The 'Frijj Milkshakes' new Packaging soon to hit the shelves...

Having a browse through the latest edition of Design Week that lay on the shelf in the union shop, I came across this article about the new packaging of the Frijj milkshakes. The company Design Activity were given the project about three months ago to redesign the packaging for Dairy Crest's milkshake Frijj. The brief was to adjust the colourways across the range of milkshakes to reflect the natural make-up of the product.

According to the creative director Pat Starke, the packaging is now easier to recycle, with a zipper device at the back to peel off the wrap. The typography on the packaging has also been altered to give it more character. It seems now that many companies are becoming more and more aware of the current environmental issues of this day and age. Ultimately, like with most products on the shelf, it is the packaging that accounts for a lot of the waste, that pollutes the environment we live in today.

I definitely take my hat off to the company Design Activity for this one.........coming up with such an idea that is not only easier to recycle but also reflects the character of the milkshake itself. I look forward to seeing it on the shelf, despite having never actually tried a Frijj milkshake before. Having read about the new packaging though, it certainly makes me want to try it, if not just for the packaging, then to definitely take the taste test.

Environmental issues & creating an e-card

A project that I am doing for one of my modules this term requires me to create an e-card. ........A what?? Some of you may ask.........yes an ecard......you know one of those cards that maybe you sometimes receive via an email and you pretty much just press delete straight away. Anyway, I have decided to look at environmental issues within the office workplace. In terms of the specific target audience for the e-card the receivers will be the actual workers within an office........ in other words people working in the office environment. As for the people who I intend targeting to want to send my e-card, they will be those responsible for environmental issues within the office workplace. So in other words people who look at making the office environment more environmentally friendly.

I came up with the idea of having an animation of a bin alongside an image of the world and a thermometer next to it. The audience would be able to fill up the bin by clicking on the FILL button and as the bin became fuller, it appeared more distressed and so too did the world. The temperature of the world on the thermometer would also gradually increase the more full the bin became with paper. Here are a few images of the bin character I have created. As you can the bin is very happy that is empty and so paper is not being wasting but infact recycled.





As the bin starts to fill up, he becomes more distressed because it is obviously harmful to the environment.



A little bit more paper........ and you see he starts to get hot under the collar..........he is not a happy bin at all!



Again a bit more paper...........the bin is nearly in tears.



And full to the brim.........the bin is thinking is it too late to save the environment now.

My idea needs to be more target audience specific.........the cartoon image of the bin targets a younger more teenager specific audience rather than older say twenty years and over office workers. I thought I would share my cartoon bin with you on my blog because I think he's quite cute. What do you reckon?

Leeds Bin Collection Crisis = OVER!!

After about two months of living in our lovely new house in Headingly, the bin strike, which has been ongoing since we arrived mid September has finally come to an end!!!! This Monday, it was officially declared overrrrr.......well....we shall see tomorrow if they actually come and take the rubbish that has been invading the end of our terrace. There have been times where I have walked to uni and either had to walk on the road just to avoid the bins or actually nearly heaved as I have passed the stench of ......the disgusting bins.....EWWW!

As you can see from the photo I took above it isn't a pretty sight. But to be fair, I don't really think this photo does justice the state that the streets got into. It wasn't just the fact that there was so much rubbish, it was the fact that rubbish became strewn across the roads obviously having been routed in probably by foxes or whatever/whoever else likes to route in bins.

In a way I feel that maybe it has become slightly the norm....and only slightly......to see this rubbish everywhere, considering that since I moved into the house the streets have been suffering like this. But I can safely say that I won't miss it at all. Let's just hope that after this little blog the bin men DO come tomorrow (touch wood) and I'm not going to have to tell you that it was infact a lie that it was over. Imagine if the bin strike never ended?! ......Imagine

Amedeo Modigliani

I looked at the artist Modigliani a few years ago when I did my art A Level controlled test. From the choice of topics that were on the examination paper, I decided to look at 'elongated form'. To begin with, I researched into a variety of different artists that particularly looked at and studied this sort of form, including Giacometti and also Modigliani. These two artists were my main influences for reaching my final outcome, which was fifteen hours work under controlled examination conditions.

