Animal Campaign Visual Research

I have started to gather some research on previous animal campaigns which I have found interesting and relevant towards what I want to achieve through this Panda protecting project.

The aim for this project is to raise awareness that Pandas are still vulnerable and how important it is to not let them get back on the endangered animals list and how we can do this. I also want to do this as I feel that Pandas are quite under appreciated because of their lack of skills and lazy personalities compared to other animals that have more skills and are therefore found more interesting- but Panda's are just as important.

This project is to provide more funding for the Panda breeding centres in China and get more people to adopt/sponsor Pandas as well as raising money for Panda charities. The outcomes will include information of how people can do this.

WWF Panda Adoption intro

The first campaign that I found interesting was the purposely 'uncute' Christmas ad 'Adopt a better future' that Noah Harris created for WWF. The stop motion ad purposely uses a dark story/theme which reflects on the seriousness of the endangered animal in the film (Jaguar). Noah mentions “This is to act as an urgent wake-up call. I wanted to really feel the jaguar in danger, and the bravery of the girl.”.

The ad shows a brave young girl protecting a wild jaguar whilst the rainforest around them burns, rallying a crowd to stand up to a bulldozer threatening to destroy the creature’s home. One part in the short film that stuck with me was when the young girl says 'we are the last generation that can save them'. This makes the whole campaign instantly more appealing to a younger generation, this is important as they are the future and the ones that can really make a change, this therefore appeals to the older audiences too (parents and carers).

Link to article and 'Adopt a better future' ad: https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/noah-harris-uncommon-adopt-a-better-future-wwf-advertising-animation-281119

Another project that I found really interesting which focuses on animal endangerment is the Lacoste limited edition polo shirts. Lacoste swapped its iconic crocodile logo to instead feature ten endangered species frighteningly in threat of extinction. The campaign, run in partnership with the International Union of Conservation of Nature (ICUN) in which the aim was to “to help raise awareness about the extinction of threatened species and support conservation action on the ground.”

Across nine stores globally Lacoste spotlighted one species in each with the number of shirts made matching the number of species left. For example, Lacoste’s Paris store on Champs Elysée focused on the Iberian lynx, selling 589 shirts (matching the number of the animal left)

I really love this campaign as it a unique and interesting idea, also since Lacoste is a popular worldwide brand it means that it appealed to a wide audience and was the message was heard. I also love the polo designs and would wear them myself.

'It's a Pandaful Life!' - Documentary Research

It's a Pandaful Life is a short documentary which shows how China is saving the Giant Panda from extinction. The Panda is China’s national treasure, the documentary tells us how the people who work at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center are trained to do everything within their reach to save them. 

The workers at the breeding are highly qualified professionals in fields such as veterinary, paramedical services, animal breeding, livestock engineering or any other related area of expertise. 'All their effort has paid off, and in 2016 pandas were taken off the endangered species list although they continue to be vulnerable. Many decades will go by before pandas born in captivity are able to mate with wild pandas. That is the ultimate goal.'

I made notes whilst watching the documentary that I found useful and interesting:

• Mother pandas can only raise one child at a time but usually give birth to two. But if two must are born then two must survive, every year China makes up for this mistake in nature through taking care of the rejected cub themselves. Both must survive.

• The panda is China’s national treasure. The colour of the panda relates to the Yin and Yang symbol

• Pandas have similar feelings and emotions to humans

• Panda breeding centre in China- if they are strong enough and ready they are then realised into the wild.

• Panda ancestors were carnivores about 2 million years ago, scientists say they stopped eating meat and instead started eating bamboo because their taste receptor gene mutated, meaning they didn’t find meat tasty anymore.

• Took the breading centre 50 years to increase the number of giant pandas by 23. Natural mating and artificial insemination.

• They’ve been evolving for 8 millions years

• They’re very vulnerable to climate change and temperature change so to some it seems quite premature to take them off the endangered list.

