Research

1. Research

2. Existing Products – Future Self (Website)
For my research, I am looking at the website for a brand called ‘Future Self’ which is a clothing brand about self
development as your future self will be grateful.
Firstly, I am looking at the website design and layout to get some inspiration for my brand.
Looking at the home page, I can see that this website has a minimal style with a monochrome colour scheme where the
colour is added in the pictures. I really like how the style works as only the key information is used – brand name, menu,
cart and shop now. This makes the buyer have a very easy experience as it is quick and effective.
Another aspect that works really well is the colour scheme. The white header creates a frame above the slideshow and as
white works with any picture, the slideshow isn’t affected. To go with the white header, they have used black text and black
symbols to create a strong contrast between the two. It also makes the brand name stand out for the buyer, making the
name more rememberable. I like how they have swapped the colours on the pictures as the text is in white and the ‘shop
now’ button is black contrasting to the header above. Using this colour scheme ensures that the audience of the brand is
wider as these colour aren’t associated with a gender. This means that the buyer knows this is a brand with male and
female clothing.
Next, I have seen that there is a slideshow below the heading which shows their main product categories straight away –
new in, tops, joggers and hoodies. The first image is the most recent product which is the most expensive so that would
make the higher profit product seen the most. The slideshow works well as it is four categories of products rather than an
individual so you can select the section you are looking for. I think this works well for the buyer as it is easy to access and
makes you to the products without leaving the website. You could also access the categories in the menu if you aren't on
the home page.
Looking at this website has helped me to develop a better idea for my design and it has helped me to think about the
aesthetic and use of the website. I will be using the simple design and the simple navigation around the website which will
need some experimenting as I haven’t created a website before.

3. Existing Products – Future Self (Website)
Carrying on with the website I have seen that below the slideshow there is another section, shown on left, for the
categories with some new pictures. I like there are two categories on the page at once, so the pictures aren’t too big. To the
left of the pictures, there is the white background with black text in the same font from the slideshow. Keeping this theme
through the website helps to keep the modern look and to keep the identity of the brand the same.
Another aspect to the website is the menu slide which appears when you select the three-line symbol. On the menu screen
there are the categories, about and advice for deliveries etc. I like that the menu screen looks clean and simple with the
black text to link to the rest of the website.
However, there are a few things that I am not a fan of for this website.
1. I don’t like that there the three sections for the categories as it seems too much with the two on the home page. I think
I will have the one on the home page and then on the menu screen too for when you aren’t on the home page.
2. I do like that below the category section, there all the Instagram posts. However, I don’t like that the posts take up most
of the screen so you can’t see the whole section.
3. I don’t like that when you are on the product pages, the page doesn’t go down very far after the products, so you don’t
have much room to see the price and product name. I would say that having the page slightly longer would make the
page more useable for the buyer. You could make the page longer with social media links.
After looking at these aspects I have learnt that it could be better to have the product category and then a short portfolio of
your products for the buyer to have a quick look. I would also say to have the contact information including the social media
links at the bottom of the pages to make them slightly longer.

4. Existing Products – Future Self (Photos)
For my first photo, I have chosen one with a unique idea. This effect would
have been done in post-production as it has been made to look like the
clothes are floating. To get this image, they have used the main colour for
each outfit as the text on the t-shirt to make the hoodie act as a
background. They have used the same outfit style for the three models to
create the theme look. The location is outside so the lighting is natural and
the background links to the blue and green t-shirts. I really like this idea as I
haven’t seen it before so it would be good to think of a similar idea to do for
my website and products.
This is one of the photos from the outdoor backdrop photo shoot which is
my favourite photo shoot from this brand. The lighting is natural as it is
outside and there are no shadows which means it was cloudy. I would say
that works better than it being sunny as you wouldn’t be able to control the
shadows. The colour scheme of this photo shoot works well as the backdrop
creates a boarder between the contrasting green and brown. It also works
well as the colours are solid, not patterned as that would take away the
effect of the backdrop. The angle of the camera is a level angle, zoomed out
enough to get a full body shot which works as you can see the top of the
backdrop.
Next, I have chosen a simpler photo which is showing the bottom of the
joggers as the logo is there. They have gone for a minimal design with this
image as it is a plain background with the product. They have used the dark
grey joggers to contrast to the pale green joggers as they want to show that
there are designs for everyone. For this image, I would say they have used
studio lights and then added some objects in front to create the shadow
effect as it looks like a window. I like the idea of having a range of model
photos and then also a range of product photos to show more for the buyer.
For this photo, they have used a brighter background to contrast from the
darker products as they have used the dark grey tracksuit. The lighting is
natural as the neon lights are from a street or an arcade front which works
really well as the design is retro so having these neon lights helps to
highlight their ideas. The camera angle is slightly lower than a level shot so
the top of the models head would line up with the neon lights in the
background. I like this idea as they have used lighting/backgrounds to show
what style they have gone for when creating these products.
For a different collection, they have used the hoodie design as the
background which works really well as the colours from the hoodie don’t
overlap the colours on the background. They have gone for a minimal design
as it emphasises on the hoodie design as the colour scheme is smaller than
other photos. The background is just two walls as they didn’t need a big set
for it, they have then been able to control the lighting with studio lights to
get the right shadows. I like this idea as the colour schemes of the product
and the background are the same.
For my final photo, I have looked at the mirror photo shoot trend as I think it
could work really well for my brand as it would reflect light. With this idea, I
can customise the boarder of the mirror and even have a colour scheme for
each t-shirt/hoodie to highlight the colour collection. To get the shot for the
mirror photos, the angle will be slightly to the side as you don’t want to get
the camera in shot as it takes away from the effect. Using the mirror also
makes it easy to change location for the shots as you can lean the mirror on
anything. I like this idea as it adds more to the photo shoot rather than it
being regular photos.

