Self Directed Brief
For the self directed brief I have decided I want to design some packaging related to climbing as It will be more enjoyable if I do something I’m interested about.
Costing
The neopene I used is 1.5mm thick. I can’t find a shop that sells trade price neoprene, this is the closest. - http://www.foamorder.com/shoppingcart.php. A very rough guess would be between 65 - 80p per bat.
Final Photos
Here are the final photos of my work. I’m not very pleased as they all seem a bit blurred. There must have been something wrong with the camera in the studio or I didn’t hold the camera still. I’m going to take them again tomorrow.
Making the Final Prototypes
It took me ages to learn how to use the sowing machine as the needle kept bouncing off the neoprene and tangling the thread but I eventually realized it had a stretchy fabric setting. Here are the photos of making the final prytotypes.
Getting the paint to stick was also a big problem, I tested a few different paints but eventually had to use fabric paint watered down with three coats of gesso underneath to stop it sinking in. The final logo painted on isn’t perfect but if it was actually being manufactured by GM then they would have access to proper neoprene paint.
Information Cards
Here are the information cards that I designed to slide under the neoprene.
I bought this size 3XL wet suite from Decathlon to cut up into prototypes.
Gunn & Moore Brand Guidelines
Here are some drawing of how the final neoprene packaging is going to look with the stitching a different colour for each bat and an info card that slides into the top of the neoprene.
It also shows how the packaging for the gloves and pads might look if I had time to make them.
Prototype One
Here is the first prototype. Made using the foam that you can buy in the workshop and the rubber that I got from Whitby and Chandler. The concept works and it protects the bat well but It looks far too industrial and the GM logo that I painted on flaked off. I need some neoprene.
Packaging Websites
I looked through packaging websites and blogs for some inspiration.
More Research
I also went to B&Q and looked at how other equipment was packaged in Decathlon.
Sheaf Sports and Decathlon
I went to Sheaf sports and decathlon to have a look at their cricket gear. They weren’t presented very well and in Sheaf sports they were all knocking into each other and it would be pretty easy for one to get damaged.
Spoke to the guy in the shop
The guy in the shop also told me that most of the people who spend £250+ on a bat in his shop think you should get more packaging than a 23p plastic bag. He also said that most people who buy the pads and gloves packaging throw it away when they buy it.
Decathlon
In Decathlon they were shrink wrapped in a brush holder. I don’t think they’d easily be damaged displayed like this but they were much cheaper bats than the ones in Sheaf sports.