Important Facts and Statistics

This project will focus on communicating the importance of pandas to the world today- particularly, making sure that they don’t become endangered again and how we can prevent that. This will be shown through a range of different applications, which I think will be mainly production/design for print as having something physical has more impact on people.

In September 2016 the international Union Conservation of nature announced that pandas have been upgraded from “endangered” to “vulnerable”- how can we keep it this way?. In 2017 only 1864 were left in the world.

Panda facts, statistics and info that may be useful towards this projects aim:

• The panda has lived in bamboo forests for millions of years- they've been around for millions of years meaning that we have a role to protect them, they are history.
• The average giant panda eats as much as 9 to 14 kg (20 to 30 lb) of bamboo shoots a day to compensate for the limited energy content of its diet.
• Pandas eat any of 25 bamboo species in the wild, such as Fargesia dracocephala and Fargesia rufa.
• Because of the synchronous flowering, death, and regeneration of all bamboo within a species, the giant panda must have at least two different species available in its range to avoid starvation.
• Giant pandas reach sexual maturity between the ages of four and eight, and can be reproductive till they're 20. The mating season is between March and May, when a female goes into estrus, which lasts for 2-3 days, this only occurs once a year.
• Target of poaching by locals since ancient times and by foreigners since it was introduced to the West.
• In 2006, scientists reported that the number of pandas living in the wild may have been underestimated at about 1,000- since then, the numbers have gone up
• A 2015 paper found that the giant panda can serve as an umbrella species as the preservation of their habitat also helps other endemic species in China, including 70% of the country's forest birds, 70% of mammals and 31% of amphibians. Another reason why they must be protected and how they impact the world.

Other names for Panda given by the Chinese language:

• Bamboo bear
• Giant bear cat
• Spotted bear
• Bear cat
• Giant cat bear (Taiwan)

Useful websites:

https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Panda.aspx?sc=AWY2005OQ18318A03785RX&_ga=2.15672499.424290287.1577104892-286321328.1577104892

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_panda

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/g/giant-panda/

https://www.pandasinternational.org/

Panda Instagram accounts that I follow which may be useful towards my research in terms of imagery that I use and consider within the design process, research into the pandas daily routine and particular Pandas in China research centres that I can focus on:

• @panda_world_official (best imagery and content)
• @ilovepandabears (videos)
• @panda.store.usa 
• @ipandachannel (gives names of specific pandas in Chinese research centres, documenting their daily routines and activities)

Updated Brief

I have decided to start researching for the Panda brief now so that me and Emma can start working on the designs and prints for it together in January. The aim is to have this brief finished around mid February.

I will also work on another brief alongside this as I like to work on two briefs at once because if I hit a creative slump with one project I can work on something else in the meantime and then go back to it as it helps to clear my mind and focus again properly. I also found working on COP and two studio briefs at the same time worked well for me, I did COP on Mondays-Wednesdays and extended on Thursdays and Fridays. Towards the last 3 weeks of first term I dedicated all of my time to COP as the 2 extended briefs were basically finished.

Updated Panda brief:

Contacting Studios in Glasgow

Today I contacted several design agencies and studios in Glasgow that I really liked the work of, my mums place isn't far from Glasgow so I thought it'd be good to look for some work there as well as work in Leeds as I might have a better chance in Glasgow.

Below shows the response that I received off design studio D8. Unfortunately, my proposal wasn't successful but James mentioned that he'd let me know if anything changes which I suppose is better than nothing.

Other Studios in Glasgow that I contacted:

Robot Food Follow Up

In second year I contacted Robot Food when looking for some work experience, John Watters gave me their email when I had a chat with him about studios and designers I could contact which related to my design interests.

Stephanie (who I contacted from Robot Food) mentioned last year that they usually leave placement places free for third years as they need it more than second years, which is completely understandable. Since I'm third year now, I thought it was the perfect time to re-contact her and mention that I'm now in third year if they have any spaces free for placements, I sent this email in October.

