Brief Title: Cath
Kidston
The Brief: Design a
new print for Cath Kidston
Design one new
conversational print taking into account our brand values and print style.
Examples of conversational prints within our range would include Cowboy, Garden
Birds, Guards of London – these are prints with a recognisable picture within
them. Classic Cath Kidston floral, spots or stripes would not be described as a
conversational print.
The print should be designed to be used across three of
our product categories; Women’s Fashion, Women’s Accessories and Home. We are
looking for an original theme and a fresh new take on our unique visual style.
Your print can take any visual direction you wish, as long as you
Considerations:
Please submit the print in both repeat tile and
stepped out versions, and create three different colourways. You should use a
maximum of 12 colours.
Concept/ Proposition
I aim to create a print that is in a certain theme, that are
handrawnt then edited on to the computer
Background
If you wanted to buy an ironing board cover in
the early 1990s you had limited options. One: utilitarian grey. Two: ‘comedy’ –
think a man in
his underwear. Cath Kidston realised there must be a way to
update something traditional with a modern, unexpected new look, and cheer up a
dull chore in the process. Having recently opened a shop selling vintage
fabrics, bits and pieces collected from flea markets, and car boot sales, and
old furniture repainted in bright colours inspired by the interiors of her
childhood home, it was inevitable that Cath would start designing her own
prints and products. A floral print ironing board cover was one of the first
Cath Kidston products and it caught the attention of customers and press alike,
helping to establish the brand.
20 years on we’re still cheering up the everyday
with our fresh, witty take on design. We’re known for our original, practical
products and cheerful, colourful prints which have a hint of nostalgia but are
always fit for modern life.
We are The Home of Modern Vintage, and now have
more than 130 stores worldwide.
Our brand is...
•
Approachable and inclusive
•
Warm and friendly
•
Cheerful and fun
•
Confident and quirky
•
Imaginative and unique
•
Modern and relevant
•
Comforting and homely
•
Straightforward and real
Target Audience
Female, 29 years
old, has just moved in to her first proper home of her own, has a job she
really enjoys, has a close group of friends and a family she values, she
doesn’t have children yet... but she’s got plenty of friends who have.
Tone of voice
British sense
of humour and cheekiness
Deliverables
Please submit the print in both repeat tile and
stepped out versions, and create three different colourways. You should use a
maximum of 12 colours.
Concept Statement
What are you going to
do?
1. Research into Cath Kidston Prints, Conversational Prints
2. Pick a theme then research into that theme
3. Handraw the images then Digitalize them and create the
prints
Why are you going to
do it?
1. To get a better understanding of what they are asking for
2. So I have ideas of what I am going to do in my prints
3. To give the prints a more of a personalized touch
Who are you doing it
for ?
1. Cath Kidston
2. The female audience that shops there
3. Any new customers
How are you going to
do it?
1. Primary and secondary research
2. Draw
3. Use a scanner and use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
What do you aim to
produce?
1. A various range of Prints
2. 3 different colours
3. A final print
After doing various amounts of research to help me gather a theme, I decided to pick a country theme. I found the images online which I took and hand drew and coloured. Below are the three images i used. I thought about incorporating tractors and hay bales etc in to the design but I found that the following three would be enough for my design instead of making it look too cluttered.
Below are the hand drawn imagery which i then scanned onto the computer to digitalise.
Once the imagery was on photoshop and illustrator, i didn't alter the styles too much, I wanted to keep the rawness and the imperfections to the designs to make them more personal.
Below are the final boards which I submitted to the competition.
