1. Evaluation - Producing Print Based Media
Visual Language
Composition:
How have you chosen to set out your designs and why?
I have set out the layout in the most formal manner, with two individual text
columns being featured where the ‘Method’ and ‘Ingredients’ copy was placed. It
is notable that these columns integrated an element of organisation into the
stated recipe cards, making them more appealing to the intended audience, who
will admire the gridded aspect displayed by the card layout, and it will also make
the copy appear easy to comprehend on a linguistic level. The image/text ratio
was balanced out sufficiently, with the ‘visual’ aspect being exploited, with the
text serving as a mere narrative aid, due to the fact that the specified primary
audiences are juvenile individuals (aged 17-21) who may grow weary of such
extensive text matter, therefore they rely on the visual aspect to guide them
through the content provided by the recipe cards themselves. The style of the
layout is fairly simplistic, with the copy being split up into several sections so
that it is easier for the primary audience (as well as the secondary) to
understand and follow.
Furthermore, the design was chosen in the needs of the audience, with the bright
colour scheme being utilised as a way of catching the attention of the audience. It
is notable that this design is blatantly vibrant, with the use of minimal amounts
of language that would be deemed as complex, due to the fact that the primary
audience may not be able to comprehend it with ease. Also, the images used for
the cards are very crisp, clear and bright, which will draw in the attention of the
audience, as well as enhance the overall visual appeal of the stated product.
Image Construction
Discuss the contents of your final images and reflect upon decisions
made.
The final images that were used within the recipe cards were that of our own,
and were captured upon a DSLR camera. In order to make the images appear
suitable for each of the recipe cards, they were edited on Photoshop to add a
professional edge to the stated 8 cards. Also, all 24 of the original images were
shot in daylight, which means that they had a sense of brightness already
attached to them, however, in order to establish their vibrancy, the levels were
altered to make the images appear brighter, and therefore, more appealing to the
primary target audience of the cards themselves. The use of colour within our
recipe cards was significant, due to the fact that the recipes themselves featured
a high abundance of ‘colour’, with the orange kanten jelly, as well as the pink and
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2. purple berries that were utilised within the pancake recipe. The ‘bright’ colour
scheme will initially attract the intended audience, and therefore, the content
will become more relevant to the theme of the recipe card set.
Representation
Discuss the semiotics and connotations created from the content you
have included.
The semiotics of the recipe card set have been blatantly portrayed through visual
means with the banner which is presented upon each card utilizing an image that
is iconic of the stated country, such as the Egyptian card, where a camel, as well
as a pyramid have been presented as a way for the audience to be able to identify
which country links to that specified recipe card. Also, certain connotations have
been included within the 8 recipe cards, such as the orange sunset on the ‘Africa’
card which symbolises ‘warmth’, which is appropriate as this specific country
(Kenya) in which the card was primarily based on, is an area which is renowned
for its hot climate. This form of symbolism is very subtle throughout the cards
themselves; however, the intended audience will still be able to identify these
connotations with a sense of ease.
Audiences:
Create an audience profile of your chosen demographic
Age: 17-21 (teenagers, students or possibly even young parents). The
individuals will be vegetarian or even vegan who will view and utilise these
specific recipe cards.
Gender: Not gender specified, these recipe cards have a universal appeal, as
opposed to being aimed at a primary gender group. These cards are aimed to the
target age group, instead of seeking out a singular sector of society.
Psychographic information: The ‘psychographic’ data of this specific audience
is based upon the attitudes, beliefs and values of the primary target audience of
this set of recipe cards are individuals aged between 17-21. The ‘beliefs’ of the
audience may reflect their views upon the set of recipe cards, for example, some
of the audience members may be vegan, and therefore, they may disagree with
the content posed by the recipes that include dairy products. It is clear that
several ethical issues must be considered, however, these recipe cards are
primarily targeted towards vegetarians, and vegan individuals would be classed
as secondary.
Geodemographic Information: The area in which the individuals reside who
falls into the primary target audience can be rather hard to determine. However,
in order to attain qualitative information, I would have to set up a stall with
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3. samples of recipes within an area where students reside, such as a university
campus. I would ask the students whether they enjoyed the recipes or not, and if
there was anything that could be improved. By this, I would use this information
to help to‘re-vamp’ the recipes listed, and make them more suitable for students
to utilise. Also, I could query the students into how much they spend on food a
week, which would take into account the NRS Social Grade of each individual
student, which would be discovered by a survey in which I would undertake to
determine the ‘social class’ of the students who cook for themselves whilst living
independently. It is notable that an individual who fits into the Grade A sector
would possibly have an alternate dietary lifestyle to those who reside in the C2
category, as they earn different wages and are likely to come from different
social backgrounds.
How have you constructed your work to appeal to this audience?
The bright colour
scheme utilised within
this specific recipe
card is relevant to the
audience due to the
fact that it is eye-
catching, and presents
a youthful vibe, which
is associated with the
primary target
audience.
