Though brainstorming my interests and skillsets I concluded that creating a brand and doing the branding would allow me to utilise my skillsets and have fun with the process. Through different ideations, my first ideas where to create either a street style fashion brand or elegant perfume brand, both aiming at young adults aging between 18 to 25.
Though through feedback from tutor during the studio sessions it was concluded that it would be very interesting to combine the two concepts and creating a modern perfume brand that focuses on a experimental street style.
BREIF
BREIF
Creating a fashionable, abstract perfume brand that reflects the street-style aesthetics. The colour palette would use a mix of monochromatic and vivid colours, to create a very interesting visual dynamic. The target audience for this brand would be young women aged between 18 to 25, who are into fashion and perfumes. This brand would be for those who likes perfumes but want something with a more unique design and aesthetic so that it would become a part of their style.
CONTEXT
The perfumes would be sold in the brand's shop, and online shop. As well as different cosmetic stores and pop up concept shops, with unique displays.
DELIVERABLES
The deliverables for this brand would be:
- Packaging
- Perfume bottle design
- Poster
- Social Media Account
- Zine
- Branding (typography, logo, colour palette, pattern)
CLIENT
My client would be individuals who are looking into creating a unique perfume brand, but needs a designer to create the branding with all the designs and concepts.
EXPECTATIONS
- Quality visual aesthetics for the posters and zine, with attention to detail and good representation of brand theme.
- High quality graphic elements presented in social media account that would attract attention.
- The bottle design being unique and of quality.
- The packaging of the perfume being functional and creative
CONSTRAINT
- There potentially being not enough time to produce all the deliverables to the highest quality
- Not having the ability to properly produce 3D models and physically creating the perfume bottle.
- Limitations to software knowledge
BRAND CONCEPT
For the style and aesthetics for the brand I wanted to use a mix of vintage and modern aesthetics, where I want textures and graphic elements that reflects an abstract feeling. The brand should feel fun and fashionable, where it feels like you are wearing the brand when you wear the perfume. I want there to be a mixture of textures where I like the vintage grainy texture as well as a more modern concrete texture that would play nicely together in creating a complementary harmony.
PLEASING
Firstly I looked into existing perfume brands that where similar to my concept, I have found Harry Style's perfume brand "Pleasing". I greatly admired it's experimental style and colour that steered away from the usual elegant perfume aesthetics. It feels more fun and interesting, which I think I would like to incorporate into my perfume design.
EDIT (036)
The EDIT 036 series is where I really like the small size of the perfume and the mixture of textures and shapes. The use of different geometric shapes and materials for the top and bottom of the bottles. I also really like the different colour tones used within the design, where such different doesn't feel overwhelming but very unique and harmonious.
DOTCOM
The DOTCOM perfume design is a very distinctive and interesting design which I found quite close to the aesthetics I wanted for my brand. The clear class textures and the organic shape of the inner bottle creates a very fun reflection, and working really well with the very vivid red colour of red. This design inspired me very much with how I could brand the perfume and the packaging.
BRAND NAME
ë‚™ (NAK)
For the name of the brand I had some trouble with coming up with something that matched the image I envisioned. I didn't want something too generic or heavily implied a specific meaning or language which was quite difficult. I firstly attempted to look at words associated with the brand image in other European languages.
This did not work out as they heavily implied their origin and did not emit the fun abstract aesthetics. Then I looked towards asian languages, particularly Korean where I thought i could use one letter Korean words and I might transfer it's pronunciation into English, therefore allowing the logo having two sides of meaning both in Korean and English. I primarily focused on one-letter Korean words as they were easy to pronounce, and were simple and minimalistic.
The final word that I chose was ë‚™ (Nak), which meant joy, pleasure or delight one felt in their life. I thought that it was very interesting especially when said in a english tone. Though the pronunciation is not the most comfortable experience I liked how unassociated it is with other languages and it's more abstract.
BRAND CONCEPT RESEARCH
A BATHING APE
A BATHING APE
A brand that I found was BAPE (A Bathing Ape), a Japanese streetwear brand.
I really like how the brand creates an unique aesthetic, and how they use colours and textures. Their branding for their photoshoot and logo are very diverse and fun, which I want to learn from for my own branding. I don't want my branding to be still and flat but more vivid and diverse creating a dynamic visual experience for those who see my brand.
