Title
M&S Perfect Picnic
Brief
To create an original, exciting picnic pack for M&S, based on the theme of fairytales, and re-inventing them for a modern audience. It should be innovative and different from other picnic packs. Consider how this pack would be promoted. Typography should be a strong focus for the design.
Background / Considerations
Need to consider M&S eco policy and their quality, value and trust
Need to research in to a variety of fairytales
Need to define the target audience
How can this pack change peoples stereotypes about M&S?
Mandatory Requirements
Interlinking design context and practice posts
Eco friendly outcome, designs should allow for minimal waste
Maximum of six colours
Deliverables
Picnic Carrier
All relevant items for a picnic
A menu relevant to the theme
Presentation boards in PDF format
Deadline
25/5/12
***
After writing this brief I thought about what I need to do next and what I need to consider:
- What are the Grimms fairytales and which one/s will I focus on?
- What foods are eaten in the fairytales and how can I relate this to my picnic pack?
- What are peoples opinions of M&S and do they need changing?
- What would go in a perfect picnic pack?
- Research innovative picnic packs
- Research of Grimms fairytales illustrations both modern and old
- Learn about M&S eco policy, and consider how this will effect my designs
- Look into interesting packaging nets
- Look at well designed packaging
- Consider how I would promote this picnic pack
- How can I work for both print and digital?
- What would be on the perfect menu and how do I cater for dietary requirements?
- How can this be type driven but still obvious about the theme?
Ideas for what goes in the pack:
- Napkins made from print outs of text from fairytales
- Including story with pack
- Menu that relates to food eaten in that story
- Each pack for a different tale
- Type based design with quotes from the story and simplistic vector illustration - reinventing stories for a modern audience
- Something in pack that links you to app/web, telling you more about the fairytales
- A series with different colour schemes and menus for different fairy tales
- Could relate to the reinvention of the book for its 200th birthday
What I could design:
- Carrier, plates, cups, knife, fork, spoon, napkins, salt, pepper, sugar sachets, food and drink packaging, blanket, wipe packets, mini leaflet, app about fairytales, shop displays for how it will be promoted
***
In the second workshop, we answered lots of questions about our briefs to make us consider how we could take it further. It was useful to help me understand my brief better myself, and consider things I hadn't thought of. I think now its helped me to finalise my idea so I'll be better at explaining it at the concept crit.
Five problems you are interested in solving
- M&S may not seem like the type of place to offer modern, fun products so I want to change this opinion
- I want to do something special to sell more picnic food for m&s, that isn't limited to the summer events they mentioned
- Grimm's fairytales need re-inventing for a modern audience
- To aim children's classics at an older audience - such as those who shop in M&S
- To create a picnic pack with lots of content that is still possible to be environmentally friendly
Five things you want to say / what are you trying to get across
- Children's stories can be as appealing and interesting to adults as they can be for children
- Traditional stories can be brought into a modern light with the use of technology such as apps and modern methods of design and illustration
- M&S isn't old and boring, it sells innovative products with a focus on design
- Typography can capture attention as well as illustration
- It is possible to buy well designed picnic packs that are still environmentally friendly
Five reasons why
- A lot of adults find children's stories fascinating and I want to show that the pack is not just aimed at parents
- A lot of people may not expect to find this kind of product in M&S, as they many not be customers, so this item needs promoting and in turn will promote M&S
- A lot of traditional stories are forgot about, as there are lots of new characters and stories in modern films and video games, but I want to bring these stories to a modern audience
- The brief states that typography should be a focal point and this is an area I want to concentrate on
- The environment is something I am concerned about. I don't want it to limit my designs but it is something that I will bare in mind
Five facts about your subject / content
- M&S already has an eco policy in place
- M&S is famous for innovation, convenience and quality
- M&S picnic food is popular at events such as wimbledon and classical concerts
- The Grimms fairytales are an integral part of childhood
- The stories are classics available across the world
Five facts about your audience / context
- The product is aimed at parents with children
- It is also aimed at big kids who enjoy children's stories
- The people who shop at M&S are generally fairly wealthy
- My audience will be interested in literature
- My audience will enjoy celebrating special occasions in unique ways
Five products you could make
- Picnic carrier
- Cutlery and plates
- Picnic blankets
- Apps about stories
- Booklet for inside picnic pack, about the stories
(also book marks, bags, point of sale, shop displays)
Five elements that could make the product in to a range
- Create different picnic carriers for different stories, with different food in each carrier and different stories
- Create different carriers based on dietary requirements
- Create a different carrier for adults than to the one for children
- Use a different net for each carrier
- Have a different colour scheme for each carrier
After considering all these factors, I think my ideas are going to change slightly to make the brief fit what I want to achieve. For the concept crit, I will have my finalised brief and my rationale to get some feedback on my initial ideas.
//
I've been thinking about how I could promote my perfect picnic pack, and saw this article in computer arts about how to cover different medias with a campaign. This is what I would want to propose, so I found this article quite interesting. The main focus of this brief is the packaging aspect, but considering the promotion is important.
