BRIEF: Create NICHE Special Occasion Card

Introduction to Brief:

Recently, my Mum approached me with a fun idea. Her best friend, Michelle, is currently recovering from breast reduction surgery, and she wanted me to make her a funny get well soon card for her, specified towards this surgery, which inspired me to set this brief.

This is aimed to be a quick brief. I would suggest you spend 5-7 days on this brief. Try to stick to this. Try not to spend too little/too much time on this task. I advise you create a timetable before you start section 1, particularly if you struggle with time management.

Below is an image on the get well soon card I made my Mum's friend. I was given 2 hours to create this design, so I could have created much better if I were set a larger time frame, such as 5-7 days. My Mum said to me her friend always describes her boobs as "her puppies", so it was great fun to experiment with incorporating this into the design.

For this brief, you need to design a special occasion birthday card with a niche meaning. The card NEEDS to be niche. No simple happy birthday cards. No generic get well soon cards. No simple happy anniversary cards. A design which you would not find at any card supplier.

What you will learn:

• A developed understanding towards the importance of a strong USP (unique selling point).

• How to recognise other brand's/product's USP.

Section 1 - RESEARCH

A) Understanding the Importance of a strong USP (Unique Selling Point).

USP: "a marketing statement that differentiates a product or brand from its competitors."

Before you start designing, grab a notebook and answer these questions:

1. Why should a brand/product have a strong USP?

2. How can having no USP negatively impact a brand/design launch?

3. Give an example of a brand who has as strong USP - What is their USP?

4. How can a strong USP help attract a larger audience?

B) Deciding the niche card theme.

You now need to brainstorm different concepts for your card design. The first step is to create a mind map. Mind maps is a very easy and efficient way to quickly get your thoughts onto paper and to encourage you to think of new ideas.

I would advise laying out the mind map like the image shown below, with generic card themes (such as happy birthday) sprouting out of the centre of the mind map, with niche approaches coming off of this theme. For example, with "Get Well Soon", you could have "breast reduction surgery recovery" and "car crash recovery".

Once you have created the mind map, you should have a range of different ideas. Limit these ideas down to 2/3 (no more, no less). These should be your strongest ideas. The ideas which are the most niche. The designs which you can get creative with and have fun.

You also need to think about how many people may be interested in purchasing this card. You need to find a gap in the market. A occasion which many people experience, which is not known to be in card shops.

C) Developing niche card theme ideas.

Once you have these, you need brainstorm further into these concepts. You now need to create three new mind maps, thinking of how you can create these designs. Think about:

• Different artists/mediums you could experiment with.

• Design personality (sarcastic/comical/serious).

• Tone of language (formal or informal).

• Design content (what could you design?).

Once you have created these three mind maps, you need to decide which is your strongest approach. This should be the concept which:

• you can be most creative with.

• excites you the most.

• has the strongest USP (unique selling point).

D) Researching relevant designers to inspire you.

Now you have narrowed down which niche card theme you are going to choose. you need to find AT LEAST THREE artists/designers who use similar styles which you are aiming to use. Use the relevant mind map from Section 1C) to help you.

• If you are looking to create a light-hearted design, look for artists who experiment with a comical, informal approach.

• Card designs typically have typography on them. Look for at least one typographic designer to inspire your design.

(If you are struggling to find any artists, scroll through this blog. I have done plenty of different blogs about different artists who inspire me.)

Section 2 - DESIGN

Now that all of the research is done, you should:

• Have a good understanding on the importance of a strong USP.

• Have a good understanding on the story behind the chosen song.

• Have a list of reasons WHY the current cover design is not appropriate and WHAT needs to be redesigned.

• Have a minimum of three designers which you have found to help inspire your design.

You should create:

• A vast range of different potential designs/variations/experimentations of design which can potentially be used as a final product.

• 2/3 final outcomes (no more, no less) which have are your favourite. Designs which are the most effective as a special occasion card. Don't forget to design the back of your card! Add a logo & name, and any other information you think is relevant, if you wish (research into other card back designs, for inspiration).

Section 3 - ANALYSE

Now you have chosen which design is the final outcome, it is time to analyse your work. Answer the following questions:

1. Why does your greeting card have a strong USP?

2. Do you think a large audience may be interested in purchasing this card?

3. What are the most effective design attributes of your new design?

4. Is the tone of language suitable for the context of your card? Why?

5. How did you use the selected artists which you researched to influence your design?

6. Is there any adjustments you would make to your own design? If so, why were you not able to do this?

7. How long did you spend on this brief? You were advised to spend 5-7 days on this brief. Did you stick to this?

End of Brief.