A behind the scenes look into how it all began.
Introduction • 1
INTRODUCTION
4 Ulo: Designs for Kids PROJECT SUMMARY
6 design brief- first draft
7 at a glance- first draft
8 design brief- final
9 at a glance - final GETTING INSPIRED
2 • © Michelle H. Designs
10 mood board
11 inspirational companies
LOGO DEVELOPMENT
12 initial sketches
14 computer roughs
16 refinements APP DEVELOPMENT
18 initial sketches
20 computer roughs
22 refinements POSTER DEVELOPMENT
24 initial sketches
26 computer roughs
28 refinements FINAL RESULTS
32 logo
34 poster
38 poster APPLICATION 40 in the real world
MISSION STATEMENT Ulo Kids strives to create quality children’s clothing with affordability and creativity in mind. Our designs will cater to the imagination of a child and we will support public programs that have the same philosophy in mind.
4 • © Michelle H. Designs
“Children see magic because they look for it.”
- Christopher Moore
VALUES Create quality clothing at an affordable price Contribute to programs supporting a child’s creativity and well-being Maintain growth without losing sight of our most important customer: the child Cultivate a welcoming and inspiring work environment for our employees Respect our customers and provide service that is most convenient for them
Introduction • 5
design brief: first draft
PROJECT SUMMARY The goal of this project is to create a children’s clothing line that appeals to the imagination of a child, regardless of gender. While the ultimate goal is to embrace the imagination of a child, an equally important goal is to cater to the parent through the quality, affordability, and fit of our products. The purpose of our clothing designs is to allow children to dress like the young minds they are by including a great amount of whimsy and imagination in our designs. AUDIENCE PROFILE Although this is a children’s line, the audience and purchaser is the parent. The main concerns of our audience are: quality, affordability, and consistency in fit. The demographic is large, but the focus will be on middle-class and upper-middle class families. PERCEPTION/TONE GUIDELINES Our hope is for our target audience to respond by becoming unofficial ambassadors of our products because of the quality we maintain. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY Our focus will be on the imagination and creativity of a child. This will be primarily communicated through our designs which will blur the lines between the traditional and frankly tired ideas of “princess girls” and “rough and tumble boys”. While there may be designs that more girls will gravitate towards or vice versa, our hope is that because our designs focus on a child’s mindset instead of their assumed gender role, clothing can be shared between brothers and sisters, etc. While our goal is to create a clothing line that steers away from the traditional pink and blue divide, our stance on “gender stereotypes” or any other gender arguments will not be present in our company’s mission or statement, and that is not a part of our product’s goal in any way. Our audience should be inspired to initially take action based on our whimsical designs geared towards children. We will gain loyalty from that audience due to our attentiveness to quality in construction and consistency in fit. COMPETITIVE POSITIONING The difference in our product is first and foremost is design. Our clothing will not have depictions of cartoon characters nor will it aim to make children look like miniature adults. The longevity of our product’s success will be based on the quality and fit. TARGETED MESSAGE “Children see magic because they look for it.” - Christopher Moore
6 • © Michelle H. Designs
at a glance: first draft
PRIMARY AUDIENCE Parents BENEFIT FOR PRIMARY AUDIENCE Our designs will hopefully awaken the mind of a child that still lies somewhere in the parent. SECONDARY AUDIENCE Children. BENEFIT FOR PRIMARY AUDIENCE If we do it right, children will be drawn to our designs because they can immediately relate to them. CURRENT PERCEPTIONS Our line will be sold exclusively by The Land of Nod. The Land of Nod is known first and foremost for quality; each of their products is backed by an 18 year guarantee. Secondly, their inventory is full of whimsical, imaginative pieces for children (from bedding to toys) which fits perfectly with our vision. DESIRED PERCEPTIONS The current perception is in line with the mission of our clothing company. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE Create clothing that is designed with kids in mind. Designs that focus on the mind of a child and durability that focuses on their play. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE To bring focus to the invaluable imagination of a child. TONE Fun. Whimsical. Child. Imagination. Bright. Colorful. Laughter. Play. Innocence. Memories. CHALLENGES The main challenge is to make waves in an impacted children’s market.
