OUGD503 - Studio Brief 2: Oasis Research

As part of this brief I looked into Oasis to gather as much information on them as possible.

• Oasis are a contemporary British brand that is over 20 years old.
• Their in-house design team create everything exclusively for the brand.
• Alongside the Head Office in East London's Shoreditch and 300 stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland, a little further from home we also have 79 stores across 19 countries, including Asia, the Middle East and Russia.

Celebrity endorsement

Fashion chain Oasis is following in the footsteps of other highstreet names including River Island, Topshop and H&M to introduce its first ever celebrity-endorsed collection with pop star Mollie King from The Saturdays. The 45 piece ‘Loved by Mollie’ collection, which has been designed by the Oasis in-house team, has been curated by the singer and features her key pieces for the season, including floral co-ordinates and separates.

As well as curating the collection, King will act as a ‘style ambassador’ for the retailer and will feature in a campaign spanning all physical and digital channels including in a series of short films for the retailer’s website, which has been designed to showcase the “fresh and innovative direction” of the brand.

The collection ranges from 28 to 350 pounds and will be available at Oasis’ 17 flagship stores including London’s Argyll Street, Westfield City, Bluewater, Glasgow’s Buchanan Galleries, Leeds Trinity, Liverpool One, and Manchester Arndale.Oasis has 300 stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland and 79 stores internationally across 19 countries, including Asia, the Middle East and Russia.

In-store Wifi

Oasis has implemented a WiFi network implemented by Vodat International to improve critical business information access via iPads. The iPads will deliver multi-point mobile services in its UK and European stores to complement its multichannel offering and enhance the customer journey.

Oasis began the project implementation in October 2011 and have since installed the technology into around 60 stores, with 22 stores fitted within a 3 week period. The roll-out is continuing into 2013 with a further 50 stores across all of the retailer’s brands in the UK and Europe. 

The multiple in-store iPads will play three entirely different roles, from transactional mPOS for speed of service and queue busting, to improved customer information and wall mounted iPads in the changing rooms for interactive marketing - displaying image and video content on seasonal ranges, specific products and special offers.

Customers in-store can also use the WiFi to access the internet on their own personal devices, although the Coast, Oasis and Warehouse networks are restricted to the retailer’s iPads for security purposes.

Courier Service

Fashion retailer Oasis is teaming up with courier service company Shutl to offer its online customers “time-specific” delivery slots. As an extension to its 90-minute delivery option, Oasis will now be offering customers in the UK the chance to select a convenient hourly time slot either later the same day, or at any point over three days, similar to services utilised by major supermarkets.

The option uses Shutl’s latest technology, which integrates with Oasis’ existing e-commerce platform to enable a convenient, time-sensitive online courier service that collects customer orders from Oasis stores within a fifteen mile radius of the delivery address. The service is free for orders over 100 pounds and customers will be able to GPS-track the delivery process online.

Hash Ladha, Oasis COO, said: “A multi-channel, social shopping experience is at the heart of everything we do at Oasis. In response to the ever-evolving shopping habits of our customers, we are thrilled to offer an innovative, time-sensitive, online delivery service – a first for a UK fashion brand – which, in partnership with Shutl, provides an enhanced shopping experience in tune with our customers’ shopping needs.”

OUGD505 - Studio Brief 1: Layout Research

After doing research into publications I started looking more specifically into certain types of layouts that I like and that I think fit with the kind of image I am going for with this brand.

Haltung Magazine
http://www.editorialdesignserved.co/gallery/Haltung-Magazine/11426457

This is one of the first layout designs I came across that I really liked the majority of the elements to. Although I am not keen on the overall layout of some of the text and the amount of white space, I do like how the images are going across the centre of the pages, and how the body text overlaps the images occasionally. Something that also interested me was the way the images are used throughout this publication. They all aren't used in the same way. They are different colours for different pages, yet still consistent because of the way they have been edited. One thing I don't like is how some of the titles are broken words. I certainly don't like this and will be avoiding this in my own designs.

Albert Hofmann - Fascículo coleccionable
http://www.editorialdesignserved.co/gallery/Albert-Hofmann-Fasciculo-coleccionable/12163419

This publication isn't necessarily the type of design work that I want to do, but it is similar in the approach so I still thought it was best to write about it. The layering of the text over the images is interesting, especially because it isn't solid, it is using a filter so the image is still seen underneath. The publication in general is quite bright and very busy is terms of the amount to look at. There isn't necessarily a lot of content on all the pages, but because there is so much overlapping of images and text, more would be far too much to take in at once. The pages seem to working double page spreads, each with its own colour scheme and individual layout. Something I don't like at all is the way that some images are upside down or overlapping another image.

