Reflective Review
In this assignment I feel that I have learnt about quite a lot in terms of how to create patterns and shapes to how to use certain applications to create different types of packages. In this assignment I feel like I have greatly improved my knowledge of different types of contemporary packaging. I also feel like I have learnt how to use Illustrator a lot more efficiently and effectively to produce different types of shapes that create a unique image. I also feel like I have learnt how to use different tools within Illustrator and have also learnt what these tools do for future us. I have also learnt that the message that the packaging gives off is very important as the packaging is the first thing that the customer is going to see on a product before they open the item. I have also learnt a lot more about colour theory and which colours are the main colours that you use to make other colours within the spectrum. CMYK and RGB is another subject that I researched upon and gained a lot more information about each category of colour.
If I was to re-do this particular project, I feel like I would spend a lot more time planning out what I was going to do and what colours that I was going to use within my design. I also feel like I would have taken more time to research the different packaging designs and gained more knowledge and ideas about how I could do my own. I also feel like if I was to do this assignment again I would put a lot more detail into my packaging as I feel like there is a lot of space on the packaging itself that has been slightly wasted as I ran out of time to put anymore text or images on the packaging itself. I Fell like if I was to repeat the assignment I would also make sure that I knew exactly what type of product was going to go into my packaging which would then let me have a slight idea about what colours I was going to use within my design.
The basic narrative that I wanted for my design was for the design itself to be modern and have a luxury feel to it even though the sweets themselves are sugar free. In this case I feel like that narrative was displayed quite well as the shapes and colour that I used basically matches each other and the design itself gives off quite a luxury feel. I also feel like the brand name that I choose for my product matched my narrative as the title itself is in Italian. This gives the customer the thought that the sweets themselves are imported from a different country which would give the product itself that modern but yet luxury feel.
Whenever it comes to the elements of the packaging I feel like the design itself was pretty straight forward and wasn’t too complicated to make. I feel that with more time I could have put a lot more effort into the design itself and the layout of different shapes, colour and possibly event font. However, I am pleased with the final outcome of the packaging. In this design the shapes that I used where quite posh in a sense that the shapes are something that you would possible find on something that cost a significant amount of money, however the was the narrative that I had chosen for the design. The typography that I used also had quite a luxury feel to it and matched the colour and the layout of the shapes quite well.
In terms of my original intensions for the product I feel like the final outcome is not what I expected from my original design plans, however I feel like the packaging design itself has turned out quite well while still displaying the original idea that I had for the design of the packaging.
SWOT
Strengths
one strength that I feel like I achieved within this assignment is the fact that i picked a pretty good design layout for the sweets themselves. I feel like the layout that I choose was simple enough and right for the design choice that I needed. I also feel like the name I choose for the packaging was quite unique and fitted the design narrative that I picked for my packaging design.
Weaknesses
Whenever it comes to weaknesses I feel like I could have spent more time planning and design the final design and possible research more about what type of packaging that I wanted to do. I also could have spent quite a lot more time in designing the final product itself.
Opportunities
This particular assignment gave me the opportunity to learn about different contemporary packaging design and also gave me the opportunity to learn about different types of colour and also gave me the opportunity to learn about gluten free, diary free and sugar free products that exist on the market today.
Threats
One threat was that I am not particularly good at using or design in Illustrator which proved to be difficult for myself as I am not good at designing things. Another treat that occurred was the fact that since it was coming up to the summer holidays the time that we had to do this assignment was quite limited.
Planning and time management for this assignment wasn’t really much of a problem and for most of the time I made sure that I kept to a plan in terms of getting parts of the assignment done on time, however this did change in some aspects which meant that I had more work to do at certain times rather than other times. However, after this assignment I feel that my time management skills have improved quite significantly.
In conclusion I feel that this assignment was quite enjoyable and I liked this assignment more than any of the assignments so far as it was more about packaging instead of posters or brochures.
Anthony Maye 