OUGD503 - UK Greetings: Final Designs

Greeting Cards

The greetings cards feature each wildlife creature individually with a message in accordance to the representation of that animal. E.g. A Turtle Dove is part of the dove family and they are peaceful and pure animals therefore they have the words 'With Sympathy' alongside. The cards are blank inside, giving the customer more space to write. The central placement of the illustration and type is so that the audience is immediately drawn to the centre, as the card designs are made to look as minimal as possible due to the serious and direct nature of the everyday cards. The central placement of the design and the choice to create it 140x140mm is so that the area of the card looks filled up without having to fill the whole space, keeping to the minimalistic layout. The Wildlife Trust logo is featured on the reverse of the card as it doesn't disrupt the design.

The stock used for the card itself is a standard bright white 250gsm card. Even though the idea was to create the collection to be environmentally friendly since the collection is about protecting wildlife and nature, cards are sentimental and people like to keep them. Using non-recycled stock meant that it would be more sturdy and last longer than recycled stock. However, the envelopes are made from recycled stock called 'White Rag' which is 210gsm off white/cream colour. The slightly coloured and grainy textured envelope gives the cards more character and uniqueness as typical card envelopes are smooth and 'perfect'. The creamy/off white works well with the stark white card as it gives it more of a contrast and a differentiation is it doesn't look boring nor dull.

Notecards 
The notecards are similar to the greeting cards where they are blank inside as it allows the consumer the freedom to use it for any occasion. They are similar to the greeting cards where the card and the envelopes are made from the same stock as people may find cards sentimental and may keep them so they have to be made from durable stock. The box itself is made from normal white 250gsm stock with the 210gsm White Rag covered over to keep a consistent theme to the cards. The lid is made out of clear acetate so that customer can look to see what the product looks like before they buy it. If the collection was to be mass produced, the box will use less material as it would be made of a singular heavier gsm White Rag stock rather than having 2 different types of stock.

The half view of the design that is placed to the right of the card is meant so that up close, people who pick up the card can identify the illustration closely and therefore identify the wildlife creature online where they can log in their presence. This will make people become more aware and interested in the design and hopefully make them want to help and identify endanger wildlife creatures. The half view of each wildlife creature is suppose to make them appear vulnerable as they are up-close to show how vulnerable they are to extinction if we don't help them. The logo is also placed on the reverse of the card to promote the Wildlife Trust charity so it doesn't disrupt the front design.

Notebooks
The note books are an A5 size as it is more travel friendly and compact to carry around - especially if they will be used to look for wildlife creatures as it will be handy to jot as you walk. The notebook pages are blank as it allows people to draw/sketch wildlife creatures or just to write inside. The Wildlife Trust logo is hidden inside of the notebook on the back page. The notebook pages are 120gsm recycled fine grain drawing paper. The reason for this is that people tend to write or stick stuff on the front so having it on the back is more discreet and it also has three lines where the user can write their names on. The notebooks are staple bound as it requires less materials rather it being perfect bound as PVA can potentially be harmful to the environment when burnt as it emits toxic fumes.

The notebooks showcase the full design of each wildlife creature where that when the notebook is unfolded, you can see the full design. This makes the design appear more lively and entertaining as you can view one half of the design on either side. The use of the full design also allows people to see the wildlife creature up close and would be easier to identify them in real life.

Gift Wrap

There are 4 different gift wrap designs for each wildlife creature as it allows the customer to match up with a card/notebook they have already selected or if they like it on its own. The reason as to why there isn't one gift wrap featuring all the animals/insects is because each illustrative design is different and inconsistent and would clash when they are all put together. Having the designs as a repeated pattern of just one wildlife creature per gift wrap shows that these creatures are individuals and they have their own levels of danger and risk of endangerment. The gift wrap is printed onto Tyvek stock which is waterproof, tear proof and recyclable so it would protect the product correctly. 

Gift bag

The gift bag is simple as it only features the Wildlife Trust logo which is because like the gift wrap, each creature has their own characteristic and it would be unfair to place one animal/insect as the focal on the bag as they are all equal. The decision was to have the gift bag plain with only the logo on but also come supplied with 4 gift tags of each wildlife creature where the consumer can choose whichever would suit their other chosen designs. This gives the customer freedom to choose and they could also use spare tags to use on other things. On the tags and gift bag, they use black ribbon to match with the logo and it makes the whole design look sophisticated. The design of the tags are simple and are blank so that the consumer can use it for any occasion. The tags are made of the White Rag stock so that it is consistent with the whole collection. The gift bag is made of non-recycled card because a gift bag must be durable enough to withstand any weather.