5. Existing Products – Future Self (Products)
a
Here are the front pages for the products in this brand. I really like that they have been hung on a rail instead of it being the front on shot like regular brands as it creates a bit of variety and shows this brand
isn’t like the rest. For some products, there are multiple colours so they have hung all three of them on the rail for one photo. I think that works better as you can see the colours straight away rather than
clicking on the product and then swapping the colours. I would say that if there was a larger range on colours, then it would be too much for one photo but the three colours work. The designers have also
used the same colour scheme to link the pages together as there are white boxes with black text for the product and prices. Then there are black boxes with white text for the sold out sign. I would say that
taking the price off the sold out products doesn’t help as some people would want to buy the product when it is back in stock. For example, the joggers are all out of stock so there is no way to see the price
of them for when they come back and this could mean that some people won’t have enough money at the time.

6. Existing Products – Future Self (Products)
Once you have selected a product, this page comes up which shows more photos of the product. You can see
that the top banner has stayed the same as it has the main aspects for the website such as the menu, home
button and cart. To get to the photos, you have to scroll down the page which also has all the other products.
I don’t like this ideas as much as the page is very long and the photos don’t fit on the screen properly. To the
side of the photos, there is a section with the name, price, ‘select options’ button and description which is for
the size and adding to cart. As you can see the designers have used the black in the photos, in the top banner
and in the side section to carry on with the theme. In the side section, there is the black box with the white
text again as it makes that part stand out as it is they key aspect.
After the main page for the product, you select the button which say ‘select options’ which takes you to a new
page where it has a slide show of the photos you have seen but they are smaller so you can see the whole
photo. This page has the same aspects as before – price and description, it also has the sizes to select for
adding it to your cart and a size guide. Having the size guide there really helps as it is the main piece of
information that helps to decide what you will be buying.
Once you have selected your size, you can add it to your cart and then this page appears. The top banner has
been used again and below that is ‘Your Cart’ in the same font and colour as the rest of the page. The next
aspect is each item in your cart with a photo, the name, size, price and quantity with the option to add more
of an item there. Below that is the total of the products, the ways you can pay and the checkout button which
is a black box with white text.
Overall, the products are presented very professionally and in a unique way which makes this brand stand out
more. However, I think that the first page when you select a product doesn’t work as well as it could as you
have to scroll down for the photos instead of there being a slideshow like the second page of a product.

7. Existing Products – Future Self (Advert)
a
I have found an advert for Future Self which helps me as I have found a whole package from one brand as I want to create all the same aspects for my brand. When watching
the advert, you can tell that there is a retro look as the starting clip is putting a vinyl on. Once the advert starts, you can also see there is a screen effect to empathises on
the retro style and design as it is the main style of the products. I would say that at the start, it focuses on modelling, then there is a short section where they are playing in
the arcade and then they go back to the modelling and products. I have also realised that the locations in the advert are the same as the photo shoot which links them
together better. In the advert you can also see that they are showing sections with the photographer and then showing the modelling poses to make it look like they are in a
photo shoot. At the end of the advert the final clip is a cassette tape which links back to the start with the retro style as they were used before technology developed. As a
whole the advert is at a slower, calmer pace to show off the clothing better with whole body shots and then also close ups for the logos. I would say the slower pace works
better especially if it is about mental health as you want to create a calm atmosphere for your brand to encourage people to visit your website. In the advert, all the
locations haven’t been in a studio with the studio lights, they have been regular locations with the lighting from that location. This makes the advert look better as it is
realistic and shows that the brand doesn’t want to trick the buyers. For the colour scheme, the best location was the arcade as it had the red like the crop top and had the
same aesthetic as the outfits. Overall, this advert works really well as it shows the new collection however, I think I will add more effects when editing such as text.

