Tuesday

Integrated graphic design

Integrated design is a collaborative method for designing which emphasizes the development of a holistic design. The integrated graphic designs are differentiated not by the repeatedly using logos but by the coordinated colours and artistic images with a subtle similarity and unity like this example. These pictures are good examples of integrated graphic designs.
'Integrated design has evolved in conjunction with the rise of multidisciplinary design firms and sustainable design. It frequently begins with a charrette or eco-charrette, an intensive design workshop, in which many stakeholders gather to set goals and identify strategies for achieving the desired outcomes. ' -Wikipedia





“Cosmo” packaging and promotional material

“Vodikice” packaging, promotional material and Vodkice billboard

2008 Branding & Identity design trend

These are newly proposed Branding & Identity designs in 2008 and I have reflected this trend in my designs.




Waves - The New Swooshes
After years of being number one, swooshes have now been replaced by the so-called waves. Waves are hugging the limelight.

















Organic 3D
Technology organizations that produce and market groundbreaking products and services use this type of company logo design. By using the "organic 3d" effect, logo creators avoid that cold image look which is so typical of other companies' logos in the technology field.















New Rainbow / Color Scale
These logos convey the concepts of sophistication, technology and freshness. With a nearly infinite number of possibilities for combining colors, the visual effect is invariably special
















The "Ugly" 80's
These logos don't have beautiful shapes, shadows, mirrored reflections, warm colours, or icons that signify something

















Transparency in logo design
Transparency has always been fashionable. Designers often use transparency. Transparency allows the combination of different design elements offering the viewer a special image.













Sci-Fi Fonts
In logo design the font frequently serves to strengthen the message as conveyed by the image.













"Underground" Typography - Minimal Fonts
This type of logo often proves to be more efficient than a logo that merely conforms to classic rules.
















"Web 2.0" Logos
Actually refers to certain technologies.


















The New Crest

















Changing of packaging

Previous form of top brands packaging
In packaging design, there have been outstanding changes. At the beginning the package was only to contain the product so its design was simple and rather passive with printed logo on the surface of the box. However, today’s packaging design is becoming creative and experimental and it makes the box as a valuable thing to keep for a different purpose and plays an important role in order to elevate the value of the brand.

Top of the sportswear brands in UK


Brands of choice when buying sports clothing and footwear for leisure/fashion, (July 2007)

Adidas (38)
Nike (37)
Reebok (29)
4. Timberland (14)
5. Puma (12), Umbro (12)
6. Quiksilver (11)
7. Kickers (10), Ben Sherman (10)
8. Ralph Lauren (9)
9. Billabong (7), Fred Perry (7)
10. O'Neill (6), Berghaus (6), Tommy Hilfiger (6), The North Face (6)
11. Animal (5), Lonsdale (5),
12. Peter Storm (4)
13. McKenzie (3)
14. Boxfresh (2), Rohan (2)
15. Olympus Sport (1)
Other 8 None 25

Base: 2,078 adults aged 15+ / %(U.K)



The top three brands remain extremely popular as a choice for leisure rather than active sport/exercise with Adidas in the lead at 38%, Nike on 37% and Reebok on 29%.

Sportswear consumer groups

Five distinct customer groups
Sportswear retailing is becoming polarised into those selling it for fashion, sport, comfort and practicality
Sports Lifestyle (33%): "I buy items only or mostly to wear for leisure/fashion"
Doing the Splits (19%): "I buy some items to wear for sports participation/exercise and other items for leisure/fashion"
Sports Experts (13%): "I buy items only or mostly to wear for active sports participation/exercise"
Double Ups (11%): "I buy the same items to wear for both sport participation/exercise and leisure/fashion"
Sports Avoiders (24%): None of these.
Source: GfK NOP
The consumers who are purchasing sportswear the most are people who have sports life style and they are buying sportswear for the purpose of leisure and fashion.

Strength and weakness of the sportswear market

Strengths
Wide appeal of product to many age groups
Adaptability of sports fashion for different uses
Rising popularity of niche/fashion sports brands
Rising participation in some sports like running, hiking


Weaknesses
Massive over-distribution of brands
Weakening value perceptions among consumers
Challenge from conventional fashion retailers
Core consumers likely to switch spending to other categories



Prior to launching my brand, I looked at strengths and weaknesses of the sportswear market. The strengths are that they have wide range of age groups and can be worn for different and various purposes. The most noticeable weakness is massive over-distribution of brands in this market.

