OUGD401 / Context of Practice / End of Module Evaluation

OUGD401, Context of Practice, has introduced me to a higher, more comprehensive level of practical investigation than that which I had experienced before starting the course. The module has provided me with the knowledge and skills required to demonstrate a particular thesis via practical design practice and academic writing respectively.

Through context of practice I have been able to experience new approaches to academic writing, such a triangulation, allowing me to develop my writing skills and competence as an aspiring designer through the ability to recognise and investigate the considerations and perspectives of industry practitioners who have years of experience and extensive knowledge.

The question I selected to investigate and practically investigate was that which was concerned with the relationship between brands and consumers. Branding has been a key interest of mine regarding the field of design for some time, though the module has taught me that there is so much more to a brand than the logo they use to represent themselves. The strategies they use are equally, if not more so, important than simply the visual the consumer associates with them. It is through brand strategy that specific aims and ambitions are able to be achieved by a company.

The practical investigation I undertook used the notion of 'sports luxe' as an example of brands' ability to manifest themselves into sub-brands and new sectors of popular culture and social presence. I  exploited the brand strategies used by sports brand Adidas to re-brand Lululemon Athletica, a yoga/active apparel company surrounded by controversy and visual irrelevancy. Through this I was able to create "Asana Athleisure,' an altogether more relevant, considered and sector specific branding system. 

Context of Practice supplied me with the opportunity to collaborate with students from outside the college as I enlisted the help of a fashion promotion student from Ravensbourne University, London, to style in a photoshoot and assist with creative direction. This allowed me to experience one of the many strategies used by Adidas first hand - undoubtedly proving the enhanced prospects of a brief when collaborative practices are utilised.

Though the breadth of knowledge I have gained throughout the module is yet to be paralleled, I believe the investigation I carried out may have been aided by more primary research - excluding just feedback from critiques. This is something I will ensure is at the forefront of my considerations in the future.

Asana Athleisure Collateral: Promotional Posters / Billboard Concepts.

In addition the the collaborative collateral Asana Athleisure x Adidas Sports Luxe Collection look book, I also produced billboard mock-ups to demonstrate how the collection may be promoted using the identities of both brands alongside the photographs taken to evidence the trend.  These are evidenced below: 

Asana Athleisure Collateral: Collaborative Look Book

In a final attempt to demonstrate the how the Adidas brand strategies can be used to achieve a successful brand and to show the sports luxe collateral images in context, I have produced a look book concerned with a collaboration between Asana Athleisure and Adidas.

On of the most notable strategies used consistently by Adidas is collaboration, celebrity endorsement and an ever-expanding brand portfolio, enabling them to form a strong connection to the consumer. The company aims to be ‘The first sports company that invites athletes, consumers and partners to be part of its brands’ (Liedtke, E. 2015). This collaborative approach to business — evidenced through campaigns including major high-street fashion retailer Topshop via the ‘Topshop x Adidas Originals’ collection, acclaimed British fashion designer Stella McCartney via the ‘Adidas by Stella McCartney’ collection as well as British singer Rita Ora’s collection ‘Adidas Originals by Rita Ora’— allow the brand to permeate every aspect of popular culture. By applying this collaborative direction to the Asana Athleisure brand, there would be enhanced awareness of the new brand and therefore a greater success.

The look book focuses solely on the photographs as they speak for themselves; they demonstrate the sports luxe trend, the clothes that would be sold by the brands in collaboration and introduce the new Asana Athleisure identity.

Asana Athleisure Final Logo

The Asana Athleisure logo, the rebranded resolution of previous name Lululemon, successfully exploits the strategies used by sports brand Adidas to provide a new brand mark bringing together a word mark and symbol, both of which have been instilled with contextual relevancy and appropriate style.

The Sanskrit language-founded brand name 'Asana Athleisure' and its concern with balance and strengthening of the body and mind provide a perfect representation of what yoga and an active lifestyle supply to the consumer through a short, direct and easily pronounceable word - appropriately reflective of the company's specific sector and specialism. The word Asana will be accepted as common knowledge to those who take part in the activity of yoga and will therefore be provided with a direct indication of what the brand provides, whilst also being an uncommon word that would provoke interest to those new to the brand and promoted lifestyle. The addition of Athleisure helps to establish ease of identification of the company as a sports brand that provides sport apparel and active wear for running and other physical activities besides yoga via contemporary language founded through the sports luxe trend. The term athleisure is used to describe apparel that is both athletic in purpose, stylish in aesthetic - this being what the brand provides. The alliterative quality of the combination of these words also makes for a more distinct, memorable brand name.

The typeface communicating the brand name, Futura Bold, has enhanced prominence for purposes of legibility, allowing the the word make to be identified with ease even at small scales and further distances. This geometrically-founded typeface is well-balanced, free of complication and unnecessary additions. It's geometric aesthetic is representative of the shapes and forms of the body and its flexibility, abilities needed to perform yoga and active/physical exercise - therefore making it relevant to the brand and its contexts. The lower-case quality of the word mark signifies the calming practice of yoga as an activity, whilst also being considered a contemporary trend (as sports luxe is also). The brand name is optically kerned with a standard leading to ensure maximum readability. 

The word mark is not dissimilar in style to the swiss, sans-serif, lower-case typestyle used by Adidas which was in emergence in the nineteen-twenties in Russia, The Netherlands and Germany when Adolf Dassler began registering his ventures. The bold, modern aesthetic has served the company great purpose in establishing a timeless brand that has remained and maintained a current, contemporary identity despite the time that has passed since its creation, and therefore the treatment supplied to the Asana Athleisure resolution has the potential to be met with the same regard thanks to this strategic approach.

The accompanying symbol to the Asana Athleisure word mark is also inspired by the strategic effort made by Adidas that has enabled them to create more memorable, distinctive and captivating brand representations that ensure longevity; there is nothing ephemeral about any of the Adidas logos. 

The Asana logo visually represents the brand name via an upper case 'A' that instead of a cross bar has a singular circle in the centre. As with the word 'Asana' (movements designed to help find balance, purify and strengthening the mind and body through opening of the energy channels), the symbol signifies the finding of a centre balance and the strength and form of the body through the strong, bold structural lines and centre circle.

As well as acting as a visual representation of the brand name, the symbol also subtly exhibits a compositional similarity to the body when finding a centre balance in yoga with the structural lines being the arms above, and centre circle the head. This, similarly to Adidas' symbols, provides the logo with enhanced contextual significance via representational forms and shapes that in turn aid the consumers perceptual receival through an enriched understanding of meaning and company values, foundations and ambitions. This also evidences Wally Olins, Debbie Millman, Douglas. B Holt and 

Steven Miles' view that brands are representative of identity. 

The intentional monochromatic/black and white quality of the logo as a whole uses the Adidas visual strategy to provide the brand with adaptability, timelessness and a tonal contrast that creates both distinct impact and an effortless demeanour.

Asana Athleisure Collateral Sports Luxe Images: Critique and Final Selection.

Today I brought the short-listed Sports Luxe collateral images to critique to identify those which people feel are the most effective and the setting/point of delivery through which they should be delivered.

I first asked the critique group to each mark their favourite 5. The results of this are documented below (images that were marked):

1 Mark

1 Mark

3 Marks

9 Marks

1 Mark

8 Marks

6 Marks

 Further critique questions:

1. Where would you like to see these images used/in what context?

• I imagine them on billboards.
• Very suited to editorial, so magazine/look book. Billboards too.
• Would work very well within a purely photographic look book.
• I would use as advertising pieces/on a billboard.
• Editorial setting.
• Billboard.
• Look book.
• Editorial.

2. Additional Comments:

• Really professional photos, convey the 'sports luxe' really well - especially love the photos of the girl in front of the blue background - very editorial.
• Very well executed and professional. The urban block coloured walls/concrete suit the urban sport luxe because they're in an editorial-looking location.
• Professional and well-shot/styled. I feel the like the images are also really flexible and could be used across different formats.
• They look professional and high quality and all images can be used to answer your question.
• Good use of location.
• Really like the photos. The colours contrast well with the model and her clothing. Very professional.

Asana Athleisure Collateral Sports Luxe Images - Shortlisted.

Yesterday the collateral Sports Luxe photoshoot took place. These images, which focus on the sports luxe fashion trend, were shot on location within a sporty environment to achieve lifestyle driven images that would in-turn make Asana Atheleisure a more desirable brand. 

Collaborating with Ravensbourne University (London) Fashion Promotion student Danielle Bruce as stylist, we were able to ensure these collateral sports luxe images best reflect the trend, style and aesthetic effectively and successfully thanks to her extensively informed understanding of the trend and fashion styling in general.

Speaking of the images achieved, Danielle had this to say about the success of the shoot:

'Through the forward planning of outfit changes, looks and setting/environment before shoot day, we were able to capture a wide range of shots that allowed the style of sports luxe to be represented in different ways. As sports luxe is such a unique trend that  expresses the power and freedom that sporting activities bring to an individual, the art direction of dominating poses and angles allowed the confidence of the styling to create inspirational, powerful fashion imagery. The clean makeup and  lines of the images allowed the model to have a dominating presence in a distracting environment, that overall made the images successful within an editorial sense through the clear visual hierarchy and consideration of focused shots.'

Below are the images Danielle and myself feel best reflect the trend, its context and the way in which it should be carried. 

Sports Luxe Photoshoot // Stylist and Shoot Planning

In a previous critique I received feedback that images for an editorial shoot focusing on the sports luxe fashion trend should be shot on location to achieve lifestyle driven images that would in-turn make for a more desirable brand. In order to ensure these collateral sports luxe images to be taken best reflect the trend, style and aesthetic effectively and successfully I have decided to collaborate with a stylist who has an extensively informed understanding of the trend and fashion styling in general.

Danielle Bruce is a 19 year old Fashion Promotion student studying at Ravensbourne University, London. She has been following the sports luxe trend since its emergence in 2014 and is knowledgable in appropriate garments, accessories and accompanying hair and make-up styles. She will be stylist on the shoot and joint creative director alongside myself. 

Stylist Comment:

Location

The images will be taken within a sports ground environment, where photos will be composed in the stands and in the seating areas of the stadium. The sporty aesthetic and strong architectural elements and visual information of the stands will enhance the sporting environment and sport luxe style of the shoot. By considering the shots and the way a unique perspective can be created the aim of the location is to enhance the sports luxe focus whilst enhancing contextual reference and direction.

Styling

When considering the styling of the shoot, a variety of shapes and tones have considered - concerned with as to whether they will compliment the models appearance, location and style of the shoot. By considering the importance of tones and textures of garments, the appearance of clothing for the shoot will have an energy within itself, through contrasting tones and textures enhancing the trends and how sports luxe can enter the mainstream fashion market in a youthful and engaging manner.

Look Concepts/Planning

Before devising potential looks for the shoot, Danielle created an extensive pinterest board of images to supply inspiration and potential direction for the shoot. These, followed by potential looks, are exhibited below:

The shoot will take place on Tuesday 5th April 2016.

Concept: Sports Luxe

Creative Direction: Myself / Danielle Bruce

Stylist: Danielle Bruce

Photographer: Myself

Model: Georgie Smith

Location: Castle Park - Doncaster Rugby Club