The most important learning curve gained through this project is the applications I learned the use of during the process. This is the list of programs I learnt;
Illustrator
Brackets.io
Emmet
Beautify
After Effects
Polymer Project
Zurb Framework
Slack
GitHub
Filezilla
GoDaddy
cPanel
Google Material
When creating my self-promotion pack, I wanted to create a set of items that represented my brand in a specific way. I wanted to come across in a manner that was seen as luxury with a high quality to it, this was following my research of luxurious branding how they presented themselves as not just a product but as a way of life. By using a maximum of three colours, two of which being different tones of purple throughout the packaging I have created general look across everything I have produced, this makes it easily recognisable as part of something produced by AKB Design.
From my research about a self-promotion pack I knew that I had to create something that I could send out to the client so that I could close the deal. I wanted to create a little a package that would contain something that would be nice to look at and be an enjoyable experience for the client to open. In it I created a iPhone mockup which included information about myself such as what I can do and again contact details. I also created a mini poster that would describe their perfect designer and then explain that I am that designer. I also gave them a discount card within it so that they felt like they were getting a better deal.
I also created a envelope for my letterhead that followed the same design cues as my promo pack. It had simple design which took advantage of white space which created pleasant packaging for the letter. It was folded and shaped in an unusual way which makes it stand out from the crowd, which is something that has to be done as a designer because then a client is more likely to use your services, because if you stand out from the crowd and are able to show you can make that happen for yourself, then you more than definitely will be able to do it for someone else.
I think it was the depth of my research that really helped this stage become as successful as it did, understanding what others did allowed me to understand what I needed to do be professional but again what I could do differently to stand out from the crowd. Essentially my research allowed me to think outside of the box because i was researching what others ‘inside the box’ had previously done.
An example of this was my business card, I wanted to create something that would explain what I did without really having to read too much on the card. Again research played a massive part in this because I found the most successful business cards reflected the line of work that they were representing, therefore I chose a the design of a laptop, and added my logo to it, on the screen I created a mockup that didn’t advertise google but reflected it so that people understood what it was, then showed alb design at the top.
After creating the letter, I thought I would also design the envelope it would be sent in due to its’s unusual shape. I started with miniature versions due to it’s normal size being so large and created the different iterations, then I printed it out large scale. I have written the numbers 1-5 on the actual versions I have handed in so you are aware of which order they were made.
Firstly I created the initial mockup out of paper creating the envelope and insert to go with it. I later decided this is the format I wanted the letter to be in because of it’s shape compared to what I then considered to be the actual marketing piece. I was reasonably happy with this step but was then somewhat forced to make some slight changes to the sizes due to decisions I had made when creating the letter design itself. This meant I now had a longer and slightly thinner envelope.
Mockup number two was when I digitalised my designs and got the basic map of the envelope (I learnt this was required when creating envelopes from my trip to Wyke printers). I made sure that I had purple as the primary colour, the logo, address and stamp area.
When creating mockup number three, I noticed the fact that the letter would be upside down because it would be coming from the left rather than the right so I changed this. I moved the semi circle to the correct position to allow the client to easily take out the contents of the letter. Then I flipped the colour side with the logo, I created a white box for the address area so that the font could stay purple then I added the stamp area. I also inverted the colours of my logo and reduced the opacity so you can faintly see my logo under the stamp.
The fourth mockup I made was simply to add colour to the flaps as then I had given them some bleed.
The fifth mockup was after I realised I had added the wrong tone of purple to the design and it didn’t match the other material I had produced, I also changed the stamp area size to match the specific measurements of a stamp. I also added a line of colour to the top and the bottom of this version as then it felt like it blended with the back colour better. You can see all the different mockups below and also the final version.
I am very happy with my overall product as it looks professional but like my promotional pack, I think if I had the opportunity to do this again I would print it on card rather than gloss as i feel the texture takes away from the experience. I would also add the full logo with words aswell as I don’t think it works without it.
Now I had completed and printed my final versions for my self promotion pack it was time to create the packaging that would be used to send the material out to the client I decided to save paper and time to make mockups but instead of printing real sized versions I would print them to fit on an a4 piece of paper. I had already created a mockup with paper glued together to give me an idea of what it would look like.
Next was to create a digital version of this, something I had learnt from my trip to Wyke Printers was that if I were too create my designs professionally I would create a map for my printouts this would mean there are less visible edge and creates a better user experience. The first mockup can be seen below.
I have got the overall grid sizing correct and have lines for the necessary folds in the relevant places. This version allowed me to understand any required changes before creating the final version.
In my final version I have created, I have resized the address on the back, added a darker purple to the front then also created a cutout area on the front so it is easier for the user to access the stuff inside.
Below are all the different versions I have created oldest to newest from left to right.