9-16 wine magazine
http://www.editorialdesignserved.co/gallery/Wine-magazine-9-16/10229741

I like this publication because of the consistency throughout it when it comes to the images. They are all monochrome and are either full page or spread across the centre of the spread. I also like the use of columns throughout the publication, and the full page images with larger text on it. The contrasting heading colour is also something I think works very well.

Drama Magazine
http://www.editorialdesignserved.co/gallery/Drama-Magazine/10884037

This publication appeals to me because of the way the red is used as a minor detail but is so bold against the white of the stock and black text. It accentuates the text that it is with, making it clear that this is the title/main element on the page. The inside of this publication is mainly text driven, with very few images. The body copy is in large sections, broken up by bolder text sections or a break. The use of columns is good, however I don't like that there is a huge amount of written content on the pages.

OUGD505 - Studio Brief 1: Nike Air Jordan Research

Overall there are 28 pairs in the range of Air Jordan sneakers.

• Air Jordan I - XXI (1 - 21)
• XX2 (22)
• XX3 (23)
• 2009 - 2012 (24 - 27)
• XX8 (28)

The first pair of Air Jordan's were released in 1984, and after a three year gap the Air Jordan II were introduced. Since then Nike has released a pair of Air Jordan's every year.

Air Jordan I - 1984
In 1984, after winning a national title at the University of North Carolina and a Gold Medal at the Olympic games in Los Angeles, Michael Jordan was selected 3rd overall by the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Draft. That year Nike also signed Michael to a five-year endorsement contract worth a reported $2.5 million (plus royalties). In 1985, Nike gave Jordan and his signature line of sneakers and apparel a unique logo - clearly, this line was created to be very different from Nike's previous basketball efforts.
Designer Peter Moore was given the task of coming up with the first Air Jordan shoe. The Air Jordan 1 featured the Nike Swoosh on the mid panel and a newly designed wings logo on the upper ankle. The first Air Jordan was similar in design to other popular Nike models released in the 1980s such as the Air Force 1, Terminator and Dunk. The Air Jordan I featured a Nike Air unit for heel cushioning, padded foam ankle collars for additional protection and a toe overlay for added lockdown.

Original Air Jordan's

Although the AJ 1 lacked technology, the colors and cultural significance set the sneaker industry on its ear. The Air Jordan 1 paved the way for colourful basketball sneakers. It transformed the way people looked at athletic shoes. 
During the 1985 NBA season, Michael wore the Air Jordan 1, which retailed for $65 - at the time, the most expensive basketball shoe on the market. The Black/Red colour was banned by the NBA because of rules regarding shoe colours. The rules state that a sneaker must have white. Jordan was fined $5,000 for every game he wore them. Nike footed the bill because it was making such a buzz around the sneakers and getting them a lot of attention. Eventually though, they made an alternative design featuring white.

Alternative Air Jordan's

The Air Jordan I is the only sneaker in the range to feature the Nike swoosh. It also included the original Air Jordan logo.

Original Air Jordan Logo

This Logo has only appeared on this sneaker and the Air Jordan II. It was replaced with the 'Jumpman' logo from the Air Jordan III onwards. It is still used on the sneaker boxes for the Air Jordan range though.

The 'Jumpman' Logo

Jumpman Logo

The Jumpman logo is actually a silhouette of studio photograph of Mike performing a ballet move, not an actual dunk as the image suggests.

Here’s part of an interview with HOOP Magazine from April of 1997 where MJ talks about the creation of the Jumpman Logo. 
I wasn’t even dunking on that one. People think that I was. I just stood on the floor, jumped up and spread my legs and they took the picture. I wasn’t even running. Everyone thought I did that by running and taking off. Actually, it was a ballet move where I jumped up and spread my legs. And I was holding the ball in my left hand.” 
The original idea for the photo shoot of the Jumpman came from an older photo of Jordan in LIFE Magazine for the 1984 Olympics. 

Nike “sampled” the idea for a poster featuring Mike suspended in air for what would later become the now famous Jumpman logo.

This photo was first featured on the hang tags of all the original Air Jordan I’s from 1985.

But the actual Jumpman logo didn’t join the mix for another 3 years. Jordan's contract with Nike was about to end and Rob Strasser, Nike’s VP was in a power struggle with Nike CEO Phil Knight. Rob and Peter Moore, Nike’s head designer, were working a plan for their new sneaker company called Van Grack. 

Peter Moore originally did the preliminary design work on the Air Jordan III. He had a pile of sketches of the Air Jordan III but waited until it was too late to execute. When he left Nike, Tinker Hatfield got the sketches and in amongst it were the outline of the Air Jordan 'Jumpman' logo.

