FMP - Brief 2 - Coffee Format primary research

I wanted to get a better understanding of what products already exist in the coffee market, relating to drinking the product at home, and what formats it comes in to do so. There a large amount of coffee takeaway products I came across, primarily there are two types of contained - A ready made cup, to simply add water, or a pourable sachet. Each provide an easy way to produce a cup of coffee to drink at home.

Douwe Egberts have already attempted to get more people interested in drinking their coffee at home, over a coffee shop by providing a cup, milk powder and coffee granules. I think this approach is far away from what Douwe Egberts wants, which is to express their heritage through their products. The cheap takeaway coffee like product doesn't do this. I need to provide quality and convenience in what I choose to design.

The outer packaging remind me of crisps - the packaging is the same material. This again is something I want to avoid, I want to provide a quality material.

DC - William Morris Pattern Swatches - Brief 5

Source: http://www.william-morris.co.uk/

William Morris has inspired me since college days, within the Arts and Crafts movement. His floral designs will continue to inspire me throughout the Laura Ashley brief, his colourful and detailed expressionistic pattern design and wonderful and something new I want to bring to the laura ashley range. 

DC - Oasis - Voile Netting Pattern - Laura Ashley

I really really love the doile / voile printed surface pattern used within this Oasis bag design. Its something I could look at - bringing the texture of fabric and netting into equation. To create a design which gives a fabric quality, on a flat design. I intend on going to Leeds Market and exploring and buying a few different types of materials and fabrics which I can scan in, and draw from and adapt.

Source: Oasis Store - Leicester

DC - M&S Floral Swatches

Whilst looking in M&S home section I came across a huge wall full of swatches, I wasn't aware they did customised furniture products, so took a few swatches I felt would be appropriate to Laura Ashleys furniture and product selection to aid me in the designing processes. The style and patterns, detail and blockwork is different to everything I have so far collected. With a range of contextual aids, I feel it will help me create something different to the surface printed textile market.

Source: M&S Store - Leicester

DC - Laura Ashley Swatches

Pushing obtaining an understanding of Laura Ashley's ethos, I ordered some swatches with a floral theme. This will help me in the designing process, to make a design appropriate to the store, and fit in to it's already extensive collection.

Source: www.lauraashley.com

DC - Laura Ashley Catalogue

I ordered the Laura Ashley Catalogue so we could see on paper their extensive range, and approach to surface textile pattern and style. It is important our designs fit into their collection. The catalogue will also give us an idea of how far to push the design, and over which products. The selected pages scanned are my favoured surface pattern designs, each pushed over an entire rooms space and furniture and products within it.

Source: lauraashley.com

FMP - Brief 5 - Joules

I managed to get the chance to visit Joules while I was in Leicester, which has always been a favourite store of mine, down to its pattern range and its design considerations - each of its seasonal ranges has a considered theme, the Spring one for instance concentrating on the 'Seaside and Adventure'. The surface pattern designs found across an array of clothing, shoes, accessories, home ware and even the store design and store window display relate to this theme. This changes quarterly. This is what we want to achieve with the Laura Ashley Spring / Summer Horticultural collection, to bring together the brand, the items its sells, the print collateral and the instore design material.

The brand explore it's concept behind it's products:

'Inspired by the love of the sea and made by highest quality materials available..'

'Drawing inspiration from the character of the British coastline, we're celebrating British style and flying the flag for colour, detail and quality.'