Furthermore, the brand feels fun, dynamic and unique but fashionable at the same time. Where it elevates the uniqueness of the brand while creating the aesthetics that would be loved by specific target dynamics. Where even if the brand isn't for everyone, there would be individuals who would suit and admire the aesthetics the brand has to offer.
STUSSY
STUSSY
The brand Stussy is one of the most popular streetwear brands in the industry where I admire it's branding and aesthetics. The logo of the brand is also very recognisable and is often playing as a part of the style of the clothing it's printed on. Though differing from Stussy's style, I also want my brand to follow the street style theme.
I think I want to follow the aesthetics that the brand emits, while the style and aesthetics differs for what I want for my brand. I think how they present their brand as laid back, casual but also very fashionable is how I also want my brand to present. A very specific unique aesthetic that would allow users to feel as if the brand would play a part to their style.
Also the brand doesn't feel generic or boring, which might become the case when getting too diluted into the streetwear style. I want the image of my brand to be trendy and attractive and become a wannabe brand like Stussy.
ZINE STYLE RESEARCH
For the design of the zine, I thought that I wanted something quite small and compact which was more unique. I also wouldn't want to put too much information on the zine itself, only the brand, the contact info, the types of scents and maybe a few sentences on the brand's aesthetics and origin. The zine would be more imagery based, with the intension of giving customers a fun way to connect with the brand while having something that they actually might want to keep.
I also thought I might wanted to create a little cover or packaging for the zine as well.
Something to keep the little zine in while giving it protection.
I quite like the stamp and textured effect of the image in the mood board and it might inspire the style of my zine, where I might use a more inked style.
LOGO BRANDING
LOGO BRANDING
In order to further on with the experiment and my project I felt the need to create a logo so that I could centralise my branding and have an element to use when representing my brand. I wanted something minimalistic but interesting, that has graphic elements to it that doesn't rely solely on text.
I wanted something more abstract and graphical, and having a good mix of organic and structure.
Where I did research into potential forms that I wanted which I found examples that utilised circular structure and balance while still having a sense of structure and shape which I thought was what I wanted.
I firstly did some freehand sketches on the shapes following the basic structures of the alphabet letters in the brand name (NAK). Though this was difficult as I had not structure to follow. I then found a circular grid template online so that I could have a sense of structure and attempting to mimic the images in the mood board.
I came up with a final base design where I attempted to see if adding a dot element somewhere might look interesting but concluded that It only hindered with the simple graphical style of the logo.
EXPERIMENT 1_MOTION GRAPHICS 1.0
For my first experiment I wanted to do a motion design work that showcased the style and aesthetics of my brand. I mainly used After effects.
The focal point of this first experiment was to create a interesting visual dynamic, and showcasing the style of the brand. I had some experience with After effects before, therefore I placed the focus into creating visual effects that I had never explored before.
I found a very good tutorial on how to create a rolling film which I though would look very interesting (the tutorial has now been deleted for unknown reasons).
The tutorial mainly utilises cc cylinder to create the effect which was a very interesting experience for me as I never used the effect before.
I had to create multiple pre-comps of the different elements, the long line of the tape, the cylinder, and the tape and cylinder placed together with the rolling effect applied. Finally putting them together at the end while applying the special effects to create the finished product. Initially I wanted to use the rolling warning tapes as the main motion effect, but it lacked visual interest while feeling too vintage and flat. Then I attempted the glitch effect on the tapes which created a very interesting visual contrast and aesthetics that showcased the tone I wanted for the brand.
I think the experiment was very interesting and allowed me to explore the potential visual style I could use, where I could explore creating a mix of vintage and modern elements and creating both colour and tonal contrast.
EXPERIMENT 1_MOTION GRAPHICS 2.0
For the second Motion experiment I wanted to attempt to animate my brand's logo in a style that showcases the aesthetics of the brand. I continued to use After effects, where I did research into different ways to animate logos, and interesting effects. I found this great tutorial that taught me how to create the appearing logo effect.
SonduckFilm. (2023, August 7). 10 Pro Ways To Animate Your Logo in After Effects[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2S-6ptUvus&t=115s
I thought that this effect was very interesting and suited the style of my brand.
I firstly transferred my logo into Illustrator where I made the logo into a vector art then transferred in into After effects.
Then according to the tutorials I created the logo animation but also adding a glowing effect on it. I attempted to add glitching effects or noise effects to the logo as well but I found that it only created visual disruptions and was too overwhelming.
