OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Practical Development

This post demonstrates my development from start to finish from the start of the Christmas period to the submission. It also takes into account everything I learnt during Summer, with references to past ideas portrayed on my Summer development post. All of the images are clearly annotated where they need to be to help to explain the concepts and why they may or may not work. 

Below is the list of different types of pasta which Tony sent to me. I used the lists to create one list which I could work with to produce my pasta measure. 

This was one of my initial proposed ideas to stick two funnels together and create my own freestanding measure. I also proposed that I could create it out of wood and ask woodwork to help me, but then I realised that this wouldn't be practical and in keeping with all of their other products so I decided against the idea.

When reviewing the possible materials I could use to create the product, I wrote down all of the positives and negatives that came to my mind straight away. It became even more obvious to me at this stage that I should stick with the idea of plastic and find a way of portraying this through my work without having to create the form myself.

The most successful idea in terms of being the most practical and achievable with the resources I have, is the one shown below. The measuring cup would essentially be a part of the packaging for a bag of pasta and the bag would sit inside of it. 

When I got thinking about the product I got myself concerned with the fact that I was thinking too much like a product designer and not a graphic designer. I therefore decided to take a step back and reconsider which is what the post below is about. I realised that I can just propose the product to look like plastic once I have mocked it up using card instead. At the end of the day, the design of the measurer isn't going to be scientifically tested and therefore is purely conceptual at this stage, until I have a meeting with WRAP or Love Food Hate Waste about the possibility of it being manufactured.

Below is a list of the things I need to achieve by the end of the brief. I have also written out all of the questions I needed answering from Phil at LGP so that I can refer back to them if I need to. 

Below are some of my initial prototypes made out of paper when I was trying to figure out the shape of the pasta measure.

With this example I wanted to experiment with the edge to make it look like a piece of pasta. I had fun experimenting before I realised how impractical this would be to reproduce out of plastic.

Initial Developed Box

This is the first box I designed properly to take to the group crit at college. I was really pleased with the initial design as I could see clearly where all of the information would be placed. I didn't have the chance to design the inside properly and at this stage the information was on the outside which wasn't ideal or clear enough. 

Shape

Once I had made the initial prototype I realised that the sides of the box needed to be slightly more tapered. I remembered that I had a dish which would be the perfect template to work from. This was really helpful as I was able to measure the dish and work out whether to make it larger or smaller once I had tested a few examples.

Arranging the Pasta

I decided to go to Tesco and find an existing packet of pasta which I could easily redesign. This is the only example I could use as everything else had full colour print on them. Below are some photographs of me changing the original pasta for smaller penne pasta. I did this because it is the regular size which is most commonly eaten around the world.

I created a funnel to try and gradually place all of the pasta into the bag because I didn't want to rip it too much and then not be able to seal it up again. 

Design Development

Below are all of my variations once I had sorted out the form of the packaging. I experimented using the colours provided in the Love Food Hate Waste brand guidelines. I also experimented with drawing the pasta out myself by hand but decided that it would look more professional and in keeping with the brand if I did them on Illustrator instead.

When I was designing the back label I had difficulty placing the barcode in a suitable place. At first I wanted it to be at the top of the label so that it could be bought easily without having to remove it from the measuring cup. But then I decided that this wouldn't really be an issue, and if the cup was reproduced in plastic anyway, it probably wouldn't be distributed in the same way, as this would mean that every time someone buys a pack of pasta they would receive yet another measuring cup and so this would produce excess materials and waste.

Front and back label

I wanted to redesign the front and back label to make it all my own. I wanted to prove that the label on the front can be just as effective without all of the embellishments that the finest pasta label had on it. This brief however wasn't so much focused on the design of the packaging, but more so on the pasta measure. This was just an added extra which I wanted to experiment with and experience printing labels.

Final Designs

The night before going to LGP to print I asked a couple of people for feedback and one person said that I had made the whole thing too deep, so I decided to make these amendments and since having it printed I am so glad that I did otherwise it would have looked too big. 

LGP Print

When I went to LGP to have my work printed I had a couple of variations printed out to choose from. Below are some photographs just to show the difference between the coated and uncoated label paper. I have also posted the first image to show the difficulty I had initially with using photo mount on the back of one to stick it down to the other side. This is when I decided to carefully use double sided tape instead.

Unfortunately when I was applying the label and organising the pasta inside I ripped the bag, but thankfully I had a spare to use instead.

