Hotel Brief Evaluation

This was by far the most frustrating brief I’ve done. I think the main problem was I had no clear direction for what I wanted and how I wanted it until the last week of the module. I neglected this brief in order to focus on my other briefs (processing and D&AD in order to turn them into something more substantial). I don’t regret this decision, however I didn’t factor in the impact it would have on this brief and how confused it would leave me. By the time I deiced to side line it I had already created the logo and come up with a set of deliverables. However when it came back to me doing the brief I’d run out of time to do the things I’d wanted to do initially, and I’d also covered some of the processes in other briefs so I would end up repeating myself. So after talking with tutors I decided the best avenue to go down would be to focus on environmental signage, its something I hadn’t done before. This gave me more of a direction but I was still confused with what I was coming out with, and then I started photo-shopping. That was a big mistake. I am alright in Photoshop, I know the basics but when it comes to something as complex as I was trying to create it looked rubbish.

So again I had to simplify it again, and I realized I had lost track of what I actually wanted to produce and that was essentially Brand Guidelines. Realizing this I back tracked through previous brand proposals that I had done and realized what I had wanted to produce. Taking this format on I have now developed a coherent body of work, that I feel reflects the brand identity in a different way instead of following the generic stationary route, as I had already covered this in  another brief. It was more about creating the brand identity and environment and I feel I have achieved this. I did want to produce work with this, but actually producing a vectored proposal worked a lot better for this brief than I had imagined. 

New edited boards

I have put together all my new boards, with all the edits and the spelling errors checked, some grammar changed and some of the description edited. They all work together a lot better now and seem to really explain what is being shown. I am happy with these boards.

ISTD Boards Crown 2 Poster Boards Processing Boards Solicitor Boards
D&AD BOARDS

Crown

These are the new boards for the Crown, i am much happier with them, they now show the cohesive brand identity for the crown and the various different proposal ideas that could be done for it. I am happy because it now has a clear message and clearer purpose on what is to be done with them.

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Crown

I have created new vectors that would illustrate each room that i have created the brand deliverables for. I wanted them to be simple so that the accompanying graphics wouldn't be detracted from seeing as they re the main part. What i have done instead of using the dotted line to illustrate what would be made is i have made the stroke of the vector thicker so that it would stand out against the rest of the vector. I wanted the visual to be obvious and to see what would be what. 

I have also used the same pantone for the colour of the vectors and knocked back the opacity so that it all still links together. 

The first page i wanted a simple illustration of the front of the crown, that way it would accompany the brand guideline identity and make it clear what was going on. 

The next board is all about the reception, the keys signage etc and using the stoke i have outline this here. 

With regards to the corridor i have done this a little bit more complicated, this is because ida tend to also incorporate the fact that visuals would also go across the furniture inside. This is important because i want to emphasise that the brand would go on everything. 

The bedroom is simpler again, just outlining the elements that would be branded again. 

links to stock

I have ordered stock from GFSmith in order to get some ideas for the applicable stocks for each of my briefs. This is vital with ISTD and for the Solicitor brief, as with the poster brief the stock is secondary. So from the mass amount of samples i got i then selected the ones that are most appropriate.
Some varying in gsm in order to have some that would be embossed, or just printed on etc.

Crown

I have started by creating all the visuals for the 'BEDROOM' or the crown. I have done this in order to start in a fresh place, i hadn't done any visuals for this part thus far so it made sense to try and do something new with it.

// DECELOPMENT

// FINAL VISUALS

There is an array of different visuals here, each working as a whole and separately to showcase the branded elements of the hotel. 

Work on crown

After the tutorial i have sat down and outlines the boards and what i want to show on them.

I have done this in order to focus on what i need to design so that I'm not spending the small amount of time i have left messing around in areas that i don't need to.
I am completely scrapping working with photoshop, it's not my strongest point and i think doing a whole project with it just doesn't work and it looks bad. The images i have created are on my blog, and I have tried but it's not working.

Tutorial

I had a really helpful tutorial today with both Fred and Lorenzo. I have been really REALLY struggling with the crown brief, getting the deliverables ready, sorting out whats appropriate. It's been so frustrating because i have created the new logo but i don't want to apply to stationary etc because thats been done. So i really needed some external input to help me gain some perspective on the project.

Speaking to Fred has helped so much, because he made me realise that I had lost sight of what i wanted to actually achieve from this brief, and that is creating BRAND GUIDELINES, he also showed me my own work that i have done in the past for the solicitor brief, << this is the sort of thing i should be achieving with my brief. Obviously with more detail but the simplicity being along the same lines.

Crit feedback

We had our Final crit today. I focused on getting my boards crited, the main focus on being around the boards and the spelling/layout. I wanted the boards to be all about the images, and then the information to come secondary.
Doing this was also very helpful because i printed them off a2 which meant that i could really see how the type and the images were working, seeing the balance between them both etc. Im really happy with the size of the font because this was very important, i need the type to be clear but not oversized. I think printing them off the images has really helped see what images are working and what aren't. I know i need to re-phtograph some images.

Generally the feedback was good, there were various spelling, grammar mistakes that needed fixing so I'm happy they were spotted, as well as switching over the images making some larger etc.

I have a list of corrections that i need to make but that can be fixed, i need to re-photograph and focus on getting some direction sorted for the crown  brief because thats doing my head in.

