OUGD603: Penguin Design Award- Brief

The Penguin Design Award non-fiction category asks designers to create a new cover for Caitlin Moran’s book, How to Be a Woman.

The design needs to feel timeless and classic, whilst at the same time making it clear to the reader that it is very entertaining and often very funny. The book should feel very accessible, immediately ‘pickupable’ and something that exists within the world of Popular Culture. You are welcome to use an image of the author, but do not feel that you need to take that approach.

The ideal design will make us smile, make us want to own a copy of the book, and keep it proudly on our shelves for a long time.

What the judges are looking for:

We are looking for a striking cover design that is well executed, has an imaginative concept and clearly places the book for its market. While all elements of the jacket need to work together as a cohesive whole, remember that the front cover must be effective on its own and be eye-catching within a crowded bookshop setting. It also needs to be able to work on screen for digital retailers such as Amazon.

Your cover design needs to include all the cover copy as supplied and be designed to the specified design template (B format, 198mm high x 126mm wide, spine width 20mm).

The winning design will need to:

. Have an imaginative concept and original interpretation of the brief

. Be competently executed with strong use of typography

appeal to a contemporary readership

. Show a good understanding of the marketplace

. Have a point of difference from the many other book covers it is competing against 

. Be able to sit on the shelves of a supermarket or ebook store as easily as it sits on those of more traditional bookshops.

OUGD603: Milkshake Mix Packaging- Live Brief

On Wednesday I received a college wide email about producing some packaging for milkshake syrup mixes. Having never tackled packing before I decided this was something I wanted to explore through different briefs this year so I called them up and arranged a meeting to discuss ideas.

On the phone prior to the meeting he spoke about wanting to create a 50's diner look with his inspiration being heavily influenced by a packet of strawberry milkshake creme oreos. He liked the Americanised look and the use of the type, the image of the milkshake glass and the image of the fruit. So I sketched a few ideas and potential label layouts before we met for discussions.

After meeting and going through my ideas he explained that the packaging was not a label but a heat wrapped plastic label that would cover the entire bottle. He also make clear that he wanted something very similar to the oreo packet including the angle of the glass and the style of the image. I had suggested a vectorised style but he wanted 'realistic and slightly animated' which I'm not sure how to achieve or whether I can achieve it. So I sketched out a few more layouts and designs and although what he says he wants is clear I still think he has a specific look but no actual idea what the final product should look like, which worries me a little. 

Although I asked him for the required information, the blurb and what was needed on the mix bottle I received very little so I'll start with attempting to produce the image of the glass and the fruit in the style he's requested to see if I can actually achieve it before continuing with the rest of the label.