DESIGN PRACTICE 2 - STUDIO BRIEF 2 - L:A BRUKET PRODUCT RESEARCH

While browsing the Folklore site and reviewing the products that they sell I came across a brand that was featured extensively on the apothecary section of their website. Named L:A Bruket the products are mainly upmaket natural cosmetic products that are popular due to their quality ingredients and design.

I decided to review the company in more detail due to their product ranges aesthetic similarity to the outcomes of my project. 


The images below show the well designed L:A Bruket website.

PRODUCTS 

Some of the L:A Bruket products can be seen below, their aestehtic similarity to my outcomes is very apparent as the product range utilises similar style bottles and labeling. 

The fact that these products already exist and are successfully sold at a high price indicates that my product would successful if released as a product. 

DESIGN PRACTICE 2 - STUDIO BRIEF 2 - STORE RESEARCH CONTINUED.

I felt that previous primary research reviewing possible stores in which my product could be sold in was slightly irrelevant with regards to the quality and style of my product. Although natural health shops would be the kind of place my outcome could be distributed from I feel that the quality and nature of my product range surpasses that of the other products sold. So, distributing my product from such locations could leave it looking over priced and out of place. Therefore, I decided to collect some further store research to define an appropriate location from which my product could be distributed. 

As my product range is being marketed as an apothecary style health supplement I started researching into stores that sold similar products at a similar price. Defining a relevance place of distribution is an essential part of the project as getting this wrong could seriously affect the success of the product range. 

While researching into upmarket apothecary style products I came across a store that is the exact type of location from which my product would be displayed and distributed from. The store, simply named Folklore, not only sells apothecary style products but also focuses on selling quality outcomes that attract buyers through craftsmanship and quality design. These aspects form the foundation of my product range making the store a perfect location from which to distribute my outcome.  

Store Link 

ABOUT FOLKLORE

Founded by Danielle Reid and Rob Reid in 2012, Folklore is a home and lifestyle store based on a simple idea that better living is possible through design.

folklore value integrity, simplicity and craftsmanship. We are drawn to functional goods that are created with care and made to last. The best products are the ones that age well and stand the test of time.

We believe that Folklore has a role to play in tackling some of today's environmental and social challenges. We try to make a difference through our products by focusing on materials, process and source. Hopefully this approach represents sustainable intelligence and in some small way can influence lasting change.

The images below display the apothecary section of the website, most products featured are created to a high standard with a price that reflects the time and effort applied to create such products.

PRODUCT DETAIL

I decided to review some of the products featured in more detail, upon doing so I noticed that they embodied a similar aesthetic as to which I have applied to my product range. 

IN-STORE AESTHETIC

The set of images below document the in-store aesthetic of the Folklore shop based in London. The dark aesthetic of my product would fit nicely with both the shops visual theme and existing products already featured.   

CONTEXT OF PRACTICE 2 - LECTURE NOTES - COP3 INTRODUCTION

DESIGN PRACTICE 2 - STUDIO BRIEF 2 - PRODUCT RESEARCH

In light of the points discussed during my personal critique with Lorraine I ventured into town to collect a body of primary research into the in-store branding of exiting products.

As a commercial substance ORMUS is usually created using sea water rich in natural minerals, when consumed or applied to the skin it has numerous health benefits which is one of the main reason people ingest substance. Therefore, when researching into shops and in-store product branding I reviewed organic stores and health food shops that specialise in selling vitamin supplements and organic food. Due to the production method and product application I believe that organic style shops are where the product would be distributed from, and so researching into products sold in these shops holds relevance to the outcome. Additionally, products in organic shops are often a little more expensive which supports the products more expensive commercial factor.  

OUT OF THIS WORLD - ORGANIC FOOD STORE - LEEDS

• Most products were sold as individual bottles and were simply arranged on shelves.
• Creating some sort of stand or shelf box would set the product apart from any competition. 

• Some items such as the 'Skin Food' product seen in the picture above had small shelf stands that held a number of the products together.
• The shelf box also allows for additional company branding.
• Gives suppliers a certain amount of control over how the product is displayed - other bottles arranged in store.

• Further shelf box examples could be found containing soap and other cosmetic products. 

• The majority of the products found within shelf boxes were individual items that could be removed such as the toothbrushes seen above.
• My product comes already boxed so the addition of a shelf box may not be needed.

• I soon came across an example of a boxed product seated within a shelf box, my outcomes could be packaged in a similar way. 

HOLLAND & BARRETTS - HEALTH FOOD STORE - LEEDS

• Again, the majority of the products were simply arranged individually on the stores shelves. 
• Some items had small branded signs that were situated in front of the product range, an example of this can be seen above. 
• If placed on shelves my product range could utilise similar signage to present the outcomes as a cohesive range.  

• Some shelf boxes featured raised backs with additional company branding, an example of these can be seen on the top shelf.
• The back of the shelf box creates a space for additional information and company graphics.  

• Product ranges were often just displayed together over a series of shelves. 

L'OCCITANE - COSMETICS STORE - LEEDS

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• The image above documents the first product display stand that I came across while collecting my research. 
• The stand is very simple and holds the function of distributing the company booklet and housing the product box.  
• My outcome could utilise a similar method of in-store distribution to separate it from other products and create an engaging aesthetic. 

