Studio Brief 2: Feedback crit

Questions:
Is the brief specific enough? Client? Aims? Potential outcomes?
Does the brief reflect the content of their essay?
Does the concept resolve the brief?
Do the prototype outcomes resolve the brief?

Feedback:
The brief for this project is specific enough because a client has been chosen and particular aims have been established. The client for this brief is the fashion company Topshop and the aims are to design a way in which advertising can focus on the feelings that should be felt when wearing the clothing rather than the appearance. The aim was to ensure that any appearance expectations that may be created by the choice of models are removed and the customers do not feel as though a certain body type would suit the clothing better than another. The brief is looking for the outcomes to be advertisements that can present the clothes without the use of models, a way to remove any negative stigma on body shape expectations. A series of advertisement posters, a book or a zine would need to be produced as the final outcome to present to the client.

The brief does reflect the idea that an accurate representation of the female body size in the UK is not used in fashion adverting, asking for a new concept to be developed so that this can be improved and made more positive and accepting to the variety of body sizes will help to address the issues raised in the essay.

The research focuses on fashion advertising, specifically the body size of the models used and how this differs to the average female body size in the UK. The research led to the discovery of the problems that Topshop have caused due to their decision to use model Codie, a model seen to possibly be triggering to many people. There has also been research into the colours and how different colours can represent certain feelings. This is relevant because the design ideas seem to focus on the ways in which colours can be used to suggest the way a customer should feel when wearing the clothes, taking away the focus on appearance.

The idea of using the ‘T’ from the logotype to create a background pattern looks visually pleasing and successfully represents the brand. The brief is resolved because the focus has been changed to the feeling that the clothes bring rather than the appearance. The idea to not use models has removed any expectations or suggestions of who may or may not suit the item of clothing which is important when trying to resolve all of the negative stigma that was created by the previous advertisements that Topshop have released.

The prototype outcome does resolve the brief as the colours used to build up the background visuals represent the particular feelings that the style of clothing should make the person feel when wearing them. One negative point that was raised was the fact that the ‘T’ was shown to be only one thickness, which if looked into it could fail to represent the equality that this advertisement concept is aiming to achieve. This could be improved by looking at using a variety of different line weights within the design. 

Experiments to try:
- Variety of line widths to show equality
- Tessellations could work well to build up a full background
- Collaging experiments to create depth by using different materials and paper
- May work well with phrases on to emphasise the idea that clothes should make you feel a certain way, not only look. ‘Feel ... energetic, feel … relaxed’ etc. could be developed to be a tagline on the posters
- Smaller logotype as it is not the main focus of the advertisement
- Use more of the colours rather than narrowing the palettes down to one or two, maybe focusing on one of two but adding in the others so that the advertisements become more subjective