DEADLINE WEEK!

After the stress of a different hand in i am please that this week is finally over


This week i spent it making sure my business plan was correct and printed and update all social media to contain all the Fuzzed content. I waited until today to upload everything because I didn't want any ideas to be mimicked or concepts to be copied.

Today i also started my evaluation. I found writing the evaluating was much more beneficial than the reflective blog. I remembered things that were important but i didnt mention in previous posts.

Looking back on the entire project, i am proud of myself but a weakness of mine is not asking for help when I really need it.

Buffer week

On my plan, this week is a buffer week and I am very grateful.

ive received all my printing back and Im happy. 

At the time of selecting paper I wasn't sure wether to go for uncoated, gloss or silk.

in the end i chose silk, its the correct weight, texture and the right quality for the affordable Fuzzed brand.

The boxes have exceeded my expectations and they fit the cosmetic tubes perfectly. 

Trying to cut down on cost, i opted to cut the boxes out myself as funds were out, however if i could do it again i would budget to have them professionally cut as it was impossible to cut them to industry standard.

Final booklet!

After stressing all week about the final booklet, its finished and I'm ready to head to the printers 10 days ahead of Schedule.


When compiling my book I felt there wasn't enough pages. I added some colour block pages and logo pages throughout and it works extremely well. It adds depth and splits up the sections without obviously naming the sections.

The anticipation of the final outcome is exciting and making me nervous. But i have planned my time well as next week is a buffer week incase of any reprints needed.

27th March

There has been a change in my schedule. Today I completed the before and after part of my booklet.

The models used were boys I had spoken to about my brand and they were interested in the product.

i liked the idea of real fuzzed customers being featured in the booklet, which had changed from the original idea of a look book, to a how to guide with editorial features.

The shoot went well. The models were of different ethnicities so they both had different types of hair and beards. This shows the customer versatility and that it is suitable for all hair types.

I also edited the shoot and started compiling my booklet for printing as see below.

STRESS!

Earlier I had a bit of a breakdown, the pressure of working around 20 hours a week along side work experience and my FMP got to me.

Financially I am struggling and have been missing lectures and not booking tutorials because i am having to take on overtime in order to live and fund my FMP.

After a quiet word with myself, i clamed down and told myself this is only temporary and the end result will be worth it.

final packaging

After listening to Russell's idea of monochrome packaging, I went against his suggestion. I felt black and white was bland, and too similar to competitive brands.

The final packaging as seen below is bright red with black writing and graphics. An adaptation of the final Fuzzed logo wraps around the box. This is my favourite part of the packaging because it shows off the design skills that went in to the logo, and is also a clear statement which customers would recognise easily.

I left one side of the box plain red, this is where the ingredients will be displayed during mass manufacture, when a formula has been decided. I could of made the the ingredients up, but I didn't want the authenticity of my product to be questioned.

Mid way presentation

Today i presented my progress so far to my tutor russell. I was grateful for this opportunity because I have struggled since the beginning to make contact with him, so all work I've achieved so far was all off my own accord with no tutor input.

I present my ideas and the whole group thought it was a great idea and has real potential. I took all ideas on board from classmates and listened to russells feed back.

He suggested an instruction manual, because as a male he would have no clue how to use a cosmetic.

As he was talking, I was brainstorming. I suggested the idea of real fuzzed customers before and after photos along side to picture demonstrations and clear bullet pointed instructions. Russell like the idea.

Photo Editing

This week I have been working on editing my editorial images.

Looking through both shoots so far, there is no need for reshooting, which in the long run gives me an extra buffer week!

the lighting in the images wasn't quite what was planned, but with a bit of photoshop and changes to exposure and contrast, the desired look was achieved.

Both of the shoots are edited in to black and white, it fits in with the brands theme of black, white and Red.

Buffer week

In my proposal plan, this week was left as a buffer for any mistakes or reshoots that were needed. My other model wasn't available last week so I used today as my shoot day instead.

The location for this shoot was the make up studios. My idea was to have the model posing as a client in a barber shop using the product after a hair cut.

The model I chose was the perfect Fuzzed representative. We discussed his grooming routine and he  was excited that he would be the person to represent a product/brand that not only he would add to his grooming routine but represents him as a customer too.

I kept the styling simple so no attention was taken away from his face or his visible tattoos.

Although the shoot was a success, the shots needed more variety, but the use of cosmetic station lighting worked well.

Below is an un edited, wide angle shot which will be cropped and converted in to black and white.