I always wondered whether it was fair that students carrying out an art examination should be under the same sort of conditions as other subjects. I mean, how could you possible copy someone elses work in this sort of situation.....it was pretty much impossible.....particularly the fact that you were given the exam paper four weeks beforehand. You had that length of time to carry out extensive research in order to fully prepare for the fifteen hours (obviously spread across a few days rather than all in one go!) I mean I suppose you wouldn't really know what I'm going on about unless you actually studied, or knew somebody who was studying, art. What I'm trying to say is we could have at least been allowed to listen to our ipods or something.....not too loud though, obviously!

Amedeo Modigliani was primarily a figurative artist, who mainly worked in France. It was these kinds of work, which I became fascinated by whilst researching him. The figures he drew were beautifully elongated and the facial expressions were simplistic yet complex in a sense that it was quite difficult to tell how the person being drawn was feeling. Their expressions were fixed and all very similar. Here are a few examples of his work



Jeanne Hébuterne in Red Shawl - Amedeo Modigliani



Portrait of Jeanne Hébuterne (1898-1920), Common-Law wife of Amedeo Modigliani, oil on canvas - Amedeo Modigliani



Jeune fille au corsage a pois - 1919 - Amedeo Modigliani

As you can see from these examples beautiful elongation of the entire figure. The nose and neck and particularly exaggerated with elongation. The other facial features such as the eyes appear very tiny and delicate almost like small incisions and the mouth is also small, not really exaggerated in comparison to the nose. I became very much aware of Modigliani's style during the weeks leading up to my fifteen hour practical exam. Here is my final piece.....take a look....hopefully you can see the link and the influence of the artist Modigliani.



This is an oil painting of my sister Emily- 2007- Rebecca Roche

My Portfolio

I have recently set up my own portfolio online to run along with my blog right here. I have included a selection of work, including some that I have done at university, as well as work that I created during my A Levels and Foundation Art course.

Please feel free to take a look at it and leave comments either on my blog or simply get in touch and email me!

To view My portfolio, simply click on the link to the left in the toolbar.
Here is the website http://www.finalcrit.com/design/rebeccaroche

I will be adding more work in the near future.... so watch this space!

Airbrushing and the 'Perfect', or 'not so Perfect', Lifestyle

I was watching the news a few nights ago on ITV, a rare occurence at that.......my flatmates usually have control of the XBox, to find that devastating floods had struck parts of Cumbria, a British woman Lady Ashton had been elected as the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and Kate Moss, world famous supermodel had spoken out in a recent interview causing controversy and outrage, having said 'that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.'

Well in my opinion....I really don't think so....However, this made me think about the lengths that designers, of magazines and internet websites, go in order to create a perfect image that they want to include in a publication or webpage. Just imagine, after a long day in the studio taking photograph after photograph with the aim of promoting whatever it is they are doing, the image is far from complete. I'm not saying all designers do this but there are quite a few.

Here is an example of the front cover of a magazine that shows the original photograph of a woman posing. Then there is the image on the front cover of the magazine that has obviously been airbrushed probably using the application 'Photoshop'. As you can see, there are distinct differences between the image of the woman in the photo and when she is appearing on the front cover of the magazine. Everything has been made to appear slimmer, such as her face and cheeks, giving her a more prominent jaw line, as well as her arms, which have also been made to appear thinner. If you compare her lower half and how her legs are crossed underneath her garment, a difference in size is also noticeable. They seem a lot slimmer than in the original photograph.



The comment made by Kate Moss seemed to cause a lot of hype in the media, due to the fact that she is a celebrity that will and does influence the younger generation and probably older generations aswell. People in this day like to buy into a particular lifestyle, whether they are influenced by various products and brand names within a market or very much influenced by the behaviour of celebrities that they may look up to and idolize, this is still categorized as a sort of 'lifestyle'.

In a recent article "France considers Warning Labels for Airbrushed Photos' from http://www.time.com it said........

