 'Savate' as a typeface due to its unique and unusual style. It fits the experimental style of craft perfectly however, for this style under the Carling brand - it probably isn't most appropriate.

Inspired by the whole underlying space references/themes I started to think about how I could actually incorporate the more colourful illustrations onto the labels - also injecting colour into the label backgrounds and typography rather just through experiments with textured brush stroke backgrounds...



















- The purple was meant to invoke mystery and depth to the concept.
- Introduction of colour did lead to some strict colour palettes, did not want to overwhelm or detract from the overall design. 



Re-introduced all my ideas for the Irish concept?
- As the illustration is meant to be so charismatic and eye-grabbing, I kept the background plain and contrasted from the coloured type - still representing the colours of Guinness - black/grey aired with the gold, then injected with the traditional Irish Leprechaun colours - greens, orange and white.

- The names of these are meant to be cheeky and representative of the stereotyped humour of an Irish man. 

- The sense of humour in the first one in-particular is directly relatable to the character from Rick and Morty - it is relevant to the desired style if you couldn't make the connection, but re-apprioriates his use in the show well to a different product. 
- am worried about the originality of this ideas however...



.. which is why I developed my own character!





A very useful feedback session with some course mates prior, inspired me to try and combine the various works and approaches I have done together, to see what new ideas it could bring to the table..





... it inspired very Nick Dwyer-esque illustration layout for the label and a very silly name! Could genuinely see this working as a completely differently approached spin-off product for an Irish brand - maybe not Guinness, as their style is too high-end/classic - even through their Hop 13 and other existing spin-off products I have seen in my research.
_____________________________________________________________


Began honing this back to the supported Egyptian/Zamalek concept


Considered the different ways each element of the design can fit together.

The title running vertically on the label vs. horizontally 
- pros of vertical - consumes less space, provides a break in the design BUT not as quickly legible.
- pros of horizontal - layout can feel more considered - like editorial, legible quicker, have to consider if the whole word can be viewed from a facing view or if it wraps around the whole bottle.

Confirmed that Savate is not the right typeface to match this style of Egyptian crossed with Carling.
High Voltage is much more impactful and fitting.

Needed to provide some context to the story of the Zamalek IPA. Behind where the nick-name in South Africa came from and how I am re-appropriating that into a 'STRONGER' introduction of the 'Zamalek', but through how Carling are now venturing into IPA's too..

"In the 90s, Egyptian football club Zamalek played against South African side Kaiser Chiefs and handed them a walloping. Local fans claimed that Zamalek football club was as strong as Carling Black Label."

Again, I wanted the tone of voice to feel professional in order to stay appropriate for the global audience which Carling sees; but at the same time, allow it to feel less serious and more casual - it should educate consumers on where the concept has came from whilst invoking conversation too. The is reinforced through the use of informal words like 'walloping', aiming to begin breaking down those over-serious barriers present in some branding and start encouraging engagement with the brand on more of a emotional/semantic level. For example, igniting fond memories such as remembering a funny related story from the 90s told by your Grandad at halftime of a football game perhaps with your Zamalek IPA in hand. This is what stays with the consumer.

Then I also wanted to cleverly reference their use of the nick-name "as strong as a pint of Zamalek".. (to encourage empowerment and positivity - can be perceived as masculine, or gender neutral!!)

"Things just got stronger. Be as strong as a Zamalek IPA."

Other info/detailing: (describing the product, but also giving back to the purpose of Carling)

"A Strong, Hoppy, Dry IPA"

"Celebrating 200 years of Carling" 

- More layout experimentation - seeing how it can all fit together and flow most efficiently and visually clear.








The introduction of colour into my illustrations inspired me to see how this could become directly adaptable to the concept.. 
Referencing the Egyptian, sandy, desert-y, summery vibes which in itself could invoke engagement.




However, it was agreed that the impact of the black illustrations was much stronger and clear, alongside the Carling Black Label concept. It kept the label more consistent and strict to a colour scheme - which was solely experimented through a hand-crafted, brush stroke texture background which somewhat supports the use of imperfect letter-press styled lettering across the overall identity.

- Definitely prefer the starry night version of the illustration beneath. Gives more to the hint of surrealism within my work - more mysterious and intriguing.



I went back into my research into Zamalek as a footballing side to see how I could maybe find one last connection/justification to them to strengthen the concept. I had previously used more of a summer inspired orange for the texture to try and give back to the idea of Egypt, but decided a stronger justification would be to directly relate to the football teams colours they play in - white, black and red!

The red stripped back and with a lower opacity within the texture appears quite pink, however I do not see this as a bad thing. It is still a homage to Zamalek FC - the strongest football team to enter South Africa - but it also allows the brand to touch on more of its feminine side too, and in this day and age, gender equality and neutrality is never something to be frowned upon, especially with growing markers of female beer drinkers.

Thus, the final label design was decided upon.