Then I placed the brand name NAK in front of the logo, creating a mask to make it appear eventually.
Then I animated the logo to go downwards to the bottom right, where I found the logo looked quite nice in.
To add colour into the animation, I created a line animation in the background making it neon pink. I found that the 'TV-Weak' effect created a very interesting glitching effect which creates a sense of geometry.
Then making the line follow the brand name to the bottom to create change in the focus.
Then sending the logo and brand name to the front using 3D, and finishing off with the pink line on the screen.
I think this was a very interesting and fun experiment that allowed me to further explore the potentials of my logos and the kinds of styles I could use. I think this could potentially be one of my contents for the social media page, or may inspire my zine design regarding the colour palette or texture.
EXPERIMENT 2_DIGITAL PROTOTYPE 1.0
For the second experiment I wanted to attempt packing design/prototyping for the perfume. As it was in the early stages I have not finalised what kind of shape or form I wanted for my packaging therefore i tested out what I thought would be fun and interesting, which were the tall prism shapes. Through the lecture I learnt of various prototyping websites that would assist me in creating an interesting packaging.
I firstly found this triangular prism shaped packaging which I found very interesting and unique. I wanted the texture of the packge to be very thick card, utilising vivid colours, where for this particular experiment I choose to use 1 colour as using too many only made the design more unstable.
I firstly wanted to create the template of the packaging as I wanted to print it off to create a physical prototype. I firstly transferred the design template to Procreate, then filled it with colour, then added a thick card like texture to create realism.
Then to create the digital prototype, I drew the triangular prism in Procreate. Then coloured it in, adding texture, shadow and the logo.
EXPERIMENT 2_PHYSICAL PROTOTYPE 1.0
For the physical prototype of the first design once created into a real model it allowed me to visualise very well how this model would look if produced properly. I was able to see the errors in the design where I thought that the prism would be taller, and it would need to be bigger. The practicality of the design is definitely more lacking as it would be hard to place protection inside the packaging to provide support for the bottle. Though there were flaws to the design I liked how unique it was and think it was a very good experiment.
EXPERIMENT 2_DIGITAL PROTOTYPE 2.0
For the second design I found another design that uses a slanted cone shape with a flat top. It looks very unique and I think could look very good if done well.
I drew the digital prototype like the first experiment, but using a very vivid blue colour which I thought looked quite well especially with the dark grey background. I also think the logo looks quite good in this prototype as there is a correlation of the more organic form of both the packaging and the logo.
This digital experiment was also a very good attempt as I was able to explore how this packaging feels with my logo on it and how it works with vivid colours.
EXPERIMENT 2_PHYSICAL PROTOTYPE 2.0
With the second physical prototype as I printed the template I realised that there was a fatal flaw where there weren't any flaps to allow me to stick the top and bottom panels on. Therefore putting together the prototype did take some work. But I think it still showed a good image of what the packaging would look like. I think in real life the shape and uniqueness of the design was less apparent, and it lacked practicality because of the shape.
It was still a good attempt as it allowed me to see what kind of abstract shaped packagings I would be able to create.
EXPERIMENT 2_MOCKUP
In creating the logo and brand concept I also wanted to attempt digital mockups that would showcase my brand in real life. For the program for creating the mockup I used Rawpixel.
As my colour palette is not finalised in the initial stages of the experimentation, I tested mockups with a more monochromatic colour palette which would also be prominently used in the brand.
I firstly tested out a poster board that is on street walls, which would be a potential location for the advertising posters in my deliverables. I think the logo looks quite professional and clean and matches the aesthetics of the concrete in the background.
Then the second type of digital mockup was for my logo in different contexts. I firstly tested it on a signage outside a store, where I simply placed the logo on a black/iron sign, which I think looks quite good in terms of conveying the brand's style.
Then on a delivery box sticker, which the name of the brand also printed on the bottom.
And finally on business cards, which I quite like how the logo and the name of the brand sit together.
I think experiment allowed me to see what my brand would feel like in real life and in what context my logo would look good.
Experiment 3_AI experiment 1.0
AI USED_Dream Studio
Minimalist Complexity
For the first AI experiment I wanted to test out designs for the perfume bottles. I wanted designs that were minimalistic, organically shaped and using vivid colours. But because I didn't need to finalise the designs of the bottles, I just wanted something to present the aesthetics of the brand therefore I attempted to generate pop arts with vivid colours, but the art style did not match with the brand.
