Tuesday 21 May 2013

What is Good? G.F. Smith Catalogue.

I was shown this publication set during my final crit as inspiration for my catalogue and I have found it to be really influential. The quality it really high which I think helps to reflect on the brands products. How the all the aspects fit together is great, within the box and also design wise. I think the bright yellow colour is very eye-catching and gives the products a crisp finish. The use of different processes, like the foil finish and style of binding add to the luxury look and give a continuing look across all the items. I think the aspect that stands out to me most is the fold out sample sheet, which is something I am definitely going to look into doing myself. I think it is good because it gives the audience a clear indication of the whole range of products and it is easy to compare them all. Finally the small sample books are also finished to a really high quality, I think it is great how the foiled theme has continued to this as well.









Friday 17 May 2013

What is Good? App Research.

I have found that when researching these apps and comparing them to the corresponding website that they reflect very directly. I think this is something very important to consider with my own designs. Because of the more limited space and change in dimensions some aspects have been arranged differently for example the navigation is usually seen as a drop down vertical list, in one case there is also thumbnail images. With the m&s example I like the idea of having an introductory screen with the companies logo first, rather than going straight into a busy screen. I have also noticed that even with the decreased size the images remain great quality.


House of Fraser

Homepage



Navigation



Thumbnail options



Product view



Scanning option



Next

Homepage and navigation



Product list



Product view and info



Shopping bag



M&S

Homepage and welcome screen



Navigation



Product list and filter



Product view



Checkout



Scan



App Icons

What is Good? Web Research.

I have decide to look into homeware brand websites to give me a better idea of how to lay out my own site and what content to include. There were some similarities that I noticed across the range for example the logo always being placed in the top left corner and the navigation running underneath. The also use a lot of drop down menus, but I don't think this will be as relevant to my design as I only focus on one aspect whereas a lot of these shops have multiple departments. Thumbnails are also used to display the products and are commonly arranged in a grid format to make it easier for the audience to view. These normally have a brief bit of information and then once it is clicked goes into a lot more detail. The images can also be zoomed to allow the audience a closer look at the product. Some of the photography used is simple, that I think is effective and other times the products appear in a set up environment. Filters for the products is also common because of the extensive product range, that may need narrowing down by the audience.

Next

Homepage



Navigation



Tableware



Highlighting aspects of tableware



Tableware thumbnails and filter options




Specific product



Image zoom on alternative images




Collection image



Add to basket



Cushions



Cushion thumbnails and filter options




Specific product



Image zoom



Shopping bag



Wallpaper



Wallpaper thumbnails and filter options



Specific product



Image zoom



Marks & Spencer

Homepage




Navigation



Dining




Dining thumbnails and filter options




Best selling products



Specific product



Image zoom on multiple images




Add to basket



Related products



Cushions



Cushion thumbnails and filter options



Specific product



Image zoom, front and back




Shopping basket



 House of Fraser

Homepage




Navigation



Dinnerware



Dinnerware thumbnails and filter options




Specific product



Image zoom




Related products



Packaging view



Add to basket



Cushions



Cushion thumbnails



Specific product



Image zoom



Graham & Brown


Homepage


Navigation



Wallpaper



Wallpaper thumbnails



Specific product



Alternative images and image zoom



Other colour options




Designers Guild

Homepage



Navigation



Wallpaper



Wallpaper thumbnails



Specific product



Alternative view



Fabric



Fabric thumbnails