Cllage

The plan for the inside of my box is to have a collage already in there, with numbered white squares that correspond to a tabbed image of an object that the you are invited to 'pop' out of an accompanying card (it will be perforated on the laser cutter) and stick on, giving it a 3D effect.

First, I had to plan the collage itself....

Next comes sticking objects on to simulate the 3D collage...

Step three was to mark where all of the tabs sit and then scan it so I can reproduce the image again to then print as a card and put in the tray.

Edit: the plan was to reproduce the image in photoshop and place the squares on after, but I found that I liked the effect of the scanned image too much, so I'm going to make the collage again, but neater........

Prototype

Before proceeding to design the collage and the pop out in my box I had to test that the net I had drawn up and altered would actually fit together like it does in my mind. The outcome was successful, turns out the little ledge on the bottom is a great support for the drawer and it works a lot lot better than the last prototype I mead (where the drawer fell off).

Laser cutting

I finally got to find out what's what with the laser cutter today, because I have big plans that you will see SOON. (Unfortunately, he didn't go through the circles thing with me so I don't have that fancy 3d thing everyone else has to show for a morning spent lasering, but I do have a piece of paper that we tested etching, cutting and perforating on)

Now I've pretty much got everything sorted, just need to test it, print it, laser it and voila!

Testing pop ups (again)

Jen suggested I researched materials a little more in my assessment last week, when I realised that I'd gone with 'route a' for making the pop up. I've acted like folding card is the only way to make a 3D collage! So I thought I'd explore a few other methods before I reach my final. 

Obviously, these aren't practical for a final design. The G keeps falling off the toothpick and it's secured with blu tak; the straw is secured with sellotape. But they were things I had laying around my flat, and they do make the letters stand up, and it gets the ideas out of my head. 

New Pop Up

The next thing I tried was this traditional pop up method. Thought it would be a lot more stable than the slithers of card I had used before. 

To test this idea I gathered up some spare boxes, (2 match boxes and a cigarette box - it wasn't mine, honest!) to put more quick letter collages in. The first was two very, very long pop ups stuck inside an old cigarette box (covered it in the test run of my brown paper pattern. 2 birds, 1 stone) to see if it would pop up when you take the lid off. 

Didn't work as well as I hoped, the springs weren't particularly strong, and flopped over, but they did pop out when the lid came off! (Now I can't decide whether I like brown or white more...). Next step from here would be to try again, with smaller springs.

After constructing this, with a separate spring for each image I thought about having just one platform with all of the imagery on which would pop up.

 

Could this be the way I make my pop up?

Looking at other pop ups for inspiration....

Decided to do a quick google search as well. Typed in 'Pop Up' to see what would come up. It was mostly childrens books and handmade cards, but it was something to look at for inspiration at least. I even found Morag Mysercough's pop up café!

Owen Gately Pop-up adventures

Daisy Lewe

Morag Mysercough

Pop-up Kings Cross

Jodi Harvey-Brown

Logos (last one, I promise)

I didn't like how linear and 'perfect' my logos looked since I'd made them digitally. So I planned to develop the shape a little, first looking at expressing it in different styles that I like (sewing, watercolour) and then moved onto turning the pattern that I've just made into the logo somehow. 

And this particular design was my absolute favourite, so I made it into the full logo, using a scan of the GM hand drawn to keep the analogue nature of my brand. 

Cracked it!

That's my nets done, and half coloured. Here's to the next one....

Nets and boxes and 3D things

Been busy over the last couple of days refreshing myself with pop up mechanisms, nets and everything I need to properly make this thing. (I'm going to make a drawer, that you pull out and objects pop out at you to show you who I am). Started off with making a simple pop up card: 

Next, I started using some of the letters and pictures that I had salvaeged from magazines to try out some 3D collaging. First one went in my sketchbook like here:

 (It pops up properly! I just stuck each letter up with a bit of card for legs)

Next idea was to try using boxes to simulate how my actual design will work (the pull out drawer). I started off just sticking more collage into a matchbox, which wouldn't work as my final product at all, because the objects have to fold down so that the drawer can close again. Then I made another pop up collage out of an old tiny cereal box, to express how full I want my product to look.

And finally, used another matchbox and stuck the legs in such a way that you can actually close it again. This is how I want to make my packaging.

