Perforation

To make a perforated edge to enable the user to tear off sections of calender to use for model making I used an overstitch wheel I use for leather working.

The overstitch wheel has 4mm tooth spacing which I found was hard to tear accurately so I passed over the line twice, using a ruler to maintain a straight line:

QR Code Test

In order to see if my previous worries would be a problem, I devised a test to see if my QR code idea would still be viable. The first thing I did was create swatches using the ICC data supplied by Fedrigoni, and overlay a simple QR Code leading to the Fedrigoni website as a test:

These were then printed out to the same size as they would be on the finished calendar and then separated to ensure accuracy.

I then went through each square using the app 'Scan' on my phone.

Once the code successfully scanned, the app immediately redirected to the Fedrigoni website via a url shortener to keep QR code size and complexity down.

Results: Almost every QR code scanned perfectly the first time/within a few seconds. The only problem was with the red square which took very slightly longer to scan due to its very bright hue.
I will test again once the designs have been printed in full.

QR Code Problem?

When it comes to putting the QR codes on coloured paper I have noticed a big potential stumbling point; printers don't print white. This means that the white areas of the QR code will be rendered in whatever colour the paper is because the printer assumes its white. This won't be a problem on lighter papers but may be a concern for darker one's especially blues.

I did a bit of research on the topic and QR codes fortunately have an error tolerance of between 7% and 30% depending on their size. Below is a code leading to the same URL but with varying levels of tolerance:

To determine what level of tolerance I need for each colour, I will print a test sheet of each on any colour that may be a problem.

Size

After looking at the size of the current Fedrigoni calendar and the fact that they specified in the brief that it shouldn’t be too big, I have decided to reduce the size that I plan to produce my calendar at. The current one is a squared off A5 size whereas mine is almost A4. Even though mine only takes up a footprint of around 10x20cm -similar to the Fedrigoni size- it has a much larger visual impact due to its height.

After doing a bit of research I found out that there is a standard size for origami square paper, 15x15cm or 6x6in. This means that I can reduce the width and height of my calendar by about 25%, making it still larger in height, but occupying a much smaller footprint then the current calendar. Overall I think these 2 factors will balance each other out and result in a calendar size that fits with what Fedrigoni has in mind.

Current Calender

While on my visit to the Fedrigoni offices in London I had the fantastic opportunity to see and handle their current calendar.

The main thing I noticed was how much smaller it is then what I’m planning, an issue I will have to address before I proceed. The other thing was its apparent lack of some kind of visual ‘hook’ that successfully grabs the attention of the viewer. The cutout sections contribute a bit of interest but I feel life its missing a well thought out concept.

Visiting Fedrigoni

In order to get a better idea of the aesthetic and feel of the company I will be presenting my product to, I decided to visit the Fedrigoni offices in London. Here are a few photos I took whilst there:

I think my initial assessment of the brand was pretty much correct in that they favour a fairly clean aesthetic. The only addition is their use of blocks of black in the branding, something I will trial on my design.

While there I also looked at the full range of paper I will be promoting and took a few samples with me use when producing a physical mock-up.

The variety of weights was something that I was able to experience and meant the I could decide on a weight of around 80-120GSM for my final calender, to ensure structural stability as well as fold-ability when it comes to actually making the model.

Pitch

For my pitch I will be submitting a full mock-up of the January page in order to give a total representation of what I'm trying to do, I will then use that feedback to inform the design of the other pages. Below is what I presented to the class as my current working version:

The 2 points raised by my everyone were that the design should also be printed on the back and that the picture of the final model should be more prominent. Another addition would be a line-up of the whole year in models presented on the front cover. The only point I won't act upon will be the model photo being larger, this is because I will start off the instructions with a clear view of what the final model will look.

Overall I feel that the pitch went well and validated my choices, assuring me that I'm on the right track.

Style Choices

After looking at the Fedrigoni branding and website, I noticed they have very little in the way of particular fonts and colour schemes in use. For their logo they use the font Peignot Demi and for all body text they use Helvetica/Arial/Browser default.

Instead of a rigid set of branding guidelines, they seem to favour a modern and sleek look for any media. This is probably because they are a paper company and are used to providing a surface for design rather than designs themselves, so they don't impose on the end user.

For colour schemes I plan to use the set of colours the Woodstock range of paper comes in, only slightly manipulating the lightness and saturation rather than the hues.

Woodstock Paper

Woodstock is the specific range of paper I have been asked to promote as part of their brief. Woodstock is a range of uncoated, recycled, pulp-coloured papers and boards. Fedrigoni describe it as follows:

'Naturalness, simplicity and warmth are the basic sensations of these papers. Natural in body and soul with genuine, essential colours.'

