Greetings Cards_Final Crit

FRIDAY 24TH OCTOBER 2008 - We had our final crit this morning for our Greetings Card project with Sally, Neil and Claire. Here are the comments and feedback I received:



PRODUCTION COSTS:

These would be high considering how long it would take to produce the card and the amount of money I could actually charge for it. Claire said the the making of the cards would be outsourced abroad, so they would be less than if I was to do them myself for example - and also, the people that it would be outsourced too would do this kind of thing all day every day and could more than likely produce each folded design a lot quicker than I could. To be honest, the most time consuming part is cutting the paper squares out - you have to get the measurements exactly right otherwise the folding doesn't work. If these cards were to be produced in larger volumes, I could perhaps look at getting various paper stocks cut by machine - so the people making them would be supplied with pre-cut squares of my chosen paper stocks and they would just have to fold them and stick them onto card.

RECYCLED RANGE:

I need to push this concept for a range. Look at:
- Instead of using cellophane wrappers for the cards, I would need to look into using bio-degradable wrappers - which you can now buy.
- Look at all the different paper stocks I can use:
---Newspaper
---Newspapers from different countries
---fruit wrappers (source from the foreign food stores in Charminster?)
---Old receipts
---Chinese Joss Paper (beautiful paper burnt at funerals as part of their rituals)
---Pages from old books
-I would need to look at sourcing recycled card and envelopes as well

NEWSPAPER RANGE:

- There isn't enough contrast in the designs - use pieces of newspaper that contain headings and images - use the financial times etc - different colour newsprint

MY OWN PATTERNED PAPER:

I need to push these further and make up some more pattern designs

FOLDING:

Look at different folding patterns - I have already looked at origami - which is very much 3D designs - I have found a couple that could be stuck on cards but they are very complex and would add a lot more time to the production time and also therefore would increase the cost a lot.

CHRISTMAS RANGE:

- Push forward the concept of the folded design being removable to be used as a decoration
- Look at christmas patterns

INSERT OR PRINT ON REVERSE OF CARD EXPLAINING THE HISTORY OF TEA BAG FOLDING - i can use vegetable inks for this for the recycled range in particular.


So, from all the above there is plenty for me to keep working on and many ways I can further the concept and my designs.