Emily's Graphic Design Blog

To continue my initial design development, I began creating more detailed thumbnails. These designs focus on the tree of Burrow Hill or an apple tree and the roots beneath. The first is purely the tree and a cross section of the ground below showing the roots beneath. The roots are fine and can twist around the text on the box, incorporating it more into the illustration. By placing the brand inside the roots of the tree, it forms connotations of the brand being rooted in nature and Somerset, portraying their pride of being awarded Protected National Status, the only brand in the EU and UK allowed to use the term 'Cider Brandy' and the importance of the source being Somerset. The second design is very similar, except the roots are in the form of the copper distillery equipment and piping. Not only does this keep the same connotations as the previous, it also features their traditional equipment, another nod to the 300 year old history of the brand. To highlight the copper, a...

To begin forming my initial design ideas, I began searching for imagery related to the Somerset Cider Brandy Company and their products themselves. Being an apple cider brandy rather than a more conventional grape brandy, apples will be important in the design, informing the buyer of the origin of the product. To gain more inspiration from the brand, I perused the images on their website, specifically their location, equipment and process to find more obscure imagery that connotes the brand. Reading on their website, they are proud of their copper distiller, oak barrels to age the alcohol and vast orchard. The location is also a possible concept for the designs, specifically the tree on top of Burrow Hill, a distinctive image that acts as the icon of the area.  Using this Mood Board, I created small illustrations of ideas and concepts. From here I will form more comprehensive thumbnail ideas based on these images and explore both graphic and traditional illustration techniqu...

To gather further understanding and inspiration, more unique and illustrative alcohol packaging was analysed. Coffin Ridge Dry Cider: This first product is a canned dry cider by Coffin Ridge. This design mixes a predominantly black and white illustration with splashes of red over a silver metallic tin. The black and red colour scheme suits the darker connotations of the brand Coffin Ridge and the ‘forbidden’ title of the drink itself. The illustration of the tree is in a sketch form with texture added through cross-hatching, an unusual stylistic choice for a modern brand. The crooked shape and form of the tree is eye-catching and again provides connotations of horror. By allowing the natural material to show through, the illustration appears more modern and quirky than old-fashioned. The typography varied from serif, sans serif and script. The title of ‘Forbidden’ is emphasised by its red colouring and decorative elements underneath. Below, illustrations of banners are used...

Commonly in Graphic Design type is placed over designs with little to no interaction with the design or image beneath. For this task, we looked at integrated type, designs in which the type interact with the image and environment around it. Given a selection of dynamic photos to work with, we began experimenting with integrated type using Photoshop and Illustrator. This first design we were asked to choose an image and make a design of our choice. Using this image of the dancer, I decided to use the space around her following the shape she has created. I first included the letter 'D', as the shape suited her form and links to 'dance'. Choosing a script font, I found a character with an exaggerated and elegant form that had more interesting elements. Rasterising the type in Photoshop I was able to erase sections to give the impression she was circled by the letter. Beneath the fabric, I used a slightly opaque eraser to remove some of the letter but not all, giving the i...

The Somerset Cider Brandy Company is a 200-year-old establishment, that has been distilling cider since receiving the UK’s first full cider-distilling license in 1989. The company holds many awards for its Cider and offers Somerset Cider Brandy at 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 years aged. The aesthetic of the brand mirrors their traditional and natural processes in creating their products. Their website focuses on the landscape of Somerset and the home of their company in Burrow Hill. They focus the design on greens and golds, with pops of colour featured in their galleries. To refresh and redesign the alcohol packaging, it is important to retain the personality and voice of the brand. They evoke the taste of the Brandy with the quote, “Swirled gently in the glass it reminds you of autumn leaves, ripe fruit, wild flowers and the sunshine of the Somerset Countryside”, providing visual connections that can be incorporated into the design to capture the brand. As featured on t...