'The drive against airbrushed photos is being headed by conservative parliamentarian Valérie Boyer, who says the widespread use of digital technology to alter images is feeding the public a steady visual diet of falsified people, places and products. This artificial reality leads people to expect perfection from themselves and the world in an impossible way, she says......
“When writers take a news item or real event and considerably embellish it, they are required to alert readers by calling the work fiction, a novel or a story based on dramatized facts. Why should it be any different for photograph… It’s creating parallel worlds: one in which everything in ads and photos is gorgeous, slim, chic and what we aspire to, and our daily reality of imperfection, normality and frustration that we can’t be like those other people who — literally — don’t exist.”'

So what do you think about this issue? Should photographs be published with warning signs if they have been airbrushed to show the audience that they are not real life images but infact have been altered to appear 'perfect'. In my opinion, I do not think that this would make people less likely to want to buy into such a lifestyle. I do think however, that such images effect particularly the younger generation of this day and age. Maybe the only way to stop such influences is to ban airbrushing of images and use of dangerously thin models in advertisement.....but somehow I can't see this happening in the near future.

Paradise on 'The Beach' & You've Gotta Love the Heat

I first watched 'The Beach' in my first year of uni, sitting in halls with my flatmates enjoying one of many a dvd night in, with a hot chocolate, snuggled underneath our duvets. Cosy don't you think? Yes it was.....we didn't have to worry about how long we were going to put the heating on or anything like that as it was all included. Not like now the house that we now rent in second year. Sadly heating = two hours a day. Booo!

Anyway, this year I brought it out again to find that I loved the film just as much as I did the first time I watched. I could actually watch it over and over again, and no not just for Leonard Di Caprio....although he is obviously one of the reasons. I love everything about it, the storyline, how Richard the young American backpacker sets off in search of the secret island of paradise off the coast of Thailand. Along the way he meets many interesting people, some who are crazy and some that he remain in touch with and become good friends! I for one would absolutely love to go travelling and think that The Beach is the ultimate film to set off your imagination and long to be adventurous.

There are many famous and not so famous songs that feature in the film, such as the All Saints Pure Shores, which yes I am a fan of. Leftfield's Snakeblood song, which features at the beginning of the film when Richard is amongst the hustle and bustle of the busy city of Bangkok. Then there is the song Porcelain by Moby, which I think is an amazing song. It very much has a sort of feeling of moving on but with a good vibe to it, as if you have reached an ultimate goal and the feeling is quite difficult to describe. I think it fits so well with the scene of reaching the paradise island. If you haven't seen the film then go ahead watch it! If not for the storyline and soundtracks but just for a bit of Leo!

The lyrics, "I never meant to hurt you, I never meant to cry, So this is goodbye, This is goodbye" gives the impression of sadness in a way but has quite a peacful feel to it. It's as if acceptance for something is being expressed within the song. In a way it is like how our house have now accepted that it is ok to have the heating on for a little bit each day! With the piano rhythms and pulsating string samples and then wandering solos by Moby all in all a beautiful song I think......wouldn't you agree? Here is the video...have a listen for yourself.

New 'KENCO' Packaging

'Kenco' have released a new more environmentally friendly packaging, that has hit our screens with it's advertisements. It has 97% less packaging weight than the previous jars and is much easier to open with it's tear at the top - it looks like Kenco have come up with a good solution to the problem of packaging that contributes to waste in the environment.

Eco Refill is the name of the scheme, which combines 'reducing and recycling'. By returning your packaging once you have finished with it, Terracyle will transform the packs into 'fun and affordable eco-friendly products such as notebooks, bags and umbrellas!' It is the first Terracycle scheme of it's kind in Britain, so get involved!





Although I don't usually drink coffee, I think the scheme is a great idea because it not only reduces the amount of packaging, but it saves another wasted pack that would ultimately get thrown in the bin. Consumers are given the option of being able to send it back and for every pack that is returned, they'll donate 2p to a charity of your choice.

