taxonomy T
his magazine discusses the various process and the concept behind the taxonomy of bottle caps. No bottle cap in this collection are the same, with different brands and editions of beverages being included. The general intent of this is to identify the different elements captured within the individual bottle caps themselves and the ways in which the bottle caps are effective for selling purpose, as well as focusing on the actual narrative behind the bottle caps themselves. All of these bottle caps were collected within a four month period, some of which were collected individually, where as others were collected in bulk during certain events. The interesting element within this collection is the variation of the bottle caps, noticable through the designs, the colours, branding and layouts on each individual cap, allowing each and individual one to have a personaltiy of its own.
Some of the bottle caps with in this collection have more sentimental value than others due to them having a deeper meaning and a stronger discussion dependant on why they were collected, these narratives will be discussed within the magazine. Also, the illustration process throughout the Taxonomy project will be highlighted, looking at the various ways in which the collection can be presented in different formats in order to have a different effect or meaning to the audience, with some certain design methods taking away certain characteristics from the bottle caps, however at the same time potentially adding new characteristics to create new purpose and meaning to the products. The general purpose of this is magazine is to present the designs and images that were created during this process in a structured and formal way, focusing on the techniques and methods which create different purpose and meaning on the collected objects. I hope you enjoy your experience and understanding the story behind this taxonomy.
Throughout this chapter, photography is the main focus, looking at ways in which the taxonomy is photographed in order to view the objects in different ways, and perspectives. For example, there will be certain views of the bottle caps all displayed together as a whole which will create a mood of ‘collection’ or a ‘gathering’ of the objects, which the taxonomy as a whole is. However, when each of the the bottle caps are photographed individually or perhaps in a randomised fashion they will create a very different meaning and potentially tell a different story, with some of the more detailed areas of the bottle caps being focused on, and perhaps an in particular focus into certain bottle caps being captured. What I believe to be the most beautiful aspect of photography is the ways in which it can completely alter the nature and discussion of an object, and give it new meaning and a new personality all through the way in which the object is photographed, whether this be through taking a photo from a distant view or getting really close and personal with the object and focus on specific details within the bottle caps, perhaps the logo or the colours, or even the shapes.
Another key element that is highlighted through the process of photography is the use of lighting within the images, ensuring that there is not a reflection on the bottle caps as this may draw some attention to the individual bottle tops, or it could even draw detail out of the products, leaving the photographs with a white patch. Another element that is very important is to ensure the background needs is suitable in order to bring the taxonomy to the front of the image and not letting it blend in with the background, trying to create some form of depth oppose to a flat image. The white space within the photography is finally one of the essential elements in particularly when groups of objects are photographed together. The idea of this is to give the objects a space to breathe within and to avoid a clustered effect, instead ensuring that there is an even balance to the image and allowing each bottle cap to have its own space. It is also important that when the bottle caps are photographed independently they do not feel ‘empty’ in the image, oppose to this they would be engaging and appealing for the audience to look at, discussing the nature of the product and all of its various elements .
AN ON GOING TAXONOMY OF VARIOUS BOTTLE CAPS THESE BOTTLE CAPS ARE ALL DIFFERENT BRANDS AND THE HIGH MAJORITY OF THEM FOCUS ON ALCOHOLIC SUBSTANCES
Chapter One - Taxonomy Photography
B
C
Throughout this project I have been collection bottle caps, all being different to one another, giving a sense of variation in the project. Through my photography process I will be focusing on the ways in which the bottle caps can communicate together in order to create a certain personality to the image, as well as photographing individual bottle caps to understand the refined details within the bottle caps. The beautiful nature of this process is the fact that each photograph told a different story as they all captured the bottle caps in a different way, producing different meaning through the lighting, layout and format. The noticable difference between the more close up and detailed photography and the grouped images is the that the more distant photography is some what significant. The ways in which the grouped images create a sense of collection is very clear, this being my prediction from the beginning as it is an obvious nature that would be captured through doing this. Also, the more close up photographs to create an interesting element as they tend to focus more on specific colours, logos, brand identities, formats and compositions on the bottle caps themselves and shape. The ridged edges of the bottle caps and the rounded roof is really captured in these close up photographs with much more shape being noticed, oppose to the flatter form of image captured through the group images.
