Had to choose a competition brief to answer creatively with the intention of first giving in the outcomes for grading before adapting them if needed and then entering them.
I chose one of the briefs put forward by YCN, this was to create or update the back of some cereal packaging for 'Bear'.I researched the brand, other packaging on the market and did some thematic research into some of the topics i could illustrate on the packaging.
Bear currently allocates one letter of the alphabet to each cereal packet, incorporating fun facts and interactive elements to really stimulate children and their interest at breakfast time.
I chose to carry on along the same sort of theme but exchanged the letters of the alphabet for the letter sounds of the Phonics alphabet. This is the main way children are taught to read, speak and listen across the country and i thought by adding these there is a greater number of creative possibilities to work with (there are 42!).All of the themes i researched to illustrate on the packets pertain to the natural world. I think it is important to make children aware of the world around them and also i think this idea fits in well with what the Bear brand already enforce in the current products and their working ethos.
1. AI is for Rainforest.
I chose the rainforest because i could imagine it easily in my head and it had a great scope for adding lots of animals and lots of fun, interesting facts that i thought would appeal to children.
I chose to colour all of my designs on photoshop mainly because i am trying to get better at it, and i really like working this way at the moment, but also because i think this medium is the best way to adhere to the brand aesthetics.
I am really pleased with the outcome of this design. I have tweaked it since our presentation and group crit sessions by changing the composition so there wasn't too many gaps and changing the text too as it wasn't very readable before. It think the colours work well (i tried to use colours they had used before, with a few more added) and the animals are realistic to an extent but also characterised enough for children to enjoy.
2. AR is for Arctic.
Sticking with the natural, environmental theme i went for something children might not know too much about. Theres not a lot of colour in this design but i think that helps with enhancing the properties of the arctic landscape!
I really love the layers at the bottom of the design, i think it adds a great sense of depth and more things to look at and think about for the children. However, when i look at the design now i think it maybe needs to have a bit more detail, or some other narrative happening as i don't think there is enough on there to hold someones interest for very long! This is something i might adapt before i send it off for the YCN deadline.
3. OI is for Oil.
This was the first design i came up with and i just did not realise at the time how similar it would be to the Arctic illustration until i came to colour them. The content is different enough i think, even with the layers at the bottom because they tell a different story and they also create a running narrative and creative piece of linework which runs through all of the images. This was a conscious decision and i am glad i did it, i think it brings a new element of collectivity to the images and this is the kind of thing they were asking for in the brief, something to make children really excited to get the new box, something which makes it more than just a piece of packaging.
I also really like the facts that i found for this illustration as i think they are things which will capture children's interests. However, i do think that i could have included some more (like my last design) and perhaps some more narrative in the ocean as the middle section is quite empty besides the text.
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Although there are a few things i realise i could/will change about my images, overall i am pleased with the way they have turned out. I think/hope they are along the lines of what the brief was asking for and I think they can be appreciated a bit more when seen in context...
