Wednesday, 27 November 2013

Designing Backing Paper for Frames


We now have our first studio brief of the second module 'Design Process'. The first brief asks us to design a set of 3 backing papers to go in photo frames, as seen when bought new. There are a few limitations, the sizes must be either 6x4 inches - 7x5 inches - 8x6 inches, or A5 - A4 - A3. Also, all vector artwork and Typography must be created in Adobe Illustrator and the final design and photography must be handled in Adobe Photoshop.
To start me off, I've been out today photographing what's already on the market to give me an idea of what I've got to compete with.




The backing papers for these wooden frames from Debenhams have a simplistic and minimalist feel to them, they get straight to the point. I think this is important, it puts focus on the frame itself which is essentially the key, it's a classic case of form follows function, which tends to make me think that I should go down this route when designing my images. At the end of the day, the target audience is the customer looking to buy the frame, and the intended reaction is for the customer want to buy it. Flashy and in-your-face imagery would only hinder that procedure. One thing to remember is: The customer is buying the frame, not the backing paper.




These three frames are also from Debenhams, however the design of the backing paper takes a different approach completely. The designer has chosen for the style of the frame to be complemented by imagery of a similar nature, for example: The first image shown compliments the rustic feel of the frame itself, I suppose this gives a good indication to the buyer into what kind of image would look good in the frame, I can imagine a photograph of a dog in this frame, but it wouldn't be appropriate for wedding photographs. Something else to consider when approaching my designs, even though it is a slightly different approach.

Here are some more photographs I took in other locations including Next & Clas Ohlson:











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