Project Summer: First Drafts • 7
design brief: final
PROJECT SUMMARY Ulo Kids strives to create clothing and product designs that appeal to the imagination of the child while maintaining quality in production and sizing consistency. While the company’s main purpose is to create clothing and products for children, an equally important focus will be on supporting programs dedicated to the well-being, growth, and creativity of a child. AUDIENCE PROFILE The parent will make up the biggest portion of our audience. A parent, whether working or stay-at-home, lives a busy life with extremely limited down time. For this reason, our products need to be extremely consistent in terms of quality and sizing expectations. Another top priority is customer service, where focuses will be on fast resolutions, friendly and understanding demeanor, and empathy. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY The main feeling we want to evoke at Ulo Kids is: dependability. After that, our image will be one exuding joy, imagination, happiness, and nostalgia. When storefronts are eventually created, we want our customers to have a truly fun experience filled with surprises (good ones) in an awe-inspiring environment. PERCEPTION / TONE GUIDELINES We want our upbeat, fun, yet light-hearted image to bring a sense of wonder to a child and spark a sense of play in a parent. COMPETITIVE POSITIONING Our focus will be on the imagination and creativity of a child. This will be primarily communicated through our designs which will blur the line between the traditional and frankly tired ideas of pink and blue. The products will be designed on a spectrum; on one end there will be designs that a girl may gravitate towards more than a boy, and at the other end of that spectrum vice versa. However, since this is a “spectrum”, the middle area will hold designs for everyone. “The middle” is what will set us apart by offering clothing designs that can easily be traded between brothers and sisters because they have been created without gender specificity in mind; they have been created with only a child in mind. TARGETED MESSAGE “Children see magic because they look for it.” - Christopher Moore
8 • © Michelle H. Designs
at a glance: final
PRIMARY AUDIENCE Parents BENEFIT FOR PRIMARY AUDIENCE Dependability in quality in sizing, easy and fun shopping environement SECONDARY AUDIENCE Children BENEFIT FOR PRIMARY AUDIENCE Comfortable, tagless clothing. A fun shopping environment (physical stores) CURRENT PERCEPTIONS Our line will be sold exclusively by The Land of Nod. The Land of Nod is known first and foremost for quality; each of their products is backed by an 18 year guarantee. Secondly, their inventory is full of whimsical, imaginative pieces for children (from bedding to toys) which fits perfectly with our vision. DESIRED PERCEPTIONS The current perception is in line with the mission of Ulo Kids. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE Ulo Kids strives to create clothing and product designs that appeal to the imagination of the child while maintaining quality in production and sizing consistency. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE To bring focus to the invaluable imagination of a child. TONE Fun. Whimsical. Childlike. Imaginative. Bright. Colorful. Laughter. Play. Nostalgia. CHALLENGES The main challenge is to make waves in an impacted children’s market.
Project Summary: Finals • 9
mood board My main inspiration for this company is the mind of a child. As we get older we slowly lose the spark that is found in every kid: creativity, imagination, and a happy-go-lucky approach to life. I wanted to explore a child’s approach to art, play, and problem solving. My two year old daughter has offered great insight into this as I can observe how the ideas she forms as a child are much different than me own; she has allowed me to view the world a bit differently.
inspirational companies
THE LAND OF NOD As far as companies go, the main one I looked up to during this entire process was The Land of Nod. The company is focused on children’s bedding, furniture and accessories. Their approach is a whimsical one, which is ultimately how I wanted Ulo Kids to feel. While their focus is on children’s designs and much of those designs are bright and fun, the company still has an air of sophistication about it. The focus is not only on design though, the quality offered by The Land of Nod is backed by an eighteen year guarantee. Their dedication to high quality products for children is why I chose them as my main focus for inspiration on this journey.
logo inspiration
Getting Inspired • 11
initial logo sketches: stage 1
12 • Š Michelle H. Designs
initial logo sketches: stage 2
Initial Sketches: Logo • 13
computer logo roughs I was excited about each of these logo designs. Ultimately, number 3 was chosen because of its visibility at both large and small sizes. Visibility was an issue for 1 and 2. Design 3 also incorporated the “designs for kids” tagline nicely and the cloud option provided a nice separation for use on background of various colors and shades.
14 • © Michelle H. Designs
computer logo roughs
Computer Roughs: Logo • 15
logo refinements: stage 1
16 • Š Michelle H. Designs
logo refinements: stage 2
My main struggle during the refinement process was color. I wanted Ulo to be bright and fun without going overboard and had a hard time settling on a palette that I thought would appeal to boys and girls alike.
