A Bag that Dissolves in Water?!?

Each month, the latest issue of Creative Review adorns the shelves in our University of Leeds Union Shop just waiting to be picked up by the budding design students. Situated alongside the famous £2.99 meal deals...which are an absolute bargain if you ask me, I mean, the sandwiches alone are £2.75, so you would be a fool not to go for the deal...you cannot miss it.

Anyway, I have recently started purchasing Creative Review each month alongside my Cheese Ploughmans sandwich, salt and vinegar crisps and bottle of coke, which I buy on a regular basis- definitely £8 or 9 pounds well spent I'd say. Not only can I enjoy the mouth watering pickles and delicious tasty cheese, I can also be inspired by the work and achievements of designers and artists today as I read my copy of Creative Review sitting on The Terrace. In a nutshell, it keeps you informed about what's going on in the design world with it's fresh and innovative articles and reviews. However, next months issue brings with it a slight image change that concerns its packaging....and I for one look forward to picking it up and testing it for myself!

I stumbled across this article on the Creative Review website about the November issue. Usually the book isn't contained in any sort of packaging but next month's edition is an exception to the case. Included within the review is a free colour guide from Heidelberg, Germany, so the packaging keeps the two together. Below is a picture of the issue and packaging in question.



The design of packaging has become increasingly more recyclable since the problem of global warming came about. It is essential in this day and age to produce such packaging, which is aesthetically pleasing - drawing the audience in to want to buy the product - and also considers factors that support a 'greener' future. The 3 R's - reduce, reuse and recycle are essential keywords to think about when designing any product and it's packaging.

The packaging that Creative Review has designed for this issue, I feel is a definite winner! Not only is the packaging recyclable... it can be dissolved in water! It may take a little longer for the printed area to break down but give it a few more minutes and you should see it eventually biodegrade. Personally, I cannot wait to try it out. And if that doesn't impress you then how about this.....apparently you can drink the remains once it has finished dissolving, but I guarantee it won't taste as good as a Ploughmans.

'Getting to know you' in the Digital Design Era

This is the first time I have ever created any sort of formal online presence, so I thought where better to start than right here on Blogspot? Part of a project that I am carrying out now requires me to create such a presence, which is seemingly essential in this day and age as a designer.

I have been researching frantically online, in order to find some inspiration for creating my own website. However, I feel that there is more to it than meets the eye, meaning that I need to research further to be sure where I want to set up my site. I want to be sure that I collate work that I am not only proud of but also want to show off to others and get their feedback, as well as upload work that I produce in the future. I am finding it very interesting and have looked at a variety of other design blogspots and websites to see how they go about it. By blogging my thoughts on here, hopefully I will be able to put across to you what I am like as a designer.

Studying Graphic & Communication Design at the University of Leeds has definitely opened my eyes to the real world. The days of school, worrying over writing that perfect personal statement and creating work simply for aesthetics are long gone. Now everything that I see around me immediately brings my mind to design. Design is evident everywhere, whether you realise it or not, FACT...I promise you. Everything from the seating arrangements in the refectory in the union, to the latest Nike advertisement on the television has been designed and not just to look good but for many different reasons that will have been considered before the design stage even begun.

I have realised now that you could come up with the greatest idea in the world but if you cannot communicate it to your target audience then it means nothing. I have also learnt that in order to be successful within this industry, like many other industries, you need to get your name out there- talk to as many people as you can and take every opportunity that comes your way. You can never have enough experience.
After all, 'it's not what you know, it's who you know.'