YCN, Uk Greetings : contextual research

Having had a look at the Uk greetings website, I felt that the existing work did not really reflect how I would like my own final outcomes to look or the way in which I would like to approach the brief. This is because I felt that a lot of it lacked visual quality and interest - it was not any different from anything I've seen before, but I guess this is to be expected. So I began to look for inspiration from other companies or practitioners that produce products such as greeting cards, notepads or wrapping paper. 

WRAP

is a company that focuses on contemporary illustration to create stationary products, working with practitioners such as Nicolas Burrows and Ping Zhu. As well as having an online shop, they produce a biannual magazine. 

Wrap provides some really great examples of simple repeat patterns for wrapping paper and notepads. I really enjoy the aesthetic quality of each of these examples, as well as simplicity and boldness of the designs.

LOUISE LOCKHART

I really like Louise Lockhart's use of simple bold shapes and focus on composition, as well as the sense of handmade and print process within her work. 

I think what lies in common with these examples is that they use simple bold shapes, and the aesthetic of the image relies mostly on media, colour palette and composition. When in a shop, or on a website placed alongside a lot of other similar, or identical products, you want your work to jump out - hence the need to be bold, bright and to the point. 

I think what I am most excited about concerning this brief is having the opportunity to produce something purely superficial. With products such as greeting cards, notepads, wrapping paper ect. people are looking for something unassuming and aesthetically pleasing, occasionally maybe with a cheesy tagline or motivational quote. I think in my current practice I often put the concept of my work in balance, or maybe sometimes even before the actual appearance of my final outcomes. This is not something I want to change, however it is rather liberating to purely aim to make something beautiful, fun or playful. I want to take this opportunity to develop my drawing style, understanding of colour and technical ability in photoshop and print processes such as monoprint, lino or screenprint.