OUGD603: Brief 2- Evaluation

I am extremely pleased with the visual outcome for this branding project. Working with black and white and subtly is something I am not used to doing but it fits the brief for FLORA extremely well. Within this brief I have been able to problem solve through time management and sourcing materials to screen print, out sourced stickers, gift cards and brought all these together into the photography studio with flowers to bring the brand to life and in context. 

The use of black and white really shows the minimal element and showcases the flowers as the product of the florist. The use of a serif font and icon symbolises tradition and a trustworthy brand that is sophisticated and classic. The florist is based in Bath and aims to be a high end boutique florist, therefore all of these connotations are perfectly suited for a classic English florist store. The brief stated that there should be an icon and high end feel to the store, which I feel I have achieved with the use of a strong serif font, and refined flower icon. The icon also works by itself on items such as the flower wrap to represent the brand. The use of black and white for the branding enables a subtle approach for my design work and showcases the client’s products, which are their flower bouquets. As they can be multiple colours by using black and white only it ensures the company can use their branding consistently and without clashing colours.

By completing this brief I have been able to work on a project, which doesn’t demand any colour palettes at all, and this was something challenging for me as I am used to working with colour. It was also an opportunity to build on my skills using illustrator but generally to learn how to minimise the content on the page with a less is more intent. Researching for this project was incredibly interesting and personally was a great experience to produce branding for a genre of store that can sometimes have a dated and overly flourished aesthetic.

Through completing this brief I have researched into design elements of logos and website layouts for higher end brands. This has helped me to further understand my practice as a designer but most importantly how the branding of FLORA would sit in a commercial market. Much like the first brief I produced this year I am becoming more confident in showing branding across a range of materials and in this brief it really brings FLORA as a brand alive and into context as a florist. By putting the logo and icon onto different elements and photographing them it shows how the artwork could really work as a live and realistic brand. 

I feel as though the work I have produced really fits the brief set my Orca design studio and has allowed me to complete another brief to add to my behance page. 

https://www.behance.net/gallery/36277971/Flora-Boutique-Florist-Branding

I found difficulties in organising the brief in terms of accessing print facilities, getting artwork ready in time for photographing and bringing it all together in the studio. However in the end I am happy with the results even though it took much longer than expected to screen print onto A2 as this is something I haven't done before.