Six Page Story Booklet - Chris

  

This is a layout for a sort of concept booklet showcasing the story within the DECE brand. I've created this to show the illustrations in the context of a more compact promotional booklet, as to put a focus on the illustrated story for the individual assessment.   

The pages are 13cm x 13cm as to be of a good size for the illustrations to show detail. I decided to create a double-sided fold out booklet so that the story is more interactive for the viewer and so that it could be stood up and displayed. 

These are a couple more ideas - the above design featuring the 'helping hands', wool and logo knot entwined with DECE type. 

Facebook Group Link

View the Facebook page where our group interacted for the duration of this project, HERE

Final Brochure & Evaluation of the Process - Jennie Clark

The Final Product

I have now finished the long process of putting the brochure together! The end product can be seen below. I am very happy with the final brochure, i think it looks professional and would be something that the brand could actually use. I have also learnt a lot about booklet printing along the way.

 

Problems

I am extremely happy with how the brochure has come out, but the process has not been quick or easy and i have learnt a lot along the way. I encountered a lot of problems within the process that i had not anticipated.

•  Printing Alignment - As everything that i was printing was to be printed double sided, the printers had a lot of problems lining up the paper so the print was directly aligned on each side of the sheet. The pages seemed not to be as much of a problem as the cover. The cover was never aligned properly on both sides, which meant that i had to cut off 7mm from one end, and 3mm and 2mm from the top and bottom sides. 7mm is obviously a huge amount when it comes to precisily measuring a fold out cover so that it fits the whole brochure. 

• Cutting Down the Pages - As i had taken off the amounts from the cover, it meant i had to trim down all of the pages so that they fitted into the smaller cover. I was lucky on this occasion that there were no graphics printed close to the edge of the pages, otherwise i may have had to cut into them. 

• Folding the Cover - As i had to cut down the cover and pages, this meant i had to fold the cover slightly differently that i had planned. The fold out side had to be folded with a 4mm step (essentially the same as the spine but on the opposite fold). This was to ensure the brochure fitted snuggly together once it was all close up with the pages inside.  

What Have I Learnt?

 I have picked up many skills by completing this project. The problems that i have encountered have taught me a lot, and i have learnt a lot about working with a group on a design venture.

•  Bleeds on Prints - To prevent having to cut down graphics and lose measurements, in future i must add a bleed of around 5mm to each edge of the document. This means that when printing double sided and the alignment isnt perfect, i will not have to cut into the graphics on one side. Instead, the bleed will cover any white space that would have needed to be cut off.

•  Edges - As stated previously, it is never a good idea to add graphics very close to the edge of a print. This is in case any of the image needs to be trimmed off for any reason, and will give a small allowance for errors.  

• Booklet Printing - I have learnt about reordering pages for booklet printing, and i am sure i will use this skill in the future. I have also learnt to hand bind which may be handy if i produce a similar style of book in the future.

• Group Design Projects - I have learnt a lot about working with people on a group project. As everyone has different styles of designing, at times it can be hard to come together and agree on a certain style and direction. I have learnt to be sensitive about others' work, and give my specialist typography knowledge and advice where it is needed. At times, a very stressful project due to clashes and differences in opinion, yet a very eye opening experience.

Website finals- Hannah Betts

Website final pages

Before i came to the final webpages, i experimented with the backgrounds, layouts and images, creating the best layout for our target audience, trying to home in on our groups strategy of 'life changing clothing' and that not only can it change your life but it changes other people, such as the women they employ, but keeping this secondary to the products and brand.

I creating a dirty clean style by adding handmade elements, which i believe related to the products, using the typography, images and illustration to relay the idea of the brand, and making the products stand out as good quality and interesting.

For the home page we have looked at how the customers will use the website, so creating a home page that will link to the products, will make it clear for the customers and show of what Dece has to offer.

 The layout for this page uses the products with posters and photos of the target audience in action to reinforce the strap line ‘life changing clothing’ and that it could be you in the photo, becoming the silhouettes. Using web banners maximises the space for products and relating the design your own t-shirt banner with the t-shirts will give the customers inspiration, and brings in the idea of community, with the potential for designers to design a t-shirt for the charitable company.