Chapter One - Taxonomy Photography
Chapter One - Taxonomy Photography
Chapter One - Taxonomy Photography
Chapter One - Taxonomy Photography
Sketching is one of the best ways for an artist to jot down their own personal representation of a visual, with the idea of it being quite quick strokes and a basic shape of what they are trying to achieve, giving a very nice final effect once complete. Trhoughout this section the sketched visuals of the bottle caps is presented, and the various displays of sketching that brings out a completly new element to the designs. The fascinating nature of this section is the textures that are captured through this technique, with elements of colour being drawn out of the visual due to the pencil leaving a lack of colour, however producing more of an element of form and line. Also, the sketch designs have all been placed on a screwed up paper textured background as I believe that this gives a whole new personality to the image and creates further elements of texture and depth. This also allows the sketch to be slightly lifted off the page and reduces the ‘flat’ image look which I do not want to achieve in this section. Instead, the screwed up paper almost gives a rough and dirty element to the image, these having interesting connotations in relation to the product that is being discussed in the project.
The idea that alcoholic substances can be viewed in a very negative manner is quite a common trend throughout different communities, with alcoholic drinks becoming much more popular to young adults over the more recent years. This section allows an open discussion where the audience may possible reflect on the negative effects of alcohol, with the rough edges reflecting on an idea of pain, struggle, disorientation and lack of formality. However, the interesting nature of these sketches is that they could also be construed alternatively by the audience, with these lines and strokes bringing through a very different meaning, reflecting on the shape and linear format of the bottle caps, taking away the very strict round edges from the bottle caps and creating a looser personality to the bottle caps, oppose to the strict structure that is captured through certain other elements such as photography, where the perfect shape is captured due to the great accuracy in relation to the original objects. This being said, the up and coming section has a very interesting and new effect on the taxonomy as it brings a fascinating discussion.
As seen in the image displayed, the sketch method captures a very fascinating element in the design process, with the bottle caps having a new perspective and meaning. Throughout this section the sketches have been displayed in different sizes, rotations and colours in order to produce variety and capture different elements within each one. The colours used within each design do not have any in particular reflection on the product, however some elements of colour in certain designs do reflect back on the bottle caps in which they represent. For example, the Smirnoff display does link back to the colours used on the bottle cap itself, with the red being quite a dominant colour on the original design. Fill colour was avoided during this process, with only extreme minor areas being filled with colour as it was more important that the linear element of the sketches was the main focus, as this is what creates shape and form to the objects, and draws the audience away for a moment from the actual product as a whole. What was also interesting about these sketches was the fact that with the colour being drawn out of the image, the product was still identifiable. This was perhaps due to the accurate sketches in resemblance to the products themselves. This is quite an interesting feature within these designs as it proves to the audience and the product owners that colour is not always the most important element within designs, and is perhaps just a way of decorating the objects and having an eye catching element to draw the audience in. However, this can be easily argued against as colour is a great way of identifying brands, with some products having greatly noticable colours in representation of the brand. In reflection of this idea is the Fosters product, with their bright blue and yellow tones being used on almost all of their products, this being a great way of identifying the product without even having to read the title. However, these sketches also allow the audience to notice that the logo is one of the key elements that actually allows you to notice a brand identity, with some of the bottle caps being easily recognisable by some members of the audience just due to the shapes they see or the significant shapes and patterns featured on the bottle caps. This is reflected well on the right with the three bottle caps having very different designs and images which are used as a way of representing the brand itself.
Blueprinting is a very common method used in different industries in order to produce visual representations which highlight scales, distances, space and balance in certain products. I used this method as a way of deconstructing my bottle caps and in order to focus on the much more detailed elements of the caps themselves, with significant attention to detail being applied during this process in order to make sure that the visuals which are being produced reflect well on the product itself, and do not produce a false representation of the bottle caps themselves, instead creating a strong visual reflection which is easy to identify by the audience. The designs which were created in this section were all produced on Adobe Illustrator and are not in particularly an accurate reflection on the bottle caps themselves, however they do capture a new element on ways of viewing the products individually, and focusing on the more detailed areas of the caps, looking at the deconstruction of logos, the use of balance in order to create space and composition in the logos, as well as the use of shape and form in order to produce a strong layout on the bottle caps themselves.