• Boxes were displayed open so customers could see the contents of each pack.
• A pile of product boxes were placed near buy so customers could buy the product if enticed by what they saw. 
• My outcome could use a similar method of display to allow potential consumers to view the product before purchase. 

• Product boxes were placed onto plastic stands to present them to the viewer at an angle. 

• Product range situated over four shelves. 
• Most of the products are displayed individually. 

DESIGN PRACTICE 2 - STUDIO BRIEF 2 - PRODUCT WRAP RESEARCH

As part of my outcome I want to create a double sided paper wrap to conceal the contents of my packaging. As outlined in the idea development stage section of my design practice blog the outer stock will be a black card with subtle graphics printed onto it. On the opposing side I want to utilise aluminium foil to shield the substance from static and electromagnetic energy. As outlined when researching into the ORMUS the substance can be negatively effected by such currents and so needs protecting.  

The article below documents how to clad card stock with aluminium foil;

How to Make Aluminum Clad Card Stock

I wonder how many times modelers have experimented with ordinary aluminum foil in attempts to recreate a natural aluminum finish on their models. One method, developed for plastic models, applies aluminum foil in a manner similar to the method used for gold leaf. The underlying surface has to include all the desired detail before the foil is applied. Thinking about applying this to card stock took me around the block several times resulting in several shattered preconceived notions along the way. The strange part of this story is that the solution shown here is non toxic and uses commonly available materials.

A large variety of glues capable of bonding aluminum to paper were tried. One theory (a mishap of preconceived notions) was that to maintain flat unwrinkled paper a non-water based glue would be required. The problem with non-water based glues is that they generally require a fairly aromatic thinning agent. A goal was set early on to minimize the exposure to volatile organic solvents (VOC’s). The VOC glue tests produced some interesting results but had to be eliminated from consideration due to their toxicity (3M spray adhesive produced an easy to layup assembly but failed to yield a smooth mirror like surface).

Smoothing Aluminum Foil

The first small breakthrough was discovering a method to flatten the aluminum foil in preparation for bonding it to the card stock. The trick is to mist a pane of glass with a water spray before carefully applying and smoothing out a sheet of aluminum foil onto the glass (shiny side down). The water adheres the foil tightly to the glass pane and in effect clamps it to the glass. 

Use a squeegee to smooth the aluminum to a perfectly flat sheet on top of the glass. Water sprayed on the aluminum surface aids the squeegee smoothing action.

The strength of the paper to aluminum bond depends to a great extent on the aluminum foil’s surface condition. The foil has a minute amount of residual manufacturing lubricant left on its surface (yes it’s edible). It will interfere with the bond if it’s not removed.

Use a 3M style scrub pad with window cleaner sprayed on the aluminum. Scrub the aluminum surface using a circular motion to scour the entire surface well.

Clean the scrubbed aluminum surface with an absorbent sponge. Mist the surface with a slight amount of water and wipe with a paper towel. Spread a small amount of either isopropyl or ethanol alcohol on the surface. Finish by drying the surface with a paper towel.

Using a fairly fresh tube of Tacky Glue spread a pattern approximately the size of the paper that’s to be glued to the aluminum.

Use the squeegee to spread the glue evenly over the surface. A thinner film is desirable as it helps to prevent paper curl. Wipe excess glue off the edge of the squeegee to achieve a thinner layer.

Carefully place the paper card stock into the middle of the glue area.

Gently burnish the paper with the cleaned squeegee. Burnish the edges with a small burnishing tool.

Allow the lay-up to dry. This will take anywhere from one to four hours depending on humidity, type of paper and the depth of the applied glue film. I generally allow four to six hours to insure that the glue has set and will not debond when the paper is cut out of the foil. With a sharp razor blade carefully cut around the edges of the paper stock. The aluminum clad paper will spring into a convex section as shown.

Remove the curl in the sheet by placing a towel or newspaper on top of the glass pane. I use a cardboard mailing tube to roll the curl out. A rolling pin also works but make sure to protect the aluminum surface with a newspaper or towel to prevent scratching it.

Article Link

DESIGN PRACTICE 2 - STUDIO BRIEF 2 - BOTTLE RESEARCH

Recently while browsing through the treasures that can be found in an Accrington second hand shop I came across this small bottle that was previously used for some 70 proof alcohol. At a cost of only 5 pence it was hard to resist so I bought it to analyse as part of my primary research for studio brief 2.

The bottle itself is around the size of the various containers that I want to order as part of the packaging aspect of studio brief two. Therefore, the bottle has relevance as it allows me to assess possible decisions relating to label and type size. 

Featured on the bottle are two accompanying lables placed on its front and back faces. The font label measures 40x54mm and the back label measures 20x65mm, both labels have small graphics and type that is around 4pt in size. Although the type is small it is still legible. However, for members of the audience whose eyesight is not perfect it could be a struggle to read.

Assessing the bottle has allowed me to understand that there will be limitations with regards as to how much information will be displayed on the bottle labels featured as part of my response to studio brief two. This information will be taken into consideration when defining what data will be featured on each label of my outcome. 

•  The front label has a balance of imagery and type.

• A clear hierarchy can be defined with the heading font placed next to the horse graphic.