Computer Arts - UK (2019-08)

PROCESS

01 The concept of foil being stamped down... it had

movement in it and could also feel like it was being peeled

off. But we all agreed it wasn’t the right route early on.

02 The second route was designed around the number of

cylindrical rolls of foil moving on the roller machines. I loved

this route, but agreed with Dave that it wasn’t right for Foilco.

03 This route was based on subtle movement within the

letters, with a set of quirky alternative characters that look

like they’ve moved slightly when compared to the standard

letters. It hit the nail on the head. It was readable, distinctive

and had a certain class to it.

TYPE 1, 2, 3

Rick Banks assesses the three initial concepts

02 03

01

“My initial

thought was to

really show off

the reflective

qualities and

texture of

the foils”

06

06 Mock-ups

highlighting

a range of

approaches to the

design style, use

of the identity and

the type.

07 As the logo and

identity were

further refined,

Dave Sedgwick

tested further

layouts, but it still

needed the

finishing touch of

the luxurious

photography.

08 One of the

elaborately built

sets that turns

rolls of foil into

abstract art

objects.

09 The form of the

logo and its

genesis are played

with in a piece

highlighting one

of Foilco’s most

important ranges.

10 Using reflective

foil artfully as a

background is

part of the

strategy to raise

Foilco’s newly

energised

profile within

creative circles.

11 A bespoke

typeface ensures

that Foilco’s

communications

are distinctive in

the print industry

and beyond.

COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COM

PROJECT DIARY

we reined it in a bit, concentrating on the main
alphabet. I was worried that the stems wouldn’t
reproduce well at small sizes, and so I added
a global serif to keep everything user-friendly
and consistent.
We named the font Pamela after the wife of
the company’s owner. She’s a maternal figure to
the company who holds it all together, so that
was a nice touch.

THEPHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE
By Andy Mackie
Dave Sedgwick wanted to make a statement
with the photography and make the foil more
appealing to designers. He wanted to do this by
making the foil feel luxurious and more desirable
in its raw form. My initial thought was to give the
images a sculptural feel and really show off the
reflective qualities and texture of the foils.
To achieve this, I worked with the brilliant
set designer Elena Horn. She understood the
brief and what we were trying to achieve. The
sculptures were fairly straightforward to make

• often just by balancing roles on top of each
  other, and occasionally supporting them with
  fishing wire and C-stands, which were removed
  in retouching.
  Because of the reflective qualities of the foil,
  it had to be shot in a certain way. I started with a
  strong highlight to catch the reflectiveness then
  used a couple of other lights to get the shape and
  colour right. Around the set we used black cloth
  to cut down on unwanted reflections from the
  studio. The more abstract shots were lit with one
  long strip light above the set.

THE VERDICT

By Dave Sedgwick

Apart from the usual pressure of deadlines

and time, the main challenge on this project

was creating something that would work for

everyone – designers, printers, suppliers, agents

and the staff at Foilco. The design also needed

a timeless feel, because Foilco didn’t want to be

changing its identity again in the coming years.

Collaboration was a key element of the project

• between myself and the client, but also working
  with Rick and Andy. As an independent designer,
  you have to allow yourself to be influenced by
  others and what Rick and Andy had to say had
  an important bearing on the project. There were
  reasons their work attracted me to them, and
  I had to trust them to do their thing.

AUGUST 2019