Concept Board

Brief

The task I was challenged with, was to brand a greenhouse container. This shipping container is being converted to grow plants within it. It will act like a greenhouse, but also require energy. However, the engineer had to design a completely off grid container that could be placed anywhere in South Africa. Thus, this container would also rely on the power of either solar panels or wind turbines (dependent on the place the container is situated in) to fuel it. These containers can grow produce all year round, providing hope and opportunities for communities as they will be able to sell the lettuce, spinach or tomatoes. However, in order to create a market for their produce and to get people interested in actually buying the fresh produce, the container along with the produce itself needed to promote the same name and idea.

Concept

Considering that fresh produce is grown in a container and that the key element the farmers are working with is nature. I wanted to pay homage to nature and encapsulate the beauty and abundance she continuously provides for us. Nature is simplistic and so complex at the same time, and that is the essence I wanted to achieve. Therefore I wanted to obtain a clean, minimalistic look and feel with a pop of colour. I wanted to use the ideals of simplicity and beauty but add a flair of sophistication to the designs. Thus throughout the designing process, I made use of a grid, a clean sans-serif typeface and photographs. However, nature isn’t boring and so I wanted to add a complimentary excitement to my designs, which I incorporated by using a texture or a pop of colour.

Finalised Designs

Logo

Container Designs

Labels

Stickers

Packaging

Infographic

Facebook Page

Reflection

I thoroughly enjoyed working on this project. I had a pleasant client that knew exactly what he wanted, which made designing for him more enjoyable. He guided me when I needed his help and was available at all times whenever I had questions for him.

Working with the engineering department from the University of Johannesburg has been beneficial, as they are working on systems that can make South Africa a better place for everyone. Personally, I believe that by taking part in this, not only does it increase our knowledge and make us aware of what is going on around us but it is beneficial to part of something that actually makes a difference. This project encourages designers to step out of their comfort zone and explore new opportunities and be apart of a team that can help change South Africa for the better.

A reflection on the project itself: looking at the deliverables, I mentioned a pamphlet. As the designing process went on, we discovered that there wasn't a need for a pamphlet so we left it out. However, Francois and I will still remain in contact, so if a need arises then  I will design him a pamphlet. The same goes for anything else, if anything needs changing or updating then I will happily provide Francois with the respective designs.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed crafting and coming up with the appropriate designs for this container. Working on a project like this, it something I feel passionate about and feel strongly about. So I hope that my passion and enjoyment reflected in the designs I produced.

Inspiration

Below are images (and links to their pages) of designs that inspired me throughout this whole process.

Owen + Alchemy

Naturking

Belmonte Raw

Singular Fresh Juice 

Zsofis wedding 

Final Meet

On the 6th May, I briefly met up with Francois to hand all the designs as well as the mock ups over to him.

Facebook Page

Mock-up Design

The above image is a mock-up page of what the Facebook page home landing page would look like. The creation of the Facebook page is to not only provide people with the necessary information they require but to also create an understanding of the greenhouse container as well as to make people aware of it. Images, videos, and additional information about the container, where they are placed, what they are growing and where people can purchase their fresh produce will be put up onto the Facebook page. The Facebook page will provide a platform for the consumers, clients and the farmers to interact.

Packaging and Sticker Design

Sticker Design

These are the final designs for the stickers and that will be used as a sealing mechanism on either the brown paper or on the packaging. It doesn't only act as a sealing mechanism but it informs the consumer about the container, what the produce is and most importantly, it promotes the brand.

Packaging Template

The above template is the design for the packaging. The concept for the packaging is that it needs to be big enough to fit plus minus 6 lettuce heads in the box. The size of the box will then be standardised, as the same box design will be used for the packaging of the spinach and tomatoes. Carboard will be used to make the packaging, so the folding and cutting lines are extremely faint to ensure that it doesn't interfere with the overall look and feel.

To add some vibrancy to the packaging, I've designed a pattern using the three main produces that this container will grow. This pattern, along with the logo and where the fresh produce was farmed, can either be printed as a sticker or directly onto the packaging itself but either way it would be presented on the lid of the packaging. The lid can either be placed into the box or sealed on the outside with an appropriate sticker. The pattern and logo will not only inform the consumer about what they will be receiving but it will also promote the brand.

On either side of the packaging, there are handles to ensure easy transportation and carrying of the boxes. These boxes are rectangular in design to ensure that they can be easily stacked as well as transported.

Sticker and Packaging Mock-ups

Infographic

Progress

Featured below is the progress design to the infographic.

The infographic was designed to explain the processes and the functionalities of the greenhouse. Which provides anyone who is either interested in the container or in the process of the growth, of the fresh produce, with additional information and an easy to understand diagram. Therefore, the infographic below is the final design, which incorporates both the image and text.

Third Meet Up

On the 29th April 2016, Francois and I met up again. This meet was to speak about the finalised designs, the progress on the infographic, and the designs of the packaging and stickers.

The discussion about the infographic was to ensure that I was on the right track and that Francois was happy with the look and feel. Francois was happy, which encouraged me to finish it up as soon as I possibly could. 

After the discussion of the infographic, the focus moved to sticker design and packaging. The idea behind the sticker design, and the packaging is that it would provide the consumer with enough detail as to where the fresh produce was grown and by whom. The sticker is designed as a sealing mechanism to keep the fresh produce wrapped up in brown paper when given to consumers. However, the sticker and brown paper concept doesn't work on larger scales, that is why the packaging was needed to. With the packaging, more fresh produce could be packaged and transported easily satisfying a larger target audience. That way the farmers who grow this fresh produce in the containers can cater to all markets.

Documented notes

Container and Label Designs

The Final Designs

Showcased below are the final container designs:

Showcased below are the final label designs:

Both my lecturer and my engineer approved of and were happy with the final design. Therefore the design on the outside of the container, along with the food labels were completed.