However, I didn't receive a response so I decided to contact her again today incase she didn't see my email from October. I'm not too bothered if I don't receive a response because at least I've tried, I've also sorted my industry work experience for the year (Cohorted) so this would just be an extra.

Email sent in October

Follow up this month

Ethics Questionnaire

Starting my Porfolio

I have now started to work on my portfolio so that I can contact more studios this week and early next year about 2 week placement.

My placement with Cohorted that I have been doing since June (which I can work at properly after graduation) would count as my two week placement for third year but as mentioned in previous blog posts, I still want to do a placement in a different type of design studio. This is so that I can figure out more about what I want to do within my design practice in the future as well as gaining more experience.

When starting my portfolio this week I looked back at the google drive folders that Alec created which is full of a selection of good portfolios (by students, freelancers and studios). These examples were most helpful when I was deciding what to include and how to layout my intro and first title page, below shows some examples that I found useful:

My portfolio:

I still need to touch up some of the photographs and add some longer captions to each project/a short sentence that explains what the project was about, I might also include a client brief that I have done as this shows that I have experience with paid work and that I can work for others which is important to show. I might also take out the app project as I don't really like it and don't want to do app design in the future- i'm more of a production graphic designer.

I decided to give the introduction page (second slide) a personal and friendly feel as it represents me better, I also feel that if I was to hire someone I'd to seem approachable, outgoing and friendly (as well as good work obviously)

I also showed my portfolio to my peers in order to gain some feedback, they mentioned that it was looking good and to just keep it as 5ish projects.

Module Evaluation

Overall, I have found this module enjoyable but probably one of the most difficult modules that I have had to do during my three years at uni. I have always been more of a practical person than academic but I do feel that I learnt a lot during this module which will help me in my design practice. I felt that my writing and research skills have really developed over the past couple of months, mainly because I was forced to read a lot more and regularly.

This module has definitely encouraged me to start reading more about topics which don't revolve around Graphic Design and art so that I can gain more knowledge on things that I find interesting or would like to know more about. Everything can link back to design so I think it's important to keep learning about things that I'm not familiar on.

Even though this was one of the most full-on modules, I still enjoyed myself as I was able to base my essay on something that I am interested in and that is personal to me. The theme of culture was appropriate for me as I come from an Eastern background but have been raised and born in a Western society. This allowed me to piece together my own experiences with the research that I gathered over the past couple of months; particularly the research on cultural psychology and identity.

I also felt that my practical work relates well to my theoretical work through the chapters mentioned in the essay around the themes of cultural sensitivity within design, the importance of cultural research and the positive effects of globalisation. In my level 5 COP feedback it was mentioned that my practical links between my essay weren't clear and relevant enough, so I made sure I made the links clearer this year through using my essay chapters and theoretical research to influence the designs.

In terms of time management I'm generally good at managing my time efficiently so this wasn't really an issue, I feel that I gave myself enough time for practical in relation to making time for my essay and research as well. During the first month and a half I also managed to complete two studio briefs alongside this module which I am pleased about, one of them was an external collaboration and one was a live/client brief. I gave myself deadlines for the studio briefs so that I could focus purely on COP during the last 2/3 weeks of this term which worked out perfectly.

Project Statement

The practical work in relation to the essay question focuses on Eastern culture and the importance of cultural awareness within design, through re-branding MDH (Mahashian Di Hatti) Spices masala packaging designs to look more culturally and historically sensitive to avoid the current stereotypical designs that are used. Eastern culture is relevant as one of the chapters within the essay focuses on the comparisons and dissimilarities between Eastern and Western culture and how these opposites are apparent within cultural design. The theoretical work focuses on the importance of as a designer, the need to consider and research into culture when targeting design for the target audience in order to create work that is both culturally sensitive and of high design standard.

