Journal 4

Unpacking a Brand… Roxy

For as long as I can remember I have always been drawn to the roxy brands and their products. It started when I was young and I would first like their designs on their bags, tags, flip flops etc. This started when I was young before I knew I was going to go into graphics. I remember buying swim suits, shoes and clothes that were Roxy from various stores and I would always keep the tags and sometimes they would give out stickers or keychains that I always kept. They use a very bright and fun color palette along with simple design. They also use patterns a lot in their designs and even in products.

Why this brand?

Roxy comes out of California and promotes a “surfer, beachy” lifestyle. I think this is what I initially liked about them along with their designs themselves. They do a really good job of presenting a personality that draws people in. Now the brand is on a broader spectrum; they make winter clothes which include jackets and ski/snowboard apparel. They even have household items now such as shower curtains and bedroom sets. They have a kids clothing line also. They are affiliated with Quiksilver, which has all of the mens clothing. This is even demonstrated in their logos, Quicksilver’s is half of the Roxy logo.

 

Breaking it down:

Brand, Mind, Space

Functional: Roxy promotes a lifestyle through their fun and contemporary branding. I am paying for a quality product.

Mental: Roxy provides me with products for every aspect of my life, from clothing, accessories and bedding.

Social: Roxy is a very recognizable brand all over the country to a select audience so when I have products from there I feel like I am part of a community.

Spiriual: Roxy gives back to the communities where they are most prominent by having events that incorporate local art and music. This is often at surf competitions.

 

Journal 3

Zag // What sticks?

 

This reading had several aspects that stuck out to me, I found myself reading it and thinking about the Sewing Machine Project, which I will be “rebranding,” so I compared several of their examples to this organization. Some of the topics touched on made me think of personal things in my life. I think the reading was also more interesting for me to read while I had a certain organization in mind.

The first thing that stuck out to me was Moore’s law; I thought it was interesting when they had the statistics about how people are so much more likely to travel internationally now with more choices of airlines and better deals on airfare. When I was planning my trip to Europe this summer my mom kept saying how she wished she would have gone when she was my age, but at that time no one was really venturing to Europe like they do now. It was also interesting how they talked about after having traveled people were more likely to eat a bigger variety of food. Their example of eating at a seafood restaurant also struck me; it is probable that a nice restaurant may have had the fish flown in from over seas that very same day.

I thought there were some good points made about all the “clutter” that surrounds us everyday. We are definitely living in a world of “faster and more.” I think the advertising clutter is very relevant in todays society, especially when you think about all of the types of media we see everyday, we are constantly bombarded with information. And I think the media clutter is also very true now with all of the different types of competing media.

“Designing your zag” also hit home with me, I think I used to approach design as having a start and finish. But they make a good point that your zag is heuristic thinking, not algorithmic, there is no set path or formula for reaching the end. Design is never really finished, there are always ways to continue to create more and to modify. I liked the quote, “You still need rigor and process, otherwise you will drift.”

The 17 check points is when I really started thinking about the Sewing Machine Project; I think with my research up to this point I have been starting to work on some of these check points. There were a few that I found to be the most prevalent. The first one is basic, who are you? Where does your raw energy come from? In order for businesses to be successful they need a strong foundation. Warren Buffet’s quote was a perfect way to reiterate this referring to the dot com businesses of the 90’s. “When the tide goes out, you can see who is wearing bathing suits.” I think the SMP has this moral code and foundation so it will continue to do its job and help “mend” communities.

I thought 8 was another very important check point: who loves you? This touched on how brands were built by communities, there are so many different people, companies and attitudes that go into building a brand and making it successful. Without a good mix of all of these elements, companies would not work.

Then number 16 was another important checkpoint, how do you extend your success? This is something that needs to be thought about all the time in order to keep growing and to stay fresh and innovative. You have to constantly be thinking about what could be the next step for your business/company. How can you extend or expand what you are doing. The SMP is starting to develop on this and is starting new initiates. This is key in order to keep the project afloat and to continue its work to help others in need.

Journal II

For the most part I think my creative problem solving profile was pretty accurate. The order for the 4 categories was

1.Experiencing // generating, fact finding, getting things started

2.Evaluation // implementing, getting things done, gain acceptance

3. Ideation // problem definition, idea finding, conceptualizing

4. Thinking // optimizing, turn abstract ideas into a solution, evaluation and selection

 

I’m not surprised that generating and fact finding was my highest category; at the beginning of projects I always do brainstorm a lot and come up with ideas to stem off of. I think what I need to work on is exploring more of these options, however. I tend to come up with a lot of ideas in the beginning and then pick one and go with it. This is okay sometimes, but I think I could probably develop concepts that would allow for more creative problem solving. If I give myself more time to develop these ideas I know I will end up with better and more complete results. Once I start doing this my projects should be more cohesive and hopefully my viewer will have a deeper understanding and appreciation of what I was trying to accomplish with my solution.

With that being said, it makes sense that evaluation and implementing was my second highest category. Like I said I tend to come up with ideas and pick one instead of letting them develop more and maybe combining a few together somehow. I like to get things done so I think this is why I seem to pick an idea and go with it. I do not often change my concept once I get started on a project. I need to start making sure I find more than one good idea and keep searching. I think I need to also work on trying to solve the problem from different viewpoints, not just the first good one that I think of.

I am surprised that my 3rd and 4th categories were not the opposite way. Like I said, I think I could use the most work in number 2; conceptualizing and putting ideas together. I think that will by my main goal for this semester.  I not only want to develop ideas that are more complex, but also combine multiple ideas into one to make them deeper and more dynamic. As far as optimizing goes, I need to work on turning “abstract ideas into solutions.” I often think of things that I would like to do but dismiss them shortly after because I do not know how to execute them. I think this is something that I can definitely improve on. I think with the problem solving skills I have developed so far there is nothing I should not be able to do. I can also use my resources to ask classmates or teachers to help me if I am ever stuck trying to figure out how to make something a reality.

What problem should design solve next?

Thirty Conversations on Design //  What problem should design solve next?

 

There are of course an unlimited number of answers to this question; with the many problems facing our country and the world today the list could go on forever. I thought Natalia Ilyin answered this question in an interesting way. She noted that design has possibly caused more problems than it has created. She said that since the industrial revolution we have interrupted the natural cycle that let the world and life work together.

With this being said, we cannot go back and change the past but instead perhaps come up with a new problem solving strategy, Ilyin suggested. She talked about how today we think of solving problems with a beginning, middle and an end. This cycle means that the issue will “end.” But in fact for the most part the problem always goes in cycles. By approaching in a way that is different from what we do now could solve this issue and as a result end up with a better method. I think it should really be solving a problem and then making sure that the solution is maintained.

I think that problem solving should be approached in a similar way no matter what the problem is, but of course have specifics depending on the issue. I think a problem that design could solve next is educating people how to properly recycle. As simple as it seems, I recently started doing it and it is a such a small thing that can truly make a big difference. I know that many Americans are too lazy to develop new habits; perhaps the best solution would be to start educating in schools so children can learn about it at a young age and then hopefully adapt it into their daily routines, in the present and the future. They also could potentially educate their parents and older family and friends about it and hopefully influence them to start doing it as well. I think graphic elements will be very useful in a campaign to really push recycling; people can gain a better understanding of how things need to be separated and sorted. With this it will be important to keep up with the results of the problem solving because it will be an issue that keeps cycling and will constantly need to be used. Most people are also very familiar with the recycling logo so that would be a good place to start thinking about ways to inspire people to join the trend and start to recycle.

Good Packaging

BRANDS:

Puma is a very well known brand, and this shoe box is very recognizable With the puma on the top, also the red and white can be associated with Puma. Also, the design is very functional because the red wrapped around the actual box serves as a bag.

INTERPRET:

This is packaging that interprets the product because it is for a paper; even though the package has a lot of green it also hints that the company is truly “green.” Also it symbolizes paper with the trees. Its nice how when they are stacked they form a tree. It doesn’t need to say paper anywhere.

IDENTIFY:

This example does a good job of identifying the product with the Duck Rice text. They also included the literal picture of the duck; this was probably a good idea because many people might not know about “duck” rice being a literal thing. Also, very clever type with the “D” and “R” forming a duck!

PROTECTIVE:

This is an example of protective packaging because the wine bottles come in a box first of all, and in addition there is a bag to put the bottle in. This would be helpful if it was being carried/transported to avoid breaking the wine bottle.

Type and Image Posters

This is an example of an alteration because it is a picture of Queen Elizabeth but it has been altered to maker her appear African American.

This poster utilizes a pun, which is known for being a play on words. The type says “Paperback” and the man in the image has it across his back.

Final Biodiesel Poster and Mark

Biodiesel Mark Toolkit

Story Boards