This sentence will be something that I'll make sure applies to everything I design for this brief. The range comes in the following colours and weights in GSM:

80, 110, 140, 170, 225, 260, 285

Analysis of The Fedrigoni Brand

 In order to better understand the overall brand I would be developing my idea for, I chose to do a bit of research on Fedrigoni. The have been operating since 1888 and are based in Italy. The main brand feel is one of great heritage, but also innovation and cutting edge products. The specific brand is part of a wider group the specialise in all aspects of paper, including the divisions Fedrigoni, Fabriano, Sadipal, Arconvert and Manter. The portion made up by the Fedrigoni division is as follows:

Within their product range, most of the emphasis is on paper for digital printing and publishing.

This information won't directly inform my creative processes and design decisions, but it will be helpful to keep in mind the standing and overall feel of the company. 

Proof of Concept

Before fully committing to my idea I decided to mock up a quick plan of my final design and test out the origami aspect of it. First I folded up the design (Yoshizawa Butterfly) on regular cartridge paper:

I then unfolded the paper and scanned it so I could get the exact location of the fold lines for my design.

Once I had the scan I imported it into Illustrator and used the pen tool to fill in each 'facet' of the finished model in differing shades of the same colour palate.

I then printed the design out on regular cartridge paper, cut the square portion out and then folded the origami model again. This is how the final product came out:

 Overall I really pleased with how my test went. It worked exactly as I wanted it to and reassures me that my idea will work in the real world. My only concern at this stage is the weight of the WoodStock paper that I need to promote being too heavy, making folding intricate designs much harder.

Origami

For my desktop calender idea I need to find several Origami designs that are simple enough follow instructions and make with small paper, but are interesting enough that people actually want to make them. The first model I found is called the Yoshizawa Butterfly, which fulfils al of my criteria. Below is what the finished design should look like:

Final Idea

Even though I would've been happy doing any of my ideas, through a process of elimination I decided to pursue my Fedrigoni desk calender idea. I ruled out my Marriot idea as it would rely too heavily on photography I don't have time to travel to many different locations and carry out. I didn't want most of my idea just to be someone else's photography with some text placed onto it. Eastpak was scrapped because the nature of the brief meant that most people would home to the same conclusion/concept, but carried out via a different media each time. I wanted to make sure that my idea remained reasonably competitive without follow a pre-destined route. LTA was also not an option for the same reasons as the Marriot brief, and they also didn't want the campaign to only be print.

I think the Fedrigoni brief will allow me to think creatively as well as provide a little more freedom in terms of time scale as I think it should take me less time then most of the others.

Initial Ideas

After looking through the YCN brief list several times I came up with a few ideas to explore;

Eastpak:
For this brief Eastpak wanted a campaign that reinforces their brand story and emphasises the high quality of the products. My idea for this project would be to create a print campaign showing turning points of the last 30 years with someone wearing an Eastpak bag, with the tagline; 'Eastpak, Always There'

Marriot:

Marriot want to attract a new younger audience to their brand, using them to inform and shape what they do using a website they created. To do this, I would use an in-hotel vinyl sticker to replace the existing view out the window with one from another hotel, the words 'Share Your View' along with a QR code to the website would be present.

LTA British Tennis:
The British Lawn Tennis Association want more female and lapsed players to start playing again. My idea is to have really well photographed everyday scenes with tennis equipment place in the foreground.

Fedrigoni:
The brief from this company is to create a desktop calender to promote their Woodstock range of recycled paper. I want to create a calender that tears off when each month is finished and turned into an origami sculpture.

YCN Brief

YCN is a design agency, which describes itself as ‘Producing work across all media and representing the finest creative people for commissions and collaborations’. They say of themselves that ‘YCN today produces advertising, design and other creative communications in all media; both for its own projects and ventures, and on behalf its various clients’. They are a ‘group of designers, art directors, developers, writers, illustrators and project managers work together at 72 Rivington Street in London’. They also run an annual competition which offers students the chance to fulfill creative briefs from a range of high profile clients and enter that work in a competition. ‘The YCN Student Awards shine a light on new creative talent, and centre on a collection of live creative briefs’

So far since starting this course, this brief has been the one that has excited me most of all. The fact that we have to pick from 20 different briefs over a wide range of disciplines and client profiles is something that I've found both challenging and extremely stimulating so far. 

So far my initial thoughts are to try and stray away from the obvious choices for me and try to step further out of my comfort zone. Another is to make sure I choose a brief/method of fulfilling a brief that fits within the time constraints of our schedule, rather than a much lengthier idea that can only be  accomplished in the full time scale as set by YCN (March 27th, rather than February 10th).