Final Moodboard.

Here is my final moodboard, representing a selection of designs available on my spreadshirt shop. I feel this moodboard fully encapsulates my brands’ identity for this project at uni. Whilst these varied designs are available on my spreadshirt page, when I finally create a bigcartel website, not all the designs will be available instantly as I will begin with t-shirts featuring just the initial photographs. Im very pleased with how the designs turned out as they are all what I had visualised them to be. I feel the style of font combined with the background image and t-shirt designs will appeal to my mainly male aged from 19-28 audience, but who are also conscious about trend and fashion, but also aware of smaller independent brands. I have thoroughly enjoyed this project and will continue to build this brand for my own project.

Distort Moodboard.

sHere is my Distort mood-board, I included some of my favourite images from the film, a colour palette, tag ideas, templates and my muse to convey my ideas and brand ethos. This is simplicity, focus on abstract black and white photos and a graphic aesthetic of the logo and tags.

Lets Brand This B*tch.

Template for other designs, but also the logo I will use for my brand.

Due to researching so many brands, both fashion and non-fashion, I have been able to clarify how I want my logo and brand-name to appear. I decided to go the the brand name Distort. This singular word compliments the abstract photos which will be featured on my t-shirts, but also because the name is one word, this compliments my theme of simplicity and not over-complicating things.

After the logo research I decided that I wanted the logo to be black and white, graphic, and get my brands’ message across. This message is simplicity and abstraction. I sketched out several designs using the word Distort to help decide what aesthetics I liked the most. This angular and somewhat obscure final design I chose to go with, is relevant to all the aspects I wanted my logo to be.

Using my iPad I used the final design as a template to create variations of the design to ensure I was completely happy with the idea I had chosen. The use of colour and texture does make for an interesting image, but I do not feel they work that well as a logo. I want the logo to be simple, blunt and not easily forgotten. Any use of colour and different textures may distract attention from the brands’ name.

By creating these variations of the logo, I have been able to decide that it is my original simple design that I intend to use. I think it looks professional, interesting, memorable and suitable for the subject content of my images.

Sexy Logos.

For the progression of my continuing t-shirt project, we have to design/decide a brand name, logo and strap line as well as the actual t-shirt designs. I’ve looked into several brands relevant to my own brand, relevant in both designs on their t-shirts but also in what sort of area of fashion I wish my brand to be in. This area of fashion is street/skate-wear. By researching and evaluating these logos and brand names, I will hopefully be able to decide on a suitable brand name and logo for my own project.

hype – I really like the font and calligraphic style of this brand, however I’m not so keen on the actual name itself. I feel it is a word that has been over-used as of recent. I will therefore try to make my brand name as original as possible.

HUF – I really like the style of font, simple and quite geometric. I also think the white on a green square works well as a recognisable logo. Colour and font style is something I will focus on for the aesthetics of my brand name and strap line.

Vans – I really like the block-like text of the actual brand-name combined with a coherent strap line and skateboard shaped outline all ties in with the fact that Vans is a skateboarding brand. This makes it obvious to those who buy into the brand and what Vans was originally intended for and what they stand for as a company. This obvious use of imagery and text allows people across the world to recognise the brands intention. Making a logo and strap line so obvious and coherent to the intention of their products is something I will focus on.

Only – This is one of my favourite logos featured as I feel the extreme simplicity and monochromatic colour palette works well with a basic brand name. Whilst the brand name is basic, it gets its point across. Only is the only brand. The only brand you should be interested in and wearing. This is an example of why branding is so important, one word can make a brand by getting its point across in just that one word. I will consider carefully on using one word as my brand name as one word can get your point across without over-complicating things unnecessarily.

Supreme – I’m not so keen on this particular logo due to it being not so creative and interesting as some of the other logos. However the colour palette compliments the brand-name and the message they want to get across. The colour palette of black, red and white provides strong block colours with connotations of powerful meanings. The vibrant red has connotations of power, the black is a classic sleek and ‘expensive’ colour and the white, a pure colour. This combination of colour makes the consumer think of the brand as sleek, noticeable and make the wearer appear like they can afford more expensive clothing. This focus on colour for a logo is an aspect I could focus on for my own logo.

Volcom – I really like the combination of a brand-name and logo, both stylised in the same way so you can recognise both parts when separate as the same company. I also think the monochromatic colour palette works well as it is quite simple, but the symmetric logo with black and white used opposite each other works well as is quite eye-catching.