During the process of producing a logo, all of these elements are very important as this is a brand identity and is in most cases is presented on most products that the company creates. Throughout this section the deconstruction of some of these logos allows the audience to understand the great attention to detail that has been captured when the logos and products were created. With an equal balance being produced in not only the spacing with the logo designs themselves, but also the typography, arguably one of the most significant parts of the product, and then finally the white space of the area around the logo, between itself and the edge of the bottle cap. This spacing between the edge of the logo and the edge of the bottle cap is a very important element as it is what actually allows the logo to correspond well with the product. Depending on the shape and format of the product the logo depends to vary, however a high majority of them follow an ellipse section and are quite rarely straight or singled to one section. However there are certain bottle tops that challenge this idea such as Brothers, discussed further in this chapter.
3cm Width x 3cm Height x 0.635cm Depth
Carling Zest Hint of Natural Citrus 2.8% Alcohol Branded as of 2013 Limited Editions Consumed during 50th Birthday Celebration The bottle cap for this beverage was found during my aunties 50th Birthday celebration and features a very interesting design. The cap features the two lions facing each other, this being the logo used on all other Carling cans and beverages, being a nice symbol to represent the company. The logo tends to be quite small on the cans as the branding is normally over whelmed by the large type stating ‘Carling’, this being a way to catch the audiences attention. However, on the Carling Zest bottles this logo seems to be a lot more noticable to the eye, as it is simply placed on the top of the bottle which allows it to almost have its own space to be noticed and aesthetically appreciate by everyone.
Adobe Illustrator CS5 0.25 Stroke 255,255,255
White space allows a balanced layout
Proportional s
Well balanced throughout
Even S
Duplicated circles for equality
spacing between type
Spacing in Type
WORKING WITH SCALE, COMPOSITION AND FORM
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
The scale and white space within this design is clearly displayed through the design presented to the right, with the different measurements being highlighted, revealing the balancing elements within the design. The design is not to scale however the measurements are almost perfectly accurate, with each individual section being measured in order to have a recorded answer. This image is fascinating as it is quite clear against the grey background, with the blue being quite bold and revealing all the linear formats of the design, and having a clear representation of the spacing and the shapes created through the logo itself and the surrounding elements such as the bottle cap roof and the jagged edge that runs around the cap. An element that has been reduced from doing these designs however is the depth, with no element of depth being represented in the prints, however this is quite an interesting element as it almost forms a new sort of shape in the designs, leading well onto the following subject matter of flat design.
Blue Print Pages
Flat design is method that has recently taken the graphic design industry by storm, with some of the biggest brands using this technique in order to rebrand themselves, a strong example of this is Apple.inc and their new iOS 7 update which features some very intruiging flat designs, where some complex objects are deconstructed into simple designs however they still manage to convey the same message and communicate well with the audience. During this chapter I explore flat design in a slighlty different way, exploring the sillhouettes of the designs themselves, taking some of the elements I believe to be the most important in order to create form and structure to the image, as well as the branding icon which is featured on every independent bottle cap. The sillhouette effect that is captured in this section does create a new element in the design, and conveys the products in a new manner. Another nice feature captured in this section is a factor that was previously noted throughout this magazine and that is the way that a logo or design can be greatly manipulated and may still be easy to identify by the audience
because of its existing characteristics. With certain areas in the design such as colour being removed, it could be argued that the products are difficult to identify what they are, however, due to the significant styles and formats in the logos, the audience are able to identify a high majority of the bottle caps just due to the sillhouette they have been left with. The backgrounds used in this chapter also create an nice atmosphere as they all allow the products to come through in different manners, with some of the sillhouetted outlines being printed in different colours in order to somehow relate back to the original product, and others sketches being put on a colour background which again relates back to the original product. These elements are what allow the designs to work well as they do come back to the original taxonomy and do not just fade off into some form of random designs, they still do serve a purpose and do reflect on the overall objective of the project, however instead they just represent the collected objects in a different manner. Whilst reading this chapter, ensure that these fundimentals are noticed as they are what create the intented meaning.
