Summer Brief - Person/Place: Fortnum & Mason (History)

On the Fortnum & Mason website they provide a timeline explaining the history and how the business has evolved since the 1700's. I think it is really interesting to see how it has progressed to become as successful as it is to this day. This will also provide me with a strong foundation where further research is concerned and I will be using it as a reference.

Summer Brief - Person/Place: Fortnum & Mason (Royalty)

Historically, Fortnum & Mason started off with a strong link to royalty, and still to this day they invite the Royal family to visit their store. The Queen unveiled a plaque to commemorate the regeneration of the Piccadilly area. 

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Summer Brief - Person/Place: Fortnum & Mason (Inside Fortnum & Mason)

Fortnum & Mason obviously have their own logo. However, inside the building there are lots of different restaurants where their food and drinks can be enjoyed. I wanted to explore how each of the restaurants differ in terms of their logos and the layouts of their menus.

The Fountain Restaurant

Below are a couple of examples of design work for The Fountain Restaurant at Fortnum & Mason. I particularly like the use of colour, how they have used the same shade of blue to link it to their branding, and also how they have designed an illustrative logo to specifically represent the restaurant, but once again link to the main Fortnum & Mason symbol as it is also decorative and representative of a crest.

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The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

I think the pattern design which has been applied to the background of the menus is ideal for the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, as it is very vintage looking and strongly represents English heritage. The use of the eau de nil for the typography along with the main part of the flower allows the whole design to work well as a whole and represent Fortnum & Mason.

By simply inserting a vertical line down the right hand side a new selection of tea is subtly introduced whilst allowing continuity through the rest of the design so that the separate sheets work well as a whole menu.

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The Gallery

I absolutely love the logo design for The Gallery. By subtly incorporating the staircase entrance in with the typography it gives just the right impression and allows the audience to have a slight inkling of what sort of atmosphere to expect there.

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The Parlour

I think out of all of the designs so far this has to be my favourite. The illustration which has been created for use of the main logo works extremely well to portray The Parlour as being an exclusive and special place to purchase ice cream as well as unique drinks. It is also very versatile as it can successfully be replicated, and by simply altering the use of colour and selecting sections of the initial design, separate areas of the illustration can then be representative of certain products they have available. This is something that will continue to stay fresh and applicable for future designs.

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1707 Wine Bar

A subtle yet very clever use of typography in this design. The '7' has been altered to look like half of a wine glass, allowing the audience to use their imagination and create the other half of it. I have always been interested in black and white design and this it always creates a sophisticated outcome. It most certainly does in this example. I also think that the design on the bar works really well with the font used for the digits as well, tying the whole place together and making it work really well visually.

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Summer Brief - Person/Place: Fortnum & Mason (Inspirational Design)

I love the idea of a designer coming up with a successful design which can be applied to many different products. The following products I have chosen are strong examples of this successful application. Along with Fortnum & Mason designs there are several other brands which they stock who also manage to do this professionally.

Condiments

These tin containers have a real vintage feel about them, representing a true English heritage and strongly resembling the Fortnum & Mason logo. The choice of colours used for the logo are therefore very applicable to a variety of products, allowing their brand to become known instantly.

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I love this label design. The illustration is very detailed and charming and it has a very up market feel about it. The minimal use of the eau de nil applied allows it to once again be a part of Fortnum & Mason, linking strongly to their branding. The logo also fits on the label really well without detracting from the information about the product itself. Although there is no detail directly on the jar itself, the label manages to simply add a unique and attractive memorable feature.

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This caught my attention instantly because it is so unlike the Fortnum & Mason designs. This is why it is probably a successful product though, as it will stand out and become an intriguing item or brand on their website. The packaging is edgy and striking making it stand out.

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Tea Biscuits

I have always loved afternoon tea and cake/biscuits. I think these tins make the novelty even more inviting and enjoyable. They could most certainly be reused again and again. The ornate detail on the tin itself is incredible, and the cream rectangle of text breaks it up, so it isn't too busy and allowing there to be space for a small illustration of a teapot too.

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Bakeware

Last year I found that I really enjoyed incorporating illustration in to my work any way possible. This is something I hope to improve upon throughout second year. When I saw this tea towel design it reminded me just how delicate and unique a pattern can be, and with the use of text alongside the illustrations, a beautiful and inviting design is created.

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Using cardboard alone to package this, an organic feel is created, allowing the product to have a stylish, yet very low budget packaging design. Black ink again brown paper or card is one of my favourite aesthetic finishes.

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Stationery

I've always loved stationery design and have always liked blank cards which can be used for any occasion, and they often come with uniquely designed enveloped with stickers to seal (christian Lacroix). The example below demonstrates the kind of cards I like and I think they have been very well designed. The belly band is just enough packaging to keep all of the cards held together in place.

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I love the illustration on these cards and think the simplicity of a plain envelope works well as it would be too detailed with pattern on both. I think something like this is so easy to create if the illustration is strong enough, and in this case it most certainly is.

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Once again these place cards have a very similar design to the previous cards I posted. The simplicity works well, leaving enough room for the consumer to personalise the cards in any way they want to. Perhaps adding their own personal touch as well as writing the names.

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Beauty

I think this packaging is absolutely stunning. The ornate design along the right hand side of the lid is quite extraordinary and the composition of the different soaps inside is extremely attractive and feminine. The tissue paper gives a simple, yet necessary final touch to the design and the roses in the centre make it stand out from any normal bar of soap.

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Although these bath truffles don't look much different to those in other stores, the packaging is what makes them stand out. In a similar way as the soap, the packaging has been designed to give an elegant and ornate touch, making this product a very exquisite one.

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I really love how typography has been used on this packaging design. The belly band idea breaks the text up to draw attention to the branding and the description of the product. Use of colour is subtle and classy.

The inside is just as special too. The typography continues, however the colours have been mixed up slightly. A very simple net has been used, but it makes it more exciting to open a package like this, compared to one which is simple ripped open and thrown straight away.

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Summer Brief - Person/Place: Fortnum & Mason (My Choice)

I've always wanted to visit Fortnum & Mason as I love everything about it. My Mum visited not long ago and came home with chocolates from there for me, they were absolutely gorgeous. The branding, packaging and store itself are so uniquely designed and I think the British population should feel proud of such a successful brand.

For this research brief I found it hard to think of ideas of what to research as I wanted to ensure that I wouldn't run out of things to explore. I have chosen Fortnum & Mason though as I am sure there is plenty to discover, particularly about it's history. I know that I would personally love to be involved with/working for such a well established company in the future, and it strongly interests me to find out more about the foundations of Fortnum & Mason as well as the struggles the company may have faced over the years.

The packaging in particular is very memorable to me as it is so exquisite and ornate. I would love to create my own packaging in the future with the same qualities, and hope that this research allows me to discover even more brands which I may find inspirational for my own personal design work.