I couldn't help but notice the advertisement come on at least twice during one of the many breaks that takes place during the X Factor. I thought that it was quite witty seeing customers running out of the shops with handfuls of coffee beans, as if they literally had just reduced the packaging by not even having any. But it did make very clear that they were not in any way being wasteful and were really in tune and aware of the current environmental issues that are becoming increasingly important in this day and age.

Here is the advert, have a look and see for yourself.... What do you think??....

The Leeds Light Switch ON & False Advertising

On Thursday 12th November, the Christmas light switch on took place in the Millennium Square in Leeds city centre. The line up was an array of pop stars and artists including Alexandra Burke, last years winner of the X Factor and popstars Girls Can't Catch and Mini Viva. There were also a variety of sports stars who made an appearance, including a few Leeds United Players, as well as some England and Australia rugby league stars! All in all, a pretty attractive lineup would you not agree?

Well actually no....no you wouldn't agree......this infact changed..... not such an attractive lineup afterall. To my disappointment Alexandra Burke the highlight of the line up pulled out last minute due to apparent 'contractual issues'. This I found quite devastating, considering I was only going to go on the basis that Alexandra Burke was going to perform and wow me with her amazingly talented singing and ofcourse dancing... I am really honestly being serious.

This brought me back to the time of the University Summer Ball earlier on in the year. It was held back in June at Lotherton Hall. Déja vu?... I think so. Headline act for the Summer Ball was Katy Perry....yes I hear you say....WOW!! However, she was unable to perform because she was scheduled to be playing at a Music Awards Show in Russia on the same night. So her management team made the error of double booking her and not even realising.

Having already purchased my ticket to go and see Katy Perry, I had no intention of wasting £40 and so did end up going. Thinking the night could not get any worse, on arrival we realised the entire event was outside, in the pouring torrential, freezing cold rain!! With foil blankets at the ready the event management obviously knew that people were probably going to end up with pneumonia. Assuming they were kindly providing us with foil blankets, I went over to the little hut to get one and to my amazement they were not free at all........£1 please!

Anyway, the point of my story is that like the Summer Ball, another headline act was pulling out of another event to be held in Leeds. I was going to go to the light switch on, however, I decided against it because it seemed to be heading the same way as the Summer Ball did. The weather outside was dreadful and I was not prepared to go and be disappointed. It was Pixie Lott who stood in for Alexandra Burke as the headline act. Not a particular favourite of mine if I'm being honest. I think I probably made a sensible choice in the end to stay at home.

In a way, I feel that this kind of situation brings about a sort of false advertisement. If you do not know that an act has pulled out of a show until after you have bought a ticket, then in a way I feel you have been robbed. If you had the ability to see into the future, then you probably wouldn't have bought the ticket in the first place. Although this was not the case with the light switch on because the event was free to the public, I am sure there was a feeling of disappointment amongst those who found out about Alexandra's absence once they had arrived at the Square.



I will leave you with this image I found, which demonstrates advertisement that it deceptive, unclear, false ( whatever you want to call it ). Just take a look.....at a glance, 'what does this appear to be selling?' Well, if I'm being honest, I was drawn to the typography at the top "Coffee Bar", immediately thinking it was a vending machine for drinks. On closer inspection though, I realised it was infact a petrol pump!? I wonder, or should I say I genuinely hope that nobody made that potentially fatal mistake of confusing the two. All I can say is, oops if they did, oops!!

"Grimm Tales" Production & making the 'Dangerous' Assumption

I never thought I would be saying, never mind writing/typing this but I feel the need to share it, I actually enjoy writing a blog! I am finding that there is so much I could potentially write about, so I just need to keep going... I can't help it. I would not in a million years imagine writing something related to musical theatre...but I am, so here it goes.

For weeks on end, one of my flatmates, who studies philosophy might I add with all his other work on, appeared to be effortlessly rehearsing for a production put together and organised by the students of the University of Leeds. As well as studying philosophy, theatre is another passion of his, which is great! He had also landed one of the leading roles, 'Wilheim'. The rest of my flatmates and I just had to buy a ticket.... For one, Harry was performing, which we get to see everyday really.....but secondly, he had a lead role as one of the storytellers, so it was unmissable.