I wanted to create a simple fun layout with a hand made design style to relate to the products and to appeal to the target audience. For the last two pages we have including the Dece story, but keeping the story separate to the branding and the products.

Woman/Handmade Web Banner - Chris

This is an additional piece done for the website. It's a banner used to illustrate the personal link between the hats/clothes and the lives of the people making them. 

Story Web Final - Chris

I've done an RGB render in a new layout for the website that's being created. 

Website designs- Hannah Betts

Website layouts

For the website i need to think about how the customer will use the website, maximising sales and drawing attention to things, using the same theme as the packaging and other applications of the branding, using the earthy colours and textures and keeping the same type and styling throughout, creating a dirty, clean theme which the client wants, yet trying to make it stand out from the competitors.

I looked at the competitors websites and analysed how they worked, thinking of our easy they where to find what you wanted to see, and if they keep your attention and wether they appeal for the target audience in styling and colours.

These are the layout ideas, for the different web pages that i will be doing, looking at how i will use web banners, and how i will layout posters and photo to best display the products with the other advertisings.

initials ideas, layout ideas, how customers will use it, placing for logos, and the informations needed in the website, the type face and colours that will be used.

Photos of Final Prototypes- Lauren Parkin

These are the final finished prototypes for the packaging and promotional materials.

Story Final (Booklet) - Chris

This is the full narrative as it will appear in the booklet. With the story, I focused on two areas – the relationship between DECE and the consumer as well as the relationship between DECE and people in Romania. The three images to the left are saying ‘This is what we do for you/we like and support what you love to do’ and the three to the right are saying ‘We also want to show you how we help people/you can help too if you join us’. I opted to place the colour highlights in the centre of each page and I feel those two pieces stand out for good reason, as they sum up both 'sides' very well. The Pencil on brown paper is there to give that personal feel and is presented in a fairly 'colloquial' way (visually). This is to be printed at 210mm X 210mm per page, and the thick lines, detailed should still be evident.

UPDATED:

This is an update version of the final layout for the brochure. I added these hands and wool, knotted in the shape of our DECE logo as a visual metaphor for the 'tying-together' of the consumer, DECE and the people in Romania benefiting from DECE's help. 

Individual Finals - Chris

Here are my final illustrations from the narrative, mocked up on the brown paper scans that our whole group has been using to ensure that there is a consistent aesthetic. I wanted the above image say 'This is what we do and there's plenty of room for you.'.   

I went with this composition to put forward an image of the consumer for the consumers themselves to identify with. I think the symmetry portrays a sense of equality and pride between the girl and the boy. The colours have been kept fairly washed out for a subtle, calm feel and to support the snow and water theme here. 

I've done this simple flower style arrangement as a sort of celebration of what the consumer does, as well as DECE. 

I wanted to show the intricacy of the process so that people could best appreciate the effort going into each hat, and the sense of reward that both the maker in Romanian might feel, as well as the buyer/wearer. I scaled the stitching detail up so that it both showed the detail and worked well as a background. I also thought that using the maker's viewpoint might be a good way of getting the audience to think about the effort and the implications. 

I feel this piece works quite effectively as it is quite clear and concise and quite positive too. I wanted the viewer to see the quite 'thankfully happy' expression on the boy's face, and then see the context in the form of the country outline and cross. Again, the paint textures add the mix between rough and organic for the contrast against the more clear cut graphics elsewhere in the branding. 

I wanted this to be the definition of DECE as the end note of the narrative. Hopefully, this will be the point where people feel provoked enough to 'join' the cause.

 I wanted to link to the wool, as it's a big part of the brand, but didn't want to be too detailed as the logo is very geometric, and I didn't want to take away from that. I've carried on the paint drip / freedom / breaking free theme for the same reasons as before and I think it will help tie the set together visually as well as fulfil the dirty/clean aesthetic that the client is interested in.

I plan to couple these images with pencil drawn text for a sketchy and personal commentary.