minty_cake
New Member
These were two of my finals from my last project.
We had to choose a brand and re-do their packaging and logo.
We had to choose a brand and re-do their packaging and logo.
cow and gate re-brand project
- Thread starter minty_cake
- Start date
minty_cake
New Member
feedback very much appreciated :icon_thumbup:
Just one question, what software did you use?
I don't want to be the bad guy here but I gotta be honest, not great. I think you'll need to spend some time cutting the drinks out of the background instead of just doing an outline. In photoshop you can use the pen tool to mark out your selection all the way around the packaging, all you do is zoom in and go around the edge of the packaging with the pen tool clicking along the line between the packaging and the background and when you're back at the start right click and select "make selection", after that you could either ctrl + c to copy to a fresh window for editing or you could select inverse and delete the background and work from there.
There are other tools on photoshop which are quicker to remove the background but I find the pen tool to be more precise and since I don't have a design tablet it's the best option for me.
Once you have the packaging cut out you can edit away but those ones you've done right there are just not gonna cut it. If you don't have photoshop you can download a trial version from their website, youtube has tutorials to cover pretty much anything you'd want to learn.
I don't want to be the bad guy here but I gotta be honest, not great. I think you'll need to spend some time cutting the drinks out of the background instead of just doing an outline. In photoshop you can use the pen tool to mark out your selection all the way around the packaging, all you do is zoom in and go around the edge of the packaging with the pen tool clicking along the line between the packaging and the background and when you're back at the start right click and select "make selection", after that you could either ctrl + c to copy to a fresh window for editing or you could select inverse and delete the background and work from there.
There are other tools on photoshop which are quicker to remove the background but I find the pen tool to be more precise and since I don't have a design tablet it's the best option for me.
Once you have the packaging cut out you can edit away but those ones you've done right there are just not gonna cut it. If you don't have photoshop you can download a trial version from their website, youtube has tutorials to cover pretty much anything you'd want to learn.
minty_cake
New Member
It was all done in photoshop, not quite sure im following you here mate. Both the packaging and the background were on separate layers and its not an outline its a stroke which i added to the layer with the actual packaging shape on.
And i can use the pen tool it just didn't seem fit for what i was doing.
Do you mean the packaging could do with being 3 dimensional? so its not flat against the background
And i can use the pen tool it just didn't seem fit for what i was doing.
Do you mean the packaging could do with being 3 dimensional? so its not flat against the background
SparkCreative
Member
Photoshop isn't the right tool for most of this - Illustrator is. I'll be honest, I don't really like your designs. They look a little bit 'thrown together' particularly the type - just looks like you couldn't be bothered and scribbled it on top in black marker pen.
Having said that, you don't mention what level you're at - are you doing GCSE, HND, a degree...?
Having said that, you don't mention what level you're at - are you doing GCSE, HND, a degree...?
minty_cake
New Member
Yeah your right about using illustrator, still getting to grips with it so i thought id stay in my comfort zone as i had a small amount of time to do it. Totally disagree with what you said about the type, its for baby food the letters shouldn't be regimented they should be 'thrown together'.
The pouches that my daughter eats are very similar to this design as their supposed to be child friendly and fun ect. I would say that the type fits in nicely with the product.
Im on second year of ND graphic design, so not very experienced.
pcbranding
Member
Hello.
I agree that the type is quite coarse and not particularly fun or appropriate. As the background graphics are quite flat and uninteresting, the type and logo should both leap out at you either by placing this information on a panel (like Heinz etc.) or by leaving space around them to focus the eye. At the moment you've resorted to effectively black marker over the illustrations to try and make this info stand out.
The fruit illustrations could be better used - perhaps making them smaller and repeated, again around the logo and description info.
Also, bear in mind the effect of a pack being filled and the effect on the legibility of the info on the edges of the pack. These often get lost, so repositioning these to the centre would be better.
I'm sure you've done your research and seen what's out there in the baby/infant food/drinks market, but if not a trip down to Boots would definitely help.
As a dad you say you are familiar with this market, try printing your graphics out at full size and placing them on a shelf next to similar products and see which shouts loudest (and then question why.)
Paul
I agree that the type is quite coarse and not particularly fun or appropriate. As the background graphics are quite flat and uninteresting, the type and logo should both leap out at you either by placing this information on a panel (like Heinz etc.) or by leaving space around them to focus the eye. At the moment you've resorted to effectively black marker over the illustrations to try and make this info stand out.
The fruit illustrations could be better used - perhaps making them smaller and repeated, again around the logo and description info.
Also, bear in mind the effect of a pack being filled and the effect on the legibility of the info on the edges of the pack. These often get lost, so repositioning these to the centre would be better.
I'm sure you've done your research and seen what's out there in the baby/infant food/drinks market, but if not a trip down to Boots would definitely help.