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Synthesis of Essay and Practical

Within my essay there is a strong focus on all of the organisations involved in helping to reduce food and packaging waste. The main one which I reference throughout the essay is Love Food Hate Waste. I was first introduced to Love Food Hate Waste when I carried out my primary research during the Summer holidays. This is when I realised that I would be focusing on the issue of food waste in my essay. I have also referenced Tesco's latest packaging alterations and how Love Food Hate Waste now have their logo and information printed on it.

Not only is this mentioned, but I also talk about the spaghetti measure and other products which were distributed at the Food Festival. This is a direct reference to my practical work and the reason for me designing the pasta measure is because this is something which is currently being designed for WRAP, and if my design is successful, it could be manufactured in the real world. 

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Plastic Pasta Measurer

As it wasn't possible for me to form my own product out of recycled plastic in the same way that Love Food Hate Waste do, I thought the next best thing would be to propose what it would look like. I collaborated with The Post House who are based in Liverpool for this project, as they have years of experience in building 3D models which is exactly what I needed. I am really pleased with the outcome of this and can't wait to show Tony Scott and Love Food Hate Waste to see what they think. 

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: LGP Printing Visit

Today I visited LGP Print in Leeds. I had previously organised to come in today and have my work printed whilst I was there, in case anything went wrong and needed changing. Organising to go in was easy and straight forward and it made me thankful for going in first year/second year when I did, as I feel as though I have now built up a connection which I can continue to use when I am working in the graphic design industry or wherever I end up. 

Phil took me to have a look at the different stock choices. I took some samples with me which are photographed below:

Below are the questions I asked Phil on the phone prior to visiting LGP. I have underlined all of the answers. I was really glad that I was able to speak to him before sending the work to them, as I was able to ask all of the necessary questions to make sure it would be successful. 

When he suggested that I could print on carton board I was really pleased, as he referred to it as being similar to a cereal box, so I knew it would be sturdy and able to hold a substantial weight, which is what I need for the pasta to be able to sit inside of it. 

When I arrived, I spoke to Phil about what I needed printing exactly. I had already had a phone conversation with him when I asked him lots of questions regarding materials and stock, but it was important for me to reiterate this when I saw him, as I was able to have a closer look at the stock and decide whether it was suitable before sending the job to print.

It was really helpful having my print outs as a reference, as I was able to tell him what I needed doing with each design by looking at them in physical form.  

This is Phil showing me the carton board which he had told me about on the phone. When I saw it I was really pleased with the texture, how it had a coated finish on one side and un coated on the other. I asked him whether it would be easier for me to print the front and back separately and then stick them together, he said it would probably be fine to do that as long as I can be as precise as possible when cutting them both out. 

He then talked me through the different types of adhesive stock they have for me to be able to print my labels on. One sample had more of a sheen that the other which had more of a matte finish. I asked whether it would be possible to run some samples off on both and then make a decision before printing the final ones. 

After choosing the stock, it was then cut down to size so that it could be fed through the printer.

We then went back upstairs to the office, where Jonathan asked me for the files and started to lay them out in Illustrator ready to be converted to PDF and then printed. 

When the measurer had been printed, Phil wanted to check the colour against the brand guidelines. This is because the mock up I had printed out in uni had come out looking quite orange. I explained that the printer will have made it look quite different and that I was happy with the outcome of his print job. Then we sent the rest to print. 

Once the labels had been printed, I noticed that the pasta was visible inside the bowl. This was really surprising, as I had filled the bowl with black on Illustrator, so nobody could understand why this had happened. I opened the original file and cropped the bottom of the pasta so that it wouldn't be an issue, and then it was fine. 

Below are the outcomes of the labels for both the front and back of the pasta packaging. The first image illustrates the difference between the matte finish and the coated finish. I decided to use the coated finish in the end as I felt as though it looked much more professional. 

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Images for Essay

I thought I would reference all of the images I have used in my essay as I found each and every one of them really interesting and relevant. The Love Food Hate Waste packaging example is a key reference as it links my essay and practical outcome together, creating a direct synthesis. I will be creating a separate post to explain this but it is definitely important to be aware of.

OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3: Sharples and Grant Experience

During the Summer holidays I was fortunate enough to gain a placement with Sharples and Grant, who design packaging for pet products. This was an eye opening experience and enabled me to learn a lot. One of the key things I learnt was to pay as much attention to the product as the packaging. It was made clear to me when I was designing toys, that the only way to design it successfully is by considering them both at the same time to make sure that the end result is appropriate. 

I have taken what I learnt there and applied it to my context of practice work. I feel as though I have successfully managed to consider not only the food product but also how it could work alongside the pasta measure by sitting inside of it on the shelf to attract the consumer's attention.