chang
budweiser THE KING OF BEERS!
wkd blue HAVE YOU GOT A WKD SIDE?
nothing better than beer Bottled beer is one of the best beverages you can grab after a long days work, and the variety of drinks to choose from out there is astounding. With options from different Ales to the sweeter tasted drinks such as alcopops and the more sour drinks. The choice of these drinks tends to vary between different customers, with it being often depending on the gender of the customer, typically for the male to grab a beer whereas it is more common for a female to grab a sweeter drink, this however is something that could be quite easily debated. Certain factors about beer bottles are interesting to people who are not aware of the true functions of a beer bottle. For example, the colour of the bottles are quite often brown or a dark amber tone, this being in order to ensure that the UV lights do not pass through the alcohol, causing the colour of the beverage to change and then possibly be off putting to the customers. This is a very strong selling technique as it is something that has been highly considered by the market producers, ensuring that the drink is appealing to the people buyin the product. The commonly known beverages that conform to this colour are Budweiser, Lakeland Ales, Heineken, Carlsberg and San Miguel, these all being featured in my taxonomy. Alcohol bottles that do not conform to these two colours are often due to marketing purposes, with the colour of the bottle being a certain colour in order to compliment the tones of the beverage itself or perhaps the labeling of the drink. Reflecting on this point, it is noticable that when designers produce the labels for certain drinks they consider the colours of the bottle that are being used. For example, the beverages which use the brown or dark amber coloured bottles tend to use a certain colour on the labels that compliment this factor. For example, Budweiser use a red colour on there label, San Miguel use gold and white, Lakeland Ales use a darker tone all of these complimenting the style of the bottle used. In other cases, certain bottles tend to be clear as the beverage itself is a bold colour, for example the Blue WKD beverage is a blue drink which works well against the darker blue tones used on the labelling, as well as it reflecting on the title of the drink itself.
In my own personal prefence, I tend to drink out of a bottle when having an alcoholic beverage as I find that the taste of the alcohol is preserved and it not disturbed by the container. This being on reflecting to the canned based drinks, which I believe actually tends to carry the aluminium taste in the drink itself, this being quite common in drinks such as Coors Light, with the metally taste being quite noticable. When drinking from a bottle, this metal taste is obviously not present and the pure taste of the drink itself is there, and is not interupted by any other flavours, this is the reason why I personally prefer to drink from a bottle oppose to any other source. With the bottled beverages growing rapidly over the recent years, different variations of sizes and shapes have been produced and brought into the market in order to give a broader variation to the audience. Certain bottles have been give their own nicknames dependant on the size of the bottle, for example, the smaller bottles are given a name of ‘stumpies’ due to the low neck and the shorter bottle length. This being quite an interesting feature as it starts to give the drinks some sort of personality as they are given titles oppose to just being named as the brand that they are. Oppose to typical the London Brewers’ Standard bottle sizes, some bottles grow up to Half Gallons and maybe even more, these being for the more daring who choose to drink there chosen beverage. The variation in shapes is quite an fascinating nature captured in the bottles, with some certain beverages possessing a cone shape, this being a shape that captures the audiences attention as it is not a commonly seen shape. Viru is well known drink that possess’ this shape, and would possibly be more appealing to the audience as it is something they are not used to seeing. Also, it could be quite interesting as the shape of the bottle could change the experience of drinking the beverage, as when the drink is in a typical bottle shape with a neck, the drink comes out in a certain manner that almost ‘chugs’ out, where as it could possibly be easier to drink from a bottle with a cone shape, as this could allow the beverage to have a better angle to flow down oppose to having the neck to channel through, which could interupt the flow.
Inforgraphics are renoundly known for their clever way of distributing a set of information in a creative and interesting manner. The smart and the fascinating nature of these designs are the ways in which they can tale great heaps of information and then re-visualise them into a narrative with a very professional and simple manner. This chapter looks at two stories that have been captured from the various bottle caps collection, these two stories being quite personal to myself, one of which is my brothers recent journey to China where he has been given the chance to teach English Language to the Chinese students, this story being focused on via the Chang bottle cap, as well as my Auntie’s 50th birthday celebration, where I have in fact represented the narrative through the Corona bottle cap as this was the beverage in which I personally drank during the event. These two infographics both conform to the flat design format, with them having a lot of depth being removed from the image, leaving the design with a simple flat vector which I personally find very effective as it discusses a narrative in a very simple nature, almost in the same way some infographics do.
