Help with research!

H

hayleyjune

New Member
I am currently studying graphic design at uni, and I am getting a head start on a project we have been set.

Our brief is:
For this brief you will be asked to research the graphics of sweets and confectionary, identify the visual elements (type, image, mark, colour, form and shape) that mark a brand of sweet or confection as intended for one group and reinterpret this for another, named, group.
So, what type of visual language says that Smarties should speak to 4 year olds and Green and Black to adults? Could you recode the visual language of Smarties to speak to adults, and visa versa?

Does anyone know where I can find out more about the graphic design of sweets/confectionary? Are there any websites/books i can look at to help me along? My course is really keen on research, but i'm really struggling to find anything that actually talks about the graphic design of confectionary! Please help!

Hayley :icon_smile:
 
Hi there, I'm not sure because I've only has a REALLY quick google and then glance through this PDF but this might have something of interest to you in it. it has some info about Cadbury's design. It looks really old and I'm not even sure it's an official Cadburys thing but thought maybe, just maybe, it might have something in there that helps:

Cadbury's PDF

I can see your predicament though, I've not seen much about the design of confectionery out there to be honest...I'm sure you'll get some good suggestions and dialogue going on here though, it just sometimes takes a while...
 
Action plan:
1. Go out to the sweet shop
2. Buy sweets that are aimed at 4-17* year olds (jelly tots, jelly babies, dolly mix etc)
3. Buy sweets that are aimed at grownups (green&blacks and other sweets - perhaps mints...?)
4. Take them home and look at the colours, sizes, types of packaging (small, easy to open) different fonts used (are they fun or sophisticated etc)
5. Draw up a chart with headings...colour, fonts, sizes, names of sweets etc.
6. Eat the sweets
7. Be sick... probably

This is one of those really good projects where it's not too sophisticated and you can make your own research.

I used to love Smarties - until they stopped the top with letters on!


* Arbitrary age.
 
Actually - if you can lurk in a sweet shop and observe children and adults buying sweets then you have more research and can make more conclusions.
 
spottypenguin said:
... while skillfully aoividing arrest :icon_biggrin:
Click to expand...

Hahaha.

It's a really interesting project that. I'd love to see some of your rebrands. Trying to make Smarties appealing to adults would be fairly interesting. Doing the reverse shouldn't be too difficult though. Big bright colours and cartoon characters.
 
Tony Hardy said:
It's a really interesting project that. I'd love to see some of your rebrands. Trying to make Smarties appealing to adults would be fairly interesting. Doing the reverse shouldn't be too difficult though. Big bright colours and cartoon characters.
Click to expand...

Does sound a lot of fun, I might try it when I get some time! :icon_cheers:
 
Firstly, thank you so much for trying to help me out, these forums are great!
linziloop i looked at that cadbury pdf you posted, extracted a great deal of research from it actually so it was great thank you. I emailed a couple of brands about their designs and strangely enough got emaied back about confidentiality breaches, and that they wer't at liberty to tell me anything about their design process.. strange. Only cadbury and mars replied with constructive answers!
katedesign that's a really good idea i'll definitely have to do that. i could ask shop assistents what kind of people usually buy which sweets as well.. whether they would be that observant i dont know haha.
i'll definitely post some of my outcomes when i get to that stage though for feedback!
 
Actually you could just do a simple survey of family and friends as to what sweets they buy (and what the kids ask for)... might save being arrested!
 
Also, you have to take into consideration the marketing. Smarties, Milky Bar (and other typical young kid sweets) are advertised in conjuction with cartoon / characters, played at key times (i.e afternoon slots while the little darlings are getting their TV fix). Yes it has a lot to do with the packaging but not everything. As an example, Star Bars - they are predominantly bought by adults (don't know why, they're horrible) yet their packaging is yellow with stars, big typeface - good kid appeal BUT the main market is adults. Why? They are very raely advertised and certainly without the cutesy kid's appeal.

So maybe that is another consideration for you.
 
Following on from what Scott has said, compare that to the old After Eight ads. The name alone suggests they're an adults sweet. Young kids arn't up after 8 o'clock. That's when mums and dads can kick back, watch the TV by the fire with their mints. Or as the adverts suggest, after their parties/meals when they're sat down with a coffee (where there are no sign of young children by the by).

Add on top the style of the logo/packaging/the colours/ the quantity and you've got yourself a very high end chocolate for adults.

It'd be pretty hard rebranding this for children, because of the name alone. After Fives anyone?
 
You could also post up your survey on here once it's written and our design community could help you further :)
 
spottypenguin said:
As an example, Star Bars - they are predominantly bought by adults (don't know why, they're horrible) yet their packaging is yellow with stars, big typeface - good kid appeal BUT the main market is adults. Why?
Click to expand...

I've never bought a Star Bar to my knowledge...

Ferrero Rocher (also yuk - or did I just eat too many) definitely aimed at adults. Who else goes to parties as the Embassy?
 
Toblerone - who thinks they're aimed where?

Probably aimed at adults, but I've loved them since being a kid.
 
Tony Hardy said:
Toblerone - who thinks they're aimed where?

Probably aimed at adults, but I've loved them since being a kid.
Click to expand...

Me too BUT I remember it was one of very few chocolate bars my Dad would eat so I kinda felt like 'the big grown up' eating that over a milkyway / kid's sweet.
 
So what does everyone think of this survey? what can i do to improve it?:


Age Range:
13-17
18-21
22-30
31-50
50+

Gender:
M
F

What 3 chocolate brands are you most familiar with?

Which chocolate brand is your favourite?

Do you think the design of this brand is appealing? Do you think it has been aimed at your age?

Why?

If you could change anything, what would it be?

Which 3 sweet brands are you most familiar with?

Which sweet brand is your favourite?

Do you think the design of this brand is appealing? Do you think it has been aimed at your age?

Why?

If you could change anything, what would it be?


THANK YOU
 
Why start at 13?

Even little kids are influenced by brands.

Not so sure about some of the wording...but don't have time to think too long about it now!
 
Well, i just thought that younger than 13 would be difficult to get them to partake in a survey.. or am i wrong? i don't know..
 
Depends how you're doing the survey. If you write in their answers - use neighbours /family kids or tape them...
 
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