evaluation

When thinking about the overall project it is evident that there are both strong and weak areas. One of the initial struggles with this brief was that it was very open, and I personally found it difficult to develop a range in which was contextual. As a result of this I explored with my own personal ethics, of design being accessible by all.

When developing the culturally appropriate range, it was evident that vast amounts of research had to be conducted into non offense deisgn. This research was then embedded within the design in order to format a relevant, suitable design. This research could have been explored further with focus groups being developed whereby an array of people from different cultures joined together and assessed my work.

The cards were initially formatted as these are the most accessible part of the collection in terms of pricing. As there had to be four cards developed this also meant that different designs should be placed. The card designs themselves were bright, colourful and impactful. The illustrative style also directly targets women. Some design iconography was said to not be appropriate for all cultures (for example alcohol) as a result of this, these designs were removed.

Following the same illustrative style the rest of the set was developed. A colour pallete was developed throughout in order to ensure that of the designs appeared cohesive.

The notebook designs were developed in conjunction to this, although I felt that the busy pattern in which they express does not comply to this. Large white backgrounds are also expressed through the illustrations, a factor in which has not been mimicked within the rest of the set.

The notecard collection is fun and innovative, although I am unsure whether the outer packaging and the product link. As the cards themselves maintain a 'university', educational feel, I believe that the streamer effect upon the envelope is not representative as this suggests some form of a celebration. I also believe that the design could have been pushed further with envelopes being developed in order to contain each notecard.

The gift bag design is sturdy and practical, although handles could be added in order to promote a more user friendly design.


When overviewing the products as a whole I would suggest that the collection is powerful, and maintains a strong concept. I would also suggest that the physical building of the products will allow my designs to stand out to the YCN judges.