OUGD601 - Practical - Product Range & Distribution

 Upon designing the various options for my logo - I began to consider how I could have slightly different versions, but still using the same recognisable elements (ensuring consistency), for use on the bottle but then use on other promotional material and products too - (like pump/tap designs for draught beer, can versions (easier for out and about), beer matts, other merch like t-shirts, glasses, etc)

This could include using more of an enclosed structured version of the logo for on the larger pump taps (as shown below), and then more of a free, illustrative version for on the actual label of the bottle. This way the design speaks more freely to the consumer whilst still being recognisable back to the overall brand identity when they communicate with it elsewhere.

Introduced an orange brush-stroke texture - in a attempt to better reinforce the desert-y, sandy, Egyptian vibes! 
- Tried different styles, blending options and opacities for the desired effect.



 


This is most likely the main version of the logo, however how could I break this design up a bit more to allow me to distribute the enclosed info around the label more freely and also enlarge the elements of the illustration - with more of a focus on the palm trees, eye and archway.




 Can use this design on the pump instead 
however. 

Would definitely fit the overall shape and style of pump signs better...

Can definitely test it in it's natural environment...

































I began trialling the use of different version of the same logo - various archway designs and layouts.



- Definitely missing the palm trees and eye

OUGD601 - Practical - Labels?

It is necessary to consider whether I will be designing for on a Can or bottle?

The trend of craft beer in cans is definitely on the rise.

Canned beer has long been considered the bottom-shelf, second-class citizens of the beer world. The negative attitude towards canned beer is rapidly changing as craft breweries across the country choose canning over bottling for the many benefits that cans provide. 

As this packaging becomes more popular, the debate over the taste and quality of canned versus bottled beer rages on. Here are the pros and cons of each type of packaging:

The Canned vs. Bottled Beer Debate
CANS
•Practical:
Everyone can agree that cans are much more practical than bottles, especially for outdoor recreation. They don’t shatter, never require an opener, weigh less, fit more handily into a cooler, and impact the environment less.

•Metallic Taste:
About half of craft beer consumers say that cans impart a distinct metallic taste in the beer, and the other half say they taste no difference. Recently a study was conducted that analyzed the perceived taste difference in canned versus bottled beers. Researchers didn’t detect any metallic taste in the canned beers, and found little to no taste differences between canned and bottled versions of each beer.

•Better for the Environment:
Canned beer weighs less and requires less packaging than bottled beers, therefore reducing breweries’ overall carbon footprint and expenses.

•Quality:
Cans are completely airtight and keep out all light, therefore preventing the beer inside from becoming tainted.

BOTTLES

•Stay Cold Longer:
While bottles may initially take longer to cool down than cans, they stay cold much longer once taken out of the fridge or cooler.

•Quality:
Translucent amber glass has long been proven to protect beer from light and air, and allows for a smooth pour.

•Taste:
While many perceive canned beers to have a metallic taste, glass bottles have no impact on a beer’s flavor, allowing for a more “pure” tasting beer.

•Image:
Beer has long been defined by its packaging, and bottled beers are usually seen as classic, higher quality purchases than canned beer. Definitely something which is tied to the quality and connoisseurship within craft.

•Impractical:
Bottles are heavy, require lots of packaging, not environmentally friendly, and difficult to transport if you buy anything larger than a six-pack.

While canned beer is on the rise, bottled beer isn’t going anywhere. 

It does have more of an exclusive and quality feel to it, more so than cans and I think they definitely stand out on a shelf typically being taller - both however vary in sizes - bottles typically 330ml for most craft brands, but can go larger of course.

Although my design will be easily adaptable to both bottle and can, for this project I will be directing my design and mockups towards bottled beer and then will consider draught pump designs too. Not can.

- Label size? 

I looked at various bottled craft to consider how the label sizes vary and also whether I want to include a label for the neck too?

Some beers do make use of a neck label however it is not necessary for the branding to be effective.

For most beers the label was atleast 17.5cm - 18cm to ensure it wrapped around the whole bottle. 

Then in terms of length of the label it varied from as wide as 8.5mm to as thin as 5mm (Redchurch - Shoreditch Blonde).

The wider labels do allow for more of a fluid design which can wrap all around; but the thinner labels, which prioritise information in a structured yet minimal and non over-complicated way, are just as effective.
- the label doesn't require endless detailing and ingredients, etc when it comes to craft. Priority should be reflecting the story behind the beer and brewery and then clearly distinguishing this through the combination of type and illustration/image.






Some beers not only feature the neck label, but also make use of front and back labels - instead of one continuous. 
This means you can sit the graphics on the front - drawing that initial consumer attention whilst still feeling minimal and un-complicated - then they feature the necessary information on the back.

This is definitely something I can consider upon laying out my designs, however I do like playing with how text and image can slot into one and other and compliment eachother; rather than being separate elements of the design.

The images show how I considered various beer brands and the dimensions of labels they used and how they balanced out the various information across the label/s.




































- Style?

Not only did I look at a few from my collection of craft beer bottles, I visited the local craft shop aswell as looking online to consider all the various approaches that craft brands use to balance their various information upon the label.

Brands I was physically inspired by were the likes of Brew by Numbers, Yeastie Boys, and Beavertown.

I drew some rough layout ideas to see how I could structure the information on the label.








Information to include: Ingredients? Flavours? ABV? Units? Volume? Bottled on? Best Before? Beer and brewery story/info? Website?