Also, the audience (17-
21) will become weary
of extended amounts
of text, therefore, only
minimal amounts of text are utilised so that the attention of the audience will not
stray. The bright and vibrant tone of the images also attracts the eye of the
intended audience member, as they stand out clearly, and are also very clear in
nature.
Historical and Cultural Context:
What did you use as your design influences and why were they chosen?
In order to complete our cards, we took inspiration from ‘Quorn’ recipe cards,
which are rather bright, colourful, as well as vibrant, which will initially attract
the eye of the intended viewer. Also, these recipe cards are very ‘modern’ in a
sense, where links to social networking sites, such as ‘Facebook’, have been
featured which makes the cards in-tune with the 21st
century where the e-media
platform has take a forefront, as opposed to broadcast and print means. This is
suited to my primary target audience, as they are youthful, and are therefore
more likely to utilise digital means, primarily with smartphone devices.
Catherine Giggal

4. Do vegetarian products have a specific design aesthetic and how does your
project reflect/contrast this? Why?
It is notable that on vegetarian recipe cards, the colour green is utilised as it is
commonly associated with nature as well as the typical produce that is
consumed by individuals who adopt a vegetarian lifestyle. I believe that within
this specific project in which I have embarked on represents the ‘vegetarian’
lifestyle perfectly, with the use of connotations throughout the recipe card, which
are rather prominent, for example the fruit and vegetables connoting a ‘healthy’
diet and the vegetarian diet. I think that my project reflects the content provided
by several existing recipe card designs where the colour scheme centres on the
colours green and yellow, which present a natural, organic way of life.
Finished Products:
Does your finished product reflect your initial plans? How? If there are any
differences, describe why changes were made.
The finished products do in fact reflect that of the initial plans, as the original
templates in which I composed matched to that of the final recipe cards, which
meant that each recipe card would have the same house-style, and would
therefore be more consistent overall. It is notable that our final design did not
stray from our original flatplan, which shows that there were no real differences
from start to finish. This is our original flatplan below:
Does your finished product match what you were set in the brief? How?
The finished 8 recipe cards matched the brief exactly, as we made the business
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5. cards look as professional as possible where the designs were straightforward
enough for the intended audience to comprehend on their own level, as well as
the client, due to the fact that these cards have a simplistic layout, which was a
stated requirement posed by the client. Also, the images in which we have
utilized for our recipe cards are of high-quality, and even though the brief stated
that they did not have to be original, we decided to capture our own photographs
as we believe that it added a sense of authenticity to the recipe cards, which
would be identified by the primary target audience, as well as the client.
How did the use of peer feedback help you in your production?
The use of peer feedback upon my work was extremely helpful as it gave me an
insight into how certain individuals viewed my progress of my recipe cards. Also,
I found it useful when people offered me constructive advice which I could utilise
to alter my products, so that they would be more successful in the future. As an
example, one of the comments upon the recipe cards was that the text was
indecipherable; therefore, I changed it so that it would be easier to read for the
intended audience, as if I utilized the older font, and then went on to publish the
cards, the client, as well as the target market, may complain about the same
problem posed by the illegible font.
Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your final product regarding its
technical and aesthetical qualities.
What skills/knowledge have you gained/developed in this project? How
Catherine Giggal
STRENGTHS:
• The use of imagery
within the recipe card is
very effective, and will
initially attract the eye
of the viewer due to its
bold nature and bright
colour scheme.
• The font (Apple Casual)
is legible, and is also
sized well, so that the
audience can read the
copy with ease.
WEAKNESSES:
• The white background is rather plain, and does not really
compliment the bold colour scheme which has been
utilized on the recipe card.
• The clone stamped image (banner) could have been
altered slightly, with their being a significant emphasis on
the orange background, when the elephant should be the
main focus of the banner.

6. could these be applied in future practice?
A skill in which I have obtained upon embarking on this project is that I am now
confident in utilising Photoshop on a more advanced level, due to the fact that I
used the ‘clone stamp’ tool in order to alter the images that I uploaded on each
recipe card. Also, I have also gained an insight into the vegetarian lifestyle
through the research that I conducted prior to production; where I had
discovered certain facts about vegetarianism itself, as well as interesting
statistics on different aspects of this dietary choice, which were presented upon
The Vegetarian Society webpage.
Production Processes
Do you believe your work is creative and technically competent? Why?
I do believe that my work is creative and technically competent due to the fact
that it includes a high abundance of photographs with the images in which my
team member and I captured before completing our recipe card project. It is
notable that the photographs, in which we took, were of a high quality standard,
and therefore professional in the highest manner. The colour scheme that was
utilised within our recipe cards could be deemed as ‘creative’, as it is very bright,
as well as eye-catching, which makes it more appealing to the primary target
audience, who rely on a visual aspect, as opposed to a large amount of text. Also,
each recipe card design is very unique, with the significant use of imagery, both
original photographs, as well as stock images that were obtained from the
internet to be used for the banner on each of the recipe cards. This added a sense
of ‘creativity’ to the recipe cards, as each one differed, with the basic outline
being recognizable among all 8 of the cards, but the imagery being unique and
diverse for each of the individual cards.
