OUGD603: Brief 5- Initial Research

To be able to understand how MARVELLOUS MACAROONS would sit as a bakery/ patisserie on the high street is important to look at existing companies logos, branding and how they position themselves in terms of their tone of voice. 

From looking online I found a variety of logos which looked similar to this one as they are a modern take on traditional sign painting. Especially with the shadow behind 'bakery' and the flourishes in the design. The macaroons branding should avoid this as they want to portray themselves as a modern and progressively creative brand. The use of natural colours is quite common within bakery branding as it links to the products. However Macaroons come in a range of colours and flavours therefore the branding should reflect this use of colour and craft. 

Again, much like the previous image it follows a traditional style. However the use of a circle with pointed edges resembles that of bakery packaging and the products. Macaroons are a rounded shape similar to this and this may be a subtle link to the product. 

I have seen in trends online that banners seem to be used within logos and this lifts the design from being flat to a somewhat three dimensional piece. In the context of this logo it really works as the layout of the type makes it easy to read. 

There are also different design elements found in logos for bakers which symbolise 'craft' through a handwritten font. This displays a human touch within the logo and a quirky/ crafty aura to the brand. However for macaroons it is important that the branding portrays bold, clean and colour and a handwritten font simply wouldn't resolve this. 

Macaroons are traditionally french, so therefore I looked at the french chain found in the UK. As I have visited france quite frequently I have found that the majority of the modern bakeries have bold colours and simple sans serif fonts. I believe this is because colour is used more often in European branding. However because Patisserie Valerie is marketed towards British people so the use of art nouveau inspired font definitely portrays traditional and stereotypical expectations of a french bakery. For the macaroon branding I want to stay away from using stereotypical 'french' design such as referring back to historically over used design. 

Millie's is a well known brand on the high street and incredibly successful and well known. When I have seen the stores in person such as in shopping centres and train stations what stand out the most is the contrast between black/ white and a bright colour. Using a similar colour palette for my macaroons branding could a way of making the store stand out on the high street away from the traditional neutral/ natural colours normally seen in bakery branding. 

An example of a great bakery branding is Le Chalet, the simple use of typography and brand colours really stand out against the natural tones of the stone building it is based within. The blue/ teal colour is used across the website, menu and signage and the consistency within a brand is really important to remember when creating my branding for macaroons.