Boards

I had a big problem with doing the boards for the crown brief, purely because i had nothing coherent o put on the boards. I've been really struggling with this brief, there isn't a standard message to delver so i really need to re-think this and re-do the deliverables. It just looks all over the place and really bad. SO i have taken this apart and i am now going to re-think the deliverables and re-do it. but seeing as the other brief is done then i have time to rectify this and pull it together. 

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Photographs

From each of the photographs i have selected the ones that i think are more applicable, the ones that showcase the products better. The most frustrating thing was working with my camera, they looked alright on the screen then when i put them on the computer they were rubbish. So I'm going to have to re-photograph some of the photographs; ISTD and Type museum brief.

Here are some of the edited photographs:

What's left

Doing the boards i have now worked out what i need to do with the last remaining briefs in order to get them finished so i can photograph them. I want to get the rest of the design work finished by today and tomorrow (DEC 5th/6th), so that i can start photographing the products tomorrow (DEC 6th/7th). This way the boards will be ready to be produced on Wednesday for Thrusday's crit.


WHAT I NEED TO DO:

ISTD: 
- Cut Out postcards
- Cut out posters
- Finish Layouts

HOTEL:
- Need to do room visuals and pull together all photoshopped images

POSTER BRIEF:
- Need to put posters in their frames
- Need to print bellyband

SOLICITOR BRIEF:
- Finish business cards
- Do letterhead print
- Need to buy wax

PROCESSING:
- Re- Print map

D&AD:
- Need to cut out skins for Polaroid's

Board photos and layouts

I have taken each board and do a very rough sketch of how i want the board to be delivered. One of the main things is i need to differentiate which board is which, as for some there are more than others. I have decided to put a band of colour along one side, that will link to the most prominent colour within the brief. this way when you go through them you can see they all link, regardless of the actual page numbers (even though these will be on as well).

Theres still a lot of photography needed to be done, but now i have worked out the exact angles that i want in order to photograph the deliverables in the best way. With some theres definite format that i want them to take whereas others i have done a variation just to see what's best, but i won't know until i have actually taken them.

The minimum amount of boards i am going to produce is 4 and the most is 10. I was a little worried about this because on the brief it says 4-6 boards, but i spoke to Lorenzo on Friday and one of my briefs is very process driven and i need to explain it with each deliverable, other wise it won't really make much sense. So i spoke to Amber this morning and she said that if its appropriate then I can have more than 6 boards. So that's good.. We'll see if that changes come the assessment briefing.. 

Boards Notes

I spent some time this weekend working out the information for my boards, the content for them and the general layout for them. By doing this i have now established more clearly where i am with each brief, what i need to finish in order to create them and what is the strongest elements of each brief. Unlike last year i want to produce some really professional boards, i think the key element is focusing on whats is the most appropriate elements to go on the boards. 

I want to tell the story of the briefs, but i want them to focus mostly on the deliverables then the initial ideas etc, purely because that is all on my blog anyway. If they need to find where a concept came from thats where they go to find it anyway. 

More than anything this has really helped me focus on what images of the deliverables that i want, i realise with one brief it is completely photoshopped as this is the most appropriate format for it, so thats just going to be down to me to sort out. 

The next stage is to re-produce the layouts and work out roughly how i want each photo on the boards taken, what angles etc. Some of them i have a very distinct idea of what i want, but others its a case of trail and error. 

This process has really helped me because its put all my briefs into perspective so now i know exactly what i need to do in order to finish the briefs. 

crown

elements of branding so far, evaluate progress and skills

crown

 I have put together some photoshopped images of branded elements within the rooms, within the areas that i would potentially create in the proposal. So i brought the designs into the images that i already have just to get a feel of what i can do, and to test my skills with photoshop. I still don't think this is looking great to be honest,i think it looks a little forced

crown

With the corridor, i have taken some very different elements and brought them into the branding. I wanted to take the fire exit sign, and develop it further. Bringing it across into the wood texture, i have also edited the kerning and weight of the text in order to make it clearer.

I'm really happy with the way the fire signs turned out, the fire sign needs the generic green colour in it in order for it to be recognised, this is because there is certain visuals people respond to and this is one. So i have inverted the colour and used it to highlight the visuals within the pattern. 

Another element someone would interact with on their way around the hotel would be the stairs as there is no lift. So i have taken the image logo i have created and photos hoped it onto the banister. This would be an image varnished onto the banister, this would created a varnished texture so that when the image is on the banister and the light catches it the light would reflect and create a different colour. This is defiantly the more subtle side to the braining elements i am trying to create. 

I have pulled together the elements that would be the brand, i still need to photoshop the room numbers etc, but thus far i have some semblance of order with the brand. 

crown

I have taken on the first deliverable, the keycard that someone would need to access their room. I have taken on the similar process as before, bringing in the elements that i had used with the previous fire signs. However this time i have photoshopped the the design onto wood, i have chosen i thin red oak sample, this is because i can be shaved down and varnished to create a resistible wood that can be used.

You can also used the media to to put magnetic strip on which would actually needed to be put onto the wood and use in the door. I really like the texture, it looks really strong and visually its quite different. This also reduces ink used and printing, as all of these would be engraved onto the specific media. 

crown

thus far i have branded the elements within the; reception, corridor and general environment. Theres still things i need to work on, the room numbers, some packaging for the key. and then some elements within the room, like the bedding etc. I just want to try and create something different and authentic and i think thats where I'm struggling. I think that i need to maybe speak to people who are better with photoshop to make things look more realistic.


[ INSERT FIRE ACTION SCRIBD]

Fire signs

// THE FIRE SIGNS THUS FAR .. They all work together, and the seem to begin to work as a set.