8. Existing Products – Future Self (Extra)
Social media:
I have seen on their Instagram account for Future Self that they have uploaded a
range of images. They have used all the images taken from the photo shoots as
they have done multiple for the new collections they have released. They have
also created slideshows for the Instagram stories about new products and new
pop-up shops that they were doing at that time. This helps to promote the brand
as many people use Instagram and won’t find it any other way.
I would say that it would be useful to start an Instagram page with a few posts to
show how the social media part could be done if the brand was developed into an
actual brand.
Desktop vs Phone for the website:
When looking at the website, I found that all the negatives I found on the
desktop’s website (pictures being too large) were fixed on the phone’s website
which makes me think that this brand and website was designed for phones rather
than desktops as the owner is a social media influencer, so he uses his phone a
lot. Having the website for the phone means that you will get the better
experience if you are using your phone as the pictures will fit the screen.
This has made me think about how I can make both websites work so the
functionality is at its best as that is the main aspect needed to be right when
designing a website.

9. Questionnaire Analysis

10. Audience Research
For my first part of my audience research, I created a form to help develop my idea of what my audience will be. The form has eight questions
with most of them relating to brands and prices to guide me on those aspects. The answers to the form will determine what style I will use and
what content I will create to cater for my target audience. For my first two questions, I gained some background knowledge about the people
taking the form as the age and gender will play a big part of my next steps as I don’t want to be creating content that isn’t for the correct age
group and correct gender.
I decided to use Microsoft Forms for my audience research as it is an easy way to create a form and was what I needed for this. Using Microsoft
Forms worked as I could have multiple answer questions and long answer questions which meant I could gain extra detail from the people
answering as they have answered with a wide range of brands and prices.
I published this form on my social media and sent it to my dad who gave it to one of his classes as he is a teacher. This worked well as I got a range
of older teenagers to answer which was my initial target audience as mental health is a big problem for teenagers. I didn’t have any resources to
send the form to older people, but I would say that teenagers and young adults are my main age groups but as it is a brand, anyone can buy from
it. If this brand would be developed further, I am sure it will be easy to widen the target audience for more people.
I would say that my most useful questions were the questions about how much you would pay as I want to create an affordable brand whilst
making enough profit to donate to charity and to expand the brand. These answers will have the biggest influence on my brand out of all the
questions from the form.
Before I created the form, I had an idea of what the results will be but there are a few brands that I haven’t heard of and the price range for the t-
shirt and the hoodie is a lot larger than I thought it would be which shows that some people will spend lots of clothing.

11. Audience Research
From this question about the gender of the people taking the form, I have realised that creating a unisex brand is the best option as it doubles my
target audience rather than focusing on one gender. I would also say having a unisex brand means that non-binary people will still want to buy
from here and transgender people will still be able to wear this brand as there is no gender associated with it.
My product will appeal to my target audience by using a range of colours and showing that colours shouldn’t have a gender associated with them
like society does today. At the moment, yellow and orange are the main colours that I think I will use as they don’t have any genders associated
with them such as blue and pink. I will create a range of products, some for boys such as a bolder design on a phone case, some for girls such as
crop tops and most of the products will be for both such as hoodies and t-shirts. Even if I create the products with the intention of one gender
buying them, the other gender will still be able to buy them as less items are being associated with genders.

12. Audience Research
From this question about the age of the people taking this form, I have realised that teenagers would be a great target audience as they want to
create a more sustainable world and teenagers struggle with mental health, so they want to starting improving that too. Before I published this
form, I did think that teenagers would be the best target audience as they want to buy new clothes and want to help spread a message which will
make the world a better place with more positivity.
My product will appeal to my target audience as I will create a range of ideas and have a wide range of advertisement such as social media for
reaching different audiences. I will also create my website to have a minimal design which will mean that the website is very clean and easy to
navigate which helps the buyer and could increase the chance of them buying a product as it is a quick process.