Having printed out a real version of the design, gluing it together, in turn allowing me to put the marketing pieces inside, I have realised a couple of flaws that I would probably change if I had the opportunity to do it again. Firstly I dislike the texture of the glossy paper, I think it feels cheap and not as ‘luxurious’ as the card option I could have chosen, also I think it would have been better to include my full branding on the front with the words “AKB Design” along with the logo. I printed it without the words because I believe it would simpler and fit in with the ‘less is more’ approach to design but I have since changed my mind and I would add the wording in now. The final mockup to look at in person looks a little rough around the edges, I believe this is because of the lack of equipment when putting the final piece together. I have left marks where I have tried to score on the outside, the way round this would be to print on the other side and score that side instead. Also, one of the inserts was slightly too big for the packaging so I had create a different fold for the ‘lid’, you will see now that there is a white section on the back because of this mistake. Other than these reasonably small issues, I am very pleased with my final mockup as it fits in with the general over theme, has a maximum of three colours throughout and only used two fonts. Finally if I was to create this properly I would adjust these small issues and then use a professional press to apply the cuts and scores for me so I had a cleaner finish, i would research into better methods of joining them together so they would lay flat.
I came across this promotional piece for Natwests mobile banking app, it simulates a mobile phone with the actual leaflet within the screen, then when you open the leaflet it has the relevant content. Something worth noting here is that they have used no more than three colours throughout the piece of marketing. As a web designer I could use this idea to promote what I do, this is something I will consider for part of my promotional piece.
Self promotional item is important because promotes you and your services, if done correctly it can gain you customers. There are many things you can do, from providing a portfolio of your work to a simple toy or gift that the customer will want to keep so that they are constantly reminded of you.
What is the point of this piece?
This piece of self-promotion is something you can send a potential client when they are half interested in your services. It needs to contain some person info to make me interesting, tel the client what I do, why i’m the best and then close the sale to get them to contact me to take up my services. I will research this then decide how I will do it myself.
Jon cleave created a wonderful experience which is a portfolio of his work in a book, a business card and a letter all sealed in a large envelope with wax stamp, you can see this here;
Wong Sockying is a graphic communication graduate from Singapore and this is what she sends to her clients;
It is design help sent in a box, all the cures for every types of different design jobs, this way the client has a fun experience of the designer but also learns what Wong does, brilliant self-promotion.
Another designer, Christer Dahlslett has gone down the route of being medical, by providing a operating table and surgical equipment and also the doctors notes card which has all her personal details, you can see this one below;
Farm design go in a complete different direction. To brand their company and all the different services they provide they have likened themselves to a set of ice pop. Each Ice pop represents one of the different services they do, and they have a flavour board which describes each one. This one works really well because it arrives in a cool box so it would have to be opened straight away and contains quite a few so has to be shared with colleagues within the office which gets them talking about the company, and the more people that know about the business the better. Also who doesn’t like ice pops? Check them out here;
Something I noticed is that each one has a consistent design throughout, which helps with continuity. This can be seen here really well too where George has put a portfolio of his work together and uses a colourful diamond system to give it a nice overall design.
So from my research I have found that continuity in the design is important, making it interesting for the client to use is a massively important and if you can get them talking about it to others, even better. In a sense having a gimmick, something for the client to play with makes them look at your branding longer so you are winning more advertising time with them. Continuity, interesting and gimmicks are the three most important things I have learn’t from my research so my next step will be to decide what I will create.
References:
To understand the process of creating a physical hand out like a business card or letterhead, I found it was vital to research the companies that produce these things. I organised a visit to G.F. Smith, the paper manufacturer and Wyke Printers.
One of the first things I learnt when being showed around Wyke Printers was about the ‘blueprint’, a paper cutout of anything that needs to be folded and cut to create a certain shape. The photo below shows the blueprint design for a folder that the company Lincat are paying Wyke printing for. You can see the design has dotted lines for folds and hard lines to be cut. The layout of the content is shown as it would be so that should there be any mistakes, they can be easily resolved. There are many machines in the building that do lot’s of different jobs, things like stapling books together, printing, checking colour levels etc.
Along the top of each piece of paper printed, there is a set of colour codes which are read by the computer system, this will determine whether each machine has the correct amount of each colour in it. Wyke use CMYK (reason for this has been mentioned in previous research). You can see the numbers on the machine actually match up to the different colour sets on the paper.
Finally I shared the initial ideas for my self promotion material, and was shown the piece of equipment you can see below, if I was to create my designs on a mass scale, I would use a printing press, this basically is laid out like the blueprint you can see at the beginning of this post and will make the relevant scores and cuts on the paper, this saves time and money. Then all that needs to happen is the relevant folds, glue and and then they are shipped to the customer. This is obviously ideal and has shaped the way I will arrange my designs. This is the press I was shown:
My brief is to create a logo, this logo is going to represent me as a student, the work that I produce, something I will be able to use to brand my work as my own and become instantly recognisable to the people who view it. With little knowledge of branding, I plan to study and revise key concepts that will affect my final design.
Initial thoughts on my logo are that I want it to be based upon the name “BRODIE” so it is instantly recognisable as my own, it should be somewhat relatable to a computer or the web as i am a web designer. I have written these initial thoughts before I start my research so that you can see how my ideas develop after I have researched further into the world of branding.
akbrodie.wordpress.com 