Initial Research

How to : Group Brief

The first group project of the course is focussing around the concept of "How to...". We began by brainstorming 50 things which are new to first years at university, then dividing them up into categories, before narrowing the list down to just 10 items. The short lists of 10 things from each blog group were then split up, put in a box and each group picked 5 out at random. From the 5 subjects we picked, we then had to write a "how to..." for each one. Our group then chose the final question of "How to stay healthy".


From this subject we brainstormed more specific how to questions:

• staying healthy during freshers
• staying healthy during periods of stress
• staying healthy when away from home
• staying in a healthy sleeping pattern
• staying healthy on the Graphic Design course/ a high demand course

We ended up choosing  the idea of "how to stay healthy as a fresher" and began looking into the ways we could promote a healthy lifestyle to freshers in a form that students are more likely to engage with. When each of us moved into our student accommodation before starting the course, we were each given a "freshers welcome pack" which contained flyers about all the freshers events and nights out, plus energy drinks, sugary sweets, chocolate, hand cream, tooth paste, etc. In general, the content of the boxes wasn't actually useful and purely promoted an unhealthy lifestyle. We wanted to work with this idea and, targeting the same audience, promote a healthy freshers week. 

We decided upon a list of things we would need to research and ways to develop the brief:

• questionnaire and interviews (asking friends and flat mates)
• looking into current healthy guides
• planning an outcome - already sorted
• research specific places in Leeds which apply to the guide 
• research hangover cures, and items to put into the boxes
• research winter box objects and "staying healthy tips"
• research logos, typefaces, designs and layouts that are used on existing packaging of a similar theme 
• research into a more "long-term" resolution - making 2 packs (one for freshers, one for winter time) to make the outcome unique from existing freshers welcome packs
• leaflet design
• leaflet wording

Then, through planning and group discussion, we made a list of outcomes we wanted to use for the resolution:

• a box of "staying healthy during freshers" things and a box of "staying healthy during winter" things
• design packaging, branding, logos, labels 
• write and design a short pamphlet/booklet 
• possible power point presentation?

More specifically:

Freshers Box:

• leaflet 
• smoothie
• vitamins

Leaflet:

• contents page plus introduction
• where to eat healthily in Leeds (map)
• 5 a day
• drinking water
• healthy tips
• daily recommendations
• cost cutters (where to shop cheaply) 
• cheap meals
• alcohol - a staged night out
• hangover cure recipes
• weekly planner

“cool facts” included throughout

and we decided that the winter box would just be a proposal instead of attempting to create all of the branding, labels and work needed for the two boxes.