The Quiet Life –  I really like the actual brand-name for this company as I think it is both memorable and very different to a lot of brand-names. However I’m not so keen on their latest logo version. They have had other variations of the aesthetic of the logo, but I do not think this works that well. This is due to the fact of it being quite simple in design so I dont find it very noticeable or striking. The only reason you would recognise the particular brand is because the name is clearly stated in the logo. After analysing this logo I have been able to find more reason why I want my logo and brand name to be striking and memorable.

Obey – This is an example of a brand that’s name and logo has worked very successfully in the progression of their company becoming one of the most worn brands amongst young males at the moment in popular culture. The name, makes you think you must have and must wear garments from the company. The stencilled face by the artist Shepard Fairey makes the brand recognisable by vast numbers of people just from that one simple image. The design is done by the graffiti artist Shepard Fairey, the stencil design helps get across the brands message of that their garments are intended as street wear.

Stussy – This is my favourite brand-name and logo out of all the brands I looked into. This is because of the infamous style of font they use for the brand-name itself – a graffitti-esque font making the brand relatable to street wear, and being a skateboarding brand this is what they intended. The combination of an eye-catching brand-name and font with an interesting logo featuring the mirrored S’s which is the creators initials (Shawn Stussy) makes the brand all the more memorable. This shows if I focus on creating an interesting brand-name and logo, this can make the brand become more well known and recognisable.

We Can Be Heroes (WCBH) – I like the logo for this brand as it is relatable to their intention to be a streetwear brand, however I dont really like the name itself. This is an example of a logo working well, but not so much with the actual name.

Diamond Supply – This brand-name works really well as it is memorable but also gets their point across of their brand being a high-quality expensive brand to be seen wearing. I really like the actual logo, it is simple in its first glance, but the actual design is quite complex. This shows a complex design working so well it almost looks ‘easy’ to create. This effortless appearance of a design is a method I could focus on for my own photos, to appear simple at first glance, but when you look closely there is a lot more detail and features within the image.

After analysing several brands and logos I have been able to gather ideas of how I do and do not want my brand-name and logo to appear. For my own project I want to use a fairly simple brand-name, one worded and a simple yet interesting font style and I may or may not use a logo as well as a brand-name. To compliment my black and white images on the t-shirts, I will use just black and white for my logo/brand-name.

Ricki Moodboard.

‘Off The Wall’

Legends: Stecyk Tee

OTW Gallery Jai Tanju Camera Tee

Wheelin’Tee

To gather further knowledge on plain t-shirts featuring black and white photographic prints, I looked into the infamous skate brand Vans. These t-shirts I have shown are from their latest collection online. I wanted to look into a well-known brand to both gather more ideas for my own photos but also ensure none of the major clothing brands famous for printed t-shirts, are doing anything similar to my own ideas.

Legends Stecyk Tee – This is one of my favourite t-shirts I have looked at featuring a person rather than just abstract photography which is what I will focus on. I like the contrast between the dark floor and the light sky, with the dark helmet, hair and jeans of the skateboarder. Lots of contrast with objects within the image is something I could look into for my photos.

OTW Gallery Jai Tanju Camera Tee – I really like the simplicity of this image due to the layout of the content, but also the square photo with the content central within the image. I also like the placement of the image on the t-shirt. I think this heavy focus on a simple photo with a simple and obvious image placement on the t-shirt is an idea I could consider for my project.

Wheelin’ Tee – This is my least favourite t-shirt out of the three as I feel I have seen similar designs on a few other brands/designers. I feel it is one of these images that is created to be liked by the masses and popular amongst a large audience. I want to create photos that are different and not necessarily liked by everyone who sees them. I want my photos to provoke different feelings and reactions, both of approval and disapproval.

After researching another brand which sells black and white photographic tees, I have been able to gather further knowledge on what I do and don’t want my images to appear like, but also I have been able to discover what reactions I want to achieve with the viewers.

HUF 10th Anniversary Collection Review

Atiba Jefferson

Skin Phillips

Dennis McGrath

Bryce Kanights

Mike O’Meally

Lance Dawes

Joe Brook

 

I wanted to further research into the skateboarding brand HUF as I discovered they did a photographic collection featuring several black and white photos on plain t-shirts. I have included all the black and white photo tees from the 10th anniversary collection to help inspire my own images. Whilst most of the images feature people rather than objects, there are techniques within the photos that I can possibly use for my own images.

