Jonathan Finch (BA Hons.) Graphic Design Level 06
OUGD303 — Brief 5 / Fashion Branding (Vanessa Gate) The Brief — In collaboration with Ailsa Marrs, develop a brand identity for the fashion design Vanessa gate and apply it across a range of promotional material. The brief is to be essentially split quite cleany in two, with myself creating the core identity for Vanessa which will then provide the framwork for Ailsa to design the lookbook and invitations for her Spring / Summer ‘13 collection. The main part of the collaboration will be formed through jointly discussing design development in order for all of the work that is created for Vanessa to be consistent. We will both hold responsibility for organising meetings with our client and overseeing the production of all of the printed deliverables. 1/6
Jonathan Finch (BA Hons.) Graphic Design Level 06
OUGD303 — Brief 5 / Fashion Branding (Vanessa Gate) Concept & Design Direction —
Din Regular Din Medium
Vanessa Gate Womenswear Designer Spring / Summer ‘13
After Ailsa and I initially met with Vanessa to discuss her branding we deduced that she wanted something clean, elegant and classic involving simple line work. We also agreed that the colour scheme would be purely black and white to allow it to adapt to the ever changing colours that would feature in her different collections. With all of this in mind, I developed a simplistic, typographic monogram using her initials ’VG’ that connect together seamlessly. This minimalist, contemporary mark would form the core identity and appear in black and white across the range of material Ailsa and I produced. Through the development of the project I ended up laser-cutting most of the design work meaning that the logo also exists in a second form that differs slighlty to allow the central counter of the logo to remain in place and not fall out once laser-cut. A single typeface of Din was decided upon by Ailsa and I which we would use in Medium and Regular weights. 2/6
Jonathan Finch (BA Hons.) Graphic Design Level 06
OUGD303 — Brief 5 / Fashion Branding (Vanessa Gate) Stationery — The ‘VG’ logo was taken forward and applied to a stationery range for Vanessa including the letterhead, compliments slip, business card, envelope and folder to hold her technical package documents. One rule used across the stationery range was that whenever the logo appears on white it is printed black and whenever the logo is set on black it is laser-cut. However tempted I was to develop extra artwork and patterns for this identity, I had to be disciplined and keep Vanessa’s brand restrained and simplistic. I thought that extra colour would be introduced to the identity every time she changes her collection since any images of her garments will show through the laser-cut logo. This would result in a mini, natural refresh of her brand identity with each new collection she releases. 3/6
Jonathan Finch (BA Hons.) Graphic Design Level 06
OUGD303 — Brief 5 / Fashion Branding (Vanessa Gate) Swing Tickets — Although small in scale, the swing tags I designed for Vanessa had a considerable amount of time spent on developing them. I felt they were crucial to get right as they would be seen with her beautifuk garments and whatever I designed had to do them justice. The laser-cutting technique and black and white theme continued with three pieces of layered card forming a long, slender, elegant shaoe for the ticket. Two pieces of black would sandwich a piece of white, with the logo cut through on one side and then her full name and the collection cut through on the back. The inner piece of white card could then hold a spare button and have space for a white sticker showing information on that specific garment such as size and price. The tickets were threaded with thin, black ribbon and hung alongside a secondary piece consisting of a laser-cut acrylic logo threaded onto yellow ribbon matching the colour used in some of her collection pieces. 4/6
Jonathan Finch (BA Hons.) Graphic Design Level 06
OUGD303 — Brief 5 / Fashion Branding (Vanessa Gate) Retail Collateral — To expand the range of products I was making for Vanessa, I also designed some tissue wrapping paper featuring her logo that was laser cut into bothe blsck and white sheets. Two different sized carrier bags were also made and featured her laser-cut logo. A larger, black carrier bag and then a white one which was seventy percent of the original size both finished off with matching black and white cord handles. 5/6
Jonathan Finch (BA Hons.) Graphic Design Level 06
OUGD303 — Brief 5 / Fashion Branding (Vanessa Gate) Hangers & Exhibition Space — I also applied personal branding to Vanessa’s hangers with black vinyl stickers applied to white-painted wooden hangers. I also supplied Vanessa with a basic square format featuring the logo which was used as the material label and stictched into the back of her garments. Finally, I helped to art direct the set up of Vanessa’s exhibition space. I printed a large scale version of her logo, again as a vinyl sticker which was applied to the wall abover her garments. One of Ailsa’s posters was then positioned alongside it with her extra print collateral placed on a floating shelf including the business cards that I designed. Overall I felt this was a really succesful brief, particularly regarding the consistency and quality of finish reagarding the fact that Ailsa and I worked on practical design quite seperately but then brought all the elements together through discussing development of the project on a regualr basis. 6/6