Branding by Paul Price

I've asked Paul Price to help me out with some identity branding for me. This will ensure my presentation is much more professional online, within any labeling of my work and potentially business cards as well. In the development stages at the moment, but here's some plays on type and colour, (full blog post link for Paul's website below and above).

Our agreed favourite on colour is the blue and cream combination, still playing around with layout as this is dependent on my 'tagline' and how I feel I want to present myself within my identity.

Jodie Curley Branding – Development « Paul Price.

Style - Illustration

I'm consciously thinking of my style, the way I want to work into my fabrics. I definitely have a flare of illustration I want to put across, I'd really like to incorporate a level of hand drawn sketches or motifs. I'm keen to work with the idea of layers, minimal colour combinations (specifics won't be decided till I've done some trials on designs) and a combination of screen print/dye to ensure each piece is a limited, unique edition.

Images sourced: Print & Pattern

On the other hand, there's a few things that I've seen that I like but I'm keen to stay away from:
Images that look too computer generated, simplified or too heavily floral (all very very popular in textiles and surface pattern at the moment)

Images sourced: Print & Pattern

Allihopa

I love this 'About' section, I need to work on something about me that's just as concise, genuine, convincing and catchy as this...

Allihopa* is Mrs Richardson (aka Lucy), and Mrs Flynn (aka Malin). Together we create extraordinary greeting cards, gift wrap and other paper goods that mix both our creative roots: British eccentricity with Scandinavian cool.

All of our products are designed and printed in the UK. There is a mixture of locally sourced offset printed products and an element of our range is printed by hand in our studio using a traditional letterpress.

By mixing modern surface design with handmade craftsmanship we aim to create keepsake products that evoke a mood of fun & frolic. We also believe in traceability and the quality of materials; therefore we take time to ensure that all products use the best 100% cotton paper or paper with recycled content and FSC certification

We hope you will love our products as much as we enjoy making them!

*Allihopa is Swedish for everybody

Their description generally includes:

• names
• products
• origin of company
• influences
• location
• USP's
• aims
• quality of materials - recycled (USP)
• final warming and catchy line that's honest & makes you want to look at more

And in reference to the products themselves, they make me want to branch out and not just limit myself to fabric printing ... I'll come to this at some point, maybe as a strand off from the FMP for some promo material for myself? Especially for the Final Show in June? Keeping it in mind for sure though.
Absolutely love the use of brown paper, it's just so easy on the eyes and oozes with that handmade and recycled feel...

Time to Think & Time to Move

I started to worry a lot over the last couple of days, realising the minimal time left on this project with the amount of work expected for the credits of the module. I feel like I'm lagging behind massively.
Only down to my own self-motivation and hectic last month or so, I've not given my work as much commitment and determination I should have kept up. With a sudden empty couple of weeks appearing, this just gave me the excuse to take it easy, catch my breath back and get back to a reasonable sleeping/eating pattern again.
I've started to realise just how much I need to catch up on, how ambitious this project is that I have in mind that I want to do and how much is still left to take on. To start with I've just felt helpless to the point where I just don't want to work on anything, or I'll find other things to do instead to pass the time. Now I'm determined to just do it and hopefully impress myself with how I've managed to turn it all around.
I need a strong sense of direction, I need a plan, I need a big list of what needs to be done and I need to start ticking all the boxes now.
This list will grow and change over the next 3 months, but I want it to be here to remind me of how much I've got to do, then I can feel relieved every time I can happily cross something off it:

- practical research; drawing, photographing, illustrations, printing processes,
- analytical: understanding why handmade & British trade makes a difference, what's the point?
- identity/future: who am I? what is my 'practice'? how do i define myself? what do i want to be doing in 3 months/6 months/1 years time?
- identity: get help with branding of 'Jodie Curley', photos of work, Wordpress blog full of work & complete with new identity, business cards
- design: print patterns, ceramics patterns, illustrations, products (including - find sewing patterns)
- practical work: printing onto fabric, producing ceramics, producing textile home-wares
- documentary: justification of what, why and how i'm doing things, including brief(s)/rationale/context

Handmade Expressions - Fairtrade

http://www.handmadeexpressions.net/collections/wood-block-printing-group-fair-trade

Would love to get involved in a project like this in the future. Keeping my eyes peeled for anything and might ask Chris or Lana about anything they might know whilst on their travels volunteering. Beautiful traditional work and so beneficial as well to keep something like this going.

Heads up on the FMP

I've included my Year 3 Proforma in this post to give a sense of what I hope to initially do throughout the FMP; fairly similar process to my AVC Project, but broadening my options, improving my skills and abilities, as well as applying myself to live selling situations in craft galleries, exhibitions and craft fairs.

Over the next month my main focus will be getting my dissertation underway, trying to earn some pennies for my Christmas spends and enjoying a bit of a break! But I'll keep a few ideas and research points rolling so I don't lose track of this.

 Proformas:
(Click to enlarge)