On the Thursday night, 5th November, Bonfire Night, a group of us went down to the union to watch the second night of the four day production, from the comfort of the seats we assumed we would be allocated once we arrived......
Rule number one as a designer.... you should NEVER, I repeat NEVER, assume anything!

On arrival, we were greeted by a number of rather gruesome creatures, however, keeping with the Bonfire Night theme they were handing out toffee and chocolate apples so I really wasn't complaining. Like I said from the absolute beginning, the audience had a sense of involvement in the play, which was cleverly directed. We were led to "our seats", which were actually on the floor of the main stage where the performance was. As we were directed to our seats we found ourselves sitting amongst leaves and cushions that had obviously been placed there for our comfort.

The sense of involvement was so intense, you sort of wanted to join in with the crazy characters who were obeying a higher evil being. Throughout the play the intensity was consistent with the actors sitting amongst us, quietly screeching in our ears as if trying to brainwash us and finding fairly commonplace objects, like my bag fascinating. They continued to guide us diffusely, almost forcing us sit in different places on the floor. I sort of got the impression that I should just do as they say....no questions asked.

I think if we had been sitting in seats that were separate to the performers, that lack of engagement will have totally changed the feel of the performance for the audience. I don't think I would have had such an understanding of the play and been able to empathise with the characters, as they had done so with their audience. All in all, a brilliant production that I would have recommended to many others had it still been running now. After seeing the production of Dracula last year and experiencing sitting in the seats separate from the performers I certainly felt the difference as a member of the audience. I was completely captured from the moment I arrived to the moment I left 'Grimm Tales'.

On a final note, I mentioned earlier, assumption is not something that should ever influence your creative thinking. It should always be backed up with some form of research or evidence as to why you wish to design a certain product for example in a certain way or why you have chosen a specific audience to target. I made an assumption about the play prior to my 'Grimm Tales' experience, however, having learnt from this and looking at it from a design perspective, I do not intend on falling into the trap and making that mistake again....neither should you.

The mighty Money maker....... we know better as "The X Factor"

Every Saturday evening, as it approaches eight o'clock, I find myself waiting in anticipation and excitement. "What on earth for?"..I hear you ask. Well, sadly.....and yes... I, like millions of other viewers tune in to, none other than the X Factor. As soon as the little hand turns to eight, sitting in the living room of my six bedroom house in Headingly, I am like a small child running out to play with his friend - I just can't wait. I'm afraid to say, but this also happens every Sunday evening, again, as it approaches eight o'clock. I find myself sitting on the sofa rather tensely and tuning in to ITV1, waiting to find out the fate of John and Edward.



It certainly never ceases to disappoint with thorough entertainment throughout the show coming from not only the contestants but also the four judges, Simon, Louis, Cheryl and Danni, as well as Dermot O'Leary, who is "just the presenter" according to Louis. Seemingly, Simon Cowell's creation cannot last the entire duration without some sort of dispute between Louis Walsh and any one of the other judges. Louie's controversial decision of including the terrible twins from Dublin, John and Edward in his final three acts has split the British public in half - they are sort of like marmite, you'd either love them or hate them.

John and Edward.....otherwise known as John and Edward..... I think even "Jedward" is now enough to refer to them as, obviously because of their sheer popularity....or not. I, myself, am an absolute FAN......yes I know they are annoying but it is THEIR performance, each week, that I can't wait to see! Infact, I'd put money on them making it to the final or maybe the last three acts.........
did I just write that?...oops maybe not.............but yes I'm sorry, like Cheryl Cole states each week that they are her guilty pleasure, so too they are mine. Funny how her opinion can change so suddenly about them, when one of her acts gets the boot.......bitter are we?.... I think so. But we love Cheryl Cole so we'll let her off for making such comments.

Anyway, they have certainly caused controversy, as each week acts being voted off by the public who actually have the talent are slowly dying out. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, are they not? but perhaps the British public are taking it too far with this judgement call. Is anybody actually picking up the phone and voting this series?

