Now we had all of our final measurements in place, we could begin to put a template together and also start to illustrate it. We wanted to include small curved 'windows' on each box, as this would allow the user to see what was inside. This was necessary as it is always important to be able to see the contents of something, and we also felt it added a sense of freshness to the products. The food items don't just want to be sat in cardboard packaging, therefore the window plays a number of different roles.
Throughout the whole process, we made use of Dropbox. As this brief is collaborative, although we planned on doing most of the work whilst with each other, we wanted to make sure we had a way of sharing ideas and digital work. Dropbox allowed us to send files back and forth, and this would prove extremely beneficial throughout the entire process.
The template
I drew up a quick template on illustrator that we could both work on in terms of adding illustration. The windows were included, as there was no need to create illustration on these areas as they would simply be cut away. It also gave us something to work around.
Adding colour and illustration
We came up with an initial colour scheme that we felt was a modern reflection of Scotland, without incorporating traditionally Scottish shades, such as blue. Two shades of green were chosen as the images would include a lot of hills, foliage and plants as part of a Scottish back drop. The red/orange could then be used in contrast to this, whilst the grey acted as a balancing colour.
With our colour scheme in mind, we began to drop in the illustrations we had previously completed and started to build up a sort of background scene that we could work around. This included a lake, grass and a sky. By doing this, colour was applied throughout, and it made it a bit easier to work out where certain things needed to be placed.
Whilst incorporating these different aspects, we began to play around with the colour slightly. We felt that the scheme we had chosen was too dull, and it made everything look a bit garish. There was nothing about the overall aesthetic that reflected our Scottish theme, and this definitely needed to be developed further.
Changing the colour scheme
After playing around a bit, we finally came up with a group of colours that we were happy with. The chosen colours below were much more fresh and modern, whilst still being reflective of context and content. Any existing illustration was therefore removed, and we started to build up the scenary again.
Using the chosen colours, we began to drop in simple shapes that represented mountains and streams. We made sure that these worked across a number of the products, so that they would all fit together within the picnic box, but still work as individual items.
To expand on this, we wanted to start dropping in more detailed illustration. I drew up some foliage, flowers and trees that could be added to the backdrop. This started to give the packaging a bit more personality, and we could begin to work out what area of 'Scotland' each section would represent.
These circular labels were added at this point so that we could start to consider how text would be incorporated into the packaging. As the background would be quite busy, we believed that by adding these little labels, we were creating separate sections where text could be added.
Adding type - handwritten
To develop our packaging further, we started to consider what the type should look like. With our illustrations being quite playful, we needed something that would compliment this aspect. Jenna drew up a number of different hand rendered type possibilities, and we decided on the one below. We felt that it was a fun and friendly type that represented our ideas well. Jenna wrote each title, and I then went on to scan these in, digitising them using the pen tool.
The type was then added to each circular label. Although the type worked extremely well by itself, they didn't quite sit right on the template. They didn't compliment the illustrations in the way that I had imagined, and they looked slightly forced when placed in the shapes. We therefore needed to reconsider and re-look at how text could incorporated.
Adding type - handwritten
In order to move on from the previous type included on the packaging, we felt that we would stick with the hand rendered aesthetic. This time, I drew out some possibilities using illustrator, and we decided to work with the type below. The red/orange was used to make it stand out from a very green-heavy background.
This style was then applied to each title and was placed on the packaging. Initially, we kept it on a slight, to add a playful and energetic feel to the picnic. We struggled however to make this work on every single section. To move on from this, we changed the type to be on a horizontal level, whilst trying not to keep it to rigid or lined up. We also experimented with the possibility of including this type in the previous label. Again, this type worked extremely well by itself, but it just wasn't effective on the packaging and didn't give off the aesthetic that we had hoped. It looked too busy, and it didn't allow us to add extra information to the front.
Changing the type - Haymaker and Jolly
After a lot of experimentation and searching around for appropriate typefaces, we finally found a typeface titled 'Haymaker' that we felt could work well alongside our illustrations. This would also allow us to use another typeface, that could be used for descriptions of the products. We kept the type in the orange as this was a great contrast to the green and made the titles stand out, attracting the customer.
We played around with different layouts until we were happy with how it looked. We were extremely relieved to have finally found this type, as it meant we could continue working our illustrations around this.
The final layout for the text can be seen below, a line has been used to break up the title of the product and it's description. At this stage, we also made some final decisions about what each section would include.
Crisps - Princes Street Gardens
Berry Oatcakes - mountain scenery
Shortbreads - mountain scenery and Highland cow
Sandwich - Edinburgh castle
Scotch eggs - Lochness monster and lake
Throughout this process, myself and my partner consulted each other on all aspects of the design. We sat together and worked through the illustration, allowing changes to be made if necessary. Certain areas were split up, for example I illustrated the Castle and Jenna illustrated the arch for the gardens, however most of it was done on a shared basis. It slowly began to build up into a detailed and exciting scene.
As we worked on the illustration together, it began to build up quickly, with changes being made as soon as they needed to. We continued to add to certain areas, making sure each section linked nicely and seamlessly. We didn't want to overcrowd, therefore made sure that we still kept areas of white space. Overall, we were extremely happy with how our designs developed throughout this process. We worked extremely well together, and by sitting and doing this, we had the opportunity to talk through each area, expanding on the designs and changing them when necessary. The initial designs started in such a different place to how they ended up, and there were a lot of positive changes made throughout.
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