These infographics are, in some ways, slighlty different to the more common designs seen in the industry, however they do still convey the same purpose this being the discussion of a narrative or a reflection on an idea or a concept with a purpose, in this case two stories that are quite personal to myself. What is also notable about this chapter is the fact that it allowed me to realise the true meaning behind this taxonomy project, and that is to understand that during the collection process of different objects, no matter what they may be, there can quite often be a narrative drawn out and people may then recognise the ways in which some products are valued in different ways, even though they may seem to be something that we would naturally discard, for example a bottle cap, they could end up having some form of meaning, narrative or messages behind them, which could perhaps only be understood through their owners own personal discussion. In this case I have had the opportunity to discuss my narrative through a design method, which I believe to be one of the more fascinating ways to discuss a narrative, as it visually attracts the audience and does not just leave them with a simple level of text.
JOURNEY TO CHINA My brother was recently offered the opportunity to travel to China where he would be teaching the students how to speak English. With this being such a brilliant experience and a celebration, we decided to celebrate the event with him as a family.
CHINESE NIGHT IN In celebrations of my brothers recent opportunity we decided to have a Chinese themed night together, where we ordered a Chinese takeaway and drank Asian beers, this being the Chang branded Beer, having a nice little touch on the occasion.
CELEBRATIONS P R O D U C T
Thailand
O F
Displayed is an illustration of the bottle cap from the Thai based beer, Chang. Even though this wasn’t in particularly Chinese it did still fit in with the Asian based theme of the night and had a nice effect on the experience.
AROUND THE GLOBE Off on his travels he goes, around the globe over to China where he will be teaching for the next 10 months, to certain children in a high school, situated in a small town in east China. This opportunity has really opened up his eyes to the different cultures elsewhere on Earth.
A
B
CD
E
TEACHING BEGINS With his journey complete and finally settled in to his new accomodation in China he was finally introduced to the world of teaching. This is a very interesting experience for him as he gets the chance to pass on a language to others, and learn a new one of his own too.
KEEPING IN TOUCH So, with my brother being at such a distance away keeping in touch has its difficulties, however thanks to the Skype app we have been able to keep in touch free of charge, where we have been discussing how his experience is going so far.
P R O D U C T
Thailand
O F
A
B
CD
E
HAPPY BIRTHDAY In celebrations of my Aunties 50th Birthday we decided to throw a big party with all of her family and friends, to ensure she had a great birthday and was left with some brilliant memories. It coudln’t of been a better day for the occassion.
GRAB A DRINK
urg
Krongenbo
With a party comes alcohol, and yes there was loads of it. This party was in fact where I collected most of my bottle caps for my taxonomy project and it wasn’t difficult as there were all different drinks to the left, right and center of me.
CAN’T BEAT A BBQ It wouldn’t of been a birthday without a good old BBQ on the go, and it was a great way to feed all the guests, get them out in the nice weather and celebrate my aunties birthday the way she would like it to be done, with a drink in your hand and a smile on your face.
LEAVE A MESSAGE In order for her to remember her birthday, we decided to be quite creative and not just stick to the photo album, instead we bought a book for all of my aunties family and friends to write birthday messages of their own, having a nice personal touch on the event.
GRAB A SLICE The Birthday celebration ended with a special personalised cake with plenty to go around, and it was the perfect way to wrap up the night, with everyone having a slice of cake and a good old sing song of happy birthday to my auntie to leave the night on a high note and a smile on everyones faces.
CATCH A PLANE Following a great birthday celebration, my auntie was lucky enough to then fly away to Italy for a week where she got to relax, soak in the sun, get a great taste of some Italian food, have a bit of wine and just enjoy the rest of her holiday with her husband.
urg
Krongenbo
aidancookedesign.wordpress.com/
behance.net/aidancooke
twitter.com/AidanCookeGD
pinterest.com/aidancooke