13. Audience Research
From this question about the price of a t-shirt, I have realised that there is a wide range
of prices that people would pay. As teenagers don’t make much money if they work,
they will only spend their money on what they need and lots of teenagers will start
saving for a car etc. As you can see from the pie chart that the most common price is
around £20 which would work out enough to expand the brand and to also donate a
large amount to charity.
My product will appeal for my target audience as I will sell my products at an affordable
price whilst donating to charity and using sustainable materials for the clothing and the
packaging. I would say that the price is a main factor for people visiting the website
from other advertisements as if they know they won’t be able to afford it, then there is
no point for them to visit.

14. Audience Research
Observation:
What this says about my audience:
How will your product appeal to this audience:
From this question about the prices of hoodies, I have realised that like the t-shirt
prices, there is a wide range of opinions for how much people would pay. As I have said
before, my target audience is for people at a younger age, so they won’t have a lot of
money spare after the bills etc. As you can see the most common price is around £25-
£35 which was around my estimations. I will decide on the price for a hoodie by adding
£10-£15 on the t-shirt price as that is the average from other brands that I have seen. I
will also be thinking about the profit whilst keeping charities and sustainability in mind
with the materials and packaging.
My product will appeal to my target audience as I will create an affordable price whilst
having enough profit to expand the brand with sustainable materials. From this
question, I have learnt that there are people who will buy your product whatever the
price, so it is my job to find the balance between profit and affordability.

15. Audience Research
From this question about charity, I have realised that many people would pay a bit more if they knew they were donating to charity by buying
through that brand. From the people I have asked 85% said they would spend a bit more if a percentage of the profit would go to a charity. This
helps as I can then work out how much profit I would need to have to have a large amount going to some charities.
My product will appeal to my target audience as I could have the donation sum as the first slide on the slideshow for the home page. I will also
have a page which explains that the products will be slightly more expensive for the charities, it will also explain how much will go to charity, it
will also explain what charities the money will go to and there will also be a page for the sustainability of the brand.

16. Audience Research
From this question about brands online, I have realised that ASOS is a loved brand as it
has a wide range of products and a wide range of brands in one place. I have also
realised that some main reasons people love the brand they said is because of the
quality of the product, how trendy the products are and how easy the website is to
navigate from the home page to the order complete page.
My product will appeal to my target audience as I will create a range of trendy designs,
using high quality products/materials which will be sold on a simple website to make
the user’s experience calm and relaxed. I would say that as technology grows and now
that people haven’t been able to go to shops due to Covid, more people will be using
online shopping as their main purchases as it is more convenient for them. As more
people will be spending more time online shopping, then the website I create must be
very easy for anyone to understand.
Brand Why
Amazon You can buy anything there, Delivery.
Pretty Little Things Online shopping.
Hollister Clear website.
Superdry High quality products.
Carhartt High quality products.
Brand Why
ASOS Wide range, Clear website, Lots of brands.
Depop Cheap, Sustainable, Helps small businesses.
Nike Reliable
Urban Outfitters Trendy products, High quality products.
H&M Simple website.
North Face High quality product, good CSR.

17. Audience Research
From this question about advertisement, I have realised that the main way people learn
about deals from a brand is by emails when you subscribe to the emailing list. This is the
most effective way as it is easy to gather emails which means many people will be able
to access the deals. Another effective way to announce deals and releases is with the
use of Instagram as having a social media account will widen the audience you attract as
more people will see your account.
My product will appeal to my target audience as could set a demo social media account
with the photo shoots and product photos. If my brand was developed further, I would
learn how to make an emailing list as that is the number one advertisement process for
my target audience.

18. Audience Research
From this question about a sustainable and ethically correct brand, I have realised that like the charity question, 85% of people are more likely to
buy from this brand if they knew it was sustainable and ethically correct unlike other brands. I would say that having a sustainable and ethical
brand would increase the sales as they are large issues within the clothing industry, so emphasising to the buyer that those problems don’t occur
in this brand would encourage the them to buy. After this question was answered, it made me think that it would be useful to do some research
into sustainable materials and packaging to show what I would do if this brand was developed.
My product would appeal to my target audience as I would want to have minimum effect on the environment and not to source products from
factories that don’t treat the works correctly. I would have to do lots of research into finding the right sources to print the products but one I have
done that, I will be able to create a sustainable, ethically correct and positive brand.

19. Interviews

20. Interview 1

21. Interview 1
Observation:
What this says about my audience:
How will your product appeal to this audience:

22. Interview 2

23. Interview 2
Observation:
What this says about my audience:
How will your product appeal to this audience:

24. Bilbography

25. Biblography
1. Your, Name. (2018) Target Audience Research Survey (conducted on DATE)
2. Interviewees, Name. (2018) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on DATE)