OUGD601 - Critical Essay Subject?

Over the summer break my focus and interests changed in terms of the themes I wanted to explore for my context of practice 3 module. As originally stated, motion is still a field of design I will be experimenting with and pushing further within my practise - however I was drawn to, after spending my entire summer working behind a bar in a high-end restaurant, the ever-evolving graphic design styles and approaches surrounding the alcohol industry. This has always been something which has intrigued me.. especially now!

With the rise of more and more independent brands of beer, craft and gin, etc, it was clear to me how the design style for these products have been rapidly developing too - with beautifully crafted and extremely out there and artistic packaging and label design. I started to consider how I could sculpt my critical essay around this evolving design and explore how things like brand and consumer psychology have influenced it too.   
Just from chatting to people at the bar I started gathering some initial ideas and research to get me going -

- Classic Gin bottles based on medicine bottles 

- Angester and bitters used to be used medically 

- Gin isn't naturally british - is dutch

William Hogarth - Gin lane and beer street



Beer Street and Gin Lane are two prints issued in 1751 by English artist William Hogarth in support of what would become the Gin Act. Designed to be viewed alongside each other, they depict the evils of the consumption of gin as a contrast to the merits of drinking beer.

On the simplest level, Hogarth portrays the inhabitants of Beer Street as happy and healthy, nourished by the native English ale, and those who live in Gin Lane as destroyed by their addiction to the foreign spirit of gin; but, as with so many of Hogarth's works, closer inspection uncovers other targets of his satire, and reveals that the poverty of Gin Lane and the prosperity of Beer Street are more intimately connected than they at first appear. Gin Lane shows shocking scenes of infanticide, starvation, madness, decay and suicide, while Beer Street depicts industry, health, bonhomie and thriving commerce.

Focuses? 

- The rise of independent craft breweries and the growing GD surrounding

- Alcohol branding in general - brand psychology? consumerism?

- How does consumerism & culture effect brand psychology?

- Why do we buy into certain brands? 

- Do commercial beer brands establish their own identity or is it all down the consumers?

*** focusing on the brand and consumer psychology surrounding the rise of craft beers - and the whole visual aesthetic to it