Crystal Clear
28th March 2018
Any designer knows the drill; a potential client rings the studio. Their project sounds intriguing, and you welcome them in to discuss it further. The meeting goes well. There’s a world of possibilities for the project at this point, with lots of opportunities for experimentation and development. The brainstorming session closes and now you just need to discuss the finer details;
“So when do you want this work completed by?… Ah… I see”.
Luckily at Sanders we love a challenging project, and whether it be through our precision project management, hard work ethics or just a love of what we do, we always complete our projects to the highest quality.
The Judge cookware brand provided us with one such project earlier this year. They wanted us to give design direction to their range of high-end glassware products that would sit comfortably on the shelves of John Lewis and Debenhams. They hoped to launch the product at Ambiente Frankfurt – a two-week turnaround!
As a result of the great working relationship we already had with the client, research began right away. We focused on a Scandi Nordic concept as a way to compliment and present the simplicity and minimalist forms of this beautiful stemware. This is where having a thorough understanding of the client is so important. By knowing what distinguished the Judge brand, we were able to ‘cut to the chase’, producing a solution that was both effective and built in their core brand values.
A pure, minimal photographic style focused on the quality of the product, accentuated by expert art direction and the strategic placement of evocative textures and props. A sugar almond colour scheme was implemented to further distinguish each product’s individual features, whilst maintaining consistency across the range. A ‘Judge quality stamp’ was created to emphasise the brilliance and clarity of the crystalline product, along with a list of the USPs. Whilst short deadlines do come with pressure, one of the advantages is that feedback is quicker and more instinctive, similar to that of a customer seeing the product for the first time. Our client loved the result and the product was successfully launched in Ambiente last month.
“I find with deadlines, you either love them or you hate them. Some people like having the time to experiment, others prefer working to a deadline. For me, it’s the latter. I think some of the best designs are produced under time pressure, as this kick starts the creative process, leaving more time to focus on the best ideas”.
One thing we love at Sanders is the variety of work we do, and the deadlines for this work are no exception. At any one time, we could be working on multiple projects, all in different disciplines and due by different deadlines. When this happens, our honed techniques, relationships with our clients and the way we work as a team ensure a consistent, high-quality outcome, no matter what new challenges the week may bring.