XX8 - 2013

The latest installment in the legendary Jordan Brand lineup, designed by Tinker Hatfield and released in February 2013, featured all the cushioning and stability technologies one might expect from Jordan's flagship model. But it all lived behind a shroud, enabling the wearer to decide just how much to reveal.
Several AJs, from the AJ XVI on, featured a shroud or a lace cover of some type. The sock-like shroud of the AJ XX8, comprised of a high-end material from Schoeller textiles in Switzerland, featured a zipper front that folded down neatly to reveal a "2" on the medial (outside) of one shoe and a "3" on the medial of the other (denoting Michael Jordan's iconic jersey number). It offers a blank slate that Jordan Brand has promised to use for a variety of eye-catching colorways during the shoe's life cycle.
The AJ XX8 featured a number of technologies: Zoom Air unit for low-profile cushioning, all-new Jordan Flight Plate, dynamic Fit straps for flexible support, carbon fiber heel counter for support, mesh upper for flexibility and ventilation. The new Jordan Flight Plate that debuted in the midsole of the AJ XX8 was about two years in development. It consisted of a moderator plate, the Zoom Air unit, and rubber.
Designers started with a Nike Shox plate, added air bags, and knew they were getting close. It evolved to consist of a carbon fiber plate designed to deflect force and maximize the Zoom Air and its low-profile responsiveness. This enabled the separation of the forefoot and heel for the first time in the Air Jordan lineage.
For added stability, the AJ XX8 included a molded, carbon-fiber external heel counter that served as a natural extension of the Flight Plate.

Sources
http://www.footlocker.com/_-_/keyword-history+of+air+jordan
http://donisdope.wordpress.com/2010/12/23/logo-design-the-jumpman/

OUGD505 - Studio Brief 1: Colour Research

Immediately when given the brief I decided that I didn't want to go for full colour images. The Air Jordan brand has very specific colours, usually black, red & white. So this is the colour scheme I want to go for and use throughout the publication.
To get some idea of how I could use this colour scheme, I researched into other designs which work in monotone and duotone colours. This will give me a base for using my colour scheme and show me what colours work together and how they do. It will also show me how I could potentially incorporate other colours if needed.

Ego
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Ego/9747679

This publication is designed using blue, white & black. The images are either in monotone blue or monochrome, depending on the stock and opposite page. The design of this is very structured and cleared gridded, with a large amount of consideration put into the placement of text in accordance to the images. I like the way some of the text overlays the images and contrasts against the bright colour. I don't think it works so well the other way round where it is the blue text over the monochrome image. The layout throughout the book is consistent through the design and not through the same layouts over and over again, keeping the book interesting.

Uovo Performing Arts Festival
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Uovo-Performing-Art-Festival/13991417

This branding interests me because it doesn't use the green colour to fill a whole image or for large chunks of text. It overlays coloured titles over the images in a way which makes it transparent and, just like it does with the green triangles over the images inside the foldout. I like how the colour doesn't overpower the images or rest of the pages, rather adds another element to the work as a whole and creates a strong identity.

Théatre de la Bordée
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Thatre-de-la-Borde/8146443

This design work interests me as it works in duotone images, using blue and red together throughout the work instead of using black at any point. The way the text is laid over the top of the image is clear and doesn't cover up too much of the image to make it hard to see what they are. Not having black anywhere throughout this work makes it look a lot more considered when it comes to branding and the overall look for the designs.

Gautheir & Nolet Architects
http://www.behance.net/gallery/GAUTHIER-NOLET-ARCHITECTS/12769563

This one is similar in the colours used as the work above, however this is used in a much different way. This uses the white purely as the stock and not as part of the design. The red is the main colour on these designs, with the blue as a secondary colour. The way the red has been used throughout is what interests me the most in these designs. It has been used mainly as a filter over the blue images to create really eye-catching work.

Chapel Street Precinct Members Kit
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Chapel-Street-Precinct-Members-Kit/10685675

This design work uses duotone images in a much different way to the two designs above. Instead of having the two colours together to create the negative and positive colours, it has all images in the blue and has pieces of information in the bright pink/red to stand out on the pages. The text layout is also interesting. The majority of the text is in the blue and doesn't cross over the images at all, but the text in the pink/red colour does overlay the images.

Revista Biela
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Revista-Biela/10211467

This design work is primarily shades of blue throughout with the exception of a few titles which are in black. The mix of the two tones of blue is something different from using two completely different colours like red and blue. It keeps the pages from being too over the top and colourful and makes it easy to break the pages down. I particularly like it when the two colours have been overlapped. It makes it much more interesting to look at than when it is just the one colour.