Then I search real human images with influencers in them posing with the bottle.
I was able to generate the image below which I was quite happy with in terms of the aesthetics and the target audience for the perfume.
I tried to develop this image further by using more vivid colours but this did not work out and only became more extreme and steered away from the intended aesthetics.
Then the AI generated this image with a hand and the bottle where I liked the colour palette and the tone of light shining onto the person's hand. I thought that this might inspire some of the tone for my product showcase.
Then It generated another image that is themed like surrealism which I found the very abstract mood, and mysterious undertone created a great image that would inspire the branding for the perfume.
Experiment 3_AI experiment 2.0
AI USE_Dream Studio
Style Fusion and Hybrid Design
In the first round of Experiment, I found the colour aesthetics that matched my needs, but they not match the theme of the brand. Therefore I prompted the AI to generate just perfume bottles so that the figure in the image did not hinder with the mood of the image.
I firstly prompted the AI to generate organically shaped perfume bottles that are matt textured. This produced several perfume designs which would inspire my final perfume bottle design, where I liked the different shaped bottles that wouldn't usually be used for a perfume bottle.
I then prompted the AI to generated perfume bottles that are organically shaped, and with colour plates of vivid colours such as neon pink and neon green. But this generated pop art style arts and 3D models that was not the style I was looking for.
I them further prompted the AI to generate real perfume bottles, allowing it to generate the bottle which I really liked the shape and slim shape of.
I attempted to develop upon this design and create a circular shaped lid as well but this did not work no matter how much I change the wording, and the design only became more odd and uneven. Therefore I came back to this original image where I liked the colour palette and shape of.
Experiment 3_AI experiment 3.0
AI USED_Imagine Art
Futuristic Product Concept
For the third AI experiment, I attempted to create a character figure for the brand. I prompted the AI to create a character figures with a dark grey background. But the generated figures were too detailed and anime styled, which I didn't want.
I further prompted the AI to create 'simple' character figures. At first it would create a lego figure which I didn't quite like.
Then it created this very simple figure without facial features. I liked it's minimalistic feel, and monochromatic colour palette which gives the figure a abstract mix of cute and creepy.
I further test this character figure on Adobe Firefly, another generative AI program, but it would create very detailed figures no matter how much I attempted to prompt it. Therefore I attempted to give it a reference point of the Pop Mart Hirono Little Mischief figures, which I really liked it's cute style but did not match my brand's aesthetic's.
I finally chose this monochromatic figure that might inspire my brand and potentially become one of the deliverables.
REFLECTION
In the experiments of the project, I wanted to test with things that were more directly related to my project so that I could have meaningful learning experiences which could inspire my final project. The experiments were very interesting and I particularly found the AI experiments quite new as I have never used image-generating AI software before. It allowed me to see how it could potentially be a tool to assist designers and artists in creating imageries of ideas in the early stages of design. I do think that I could have stepped out of my comfort zone and used software such as AR or Figma to learn new skills but because of time constraints and fear of producing unsatisfactory experiments, I could not do so. I think if I had more time to explore more opportunities I would have loved to learn new software that I was not familiar with. I also think that the experiments also allowed me to see what I should do and shouldn't do for the designing of the final brand design.
In working towards the final project, I think that the research phase has set the direction and style of the brand. I was able to explore the kinds of designs that exist in the market the works of other designers and the creative possibilities. If possible would like to use a mixture of textures, colours and materials to create a unique and stylish look which I am looking forward to testing out and building towards. I think if done well the brand would have its distinctive flare and be able to convey a specific look for individuals.
For the constraints in the project, the physical prototyping of the project would be quite difficult. If possible I would like to physically prototype the packaging of the perfume bottle, but because I am looking at materials that look more high-end and quality it would be difficult to convey that completely. I am also unfamiliar with using or printing different card materials so I think I would need to do different prototypes to achieve that. I am also worried about the prototyping and designing of the perfume bottle as the best way to convey that would be in a 3D model, where I am unfamiliar with 3D programs such as Blender. I think that if I would like to produce a quality final project I would need to learn new software which I am worried for the lack of time and learning curve. However, I will try my best to produce the best that I can and plan out my design phases so that I can work on the project efficiently.