The viability of the sportswear brand


A significant growth of sportswear market
While the percentage of purchasing formal suits in Europe decreased from 33% to 17% between 1963 and 2007, the consumption of sportswear and casual wear dramatically increased from 9% to 30% during the same period.

The massive expansion of the sportswear market in the mid- to late 1990s which ran in line with the casualisation of dress codes generally, not just for younger consumers but also for older ones, has to come to a halt. This does not necessarily mean that sports fashion has gone into decline. The continuing popularity of the trainer as the footwear of choice for a wide cross-section of the population as well as that of sweat and track tops, track pants and other items as comfortable, practical clothing is a demonstration that this is not the case.
(Buying director, mail order group of Mintel, 2006)


In this market, retailers have been forced to define more clearly what they are selling: Is it performance clothing for active sportswear, a fashion statement or simply a comfortable, practical and modern form of clothing?(Managing director, outdoor chain of Mintel, 2006)


Why do I want to conduct this project?

The reason why i have decided to create the sportswear brand is that sportswear market is growing dramatically. While the men's formal suit industry is decreasing, the sportswear market is increasing gradually. Moreover, sportswear brands are expanding their market to the casual wear sector. According to Mintel survey, many sportswear and casual wear brands are focusing on clarifying their brand identity because of this phenomenon. And the graphic designs and branding identity designs of them are very crucial factors in in communicating the brand identity to consumers. And there have been needs for new graphic design and logo types which can reflect rapidly changing young consumers’ desire and can communicate a brand’s concept using an integrated graphic design scheme.

Other brands

History
The Lacoste company was founded in 1933 and takes its name from Rene Lacoste. Rene Lacoste did not like the traditional shirts used for tennis and teamed up with Andre.

Origin of the Crocodile
The American press nicknamed Rene Lacoste the "Crocodile". A friend of Rene's,
Robert George, drew a crocodile.Embroidered on the blazer that he wore on the court from then on.
Quality - They use high-quality materials combined .
Simple - Most of their products have a clean simplicity to them.
Detail - Lacoste likes their shoes to be distinctive and easily identifiable.

Fine details are very important to them, from the color of the stitching to the shoe lining.


History
Fred Perry was born in Stockport, England and he is famous as the last Englishman to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title.
Fred Perry was the World’s No. 1 tennis player from 1934 to 1938.


Fred Perry collaborated with Tibby Wegner to invent the sweatband in the late1940’s and the pair then went on to launch a sports shirt in 1952 (at Wimbledon).

The Fred Perry laurel logo was based on the old Wimbledon symbol.
Fred Perry polo's have been associated with the Mod scene for years.
British brand while expanding into a global market.


Among the changing sportswear brands, I chose Lacoste and Fred Perry as examples to closely examine. Because they are undergoing dramatic changes to branch out to the casual wear market. Therefore they have both the original trait as a sportswear brand and the creativity and uniqueness as a casual wear brand.



By comparing with other brands in the ‘Price: (high to low) (Functional to fashion)’ matrix diagram, pursuing brand will be located at the ‘Fashion and high price sector’ along with brands such as Lacoste and Fred Perry’.

Sportswear brands

History of Sportswear brands
In the 1970s, sport wears focused on color scheme like team-colored sneakers. At that time color was just as important as brand. By the mid-1970s the advent of b-boy made sportswear brands have a strong association with creative subculture and this phenomenon has had a strong impact on sportswear market until the present time. It means that expressing the youth culture and its creativity and uniqueness is the most important factor of the sportswear brands now
Intercity, 2008.
Many sportswear brands used to focus on communicating the strong and fast-moving images of athletes and the function of clothes as a uniform or a sportswear.



"Is it now more important for sports brands to be fashionable or to be functional?"
Art director Nathan Gale said that fashion is a huse part of any sports brand's adenda. unfortunately too many manufacturers seem fixated on the past, meaning not enough new models are being released(Nathan Gale, 2008).

Sunday

Packaging



Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale and use. Also refers to the process of design, evaluation and production of packages.



Package labeling is any written, electronic or graphic communications on the packaging or on a separate. some requirements and symbols exist to communicate aspects of consumer use and safety. Recycling directions, resin identifycation code and package environmental claims have special codes and symbols.