l a u r a chop

Absolution Cosmetics are a french Unisex organic cosmetics brand with an innovative method of product application.

The range is simple and consists of airless jars… users take one drop of solution and one drop of cream and mix in the palette provided depending on the skin’s condition.

“Absolution offers a new approach of beauty: a shorter range of products, more simplicity, highly organic skincare that are customizable to the different skin’s moods each day as it comes, for men and for women.”

I find the design to be slightly towards the female market, it reminds me of the new Topshop make up range, which uses hand drawn elements and monochromatic palette, however this combination of black and white adds masculinity, whilst the hand rendered imagery links in with the organic values of the brand.

These two images below show how the outer carton of the round cannister is innovative, it appears to be a roll up card with printed information on both sides.

The website is also important as I was considering offering this alongside the pharmacy point of sale as another outlet for the trusted NHS brands, which with raised awareness should be more popular. The website is non linear, it allows you to navigate in any order, and features a spider diagram type layout, where scrolling over enlarges the different areas. Again the hand drawn aspects continue here.

Final photos - not impressed with the print quality considering it took me three whole days to print it double sided.. after that I would’ve appreciated super quality. Also not happy with the photography lighting due to the studio issues and also the lack of good quality textured stock. Will be printing again for the portfolio… need to locate some GF Smith type paper suppliers locally.

I got fed up of working yesterday so I spray painted some deer for Christmas tags and cards on bits of spare paper :

Moving on from the idea of using beauty/supplements to make a comment about that already exists, I thought about the phrase “crows feet.” Crows feet are lines/wrinkles that appear around the eyes, but what makes them different to laughter lines? Laughter lines denote postivity (hence my quotes about laughter and its good / medicincal properties) and are gained through enjoyment, experience and life - all of which are positive things about getting older. This idea moves away from humour and shock, but is just part of my thinking process.

My idea was simply to use the empty package concept to raise awareness about this - hopefully raising self esteem and improving opinions about mid life. The package would ask the viewer to consider their laughter lines as something positive - the package ‘dressed up’ as a pro-age or anti wrinkle cream would hopefully pull in the right target market who need this boost. Inside the package could be a mirror (although this may be too similar to the Ultimate Skincare product I’ve shown before) with some printed advice about mid life and laughter lines.

I then thought about how I could push this further than just the package; incorporating a further interactive experience. The package could ask the viewer to write down a positive quote, joke or anecdote and place this in a bin/box in store. I’m unsure how these anecdotes would be used at this point - perhaps they would make up part of a campaign or perhaps they would just be published in an informative book or ‘user’ made interactive app. What would be more interesting would be to host a system were users upload their anecdotes where it would form an interactive ‘mid life experience’ area.

Or more simply, the anecdotes could be shared amongst friends. The key aims being, to raise awareness, make a point about the beauty market and boost self esteem. By doing this on mass and asking people to share this would spread the notion of a postive mid-life and change perceptions. 

My final year research project will tackle 2 problems in the dermatology and skincare market – user attitudes and choice. The following information was put together for the application for the Stationer’s Bursary and is the starting point of my research.

According to Mintel’s 2007 report, “Cosmeceuticals: “Self-esteem is closely linked to the way people see themselves. Around two thirds of us look after our appearance and image, which means using cosmetics, toiletries and clothes to make the most of the way we look.”

 Sufferers of dermatological conditions purchase medication and creams via a prescription. There are currently four camouflage options on the NHS drug tariff: Covermark, Dermaclor, Keromask and Veil as well as high street brands offering themselves as ‘cosmeceuticals,’ such as No7 or Clinique. The aforementioned Mintel report states that: “Most cosmeceutical brands originate from the US, Australia and France, with very few entrants from UK companies” highlighting a gap in the UK market for a new cosmeceutical brand, functioning both as a medicinal necessity and a beauty luxury.

The current packaging of the NHS products appears clinical and uninspiring.

I propose that these products could be sold a luxury beauty item, therefore blurring the boundaries between a medicinal necessity or a luxury item, more like a treat. I have yet to decide whether to choose a camouflage product or a pharmaceutical product to work on… My research so far has led me into the camouflage and cosmetics area however there may be scope to include other prescription products too, I will let my user research tell me which products to focus on.

I aim to speak to patients about their experiences find out what they want from their products (as well as need) whilst considering how the structure and the brand can meet these needs and reach them in an alternative way. My research will incorporate the use of an EBD experience questionnaire to capture qualitative responses. I will also facilitate a focus group for a more interactive approach to gaining user perceptions.

The design research will of course include prototyping and experimentation with print, techniques and materials, based on the outcomes of the research.

Exisiting cosmeceutical brands exist, such as Murad  and Dr. Perricone and also high street brands like Clinique. These offer the idea of science and cosmetics combined, however my work will focus on the prescription items,  whilst being more creative with the branding, avoiding the clinical appearance of the products and bringing the products into a different market sector.  I will use a design based and user based approach to decide how to best package and market the products to ultimately offer better choice.

These are a few examples of products that cross over into the Cosmeceutical market, mixing both Science and Cosmetics. These are available to the mass market, but still have a ‘clinicalness’ about them. Perhaps this is because this products are trying to give the aura of a prescription product (with a name like Prescriptives that’s quite obvious) however I’m trying to remove this sense that the products are a medicinal neccessity and make it something more enjoyable. 

None of these brands market themselves as a luxurious item.. From my research I also found a brand called ‘Laura Beaumont’ which sells ‘cosmeceutical’ products in salons and spas. These also sit alongside the typical high street make up brands such as MAC and Clinique who offer a ‘derma’ product.

I will also look at the process involved with obtaining the products at the Pharmacy in the hospital, and look into how a luxury Point of Sale device or concession could be adopted  with an emphasis on the products’ secondary beautifying properties, not just their medicinal properties.

I never got round to posting the Misfits final photos, but here they are. We intend on re-photographing when they return from marking.. was impossible to book the studio out before christmas when the snow hit.

Text on the final presentation board reads as follows:

“The brown paper stock visually represents the sustainable ethics of the MISFITS brand and the recyclability of the product sleeves. Using minimal colours also further communicates the simple and natural ethos of MISFITS. These colours also draw associations with the product flavours and the produce itself.

The light hearted and friendly tone of voice pokes fun at the MISFITS ingredients creating an appeal for a brand with traditional and ‘real’ values.”

love the retro styling and simple illustration and colour of this student design.

Drew Roper’s amazing website.

This is the final presentation of my packaging. Ultimately I chose to use adhesive to fasten the trays as the thick card was proving difficult to work with when using the origami folds. I finally got my hands on some brown micro-flute, which made my week! I really wanted to portray sustainability through the material - one which is recognisable as being made from recycled paper.

I engraved the text, a pain staking task, on the laser cutter. Sitting there watching a machine laser your creation is a nail biting time. I am quite proud of these boxes and have enjoyed this project… however I would’ve still liked it to be ULTRA sustainable through the use of 0 glue and Soya inks only.