As a dad you say you are familiar with this market, try printing your graphics out at full size and placing them on a shelf next to similar products and see which shouts loudest (and then question why.)
Paul
Sorry for any confussion but the standard led me to think that you'd been using something like "paint" to do the work and as for the stroke it just looks nasty, had wondered if it was that when I first seen the pics but thought it looked more like a rough outline drawn by hand to seperate the packaging from the background. No I don't mean 3D so it stands off the page, I just meant creating a render of the packaging to make it easier to work with.
minty_cake
New Member
Cheers Paul,
ill take that all on board.
You knew perfectly well that it wasn't done on paint, everyone has got to start somewhere i wanted some actual advice not some arrogant guy chucking out negative comments behind his computer screen.
This isn't me throwing my dummy out the pram but i know a patronizing comment when i see one.
First off let me say sorry if I've upset you with my comments, they weren't intended to be patronising. I had no idea of your previous experience hence the advice in the 1st reply. The reason I said about the use of Paint or a similar product is because the project itself seems rather crude and unrefined. I thought you were simply making the most of the tools you had and came up with the design in spite of the fact you were using a poor software. It wasn't a dig at you but was just saying that if it was as a result of a rubbish software then you could get better results using better software.
I understand what you're saying about everyone having to start somewhere and even the most seasoned designers are always learning new tricks and stuff to further improve their designs.
I stand by my point though that the design isn't up to scratch but with some work and maybe coming at it from another angle it I have no doubt you'll come up with something good, you wanted opinions and advice, you need to accept that not everyone will like the work you do.
I understand what you're saying about everyone having to start somewhere and even the most seasoned designers are always learning new tricks and stuff to further improve their designs.
I stand by my point though that the design isn't up to scratch but with some work and maybe coming at it from another angle it I have no doubt you'll come up with something good, you wanted opinions and advice, you need to accept that not everyone will like the work you do.
Mercy Design
Member
Software scmoftware-
Did your college ask you to conduct a study of the company before you started your design?
Did you think about who buys this stuff, and what influences their decision to buy? Did you think about the ways in which the current design isn't up to scratch, the age of the branding and the cultural changes that have forced their current branding out of date?
Graphic design is ALL about communication and your design fails to convey any messages that are relevant to new mothers today.
Spend a day studying Cow and Gate. Read Mumsnet and look at the politics of infant feeding. Spend a whole day doing that and then tell me if you're happy with your current designs. Seriously- what does a graffiti scrawl have to do with the nourishment of infants?
I know you're still at an early stage of your education and the criticism might sting, but if you learn to think critically about your visual communication now you'll have no problem scoring a job when you graduate.
Oh, and scrap the computer- work your ideas up in pencil and paper. Your lack of experience with the software is limiting your creativity.
Mercy : Design Agency and Literature & Arts Collective : London / Liverpool : UK
Did your college ask you to conduct a study of the company before you started your design?
Did you think about who buys this stuff, and what influences their decision to buy? Did you think about the ways in which the current design isn't up to scratch, the age of the branding and the cultural changes that have forced their current branding out of date?
Graphic design is ALL about communication and your design fails to convey any messages that are relevant to new mothers today.
Spend a day studying Cow and Gate. Read Mumsnet and look at the politics of infant feeding. Spend a whole day doing that and then tell me if you're happy with your current designs. Seriously- what does a graffiti scrawl have to do with the nourishment of infants?
I know you're still at an early stage of your education and the criticism might sting, but if you learn to think critically about your visual communication now you'll have no problem scoring a job when you graduate.
Oh, and scrap the computer- work your ideas up in pencil and paper. Your lack of experience with the software is limiting your creativity.
Mercy : Design Agency and Literature & Arts Collective : London / Liverpool : UK
minty_cake
New Member
I did my research, i did 50 pages of A3 which was double what was expected.
Ive taken on board all advice cheers :icon_thumbup:
Ian Bonner
Member
It's always good to make mock-ups when doing packaging graphics as its the only way you're going to see what it looks like on the product. You've got to take into account any bends or folds in the product and whether the text / logo will be legible.
When you've done a mock up to play with this will always answer a lot of your unanswered questions and can help with the refinements you may need to make to the artwork to make it readable or stand out against its competitors.
To test it against other products in the same market take the mock up to a supermarket and ask the manager if you can place it against some of the other products on sale. Again, this will answer a lot of questions on how your product graphics will stand up against others.
When you've done a mock up to play with this will always answer a lot of your unanswered questions and can help with the refinements you may need to make to the artwork to make it readable or stand out against its competitors.
To test it against other products in the same market take the mock up to a supermarket and ask the manager if you can place it against some of the other products on sale. Again, this will answer a lot of questions on how your product graphics will stand up against others.