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Net

As well as the 3D aspect, I had to figure out how I would make a net to work as well. I came up with two options: 1) to be exactly like a matchbox 2) to be more like a drawer and have a frame on the front. I made quick prototypes for both of these ideas in Illustrator (and learnt I've completely forgotten where tabs should go) and assembled them to see which one would work better.

The matchbox design obviously works better because it is simpler, but the drawer style does look more attractive. It does, however require some tweaks, such as a sort of ledge in the bottom because otherwise the tray itself tilts, and doesn't work properly.

I've also just this second thought I should use the pattern I just made for the tray!

But in the mean time, I need to redesign this net and get it put together.

Who am I? 3.0

Lee gave me the task on Monday to find 30 images that represent ME as a designer. Easy!

So I've spent a couple of days gathering images for this (as well as cutting myself into a frenzy filing a shoe box with snippets from my oodles of papers on my floor) and then collaged this very quickly:

(I know it's not quite 30, but, they didn't all fit on the page :-( )

Thought it needed something more, so I traced it and turned it into a pattern, because I thought it would fit together well, turns out it did with a few tweaks, and now I'm really happy with this!

an almost imagine it on tissue paper or something, you know

Logo number 3

Going back to my logo once more... I asked my pals which logo they preferred and the result came back with a unanimous choice of number 3!  

This was a bit of a surprise because my favourite all along has been number 1, but the public seems to agree that number 3 is clearer and easier to understand. It's an interesting thing this, you spend so much time wrapped up in your own work and of course you understand what's going on but outsiders don't, because at the end of the day, all they'll ever see is that logo, not all of the weird circles that I've seen in my mind. 

Got some interesting feedback with regards to number 2 & 5, that if I defined the G and the M better by moving them apart then it would work better. 

L's and G's we have a winner! 

Papercuts

(Wednesday 30th Jan)

Since I want to impress the socks off Martin O’Neill here, I spent yesterday searching high and low through Sheffield for any papers I could use. I went to Charity shops, bookshops, and those independent shops that have all of Sheffield’s finest free mags, and then I collected up all of the papers and magazines hidden in my room and got my boyfriend to rummage through the daily papers his parents get. Now I have this mountain of papers on my bedroom floor, ready to cut up and get messy with!

(Thursday 31st Jan)

I came back home today to a whopping great pile of old National Geographic magazines kindly donated from my Pop, best day ever!

Searching for an agency..... (continued)

I had a look on the internet's brain at illustrators and agencys that employ the values that I'm looking for; collage, sentiment, personality and that hand crafted style. I found a few suitable agencies: Inky, Central Illustration, Plum Pudding and Wolfins to name but a few, but I struck gold with this one....

Debutart

This is the UK based agency that represents Martin O'Neil himself. The illustrators that this agency employs are all of a similar style; very energetic and soulful pieces, lots of collage and mixed media, and most importantly covered in pictures from the past, tying the old with the new and showing to everyone the post-modernist world we live in!

Based in London, Paris and New York; the creative hubs of the world, this agency represents an elite group of fine illustrators, photographers and graphic designers.

Inspiration #3

Sarah Bridland

Talking to Lee the other day about my idea (a drawer, filled with collage like Martin’s, that opens up to show you ‘me’ inside) and he pointed out this lady, a 3D version of the man! Perfect!

Illustrator, Sarah primarily uses paper to collage and create sculptures with. She appears to create these collages out of type, found letters and signs and positions them around a shelf/platform, or small container (like a matchstick box), to show a wonderfully energetic side to this illustrator. I find that these pieces are just bursting with energy and ideas, and that's how I want to represent myself with this here packaging project. 

The Final Cut, 2012

Recently, she submitted some works to 'The First Cut' Manchester at Manchester Gallery where other similar artists also showed off their talents. The above pictures are ones she made especially for this showing, adding to an array of instillation and beautifully delicate collage pieces. I'm gutted that I missed this exhibiton as well, it looked fantastic! Alas, it finished only 5 days ago...

Last year she ran a Matchbox workshop at the visual arts festival in London, where members of the public attended the space and she taught them her craft of producing these gorgeous, tiny little 3D collages in an old matchbox, just what I want to do with my packaging!

First thing I'm going out to find boxes so I can play!