Refinements: Logo • 17
initial app sketches: ideas
18 • Š Michelle H. Designs
initial app sketches: ideas
Initial Sketches: App • 19
computer app roughs: stage 1
Like in my logo refinement, the main struggle here was color use. During these first stages, I was very unsure of the palette I wanted to use and avoided making real choices until the refinment stage.
20 • Š Michelle H. Designs
computer app roughs: stage 2
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Computer Roughs: App • 21
app refinements
SHOP ULO KIDS I focused on these apps during my development: Gap, American Eagle, Diapers.com, and Amazon. Each one I researched contributed a different idea and allowed me to realize the importance of button placement, simplicity, and cohesion. I wanted the colors of Ulo to shine through without being confusing and am happy with the bright, cheerful result.
22 • Š Michelle H. Designs
app refinements
Refinements: App • 23
initial poster sketches
inspirational poster sketches
Initial Sketches: Poster • 25
computer poster roughs
PLAY SERIES The poster series above was designed to evoke the free spirit of a child, and hopefully trigger a sense of nostalgia for parents. INTRO SERIES While the poster series below was designed as an introduction to the new company, as well as promote back to school deals. It was aimed more at the parent than the child.
computer poster roughs IMAGINE SERIES With this series I wanted to capture a child’s imagination while at the same time appealing to the parent. The “call to action” seemed most successful in these designs.
Computer Roughs: Poster • 27
poster refinements IMAGINE SERIES Small tweaks were made during the refinement process to this poster series. Such as refinements in type including: size, leading, tracking, weight, and color. Large versions of each poster can be seen on pages 28, 29, and 30.
28 • Š Michelle H. Designs
poster refinements
poster refinements
Refinements: Poster • 31
final logo My final logo design ended up with two versions. One with a focus on the signature turquoise; a single color logo. And the other showcases three of our brand colors: turquoise, lime, and pink. Each version has it’s purpose, the turquoise cloud is for lighter backgrounds while the white cloud can work better on dark backgrounds.
32 • © Michelle H. Designs
final logo There is also the option to remove the cloud completely for either logo. The logo can be manipulated with color in many different ways; make it a one color logo, completely white or all black, with or without the cloud and choice of color versions. It is very versatile and I believe brings across the young, creative brand that is Ulo Kids.
Final Series • 33
final poster
My poster series started off well, I liked my concept and had great photos to go along with it. My biggest hurdle, which I did not get over until the final phase, was the poster to the right. In my previous versions, I could not find a typeface color that provided enough contrast with the background. I even tried to add a very light stroke to the type to make it bounce; I knew this was taboo, but I was desparate! Finally, I had an epiphany and realized the photo placement was not permanent! I resized and shifted the photo, giving more negative space towards the bottom of the poster and less at the top. With this shift, I was able to move the text to the bottom of the poster while maintaining a feeling of balance. The lighter, and consistent color of light green grass provided a perfect backdrop for a contrasting red-orange typeface. An additional refinement was brightening the photo of the “Explore” poster which made a huge difference. The remaining large posters (in larger format) can be seen on pages 36 and 37.
34 • © Michelle H. Designs
final poster
Final Series • 35
final poster
36
final poster
final app SHOP ULO KIDS The feedback from my fellow students and instructor helped a lot during my app design process. I always have to remind myself to have restraint when I design, because I am very drawn to bright colors. My peers were my big reminder to tone it down a bit, to avoid the app from becoming confusing. It was painful at first to tone down the colors, but looking at the final product, it works much better and looks more cohesive.
REFINEMENTS Increase type size overall Refine color choices Make button colors consistent Improve hierarchy of elements Write product description
38 • Š Michelle H. Designs
final app
Final Series • 39
in the real world
REALITY? I chose my concept because I am actually interested in starting a children’s clothing company in the future. This probably wouldn’t be until further down the line, pending a hefty amount of savings in the bank, but it is something I am seriously considering. I am extremely excited and happy with the way my designs have evolved over this process. Who knows, maybe you will see an Ulo Kids storefront years down the line and remember me as your classmate!
40 • © Michelle H. Designs
Application • 41