3rd March

Today was scheduled for the editorial shoot, but as mentioned in a previous post due to model circumstanced the shoot was brought forward, so this shoot was cancelled.

In my proposal plan, next week there is a buffer week and a studio booked in which I plan to shoot the second editorial.

logo decisions

It was clear to me that I needed to decide on a logo before I could progress with anymore packaging. After much deliberation i decided on the one below. I chose this design because it resembles a tattoo, a trait in which the consumer may have.

In comparison to the other 3, this one has everything the fuzzed brand is about and is a clear representation.

Packaging devlopment

After emailing the printers, it was more clear what was needed from me.

A box netting flat lay with the design on it is what was required.

As mentioned in the previous post, photoshop and illustrator are things in which i excel in.

I created a box template from scratch in illustrator and exported to photoshop, where I played around with colour.

Remembering the advice from Amber during my Proposal presentation, she said she thought the idea of using a bright colour so the product was eye catching and also juxtaposed competitors packaging was a good idea.

In my opinion red was the colour which was most brand apt and suitable for the customer, this is the final decision.

Designing a logo

In the proposal the logo that was used,  wasn't created by myself, but it was the inspiration for the final outcome.

Being pretty confident at photoshop and illustrator, the decision was made that logo designing would be done by myself. Its my own project and in my opinion if the job can be completed without assistance it should be.

Drawing from my proposal for inspiration and the overall theme of the brand. A bearded skull is exactly what will entice the right customers.

The logo is inspired by tattoos- a trait which some target customers may have, as the current hipster trend is at large, beards and tattoos go hand in hand.

Spending over 7 hours on the logo was beneficial. After making around 15 different logos, the 4 in this post made the final cut, but I will make a decision at a later date.

Finding a printer

After much online research and speaking to fellow course mates, its been decided that the 2 best options are Design and print on London Road or Digruu in Eastleigh.

After visiting both today, Diguru is the option chosen. They offer both packaging and book printing in comparison to Design and Print.

After speaking with Dennis at Diguru and explaining the final outcome, he understood my brief exactly. He showed different paper samples and laminate coatings and emailed across some quotes with all of the options we spoke about. There was absolutely no pressure and he was interested as me as a individual. It was evident from the beginning this was the best place for production.

Let the production begin!

Week Commencing 13th February

According to the plan made for the proposal, this week is being spent designing a logo and the packaging for Fuzzed.

But firstly it is a priority to find the correct printers for the job.

Because there are 2 types of printing needed; packaging and product catalogue, preferably printing should be completed by the same company so the outcome is ready at the same time.

10th Feb

Nothing too exciting happened today, finishing touches to my social media pages.

I decided on a slogan for my brand; Because You're Fussed About Fuzzed

To come up with this I used the same thought process I did when coming up with the name; crossing mens 'fussy'   attitude to groom crossed with the synonym for facial hair 'fuzz'

This expresses the purpose of my product and the customer will relate.

9th Feb

After a rushed shoot earlier this week, today was editing day.

For a last minute shoot, It is a fantastic outcome. The images are exactly what was desired and the model suits the Fuzzed branding.

After much deliberation the final 5 images were decided.

After making the decision  to edit the photos at a later date, the conclusion to edit the images in black and white had been made with high exposure and deep contrast sticking with the original photography style- inspired by Terry Richardson as seen in my proposal

6th feb

Test shoot day has arrived.

This day was scheduled for test shooting.
After facing the problem of changes in a models circumstances, a final shoot went ahead.

It wasn't an ideal situation, but working well with garments and accessories previously sourced it was'nt too much of a panic.

The shoot took around 2 hours and was a success.

Setting up social media platforms

Referring to the plan from the proposal, this is the week scheduled to get social media pages up and running.

Firstly starting a Facebook shop then an instagram page which fuzzed beard chalks are being sold through.

Selling through social media is a cost effective way for the business.

It is planned that both sites are remaining private until submission week because of plagiarism on the  innovative grooming product or any other work.

30th January

This week, I am sourcing props and garments for upcoming shoots and starting social media platforms.

26th January

After 3 days chasing models and confirming dates and times I finally booked in 3 different studio times, including one for reshooting if needed.

Shoots are over 3 different week fitting in with my origin plan from my proposal and models availability.

Everything is running smoothly so far and faced no problems as of yet.

FMP Begins

This is the week, I'm back from Los Angeles and ready to start.

This week i will mostly be looking at admin, confirming shoot dates and models and starting reflective log.