How effectively did you manage your time?
In order to complete the project within the scheduled time bracket, I had to
compose a ‘timetable’ in which I parceled out different aspects of the production,
so that I could complete the project to the best of my ability. Also, the 3 week
timescale enabled me to work under pressure in some aspects, due to the fact
that the short amount of time was a hindering factor that sat on my mind for the
majority of the project. However, I worked at a pace which made the process run
smoothly and quickly, which was useful, as it enabled me to check back on any
errors that I had made whilst completing the project.
If you could repeat the process what would you do differently?
If I could repeat the process of creating the recipe cards again, I would not utilise
the ‘clone stamp’ tool on a regular basis, as it had been used several times
throughout the project, and it became a burden after a while, as it was
sometimes frustrating when the clone-stamped image did not turn out how we
wanted it to ideally. In the future I would find an alternative to this specific tool,
or obtain an image that does not have to be edited under this device, so that it
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7. will be easier to prosper in creating the cards to a sufficient standard. Also, I
would explore other fonts as well, due to the fact that my initial font was deemed
illegible by several of my peers, therefore I would make a compromise, and
discover a font that matched the original one, whilst finding one that would be
readable to the primary target audience, as well as other individuals who view
the recipe cards.
Working to a Brief in the Creative Media Industries
Constraints Experienced:
What constraints did you encounter and how did you consider/avoid them?
Legal Constraints: We did not breach any ‘legal’ issues in the process of creating
our recipe cards, due to the fact that we sourced our own photographs, as
opposed to obtaining stock images. Therefore, we would not have encountered
any legal woes from the owners of the specific images. However, on the banner
of each recipe card, we utilized images from external sources, which meant that
we would have had to ask permission from the proprietors of the images, so that
we could use them within our recipe cards.
Regulatory Constraints: ‘Regulatory’ factors would have been considered
within our project, as they have to be included when creating any project.
However, we did not deem any of the content posed by our recipe cards as
‘offensive’ to our primary target audience, as there is no explicit material or any
content that would be classified as morally or ethically inadequate. Therefore,
the light-hearted nature of the cards themselves shows that no regulation would
really need to take place, unless someone became offended by anything that was
displayed upon the recipe card set.
Financial Constraints: In order to create the food in which we were going to
utilize as the subject of our photography, we had to purchase various items so
that we could continue with our project. It is notable that before buying the food,
we created a budget sheet where we noted down how much it would cost all
together for the food, so that we would have an idea of how much money we
needed to spend on the day of the shop. After we had composed the budget
sheet, we picked out the most affordable items that we desired to use, and then
split the bill between us. This allowed us to calculate our own expenses, which
will initially prepare us for any future projects in which we embark on.
Management:
How did you work as part of a group?
My team mate and I worked well together for this specific project, as we had a
good sense of communication, and we came to a compromise on certain aspects
of the project, where we discussed our ideas and came to a final decision, where
we were both happy to comply by. Also, we worked through the project at a
steady, but productive rate, which enabled us to refrain from rushing our work,
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8. as it would significantly alter the final outcome of our work, and we wanted it to
look highly professional for the intended client, as well as the primary and
secondary target audience.
How important is communication when working in a group?
It is very important to maintain a good sense of communication when embarking
upon any type of project. In order to prosper in creating the recipe card set, we
had to speak to each other, and discuss our opinions regarding certain aspects of
the project. It is notable that expressing your ideas is vital when you are working
as a team on a specific project, as you will not be able to put forward any of your
ideas to your team members if you decided not to communicate with them,
which results in the project failing, as the finished product will not be of a high-
quality standard if a range of good ideas are not included within it.
What have you learnt about working in a group and how will you apply this
to future practice?
I have learnt that building a sense of communication is vital when working in a
group, as each individual has different ideas on what content should be featured
within the project, and by openly sharing your opinions, you can improve the
overall quality of the final product, as you can share your interesting ideas with
your team members, which will add to the overall look of the product, as your
ideas can influence or change the content of the product significantly.
What have you learnt about working in to a brief and how will you apply
this to future practice?
I found that it was better to work to a set brief, as it allowed me to follow the
guidelines posed by the brief, which meant that I did not stray from the
restrictions posed by the brief, and therefore, the recipe cards became a ‘product’
of the set brief, as the ethos of the cards themselves were established by the rules
and regulations of this particular piece of documentation. In the future, when I
am working to a brief, I will follow through with the content listed by it, and then
utilize it for future purposes.
Catherine Giggal