Brand package brief

Mr J

Member
Im working on a (degree) brief

You are required to design an innovative new brand of either soap, tea, or chocolate. brand, design and package your selected product.
choose from the following catogries: basic, ethical, gift or abstract.
Think about the subject matter typographically, illustratively or photographically.


I have already done some research and am very undecided about what to choose.
I have discussed one concept with a lecturer;

Pyscedelic soap
Tag line- 'Sex, Scrub & Rock n' roll'
Concept- As its based on the drugs reveloution, LSD blotter tabs instead of an actual bar of soap, rub them on the body to exfoliate. relates to the title- 'Scrub' replacing 'drugs'it would make sence to design it in a 60s wes wilson style /colorful/ groovy
wes_wilson.jpg


What do you all think? scrap? keep? inspiration suggestions?
Do any of you have any suggestions for tea or chocolate? or soap?
 
One thing I have found with students (which included myself at one point) is that they tend to think of the 'cool visual' rather than trying to solve the actual design problem. I my be wrong but it looks like you have chosen the visual and tried to incorporate an idea that will fit into it.

Try to think about the problem in the 'real world'. I understand colleges trying to get students to think creatively without the shackles of business and commercialism, but you really should try and come up with a product that is creative, but can also be implemented in real life. I think Pyschadelic soap maybe a step too far?!

If you are going with soap as a product, think about a gap in the market, most soap packaging all looks the same, but there are examples of standout brands for example:
The Soap And Glory Daily Muse

Hope that helps. :icon_smile:
 
Oky doky, i just have one question at the moment to help me better understand your idea - I understand you are thinking along the soap brand, but what category from the ones mentioned are you choosing to go with? Basic, ethical, gift or abstract? I can't seem to figure out which one you idea would fit into, am I missing something?!
 
Oky doky, i just have one question at the moment to help me better understand your idea - I understand you are thinking along the soap brand, but what category from the ones mentioned are you choosing to go with? Basic, ethical, gift or abstract? I can't seem to figure out which one you idea would fit into, am I missing something?!

Can't abstract be used to just encompass 'other' :icon_biggrin:
 
Sorry I tend to agree with Identity - the visual has come before solving the design problem. Take a look at real examples (in shops) and see which you could design better. eg. fairtrade tea or chocolate.

If you want to go with soap - when I was very little you could get/buy 'sheets' of soap that were paper thin, about the size of a pack of cards, and disposable. God know why! But perhaps for camping or travelling they were useful... no wet bars of soap!
 
One thing I have found with students (which included myself at one point) is that they tend to think of the 'cool visual' rather than trying to solve the actual design problem. I my be wrong but it looks like you have chosen the visual and tried to incorporate an idea that will fit into it.

Try to think about the problem in the 'real world'. I understand colleges trying to get students to think creatively without the shackles of business and commercialism, but you really should try and come up with a product that is creative, but can also be implemented in real life. I think Pyschadelic soap maybe a step too far?!

If you are going with soap as a product, think about a gap in the market, most soap packaging all looks the same, but there are examples of standout brands for example:
The Soap And Glory Daily Muse

Hope that helps. :icon_smile:

I appreciate your advice but that is what my lecturer has suggested, he thought of the concept. Its hard being a student because to be honest I do feel like I'm guided very wrong sometimes. They tell us/suggest certain things, and then when I come to discuss them on here or any other forums the professionals tend to disagree.

I understand your point though. My lecturer wanted me to be really creative on the drugs part and LSD (being popular in the 60s) thats why I came up with exfoliating soap sheet papers. He thought it was great, not that i'm ignoring your advice (because believe me I value yours and everyone elses opinions on here) but maybe I should still stick to the same idea... but then it doesn't fit into the categories? I see what you mean. Its kind of like i'm working backwards.

I'm designing for a designer at the end of the day, thats whats frustrating about uni. In the end all of us end up doing something what the lecturers have spurred us on to do and they are just ex designers themselves.

Did any of you find yourselves in this kind of situation at uni? I know they arn't there to spoon feed but alot of the time we don't really learn much from them whatsoever. I mostly learn off forums, books and the web...
 
Last edited:
You are required to design an innovative new brand of either soap, tea, or chocolate. brand, design and package your selected product.
choose from the following catogries: basic, ethical, gift or abstract.
Think about the subject matter typographically, illustratively or photographically.

?

Maybe I should look at the 'Ethnic' route and look at vintage style soaps and use 'illustration'
I reckon I could do something quirky and the soap and glory brand inspiration starts me off quite nicely.

If anyone has any inspiration for vintage style soap to introduce to me that would be much appreciated.

thanks for your help. I'll see what else I can come up with!
 
Forget all of that...too complicated and not coming from your head!
Think about what soap does. Who uses it? Or who doesn't or wouldn't use it. We see dirt as being 'bad' or 'black' and soap as being 'safe', 'hygenic', 'friendly' - think of how these could be depicted.

I once saw some grafitti in a railway arch. It wasn't sprayed or painted on, it was actually 'cleaned' out of the dirt to reveal the original bricks beneath. The message was there, but in an unusual, non-destructive way.

Does that help?

Paul
 
Getting a good degree and producing great work don't necessarily go hand in hand, especially where theory is a consideration. When I was in higher education (not design but a creative discipline), I found that you could snatch high marks from the jaws of substantial failure to execute a piece of work to first class honours standard by demonstrating a sound theoretical appreciation of what went wrong and why: in many ways, it was actually easier because of the academic opportunity such a scenario offered.
 
Back
Top