Brief 1 - Frame (Photoshop): Primary Research

The first logical step after being given this brief was to go out and do some primary research by taking photos of photo frames. To get a good range of different prices and styles different shops were visited. The main two were T.K.Maxx and M&S. Other cheaper shops and value ranges will be explored later to compare the styles. 

Very minimal writing in an almost hand rendered font makes the image more personal. However the image seems some what irrelevant and highly edited. Perhaps it is to give an idea of what type of photo you would put in the frame. But in my opinion it takes away from what you are actually buying - the frame.

The image they have chosen may be equally irrelevant but the effect of sepia matches the colour of the frame and compliments it well. However I wouldn't say the frame  is overly up market. The image would be better suited in a high market silver frame rather than one that looks like it has been made out of popsicle sticks.

The baby blue colour of the shiny frame is complimented by the image of the child suggesting to the audience it would be the perfect frame for a newborn present or even to frame your best photos of your children.

This seems to be one of the worst overall designs by far. The frame is a tacky silver with wavy lines which hold no real purpose and it is placed with an even worse photo of a couple dancing which was poorly cut out and some varying line weights of purple and grey intwined working up the frame. This is a great example of bad design and really shows this area as a part of design that needs to be improved.

The inside slip of this frame works great with the frame its been placed with. The combination of script and roman text says that it is vintage but elegant and stripped back to the basics. The images that frame it have been placed a bit jumbled but the style in which they have been created works well. They are not straight black on white rather a palette of browns which makes it smoother on the eye and is the perfect combination of text and image.

This textured frame is matched with a selection of leaf prints which look like they have almost been done individually from each leaf. This water colour affect would work great with this more natural frame as it compliments the frame it is in. It looks almost like the frame is made to fit around the artwork and you wouldn't want to ruin it with a photo.

This seems bazar to frame a picture of a chair but by doing this they are trying to give you and insight into how the frame would look inside such a house. How well it fits in with the similar furniture, like it is part of the furniture.

This gold 'classy' frame has been matched with a vintage light gold backing pattern. It is one that is similar to an expensive wallpaper that would be found in a sophisticated boutique. However the Roman font used in this doesn't match or portray the same image. Perhaps it should be script. This pattern seems like a cop out and over done as you would see it in most shops that sell frames.

Again with this design the texture of the frame has been continued into the design of the backing. This works well because it doesn't distract from the frame by being overly good or even being overly bad. It just blends into the background. It isn't an overly amazing piece of design but then again, for its purpose it could arguably be suitable.

               

The three M&S frames shown above have made no effort with the inside slip. They have just used a simple gothic san serif font and written the basic details. However this may be all the frames need as if they were overpacked with amazing graphics it may take away from the decorative frames.

This M&S frame was one of the rare ones to having some kind of design in it. The ornaments give the viewer an idea that the frame is belonging to this set, that it would fit perfectly with this idea. The rustic sanded down look would fit with a beach house look.

After looking at different frames it has become clear that there seem to be a few main themes that are used in the inner frame slips. Firstly it is the irrelevant image of a family or group of people, perhaps to suggest what you should put in the frame but this seems self explanatory. The other one is furniture or scenery, looking at where you would see the frame or maybe where it has been inspired by. Third and possibly the one with the most potential is taking the idea of the frame and looking at its style and creating a design around this. The fourth is just to simply leave it plain with the basic information. This to me seems like a design which would be used in cheap value frames where they have no interest in how the frame is presented, not somewhere like M&S.