MDH Spices is an Eastern (specifically Indian and Pakistani) spice and masala brand. The specific masala flavours that the re-brand designs focus on are Garam Masala, Butter Chicken and Chana Masala, 3 of the most popular masalas that MDH Spices sell. The aim to the new designs was to avoid using the current stereotypical imagery and instead re-brand the packaging to be culturally sensitive through focusing more on the stories and journeys of each flavour/ingredients, the origins, where they were picked from and the specific areas that they come from, giving each flavour a more personal touch which aims to communicate more about the culture that each of them come from.

The current designs of the packaging do not successfully communicate the culture; the imagery is very basic (basically just using a photograph of the dish), irrelevant colours which don't relate to the masalas and the logo and overall typography choices need relating back to the culture and society now as the choices are very outdated. The new designs are successful through visuals which were influenced by gathering relevant cultural research. The imagery used focuses on the plants that the main ingredients in each masala come from, imagery of the map locations that each masala originated from, brief descriptions about the history of each masala and avoids typography that has a typical Eastern aesthetic and instead use fonts that are more neutral and legible as this is more global. This helps to appeal to a wider audience other than people just of eastern culture, the re-brand educates audiences of different cultures which therefore increases sales for the brand.

The overall new aesthetic of the designs is a lot more contemporary, bold and high end which is appropriate in catching the consumers eye in stores where the spices are sold; the current MDH Spices designs are very outdated. This successfully relates to the theoretical discussion about the positive impact that globalisation can have on a brand if they target their designs to a global audience instead of using stereotypical design, the designs not only appeal to a global audience through the new aesthetic but also aim educate people of different cultures about the stories and cultural origins of the flavour.

The additional outcome also includes a booklet on ‘How to Create Culturally Sensitive Design’ the booklet states how designers can create culturally sensitive work through focus on cultural research in 6 of the most important and relevant steps to consider during the design process. These rules touched on understanding your target audience, broad vs narrowed research, understanding brand competition, how to avoid cultural misappropriation and allowing your work to receive specialist feedback. These steps explained in the booklet were applied to the MDH spices re-brand to create a more culturally sensitive, globally marketable and research driven outcome and demonstrates the success of these booklet steps.

The booklet also uses similar colour palettes and design choices to the MDH Spices re-brand in order to create obvious visual links between the two. The steps throughout the booklet are easy to understand for new designers and relevant as every designer will experience creating work for a different culture to their own at some point in their career, so it is important to know how to do this properly. Avoiding cultural misappropriations within our work shows that we have a cultural awareness, take pride in our work and care about our clients.

Further Photoshoot

Today I took more photographs of the final 3 masala packaging, these photographs show the boxes in context; in food cupboards with other food, kitchen shelves and with food in shopping bags. 

These photographs are much better and appropriate than the original photographs that I took as these photographs are based on actual scenarios where the masala boxes would be, whereas the other photographs show them against coloured silk backgrounds which only relate to the colour of the boxes, even though they were well shot and gave the boxes a high-end, contemporary aesthetic.

Below shows my favourite 6 photographs:

Final Packaging and Photoshop

I have now printed and folded the final nets for each of the 3 masala packaging along with the booklet. I decided to stick with my original plan of printing the packaging onto Olin regular paper but in 245gsm instead of 300gsm as I didn't want the packaging to be to hard to fold and ruin it, I stuck with Olin regular in 120gsm for the booklet.

These paper stocks worked well as the packaging colours came out bold like I hoped and the black was really strong and clean. The paper stock for the booklet was also appropriate as it is soft and easy to hold which relates to the concept of the rules within the booklet being easy to understand.

I decided to buy some satin fabric that I could use as backgrounds for photographing the packaging, I bought 3 different colours of satin that matches the pale colour used in each flavours box. The light colour of the satin works well to contrast against the black box. Furthermore, the re-brand also follows a more bold, classy and contemporary aesthetic in order to be a more global design as it aims to appear to more cultures other than just Indian and Pakistani culture (which the current designs do), the satin silk communicates a richer, high end look which also increases appeal as the current designs are outdated and cheap looking.

Photographs (small selection, UNEDITED):

Butter Chicken:

Garam Masala:

Chana Masala:

All 3:

Booklet: