Unfortunately I don't have any absurd stories to back-up the title of this post, but I did receive some great feedback from my peers and professors during our recent critique.
Name: Dutch is probably not the best path to take because most people won't understand it. The word "knead" is catching and can have a duo meaning. Keep working with it!
Font: It looks as though I am right on track with this, and I am fairly confident that I have already chosen what I think is the perfect fit.
Logo: Don't just use a word mark. Try to incorporate a recognizable symbol. Blue is not a good color to associate food with, but my idea of an orange color palette (to coincide with the Orange Family, which is the royalty in Holland) would work great.
Add-Ons: My peers responded positively to my bike theme. I really wanted to try and tie an aspect of Dutch every-day living into the bakery, and I think this will be a lot of fun to add a bike rack and try to make packaging that is bike-friendly. I have a bit of write-up to do.
It was also suggested that I have a few tables with glass tops and my photos from Holland displayed underneath. Although most Dutch bakeries have only enough room for customers to order and pick-up products (space is tight in Holland), I think the photos will be a great addition to incorporate a sense of Holland into my bakery.
Jolene provided me with sound advice as well. First she suggested that I consider making a website and a business card to keep the bakery alive (for viewing purposes only) once the show is over. Her second suggestion was for me to speak with Dr. Miller's wife, Andrea, who also works for the college and whose family comes from Holland. Andrea would be an excellent external reviewer for my capstone, and I am really looking forward to hearing her point of view on my project.
Wat leuk!/What fun! :)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Snow Storm May Have Shut Down Europe, but it Didn't Stop My Capstone Progress
Although my flight home from Holland was scheduled for 17 December 2010, I was not able to board the plane until 27 December 2010. Unlike in the States, Europe is unaccustomed to inches upon inches of snow covering its streets, houses, trees and so on. Luckily for me, I had befriended a lovely Dutch family that was glad to share their Christmas with me. And even though I did not have my usual design resources, I was not about to let a little snow stop me - after all I am from Ohio!
I will detail my winter break in two parts:
Part I: Capstone Goals
1. Bakery Identity
Why do people visit bakeries when supermarkets have so much variety? Bakeries offer extra quality and customer service that sets them apart. I want my bakery to be known for hard work, fresh ingredients, and good quality food. Everything is handmade and any left overs are used for the greater good (i.e. as food for livestock) rather than thrown out.
2. Materials for Presentation
Lucky for me, my dad works for a bakery and my cousin is a baker! I spoke to both of them over break and found some great websites from which I can begin ordering packaging:
In addition to various types of packaging, I would also like to design the bakery's
My mom actually found an alternative recipe to preserve bread instead of make fake bread. We tested it and it really works. I will try this on other pastries, and I may also purchase some fake pies.
Considering the unpredictable circumstances, I am proud that I was still able to accomplish all of my winter break goals! Now, just for fun....
Part II: Lauren in de Sneuw/Lauren in the Snow
I will detail my winter break in two parts:
- Capstone Goals
- Dealing with the Snow
Part I: Capstone Goals
1. Bakery Identity
Why do people visit bakeries when supermarkets have so much variety? Bakeries offer extra quality and customer service that sets them apart. I want my bakery to be known for hard work, fresh ingredients, and good quality food. Everything is handmade and any left overs are used for the greater good (i.e. as food for livestock) rather than thrown out.
2. Materials for Presentation
Lucky for me, my dad works for a bakery and my cousin is a baker! I spoke to both of them over break and found some great websites from which I can begin ordering packaging:
- Innovative package design from Fabri-Kal
- Moresco for biodegradable and compostable packaging
- Aleece also told me about Nashville Wraps, which has tons and tons of packaging products - I really like the idea of having little windows in the bags to display the product
In addition to various types of packaging, I would also like to design the bakery's
- logo (I would like to use a wordmark)
- serving/sample plate(s)
- labels
- order form
- store layout
- wall menu
- award (the greatest way for a bakery to advertise is by entering contests and winning awards)
- apron
- signage (store, "road")
My mom actually found an alternative recipe to preserve bread instead of make fake bread. We tested it and it really works. I will try this on other pastries, and I may also purchase some fake pies.
Considering the unpredictable circumstances, I am proud that I was still able to accomplish all of my winter break goals! Now, just for fun....
Part II: Lauren in de Sneuw/Lauren in the Snow
 |
| The snowman I built with my Dutch family! |
 |
| Christmas Market in Aachen, Germany |
 |
| Beginnings of the Christmas Tree Hunt |
 |
| One of the Famous Dutch Windmills |
 |
| I Chose the Christmas Tree! |
 |
| Bakkerij De Renet Decorated for Christmas |
 |
| Even the Rooster Liked the Snow! |
 |
| Snowball Fight with the Neighbors |
 |
| The Tree Decorated with Lights and Candies |
 |
| Me on Christmas Day |
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Bakkerij De Renet
I could think of no better time to be researching bakeries than during the holiday season -warm hearts, sweet treats, twinkling lights, and more importantly (at least for the Dutch), Sinterklaas.
Sinterklaas is celebrated on the eve of December 5 as Dutch children place their wooden shoes near the fireplace in the hopes of waking to find small gifts, candies and even a humorous poem waiting for them. This holiday is filled with songs and all sorts of delicious treats. This being said, I found it quite the privilege to be invited to the Bakkerij De Renet, perhaps the most favored bakery in the entire province of Limburg, as they finished up their Sinterklaas festivities and prepared the store for Christmas.
Besides the obvious - breads, pies, and cookies, - one of my favorite aspects of Bakkerij De Renet is their core value of customer satisfaction. Every product in the bakery is fresh and made by hand. What's more: every design aspect that has gone into the bakery's identity since day one has been crafted by the store owner!
Visiting Bakkerij De Renet was a fantastic way to begin formulating ideas for my package design (which will be a huge part of this project) and see what goes on behind the display cases.
Sinterklaas is celebrated on the eve of December 5 as Dutch children place their wooden shoes near the fireplace in the hopes of waking to find small gifts, candies and even a humorous poem waiting for them. This holiday is filled with songs and all sorts of delicious treats. This being said, I found it quite the privilege to be invited to the Bakkerij De Renet, perhaps the most favored bakery in the entire province of Limburg, as they finished up their Sinterklaas festivities and prepared the store for Christmas.
Besides the obvious - breads, pies, and cookies, - one of my favorite aspects of Bakkerij De Renet is their core value of customer satisfaction. Every product in the bakery is fresh and made by hand. What's more: every design aspect that has gone into the bakery's identity since day one has been crafted by the store owner!
Visiting Bakkerij De Renet was a fantastic way to begin formulating ideas for my package design (which will be a huge part of this project) and see what goes on behind the display cases.
 |
| Seals give a professional and personal feel |
 |
| So typically Dutch! |
 |
| I love bread baskets - especially those that are woven |
 | |
| The height of the display cases is an important factor to take into consideration |
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
My Immense Dislike for Mondrian Helped Me Find Peace
After today I will no longer despise the childlike line drawings that I associated with Piet Mondrian. Truly, it was his not-so-simple simplicity that saved me.
As the above slide clicked into place on the projector during my late afternoon art history class, I had to refrain from letting out a sigh of disappointment. I have never really been the biggest fan of Piet Mondrian. In fact, I didn't even consider his work real art - until today.
In short, I learned that Mondrian's work is virtually impossible to re-create and have it be believable. His paintings are comprised of hours of building grids and finding balance; yet his complex ideas appear so simple.
That's it! I thought, as I sat in class. I really needed to stop making things so hard on myself. During my bike home that evening, I again returned to the drawing board. My top three ideas were laundry detergent, voting ballots/government documents and food. Well, the laundry detergent wasn't working. Maybe I could change it to something else dealing with scientific facts? No, no, that was all wrong because I would be making more work for my self. Not only would I have to research the design, but I would have to research the science behind the product as well. The same applied to government documents. I just don't know enough about politics. I was left with food. I didn't really want to do a single food product, so I thought perhaps cooking items would work. Spices, spatulas, the works. But what would I really do with that? Design labels?
So, I thought about how I grew up in a food culture. Huge family meals have always been a large part of our gatherings. We even dance with bread at our weddings (yes, Yanko is Macedonian)! To me, food is one of the greatest aspects of life. And it brings people together; after 5 hour hikes when everyone is exhausted, following an unexpected family death, even when you have been sitting at your computer working for hours on end - out comes the food and suddenly everyone is energized and laughing!
I thought about the value of food and I thought about the activities I have enjoyed in Holland since I have been here. I even tried to remember that this is my project, and I shouldn't worry about if others will like it, but rather if I like it, or rather love it since I will be working on it for a couple months. And then it came to me.
I am going to brand a bakery! Suddenly, a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders. The nightmare in the back of my head disappeared, and a huge smile appeared on my face. Why had I not thought of this before? What a perfect way to hone up on my corporate identity and packaging skills!
And so the idea was born. I finally have a capstone, and it is one that I will truly enjoy. Thank you, Piet Mondrian - I salute you. Victory, victory - let's dance!
 |
| Composition with yellow, blue and red; 1942 |
As the above slide clicked into place on the projector during my late afternoon art history class, I had to refrain from letting out a sigh of disappointment. I have never really been the biggest fan of Piet Mondrian. In fact, I didn't even consider his work real art - until today.
In short, I learned that Mondrian's work is virtually impossible to re-create and have it be believable. His paintings are comprised of hours of building grids and finding balance; yet his complex ideas appear so simple.
That's it! I thought, as I sat in class. I really needed to stop making things so hard on myself. During my bike home that evening, I again returned to the drawing board. My top three ideas were laundry detergent, voting ballots/government documents and food. Well, the laundry detergent wasn't working. Maybe I could change it to something else dealing with scientific facts? No, no, that was all wrong because I would be making more work for my self. Not only would I have to research the design, but I would have to research the science behind the product as well. The same applied to government documents. I just don't know enough about politics. I was left with food. I didn't really want to do a single food product, so I thought perhaps cooking items would work. Spices, spatulas, the works. But what would I really do with that? Design labels?
So, I thought about how I grew up in a food culture. Huge family meals have always been a large part of our gatherings. We even dance with bread at our weddings (yes, Yanko is Macedonian)! To me, food is one of the greatest aspects of life. And it brings people together; after 5 hour hikes when everyone is exhausted, following an unexpected family death, even when you have been sitting at your computer working for hours on end - out comes the food and suddenly everyone is energized and laughing!
I thought about the value of food and I thought about the activities I have enjoyed in Holland since I have been here. I even tried to remember that this is my project, and I shouldn't worry about if others will like it, but rather if I like it, or rather love it since I will be working on it for a couple months. And then it came to me.
I am going to brand a bakery! Suddenly, a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders. The nightmare in the back of my head disappeared, and a huge smile appeared on my face. Why had I not thought of this before? What a perfect way to hone up on my corporate identity and packaging skills!
And so the idea was born. I finally have a capstone, and it is one that I will truly enjoy. Thank you, Piet Mondrian - I salute you. Victory, victory - let's dance!
 |
| Victory Boogie Woogie, 1944 |
Learning from Failure
Over the past two weeks, I researched, documented and collected loads of laundry detergent bottles. I talked to biology professors and students about the effects of the detergent chemicals on the environment. I even talked to my advertising professor about designing for other cultures. It wasn't working out.
I had a great idea, but in reality, there wasn't a great way to execute it. After my advertising class on Monday, my professor and I sat down and talked about why designing for cultures no longer works as it used to. He said that as the world becomes flatter and flatter, the more this concept of cultural awareness in marketing diminishes. Of course, there are still minor differences. There are images that aren't culturally acceptable, and certain product attributes that some cultures like more than others, but when it comes down to it, if a business wants to sell its products in multiple countries, they are probably already a global company, and don't really need to change much about their brand.
So, I asked if I should lean more toward marketing a sustainability project. And then he explained and we agreed that you don't really want to market sustainability, but rather it should be a value that a company has for itself.
After our discussion, I raced home on my bike in the freezing cold and snow flurries, ran up the stairs of my dormitory, threw open the door to my room and sat at my desk in a crumpled ball with my head flat on my laptop. This can't be happening, I thought. This is capstone. How can I be in such a horrible lost mess at the end of November? What am I going to do?
I brainstormed for the next hour, went back to my sketchbook with my original list of product ideas and thought how I might be able to make something else work. By midnight I was still searching for a solution, but I thought it was best to rest my brain and sleep.
You might think it's odd that I am sharing my struggles with capstone, but I find it very fitting. This blog was created to show my process throughout my capstone. That includes the stress points. Great designs, like most things in life, don't always work out. And by George, sometimes you have to fail in order to learn and grow. Yes, my proposal turned out to be a total drop in the bucket, but I am glad I realized it now instead of next semester.
We are given such a huge amount of time to do capstone because good design takes time. Our professors know we are going to face many challenges (and that is partially why you should pick a capstone you love), and that in the end, our projects may be entirely different than we thought they would. And my capstone will be entirely different, because I am going to start fresh.
And you know what, I think it's a good thing.
I had a great idea, but in reality, there wasn't a great way to execute it. After my advertising class on Monday, my professor and I sat down and talked about why designing for cultures no longer works as it used to. He said that as the world becomes flatter and flatter, the more this concept of cultural awareness in marketing diminishes. Of course, there are still minor differences. There are images that aren't culturally acceptable, and certain product attributes that some cultures like more than others, but when it comes down to it, if a business wants to sell its products in multiple countries, they are probably already a global company, and don't really need to change much about their brand.
So, I asked if I should lean more toward marketing a sustainability project. And then he explained and we agreed that you don't really want to market sustainability, but rather it should be a value that a company has for itself.
After our discussion, I raced home on my bike in the freezing cold and snow flurries, ran up the stairs of my dormitory, threw open the door to my room and sat at my desk in a crumpled ball with my head flat on my laptop. This can't be happening, I thought. This is capstone. How can I be in such a horrible lost mess at the end of November? What am I going to do?
I brainstormed for the next hour, went back to my sketchbook with my original list of product ideas and thought how I might be able to make something else work. By midnight I was still searching for a solution, but I thought it was best to rest my brain and sleep.
You might think it's odd that I am sharing my struggles with capstone, but I find it very fitting. This blog was created to show my process throughout my capstone. That includes the stress points. Great designs, like most things in life, don't always work out. And by George, sometimes you have to fail in order to learn and grow. Yes, my proposal turned out to be a total drop in the bucket, but I am glad I realized it now instead of next semester.
We are given such a huge amount of time to do capstone because good design takes time. Our professors know we are going to face many challenges (and that is partially why you should pick a capstone you love), and that in the end, our projects may be entirely different than we thought they would. And my capstone will be entirely different, because I am going to start fresh.
And you know what, I think it's a good thing.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Laundry-list
Lately I have been making "laundry-lists" rather than shopping-lists. Every time I make a run for errands, I bring my camera with me and document the packaging for every laundry detergent I can find.
I have come across some brands that we see in the United States, but also some container shapes that I haven't seen before. An interesting fact about doing laundry in Europe compared to the US is that Europe has many more setting options for washing clothes. You can choose from 4-5 different temperatures, and several types of wash cycles as well. You also have about 6 different dyer settings. Europeans think very highly in regards to saving energy and going green.
I have come across some brands that we see in the United States, but also some container shapes that I haven't seen before. An interesting fact about doing laundry in Europe compared to the US is that Europe has many more setting options for washing clothes. You can choose from 4-5 different temperatures, and several types of wash cycles as well. You also have about 6 different dyer settings. Europeans think very highly in regards to saving energy and going green.
 |
| Of course, the packing is in Dutch, but I am not so bad at reading labels any more! |
 |
| Robijn detergent in liquid form as opposed to powder |
 |
| Generic brand detergent - quite simple |
 |
| Again, generic, but this time for colors. The color choices are rather odd for the generic brands considering what the detergents are used for. |
 |
| All sorts of different packaging. This is the type I have in my dorm. A lid on the top is used to measure the detergent. I got it for free but I hate the mess it makes! |
 |
| This one looks familiar... |
 |
| Another familiar face! |
 | ||||||||
| Crystals: an interesting concept. Kind of reminds me of dishwasher detergent. |
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Help, I Need Somebody!
One biology professor. One toxicology professor [who will be traveling to Central America this December]. One advertising professor [from Canada]. Two design professors [from the United States and Holland].
I am building my network of resources for my capstone. It think that I will have a nice variety of opinions as I begin to develop my brand, and that is reassuring.
I am building my network of resources for my capstone. It think that I will have a nice variety of opinions as I begin to develop my brand, and that is reassuring.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)