This year has seen quite a lot of change in terms of the running of the show, the audition process and also the voting time, from the live performance on the Saturday until the lines close. Firstly, the auditions, which usually take place in various big cities in the United Kingdom, such as London, Manchester, Cardiff, Dublin etc in the studios, still happens, however, the audience is not just the four judges, it is also members of the public - rather like the show 'Britain's Got Talent', another one of Simon Cowell's brilliant money making schemes.

As well as that, the results of the live show are now announced a whole day later on the sunday, as opposed to the usual Saturday night after the news. Studying graphic design, I have become more aware of the way that decision making is extremely important, whether it concerns promotion and advertising or even to finer details of a new product set to launch onto the market. I have made this connection with the X Factor this year because decisions have been made not only to promote the live shows and increase the ratings but also to make a hell of a lot more money from it.

In my opinion, I think the introduction of the second 'Results Show' on the Sunday evening not only gets the avid viewers tuning in again for some more entertaining television, it also boosts the whole persona of the X Factor making it even bigger than it already is. Broadcasting two shows a week is obviously going to double the amount of profit that is going to have been made from the previous one show a week. The ratings will be twice as much per week because viewers are going to want to tune in again on the Sunday, in the hope that their favourite act will stay in the competition.........clearly John and Edward. Increasing the amount of time for the public to vote for their favourite act also allows more people to call in and register there vote, than if there were only two hours to cast your vote......again they would unmistakably be voting for John and Edward!!

So, to conclude, I feel that I need to justify why I have written about the X Factor on such a blog. Number one, despite the slight irrelevance that people may feel that it has with design.....maybe because of their sheer hatred towards the programme, I for one have seen through this, being an adoring fan. The decision making which took place for this years series will have taken great thought, organising and planning in order to achieve the success that it has so far and reach out to their target audience. Asking yourself why you have chosen to put that image on the right hand side of a piece of work or in the case of the X Factor, why you have chosen to reveal the results on the Sunday evening is an essential part of the design process. If you cannot justify why you have designed something the way you have, it has no other purpose other than, more often than not, to be aesthetically pleasing.
On a lighter note, I would like to leave you with this....... ..............09011-117-07(I think that's the number)
Vote for John and Edward!!......you know you want to!

The Results....

Like I said before, I was definitely going to test out the packaging of the November issue of Creative Review..... and where and whom better to share the results with than on my blog with you guys. Well... it didn't get off to a good start seeing as I spilt a cup of water on the plastic packaging that 'dissolved in water'...oops..... by accident of course. It did actually start to dissolve but not very well due to the fact that the water in my cup wasn't over 60 degrees celsius.



Despite the slight glitch, the review was absolutely fine and I continued to experiment with the plastic. I placed it in a bowl, poured boiling water over it and proceeded to watch as it began to...yes...dissolve! And when i say dissolve, the process was pretty instantaneous- the plastic started to disintegrate as soon as the water was poured onto it, as you can see from the image above.



I used a spoon to mix up the water and plastic and also to help it dissolve a little faster. It was the black printed text that took longer than the rest of the packaging to disintegrate. The plastic became quite sticky and 'gloopy' if that's even a word?! Kind of sticky like PVA glue and stuck to the spoon as it was disappearing.

Here you can see the the plastic going.........




......going....



....and finally GONE!



It took approximately ten minutes for the packaging to fully dissolve in the water. Now...do you remember me telling you in my last blog that it was 'apparently' perfectly fine to drink?...yes?.......well, one of my flat mates was curious by this statement and wanted to put it to the test himself. He took a tiny sip and claimed that it did not taste of anything really. So, me being easily persuaded as always decided to try it too. Literally, I hardly even took a sip, being a little apprehensive drinking plastic..........but he was right!! It did not taste of anything really just plain warm/hot water. However, I do think that if someone was to drink the whole bowl , it probably wouldn't leave that great a taste in your mouth. So, in my opinion, DO try this at home just DON'T drink the entire bowl at the end.