Atiba Jefferson – This image is successful in showcasing this particular skateboarder, however I do not find it overly eye-catching. I think this is because I have seen images similar to this before. However, I do like the layout of the photo with the top half containing the skateboarder, and the bottom a plain wall and skate ramp. This concept of concentrating on halves within a photo is something I could use for my photos.

Skin Phillips – I like that this t-shirt features a slightly more abstract image than some of the others, as this is more relevant to my own project and the type of images I wish to use for my t-shirts. I also like the physical composition within the image, with the skateboarder, Mark Gonzales, looking through the fixture a little off centre, makes the photo more unusual to the dead centre layout of many photos on printed t-shirts. However I don’t think the blackness of the rectangular fixture combine with the lightness of the surroundings works that well. Composition and attention to light and dark within my photos is something I can draw from analysing this particular t-shirt.

Dennis McGrath – I do like this image in photography terms, and I think it works well printed onto a t-shirt, however there is not much I can draw from this particular t-shirt to relate to my project. Specifically about this image I like the lightness of the skateboarder within the photo, all apart from the feet and the skateboard.

Bryce Kanights – This is one of my favourite t-shirts out of the selection included, this is due to obvious usage of the rule of thirds. The pale sky combined with the darker and geometric railings in the middle and then again with a pale floor and bottom third. This concentration in the middle using tone and a busier middle section creates focus to the skateboarder (Keith Hugnagel) and the impressive trick he is performing (a very high ollie onto railing) is a very clever method in making an eye-catching and memorable image.

Mike O’Meally – Again I really like the subject content of the image displayed on this t-shirt, mainly because of what is actually happening within the photo. Nevertheless, the photo isn’t that relevant into what direction I want my t-shirt designs to go in.

Lance Dawes – Again I like the subject content of the photo on this t-shirt but also the angle in which it has been taken. The angle of the windowed wall adds a hint of the image being abstract. This attention to an obvious angle focus being a main feature within an image is a technique I could consider for my own photos, as the outcome is quite striking and noticeable.

Joe Brooks – As this is the most abstract image within the collection (out of the black and white images within the collection), it is most relevant to my project. I really like the composition and subject content of the photo due to the prominent use of rule of thirds, but also the fact that you can’t necessarily tell what is featured in the image straight away. Regarding the rule of thirds in this image I specifically like that light and dark has been used to create this use of the rule. This extreme contrast of light and dark is a technique I could focus on for my own photos.

After analysing all the black and white photographic t-shirts within this collection, I have been able to gather further information and ideas to inspire creative and memorable black and white abstract photos.

BRANDED.

Chocolate Cup Race T-shirt

HUF Quaker T-shirt

Etudes Nicolas T-shirt

The Quiet Life Drop In Alex Olson T-shirt

Progressing with my t-shirt project, I chose to research several sort-of-well-known clothing brands which heavily focus on t-shirts being their main product to be sold. I looked into the brands which sold t-shirts featuring high-quality black and white images, and then used four of my favourite t-shirts but also most relevant to my own project.

Chocolate – Whilst I do not necessarily plan to use photos of scenery within my own project, I like the smaller size of the image but also the placement. However, I do not like the use of their brand name within the actual photo as I feel this detracts focus on the photo itself. Considering placement and size of image on the t-shirt is something I will think about for my t-shirts.

HUF – From a skate brand point of view HUF is one of my preferred brands. This is because they produce t-shirts like this with high-quality photos which have substance. I love the layout of the photo and content, however I do not want to include sport or people within my own images. This is due to the fact I want to focus on a more abstract and distorted image collection. I do like the use of a larger image on the t-shirt, but I do not really like the portrait layout.

Etudes – This design is particularly relevant to my project as the image is black and white, simple and uses everyday objects to create an effective photo. Whilst I like the simplicity and use of an everyday object, I want my own images to be much more abstract and almost impossible to tell what the original object in the photo is. I will consider simplicity within an image for my own project.

The Quiet Life – This t-shirt features the most abstract image, which is relevant to my project, but again I do not want to use people within my own images. As an abstract more unusual photo on a t-shirt, it works well with its pure simplicity and the layout. A small, abstract image is something I will consider for my own t-shirts.

After researching the few brands that do t-shirts with high-quality black and white images I have gathered some information on what I do and do not want to feature within my t-shirts. I will go on to research certain brands and websites that will be suitable for my project development.